My Latest Grievance

My Latest Grievance
Average customer rating:

Pretty silly

2 Stars = 5 Z's... zzzzz

Very Entertaining

One of Lipman's best.

Lipman humor at its best...

My Latest Grievance
Elinor Lipman
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Book Description

From the author of The Inn at Lake Devine, a pitch-perfect novel about a young woman, too smart for her own good, and the chaos that ensues when her path crosses that of her glamorous new next-door neighbor "The timing was excellent . . . Just as I was craving more attention, along came Laura Lee French, dorm mother without a day job, single, childless, and ultimately famous within our gates." So explains Frederica Hatch, the beguiling narrator of My Latest Grievance. Chafing under the care of "the most annoyingly evenhanded parental team in the history of civilization," whose passion for liberal political causes is all-consuming, Frederica is starting to feel that her life is stiflingly snug. But then, into this cozy but claustrophobic world, comes Laura Lee French, a wannabe former Rockette and the new dorm mother at the college where Frederica's parents teach. "Like an inspired alchemist" (New York Times Book Review), Lipman turns this seemingly routine faculty hire into a catalyst for havoc and hilarity. For it happens that Miss Frenchin the distant pastwas married to none other than Frederica's earnest and distinctly unglamorous father. Fearing scandal, the three Hatches and Laura Lee are forced to keep the secret. The results? Vintage Elinor Lipmandelightful, memorable, and touching.

Customer Reviews:

Pretty silly.......2007-09-13

I do not think anyone would really call this book humorous. To the extent that the situation at the end is ridiculous, it is also in rather poor taste. I am referring particularly to the depiction of the Mrs. Woodbury. I think the author was attempting some kind of social criticism, but the fictional universe here lacks any underlying system of shared values. We are not likely to admire the canned liberalism and political correctness of Frederica's parents, and in any event, they are revealed to be confused about their own values. They make a big point of no religion, but then Aviva insists on observing kosher dietary rules in the cafeteria. Well, do you value this tradition or not? And Frederica herself is about as nasty a piece of work as I have encountered in fiction in quite a while. She orchestrates Laura Lee's arrival on the campus knowing that this will pain and embarrass her parents. She seems to have no feelings of sympathy or tenderness for her parents, even though they have made her the center of their universe. She is sly and manipulative of everyone she meets, including Laura Lee. Actually, Laura Lee was the only character in this novel that made any sense to me, but clearly we are not supposed to admire her. She is certainly not ever presented as glamorous, but rather sort of needy and undisciplined. I found Frederica's adolescent outrage about Laura Lee's behavior particularly obnoxious. Frederica was the one who set this big affair in motion, as Laura Lee does remind her at one point. The forced resolution removed the entire situation from any connection to a recognizable American society. In the end, there just doesn't seem to be any sense to the whole, sad, embarrassing story.

2 Stars = 5 Z's... zzzzz.......2007-09-11

This was the first book of Lipman's that I read, and I bought it based on the reviews that I have read here. While everyone else seems to be big fans of her work, after reading this book I am left wondering what all the hype is about.

This book was about as satisfying as a glass of tap water. Far from being "precocious" and "witty," the narrator Frederica comes off like a garden variety brat. What exists of a plot is weak and uninteresting, and we are left to meander along with the dry, dry characters hoping for something good to happen. I'll save you the $11.16: Nothing happens!

I guess Lipman is writing what she knows about since according to her author's blurb she has experience working for a university (the setting of this novel) and came of age during the same time as our little Frederica, but come on lady, if this is the best story you have inside you, I feel bad.

Another reviewer likened reading this to eating candy. I liken it to chewing a piece of gum that lost its flavor really quickly. Ptooey.

Very Entertaining.......2007-06-13

I have read most of Ms. Lipman's books, and I have liked some more than others of course, and this one is at the top of the list. I liked the characters, even liked not liking some of the characters. I thought Frederica, the narrator, was a great voice, and overall, a very entertaining book.

One of Lipman's best........2007-02-18

Reading Eleanor Lipman is like eating candy that's good for you. It light, it's quick, and it's delicously easy. Most of the time Lipman's books are great for a quick fix between heftier meals. But "My Latest Greivance" goes a bit further. It may not be War and Peace, but it stands (like Inn at Lake Devine), as one of her best, most satisfying stories.

