Of all the epithets popularly attached to the Middle Ages; 'superstitious' is perhaps the most common and most misleading. The eighteenth-century view that the era was represented by the Catholic Church and therefore backward and 'dark'; in contrast to their own times which were forward-looking; rational and 'scientific'; has created a myth which successive centuries have perpetuated.This fascinating study challenges the assumption that the medieval period was an age of superstition; offering students a varied collection of documents surveying what people throughout Europe actually thought and believed about the occult sciences at the time. Using translated extracts - many of which appear in English for the first time - from religious; legal; medical and scientific documents; P. G. Maxwell-Stuart presents and explores the various branches of magic; divination; astrology and alchemy which helped people to make sense of their world.
#595153 in Books Anne C Heller 2010-10-19 2010-10-19Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 7.98 x 1.20 x 5.24l; 1.23 #File Name: 1400078938608 pagesAyn Rand and the World She Made
Review
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Great Read on RandBy Howard I. SchwartzI thought this was a fabulous biography. I'm not a fan of Ayn Rand's philosophy so I'll acknowledge that up front. And I knew little about Ayn Rand's life. I found this book incredibly insightful in the way that Heller wove back and forth between Rand's personal story and her characters and ideas in her fiction. Before reading this biography; I had little understanding of Rand's Russian Jewish origin and the fact that she had lived through and witnessed her family suffering as a result of the Bolshevik revolution. That side of her story and the original research behind it is illuminating all by itself. But I also was transfixed by the sensitive look at the complicated relationships Rand had with her students; friends and husband. I'd highly recommend this book. For me; it had almost the quality of a detective story that made it hard to put down; while being very thoughtful and nuanced at the same time; and trying hard; in my view; to give a complete picture of Rand as a complex person.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Objective; Thorough Study of a Complex and Obsessed PersonBy Leonard ZaneVery informative; and with an objective perspective. Here is Ayn Rand the human being: a person with some brilliant literary talent and philosophical insights -- coupled with monumental character flaws; contradictions; naiveté; and drastic errors of perception and judgment. Not a person one would want as a mother; and she rightly never desired to be one. Geniuses don't make small mistakes.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. focusing on a time in history and on an individual with the willingness to become great; we'll not see the likes of her againBy AlainThe book is a remarkable read; focusing on a time in history and on an individual with the willingness to become great; we'll not see the likes of her again.
