The Spirit of David Walker: The Obscure Hero

Book Description

As the inventor of Logarithms, John Napier made one of the greatest advances in the history of mathematics in simplifying expression of figures.

Customer Reviews:

John Napier by and large without his logarithms.......2007-06-07

The ordinary lives of famous mathameticians rarely prove to be as interesting as their professional activities and such is the case with John Napier. This slim volume is, at least to my way of thinking, a disappointment in that it provides only the most superficial insight into Napier's thinking concerning the period during which he conceived the idea of the logarithm and produced the first table of such numbers.
For centuries thereafter they significantly simplified the multiplication and division of large numbers. Until the advent of the scientific calculator tables of logarithms were in wide use. Napier's contribution was recognized for its value by the major natural philosophers of his day and an indepth presentation of this aspect of his life would be a worthy contribution to the literature. Napiers bones, an abacus like device without wires or beads is also rather poorly covered in the book. The bones were the precursor of the slide rule and may, indeed, be among the earliest forms of mechanical calculators.

The construction of the wonderful canon of logarithms

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The construction of the wonderful canon of logarithms
John Napier
Manufacturer: Classics of Science Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0006RM7RG

The Construction of the Wonderful Canon of Logarithms (Leather Bound)

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The Construction of the Wonderful Canon of Logarithms (Leather Bound)
John Napier
Manufacturer: Gryphon Editions
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Leather Bound
ASIN: B000P8FPDO

Product Description

BRAND NEW leather bound book accented with gilt! ! Facsimile reproduction of original work.

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Logarithms (Fl)
John Napier
Manufacturer: GRYPHON EDITIONS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000R0CTRK

Memoirs of John Napier of Merchiston,: His lineage, life, and times, with a history of the invention of logarithms

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Memoirs of John Napier of Merchiston,: His lineage, life, and times, with a history of the invention of logarithms
Mark Napier
Manufacturer: W. Blackwood; [etc., etc.]
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Construction of the Wonderful Canon of Logarithms

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Construction of the Wonderful Canon of Logarithms
John Napier
Manufacturer: Gryphon Editions
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Leather Bound
ASIN: B000BVV0CK

Product Description

This is a facsimile reproduction of the 1889 English translation by William Rae Macdonald published by William Blackwood and Sons, Edinburgh

The Construction of Logarithms with a Catalogue of Napier's Works

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The Construction of Logarithms with a Catalogue of Napier's Works
John Napier
Manufacturer: Gryphon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Leather Bound
ASIN: B000MYYOBA

A description of the admirable table of logarithmes (The English experience, its record in early printed books published in facsimile)

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A description of the admirable table of logarithmes (The English experience, its record in early printed books published in facsimile)
John Napier
Manufacturer: Da Capo Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

The discovery of logarithms (Roy. soc. of New South Wales. Jour. and Proc)

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The discovery of logarithms (Roy. soc. of New South Wales. Jour. and Proc)
H. S Carslaw
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Mathematics | Science | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0008CW260

John Napier and the invention of logarithms, 1614

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John Napier and the invention of logarithms, 1614
Ernest William Hobson
Manufacturer: The University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Book Description

"Dale Pendell reactivates the ancient connection between the bardic poet and the shaman."-Terence McKenna

In Pharmako/Dynamis, Dale Pendell continues his exploration of psychoactive plants begun in Pharmako/Poeia. Pharmacognosy is the study of the composition, production, use, and history of drugs of natural origin. Pendell covers these topics and more in this volume, charting a voyage around the world of plant teachers. Through poetry, chemistry, and a generous sprinkling of arcane lore, Pendell weaves and twists the many threads of tradition into a singularly bewitching brew. Pendell's voyage is a true circumnavigation. It divulges what Gary Synder called "dangerous knowledge" that is a formidable weapon against "even more dangerous ignorance."

Dale Pendell is a poet, software engineer, and longtime student of ethnobotany. His poetry has appeared in many journals, and he was the founding editor of KUKSU: Journal of Backcountry Writing. He has led workshops on ethnobotany and ethnopoetics for the Naropa Institute and the Botanical Preservation Corps.

Customer Reviews:

the way to go.......2004-04-29

a wonderfully creative book - in design and content. This incredible, magical book was obviously formed from an amazing mind who looked beyond normal book requirements and envisioned something that would satisfy (like the subject matter) beyond expectations.

