false 72 1357 301 true 5626154 read 12 true 4137975 currently-reading 1044 true 4137974 to-read 745 false 4161798 form_complexia 709 false 4140102 global 610 false 4171785 fiction-not-at-all 579 false 4147230 historical 565 false 4161750 fiction 496 false 4161752 novel 489 false 4172562 pol-historical 479 false 4172483 war-mltry-conflt-occ 456 false 4210043 f_interpretations 414 false 4142525 politics-learning 379 false 4140120 women 340 false 4173231 --id-constructs----race--gender 334 false 4139770 pol-paradigm-shift-pssbl 262 false 4150245 religion-morality 235 false 4173592 workplace 232 false 4142327 on-writing 226 false 4139733 g_india-and-- 224 false 4427959 a-5-evertimeless-interest 216 false 4151839 psyche--of 190 false 4427956 a-2-interest-wo-urgency 186 false 4181282 f_truth-mixt-q 186 false 4173293 class-relations 185 false 4152618 ---struggles-of-use 184 false 4427950 a-1-immediacy 181 false 4387978 obama-term-1 177 false 4173598 language 162 false 4147276 indexia 160 false 4410939 ever-young 157 false 4181393 ---synthesis 156 false 4427958 a-4-gathering-info 145 false 4453289 pov-content_global--of-location 138 false 4427957 a-3-ripening-interest 134 false 4161492 meaning--life---etc-- 130 false 4173588 fin-econ 120 false 4152289 science 110 false 4404366 a-we-ll-see 102 false 4171788 fictionalized-history 100 false 4183126 islam 95 false 4183134 g_pakistan 84 false 4183351 g_cmfrm_eire 81 false 4855395 u--s--hist 80 false 4209602 thtr-art-film-music-etc-- 78 false 4152496 pov-content_jewish 73 false 4139757 pov-content_african-am 71 false 4180680 philosophy 70 false 4146157 pol_not----for-best-self 69 false 4385785 g_cmfrm_deutschland 68 false 4150422 horror-suspense-mystery-thriller 64 false 4138251 explored---skimmed 62 false 4183139 g_afghanistan 62 false 4221634 g_israel 62 false 4563614 g_cities 61 false 4150222 earthly 60 false 4453172 g_colonialism 59 false 4731937 a-1-_-pol-crucial 57 false 4147217 classics 53 false 4174518 sobriety-spirituality 52 false 4139774 unplsnt--b-good 50 false 4139676 studious-teenager-related 49 false 4847485 --human-poison-aired-out--fict- 48 false 4502943 g_imperialism 48 false 4388711 fict_beyond 41 false 4139993 pol-luminescent 40 false 4855405 u-s--hist_diversity-of-people 39 false 4172476 sci-fi--f_ 38 false 4445295 visual 37 false 4173802 lgbtq 37 false 4323079 a-tobe-shelved 34 false 4172497 magc-real-ism 33 false 4173439 pov-content_indian-am 33 false 4847376 ---human-damage-healing--fict- 33 false 4614971 glimpses--considerable 33 false 4849386 ---for_good_of_community 30 false 4183129 g_iraq 29 false 4171784 animals 28 false 4181388 award_pulitzer 28 false 4855412 u-s--hist_corp-indstry 28 false 4855413 u-s--hist_military 26 false 4639283 cultural-texts--or-involving-them 26 false 4736319 cclap-100 24 false 4172942 the-afterlife 24 false 4402639 g_iran 23 false 4461506 play 23 false 4152313 cooking-food-nutrition 19 false 4138062 to-re-read-soon 19 false 4855410 u-s--hist_women 18 false 4731938 a-1-_-novel-fun-fascinating- 18 false 4460659 g_balkans 18 false 4597814 compilations 18 false 4855398 u-s--hist_slavery 17 false 4190636 yarnalia 15 false 4565794 award_other 15 false 4857255 unplsnt 15 false 4147190 to-re-read-eventually 14 false 4182601 award_p_nobel 14 false 4438589 g_cmfrm_other 13 false 4705562 g_china http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/74058256 Concise Atlas of World History (Hardcover) by Patrick O'Brien
bookshelves: ---synthesis, earthly, explored---skimmed, fiction-not-at-all, fin-econ, form_complexia, f_interpretations, f_truth-mixt-q, global, g_afghanistan, g_balkans, g_china, g_cities, g_cmfrm_deutschland, g_cmfrm_eire, g_cmfrm_other, g_colonialism, g_imperialism, g_india-and--, g_iran, g_iraq, g_israel, g_pakistan, g_slavery, historical, indexia, pol-historical, politics-learning, science, u--s--hist, visual, war-mltry-conflt-occ
I wanted something to accompany 'Dark Valley', something to add a little bit of map-content or visual of some kind, or alternately a different telling of the same content (always nice to have atleast two versions of anything). I saw this - heaven!

