Customer Reviews:
More fiction than history.......2007-01-31
What a waste of my time and money! This is the authosr's second book that I read, and I beleive the last. If you like historical fiction this is not for you. I don't think the characters are well developed, she had a wonderful piece of history to work on and did not do it justice. As someone wrote here before maybe the author was influenced by Hollywood because the explosions and the involvement of women of the time ( especially a princess ) on the "action packed" part is somewhat unbelievable. Sometimes the book made me feel it was written for teens.
Good twist to the old Tower Tale.......2006-09-08
3.5 stars
Ms. Maxwell's take on what happened to the two sons of Edward IV who disappeared from the Tower of London shortly after Richard III "usurped" the crown from the eldest of them adds a clever layer to the two most commonly told versions of this story (that Richard III had them murdered, or that he was innocent & uninvolved and the Duke of Buckingham did it in attempt to gain the crown for himself).
I absolutely love the possibility of Margaret Beaufort's involvement which Maxwell has added in this story. Her ambitiousness, political machniations and involvement in intrigue have been well documented. It's entirely plausable to see her as the pupeteer behind Buckingham... however, other aspects of Maxwell's take on how she and Buckingham may have been involved are completely far-fetched. This story provides a "happy ending" to a tale that simply could not have ended so. In writing it as thus, Maxwell pushes the reader beyond the bounds of believability and left this particular one feeling quite disappointed after reading 7/8 of the story only to find a Hollywood ending complete with explosions.
Maxwell relies on an overly used formula to set the stage for the story. The main character, Nell Caxton, is uncommonly educated for a woman of her time, has maintained a childhood friendship with Princess Elizabeth and thus has access to Royal circles, and yet is so likeable and street smart that she is also friends with every street-dwelling pauper and prostitute in the vacinity of Westminster. Nell's cleverness also opens doors to romance with a man of the court, a position as tutor to the young king-to-be, and an appointment as scribe to Margaret Beaufort. Nell has a surprising amount of unchaperoned time, much of which she manages to spend with her also-strangely-unchaperoned princess friend. As one would expect, the girls even get to sneak around undetected disguised as young men.
Despite the kitsch formula and over-the-top ending, the book is entertaining. The story of Richard of York / Richard III and his ascention to the throne and coinciding disappearance of the Princes in the Tower has intrigued the public for 500+ years. Maxwell has contributed a smart, mostly plausable and formerly unexplored possible answer to the mystery.
Entertaining but flawed.......2006-08-13
This is the first book by this author that I've read. I only chose it because it has to do with Richard III and the Princes in the Tower, a mystery that has always fascinated me.
I'm not going through the storyline here, as numerous reviewers before me have already done so. The main question is, who was responsible for the disappearance of the Princes?
Ms. Maxwell's answer as to the identity of the culprit is clever and credible (psychologically and historically speaking), but the whole rescue-of-the-princes scene is such a stretch it's not believable for one second.
Also, though Ms. Maxwell did read some previous books of the subject, she didn't assimilate them very well and makes several historical mistakes, like the people in the crowd circa 1500 referring to Richard III as a hunchback. If they lived at the time, they should have known he was no such thing, that's only Shakespeare's take on it. Besides, by general accounts, Richard III was loved in his time. He was a good king for the little time he had ruling England.
She also absolves Henry VII from the crime on the grounds that he wasn't in England at the time. She obviously didn't read, or conveniently forgot, Josephine Tey's and others' theories that the Princes were alive and well when Henry Tudor took over the Tower (which was not a prison at the time, but a royal residence) and that he (supposedly) only did away with them after he took the throne. Another theory of course is that they were never murdered at all.
Being a stickler for at least some historical accuracy even in a work of historical fiction, that irked me and detracted from my enjoyment of an otherwise entertaining book. I liked Nell Caxton's romance with Lord Rivers, and the fact (which might be true) that Elizabeth of York was in love with Richard III.
The ending left one hanging, because the two friends, Nell and Bessie, tell the whole "true" story to the future Henry VIII. What good did it do? We all know he didn't lift a single finger to rehabilitate his great-uncle's memory. Actually he finished what his father had started, killing off what was left of the heirs of York. And what became of the Princes after they were rescued is also left to the reader's imagination. It would have been nice if she had hinted at the "pretender and impostor" Perkin Warbeck, who claimed to be the younger of the two princes during a rebellion under Henry VII.
All in all, I did enjoy the story but purely as a work of suspense/mystery fiction. As historical fiction, it was sadly disappointing.
