The Art and Science of Low-Carbohydrate Living, Jeff S. Volek and Stephen D. Phinney, 2011, 302 pages, ISBN 9780983490708, Dewey 624.2833 V882a
STARTINThe Art and Science of Low-Carbohydrate Living, Jeff S. Volek and Stephen D. Phinney, 2011, 302 pages, ISBN 9780983490708, Dewey 624.2833 V882a
STARTING
When first thrown wholly upon a diet of reindeer meat, it seems inadequate to properly nourish the system and there is an apparent weakness and inability to perform severe exertive, fatiguing journeys. But this soon passes away in the course of two or three weeks. --Frederick Schwatka, 1880. We feel and function best on sustained, not intermittent, carb restriction. pp. 237-238.
LIFELONG If a low-carb-adapted diabetic patient "breaks the diet" by eating even transient and/or modest amounts of refined carbs, all the hard-won benefits can disappear, and don't reappear for 3-7 days back on low-carb. pp. 203, 214-215, 244-245.
CARBOHYDRATE INTOLERANCE Insulin resistance is carbohydrate intolerance. Just say no to carbs. pp. 174, 186-203. Also known as metabolic syndrome, defined as 3 or more of: * Waist circumference ≥ 40 inches (men) or ≥ 35 inches (women) * Fasting triglycerides ≥ 150 mg/dl * HDL-C, High-density-lipoprotein cholesterol, < 40 mg/dl (men) or < 50 mg/dl (women) * Blood pressure ≥ 130/85 mm Hg or on meds for it * Fasting glucose ≥ 100 mg/dl or on meds for it. pp. 175, 192-193.
SODIUM, POTASSIUM, MAGNESIUM All carbohydrate-restricted diets make the kidneys dump sodium. p. 149. Absent sufficient sodium, your body jettisons potassium too. You get irregular heartbeats and muscle cramps. So get plenty of salt and potassium. Add 2-3 grams of sodium per day, such as 2 bouillon cubes. p. 241. Broth is good. One teaspoon salt per quart. p. 150. When you boil meat, 45% of its potassium comes out in the broth. Leafy greens and broth are good magnesium sources. p. 153. If you have muscle cramps, take 3 slow-release magnesium tablets daily for 20 days. Do not take magnesium if you have kidney problems. p. 244.
PUMP YOU UP Resistance training (such as weightlifting) is necessary to maintain lean body mass on a calorie-restricted diet. pp. 125-128. (view spoiler)[ Sedentary people lost 69% as fat, 31% as lean. Those on endurance training 50 min. 3x/wk lost 78% as fat, 22% as lean. Those on endurance training as above plus resistance training 40 min. 3x/wk lost 97% as fat, 3% as lean. (hide spoiler)]
EXERCISE Exercise is a wellness tool. Exercise is not a weight-loss tool. A fat person should first reduce carbs. Long runs or long bike rides can wait until weight has been lost. When fat people exercise regularly, their resting metabolism SLOWS. So instead of losing 10 pounds per 350 miles run or 1000 miles cycled, they lose only 2 to 7 pounds. And risk joint damage. pp. 242-243.
CARBS Carbs increase insulin; insulin sequesters fat in fat cells, and stimulates hunger. pp. ii, 78, 107, 143, 195.
INSULIN RESISTANCE Glucose can't enter (nonbrain) cells without insulin and cells' sensitivity to it. p. 75. Hundreds of millions of people are insulin-resistant, including about 25% p. 76 or 34% p. 173 of U.S. adults.
Most people whose muscle cells are insulin-resistant are fat, as the pancreas floods the blood with insulin, which fat cells stay sensitive to and imprison the fat. p. 80. If fat cells become insulin-resistant, they release fats that then deposit in the muscles and liver. A hot mess. pp. 181-189.
LOW-CARB Ketogenic 75-to-85%-fat, zero-to-10%-carbohydrate, 15-to-20%-protein diets improve insulin sensitivity. pp. 33, 76-79, 86-87, 123-126, 148, 156, 163, 186-203, 207-210, meals 231-235, 238-239. These percentages are by calories, not grams--BUT, what's important is limiting daily carb grams, to less than about 50. p. 109. (view spoiler)[Peanut butter that's 16 g fat, 7 g carbs, 8 g protein per 32 g is (16*9, 7*4, 8*4)/(144 + 28 + 32) = 70.6% fat, 13.6% carb, 15.7% protein. https://www.smuckers.com/peanut-butte... https://www.wolframalpha.com/input?i=.... (hide spoiler)]
KETOGENESIS On 50 grams (200 calories) or less of carbs per day, the liver makes ketones, that in a few weeks rise to 1 to 3 millimolar concentration in the blood: most of the brain's fuel is these ketones. p. 33, 199-201.
