This is a history book like no others. The author developed a detailed model of civilization life cycle analysis. According to him, civilizations pass through 7 predictable stages. Typically the 7th and last stage of one civilization is the first stage of another one that is succeeding the first dying civilization.

Using his model, he analyzes in detail the life cycle of several major civilizations, including: the Mesopotamian, Minoan, Classical, Russian, and Western.

Reading this book almost feels like uncovering a manuscript of secret knowledge. Although I have read quite a bit on this subject, other historians and authors rarely refer to Quigley. Yet, I feel that he is the giant within his field of historical analysis. And, that his model could serve well in better understanding current affairs.

This is a fascinating book and definitely worth the time and money. In the beginning of the book, Quigley makes the case for the introduction of the scientific method to the social sciences. As a matter of fact, the first 170 pages of the book lays the rationale behind and need for analytical tools to study history. He states that the alternative would be just the presentation of facts with no explanation for what is actually happening. One needs to know what is happening to be able to determine which facts to present, which requires analytical tools. The first 170 pages also deal with distinctions between societies and civilizations, as well as between parasitic and productive societies. He defines civilizations as producing societies with an instrument of expansion
He then states that civilizations proceed through the following stages:
1. Mixture - different societies come into contact and produce a society with an outlook different from any of the parts.
2. Gestation - the period of time between the mixing of the different societies and the expansion of the civilization.
3. Expansion - the surplus generated by the society is invested in activities that benefit the civilization. This can include an increase in knowledge, increase in area, technological advancements that increase efficiency, etc. Civilizations have different instruments of expansion. He calls a social organization or unit an instrument if it meets social needs.
4. Age of Conflict - The rate of increase using the social instrument slows down which brings interesting times. The instrument can be reformed or a new instrument consistent with the civilization's outlook can circumvent the old instrument. If reform is achieved, a new age of expansion begins. If the vested interests of the previous instument of expansion increasingly consume resources while serving no social needs, Quigley says that the instrument has then become an institution. Expansion can continue, but it is at the expense of neighbors, which leads to imperialist wars. When the vested interests have crushed all internal opposition, the next stage appears.
5. Universal Empire - typically a state or politcal unit on the peripheral of the civilization gains power over the whole civilization. The illusion of a golden age appears. The social organization remains stagnant.
6. Decay - lack of belief in the civilization's outlook or inability to meet needs of the people leads to people opting out of the system.
7. Invasion - external forces disrupt the civilization's social organization and it is unable or unwilling to defend itself. That spells the end of the civilization.
The civilizations that he analyzes are the following: Mesopotamian, Caananite and Minoan, Classical, and Western. His examples are excellent as is his analysis. I particularly liked his example of the the Pythagorian rationalists love for rationality went beyond their love for the truth, as a disciple of Pythagoras proved the irrationality of reality using the Pythagorean theorem. We have that lot to blame for discrediting the scientific method for about two thousand years!
A very enjoyable read!

This is a striking book. When one is past the formative years, it rarely happens that a single book can substantially change one's view of the world. For me the "Evolution of Civilizations" influenced my understanding of history more than anything I've read in many years.

The most important author's contribution to historical analysis is identification of the growth mechanism - "instrument of expansion", which can be quite different in different civilizations. It must include two necessary conditions - generation of surplus output, and its investment in productive economic activities. Later, this "instrument of expansion" becomes institutionalized, when surplus is spent on maintenance of status quo of ruling elites and various vested interests, and a society enters "Age of Conflict".

One of the distinctions, which Quigley attributes uniquely to the Western civilization, is that it passed through the "Age of Expansion" and reached the "Age of Conflict" three times in its history. First - during Middle Ages (he specifically puts dates 970-1270) with the feudalism as an instrument of expansion, which became institutionalized as chivalry and municipal mercantilism. The second period is the Renaissance era (1440-1630), with the commercial capitalism as instrument of expansion, which ended in the "Age of conflict" of the brutal Thirty Years War, absolutism, and state mercantilism of the emerging nation-states. The third "Age of Expansion" is associated with the Industrial Revolution, beginning in the second half of the 18-th century. It had the industrial capitalism as an instrument of expansion, which became institutionalized in the monopolistic capitalism and imperialism.