A compelling look into an ages-old mystery.......2006-06-06
(This review was first published in The Historical Novels Review, Issue 34, November 2005 - ISSN 1471-7492)
The disappearance and alleged murder of Edward IV's young sons in the Tower has fueled centuries of speculation, both in fiction and nonfiction. Shakespeare was one of the first dramatists to peg the crime on Richard III, in part because the playwright lived under Elizabeth I, a Tudor. The Tudors were invested in having history record Richard III as the perpetrator, seeing as Henry VII had killed Richard in battle, founding the Tudor line. Nevertheless, a staunch cadre of Richard III defenders believes he was not to blame. The princes themselves were never seen again, and on this intriguing, if oft-explored, mystery does Robin Maxwell build her fourth novel, as told through Nell Caxton, daughter of an innovative English printer, and Princess Elizabeth (Bessie) of York, the doomed princes' sister. Maxwell has shown her skill in previous historicals, most notably her masterful The Wild Irish; here, she moves back in time to the tumultuous final days of Edward IV's reign and Richard III's usurpation of his nephew's throne. The history itself offers a compelling story line, with the added dimension of the entrepreneurial Caxton family, and we are quickly swept into the chaotic events leading to the princes' disappearance. Maxwell conjures an intelligent, credible alternative to the Richard III theory, with Nell unraveling the mystery. Nell is an engaging lead, a commoner whose educational skills and familial connections allow her to penetrate the royal circle. The tale is accessible even to English history novices, and Maxwell's scheming Buckingham, icy Elizabeth Woodville, and implacable Margaret Beaufort offer a complex glimpse into the often-lethal struggle for power at court.
To The Tower Born.......2006-03-17
This subject has always attracted controversy as to what really happened to the two princes. It is however expressed in a way which leaves the door still slightly ajar for the readers own assumption. I liked this book very much I liked the authors style of writing and the wonderful way it has been told through the eyes of two very different ladies one a royel born the other a commoner with a lasting bond of firm frienship which endures through many trials and tribulations. A great read and I highly recommend it.
Book Description
Get the fast answersin full colorthat make learning the new Windows Vista operating system plain and simple! Windows Vista helps you more effectively use your PCwith simple ways to find and use your information, enjoy your digital media, and connect to technologies and people. This no-nonsense guide helps you learn the easy way to navigate this new operating system with numbered steps and concise, straightforward language that show the most expedient ways to learn a new skill or solve a problem. Youll discover how to perform everyday tasks and answer your own questions quicklylearning the essentials for customizing your desktop, setting up a home network, managing digital media, publishing files to the Web, and more. With Plain Simple, you dont have to wade through superfluous details.
Customer Reviews:
Easy to use !.......2007-10-01
This book is simple enough for the beginner to use. The step by step instruction make it easy for Vista challenged people like me.
"Windows VISTA, Plain & Simple".......2007-09-29
I found the book "Vista, Plain & Simple" to be excellent..
top-notch writers, who answered all my questions about this new Windows program.
GOOD FOR ME.......2007-09-22
Anything I keep and use works for me.This covers most subjects for moving from XP to VISTA, I actually enjoy using it when I dred refering to books for my answers. BUY IT!
Excellent coverage.......2007-09-22
Understanding Windows Vista was made a lot easier with the excellent coverage in this book.
Vista manual.......2007-09-18
This is the first Microsoft operating system manual that I have ever had in which I found something, non-trivial, that I was looking in for an answer. I am impressed.
Average customer rating:
- DOUG MILLSTIEN IS OUT OF THIS WORLD
- Setting your brand on fire.
- my review
- Not Hype! A System for Reality...and innovation.
- Beyond the Frontiers - A genetic approach to the Brand
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Firebrands: Building Brand Loyalty in the Internet Age
Doug Millison , and
Michael Moon
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill Osborne Media
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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Marketing Metrics: 50+ Metrics Every Executive Should Master
ASIN: 0072124490 |
Book Description
This book explains digital branding and how to implement it in the current marketplace.
Download Description
This book explains digital branding and how to implement it in the current marketplace.
Customer Reviews:
DOUG MILLSTIEN IS OUT OF THIS WORLD .......2007-08-07
This person cant write if his life depended on it, i read it and now used it for a door stop. I wouldnt recommend this to anyone. I might use it if hes lucky for my son to sit on at the dinner table.
Setting your brand on fire........2001-06-09
There are so many books on the market that discuss the concept of 'brand' from so many different points of view, that it's difficult to sort out the good from the bad. This is one of the good ones.
Moon and Millison define the basic concepts around brand. They explain in clear buzzword-light language what influences the growth and positioning of a brand. Finally, they provide ample and well-explained pointers to further reading to help understand some of their basic ideas more clearly.
As a consultant working for a systems integrator, one of the things that impressed me the most was the focus on execution. Many books about branding seem to imply that the technical details are irrelevant to brand success, but _Firebrands_ makes the point that a relationship with a customer only has brand value when supported by appropriate policies, training, and technical infrastructure. This is a message that can't be, IMO, repeated often enough.
Well worth the time to read.
my review.......2001-03-08
I have read Firebrands and found it extremely useful. As a systems integrator in St. Louis, I have used this book to help my clients understand the importance of a technical infrastructure in building a vibrant brand.... Mind you, this is not a 60 second brand manager book.
Not Hype! A System for Reality...and innovation........2001-03-05
Firebr@nds is not a bedside book, it's a cookbook, a tool for being AT CAUSE when it comes to building successful, powerful communications for the internet.
As a Technology Interface Architect , the building of brand into the interaction of the product is vital to it's success.
My clients over the past 12 years have been besieged by what appears to them this mysterious thing out there that will grow over some process, that we will somehow invoke, and it will be successful if the powers that be are on our side.
