I had the pleasure of listening to this author lecture to in class during my senior year of college. Having the opportunity to discuss this book with the author made Slave Counterpoint come to life. Slave Counterpoint makes the topic of Antebellum slavery captivating for those interested in learning about the early days of slavery in the Cheasapeake Bay region. I strongly recommend this book to anyone who has a sharp curiosity about early colonial history and wishes to be engaged in an honest account of events(I would recommend reading this book a couple of chapeter at a time).

I had to read this book for my History of Slavery class, thought by the author. Dr. Morgan gave excellent insight in addition to his book. I would suggust this book to anyone for anytype of reading, pleasure and required.

I have read no better detailed study than this book. Long but worth it due to the rich detail.

An undying tale.. legend... song... Wonderful poetry, the language is simply astounding! I have read the russian translation by Bounin, which was as remarkable as the original.

A book for generations. Mine was published 1898 and given me by my mother whose father(b.1875) gave it to her. It goes to the heart of the Indian race, a people susceptible to mythology and magic as their last great hope. Read it with an open mind, imagination, and for its beauty.

"The Song of Hiawatha" is the best book I have ever been exposed to. Every time I hear the wonderful rhyme of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, I begin to think of what this land was like before the Europeans conquered it. It is a wonderful tale of peace between nations and a great book to read to children.

If you (1) enjoy reading the writings of Orthodox believers from centuries ago, (2) love good travel writing, AND (3) seek further spiritual enrichment on your Christian walk, buy Moschus's "The Spiritual Meadow." I strongly recommend that you also buy "From the Holy Mountain: A Journey Among the Christians of the Middle East" by William Dalrymple (see the link under "Customers who bought this book also bought..."). In the mid 1990s Dalrymple used Moschus's book to retrace the journies Moschus made and makes a strong case for the fragile state of contemporary Middle East Christianity--something Moschus even noticed just starting to manifest itself way back in c. 580 A.D. Each book complements the other. Buy them both. Don't worry about the money outlay, which isn't much anyway. You won't be disappointed.

This book exemplifies the wisdom of the desrert fathers in the late 6th century. The monk John Moschos, compiled their sayings and wrote to his spiritual son , Sophronius, that their wisdom was like that of beautiful flowers in a spiritual meadow. Sophronius then went on to become Patriarch of Jerusalem.

St John Mochus spent several years travelling throughout the deserts, rather like a 'roving reporter' of today, wanting to gather the stories of the spiritual giants of the desert (who often lived many distances apart in purposely difficult to get to places (so that they could lead their lives of prayer and struggle with more focus and attentiveness)) that lived during his own lifetime, and this is exactly what he did.

These stories are all real, straight from the mouths of 6th century Eastern Christian monks, and each is a word of wisdom - food for thought - sometimes shocking our pre-conceived notions of things - and ends up showing just how the Eastern Orthodox Church is of that same ethos today as it was then. A modern day example would be the monks on Mt Athos - and it should not be surprising that contemporary emulators of St John Mochus, compiling stories from Orthoox monks, will find similar true accounts today.

Michael Goulder is the most insightful voice I have encountered in the study of early Christianity. His hypothosis of two Christian churches, one headed by Peter and James in Jeruselum and the other headed by Paul during his travels is nothing short of genius. He draws almost exclusively on biblical texts to paint a picture of early Christianity struggling to remain true to its Jewish past (the Petrines) while drawing an ever-growing number of gentile followers (the Paulines). The tension in Goulder's dichotomy sheds a fascinating light on many of the more troubling passages in Acts and Paul's letters, making them instantly come into focus. This is a book which will have you wondering why you never made these connections in the first place. It will also cause you to rethink the traditional views that Paul was writing to oppose the influences of traditional Jews, gnostics, or some other faction. Goulder's insights are simply breathtaking.

Michael Goulder is an outstanding biblical scholar, who usually writes for a scholarly audience, but this book was written for the general reader interested in the history of the Bible and of Christianity. Goulder is no Isaac Asimov, but he does manage to write a book the interested layman can understand. It requires more effort on the reader's part than it would if Asimov had written it, but the effort is still not excessive, and is well worth it.