SATIETY An inpatient study of fat type-2 diabetics: one week of eating a balanced diet to satiety, followed by the same foods but limiting carbs to 20 grams (80 calories) per day. Energy intake dropped from 3100 to 2100 calories per day, all due to the missing carbs. Hunger, satisfaction, and energy level did not change. p. 163.
INFLAMMATION Insulin resistance increases inflammation. And conversely, in a vicious circle. Inflammation is an immune response to carbohydrate, in carbohydrate-intolerant people. pp. 185-191.
FATS Avoid soybean, corn, sunflower and cottonseed oils. p. 240.
KETOACIDOSIS Type-1 diabetics need insulin injections to control blood-fat levels: overproduction of ketones in type-1 diabetics is life-threatening ketoacidosis. This is a danger only if the pancreas can't make the tiny amount of insulin needed to limit fatty-acid release from fat cells. p. 80.
CONVENTIONAL WISDOM Conventional wisdom changes with the deaths of the experts who touted the wrong idea. pp. 177-179.
/THE/ CAUSE? Why did your bath overflow? Was it because you forgot to turn off the faucet, or was the drain clogged? p. 178. Metabolic disease results from a collection of simultaneous problems. p. 189.
Good Calories, Bad Calories, Gary Taubes, 2007, 601 pages, Dewey 613.283 T191g, ISBN 9781400040780
PHYSIOLOGY (p. 454 sums up)
When we eat fats, they brGood Calories, Bad Calories, Gary Taubes, 2007, 601 pages, Dewey 613.283 T191g, ISBN 9781400040780
PHYSIOLOGY (p. 454 sums up)
When we eat fats, they break down into fatty acids that circulate in the blood; the body's cells burn them for fuel.
When we eat carbohydrates, they break down to glucose, triggering the release of insulin into our blood. The fatty acids are whisked into fat cells, sequestered as triglycerides (three fatty acids on a backbone of glycerol phosphate, provided by the carbohydrates). Insulin prompts muscle cells to use the glucose as fuel.
If too much insulin stays in our blood too long, our cells become desensitized to it.
If muscle cells are desensitized to insulin, they don't burn the glucose.
If fat cells are still sensitized to insulin, they still sequester fatty acids.
In this condition, the cells aren't getting fuel they can use, to maintain their functions. Cell activity slows. The person is lethargic. And hungry. p. 445.
Eating more carbohydrates increases blood sugar the cells aren't using. Eating more fats sequesters them in fat cells.
Limiting our food makes us lethargic. Working more makes us hungry. Neither diet nor exercise loses weight long term. pp. 299, 304.
Constant-weight people burn more calories when they eat more. Fatten-easily people instead store the excess as fat. p. 301. Excess protein partly burns off. p. 302.
High blood sugar damages blood vessels.
Avoiding carbohydrates will lower insulin levels, enabling release of fatty acids from fat cells.
Rats rendered diabetic voluntarily choose diets devoid of carbohydrates, consuming only protein and fat. Their blood sugar fell to normal, they ate less food and drank only normal amounts of water. p. 430.
FRUCTOSE
Fructose all goes to the liver, which transforms it into triglycerides. This promotes insulin resistance. p. 200. It is also particularly prone to forming clumps with proteins, promoting vascular diseases. p. 201.
Eating fatty steak, lard, and bacon, instead of bread, potatoes, and noodles, would reduce heart-disease risk, though virtually no nutritional authority will say so publicly. p. 169.
Without carbohydrates you cannot gain weight. p. 410. Kuo put his patients on a sugar-free diet, with only 500-600 starch calories a day. 1967. p. 159. U.S. Navy physicians prescribed an 800- to 1000-calorie "ketogenic" diet of 70% fat, 20% protein, 10% carbohydrate to fat seamen. All lost weight without hunger, while higher-carb diets had left them hungry. p. 407.
A young rat, restricted for the rest of its life to two-thirds its preferred diet, will likely live 30% to 50% longer than had we let it eat to satiation, and age-related diseases will be delayed in their onset and slowed in their progression. p. 218.
By the year 2000, Americans were eating 150 pounds of sugar and high-fructose corn syrup a year. pp. 116, 199, 456. And 200 lb. of flour and grain, 130 lb. of potatoes, 27 lb. of corn. p. 458.