This book makes it all very clear, while eliciting sympathy for all of us who have built brands. A genuine appreciation for its complexity is gained as you read a systemization of brandbuilding in Firebr@ands.
Moon has given us a thorough and deep taxonomy for building the brand from many different pragmatic angles. The dramatic distinctions in language make it easy to use the language as a tool in any company when it comes to educating organizations in building brand.
This is a book that I will return to over and over again as I help my clients grow their products into the future. It was a very brave, and necessary book to write. BRAVO!!!!
Beyond the Frontiers - A genetic approach to the Brand.......2001-03-01
As the Chief Technical Officer of a Texas based e-services and print communication firm, I live in this interactive brandspace on a daily basis. The problem with this brave new world of pixels is simply that much is said and much is written but little intelligent communication occurs. I find the innovative and far reaching approach taken by Michael Moon to be the de facto foundation for the next "big thing".
The approach that one must take to these new media spaces and channels is not readily discernible from the clearly defined trails blazed in the more traditional areas of branding. This new territory is as different as the Earth is from the Moon [no pun intended]. The book travels beyond the areas marked as "unknown - there be dragons here" and opens a clear and understandable path into formerly mysterious areas.
What we need out here in the field is less hype and more substance. Firebrands is a rational, ground breaking treatise on the evolution of Branding. This is a pivotal work that serves as a wonderful deskside companion, as indispensible to me as my spell checker or my browser.
Michaels' best practices mental evolution from the time of the Jeff Martin led Digital Brand Building Seminars of the mid-90's to this opus show an extraordinary depth and breadth of thought and research . The Firebrands book is the Gray's Anatomy of Brand "science".
As my company moves forward with ground breaking, market defining services in the area of brand guaranty we will continue to consult the Firebrands roadmap. We anxiously await any follow-up materials that might come from this mind trust.
Be warned - this is not a shallow pop-business, executive book of the hour read. This is a genetic level approach to a new mindset. It must be read slowly, deliberately, and with a totally open mind. The graphics are not simply illustrative they are literally a book unto themselves. Read this brandspace atlas one chapter at a time, review the graphics, and with time and reflection you will understand.
Book Description
Tony Giodone made his living as an assassin--until one of his marks ripped his throat out and turned him into a werewolf. Now he's the best hired killer there is. When a curvy woman in an expensive suit tries to hire him to kill her, his wolf senses insist that she is his mate. One kidnapping, a plethora of gunfights, a psychic coma, and two faked deaths later, Tony and Sue have new identities and are hiding in a community of Sazi shapeshifters. All seems well, until Sue begins to pull away from Tony and he realizes that if he can't be more open with her, he's going to lose her.To add to his problems, Tony is getting flashes of other peoples' lives. He doesn't know if they're memories or fantasies--but he wants it to stop, because he's learning things he shouldn't about his friends and neighbors. What's more dangerous than a psychic-powered werewolf assassin? Whatever it is, it's kidnapping and killing female Sazi . . . after it sucks out their powers. Its latest captive is the girlfriend of Carmine, the Mafia don who used to be Tony's boss. To get her back, Carmine will make war on all the Sazi--and while the Sazi would win, they can't afford to be exposed to humans. Now it's up to Tony to save Carmine's girlfriend--and all of the Sazi.
Customer Reviews:
loved it.......2007-06-17
this is a fun shapeshifter series, I love the ambiguous protaganist
Tony, Sue & the Gang are back!.......2007-03-22
I so love Tony & Sue! They are too cute together. And Tony coming into his various powers is fascinating. And his insistance that he's a bad guy! Too funny! I'm thinking bad guys don't look out for others the way Tony does. And Sue, formally suicidal is now finding many ways to be useful and is around people who appreciate her for who she is and not her money like that insane, greedy family of hers. The views into Sazi culture, particularly wolf culture is very interesting, especially the similarities, as Tony puts it, to the Family. Carmine, Linda & Babs are back! And so is Bobby, who has some interesting things come his way. Even Scotty, the sociopathic child assassin is back. The cast of characters is seriously expanded this time and we have Nikoli, his mother who I love, Asri, Yurgi & Pamela, Lucas and many more. I look forward to future books with the Sazi, as long as they don't bring back the killer spider. I hate spiders and that thing was too icky!!!! But I highly recommend this book and this series.
stick with it.......2006-10-02
I can only suppose it had been too long since I read the previous book in this series, because I was completely lost in the first few chapters. It's not just because the authors kept referring back to them, but because they were referring back to such insignificant people and events. Obviously, there are many strong characters that have such small parts that it takes away a bit from the focus of the story.
Despite this, this book is still quite enjoyable. If you can hang through the beginning, the action starts rollercoasting from then on. Lots of action and suspense. Tony and Sue are having a bit of marriable problems that they have to work out. Tony gets to meet Lucus. Bobby finds an interesting female. Then there is the creature killing Sazi that Tony agrees to find and kill. Then there's a small reappearence of the teenage mass murderer, Scotty. Sooooo many characters, so little time. Focus, authors, focus.