Lipman humor at its best..........2006-12-18

As someone who has read ALL of Elinor Lipman books, let me just tell the "first timers" out there that you are in for a treat. All of Lipman's books are literary gems, and My Latest Grievance is no exception. Frederica Hatch and her politically correct "before it was cool" parents will delight and entertain even the most jaded readers- perhaps those most of all. Lipman has a real knack for capturing the idiosyncrasies of academia, and this provides limitless opportunities for brilliant satire.

The complications surrounding the Professors Hatch, an ex-wife, and a precocious daughter are a pleasure to read.

Book Description

With powerful and rare photographs by Jim Brandenburg, Once a Wolf explores the long, troubled relationship of humans and wolves. The book traces the persecution of the wolf throughout history and also reveals the role scientists have played in wolf preservation.

Customer Reviews:

Balancing The Scales of Nature.......2002-11-20

A study in the perserverance and dedication of a group of people to bring the wolf back to its own enviroment in the wildernesses of Yellowstone Montanna. Full of information this book will elate you as well as sadden you, but the winner here of course is the wolf who once more runs free on his land.

Excellent overview of the wolf's history & current issues.......2002-09-02

Jim Brandenberg always brings the wolf into our homes vividly and with great skill through his photographs, and in this book, these exquisite photos are paired up with the informative writing of Stephen Swinburne. Swinburne covers an excellent range of topics in this short (but highly-informative) book, including the history of the wolf's extermination in this country, early conservationists, wolf behavior and social structure, myth-busting, the Yellowstone project, and the wolf's future prospects.

He brings in quotes and information from Leopold, Mech, Bangs, Askins, and many other notable figures in the wolf conservation movement to give correct facts and information. I wouldn't call this a book for younger children; it's written at perhaps a teenager's level, and younger children might find the statistics and assorted other information boring. However, Swinburne does cover the bittersweet story of wolves Numbers Nine and Ten, which personalizes the struggles wolves today face.

Swinburne manages to succinctly cover most of the important issues in this relatively brief book (about a half hour's read, perhaps 45 minutes,) and it's a great way to educate yourself or someone else on the basics of wolf conservation. Highly-recommended!

What a great book!.......2000-07-29

I just took a look at this book and was so impressed. The subject is fascinating, of course, but I'm especially taken with the clear, cogent writing, the terrific quotes, and the truly remarkable photographs. I definitely recommend this for any kid (or adult, for that matter) with an interest in wildlife.

a thoroughly moving natural history lesson for all ages.......2000-06-07

My 7 year old and I read this book together recently and I think that I learned as much as she did.

I knew about reintroduction of wild wolves into Yellowstone but this book told the whole story. Get ready to be impressed with personal sagas of determination and bravery on the part of people who care about wild things.

In 1973, while on a field trip in Jasper Park, Alberta, I saw two wild wolves (a white and a black) bounding and romping in the snow. I will never forget the wildness of that sight. This book is richly illustrated with photographs of wolves that give you a glimpse of that wildness.

Get this book and read it with a child to share what Rachel Carson called that "sense of wonder" that children have. Be prepared to explain why we systematically exterminated the wolf from its range throughout the United States and why we paid people to kill wolf puppies.

Book Description

His love was wild... his soul untamed... his touch forbidden....

From acclaimed author Susan Krinard comes the second novel in a magnificent trilogy of a powerful clan whose sensual legacy is cloaked in secrecy-and a beautiful woman kidnapped by an outlaw whose forbidden embrace could reveal her true identity.... Once a Wolf

In the unspoiled expanses of the American West, Tomás Alejandro Randall was called El Lobo, the desperado and sworn enemy of powerful financier Cole MacLean. Few humans knew his true identity: heir to a wolf bloodline that made him as much an exotic beast as a devastatingly attractive man. It was Tomás's plan to lure Cole MacLean's elegant fiancée, Lady Rowena Forster, from her New York mansion to the wild frontier. There he planned to seduce the golden-haired beauty as revenge for the destruction of his family at MacLean's hands. But once she was in his possession, El Lobo found himself unable to resist the call of his own untamed passion-a passion that would claim the beauty for his own. As for Lady Rowena, she desperately hid her own wolf heritage behind an icy, controlled exterior. Yet the famous "Lady Ice" found her inhibitions melting and her true nature emerging in the presence of this handsome desperado. Both knew the danger of their pairing, but their wild hearts would risk everything-even death-for a chance at everlasting love.

