The sequel to God Inside Out: Siva's Game of Dice (OUP; 1997). The story of Daruvana is the richest and most complex of all narratives about Siva; and provides scope fr sustained interpretation. A god wanders into a forest of Himalaya pine trees and becomes lost. Human beings encounter this god. The meeting changes both parties.
#201413 in Books John Ferling 2010-02-09Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 6.20 x 1.50 x 9.00l; 1.64 #File Name: 0195398661544 pagesJohn Adams A Life
Review
25 of 25 people found the following review helpful. Terrific BiographyBy J. M. WilliamsWOW...........This is great biography. I thoroughly enjoyed David McCullough's 'John Adams'. I absolutely loved John Ferling's treatment of this Founding Father. Mr. Ferling has a magical quality of presenting American history during the Revolutionary Period. He has great editorial sensitivity in selecting what subject matter to cover in depth and what to slip over with brief gracefulness. He knows how to present his material in an entertaining; yet historically accurate manner. This is one of the best biographies I have ever had the pleasure to read. After reading both this and Mr. McCullough's version of Mr. Adams' life; it is a bit disturbing that we do not honor Mr. Adams as he deserves we should. Certainly; one picks up from readings that he had some personality traits that were not particularly attractive; but when we become aware of the harsh sacrifices that he and his family endured for this nation; his accomplishments clearly deserve our respect and admiration. I'm grateful to have come across this masterful work and highly recommend it to anyone remotely interested in American History; and biography in general. I have read numerous books by Mr. Ferling and have thoroughly enjoyed each one and look forward to more from him in the future. As mentioned previously; this is Great Biography.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. My personal favorite one-volume treatment of John AdamsBy ParkerAlthough I give credence where it is do to David McCullough's incredibly brilliant one-volume work on the life of John Adams; I feel that Dr. Ferling has done an even more remarkable job here of truly ironing out the sociological; geographical; political; philosophical and historical implications of our third president in this work.What this biography tackles brilliantly and with considerable erudition is the character of John Adams; the politician; the statesman; the lawyer - and most forgotten - the friend and the father. Born into a family of modest if not lower than so means; John Adams' rise from childhood to be the most well-traveled statesman of his time (with the possible exception of Benjamin Franklin) is simply a joy to read about.Dr. Ferling gets into his relationships; both professional and personal; all though while painting with the scenes of his life with vivacious narration and scholarly insight. I cannot recommend this biography enough for the educated laymen or serious students of pinnacle figures of the American Revolutionary period.5 of 5 people found the following review helpful. Another great read by John FerlingBy Tom FentonFerling is one of those authors of whom you expect great things. I was not disappointed with his take on John Adams. With the exception of the fact that he did not earn a Pulitzer for his version like David McCullough did; I found little to disappoint with "John Adams: A Life".One word of advance counsel: Before you get comfortable; you will need close access to a dictionary while you read this work. Since I like to learn new words; I was not too frustrated. However; by the end of the book; it did get just a little old. Words like captious; sybarite; querulous; peculation; irascible; supercilious; truculence; vertiginous and hirsute are just a few of the many examples of very uncommon words littering the pages of "John Adams: A Life" that kept me searching. But don't take my word for it. Dig in and see for yourself. I don't say this as a criticism; unless you are wanting an unchallenging and mundane read. I read to learn; and this book was right up my alley.Besides learning new words; I learned a lot of new things about our second president; as well as his times; the revolution he participated in; and his contributions to our national origins. I also learned more about his cousin; Samuel Adams than I had read in other books. In fact; Ferling drove me straight into the arms of Mark Puls ("Samuel Adams; Father of The American Revolution" and "Henry Knox; Visionary General of The American Revolution") when I finished his work on John. I have read Puls' work on Henry Knox and I know he is good; too.In short; to me; a good writer is one who creates interest; curiosity; and a desire to learn more. Like David McCullough and a host of other great writers; John E. Ferling does just that. I am totally satisfied with what I have read in this great work; but also sufficiently unsatisfied that I am inspired to learn more. John Ferling did his job well and I highly recommend this result of his efforts.Five stars.