Quigley puts the end of the third "Age of Expansion" specifically in 1929, with the Wall Street crash and the beginning of the Great Depression. This is an americentric view; in fact the process of institutionalization and monopolistic excesses can be traced to late 19-th century, and by early 20-th century they were plainly evident. Western economies still expanded, but financial crashes, increasing in frequency and magnitude, underlined new fragility due to the exhaustion of the expansionary mechanism. In this sense the WWI was a typical "Age of Conflict" war, similar to the Hundred Years War and the Thirty Years War of the previous "Ages of Conflict" in Europe - not a clash of civilizations, or the conflict between the old and the new. Instead it was pointless, horrible slaughter underlying the conflict between vested interests of various elites and countries belonging to one civilization, and largely devoid of irreconcilable ideological differences.

Yet, contrary to the author, it is unlikely that the Western civilization is unique in this sense. The ascendance of every civilization includes several distinct stages. In fact it is more historically consistent to talk about the probability of the civilization's survival after a period of crisis, brought by institutionalization of the "instrument of expansion" and solidifying status quo. One can argue, for example, that the Islamic civilization experienced at least two distinct "ages of expansion" - the first centered at times of Abbasid Caliphate, the second - during the ascent of the Ottoman Empire, in 14-16th centuries.

In the case of Orthodox Christian (i.e. Russian) civilization Quigley puts the "Age of Expansion" in the interval 1500-1900, and then - a new one beginning with the Soviet era. In fact, just like Western civilization, the Orthodox one experienced three very distinct stages of expansion before 20th century. The first one was Kievan Rus, which flourished along the North-South trading routes between the Baltic and Black seas (hence the duality of the most important cities - Kiev in the south and Novgorod in the north), which entered the "Age of Conflict" near the end of 12-th century and was conquered by Mongol invasion. The next period of expansion probably began around 1350 (its first show of strength was the victory over Mongols in Kulikovo Pole in 1380) and was centered around Moscow. It lasted probably until institutionalization of the part of the boyar elites loyal to Ivan IV (Grozny), around 1560. Its instrument of expansion was oriental-style autocracy, based on the ideas of civil and military administration borrowed from China, Golden Horde and Islamic countries. The subsequent "Age of Conflict" included terrible repressions of later-stage Grozny period, "Time of Troubles" in early 17-th century, and early period of the Romanov dynasty. The next stage began with Peter the Great, and was associated with St. Petersburg period. Its instrument of expansion was European-style absolutism, with westernizing aristocratic elite and bonded peasantry. It reached its zenith around 1815 with the victory over Napoleon, and began to stagnate around 1830.

I would argue that Quiglean interpretation of the subsequent period included unsuccessful attempt at the new instrument of expansion (western-borrowed industrial capitalism) in late the 19-th and early 20-th century, which was aborted and instead a new civilization was born. This socialist (or atheistic) civilization rapidly expanded to about the third of the globe and exerted strong influence on the western world. Its "instrument of expansion" included Communist party as an organization responsible for investing economic surplus (which later became institutionalized in "nomenclatura") and social engineering, which allowed rapid industrialization and development of education and health care. It reached its zenith in victory over Hitler, launch of the Sputnik and Gagarin's flight. This civilization entered its first "Age of Conflict" around 1965, apparent in progressing economic stagnation, intra-civilizational tensions with China (including a small war in 1969), one of the first manifestations of its crisis was defeat in the Moon landing race. Soviet regime collapsed around 1990, but the civilization did not, which is evident in strong economic performance in China throughout 90-s (which can be viewed as Quiglean "geographic circumvention") and the fact that Russia, despite some religious revival, remained overwhelmingly secular and didn't revert to many previous monarchic and religious traditions. After a period of painful reforms it will have the potential for the new "Age of Expansion", probably based on some western and some of its own ideas.

I first got this book a couple of months ago and honestly was not interested in reading it. Once I finally did, I could not put it down. This book is fiction, but it makes you wonder how much of it is true. You become connected to these five men in such away that you feel like you were there through everything. I cannot wait to read the sequal. I recommend this book to EVERYONE!!! I'm so proud of you Paw-paw!!!

