This is an excellent movitational book. I think everyone should read it.

Nathaniel Mackey has long been one of our most interesting poets. In Whatsaid Serif, he advances his long running poetic sequence "The Song of the Andoumboulou" another 19 pieces(according to the Dogon,the Andoumboulou are human beings created by a bumbling, incompetent, rookie god, beings who don't exactly correspond to the intended idea of the human; in other words, "they are us".)These poems feature a movement, both geographical and spiritual, across an African landscape rich in displacement, myth, and mystery, a train on tracks and a train of thought that yields many stunning phrases. Much of the language - a language that unifies thought and desire - is explicitely gnostic, of the sort that conflates eros and divinity. Robin Blaser writes of this book, accurately, that "Mackey's poem is a brilliant renewel of and experiment with the language of our spiritual condition and a measure of what poetry gives in trust -'heart's/meat' and the rush of language to bear it." This book has meant a great deal to me. I can't recommend it highly enough.

Words Of Ages: Witnessing U.S. History Through Literature is a remarkable 320 page trade paperback book that takes a unique, ground-breaking approach to showcase American history by using letters, journal entries, short stories, and poetry to illustrate the American experience through pen of some of America's greatest authors and historical figures. Included are more than 125 excerpts from such luminaries as Booker T. Washington, Edith Wharton, Mark Twain, Tom Wolf, Thomas Paine, Chief Tecumseh, Frederick Douglass, Robert Frost, and a host of other to provide an accessible context for understanding the events, places, and people that shaped American history, culture and politics. Words Of Ages is divided chronological into units ranging from "Voices of a Revolution" and "Civil War and Reconstruction", to "Social Critics and Reformers" and "The Vietnam Years". This dynamic, interdisciplinary blending of literature, history, and art provide a most unusual, effective, and academically sound approach that will be read with enthusiasm by anyone with an interest in American history.

This is a great book, if you can get throught the first chapter. I had to read this book over the summer for school and I thought it woul be a real boring experience, but it turned out, I really liked it. It is a story about Nathaniel Bowditch, he grows up during the Revolutionary War and loves to learn. He becomes an indentured slave because his father can not support him and his sibilings. This does not stop him. He becomes a ship captain and you go through most of his life hardships and all.

Carry On, Mr. Bowditch was an excellent book. It was hard for me to put the book down. Nathaniel Bowditch-Nat-has life long dreams of going to Harvard. He is wonderful at math. The only problem with Nat's dream is his family is poor and the Revolutionary War is going on. His family has many seafaring men in it. Soon he sails and on his trip he learns many different languages, many errors in Moore's book of navigation, and discovers a new way for taking a lunar. This is a very good book!

This book was so well written! My boys ages 6 and 9 loved this book and so did their Dad. They read well past bedtime every night and talked about "Nat" during the day. When we finished the book my boys were interested in stars and navigation and had a keen interest in sailing ships. They even looked up Nathanial Bowditch on the interent and found the details fascinating. "Wow, it's a piece of living history," my 9 year old said of the story.

Owen Chase, the first mate on the whaleship Essex that shipped from Nantucket in 1820, to be visciously attacked and sunk by a sperm whale over 2,000 miles from the South American coast, survived at sea on a whale boat for two months. Cannabalism of a dead crewman was his key to survival. Chase subsequently became a whale boat captain and authored a tome on his experiences. In 21 years at sea, Chase only spent 5 months on land but managed to have 6 children by 4 wives (2 died in childbirth, 1 was divorced for infidelity while he was at sea). This history book, though highly entertaining, is an eye-opener about 19th century America, Natucket Quaker culture, the whaling industry, race (when the survivors resorted to cannabalism, the first four crew members eaten were Americans of African descent, a face that the Quaker abolitionist whalers of Nantucket tried to keep silent). The literature that came out of the Essex tragedy, from Melville's Moby Dick to works by Edgar Allen Poe, is also well reviewed. To combine entertainment with the acquisition of knowlege, this book cannot be beat.

As in Junger's "The Perfect Storm" and Shackleton's "Endurance," I knew the ending of this story before reading the first page. I wondered, Should I should spend time learning the details of the disaster or go on to another book?

