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History: Fiction or Science? Chronology 2 (Chronology)
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Check and see
  • Suprise! Suprise!
  • Prescient St Augustine?
  • Something of a disappointment
  • Romulus courts Helen, Paris founds Rome, Moses goes to Troy..
History: Fiction or Science? Chronology 2 (Chronology)
Anatoly T Fomenko
Manufacturer: Delamere Resources LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 2913621066

Product Description

`History: Fiction or Science? Chronology 2` is the second volume of the most explosive and astounding tractate on history ever written - however, every theory it contains, no matter how unorthodox, is backed by rock solid scientific data. The book is easy and pleasant to read; it is well-illustrated, contains hundreds of charts, graphs and illustrations, copies of ancient manuscripts, and countless facts attesting to the falsity of the chronology used nowadays. You will be amazed to discover: - That the chronology universally accepted today and taken for granted is simply wrong; - That ALL methods of dating of ancient sources and artefacts known today are erroneous or non-exact; - That there is not a single document that could be reliably dated earlier than the XIth century; The Author refers to the Middle Ages as the “Antiquity” and proves mutual superimposition of the Second and the Third Roman Empire, both of which become identified as the respective kingdoms of Israel and Judah. Furthermore, he asserts that the famous reform of the Occidental Church in the XI century by “Pope Gregory Hildebrand” was the reflection of the XII century reforms of Byzantine emperor Andronicus who in his turn identifies with Jesus Christ. The Trojan war counted by Homer happened only as late as of the XIII century A.D. and the great poet actually lived in XIV century A.D. No stone in history of Antiquity is left unturned. Literally. This book is the beginning of a major correction to the chronology we live with.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Check and see.......2007-06-21

I don't care what other people say of this book. Those affirmig it's fake, they hadn't ever read it. Or have some special reasons to do so. "Living is easy with eyes closed, misunderstanding all you see..." This book won't make you feel comfortable. It'll make you feel free. It'll make you feel you're "not the only one" to feel you'd been lied to for centuries.

5 out of 5 stars Suprise! Suprise!.......2007-03-22

Here is a serie of books which turns "the whole world" upside down. I learned a lot of it and I hope that a new book from A.T. Fomenko will follow very quick. A absolute must for everybody who is interested in history or even a little bit from it.

5 out of 5 stars Prescient St Augustine?.......2006-02-05

We can so far divide the New Chronology into the following three parts:

a) The verifiable theory that proves consensual chronology wrong with the aid of astronomy, statistics and mathematics;

b) The new chronology hypothesis based on a new understanding of known historical facts and the most likely logical explanation of the most obvious inconsistencies inherent in the official version of history;

c) The history conjectures, that is experimental historical reconstructions based on assumptions that the authors believe to make sense in the light of their research and linguistic parallels - void of ironclad factual support to date.

Fomenko's theory complies with the most rigid scientific standards as a whole:

It gives a coherent explanation of what we already know.

- It is consistent: independent lines of inquiry all lead to the same conclusion.

- The predictions it makes are confirmed empirically.

Fomenko goes by the following axioms:

- Chronology is the basis of history;

- Human evolution has always been linear, gradual and irreversible;

- The "cyclic" nature of human civilization is a myth, likewise all the gaps, duplicates, "dark ages" and "renaissances" that we know from consensual history;

- The accumulation of geographical knowledge as reflected in cartography is a gradual and irreversible process;

- The chronological distance between a given manuscript and the events described therein is proportional to the amount of distortions it contains;

- There is no "useless" information in authentic ancient sources.

Why the mainstream historians do not shower mathematician Academician Dr.Prof Fomenko with thanks and laurels?

