Canterbury Tales (Everyman's Library (Paper))
by Geoffrey Chaucer
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (01 July, 1991)
list price: $9.95 -- our price: $9.95
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

On a spring day in April--sometime in the waning years of the14th century--29 travelers set out for Canterbury on a pilgrimage tothe shrine of Saint Thomas Beckett. Among them is a knight, a monk, aprioress, a plowman, a miller, a merchant, a clerk, and an oft-widowedwife from Bath. Travel is arduous and wearing; to maintain theirspirits, this band of pilgrims entertains each other with a series oftall tales that span the spectrum of literary genres. Five hundredyears later, people are still reading Geoffrey Chaucer's CanterburyTales. If you haven't yet made the acquaintance of the Franklin,the Pardoner, or the Squire because you never learned Middle English,take heart: this edition of the Tales has been translated intomodern idiom.

From the heroic romance of "The Knight's Tale" to the lowfarce embodied in the stories of the Miller, the Reeve, and theMerchant, Chaucer treated such universal subjects as love, sex, anddeath in poetry that is simultaneously witty, insightful, and poignant.The Canterbury Tales is a grand tour of 14th-century Englishmores and morals--one that modern-day readers will enjoy. ... Read more

Reviews (65)

Memorable...
I got this version of "The Canterbury Tales" over my spring break (Partialy because that is the time of year the story takes place.) and a instant obsession was sparked between me and the fine black ink printed on the paper. I remember getting up before the sun rised just so I could sit in the quiet andtake in every word the book had to offer.
It is so poetic its like a smooth flowing song, often you forget you are reading and drift off. Dozens of memorable lines fill the book, especially the first couple paragraphs in the General Prologe. Characters like the Knight and The Wife of Bath really become memorable, and almost 700 years later you can almost still relate to the stories they tell. I cannot stop praising this book. I highly recomend it.

Chaucer's Wife of Bath
Chaucer's Canterbury Tales is a widely discussed collaboration of tales that depict various groups of people in many different assessments. In The Wife of Bath, the portrayal of women is extremely controversial. The question of whether Chaucer was a misogynist or supported women's liberation is a passionately discussed topic. Based upon Chaucer's various portrayals of women, he was not a male chauvinist who desired superiority over women. Chaucer portrayed women through his opinion as an Englishman in Medieval England, where the common view was that women were subordinate to men. This is seen in the Wife of Bath's contradictory personality as well as the characters of her tale.
To understand the importance of feminist criticism, it is important to know what it is and stands for. Feminist literary criticism is the term for analyzing literary works through the examination of female points of view, concerns, and values in comparison with the time period and culture. In Mary Wollenstonecraft's A Vindication of the Rights Women, she asserts the observation "Women, I argue from analogy, are degraded by the same propensity to enjoy the present moment; and, at last, despise the freedom which they have not sufficient virtue to struggle to attain." One of the primary purposes of feminist literary criticism is concerned with "uncovering the contingencies of gender" as a cultural, social, and political system and instrument of domination. (Jehlen) Meaning, that their goal is uncover any iniquities placed upon women due to cultural setting, political standpoints, or social foundations.
Although there are immutable biological differences between men and women, these differences create various social differences in different societies. One society may be completely different than another, at least in their treatment of the separation of gender. Also, in a patriarchal society, such as England in Chaucer's time, the separation of gender involves more than just social differences, but also the idea that sexual differences are the same as sexual inequality (. Rigby) It is inequitable to be judgmental of Chaucer and his views of women, as anti-feministic as they are, because Chaucer was from a completely different social construct and historical time period.
Through Chaucer's Wife of Bath, as well as the characters in her tale, he portrays various views of women within Chaucer's time. He represents women as unchaste and unruly in the Wife of Bath, Dame Alice. He also depicts women as helpless and overlooked in the raped maiden of The Wife of Bath's Tale. The queen within the tale is shown as gracious. However, the women questioned by the knight portray a sense of only worldly desire. The old woman shows the wisdom of women, although it seems that she is submitting herself to her husband, she has control over him.
His portrayal of Dame Alice is the antithesis of the stereotype for women in Chaucer's time. She was not pure an innocent, as she confessed that "I won't remain altogether chaste" Alice was not submissive to each of her husbands, she chose to rule over them. She strikes fear into the town and its parish to the point where she gets and does whatever she wants. The fear and respect the town has for her is seen in lines 459-463 of the General Prologue: "In all the parish not a dame dared stir, Towards the altar steps in front of her, And if indeed they did, so wrath was she as to be quite put out of charity" The Wife becomes such a powerful feministic force, at times, by being able to masquerade around town with the qualities and luxuries of being a man and appears to be so happy not following the typical and stereotypical roles set for women at her time and throughout most of history. The Wife of Bath is a zealous woman who freely admits to all the lust, the conniving and the egocentricity that defines her. Dame Alice has radical views about women and their position within a marriage, especially for a time when women were expected to be passive within a marriage. This direct opposition to previously set roles for women is what defines her character.
However, the Wife of Bath, while seemingly an example of feminism in all of her qualities, is actually inconsistent with herself.. She is, instead, a mockery of herself. The Wife of Bath is inconsistent in her belief structure. While, at times, she claims to be able to beguile her husbands into doing whatever she wants, creating a view of herself as strong and independent, she often gave into what her husband would want. She freely admits that men are far more intelligent than women appear to be in lines 440-442 of her Prologue "One of us two must give in, without a doubt; / And since a man is more reasonable/ than woman is, you
must be patient "Nevertheless, since I know your pleasure I'll satisfy your physical pleasure". In this quote the Wife of Bath not only concedes that men are more reasonable than women, but also that a good woman and wife will do and give up whatever is necessary for her husband to be satisfied. If the Wife had really been what she appeared to be externally, she would not have admitted that men, in a general stereotype, could contain more reason and intelligence than women could. This quotation leaves an unanswered contradiction about the Wife of Bath. Chaucer easily contradicts the Wife of Bath by showing and telling more personal sides of the Wife of Bath and thus proves her to be much more of a hypocrite and much less of a archaic feminist then originally thought. The Wife also diminishes herself, and all women, by explaining that all women can be bought, in lines 413-417 of her Prologue. "And Therefore I tell every man this truth,/ Let whoever can, win, for everything is for sale,/ With an empty hand men cannot lure hawks,/ For a price I would endure his lust,/ And make myself a pretend appetite" The other travelers within The Canterbury Tales also accept her as a rebellion of women's position. The Pardoner requests that the Wife teach them. This also defies biblical and cultural standings on women's positions, as teachers, that they are not to teach over them, as explained in 1 Timothy 2:11-12 of the Judeo-Christian Bible.
The Wife of Bath also reverses the roles of Husband and Wife in some of her descriptions of her marriage, as in lines 154-159 of the Wife's Prologue:
"A Husband I will have, I will not desist, / Who shall be both my debtor and my slave, / And have his troubles along with it/ Upon his flesh while I am his wife, / I have the authority all my life/ Over his body and not he"
She is dictating that she will have total control over herself, her husband, and their household, contradictorily to cultural and biblical standards, as discussed by C.S. Lewis in his work `Mere Christianity', "The function of the husband is to see that this natural preference if hers is not giving its head. He has the last word to protect the other people from the intense family patriotism of the wife" The Wife sees the relationship between men and women as a battle in which it is crucial to gain the upper hand. She uses tactics, which were seen as the only stereotypical form of defense for women: sexuality, duplicity, and vulnerability. Her armor was indeed necessary. Medieval England presented women as second class citizens, viewed as goods and chattels, with no financial independence. They were often beaten, and it is clearly in the Wife's nature to protect herself. She uses weapons like her sexuality and her youth to make her husbands suffer, so much so that they feel impotent. This weapon was highly effective with first three husbands who she managed to dominate, `But since I had them completely in my hand' and they handed over all of his land and property as she withheld sex in order to get her own way with them.
The Wife also used a weapon of deceit and she claims that women have this weapon from birth. She tells her audience that she would deliberately pick
arguments and accuse her husbands of the very sins she herself is guilty of, because she admits that attack is the best form of defense. The Wife claims that all the other wives are better treated than herself, and commonly uses her weapon of nagging. She accuses her husbands of being cheap, complaining about extravagance of the neighboring women. She easily attains power over her first three husbands in this way, as they usually submitted for the sake of peace, as she notes, `They were most happy when I spoke fairly to them,/ For God knows I nagged them spitefully./ The Wife ruled over her husbands.
The maid in The Wife of Bath was a small character role, and yet her fleeting moment in the story is extremely important. The characteristics of this woman seem to have the ability to go to all women. She is vulnerable and innocent, as she is still a maiden. The only thing known about this woman is that she was overpowered by the knight and severely taken advantage of. "From which maid at once, in spite of her protests,/ By sheer force he stole her maidenhood" This example of male domination within a tale is not atypical. Chaucer shows women's weakness in her.
In the Queen, Chaucer shows the graciousness of women, as fickle as it might appear. Despite the fact that the Queen knows of the wrongdoing of this man, she begs for his life.It is ironic that she, a woman, is fighting for this man's life after what he had done to another woman.
The various women that the knight questioned provide insight as to what Chaucer thought about women. The majority of the answers that the knight acquired were monetary or tangible, such as money, fine clothes, lust, or beauty. Once the idea that women "take we great delight/ in being considered dependable and trustworthy. / and able to hold steadfastly to one purpose, / and not betray things men tell us" However, this idea, which was the only virtuous answer was quickly dismissed because it was allegedly "not worth a rake handle" It was not plausible for a woman to be considered virtuous, which is ironic, since being virtuous was the feminine stereotype.
The old woman, which gave the knight the correct answer, shows the wisdom of women. She required the knight to pledge his honor to her before she revealed the answer. This was wise of her; it caused the knight to base his later decisions on everything he stood for. She was foul and haggard in appearance. The knight was excruciatingly upset at the fact that he needed to marry her due to her appearance, age, and class.
Women were portrayed in various different ways, through the Wife of Bath as well as the characters of her tale. Chaucer did not hold any animosity against women or strongly desire to subdue them, he merely believed what he knew, which was female subordination within his society.