Twenty pages into the story, Philbrick's easy, yet authoritative narrative convinced me to continue. Well-researched and never ponderous, "In the Heart of the Sea" tells the tale of the whaleship Essex and the crew's struggle for survival after a sperm whale rams and sinks their vessel. The build up to the sinking is fascinating. With early nineteenth century details of life in Nantucket and the motivations of individual sailors, Philbrick caused me to care that much deeper as the crew set off over open ocean in hopes of survival. The sheer immensity of the Pacific looms over the account; the crew's joint effort to prevail is incredible under the circumstances.

Although the dilemma of cannibalization waits till the last quarter of the book to rear its head, the emotions and lead up to that fateful--and lifesaving (for some)--decision are done with masterful care. Philbrick justifies the crew's actions with the history of seafaring survivors. The details are horrific, but the humanity of these men manages to shine through, in part, through Philbrick's attention to the survivors' following years and destinies.

With a wealth of information in the notes at the back of the book, "In the Heart of the Sea" stands as a modern masterpiece, reminding us of the anguish that has helped shaped our nation, while also warning us of the dangers of abusing our natural resources. If history is an ocean, Philbrick takes us to the heart of it.

You are going to like this book. Philbrick has taken a fascinating event in nautical history, the ramming of a whaling ship by an enraged sperm whale (the real life inspiration for Melville's Moby Dick), and written a gripping, informative book about whaling, Nantucket, prejudice, desperation, courage, weakness, redemption, survival and shame. For those of you thinking this is nothing more than exerpts of a diary of men in tiny whale boats, guess again.

Not content with merely telling the story of the wreck and the struggles for survival by the crew, Philbrick gives us a glimpse of Nantucket in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, provides some useful information about the island's religious customs (the Quaker Society of Friends dominated life on the Island), and describes what life was like for a sailor on a boat such as the Essex. We know from reading this book where they slept on board, what they ate, how they were disciplined, how they killed and processed whales, and how much money the captain and crew stood to make from a typical voyage. We also learn how whalers from Nantucket were seen as superior to those from the mainland such as Bedford or Boston, and how African American sailors were frequently afforded the short end of the stick when it came to shares of the profits, accomodations, etc.

Ultimately, though, this is a story about the wreck and about survival, with some fascinating subplots. You will cringe as you read about Capt. Pollard and his crisis as he must make difficult choices which jeapordize the life of his own relative, Owen Coffin, who he had promised to protect. Philbrick explores the ironic fear of cannabalism that drove the Essex sailors to avoid relatively close South Pacific islands after the wreck, in favor of a very risky and lengthy trip to South America. He tells us of the difficulties in steering a whale boat, and describes the trade winds which drove the men away from their target.

All in all this is a gripping read. It is written with compassion and with attention to detail; the author has done his research, as 50 pages of Notes would indicate. I was particularly impressed with the passages of the book relating to the aftermath of the Essex disaster, as he followed the careers of the survivors, and pointed out that at least one crew member even sailed with Captain Pollard again. He borrowed from the journals of two survivors, the first mate and a cabin boy, whose accounts of the disaster sometimes digress. He also drew interesting parallels with the open boat plight of Capt. Bligh, of Mutiny on the Bounty fame. After reading the book, I was so enthralled I read the 50 pages of notes to avoid putting it down. Pick up this book if you are at all interested in sailing, whaling, nautical history, or true-life survival stories under the harshest of conditions. You will not be disappointed.

Though I have never read Thomas Hardy before, I shall again very soon. I greatly enjoyed Far From the Madding Crowd. I kept associating Bathsheba, the heroine, with Scarlett O'Hara. They are both women from the past who are struggling for a place where only men typically tread. Unlike Scarlett, Bathsheba's emotions are more restrained. She's so young, but matures through the book. The reader yearns for the day she finally matures to the point that realizes she needs a partner in life, and her perfect partner is Gabriel Oak, her steadfast mate of fate.

I definitely recommend this book for one of those cold rainy weekends curled up on the couch.

I am looking forward to diving into my next Thomas Hardy novel, Jude the Obscure.

I've always condidered myself to be sort of an optimist; so it is really odd that I've always really loved Thomas Hardy's books. I count Tess of the D'Urbervilles and Jude the Obscure among my very favorites, and whether or not it is my favorite, I think that The Mayor of Casterbridge is marvelously written. Still though, reading all of that fatalism and cynicism can be a little much. It was really nice to pick up this novel and not read so many grim scenes.

