Statistics of Income. Corporation Income Tax Returns, 1987 (Publication (United States. Internal Revenue Service), 16)Stk No 048-004-02299-1

Book Description

Was Leonardo Da Vinci a member of the "Priory of Sion," a secret society reaching all the way back to the Crusades? Does his famous painting, "The Last Supper," contain a hidden code about this society's most precious secret? Did Jesus father children by Mary Magdalene? What was the Holy Grail?

The best-selling novel The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown has stirred the popular imagination by cleverly interweaving theories about such questions with a fast-paced fictional narrative. Many readers have been so swept away by the drama of this murder mystery that they have accepted Brown's fictional reconstruction of Christian origins and medieval history as established fact.

New Testament scholar Robert M. Price, a member of the Jesus Seminar, examines the creative uses of history in Brown's novel, showing that, however intriguing Brown's fictional speculations may be, the real facts behind the novel are even more fascinating. What does the best historical evidence say about the possibility that Jesus might have survived the crucifixion? How did the Gospels come to be accepted as the established accounts of Jesus' life and why were other Gnostic traditions suppressed? How did the Roman Emperor Constantine figure in the development of Christian dogma? What was Mary Magdalene's role in early Christianity and how was it adapted in later attempts to develop a "sacred feminine" element in Christianity? These are some of the important questions about Christianity that Dr. Price pursues in this engrossing discussion of Christian history. Price combines sophisticated historical analysis with completely accessible and witty prose in this enlightening, factually based sequel to Brown's speculative bestseller.

Customer Reviews:

Superb work........2007-04-09

This is my first book I've read from Mr. Price and I considered this work to be one of the best in explaining to the basic layman on the roots of Christianity and the fraud behind the Da Vinci Code.

Now we must really understand that the Da Vinci Code was written in 'fiction'; so I have nothing against Dan Brown at all. It's just that it has influenced millions of people to believe it is 'non-fiction', therefore Mr. Price's response was appropriate.

Considerate, to the point, and realistic, this book is one of the more scholarly works in refuting The Da Vinci Code. Maybe he should write one about the Talpiot tomb/Lost Tomb of Jesus?

Engrossing........2007-01-07

The best-seller novel THE DA VINCI CODE by Dan Brown sold millions and stirred imagination and debate, weaving theories about Christian origins with a fictional murder mystery. New Testament scholar Robert Price, member of the Jesus Seminar, here examines the fallacies of Christian history and usage in THE DA VINCI CODE, drawing important connections between fantasy and real history and adding religious insights based on known facts about Jesus and his life, the Gospels, and historical figures. Readers who have followed THE DA VINCI CODE will find THE DA VINCI FRAUD: WHY THE TRUTH IS STRANGER THAN FICTION equally engrossing.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

So much the worse for the facts.......2006-06-10

According to the editor details in my copy of Tales of the Lovecraft Mythos:

"Robert M. Price discovered the work of H.P. Lovecraft at the age of thirteen. At the age of thirty-seven [this book was published 14 years ago] he is still going strong. For a decade he has been the editor of Crypt of Cthulhu and a frequent contributor to Lovecraftian Studies and Studies in Weird Fiction."

Is this the same Robert M. Price who wrote this book, or are there two people using the same name for their works of fiction? For in the final analysis this is surely what much of this book is.

The members of the nineteenth century, Tubingen-based school of so-called higher criticism based their thinking on the ideas of German philosopher G.W.F. Hegel. This is not really so surprising since Hegel was so far out of touch with reality that, when a student pointed out that his analysis of certain historical events had completely misrepresented the facts, he complacently responded: "So much the worse for the facts."

Despite all the media hype it has garnered, the self-styled "Jesus Seminar" is very much a fringe group (in academic circles), whose members seem to be attempting to resurrect higher criticism - and with the same carefree disregard for the facts.

Despite the claims at the front of the book, The Da Vinci Code is, in reality, nothing more than a purely fictional thriller, written with questionable literary skill, based on a hoax perpetrated in the 1950s by French forger and anti-semite Pierre Plantard and his colleagues, funnelled through the poorly-argued (and, by the authors' own admission, totally speculative) Holy Blood, Holy Grail (which has been around since the early 1980's - yet with a noticeable lack of collapse on the part of Christianity in general or the Roman Catholic Church in particular).

Presumably in an attempt to ride the wave of hysteria surrounding Dan Brown's novel, Price debunks one story whilst presenting us with an equally fictional account of what he and his colleagues in the "Seminar" claim are the origins of Christianity. It's the sort of trick frequently found in works on ID (intelligent design) - the author starts out addressing one subject, and then, when the reader is hooked, switches to the ID - or in this case the "Jesus Seminar" - propaganda.

