In Islands of the Mind; John R. Gillis takes us on a rich and fascinating journey through the centuries and across the ocean in search of the meanings of islands in the collective imagination and history of the western world. Islands; he shows; have always sparked the imagination with notions of danger; adventure; isolation and even perfection. They have lured explorers and been the reason for battles between colonizing empires. Islands have given birth to unique cultures; they have prompted scientists and anthropologists with clues to human beginnings; and have been known to occasionally disappear without a trace. Gillis unravels both the actual and conceptual history of islands; beginning with the imagined lands of Homer's Odyssey and ending with a look at modern-day cruise destinations. This multifaceted survey shows how and why islands have occupied such a central place in the western imagination; and how they came to be master symbols and inexhaustible metaphors for so many different things.
#616010 in Books Suad Amiry 2006-09-19 2006-09-19Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.00 x .57 x 5.20l; .48 #File Name: 1400096499228 pagesSharon and My Mother in Law Ramallah Diaries
Review
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Wonderful story from the other side of the wallBy SHOPPERHow does a wise woman cope with decades of destruction of Palestinian neighborhoods; dignity and freedoms? Suad Amiry describes survival based on humor and tears; memories and small kindnesses.In late 1969; as a young adult; I was deeply sympathetic to Zionism when I first entered Israel. Then I watched; in horror; the systematic cruelty of Israelis to Arabs in their midst. How could a people who have suffered barbaric cruelties for century after century not have learned how vital it is to treat the "other" as brother?Are the victims of cruelty doomed to pass it forward to another "other" for all time? Lord; send me to a place where all creatures are One; but varied; enjoying the differences of the "other" and growing kinder always to our neighbors.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Sad Amiry's experiences have the potential to make a terrific ...By Leslie MahlerI was fascinated of the glimpses of life on the West Bank but left wanting more. Sad Amiry's experiences have the potential to make a terrific book but we need a fleshed out background of her life; family; and work experiences to make the picture feel whole. To the reviewers that are dismissive of her point of view - it is only through reading perspectives from all sides of a conflict that we begin to gain understanding.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. From a Palestinian point of view ;By Barbara Anne AtkinsThis is a good book that explains the Palestinian point of view during the times of Ariel Sharon running the Israeli government. The author relates mistreatment of Arabs and the demolition of their properties and destruction of their towns . There is no attempt to put the actions occurring into an historical perspective to educate the reader; rather it is a series of vignettes by the author.