Paul, a Jew who had been strongly opposed to the "Followers of the Way" (the proto-Christian movement within Judaism) experienced something on the road to Damascus which converted him from an opponent of the Jesus movement to an ardent supporter. Paul was convinced that Jesus' message was not just for Jews, but for all humanity. He took his mission out of Israel, where most of the people were Jews, to Turkey and elsewhere where there were few Jews. He wisely realized that few Gentiles would accept circumcision and the strict Kosher (food) laws of Judaism as a condition of joining the churches Paul was founding, so he downplayed these tough requirements, and did not seek to enforce them. Peter and Jesus' brother James, meanwhile, remained in Jerusalem and kept the Jewish Law entirely. They sent out pairs of missionaries to the churches Paul had established, and these missionaries tried to bring the far-flung churches into line with Jewish law, which Peter and James saw as essential, but which Paul saw as superseded by Jesus.

It will likely never be possible to determine which position the historical Jesus would have taken in this controversy (quite possibly somewhere between Peter and Paul), but it is clear that the Pauline position won out; it has even been suggested that Paul, rather than Jesus, was the founder of Christianity, and in a sense he surely was.

This book is a must read for anyone who wants to know and understand the beginnings of Christianity. Read it and make up your own mind!

Goulder shows how, by appealing to the gentiles, Paul usurped authority from Peter, ending the mission set in motion by Jesus. After reading "St. Paul versus St. Peter," you may agree with A. N. Wilson, who says at the conclusion of his book, "Paul: the Mind of the Apostle," that "Paul, and not Jesus, was...the 'Founder of Christianity.'" Goulder, a professor of Biblical Studies at the U. of Birmingham, U.K., is a gifted writer, making some fairly complex ideas very easy to understand. His book is in need of a bibliography and an index, and this is frustrating if you wish to further explore his ideas, but it is well worth the buy.

I read this book in the context of a military training environment, and that was appropriate. The fact that so many regard this book as a means for improving management skills, to me, is bothersome. Sun Tzu was a military leader and this book should be taken at face value. In that regard the book is excellent. It pares down the factors of military command into its constituent parts and explains the what, how, and why of winning a military contest. It's not a page-turner in the sense of a good Clancy novel; rather it is somewhat choppy, perhaps owing to the age of the text and the fact that it is a translation. Nevertheless, the principles are timeless, and they come through the time and language barriers loud and clear. Students of military history simply must read this book.

This translation from J. H. Huang is better suited to explaining the text as opposed to giving you a clear rendering of it. Three-fourths of the book seemingly is devoted to explanation and commentaries. Published in 1993, it used the latest discovered Sun Tzu text found in China in 1972, which predates previous original Sun Tzu's by 1,000 years. The translation is slightly imperfect as sometimes the author used awkward words. If you want analysis however this is it. Sonshi.com

I've read all of the other English "translations" out there, and not one of them comes even close to this. Based on the ancient Linyi text recently found in China, in this translation the author has created margin notes in an outline form so that all of Sun-tzu's words become completely logical. Unlike any other translation of a Chinese book that I've ever seen, Mr. Huang gives detailed proof using ancient Chinese sources for almost every sentence of his translation, so this version of Sun-tzu should be used a standard for all other Chinese translations to come. It reads not only fluidly but makes total sense, and would be an ideal handbook for both field marshals and marketing strategists. The introduction notes that military personnel from Colin Powell on down read and reviewed this book, and their contributions show in the accurate use of modern American military terms throughout the work. It's also written so well that every time I pick it up, I end up reading the whole thing. Mr. Huang is an amazing scholar of both ancient Chinese thought and English prose. All I can say in conclusion is, "Thank you, Mr. Huang."

This is a wonderful, comprehensive guide to working with young children. All aspects of a successful, pre-school or kindergarten program are covered in this book. This is a must-have resource for beginning early childhood teachers.

I borrowed this book from a fellow teacher when I began teaching preschool and just had to buy a copy of my own. It is the best resource for the preschool classroom I have ever read. It is straight-forward and helps with everything from projects to classroom setup and management.