Like a 16 year old driving a Ferrari.......2006-05-13
This book continues the successful collaboration of two very good, high powered writers BUT it has several serious flaws that is more the result of too much "horsepower" than lack of story. For example, I was totally lost for about the first 25 pages because the story constantly refers back to previous characters and events from the first book. I had read that book only two weeks previous but I didn't remember enough so that this book can stand alone in the series. You must have read the first book. Secondly, there is an abundance of fascinating characters, each with strong and interesting stories, that essentially are tripping over each other trying to get their moment in the spotlight. The initial love story is neglected in favor of world building. But as the story comes to a racing conclusion, it is totally burning on all cylinders and makes the ride worthwhile. Hang with these writers and this series, because they are doing great--they just need a little more organization in their storytelling.
Much better than the first...glad that I read it!.......2006-02-23
On the recommendation of a booklist, I bought both Hunter's Moon and Moon's Web at the same time, and happily dove into the first book. I was terribly disappointed, wrote a review here on Amazon, and put the second book aside for months. Later, finding myself with nothing new to read and stuck in bed with a cold, I pulled this out to read, and was pleasantly surprised. The characters of both Sue and Tony are far more palatable in this book--Tony is tough without being sociopathic, and Sue is growing a spine--and the world of the Sazi is explored in more detail. New, complex characters are introduced, others are casually mentioned and leave one wanting to know more about them, and previous characters play a role but don't keep the story in the same place as the first book.
I'm glad that I had already bought this, because I never would have done so after reading Hunter's Moon, but now I'll be picking up the third book in the series for sure!
Average customer rating:
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Embedded and Ubiquitous Computing: International Conference, EUC 2006, Seoul, Korea, August 1-4, 2006, Proceedings (Lecture Notes in Computer Science)
Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Privacy | Business & Culture | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books
Embedded Systems | Microprocessors & System Design | Hardware | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 3540366792 |
Book Description
This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the International Conference on Embedded and Ubiquitous Computing, EUC 2006, held in Seoul, Korea in August 2006.
The 113 revised full papers presented together with 3 keynote articles were carefully reviewed and selected from over 500 submissions. The papers are organized in topical sections on power aware computing, security and fault tolerance, agent and distributed computing, wireless communications, real-time systems, embedded software optimization, embedded systems, multimedia and data management, mobile computing, embedded system design automation, embedded architectures, network protocols, middleware and P2P.
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MOON WEBS
JOSH FREED
Manufacturer: VIRGO
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000S2RKR6 |
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Oxford Literacy Web
Alison Hawes , and
Nicola Moon
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General | Education | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Readers | Words & Language | Reference | Subjects | Books
Reading Skills | Words & Language | Reference | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0199156573 |
Book Description
The Oxford Literacy Web is an exciting new literacy programme designed to guide schools successfully through the primary years. Fitting the requirements of the National Literacy Strategy, National Curriculum in England and Wales, English Language 5-14 in Scotland, and Common Curriculum in Northern Ireland, the Oxford Literacy Web guides pupils through the core skills associated with learning to read and write with a diverse range of literary styles within the genres of fiction, non-fiction, rhymes, language, and poetry. The "Fiction" strand: there can be no better way to learn to read than through the Duck Green School and Variety story strands. Exciting stories, hilarious events, and dynamic illustrations combine to ensure diversity and enjoyment. Variety stories extend children's experience of different styles of fiction. They reinforce vocabulary but include a more challening element to push upward toward the next level. The Stage 3 Consolidation cluster ("Little Dragon Stories" by Alison Hawes) consists of 3 amusing stories about Litte Dragon and her baby brother, illustrated by Kay Widdowson. These stories consolidate the vocabulary learned in the Stage 3 Duck Green Stories. The Stage 3 Extension cluster ("Deep Sea Stories" by Nicola Moon) consists of 3 stories about the antics of a group of sea creatures, illustrated by Robert McPhillips. These stories extend vocabulary from Stage 3 Duck Green Stories. The books are available in both standard and `big book' format.
Product Description
Four Novels and 14 Mini-Novels, in an interwoven series, covering the period from 1850 to 1950, starting with 4 western novels about the character Cougar Moon, and continuing with eastern mini-novels and mystery/detective mini-novels.
Average customer rating:
- Decent Star Trek Fiction, But......
- too many nongay characters
- I really want to like this series.
- Improving Series
- The Red King Through The Looking Glass
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Titan, Book Two: The Red King (Star Trek, the Next Generation)
Michael A. Martin , and
Andy Mangels
Manufacturer: Star Trek
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Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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String Theory, Book 3: Evolution (Star Trek, Voyager)
ASIN: 0743496280 |
Book Description
Investigating the disappearance of a secret Romulan fleet, the U.S.S. Titan, commanded by Captain William Riker, is unexpectedly propelled more than 200,000 light-years into the Small Magellanic Cloud. One of the Milky Way's satellite galaxies, the Cloud is also home to the Neyel, the long-sundered offshoots of Terran humanity, with whom the Federation has had no contact in over eighty years.