Customer Reviews:

Slow start, but Breathless Showdown in the End! .......2007-04-19

Has a supernatural component that is refreshing (though I admit to being new to the loup-garou lore). The main characters are neither perfect, nor knightly. Both of them have to gain something from each other before their love can come to life. And this is not one of those romances where sex occurs early and often throughout the book. But when the story does heat up, it is great.

This story takes place in the 1890's, in New York and New Mexico. It is the time of the Indian Wars, also of the elegant societies of New York and London from The Golden Bowl (Henry James) and The Age of Innocence (Edith Wharton). In contrast to the elegant books just mentioned, the protagonists of Once a Wolf are were-wolves. Rowena belongs both to the elegant world of The Golden Bowl, being English aristocracy, as well as that of The Age of Innocence, having fled to New York. Her society credentials give her finacee (also a were-wolf) the access he wants to the most influential circles of the world. (That's where the comparison to those books ends).

Unlike her fiancee, and her kidnapper, both were-wolves, Rowena, a were-wolf, herself, has foresworn any Change, and any animalistic tendencies. Because of her affinity for her high society world, she has a hard time 'letting go' and being a less rigid, moralistic person. Her fiancee, on the other hand is the worst sort of evil, using his were-wolf powers against unsuspecting and weak men (including Rowena), to steal, in true Robber-baron fashion, and build a financial empire. Tomas, her kidnapper, is the kind of man who lives for the moment, animal fashion, (running from his cruel past, but trapped and unable to imagine a future).

Interestingly, this is where Once a Wolf separates itself from paranormal romances like those of Lora Leigh (The Man Within), that focus like a laser beam on the mating aspect of were-wolf existence. This story is about a blood feud between great were-wolf families. Once a Wolf explores those aspects of human nature that separate from the animals. Tomas, a desperado from the wild west, is wrapped up in a life dedicated to revenge. He kidnaps Rowena, then finding himself attracted to her, makes a decision to seduce her, and 'free' her animal nature. He learns the hard way that Rowena is made of sterner stuff than he suspected, and finds himself having to come to terms with love, duty, and human vision.

In many respects, Tomas resembles Slade, from Johanna Lindsey's Tender is the Storm, only he has a little more character growth to do. And everybody has a lot to learn about Rowena's fiancee.

The showdown at the end is well worth waiting for, with all the players in the great feud facing off, including Cole's brother(s) and the mysterious witch. The conclusion is somewhat a disappointment, as I can't imagine these two powerful characters spending the rest of their days in a canyon in New Mexico. Also somewhat annoying to have the author constantly refer to events from an earlier book, without having any reference at all to the name of the book (where I might read the pre-events).

Uneven.......2005-05-29

Sometimes I liked Tomas very much; other times he was very spoiled and irresponsible. Rowena, too, was sometimes likeable and sometimes uninteresting or "stupid" & rashly stubborn. What was really good was the way Tomas got Rowena to open up and relax, to accept her "wolfness". I agree with another reviewer that some of the secondary characters were as interesting (if not more so at times) than the main characters. All in all, it's just average.

I simply loved it.......2004-06-17

This was the first book I've read by this auhor, but let me tell you, I was impressed. I admit, the heroine disappointed me at first with her submissive behavior toward that jerk sh eplanned to marry. It always pisses me off when women let men walk all over them. And to hear the way Cole MacLean the ways he was going to break her down just... oh, it gets me so angry. But then it adds to the gradification I got at the end when she'd finally learn to stand up to him.
Now, the hero -Tomas- he is such a hunk. He treats Rowena so nicely, yet manage to infuriate her at the same time. The tension between the hero and herione was pretty obvious. I especially loved the scene at the water fall, where Tomas watch her bathe in wolf formed and then... (chuckle)
The ways Tomas tries to help Rowena learn to accept herself was very touching. I loved their relationship. It was beautifful.
However, the character that intrigue me most was Sim. Sim's this character who's kind of brooding, dark, and cynical of women because he's been hurt in the past. I've read a lot of books where the hero is portrayed to be dark and dangerous, but then he doesn't really do anything wretched or mean. But Sim, he was not a disappointment. It amused me how he constantly threatens the herione to stay away from his friend, he cause he doesn't want Tomas hurt. He was really mean, but as a reader, I find myself drawn to him, wanting to understand more. I keep looking for his name among the review lists but it never came up. That's why I'm writing this. I find his fleeting relationship with Felicity so much more...er... engaging than that of Tomas and Rowena. And boy did that revelation about him at the end surprised me. I hope miss Krinard'll write a story for him, too.

