Egyptian Harmony is penultimate guide to harmony and universal geometry of nature and life, Moustafa's seventh book is a challenge to the reader requiring closer consideration than some of his earlier books. However, 'The Visual Music' is by no means beyond the realm of the novice and only the domain of the academic, rather Moustafa has thoroughly explored, researched, measured and compared a science that is universal and presented it for the aficionado of Egyptian knowledge that directly applies to every culture, being and facet of life. Harmony is presented throughout the book with reference to geometry and mathematics fundamental to our building blocks of life and of place and shown with reference through the eyes of the Ancient Egyptians who were the first culture to employ and recognize the subtle geometry of the universe. Divided into thirteen knots, taken from the Egyptian cord that presents twelve equal divisions (just as it is with stringed instruments) the book itself is organized in harmony relating to harmony. Moustafa takes off where Johannes Kepler could only boast and does so without academic or personal gain using reference and intrinsic sense of the individual to offer a book of learning. Number has meaning, and beyond the occult trappings of so-called Pythagorean number mysticism Moustafa elucidates an understanding and breadth of related meaning behind number including its allegorical representations within Egyptian art and architecture. This book is a must for any who are frustrated by the sacred sciences of harmony distilled and diluted from the original source - the Ancient Egyptians.

Egyptian Harmony: The Visual Music presents the sacred geometry of ancient Egypt and its extensive applications in various aspects of that age old culture. Author and independent Egyptologist Moustafa Gadalla reveals that the ancient Egyptians had an incredible and comprehensive knowledge of harmonic proportion, sacred geometry, music, and number mysticism. This is manifested in the ancient texts, temples, tombs, and artwork. Readers will discover how in Egyptian philosophy and religion the Word (sound) that created the World (forms) was likewise transformed to visual music by the Egyptians into hieroglyphs, art, and architecture. Egyptian Harmony is the result of painstaking, original, iconoclastic, thought-provoking research and highly recommended reading for students of Egyptology, antiquarian metaphysics, and the non-specialist general reader with an interest in Egyptian culture, artifacts and archaeology.

Being a lover of music and an Engineer made this book very quickly become one of my favorites. Learning about the ancient egyptian knowledge of harmonic proportions and sacred geometry was very interesting to me and I'm sure anyone with a love, or at least even an intrest in either or both. In his reader friendly style, Gadalla shows, once again, the vast expertise of the ancient egyptians, in a logical and easy to understand manner. This book is a definite MUST READ.

A "must" for anyone intriqued by Ancient Egypt -- or anyone not afraid to think out of the box. Gadalla's chiming logic, straightforward language, and demystifying graphics make the ineffable seem obvious. As accessible as it is brilliant. Do your consciousness a favor and read this book.

In Egyptian Divinities: The All Who Are The One, historian and Egyptologist Moustafa Gadalla surveys eight Egyptian gods and goddesses to reveal how they interact to maintain the universe and the human being with the context of an antiquarian Egyptian theology. Westerners will find Gadalla's observations on the Egyptian concepts of monotheism and animal symbolism as fascinating and informative as they are insightful and iconoclastic. Egyptian theology was sophisticated and, in fact, an expression of monotheistic mysticism. A meticulously presented, ground breaking work of impeccable and original scholarship, Egyptian Divinities is enthusiastically recommended reading for students of Egyptology, metaphysics, and the history of monotheistic religion.

This is Moustafa Gadalla's eighth book in his continuing struggle to illuminate history from biases of the West and of the Abrahamics. The research in this book leaves little to doubt regarding the validity of guesswork and appropriation by said biased individuals.

Egyptian Divinities continues in Moustafa's clear and concise way of presenting the Ancient Egyptian cosmology, dispelling the chinese whispers trickled from Greek and Western cultures. He explains in great detail some 80 important neterw (wrongly interpreted as gods) and more importantly their function(s) in relationship to each other and to the reader. Moustafa's words reach out to concepts familiar to life relating them to the symbolic view the Ancient Egyptians presented in their cosmology. Many of the neterw described in the book have separate sections markedly defined; "In human terms," that allow the reader to closely associate more with the symbols of this culture rather than chanced abstract terms demoted to purely simple concepts of denegration.