Nearby, Riker's uncertain ally, Commander Donatra of the Romulan Warbird Valdore, rescues a young Neyel, the survivor of a mysterious cosmic upheaval that seems at times to be both unraveling and reweaving the very fabric of space...the fulfillment of an apocalyptic vision that has already claimed millions of lives. Titan's science team soon finds evidence that the ravaging of Neyel space is the work of a vast and powerful intelligence: the stirrings of a dormant consciousness that is maintaining the existence of the Small Magellanic Cloud -- and all life within it -- from one moment to the next. And if it should awaken, the consequences are unimaginable.
As Riker considers his options, his new crew struggles with the scientific and philosophical implications of what they've discovered...while the young Neyel in their midst forges a bond with the captain, conjuring old ghosts Riker has yet to lay to rest.
Customer Reviews:
Decent Star Trek Fiction, But.............2007-07-02
"Titan, Book Two: The Red King (Star Trek, the Next Generation)" has a most intriguing premise; the crew of the USS Titan, under the command of Captain William T. Riker, rescue altered humans, the Neyel, and other sapient species from one of the Magellanic Clouds, thanks to some timely, if reluctant, intervention by Romulan Commander Donatra and a fleet of Romulan warbirds. But is this great "Star Trek" literature of the kind I've come to expect from Diane Duane at her best? The short answer is unfortunately no, though this "Star Trek" novel has more fleshed-out characters than one I had read recently about the crew of Jonathan Archer's Enterprise, which was also written by these two authors. However, I suspect that diehard fans of "Star Trek" will find this a credible sequel to the film "Star Trek: Nemesis"; for this reason alone it deserves a marginal recommendation from me.
too many nongay characters.......2007-05-31
Why do Troi and Riker have to be so obviously straight? I'm sick of having heterosexuality rammed down my throat. And those knowing looks they give each other.....
I really want to like this series........2007-02-07
Riker, Troi and Tuvok on The Titan. I'm sold. I love the idea. Riker and Troi were always my favorite on The Next Generation. I always thought Riker would make and intense, cowboy-like captain. Throw in a little Voyager by adding Tuvok. I think it's great. Now, on to the title of this review... I really want to like this series. I wasn't that impressed with the debut novel, Taking Wing, but I figured given some time this could prove to be a good series. I think The Red King is a step in the right direction. My main problem with this series is the focus on the authors' original characters and the ridiculous amount of diversity within the crew. Now before I'm sued, let me just say that I'm all for diversity. This book just takes it to an almost comical level. To name a few examples, we have the dude who can seperate his body and make each segment act individually. The doctor recently escaped from Jurassic Park, and don't even get me started on the lady who can only breath water... I mean she wears a special water suit on the bridge! A water suit. It's too much. I'm fine with the Klingons, Ferengi, Cardassians, Bajorans, etc. I just think Dino Doctor, Water Lady and their wacky friends are a bit over the top. The vast majority of the people who read these books are doing it for Riker, Troi and Tuvok. Some of the original characters are very intersting, but most are very forgettable yet have equal page time with the heavy hitters. It's unbalanced and a little disappointing. All in all, I'd say this book is worth a read. Still, I am anxious to read book three; it is written by a different writer and I look forward to getting a new perspective on this promising series.
Improving Series.......2007-02-06
Titan The Red King by Andy Mangels and Michael A. Martin is an improvement over the first book in the series, but it still has a ways to go. This book is the continuing story of Captain Riker's ship, the Titan. He spends a lot of time in this book, as in the last, trying to determine exactly what his role is as captain and how to mold his crew into a cohesive group. I find the Riker character as written to be very tentative and unsure of himself, which is a far cry from the Commander Riker from the television series who was always self assured and always knew exactly what he was doing. The authors still have not figured out what to do with Counselor Troi-- she is supposed to be the Diplomatic Officer, but Riker does most of the diplomatic stuff and Deanna's contribution continues, once again, to be her continued exclamations of "Pain! I feel pain!" shades of the first season of Next Generation! They also don't seem to know what to do with First Officer Christine Vale--she just seems to be there but does not seem to have a real reason for being.
There are so many directions for this series to go-- its premise of exploration brings back the original flavor of Classic Trek, and its multi-species crew is similar to the New Frontier series, although the authors continue to pat themselves on the back about it. Hey! We're diverse! We've got lots of different species and we all get along! The message is constantly thrown at us until it gets tiresome.
Still, there is potential here, and I hope that once this series gets over its self congratulatory newness, it will become a solid series in its own right. The characters and situation are there-- they just need to improve the execution-- and for goodness sake, figure out a use for both Commander Troi and First Officer Christine Vale.
The Red King Through The Looking Glass.......2006-11-11
I enjoyed this installment of the new Tital series very much, even with having to deal with the whole gay influence being an underlying theme of the story that could have easily been done without.
Now, the main story itself, I really enjoyed. I thought it was just as good as the first book, if not just a little better. I am excited to see where this series will evolve to and what will happen in the 3rd installment that I am reading now, or the 4th one, slated to be released some time in 2007.