Second book in werewolf trilogy.......2004-04-26

Lady Rowena Forster has escaped England and her werewolf heritage to New York where she meets and is betrothed to powerful Cole MacClean. Tomas Randall is a devastatingly handsome man/werewolf from the West who has a grudge against the ruthless Cole MacClean. In order to get his revenge on Cole, Tomas manages to lure Rowena from the saftey of New York Society to the wild frontiers of the West. Along the way, Rowena and Tomas full for each other but will Tomas manage to persuade Rowena that her betrothed is not who he seems to be.

We first meet Rowena in Touch of the Wolf where she is betrayed as a very cold character. Here she seems to be warmer but still a lady of ice. Tomas Randall is an absolutely gorgeous and a really charming character. The splaterring of Spanish, will make you believe that you are in the wild frontiers of the West. There is plenty of adventure and suspense throughout the whole book. A very good read indeed. If only I could get the last book (Quentin's story) in the trilogy but it's not available in France.

Lealing

Painfully slow read.......2004-03-07

I could give this one high marks for character development (hence the one star), but little else. It was far too slow and uninteresting. It was all I could do to finish the book.

Once a Clown, Always a Clown: Reminiscences of De Wolf Hopper

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Once a Clown, Always a Clown: Reminiscences of De Wolf Hopper
DeWolf Hopper
Manufacturer: Little, Brown, and Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000K0AX4S

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Once a clown, always a clown: Reminiscences of De Wolf Hopper,
De Wolf Hopper
Manufacturer: Little, Brown, and company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Foreign Languages | Reference | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B00085BAK6

Once a clown, always a clown: reminiscences of De Wolf Hopper, written in collaboration with Wesley Winans Stout ...

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Once a clown, always a clown: reminiscences of De Wolf Hopper, written in collaboration with Wesley Winans Stout ...
De Wolf (1858-1935) Hopper
Manufacturer: Boston, Little, Brown, and company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NWHLSO

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ONCE A WOLF

Manufacturer: Bantam
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000GJVKPE

Once-Upon--Time Tales. Little Red Riding Hood

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Once-Upon--Time Tales. Little Red Riding Hood

Manufacturer: New Seasons Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Small beautifully illustrated favorite fairy tales by Leap Frog.

Reminiscences of DeWolf Hopper : once a clown always a clown

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Reminiscences of DeWolf Hopper : once a clown always a clown
Wesley Winans Stout , and De Wolf Hopper
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B00005XSMK

Scholastic/Blue Sky/Orchard Books.(Beach)(Let's Play in the Forest While the Wolf Is Not Around)(Mrs. Claus Takes a Vacation)(Can You See What I See? Once ... An article from: Children's Bookwatch

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Scholastic/Blue Sky/Orchard Books.(Beach)(Let's Play in the Forest While the Wolf Is Not Around)(Mrs. Claus Takes a Vacation)(Can You See What I See? Once ... An article from: Children's Bookwatch
Gale Reference Team
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B000MTDO4I
Release Date: 2007-07-27

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Children's Bookwatch, published by Thomson Gale on December 1, 2006. The length of the article is 718 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: Scholastic/Blue Sky/Orchard Books.(Beach)(Let's Play in the Forest While the Wolf Is Not Around)(Mrs. Claus Takes a Vacation)(Can You See What I See? Once Upon a Time)(The Magic School Bus and the Science Fair Expedition)(Please Play Safe: Penguin's Guide to Playground Safety)(Mermaid Dreams)(Dear Mr. Rosenwald)(I Have a Little Dreidel)(Pancakes for Supper)(Alphabet Rescue)(Children's review)(Book review)
Author: Gale Reference Team
Publication: Children's Bookwatch (Magazine/Journal)
Date: December 1, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Page: NA

Article Type: Children's review, Book review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

9 Titles in Inspector Wexford Series - Death Notes - An Unkindness of Ravens - Means of Evil - Wolf to the Slaughter - Sleeping Life - Murder Being Once Done - Best Man to Die - Guilty Thing Surprised - Speaker of Mandarin

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9 Titles in Inspector Wexford Series - Death Notes - An Unkindness of Ravens - Means of Evil - Wolf to the Slaughter - Sleeping Life - Murder Being Once Done - Best Man to Die - Guilty Thing Surprised - Speaker of Mandarin
Ruth Rendell
Manufacturer: various
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