I train high school students to work with preschoolers. This is the best book I have seen in my 23 years of teaching. It is a straight forward resource that has everything my students need to know. It is chockful of ideas of manipulatives that can be made which is a real money saver. I order it each year for my students and I held my breath as I checked to see if you still carried it. I don't know what I would do if I could not get it. I assign chapters for my students to read and then have developed questions for them to answer. I certainly do rely on it to teach my students. I have shared it with other vocational early childhood education job training instructors and they feel the same way I do. Thank you,Jean. You are a lifesaver. I know when my students graduate they have a resource that they will use for many years to come.

In the world of Buddhism only the words of the Buddha and the life of Hui-neng are sutras. If thats not a good enough reason to get this then get it because Hui-Neng was a beautiful man and a great teacher. an illiterate woodcutter he became enlightened by just hearing a phrase from the Diamond sutra. he later worked in a monestary hidden away because the master knew if others knew of his great achievement they'd probally kill him but aventuallly he not only became the 6th patriarch but a great teacher and one of Zen's most beloved ancesters.

Hui-Neng has been known as one of the fathers of Zen and his sutra shows why. Absolutely splendid, if you put down this sutra I question your health. Meant for the person with a background in Zen, but not a bad starter if you approach it with an open mind and neither approve nor dissaprove of a word in it.

Thomas Cleary's translation of the Sutra of Hui-Neng is not only a worthy but long over-due successor to the original translation into English by Wong Mou-Lam, completed in the 1920s. The original has stood the test of time well, but there is little doubt that Cleary's is the more compelling and accessible of the two, to this late 20th century reader, at least.

Hui-Neng lived in the 7th and/or 8th Century A.D. and there is debate as to how much of what has been handed down to us as coming directly from his students and dharma heirs is truly his. In both translations, it is difficult to distinguish the man himself. This is to be expected, of course, given the surviving Chinese text's provenance (it was cobbled together from many different texts, since lost, by a Zen monk in the late Sung Dynasty, some 400 or 500 years after Hui-Neng's death). Even so, it is interesting to contrast the two Hui-Neng translations with that of the Blofied translation of the "Teachings of Huang Po," who lived just a century after Hui-Neng. While Huang Po strides from the page with as much force and presence as as does the late Shunryu Suzuki in his "Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind," written in 1970, Hui-Neng seems to swim in a thin fog of myth and fact in the Sutra that bears his name.

But this is seminal Zen work, and my intent is not to challenge its authenticity but to forewarn the reader who expects to find the familiar hard edge of Zen in a master's book that is more personal and mythic than we modern Zen adherents are used to studying.

For those of us who are still looking for a teacher, it is worth noting that Hui-Neng does not insist that a "teacher-less" student is bound to failure. Coming from the last of the Patriarchs, isolated Zen students may find that reassuring.

If you are interested in ancient samurai philosophy, you need to buy this book. I maintain a website on all things Japanese, and I received many inquiries about this book when it was out of print for so long. Now it has recently been re-released, I highly recommend you get a copy before it goes out of print again.

Yagyu Munenori was the "fencing" teacher to the Tokugawa shogunate in early 17th century Japan. Those "in the know" revere him as one of the wisest -- as well as most skilled -- swordsmen of his day. The Sword and the Mind could be considered a companion text to Takuan's The Unfettered Mind. It is dry in the way of Zen texts, so don't buy it looking for action. It is more the sort of text you meditate on -- figuratively or literally -- and hopefully come away with an expanded understanding of the samurai mentality of "a focused life, a willing death." If you're really into these sorts of things, you can even find ways to apply the philosophy to your own, modern life.

To be exact, this book is a translation of Yagyu Munenori's treatise on swordsmanship. It talks a lot about spiritual and mental aspects of swordsmanship, particularly from a Zen standpoint. But it must be remembered that this only one philosophy on swordsmanship. The book contains the complete text, plus translated excerpts from Takuan's (a Zen master) letter to Munenori about Zen and swordsmanship and Takuan's letter to Ono Tadaaki (another master swordsman). Serious students of Japanese swordsmanship will know about this book already but it is a good read for those interested in Zen and its incorporation in martial arts.

This book is so good that I had my last copy stolen! For those of you who know what I am talking about when I describe the only proper mindset of a martial artist when confronted is to think only of one thing...to cut, then you will know that you need this book. This book is for martial artists only.This, and another book regarding Bushido, Hagakure, are an indespensible pair in a Martial Artist's study.