Far From the Madding Crowd is a pretty simple love story driven by the characters. First, there is Bathsheba Everdeen. She's vain, naive, and she makes the stupidest decisions possible. Yet, you still like her. Then there are the three guys who all want her: Troy who's like the bad guy straight out of a Raphael Sabatini novel, Boldwood who's an old lunatic farmer, and Gabriel Oak who is a simple farmer and is basically perfect. The reader sees what should happen in the first chapter, and it takes Bathsheeba the whole book to see it. The characters really make the book. The reader really has strong feelings about them, and Hardy puts them in situations where you just don't know what they're going to do. The atmosphere that Hardy creates is (as is in all of Hardy's novel) amazing and totally original. I don't think any other author (except Wallace Stegner in America) has ever evoked a sense of place as well as Hardy does. Overall, Far from the Madding Crowd is a great novel. I probably don't like it quite as well as some of his others, but I still do think it deserved five stars.

This book was a required read for Academic Decathalon but I was handed the cliff notes and told to study them if I didn't have time to read the book. I dislike cliff notes unless I have already read a book and I need to review so I chose to listen to it on tape. I was thoroughly surprised to find myself laughing at the overly-honest Gabriel Oak proposing marriage to Bathsheba Everdene, I had been informed that this book was something of a rural comedy but I had not expected such preposterous situations and ironies. The novel centers around Bathsheba though I would not label her the heroine because the reader is often frustrated by her behavior and even annoyed by it. She is quite poor but a smart girl and a particularly beautiful one as well. Gabriel meets her and soon decides he must marry this young woman. She declines deciding that she can't love him and soon moves away. Gabriel loses his farm in an unfortunate event and through circumstance comes to be in the same part of Wessex as Bathsheba. She has inherited her uncle's farm and is now running it herself and she is in need of a sheperd and sheperding happens to be Gabriels forte so he is hired. Farmer Boldwood who runs the neighboring farm becomes smitten with Bathsheba too when he recieves a prank valentine saying "marry me" on the seal(this valentine was sent by Bathsheba and her maid/companion). He soon asks for Bathsheba's hand and Bathsheba who feels guilty for causing this man's desire says she will answer him upon his return in two months time. The union with Boldwood is not to be since Bathsheba falls deeply in love with Frank Troy and soon marries him. An ex-girlfriend of Troy's shows up but dies shortly after giving birth, Troy is heartbroken and tells Bathsheba that he loved Fanny more and still does. Troy leaves and soon is assumed dead but is truly only missing. Boldwood moves in one Bathsheba again but in a set of bizarre events Troy returns to take Bathsheba from Boldwood once more. Boldwood is infuriated and turmoil ensues. This is an escapist novel in these times and is well worth reading. Weatherbury and Casterbridge will charm you and allow you to experience the little oddities of Victorian Era rural life in the pleasantest way imaginable.

No one is a better expert on self esteem than Nathaniel Branden. As far as I'm concerned, he is the only person who has attacked this problem with any depth. The Six Pillars of Self Esteem is yet another masterpiece that dares to tackle self esteem on a philosophical level and succeeds in illuminating the reader about the dynamics that may go into creating his own diminished sense of self.

In spite of my endorsement of this book, however, I have to address an issue here, which I will preface by stating the old adage, "Buyer Beware." Why? Because beneath the well-meaning essays about self esteem is a personal agenda on the part of Branden to promote the Western ideal of Individualism, as opposed to Tribalism, which is dominant among Third World countries. Because of this agenda, Branden has been accused of being a cultural imperialist. Unfortunately, judging from what I read in this book, I think that his detractors may be right.

Read the chapter about society and culture and you will notice something very strange: in his explanation of how cultures can carry values detrimental to self esteem, Branden does a great job of pointing out the faults of other countries, but hems and haws when it comes to pointing out the faults of American culture. In fact, he says that immigrants and 1950's intellectuals are to blame for elements of American society that create self esteem. This proclivity to blame American low self esteem on alien forces rather than the culture itself shows that there is a grain of truth to what Branden's naysayers are saying. I would have defended Branden against the throng of the politically correct who usually scream racism and/ or cultural imperialism at every turn. But after reading this infamous chapter in which Branden suggests that American culture promotes great self esteem, but is somehow muddled because of the ancestry of some of its people who come from countries that DON'T promote ideals that America holds sacred (in other words, good old-fashioned Individualism), I concede. They're right.