Bravo to the author, publisher and designer for an all-around spectacular work.

Stimulating plants...........2003-04-06

Since my own interests include gardening, herbs, plant poisons, and natural pharmaceuticals such as caffeine, I quickly decided Dale Pendell's PHARMAKO-DYNAMIS and PHARMAKO-POEIA were must-read books for me. These books are also for historians, drug counselors, people who write laws associated with drug use, those concerned with the impoverishment of countries invaded by world-based industrialized corporations, and drug users. Think you aren't a drug user? Other than tea, coffee, chocolate, wine, beer, the paregoric my mother fed me as a child, and the aether and morphine I ingested at different times as a hospital patient, neither am I. Incidentally, paregoric and morphine are related to opium and it's offspring heroin.

Pendell suggests the reader can begin anywhere in either of his two books and arrive at the same place. I read the sections that interested me most and then backfilled. I ended up reading all of PHARMAKO-DYNAMIS (the second volume) first. This volume includes essays on coffee, tea, chocolate, kola, betel, Ma Huang (Ephedera), Khat, Coca, and Nutmeg. Nutmeg?? Yes, nutmeg is a "drug" or herb of choice for some. You probably knew the poppy seeds on your bagel could lead to a positive on a drug test, but you might not have known that nutmeg in the proper doses could lead to euphoria, delirious visions, or headaches. Pendell says he prefers his nutmeg in eggnog.

Pendell writes provocatively, " Billions of dollars are spent to keep adults from having access to methamphetamines, while Adderall (amphetamine) and Ritalin (methylphenidate) are widely prescribed for children." Many of the plants with "suspect" pharmaceutical uses have been cultivated for thousands of years. Coca has been around for five to seven thousand years, and until the drug czars cracked down, it was an ingredient in Coca-Cola. The soft drink no longer includes it's namesake, but devotees can find the real stuff without a great deal of difficulty. Pendell characterizes the attempt by governments to control "drugs" as a continuation of the 19th Century Spice Wars, and more or less an unmitigated disaster (and given the recent news the Columbian drug lords may have links to terrorism, one must be concerned about this).

My favorite drug, or drug of choice is tea (Camilla Sinensis). Fortunately, all sorts of benefits are associated with tea drinking. Another favorite is cacoa, a favorite drink of shamans and Goethe, who had a life-long interest in both the drink and the mysticism. Goethe once wrote..."Four epochs of the sciences: childlike, poetic, superstitious; empirical, investigative, curious; dogmatic, didactic, pedantic; and ideal, methodical, mystical." Pendell covers each with the plant substances he explores.

The whole Pharmako series is worth reading.......2003-03-21

Dale Pendell's "Pharmako" series is an excellent resource for those interested in the relation of human cultures to plants, especially plants with consciousness-changing properties. The author devotes sections to each of a wide array of different plants, as well as sections dealing tangentially with aspects of the "Poison Path". One of the most refreshing aspects of the series is the way it deals with the whole spectrum of these plants - coffee, chocolate, marijuana, opium, tobacco, wine and beer, cocaine, and many others, on the same footing. One of the few other books to take this perspective - Terrence McKenna's "Food of the Gods" - is also well worth reading, but is shorter, deals with a narrower range of "allies", and lacks some of the poetic and stylistic verve of Dale Pendell's books.

Another comparison - to Hoffmann and Schultes' "Plants of the Gods" is in order, as both have encyclopaedic range, but the Pharmako series takes a more integrated viewpoint, and (again) is longer. When the series is complete (with Pharmako/Gnosis) I expect it to be one of the fullest and most useful references on this fascinating subject.

One feature which recommends this series is the variety of perspectives which the subsections of each chapter bring to each plant: we learn about botany, about pharmacology, history, religious uses, personal views of the effects, poetic odes, esoteric commentary, and more. The author takes seriously the question of how to report on plants whose effects involve changes in consciousness: he lets the narrative voice reflect some of the kinds of awareness associated to each (one reason the book on stimulants ended up being so long that the two-book series turned into a three-book series!)

If you interest in these plants is scientific, historical, religious, or whatever else, you'll surely find facets of this multi-sided work that appeal - and you may discover an interest in the others. If you merely want to see an innovative kind of reportage, you may even discover an interest in the subject.

Warmly recommended.

Average customer rating:

Thank goodness for the talented sanity

tried two recipes

enjoyable reading...

