Book Description
A tour de force work by a leading scholar, "Race" Is a Four-Letter Word explores the history of the concept of race in America, the reasons why the concept has no biological validity, and the ways in which it grew to become accepted as an idea that virtually everyone regards as self-evident. An ardent and eloquent opponent of typology, essentialism, and stereotyping, C. Loring Brace has based this engaging study on the "Problems of Race" course that he has taught at the University of Michigan for the past thirty-five years. Opening with an explanation of why the concept of race is biologically indefensible, "Race" Is a Four-Letter Word shows how the major elements of human biological variation have unrelated distributions and cannot be understood if the existence of "races" is assumed as a starting point. The book then examines the course of events that created the concept of race, journeying through time from Herodotus through Marco Polo; to the Renaissance and the role of the New World; on up to the American Civil War, the curious results of the alliance switch in World War I, Arthur Jensen, The Bell Curve, J. Philippe Rushton, and the Pioneer Fund in the twenty-first century. Ideal as a supplementary text in anthropology courses, "Race" Is a Four-Letter Word can also be used in history of science courses and sociology courses. It is captivating reading for professionals and anyone else who seeks enlightenment on the socially debatable issue of "race."
Customer Reviews:
Excellent, comprehensive, historical review.......2007-05-15
This is an excellent book for those of you interested in the historical development of the concept of 'race', as well as having contemporary debates on race put into perspective. In particular, those offered in "the Bell Curve" and "Race, Evolution, and Behavior".
That said, race is a concept that cannot be discussed coherently because it is linked to so many emotive issues that reflect personal moral and political views about the world. As reflected in many of the reviews for other books on this topic.
This is perhaps one of the primary insights of this book: that many of the scientists engaged in research on 'race' and who take 'race' as a legitimate object of analysis are motivated for reasons other than the scientific pursuit of knowledge, and more in the interests of supporting views they already hold about the nature of people.
That said, this is book is no exception, and is certainly on the 'left' of the spectrum.
However, what is refreshing about (most) of the claims made in this book is direct way in which Brace addresses the arguments he is against, and the level of documentation he provides.
Highly recommended for its depth and comprehensive coverage of the history and current status of the 'race' debate.
Average customer rating:
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Will Barnet: Painting Without Illusion: the Genesis of Four Works from the 1960's
Patrick McGrady
Manufacturer: Palmer Museum of Art
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Will Barnet
ASIN: 091120959X |
Book Description
"My interest has been in developing further the plastic convictions that have been evolving in my abstract paintings; so that a portrait, while remaining a portrait, becomes in this sense an abstraction: the idea of a person in its most intense and essential aspect." —Will Barnet, 1962
Will Barnet (1911-), much like Chuck Close and Alex Katz, has approached painting through sustained exploration of the relationship between abstract, geometric forms and the processes of perception. In this book, which accompanied an exhibition of the same name at the Palmer Museum of Art and the Alexandre Gallery, Patrick J. McGrady examines the paintings, drawings, and prints Barnet made in the 1960s, the decade when Barnet portrayed his family and renegotiated his commitment to pure abstraction.
As McGrady traces work during this decisive period in Barnet's career, he shows how drawing became increasingly important in the evolution of such major paintings as Mother and Child, The Blue Robe, and Eden. In addition, McGrady provides a richly documented discussion of critics' responses to the profound changes in Barnet's art and Barnet's own commentary on his goals as an abstract artist.
Will Barnet illustrates many of the forty-nine works in the 2003 exhibi-tion and includes a checklist of the exhibition as well as reproductions of comparative works.
Patrick J. McGrady is Charles V. Hallman Curator at the Palmer Museum of Art and Affiliate Assistant Professor of Art History at Penn State University.
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Genesis Four
George Tagoe
Manufacturer: Trafford Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 1553955692
Release Date: 2006-07-06 |
Product Description
Genesis Four is by an air force officer who miraculously escaped instant death on four occasions within two days by divine intervention and was as a result jailed 95 years IHL by a Kangaroo Court.
