I consider this one of Wells' best books. Seriously. Wells was a Fabian socialist and thus had some sympathy with the cause of the Bolshevik revolution of 1917, although he did not share the Marxist pretence to science, nor the Leninist dogmatism.

Wells is specific and perceptive in this book. It is almost shocking just how level-headed this scifi and utopian writer could be when he wanted to. It is a typical British analysis: empirical, rational, and sedate. There is no Germanic high abstractions and needless philosophizing, no French or any other utopianism, no Russian maximalism and rigidity. On his trip Wells met many people and visitied quite a few places. He came away from this experience pessimistic about the future of Russia, noting that it was slipping into anarchy and even greater backwardness. He did not, however, that the Russian communism and Lenin in particular left some hope for creativity and imaginative government. The book depicts the grim situation of Russia during the civil war. I urge people to read this book to understand the desperate historical conditions under which communism has come to power for the first time in human history.

I have never been a fan of science fiction but this set of classic tapes (I listend in the car) are among the best "reads" I've ever enjoyed. I didn't want to leave my car. I found myself sitting in the parking lot before work listening to just "a little more". The reader is phenominal. Treat yourself and buy the tapes. You won't regret it.

Incl. "The Island of Dr. Moreau", "The War of the Worlds", "The Invisible Man", "The Time Machine" and "The Country of the Blind and Other Science-Fiction Stories"

This book is foremost a look at the position of women in Canada (and the UK) in the literary and legal worlds. It is also very well written, with interesting information about H.G. Wells' personal life, his attitude toward women (including his long suffering wife and Rebecca West), his sense of self-importance and his scorn for
"unimportant" writers.

Star Begotten: A Biological Fantasia is one of H.G. Wells' forgotten classics. In this novel a character hypothesizes that Martians ("Some of you may have read a book called The War of the Worlds - I forget who wrote it - Jules Verne, Conan Doyle, one of those fellows") are bombarding the earth with cosmic rays in order to create beneficial mutations. It is further hypothesized that these newly Martianized humans will bring about a libertarian socialist society through assassination and sabotage. However, "It would be anarchism, I suppose; it would mean 'back to chaos,' if it were not true that all sane minds released from individual motives and individual obsessions move in the same direction towards practically the same conclusion." I also highly recommend Men Like Gods.

THIS HUGE BOOK HAS ALMOST ALL OF H.G.WELLS BEST WRITINGS. THE STORIES ARE AMAZING AND THIS BOOK IS A MUST FOR ANY SCI-FI LOVER.

These two tales are a MUST for anyone who loves Wells's work. Its far-sightedness, its intuitive feel for "things to come," the sparkling lucidity of his prose, his dry wit...not to be missed. And if anything, both tales, dealing as they do with future alternatives we wouldn't wish on ourselves, remain dangerously relevant as warnings of what will happen if we don't manage the present with greater thoughtfulness and foresightedness.

Did you read any H.G Wells books growing up ? IF you enjoyed the War of the Worlds, Time Machine or the Invisible Man, then get ready for another classic.

Job suffered pain and sickness, the death of his sons and daughters, everything he had was lost. Ever try to console anyone with troubles bigger then your own ? Ever try to find the answers for lifes problems ? Ever wondered what life is about or your purpose or destiny ?

God has a plan for all of us, only most don't care to hear that and choose not to believe. It is the result of our own choices and decisions that create the situations we are in. Some find out and others will resist and never find out.

I found a 1930 edition of this book at a second hand bookstore. I read it infrequently, but Wells perspective on the history of humanity is refreshing and at times inspiring. There are phrases and observations that have shaped my views of man and his history since I first peered between the covers. ...

I have long been a fan of H. G. Wells, so when I came across this book I naturally aquired it for my collection. It is the "New and revised" edition, published in 1931 by Garden city publishing company, New York, with maps and illustrations by J. F. Horrabin. A total of 1255 pages. As can be expected, some facets of Wells book are outdated, especially the earlier periods of Man's history. This however does not detract from what I feel to be a very readable, detailed account of human history from the dawn of time to A.D. 1931. If you have ever wanted to peruse the past, but have found the average history book dry and uninteresting, I recommend this treatment. Wells brought his formidable talent to bear, and turned what is essentially a boring subject into something almost alive. Even without updates, the casual reader with an interest in history would be well rewarded to read this book. After all, most of the "new findings" I refer to are still being argued over. In answer to the request for an English translation of this work - I found my copy at a library book sale. Should I find or hear of another, I will certainly let you know.

i was in prison when i read this book so i only got to read the second volume but it made me change my whole perspective on history. It is a very good book for anyone who wants to REALLY UNDERSTAND history because instead of just giving a plain account of it, it puts history in perspective, in more of an outline, hence the title. i think it lays it out better than any history book i read in my high school. it makes history look rational and not just like a bunch of random, unconnected events. I think it exposes a pattern and a natural sequence to the events that have shaped this world. After reading it, i kind of look at what's happening today and put it in a historical context. It takes a step back to view history as a whole instead of getting too close to look at the details and making you lose focus of the BIG PICTURE that makes history so very important.