Sugar is addictive. p. 446.
By the mid-1960s, four facts had been established beyond reasonable doubt: (1) carbohydrates are singularly responsible for prompting insulin secretion; (2) insulin is singularly responsible for inducing fat accumulation; (3) dietary carbohydrates are required for excess fat accumulation; (4) both Type 2 diabetics and fat people have high levels of circulating insulin and an exaggerated insulin response to carbohydrates in the diet. p. 394.
Insulin inhibits the release of fat from fat cells. p. 426.
Missing is any mention of the positive effects of physical activity on metabolism. Frequent intense prolonged exercise may enable a type-2 diabetic to control his blood sugar. Taubes doesn't say so. After a long day of hard work, you may need to eat carbs right away, to restore your glycogen reserves. Taubes doesn't say it.
Taubes' advice is for the many of us who are largely-to-completely sedentary, and have been eating more carbs than are good for us.
THE FOCUS
The focus of the book is on calling out the junk science and dogmatism behind authorities' advocacy of high-carb diets--often even for diabetics.
Those who /know/ what the answer is lack the motivation to continue looking for it. p. 377.
REFERENCES
/Not by Bread Alone/, Vilhjalmur Stefansson, 1946. Fat-and-protein diets, such as the traditional Inuit diet. The Inuit, and the European explorers and traders who shared their plant-free diet, were perfectly healthy, as were the author and an associate who replicated the diet for over a year on return to Europe. They didn't even get scurvy. The all-meat diet provides enough of all the vitamins, /if/ the person doesn't eat carbohydrates. Insulin competes with the vitamins for receptors on cells. In the presence of insulin, a person's need for vitamins is much higher. pp. 320, 324, 328.
Ketone bodies, glycerol, and protein-derived glucose suffice to fuel the brain. p. 456.
/Obesity and Leanness/, Hugo Romy, 1940, is easily the most thoughtful analysis ever written in English on weight regulation in humans. p. 294. "Children do not grow because they eat voraciously. They eat voraciously because they are growing. For every calorie stored as fat or lean tissue, the body will require that an extra calorie be consumed or conserved." pp. 294-295.
/Handbook of Physiology/, American Physiological Society, 1965: 800 page volume dedicated to the latest research on fat metabolism. Albert Renold, coeditor. p. 386.
Edgar S. Gordon, 1969, The Metabolic Importance of Obesity, in Symposium on Foods: Carbohydrates and their roles, ed. H.W. Schultz (pp 322-346). pp. 388, 529.
Edgar S. Gordon, "A New Concept in the Treatment of Obesity," JAMA, Oct. 5, 1963, 186:50-60. Low-carb. p. 412.
/Nicholas and the Gang/, René Goscinny (1926-1977), drawings by Jean-Jacques Sempé (1932-2022), 1963 as /Le Petit Nicolas et les copains/. English tra/Nicholas and the Gang/, René Goscinny (1926-1977), drawings by Jean-Jacques Sempé (1932-2022), 1963 as /Le Petit Nicolas et les copains/. English translation by Anthea Bell, 2007. Sixteen episodes in 110 pages. This is book #4 of 5 in the series. ISBN 9780714846781
Nicholas Again (2006) = Les récrés du Petit Nicolas (1961),
Nicholas on Vacation (2006) = Les vacances du Petit Nicolas (1962),(view spoiler)[
Dad Makes the Decisions The Beach The Life and Soul of the Party Spindrift Island Doing Gymnastics Miniature Golf Playing at Shops Home Again Being Sensible Going Away Courage Going Swimming Stormy Point The Afternoon Rest Treasure Hunt Fish Soup Crispin's Visitors Vacation Memories
Nicholas and the Gang (2007) = Le Petit Nicolas et les copains (1963),
Matthew Has Glasses A Breath of Fresh Air My Colored Pencils - shows at least 55 desks and 33 kids in the classroom. Going Camping Talking on the Radio Mary Jane Collecting Stamps Max's Conjuring Tricks A Rainy Day Playing Chess The Doctors The New Bookstore Rufus Is Sick(view spoiler)[ "Well," Rufus explained, "I tell my mom I don't feel well every morning, so she wasn't to know, was she? But this time I really and truly don't feel very well." (hide spoiler)] Athletics The Secret Code Mary Jane's Birthday
Nicholas in Trouble (2008) = Joachim a des ennuis (1964) (later edition Le Petit Nicolas a des ennuis)(view spoiler)[
Jeremy Has Problems The Letter The Value of Money Going Shopping with Dad Carrying Chairs My Flashlight Roulette Granny Comes to Stay Road Safety An Interesting Project Pot Luck The Raffle Our Badge The Secret Message Jonah A Piece of Chalk
Nicholas Again, René Goscinny (1926-1977), drawings by Jean-Jacques Sempé (1932-2022), 1961 as Les Récrés du Petit Nicolas = Little Nicholas's Recess.Nicholas Again, René Goscinny (1926-1977), drawings by Jean-Jacques Sempé (1932-2022), 1961 as Les Récrés du Petit Nicolas = Little Nicholas's Recess. English translation by Anthea Bell, 2006. 120 pages (110 plus front and end matter). This is book #2 of 5 in the series.