A Useful Book for Entertaining with Food and Wine

I highly recommend this cookbook!

The Vineyard Kitchen: Menus Inspired by the Seasons (Cookbooks)
Maria Helm Sinskey
Manufacturer: William Morrow Cookbooks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
California | U.S. Regional | Regional & International | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
General | U.S. Regional | Regional & International | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

The Cakebread Cellars Napa Valley Cookbook: Wine and Recipes to Celebrate Every Season's Harvest

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the girl & the fig cookbook: More than 100 Recipes from the Acclaimed California Wine Country Restaurant

Sonoma: A Food and Wine Lovers' Journey

The New Cook's Tour of Sonoma: 200 Recipes and the Best of the Region's Food and Wine

ASIN: 0060013966
Release Date: 2003-09-02

Book Description

In this age of celebrity chefs and rarefied ingredients, it is a great pleasure to publish this creative and wholesome collection of recipes, The Vineyard Kitchen, by Maria Helm Sinskey. In her debut book, Maria shares the homey yet sophisticated recipes that have made her one of America's most celebrated chefs and a culinary star. Though Maria lives in the Napa Valley, she was born and raised in the Northeast, and her recipes capture seasonal availability and flavors, no matter where you are cooking.

Maria offers 40 menus, 10 per season, with more than 180 recipes to enjoy all year round. From her kitchen in Napa, where she runs a vineyard with her husband and raises her two young daughters, Maria looks out onto a landscape whose seasonal bounty is reflected in each recipe. Emphasizing quality ingredients, her dishes are simple and pure, focusing on the freshness and flavor of each element, rather than on fussy or complicated preparations. These are dishes that celebrate the unique offerings of each season and that perfectly suit our shifting appetites as the days go from short to long and as our dining table moves from fireside to patio.

Delight in summer with the annual ritual of shucking fresh corn, and transform the harvest into a velvety Sweet Corn Soup with Rosemary; savor the summer-only treat of White Peaches Poached in Vin Gris with Raspberries. When the weather turns wintry, you won't feel deprived with Maria's soothing Nutmeg Custard or with a stunning meal of Parsnip Soup followed by Duck Confit with French Green Lentils. Complete with wine pairings and seasonal shopping tips, The Vineyard Kitchen is a friendly, comprehensive guide that will help you create distinctive, tempting dishes throughout the year.

Customer Reviews:

Thank goodness for the talented sanity.......2007-07-02

I'm so OVER cookbooks that try to impress and then merely confuse. I loved this cookbook, because the author/chef is so aware of what truly matters in cooking well...fresh, in season ingredients and preparation that enhances these ingredients. There's nothing pretentious about any of the recipes...some may seem a bit intimitating to novice cooks, but each recipe is very well written in order to guide and instruct. I always check out interesting cookbooks from my library to see if they are worth the investment before I buy...this one definitely is. Kudos to Maria Helm Skinskey...a great cookbook.

tried two recipes.......2004-04-15

Tonight I tried two of the recipes in this book and both turned out so absolutely delicious that I believe it is my obligation to write a review about it. I made the roasted tomatoes with olives and cheese along with the oven-roasted potatoes and shallots. I served these dishes with steak. Browsing through this book (which I borrowed from the library), I see a few must-try recipes that use the minimum of quality ingredients needed to produce an outstanding dish. In general, I don't have the patience for recipes that use up tiny amounts of expensive (likely to be used only once) ingredients. For example, the butternut squash soup uses squash, onion, honey, sage, stock and creme fraiche (easily reproduced with cream and buttermilk). Simple yet different all the same. Based on my thorough browse of this book, Amazon can expect another book order from me.

enjoyable reading..........2004-01-15

I am the "Cookbook QUEEN" and decided to borrow this cookbook from the library instead of adding it to my collection right away.
The recipe for almond paste was excellent.
I made the fig spice cake and it was outstanding. However, there should have been more explicit directions about flaming the rum. I thought it would be brief and over - no way.
It had a substantial flame and I was glad I asked my husband to do it or I honestly think I would have panicked and burned the house down.

The flames were high and lasted well over 3-4 minutes.
The warning not to burn one's hands and face was good advice, but more detail was certainly in order.
Otherwise, some interesting recipes and good reading.