This book is not a fancy of the mind, Moustafa quotes and relates his points directly to Greek, and many other sources not to forget the reader's own common sense. If you have read Moustafa's work before then this book is literally a 'Benben' of his collected work to date. If you are unfamiliar with Moustafa Gadalla's work, this book is a great place to start and work one's way back through his collection.

Now in an updated and expanded second edition, Moustafa Gadalla's Pyramid Handbook is a unique, informative, and iconoclastic contribution to Egyptology with its focus on the pyramids of antiquity. Featured are the locations and dimensions of the interiors and exteriors of the pyramids; varied theories on the construction, purpose, and function of the pyramids; the sacred geometry that was incorporated into the design of the pyramids; and a great deal more. Pyramid Handbook is fresh, original, thorough, scholarly, completely accessible to the non-specialist general reader, and enhanced with useful illustrations of the sites and interiors of the Egyptian masonry pyramids. If you have an interest in Egyptology, the Pyramids, and iconoclastic archaeological studies, read Moustafa Gadalla's Pyramid Handbook.

This book contains a complete synopsis about the pyramids. Finally, there is a book that gives all the information about the pyramids, their locations, dimensions, profiles, why they were built, and how. The sacred geometry of the pyramids and pyramid power are very interesting. Well researched, and well written.

From having traveled to Egypt myself, I can tell you that this is one of the best books on the pyramids I've ever read. If only I had this when I was there, I could have been so much more fullfilled. I was especially interested in the writtings on sacred geometry. I can't wait for for the next time I get a chance to go to Egypt and visit the pyramids armed with Gadalla's book. This is a must own for anyone traveling to Egypt or has ever wanted to know the truth about antient Egypt and the pyramids.

The Second Edition print of Egyptian Cosmology could almost be a new book by Moustafa Gadalla. The chapters and a majority of the contents has been updated in line with his recent research and other publications. To compare the two academically would be an injustice, the second edition stands strongly on its own right and the divergent material included only accentuates what was a puissant publication. There is more than fourty pages of additional information and as ever the writing is succinct and intuitive.

In itself the book flows with the concept of universal harmonic laws, broken into eight parts the last being The Octave; which is a return to the beginning, or new beginning derived at the end. Moustafa explores number symbolism greatly in the second book and its co-existence with our own science and discovery of how all life is generated. Points are made clearly without academic egocentricity as the book breaks down the hegemony that surrounds modern Egyptology. "Words convey information; symbols evoke understanding." The book does not hide answers behind veils of rhetoric but delivers an intuitive perception that the reader can quickly identify with.

The symbolism of numbers one through eight are given a chapter, each outlining the basic principles of the numbers and their correlation to our world and as the Ancient and Modern indigenous Egyptians interpret them. Animism is a strong theme, but not a natural dissection of a culture rather a exploratory look at it through the eyes of the Egyptians analogous to our own scientific facts of the universe.

The so-called 'Gods', really neteru - the main principles/universal actions of the Egyptian spirituality - are detailed richly. Man's identification and personification of these neteru is dutifully explained as microcosm to the macrocosm. The books goes on to discuss the metaphysics of spirituality refusing to treat it like it was some fanciful metaphor giving strong backbone to ideas of life after death and the cycle of nature. In addition humankind's role in society and culture is explored as it was with the Ancient Egyptians and how it saw and maintained itself in accordance with true harmony of community, not just titular.

Egyptian Cosmology is not a book for the academic shelf, it is a book of rediscovery of what is lost in many cultures and shows with clarity the links with nature and the universe now taken for granted. It is a book to read and re-read, to give understanding to the nature of life.

Now is an expandedand and enhanced second edition, Moustafa Gadalla's Egyptian Cosmology: The Animated Universe offers the reader a an unusual and articulate introduction to the advanced and sophisticated cosmology of ancient Egypt. The metaphysics of Egyptian antiquity is coherent, comprehensive, consistent, logical, analytical, rational, and had an influence that went well beyond the borders of Egypt to influence the cultures of Rome and the western world. A native Egyptian and independent Egyptologist, Moustafa Gadalla provides the non-specialist general reader with highly recommended commentaries and insights into the Egyptian concepts of monotheistic mysticism; the description of the"Big Bang" origins of the universe as described in Egyptian texts; the numerical codes of creation; and much, much more. Egyptian Cosmology is enthusiastically recommended reading for students of Egyptology and metaphysics.