Amazon.com
The Meaning of Jesus: Two Visions is a theological remix of the old Cole Porter song "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off." In alternating chapters, the (mostly) liberal Marcus J. Borg and the (mostly) conservative N.T. Wright consider the major questions of the historical-Jesus debate that has dominated biblical studies in the 1990s. Borg and Wright agree that Jesus was the Christian messiah and preached the Kingdom of God, but they disagree about the Virgin birth, the purpose of Jesus' death, the issue of his bodily resurrection, and the question of his divinity. The Ping-Pong structure of this book and the fastidious politeness with which the authors treat one another sometimes give The Meaning of Jesus a tomato/tomahto, potato/potahto bounciness, but the project is nevertheless worthy: this is a simple, clear orientation to some of the most important biblical questions of our time, and a record of a lively and loving friendship between two of the best Christian scholars alive. --Michael Joseph Gross
Book Description
Was Jesus born of a virgin? Did he know he was the Messiah? Was he bodily resurrected from the dead? Did he intentionally die to redeem humankind? Was Jesus God?
In The Meaning of Jesus two leading Jesus scholars with widely divergent views go right to the heart of these questions and others, presenting the opposing visions of Jesus that shape our faith today.
In alternating chapters, Marcus Borg, the most popular revisionist voice on Jesus and a member of the Jesus Seminar, and N. T. Wright, the most prominent standard–bearer for the traditional stance and an outspoken critic of the Jesus Seminar, present their views of who Jesus was, what he taught, and what he did.
Candid, spirited, and thoughtfully debated, this compelling discourse will stimulate fresh ideas and intense dialogue among anyone concerned with what it means to be a Christian today.
Customer Reviews:
informational dialogue.......2007-03-28
this is a book for serious people interested in finding out more about the "liberal" and the conservative view of contamporary christian belief.
For those who want their mind blown about Jesus.......2006-11-23
The book is presented by two acclaimed authors who both graduated from Oxford, but have differing views. Marcus Borg is a liberal in his theological thinking and N.T. Wright is rather conservative in his views. Both square off in a dual fashion to address critical issues related to the historical Jesus in eight parts.
The first section deals with how we have come to know about Jesus. Both use the New Testament, especially the Gospels, and other historical documents to come to their conclusions about who Jesus is. Interestingly enough, they both draw from the same material but come to extremely different conclusions about who Jesus was. Borg thinks of Jesus in terms of pre and post Easter. The pre-Easter Jesus as a person who was a "mystic" and the post-Easter Jesus, the Messiah, the one we talk about in Church tradition. Wright thinks of Jesus as someone who knew He was the messiah and that Jesus was the person and the divinity in one. Borg does not place a lot of historical value to the Gospels pointing out that the Gospels are embellished while Wright would say that they indicate pretty closely to what happened.
Next Wright and Borg spend time discussing what Jesus did and taught. Wright presents Jesus as a prophet who was there to usher in God's kingdom and made a call to the early Judeans to abandon their current view and join him. Wright believes that Jesus knew who He was in terms of the Messiah and that Jesus knew His role in God's plan while Borg's discusses Jesus as a Jewish mystic, healer and exorcist.
Moving on, the authors deal with the death of Jesus and what it meant. Borg presents two important issues regarding the death of Jesus. First Borg indicates that Jesus did not see himself as the way to God, or that He did not know that salvation was going to be made possible through His death and second Borg believes that Jesus died as a martyr because He stood up against the current structure of the time. Wright paints a picture where as Jesus death was planned by Jesus and He was very aware of His role in salvation. Wright points out that Jesus knew that only through great suffering could salvation be bought for all and Jesus knew this. Wright does note that while Jesus prepared His own death, he did it unwillingly. Jesus did not want to die, but He knew that it was His duty to do so for us.
Next we find something that the writers can agree on, that the resurrection of Jesus is a central key to Christianity. Both agree that without resurrection there would be no Christian movement. Both agree that something happened after the death of Jesus that caused the disciples to continue to teach of Jesus, and at this point the agreements end. Wright believes in the resurrected Christ. He believes that Jesus did rise from the dead. Borg presents a risen Jesus of almost myth, an apparition if you will. He indicates that the disciples and even other believes have had Jesus experiences that have lead to the forward movement of Christianity.
After the resurrection, we then need to address a fundamental question, which in my opinion should not even be a question. Was Jesus God? Borg indicates that Jesus did not see Himself as divine and that after Easter, Jesus becomes one with God. Wright agrees in some respect with Borg in that he does not think that Jesus thought He was God. Instead, Jesus thought He was the anointed one of God called to fulfill the God's promises to Israel.
The discussion then turns to Jesus and His birth. Wright indicates that Jesus' birth has gotten far more press than it should have. Wright believes that the focal point of Christianity is the death and resurrection. Wright does not believe that Mary's virginity is of large consequence to the person of Jesus, but he does believe that she was a virgin at the time of Jesus' birth. Borg claims that the birth is not historically factual. He points to differences in the stories as presented by Luke and Matthew as reasoning for the story to be more embellishment than truth. These two writers use this story as an example of imagery more than history.