A Useful Book for Entertaining with Food and Wine.......2004-01-05

Maria Helm Sinskey is a professional chef who does ?culinary direction? and teaching at her husband?s vineyard. The book is a collection of ten menus per season where each menu consists of three to five dishes, three being the most common. The most typical menu consists of a recipe for soup or salad, a main dish, and a dessert. The introduction to each menu gives suggestions on pairings of wine with the food, depending on method of preparation.

I know very little about wine and food pairings so my opinion on this subject is pretty thin. The advice includes a very wide variety of wines, including my favorite Rhine and Mosel area wines including wines from the Alsace, as the author?s family originally came from the Alsace (Strasbourg). The author seems to show the proper amount of respect for pairing wines with vegetables, especially the dreaded artichokes and asparagus and varies the recommendation by method of preparation.

The focus on the seasons begs one to compare this to ?The Arrows Cookbook? and the focus on menus offers the comparison to Emeril Lagasse?s new restaurant(s) cookbook. The commitment to the menu style is better done than with Emeril?s book and I suspect the recipes are just a bit more discriminating than in Emeril?s book. The realization of the dedication to the seasonal is less convincing than in the Arrows book. It is a lot easier to take seasonal thinking more seriously when you are in Maine than when you are in California.

Due to the organization by menu, where every menu has one or more desserts, you are getting many more dessert recipes for your money than you get from a more conventional organization, especially when the extra recipe (fourth or fifth) is often an additional dessert.

With forty menus, you are also getting about 15 salads, 10 soups, and 15 dishes, which can best be identified as appetizers. These ?starters? seem to have a high percentage of dishes, which are richer than what I may like to see (high concentration of oils, cheeses, and cured meats). This and the dessert population both contribute to the fact that this book is NOT for dieters. I also noticed a bit of repetition among the starters recipes. Some looked suspiciously like others two seasons past. Very odd for seasonally timed dishes.

The main courses continue the tendency toward the fatty. The 40 dishes cover protein with:

Beef 9
Fowl 8 (several of duck and goose)
Lamb 5
Fin Fish 5
Pork 4
Shellfish 3
Vegetarian 6 (mostly pasta or risottos with lots of mushrooms and cheese)

The 20% shellfish seems odd in today?s healthy eating environment, but lets be clear that this book is about seasonal eating with wine, not loosing weight. Many of the main dish recipes such as coq au vin, pepper encrusted New York strip, and bouillabaisse are old friends, so you may have several of them already.

The quality of the recipes, the headnotes, and the cooks notes accompanying them is quite high. The author seems to give all the right cautions in all the right places. It?s interesting to note where the author takes some special effort and where they gloss over things. The gloss on an easy couscous method would make Paula Wolfert cringe. On the other hand, the recipe for homemade cr?me fraiche is more detailed than any I have seen to date, including instructions on how to vary the tangyness of the product. The coverage of pastry doughs (Pate Brisee) falls somewhere in the middle. The basic recipe is sound, but not as detailed as you may find in a book on pastry. The author also uses the same Pate Brisee for conventional pies, tarts, and galettes. I know some picky pastry chefs who have separate doughs for each.

I found one misprint in a recipe where the text put a quantity of sugar, but neglected to put the unit, so you are unsure of whether it is teaspoons, tablespoons, cups, or pounds. Fortunately, from the context, an experienced cook will know which it is. Very annoying. Tends to put me on my guard for other mistakes.

The ?seasonal? card will never sell a book to me, since it has become so hackneyed it has become nothing more than a blurb word on a dust jacket for many books, accompanied by the obligatory endorsement quote from Alice Waters. On this book, Alice is joined by Bobby Flay and Charlie Trotter, both highly respected and both well paid for their opinions. But a Foreword by Thomas Keller! This is an entirely different cup of tea. Keller is risking his Olympian reputation for a few bucks to lend his name and thoughts to the reputation of this book. I think the book almost lives up to his recommendation.

As many people such as Nigella Lawson have pointed out, the ?local and seasonal? dogma may be good selling points for high end restaurants, but in an age when my local market up the street has fresh summer vegetables from California in January, I will eat them and enjoy them in January. I will even not turn up my nose to hothouse tomatoes. Therefore, the author has failed to sell me on her seasonal mantra. In fact, her rather starchy, rich menus in winter point up some dangers to following the seasons.

I like the book and it taught me some things I didn?t know before. It is a good source for entertaining menus, although I suspect some of the menus may be a bit fatty or a bit dull with too few green vegetables.
Recommended, especially at the very reasonable price.