The Russians:

Because Fomenko asserts that there was no such thing as the Tartar and Mongol invasion followed by three centuries of slavery, providing a formidable body of documental evidence to prove his assertion. The so-called "Tartars and Mongols" were the actual ancestors of the modern Russians, living in a bilingual state with Arabic spoken as freely as Russian. The ancient Russian state was governed by a double structure of civil and military authorities. The hordes were actually professional armies with a tradition of lifelong conscription (the recruitment being the so-called "blood tax"). Their "invasions" were punitive operations against the regions that attempted tax evasion. Fomenko proves that Russian history as we know it today is a blatant forgery concocted by a host of German scientists brought to Russia by the usurper dynasty of the Romanovs, whose ascension to the throne was the result of coup d'état, charged with the mission of making their reign look legitimate. Fomenko proves Ivan the Terrible to be a collation of four rulers, no less. They represented the two rival dynasties - the legitimate rulers and the ambitious upstarts. The winner took it all! Over some 30 years of controversy, Russian historians have made a most remarkable transition - they were initially accusing the young mathematician Fomenko of anticommunist dissident activity and attempts to deface the historical legacy of Soviet Russia; nowadays the middle-aged mathematician is accused of adhering to "pro-communist Russian nationalism" and defacing the proud historical legacy of Great Russia.

The Westerners:

Because Fomenko blows consensual Russian history to smithereens, successfully removing a crucial cornerstone from underneath the otherwise impeccable edifice of World History. Fomenko adds insult to injury, wiping out one by one the Ancient Rome (the foundation of Rome in Italy is dated to the XIV century A. D.), the Ancient Greece and its numerous poleis, which he identifies as the mediaeval crusader settlements on the territory of Greece, and the Ancient Egypt (the pyramids of Giza become dated to the XI-XV century A. D. and identified as the royal cemetery of the Global "Mongolian" Empire, no less). The civilization of the Ancient Egypt is irrefutably dated to the XII-XV century A. D. with the aid of the ancient Egyptian horoscopes cut in stone. He was the first one to decipher and date all such horoscopes, coming up with mediaeval dates in every case. English historians rage at the suggestion that the history of Ancient England was de facto a Byzantine import transplanted to the English soil by the fugitive Byzantine nobility. To reward the English historians who consider themselves the true scribes of World History, the cover of the present book portrays Tintoretto's Jesus Christ crucified on the Big Ben.

The Chinese:

Because Fomenko wipes out the Ancient History of China outright. No such thing. Full point. The compilation of the so-called Ancient Chinese History is reliably datable to the XVII-XVIII century only. It is perfectly recognizable as the Ancient European history, reworked and transcribed in hieroglyphs as yet another historical transplantation, this time performed on the Chinese soil by the loving Jesuit hands. The Chinese are the next in line to go berserk. Chinese history is inevitably bound to get both more ancient and more eventful, proportionally to the growing involvement of China in the world affairs. Chinese historians will keep on finding valid proof of prehistoric Chinese spaceflights until the Politburo orders them to shut up.

The Arabs:

Too bad. Islam with all its key figures is datable to XV-XVI century A. D. Arabic historians may find consolation in the crucial historical role of the Ottoman Empire in the XVI-XVII century. The trouble is that this empire was initially a Christian state, with Hagia Sophia identifiable as Temple of Solomon, according to Fomenko! We can only guess if the acquisition of Alexander the Great (a Macedonian and a Christian) as the founder of the Muslim World Empire will make Fomenko's theories more acceptable to the Arabic mainstream. He certainly does not spare any holy cows at all, claiming The Stone of Qa'Aba in Mecca to contain the lost Arch of the Covenant.

The Divinity:

Despite of reiterated statement that his theory is all about chronology and not Religion, Fomenko stirs up a whole condominium of wasp nests. His collection of anathemas, fatwa, and other condemnations from all parties concerned is already considerable. Little wonder, considering that the history of religions à la Fomenko looks as follows: the pre-Christian period (before the XI century and JC), Bacchic Christianity (XI-XII century, before and after JC), JC Christianity (XII-XVI century) and its subsequent mutations into Orthodox Christianity, the Catholicism, Islam, Buddhism, and so on.