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2099 A.D. Genesis #1
Manufacturer: Marvel Comics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Comic
ASIN: B000ID0QXA |
Product Description
Direct sales edition comic book with foil-enhanced cover. Features the advantures of characters from the Marvel Universe 100 years in the future (more or less).
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Awesome Sega Genesis Secrets Four (Gaming Mastery Series)
Zach Metson , and
J. Douglas Arnold
Manufacturer: Sandwich Islands Publishing
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ASIN: 0962467626 |
Book Description
Word count: 723.
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Portrait of an Explorer: Hiram Bingham, Discoverer of Machu Picchu
Alfred M. Bingham
Manufacturer: Iowa State Press
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Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0813801362 |
Amazon.com
In Healthy Kids, actress Marilu Henner guides you to better health for your kids by emphasizing fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grains, and avoiding sugar, white flour, red meat, chemicals, caffeine, large portions, heavily processed "dead foods," and dairy (cow's milk, she contends, contributes to colic, diarrhea, bed-wetting, allergies, ear infections, and other health problems). "Healthy food equals healthy kids," Henner writes.
Henner offers the large picture--how to adopt healthy eating habits yourself and instill them in your children--combined with helpful tips. Your challenges are different in the first years of your children's lives, she writes, when you are basically choosing their foods and modeling behavior you want them to follow, than later, when children are more independent and make more of their own food choices. Healthy Kids offers information and pointers for each stage with chapters on pregnancy, infancy, toddler, preschool, and each stage of school from elementary to college. Henner also promotes exercise, creative games, and health-oriented teaching games (which seem rather heavy-handed; for instance, having your kids put food pictures into the food pyramid). Her 100-plus "Kid-Friendly Recipes" should be a hit, though, with healthy versions of pancakes, muffins, smoothies, soups, veggies, sandwiches, pasta, fish, chicken, and, of course, desserts. --Joan Price
Book Description
We all want our children to be fit and healthy, but the current invasion of fast food, sugary snacks, and oversize portions are creating an epidemic of overweight, inactive, and unhealthy kids. The powerful influences of the fast-food industry, omnipresent junk food advertising, and the vicious cycle of TV, computer games, and Internet addictions only make our children more susceptible to a sedentary lifestyle and a lifetime of bad habits and obesity. Now, health pioneer and dedicated mom Marilu Henner says it's time to say good-bye to sugarcoated cereals, artificially colored cheese puffs, oceans of sugary soft drinks, nutritionally deficient school lunches, and fastfood supermeals!
As Marilu explains, parents who want the best for their children need to feed them fresh, whole foods to grow by. In Healthy Kids she shows you how to create a healthy, balanced lifestyle for your kids and how to make the transition from dairy-, fat-, sugar-, and chemical-laden foods to the vibrant, natural, nourishing foods we were all meant to eat.
Healthy Kids offers a proven plan to help parents and kids alike learn to eat healthier and feel better. Inspiring and enjoyable to read, it features:
- More than 100 mouthwatering recipes your children will love
- Helpful, creative suggestions on getting your child into the habit of exercise
- Scores of tips on transitioning from dead food to live food
- A special For Kids Only section with fabulous food-based puzzles, games, and challenges
- Age-specific recommendations for what foods your children might like
- Timesaving shopping lists and helpful food preparation charts
- Expert advice from pediatricians, physical trainers, teachers, and expert nutritionists on all aspects of nourishing your family
As Marilu says, Healthy Food = Healthy Children. And Healthy Kids provides the essential information on creating a lifetime of nutritional eating habits for your growing children.
Customer Reviews:
If you have kids, buy this book........2005-02-11
You will be so happy you bought this book if you have kids. It really educates you on the "junk" we are feeding our kids, and gives healthy alternatives that kids will still love. Not only does she give some good background on the healthy principles she believes in, she backs it with science.
We've made several of the snack recipes, and my kids and hubby have loved them. The Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Muffins were a real hit!!