General | Mystery | Mystery & Thrillers | Subjects | Books

Product Description

9 massmarket paperback Titles in Inspector Wexford Series - Death Notes - An Unkindness of Ravens - Means of Evil - Wolf to the Slaughter - Sleeping Life - Murder Being Once Done - Best Man to Die - Guilty Thing Surprised - Speaker of Mandarin

Book Description

Imperius Dictatio, Warlord Titan, semi-sentient god-machine. Where it walks, cities tremble, armies quake.At its helm: Princeps Erwin Hekate, its cool and calculating commander. The Dictatio and the crew have been sent through a warp portal where time and space have little relevance. Slowly the crew manage to piece themselves together in a savage surrounding, but the real question is how to save the Princeps and the Titan.

The Gifts of the Jews: How a Tribe of Desert Nomads Changed the Way Everyone Thinks and Feels (Hinges of History)
Average customer rating:

Good service

Ugh

Kind of a mess

Generally good, I thought.

Breaking the Cycle and Seeing Progress

The Gifts of the Jews: How a Tribe of Desert Nomads Changed the Way Everyone Thinks and Feels (Hinges of History)
Thomas Cahill
Manufacturer: Anchor
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Early Civilization | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books
General | Jewish | World | History | Subjects | Books
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History of Religion | Judaism | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
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Jesus' Little Instruction Book

ASIN: 0385482493
Release Date: 1999-08-17

Amazon.com

Thomas Cahill, author of the bestselling How the Irish Saved Civilization, continues his Hinges of History series with The Gifts of the Jews, a light-handed, popular account of ancient Jewish culture, the culture of the Bible. The book is written from a decidedly modern point of view. Cahill notes, for instance, that Abraham moved the Jews from Ur to the land of Canaan "to improve their prospects," and that the leering inhabitants of Sodom surrounded Lot's lodging "like the ghouls in Night of the Living Dead." The Gifts of the Jews nonetheless encourages us to see the Old Testament through ancient eyes--to see its characters not as our contemporaries but as those of Gilgamesh and Amenhotep. Cahill also lingers on often-overlooked books of the Bible, such as Ruth, to discuss changes in ancient sensibility. The result is a fine, speculative, eminently readable work of history.

Book Description

The author of the runaway bestseller How the Irish Saved Civilization has done it again. In The Gifts of the Jews Thomas Cahill takes us on another enchanting journey into history, once again recreating a time when the actions of a small band of people had repercussions that are still felt today.

The Gifts of the Jews reveals the critical change that made western civilization possible. Within the matrix of ancient religions and philosophies, life was seen as part of an endless cycle of birth and death; time was like a wheel, spinning ceaselessly. Yet somehow, the ancient Jews began to see time differently. For them, time had a beginning and an end; it was a narrative, whose triumphant conclusion would come in the future. From this insight came a new conception of men and women as individuals with unique destinies--a conception that would inform the Declaration of Independence--and our hopeful belief in progress and the sense that tomorrow can be better than today. As Thomas Cahill narrates this momentous shift, he also explains the real significance of such Biblical figures as Abraham and Sarah, Moses and the Pharaoh, Joshua, Isaiah, and Jeremiah.

Full of compelling stories, insights and humor, The Gifts of the Jews is an irresistible exploration of history as fascinating and fun as How the Irish Saved Civilization.

Download Description

The premise of The Gifts of the Jews is simple but bold: to show how the religious, moral, philosophical, and political systems developed by the Jews -- descendants and followers of Abraham, Moses, Joshua, Saul, and David -- profoundly shaped the world we know today.

Customer Reviews:

Good service.......2007-09-10

Book arrived in great condition. I gave it to my son as a gift. Cahill is great too.

Ugh.......2007-08-29

I found this book to be so biased as to be virtually a tract of propoganda. As someone who is not Jewish or Christian, although familiar with both faith traditions, I found the boundless admiration expressed by Cahill to be shallow, uncritical and unexpected. I have read three of his other books, and enjoyed their mulit-faceted summaries of the cultures involved; in this one, I think Cahill's theological background took precendence over his academic analysis, resulting in a much weaker book.