Cute and funny. Vignettes in the school life of an apparently-about-six-year-old boy. Each is 6 or 8 pages of story and pictures. Originally printed in a newspaper.
Luckily, I'm very good at telling time, not like last year when I was little and I'd have had to go around asking people what my watch said all the time. --"My Watch."
Last day of school: All the way home I was telling myself how great it was, no more school, no more lessons, no more homework, no more detentions, no more fights in break, and now I couldn't see my friends for months and months, and we wouldn't have any chance to play around together, and I was going to be dreadfully sad and lonely. --"Prizegiving Day."
The Penguin Book of American Folk Songs, Compiled and Edited with Notes by Alan Lomax: 111 ballads, sea shanties, love songs, lullabies, reels, work sThe Penguin Book of American Folk Songs, Compiled and Edited with Notes by Alan Lomax: 111 ballads, sea shanties, love songs, lullabies, reels, work songs, cowboy songs, and spirituals popular in America from Colonial days to modern times. Piano Arrangements by Elizabeth Poston, guitar chords. 1964. 159 pages. Dewey 784.4
16 Yankee songs
18 Southern mountain songs
Includes this version of "Darlin', you can't love one," p. 54: Darlin, you can't love one (x2), You can't love one and have any fun, Darlin' … Darlin, you can't love two (x2), You can't love and to me be true, Darlin' … Darlin, you can't love three (x2), You can't love three and get along with me, Darlin' … Darlin, you can't love four (x2), You can't love four and come knocking at my door, Darlin' … Darlin, you can't love five (x2), You can't love five and get honey from my hive, Darlin' … Darlin, you can't love six (x2), You can't love six and keep me in this fix, Darlin' … Darlin, you can't love seven (x2), You can't love seven and expect to go to heaven, Darlin' … Darlin, you can't love eight (x2), You can't love eight and keep this business straight, Darlin' … Darlin, you can't love nine (x2), You can't love nine and see me all the time, Darlin' … Darlin, you can't love ten (x2), You can't love ten and be welcome here again, Darlin' …
18 Lullabies and reels
including Go to sleepy, little baby, p. 54 Mockingbird, p. 54 Frog went a-courtin', p. 61 Get along home, Cindy, p. 69
19 Spirituals and work songs
including Cherry Tree Carol, p. 77 Poor wayfaring stranger, p. 78 Nobody knows the trouble I see, p. 79
14 Western songs
including Whoopie-ti-yi-yo p. 107
26 Modern times
including The Midnight Special, p. 125 Hallelujah, I'm a Bum, p. 129, parody of Baptist hymn, Hallelujah, Thine the Glory St. James Infirmary, p. 134 The Titanic, p. 136 Worried Man, p. 137 Irene Goodnight, p. 138 Which Side Are You On?, p. 139 Blowin' down the Road, p. 140
American Folk Guitar Style, including chords and rhythms, pp. 147-151
By Goscinny & Morris, originally published in French in 1975 as /La Guérison des Dalton/ (A Cure for the Daltons). https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_CBy Goscinny & Morris, originally published in French in 1975 as /La Guérison des Dalton/ (A Cure for the Daltons). https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Cur... Very funny.
The Theseus legend has many unreal elements, such as the Minotaur. BUT—what if all such elements are justThe King Must Die, Mary Renault, 1958, 338pp.
The Theseus legend has many unreal elements, such as the Minotaur. BUT—what if all such elements are just embellishments on something that actually happened? That's Mary Renault's take. This is the story that might actually have happened, that gave rise to the fantastic legend.
We see a world giving over from rule-by-women to rule-by-men. We see that rule-by-women was NOT necessarily better than rule-by-men! "Thank the gods /women/ aren't in charge anymore!" is often the feeling.
