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Author : E. Michael Rusten
Number of Pages : 832
Publisher : Tyndale House Publishers
List Price : $16.99
Amazon Price : $10.81
Used Price : $10.00 |
Product Description What happened on this date in church history? From ancient Rome to the twenty-first century, from peasants to presidents, from missionaries to martyrs, this book shows how God does extraordinary things through ordinary people every day of the year. Each story appears on the day and month that it occurred and includes questions for reflection and a related Scripture verse. Customer reviews A challenging Devotional  by .. Cheryl G. Skid (St. Lous, MO USA)
I ordered this book from Focus on the Family and began it in 2007. Every day challenged me to pursue Christian living on a higher level. Some days gave me historical glimpses that contradicted the teachings that have been politically taught in schools. There were a couple of instances wherein ancient Hebrew dates may have been presumed rather than known for certain but all in all I highly recommend it to Christians who are determined to know the truth.
Inspiring and Fascinating by .. Jason Kyle Richie (Hazard, KY)
"The One Year Christian History" presents 365 stories of importance to Christians down through the ages. They range from the Christ's Passion in 33 A.D. to the stories of reformers, missionaries, soldiers, pacifists, hymn writers, martyrs, and others. The list covers topics as varried as pacifist Anabaptists who died for their faith to the conversion of Mitsuo Fuchida (see the book "From Pearl Harbor to Golgotha") to the inspiringly sad letter a martyred missionary wrote to her family during the Boxer Rebellion. People as diverse as G.F. Handle, William Wilberforce, Billy Graham, and Gladys Alyward appear in the book. While not perfect and leaving out many important Christians and events, I recommend this volume as an interesting and fascinating roll through events in Christian (especially Protestant) history.
Christian History- One Year Book by .. Diane L. Hilliker (Sacramento, Ca. USA)
It's an awe inspiring book. I can't just read one a day and I've given out several to friends.
Great and inspiring resource by .. B. Prather (Dallas-Ft. Worth)
This book was given to us by friends. It is fascinating, and the stories are inspiring. We read it every day as part of our devotional. We have given copies to friends and adult children. Very worthwhile.
Interesting bites of Christian History by .. Scottso (Greenville, SC USA)
The One Year Christian History is not an exhaustive "greatest hits" of Christian History nor is it intended to be. What it is is a book that offers bite-sized glimpses into the people and events that make up the rich history of the Christian faith. Although I would not recommend this book for anyone looking for an in depth daily devotion, I would recommend it for anyone who wants an interesting book laid out in an easy to read format for daily reading.
Related Search : christian history , one year , one year  |
Author : Dr. Seuss
Number of Pages : 63
Release Date : 1960-03-12
Publisher : Random House Books for Young Readers
Company : Random House
List Price : $8.99
Amazon Price : $1.80
Used Price : $0.01 |
Product Description Illus. in full color. A "fabulous book of easy words, exciting pictures and inviting rhythm."-- Elementary English. Customer reviews Complex, Exciting and Funny, Funny Rhyming by .. Miz Ellen (Bovine Universe)
This little book can serve two functions. It's a great book to read to very small children and it can be broken up into little sections to suit short attention spans. There's counting, color recognition and loads of funny illustrations and wacky, wacky rhymes. It's lively enough that parents and kids can play together as they work their way through the silly stories--each just a page or two long.
And as kids get older, this is a great book for them to read by themselves. Suess throws in made-up words so you have a book on a hook and on the book is "How to Cook" and the whole contraption hangs off the head of a creature called a Nook, who can't read so he can't cook.
I love this book, which was published in 1960, the year in which I was first learning to read. I still find the plight of the Nook funny, and am delighted to gift this and a couple of other Suess stories to some youngsters who are just the age for encountering great literature. The words of this little gem may be simple but the arrangement is sublime!
What more can be said about a Classic Dr. Seuss? by .. Deborah Mahler (Algonquin, IL United States)
I purchased this for my granddaughter because my daughter wanted to read it to her! So, I think I bought it for both of them.
All my children were raised on this and the other classic Dr. Seuss books. It's a fun thing to read for young and old. It gets the giggles going at bed time and beyond.
What more can I say? It's a children's classic written in true Dr. Seuss style!