Kind of a mess.......2007-06-20

Well, this was a change from the other Hinges books, and is definitely my least favorite. The other books are popularized histories: this reads like a long, rambling essay; it's embellished to the point of ridiculousness in places; and the folksy recap of the Bible is not only annoying, but a classic example of a blind man describing an elephant. Cahill doesn't "get it," not at all, not even slightly, and he tries to "take charge" of the Bible with a combination of buzzwords and sly interjections of his own opinions.

It gets a 3 because it was fun light reading. If you're easily offended, look elsewhere; if you know nothing about the Bible, Judaism, Christianity, etc, but would like to, start elsewhere. The subject deserves a more accurate, dignified, and less "state of the question" (as Screwtape so aptly put it) introduction.

Generally good, I thought........2007-05-08

Cahill has a fondness for speaking in hyperbole, I think, which is honestly a bit of a turn-off from his writing. He relies heavily on sweeping generalizations and a very casual way of speaking that would have had my professors going crazy had I employed the same style in my own writing.

However, it DOES make for an enjoyable read, and as long as you can ignore some of the more blatant blanket statements, he brings up some very interesting points. It's indeed true that the Children of Israel had a very profound impact on how much of the world today views time, space, and their relationship with the divine. I am not attempting to say, as Cahill does often, that the Hebrews were the first to think of a lot of these revolutionary ideas, but the fact is that they're the ones who first spread those ideas easily.

I appreciate the amount of effort he went in explaining the Biblical Hebrew's relationship with God and the relationship that their concept of God had with the rest of the local world.

All in all, I found this a very interesting and thought-provoking work, although it's far too casual in style and presentation to be considered a scholarly piece. Still, I think it's well worth a read for anyone who is interested in Judaism and Jewish culture.

Breaking the Cycle and Seeing Progress.......2007-04-15

Dr. Cahill's text serves as a very brief overview of a topic with great depth but does not promise to be anything other than that. It is not written in a style which looks to present a fully academic, detailed historical reprise of Judaism. Instead, it is written with one (blatantly stated) intention: That the Judaism and its concept of God are foundational for the West (and indeed for the world).

In light of this, Cahill explains those Jewish dispositions which grew as they came to realize (and experience) a God who was more than a deity of cyclical immutability. While he presents some of his arguments in terms which are somewhat caustic toward other cultures, he does not stray from this pivotal realization in history. The Jewish experience has influenced Billions of people (through Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and all the societies which they have encountered). Indeed, some scholars like Hans Urs von Balthasar would argue that it is impossible to view post-Christian civilizations as though they were unaffected by the ontological and praxeological reflections of Christianity.

Because of this influence, the Judeo-Christian realization of human dignity in the Image of a freely-loving, creative God is a leaven for the world which was truly a hinge of history. While Cahill sometimes uses imagery which (as he even admits) is somewhat questionable, his central point remains true and is as well defended as it can be in such a short text. While the text is deficient in this as well as by having a somewhat untouched (yet briefly mentioned) understanding of brutality in Scripture, I still give it 3.75/5 stars and suggest it as a quick, but thought-provoking read. If nothing else, it will get you thinking about the world through the light of Jewish revelation.

The Gifts Of The Jews - How A Tribe Of Desert Nomads Changed The Way Everyone Thinks And Feels

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The Gifts Of The Jews - How A Tribe Of Desert Nomads Changed The Way Everyone Thinks And Feels
Thomas Cahill
Manufacturer: Nan A. Talese/Doubleday
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000VK8D5I

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Gifts of the Jews: How a Tribe of Desert Nomads Changed the Way Everyone Thinks and Feels
Thomas Cahill
Manufacturer: NAN A. TALESE / DOUBLEDAY
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000R0C5IS

The Gifts of the Jews: How a Tribe of Desert Nomads Changed the Way Everyone Thinks & Feels (Unabridged)

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The Gifts of the Jews: How a Tribe of Desert Nomads Changed the Way Everyone Thinks & Feels (Unabridged)
Thomas Cahill
Manufacturer: audible.com
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Download
ASIN: B000ELJ9RK

The Gifts of the Jews: How a Tribe of Desert Nomads Changed the Way Everyone Thinks and Feels. (book reviews): An article from: First Things: A Monthly Journal of Religion and Public Life

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The Gifts of the Jews: How a Tribe of Desert Nomads Changed the Way Everyone Thinks and Feels. (book reviews): An article from: First Things: A Monthly Journal of Religion and Public Life
Dennis Prager
Manufacturer: Institute on Religion and Public Life
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from First Things: A Monthly Journal of Religion and Public Life, published by Institute on Religion and Public Life on November 1, 1998. The length of the article is 2028 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 Gifts of the Jews: How a Tribe of Desert Nomads Changed the Way Everyone Thinks and Feels. (book reviews)
Author: Dennis Prager
Publication: First Things: A Monthly Journal of Religion and Public Life (Refereed)
Date: November 1, 1998
Publisher: Institute on Religion and Public Life
Issue: n87 Page: p42(5)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

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In the beginning...