According to Fomenko we know strictly NOTHING about the events that predate the X century A. D.

St Augustin was prescient when he spoke unto us: "be wary of mathematicians, particularly when they speak the truth."





4 out of 5 stars Something of a disappointment.......2005-09-09

After having read the first volume of this expected series of 7 volumes I was triggered by the thesis of these authors that ancient Greek and Roman history did in fact take place in the Middle Ages. So I started studying medieval history of the Middle East - also known as Islamic history - to find out if the opponents of the ancient Greeks and Romans - the Acheamenid Persians, Sassanids, Scythians, Egyptians, etc. - also have their duplicates in medieval history. My search was disappointing: none of the many medieval Islamic dynasties seemed to correspond to the ancient middle eastern rulers.

However, I did find a close correspondence between Herodotus' Persian kings and medieval events:

- the defeat and capture of an Anatolian king - the Lydian Croesus - by the Persian conqueror Cyrus is identical to the defeat and capture of another Anatolian king - sultan Bayezid - by the Asian/Mongol conqueror Tamerlane;
- the Persian conquest of Egypt by the cruel tyrant Cambyses reds almost exactly as the Ottoman conquest of Egypt by Selim the Grim (note the nickname!);
- Darius the Lawgiver of the Persian Empire looks very much alike to Sulayman the Magnificent, the Lawgiver in Islamic history;
- Xerxes, whose main claim to fame is to be defeated by the Greeks at the naval battle of Salamis, looks like Selim II (the Sot) whose main claim to fame is to be defeated by a Spanish-Italian alliance at the naval battle of Lepanto.

I should have expected Fomenko et al. to arrive at similar conclusions, however, they claim that the Persian kings are the alter egos of the Angevin kings of Sicily whose biographies do not contain the exploits of the Persian kings.

The similiarities I indicate lead to the conclusion that Herodotus must have written his Histories at the close of the 16th century. But this is extremely late, given that Herodotus is "the Father of History", so therefore all other "ancient" histories must have been fabricated even later. Yet, the founders of modern chronology - Scaliger and Petavius - laid their foundations also at the close of the 16th century and had the full corpus of ancient histories already at their disposal.

It seems to me that Fomenko has to address these inconsistencies, maybe in the forthcoming 5 volumes?

Another critique of their book is that the correspondencies between different rulers are often based on a superficial comparison of the biographies; upon a more thorough comparison many details appear that do not correspond at all.

Finally, the authors rely heavily on the works of Gregorovius (1821-1891!!) - his medieval histories of Rome and Athens - as the source of medieval history; these works are - at least in the West - hoplessly outdated and have been superceded by more up-to-date works (for instance, Julius Norwich's trilogy on Byzantine history is not even cited).

5 out of 5 stars Romulus courts Helen, Paris founds Rome, Moses goes to Troy.........2005-07-30


If you agree with Fomenko that Roman chronology is basically the foundation of the entire edifice of global chronology; you would also certainly agree that despite its numerous gaps and inconsistencies, Roman history is the best-documented field of ancient history, and thus a reference scale. But how well is the actual date of the Eternal City's foundation known?

Firstly, Rome is supposed to have been founded by the Trojans who had to flee after the fall of Troy. Some claim Rome to have been founded by Aeneas and Ulysses shortly after Troy had fallen; others are of the opinion that there was an entire dynasty that ruled for 500 years between the fall of Troy and the foundation of Rome.

Well, that's just an innocent 500 years long misunderstanding compared with what heretic Fomenko says, asserts, proves in his second volume: Second Roman Empire, Third Roman Empire, Biblical Kingdom of Israel, Biblical Kingdom of Judah, Holy Roman Empire are stories about basically same events, written from different points of view at different times. The underlying events have actually taken place during xii-xv cy. These histories have been written and perfected by multitude of highly talented humanist and clerical writers of xiii-xvi cy disguised as "ancients" with glorious names like Homer, Pluto, Thucydides etc..Chronology 2.0 beta..