No logic, but it's fun  by .. Emily J. Taylor (Utah)
One of my first-grade students pointed out the truth to me: this story does not stay "on the trail", so to speak, of keeping with a connected story. (Ironically, this fit very well with a lesson). And yet there is something incredibly fun about the random creatures trotting themselves out in all their quirky Suessian glory. So no, there is no logical plot, but we get fun pictures and dazzling rhymes that we love.
Something Fishy to Me!!! by .. R U Kid' N Me (Not Mars)
Super Book, as are all Dr. Seuss books! Book was new and as described. Fast shipping...rec'd in 4 days. It would be nice though if Amazon didn't set the shipping rates so the sellers could use media mail for their books to make it cheaper for the purchaser! If they didn't charge the flat $3.99 rate, it would make purchasing more affordable and one could do it more often! I'll buy from this firsttrust_books seller again!
An Under-rated Classic!! by .. El Rey Lin (San Francisco Bay Area, California)
"Cat in the Hat" and "Green Eggs and Ham" get all the fame and glory, and I actually don't remember ever reading "One Fish Two Fish" as a child. But I've discovered this book now that I have a three year-old of my own, and it has become our favorites. Dr. Seuss is exceptionally skilled at playing with words and rhymes and coming up with hilarious, fun, well-crafted sentences. This book contains some of his best work. The books make learning language great fun. I was amazed last night when my daughter started rattling off the sentences in the book from memory as I read it to her, and she had great fun doing it. A children's book that both children and adults can appreciate and one that inspires in children a love of learning language: what more could a parent want?
And one other editorial comment...now that I've spent much time scouring the library shelves for good books for my child, I have come to have tremendous appreciation for Dr. Seuss's talent and wit. Almost all children's book authors fall far short of the standard Dr. Seuss set decades ago. Give me "One Fish Two Fish" or "The Lorax" over "The Polar Express" any day!
Related Search : red fish , one fish , blue fish  |
Number of Pages : 395
Publisher : Tyndale House Publishers
List Price : $14.99
Amazon Price : $49.99
Used Price : $2.93 |
Product Description An enjoyable way to worship the Lord. Focusing on God and his song-inspiring attributes, each devotional features the words of a hymn and an accompanying meditation based on the content of the hymn. Customer reviews Fascinating! by .. Reader from Texas (Azle, TX)
Love reading about the origins of old familiar hymns. Makes a nice, short devotional reading.
encouragement in devotionals by .. K. Meadows (Memphis, TN USA)
This is a FAVORITE book of mine that I buy for others who are going through really hard times in their lives. It is easy to pick this book up and read it and see how God has worked through the lives of others walking through difficulties with the background stories on many wonderful old hymns. The hymns themselves are such words of encouragement and comfort. I'd recommend it for anyone regardless of where he/she happens to be in his/her spiritual walk with the Lord Jesus.
More Than A Devotional by .. ()
As a devotional, the book is inspiring. How can it not be? The old hymns my parents knew, and taught me to appreciate, hold an appeal unmatched by many of today's choruses. Reading the words of each hymn brings back warm memories of sing-a-longs in my parents church. To read the stories behind the hymns is a profoundly inspiring experience. For the one who is searching for a deeper relationship with God, the book is a wonderful devotional. For the music enthusiast, the book is a treasure of history.
Related Search : one year , book hymns  |
Author : Bob Hostetler
Number of Pages : 383
Publisher : Tyndale Kids
List Price : $14.99
Amazon Price : $3.49
Used Price : $0.55 |
Product Description The One Year Book of Josh McDowell's Family Devotions is a Right From Wrong devotional that reinforces the need for applying the Scriptures to everyday decisions. Each of the 365 readings includes a story situation that deals with a contemporary issue and helps families think through how to make the right choices in a particular situation. At the end of each reading is a helpful feature that encourages families to pray, invites them to discuss the issue further, or gives them a practical task to perform. Customer reviews Devotional review by .. Quality review (Third Culture)
I like to give my kids "spiritual breakfast" before they run out of the hosue for school. This is something my preteens can read for themselves and look up their verse for the day. That doesn't mean they'll memorize it but it's a small investment. If we have time to read it together we can discuss it for 5 minutes; again, this doesn't take long but sets a good tone for the day. It gets my seal of approval!
This has been a good book that helps our family devotions move to the next level. by .. S. Brace ()
The questions at the end of each days devotion has helped our family to be open and discuss issues that may not have come up otherwise.