In Invisible Man Ralph Ellison narrates a story through the eyes of a southern black man who is forgotten and abused by people in the worlds around him, conveying to the reader his belief in the necessity of self-realization and self-reliance through the narrator's insights at the same time. Ellison develops his own personal convictions within the unnamed protagonist, giving his character depth of understanding imparted by the experiences he encounters. This anonymous narrator learns not only of racial prejudice during his childhood in the South but also of social ignorance in the North even among other blacks. Upon first arriving north in New York City, the narrator feels as if he has left behind prejudice social classes and unfair bias, but slowly he begins to realize that in New York or any other place there is no such thing as egalitarian rights and communal respect because of the self-serving minds of other people. In many characters such as Mr. Norton, Dr. Bledsoe and Brother Jack, Ellison embodies this attitude of ignorance and personal ambition. In the book Mr. Norton plays a minor role as a university benefactor who only wishes to see the narrator succeed in order to add to his own legacy. Dr. Bledsoe is the head of the narrator's old college who fears allowing the narrator to stay at the university may bring ill repute to his university. He only desires to see the narrator fail and even attempts to catalyze this hope by giving him letters denouncing the narrator's qualifications which he claims to be letters of recommendation. Shortly after arriving in New York, the narrator meets Brother Jack, who is the head of a civil rights movement. At the end of the book the narrator learns that Brother Jack has been using him as a speaker to incite citizens for his own alterior motives. Ellison states through the narrator that his invisibility arises from the negligence of others who are striving toward their goal, too busy to think about him on their way. In the end of the book the narrator fully grasps and learns that his insignificance in others' eyes is insignificant itself, that his peace and contentment must come from within himself. Ellison shows ubiquity and timelessness in his philosophy on man and his intrinsic nature, intricately developing Invisible Man to reflect aspects of his own take on life.

I read Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison independently, while reading and analyzing To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee in my 8th grade class. Both books offer different points of view on the horrible racism of America in the 1930s. Invisible Man is told through the main character's point of view, so the author's views on racism are fully expressed. This is similar to To Kill a Mockingbird because the story is told from a first person in that book as well. The major difference between the point of view from which the two stories are told is that in TKM, the story is told through the eyes of a young white girl, and in Invisible Man it is told from a black man's point of view. The writing is somewhat similar to To Kill a Mockingbird but Invisible Man is darker and more cynical, which makes sense considering that the author of TKM is a white woman, while the author of Invisible Man is a black man. A person's views on racism would be more pessimistic and negative if they had been oppressed and were subjected to racism, and more optimistic and positive if they hadn't. Ralph Ellison must have been discriminated against, up to the point that Invisible Man is somewhat of an autobiography of his struggles with racism. His book is very pessimistic towards the idea of racism ending, as the main character is betrayed again and again by white people. Harper Lee, on the other hand, wasn't oppressed due to her race and therefore her book is optimistic that, over time, racism will go away. A person's beliefs on a subject are greatly affected if that person has been harmed by the problem. I gained a better understanding of the horrible conditions black people suffered not that long ago while reading this book, and that alone is worth the price of admission. Two thumbs up.

Ellison's African-American hero (appropriately, we never learn his name) wanders through life suffering from people who expect him to be someone he's not. Every time he tries to assert himself, people punish him for failing to conform to their expectations, and since no two people seem to expect the same thing from him - and since he meets so many different people - he suffers a lot. He calls himself the invisible man, then, because no one sees him for himself. The novel tells how he comes to this realization and how he concludes that forcing people to conform is wrong and that diversity is a strength. Surprisingly for a black novel set in the 1950s, only about half of his troubles come from racism, and he seems to have little or no internalized racism. Also, although the novel can be read just on the surface, it has a rich allegorical subtext that rewards careful examination. (E.g. the Liberty Paint Company secretly adds a few drops of black graduate to each bucket of their award-winning white paint.) Finally, the book is almost completely free of modern notions of political correctness, so it should be readable and enjoyable for everyone.