I highly recommend this cookbook!.......2003-10-14

I am not an experienced cook by any means, but I found the recipes to be clear, easy to follow and delicious!
Many cookbooks that I buy tend to be a bit intimidating. But not this one.
The Black and Blueberry Cobbler recipe was a huge hit at my dinner party.

Book Description

The popular and entertaining question-and-answer format guides pet lovers through details of caring for hamsters, mice, lizards, guinea pigs, rabbits, and many other small animals kept by both children and adults as pets. Advice covers choosing good specimens, recognizing physical and behavior traits, and providing nutritious feeding, proper housing, and general health care for small animals. Additional features include descriptions of many different small animals, informative charts and tables, and approximately 150 full-color photos and drawings.

The Small Animals Questions and Answer Manual

Average customer rating:

The Small Animals Questions and Answer Manual
David Alderton
Manufacturer: Interpet Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Animal Care & Pets | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 184286033X

Book Description

*20 b/w photos
* 100 color drawings
* 8 x 11
* Easy designs for attracting particular species
* No-frills projects, safe for birds and the environment

How to build simple, functional birdhouses and feeders, with details on customizing the designs to attract certain types of birds and using materials that won't harm them. Step-by-step instructions and color plans make construction easy. Suggestions for hanging, cleaning, and maintaining the structures, basics on birding, and hints for dealing with predators. Projects include a wren cube, bluebird house, large house for ducks and owls, purple martin high-rise, seed feeders, and suet holders.

Paul Gerhards is the author of the best-seller How to Sell What You Make and several books on woodworking, including Backyard Play Areas You Can Make and Entertainment Centers You Can Make.

Customer Reviews:

Not as Complete as the title suggests.......2007-01-07

The book does have plans and drawings, but the instructions are not nearly as complete as the title would have you believe. I thought that it would be more detailed than it is and would include more original plans. The ones in here are just basic plans that are included in every free plan site I've found, so why pay for them?

Great book for simple, beginner birdhouses.......2001-02-16

I've been hogging this book from my local library, and just decided to add it to my wishlist for an upcoming birthday.

The plans are simple and very straightforward, oriented for people without expensive woodworking tools or without a lot of experience. The book includes eight birdhouse plans and six feeder plans. Several of the plans include optional variations. The plans are easy to understand.

These would also be good plans to build with a son or daughter.

The book is well written and up to date. It also includes a large table of specifications for houses/feeders that will attract specific types of birds.

Very helpful book.

Book Description

In this tribute to her work her special choice of plants and her unique methods are brought to life again for today's gardeners. It is a tribute to Margery Fish's special brand of gardening and her unique methods.

Average customer rating:

Margery Fish's Country Gardening
Timothy Clark
Manufacturer: Antique Collectors C
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000K7M6EG

Customer Reviews:

Wonderful Book.......2002-03-10

Hurray! Hurray! This is a book much needed by people trying to raise their children to be truly happy, holy and sensible. Four thumbs up (my wife and myself). Thanks Dr. Ray

INTERESTING AND EDUCATIONAL.......1999-10-29

I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR OTHER READERS' COMMENTS AND THE WAY THEY FEEL ABOUT THE SUBJECT MATTER IN THE BOOK.I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO DISAGREE WITH THE WRITER;HOWEVER,I THINK THE WORLD WOULD BE A LOT BETTER PLACE FOR EVERYBODY IF EVERYONE WOULD HEED TO WHAT THE AUTHOR TRED TO CONVEY TO HIS READERS

Book Description

Patricia Morley joined her husband, who was an officer in the Colonial Service, in Singapore in 1946, and as a professional portrait and sculptor began a period of intense artistic activity. Her main inspiration was her Malay or Malay-speaking household and the relatives and friends who gathered around. Through the medium of her art, Patricia Morley gained an understanding of and empathy for her "other family" which few European expatriates ever achieved. This book is a memoir of her life and includes a range of her most striking portraits.

Average customer rating:

THE PHANTOM ROTHSCHILDS

The author must be an anti-Semite

Great book by Ferguson on monied surrupticious Euro family...