It's a great investment in the health of your child. I'm going to buy copies for my friends and families with kids.
easy recipes; very kid-friendly.......2004-04-28
Yes, the recipes are easy - you can prepare much of this food with kids 10 and over. Plus it's kid-friendly food, not as gourmet as Marilu's other cookbooks. I also really liked all the info on development stages of children - for people who don't have time to research childhood development, it was great to have the info in one place, and to relate children's health to what they eat, and what they do (movement & activities).
As a comment on a previous reviewer's observation about soy substitutes for dairy products; I have found plenty of vegan non-dairy subs (no casein) - they are becoming more and more available as demand for them increases. Also, there are subs made from other products (rice, oat, almond, etc) that contain NO casein. Going completely dairy-free has cleared up allergies, acne, and weight problems at our house. It's worth my time to search out the right subs.
Just what I've been looking for..........2001-09-05
Even though I am a vegetarian and eat very healthy, I have felt a little lost about how to pass on the importance of healthy food to my daughter. People are always asking me how will I handle certain situations when she is no longer a baby and I do not control everything that goes into her body. For example, how to handle McDonald's birthday parties or school snacks without making her feel like the odd one in the bunch. This book gives great advice on how to handle these situations in a positive manner as well as how to make healthy eating a lifestyle for the entire family. I also love the recipes and knowing that I can still bake homemade desserts for my family, just without all the processed sugar and dairy. I have already tried some of the recipes and they have been a hit so far. Thank you Marilu - every parent should read this book!
Not what I expected.......2001-08-24
I am a mom of three children with galactosemia. I bought this book because I know how Marilu Henner deplores milk and milk products. Although most of the book deals with how to get your kids healty I bought it for the recipes for my preschoolers. Many of the recipes calls for soy cheese or soy yogurt. Almost every varity of these "non dairy" soy products are made from caseinate. This IS a form of dairy. The recipes given aren't anything new. They are recipes you can find in your cookbooks already on your shelf. She just removes the meat and dairy products and substitutes them for soy. If you are wanting info on how to get your kids healthy buy the book. If you are wanting new ideas on what to feed your kids look elswhere. I already knew carrot sticks and celery were better for my kids than pop tarts. I didn't need to spend $20 to read it.
A BOOK TO READ, USE AND CHERISH.......2001-08-02
This is a long needed and long expected book. For so many years we have been told that "kids do not grow up without meat" (meat meaning usually beaf). Now there is so much information about why we should not be eating meat, that it is unthinkable to be sticking to that old know-it-all statement. The truth is, the main problem with a meat-free diet, has always been how to make it attractive to the kids. Well, this book offers so many tasty, nutritious and inviting recipies that all toddlers will find food to their liking. Plus, with all the sound information Ms. Henner provides in her familiar style, all mums, caterers, nurseries, etc. will find encouragement to stay and help kids stay meat-free, active and healthy. Thank you Ms. Henner! A job well done!
Amazon.com
This guide will quickly become the best friend of any true beer connoisseur. Author Bob Klein actually makes his living drinking, judging, and writing about beer. This encyclopedia came about when Klein realized he had sampled so many different brews over the years, he couldn't remember which he had tried.
Klein first describes the different styles of beer, from ales to stouts, and provides the best storage temperature and a basic range of coloring and alcohol content for each style. He then recommends the proper glass from which you should drink each style of beer and suggests foods that particular brews should be paired with.
The lion's share of the book is Klein's rating guide, which begins with a rundown of his judging methods for taste and aroma. Entries in the guide are arranged in alphabetical order by beer name, and each beer is ranked on a number system from zero to five (with anything below a three being a big waste of taste buds). In addition to detailed descriptions of each beer's flavor, Klein also tells where the beer is brewed and the type of brewery that produces each brew.
