Expansion Books

Why did the countries of Europe go from second rate powers to world domination in so few years (historically speaking). Cipolla does a creditable job of examining the reasons, mostly social, that allowed this to happen. He points out that if you looked at Europe in 1200, you may not have put your money on Europe winning as big as it did.

Harnack starts out his book by dismissing entirely Eastern Christianity, the locality where most of the Apostles taught, where the oldest continuous churches exist, and where the New Testament is read daily in its original text. It is fascinating to read the erroneous assumptions Harnack made and based his conclusions about the development of Christianity. These assumptions are ignorant of the Jewish orgins and continuity of understanding and practice within Eastern Christianity -- practices that lost context in Roman Christianity and ultimately rejected in ignorance by Protestant Christianity. Unfortunately, Harnack's work, based in the limited knowledge of Western Christianity, is the foundation for what most Protestants believe is an accurate history of early Christianity. It's taught me a lot about why Western Christians believe and say what they do about the early church.

The various maps and historical text of this book tell about United States historical expansion. The book will help students visualize the geography of US history. This book is one in a series, which includes A Historical Atlas of the American Revolution and others.

The book has chapters contributed by different authors on the question of European imperialism in Africa and Asia. Some chapters go into why the Europeans gained a technological advantage. Especially when China, for most of history, had a lead in this. Only to squander it in centuries of stasis.

Written in 1980, the book mostly looks back at the era of European imperialism. With some discussion about current (1980) prospects for 3rd world nations to catch up. A few chapters are from a Marxist viewpoint. Very dated. Now, after the Cold War ended, and with a pragmatic Chinese government, it is hard to take seriously a Marxist developmental program. Coincidentially, at the book was written, Deng started his economic reforms. Which have continued under Jiang and Hu. Giving some 27 years of massive growth. A new chapter in capitalism. Which of course was unavailable as a massive case study to the authors of this book.

This is a path-breaking book, the first of its genre in Malaysian 'post-modern' historiography. It is both about the invention of Malay politics as well as Malay identity articulated eloquently through the dialogues between three nationalist positions, name, 'bangsa', 'kerajaan' and 'ummah'. A good read on Malay intellectual history,too.

This historiographical study about Islamic and European colonization gives me insight into how colonizers assimilated with indigenous peoples and its ultimate effects. This book recognizes the ethnocentrisms prevalent in European history. The author argues for a more all-inclusive approach for studying European history, including the woman's role in societies. The maps and statistical analyses added to my understanding about how European history as taught in schools has in the past neglected gender and multiethnic interpretations.

This book provides a chronology of developments in Japan that contributed to the expansion of the Japanese military from the Meiji Restoration of 1868 to the attack on the U.S. Naval Fleet at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on Dec. 7, 1941. It includes concurrent events in other countries to show the context for Japanese military expansion. Japanese actions in Korea, Manchuria, and China are emphasized. It also includes events in Japanese history prior to 1868 that contributed to the modern militarization of Japan, and major events after 1941 that were caused by Japan's military aggression.

In this novel the wife of Canadian poet Jamie Mangan has just walked out on him and he feels totally abandoned and lost. He decides to go back to his homeland, Ireland, and to look into his family origins, especially that of his look-alike poet grandfather. What he discovers is not so encouraging: he meets relatives who are pretty low in character; but he also meets the 18-year-old Kathleen, with whom he becomes totally smitten. He is not too sure what to make of this Mangan inheritance, some of it rather motley, but he also comes to realize that it's what he does in his life that will ultimately define who he is. Moore has often been concerned with characters and their search for identity in his fiction, and Jamie's search is made quite fascinating and enlightening by the author.

About the Book


Like Hitchhiking in Space was written during a man's journey of self-discovery. The title itself refers to the feeling of complete hopelessness that comes with many of life's disappointing episodes, as well as the blinding radiance that God's love can bring to a weary soul. In this book you will find confusion, dreams, pain, joy, infatuation, stupidity and love. In this book a man flees to the recesses of his soul to combat the darkness of himself and bask in the light of meaning. But most of all there is understanding to be had, and hope to be given to those who feel trapped in that glittering void.

Like Hitchhiking in Space is the first installment of the trilogy, Chronicles in Soul Expansion. Right now, our souls may be shrinking or growing. Hopefully growing.

This is important because with every experience, with every person that touches our lives, we learn how to live. Also, we must take care not to repeat mistakes, and learn from them. Like Hitchhiking in Space brushes upon this philosophy in order that the reader senses that it is a process, a complete set of trials that everybody must undergo. And in the end, everyone must find God. Beautiful poetry from the soul.


About the Author


Marcelle Dionne Fields was born in St. Louis, M.O. He graduated from Millikin University with a B.F.A. in Graphic Design in 1999. Though exceptionally gifted in the visual arts, Marcelle's passion for writing was sparked when his English professor acknowledged his talent. Since then he has been writing short stories, poems and even performing spoken word.

Fields is currently attending graduate school at Webster University, majoring in Business Administration. He is also working on his second book, High Definition Dreams and My Spirit Projector, chronicles in soul expansion II.

This Spanish language book describes the landing of Christopher Columbus, Ponce de Leon, the French in Canada, founding of Jamestown, the Puritans, and similar events in early American history. Research suggests that English language learners may benefit from learning to read in their native language in addition to the second language.