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Zora Neale Hurston : Novels and Stories : Jonah's Gourd Vine / Their Eyes Were Watching God / Moses, Man of the Mountain / Seraph on the Suwanee / Selected Stories (Library of America)
Zora Neale Hurston
Manufacturer: Library of America
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ASIN: 0940450836 |
Book Description
When she died in obscurity in 1960, all her books were out of print. Now, Zora Neale Hurston is recognized as one of the most important and influential modern American writers. This volume, with its companion, "Zora Neale Hurston: Folklore, Memoirs, and Other Writings," brings together for the first time all of Hurston's best works in one authoritative set. It features the acclaimed 1937 novel "Their Eyes Were Watching God," a lyrical masterpiece about a woman's struggle for love and independence. "Jonah's Gourd Vine," based on the story of Hurston's parents, details the rise and fall of a preacher torn between spirit and flesh. "Moses, Man of the Mountain" is a high-spirited retelling of the Exodus story in black vernacular. "Seraph on the Suwanee" portrays the passionate clash between a poor southern "cracker" and her willful husband. A selection of short stories further displays Hurston's unique fusion of folk traditions and literary modernism--comic, ironic, and soaringly poetic.
Customer Reviews:
Inspired.......2006-02-20
If Ms Hurston finally gets the readers she deserves, she will take her place among America's finest writers of the 20th Century. She is a joy to read and repays second and third perusals. The oral narrative quality of her writing places her squarely in the company of the best of her Southern contemporaries. She shares their great gifts. By all means, don't deny yourself the pleasure of reading her work.
Book Description
In this 1939 novel based on the familiar story of the Exodus, Zora Neale Hurston blends the Moses of the Old Testament with the Moses of black folklore and song to create a compelling allegory of power, redemption, and faith. Narrated in a mixture of biblical rhetoric, black dialect, and colloquial English, Hurston traces Moses' life from the day he Is launched into the Nile river in a reed basket, to his development as a great magician, to his transformation into the heroic rebel leader, the Great Emancipator. From his dramatic confrontations with Pharaoh to his fragile negotiations with the wary Hebrews, this very human story is told with great humor, passion, and psychological insight--the hallmarks of Hurston as a writer and champion of black culture.
Customer Reviews:
A witty, accessible retelling of "what Africa sees in Moses".......2003-11-27
In the introduction to this 1939 novel, Hurston says that Africans (and, by extension African Americans) revere Moses "not because of his beard nor because he brought the laws down from Sinai" but "because he had the power to go up the mountain and bring them down. . . . [W]ho can talk with God face to face? Who has the power to command God to go to a peak of mountain and there demand of Him laws with which to govern a nation? . . . That calls for power, and that is what Africa sees in Moses."
Hurston incorporates the African tradition into her retelling of the Exodus story, along with that tradition's humor, colloquialisms, wit, irreverence, and apocryphal embellishments. The result is probably her most accessible work, an undemanding read that still reflects a mirror on such issues as politics, slavery, and feminism. The novel is remarkably faithful to the original, but Hurston's Old Testaments heroes and their adversaries are fleshed out as lethargic, selfish, dithering, conniving, as well as joyous, loving, and (above all) human. Moses's brother Aaron and sister Miriam, for example, are depicted as much a hindrance to the movement as a help.
Moses himself is presented warts and all. As expected, he's the savior who leads a slave nation from captivity to the freedom of a Promised Land, the wise prophet who brings law and government to an unruly and divided people. Still, Hurston's Moses observes that "the first law of Nature is that everybody likes to receive things, but nobody likes to feel grateful. And the very next law is that people talk about tenderness and mercy, but they love force. If you feed a thousand people you are a nice man with suspicious motives. If you kill a thousand you a hero." And Moses does kill--not only Egyptian soldiers hot in pursuit, but 3,000 of his own people: defenseless, drunken revelers paying homage to a golden calf (Exodus 32:28), an unforgiving and ruthless act that never fails to jar modern sensibilities.
It's often a marvel when an author can take a well-known story and make it seem fresh. Cecil B. DeMille 1956 movie has heightened modern-day familiarity to the point of farce (although Hurston's original audience was certainly aware of DeMille's first film version, released in 1923). Nevertheless, Hurston manages to make this timeworn story new again for modern readers.