Chaucer? Isn't he that guy from A Knight's Tale with Heath?
"Our Host called out `Be quiet, that's enough!
Shut up, and let the woman tell her tale.
You must be drunk, you've taken too much ale.
Now, Ma'am, you go ahead and no demur.'
`All right,' said she, `it's just as you prefer,
If I have licence from this worthy friar.'
`Nothing,' said he, `that I should more desire.'"

This is the translation that I cut my teeth on (along with probably millions of others in classrooms around the world), and so I have a predisposition to praise Coghill's work.

There's something about this translation that smacks of authenticity; the simple rhyme scheme and antiquated, if easily comprehensible, English really make us feel that we're reading the words as Chaucer wrote them. There's nothing in the way of analysis or notes; after a brief introduction that lays out who Chaucer was and where the tales come from, he lets it rip.

The tales themselves are deserving of their fame because of the way that they manage to be maintain a literary value and yet still appeal to the masses. While each tale stands alone (and some of them stand alone very well indeed), the device of a group of disparate strangers stuck together that comprises the frame is exceptionally captivating. There's something very neat and pat about the concept: two tales each on the way, and two tales each on the way back.

Even though this was obviously never accomplished, we still get fun interaction between the principles, and get a feel for what the entire project would have looked like (like a thicker book, I suppose, but I digress).

That Chaucer used this unifying element to bring together stories from other sources is to his credit, because the variety of sources adds to the concept, by creating starkly different tales that ably bear out the voices of their various tellers.

If you have any sort of interest at all in the classics, or have enjoyed the stories to be found in traditional folklore and the greek myths, I urge you to give this edition a shot when trying Chaucer.
... Read more

Isbn: 0460870270
Subjects:  1. Canterbury    2. Christian pilgrims and pilgrim    3. Christian pilgrims and pilgrimages    4. England    5. English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh    6. Literature - Classics / Criticism    7. Literature: Classics    8. Middle English Literature    9. Poetry    10. Tales, Medieval   

All too Human
by George Stephanopoulos
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (01 March, 2000)
list price: $14.95 -- our price: $10.17
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

A Rhodes scholar with a healthy ego, the young idealist George Stephanopoulos thought he was ready for the obscure governor of Arkansas. But soon after he signed on as his presidential-campaign manager, the odds of Clinton's triumph soared, and so did the chance for calamity via Gennifer Flowers and other scandals. Stephanopoulos scrambled behind the scenes, squelching rumors, spinning major news organizations, artfully knifing Clinton rivals, and second-guessing public opinion--lessons that would serve him well when Clinton won.

For the next four years, Stephanopoulos was a few feet from the president, advising him on everything from Iraq and Waco to gays in the military and Paula Jones. More than any book yet--including Monica Lewinsky's--Stephanopoulos's memoir reveals what went on in the scary, occasionally hilarious world backstage at the White House. He casts stark light on characters from Yeltsin, "like a boiled potato slathered in sour cream," to the author's nemesis Dick Morris, whom he depicts bellowing for Clinton to bomb Bosnia. And nobody who's talking knows as well as Stephanopoulos the most passionate, mystifying affair of all, between Bill and Hillary.

But years of backroom scheming, screaming, and relentless political attacks took a toll. Stephanopoulos's face erupted in hives; he grew a beard. Slammed by clinical depression, he dangerously delayed medical attention, fearing the story might leak. This memoir could've been titled Prisoner of Spin. Written with the jittery cadence of a bookie, All Too Human is a lively look at the complex and motley cast of characters who rule the world. --Rebekah Warren ... Read more

Reviews (275)

A good look at the dynamics of being a presidential advisor
This book is filled with many events and their effects on the presidential staff of the Clinton administration in the first four years of his service as President. Stephanopoulos gives us an insider's view of how relationships are made and how advisors give counsel to the President. Stephanopoulos does not give any sort of analysis on why decisions were made. Unfortunately, there is a lot of scrambling by the staff and Stephanopoulos to cover the women who made allegations of extramarital affairs with Clinton. This book is definitely a page turner. The book also covers the presidential staff's tension with Dick Morris, who was more of a ridiculous character. The hiring of Morris made me wonder what was Clinton's true intentions. Was he wanting to be a popular president instead of trying to lead the people? Stephanopoulos gives some clues.

I am a democrat but wasn't a great fan of Clinton. It shows Clinton as having a nonchalant attitude to the efforts of his staff covering his shortcomings. Stephanopoulos definitely shows some of the unflattering images of Clinton but he keeps a somewhat balanced approach in this book. If you are looking for a political analysis of the Clinton administration, this is not your book. Stephanopoulos focuses more on the dynamics and relationships between the staff and the President.

The Best and the Brightest
This is a memoir full of lessons for everyone interested in the human side of politics. Bill Clinton and George Stephanopoulos formed an interesting and intelligent partnership for nearly all the eight years of the Clinton Administration (and the previous campaign.) I still can't figure out the reasons that made Stephanopoulos finally turn away from the man that gave him the greatest opportunity in his political life, even when he tries really hard to explain those reasons in "All Too Human" (in "My Life", Clinton says he didn't have a clue about George's dissapointment until he read this book.) May be Dick Morris (that brilliant and cynical mercenary) had a lot to do with it, and also Clinton's lack of emotional closeness with Stephanopoulos in the really difficult period between the elections of 1994 and the victory of 1996.

Be what it may, "All Too Human" is a highly readable political memoir. Stephanopoulos is a fine writer and has a sharp talent to comunicate feelings and images. That's the case of the fascinating encounter, for example, between him and Bob Woodward. One can see the "draculesque" atmosphere when the author met Woodward in his Washington house. Woodward was writing "The Agenda" then, and wanted to get information from Stephanopoulos. "The Agenda", unfairly it seems, resulted in accussations of leaking for Stephanopoulos and was one of the reasons for the beggining of the decline of his fortune in the Clinton White House. Imagine that: the rising and youngest star and the ultimate wolf of journalism in town meeting face to face. It's just captivating.

The best and the brightest of the Clinton era tells it all here. His is a story not to be forgotten. Beware: Politics in Washington is indeed the most fascinating, seductive and dangerous of games.

Read it. You'll end reading it again. Then read it one more time and after that watch some of "The West Wing" episodes. You'll find certain, how to put it?... Distance.

An Interesting Insiders Account
George Stephanopoulos' "All Too Human" is a very interesting insider's account of the Clinton Presidency.The amount of spin that goes on in today's public life is astounding.Spin has always been there to one extent or another, but the amount of time expended on it from both sides boggles the mind.

