Books:
Travel:
Armenia
Spoken Here: Travels Among Threatened Languages
by Mark Abley
List Price: $14.00
Available from Amazon
$11.48
On 7-21-2006
See Item's Page
From Publishers Weekly
There are roughly 6,000 languages in use in the world today, most of them spoken by a tiny number of people-further proof of humanity's ability to generate intoxicating variety. Sadly, the processes of linguistic imperialism may still be as strong as they have ever been; expansion of the major world languages, particularly English, is, according to Abley, likely to bring about the elimination of most of these languages by century's end. Canadian journalist Abley shrewdly frontloads his book with some of the most exotic languages before moving on to better-known cases (which are also considerably less at risk) such as Proven‡al, Yiddish and Welsh. Readers who think they "get" how languages work may be startled by the considerable deviation from Western norms: for instance, Murrinh-Patha, spoken in Australia, boasts a bewilderingly complex system of pronouns; Mi'kmaq, from eastern Canada and Maine, and Boro, a northern Indian tongue, all but eschew nouns. To read these accounts of dwindling languages-and their often forlorn, marginalized speakers-is to gain insight into the powerful colonial forces still in play. Abley's informal approach makes this more a travel book than a language book; while describing the people and places in affecting detail, he sometimes stints in depicting the languages. Abley also sometimes conflates the extinction of a language with that of the people who speak it; however, his contention rings true that the disappearance of these languages represents "a loss beyond estimation." This generous, sorrow-tinged book is an informative and eloquent reminder of a richness that may not exist much longer.
Copyright 2003 Reed business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
From The New Yorker
Of the six thousand or so languages that exist today, more than ninety per cent are endangered. Abley has travelled as far afield as arctic Canada and the Timor Sea documenting the survival strategies or last gasps of some of these languages. The state of Israel resurrected Hebrew, albeit at the expense of Yiddish and Ladino. Faroese, a descendant of Old Norse, is a source of pride to the inhabitants of the Faeroe Islands, but the young "see Faroese as embodying the past, Danish the present, and English the future." English, the language of the marketplace, is spoken by more people than any other language in history, and Abley seems resigned to the judgment of Li Yang, who claims "to have taught English to more than twenty million Chinese": "Chinese people don't learn English because they love it, but because Coca-Cola and microsoft rule the world."
Copyright © 2005 The New Yorker
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
|
Turkey (Eyewitness Travel Guides)
by Suzanne Swan
List Price: $25.00
Available from Amazon
$15.75
On 7-21-2006
See Item's Page
Book Description
From Greek and Roman ruins such as Ephesus to busting bazaars to virgin beaches, this guide brings the reader the best that Turkey has to offer. Includes extensive coverage of the different quarters of Istanbul and highlights places such as Hagia Sophia and the Blue Mosque.
|
Tuva or Bust! Richard Feynman's Last Journey
by Ralph Leighton
List Price: $13.95
Available from Amazon
$10.74
On 7-21-2006
See Item's Page
Product Review
Richard Feynman, brilliant physicist and inspirational teacher, wasn't much for coats and ties. He lived a life that the adjective "bohemian" doesn't begin to cover, scripting percussion scores for avant-garde ballet troupes, musing over life's imponderables, and delighting and annoying his many friends with odd-duck questions--all the while teaching generations of students at CalTech. Always adventurous, Feynman was also a careful planner, recounts his friend and fellow drummer Ralph Leighton in this affectionate memoir. When a chance remark happened to dislodge a long-dormant memory of a faraway Siberian land called Tannu-Tuva, Feynman and Leighton set about scheming to get there--a program that included learning the little-described Tuvan language, picking up the rudiments of throat singing, and reading the scattered, hard-to-find literature concerning a place that, in Feynman's fond view, was as close to paradise as the earth contained. It also involved corresponding with scholars in what was still the Soviet Union and wrangling with bureaucrats to secure the necessary papers--all for the sake of seeing a country that had to be interesting, Feynman insisted, just because its capital, Kyzyl, had such an odd spelling. These picaresque armchair adventures make up the bulk of Tuva or Bust, an unconventional mix of travelogue and scientific biography that's a pleasure to read at every turn. The book yields a memorable picture of Richard Feynman--who did not live to see Tuva, but whose memory is honored there today, thanks to Leighton's refusal to abandon their shared dream. --Gregory McNamee
From Publishers Weekly
As a kid, physicist Richard Feynman collected triangular postage stamps from Tannu Tuva, a remote, mountain-capped fastness in Mongolia. In adulthood, a chance conversation with fellow drummer and coauthor Leighton ( What Do You Care What Other People Think? ) kindled their yearning for this exotic land of nomads, yaks and camels, nominally independent from 1921 to 1944 and now part of the U.S.S.R. The duo spent a frustrating decade trying to get to Tannu Tuva, dickering with Soviet officials while Feynman, who died in 1988, also coped with recurring cancer and investigated the Challenger space shuttle disaster for NASA. Only Leighton would ultimately make the long-sought pilgrimage to Tannu Tuva, where he was serenaded with songs by ethnographer Ondar Daryma, who wages a "one-man crusade to preserve Tuvan culture." (A vinyl record of xoomei --Tuvan throat-singing in which one singer, incredibly, intones two melodies at once--comes as an insert with the book). Animated by irrepressible high spirits, this serendipitous saga is a tale of adventure, heartbreak and rare friendship.