Brilliant examination of race, class, politics, conviction.......2003-07-21
This is a brilliant novel. Hurston retells the story of Moses through the lens of black history and of her own day; the reader can see Hitler in Pharoah, the ghettos of Europe and America in Goshen. The Hebrews of Hurston's tale are European Jews under National Socialism and American Blacks under slavery. Moses becomes in this context a figure of contemporary hope. His being suggests that it's possible for someone to lead those in need of leadership out of trouble and to change the world. (By the way, if you get a chance, take a look at J Kristeva's book "Revolution in Poetic Language.")
Hurston's novel is particularly relevent in today's world of spin politics and soundbites. To read this book is to better understand the news you're stuck with being fed.
Poetic & Topical.......2000-01-25
A poetic, topical book that puts a contemporary twist on historical and spiritual (and political) issues pertaining to human rights and human potential. Highly recommended. Readers young and old should also pick up Hurston's "Tell My Horse: Voodoo And Life In Haiti And Jamaica."
Great Discussion Group Book.......1999-12-17
A good read. Hurston does an excellent job of depicting the parallel experiences of the captivity of the Israelites and the American Slave. In fact, one could argue that the experience of the Israelites is the American Slave experience. This is a great book for high school reading, it provides a variety of cause and effect themes that all young adults need to know; among them, if you oppress a people or person you breed fear, insecurity, and eventual self hatred in that human. I highly recommend Their Eyes Were Watching God another of Hurston's literary jewels. jewels.
not for students.......1999-09-27
I had to read this for school and although its a pretty good book, most high schoolers seriously wouldn't like it. it's informative but not really for pleasure reading
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Moses Man of the Mountain
Manufacturer: University of Illinois
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000I2Z9MO |
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Moses: Man of the Mountain
Manufacturer: J. B. Lippincott
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000EOMR3K |
Product Description
Novel about Moses recreated and retold from birth to the promised land.
Book Description
This digital document is an article from African American Review, published by African American Review on September 22, 2004. The length of the article is 14177 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: National socialism and blood-sacrifice in Zora Neale Hurston's Moses, Man of the Mountain.(Critical Essay)
Author: Mark Christian Thompson
Publication:
African American Review (Refereed)
Date: September 22, 2004
Publisher: African American Review
Volume: 38
Issue: 3
Page: 395(21)
Article Type: Critical Essay
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Book Description
The Darkness That Comes Before, R. Scott Bakker's magnificent debut, drew thunderous acclaim from reviewers and fellow fantasy authors. Readers were invited into a darkly threatening, thrillingly imaginative universe as fully realized as that of any in modern fantasy and introduced to one of the genre's great characters: the powerful warrior-philosopher Anasûrimbor Kelhus, on whom the fate of a violently apocalyptic Holy War rests. Bakker's follow up to The Darkness That Comes Before, The Warrior Prophet enticed readers further into the richly imagined world of myth, violence, and sorcery. The startling and far-reaching answers to these questions are brought into thrilling focus in The Thousandfold Thought, the conclusion to The Prince of Nothing trilogy. Casting into question all the action that has taken place before, twisting readers' intuitions in unforeseen directions, remolding the fantasy genre to broaden the scope of intricacy and meaning, R. Scott Bakker has once again written a fantasy novel that defies all expectations and rewards the reader with an experience unlike any to be had in the canon of fantasy literature.
Customer Reviews:
Eh........2007-08-30
Ok. So out of all three books, I like this one the best. That's not necessarily saying a lot, as I thought the first two books bordered on ridiculous. Actually, gratuitous would be a better word. I don't know how many times I caught myself asking the question "Is this guy for real?" Now I'm not opposed to graphic violence or sex in a book at all. There is a time and a place for that, and if utilized well it can be very effective. However, using demons to F people's families, or as a form of interrogation to which the women respond so enthusiastically and yield their secrets without question, is ludicrous. I read my wife the closing passages of The Warrior-Prophet where the rape-monster is "plumbing" (maybe not used in that particularly section, but seriously, who uses that word for sex?) the guy's family, and is telling the "manling" that the demons are a "race of lovers." Dumb. Asinine. Dumb. She laughed with me.