Stephanopoulos gives a good account of the more liberal side of the Clinton story.He is often too critical of the President assuming that any move to the political center was a sell out for the sake of polls and not inspired by conviction.Clinton was elected and for several years had preached the gospel of pragmatism; activist government through practical means. He was a prophet of moving the Democratic Party closer to the political center. Above all he wanted to get things done. His is an honest accounting of a flawed person with great potential, and the frustrations of what might have been. Growing up just across the Arkansas state line in Missouri, I watched Clinton's rise on the local news since the early 80s.His convictions are very real and his political skills are amazing.His goal is to make progress and get things done.

This is a really good read however.I couldn't put the book down.Balance it with other views of the Clinton White House, but definately include it if you want to see things from all sides. ... Read more

Isbn: 0316930164
Subjects:  1. 1961-    2. Biography    3. Biography & Autobiography    4. Biography / Autobiography    5. Biography/Autobiography    6. General    7. Historical - U.S.    8. Philosophers    9. Political    10. Presidents    11. Staff    12. Stephanopoulos, George,    13. United States    14. Biography & Autobiography / Philosophers   

Tales from the Thousand and One Nights (Penguin Classics)
by Anonymous, WilliamHarvey, N. J. Dawood
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (30 August, 1973)
list price: $14.00 -- our price: $11.20
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Reviews (6)

A lifetime of entertaining stories
What a great book. These stories are extremely old from places such as Persia and India with a mostly arabic influence. The introduction gives great historical insight about the various tales. Of all the translated versions of these classic stories, and what was probably much more complicated original prose, I find Mr Dawood's translations simple and fun to read. The stories are rich with adventure and fantasy. Mr Dawood does an excellent job of keeping the stories down-to-earth and entertaining. Those who enjoy cryptic, esoteric literature will enjoy losing themselves in the intertwining stories of this book. With a simplistic style of story-telling, it is still intricate enough to keep one immersed. Those who already enjoy simple stories will be intrigued by the unique storylines and plots. For young, impressionable readers, the tales have no religious overtones or underlying political agenda and women are revered and respected. I first read this book when I was 12, and continue to enjoy and re-read the stories well into adulthood.

Fantastic Tales
This book is a selection of the choicest tales from the Thousand and One Nights. The translator, N.J. Dawood, also translated the Koran for the Penguin Classics series. Dawood explains in the introduction that the first of these tales appeared in a written form around 850 C.E., in a book called, "A Thousand Legends."More tales, of lesser quality, were added over the years until an anonymous editor in Cairo finally codified them in the 18th century. A French version of some of the stories appeared in the 17th century, and was followed by several English versions in the 19th century; the best known adaptation came from Sir Richard Burton, in 10 volumes. The stories are a mix of Arabic, Persian, and Indian tales and appear to have been written in response to classical Arabic literature. The Arabs do not consider them part of the classic canon, and after reading these stories, I can see why. They are aggressive and highly sexualized, and are loaded with sorcery, fantasy, and criticism of authority figures.

Whatever their origins and means of transmission, these are excellent and entertaining stories. I cannot think of one tale in this selection that I did not like. Included in the book is the instantly recognizable Aladdin story, as well as the Sinbad voyages. Other tales are just as interesting: "The Tale of the Hunchback," "The Tale of Judar and his Brothers," "The Porter and the Three Girls of Baghdad," and many others. Many of these stories are cycles; they have stories within stories, as characters in one story tell their own stories. At the end of the cycle, the story is cleverly wrapped up, usually with a happy ending. I do not think I need to go into detail about Aladdin or Sinbad, except to say that I was surprised to see Aladdin described as Chinese. Providing details to these stories would be useless anyway because they are so detailed as to be impervious to summary.

There is no doubt that many of these stories started as oral stories, and retained that shape into the written versions. The best example is the Sinbad cycle. All of the stories in this cycle are framed in the same way. This repetition made it easier to memorize the stories, or at least the basic outline. A good storyteller could take the frame and fill in the blanks with whatever his heart desired. You often see this kind of writing in the Bible.

Social roles and class play a large part in these stories. Women are presented as wily and dangerous, but not always. Several stories show men trying to pull fast ones on the ladies, with the results much to the detriment of the men. Many stories show how the high and mighty come crashing down, or how the lowly are elevated to great status. These movements are attributed to the grace or condemnation of Allah, and the characters all act out their movements with Allah close by.

You will not go wrong with this book. These are immensely entertaining stories for both children and adults, although you might want to find a toned down version for the kiddies. Why? I am thinking about the tale where a man and some women play "name that body part." My only criticism of this version is that the tale of "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves" is absent. I have no idea why it is missing, but the book loses one star for this grave omission.

Enjoyable easy reading to take you away to fantasy land.
This book is translated by a person named N.J. Darwood. It's simply wonderful. The tales involved are tales of the Persian Gulf, of Bagdhad, Arabia, and tales that we as adults should revisit for some enjoyable light reading that will make us smile and wonder at the old folklore of the Arabian Peninsula. Sinbad the Sailor is in there, as is Aladdin in it's original form, and the story begins of a king who is so upset by his wife's unfaithfulness that he will now only accept virgins for one night and then have them killed. A smart virgin begins her night with the infamous king by telling him stories, and she so fascinates him and enthralls him with her tales that the tales turn into folklore for readers of the ages. I won't tell you what happens in the end to the virgin princess, but you will find humor, enchantment, wisdom and fantasy for those times when stress becomes a factor in your life. I highly recommend the tale of "The Historic Fart" as a both funny and inspiring tale of human nature. Please buy this book and remember to become a nine -12 year old again as you read with curiosity and wonder at the fabulous enchanting, lively stories. I was beginning to wish my children were a bit younger so I could read these to them. Any child would enjoy these stories, and any adult will find them simply relaxing and a reflection of medieval Islam. ... Read more

Isbn: 0140442898
Sales Rank: 185758
Subjects:  1. Arab countries    2. Arabs    3. Children's 9-12 - Literature - Classics / Contemporary    4. Children: Grades 3-4    5. Fairy Tales & Folklore - Single Title    6. Fairy tales    7. Folklore    8. Fiction / General   

The Last Great Revolution : Turmoil and Transformation in Iran (Vintage)
by ROBIN WRIGHT
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (13 February, 2001)
list price: $14.00 -- our price: $11.20
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

There is probably no person better suited to write this book on Iran's cultural and political transformation than Robin Wright. She has traveled to Iran as a reporter since 1973, when the country was "one of the few comfortable places for foreigners"--including women--to live and work, a place where "short skirts were acceptable" and women "wore bikinis on the beach." But the revolution in 1979 changed all that: "For anyone who'd been to Iran before, the new Islamic Republic of Iran seemed almost like a different country."There was the revival of religious fundamentalism, the hostage crisis, a costly war with Iraq, the sponsorship of terrorism, and Iran-Contra. Iran became one of the most perplexing and vital beats in all of journalism, a touchstone for Middle Eastern politics and an emerging presence on the world stage--and Wright has been there for more of it than any other foreigner.

The Last Great Revolution is a sweeping portrait of a misunderstood country. Much of it is anecdotal rather than analytical, but all is in the service of illuminating what Wright calls "the world's only modern theocracy." She writes of an airline stewardess who gave WrightBand-Aids to cover her nail polish before entering the country and a customs official who ripped up her deck of playing cards one by one. But there are also unexpected opportunities for women (they can become engineers and lawyers), plus a measure of religious freedom (there are communities of Christians and Jews). Old and new ways are in constant conflict: "All the current signs indicate that the Islamic Republic is not likely to survive in its current form." --John J. Miller ... Read more

Reviews (19)

Shameless!!!!!
Robin Wright is known to many Iranians as a Mullah Apologist. In this book, she continues her delusional commentaries on the status of the Islamic regime in Iran. What baffles me is why she did not mention anything about the widespread use of torture, murder, summery execution, and other sadistic tactics of the Mullahs to suppress opposition. As an Iranian, I am disgusted by people like Robin Wright who become partners in the crime of the Islamic regime by defending them in exchange for favors.

The Islamic regime in Iran is one of the most brutal dictatorships ever known to man. Robin Wright has done the people of Iran injustice by putting a good face on the Islamic regime.

Shame on her.