Egyptian Mystics is Moustafa Gadalla's tenth book in the thoroughly researched study of modern and ancient Egyptian society and culture. For those not aware, Moustafa is biased by neither Abrahamic religion nor Academic status, which in the study of ancient lands and its peoples puts him in the small minority, and as such his highlighting of the misdeeds these groups is laid clearly and factually with well documented research and common sense. There are those who consider his work controversial and Egyptian Mystics is not a book to placate history from an Abrahamized outlook, rather it is a document that shows a breathing culture who have maintained traditions, albeit surreptitiously, for thousands of years and more.

As with all of Moustafa's books published through the Tehuti Research Foundation, Egyptian Mystics shows a consistency in its presentation; well-bound for a softcover, B5 of size, a detailed table of contents (broken into four parts with appendices), and an introductory preface, terminology, chronology of the Egyptian Dynasties and a map of Egypt. The text is clear and easy to read with consistent use of fonts to separate sources both indigenous and foreign beyond the textual body that is displayed in bite-sized paragraphs.

Part 1, The Hidden Treasure; this short, two chapter section begins by introducing the main points of the entire book showing the two paths of world spirituality, those following the dogmatic religions of a personal god and that of the mystics. Sufism is explained, its origin in Egypt and how it exists in its most widely followed path to date with clear facts that tie with the earlier introduction of mysticism. The concept of man and 'god' is explored deeper with regard to union between the two as the essential and ongoing ingredient in the path of mysticism.

Part 2, Transformation from Dust to Gold; interpreted/inherited and used in hermetic and philosophical practices throughout the world. Alchemy is the first chapter and Moustafa explores the spiritual process of transformation of man in that journey of purification with fundamentals of Egyptian mysticism that have multi-layered meaning and representation, rather than just the sheer act alone; words as symbols are presented. Links along this journey are detailed with rich information on the aspirant's need for a guide. The purification process is examined deeply with page after page of the journey to cleanse body and mind in preparation for further 'enlightenment'; breathing, moral fundaments, movements, cleanliness, etc. Finally, mysticism is shown less a dogmatic cult following a communal god than a personal journey of understanding nature and of the role of the individual/microcosm to the macrocosm, the realized world and beyond, through knowledge acquired in spiritual revelation by way of being guided along this path of purification. The Egyptian principles of Ka and Ba and their interrelation are examined specifically with their union or marriage of dualities into the whole. Those that have undergone this process are revered in shrines by the Egyptians with a clear spiritual backbone that is not just superstition but a process of deep and tacit understanding.

Part 3, The Public Visitation Fairs; in this part a vibrant and florescent social culture is exampled following the fundaments of spirituality through tradition. The concept of nature as being cyclical, whether by seasons or the shift of planets is a given but this is nowhere more celebrated by the Egyptians who still continue rituals to remember the roles and that of humankind in the cycle. Mouleds, the annual festivals of renewal, are described in detail, not just the dates, locations, and practices but also of the ritualistic symbolism inherent. Lent, Easter, and other inherited traditions by the Abrahamic religions are shown in their full and continued force from their origin in Egypt, with strong meaning underpinning the date's central to their whole tradition of renewal. Beyond symbolism the structure of the Mouleds is explained in day by day process, from the visitation of families to shrines to offerings of food. These traditions are not just purported in the modern sense but are accompanied by depictions of scenes taken from ancient Egyptian buildings.

Part 4, Come One Come All; explores the mystical fellowships and their structure both in the material and spiritual senses. Moustafa breaks down organization, ethics, spiritual beliefs, roles in society for the reader leaving no room for a secretive or cabalistic personification of a group locked steadfast to their silence and elitism, pointing out the equality of man and women therein. The analogy of Auset (Isis) is explored from its representation in the story of her and Ausar (Osiris) as an ideal model of the philosophical tradition, using aphorisms and examples that show the path one must take if one seeks a path of enlightenment and as example of general conduct of any moral and honest being.

The Appendices, a fairly new addition to several of Moustafa's latest books consists of nearly another entire part of information covering; Miscellaneous Sufi Terms and their Ancient Egyptian Roots (fundamental symbolism of the Ancient Egyptians is explained with example of Sufism today), Sleeping with the Enemy (surviving Islam), Zikr: The Ecstatic Practise (a lengthy dissertation on the ritual of Zikr and its process in the path of seeking enlightenment), Reaching the Hearts and Minds (of how fiction is the best model for explaining models of behaviour), The Egyptians vs. The Latin Calender (an important examination of the Julian/Georgian systems developed from the Sothic year employed by the Ancient Egyptians).