But I kept reading, and was glad I did, because Thousandfold Thought, while not providing an ending anywhere near expected, is compelling. The relationships in the book between Achamian, Esmenet, and Kellhus, as well as those of Cnair, Serwe, Kellhus, and Moenghus are fascinating. Bakker did an excellent job creating these characters and allowing their personalities to dictate the outcomes of the situations. I hate Kellhus, but in the beginning of the series, you start out liking him. The aforementioned characters are what make the book and are the reason I am giving it four stars.
The other problem I have with Bakker is the extremely inconsistent writing. The perspectives shift, particularly marked when he switches to battle mode. I also noticed, and how could you not, a ridiculous amount of unnecessary characters and side plots that are just... there.
And then there is the ending. I really enjoyed it. Maybe just for the shock, (because I distinctly remember turning the page and seeing "Glossary" where I anticipated another chapter to begin, and thinking "what the...?") but also for the fact that when you dissect that last chapter, you notice Bakker's been very meticulous about his choice of words and actions. That was really the one chapter that I wouldn't describe as sloppy. Of further note, is that he does, in fact, give clues of how it is going to end in his little pre-chapter references of important texts.
The downside to the ending is that a HUGE portion of what you think is going to occur doesn't happen. And so we're left to wonder, and I don't know that I'm ok with that.
The Thousandfold Thought - Pay attention to the actual plot.......2007-08-12
WHAT'S WRITTEN HERE COULD BE CONSIDERED SPOILER MATERIAL IF YOU HAVEN'T READ ANY OF THE PREVIOUS BOOKS.
I have a critique out about the entire Prince of Nothing series, but after I saw the negative response to this particular novel, I figured I'd put my two cents in.
The series, in its entirety, was a monumental achievement for modern fantasy. There are too many fantasy authors who think that they can continue telling the same story and get away with it.
Regarding The Thousandfold Thought: Bakker did a splendid job wrapping up this epic, even though this book was the weakest link of the series. Most should remember the beginning of the series, the plot established itself as a man, Kellhus, beginning a journey to kill his father. This is ultimately what the series is about. The conflict between the the Fanim and the Inrithi and the machinations of the Consult are simply sub-plots. Kellhus took control of the Holy War in order to aid his journey and prepare for the confrontation with his father. Essentially, everything that happened, everything that Kellhus drew into himself, every person that he encountered and interacted with was simply to allow him a better understanding of the world and its people. These are the tools that he needs in order to confront his father. He cares nothing of the Consult, the Fanim, the Inrithi, or Maithanet, he just pretends to care about them.
What Bakker was trying to get across with this series is that it's not about who's best with a sword, but who is best at understanding the world and the people within it. That is the quandary that Kellhus and his father share.
Many say that the ending of the book was far too abrupt. That's true, if you look at it from a battle standpoint. The real ending of the book (of the series) began when Kellhus actually started talking to his father; it lasts for a hundred pages. Besides that, a battle is happening while this is going on, for all you action junkies. That dialog between Kellhus and Moenghus is contained on what I would consider some of the best pages of paper that fantasy has to offer us. Honestly, if you thought the ending sucked, go back and re-read that conversation.
Once again, I have to stress that this was not a competition on who was better with swords but who had essentially grasped the world with a better understanding. Whomever is the smarter is the victor. All you have to do is read a Bakker interview from wikipedia to understand how his mind works.
Seriously, R. Scott Bakker has done a great service to the fantasy genre. I gave up the genre for Sci-fi because every author writes the same Tolkienesque story.
My only grievance with this particular book is it's sheer lack of dialog (until the last hundred pages of the book, of course). Bakker is great at creating intriguing dialog between characters, and I would have liked to have seen more. I also take into consideration that he had to finish this novel in about a years time, as well.
I eagerly await the next title from this guy.
Oh, and if you want to find out what happens with the Consult and the other factions of Earwa, keep an eye out for his 'Second Apocalypse' series coming out soon.
where is the rest of it?.......2007-08-08
Ok so I get to about page 400 of this book and there are still about a hundred pages left. I'm starting to think "Ok he's going to explain everything and wrap up the loose ends, tie everything together, and finish it off nicely. AND THEN IT ENDS 2 PAGES LATER!?! Sadly, the last hundred pages are an encyclopedic glossary.
So it's a pretty good series if you can get past the weepy emotional characters and the endless pages of "gaped in horror at the implications" "cried out at the revelation" and things like that. I was just left completely unfulfilled by the ending.