By contrast, Evangeline Walton's Theseus book, /The Sword Is Forged/, left me with the strong feeling that the Equal Rights Amendment was a very good idea, first time I read it, in the 1970s.
During the story, a cataclysmic eruption blasts away a large part of an island north of Crete. The eruption of Thera (Santorini) may have been in 1642 BCE. There is ash in the Greenland ice from on or about that date, that may have come from there.
/The King Must Die/ is part one of Mary Renault's two-part life of Theseus. It ends while Theseus is still quite a young man.
The King Must Die contents: Book 1 Troizen p. 1 Book 2 Eleusis p. 91 Book 3 Athens p. 111 Book 4 Crete p. 167 Book 5 Naxos p. 309 Author's Note p. 333 The Legend of Theseus p. 336 Select Bibliography p. 339
(Aboard the large Cretan ship) we saw pirate camps, but none after us. We were bigger game than they had teeth for. (p. 169, Book 4 Crete, chapter 1)
The Cretan palace at Knossos had no defensive walls. Minos's walls were on the waters, which his ships commanded. (p. 191, Book 4 Crete, chapter 3)
Earth-shaker Poseidon is husband of the Mother Goddess. (p. 295, Book 4 Crete, chapter 10)
The native Cretans had known heavy labor and slight esteem, under the rule of the proud house of Minos. (p. 296, Book 4 Crete, chapter 10)
We bull-dancers had been torn away from our lives, to die for the sport of the painted Labyrinth. (p. 297, Book 4 Crete, chapter 10)
The prince had made my standing mean, and hurt my pride in myself when it was my whole estate. It is what any man will have blood for, who is half a man. (p. 299, Book 4 Crete, chapter 10)
Man born of woman cannot outrun his fate. Better then not to question the Immortals, nor when they have spoken to grieve one's heart in vain. A bound is set to our knowing, and wisdom is not to search beyond it. Men are only men. (last paragraph in the book, p. 332, Book 5 Naxos, chapter 2)
The labyrinthine Palace of Knossos has sacred axes, pictures of youths and girls performing the bull dance, and seal carvings of the bull-headed Minotaur. The most fantastic-seeming part of the tale having been linked to fact, it's tempting to guess where else a fairy-tale gloss may have disguised what actually happened. (p. 333, Author's Note)
Select Bibliography: Plutarch, Life of Theseus J. Chadwick, The Earliest Greeks ...more
Europe and Near East: 10° west (Ireland) to 70° east (Samarkand); 25° north (Arabia) to 65° north (Scandinavia). 362 CE to 1478 CE. One political map about every 40 years, with a facing page for each telling what happened.
One pattern to notice: when trade collapses, cities evaporate. Piracy and breakdown of order destroy trade.
As of 528, there were still 7 Christian cities 25,000+ (3 of 75,000+). By 737, 1028, 1212, the Islamic world had most of the cities of 25,000+. Finally by 1478, Christian Europe was repopulating with cities. Only Constantinople had 75,000+ all those years. Only it and Salonika, Greece had 25,000 all those years.
362 Roman Empire Sudan to Scotland, heavily taxing peasants to pay soldiers. Persian Empire Caspian Sea through Mesopotamia to Persian Gulf. Ostrogoths Baltic Sea through steppes to Black Sea.
406 Huns took steppe, Caspian Sea through Hungary. Goths crossed Danube, Visigoth cavalry destroyed Roman Legion in Thrace. Rome henceforth depends on barbarian mercenary cavalry. Roman Empire is divided, east & west of mouth of Adriatic. Persia took upper Tigris & Armenia from Rome.
420 Rome is helpless against barbarians, who are impressed by civilization and try to save it. Rome has abandoned Britain, the Rhine, southwest France, and northwest Spain.
476 After Attila died, Germans beat the Huns, who retreated to land north of the Black and Caspian seas. The Western Roman Empire is reduced to just Dalmatia. Barbarians have all the rest. Vandals control western Mediterranean & North Africa; Visigoths have Spain & southwest France. Slavs again have eastern Europe, but they're fragmented in small disorganized tribes. Angles & Saxons expand into southeast Britain.
528 Goths have Italy, Spain, southern France, Adriatic north to Danube. No more Western Roman Empire. Frankish kingdom has north & west France and western Germany. Germanic tribes west of Elbe, and Bohemia, Moravia, Serbia. Slavs east of them. Anglo-Saxons expanding in southeast England.