Unfortunately, as with the earlier acolytes of higher criticism, the reasoning of the members of the "Seminar" is somewhat similar to the US TV show "Jeopardy!", or to a process known in IT circles as "reverse engineering". First they decide what they believe - then they work backwards to find evidence that justifies to their beliefs. The ultimate flaw is that there is absolutely no chance that the evidence will ever be evaluated at face value. Instead it is assumed that all evidence which supports the "Jesus Seminar" beliefs MUST be true/accurate/etc., and by the same totally subjective yardstick, any evidence that points to a different conclusion is treated as though it is, by definition, inaccurate/false/etc. and therefore need not be considered.

So, if you want a book which reflects this kind of religious bigotry to make its case against Christianity, then you may well find this very satisfying.

For a far better analysis of the flaws in the current crop of anti-Christian fiction, especially The Da Vinci Code, Holy Blood, Holy Grail, The Templar Revelation, and The Woman with the Alabaster Jar, etc. then you may well find the recently released DVD The Real Da Vinci Code a far more credible and satisfying mixture of accurate, agnostic, investigative reporting and entertaining/irreverent presentation (without any hint of "dumbing down").

The definitive rebuttal of Brown's unlearned guesses.......2006-05-24

Dan Brown is not a biblical scholar. When he read "Holy Blood, Holy Grail," and saw it as providing a historical setting for a mystery novel titled "The Da Vinci Code," he had no ability to distinguish those parts that constituted legitimate historical speculation from other parts that any competent scholar could have told him were indefensible.
Bart Ehrman, who wrote "Truth and Fiction in the Da Vinci Code," is a theologian, and as such his ability to evaluate historical questions is severely curtailed by his preconditioning. Some of his corrections of Brown are as inaccurate as Brown's own speculations.
Robert Price is a biblical scholar. While he has been known to reach conclusions with which other scholars disagree, he does not reach conclusions that are not at the very least consistent with the evidence. So when he spells out the mistakes, wild guesses and plain lies in Brown's novel, his findings have far greater credibility than those of an author brainwashed into believing that the Bible is essentially nonfiction. There is no possibility whatsoever that Ehrman's conclusions are the best that biblical scholarship has to offer. Price's conclusions may be exactly that.
The reason so many books debunking "The Da Vinci Code" have been written is that no previous book said everything that needed to be said and corrected everything that needed to be corrected. Price has done so, and thereby made further books on the subject superfluous.
(see my unabridged review in May/June 2006 "American Rationalist")

So Much For That Happy And Unified Band Of Early Christians.......2006-02-17

THE DA VINCI FRAUD is an interesting book which not only refutes many of the misleading claims found in Dan Brown's DA VINCI CODE but also gives a broad overview of the origins of Christianity as well as the events leading up to the formation of the New Testament Canon.

Price has an informal style which belies a wide knowledge of the history of early Christianity. He has a knack for mixing speculation with facts to increase the reader's interest.

In disputing Brown's work, Price gives his own version of the truth about the Templar Knights, Constantine, the Holy Grail, Mary Magdalene and the Resurrection of Jesus. The most absorbing part of the book, however, is the author's discussion of Gnosticism and also the Gospels which were not included in the Bible.

I enjoyed THE DA VINCI FRAUD particularly for its extensive treatment of the politics of forming the New Testament. I found it helpful to have already read Elaine Pagels' THE GNOSTIC GOSPELS and Karen L. King's THE GOSPEL OF MARY MAGDALA.

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Smiles to Out Right Laughter

Church Is Stranger Than Fiction
Mary Chambers
Manufacturer: InterVarsity Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0830813268

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Smiles to Out Right Laughter.......2000-02-29

If you have been in Church very long at all, you will be delighted with Mary Chamber's work. Each page is a cartoon of someone you know from Sunday School or a board meeting. Her humor is gentle and yet can still drive a point home. This book makes a great gift for any pastor or Church staffer.

Faith Stranger than Fiction - A Fisher of Men

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Faith Stranger than Fiction - A Fisher of Men

Manufacturer: Evangel Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000CNKH80

Product Description

"The story of how God called a trooper to be a fisher of men. The personal testimony of Pastor Ed Jackson will encourage you to consider your mission in life". Pastor Jackson was a U.S. Marine in the South Pacific, a Lieutenant in the Ohio State Patrol, and then a Church Planter in Alaska for Grace Brethren North American Missions. He was also a teacher in the Central African Republic.