Very Pleased by .. Lisa M. Cross (Wellsville, KS USA)
I looked around for another devotional book to use with my children. I took a chance on this one and have been very pleased. I like the 'real to life' examples they give with each spiritual lesson.
Great Application! by .. D. DeGrado (Midwest)
I really like this devotional.The application is good for everyday life of kids in school. I would recommend it for older elementary and middle school. Some of them are a little too old for 1st and 2nd grade children.
Josh McDowell Family Devotions  by .. S. Wafer (Camas Valley, OR)
Ordered this product Feb. 3rd and as of today (March 10th) I have not received the product or any information as to why. I finally ordered this product elsewhere and received it in three days. Still waiting to find out if I will receive a refund into my account for this product, since it was paid for in advance. NOT IMPRESSED
Related Search : mcdowell s , family devotions , book josh  |
Author : Dennis Waite
Number of Pages : 288
Publisher : O Books
List Price : $17.95
Amazon Price : $6.99
Used Price : $8.75 |
Product Description This book is perhaps the most accessible, articulate and relevant book on the nature of non-duality. Customer reviews Highly Recommended Book on Advaita by .. Katie Davis (USA)
The Book of One is a masterful, comprehensive and pragmatic guide to non-duality. Dennis writes in an intimate manner, which makes it a joy to read. I especially enjoyed his skillful use of parables and metaphors. His accurate study is well documented and referenced, with excellent appendices, which serve as a fine resource for readers. I highly recommend The Book of One to those who are open to the Unknown.
~ Katie Davis, Awake Joy: The Essence of Enlightenment
Enter a vivid mind by .. S. P. Nagtzaam (netherlands)
The Book of one is a clear and beautiful book. It takes lots of attention to reed, which is also the main point of the book. To be in the present with a clear mind and do everything according to your best intentions.
But beyond that it gives a a unique look on who and what we are. With clear examples. Of-course more questions arise but through the book it inspires you to look on more information about advaita.
Advaita for Everyone by .. Jerry Katz (Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada)
The Book of One is a sweeping, fresh overview of consciousness subjects shaping the path of Advaita Vedanta. Topics are handled with confidence, and their most non-dual depths are struck effortlessly. Waite offers Advaita as a resolver of the problems of life and death. The book is practical, grounded in scripture, and respectful of the reader's inclination - whether active, meditative, intellectual or devotional - and his level of familiarity. It is directed toward beginning seekers, researchers, students of philosophy or religion, those who are already familiar with Advaita, and those already Self-realized who enjoy keeping up with what's being written. If you take yellow brick roads that wind through Internet fields, this book will be particularly valuable and interesting.
Unique about this book is the confident and graceful manner in which the author integrates and moves between Western, Eastern, and, if you will, Cyber influences. It is clear that Waite himself is intimate with the terrain of Cyberspace, the paths, people, and places. This book has the fluidity of the World Wide Web. He creates a swirl in which the ancient familiarity felt with sages such as Ramana or Nisargadatta, is transferred to Kant, Schopenhauer, Berkeley and Plato. This role of the internet and Western thought upon Waite's work is related to his intellectual and spiritual relationship with Dr. Gregory Goode, who is a teacher in New York, scholar in Western philosophy, and pioneer/participant in Non-duality on the internet.
The Book of One is framed by an exceptional Table of Contents, valuable Appendixes, and an index. The Table of Contents itself serves as an excellent introduction to the book and shows how carefully the author constructed this work. As well, there are numerous pages of recommended Websites. Along with Waite's newer title, Back to the Truth, this book belongs on a shelf along with the best Advaita books of our time.
Jerry Katz
One: Essential Writings on Nonduality
The Book of One by .. Marvin Moss (Massachusetts, USA)
Dennis Waite draws his resource information from an extremely wide base of most, if not all of the giants of the Advaita philosophy. He really shows his humility by not including himself in that very honored group. The book really covers all the bases, and is organized in a very orderly and logical arrangement. The principled, and sensible way he approaches the teachings reminds me of the writings of Alan Watts.
Excellent for Students of the One by .. Mr. S. Wollaston (UK)
Dennis Waite's `The Book of the One' must surely have been a labour of love. As an author myself, I cannot image how long it must have taken him to compile such an extensive summary of the essential teachings of Advaita Vedanta and write in such an accessible style.