A little too detailed

Much more than a family saga

The House of Rothschild: Volume 1: Money's Prophets: 1798-1848
Niall Ferguson
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
Rich & Famous | Leaders & Notable People | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
Jewish | Ethnic & National | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
Banks & Banking | Industries & Professions | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0140240845

Amazon.com

Founded in the late 18th century by expatriate German Jews, the London-based House of Rothschild was within decades the largest banking enterprise in the world. Its principals controlled a vast portion of the industrial world's wealth--more so, Oxford historian Niall Ferguson writes, than any family has since--and as a result enjoyed tremendous political influence in the major capitals of Europe, counting as allies such important figures as Metternich and Wellington. That influence would provoke countless anti-Semitic tracts fulminating against Jewish usury and against the power of "Eastern potentates" in the empires of England and France. Although the Rothschilds were well aware of their power and not reluctant to use it, they operated fairly, Ferguson notes. For example, whereas lending rates in the textile industry, in which the Rothschilds got their start, were often 20 percent, the fledgling house charged 5 to 9 percent. Through shrewd, complex negotiations they helped promote peace and the beginnings of economic union throughout Europe.

Ferguson's sprawling history covers much ground and involves a cast of hundreds of players. At the outset he notes that his book was commissioned by the modern descendants of the House of Rothschild; even so, he approaches his task with careful balance and a critical eye, pointing out the Rothschilds' failings as well as successes. The result is a fine, solid contribution to economic history, one that, unlike so many books in the field, is eminently readable. --Gregory McNamee

Book Description

The first authoritative and compulsively readable history of the rise of this legendary banking dynasty

In his rich and nuanced portrait of the remark- able, elusive Rothschild family, Oxford scholar and bestselling author Niall Ferguson uncovers the secrets behind the family's phenomenal economic success. He reveals for the first time the details of the family's vast political network, which gave it access to and influence over many of the greatest statesmen of the age. And he tells a family saga, tracing the importance of family unity and the profound role of Judaism in the lives of a dynasty that rose from the confines of the Frankfurt ghetto and later used its influence to assist oppressed Jews throughout Europe. A definitive work of impeccable scholarship with a thoroughly engaging narrative, The House of Rothschild is a biography of the rarest kind, in which mysterious and fascinating historical figures finally spring to life.

"A great biography." --Time magazine

"Absorbing. . . .Their enthralling story has been told before, but never in such authoritative detail." --The New York Times Book Review

"Niall Ferguson's rich and compelling new book . . . is a feast." --The Wall Street Journal

* Chosen by Business Week as one of the Best Business Books of 1998

* A finalist for the National Jewish Book Award

Customer Reviews:

THE PHANTOM ROTHSCHILDS.......2007-07-03

What has Ferguson not told about the Rothschilds in his seemingly exhaustive two volume set?

He all too facilely dismisses Victor Rothschild's being the fifth man in the World War II Soviet spy ring of Blunt, Burgess, et. al. He does not bring up the 1776 Masonic Illuminati order of Adam Weishaupt with alleged connections to Mayer Amschel. And he dosen't discuss the Rothschilds' connection with Freemasonry at the highest level, and their gift to Israel of the Supreme Court building, a New World Order artifact, heavily laden architecturally with Freemasonry symbolism. Likewise, glaringly absent from note are 19th, 20th, and 21st century Illuminati activities, which the family has been widely thought to be involved with. History Professor Ferguson could fill in his blanks on some vital but shady Rothschild history from Henry Makow, a researcher and writer--and a Jew.

According to an article on Ferguson in Harvard Magazine (May/June '07), he is about to take on biographical writing of Henry Kissinger, at Kissinger's request. This should generate caution. Could Kissinger's "papers" be entirely relied on? Kissinger probably saw what sheen Ferguson could put on the Rothschild's archives as raw material, ignoring or minimising important but dark concerns.

Same question on the Warburg's family papers that he is availing himself of. What will Ferguson tell us about Paul Warburg's role in establishing the egregious Federal Reserve, and Max Warburg financing the Bolshevik revolution?

Let's hope that Ferguson can either put this and other allegations to rest once and for all or illuminate them if true--but now that he's shown his colors with the Rothschilds, I doubt that he will, either way.

It seems that sympathetic academic interest in these elitist families and individuals is inevitable in part because that is where the big bucks for research and publishing would be, especially for a scholar who professes to have, as he says in the Harvard Magazine article, "become a thorough philo-Semite".

Is there a whiff of opportunism here at the expense of objectivity?

The author must be an anti-Semite.......2007-04-18

the book had some good pictures, however prof Ferguson not once, but on numerous occasions, claims to refute the story of how Nathan brilliantly deceived the London Stock Exchange players after the battle of Waterloo, earning $40 billion (2007 prices) in one day. A bit jealous I suppose.