Well researched book and wel written
As an Iranian myself I enjoy reading books by Western authors on Iran more than by Iranian authors. The reason for this preference of mine is because I have found that Iranians can never let go of their personal feelings/situation/experience when discussing the revolution and the aftermath.
While Robin Wright may not be 100% right on everything she has a good understanding of Iran and she shows it in the book. It is exemplified by the fact that she uses Crane Brinton's theories on revolution from 'The Anatomy of Revolution' in explaining how the Iranian revolution has shown the same characteristics that Brinton discussed. Anyone who wants to understand a revolution must read Brinton's book and I was glad and impressed that Robin Wright had done so.
While many Iranians who dislike the current government will blast her for the good that she writes about, and the pro-government Iranians will blast her for the bad that she mentions; Robin Wright has written an excellent book well worth reading, even if you don't agree with it.
I hope she continues to write on Iran and hope the quality of her work continues to be outstanding.

Not the Iran we all think we know...
Americans have a pretty bleak picutre of Iranian society fixed in their heads. And who can blame them? The turmoil after the shah's exile, the hostage crises, the war with Iraq, chadors, Salman Rushdie, and a many other similar problems in Iranian society do not exactly conform to American values. Well, that was then and this is now. Iran is changing. It has changed. The country that told it's people to go forth and multiply now requires classes on birth control before marriage. Vesectomys are given out free by the state. Even abortion is allowed in certain cases (health and monetary problems). The Catholics aren't even that progressive! Social change is gripping Iran. The new Generation of student protestors aren't capturing Americans, they are fighting against the conservative forces in their own government. They aren't calling for a second revolution or a return to the Shah's times. They want reform. And they are, alebit more slowly then most Americans would prefer, winning. Mohammad Khatami, president of Iran, won with 70% of the vote on a strong reformist platform. Wright's books is required reading for anyone who wants to understand this new Iran. ... Read more

Isbn: 0375706305
Subjects:  1. 1979-1997    2. 1997-    3. Anthropology - Cultural    4. Current Affairs    5. History - General History    6. International    7. Iran    8. Middle East - Iran    9. Political History    10. Politics and government    11. Politics/International Relations    12. Social conditions    13. Current Events / International   

Paradise Lost and Paradise Regained (The Signet Classic Poetry Series)
by John Milton, Christopher B. Ricks
Average Customer Review:
Mass Market Paperback (07 November, 2001)
list price: $7.95 -- our price: $7.95
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Reviews (18)

A Blind Man creates a Sensational Poem!!!
+++++

(Note that this review is for the book "Paradise Lost & Paradise Regained" published by Signet Classic in 2001.)

"OfMan's First disobedience, and the Fruit
Of the Forbidden Tree, whose mortal taste
Brought Death into the World, and all our woe,
With loss of Eden, till one greater Man
Restore us, and regain the blissful Seat"

Thus begins some say the greatest and most controversial epic non-rhyming poem (which has two parts, some say two poems) in English literature.The first part was published in 1667 and the second part in 1671 by a then blind poet named John Milton (1608 to 1674).

"Paradise Lost" consists of twelve long chapters or "books.""Paradise Regained" is the more subdued and much simpler second part and consists of four books.The first part is centered around the biblical story of the fall of Adam and Eve and ranges from heaven to hell while the second part is the story of Satan's triple temptation of the Son of God in the wilderness.

Both parts of this poem can be read for their magnificent poetry, their powerful imagery and language, their imaginative vision and storytelling, or their complex and passionate view of human suffering.

My favorite lines from this poem is:

" The mind is its own place, and in itself,
Can make a Heav'n of Hell, a Hell of Heav'n."

Besides the poem, this particular book has three main features:

(1) Introduction by Dr. Susanne Woods, a Professor of English (at Wheaton College in Massachusetts).It is excellent and provides valuable insight on Milton's poem.

(2) Notes and Footnotes by Chris Ricks, a professor of humanities (at Boston University).Each chapter or book of the poem begins with a brief "argument," a note that summarizes in modern English each book's contents.I found these an invaluable aid.As well, there are footnotes throughout that help the reader with obscure language and indicate nuances and puns.

(3) Chronology of Milton's life.When did Milton go blind?Was Milton married?Was Milton ever arrested?These are the sorts of questions that are answered instantly in this section.

This poem can be a challenging read but ultimately worth it.I recommend not rushing when reading it.

The artwork on the cover of this book is impressive.It is an image entitled "The Shepherd's Dream" (from "Paradise Lost") by artist Henry Fuseli.

Finally, to get an extraordinary visual impression of the first, longer part of this poem, I recommend "Dore's Illustrations for Paradise Lost" (1993) by Gustave Dore.

In conclusion, be sure two read this epic poem to see why it "has thrilled, challenged, and sometimes dismayed readers from the seventeenth to twenty-first century!"

(published 2001;introduction;general note on this text;a note on this edition;chronology;"Paradise Lost" in 12 books; "Paradise Regained" in 4 books; main narrative 360 pages;selected bibliography)

+++++

Satan needs a hug
The connected plot of "Paradise Lost" and its accompanying poem "Paradise Regained" contains no surprises for anyone who is even casually familiar with the Bible.Milton, however, does something remarkable the Bible doesn't do--he inflates Satan from a mere flat symbol of evil into a complex personality that enlivens his identity as the principal enemy of God, Jesus, and man.Who is Satan, where did he come from, why does he do the things he does, and, most importantly, why is he an indispensable part of the Christian myth?Milton takes the initiative of asking and answering these questions.

Divided into twelve "books," "Paradise Lost" begins with a war in Heaven instigated by the angel Lucifer who, with the help of many rebellious cohorts, tries to wrest control of the celestial kingdom from God.Like a school principal putting kids in detention for starting a food fight in the cafeteria, God deals swiftly and severely with the miscreants, hurling them "headlong flaming from the ethereal sky/With hideous ruin and combustion down/To bottomless perdition, there to dwell/In adamantine chains and penal fire."That's powerful stuff.

The rebel angels, now transformed into devils for their treachery, are imprisoned in Hell, a hot, smelly, miserable place, with Lucifer (now named Satan) their lord to dwell in a palace called Pandemonium--the place of all demons.Milton assigns names of heathen gods to the devils and allows three of them to offer advice on the proper course of action for the hell-bound.The bellicose Moloch insists on resuming war with Heaven, the rational Belial believes a peaceful acceptance of their sentence will eventually restore them to God's good graces, and the pragmatic Mammon suggests they should establish and rule Hell as their new dominion rather than return to Heaven as servants.But Satan has another idea--to travel through Chaos (the dark, lifeless void connecting the realms) to Earth to corrupt Man, the new being with whom God plans to replace the expelled angels in Heaven.

Satan would be uninteresting if he were no more than a fist-shaking, teeth-gnashing villain, but Milton endows this vilest of creatures with the most human of consciences.While on his nefarious mission, as he rapturously views the luxuriant Eden, he laments, "O sun, to tell thee how I hate thy beams/That bring to my remembrance from what state/I fell, how glorious once above thy sphere;" and the jealousy mixed with sorrow is palpable.He knows he did wrong and momentarily regrets his misbehavior, but he also knows that there can never be a reconciliation between him and God, and therefore resigns himself to be forever the king of evil and vie for man's soul.It is here that Satan eavesdrops (pun not intended) on Adam and Eve talking about the Tree of Knowledge, the fruit of which they are forbidden to eat.

Regarding the Tree of Knowledge, the poem inevitably raises the issue of entrapment.What is the purpose of the Tree?Simply that God demands obedience, and obedience can be tested only if there exists something to provide an opportunity to disobey.The material component of this opportunity is the Tree; the human component is the Tempter, who of course is Satan.Jesus, as narrated in "Paradise Regained," is the exemplary resister of Temptation, rejecting Satan's offer of world domination and his challenges to test his faith in God by turning stones to bread and casting himself from the top of the temple's spire.Through embellishment and dramatization, Milton makes ideas like these more explicit in the "Paradise Lost/Regained" poems than they are in the Bible.

Completely blind by the time he wrote these poems, John Milton was a man of strong but curious convictions--he defended the freedom of the press, but he lauded Cromwell and condoned regicide.As poems, "Paradise Lost/Regained" can be read as sacred, reflecting much of English religious thinking of the seventeenth century, or as heroic, subtly illustrating Milton's assiduous efforts to reform religion and government.But regardless of its subtext, it's no wonder that "Paradise Lost" has become one of the most celebrated accomplishments in the English language--the book of Genesis could not have been re-imagined more vividly, more terrifyingly, more beautifully.