The publishers, O Books, seem to be setting a standard with such works, where philosophy is not merely left to the realms of high intellectual thought, but brought home by making the primarily mystical insights of Vedanta relevant to our postmodern world, as well being pragmatic, with crucial chapters on meditation and other spiritual exercises.
This book remains one of my key references on the subject. Any student of non-dualistic wisdom will surely find `The Book of the One' indispensable, as it covers numerous core areas of philosophy and spirituality, such as facing our fears, the subject of death, what consciousness is, the limitations of the intellect and ultimate questions about Reality.
Related Search : advaita , spiritual path , book one  |
Author : Dr. Seuss
Number of Pages : 10
Release Date : 2005-08-23
Publisher : Random House Books for Young Readers
List Price : $7.99
Amazon Price : $4.00
Used Price : $3.34 |
Product Description One fish, two fish, three, four, five . . . This one has a car to drive!
This bouncy counting board book comes with five beads shaped like Seussian fish that toddlers can move across the top of the book as they count along. Based on Dr. Seuss’s celebrated classic, this sturdy board book will be a hit with all the little fish in your family! Customer reviews one fish, two fish, three,four,five fish by .. Della M. Nicholas ()
Given as a gift but know Dr. Seuss books are wonderful for any age. The counting fish are a fun addition.
Short but sweet by .. S. Long ()
This book is about 10 pages long and only a few words on every page, but my 16 month year old baby likes it. He also likes that he can play with the fish on top of the book. It still kinda teaches about colors and numbers one to five. A Preschooler would probably get bored with this, but just right for babies.
Another favorite of my 15 month old... by .. D. Gasson (Novato, CA United States)
Not much text in it, but my daughter loves this book. Very sturdy and she likes to move the fishes across the top. She wants it read over and over again. I think Dr. Seuss just had a fabulous knack for writing well with fun rhyming.
Wounderful Read! by .. J. Sonnier (N.Little Rock, AR USA)
My daughter really loved this book. We challange you to:
See the book, buy the book, read the book, share the book!
You wont regret it
Short & cute by .. Misty Fuentes (Sunny Florida)
Although this book is shorter than the orginal, it's still a great book for early readers, or to read to babies
Related Search : three four , two fish , one fish  |
Author : David Ferguson
Number of Pages : 400
Publisher : Tyndale House Publishers
List Price : $14.99
Amazon Price : $6.50
Used Price : $2.07 |
Product Description The 365 meditations in this couples' devotional are arranged around 52 themes--one theme for each week of the year--such as affection, compassion, forgiveness, honor, leadership, mercy, respect, security, trust, and understanding. Scripture passages, real-life stories, prayers, and daily challenge questions give couples a dose of truth, encouragement, and direction to strengthen their marriages. Husbands and wives will learn to give and receive love in a whole new way. Customer reviews Not quite what I had in mind  by .. CL (USA)
This devotional is too chatty in my opinion. I was looking for something with more Bible scriptures, and less of another couple's experiences. It didn't hold our interest. This may be a better resource for newlyweds, but only as an addition to reading a more Bible-based devotional together.
Finally...a really good couple's devotional by .. Crazy Carol ()
My husband and I have looked for the past couple of years for a good couple's devotional. We used the one by the Rainey's and it was good, but after having gone through it 2 years in a row, we wanted a change. This devotional by the Ferguson's is great. The very first day we read hit both of us between the eyes, and challenged us about something we were both doing that was harmful to our relationship. I hope by the time we finish this book that the Ferguson's will have come out with a new one with even more devotions. I highly recommend this book.
Related Search : one year , couples , book devotions  |
Author : Esther K. Smith
Number of Pages : 128
Release Date : 2007-11-06
Publisher : Potter Craft
List Price : $25.00
Amazon Price : $14.30
Used Price : $14.49 |
Product Description From zines you can fold in a minute to luxurious leather journals and sumptuous sketchbooks, How to Make Books will walk you through the easy basics of bookmaking. Whether you’re a writer, a scrapbooker, a political activist, or a postcard collector, let book artist Esther K. Smith be your guide as you discover your inner bookbinder. Using foolproof illustrations and step-by-step instructions, Smith reveals her time-tested techniques in a fun, easy-to-understand way. Customer reviews Buy this one by .. T. Ginsberg ()
I teach book arts and I'm always looking for new ideas to inspire students, and this book is a great addition to the existing literature out there. I had been searching for something that was fun and hip enough to be engaging, but had really clear instructions, and this book is it. My only complaint is that the diagrams of stitching are sometimes shown on such a busy, patterned background that it is a little hard to see the salient information. But all around I highly recommend this book and I'm very glad Esther K. Smith took the time to write it.