Verdict: Ignore the anti-semitic propaganda and the book is worth a look.

Great book by Ferguson on monied surrupticious Euro family..........2006-10-16

[Also see: Fritz Springmeier's Bloodlines of the
Illuminati]. Ferguson, who teaches at a Northea-
stern University in the US, did yeoman work here
on at least defusing some of conspiracy talk about
how fools like Bernard Piper-Collins claim Roths-
childs alledgedly control ALL things.The Rothschilds
never ran the bank of England, the gentile Baring
Bros. did. They are however a very corrupt family.
Author Ferguson did excellent work here.

A little too detailed.......2006-06-23

I have to start out by saying overall I enjoyed the book but I would only rate it as an average book. It is a little too detailed and didn't keep my interest from one chapter to the next. It would have been better if it left out 150 pages or so. I found myself doing a lot of skiming over what I would say was boring filler in the book. You can learn a lot about the type of business that that Rothschilds were in but not a lot of how they went about doing it.

After reading this it seems that the Rothschilds were in the business of making large loans to governments and then packaging these loans as bonds and selling them to the public. They were as much bond and commodity traders as they were bankers, which I found interesting. There are numerous quotes from letters written back and forth between family members that will give you a sense of their personalities. The family history is very detailed so if this is the kind of thing you are interested in then you will probably enjoy the book more then I did.

Much more than a family saga.......2005-11-07

Those who already know Niall Ferguson do not need any praise for the books he writes: a few years ago I chanced to read his excellent "The Cash Nexus" and this led me to "The Pity of War" and finally to "The House of Rothschild".

Ferguson is a scholar who loves challenges: not just challenging arguments, but also challenges in the sheer volume of sources and research, and finally challenges to the reader in presenting controversial theses (I think specially of those advanced brilliantly, and contentiously, in "The Pity of War" - see my review if interested).

This last effort is mainly an attempt to unveil the Rothschild mythology, restoring an historically accurate perspective both of the family saga and of the banking and financial European history from 1798 to 1848.

The book is a masterpiece for many reasons: not just story of a family (circumscribed to the male members), not just story of a great banking institution in the past two centuries, but also comprehensive financial history of the first half of XIX century... "a rich and nuanced portrait" as the book leaflet reads - that reveals and hides, but also creates an appealing and fascinated image of those turbulent years.
So, it can appeal the history buff, and all those readers interested in financial history (and speculative bubbles) as well as those interested in biography and cultural history.

The essay definitely has also - obviously maybe - a literary dimension: because in describing the five brothers Ferguson uses those same "colors" used by contemporaries, a literary dimension that cannot but appeal and enrich the more serious economic investigation: for Nathan the "meteoric" larger than life Napoleon-like image (passion for risk, high stakes on the table and the ruthlessness of a general), for James that richly colored literary portrait (full of mid-tones) we have been used by writers like Balzac, Zola and Stendhal (the mix of secretiveness and candid frankness, detachment and savoir vivre), for the others three brothers the age-old mythologies of Midas and the wandering Jew (specially in the portrait of the German and Austrian branch: they seem consciously prisoners of the Jewish stereotype in their inability to enjoy life and relax).

Every reader interested in the story of the House of Rothschild want to know the why and how a middle class Jewish family confined in the Frankfurt ghetto was able in just one generation to become the richest family in the world.
Ferguson's study is very good in the pars destruens, that is in taking down and unveiling the old mythologies (like the Waterloo myth, or the Hesse Kassel myth), less good in the pars construens that is substituting a coherent explanation. The surviving accounts are of course too tiny to cast light, and the accounting techniques used by the family in the early days too backward to be critically useful.
So the impression is that of an unending race over speed limits, a sheer willingness to accept often uncalculated risks and to play for the highest stakes and at the same time an impressive luck (or God's favor) that stuck contemporaries (always expecting the meteoric rise of Nathan to end like the parallel story of Napoleon).
So was their preeminence produced only by chance?
Yes and no. Chance - according to Ferguson - played a striking role in the early stages - the building up, but consolidation and enlargement were due to specific attitudes of the family: solidarity between brothers, their informative network, their ability in cultivating diplomacy and - not least - to the fact that the family systematically reinvested in the business about 96percent of the net income produced (unlike - say - the Barings brothers, that in 1816 had almost the same size)