Fantastic Series!.......2007-07-10
Next to A Song of Ice and Fire by George Martin, this is the second best Fantasy series I have ever read! Great concepts, philosophies, and magic! This author has a real talent! Great writer! I will most definitely be picking up the hard back of his continuing saga The Aspect Emperor.
This book features the BEST spell battle I have ever read. When Achamian duels other wizards in this book, I must have read that three times. It sent chills up my spine. It's a slow build which works really well. Once you see Achamian duel, he just goes off! It was an awesome spectactle to behold.
Not Good, but Still Better than Most Other Fantasy Out There.......2007-06-28
I was a tremendous fan of the first two books of this series--especially "The Darkness that Comes Before." However, with "The Thousandfold Thought" it seems that Bakker may have bitten off more than he can chew. I found myself barely paying attention half the time as I read because either we were treading ground we'd already tread before, or we were following characters and factions I knew so little about I hardly knew what was happening.
The entire final battle scene is really just a blur in my memory. I may as well have read the words "people are fighting" hundreds and hundreds of times. Perhaps this says more about me than about the book, though.
Still, there was a bit too much of Achimian's anguish about Esmet and Kellus. Really, how many times did we need to hear how weird it was to see her with him? This was especially grating after Kellus had just ordered a massacre in a recently conqured city. No tears for the dead innocents, but lots of tears for himself.
But what I found the most unfathomable was Achimian's behavior at the end. I really can't say I understand his motivations for any of the actions he takes. I don't want to give anything away, so I'll just leave it at that.
Like so many other reviewers of this book, consider me disappointed.
Customer Reviews:
Great trilogy, but is it finished?.......2007-04-11
Bakker's trilogy is truly an erudite, extremely well-written, stylistically complicated read. I recommend it without reservation. However, I think there must be more to come, and I fear it may turn into another Robert Jordan / Terry Goodkind fantasy-fest that may outlive me.
The very end of the last book does not resolve the story at all, and certainly more than hints of at least one more book. It would be nice to know this for sure before running into a brick wall at the supposed end of a long complicated story. I prefer to wait until ALL the books are released before even starting.
Average customer rating:
- Not up to Sawyer's normal quality
- Breathtaking in its scope!
- Good, pulpy SF
- A great start for someone who is new to science fiction
- Contact-lite
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Factoring Humanity
Robert J. Sawyer
Manufacturer: Orb Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Sawyer, Robert J.
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ASIN: 0765309033 |
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Factoring Humanity will undoubtedly satisfy Sawyer fans, as well as those looking for positive-future scenarios à la Carl Sagan's Contact. Rather than a galactic vision of war and peace, this novel is localized in the extreme: the plot revolves around Heather, a psychology professor struggling to decipher extraterrestrial messages, and her estranged husband, Kyle, on the brink of the biggest computer science breakthrough of all time. What makes Factoring Humanity work is that Sawyer deals with vast ideas such as alien contact, quantum mechanics, and the human overmind, but does so to a deeply personal effect.
Sawyer, like many writers of near-future science fiction, has an unfortunate tendency to be too rooted in today, to make so many casual references to our present that they draw undue attention to themselves, making it difficult for the reader to suspend disbelief. This fascination with 20th-century pop culture crowds the real story and real details into a corner and underscores an apparent lack of creativity in painting future landscapes. Otherwise, and forgiving Sawyer's breathtakingly myopic view of Native Canadians and rather bland prose, this is exciting, readable science fiction that will take you where no one has gone before--and you'll never forget the ending. --Jhana Bach
Book Description
In the near future, a signal is detected coming from Alpha Centauri. Unintelligible data streams in for ten years. Heather Davis, a professor at the University of Toronto, has devoted her career to deciphering the message. Her estranged husband, Kyle, is working on artificial intelligence systems utilizing quantum effects. When Heather achieves a breakthrough, the message reveals a startling new technology that rips the barriers of space and time, holding the promise of a new stage of human evolution. In concert with Kyle's discoveries of the nature of consciousness, the key to limitless exploration-or the end of the human race-appears close at hand. Sawyer has created a gripping thriller, a pulse-pounding tour of the farthest reaches of technology.
Customer Reviews:
Not up to Sawyer's normal quality.......2007-09-07
*Factoring Humanity* is not Robert J. Sawyer's best book. In fact, it is the least of his that I have read. I very much enjoyed the Humanoid series and *Calculating God*, and found both thought-provoking.