Copyright 1991 Reed business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
|
Lonely Planet Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan (Lonely Planet Georgia, Armenia and Azerbaijan)
by Tom Masters and Richard Plunkett
List Price: $24.99
Available from Amazon
$15.74
On 7-21-2006
See Item's Page
Book Description
Hike in the stunning Caucasus Mountains, bathe in the Black Sea, explore lush, church-studded hills, laze on the shores of Lake Sevan and enjoy generous local hospitality. Connect with the diverse cultures and wide-ranging landscapes of the South Caucasus in this, the only guide to cover the region. • UNRAVEL THE PAST - extensive coverage of the region's fascinating history and mosaic of cultures • PLAN YOUR ROUTE with the help of tempting highlights and itineraries and over 40 detailed maps • SLEEP SOUNDLY - wide-ranging listings from welcoming homestays to Soviet sanatoriums • ENJOY fine wines from Georgia and tasty Armenian cognac with our enticing food & drink sections • TALK THE TALK - impress the locals in all three languages using our expert guide
|
Lawrence Durrell Travel Reader
by Lawrence Durrell and Clint Willis
List Price: $15.00
Available from Amazon
$9.75
On 7-21-2006
See Item's Page
From Booklist
Durrell, a twentieth-century British writer admired by discriminating readers, was the author of the Alexandria Quartet, a novel cycle named for the alluring and mysterious Egyptian city in which it was set. He also traveled avidly and consequently established a reputation as a brilliant travel writer. Evidence is made concrete in this anthology, in which excerpts from Durrell's book-length travelogues are gathered with short pieces published independently. His particular love for the islands of the Mediterranean shines from its pages, and such passion impels travel literature to its fullest purpose: to stir the reader's imagination and longing. Durrell's fundamental philosophy about travel is declared, and the tone for this entire anthology is set, by the first piece, "Landscape and Character," a 1960 essay originally published in the New York Times Magazine--his sentiment codified as "human beings are expressions of their landscape, but in order to touch the secret springs of a national essence you need a few moments of quiet with yourself." Quiet time with this book is its own great reward. Brad Hooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Book Description
Many readers know Lawrence Durrell as the famed author of the lush and sensuous Alexandria Quartet. However, this wonderful book contains the best of Durrell's incomparable travel writing. It is collected here for the first time in a single volume and offers a chance to rediscover the author as one of the great travel writers of the twentieth century. Durrell's passionate, evocative writing about his travels-in particular the Greek islands-is a timeless exploration of how landscapes shape our experience. This collection also re-creates a world where a struggling author or artist could buy a cliff-side house on Corfu for a pittance and begin to invent himself as a man of letters while falling in love with an alien but endlessly entertaining culture. The Lawrence Durrell Travel Reader combines the merits of great escape reading and serious literature and will interest fans of Durrell, fans of Greek islands, and lovers of travel writing.
|
From the Holy Mountain: A Journey among the Christians of the Middle East
by William Dalrymple
List Price: $18.00
Available from Amazon
$11.70
On 7-21-2006
See Item's Page
The New York Times Book Review, Ted Conover
[Dalrymple] has a zeal for ecclesiastical arcana that occasionally blinds him to the limits of what might interest the general reader. But this passion is leavened by his dark sense of humor and talent as a journalist. Dalrymple is the professor whole obscure lectures you attend just so you can hear him talk.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Booklist
As a writer and as a traveler, Dalrymple treads the now-faint trail marked out by sixth-century monk John Moschos, who wandered the world of Eastern Byzantium, visiting the scattered Christian monasteries and hermitages and recording the rituals he saw and the preaching he heard in a book called The Spiritual Meadow. Unlike its predecessor, Dalrymple's account of his journey through the same regions leads, not to meditations upon the eternal God, but, rather, to insights into a dying culture. For whether among Surianis in eastern Turkey, Armenians in Syria and Israel, or Coptics in Egypt, Dalrymple finds only remnants of the Christian culture from which Moschos drew inspiration. The author cannot stop the often-violent persecution or the steady immigration, which are pushing Christianity to extinction in the land of its birth. Yet he can preserve the voices of the steadfast souls who guard the last sparks of a besieged faith. Thus, this book stands--like the chapels, monasteries, and tombs visited during the journey--as a monument to what once was. But Dalrymple also points the way to a better future by repeatedly stressing the similarities in origin and practice linking Christianity and Islam and by documenting real (though all too rare) instances in which mutual respect and tolerance bring the Muslim and the Christian together in prayer. Travel literature of real substance. Bryce Christensen
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
|
Forgotten Empire: The World of Ancient Persia
by J. Curtis and N. Tallis
List Price: $49.95
Available from Amazon
$32.97
On 7-21-2006
See Item's Page
Book Description
This sumptuous book traces the rise and fall of one of the ancient world's largest and richest empires. Encompassing a rich diversity of different peoples and cultures, Persia's Achaeminid Empire flourished between 550 and 331 B.C. The empire originated with Cyrus the Great (559-530 B.C.) and expanded under his successors, who ruled from the royal capitals of Susa and Persepolis, until at its peak it stretched from the Indus Valley to Greece and from the Caspian Sea to Egypt. The Achaeminids acted as a bridge between the earlier Near Eastern cultures and the later Classical world of the Mediterranean and had a profound influence on Greece in political, military, economic, and cultural fields. Forgotten Empire was created in association with the British Museum, which is mounting the most comprehensive exhibit ever staged on the Achaeminids. This book opens a window onto the wealth and splendor of Persian society--its rich palaces, exquisite craftsmanship, and sophisticated learning. Showcasing an unprecedented loan of unique material from the National Museum of Tehran--most of which has never before been presented outside of Iran--this beautifully illustrated and produced book demonstrates why the sculpture, glazed panels, gold vessels, and jewelry of the Achaeminids rank among the finest ever produced.
