Don't be put off by the stultifying title and heftiness of this book. As history books go, this is a page-turner. It's a highly readable and thoroughly documented history of how Christian dogmatists have fought virtually every advance in human knowledge in the Western world: from astronomy to anatomy, evolution to Egyptology, linguistics to lightning rods.

This book first appeared in 1896. Since then, science has advanced and grown faster than ever before--yet Christian religious dogma is unchanged. Incredibly, we still hear from some states, towns, and public school systems (at least in the U.S.) the same biblical-fundamentalist arguments against scientific inquiry that, as Prof. White's book meticulously demonstrates, have been raised and debunked repeatedly over the past two millennia.

It's up to us whether we let religious fundamentalists paralyze progress in our era. Never forget which fruit God told the humans not to eat.

I was bored over my holiday break (December 2002), and thought I would just read a few pages of this book to help me fall asleep. Three hours later, I was riveted to the book and couldn't put it down (or sleep).

Originally written in 1886, this is a comprehensive account of clashes between theological and scientific claims about how nature works. White systematically chronicles the persecution all the major areas of scientific inquiry had to go through from theologans before they were accepted : geology, mechanics, medicine, meteorology, biology, etc..

For example, in one chapter he meticulously works through the emergence of the heliocentric view of the world, as opposed to that endorsed by the Pope where the earth is the center of the universe. There are tragic tales of threats (Galileo), torture, and execution (Bruno) of scientific minds who made claims that conflicted with the Church.

The chapters are exceedingly well-crafted. He starts out each chapter by describing the origins of the Christian view of the topic (for instance, that there is literally a stone firmament above the earth through which rain is let in). He then discusses how scientists came to question such views, their persecution by the church, and eventually how the Church backtracked and hedged and finally accepted the scientific view.

Compared to a lot of work by skeptics these days, the book is very scholarly: it is exceedingly well referenced, so that you can go find the original sources of both the theological and scientific viewpoints. On the other hand, since the book is over 100 years old, there are some ideas that are a bit antiquated. For example, his discussion of "primitive and savage cultures" extant in Africa are a bit dated. Also, the references to the 'recent' Civil War in the United States shows the books age. These anachronisms come off as interesting more than anything else. Overall, stylistically the book reads better and is more thoroughly researched than most modern skeptical thoughts.

Overall, I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to know the real story about how science and religion have related to one another in history. To those creationists who say that scientists are being dogmatic by adhering to naturalism, I say read this book. Naturalism as a scientific methodology is not a dogma (where a 'dogma' is something believed without evidence). Rather, science is naturalistic because 1000 years of the alternative were an abject failure: based on historical evidence, religious thinking *in science* only stunts the creativity and logical thought processes of scientists. In my experience in neuroscience, I have seen this many times.

Finally, this book should be on every scientist's bookshelf. As a working neuroscientist, I take for granted that I am free to think in any direction about how the brain works. I do not need to answer to any higher authority than evidence provided by experiments. I am accorded this privilege because of people like Galileo, Darwin, Lyell, and Harvey who stood up to the Church establishment and had the courage, in the face of sometimes fatal reproach, to say what they thought was true.

Thomas Henry Huxley wrote in 1860, "Extinguished theologians lie about the cradle of every science as the strangled snakes beside that of Hercules; and history records that whenever science and orthodoxy have been fairly opposed, the latter has been forced to retire from the lists, bleeding and crushed if not annihilated; scotched, if not slain." This remarkable book documents this history. The author is respectful but painstakingly thorough. Page after page one will read of the idiocies propagated by Christian theologians and their inevitable refutation by advancing scientific knowledge. This book should be read by everyone, especially those remnants of the middle ages who still believe the Bible is a reliable guide to the study of nature.

The book is about the financial trouble that fiat (e.g.,paper) money created in France during the revolutionary years. It also states clearly that the people didn't learn enough from a lesson they had 70 years early.

If you read this historical account you will very often wonder: 'Hey sounds familiar to me...'. Too bad - or?

Fiat Money Inflation in France is as much about irrational human behavior as it is about financial crises and runaway inflation. White describes a dissillusioned public who, under the influence of increasingly self-serving public officials and orators, accepted more and more assignant printings even though the perils of such printings had been documented throughout history and were then blatantly obvious right before there eyes.

White presented this analysis of the runaway inflation in France to dissuade the US Government of printing its own paper money. He was successful.

A book worth reading.

A clear presentation of a governments desparate move using cheap inflated paper money to pay off old debts and its effects on france around 1790. This is not a dynamic novel, but mind bombs go off as the author hits the chain of events that occurred when money is inflated, and is backed only by only a promise to pay the debt it represents. The French find themselves mired in a cycle of ever increasing difficulty to pay that debt off. Although it is not a novel and at times a bit dry, you will definitely be talking to your friends and family about what this author has to say and comparing it to what you see happening now.

Seeing the Dark Knight in black and white is what made me give this book 5 stars. The black and white artwork was awesome! I must admitt that the short stories were just average, however the artwork saved the short medicore stories.

Well worth the discounted price I paid for it from Bud Plant Comic Art. A solid 5 star read.