528 Religion: Except the Anglo-Saxons, the former Roman Empire is all Christian. But. The proud Gothic rulers of southwestern Europe set themselves apart from their Catholic subjects by adopting the Arian heresy, "God the Son is quite separate from God the Father." Catholics say the two are simultaneously distinct and similar.
528 Trade: Vandal piracy and loss of order withered trade in former Western Roman Empire--and with it withered cities. Rome is reduced to a second-tier city. Only Constantinople, Antioch, Alexandria have 75,000+ population each. China (via Turkestan) and India (via Persian Gulf) trade go through Antioch. East Africa (via Red Sea) trade goes through Alexandria. Only other towns of 25,000+ population: Rome; Milan; Carthage (Tunis); Salonika, Greece; and 4 Persian towns.
562 Eastern Roman Emperor Justinian retook Italy, Dalmatia, North Africa, & southern Spain from the Goths & Vandals. Frankish kingdoms expanded through France except Brittany, plus western Germany east to the Elbe. East Asian Turks win land east of Aral Sea--pushing Avars into steppe, where they control from the Volga to the Elbe. Anglo-Saxons have eastern England, north to Hadrian's Wall.
600 Avars control north to Baltic Sea, border Franks and Eastern Roman Empire. Empire has lost northern & southeastern Italy, and all but southernmost coast of Spain, and Armenia. Visigoths have Spain & Portugal. Anglo-Saxons now have nearly the east half of Britain south of Hadrian's wall.
626 After Rome's mercenary army revolted & murdered emperor, empire lost western Balkans, much of Greece, Armenia, Mesopotamia, NE Africa, S Spanish coast. Empire to be known as Byzantine. Avars contract to between the Danube & the Dneistr: Slavs regain the rest. Frankish kingdom divides, roughly E & W of Seine. Anglo-Saxons have England except Wales, Cornwall, Strathclyde (western Northumbria).
650 Arabs have formed a caliphate extending from Persia through Tripoli, ruling from Damascus. These will become known as Sunnis. Persia is reduced to SE Caspian coast. Khazars expand north of Black & Caspian seas. Bulgars take eastern 1/3 of Avar land. Muslim-Khazar-Byzantine stalemate in Armenia. Visigoths have all Spain & Portugal, & N African coast S of Gibraltar. Turks are still E of Aral Sea.
737 With conversion of Berbers, (Sunni) Arabs have everything south of Pyrennes-Mediterranean-Caucasus-Caspian-Aral-Sea, to the east edge of the map (except Persian S fringe of Caspian, & Asturian-&-Basque N coast of Spain.) Byzantines have also lost Italy, land E & W of Black Sea, Cyprus. Bulgars have lower Danube & central Volga. Slavs E of meridian thru N tip of Adriatic. Magyars between Dneistr & Don. Turks W of Aral.
737 Religion: Islam has taken Spain, Syria, Africa. Byzantine emperor, effective head of eastern church, has successfully demanded destruction of religious statues & images--which eastern Christians had been worshiping. (Iconoclasm = image-breaking.) Eastern church comprises Byzantine empire + Crimea + Cyprus + Abasgians on NE Black Sea coast. Western church has Britain, Ireland, France, N & central Italy, N coast of Spain, & Germany W of meridian of N tip of Adriatic, N to Cologne then NW to North Sea.
737 Trade: Arabs relied on overland trade, except via Persian Gulf to India & Red Sea to Africa: only small luxury goods. Constantinople is only city of 75,000+ population--but Arabs have cut off most of its trade. Iconoclasm likely due partly to need to melt gold icons for cash. Of the 14 other cities of 25,000+ population, 11 are Muslim; Rome & Venice Catholic, Salonika, Greece Orthodox Christian. Khazar control of Volga & Don let Black Sea be a trade route to Constantinople.
771 (Sunni) Muslims have founded Baghdad (Iraq) as new capital. Annexed last shred of Persian empire. Turn toward Persia, lose touch with Arabs & Moors. Muslims lost part of N Spain to Galician kingdom. Franks took central Italy for the Pope to rule. Bavarians took part of Slavic western Balkans.
830 Muslims have added Crete & part of Sicily. But. They are splintered into various caliphates & emirates, no strong central control. Largely piracy in Mediterranean. North African caliphate south of Spain is Shiite. Charlemagne created empire encompassing France, Germany including Frisian & Saxon land, most of Italy, the western Mediterranean islands, & Slavic Bohemia, Moravia, Austria, & Croatia. After Charlemagne's death, the empire is too big to control. Scandinavian overpopulation sends vikings into Britain, France, Russia. Swedish principalities at Novgorod, Kiev, Tmutorkan (E of Crimea). Anglo-Saxon Wessex fights Danes in Britain. Bulgars have former Avar land.