Finally a Glossary of Egyptian terms with concise paragraphed explanations precedes the Selected Bibliography, Sources and Notes, and an exhaustive and excellent Index.

This book brings together much of Moustafa's earlier books into a culture still employing symbolism and spirituality long thought dead or not at all. The book does not seek to gloat or to show an exact way of seeking a mystical way, but challenges the reader to examine his or her own standing in the world spiritually and personally; a book to be read many times and its learning employed.

Egyptian Mystics: Seekers Of The Way is an impressive and groundbreaking contribution to an enlightened and enlightening study of the Egyptian contributions to Sufism and Alchemy in the ancient world. Iconoclastic Egyptologist Moustafa Gadalla provides an informed and informative examination and correlation between the Ancient Egyptian calendar of events and the cycles of the universe -- including the Egyptian contributions to the Christian calendar in terms of Christmas, Easter, Pentecost, and more. Egyptian Mystics is an original, thought-provoking, and thoroughly "reader friendly" study which is enthusiastically recommended for students of Sufism, Egyptology, and metaphysics.

Iconoclastic Egyptologist Moustafa Gadalla's Egyptian Rhythm: The Heavenly Melodies is an amazing and impressive study of the intricacy of ancient Egyptian music, from the 24x7 Egyptian Musical Chart to its religious aspects and daily uses in life. Very highly recommended reading, Egyptian Rhythm details the theory and practice of the ancient Egyptian musical system, and is presented in depth for scholars and serious music study students, as well as the non-specialist general reader with an interest in ancient Egyptian culture and tradition.

On reflection, what were striking to the book were its clear and concise references elucidating hard and common facts. Standing on its own or as a companion to Moustafa's book Egyptian Harmony, Egyptian Rhythm is well researched and could fit easily into a school or public library for all manner of ages. Vibrant, the book shows a living and breathing culture of the Egyptians, often shown in modern and popular culture as an enslaving race, as a peaceful culture dedicated to the understanding of nature and its laws. Egyptian Rhythm is not just a guide on the 'music of the Ancient Egyptians' - though it does certainly covers that - it is a guidebook to music itself not just as a hobby or business but as it relates between oneself and the world. "Rhythm means flow" Moustafa writes, this book explores that flow, the science of nature and of echoing its harmonies.

This book, like others from Moustafa Gadalla continues a tradition of retaining excellent chapter headings and an in depth index. Preface, is followed by explaining a few musical references and their standards and terminology, an Egyptian Dynastical Chronology, and lastly two maps of Egypt and its surrounding countries. Coupled with the text this book has an easy practical application.

The first part of this book - five in total plus appendices, glossary, selected bibliography, and a detailed brake down of notes and sources - explores the cosmology of music by asking of meaning which the Ancient Egyptians saw as the harmony of the spheres. Music like other concepts the Ancient Egyptians held strong to was that it flowed, not just into a sheltered system of memory repetition as it is nowadays, into other facets of their life. Moustafa presents with facts and research how music/spheres influenced their daily, weekly and yearly cycles.

The second part explores at core root beliefs of harmony, its application, representation and symbolism of the practiced musicians of Ancient Egypt. Modern musicians can easily find common symbolism and harmony not just in a purely mathematical/geometrical or memorized form but as it applies beyond the music to certain rhythms in life. The tetrachord, unison, the octave all have meaning beyond their direct musical implementation, and as such every page has an epiphanous quality more so in the hands of a musician than student, though if you're familiar with Moustafa's books the concepts behind the music will not be alien to you.

The third part takes formation of music and rhythm and explains the patterning used in Ancient Egyptian music, from song structure to scale harmony, the 'how to?' of how such a culture implemented techniques frequently derived as of coming from Greece and heavily accredited to the Western World. A sceptical mathematician could check Moustafa's research (he clearly provides the maths & harmony) and be left wanting.