This one is a keeper! by .. Suzy W (Sydney, Australia)
Great ideas, clear diagrams, easy instructions...what more would a budding book /paper artist in the making want? Even the design of the book is quirky!
How to make books by .. Olive L. Hughes (Australia)
The book was OK but not as extensive as I had imagined so was slightly disappointed. Communication from Amazon was timely and it arrived in good condition much earlier than I expected.
a good book about making fun books! by .. Jennifer A. Hilton (Princeton, Massachusetts United States)
This is a wonderful book. It teaches a variety of book formats in a colorful and lively way. Great illustrations and sample pictures. Iam going to use it as a required text in my bookarts class next semester.
How to Make Books (and not be able to stop) by .. M. Frechette (Madison, WI USA)
I have acquired several books over the years purporting to show how to make one's own books. And while they were often pretty and even artistically inspiring, none of them ever made me feel that I had sufficient skill to actually make a book. I would leaf through them and think, "Wow, these are neat...but I can't do that. Where would I get this stuff? What's a signature, anyway?"
Then I saw this book, and thought, "Aww, what the heck, even if I don't make a book, this one is so gorgeous that I can't leave it in the store."
I read the first bit the Friday night after I brought it home, and Saturday morning started folding and tearing and stamping and painting, and - ta da! - a pile of little instant books! Thrilling!
Over the course of the next two weeks I went crazy on the long-stitched food box books. Now six weeks have passed and I have stacks of folded signatures tucked all over the house relaxing, a fine selection of threads and a frenzy for book creation.
This is an inspirational volume, beautifully designed, engagingly written, and a very inviting instructor.
Related Search : fold cut , one kind , stitch way  |
Author : Thomas Mallon
Number of Pages : 314
Publisher : Ruminator Books
List Price : $15.00
Amazon Price : $13.95
Used Price : $2.38 |
Amazon.com Review Strangely enough, this exploration of one of the most private of writing endeavors is likely to send readers off in a zillion different directions. Thomas Mallon's survey of diarists throughout the ages introduces us to the most personal writings of more than 100 diarists, including Samuel Pepys, Leonardo da Vinci, Virginia Woolf, and Lee Harvey Oswald. Mallon divides the diarists into seven categories--chroniclers, travelers, pilgrims, creators, apologists, confessors, and prisoners--that he uses as a basis for his inquiries into the nature of these apparently private writings. (From the start Mallon admits that "I still don't believe that one can write to oneself for many words more than get used in a note tacked to the refrigerator saying 'Buy bread.' ") Glimpsing the many, vastly different lives that have been thrown together on these pages is fascinating in and of itself, but Mallon's thoughts about the whys and wherefores of diary-keeping are what make his dense prose so worth reading. Customer reviews Very interesting! by .. tawniemarie (South Dakota, USA)
I decided to buy this book because it was listed in a bibliography in one of my Wicca books. It's not my usual cup of tea, and it sat around awhile before I picked it up. Once I started, I couldn't stop. It was so interesting to get to have peeks into people's private lives. It really helped me to decide what I want to express in my own diary, and what I want to do with them when I die.
For all those interested in the Diary form by .. Shalom Freedman (Jerusalem,Israel)
I agree with the Amazon reviewer above who suggests that this book would have been much better in ' encyclopediac' rather than narrative form. There are too just too many diarists mentioned and the discussion of them goes from one to the other too rapidly. Mallon breaks his diarists into seven categories, chroniclers, travelers, pilgrims, creators, apologists, confessors, prisoners.
The old rule seemed to apply here, and the less I knew about the diarist the more Mallon 's work seemed significant. But for those whose work I do somehow know , and I think here of the example of Kafka , Mallon's treatment seemed to me hasty, and slight. This suggests that another problem of doing the work the way Mallon did is distinguishing well enough between diarists of greater and lesser significance.
