Ariel Reviews

Clearly explains the different levels of lightbody and dimensions. Validates what many of us already know. This book is one that "caught" my eye and has revealed itself with deep meaning. The reading is easy to understand, but I have reread passages to gain a better understanding of the material.

This book is a must for anybody on the ascension path.It clearly illustratates all the levels of lightbody encountered wilst raising one's vibration, but the real gems of this book are the many tools that are offered for the lightworker living through this fantatsic and challenging time of fast track evolution. Times are changing rapidly and many are encounetring challenges that are not easily addressed buy the traditional spiritual methods. Arcangel Ariel here addresses many of these new needs. I personally have been extensively using the Triple Grid technique and have been teaching it to others and the results are amazing. Enjoy.

The teachings and tools in "What Is Lightbody?" are ground-breaking, potent, and totally different than anything else I've ever found in my years of spiritual work! For example, for me personally, doing the Unified Chakra and the Triple Grid regularly made a noticeable difference in my ability to function gracefully and effectively through all kinds of very challenging situations. The perspectives offered here are liberating, such as focusing on co-creating Heaven on Earth as a multi-dimensional master instead of focusing on trying to learn our lessons and process our "stuff". I'd highly recommend this book for people who want to have a "map" and ways to access a different reality and live heaven.

Durant and his wife--who co-wrote all of the volumes although she didn't get credit until Volume 7, "The Age of Reason Begins") are simply the greatest writers of history since Gibbon.

The prose is engrossing, engaging, spectacular, pithy, witty, warm, inviting--in short, I am exhausting the vocabulary of praise for them. I read these volumes, especially this one, over and over again for the sheer joy of the prose.

Durant covers the period from the year 300 until 1300, usually considered the Middle Ages in the West. He covers so much material it is simply astounding and impossible to aborb in ten readings. This book is one for a lifetime of reading.

The strengths are in the cultural area--particular the coverage of writers. Durant was an academic specializing in philosophy so his coverage of subject as overwhelmingly dull as the Scholastic Philosophers makes it come alive. He gives summaries of dozens of writers and the major literary movements in Europe, the Middle East and Islam.

The coverage Islam is extensive but contains the word "Mohammadan" to describe muslims. This is understandably offensive to muslims because it implies whorship of Mohammad. However, Durant is no bigot, the word was simply the fashion when the book was written, much as the word "negro" was in fashion at the same period of time (1950). Muslim readers should not be put off by this. His treatment of your faith and civilization is honest, fair and free of prejudice.

The primary weaknesses of the book (and the entire series) is in the military area. Durant admits his relative lack of interest in this area and relies on secondary sources. He is too credulous of ancient historians--often printing fantastic figures for soldiers and casualties; e.g. he states that the militia for the city of Bruges was 189,000 when the entire town could not have had more than 50,000 inhabitants! He has little grasp of military science and falls back on the conclusion of others with little of the critical examination most every other subject receives at his hands. This is a minor quibble and will probably only be noticeable by those who are avid scholars of military history.

There are, of course, many mistakes--impossible to avoid in a book over 1000 pages of text covering 1000 years, three continents, and three religions.

All minor quibbles compared to the thrill of one of America's greatest writers. Sadly, the Durants are given short shrift by critics and scholars.

As I said, read this book for a lifetime. I have been doing so for fifteen years and I continually learn new things.

In his eleven volumes Mr. and Mrs. Durant come up with a wonderful history of Western Civilization that is simply stunning in its achievement and unflagging level accomplishment for a work that began in 1930 and wasn't completed until 1975.