888 Frankish kingdom has splintered into France, Germany, Italy, Burgundy (upper Rhone), Provence (lower Rhone). Bretons again independent in Armorica. Danes have E & N England, but Alfred's recapture of London denies Danes domination. (See the wonderful Saxon Stories goodreads.com/series/43581-the-saxon-... by Bernard Cornwell for an engaging fictionalized history of the Danes-vs-Saxons contest for England.) Swedish principalities have expanded into Principality of Russia, encompassing the upper Volga, Dvina, Dneipr, Don. Turks beat Magyars for control of steppe. Emirates S & E of Caspian are Shiite.
923 Christendom continues to be raped by vikings, Muslims, & now Magyars, who've taken Hungary & Moravia. Norse have N England & S Ireland. Shiites have Libya through Morocco, & E Arabia.
998 Raids by Vikings, Muslims, Magyars ebb: English & Irish beat Vikings, who still have Normandy. Burgundians, Italians, Byzantines curb Muslim raiding. Germans beat Magyars, Danes, Slavs, French, reestablish east part of Charlemagne's empire: Seine to Oder, North & Baltic Seas thru central Italy, including Bohemia & Moravia. But the German empire is as ungovernable as Charlemagne's had been. Magyars to become Christian Hungary. Byzantine Empire expands slightly at expense of Bulgars, Muslims. Turks take land east of Aral Sea from Muslims. Mesopotamia is Shiite.
1028 Muslims weak. Turks took emirate east of Caspian. Byzantines retook most of Balkans, Crimea, part of Armenia. Danes temporarily took England & Norway. Poles grabbed land from and antagonized their stronger neighbors Germany, Hungary, & Russia.
1028 Religion: Bohemia, Croatia, Hungary, Poland, Scandinavia converted to Catholicism; Serbia, Bulgaria & Russia to Orthodox Christianity. Now the Roman church is followed from Hungary and Croatia, through central Italy to northern Spain, north to the British Isles and Scandinavia, south through Poland. The Eastern church has Russia, the Balkans through Serbia, Greece, Anatolia, and the western Caucasus. Islam has most of Spain, Sicily, all of north Africa and the rest of the Middle East. A mix of Shiites and Sunnis.
1028 Trade: Only Constantinople, Cairo, Baghdad have 75,000+ population each. Venice is the only Catholic city of 25,000+ population. Salonika, Greece, is the only other Orthodox city of 25,000 or more population. There are 17 other Muslim cities of 25,000 or more population. There are still no European cities of any size north of Venice. Vikings controlled northern Europe, and did trade, from Iceland to Constantinople—but Vikings traded only where they couldn't plunder. However, small towns were appearing in Northern Europe.
1071 Seljuk Turks (from Turkestan) have taken Persia, Mesopotamia, the eastern Caucuses, as a large sultanate. Byzantine empire has lost its holding in Italy, Serbia, most of Crimea. Non-Muslim (heathen) Turks have taken the steppe of southern Russia, pushed Patzinaks west to occupy eastern Hungary. Christian kingdoms of Leon and Castile in northern Spain and Portugal have expanded, extract homage of divided Muslims. Normans under William the Bastard have conquered England and Brittany (but not Wales nor Scotland). Robert Guiscard conquers southern Italy and eastern Sicily. The Normans William and Guiscard establish the first effectively-organized states (outside Byzantium and Islam) since the fall of Rome. These will be the seeds of the secular state. German empire has absorbed Burgundy and western Poland. Poland also relost land to Hungary and Russia (but kept the enmity of all its neighbors).
1092 Seljuk Turks have destroyed Byzantine army, occupied Anatolia. (Armenians still hold on in Taurus mountains.) Seljuks have also taken Palestine and western Arabia from Fatimids. Byzantines appeal to West for help against Turks. Western fanatics are unconcerned about Byzantium, but want to free the Holy Land from the Turks. Seljuks are recent converts to Islam, deny Christian pilgrims access to Palestine, which the Fatimids had allowed. Shiite Assassins (based south of the Caspian Sea) give their name to political murder they practice throughout the Muslim (but not Christian) world. Christians have retaken Toledo, Spain, from Muslims. England takes southern and central Wales, and expands north to its final border with Scotland. Normandy has split from England and from Brittany.