This book is highly recommended for all those who take interest in the Diary form, for I know of nothing else like it.
informative by .. Erica L. Andersen (NY, USA)
As a diarist, I enjoyed this book very much. It has a large amount of information about many, many diarists, and different genres of diaries. The author effectively conveys his enthusiasm for the topic, and it made me want to read many of the diaries in the book. (I found out that we only read the boring part of Pepys diary in high school English, and that there are all sorts of racy parts!) As interesting as this book is, there was a little too much breadth at times and not enough depth. So many diarists were discussed in each chapter that I felt I would have to take notes to remember the ones I was interested in. Also, the transitions between diaries are rather awkward; I think this book would have been better in an encyclopedic rather than narrative format. I think that this book is an excellent reference for anyone interested in the history of diaries.
The Book That Made Me a Diarist by .. ()
I read this book over thirteen years ago, and I was hooked on diaries ever since. After reading in Mallon's book about some of the most interesting diarists, I found other diaries to read-one about a man's search for an institution for his retarded son, one by a woman facing major surgery and hospitalization (Walking Through the Fire), and a few others. He also inspired me to start my own diary, which I kept for over twelve years, seldom missing a day. This last year or so, I have fallen off but still add to my diary now and then. This is an activity I was hardly aware of, but when diary keeping is presented in such an interesting way, one sees it in a whole new way. I think of it as "the word made flesh." Mr. Mallon's book has added more to my life than practically any other I have ever read.
You will be charmed . . . by .. ()
I finally got around to reading a yellowed Penquin edition of A Book of One's Own and am pleased to see that Hungry Mind is keeping this alive and available for everyone else who has yet to enjoy it. Essentially, it is a pageant of diarists and their words, with Mallon standing to the side, offering an often witty, always insightful commentary. It is a literate, sensitive dialogue. As a sometime diarist, I fought for awhile with his notion that everyone writes with an audience in mind, that our most private writings are not unselfconscious, that we intend to be found out. But I did not go reading this to locate my own opinions. It is delightful, and with the bibliography neatly situated in the back, it reads silkily, without the interruption of footnotes.
Related Search : book one , people diaries , s own  |
Author : E. P. Mathers
Edition : 1
Number of Pages : 678
Publisher : Routledge
List Price : $28.95
Amazon Price : $22.57
Used Price : $9.62 |
Product Description This first of four volumes accurately translating the wonderful tales of the Arabian nights. Customer reviews The Most Complete Translation by .. Tom Roberts (Los Angeles, CA)
Absolutely this is the best translation. Re-translated from a literal translation of the works made in French, and then translated back into English, the wording is modern and makes for easy reading.
Be forewarned, however. This is only Vol. I of a four volume set. And you will not be able to buy Vol. III or Vol. IV new on [...] at this current time!
To get all four volumes, I was forced to take a loss on Vols I and II ( a $[...] loss ) and forced to order the whole four Volume Set, which only comes together in the whole set - which you will be able to find here after endless searching because for some reason searching by the title and author's names does not find the four volume set easily!
So now I have two copies of both Vol. I and Vol. II, which I will donate to someone.
Also, the Four Volume set was on special back order when I ordered it and it took five months to finally come!
You will need to buy all four volumes, however, in order to get The Tale of Ala al-Din and the Wonderful Lamp, which is in Vol. III. And to get the tale of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves which is in Vol. IV.
Unlike almost all other Thousand Nights and One Night sets, you will get all thousand-and-first nights; if you can first find the whole four volume set, wherever it is hid on [...]!
A good cultural portal by .. Tom (Lawrence, KS USA)
For those of us Westerners who are looking for exposure to authentic Mid-Eastern historical literature, "The Thousand Nights and One Night" is a great place to start. The various stories throughout this volume are very rich and complex, which furthermore are illustrative of a culture that appreciates diverse and adventurous experiences.
I give this work a four-star rating for three reasons. First, there is a good amount a sexuality explicit narrative which made me personally uncomfortable at times. However, this wouldn't be a problem for those readers who don't have a problem with that sort of thing; this is just my personal feelings on the matter.
Secondly, the narrative line was often hard to follow. One of the qualities of this work is that there are often stories being told within the overall story, and indeed there are sometimes three lines of stories going on. This makes for a fairly difficult read at times, but is certainly manageable for even the average reader. Lastly, the stories can be repetitive at times. A couple of times I thought I was reading the same story twice.