Wonderful view of Heaven and Hell
I have read alot of classic poetry, and it is great to read one in its native language,which is very beautiful. After reading this I can see, and you will be able to see why this is one of the most well known pieces of literature around. This along with The Divine Comedy (which I recommend) are responsible for many peoples present views of Heaven and Hell. ... Read more

Isbn: 0451527925
Sales Rank: 4277
Subjects:  1. American - General    2. Bible    3. Bible.    4. Christian poetry, English    5. Early modern, 1500-1700    6. English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh    7. Fall of man    8. Genesis    9. History of Biblical events    10. O.T    11. O.T.    12. Poetry    13. Adam    14. Eve    15. Jesus Christ    16. Temptation   

Persian Mirrors: The Elusive Face of Iran
by Elaine Sciolino
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (25 September, 2001)
list price: $15.00 -- our price: $10.20
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

In 1979, a clerical revolution in Iran swept aside the inarguably corrupt government of Shah Reza Pahlavi and set in motion events that would make that nation a world pariah. In the place of one dictatorship came another, one led "by an old bearded cleric in a turban and cloak whose answer to the king's injustice was to wrap the country in a populist message of promise and smother it with an intolerant version of Islam."

So writes Elaine Sciolino, a reporter for The New York Times who entered Iran with the Ayatollah Khomeini and who remained there for more than 20 years, providing American readers with memorable accounts that were less, it seemed, about politics and religion than about human nature. For Iran is a mass of contradictions, she writes, a country many of whose leaders press for forward-looking change while serving a government that seeks a return to the distant past, and whose citizens constantly seek ways to experiment "with two highly volatile chemicals--Islam and democracy." In her book, Sciolino travels the length and breadth of Iran, interviewing national leaders and citizens, turning up stories of resistance and accommodation that are at once hopeful and cautious. (For instance, she writes, "Personal expression is entirely possible in Iran. You just have to be careful when and where you engage in it, and you have to be ready for nasty surprises when the rules change.")

Iran has been overlooked for too long, Sciolino suggests. Her book, both sympathetic and critical, makes a useful guide for those outside the country who seek to understand it better. --Gregory McNamee ... Read more

Reviews (36)

insanely great
Goes far beyond what I thought it would with a totally revealing look at how Iranian society has been operating since the revolution that overthrew the Shah. What was really impressive was how much access a Western female journalist was able to get once she learned how to manipulate the system. Plus it is interesting to learn how different Persians view the world from Arabs and how, in a strange twist, possibly the best hope for a democratic Muslim world is Iran (read the book and you'll understand). The great thing is Persian Mirrors reads like a travel essay book more than some dry political or sociological analysis so your eyes never glaze over despite the, at times, heavy issues brought out.

Facinating!!
I really enjoyed reading this wonderful book. The most interesting part was the introduction when Sciolino compares the soul of Iran to mirror mosaic. Iran IS a country of contrasts!

Very enjoyable
Ms. Sciolino has written a fascinating book about the last 25 years in Iran.I didn't want to put it down.

My 2 complaints are that: 1)she portrays Iran's reformists as simply victims of the system and 2)all her female interviewees are connected to the Establishment and present rather a one-sided view.

Nevertheless, it's a very good read. ... Read more

Isbn: 0743217799
Subjects:  1. History - General History    2. Middle East - General    3. Middle East - Iran    4. Politics/International Relations    5. Current Events / General   

The Guru Papers: Masks of Authoritarian Power
by Joel Kramer, Diana Alstad
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (01 April, 1993)
list price: $16.95 -- our price: $11.53
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Reviews (15)

One of the most important books for the 21st century,
God.The God of Science, The God of Papal Infallibility,The God of National Security,The God of Family Values, The God of Buddhist Selflessness, The God of Unconditional Love.What are they good for?Absolutely nothing.
The Guru Papers elegantly identifies the masks that power uses to hide its abuse of others.Authoritarianism is the exercise of authority which, presuming an unquestioning obedience, can tolerate neither question nor challenge, meeting either with disregard or punishment.Assiduously distinguishing the everyday exercise of authority - living life and making choices amongst the propositions it presents - from the bullying domination intrinsic to the type of power unwilling to recognize an equal, the authors carefully dissect the threads which, woven together, comprise the cloth of abuse.Whence abusiveness flows, certain features are invariably present.
When a "leader" sets up an ideological standard of perfection or purity that no human being can attain, and our consequent failure of such attainment becomes the raison d'etre for a double standard of treatment whereby the leader gives orders and we obey them, we have lost our freedom, particularly if we believe it is for our own good.
Whenever one pole of a duality is identified as essential to good living and the other pole leads to evil, behind that mask an authoritarian moralist weaves his tale positing that which he believes is most important, that which he says is God.Gurus and religions, politicians and governments, educators and schools, parents and families, and lovers and spouses frequently equate evil with selfishness and goodness with selflessness and sacrifice.They say if I am sufficiently sincere and pure of heart, I will sacrifice what I want for what they tell me is best.Thus, I will be a better man.
There is little difference between the cult leader who demands allegiance to the unproven presumption of his godliness, and the lover who, crying "let me be myself," claims his imperfections should be accepted without limit in the name of unconditional love.When a moral demand for sacrifice is made in the name of something sacred, be it the Immaculate Conception or an Idealized Lover, one best be brave and ask one's questions.If such courage is met with punishment or disregard, one better run. If one does not, one's conduct will communicate that there is something wrong, and it's not with the other guy.
The essence of authoritarianism attacks the inner certainty of individuals by claiming that it knows a superior, more moral path.It not only condemns an individual's assertion of self as selfish and wrong, but also is unwilling to engage in dialogue which does not adopt an unquestioning regard for that which it deems sacred.If an individual adopts this moral dichotomy, he can only mistrust himself as inferior.This, Alstad/Kramer say, is the purpose of authoritarian control:to generate internal self-mistrust which makes the individual available to imposition of control by an external authority.
They correctly expose the deception that such externally imposed control is benevolent.According to Kramer/Alstad, authoritarian persons are never benevolent because such persons use others for their own selfish purposes while lying about it, saying they are not, if they are saying anything at all."Do as I say, not as I do; and if you dare question what I do, you are questioning what all good people know is beyond reproach.You, too, would have respect if only you were a good person.Since you are not, you must do as I say.It is for your own good."Such is the circle of authoritarian ideology.
The language of authoritarianism is the language that Orwell named double-speak.There's no Orwellian double-speak in this book, just hard-hitting practical logic that rips the guts out of sacred cows that have fed too long in pastures provided by a naive and idealistic population.Such a populace, wanting to be good, denies that someone who directs their focus on great and beautiful-sounding ideals could be ripping them off, as was one of Hitler's more notable tricks.
Thus, the book shows how both the willingness to psychologically dominate, and to surrender to such, are embedded in one another.The dominating and the dominated persons both believe in an unattainable and essential purity which requires extreme sacrifices, both in its name, as well as for its attainment.One person makes the sacrifice, after the other has convinced him he must, erstwhile he would be morally condemned as selfish and self-centered for having disobeyed the other who claims to know best.
The Guru Papers recognizes that both self-centeredness and selflessness exist - you cannot purge the self of selfishness - and must work together in oneself in balance.It forcefully argues why intelligent negotiation is life-affirming whereas dumb submission invites death.It meticulously dissects the myriad protean tricks authoritarianism employs to maneuver its subjects into place and keep them there.Access to information and accountability for one's conduct are essential for the brave new world that might emerge if the reptant strain of authoritarianism in humankind does not destroy this world first in the name of knowing better.
The book says listen to yourself and if you are degraded or expelled for asking questions, recognize that the inadequacy lies with the authoritarian character, not with you.The Guru Papers makes the authoritarian predicates accountable and exposes them when they are not.It's about time!

Conspiracies against autonomy
This sensitive counsel on the dangers of the guru phenomenon is a key text and good as far it goes, but in the wake of the New Age generation we need more detailed information on the nature ofthe problem. A work such as this quite naturally picks up the case of Jim Jones and his cult, and while that is both understandable and appropriate, is that case really the crux of the problem? It is so extreme that it deflects attention from the more insidious types that prey on their cultic disciples with sufficient cunning to never get caught. One problem is that many who fall into guru traps are aware of a dimension straight deprogramming texts filter out and the warning never registers. Those confronting the legacy of Indic guruism spreading globally need someone to level with them on the terms of that world in itself, instead of the usual cliches about cults. Cults are a side issue. The real issue is the unstated denial of freedom in the great traditions of Christianity and Buddhism, and the occult conspiracies that back these up. We are fighting all over again the battle remembered in Kant's essay, What is Enlightenment? a text every New Ager should read before they sign their life away to Shri so and so or some sufi shark.
Platitudes about authoritarianism aren't enough. These gurus are mixed in a strange mafia we never see. Gurus are always careful to coach 'surrender'. NEVER agree to anything, and proceed at your own risk. Steal a buddhist sutra and work alone in your basement. Check out Rudranandra' Spiritual Cannibalism to start figuring out why noone is much interested in your liberation and very interested in your surrender.