Historians are kindly invited to report the bugs.
English as a Global Language
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • Speakers of the World, Unite!
  • International English vs. English
  • There are other sides to this issue
  • Crystal Does It Again
  • The Spread of Global English
English as a Global Language
David Crystal
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
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Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0521530326

Book Description

David Crystal's informative account of the rise of English as a global language explores the history, current status and potential of English as the international language of communication. This new edition of his classic work includes additional sections on the future of English as a world language, English on the Internet, and the possibility of an English "family" of languages. Footnotes, new tables, and a comprehensive bibliography reflect the expanded scope of the revised edition. An internationally renowned scholar in the field of language and linguistics, David Crystal received an Order of the British Empire in 1995 for his services to the English language. He is the author of several books with Cambridge, including Language and the Internet (2001), Language Death (2000), English as a Global Language (1997), Cambridge Encyclopedia of Language (1997), and Cambridge Encyclopedia of the English Language (1995) as well as Words on Words (University of Chicago, 2000). First edition Hb (1997): 0-521-59247-X First edition Pb (1998): 0-521-62994-2

Download Description

David Crystal, world authority on the English language, has written a timely and informative account of the phenomenon of English as a global language - the most successful the globe has ever known, with perhaps 1,500 million speakers. But if its rise continues what will be the fate of less powerful tongues? and what would have been the impact if Bill Gates had grown up speaking Chinese? What makes a world language? And why is English the leading candidate? Will it continue to hold that position? This book will appeal to anyone with an interest in language issues, whatever their political views on the subject.

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Speakers of the World, Unite!.......2007-05-31

In Douglas Adams' Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, space travelers can communicate with beings from other planets by inserting a Babel fish in their ear. The Babel fish takes in what is spoken and modifies the brain activity of the user to effect a translation. Universal translators are standard equipment in science fiction involving space travel, since it is reasonable to assume that extraterrestrials will not speak English or any other earthly language. Indeed, given that there are over six thousand mutually unintelligible languages here on Earth, it seems that the technology is badly needed now. However, by the time the technology is available, there may no longer be any need for it. According to David Crystal in his book, English as a Global Language, everyone on Earth will soon speak English.

Currently English has the status of a lingua franca, a language that is used for international exchanges. Through history, different languages have served as linguae francae on a regional basis. In Europe, Latin served this role across the Roman Empire, and continued in this function for centuries after the fall of Rome because it was the language of the Catholic Church. In China, where dozens of mutually unintelligible dialects are spoken, Mandarin serves as the common language of government and intellectual exchange. And starting in the seventeenth century, French served as the international language of diplomacy until its fairly recent replacement by English.

The status of English as a lingua franca, however, is quickly transforming into that of a global language, one that nearly everyone in the world can speak. This is an unprecedented event, although there has been a trend over history toward linguistic consolidation as a result of political consolidation. The globalization of English was driven by a historical accident, namely that both world powers during the last two centuries spoke English. The language was first spread around the globe in the nineteenth century by the growing British Empire. As British political power waned at the turn of the last century, American influence and prestige was on the ascendancy, further spreading the use of English.

The globalization of English is further driven by the growing global economy. More and more people around the world are getting involved in the global marketplace of goods, jobs and ideas. But to participate in this marketplace, you need to speak English. And if it is not your native language, you need to learn it, or you will be left behind. Although there are more native speakers of Mandarin Chinese than there are of English, there are more people who speak English as a second language than any other language in the world. In fact, there are more people who speak English as a second language than as a first language. Combining first and second language users, we find that English is the world's most widely spoken language. Still, only one in four people know English, clearly indicating that English is not yet a true global language.