Needless to say, this work is probably not "bed-time" reading for most people. It's a good translation which leaves several words untranslated, which is good because their English counterparts probably wouldn't accurately express the meaning. I often read with a dictionary or the Internet open so I could look up the meaning of the Arabic words. Other than that, a great and enlightening read which I would recommend to people looking for something different to dive into.
Not what it claims by .. Dr. Richard M. Price (London, UK)
Having earlier in the year read Chaucer's Canterbury Tales, I embarked on the 1001 Nights as the nearest equivalent from the Middle East. The Nights proved to be a wonderfully rich text, which evokes with unforgettable vividness the lives of rich and of poor in the great cities of medieval Egypt and the Levant; and the fantastic elements of magic and demons, and of voyages into exotic lands, show great powers of imagination along lines excitingly unfamiliar to us in the west. The version I first embarked on in all innocence was this Madrus-Mathers text; it soon excited my suspicions, and these were confirmed by reading Robert Irwin, `The Arabian Nights: A Companion'. The Mardrus version (in French) that Mathers rendered into English claimed to be an absolutely literal translation of a 'newly discovered' manuscript, but was nothing of the sort: it was a paraphrase which exaggerated and distorted certain elements in the original to make it appeal to the decadent taste of the France of Marcel Proust and André Gide. Mardrus was particularly concerned to make the work more sexy: the stories take on a prurience that is miles away from the spirit of the original. Powys did a very good job in translating this dubious text, but was the job worth doing? Despite the readability of his version and the elegance of his translations of the numerous poems contained in the text (often minimally related to the Arabic originals), the result cannot be preferred to the older version by Richard Burton or the recent one by Husain Haddawy. The trouble, however, is that Burton wrote in an archaizing style that is an acquired taste for a modern reader, while Haddawy has translated only a quarter of the original. I would recommend starting with the first volume of Haddawy, which translates the first and oldest part of the Arabic text (Haddawy's supplementary second volume is a mere selection of a few popular stories), and then sampling Burton, which is available on the internet. This is a fascinating world to explore, but the English reader is singularly poorly served.
Wonderful translation by .. ()
This is a complete English translation of the Thousand Nights and a Night. Before reading this, I started the Burton translation and never finished it. The language was very awkward, it seemed Burton purposely made it sound antiquated and in the passive voice. Instead of suiting the translation to the preconceptions Europeans had about both old and Eastern writings, Mardrus made a literal translation into French, and Mathers translated that into English. The result is not only a more acurate translation, but it's not the least bit awkward and is a joy to read. This is the only English translation of the book I recommend.
Adult fantasies by .. Sanjay Agarwal (India)
The tales just go on and on, and would probably add up to more than 1001. You need a lot of courage, detrmination and time to go through the entire collection.
The setting is medieval Islamic world. The tales offer an interesting window into the psyche of the tellers and the listerners.
Two features stand out in these stories. One is the continuing theme of 'betrayal' by women and unbridled lust by men. ... The ... prowess of 'negroes' (who go around servicing their masters' wives) appears to be a major concern for the story-tellers. The language is quite explicit (and certainly not suitable for ages 4-8 as www.Amazon.com has marked it mistakenly).
The second feature is how the story-tellers appear to be obsessed with wealth and riches. There is very little mention of how these riches are to be produced -- mostly they appear as if by magic or are endowed by kings. No one has to work for them. There are few, if any, moral principles, except for a continuing emphasis on faith in Allah and his prophet. It is interesting to speculate what effect these stories would have had on the region's culture over a thousand years of telling. If popular stories affect a culture's world-view. then you have here a very dangerous set of tales.
There are some poignant moments. At times, some of the characters display rare courage and honesty. You also learn how curiosity can kill the cat in a thousand and one ways. The Khalifa and the kings try to be just most of the time. Some of the wazirs are heroic, though others are very crooked. The description of beauty (male or female) is generally quite exquisite. The narrative also spends a lot of time and effort on describing places, chambers and palaces in detail -- so you can almost see them with your eyes. This is perhaps the key to the magic of these tales.
Certainly an invaluable piece of world's cultural heritage -- though you may differ on their contribution to building a better world.
Related Search : nights one , night , book thousand |
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