Outstanding work! Historically, philosophically, emotionally. Explores the incredible scope of human behavior, both evil and sai
358698
Outstanding work! Historically, philosophically, emotionally. Exciting, fast paced, riveting. Explores the incredible scope
of human behavior, both evil and saintly, and the limits to which people are pushed in wartime. Highly recommended.
1391108
I highly recommend this novel, both a a gripping suspenseful read and an examination 2000 years after the parable of the good Samaritan of how we should treat those regarded as "other." It also poses interesting ethical questions that come with biological breakthroughs. Well done, Ms. Sullivan!
Bill Harper
4866225
This is a must read for humanity!  Wiesel's description of the concentration camps, the stories and the struggle, all the while dealing with his faith, his God and his family are disturbingly compelling.  The truth and horror of the Holocaust is captured without the potential gore, but the devastation and the description of what young Elie witnessed is not water-down in order to be palatable. There is a lot of power packed into this little book!
1286908
Tyrant: Rise of the Beast is the first in a new three book series by Brian Godawa entitled Chronicles of the Apocalypse. Characteristic of Godawa, this historical fiction is derived from a biblical context. This time, Godawa tantalizes the imagination by taking us behind the scenes of "The Revelation".
We are introduced to complex characters with diverse backgrounds in 64-65 AD Rome, Jerusalem and Ephesus.  True-to-life struggles in relationships, careers and faith for these characters providentially connects them under the overshadowing reign of Nero Caesar.  Nero's tyranny, his persecution of Christians after the Great Fire, and political unrest in Palestine fuel the search for dispersed fragments of an enigmatic prophecy with implications for the entire empire.
Known for his scholarship in "Chronicles of the Nephilim", Godawa's research for this new series is exceptional. He brilliantly brings to life the supernatural worldview inherent in both the Scriptures and the culture, which is something our modern minds have difficulty grasping. The end result is an intelligent and entertaining literary adventure that wrestles with the major social issues of our day.
What makes this historical fiction even more compelling is Godawa's redemptive-historical biblical interpretation.  His approach creates a thrilling means by which characters decipher "The Revelation" using their own knowledge of the Old Testament in light of their historical socio-political context.  This well-researched accounting for both the historical setting and biblical theology is uniquely refreshing.
There are some shocking violent and graphic depictions illustrating the true brutality of the time and the immorality of evil, but Godawas judicious treatment drives home their relevance to our present day in a manner that will evoke reflection in readers. While you may be challenged in your biblical understanding, Tyrant: Rise of the Beast will certainly entertain and enlighten, which is something Godawas readers have come to expect of him.  Once again, he delivers!
-Marc D. Wilson, @MarcWilsonxoxo
4173173
Excellent exploration of good and evil, especially for those who cannot imagine they could ever do something generally seen as "evil."  This book provides historical and multicultural evidence that that masses can generally be persuaded with ideology, language, and crisis to join in unbelievable crimes against humanity.

Perhaps more importantly though, this book explores the structures, attitudes, mechanisms, and loci of power which encourage people to forget their higher selves and commit a wide range of atrocities. By utilizing that knowledge you can begin to disarm systems such as schools, law enforcement, and corporate mentalities that lead to the abuse abd murder of other human begins in the name of what is "right."

This book serves as an excellent jumping board to explore our own mental colonization.
1330291
I just finished reading Skopp's Shadows Walking and my immediate reaction is that if you wish to experience a real sense of history, history made alive, this is your book.

For those who wish to gain an understanding how medical doctors, pledged to serve humanity, could engage in the most horrible "scientific" experiments, this is your work.

For those who wish to understand how a civilized society could descend into the depths of depravity and madness, this is your work.

For those who wish to read about the great and terrible events of the Holocaust and World War II told from deeply, personal perspectives, this is your work.

Finally, for those who wish to learn about the complex nature of human existence, the personal and profound, the stories of persons and humanity, Shadows Walking is your book.
766261
In Human Evolution, Robert Winston explores and explains the inescapable fact that human behaviour has its origins in our ancestry on the savannah of Africa.  He goes on to explain various aspects of human behaviour originated with ancient humans and our pre-human ancestors and how our primitive instincts affect human behaviour today.
Winston presents his book in a balanced and objective manner.  He notes where uncertainty exists in his conclusions, and covers some sensitive issues related to the darker side of human character with typical objectivity.
The book is well written, and very understandable.  I enjoyed reading Human Evolution greatly and found its insights to be most revealing and intriguing.  I would strongly recommend this book to anyone who ever thinks or philosophises about human nature.  I'm disappointed to see that at this time Human Nature is rated at 1,100,000 as it deserves to be a lot higher.
3388453
This book is a remarkable piece of research and analysis with practical application. I doubt anyone could read it and not have their world perspective challenged, changed or both. Carlton Brown meticulously brings together the science (physics, astronomy, pharmacology, biology, archaeology) art, and architecture of ancient Sun God religions, and shows how people used scared practices to achieve altered states of consciousness to contact the higher self.

Every aspect of this book has been thoroughly researched, documented, footnoted, and illustrated. Theres a lot of information to process and absorb, but the depth of work (twenty years Carlton notes) makes its conclusions undeniable.

While reading this book, I was amazed to discover how clever our ancestors were, to have such a sophisticated understanding of science, art, and architecture and how they can be used to achieve greater spiritual self-awareness. We presume, living in the Information Age, to be enlightened beings. Reading a book like this makes you realise how much knowledge has been lost. We have things to relearn, Carlton says early on in the work. Do we ever!

My only criticism: Why hasn't this book been scooped up by a major publisher and given the global exposure it deserves? This is a significant and important work. More importantly, itll change your life.