Will Durant wrote like a force of nature, and this book is a fine expression of his power. The body of his life's work seems to have been an effort, albeit incomplete, to cover the entire history of mankind, and each individual volume covers it's time frame by sweeping through every aspect of civilization: politics, military affairs, economics, science, art, philosophy, religion, literature, architecture, and social customs. The Age of Faith opens with the death of the Roman Emperor Constantine in 337 and carries up through around the 14th century, the dawn of what has come to be known as the Renaissance. As implied by the title of this volume, it was the flowering of the three great Western religions - Christianity, Islam and Judaism - which dominates the story, and Durant devotes significant attention to all three, even though the birth of "Christendom" ultimately emerges as the defining event of the era. The charm of Durant's writing is the passionate love affair he seems to have had with humankind through all times and in all of it's manifestations. While he doesn't minimize the unspeakable brutalities that recur, he writes with an exuberant reverence for the spiritual and intellectual industry that he finds in every facet of human development. Like any competent historian, he also dispels historical stereotypes, and there is no real sense of a "Dark Age" at any point during this period despite Durant's occasional use of the term. However, what does become clear is that until late in the period, it was Islam, rather than Christianity, that achieved the most advanced civilization of medieval times. For readers, such as myself, who are largely ignorant of Islam, the lengthy chapters devoted to Muslim culture may be the most informative and interesting in the book. The Jews, who were scattered and lacked political or military power, are portrayed as bringing a degree of cohesion to European and Eur-Asian development, maintaining a cultural identity of their own, while making remarkable contributions, intellectually and economically, to the dominant cultures within which they found themselves. Inevitably the structure of a book like this is a bit chaotic. There's little chronology to it, and the author jumps from one geographic region and one topic to another in no particular pattern. The book closes with an entire chapter devoted to Dante, in whose writing and life Durant sees both the quintessence of the mediaeval spirit a bridge to the Renaissance. The book's limitations are probably inherent in the author's very purpose, since by covering everything, he's forced by the constraints of space to gloss over much. Even so, The Age of Faith extends over a thousand pages. For readers, again such as myself, who are primarily interested in the political history of the period, the lavish attention paid to cultural topics - e.g., page-long excerpts from obscure Islamic poems, or breathless and detailed descriptions of a particular Byzantine mosaic or a gargoyle on the wall of a French cathedral - are distracting and at times annoying in light of the cursory focus given to weightier matters. Allowing for all this, however, this is a fine book from an extraordinarily gifted writer, and I highly recommend it.

Covering the fantastic weight of medieval history (325-1300 A.D.) from Julian the Apostate to Dante, Will Durant with excessive force and candor handles the decline of a classical age growing into the gloom of the dark ages only to sprout again into a post-adolescent Europe characterized by the emergence of gothic architecture, philosophy and letters, poetry and science, all shrouded by the spiritual jurisprudence of a Christendom at its climax. However, the voluminous expanse of this work not only necessitates the primary features of European civilization, both sacred and profane, but adds to the breadth and timeless lore of it the nature and origin of Islamic and medieval Jewish culture...ultimately constituting the "Age of Faith."

The scope of this work is treated in five books: The Byzantine Zenith (325-565 A.D.), which handles the downfall of paganism, the triumph of the barbarians, the progress of christianity, Europe (western) in its nascent form, the reign of Justinian - his successes and failures, Byzantine civilization - its extent and wealth, science and philosophy, literature and art, closing with an elaborate sketch of Persian royalty and society with the advent of the Arab conquest; book two, Islamic Civilization (569-1258 A.D.), beginning with Mohammed describing his moral character and military prowess which ultimately culminated into the conquest of a vast domain, the Koran - its influence, form, creed, and ethics, the successors (caliphs and emirs) to the "Sword of Islam", the nature of Islamic government, economy, and people, the thought and art of Islam, finishing with its granduer and decline; book three, Judaic Civilization (135-1300 A.D.) - the exiles and makers of the Talmud, and the character of the medieval Jew; Book four, the Dark Ages (566-1095 A.D.), covers the rise of Byzantine, the birth of Russia, the decline of the west, the rise of the north, christianity in a state of confilct, and the origins and rise of fuedalism and chivalry; book five, the Climax of Christianity (1095-1300 A.D.) handles the victories and defeats of the Crusades, the economic recovery of Europe, the Roman Catholic Church, the inquisition, the rise of monasticism, the morals and manners of Christian Europe, and finaly to its flowering...the resurrection of philosophy and the arts.

To undertake such a vast task with so many factors and outcomes throughout such a long period of time - which customarily was characterized by a plethora of follies and misfortunes with the occasional rise and fall of greatness and prosperity - is without a doubt challenging if not wholly impossible to acheive without making some generalizations...but if anyone has ever penetrated and colored the principle aspects of the "Age of Faith" with a common intellect and driving sincerity it is unmistakebly Will Durant.