This book is wonderful on so amy levels. First of all, it is a wonderful reference for fencers to see where it all began. It is also a wondeful book of you have a desire to read and want to be able to speak and understand old ELizabethan English. There are also many wonderful woodcuts showing costuming of the period. It is a great book to have in ones library.

This is not a modern re-telling or history book. It's not even re-typed - just a facsimile reprint of three fencing manuals of the Renaissance. If you want to know how it was really done, this is the place. It's real.

But don't assume you'll have an easy read. Saviolo is not writing in his native language, and it shows. He doesn't describe motions very well, and occasionally appears to leave out a foot move in a long sequence. Di Grassi never wrote in English. This manual is a sixteenth century English translation of his Italian manual. People who deride the "negative campaigning" of today will get quite a surprise when they read Silver's virulent contempt for the rapier and the foreigners who teach it.

There is also the language issue. Yes, it's written in English, but sixteenth century English doesn't always mean what you think it does. Saviolo tells you to come on guard with your right wrist against your knee, your right foot against your opponent's right foot, and your point against his face. Obviously, something has been lost in four centuries. In this case, it's the fact that "against" meant "opposite or across from", not "touching". You are now armed against one problem, but it's still not the language you think it is. (Hint: an Oxford English Dictionary is a very useful companion volume.)

Also, don't assume you can do this in modern fencing. The blades were longer and heavier, and they don't work like modern fencing weapons. Furthermore, these are very basic lessons. We know that the advanced moves were jealously guarded, and not written in books.

With all the difficulties, this book remains essential - it's a direct link to the fighting methods of the Elizabethan fencers. Di Grassi is the easiest to follow. Saviolo is particularly helpful for research, because he spends some time explaining why he does things differently form others, thereby documenting both styles and explaining the thinking process of fencing masters. Silver prefers the short sword to the rapier, and shows us that the Renaissance held many different views.

This books stands alone -- there is just no commercially available substitute.

Your stage combat will look better, your re-enactments will be more real, your understanding of the sword will be sharper.

This book is a facsimile of three fencing manuals of the XVI century covering two major traditions: the rapier techniques, mainly italian but also used in Spain and Portugal at the time; and the short-sword techniques, probably british in origin.

The time in which these manuals were published was crucial: there was a gradual transition from the medieval sword techniques to the renaissance rapier ones. At the time (and long afterwards) the french schools of fencing were not existent and the main flow was latin: two of the manuals were written by italians and the swords used in latin countries were rapidly evolving from medieval sword towards the rapier. Those were times of frequent wars and of deadly clashes involving different cultures and ways of fighting. Very different from the later "civilized" duels between long-haired make-uped "gentlemen" which originated the french schools of fencing from which our childish fencing appeared.

This work is the real thing! It shows the experience of three sword masters, in a time where expertise was gained by fighting often and staying alive doing it, and mastery was achieved by recognition from a world where everyone was a swordsman ready to challenge such a person just to get fame.

Forget for a moment modern sword-"play" and read this book about real swordsmanship!

If you have read this book you know what I am talking about these are some of the greatest books you could possibly read in parallel to the letters written by paul. Get your hands on the first century diaries!

What happened on Paul's third journey? Why did he spend almost three years in Ephesus? Why did he take eight gentiles with him? What was Paul's relationship with Priscilla and Aquilla like? Why did Paul write 1st Corinthians? How did Paul train workers?

These are the types of questions you will be able answer after reading this book. Following the Silas Diary and the Titus Diary, Edwards continues with the story of the First Century. By knowing the story of the First Century, we can better understand the New Testament and why it was written.

See Paul raise up a church and train eight Gentiles while doing it. You will be amazed to see Paul work for a living the entire time he ministers in Ephesus. Priscilla and Aquilla will leave you in awe with their complete willingness to do anything for the church. Know the people and the personalities of the New Testament.

You will undestand the story of Acts and the story of 1st Corinthians like you never understood before them in this book.

What a great way to get to know Paul and his companions. This book keeps your attention and at the same time you learn the personalities of Paul, Peter, Silas and others! After reading this and the other diaries, go back and read the actual letters to the churches in the Bible. They will come alive! A Great Book!