Crystal contemplates two possible futures for global English. In his utopia, he sees all people in the world speaking some sort of World Standard Spoken English when communicating internationally and their native language locally and at home. Crystal points out that even native English speakers would in a sense be bilingual because WSSE would be different from their native dialect. This view of universal bilingualism may seem odd to the monolingual Anglophone, but Crystal points out that the majority of the world's population is already at least bilingual. Thus, the multitude of languages in the world would remain vibrant while WSSE would serve as an auxiliary for international communication.

In Crystal's dystopia, on the other hand, he sees all people of the world as Anglophone monolinguals. In his companion book Language Death (2002, Cambridge University Press), he examines how and why languages die and deplores the increasing rate of language extinction. In the current book, he touches on this subject again. Crystal views the loss of linguistic diversity as analogous to the loss of biological diversity, with similar catastrophic consequences for the welfare of humanity. However, Crystal's reasoning is flawed and tainted with gushing romanticism for the polyglot throng.

Crystal's frustration with English's global linguistic dominance would be justified if the language were being pushed upon the world's population by some imperialistic force. But it is not. The globalization of English is a grass-roots movement. People want better lives for themselves and for their children, and they see the way to the good life is through participation in the global marketplace. Thus, they learn English and teach it to their children, often not caring whether the younger generation even learns the language of their ancestors. And they do this in spite of governmental attempts to preserve or resurrect heritage languages.

It is often suggested that a common world language would lead to world peace by reducing misunderstandings and miscommunications, but Crystal rightly points out the fallacy in that way of thinking. Throughout history, bloody wars have been fought by those who speak the same language, as for example the American Civil War, the breakup of Yugoslavia or the unrest in Northern Ireland today. However, there is a sense in which a common world language would increase the chances of world peace, and that is through the global marketplace. As the world becomes more interconnected and interdependent, warfare becomes a less profitable means of resolving political problems.

Crystal hopes for a future in which nation-states conduct their commerce in a common language while maintaining their national languages at home. But there is a bolder, brighter vision of the future--one in which the globe is unified economically, politically and linguistically. As members of a single community, there would be free movement of people, goods and ideas around the globe, facilitated by a single global language. That language would likely be a descendant of English, but with continued admixtures from many other languages.

There is no particular reason why English is better suited than others to serve as a global language, in spite of frequent claims of English linguistic superiority. The language mavens (to use Pinker's term) will often declare English syntax simpler or more logical and its vocabulary richer and more expressive than those of other languages, but neither is true. English is just an ordinary language with no advantage other than that it is the language of the current economic and political superpower in the world.

As the global economy develops, the number of English speakers will continue to increase. The development of some sort of World Standard Spoken English is virtually inevitable. It is also quite likely that the vast majority of the world's languages will die out because their speakers will no longer be interested in using them. Instead, they will be learning the global language so that they can claim their rightful place as citizens of the world.

4 out of 5 stars International English vs. English.......2006-01-03

While this should not be the place to make such arguments, I think that the Norris review below is interesting, but misses the point. Historically, before the advent of "serious" democracy, one's national language was "defined" by the ruling classes. It was the primitive "be like Mike" idea. One wished to emulate their superiors (don't children mimic their elder siblings?) so langauge changed. One must remember that after the French came to England the language of the courts and of government was French; hence, if one wished to do any kind of business with the government, one needed to know French.

We live in a time where English has become the new global royal language, for lack of a better way of stating that. It may shift--if America is no longer the dominant culture monetarily or militarily, perhaps this will occur. The point is that like it or not, English is a global language.

Another good point is this: if an American moved to France, become a French citizen, etc., would the locals consider them "French?" Of course not; they are transplanted Americans. But if a Frenchmen moved to America, and did all the requisite things, no one would ask otherwise. He'd/She'd be an American. End of story. As racist as many foreigner's claim we are, I think America is a very accepting country. Much more so than many of those who claim we are not. Try moving to Saudi Arabia, for example, and claiming you're a national. Our language is hence much like our culture--accepting of many.