Next is the discussion of the return of Christ. Borg believes that the end time theology has come from the church as a whole and not from Jesus. Borg also says that he does not believe that a physical Jesus will return to this Earth. Wright contends that end times discussion have come from Jewish tradition and transformed into beliefs of something that is not as impending as we sometimes believe. He believes that in the end there will come a time when heaven is shown to us and that Jesus will be a living being that we can see and touch, the dead will rise and we will all share in Jesus' new world for us.
Finally, Borg and Wright discuss the implications of their versions of Jesus and what that means for the Christian life. Wright focuses his attention on worship and missions as the centerpieces of the Christian way. Borg calls for a life for Christians that is full of God, a life where each and every moment is an experience with a God who is accessible to us all. Borg writes that he thinks Jesus is the epitome of what it is like to have a life that is full of God.
I believe that the authors have come to their beliefs based on the ways they view the sources of evidence regarding Jesus. Borg is very literal about the sources of Jesus and looks at the historical value of the written words about Jesus. He tries to eliminate any such embellishment or literary device that could have been used to mask the true evidence of the historical Jesus. Wright on the other hand, leaves open that embellishments and literary devices can have historical value and could have happened they way they were written. I believe that given these filters the authors use to aid them in their research, this is why we have two acclaimed authors who studied under the same New Testament professor at Oxford with very different thinking.
This is a good book to get you thinking about who Jesus is, but it can be difficult to read if you have not had some study in New Testament background. It is generally not a good read for the lay person.
Great introduction to the issues.......2006-11-07
As others have noted, this book is a fantastic introduction to the major issues and attitudes in the "who was Jesus?" debate. Both Borg and Wright were excellent choices for each view. The tone between the two is cordial and the debate, such as it is, relatively gentle and mutually respectful.
I agree with other reviewers that Wright's case is by far the stronger. Borg's entire argument rests on the supposed late dating for the Gospel of Mark, which he says was the first Gospel written. He then states that sayings which appear in later Gospels, esp. John, were "read" back into the mouth of Jesus by the church as it developed the idea of Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God and saviour of the world.
Peel back those layers, Borg says, and you will find a simple Jewish peasant, who performed what he calls "paranormal" healings, railed against social injustice and initiated a movement based on equality and inclusiveness.
In short, Borg sees Jesus as a first century version of a 21st century American liberal. To him, anything which makes Him look more like the Jesus of orthodox Christianity is simply mythology. These myths are fine, so long as modern Christians reinterpret them in the light of modern ideas of tolerance and pluralism, in his view. To Borg, Jesus is "his" way to know God, but not the only way.
On the issue of the resurrection, Borg sees it as occuring in the hearts of believers, as they became aware of Jesus' closeness to God and the importance of carrying on his mission of inclusiveness an social justice. He says that it is irrelevant whether the body of Jesus was revived in any way. "He rose in our hearts, and that's what is important" is an apt way of phrasing this stand.
Wright defends the Jesus of the historical creeds of the church, the one who knew he was going to die for the sins of humanity, who was the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, and who literally rose from the dead.
So, who's right? As someone who majored in biblical studies in college, I can offer some opinions on that question. First, it can be said with confidence that most so-called "New Testament scholarship" is simply guesswork. No one knows for sure which Gospel was written first. The current favorite is Mark, but a close look at the reasons for that position reveals them to be faulty.
Traditionally and logically it has long been believed that Matthew was written first. This is the option I favor, for reasons too lengthy to cover here. If this is so then the foundation on which Borg builds his house of cards crumbles.
In the end, however, it's simply anyone's guess.
Second, Borg writes from the assumption that the New Testament wasn't divinely inspired, and bases his views on this premise. For example, he says that Jesus' prayer in Gethsemane as recorded in John was obviously invented by the church, since no one was around to hear it.
This is only a problem if one discounts the guidance of the Holy Spirit in the writing of John. An omniscient God could certainly have led John to pen a correct account of that prayer.
Borg is quick to call apparent problems in the text fictional statements invented decades later and placed in the trxt as true. An example: since the trial of jesus was held in secret, he says that the details about it recorded in the Gospels have to be mere speculation.
Besides the answer from divine revelation mentioned above, there are other alternatives to Borg's position. There could have been eavesdroppers outside the building. One or more of the persons present may have spilled the beans afterwards.
Borg reads anti-Semitism into the text even where there is no evidence for it. An example he cites is Pilate's washing his hands before the crucifixtion. He says this scene was put into the text to infer that Pilate was reluctant to kill Jesus, laying the blame more on the Jewish people.
This is pure assumption on his part. I have no trouble believing the account is factual. As hard as Pilate was in his governing style, it is entirely possible that he was so impressed with Jesus that he was truly reluctant to sentence him to death. The hand washing may have actually occured, as an attempt on his part to assuage a guilty conscience.
History records similar events. Attila the Hun spared Rome from being destroyed after meeting with Pope Leo 1. The Muslim sultan Melek-el-Kamel was so impressed with St. Francis of Assisi in their 1219 meeting that he permitted the Christian monk to preach to his troops. Even members of the Mafia show reverence for the Catholic church. It would seem that cruel, hard men are often reluctant to harm someone they perceive as especially pious.