Each two-page spread is about some transition, period of time, or other concrete situation; and it goes from prehistoria to current. Certainly there are many choices built-in, and someone could differ with how they laid things out. But it seems to tie in well with 'Dark Valley'.

For instance, in Dark Valley, there is a section on Stalin and 1928-1933, and there is a two-page spread on exactly that. With one map showing who it was who fought against the Red Army (the White Army's generals, as well as foreign groups), where they started from and where they reached before they were stopped. Another map shows where in Europe other Communist groups existed for a while. Then, there's a great map about the industrialization that occurred, where each different kind of enterprise was situated, where the rail lines were put in. Also on that one is the different boundaries in different years during that period. Accompanying those three maps is text of the period, laying out with broad brush strokes the salient facts of the period. This book kinds of provides the pithy version, while 'Dark Valley' is more colorful, anecdotal, story-telling. Also there are different emphasis, this book doesn't emphasize nearly as much that the reason for the famine was Stalin actually taking the food away from the farmers. This one makes it seem more like it was a failure of farming structures.

So, exactly what I was looking for! Highly recommend for anyone interested in history/related subjects.

And it is *trying* to be not patriarchal, not biased, not from the point of view that White Europe = civilization; via inputs from the rest of the universe. But, of course, doesn't achieve a perspective fully separate from that, there are still blinders and all. Like on India, paraphrased: 'Although England brought many benefits to India, debate still continues on the overall legacy..' with no mention of the partition. etc..
But really does try to approach human activity from the onset of it to today, from an even-handedly global perspective. A great first go at it, for sure! Completely waylaid me tonite, was looking at Italy being in Somalia, then had to see before then, then before then.. fascinating.

Lots of skimming, in concert with 'The Dark Valley', highly recommend! ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/71408174 The Dark Valley: A Panorama of the 1930s (Paperback) by Piers Brendon
bookshelves: ---for_good_of_community, ---struggles-of-use, ---synthesis, class-relations, fiction-not-at-all, fin-econ, form_complexia, f_interpretations, global, historical, indexia, pol-historical, pol-paradigm-shift-pssbl, politics-learning, studious-teenager-related, u--s--hist, u-s--hist_corp-indstry, u-s--hist_diversity-of-people, u-s--hist_military, unplsnt--b-good, war-mltry-conflt-occ, women, workplace
My daughter will be assigned readings from this in her history class this year. Sounds fascinating! Oddly (or not so), the teacher mentioned the kids often don't like it much. Yet they'll know it's there as they get older and wiser, and they can return and appreciate it later (certainly most do). (perhaps).

The especially interesting thing about this is that it approaches these events and this period from an epistemological perspective. That is, it's all about what people thought they knew, why they thought they knew, what the differences were people the truth and what people thought they knew, the processes controlling the misinformation, etc.. And, in a nutshell, Brendon says in the intro that this period (the 30's) was marked in the vast disinformation spread and consumed, in the lack of truth actually possessed by most people, etc..

Relevance to today with the tactics in use still by many is profound.

On Hitler, speaking, early on in his quest for power (1922-1923 or so):
"As Otto Strasser said, 'His words go like an arrow to their target, he touches each private wound on the raw, liberating the unconscious, exposing its innermost aspirations, telling it what it most wants to hear.'"