Because the palace was central to imperial life, remains from the royal sites of Susa and Persepolis are a major focus. Forgotten Empire is divided into sections such as the expansion of the Persian Empire, arms and warfare, trade and commerce, writing, luxury dinner services, jewelry, religious and burial customs, and the rediscovery of ancient Persia.
About The Author
John Curtis is Keeper of the Ancient Near Eastern department at the British Museum. He has written extensively on Iran, Mesopotamia (Iraq), and the Ancient Near East. Nigel Tallis is Special Assistant in the Near Eastern department at the British Museum.
|
Eyewitness Travel Guide to Jerusalem and the Holy Land
by Kate Poole
List Price: $20.00
Available from Amazon
$13.00
On 7-21-2006
See Item's Page
Book Description
The guide that shows you what other travel books only tell you! Flanked by Africa, Asia, and Europe, the Holy Land encompasses Israel, Palestine, and parts of Jordan and Egypt. Jerusalem is the walled city at its center divided into three parts: Modern Jerusalem, The Mount of Olives and Mount Zion, and the Old City -- the Old City is made up of the Jewish Quarter, the Muslim Quarter, the Christian Quarter, and the Armenian Quarter. Experience the Western Wall, Hurva Square, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, and many other important sites. With more than 800 full-color photographs and detailed street-by-street maps DK's Eyewitness Guide: Jerusalem and the Holy Land details the history and beauty of this land from the Sea of Galilee to the Negev Desert. Whether you're visiting St. Catherine's Monastery or exploring the coral reefs in the Red Sea, this one guide is the only reference you will ever need.
Inside This Book
(learn more)
First Sentence:
THIS GUIDE helps you to get the most from your visit to Jerusalem and the Holy Land, by providing detailed practical information. Read the first page
Capitalized Phrases (CAPs):
(learn more)
Tel Aviv, Dead Sea, Holy Sepulchre, Dome of the Rock, Red Sea, Mount Zion, Greek Orthodox, Jewish Quarter, Sea of Galilee, Old Testament, David Street, Damascus Gate, Middle Eastern, Beth Shean, Ein Gedi, Second Temple, Israel Museum, Negev Desert, West Jerusalem, Last Supper, Virgin Mary, Wadi Musa, Herod the Great, Yemin Moshe, Golan Heights
New!
Books on Related Topics
|
Concordance
|
Text Stats
Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Customers interested in this title may also be interested in:Sponsored Links: What is this?
Oh My God!
You Haven't Heard of SkyAuction?
Bid for the Best Deals on Vacations
SkyAuction.com
Feedback
What do customers ultimately buy after viewing items like this?
|
Customers tagged this product with
|
|
Search Products Tagged with
|
|
|
Additional Pages: 1 2 3
© Adapt, Inc. 1998-2006
|
Other Shops:
American States,
Atlases,
Art,
Art Techniques,
Audio Books,
Authors,
Biographies,
Business,
Celebrities,
Children's,
Cities,
Computers,
Cookbooks,
Countries,
Dictionaries,
En Español,
Encyclopedias,
History,
Horror,
Large Print,
Law,
Medical,
Mystery,
Photographers,
Photography Techniques,
Powell's Selections,
Presidents,
Research,
Romance,
Sci-Fi,
Study Guides,
Subjects,
Techical,
Teenagers,
Textbooks,
Travel
Books
Resources
Most Watched Book Auctions
Armenia at Sduf
Book Review Directory
Reviewed Authors
Reviewed Titles
Review List
Site Map
|
based on 9 Reviews. (Write a Review.)