This pocket-sized reference ends with an alphabetical listing of beers by state and by country (so you know what you should be drinking wherever you happen to be), by style, by uniqueness, and by odd names. An index of brewpubs and a section for making your own rating notes round out the guide. --Cristina Vaamonde
Book Description
Designed for anyone who enjoys a good brew, The Beer Lover's Rating Guide encourages readers to discover their own favorite beers while offering an assessment of each entry on its look, smell, and taste. By including full descriptions of beers from 77 countries and 36 states, veteran beer-rater Robert Klein gives fellow beer drinkers the details they need to decide whether or not each selection is one they would enjoy. A drinker-friendly, down-to-earth, portable rating guide to over 1,200 beers, plus much more: discussions of beer with food, beers for non-beer drinkers, non-alcoholic beers, the right glass for different types of beers, a glossary of beer terms, how packaging contributes to a beer's taste, and bunches of barroom trivia. All you need to explore and conquer the world of brews and the brews of the world. 2-color illustrations throughout.
Customer Reviews:
Not the best book available.......2005-11-04
A little outdated, quite a few beers here aren't made anymore. Beer reviews are always personal opinion, and you'll read a bunch of people complain in these reviews that this guy doesn't know what hes talking about. I'd ignore what they say, everybody has their own preference.
Think about this before you buy this book:
1) Why do you need to hear what somebody else things of beers?
2) its very out dated... 5 years is a long time.
This guy couldn't tell a beer from a hole in the ground..........2005-07-27
While some of his reviews are descriptive, some of the ratings he gives are freakin rediculous. This guy only gives Duvel 2.9, but gives Heineken a 3.4....what the? Duvel is regarded by many to be one of the best Belgian strong pale ales in the world, while quite the opposite could be said of Heineken.
I bought this book for 25 cents from the library, but it wouldn't be worth any more than that. You're better off spending your money on anything written by Michael Jackson.
Good tool to learn beer's nuances.......2003-04-03
This book, though only one man's expert opinion, is a good guide to get started on sampling the thousands of beers in the world. His descriptions are well laid out, understandable, and sometimes humerous.
He judges beers according to their style so it is possible for a beer like Miller High Life to get a better score than Samuel Smith's. The adjectives he uses to describe the beers he reviews are a good benchmark on how to judge and describe beers for yourself.
I continue to model my writing on his style when I review beers as a beeradvocate.com contributer. I has lead to my success. It is also good to compare your findings to his, and you can get a sense on how beer or wine tasting is indeed a subjective art.
Die a small death with each page.......2003-01-16
Page after page of garbage. Painful to read.
In essence the beer descriptions are a senseless jumble of thesaurus-derived words that give the reader no idea of what the beer might look or taste like.
Exceptional.......2002-05-05
Bob Klein has produced the finest reference on this subject to appear in many years. His scholarship is unsurpassed and this award winning volume is nothing less than the best book of its kind. Jackson and his ilk can only cower in the shadow of this author's genius.
Average customer rating:
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Wildlife and Wilderness: A History of Adirondack Mammals
Philip G. Terrie
Manufacturer: Purple Mountain Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Animal Care & Pets
| Home & Garden
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Mammals
| Animals
| Biological Sciences
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ASIN: 0935796398 |
Book Description
The interaction of man and wild animals and the implications for reintroducing extripated large mammals. This book covers the history of hunting in the Adirondacks, which animals were killed and the blind-eye man often turned towards the imbalance he caused in the ecosystem.
Book Description
Readers will find out how to set prices and sell their products with this revised, comprehensive pricing guide from author and woodworker Dan Ramsey. They'll learn how to calculate the value of their time, materials and craftsmanship, ensuring that the price they get for their work is fair and profitable. They'll also find a wide variety of sample business forms and planning sheets, along with information on:
* estimating average materials cost per project
* determining the dollar value of their woodworking skills
* increasing their income without sacrificing quality or enjoyment
* selling customers on the value of their work--not the price
* building repeat and referral business
* developing the right business image and marketing plan
* managing a budget
* marketing their work at craft fairs and through retailers
Customer Reviews:
Good pricing methods for woodworkers.......2006-08-20
This book does a very good job of helping woodworkers price their work. The method of determing a selling price is straight forward and clear. The one thing I would like to have seen is a bit more information on how the hourly rates were arrived at. Was it a survey, some govt. publication, or what? Regardless, this is a good book for those of us just opening our woodworking business. A good read and a good reference.