I love Ariel Gore's otehr books and was excited to hear about her adventures before motherhood. This book was wonderful, At first I though the title and cover were a little bit cheesy and I tried not to let that bother me. It really didn't matter because the storytelling and thoughts in this book are so real and so there.

I work at a large bookstore, and I get a LOT of advanced reading copies (ARC's) from publishers. When I read on the ARC back cover of Ariel Gore's ATLAS OF THE HUMAN HEART that she was described as "Jack Kerouac's intrepid little sister..." I thought, 'Oh, puhleeeze!'
Thankfully, Gore must have intervened, because that phrase is not on the final cover, and rightfully so. I remember reading Kerouac's ON THE ROAD when I was 19 (before Ariel Gore was born) and I didn't think much of it. Having hitchhiked across the US, Canada and Europe myself--back when it was a far safer mode of travel than it is now--I found Kerouac's book lacking in what I refered to then as "substance." Perhaps what I'd call it today is "Heart."

Well, move over, Jack. Ariel Gore's memoir is NOT just a "chick version" of ON THE ROAD. There's more to ATLAS OF THE HUMAN HEART than drugs, alcoholic binges, and wild rides across state lines, where we're told that Neal or Jack or Allen jabbered non-stop--but we never heard exactly what they talked about. Gore's memoir is about the complexity of finding oneself while in the midst of ever-changing terrain, relationships, and communities. We get more than a wild ride form Ariel Gore; we're shown the lines on her map as clearly and intimately as she might show us the lines in the palm of her hand.

Gore's thoughtful narrative illuminates her own corner of herstory with song lyrics, Tibetan philosophy, insightful musings from "unassigned readings" of literature and poetry, and the ringing bell-tone wisdom of kua's from the I-CHING. Gore gives us not only postcards and snapshots of her life, she takes us along with her on a redemptive journey across a familiar emotional landscape. We travel with a free-spirited teenager, sharing her education, not in the "School of Hard Knocks," but as Earth University Seekers, landing with her Plop--in the muddy world of youthful cohabitation and motherhood. What an intelligent, heartfelt, and honest look at one very intersting and inspiring life!

If you want to read a book of travel stories - this is the adventure for you. It is a wonderful feeling to hold a good book in your hands, enter it's realm and have the story come alive in your minds eye. Ariel Gore is a cool young protagonist, short on words and long on action-like if Clint Eastwood was a northern California girl child raised by hippies-but the words she chooses pack a heavy punch. How can she say so much in one short paragraph? Or pick the perfect sentence, through out the deepest reference? I certainly never write anything like "We made our way across a rocky field, but when I looked down in the pale predawn light, they weren't rocks under my boots-they were bones." But then I've never been to Tibet!

There are a lot of on the road stories: but these tales of China; Beijing; Hong Kong; New Delhi; Katmandu; Amsterdam; and Europe- shoot! I mean these are some real true wild treks! And the geography couldn't be relayed any better than by the 17 year old poet who is making the journey: like some fairy tale girl who goes on a surreal trip of the soul, turning corners, making choices bases on one wild chance encounter after another. The people she encounters further help us enter a world different than our own and learn about life. But the way she is open to these chance encounters, and flings herself out into the world like a true surrealist traveler-and has the words to tell us about it, is what makes this book. I am very proud to see women of my generation creating a whole new breed of novels, can relate with the early 80's Reagan Years stuff. When I was growing up, most of the coming of age tales like this were written by males. She speaks to me, from a place I can understand; but Ariel Gore also has a distinct unique voice and viewpoint all of her own-making this book stick out. The map illustrations by Maria Fabulosa look very Hobbit like to me and further my enjoyment of making me feel like the eight year old I was when I traveled with Bilbo Bagins.

I know Ariel has written other books on parenting, (always thought she had a righteous attitude) but I never got into them like this. I feel she might be coming into her own as a full bloomed novelist and can't wait to see what she does next.

Filled with a dark and vivid creative thread woven through past and present, good and evil, this mystery kept me spellbound with its theme and its surprising twists and turns. This may be Mr. Hernandez's first book, but surely not his last...waiting for the next one! Congratulations!