Yes, it may be true that intellectuals and immigrants and their backwards tribalism add to the problems of low self esteem in America, but did these alien forces also create the culture of egoism, superficiality, materialism and an emphasis on perfection? Just as low self esteem in Japan is the result of elements in Japanese culture and low self esteem in Hawaii is the result of elements in Hawaiian culture, low self esteem in America is a result of ideas that originated in American culture itself. The emphasis on what a person does instead of what he is; the harsh judgment of people who don't fit Hollywood standards of beauty and thinness; the valuing of a person's outer appearance over his inner self-- these are ideas which we can all agree are PURELY American-based. Branden can try to avoid this harsh, brutal fact all he wants and even blame these ideas on immigrants and intellectuals, but he still cannot avoid the fact that they were nurtured in American society, period. That he isn't as perceptive about problems in American culture as he is about other cultures lends his otherwise good work an air of suspicion.

Now does this all detract from an otherwise good book? Of course not. But I wrote this caveat for several reasons. Number one, I wanted to back-up those people who Branden has criticized for being so narrow-minded in not thinking that his idea of self esteem applies to their culture. It may be a little rash for a black person to accuse Branden of pushing his "white" ideas on minorities; however, as rash as that woman was, her reaction to Branden's ideas was legitimate. Underneath the plea for healthier self esteem, Branden is pushing a very specific value of his as a universal-- in this case, the ideal of Western Individualism. He commits cultural imperialism not by believing that his country has certain virtues superior to other cultures; he does it when he takes this opinion and makes it a personal mission to now transform other cultures-- like the Japanese and the Hawaiian-- who he believes are too Tribal and not as Individual as we are.

Secondly I wrote this to show people to be careful when they read self help books. No self help book is free of prejudice, and so when one reads them, one must learn to separate the really helpful material from the material where the author is merely spouting opinion and even pushing a personal agenda. Every genius has an area where his genius runs out; and Branden's genius runs out when he starts trying to explain self esteem in a more philosophical-- and culturally global-- context." So in reading this book, enjoy the chapters that are helpful to low self esteem. But when Branden starts talking about self esteem and other cultures, watch out! In other words, "Buyer Beware."

After reading through many of the negative reviews on The Six Pillars, I found myself wondering how many of those naysayers have actually read (or understand) the book. Take, for instance, the review of the supposed "psychologist" who trashes the entire book based on Branden's comment that people in intimate relationships feel most at home, most comfortable with, people who share similar levels of self-esteem. (This comment on page 6, by the way, which is as far as "the psychologist" got, I fear). Our worthy psychologist says that this can't be true because, get this, in his experience as a psychologist, unpopular kids at school want to be like and hang around the popular kids. Therefore it can't be true that people in long term, close relationships feel comfortable with partners of similar self-esteem levels. Maybe its just me, but DOES THAT MAKE ANY SENSE?? What does unpopular kids wanting to be like or be around popular kids have to do with self-esteem and intimate human relationships? And since when do the popular kids at school automatically have high levels of self-esteem???? The logical errors in his review really startle me, coming from a supposed mental health professional. And then to use this convoluted argument to discredit the whole book? I just wanted to point this one example out because I think a majority of bad reviews for this wonderful book have to do with emotional, kneee jerk reactions, or simple misreading of the text. And of all the things Nathaniel Branden would cringe at, irrational, and emotional logic would be at the top of the list.

I posted an earlier review of the book, so I won't go into how special a thinker and writer I think Branden is. Or how carefully argued the Six Pillars is. I just wanted to point out that to Branden, logic and reason are sacred things, and to discredit him without using logic or reason is a bit of an insult to his work.

As a self-esteem coach, virtually every day I thank God (if there is such a Being) for Nathaniel Branden. Up to this point in his evolution as a writer, self-esteem was considered a semi-mystical attribute of character, that was known to be an *effect* of good parenting or good therapy. It was maintained that there were only certain "turning points" in our lives which, if negotiated skillfully, could yield enhanced self-esteem. After the publication of this book, it became clear that we have many many such turning points every day. These insights, allied with the directed sentence completion techniques he developed earlier in his career--a kind of quick burrowing into the subconscious for information and feelings not ordinarily accessible to the conscious mind--can yield enhanced self-esteem in a fraction of the time possible to the earlier forms of psychotherapy at the time. For me the big problem, as a self-esteem coach, is that clients who read "Six Pillars..." often only get help when I put out 100% effort dredging up all I learned over the past 5 decades. If a client does not already have a base of knowledge that needs to be integrated, in my experience using the techniques of "Six Pillars..." leads to confusion. This is not to denigrate Branden's achievement--he is perhaps the most underrated psychologist in the history of psychology, being one of the great generalists whose discoveries are rarely mentioned in counseling texts--but rather to gently chide him (should he read this little epistle) to *please* write a book about what he must contribute, as therapist and as man, in addition to the theory and exercises written about here to achieve the wonderful results he has achieved with his clients.