Great Book For All Woodworkers!.......2003-05-15
This is a must have for anyone selling (or thinking of selling) their own woodworking products. The book is very easy to understand and includes information on everything from pricing small craft products to high-end antique reproduction furniture. There is also a lot of information on record-keeping and forms that you can customize for your own business. If you are a woodworker, and have ever asked yourself "How much should I sell this for?" Or if you have a business, and you want to do everything you can to make it successful, this is the book for you!!
Good book for considering ALL of your woodworking costs.......2000-07-04
This book does a good job of making you think of all of the costs that you could incur to run a woodworking shop (even a very small one) and gives good ideas on where and how to sell your projects.
Average customer rating:
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Gardening in the Pinelands
Marilyn R. Schmidt
Manufacturer: Pine Barrens Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Plastic Comb
General
| Gardening & Horticulture
| Home & Garden
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ASIN: 0937762709 |
Customer Reviews:
Good, but..........2001-11-09
This is a good book although some info. contradicts other peoples advice. This book contains only one page of pics, which really makes a difference! Also, the continual advertisement of a helpline made me wonder...
Average customer rating:
- Poorly written, some interesting details
- Crappy
- For The Alice In Chains Fan/General Reader
- Get real!
- another worthless AIC bio
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Unchained : The Story of Mike Starr and His Rise and Fall in Alice In Chains
Johng Brandon
Manufacturer: Xanadu Enterprises
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0933638108 |
Book Description
Finally -- a book that uncovers the many mysteries...and much of the mystique of Alice In Chains. From "Rooster" to "Man In The Box" to "Down In A Hole" this band had a dark, raw knack for creating a Grunge Music sound that will stand the test of time. Read about its story from the beginning through the eyes of founding bass player, Mike Starr. The early poverty, the music, the fame, the women, the fans, the dangerous drug addictions, and the unfortunate decline. The story is told by Mike Starr, his family, and several of his close friends. It includes exclusive stories about: Sean Kinney, Layne Staley, Jerry Cantrell, Kurt Cobain and Courtney Love, Nirvana, Pauly Shore, Matt Dillon, Van Halen, Pearl Jam, and Evel Knievel.
It explores the question "How likely is Alice In Chains to make a comeback?" This book is a must-read for any Alice In Chains or Grunge Music fan.
"Unchained..." is the compelling story of Mike Starr's roller-coaster ride that packed more thrills and experiences into a few years than most people could have in 10 lifetimes. Find out: how Alice In Chains was first discovered, why 3,000 girlfriends weren't enough for Mike Starr, who punched out Kurt Cobain in Brazil, why heroin kills you when you overdose, why you'd rather be dead than quit, and what happened when Alice In Chains' lead singer, Layne Staley, insulted the Ku Klux Klan on stage in the heart of Louisiana. Hint: it wasn't pretty.
Customer Reviews:
Poorly written, some interesting details.......2005-01-07
I always wondered why Mike Starr & AIC parted ways & this book does shed light on the subject along with some intersting details about Mike's past, growing up in Seattle & how he began playing in bands. However, I have read better material from high schoolers. This book was written in a very poor fashion, repeated certain facts/stories over & over & bored us with some really uninteresting details (like interviews with Mike's friends who had nothing to do with AIC) This book is only interesting for the absolute die-hards, but chances are when you're done with this book (after about 45 minutes) you'll have regretted spending money on it.
Crappy.......2004-09-09
I love Alice In Chains. But this book was a joke.
Could Mike Starr be favoured any more???
Again, I love AIC, but this book does NOT shed light into anything significant. Poorly written/researched.