And Now A Word From The Authoritarian Anti-Authoritarians
Since the authors are against people living divided lives, they would likely be concerned that I feel divided about their book. On the good side, there is a lot of insight into how authority can be used illegitimately by both ourselves and others for manipulative ends on both ourselves and others. As they have been involved in authoritarian groups teaching various Eastern views, they make quite a few points about the totalitarian nature that can be bred by both the gurus and worldview that emanates from that source; points I have seen others make, as well. Having been hurt by some alleged friends over the past few years, I felt personally helped and enlightened by their chapter on how love can be used as an abusive tool.Overall, the work is for someone who wants to think at length about the relationship between self-guidance and authority over a wide range of issues, and is well worth reading.

On the other hand, there are some real problems here. Kramer & Alstad don�t document a single thing they say, other than to refer to their other equally undocumented essays. Thus, ironically, this screed against authoritarianism must be accepted as the raw authoritarian assertion of the authors� views. It functions just like the type of revelation they condemn. One also wonders what in the world they would build after tearing everything down? The impression is left that, despite throwing a bone to recognized authorities in specific fields, one should be free to do whatever one wants and not feel guilty about it, as long as no one gets hurt and the human race is assured of survival. They seem to bank heavily on the belief that once humans are fed the proper data they will adjust themselves into rational, humanistic oriented beings who are willing to allow �no one gets hurt� and �the survival of the human race� to stand as their authoritarian guides to conduct. Given the number of people who already don�t seem to care who gets hurt or if humans are around after their own death, I don�t seem to be able to raise much faith in this. Also, I�m not convinced they understand the inner spiritual and moral dynamics of either Buddhism or Christianity as well as they try to make themselves appear to. Knowing people in both communities, I felt that at many points Kramer and Alstad were dealing in the fantasies of their own stereotypes and straw persons about these beliefs. They don�t seem as widely read as they claim, or you would think they would have run into prominent authors, like John Piper, who advocate a self-needs aware compassion that seems to echo what they call for from a tradition they seem to think could never generate it. In fact, their entire understanding of what they call �Christianity� seems to really be Moralism, a view many, if not most, Christians would also reject.

This book is a series of excerpts from a larger promised work, called �Control,� which, going on ten years later, is yet to appear. Hal Blacker has posted online his meeting with the authors a few years after this work was published. Look it up. You might feel like I did: I wouldn�t want the authoritarian people described in this book in control of my life, but, know what? I don�t think I�d want people like Kramer and Alstad running things, either. ... Read more

Isbn: 1883319005
Sales Rank: 263088
Subjects:  1. Authoritarianism    2. Control (Psychology)    3. General    4. Gurus    5. Psychology    6. Religious aspects   

Taliban: Militant Islam, Oil and Fundamentalism in Central Asia
by Ahmed Rashid
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (01 March, 2001)
list price: $14.95 -- our price: $10.17
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

This is the single best book available on the Taliban, the fundamentalist Islamic regime in Afghanistan responsible for harboring the terrorist Osama bin Laden. Ahmed Rashid is a Pakistani journalist who has spent most of his career reporting on the region--he has personally met and interviewed many of the Taliban's shadowy leaders. Taliban was written and published before the massacres of September 11, 2001, yet it is essential reading for anyone who hopes to understand the aftermath of that black day. It includes details on how and why the Taliban came to power, the government's oppression of ordinary citizens (especially women), the heroin trade, oil intrigue, and--in a vitally relevant chapter--bin Laden's sinister rise to power. These pages contain stories of mass slaughter, beheadings, and the Taliban's crushing war against freedom: under Mullah Omar, it has banned everything from kite flying to singing and dancing at weddings. Rashid is for the most part an objective reporter, though his rage sometimes (and understandably) comes to the surface: "The Taliban were right, their interpretation of Islam was right, and everything else was wrong and an expression of human weakness and a lack of piety," he notes with sarcasm. He has produced a compelling portrait of modern evil. --John Miller ... Read more

Reviews (128)

Best book on Afghanistan you'll find
I've read tons on Afghanistan and been there a few times...this was BY FAR the best and most complete book on not only the Taliban but the country as a whole.This book spares nothing and addresses a lot of issues and events that happened but have been largely unaddressed by the politically correct Western pundits.It is required reading for my subordinates.

Essential Background
This book provides excellent background material for understanding the rise, rule, and fall of the Taliban.Though written in 2000 when the Taliban were at the height of their power, and before the September 11th attacks, the book is far from outdated.The narrative begins in 1994 in Kandahar, with the rise of Mohammad Omar.Rashid then takes us on a blow-by-blow account of the battles that took the Taliban to Kabul.The second part of the book discusses various topics relating to Taliban rule, including Islamic Fundamentalism, the Taliban's political and military organization, the banning of women from public life, the basing of the economy on drugs and transshipment (smuggling), "Arab Afghans", and Osama Bin Laden.The book closes with a section that analyzesTaliban-run Afghanistan in a regional and global context.This section takes up the mutual influences and enmities between the Taliban, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Iran, and the US.End material includes a sampling of Taliban decrees, a listing of Taliban leaders and the positions they held, a chronology of the Taliban from 1992 to September 2000, a chronology of the struggle to develop oil and gas resources and a pipeline through Afghanistan, a glossary of Afghan terms, a bibliography, endnotes citing sources for all factual material in the text, and an index.

Rashid was very well qualified to write such a book.As a Pakistani journalist, he had covered politics and wars in Afghanistan from the 1978 Soviet invasion.One striking observation that he makes about the difference between the Mujaheddin and the Taliban fighters early on was the cultural ignorance of the Taliban.When Rashid met and talked with Mujaheddin fighters during the 1980s while they were on maneuvers, they spoke to him as tribal members.Many did not have formal schooling, but they all knew their ancestry back many generations, and they had a trade or could make a living from the soil.Many Taliban fighters, on the other hand, had been raised in refugee camps in Pakistan, often as orphans.They were ignorant of their ancestry and tribal customs.Though they had attended "school", it had been at madrassahs, were they got rudimentary training in the religious ideas of mullahs, many of whom were unqualified as Islamic scholars. As refugees, they knew no trades, and had no connection to the land.Many had grown up outside of family structures and had no memories of interactions with women, not even with close female relatives. Thus it wasn't surprising that they had no skills at running a government or even interest in such activities once they came to power, or that they seemed to want women to just disappear.

The chapter on the Arab-Afghans is especially interesting.In it, Rashid documents the early influences the Saudi government and the CIA had (under the leadership of William Casey) in laying the groundwork for the Taliban.As far back as 1982, Pakistan had been allowing Islamic radicals free passage so they could fight Communism with the Mujaheddin.In 1986 and 1987, Casey got the CIA to support the Pakistani ISI in recruiting Islamic terrorists worldwide to fight with the Mujaheddin.The Saudis joined in, eager to both push Wahabbism in the region, as well as to provide a worthwhile cause for their own radical malcontents like Osama Bin Laden.Rashid describes how these radicals established terrorist training camps both in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and the relations between the Taliban and these foreign thugs.

Another point that Rashid raises in several places is the idea that is apparently common throughout the Islamic world that the fall of the Soviet Union was due primarily or solely to the Muslim Mujaheddin.In the West, we assume that the Mujaheddin played a small role in the drama, and that what really happened was an economic collapse, both because the Soviet system was rotten to the core, and because the Arms Race forced the Soviets to spend their last kopeck.This difference in opinion about the demise of the Soviet Union provides some insight into how disparate the worldview may be between the West and Islamic countries.