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Truth stranger than fiction
Alma White
Manufacturer: Pillar of Fire
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B00089GUNE

On the rock: Or, Truth stranger than fiction. A story of souls whose pathway began in darkness, but brightened to the perfect day

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On the rock: Or, Truth stranger than fiction. A story of souls whose pathway began in darkness, but brightened to the perfect day
D. R Dungan
Manufacturer: Standard Pub. Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
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Stranger than fiction: A hundred years of Jesuit Madura Mission ([C. T. S. of India publictions] H)

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Stranger than fiction: A hundred years of Jesuit Madura Mission ([C. T. S. of India publictions] H)
Leopold Bazou
Manufacturer: Catholic Truth Society of India
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Book Description

"Epic" films, those concerned with monumental events and larger-than-life characters, cover the period from the Creation to the A.D. 1200's and have been churned out by Hollywood and overseas studios since the dawn of filmmaking. Arguably the master of the genre, Cecil B. DeMille hit upon the perfect mixture of sex, splendor, and the sacred to lure audiences to his epic productions. Each of the 225 alphabetically arranged entries in this book includes casts and credits, plot synopsis, and narratives on the making of the films. Many photographs enliven the text.

Customer Reviews:

Entertaining Checklist Of Ancient World Spectacle Films.......2003-12-03

EPIC FILMS is a fun and detailed checklist of nearly 300 movies that are "concerned with monumental events and larger than life characters" that "take place during the period of time from the Creation to the thirteenth century." Utilizing that somewhat broad definition, Gary Smith writes with contagious enthusiasm about a wide assortment of titles, ranging from low budget but frequently stylish Italian-made peplum like GOLIATH AND THE VAMPIRES to stodgy and bloated multi-million dollar Hollywood extravaganzas like THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD. Smith provides informative and occasionally hilarious commentary and plot outlines, with brief cast/crew information for each film. Dozens of decorative stills and publicity photos are strewn throughout the text. The book offers a jaunty and entertaining look at these often spectacular productions and is highly recommended for fans of this mostly mindless but undeniably opulent genre.

Book Description

Youth music is the most creative and contested location on the cultural landscape. It is a vehicle for generational moods and aspirations, a public refuge for fantasies outlawed in daily life, a testing ground for technical ingenuity, an enormously profitable commercial channel for mainstream narratives of thought and behavior, and one of the corporate state's main theatres for national moral panic. Today's sounds, and the debates about their various forms, are inseparable from the social conditions of the last two decades: class polarization, racial marginalization, and economic violence enacted to a degree that has left youth, as a whole, with drastically reduced opportunities in life. Youth culture is still responding to these uneven developments with a passion that has been romanticized by some critics as a significant form of resistance, and denigrated by others as an avoidance of direct and political protest.

Microphone Fiends , a collection of original essays and interviews, brings together some of the best known scholars, critics, journalists and performers to focus on the contemporary scene. It includes theoretical discussions of musical history along with social commentaries about genres like disco, metal and rap music, and case histories of specific movements like the Riot Grrls, funk clubbing in Rio de Janeiro, and the British rave scene. The contents of the volume engage with the broad tradition of cultural studies and sociology of youth music and culture, but they are also designed to address audiences reached by mainstream music journalism and fans of any musical taste.

Customer Reviews:

Great Collection.......1998-05-18

This is an awesome collection of essays. If anyone is interested in popular culture, especially as it relates to music, then this book is for you. I attended the youth music and youth culture conference, and when I learned that Ross & Rose compiled the essays I was ecstatic.

The best essays in this collection belong to vogue dancer Willi Ninja, Lady Kier Kirby from Deee-Lite talking about voue dancing, and Tricia Rose's discussion on Hip-Hop origins.

IF you are interested in popular contemporary dance, check out the section on the dance continuum. THis is a good book that provides some incite into the world of contemporary culture. Enjoy.

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Champions in 3-D (Super Hero Role Playing, Stock No. 411)

Manufacturer: Berkley Pub Group
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 1558061096

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Thurgood Marshall: Civil Rights Champion (Justices of the Supreme Court)
D. J. Herda
Manufacturer: Enslow Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

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Kudlinski brings Franklin Delano Roosevelt to life.

Franklin Delano Roosevelt: Champion of Freedom (Middle-Grade Biography Series)
Kathleen Kudlinski
Manufacturer: Tandem Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: School & Library Binding
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ASIN: 061391046X

Book Description

Childhood of Famous Americans

One of the most popular series ever published for young Americans, these classics have been praised alike by parents, teachers, and librarians. With these lively, inspiring, fictionalized biographies -- easily read by children of eight and up -- today's youngster is swept right into history.

Customer Reviews:

Kudlinski brings Franklin Delano Roosevelt to life........2004-07-01

Franklin Delano Roosevelt was born into a life of comfort --- one could almost say a life of luxury. He had a beautiful home, was tutored privately, had a pony to ride and a boat to sail, and went on European vacations. His mother had very definite ideas as to how she wanted her son to live his life, and her word was very much the law in the Roosevelt household. Franklin went to a prestigious boarding school and then on to Harvard, just as his parents wished.