For The Alice In Chains Fan/General Reader.......2003-12-13
I got seriously involved in Alice In Chains when I turned that specific age in my life where nothin matters, I think it's called "Adolescence", but now, having owned almost every type of memorobilia about the band, I anxiously awaited the release of this book. I felt it would be an overview of only Mike, but you can tell from reading that it is so much more than just that. It tells of the other members, including both bassists, and how it has changed the members' lives in the road paved by the band. But what will shock you about this book is the recurring references to the drug called "heroin". Some, in reading, have called it incomplete and disorganized, and in some senses, it is. But if you read the book with an open mind and try to understand what is being said, you will find it is much more than just a story about a classic "time-bomb band". It is a story of a musician's rise and fall in a band, long story short. The book's layout is not "bad", it's just very complicated and often hard to understand. This book can be read in one of those long rainy evenings (seemingly how it is supposed to be read), but it can be one of those books to read a little and think about. The other reviews on amazon help to better judge the purchase of the book, but I recommend getting it. It's not a five-star book in my opinion, but it is a very intimiate and internal view of the band from a member's standpoint.
Get real!.......2003-08-08
You know, a real artist would have more to talk about than getting laid. Mudslinging is rampant in this book. It seems like stabs from a desperate soul who could no longer play with the bandmates he cherished. I don't think this book is accurate. Even Mike Starr himself pulled out at the last minute on this one. I don't think we'll ever know the realtory on this great band.
another worthless AIC bio.......2003-03-15
I read this along with Angry Chair, another worthless bio piece on AIC. There is absolutely nothing in this book that held my interest. Let me save you some money: Mike Starr rose to fame in AIC, played a lot of shows, had sex with a lot of women, tried heroin, got hooked, quit AIC, tried to get back in the next day, was denied, spent the next decade trying to kick heroin. The end. The author's writing isnt as bad as the Angry Chair's author, but he definitely should not wait for the Nobel committee to call. He also made lots of historical mistakes about bands like Pearl Jam was Mother Love Bone with a new singer and then Mad Season was Pearl Jam with Layne Staley on vocals. I'm not even a hardcore fan of these bands and I know he's wrong. He also quoted Starr mentioning "Ingve Nomstein." How can you write a book about metal and not know the name of everyone's favorite cheesy metal guitar hero Yngwie Malmsteen?
Average customer rating:
- a little chatty but deeply moving
- Another fine Wouk book
- What is Yiddishkeit?
- A heartfelt look at Jewish survival!
- Eloquent and Inspiring for the Most Part
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The Will To Live On: This is Our Heritage
Herman Wouk
Manufacturer: HarperCollins
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This Is My God
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The Glory: A Novel
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City Boy
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A Hole in Texas: A Novel
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The Hope: A Novel
ASIN: 0060196084 |
Amazon.com
Forty years ago, novelist Herman Wouk wrote a book about his devotion to the Torah and the Talmud called This Is My God, which remains among the freshest and most quietly impassioned religious autobiographies in print today. The Will to Live On is Wouk's follow-up to that work, although its subject--the particular state of the Jewish people in the 20th century--is very different. Wouk promises to tackle all of the biggest subjects here: "the Holocaust, the reborn Jewish State, the prodigious yet precarious American diaspora, and the deepening religious schisms." And his broad-minded reflections on all of these topics--especially his explanation of modern Zionism's rise from the roots of ancient literature and history--are cleanly, forcefully, and respectfully written. Among Wouk's most penetrating insights are his reflections on Israel's struggle, throughout history, with the temptation of idolatry, and his conviction that the Holocaust at last purged Abraham's people of this "near-fatal cancer." The Will to Live On is a risky, wise book that deserves to be called prophetic.
Book Description
Herman Wouk has ranged in his novels from the mighty narrative of The Caine Mutiny and the warm, intimate humor of Marjorie Morningstar to the global panorama of The Winds of War and War and Remembrance. All these powers merge in this major new work of nonfiction, The Will to Live On, an illuminating account of the worldwide revolution that has been sweeping over Jewry, set against a swiftly reviewed background of history, tradition, and sacred literature.