This hardcover collects the excellent 4-issue miniseries from DC Comics. Contains short stories (some serious, some not) by some of the best writers and artists around, plus covers, sketches, gallery, tipped-in plate by Jim Steranko, and a cover image by Jeff Jones. The covers are on art board stock, giving it a very unique appearance. Also includes work by Corben, Simonson, McKeever, Timm, Kristiansen, Toth, Windsor-Smith, Ross, Stelfreeze... that should be enough to get your attention! The only problem I had with it was the brief appearance of Lobo in the Gaiman/Bisley story - can't stand that character.

In 1930, William Van Alen (architect of New York's Chrysler Building) invented his Art Deco design to embody the spirit of his age when art was expected to be higher, faster, and more dynamic than was to be found in any prior age. Superbly illustrated with images drawn from the Christie's archives, and enhanced with commentaries by Michael Jeffery, Simon Andrews, and Nicolette White, Christie's Art Deco is an informative as it is beautiful, complete capturing the dynamic essence of an art style that defined an era with everything from Japanese ceramics to Swiss poster designs to French glass to American architect, and more. Highly recommended for art history students, art deco collectors and connoisseurs, as well as anyone with an eye for enduring beauty, Christie's Art Deco is enriched with collector's tips, a glossary, museum addresses, Christie's addresses, a select bibliography for further study, and a very helpful index.

Christie's Art Deco, edited by Fiona Gallagher, is an excellent overview of the Art Deco period with highlights of the major designers of each category with innovations in the respective fields of design. It is written in a scholarly narrative text. Categories included are architectural detailing, furniture, glass, ceramics, silver and metalware, jewelry, sculpture, and graphics/posters. It has 192 pages with approximately 120 color photographs and an excellent bibliography given for further research. It is an excellent choice for a wide range of readers with an interest in the decorative arts.

I adored this book! First of all, it was tremendously fun to read, and in this day and age, we can use all of the fun we can get. I also found it to be one of those delicious books that are hard to resist having just a little bit more of, sort of like eating a pint of Hagen Daz, ("I'll just read one more chapter...") But this sense of fun went further than the book being just a good read, for the character of Jules Duchon had a sense of authenticity where in no time I truly felt like I not only knew him, liked him, and believed in him, but also wanted to spend time with him in his beloved New Orleans, (a city I once lived in and whose essence I felt Andrew Fox captured perfectly in all of its exotic funkiness.) I laughed at Jules' foibles, commiserated with his set backs, shared in his triumphs, and ultimately, perhaps because there is a little bit of all of us in Jules (no pun intended,) walked away not only knowing him as an unforgettable character in a book, but also as a very human, albeit undead, friend.

Because of his nightly eating habits, Jules Duchon is very obese, weighing well over four hundred pounds. He knows he must cut out the fat rich blooded blacks that he enjoys because Jules concludes that over eight decades of this delicacy has led to his being one way overweight vampire needing to be on a strict low fat blood diet.

However, Jules has a new problem to face besides his weight problem as a black vampire has threatened him if he does not change diets to all white meat. Frightened Jules turns to the vampire that converted him, Maureen, also overweight, for help, as he cannot resist the call of fat laden blood.

FAT WHITE VAMPIRE BLUES is an amusing supernatural tale that pokes fun at the diet industry, race relations, and taking a bite out of the nosferatu legend. The story line never quite takes itself seriously even when it appears Jules might receive a stake through the heart yet still provides a strong message. However, the rich blood jokes do turn a bit stale after awhile, but readers who enjoyed Love at First Bite will want to read this humorous tale.

Harriet Klausner

The only book you should even consider buying for paddling Idaho. The only negative is that grant seems to under estimate some of the shuttles. Watch out for that.

This book is as complete as you can find when it comes to Idaho White Water. Grant Amaral has done an outstanding job with this guide. Buy it, you won't be sorry. As a matter of fact, you will be sorry if you don't because there is no other like it.

Employing an exhaustive amount of first-rate materials and interviews into his research, Andrew DeRoche, an up and coming scholar of diplomatic history, has provided a splendid account of the complexities - setbacks, victories, racism, pain, pleasure and other elements that were a part of the relationship between the United Staes and Rhodesia(eventually Zimbabwe) from the Eisenhower years to the latter years of the Clinton Administration. DeRoche uses outstanding research to provide his arguments. His analysis (often cutting edge) of the more than 4 decade relationship (45 years to be precise) is nothing short of splendid. The book was enormously informative and it was a pleasure to read. I would reccomend it for anyone who is intersted in groundbreaking work in diplomatic history.

The Narrators bring these wonderful stories to life - my children and their friends can listen to these over and over! Each narrator brings wonderful voices to each of the characters! The variety of stories and the length of each is just enough to capture their interest and keep them entertained!

The graffiti movement has far too long relied on professional journalists to document its history. It's always the same story with elaborate social theories and catchphrases that those who were there (subway writers)find laughable. Zephyr's book is a tribute to a dear friend, a great artist and is one of the best books to date on graffiti.No art school phonies or gallery fakes in this one. A book by a real graffiti artist about a real graffiti artist.

If you are an inspiring writer or just interested in graffiti this book is a must. Dondi White is one of the most influential writers, looking at his pieces you will see the source for many styles regarding letter forms and fills. This book is in a word "fresh". Even if New York Flavor isn't you're taste, anyone interested in graffiti should vibe off this. Get it!!!!

If you're interested in learning the history of Graffiti and meeting one of its grandfathers then this is the book for you.