This is very well written book. Clear, Concise phrases. The book flows without the unneeded stops some books have. It is not for the faint hearted. I know Mr. Hardwick and this is a book written with care and a lot of hard work.

Outstanding..........If you read this one, be prepared for an emotional roller coaster ride. This book clearly reflects on the American resolve to overcome insurmountable odds. Bring on the sequel!

If you don't have the latest Newton's, you're not doing telecom.

If Amazon had a 20 star rating system, that is what this book would get. I keep mine located between my PC and my phone in the office...which is where I use it the most. And I use this book, literally, every day. I have only found one item I have looked for that I could not find between the two covers (a FHSS encoding method at 1Mbps). I emailed the author and it is due in the next revision. Most of all, don't let the title decieve you! This is NOT a straight telecom book. Need info on cellular, paging, wireless LANs, data networking? It is ALL there. This is the most used book I own and I own hundreds. The best investment in a book you will ever make!

How do you improve on perfection? Hard work and new content. We may be in the middle of a once in a lifetime industry downturn, but Ray Horak and Harry Newton certainly haven't been laid off. They're busy getting us reading for the next innovation wave with the 19th edition.

I give copies of this book to every student who attends TrainingCity.com Voice & Data training classes, and everyone loves it!

Let's face it. Most sales people we come in contact with drone on about what they think is gonna make you buy. Wahburn and Wallace have revealed profound conclusions of what customers want to hear, based on hundreds of research questionaires conducted with customers of highly successful companies. I've been in sales for 17 years and I gave up on reading sales books because they were not helpful. This one is different. It immediately helped me improve my presentation that I've been giving for the last 11 years. I thought it was as good as it was gonna get. Wrong. I'm making more money and saying what customers want to hear. Even better, more customers are saying what I want to hear. Buy the book. You won't regret it.

I refer to this book on a regular basis to train my sales force. It reinforces what we have been working on for several years AND the results are there. Great job Harry and Kim.

I am a CPA and Harvard MBA and have sold sophisticated tax shelters on a commission basis for years. This is one of the finest books on salesmanship I have ever read.

It is grounded in excellent theory, yet it presents the information in a simple manner that is easy to understand AND easy to implement.

The book focuses on two areas:

1) Know where your customer is in the buying cycle. a)Is he committed to do something yet, or not. b)Is this a repeat of a prior purchase or not? c)Is he evaluating alternatives? d)From whom will he buy the product or service selected? e)Is the price right?

2) Different personality types buy in different manners. The book describes three types. a)Commander (take-charge, action-oriented leaders) b)Thinker (logical, analyze details, and like knowing the answers), and c) Visualizer (practical, intuitive, see things as they are).

A buyer is interested in certain information at each STAGE in the buying cycle. Additionally, each personality prefers to receive their information in a different manner. By recognizing the buying stage and the personality of the buyer you are trying to persuade, you can choose the most compelling arguments to make every time. This will avoid 90% of the turn-downs other salespeople get when trying to close a sale.

I have read other books classifying personalities into 9 or 16 types. Other authors define 8 or 11 stages of a sale. By using 5 stages in their DREAM sales cycle, and 3 personality types, I think Washburn and Wallace have done salespeople a GREAT service. These categories are well defined, easy to identify, and easily utilized to increase sales with their strategies.

Readers looking for more advanced strategies in these areas can try Kerry Johnson's "Sales Magic" and "Selling the Way Your Customer Buys" by Marvin Sadovsky and Jon Caswell. However, I feel Washburn & Wallace's "Why People Don't Buy Things" has the ideal mix of quality content which works, is easily digested, and implementable. I recommend it wholeheartedly.

Harry Crosby was a navigator in the 100th Bomb Group in World War II. He was one of the original members of the 100th, a bomb group that, because it ventured into battle with less training than groups preceding it, and because of its unenviable position flying in the lower part of the formation on many missions, suffered heavy losses and became known as "The Bloody Hundredth". Crosby uses his obvious skill as a student of the English language to recreate the drama, the humor, and the terror of flying B-17's out of East Anglia in the war. He describes many of the historic missions flown by the 8th Air Force as an eyewitness. I have read the book several times and it is good history as well as a good study of human beings and the stresses they face daily in war. I highly recommend this book.