Forty years ago, in his modern classic This Is My God, Herman Wouk stated the case for his religious beliefs and conduct. His aim in that work and in The Will to Live On has been to break through the crust of prejudice, to reawaken clearheaded thought about the magnificent Jewish patrimony, and to convey a message of hope for Jewish survival.
Although the Torah and the Talmud are timeless, the twentieth century has brought earthquake shocks to the Jews: the apocalyptic experience of the Holocaust, the reborn Jewish state, the precarious American diaspora, and deepening religious schisms. After a lifetime of study, Herman Wouk examines the changes affecting the Jewish world, especially the troubled wonder of Israel, and the remarkable, though dwindling, American Jewry. The book is peppered with wonderful stories of the author's encounters with such luminaries as Ben Gurion, Isidor Rabi, Yitzhak Rabin, Saul Bellow, and Richard Feynan.
Learned in general culture, warmly tolerant of other beliefs, this noted author expresses his own other beliefs, this noted author expresses his own faith with a passion that gives the book its fire and does so in the clear, engaging style that--as in all Wouk's fiction--makes the reader want to know what the next page will bring.
Herman Wouk writes, in The Will to Live On:
"And so the Melting Pot is beginning to work on Jewry. Its effect was deferred in the passing century by the shock of the Holocaust and the rise of Israel, but today the Holocaust is an academic subject, and Israel is no longer a beleaguered underdog. Amkha in America is not dying, it is slowly melting, and those are very different fates. Dying is a terror, an agony, a strangling finish, to be fought off by sheer instinct, by the will to live on, to the last breath. Melting is a mere diffusion into an ambient welcoming warmth in which one is dissolved and disappears, as a teaspoon of sugar vanishes into hot tea....
Yet here in the United States, for all the scary attrition I have pictured, we are still a community of over five million strong. . . . At a far stretch of my hopes, our descendants could one day be a diaspora comparable to Babylonia. At the moment, of course, that is beyond rational expectation. We have to concentrate on lasting at all. . . ."
Customer Reviews:
a little chatty but deeply moving.......2004-05-10
Anyone interested in Judaism, what it means to be a Jew, Jewish history, Jewish meaning will love this book. It's usually very well written eloquent prose although sometimes it's a bit too diary-conversational.
Another fine Wouk book.......2002-01-07
In a career of fifty years or so, Herman Wouk has published less than a dozen novels. Fortunately, the time he puts into his work shows and nearly all of his works are five-star quality. This book, a non-fiction follow-up to This Is My God (which is the only book of his I haven't read), continues the high-quality trend.
Although designed for a Jewish audience, this book has plenty to offer anyone who wishes to learn more about Judaism and the direction it is going. This is a good blend of history, theology and memoir, well-organized and filled with detail without losing readability. I found of particular interest the second part, "The Heritage, or the Power of a Dream" which describes the sources of Jewish thought and tradition.
Although not very religious myself, I am often fascinated with religion, and this book is a good addition to my collection on the subject. As he states in the Afterword, "If this book in any way helps readers to rethink the [future of Judaism] for themselves, I will have done, to the best of my ability, what I set out to do." He has accomplished this task very well.
What is Yiddishkeit?.......2001-12-04
One of many topics reviewed in this excellent book, possibly, but hopefully not the last of Herman Wouk's great literary career. From the author of numerous fictional works, including the epics Winds of War and War and Remembrance, this is the second of his major nonfiction books, published some 40 years after his first, "This is My God."
This 300-page book spans a greater time span, and is certainly more up to date than Heinrich Graetz's encyclopedic, multi-volume "History of the Jews." Aside from providing a succinct history of a people spanning over three millennia, Wouk addresses an even more important question of what will become of the Jews, having survived centuries of invasion, overthrow, exile, persecution and the Holocaust, only to be threatened with extinction through intermarriage and assimilation in the United States, and secular Judaism in Israel.
At times a difficult read because of its complex vocabulary, cultivated from Yiddish, Hebrew, Biblical and Talmudic colloquialisms, this is more than compensated for by its succinctness, its eyewitness perspective, and its inclusion in respective appendices, a glossary of terms, and biographical names.