If you want to be thrilled and have an adrenalin rush, but unfortunately you've been grounded for "something you didn't do" and can't use the TV to watch a Bond movie, maybe you should pick up a book. I suggest you pick up Artemis Fowl, then for an extra adrenalin rush read Artemis Fowl: The Arctic Incident
Child criminal mastermind Artemis Fowl is back with a whole new adventure! His fortune is slightly bigger because in the past year he outsmarted the LEPrecon - the Lower Elements Police recon, an elite team of fairies, pixies, sprites and other magical lower element folk. They are responsible for keeping Heaven City, the last place that man hasn't taken over, safe. Even with their futuristic high-tech equipment Artemis still outsmarted them and got his hands on some fairy gold. Anyways, this story starts off when Artemis gets sent to a boarding school, where he gets an urgent video e-mail from the Russian mafia. The screen shows a man Artemis never thought he'd ever see again... his father, Artemis Fowl senior. Artemis figured that the Russian mafia kidnapped his father. Artemis is determined to rescue his father, but it is not going to be an easy task. Meanwhile, the LEP were having troubles of their own. Someone was providing goblins with softnose lasers, which could be dangerous. So Artemis makes a deal with the LEP that if he helps them with their crisis against the goblins, they would help him rescue his father. Can Artemis help the LEP and rescue his father? You'll just have to find out yourself.
I thought this book was awesome!!! It had all the ingredients of a great book: there was comedy, loads of action, it was interesting, a good plot, fairies and other folk, romance (just kidding) and plenty of high-tech gadgets. Reading this book was like if you put a Bond movie, a fairy tale and a sock puppet in a blender and turned it on and drank it. It would take a million-bazillion years to explain how amazing it was. I hope Eoin Colfer decides to write a third book for this series. I would give this book five and a half awesomes (which is just like five and a half stars).

It's one of those things such as marmite, football and shopping. Artemis Fowl. You love it, or hate it. And I'm extremely glad to be able to count myself among those you love it.

I've read both books more than five times, and every night I sit and pray that the genius Eoin Colfer brings out a third. The characters all have so much character, even those mentioned just once, the descriptions are incredible and the flow of the words is easily the greatest use of the English language in the history of literature.

My favourite character? Artemis Fowl, of course. He's quick-witted, cool in the face of dangerous and viciously intelligent. But book two showed us the softer, most vunerable side of Artemis Fowl, as the boy he didn't ever truly have a chance to be.

The best bit in number two is when he emerges from the plasma in Koboi labs. What a scene. The movie has a good chance of living up to the superb quality of the book, but if it doesn't then I'll still be the biggest fan on Earth of Eoin Colfer.

Funny story. I've started to learn Russian, even since I first read book one, just because I love this book so much.

God bless Eoin Colfer. And God bless Artemis Fowl.

This was another excellent book by Eoin Colfer. I have read his first Artemis Fowl book and it completely changed the way I felt about all of the characters in the book. I am 13, and as it is a childrens book, I don't think any adult can give this a bad judgement. I finished it after 3 days which isn't my fastest but one of them, it was a thrilling story line and I rushed through it. I saw the more vunerable and kind side of Artemis, the protective brotherly/fatherly response of Butler and the charm and courage of Root, Holly and Foaly.
In reply to another review that I read, this book cannot be compared to Harry Potter books. Harry Potter uses the traditional and educational view of fantasy and fictional tales of old, where as this shows the world turned upside down by a modernized superior secret underground. I give this 5/5 because that is what it deserves after the feeling I had once finished it. Thank you Eoin Colfer

A combination of a 1920's British whodunnit and a serial murder psychological thriller? Descriptions of this book sounded too weird to be true, yet this is exactly what 'River of Darkness' is, and it works - brilliantly.

Set in post-war England, an Inspector haunted by his experience in the trenches and helped by a sucession of village bobbies uses forensics and psychological profileing to track a serial killer - decades before any of these terms are even invented.

The suspense builds as the author shows us the thoughts and doings of the victims, police, and killer, in the lead up to each of his awful and inevitable bursts of random and targeted violence.