This is without a doubt, one of the best books I have read. I didn't want to put the book down. I was lost in the world that Ariel Hernandez created. I was attached to this book until the very last page. I recommend this book to anyone who loves to be intrigued by endless twists of fate and suspense!

The cover alone intrigued me but that was the begining. Page after page of fresh ideas kept me reading till the wee hours of the night..with the lights on of course. Dark Ressurection kept me wanting more with unbelievably realistic characters, I felt taken by the book as it brought me from the deserts of Africa to D.C. I couldn't put it down. Not the same old stuff I'm use to. Chapter ofter chapter of good easy reading. Horror has a new name and that is Ariel Hernandez. Definitly a must have!!

I could not put this book down. What I found so amazing about this book was that fact that she wrote it while she was experiencing it and you can really tell. Its just honest and hilarious. I can't wait to read the next one.

Definition, although it is shorter than Schrag's next book Potential, is hilarious, witty, and sharp. Ariel presents herself with frankness and intimacy; (at a recent signing of Potential, Ariel brought in the original documents that she reproduces either by drawing or xeroxing in the books). Absolutely brilliant.

I really liked the chapter detailing Ariel's sixteenth birthday. The stream of disappointments and sketchy guys is all too familiar. "Hank" thrusting out his pimply, veined hand and Ariel receiving it with tearful traumatized eyes made me cringe with empathy. I nearly wet myself laughing at the little boy who follows Ariel and Julia around the Laser Tag arena saying "I'm following you 'cause you guys are easy to hit!." That Ariel wrote Definition the summer after her sophomore year is a large part of what makes the book work; her enthusiasm and earnestness create a perfect sense of realism throughout.

This set still rates 5 stars, both for content and beauty, even though the newer sets that are now shipping no longer have a hardcover book. The book is now softcover, and, disappointingly, omits the handy reference charts that are in the front and back of the hardcover.

The cards are *almost* the same in this newer edition. In the older sets, they are a little more vibrant, and the finish is a high gloss, while the newer ones have more of a matte finish.

I prefer the packaging of the older set: the book slides out of the side, and a carboard container next to it slides out, and neatly held in that are the cards. The packaging of the new set is not bad, but you do have to slide the cover off; then the book sits on top of a carboard section with a cut-out center for the cards.

In short, I would suggest trying to find an older set with the hardcover book, and superior packaging; but the new set is still, overall, quite lovely, and the content is undeniably wonderful. A wise and beautiful oracle.

The hardbound book is TOP quality. One of the only to list semi-precious stones & other correspondences for each symbol. The front & back inside covers have a quick reference keyword section. The artwork on the cards is exquisite but I would recommend using them for meditation due to the thinner cardstock. I purchased a font set from Deniart & made my own cards to shuffle & then I lay out the beautiful ones to study.

The Mayan Oracle is a delight for the discriminating seeker after a more evolved oracle. Tired of tarot and its worn archetypes which are based on the Middle Ages, gothic and dark overtones, I found the Mayan system un-contaminated and fresh. The cards are stunning in their beauty and design, immediately conveying a lighter, more etheric message for the spiritually discerning individual.

I just hope the typical name calling bunch -- anti-semite, anti-semite -- won't rear they're ugly heads for this brave book. Questions those people should answer: (1) why is being critical of israel synonymous with anti-semite -- is the same true about england and anti-protestantism and (2) is there ever a point at which one can criticize israel? If they went out and shot every other palestinean? So, there is a point and there is just disagreement about where that point is. They should acknowledge that this rather than solely going with the anti-semite line.