This book lost me from the first chapter: the two main characters, an estranged husband and wife whose marriage fell apart following the suicide of one of their two daughters, are confronted by the other daughter who claims she has discovered repressed memories of being molested by the father and the mother was aware and did nothing. Not a great start to a book about aliens, the brain, and psychology. To the rescue though is an alien signal from Alpha Centauri that delivers the blueprint for a machine that delves into the inner mind of humans. Of what use might this be to the mother?? Get my drift?
I was so bored by this book, that I just skimmed the last 50 pages just so I could see how it ended.
Breathtaking in its scope!.......2006-11-05
You have to hand it to Sawyer! He certainly isn't one to think small! Why deal with mere cutting edge esoteric research when one can create "Factoring Humanity", a novel that folds that research into a gutsy thought experiment encompassing all of humanity, the nature of consciousness, extra-terrestrial communication and the manifold structure of the universe?
Heather Davis, a professor in the psychology faculty at the University of Toronto, has spent a significant part of her career attempting to decode a ten year long stream of obviously structured radio signals that clearly emanate from an intelligent source in Alpha Centauri. Her estranged husband, Kyle, puts in his scientific day on the cutting edge of artificial intelligence research and the development of quantum computer technology. (His pet project "Cheetah" is an APE, a computer designed to Approximate Psychological Experiences. With startlingly realistic responses, Cheetah comes very close but doesn't quite clear Turing's bar of deceiving a human interrogator.) In one of those serendipitous "Eureka" moments, Heather achieves a complete breakthrough decoding the alien signal stream and realizes that the decoded data comprise a blueprint to build an amazing new technology. As she and Kyle stumble through the learning curve associated with manipulating this new alien machine, it becomes clear that humanity's understanding of communication, consciousness and the very structure of the universe will never be the same again! Life and our perceptions of reality will be fundamentally altered as soon as knowledge of this technology enters the public domain.
"Factoring Humanity" contains a parallel sub-plot line in which Heather and Kyle's daughter, under psychological counseling, re-discovers suppressed memories of sexual abuse at the hands of her father, Kyle. Issues such as sexual abuse of children, sexual harassment, Jungian theories of "false" or "suppressed" memories and the myriad social outcomes of accusations of sexual misconduct are dealt with warmly, sensitively and realistically. But, unfortunately, this whole more human part of Sawyer's novel to me seemed artificially contrived and awkwardly shoehorned into the science in order to provide a canvas on which to paint his fascinating hypothesis about the possible nature of human consciousness and communication! The two stories were individually compelling and well-crafted but their integration into a whole was less than seamless.
On the other hand, Kyle's relationship with Cheetah and Cheetah's burgeoning intelligence and unique character provide an absolutely fascinating third facet to Sawyer's wonderful tale that flows much more smoothly into the story as a whole. In a manner reminiscent of Star Trek's Data, Cheetah's ruminations comprise a thought-provoking essay on the nature of sentience and humanity which is at once warm, gripping, humorous and intelligent.
A magnificent four-star combination of the outer reaches of hard and soft sci-fi from Canada's premier author of contemporary science fiction.
Paul Weiss
Good, pulpy SF.......2006-08-11
Previously, I've read Sawyer's "Calculating God" and "The Terminal Experiment", and "Factoring Humanity" is rather similar. The characters are a bit flat and the plot is sometimes ill-executed, but the read is fast-paced and decently entertaining.
The fictional science in the book is rather inconsistent. Sometimes it seems plausible, while still being fantastic enough to illuminate (very) interesting questions. Other times it seems to fall into the uncanny valley of sci-fi, _almost_ (but not quite) plausible, making it somewhat difficult to suspend disbelief.
I do like Sawyer's way of putting a soft sci-fi twist on traditional elements of hard sci-fi.
A great start for someone who is new to science fiction.......2006-06-23
My interest in reading science fiction just began last May, but I only had the chance to read sci-fi three days ago. The first ever sci-fi book that I read was Factoring Humanity, and really, I would consider it as a great opening to the world of sci-fi reading.
Reading would usually take me two and a half days (especially now that school has already started), but I was able to finish this one in a day. I could say that I really had fun reading it, because I didn't notice the pages turning anymore. Even when I was in the company of some friends, I couldn't put it down. I'd rather stay quiet and read about Heather Davis and Kyle Graves than talk. I was so engrossed about their lives that I didn't want to miss them even for a minute.