The victim's wounds point to a highly specialised military background; physical evidence indicates that the murderer watches his carefully-chosed victims for weeks; psychological opinion has it that his sexual release come only from killing. This killer is far scarier than any modern big-city stalker/slasher - not since Red Dragon have I read of such a truly frightening character. This is an excellent and original book - I totally recommend it.

"River Of Darkness" deals with Inspector John Madden and his attempts to solve a series of brutal crimes that have been occuring since WWI. I found the book well paced with interesting characters and a entertaining plot. However, I thought the book would delve into the psychological mind of the killer and detail why this person kills, but the story only touched on that aspect in some areas. The setting is great and it really gives you a sense of London just after the Great War. The motive of the killer is generic, but is presented in a unique way. Overall, a fine read well worth your time.

This Debut is set in 1921 Surrey. When a family and their servants are killed in their home in the Surrey countryside, Detective Inspector John Madden of Scotland Yard is assigned the task of finding the killer(s). The entire country is shocked at the multiple murders, a virtually unknown event at the time. Madden is baffled because he can't find a motive, the murderer left no clues at the scene and the press and his superiors are pressing for a quick arrest. With painstaking attention to every detail, Madden, slowly, but surely, begins to unravel the mystery of who killed the family. As the investigation proceeds, Madden has a sense of urgency because he becomes convinced that the killer(s) will kill again and soon.

This is an excellent read, even for those who don't care for procedurals as being too slow moving, because you'll find yourself staying up late to finish just one more chapter. Madden is a very interesting character - flawed because of his experiences during the Great War - but not so flawed as to be insensitive in either his investigation or his relationship with the other characters in the book. The plot is ever changing with several interesting twists and turns. While the history is present, it is not the main thrust of the story - the solving of the multiple murders before the killer(s) kill again is the story here. There are two engaging minor characters - Constable Billy Styles, assigned to his first murder investigation, and Helen Blackwell, the local doctor who is called in to verify that the family is dead. There is some talk that this is the first in a trilogy featuring these characters. One can only hope this is true.

Giles Milton tells a good story. His central interest in travel writing and the history of exploration are clear from the start. Most of the book recounts stories of various expeditions, not just to the Far East but also to the Arctic, the Hudson basin and Manhattan. These are mildly linked by the competition between the Dutch and British for the spice trade.

However, the accounts of the central expeditions and the conflict over the island of Run, rely almost exclusively on British journals and diaries of the time. Thus the book reflects more the English reactions and prejudices of the time rather than giving an objective historical account. The natures of the two East India companies, the peoples of the Moluccas or the Dutch process of colonisation are sketched only very briefly. Instead life on board ship, the methods of Dutch torture and the banality of the factor's lives are given extensive treatment. While these are interesting, they do not particularly help explain the machinations which led to the Dutch control over the East Indies or the British revenge in taking Manhattan. The book's one-sided use of sources begins to get irritating by the end.

This was a great read...just the kind of history book that makes learning fun. Who would have thought that so much blood could be shed over what is today a relatively common spice -- nutmeg. During the 16th and 17th centuries, nutmeg was as valuable as gold and all the big players of Western Europe (Spain, Holland, and England) were eager to get in on the action. Eventually Spain dropped out of the race leaving England and Holland to wreak havoc upon each other and the natives of several South Pacific Islands. Milton's prose is wonderfully descriptive with a dash of dry, British humor in all the right places. Beware...this book is not for the soft-hearted as contains ample bloodshed and vivid torture scenes. The complete disregard that the Dutch and English had for the natives and the ecological balance of the islands can also be a bit shocking to the 21st century mind. But it is a worthwhile read nonetheless. The only thing I didn't understand was the title...Nathanial shows up towards the end of the book and although he's quite heroic, his is by no means the only story told.

The real power of this book is that it takes you to the early days (1500s to 1600s)of the spice trade in the East Indies and lets you know what is was really like. With a skillful mix of narrative and quotes from documents (how did those people write all those letters?), Milton lets you know what it really took to get a ship half way around the world and bring it back with a load of nutmeg and other spices. The diseases, the storms, the treachery; its all there and told like and adventure story.

Milton's theory in the book in very interesting too, which is that the Dutch eventually traded New Amsterdam to the British for a small spice-loaded island in the Pacific. Whether he's right or not (his theory is clearly well researched) is not critical because Milton is just a terrific writer and you enjoy every page of this historical page-turner. I'll be reading his other books very soon.