Francis of Assisi is; after Mary of Nazareth; the greatest saint in the Christian calendar; and one of the most influential men in the whole of human history. By universal acclaim; this biography by G. K. Chesterton is considered the best appreciation of Francis's life--the one that gets to the heart of the matter.For Chesterton; Francis is a great paradoxical figure; a man who loved women but vowed himself to chastity; an artist who loved the pleasures of the natural world as few have loved them; but vowed himself to the most austere poverty; stripping himself naked in the public square so all could see that he had renounced his worldly goods; a clown who stood on his head in order to see the world aright. Chesterton gives us Francis in his world-the riotously colorful world of the High Middle Ages; a world with more pageantry and romance than we have seen before or since. Here is the Francis who tried to end the Crusades by talking to the Saracens; and who interceded with the emperor on behalf of the birds. Here is the Francis who inspired a revolution in art that began with Giotto and a revolution in poetry that began with Dante. Here is the Francis who prayed and danced with pagan abandon; who talked to animals; who invented the creche.
#346170 in Books Darwin; Charles 2001-03-13 2001-03-13Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 8.00 x 1.00 x 5.30l; .91 #File Name: 0375756809496 pages
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. WonderfulBy C from SeattleI hadn't read it until now; and am enjoying it much much more than I thought that I would. What a treat to have access to the thoughts and writings from one of the most brilliant minds of modern times. Engaging; thoughtful and fascinating to see the observations that contribute to the eventual theory of evolution. Darwin seems like a delightful individual; and doesn't hesitate to poke fun at himself. One criticism: the formatting was dreadful in this version - the footnotes breakup the text. But it was free; so I suppose I shouldn't complain.3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. The Voyage of the BeagleBy Chie^`u Ti'm; Ca 92656Excellent reading book with beautiful illustrations.1 of 2 people found the following review helpful. This edition is complete; not abridgedBy Susan WoodwardThe reader of this edition; the great David Case; is wonderful. And of course Voyage is a great work; interesting on many levels; a glimpse of insight and genius to come.Some listeners think that a passage regarding the outrage of the ichneumon wasp paralyzing caterpillars and laying her eggs inside them is missing. It is not missing.In Voyage; near the end of Chapter 2; (it is a long passage; 4 or 5 paragraphs); Darwin does discuss this wasp; and her pursuit of a spider (totally creepy); and mentions that the wasp also paralyzes caterpillars and lays her eggs in them. But the connection between the survival strategy of the wasp to benevolent design is not discussed in Voyage in any edition; audio or paper. In Origin; Darwin writes that this phenomenon can't be consistent with benevolent design. Darwin expresses himself most clearly regarding the practices of this wasp and benevolent diety in a letter to Asa Gray written in 1860. The letter is quoted in numerous Wikipedia pieces on Darwin:"I own that I cannot see as plainly as others do; and as I should wish to do; evidence of design and beneficence on all sides of us. There seems to me too much misery in the world. I cannot persuade myself that a beneficent and omnipotent God would have designedly created the Ichneumonidae with the express intention of their feeding within the living bodies of Caterpillars; or that a cat should play with mice."