The book will be also hugely helpful to readers interested in European history, casting a different - unusual to most readers - light in the inner mechanism of the early XIX century European politics.
As for the nature of the Restoration, often liquidated by historians as a narrow and backward attempt to turn back the clock to pre-revolutionary times, Ferguson shows how different in reality was this period from the Ancien Regime and how the seeds of modernity were well present and working: the sheer preference of the banking institution for financing representative-backed monarchies, the consolidation in Jewish emancipation all over Europe, but also the frailty of arch-conservative governments (not just the case of Spain, but also of the Holy Alliance) compared to more pragmatic approaches.
A rather under-developed theme is the rise of modern anti-Semitism: Ferguson - unlike most scholars - indicates the first traces in France well before the Affaire Dreyfus and hints how the irresistible rise of the Rothschild family (with their devotion to Judaism) was very instrumental in consolidating anti-Jewish mythologies (out of a sense of envy but also perceived in France especially as a alien "evil" power).

As a reader interested also in financial themes, I was truly fascinated by those chapters dedicated to the bond and stock markets, particularly those regarding the default of Spanish and Portuguese consols.
The Rothschild were the first bankers to export the financial facilities, long enjoyed in Great Britain, to Continental Europe and were decisive in creating a retail market for bonds and stocks.
But the most interesting part is the one dealing with financial speculation, bubbles and defaults. Most remarkable is the feeling of a déjà vue: if you substitute Spain and Portugal with Argentina, you will observe striking similarities both in price, negotiations and very likely in the final outcome. Nihil sub sole novi, or at least it seems so.

This is a book I greatly enjoyed.
I cannot but recommend it to every reader interested in serious history.
That is not to say that it is perfect: I was - as many other reviewers - incensed by the lack of bibliography (shame on Penguin), but on the average it is an outstanding achievement.

Likewise, if you happen to be interested in the argument, you may be interested in other works I chanced to read about the same themes:
- Muhlstein, Anhka - "James de Rothschild", this is a book I read long time ago, but it was more a biography in the classical way and as far as I remember, I found it rather inconsequential
- Chancellor, Edward - "The Devil Takes the Hindmost" - a colorful and well-informed essay focusing specially on the XIX century. There are chapters dedicated to defaulting bonds in the XIX century as well as to the railway stocks bubble in the United Kingdom.
- Conor Cruise O'Brien - "The Siege: The Saga of Israel and Zionism". I have many works dedicated to Sionism and Judaism, but this is the most concise and clear exposition of the birth of anti-Semitism in Western Europe in late XIX century.

You are most welcome if you can suggest other readings or just share ideas and comments!
Thanks for reading.

The House of Rothschild: Money's Prophets, 1798-1848

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The House of Rothschild: Money's Prophets, 1798-1848
Niall Ferguson
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OJ8BDK

The House of Rothschild Money's Prophets 1798-1848 & the World's Banker 1849-1999 2 Volume Set

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The House of Rothschild Money's Prophets 1798-1848 & the World's Banker 1849-1999 2 Volume Set

Manufacturer: Viking
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000I72UNU

The House of the Rothschild (Volume 1 & 2, Volume 1 & 2: Money's Prophets: 1798-1848, The Worlds Bankers 1848-1999)

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The House of the Rothschild (Volume 1 & 2, Volume 1 & 2: Money's Prophets: 1798-1848, The Worlds Bankers 1848-1999)
Niall Ferguson
Manufacturer: Books on Tape
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette
ASIN: 0736647252

Product Description

Volume 1 & 2. Founded in the late 18th century by expatriate German Jews, the London-based House of Rothschild was within decades the largest banking enterprise in the world. Its principals controlled a vast portion of the industrial world's wealth--more so, Oxford historian Niall Ferguson writes, than any family has since--and as a result enjoyed tremendous political influence in the major capitals of Europe, counting as allies such important figures as Metternich and Wellington. That influence would provoke countless anti-Semitic tracts fulminating against Jewish usury and against the power of "Eastern potentates" in the empires of England and France. Although the Rothschilds were well aware of their power and not reluctant to use it, they operated fairly, Ferguson notes. For example, whereas lending rates in the textile industry, in which the Rothschilds got their start, were often 20 percent, the fledgling house charged 5 to 9 percent. Through shrewd, complex negotiations they helped promote peace and the beginnings of economic union throughout Europe.

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