By the way: Marx really said 'Peasants are like potatoes in a sack.'?????

I finished it!! I finished it!! I finished it!! Woo-hooooo!!!! Yes, this is one of *those* books, when turning the last page is immensely satisfying. And also among the least satisfying, because there was so much there that I didn't get. So many words I'd honestly never heard of before, and references to things that I was oblivious to. Since I don't know what all the references were to, I can't be sure, but it seems one would need to be familiar with European & East Asian history from about 1850 forward, plus all the literature of those regions in that period as well. And then a smattering of ancient greek and roman times wouldn't hurt either. Despite that though, it was very informative. I especially liked towards the end when Piers would describe what this or that person believed, and then how totally, profoundly wrong they were.
The primary example being Stalin, when he signed the pact with Hitler. Both this book and my companion text 'Concise Atlas of World History' stress that Russia lost more in resources and people than any other country.
There is definitely a psychological thread that runs through this - specific cases of people knowing something, and maintaining denial of it enthusiastically, wishful thinking, manipulation, constructions of reality, etc..
Six weeks is all the time it took Hitler to take over France? Wow, no Verdun that time .. I've totally to read up on WWII itself again.
The weirdest thing for me about this- hardly any mention of the Jewish people. Sure, there were brief descriptions of a few of the main points. But amazingly little, considering.
And from my personal interest in India, I paid attention to all mentions of it. There were more than enough to be indexed, seems to me (but India wasn't), and unfortunately all did speak to a certain English chauvinism which I guess shouldn't surprise me.
Highly recommend!
]]> http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/73563108 The Essential Gwendolyn Brooks (American Poets Project) by Gwendolyn Brooks
bookshelves: ---synthesis, award_pulitzer, currently-reading, fiction, form_complexia, pov-content_african-am, studious-teenager-related, women
]]> http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/63032 Claire commented on Jason's progress update: "On page 127 of 2666 (Narrativas Hispanicas). I have to say, so far this isn't nearly as hard to follow as people have made it seem - in fact, part 1 is almost Vonnegutian."

Claire wrote: "I'm very glad to hear that! I am really looking forward to reading it as well.. "

see all comments ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1398365 Claire commented on Eric_W's progress update: "On page 25 of Ships' Bilge Pumps: A History of Their D.... How could anyone not be interested in bilge pumps?"

Claire wrote: "He's older, he was 25 when I was born, so he's in his 70's.. and yes, he is great. I'm a generalist ...more He's older, he was 25 when I was born, so he's in his 70's.. and yes, he is great. I'm a generalist myself - it's just *all* so interesting!(less) "

see all comments ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4667024 Claire commented on margueya's progress update: "reading The Help. So far this is fantastic!"

Claire wrote: "I still think about it.. I feel still right now (several weeks later) that it is one of the best boo...more I still think about it.. I feel still right now (several weeks later) that it is one of the best books I've ever read, just in terms of me, personally, and what I got out of it (not on a literature-criteria scale, cause I don't know enough for that). It'll be worth it when you get to it, Khaya!(less) "

see all comments ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/book/show Claire commented on Ceridwen's status update: Added a status:
"I'm going camping for Labor Daybor. Requests for prayer are gratuitous - but I will be passing a hotly contested border. O Canada!"

Claire wrote: "I wish you well! Surround yourself with a circle of gentle, sunny energy and send warmth to the bord...more I wish you well! Surround yourself with a circle of gentle, sunny energy and send warmth to the border guards. (Can only help!)(less) "

see all comments ]]> http://www.goodreads.com/poll/show/3513-do-you-like-half-star-ratings-on-book-reviews-if-you-feel-strongly-p Claire made a comment on the poll do you like half-star ratings on book reviews?

if you feel strongly please comment below

I really love Goodreads, and certainly won't go back and change my prior ones, and didn't miss half stars as much as some did. But a lot of people seem to want them, and there's still the option not to use them them of course, so it seems like a win-win. ]]>