_Politicide_ by Baruch Kimmerling is a highly controversial work dealing with the politically charged conflict in the Middle East between Israelis and Palestinians. In the wake of the tragedy of September 11, 2001 many Americans have turned to Israel and its leader Ariel Sharon as a fundamental ally in a conflict with what is perceived as a terroristic menace arising out of the Arab world. President George W. Bush has declared a "War on Terror" and has enlisted the support of the Israeli regime under the control of Sharon in his fight against Arab terrorism. However, as this book shows total and complete support by Americans for Israel may be highly problematic. Baruch Kimmerling argues from a particular point of view and presents Sharon as a right wing dictator who is attempting to politically neutralize the Palestinian people. Kimmerling traces the history of Zionism and Sharon's particular biography in his rise to power from a general in the Israeli army to a political opportunist. On February 6, 2001 Ariel Sharon was elected Prime Minister of Israel. Since that time according to Kimmerling, a systematic attempt has been made by Sharon to root out the Palestinian people and remove their political presence from Israel. Kimmerling shows by examining the history of Israel and the military career of Sharon that various crimes have been committed against the Palestinian people. In retaliation, many of these Palestians have been forced to engage in terrorist tactics - "the last weapon of the weak". The Middle Eastern conflict between Israelis and Palestinians is perhaps the most geopolitically charged conflict in the world today. It continues to result in tragedy for all concerned and oppression. Various religious "fundamentalisms" (including Christian Zionists) regard the return of the Jews to the Holy Land as a fulfillment of prophecy and the first step along the way towards the Second Coming of Christ. In addition, many Jewish and Christian fundamentalists (including former President Bill Clinton) believe the Temple of Solomon is located beneath the Temple Mount. However, this Temple Mount is currently the location of the mosque al-Aqsa, the third holiest shrine in Islam. It is within this mythically charged situation that the conflict between world religions and indigenous peoples of the Middle East exists. Individuals such as Sharon believe the Jews have a mandate for the Holy Land and believe in the continual expansion of the borders of the Jewish Israeli state. However this presents a particularly troublesome demographics problem in that it would result in Jews becoming a minority within their nation. For the Israeli "right wing", this is a troublesome issue. On the other hand, Palestinians continue to feel oppressed by a people who they do not recognize as having rights to their land. I do not believe there will be an easy or even any solution to this question; however, the potential travesty that can and continues to result within the Holy Land may one day escalate to apocalyptic proportions. In the meantime, the United States continues to face the menace of Arab terrorism and the Israelis and Palestinians continue to do battle with each other.

This is a very well written analysis of the career of Ariel Sharon & modern Israeli-Palestinian history. from the Qibiya massacre in 1953 to Sabra and Shatila in 1982 and the present day's war crimes during operation defensive shield of spring 2002, his determination to wipe out any functioning Palestinan political and/or communal entity cannot be any clearer. In his own words, the war of 1948 is not yet over, and the danger of further ethnic cleansing (aka 'transfer')has never been greater.

The day my childbirth class was to start I was put on bed rest. Although I had read a lot about pregnancy and birth, I still didn't really know what it would feel like to have a baby. Reading these accounts of births helped a lot -- I felt I was much better prepared for the experience. I also liked Labor Day, edited by Ann-Marie Giglio, but that collection was relentlessly positive. This book include stories from women who weren't thrilled with their experiences, which seemed more honest.

The stories are organized by where the birth occurred: hospital, birthing center, home. Reading the different accounts reassured me that I had chosen the location that was right for me.

I'd recommend this book for anyone wondering what it's like to give birth.

This heartwarming book is a compilation of real women sharing their birth stories. Hospital births, births at home, and unexpected birth places. No matter where or how a woman has her labor and delivery, the end result is the same: the miracle of life, the birth of a baby. The stories shared here are bound to make you laugh and cry, and feel proud to be a woman.

Any mother knows that moms never get tired of the birth experience of other women. It is fascinating to read about the variety of way that women deliver their babies. You'll read about "normal" birthing experiences that take place in a hospital with doctors and epidurals, and you'll read about unusual experiences, such as a woman who gave birth to her baby in a tunnel. With each birthing story you will feel empathy and camaraderie with the women who share their story in this wonderful book.

Any woman who is pregnant or thinking about becoming pregnant will be amazed to read how many different ways there are to have a baby. Reading Real Birth may give a woman a new perspective about the way she would like to deliver her baby and is a must read for all expectant woman.

The author Robin Greene says, "Women share their birthing stories the way men share their war stories." Any woman who has already had a baby will read this book and will feel priviliged to know that she is among the many, the proud, the moms.