It was only when he was in his twenties that he began to assert his independence. He decided that he wanted to marry the niece of the great "Teddy" Roosevelt, a relative and former President of the United States. "Mother" was not pleased with his choice but Franklin insisted.

Franklin had just begun his political career when he was struck down and crippled by polio. His mother wanted him to go to the family home where she could care for him. But Franklin was not going to let polio destroy his dreams, and he fought very hard to prove to the American public that he was strong enough to be a good candidate --- first for Governor of New York, and later for President of the United States. He was determined to show them that a person stricken with polio could still be a great leader; he was so successful in this mission that he was elected President for an unprecedented four terms. He helped pull the United States out of the dark years of the Depression and led the country through World War II. With a huge grin on his face, he cheered up the American public when few others could.

In addition to documenting his remarkable accomplishments as a leader, author Kathleen Kudlinski also touches on Franklin's private life. We learn that he was afraid of fire because he couldn't run from it, he exercised for hours so that he would be able to do what was required of him as President, and though his leg braces hurt him terribly, he never said a word or complained. Franklin founded the March of Dimes and his support helped hundreds of polio victims. By the end of his third term in office, Franklin grew tired and terribly ill, but he still chose to run for President again because his country needed him.

Kudlinski brings Franklin Delano Roosevelt to life, giving him a real face, heart and smile.

Book Description

This is your ticket into the elusive underworld of the Internet, home to millions of elite computer hackers. 1337 h4x0r h4ndb00k will show you how to walk-the-walk and talk-the-talk of this exclusive community. Soon, you too will be able to go into a chat room and carry on conversations speaking the cryptic 1337 language. 1337 h4x0r h4ndb00k will also review the nature of computer viruses, different practical jokes to play on your desktop and tips on how to live the hacker lifestyle. Join the elite society of computer hackers with 1337 h4x0r h4ndb00k as your guide.

Customer Reviews:

Seeing both sides of the fence.......2007-09-13

I thoroughly enjoyed the book. While it's not a definitive book on hacking (what book is), it allows the common user to see what tricks and or techniques are used by some hackers to exploit others systems.

For the Beginner, they can see what is done by some to attack and invade a computer or how to get around potential future attacks.

For the Novice it can help by showing potential preventative measures that can be taken to thwart a hacker and even prevent some forms of spamming or spyware.

For the Expert it may not be enough to wet your appetite but it's still good and fun reading.

The author has taken the objective position of knowing more than the average computer user and shared some of the information he knows, isn't that what hacking has always been about? Suggestions that it is a book to "cash-in" on the hacker namesake to me seem misguided and wreaks of jealousy and arrogance by others. You'll find some of this in the hacking community unfortunately.

Having been an avid computer user since 1982, I found the book to be entertaining and realistic. No page after page reading of jumbled codes without explanations. Basic and informative writing with a broad range of users in mind.

Well worth the cover price in my opinion.

People, this book is SATIRE........2007-09-12

To people trying to critique this book on technical merits: The book is 100% satire!

The author is poking fun at both the whole script-kiddie culture and at YOU, the reader who actually thought the book was serious.

So take the book for what it's worth - a silly bit of technical satire that is about getting a chuckle more than actually imparting any real wisdom.

Apparently folks will fork over money to ape being a nerd. Sounds like a buzz peak to me........2006-09-06

"For every credibility gap there is a gullibility fill." -Richard Clopton

How 2 hack your world.......2006-03-26

this book has things like how to talk in 1337 (leet) and how to do strange things with your computer when i talked to the person who wrote it, tapeworm, on his website he said that the whole book was a joke and he was dared to submit his idea to a company but they took it and made it a book so it is a huge joke on his website but if you want to learn how to speak 1337 and learn words then you should buy it

pwnz all other books.......2006-03-25

omgz ppl, see all those people who gave this book like 1 or 2 stars? THEY ARE ALL N00BS! okay, sure the book is not a hackers encyclopedia, but it's not terribly difficult to tell that on practically the first page where tapeworm says "this book is an introduction to windows xp" and he says on page 2 "the material contained within this book should be required reading for anyone prior to even touching a computer" okay, so don't be shocked to find that you won't be a total hacker master after reading this.

Next, the book may in fact surprise you with its content. Sure, I knew most of the stuff talked about in the book, but not all of it! There were quite a few little tricks to make computing easier (or more fun) that i learned along the way. for example, i learned how to cheat in solitaire :D

Finally, the book is simply a great read. I already told you that it's not totally technical, but so what? If you want a technical book, go buy one, but while you're at it, buy this one too. There is a lot of humor, fun, and intelligence within this book - every book should have such things in some way or another. For example worm keeps his readers occupied with schweet projects at the end of each chapter.

I hope that you read this book and enjoy it just as everyone (350 in counting) at http://www.icodeviruses.com has.

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