3 out of 5 stars There are other sides to this issue.......2005-10-27

As I read this book, I had the impression that the author has never tried to use international versions of English for complex tasks like working with foreign business and technical partners. I work for a multinational corporation myself. We are discouraged from taking time to learn foreign languages because we are told that English is the official language of our company. Then we arrive at our overseas branches and discover that our counterparts can say hello, goodbye, and thank you to us, but little more. I think Crystal is overly optimistic about how much English people are really learning overseas.

He also dismisses the cultural chauvinism wrapped up in the belief that English is the perfect global language. Actually, Spanish grammar is much easier to learn, and is much easier for non-native speakers to pronounce.

English *is* an international language, but it is only an effective one in the most basic communication situations. A few years ago author Barbara Wallraff wrote an excellent article in the Atlantic Monthly entitled "What Global Language?" (Nov, 2001) which made the point that while international English may be useful for very simple purposes, more complex communication tasks will require something other than English.

Author Edward Trimnell (Why You Need a Foreign Language and How to Learn One ISBN: 0974833010) rips the international English argument to shreds by pointing out that a.) cooperation between peoples who don't speak English as a native language is increasing; and in these situations, it makes sense to use a language other than English, and b.) the hubbub about international English has made native English-speakers very complacent in recent years--- such that we are now entirely dependent on the language skills of others.

Crystal's book is not without its merits, but it comes across as a sales pitch for international English. There is another side to this argument, and I would recommend reading Wallraff and Trimnell before making up your mind.

5 out of 5 stars Crystal Does It Again.......2005-08-19

David Crystal's updated version of his 1997 book provides additional content and resources. I relied heavily upon his research and discourse to help me complete my master's thesis in international educational development. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in learning more about the phenomenon of English as a Global Language.

5 out of 5 stars The Spread of Global English.......2005-07-04

In this book, David Crystal presents the future of the English language. According to Crystal, non-native speakers of English outnumber native speakers of English, so it could be said that English has become global. Add to this the fact that English has become the de facto language of business, science, technology, and diplomacy, and it becomes apparent that English belongs to the world. Crystal argues that English will become more influenced by non-native speakers in the future, so we will have to rethink the idea of the "native speaker". As a world language, English doesn't belong to the native speakers in countries such as England and America, but to all who speak it. To speak a language gives you the right to use it as you will.

This is a very interesting book on the spread of world English. I really recommend it.
Temas: Spanish for the Global Community
Average customer rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars
  • Not particularly great
  • AChhh!!!
  • Excellent text to learn Spanish with.
Temas: Spanish for the Global Community
Jorge H. Cubillos
Manufacturer: Heinle
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0838482260

Book Description

TEMAS is an input-driven program that prepares students for the global community and workplace.

Customer Reviews:

3 out of 5 stars Not particularly great.......2004-05-15

This textbook introduces the fundamentals of the Spanish language to students. Chapters give instructions on the grammar of the Spanish language especially verb tenses (indicative, preterit, imperfect, subjunctive, present progressive, future, conditional, and imperfect subjunctive). The book also includes information about a number of Spanish speaking countries.

Truthfully, I did not really find this book that helpful, at least not for studying. The book exercises may help when conversing in class, but are pretty pointless if preformed alone. I did not feel that the book did a great job of teaching the grammar either. It stuck certain grammatical topics in the middle of chapters instead of introducing them at the forefront which I think would have been better. It did little to illustrate verb conjugation (I recommend using 501 Spanish verbs to help). More English directions would also have helped a little. The cultural sections in the book were informative, but I would rather have the book focus more on the Spanish language instead.

The two extras that probably will come with the book's package are the Temas CD-rom and workbook. The workbook really wasn't that bad and I think helped me at least a little. It is actually better to get a teacher who makes you do the workbook because these exercises do help (some teachers basically ignore the workbook and expect you to do it on your own). The only problem that I had with it was that it often included Spanish words that were not explained in the text. The CD-rom I felt was very helpful. It was especially useful for preparing for listening portions of exams and includes several helpful exercises.