Find a copy of this book somewhere, it is well worth the extra effort. Only the new WWII airwar novel, The Triumph and the Glory, moved me as much as Crosby's epic tale of the 100th Bomb Group

This book is real, deep and insightful. I find myself in awe of the personal courage of the men who ventured over Festung Europa during the darkest days of 1943 and early 1944. I read and reread this book whenever I need inspiration to face daunting and/or painful circumstances. I really wish that it was back in print.

It's an exceptional book that can give rise to a family tradition. The story of "Cranberry Thanksgiving" centers around Grandmother's Famous Cranberry Bread, and the recipe for the bread is on the back cover of the book. My mom and I read the book and made the bread for the first time when I was 4 years old, and 32 years later the tradition is still going strong. I still enjoy going to the bookshelf in the weeks before Thanksgiving to find this book and bake the bread.

The book's story is engaging, the illustrations are lovely, and the characters are memorable - who could forget wild Mr. Whiskers or snooty Mr. Horace? There's even a moral for those who like morals - don't judge a book by its cover.

Who cares if the silver spoons don't match, or if the red hall carpet is worn and mended?!!!
Thanksgiving is here and it's time for grandmother's famous cranberry bread!!!!! I can almost smell it! It is a secret recipe, hidden in the...,,,, well, I'll let you find out for yourself when you read the story.
Maggie and her grandmother live at the edge of a cranberry bog.
Maggie has invited Mr. Whiskers over for Thanksgiving dinner and grandmother is not too pleased at the thought of him in the house! After all, he smells like seaweed! But each year she tells Maggie, "invite someone poor or lonely", so Maggie invites Mr. Whiskers.
Mr. Whiskers actually ends up saving the day!
The pictures in this book are very warm and charming, and the story holds the interest of my squirmy 2 year old, as well as my older children.
We read it often and have even baked the cranberry bread from the recipe included in the book. It's yummy!
A delightful story for Thanksgiving or any time!~

when i was in the third grade, my teacher mrs. higgenbotham read us this book, and then we made the cranberry bread in class- i thought that it was the greatest thing back then, even though everyone hated the cranberries! i am so excited to have found this book again and cannot wait to share it with my stepsister who is in the 3rd grade this year- im sure she'll hate the cranberries as well, but im also sure she'll love the book-

Having heard of Heinie Aderholt for years, I was looking forward to reading his autobiography. While the book is very informative, I was somewhat disappointed in the overall content. Maybe it's due to his age, but there were some assertions made that don't jive with the facts. He states that the Air Force misused the C-130s in Vietnam by limiting their gross weight. In reality, C-130s in Southeast Asia operated at their maximum allowable normal gross weights and payloads throughout the war - I was a C-130 loadmaster on two SEA tours and know the limitations. There is also quite a bit of personal horn-blowing, which is common with autobiographies. I found it rather ironic that Heinie's comments related to special operations are almost identical to those made by his former boss, General William Tunner, about how airlift was misused and should be a command of its own. There's also the constant refrain of "if they had left it up to us, we'd have won the war" but now that the facts are coming out, it is becoming pretty apparent that there was no way we were going to win it. Air Commando One is a good book for the military historian's bookshelf.

Sam McGowan, Vietnam Vet and author, The CAVE, a novel of the Vietnam War

During the Vietnam era, Heinie Aderholt was U.S. air force's patron saint of low-cost, bare-knuckled, unconventional warfare. He was one of two men -- the other being his longtime friend, the CIA's Bill Lair -- to put his personal stamp on the huge covert program in Laos, and had there been more Aderholts and Lairs, events might have turned out differently. As it was, Aderholt had to labor during his entire career under a military system that was not flexible enough, or responsive enough, for a man of his remarkable talents. But he did his duty, and then some. The Air Force historian Warren Trest has done Aderholt justice with this book; and there's some especially interesting material on Aderholt's loyal opposition, from within, to the way the Vietnam war was run.

Heinie is a legend but not from others tales of his exploits. Heine is leader respected for his legendary achievements; some of which yet remain classified. A leader formost who undertood his men because he always remained one of them. No matter how severe the circumstance Heinie created success by unique applications in unconventional operations.