Wright points out these sorts of errors in Borg's approach to the Bible, citing reasons to believe in the accuracy of its accounts. By American standards his tone is incredibly civil, given how much he and Borg disagree. I suspect this is simply due to the emphasis on civility still prominent in British culture.
All in all, this volume is a fine way to begin a study of the differing views of Jesus. I give it a strong recommend. I also recommend the book "Will the Real Jesus please Stand Up?" as a follow up reading.
the best intro to the Jesus debate.......2006-04-04
There are a ton of books out there dealing with the nature of Jesus. Which one to choose? This one.
Here two Christians offer different understandings of what Jesus was like. Wright is pretty orthodox. He says Jesus was God and paid for humanity's sins. Wright also believes in a resurrection at the end of time. Borg, on the other hand, is a revisionist. He says Jesus wasn't God but a window through which we see God. For Borg, when we see Jesus, we see what God is like. Borg doesn't have as robust a view of resurrection and is silent on the question of the afterlife.
This debate was easy to read and each topic was covered thoroughly. With all the Jesus books out there (including the books both Wright and Borg have written) I'd start with this one first. There are fringe liberals who would disagree with Borg and ultra right-wings who would disagree with Wright, but if you're looking for a "consensus" view--a view of what most traditionalists and revisionists think of Jesus and the Christian life--this is the book.
Also recommended: What Jesus Really Meant and The Gospel of Arnie
Awful.......2006-03-22
Wright was way too easy on Borg. It is nice that these guys are friends and get along, but Wright should have pointed out how sloppy Borg's scholarship is. He has a late dating for the writing of the Gospel of Mark, then builds a house of cards on top of that to bolster his contention that the Gospels were largely fiction. Wright should have done a better job showing how the synoptic Gospels were almost certainly written before 60 AD.
Borg is entitled to his opinions, but to call him a Christian is pretty bizarre. His views are typically the opposite of historic Christianity. If you hold to the following beliefs offered by Borg, you could be a Hindu, a Buddhist, an atheist, or an agnostic. But if words mean anything, one thing you could not be is a Christian.
* The Bible is not inspired by God at all, it is just the "product of two ancient communitites."
* "A major task for Christians in the 21st century is grateful and enthusiastic affirmation of religious pluralism. This means accepting a relative status for Christianity, but a relative status as one of the magnificent first-magnitude stars in the constellation of the world's religions."
* "Here in Jesus, I see more clearly than anywhere else what god is like. This affirmation can be made with one's whole heart while still affirming that God is also known in other traditions."
* "I and most mainline scholars do not think Jesus said these things. He did not speak like this." [in reference to various Gospel quotes of Jesus]
* "Do I think Jesus thought of himself as divine? No. Do I think he had the mind of God - that is, did he know more than his contemporaries because, in addition to having a human mind, he had a divine mind? No. Do I think he had the power of God? That he could, for example, have called down twelve legions of angels to protect himself, as Matthew 26:53 reports he said? No."
* "if you think you're the Messiah, you're not. . . . I don't think people like Jesus have an exalted perception of themselves." Note to Mr. Borg: If Jesus was the Messiah, what is wrong with him thinking He was the Messiah? Is it wrong for God to have an exalted perception of himself?
* " . . . candor requires that we acknowledge that the early Christians (and Jesus himself, if he had an apocalyptic eschatology) were wrong about the end being near"
The only reason the church should discuss Borg's views is to show that many people outside the church believe these false teachings, and here is why they are wrong . . .
Borg "metaphorizes" anything he doesn't like, and typically anything that is supernatural (Jesus Seminar "scholars" usually start with the assumption that miracles can't happen, so any miracles in the Bible are dismissed).
Keep in mind that you don't sell a lot of books saying that Jesus is God, He is the only way to salvation, etc. But saying you have new insights on Jesus - whether true or not - can get attention for you (i.e., the DaVinci Code, the Jesus Seminar, etc.).
If Borg and other pluralists are correct in saying that other religions also lead to God, then shouldn't they be sending "reverse missionaries" to countries where Christians are persecuted? After all, if Buddhism is a valid path to the one true God (even though, ironically, they don't believe in a creator God!), then shouldn't we tell the persecuted Christians in China to just become Buddhists so they can have a better life now? Wouldn't that be the loving thing to do? The same would go for Christians in Muslim and Hindu countries. There are 100 passages in the Bible saying Jesus is the only way to salvation. So Christianity is either correct or incorrect, but under no circumstances can Christianity and other religions be correct at the same time.
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The Meaning of Jesus: Two Visions.(Review): An article from: Sojourners
Susan Hogan/albach
Manufacturer: Sojourners
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This digital document is an article from Sojourners, published by Sojourners on July 1, 1999. The length of the article is 719 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: The Meaning of Jesus: Two Visions.(Review)
Author: Susan Hogan/albach
Publication:
Sojourners (Magazine/Journal)
Date: July 1, 1999
Publisher: Sojourners
Volume: 28
Issue: 4
Page: 60
Article Type: Book Review
Distributed by Thomson Gale
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