Basically, Temas is not horrible but not great. It is a bit too bare-bones in its teaching style to be a great textbook.

1 out of 5 stars AChhh!!!.......2002-12-13

The WORST Spanish textbook I have ever used! The layout is nice, but the exercises, in most cases, do not even relate to the material being covered in that particular tema. The accompanying workbook is even worse. I have never seen a language book offer exercises before lessons at the beginning of a chapter, and this one does it before nearly all. If you need this for a class, be ready to deal with some headaches.

4 out of 5 stars Excellent text to learn Spanish with........2002-08-30

I didn't give it 5 stars because I believe the first thing that should have been covered is the alphabet - which is in chapter/section 2 I believe. We learned English by learning the alphabet first, just as we should with Spanish. Other than that, this book is great! Especially if you get it with the two CD's that go with new editions. They really helped me. I definitely recommend this book.
Global Cities
Average customer rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars
  • New Urban Sociology
  • Below average, disconnected book.
Global Cities
Mark Abrahamson
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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  1. THE GLOBAL CITIES READER (Routledge Urban Reader)
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  3. The Global City: New York, London, Tokyo.
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  5. World-Systems Analysis: An Introduction (A John Hope Franklin Center Book)

ASIN: 0195142039

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars New Urban Sociology.......2005-04-28

Abrahamson's Global Cities is a welcome new book: It provides a truly global perspective on urban life, examining both the economic and cultural dimensions of globalism. It provides especially thorough examinations of immigration and the effects of foreign investment upon global inequality. It is a very well-written book, with little un-necessary jargon.

1 out of 5 stars Below average, disconnected book........2005-03-19

This is a poorly written work with disconnected arguments and observations. The premise of the book is interesting: most of the works on globalization and cities either focus on economic issues or cultural issues--this book will attempt to do both. From this promising beginning, the book falls apart from poor writing that takes the reader all over the place--geographically and temporally. Within the first few pages of the book, the discussions goes from the history of London during the Roman Empire to the fate of GUM shopping mall in Moscow in light of the Asian financial crisis in 1997. All this shifting isn't done with a postmodern sense of irony (although a crude understanding of postmodernism informs some of the analysis) nor social science rigor nor insightful observerations of a keen historian. The observations on cities and their relationship with globalization is rehashing of conventional wisdom and are just simply pedestrian. After suffering through the book, I'm puzzled over how Oxford University Press could have published such a book.
Making Peace: A Reading/Writing/Thinking Text on Global Community
Average customer rating: Not rated
    Making Peace: A Reading/Writing/Thinking Text on Global Community
    Elaine Brooks , and Len Fox
    Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Paperback

    English (All)English (All) | Dictionaries & Thesauruses | Reference | Subjects | Books
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    ASIN: 0521657806

    Book Description

    A reading/writing/thinking test on global community. In the Student's Book, the authors use peace education issues as a way of helping students to improve reading and writing skills while sharing thoughts and concerns about cross-cultural issues. This book promotes peaceful relations, respect, and understanding among nations, cultures, and groups, as well as across gender, race, class, ethnicity, and generations. Using the topic of peace in the global community, this innovative reader provides content-based language instruction for students. It offers selections on a variety of subjects ranging from conflict resolution and the creation of a more peaceful world, to environmentalism and education. The text develops analytical and critical thinking, and includes integrated reading and writing activities.
    English as Lingua Franca: Double Talk in Global Persuasion
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      English as Lingua Franca: Double Talk in Global Persuasion
      Karin Dovring
      Manufacturer: Praeger Publishers
      ProductGroup: Book
      Binding: Hardcover