Part four clearly shows the vast quantities of instrument types used with the examples of what few instruments are remaining, current numbers have little part in explaining how broad the range of Ancient Egyptians' instruments was. From the Lyre to the Kanun (yes, Canon) Kithara (Guitar) and Clappers, four sections explain the four main groups; Stringed instruments (both open & stop types), Wind instruments, and Percussion instruments. The references to existing instruments and the level of detail researched on each would be hard pressed to find in any encylopedia.

The final part rounds off the implementation of music into daily applied life, in festivals, or simply public activities. Again as with the other chapters, clear illustrations from hieroglyphs and paintings show the Ancient Egyptians not just as drum beating primitive culture, but one that had and still has a high value to their belief and representational performance that exist purely fragmented in our own society's today.

Note should be made of the appendices. A small chapter in itself, Moustafa explores five topics that go to answer critics or academics further on the topic of music and its dilution from Ancient Egypt.

Westerners may have difficulty with agreeing with elements of Moustafa's exploration into music but the quality and consistency of explored facts without a selfish bias makes it impossible to denounce. Whether for musicians seeking meaning behind the concept of sound or for students of Ancient Egypt, or to a friend of family member, Egyptian Rhythm is an uplifting book of a vibrant and diverse culture that has respect and practise with the laws of nature and its observance.

"BLACK AMERICANS" READ THIS BOOK!!!! Gadella's work has exposed my patriarchal Ancient Egyptian roots. This book historically documents a main cause of the trans-atlantic slave trade, Islamic Jihads. As well as explains why Africa is in strife right now, european colonialism and foreign religions. Gadella uses historical evidence to successfully document and link why there are similarities of language and indeginous culture amongst the people of Ancient Egypt all the way west to the Yoruba of Nigeria. Gadella's research cross-verifies research by Dr. Yusef ben Yochannen (Dr. Ben) another excellent slept on Ethiopian egyptologist. I am no expert on Africa or Egypt, but what I have learned first hand about roots and culture coincide with Gadella's research and theory. I am an expert on Afro-American culture and history and much of our traditions are very similar to the Egyptians. Is it a coincidence? No. Read this book and you will find truth. Amen??!!

This book is very informative and truthful.

African based overstandings of Egpyt and Africa will change your life and save our children. Get this book! Visit the web site too. .... You can contact the author, read exerpts and tables of contents from all of his books at the web site.

This book is most impressive and informative. The author clearly presents the truth and evidence to support it. As an African himself, his intentions are for the good of the continent and all the people across Africa whose ancestors were exiled from Egypt.

The [Social and Political Structures, Division of Labor] sections contain detailed information about societies in other parts of Africa that have had influence from ancient Egypt and yet also maintained their original traditions. These sections are well documented, and they can show readers how different cultures, religions and traditions can blend together without bloodshed when people come together without a plan to conquer and convert. Unfortunately, this has occurred too many times in Africa.

We cannot undo the unfortunate past. But the spirits of our ancestors will never die. Ancient Egyptian deities are alive and well, because they are still given praise, under the same and different names, depending on which languages the exiled Egyptians have come to speak.

I have read this book and have compared it to my findings based on emperical evidence as well as others methods i possess! indeed the euro-charlatans can no longer lie in the face of ppl of true knowledge and identity inwhich they never lost! There is big difference between cultural ancestry and origin ancestry inwhich the origin of cultures will always precede the ideas that stem from it, inwhich one should know now that the origin of all ascendants were black or dark skinned ppl, even charles darwin indirectly acknowledged this. It does not matter where u put the ancients in a time and era, or how one may change the method of meanings and communication, indeed all cultural concepts and language have there begin points from a common and singular source! Which was in africa!, it does not matter how diverse one may want to become from the next but understand that all communications must start off with a common way of communing. This being said, academia should acknowledge the difference between slang variation and a distinctively different concept of communicating, indeed they ignore this to great detail, even in their own countries lol! example: ebonics! nuff said. Now for anyone who understands evolution and anthropology then u would know that not all the black ppl of the ancient world were the same exact color or shared the exact features indeed though they were similar in design or even resembled their kin they all still possessed their own unique look that should not be taken out of context as being a foreign unknown identity, that came much later with the climax conditions and the eating habits and the types of bacterias in the food and waters not to mention birth defects, gene splicing, and selective breeding do to different belief systems and a way to establish a area belonging to a particular blood line being that they all share the same features of the mothers and father. So i hope in the future our lost tribes of white bruhdas and sistas will come clean about the origin of the human line. lmao! These insecurities that are justified by some ego religious dogma is way too funny! laysa!.....................keep theorizing while the truth keepers bring forth evidence. If anyone racist charlatan wants to challenge what i write then i can break it down to you in physics, anthro, phono, bio, chemistry, and sociology as it pertains to cultural change do to lost information of ones elders and cultural indifferences as not all shared the same concepts but they all did recognized the TRUE SELF!.....................the only darkness is ignorance towards ones true identity and the method of experience that was chosen....................fwame!