I thank Carlton Brown most sincerely for providing me with a free copy for an honest non-reciprocal review.
3792543
Well, by gum, this book is not only exquisitely written (I thought that truly educated individuals had long since dropped off the face of the earth), but the thoughts contained herein will blow one's mind! Not that most reasonable people in 2016 haven't long since figured out that left-wing lunacy is attempting to rule the western world -- many of us have seen that happening since the dreaded mid-60s -- but Mr. McManus gives it thorough historical context. He takes it back beyond Marx, to where such notions began, in ancient Greece. Patterns, patterns, patterns. Human life presents itself in patterns. You must become insightful enough to read the code, however. I cannot help but note that very many of those 60s hippies who flocked to Vermont in their youthful glory -- to stick it to the system -- are now on Welfare in their old age, and rather pathetic. They should have had a talk with Mr. McManus first.......the Greek Sophists and Cynics bombed-out in precisely the same way, for the same reasons, 2500 years ago. And they thought themselves terribly progressive and superior too.

What has been will be again,
 what has been done will be done again;
 there is nothing new under the sun.

Thank you, Mr. McManus, for such valuable lessons, in a single volume. Greatly impressed.
1296900
What a well-written work this is.  The author found the perfect combination of history and human nature for this wonderful novel. Raw details of a horrific period are softened by the love and humanity of these characters.  I couldn't put it down.
3144726
Kenzaburo Oe's book, A Personal Matter, is a profound work that is essentially an autobiography covering a short period of Mr. Oe's life when his son is born. This is an incredible insight into the human mind, and the process that Oe goes through is universal in it's scope and incredibly compelling.
Dr. Nathan is one of the wests foremost experts on Japan and a wonderfull writer, this translation does the original work Justice, and is as beautiful a work in English, as the orginal Japanese text.
Please read this book for your own sake!
244372
The emotion, the moral and great characters! Awesome!! Epic!!
4499602
This is one of the most powerful works of literature that I've ever read. It combines a powerfully unique literary style, a philosophical dilemma threaded through lives of a set of well developed characters set against a  background of one of the most important historical developments that has  defined the rest of the 20th century. This is the kind of a book, where  every other page "asks" to be quoted. It will wrench your heart,  focus your mind and make you look inward questioning the significance of a  man in the context of a historical momentum. Awe inspiring..!
2954910
Man's inhumanity to man on parade! A history text, a sociology primer, and casebook on deviant psychology superbly written and organized. Mr. White is a scholar.  This, his witty, sometimes sardonic and comprehensive survey of human greed on a massive scale, teachers all one needs to know why man's defining characteristic is the willingness -- nay, compulsion -- to kill other human beings. No education is complete without a thorough reading of this delightful, appalling and altogether damning chronicle of that monster that is humankind.
2663547
This insightful book deals with Life on Life's terms, not "sugar coated." This is a rare insight into the Human psyche and is artfully delivered from a heart felt perspective. Genius and a must read for any "Student of psychology, philosophy, metaphysics, Shamanism or Life its self.
This author is years ahead of our time and fearless. A must read!
1711362
"The Structure of Evil", surveys the field of literature, science, philosophy, and psychology  across the ages in a manner that is exhausting to read and , yet, breadth taking, at the same time. It is not a book for the impatient or adventuresome reader.  It's long sentence structure and intellectual style, may leave you confused at times.  Nevertheless, Becker is an essayist who is in a class by himself.  So deep and penetrating is his exploration of the "human", that I find underlining the text imperative.  "The peculiarly human puts a special burden on man - a burden of which other animals are free", (Becker, p. 125).  What this burden is and how man can confront it, are themes Becker addresses in this remarkably researched book.  The idea that mental illness and non-being are synonymous has been thoroughly explored by philosophers such as Sartre (Being and Nothingness) and Husserl (The Phenomenology of Passivity, by Victor Biceaga). When Becker talks about mental illness, in particular schizophrenia, he emphasizes the relevance of the interpersonal and recognizes this dimension as sacred. Alienation from self and others can be explored further by reading John Kekes, 'The Human Condition', and Abraham Maslow, 'Toward a Psychology of Being'.  "Trust thyself, every heart rings to that iron string, but it is the rarest heart that has the courage" writes Emerson (Becker,1968, p. 193). Courage is what Becker talks about, courage to "spell out" (Fingarette, Self-Deception) to avow or not to avow, to say or not to say, to believe or not to believe. "To be or not to be", isn't that what Hamlet (Shakespeare) asked himself through the mouth of the play write?  I cannot match the in depth reviews written before me but I can as a reviewer, add to the discussion.  In summary, "The human soul must at last come to unity with itself, in order to be itself" (Snider, Abraham Lincoln, An Interpretation in Biography, 1908, p. 314). Considering all of the books I have mentioned, Becker's 'The structure of Evil', is, I believe, the most difficult to penetrate.
2593478
Philippe Wamba's book is a must read for all interested in humanity.  Mr. Wamba records history that has been ignored by the world community in an interesting storytelling style. The book is ahead of its time. The author digs deep into the untold stories to examine the cause of division among people, from a global prospective.
Mr. Wamba's rich observation is enhanced by his knowledge of history and a humble way of looking at his personal experiences across continents.  In addition, he engages readers with an exemplary family and a coming of age story. The writer parallels his family tale with world history and current events. In the process, he neatly packages information that is not readily available. The book will make you laugh with pleasant stories and cry with cruel tales.
It is a shame how we humans continue to ignore ideas that unite and enlighten us in favor of the old dividing ones, as we keep losing forward thinking leaders before their time - such as Philippe Wamba. The book shows us what type of history we create when we function in this world based on suspicion and ignorance among each other.