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      ASIN: 0275958787

      Book Description

      As an international language, English has facilitated the sharing of information. But when it comes to communication, specifically political communication, Dovring argues that the type of English that is used leads to misunderstandings, political double entendre, and the subtle manipulation of public opinion. President Kennedy was one of the first to face this problem when he negotiated with Khrushchev in the 1960s. He encountered an English where familiar words were used with new or dubious meanings in order to point toward certain political goals. This "Bodysnatched English" is the subject of Dovring's study. A communications analyst, Dovring examines the use, influence, and political environment where "Bodysnatched English" has appeared. She points out the often neglected fact that communication is an art, performed to perfection by politicians acting on the public stage. She analyzes recent political communications, including the words of Reagan, Clinton, Gorbachev, Khrushchev, and Qadafi.
      Words of the World: The Global Language System
      Average customer rating: Not rated
        Words of the World: The Global Language System
        Abram De Swaan
        Manufacturer: Polity Press
        ProductGroup: Book
        Binding: Paperback

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        Marketing Identities through Language: English and Global Imagery in French Advertising
        Average customer rating: Not rated
          Marketing Identities through Language: English and Global Imagery in French Advertising
          Elizabeth Martin
          Manufacturer: Palgrave Macmillan
          ProductGroup: Book
          Binding: Hardcover

          GeneralGeneral | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
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          ASIN: 1403949840
          Release Date: 2006-04-13

          Book Description

          Elizabeth Martin explores the impact of globalization on the language of French advertising, showing that English and global imagery play an important role in tailoring global campaigns to the French market, with media companies undeterred by the attempts through legislation to curb language mixing in the media.
          Arm in Arm: The Political Economy of the Global Arms Trade
          Average customer rating: 3 out of 5 stars
          • A lot of info, but really unorganized
          Arm in Arm: The Political Economy of the Global Arms Trade
          William W. Keller
          Manufacturer: Basic Books
          ProductGroup: Book
          Binding: Hardcover

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          ASIN: 0465026672

          Customer Reviews:

          3 out of 5 stars A lot of info, but really unorganized.......1999-08-29

          Great info. Bad structure. Hard to read cover to cover..... and it's only 187 pages long!!! That says something about it.
          Analyzing English in a Global Context: A Reader (Teaching English Language Worldwide)
          Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
          • A good guide
          • Excellent introduction to the study of EIL
          • a good introduction to the subject
          Analyzing English in a Global Context: A Reader (Teaching English Language Worldwide)
          Anne Burns
          Manufacturer: Routledge
          ProductGroup: Book
          Binding: Paperback

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          ASIN: 0415241162

          Book Description

          Analysing English in a Global Context offers a global perspective on the changing uses and forms of English and develops the skills needed to analyze these forms. Together with its companion volumes, it presents English language teaching in a variety of specific institutional, geographic, and cultural contexts. Topics include:
          the internationalization of English;
          the status of the non-native English teacher;
          the recognition of language variation;
          the debate on standard versus non-standard varieties.

          Customer Reviews:

          5 out of 5 stars A good guide.......2006-07-01


          I have read this book as a teacher of English as a foreign language. When you teach EFL in the UK your experience is different to when you teach it abroad. Then you become aware of many Englishes. Your own teaching is assimilated in different ways.

          There are also teachers who are not native speakers of English, so their teaching reaches their students already filtered by a different mind and vocal apparatus.

          Another interesting section of this book is the guidance on variants of English and what is or not standard English. It sets boundaries that are very handy when you are in a teaching situation. You cannot simply impose your brand of Englsih to everyone.

          5 out of 5 stars Excellent introduction to the study of EIL.......2002-07-17

          A well compiled reader, with excellent coverage of the fundamental concepts and current issues in English as an International Language. Most abridged papers are from world's authorities in this field, e.g. David Crystal, David Graddol and Braj Kachru.

          4 out of 5 stars a good introduction to the subject.......2001-07-06

          This book contains abriged essays by the big names in EIL (English as an International Language)such as Kachru or Graddol. It is thus very suitable as an introduction to the subject. However, I felt that the last section did not really fit into the topic any more and was somewhat superflous. Still, the book can be well used as an awareness raising text.

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