At Nakhon Phanom for example, on the border of Laos, Heinie founded and commanded the 56th Air commando Wing into a unique force to interdict the flow of men and materials down the trails in Laos. Making the rounds nightly he remained close with his troops of all rank in a bond seldom seen where thoughts were exchanged because of mutual respect. Heinie slept less than most and almost always in his fatigues or flightsuit.

General Aderholt's life story is compelling and well written and he continues today to make a difference in Southeast Asia. In October 2002 returning to Nakhon Phanom, Heinie procured a container of medical and school supplies with the Thailand Laos Cambodia Brotherhood and to dedicate a monument being built to honor the fallen American and Thai forces in the Vietnam War.

The Legend Continues... read it.

John Sweet
56th Special Operations Wing
Tactical Units Operations Center
Nakhon Phanom
Air Commando # 2924

A Classic. I have to agreee that I do not think Micheal read this book. One of Doyles best with out a doubt. Challenger is as good a hero as Holmes. Thank god for America releasing the 1925 film on DVD.

With the DVD remastering of the 1925 film of "The Lost World", this book makes a fascinating companion. I read the novel in my teens and it was fun to re-enter Doyle's world and remeet the fascinating Prof.

Get the book and the remastered DVD - making sure you get the restored version.

This handsome (Wessex = listed here as Gasogene) edition of an enthralling yet sadly neglected masterpiece by Conan Doyle, creator of Sherlock Holmes, is enhanced by dozens of insightful annotations, all the original illustrations, as well as a stockpile of in-depth, illuminating essays on the origins of the work itself, its adaptation to the silent screen, and more. Five- star rating both for content and presentation. A collector's item, well worth the price.

I decided not to take any books on my (solo) vacation this year -- preferring instead to see what I would gravitate toward 'on the road' (my way of living dangerously -- such an exciting life I lead!). So it was, in one of the bookstores at Logan Airport in Boston that I came to be standing in front of the philosophy/self-improvement section. No -- PLEASE no self improvement (I said to myself). Aren't vacations supposed to be a respite from such relentless work?. But something (probably the link between my impending 37th birthday and the book's idea that a spiritual journey is natural in mid-life) intrigued me too much to let myself put this book back on the shelf.

When I reached my destination, I was still reluctant to start such a deep-sounding subject, but I picked it up anyway -- just to read a bit to get myself to sleep. Three hours later, I was still in the midst of this engrossingly descriptive guidepost to maturing spirituality. Reluctantly I put it aside to get some sleep, but the next morning I finished it -- somewhere between breakfast and lunch. Like another reviewer said, now I know what several friends will be getting for birthdays/Christmas presents!

I suppose the thing that touched me most was the inclusionary (rather than exclusionary) nature of the examples of different stages of 'the journey' -- tapping many different faith traditions rather than one particular dogma. Well, that and the idea that I have something 'new' ahead of me as I hit my forties and beyond, rather than more of the same old thing. I'd like to read it again soon (and I have a feeling I'll want to read it several times in the next couple of decades), but I'll have to get another copy -- my 'original' has been on loan since returning from my trip!

Rarely has a book affected me as profoundly as The Five Stages of the Soul. Like the mythic lighthouse beaming brightness into the dark, authors Moody and Carroll bring illumination into the deepest recesses of our souls and provide insight into the challenging and difficult struggles of life.

Actually, this is the first book that I've read suggesting the concept of stages in soul growth, especially during one's middle years. Those of the "baby boomer" era who are also caring for elderly parents may identify with many of the stories artfully woven into each chapter. While the content of the book is deep and thought provoking, the material is presented in language and style that is understandable and inviting.

Giving meaning to our daily lives, encouraging growth through struggle, and offering hope through spiritual commitment are a few of the gifts laden in the pages of this book. Perhaps you may even find, as I did, answers to questions unformed yet ever present and waiting.

This is a wonderful book.

I've just completed it a second time, in between readings buying copies for friends and loved-ones.

This is a book that normalises the feeling I, and as the book shows, amny, feel about there lives ... "Is this all there is?".

The book is full of spiritual wisdom, drawing from a broad range of traditions, religious and secular.

I really enjoyed this book. Yes there is more to life and as the author reminds us, there is still time.

Enjoy.