Wouk certainly knows of what he speaks. Having been born into and Orthodox American Jewish family, Herman Wouk, is the grandson of a Russian Orthodox rabbi who moved to the United States in the 1920's, who later made aliyah in the 1950's, a member of what Tom Brokaw calls "The Greatest Generation," a World War II naval officer, a lifelong student of history, Old Testament, Talmud, Judaism, and Israel, Wouk has personally met such prominent figures as Prime Ministers Ben-Gurion and Ehud Barak of Israel, the Nobel winning physicist Richard Feynman. A must read for anyone interested in Jewish history, prognosis, Israel (ancient or modern)
A heartfelt look at Jewish survival!.......2000-12-03
At 84 years of age, Herman Wouk, one of the giants of contemporary American Jewish literature, presents his view of the survival of the Jewish people. His narrative moves back and forth between a thumbnail sketch of Jewish history and a colorful personal history . He indicates that the two motivating forces that have kept Judaism cohesive and growing during the twentieth century--the Holocaust and the birth of the state of Israel--are no longer of recent enough memory in the younger generation to ensure Jewish survival. Are there other factors, as the twenty-first century begins, that can influence young Jews to preserve their ancient heritage? This is the tough question the author attempts to address.
Wouk's whirlwind tour of Jewish history is unsatisfactory because it flies through time and presumes an in-depth knowledge by the reader. Far more satisying are the author's personal reflections as to how his life experiences and knowledge of the past allow him to appreciate his Jewish heritage. What seem to be lacking at the beginning of the book book are fill-in-the-blank kind of things. It is almost as if the author's intention is to get his readers to find the missing information by going to Judaic sources and reading what they need to know to preserve the Jewish faith. Nice ploy!
THE WILL TO LIVE ON concludes with Wouk's thoughts about the survival of the Jewish people into the distant future. His impressions differ regarding the Jews of Israel and those of the diaspora. He has one especially important thought to share about how diaspora Jewry can ensure their survival. It's not worth peeking at the last few pages of the book ahead of time, however, because the strength of Wouk's case slowly builds throughout the narrative. The reader can then sit back and truly savor the elderly author's insightful conclusion.
Eloquent and Inspiring for the Most Part.......2000-05-25
I would agree with the superlatives described in a previous review. I was particularly moved by the sweep of history described up through the 3rd Destruction. I was particularly moved by the section about the fall of the 2nd Temple and about Yahveh. The descriptions of Jewish literature and thought through the ages was very good.
Unfortunately, I was hoping for a more creative, less tradition bound ending, more in the style of Dershowitz in The Vanishing American Jew or Mordecai Kaplan in Judaism as a Civilization - see next paragraph). I have lately become a Reconstructionist Jew (a branch of Judaism founded by Mordecai Kaplan). Many of us find it particularly relevant to our needs as American Jews (our prior affiliations have been Reform). Not only was I puzzled to find the very word lacking as an option for the Jewish future anywhere in the book but lacking in all but one sentence in the middle of the book. Is he not familiar with it?
Elsewhere, I was confused by his use of the word Neology which I took as a critical bias toward one liberal theology?
After showing the book to a friend, I was suprised to learn about Wouk's misleading information with respect to Hannah Arendt's supposed relationship with a Nazi (via scholarly footnotes) which Wouk uses to discredit her views on the Eichmann trial in ..Banality of Evil. Her credentials are far better than Wouk implies. The distortion works in part by merging time periods of events separated by years.
Although Wouk admires an large number of intelligent people / leaders, to my recollection they are nearly if not all men.
After finishing the book, these considerations led me to be less confident about its overall accuracy .
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- Remembering Nguyen
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- River Stops Here: How One Man's Battle to, The: Save His Valley Changed the Fate of California
- Ships, Furs, and Sandalwood: A Yankee Trader in Hawai'i, 1823-1825
- Soldier-Statesmen of the Constitution
- Stay Out of the Wheat Field
- Surry Of Eagle's Nest
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