Any reader of this book when it first came out in 2000 could see that Afghanistan was a disaster waiting to happen.Rashid warns us that this is not only a powder keg waiting to blow, but that the fuse has already been lit.He stresses the dangers of ignoring the crisis, and continuing to make due with the status quo.But not even he could guess at the magnitude of the explosion when it finally came.With this in mind, one particularly ominous observation from Rashid is the following "The radical Islamicist discourse suffered from the same weaknesses and limitations as the Afghan Marxists did: as an all-inclusive ideology, they rejected rather than integrated the vastly different social, religious and ethnic identities that constitute Afghan society.Both the Afghan communists and Islamicists wanted to impose radical change on a traditional social structure by a revolution from the top.They wished to do away with tribalism and ethnicity by fiat, an impossible task, and were unwilling to accept the complex realities on the ground."Let's see-when the Coalition Forces threw out the Taliban and the UN stepped in to establish a new government, did they try to impose a democratic revolution from the top?Are they doing enough to understand how this complex traditional society works?Are they taking care of the needs of the all the disparate ethnic and tribal groups without showing undue favoritism?Could this be a factor why peace has yet to be established in Afghanistan?

Still the best history of the Taliban available
I recently had the opportunity to interview a number of Afghans who had fought throughout the mujahadeen and Taliban eras. Without Ahmed Rashid's wonderfully well designed book, I would have been totally lost. Using it as my primary reference always kept within immediate reach, I managed to muddle through quite well, and made some level of sense of the complicated ebb and flow of power in Afghanistan since 1979. If you are going to Afghanistan for professional humanitarian or military reasons you cannot afford not to have a copy of this outstanding work. ... Read more

Isbn: 0300089023
Subjects:  1. 1973-    2. Afghanistan    3. History & Theory - Radical Thought    4. International Relations - General    5. Islam - General    6. Islam and politics    7. Islam and state    8. Islamic Studies    9. Islamic fundamentalism    10. Political Science    11. Politics - Current Events    12. Politics and government    13. Politics/International Relations    14. Taliban   

From Beirut to Jerusalem (Updated with a New Chapter)
by Thomas L. Friedman
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (15 July, 1990)
list price: $15.95 -- our price: $10.85
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Reviews (130)

Book explanatory and in Depth as Resource in Report
For a school project in which I chose the topic of the Israeli Palestinian conflict, my teacher recommended to me this book; she is a Thomas Friedman fan.Although I am not, I decided to give the book a try, and was glad I did.

First of all, Friedman did an excelent job of presenting the ins and outs of the Middle Eastern conflict, and furthermore made it somewhat interesting to those who don't know much about the subject.Friedman's insight into the hearts and minds of the average citizen of Lebanon, Israel, and the occupied territories, provided a solid base for my report and sparked my ineterest in a subject I never thought about before.

On the other hand, Friedman seemed to be trying to appeal to too many audiances.The book often runs on and on about very small details, which, although are interesting, seem to provide no support for the overall style of his work.

Other than that, I was impressed that, as a high school student, I was able to comprehend and appreciate Friedman's novel.The experiences Freidman shared were a great resource for my report and overall could be an interesting read for anyone who is interested in a quick look at the last century of the conflicts in the Middle East.

A good memoir
Friedman gives his stigma from the very beginning: he is a Jew, his fascination with the Middle East led him to study Middle Eastern politics and history, he is a correspondent for the New York Times and he cites Bernard Lewis. All the above would render anyone who's read more than one book on the subject at least suspicious.

Oddly enough, Friedman manages to strike a relative balance and preserve some form of neutrality in his arguments.

Sure enough, there are some outrageous comments and inaccuracies to be found in this book. Take for example "the liberating quality of news from Israel has particular appeal for Europeans who carry guilt over the Holocaust" (as if the Holocaust was a joint European effort), or that in the Western news media's coverage of the '87 Intifada "the extensive focus on Israeli soldiers beating, arresting, or shooting Palestinians was so obviously out of proportion...", or "Arafat apparently thought he could continue forever not making the real...preparations for war that would have satisfied the Palestinian hard-liners" (maybe the fact that Palestinians did not have an army as such played a role in that), or "Allah Akhbar" instead of Allahu Akbar etc.

However, there are certain things that work very well for this book: one is that Friedman cannot escape his journalistic background, so to speak, a fact which greatly enhances this book's readability. It's fast-paced and concise, and although nearly 600 pages, it's one of those books that could be read in just one sitting. Two, a fact which also has to do with Friedman's work as a journalist and pertains to all the interviews conducted with heads of states, leaders of organizations, religious communities, militia as well as the common people, that have found their way into this book either whole or excerpts thereof. They are revealing, enlightening and provide insight into the various sides' views, the reasons and forces that drive them and the rationale behind their actions.

Where Friedman dissappoints me is at the finishing chapter of the book's first edition: upon his return to the US and looking back on his whole experience in the Middle East, he resorts to parrotting the usual narrative regarding overall impressions as well as the usual rhetoric regarding American involvement. Friedman is one of the hundreds who had read about the Middle East (Orient), studied it, dreamt about it, fantacised about it, was fascinated by it, only to visit a part of it and find out that it wasn't really what he had expected it to be and he didn't really like it after all (those who've read E.Said's "Orientalism" know what I mean). And then comes America's role as the savior, as it has a lot to offer to help this region, which, finally, Friedman refuses to pronounce as hopeless (he does admit, to his credit, that America would be doing so not for the sake of the region, but rather to protect and further its own interests).

In his more recent afterword (included in the latest edition), Friedman gets more practical and particular and focuses on the difficulties in solving the Arab-Israeli conflict. Although his views may seem one-sided, they do have validity as they're based on the only thing that (unfortunately and regretfully) really matters: power.

All in all, this is a personal account, a memoir, and if read as such, it's a good book. Don't fall into the trap of reading it like it's a history book expecting a detailed and chronologically ordered account of events. More importantly, don't fall into the trap of reading it like it's a sociology or anthropology book, providing an analysis on the psyche of the Lebanese, the Palestinians, the Syrians and exposing their philosophy, values, characteristics, rules of conduct etc. If for no other reason than that this book focuses exclusively on just one aspect of their reality: the conflict.

And that's why I have to wholeheartedly disagree with Seymour Hersch (whose acclaim for "Beirut to Jerusalem" appears with that of other journalists and critics on the book's first page): "If you are going to read one book on the Middle East, this is it." What an injustice to and contempt towards a whole people! For there is a lot more to the "Middle East" than just the Lebanese war and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.

fair and balanced, sort of...
I've always enjoyed reading Friedman's articles for the New York Times, which like him has a persistent but mild pro-Israel bias.However Friedman always manages to keep a rational perspective most of the time, which makes his writing very palatable.

This book is a great overview of the huge hopeless mess that is the Arab-Israeli conflict, is well written and well-researched unlike your typical PRO- or ANTI- polemic that are published en masse every year.Very enjoyable and enriching, even if you don't agree with all of it. ... Read more

Isbn: 0385413726
Sales Rank: 3543
Subjects:  1. 1973-1993    2. 1993-    3. Arab-Israeli conflict    4. Ethnic Studies - General    5. History    6. History - General History    7. History: World    8. International Relations - General    9. Jewish-Arab relations    10. Middle East    11. Middle East - General    12. Politics and government    13. Current Events / International    14. Friedman, Thomas L    15. Journeys   

A People's History of the United States: 1492 to Present
by Howard Zinn
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (01 September, 2001)
list price: $18.00
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

Consistently lauded for its lively, readable prose, this revised andupdated edition of A People's History of the United States turnstraditional textbook history on its head. Howard Zinn infuses the often-submerged voices of blacks, women, American Indians, war resisters, andpoor laborers of all nationalities into this thorough narrative that spansAmerican history from Christopher Columbus's arrival to an afterword onthe Clinton presidency.

Addressing his trademark reversals of perspective, Zinn--a teacher, historian,and social activist for more than 20 years--explains, "My point is not that wemust, in telling history, accuse, judge, condemn Columbus in absentia. It istoo late for that; it would be a useless scholarly exercise in morality. But theeasy acceptance of atrocities as a deplorable but necessary price to pay forprogress (Hiroshima and Vietnam, to save Western civilization; Kronstadtand Hungary, to save socialism; nuclear proliferation, to save us all)--that isstill with us. One reason these atrocities are still with us is that we havelearned to bury them in a mass of other facts, as radioactive wastes areburied in containers in the earth."

If your last experience of American history was brought to you by juniorhigh school textbooks--or even if you're a specialist--get ready for the otherside of stories you may not even have heard. With its vivid descriptions ofrarely noted events, A People's History of the United States isrequired reading for anyone who wants to take a fresh look at the rich, rockyhistory of America. ... Read more

Reviews (446)

A turn for the losers and underdogs...
I think there gets to be a time in many hardcore history readers' lives when they realize that they know a heck of a lot about American history.We come to a moment at which we feel as if we know who all of the most important figures are by heart, along with the most significant events, the most relevant milestones and the most earth-shattering developments since 1492.