I'm far beyond my pregnancy experience now, but this book gave me a look back. I so identified with these women. What struck me was that these narratives are more than women dealing with the pregnancy experience; these are their stories of the conflicts and struggles in their lives, stretching into the relationships with spouses, other children, parents, and themselves. This is a must-read for all pregnant women, and for mothers of pregnant daughters. Great stuff!!

It is an excellent history reference, although people may not read it from page one to the end like reading a fiction. College students may use it for academic reference and research papers.

However, if you are into Roman historical novels such as Colleen McCullough "First Man in Rome", "Grass Crown"..., Gore Vidal "Julian", Robert Graves "I, Claudius"..., Henryk K. Sienkiewicz "Quo Vadis"; Roman era fantasies such as Pauline Gedge "The Eagle and the Raven", Donna Gillespie "The Light Bearer", it definitely adds complimentary flavor to your reading by being aware of the political and social environment of Roman Empire. The chapters are not essentially in chronological layout, but, for example, a chapter devoted to Roman arts and letters, another for daily lives of the social classes. Whilst you are reading your novel in the middle and want to find out more about a particular topic, simply refer to the Index and the relevant chapters.

You would enjoy the novels, and possibly Shakespeare's "Anthony and Cleopatra", and the movies "Ben-Hur", "Spartacus", "The Fall of Roman Empire", "Gladiator" even more. And "Cleopatra" and "Quo Vadis" were made movies too.

The part of Early Christianity in the latter chapters, would help you in reading the Gospels, the Acts, and letters from Paul and the disciples. In the same manner, it helps you to appreciate more in reading Christian historical fictions such as Sholem Asch "The Nazarene" "The Apostle", Thomas Costain "The Silver Chalice".

An additional recommendation is Vol 4. "Age of Faith", sole focus of which is the discussion of the religions Judaism, Christianity, Islam in the Middle Ages.

It's too bad so few people have taken the trouble to read or even review Durant. "The Story of Philosophy" was a best-seller in 1929. Tom Clancy & Patricia Cornwell (sic) get listings as long as the day is long, but Durant just gets in left in the corner ignored. It's a shame.

This book is excelent ancient rome history book.It is impossible to be not impress.

The book is without doubt the best ornithology textbook in existance. While this may be aided by the fact that it is virtually the only one there is out there, it is accurate, comprehensive and user friendly. my main problems are that it is starting to be a little dated, and of course - the price.

I searched for a textbook on ornithology that I could use in association with the Bird Biology Home Study Course that I was planning to take through Cornell University. I found the textbook at Amazon.com. The information in this textbook is absolutely wonderful! Frank Gill presents an "encyclopedia" of information in an easy-to-read, comprehensible format. Anyone interested in the serious study of bird biology will want to add this textbook to his or her bookshelf. Within the next few months, I will reread this textbook again. How many textbook readers can honestly state that they would reread any textbook in its entirety? Every chapter intrigued and delighted me. I will be actively searching for more books by Frank Gill, based upon the presentation of materials in Ornithology, 2nd edition.

This superb book was such fun to read and it is packed full of interesting and thought-provoking information. Space prohibits a chapter-by-chapter review so I will list the things in the book that I found very interesting: 1. The plumage color patterns of dawny young shorebirds. 2. DNA hybridization experiments and evolutionary tree of herons. 3. Geese flying in formation to save energy. 4. The use of thermals by a gliding vulture to counteract sinking. 5. The unique landing abilities of birds: rotation of center of mass upward to stall directly over the landing site. 6. Vortex creation by beating wings of pigeons and kestrels. 7. Respiratory abilities of birds. 8. High metabolic rates of frizzled chickens. 9. Discussion on avian intelligence. 10. The detection of natural magnetic fields using rhodopsin. 11. Use of echolocation for navigation; asymmetry of ear placement in the owl to pinpoint sound source. 12. The avian taste for chili peppers. 13. Birds having two independent voices. 14. Individual spacing behavior while perching. 15. The nests of swallows reflecting their evolutionary history. 16. Insurance egg laying by penguins and boobies.17. The restoration of the peregrines. 18. The illustrations of the birds of the world in the appendix. 19. The enormous bibliography. This is definitely a book to be read by students and those interested in ornithology. An incredible book.......