Of course, in spite of me getting hooked up, I began to see some faults in this work. I was consequently looking for the climax until I read the last page. I knew there was a climax somewhere in there, but I didn't think it was enough to make me see the whole point and where the happenings would all lead. When I was reaching the final 60 pages or so I was preparing myself for the great turning point but I wonder where the corner had gone? It was not as exciting as I thought it would be. I thought the story would show how it affected all of humanity but the "factoring humanity" part only involved Heather, Kyle, and their daughter Becky. And the ending, well... I hate to say this but it was a bit corny. It's not really how I expected it to end. And I hate what happened to Cheetah. Even though he (or rather, "it") was just a program, you would feel "its" pain... if such thing ever existed in "its life".
I'm not going to say that this is a bad book, because it's really not. If you're new into the science fiction genre, this is a great start. It would really keep you interested in the field of science, and it would also make you think about the possibilities of extra-terrestrial beings living in this universe, which for me is really worth thinking about. And of course, I really liked how this book showed the complexity of the human mind. It's not just about science, it's also about considering other people's thoughts. It's really nice because it's entertaining and thought-provoking at the same time.
Contact-lite.......2005-01-05
This is the third R.J. Sawyer book I've read recently (the others were Calculating God and End of an Era). Obviously I liked the others enough to keep going. And this was my favorite of the lot. I rated them all at 3 stars, but this one is really more like 3.5 or 3.75, but the rating scale is of limited resolution.
So too is the science in his fiction. Sawyer does not write "hard SF". It's more like hard SF-lite. This one borrowed heavily from Sagan's "Contact" (which was hard SF, par exemplar, and also had great character development and deep philosophical implications on several levels, but I digress..) and dabbles a bit in 4 dimensional geometry, quantum computing and cosmic consciousness. The characters are sort of ill-defined (except for the AI who seemed deeper and more human than the homo sapiens), which seems a hallmark of the 3 Sawyer books I have read, but the plot keeps things moving, also a Sawyer hallmark. I think if you expect Sawyer to be the next great writer in hard SF you are in for a disappointment. But if you want an enjoyable light read that has just a bit of science in the fiction, Sawyer is your guy for plot-driven page-turners. I will try at least a few more of his.
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Factoring Humanity
Manufacturer: Tom Doherty Associates
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000HK31TU |
Book Description
This recent translation of a masterwork of esotericism places humankind at the very heart of the vast, invisible processes of cosmic evolution. When we use the term natural science don't we mean that we are dealing with knowledge of nature?
Esoteric science is the science of what takes place esoterically, in the sense that it is perceived not outside in nature but where one's soul turns when it directs its inner being toward the spirit. Esoteric science is the opposite and counterpart of natural science. —Rudolf Steiner
As vital and relevant as when it was first published in 1910, this masterpiece of esoteric, Rudolf Steiner worked and reworked on rosicrucian cosmology for many years to make it increasingly precise and accurate. This work remains the most effective presentation to date of a spiritual alternative to contemporary materialist cosmologies and the Darwinian view of human nature and evolution.
In this basic work of spiritual science, readers learn how the creation and evolution of humanity is embedded at the heart of the vast, invisible web of interacting cosmic beings, through whom the alchemical processes of cosmic evolution unfold. There are also descriptions of the various bodies of the human being, their relationship to sleep and death, and a detailed, practical guide to the methods or exercises, including the Rose Cross Meditation," through which such initiation knowledge can be attained.
Most remarkable and revolutionary of all, perhaps, is the central function that Rudolf Steiner allots to the Christ and to the entrance of Christ into earthly evolution through the Mystery of Golgotha.
Classics in Anthroposophy Series.
Customer Reviews:
A View of the Hidden Side of Life .......2006-04-02
Rudolph Steiner's works, like the writings of H. P. Blavatsky, open windows into a hidden world most people do not even know exists. Although the ideas they brought forth are claimed to be older than history itself, they set the scene for the "New Age" movement of the last century. Rudolph wrote about what he called the "supersensible" worlds, the hidden realities beyond the world of form and substance or this material universe and its immutable laws of nature. He speaks of invisible worlds and invisible energies and of the origins and genesis of all things, both the hidden and the familiar. What he teaches is the "perennial philosophy," the most ancient of spiritual traditions that come to light periodically when such light is most needed. The ancient wisdom Steiner reveals come from his readings and interpretations of the imperishable Akashic records of all that is and all that ever was.