Moustafa Gadalla is notorious for not doing complete and thorough research. First of all Tut-Ankh-Amen does not mean "The living Image of the Lord". In Egyptian cosmology the aspect of god called Amen actually means the hidden or unseen force, that which from all creation came. The Egyptians never referred to this deity as Lord. In this book the author goes to great lengths to prove that Tut-Ankh-Amen was the historical Jesus. He makes very good conjectures about the possibility of AmenHotep III being King Solomon of the Bible and Ankhenaten possibly being Moses, However his research seemed to stop short, as it does in most of his books and he then begins to match up bible passages with Egyptian proverbs and prayers to prove that the young Pharaoh was Jesus. The author never touches on the possibility that the story of Jesus may have been a retelling of the mythical story of Heru (Horus) and that Jesus the person may never had existed, ironically if the author had included this in his book he would have lended himself more evidence to prove his theory because he could have claim that the stories of Tut-Ankh-Amen, Heru, and Jesus got intertwined somehow. But this is the problem with Gadalla, he never does the complete research necessary to support his claim just enough to sell a book. The idea that the young king may have been Jesus is fascinating but there was just not enough evidence given in this book.

Moustafa Gadalla is an excellent author and a genius. I've read this book twice and I was very very amazed!!! He was able to use the origin of words and the use of languages to connect Egyptian history with that of the Biblical Jesus. He uses sources like the Tulmud, the Bible, Egyptian spirituality, and the life of Tut-Ankh-Amen to piece together the whole story of where the Christ story originated from. I would have never thought of this!!! I recommend this book for anyone who's fascinated with Biblical origins and Egyptian mysteries.

I noticed a that couple criticisms of this book are not quite accurate. The author did not say that Tut-Ankh-Amen means the Living image. He said Tut's birth name, Tut-Ankh-ATON, means the living image. This is a correct translation as the Aton (or Aten) was an abstraction. I can understand someone not agreeing with the author, but let's not mislead his potential audience by misquoting him.

And many of the ideas here are borrwed from Ahmed Osman. But the author doesn't try to hide this. I recommend this book.

The author ventures to provide a brief historical summary of Ancient Egypt. This is accomplished through five short easy-to-read chapters (one entirely devoted to Ancient Egypt and the Bible), drawing upon both modern and ancient sources. Simple religious terms and beliefs are elaborated. Aspects of Ancient Egyptian life explored include the pharaohs, their technology, art, literature, and society. The ideas invoked here are outside the mainstream of Egyptology conventionality.

I found this book great for beginners. It provides a NON-Euro centric view of Egypt/Kemet. Too many books on Kemet written my those with religious agendas. Moustafa does a good job of informing the reader about Kemet in a quick, easy to read format. I do wish he had more information on Pre-Dynastic Kemet, but that info is hard to come by. His research on origins of David, Solomon, Moses, Jesus and the hoax called Exodus actually jives with much of my research on these mythical characters. Overall, the book shows Kemet in a different light than the most of us have been told by the Biblical stories. If one is more advanced in their research on Kemet - this book is not for you. Hotep!

If you are looking for a truthful description of Ancient Egypt, this is a good place to start. Mr. Gadalla offers a very reader-friendly glimpse into the aspects of Ancient Egyptian society and the many contributions they have made throughout the world. Furthermore, he is attempting to dispell our preconceived -- and often misled -- notions surrounding Ancient Egypt. He also sheds a great deal of light onto the interrelated issues between Egypt and the early years of Judaism and Christianity. This is done in a forthright manner, but it is neither condescending or an attack against these religious faiths. After all, I feel that true love comes from knowledge and understanding, not from a sense of guilt or duty. Thus, no one should be offended by the truths he points out. This book should be read with an open mind. That is really all that is required of the reader. It is rather refreshing to have an unbiased lesson on a topic as broad and important as this.