However, after reading a slew of more specific books on the topics that interest you most (be it the Revolutionary period, the Civil War, business history, or what have you), a day comes along when you feel like it is time to read another "overview" that will give a global vision of American history in its entirety.That is what happened to me a few weeks ago when I walked into my local bookstore and came across "A People's History of the United States," completely by chance, when I was overtaken by this need for generality.

It was the PERFECT choice.As I said before, I have always been the history buff, so reading the same once again would have been fun but somewhat pointless in the big picture.By reading THIS particular survey of American history, I was reminded of all the main eras and events, but this time I got to see the viewpoint of the major losers and underdogs, who probably wouldn't be waving the star-spangled banner if they had lived until today.

This is the history of the downtrodden, all those people who we intuitively know must have existed, but that nobody ever seems to mention at school or elsewhere.In the back of our minds, as intelligent human beings, we know that the American Revolution couldn't have been a boon to everyone.And same goes for the Civil War, the uprise of Big Business, the takeover of the whole North American continent, the building of the railroads, the winning of all our wars.

You can take the negative view that this book is left-wing Anti-American rhetoric, or you can look at it positively and just say, "hey, I guess it is only fair that someone took the time to tell the story from the other perspective."If you read this history book, you will then know who was left behind or stepped on in order for the rest of us to reach the wealth and power we are so fortunate to have today.

Brings needed balance.
This history book is an excellent primer for those who want to learn about the complete history of the United States. All of the atrocities that regular history books gloss over are brought to light and this shows how fragile a democracy can be when it falls into the wrong hands.

Unfortunately, there have been a lot of attacks from far right conservatives which have diluted the reviews section. Not one I will point out has been able to list a single instance where Zinn has been wrong or misleading about anything. Instead, the reviews are simply vicious personal attacks that, of all things, accuse the left of being vicious and personal in nature. But then, they tend to attack that which scares them, and if Zinn is scaring them it is because of the information that he brings attention to.

Covering more than 500 years of history means that the book can not go into as much detail as I would have liked concerning some subjects. At the same time, there are very few important historical events that are not presented. Having read this book, I was motivated to do more research and found that all of the information is corroborated elsewhere and even more interesting when coming from a dedicated source.

Well worth reading. It's a shame though that so many reviews that are simply ideological attacks are allowed taint what is otherwise a great system for reviewing books.

The Bible
Title says it all. This book has helped me in countless college courses. ... Read more

Isbn: 0060937319
Subjects:  1. Democracy    2. History    3. History - General History    4. History: American    5. Political Ideologies - Democracy    6. United States - General   

In the Footsteps of Mr. Kurtz: Living on the Brink of Disaster in Mobutu's Congo
by Michela Wrong
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (28 May, 2002)
list price: $13.95 -- our price: $11.16
(price subject to change: see help)
US | Canada | United Kingdom | Germany | France

Editorial Review

During Mobutu Sese Seko's 30 years as president of Zaire (now the Congo), he managed to plunder his nation's economy and live a life of excess unparalleled in modern history. A foreign correspondent in Zaire for six years, Michela Wrong has plenty of titillating stories to tell about Mobutu's excesses, such as the Versailles-like palace he built in the jungle, or his insistence that he needed $10 million a month to live on. However, these are not the stories that most interest Wrong. Her aim is to understand all of the reasons behind the economic disintegration of the most mineral-rich country on the African continent; in so doing, she turns over the mammoth rock that was Mobutu and finds a seething underworld of parasites with names like the CIA, the World Bank and the IMF, the French and Belgian governments, mercenaries, and a host of fat cats who benefited from Mobutu's largesse and even exceeded his rapaciousness.

Wrong turns first to Belgian's King Leopold II, who instituted a brutal colonial regime in the Congo in order to extract the natural and mineral wealth for his personal gain. Mobutu, with the aid of a U.S. government determined to sabotage Soviet expansion, stepped easily into Leopold's footsteps, continuing a culture built on government-sanctioned sleaze and theft. Under the circumstances, it's hard not to feel some sympathy for the people who survived in the only ways they could--teachers trading passing grades for groceries, hospitals refusing to let patients leave until they paid up, cassava patches cultivated next to the frighteningly unsafe nuclear reactor. What is less comprehensible--and rightly due for an airing--are Wrong's revelations about foreign interventions. Why, for example, did the World Bank and IMF give Mobutu $9.3 billion in aid, knowing full well that he was pocketing most of it?

In the Footsteps of Mr. Kurtz is a brilliantly conceived and written work, sharply observant and richly described with a necessary sense of the absurd. Wrong paints a far more nuanced picture of the wily autocrat than we've seen before, and of the blatant greed and paranoia of the many players involved in the country's self-destruction. --Lesley Reed ... Read more

Reviews (39)

Mobutu at the Heart of Zaire's Darkness
Throughout history, Africa has claimed the moniker of the Dark Continent, originally due to its mysteriousness, wildness, and danger.However, there is a new darkness that has overtaken modern Africa, a darkness that plagues the content. This darkness is composed of governmental corruption, violent coups, genocide, ethnic cleansing, guerilla warfare and other forms of exploitation and violence.

One of the most blatant examples of this impinging darkness was the rule Zaire's President Mobutu.His insatiable thirst for cruelty brought Zaire, a nation with massive potential for wealth and prosperity, to its knees and subsequently destroyed the will of his own proud people.

Michaela Wrong follows the rise of Mobutu, the once obscure military aide, and chronicles his nearly instinctual political maneuvers which finally consolidated his grip on the throat of Zaire.Wrong also illustrates the effects of Mobutu's "kleptocracy" which essentially bled the nation and its people dry of any wealth, and economic potential.

Apart from bankrupting a nation, perhaps the saddest result of Mobutu's reign was destruction of a nation's will.The people of Zaire not only grew disillusioned with Mobutu's leadership, but became disillusioned with the hope of betterment.In the minds of many of those living in Zaire under Mobutu, the thought of struggling everyday to eek out a living seemed pointless.At the end of that day, the Mobutu government would come and reap all that was so painfully sown.

The title of book is In the Footsteps of Mr. Kurtz, named after the power hungry character in Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness and Wrong does draw vague parallels between the two. Still, the parallels do lend an interesting twist to the work.Both Mobutu and Kurtz were corrupted by power and the vast wealth hidden in the darkest Africa, and once they tasted those sweet riches, their appetites became insatiable and cost Africa dearly.

Good book, bad writing.
This is an interesting read and definitely worth the time.Unlike some of the other reviewers, I wasn't bothered by her loose chronological order.

What did bother me, however, was her absolutely terrible writing style.Wrong seems not to understand that significant over use of a thesaurus, "clever" allusions, and purposefully obscure vocabulary are not suitable replacements for good writing.

All in all, I would recommend the book, but you may need to skip over some of her more distracting examples of bad writing.

A good place to start your reading on Congo/Zaire
This book was recommended to me by a bookseller here in Washington, DC when I mentioned my interest in reading King Leopold's Ghost.I have no relationship to the author.Like many U.S. residents, I have a fairly limited understanding of political history and current affairs in African nations.(Not completely so; recent travel in Egypt and Kenya raised some awareness.)Still, I was very appreciative of the author's presentation of the Congo/Zaire story: more a series of snapshots than a linear telling of the events.She did a decent job of suggesting that Mobutu's failings were hardly his own - sharing that responsibility, instead, with Belgium (within the broader context of colonialism) and, more recently, with Western governments and financial institutions (the IMF and the World Bank) that continue to profit from and exploit the African political landscape.Further, the author shows how these larger political games affected the people within its borders: her telling of the workings of the black market economy in the period of mega-inflation had my rapt attention.I also appreciated what the author revealed about how corrupt leadership benefits its collaborators at all levels.(Halliburton, anyone?) I don't think she let Mobutu off the hook; she just didn't slip into that trap of leaving him as Mr. Evil the way that some suggest that Hitler didn't have the collaboration of an entire nation of people.If you approach this book as someone's engaging story of how Congo/Zaire came to be what it is today rather than a historical researcher's dreary recounting of the facts, you'll like this book plenty AND be willing to learn more about the country.Off to King Leopold's Ghost now... ... Read more

Isbn: 0060934433
Subjects:  1. Africa - General    2. Current Affairs    3. General    4. Government - Comparative    5. History & Theory - General    6. Politics - Current Events    7. Politics/International Relations