When Steiner and Blavatsky were so bold as to reveal these ancient teachings to a materialistic society with what Steiner called its "sense-bound" scientists, they were met with scornful resistence and ridicule by both the scientific community and established religion. Unfortunately, far too much of the book is a repetitious defence against the attackers of his day. The book itself, however, is a classic and a treasure.
An Outlien of Esoteric Science.......2006-03-27
A difficult but fascinating introduction to human development from the Akashic Record.
General overview.......2005-08-13
General overview of ideas of Rudolf Steiner. His first book written, and first attempt to record his ideas, make it a vague book.
As Rudolf Steiner became more accustomed to spiritual research his explantions became more clear and defined.
This book, however, is somewhat vague, not very detailed and therefore hard to get a fix on what Rudolf Steiner had perceived.
I recommend other books by Steiner:
1) Egyptian Myths and Mysteries ISBN 0880101989
2) Spiritual Hierarchies and the physical world ISBN 0880104406
Occult History!.......2005-01-27
They say that this is Steiner's major work, his Magnum Opus.
Outline of Esoteric Science offers the reader a cosmic view of creation and evolution, completely contrary to Darwin, Haeckel and all futile and materialistic modern anthropologists.
Steiner peers into the terrifying lost nights of the ages with bright clarity, equivalent to a high powered flashlight in a pitch black gloomy forest. What he looked into was the memory of nature otherwise known as the "Akasic Records". He did this with a superior faculty in the brain related to sight called "clairvoyance".
He tells us of The Polar race, The Hyperborean race, The Lemurian race, The Atlantian race and the Post-Atlantian races (us today).He also talks about spiritual beings that have helped in the creation of the world and in the movements of the planetary races.
The last section of the book deals with those who wish to find out more about the spiritual worlds and what they need to do to train themselves to reach higher states and develop superior faculties latent within.
This book is a marvel. It will benefit scientists very well to know about this book and it content.
And there are others that have talked about occult history, for example Madamme Blavatsky in her 2nd Volume of The Secret Doctrine called Anthropogenesis, Max Heindel in his book The Rosicrucian Cosmo-Conception, and Samael Aun Weor in his books: Gnostic Anthropology, The Revolution of Beelzebub, and The Revolution of the Dialectic.
If you are serious about knowing Who We Are, Where We Are Coming From and Where We Are Going then this book will help you realize those things that have been a gigantic mystery and a terrible plague on modern minds for generations!
Tough to work through but worth it!.......1999-11-17
You get a basic outline of spiritual science. For me, there were certain areas that are difficult to understand (eg the evolution chapter). This book introduces you to think in a way that you are not used to. Sometimes you feel like saying, this guy is crazy - but he's not. So read this book - it gives you a good general introduction to spiritual science.
Customer Reviews:
Deity, Cosmos and Man.......2006-09-04
Esoteric Science, the Wisdom Religion, embraces all that is good and true in the great religions of mankind, but yet transcends them all. As far as can be expressed in words, it reflects Truth, insisting on the Unity of the cosmic process in which each individual is as a spark to the flame. We are of like nature with the Cosmos, and, being of one Essence, we are members of one family, a family that includes all things and all beings.
From this outline of the Wisdom teaching, we learn of the various levels of operation in the Cosmos, and in relation to man. Further, by emphasizing the important distinction between them, it shows how the personality, when unrestrained, tends to be entirely self-concerned, creating for itself a condition of psychological isolation from the rest of humanity. The Individuality, on the other hand, is rooted in the Unity, of which it is a direct expression. As we become increasingly responsive to this Individuality, it exercises a unifying influence in our lives, enabling us to recognize that identity of nature which makes of all living things one universal Brotherhood.--- from book's back cover
Books:
- Zuckerman Bound : The Ghost Writer, Zuckerman Unbound, the Anatomy Lesson, Epilogue : The Prague Orgy
- 47th Street Black: A Novel
- A Hole in the Heart: A Novel
- A Woman in Jerusalem
- Adventures of the Artificial Woman: A Novel
- All Night, All Day, Angels Watching Over Me
- April Witch: A Novel
- Atala / Rene
- Back in No Time: The Brion Gysin Reader
- Being Mrs. Alcott
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