The Gifts of the Jews, How a Tribe of Desert Nomads Changed the Way Everyone Thinks and Feels

Manufacturer: Recorded Books, LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette
Similar Items:

How the Irish Saved Civilization (Hinges of History)

ASIN: 0788719785

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5 Cassettes. In this insightful book, Thomas Cahill, internationally-acclaimed historian and author of the runaway bestseller How the Irish Saved Civilization (RB# 94747), reveals the changes in thinking that made Western civilization possible. A New York Times best-seller, The Gifts of the Jews is his accessible portrait of an ancient society and their vision that would later inspire the concept of individual worth. Until the third millennium, it was a widely-held belief that people were pawns in an endless cycle of birth and death, with no hope of altering their fate. But when Abraham followed Gods command in ancient Sumer to go forth into the wilderness, a remarkable shift in thought emerged. As Abraham led his tribe through strange lands, these people called Jews began to view time as having starting and ending pointsand holding the possibility of a better tomorrow. Through compelling stories, insights, and humor, Thomas Cahill demonstrates how many of your treasured values really are gifts from the Jews. Narrator Richard M. Davidson transports you to the distant past to rub elbows with such renowned biblical characters as Sarah, Moses, Job, and Ruth.

Customer Reviews:

In the beginning..........2006-03-23

Thomas Cahill's second outing as author of the hinge-histories is a worthy follow-up, if a bit more simplistic. This book was a very easy read for me, both in content and in style, and I think the general reader will enjoy this book, too. I am used to, in my seminary training, to having weighty tomes to journey through -- this was a refreshing walk in a park.

Unlike his previous subject about the Irish, this book covers a subject on which almost everyone has an opinion, so Cahill's interpretations on the Hebrew Scriptures and history (Old Testament times) will undoubtedly not satisfy everyone. He does a very good job, though, of steering clear of interpretive controversies.

He presents this history as a history of what is important in its legacy for us -- no sense in asking questions such as 'Were these really the first monotheists?' &c., because it is a fact that our cultural tendency toward monotheism in the West derives from this band of people. This is the people from whom much of our Western sensibility is derived.

'This gift of the Commandments allows us to live in the present, in the here and now. What I have done in the past is past mending; what I will do in the future is a worry not worth a candle, for there is no way I can know what will happen next. But in this moment--and only in htis moment--I am in control.'

The very idea of regulations, justice, and communal living (beyond the whims of the powerful), and of self-discipline exerted from within, rather than from without, derives largely in our society from these writings. Again, it is not worth haggling over who had the earliest codification of regulations and civil laws--those did not get handed down to us as a living, working text. These texts were, in many respects, the informing texts behind much of Western civilisation.

He covers the history well, neither discounting the Biblical authority nor assuming that seeming contradictions in archaeological evidence is either right or wrong.

Cahill begins with the pre-history of the Jews, talking about the societal, political and geographic realities that would have influenced the ancient Sumerian named Avram, who set out for the land of Canaan. Cahill examines the period in Egypt as being pivotal for societal development, the era of the judges and kings as experimentations with polity, and the diasporic period as one of deepening identity in the face of massive external pressure and, in the end, threat of extermination.

This book is a good sequel, and an important work for the non-historian and non-theologian into some aspects of the history of the Jews that are otherwise often overlooked.

'The Jews gave us the Outlook and the Inside--our outlook and our inner life. We can hardly get up in the morning or cross the street without being Jewish. We dream Jewish dreams and hope Jewish hopes. Most of our best words, in fact--new, adventure, surprise; unique, individual, person, vocation; time, history, future; freedom, progress, spirit; faith, hope, justice--are the gifts of the Jews.'

The Gifts of the Jews, The: How a Tribe of Desert Nomads Changed the Way Everyone Thinks and Feels

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The Gifts of the Jews, The: How a Tribe of Desert Nomads Changed the Way Everyone Thinks and Feels
Thomas Cahill
Manufacturer: Lion Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000LOHOF4

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