1130 Seljuk sultanate has splintered. Crusaders took coastal Palestine; Byzantines retook western Anatolia, plus its north coast on the Black Sea and its south coast on the Mediterranean. Byzantium also retook Serbia. England regained Normandy and Brittany when the Duke of Normandy couldn't repay a crusade loan. Russian principalities have coalesced into one.
1173 The most powerful of the Seljuk sultanates, east of the Caspian, fell to a revolt of its mercenaries. Crusades after the first were led by kings who couldn't spend much time in the east. Sunnis unify Egypt, Syria, upper Mesopotamia. Shiites unify southern Spain and North Africa. Christians gain ground in central Spain, but are split into (west to east) Portugal, Leon, Navarre, Aragon (which also holds Provence). Russia resplit into many principalities. As did Poland. Count of Anjou married heiress of Aquitaine, holds all of western France plus England, and captured most of Ireland. Byzantines take Dalmatia, Croatia, and Antioch.
1212 Saladin established sultanate from Egypt & western Arabia through most of Palestine, Syria, upper Mesopotamia, Armenia. Crusaders have a few fingernails of Palestinian coast, & took Cyprus from collapsing Byzantium. After rout by Turks and losses to Hungarians, Venetians, & crusaders, only fragments remain in Greek hands: part of W & N Anatolia, SE Crimea, NW Greece & SW Balkans. Crusaders E & S Greece, European Turkey, NW Anatolia. Venice has islands from Adriatic through Aegean. Hungary has Croatia & Dalmatia. Serbia, Bulgaria independent. French King took most of English land in France, gains wealth & power to control France: France becomes a modern state (no longer a slew of baronies). German "empire" really just assortment of local fiefdoms. Turkish shahdom from Persian Gulf to N of Aral Sea.
1212 Religion: Eastern church has Russia, the Balkans, most of W Anatolia & Black Sea coast, Georgia (Caucasus). Western church has coastal Palestine, Mediterranean islands, most of Greece, Hungary & Poland W thru N & central Spain, British Iles, Scandinavia, Riga. For centuries both protégé & rival of German emperor, pope at start of 13th century is more powerful than ever.
1212 Trade: Now Venice, Constantinople, Cairo, Baghdad 75,000+; 26 others 25,000+, north to Novgorod, Cologne, Paris. Milan, Genoa, Florence, Rome (welcome back after several centuries), Naples, Palermo: in Italy, a money economy has replaced feudalism. Of the 30 cities, 12 are in Catholic hands (including Constantinople, Salonika & Antioch); 1 (Novgorod) Orthodox; 17 Muslim. Flemish cloth merchants controlled northern trade, but Germans were competing in Baltic Sea. Heathen Turks controlling steppe since 11th century block Russia from trade w/Constantinople.
1230 Genghis Khan conquered Asia from Korea to Persia, and died in 1227. His Khanate remained, controlling everything east of the Caspian. The displaced Turks took Azerbaijan & most of Georgia (W of Caspian). Castilians are pushing southward into Moorish Spain. Portugal is assuming its final border. Danes took Estonia; Germans making inroads in Latvia & Prussia. Greeks retook Salonika, most of Greece, & NW Anatolia from Latins. Turks have most of Anatolia.
1278 Mongols exploded to take Persia, most of Anatolia, the steppe & S & E Russia, SW to the Danube, N to the upper Volga. They raided into NW Russia, Poland, Hungary. Then stopped when their Khan died. Germans have Latvia. Russia took Finland from Swedes. Latin Greece reduced to a slice of the south; Byzantine empire has most of Greece & NW Anatolia. Moors have only southernmost Spain. Turks' sultanate covers Egypt, Palestine, W Arabia. Crusaders shortly to be wiped off the map of Palestine. England will shortly subdue all of Wales, and has most of Ireland.
1360 Mongol territory has splintered into many emirates. Ottoman Turks took NW Anatolia from Byzantines, who now have only European Turkey and NW & far-S Greece. Serbs have most of Greece & SW Balkans.
1401 Ottomans now have most of Anatolia & Bulgaria, Serbia, Bosnia, Wallachia. Timur (Tamburlane), a Muslim of Turkestan, conquered Persia, Mesopotamia, & Caucasus. Teutonic Knights have all of Baltics (SE of sea). Poland-Lithiuania united to their SE; Scandinavia united under Denmark.
1430 Henry V of England temporarily took N France; repulsed by Joan of Arc & Duc of Burgundy + French king. Poland-Lithuania retook present-day Lithuania from Teutonic Knights. English have lost control of Ireland.
1478 Swiss pikemen have destroyed mounted Burgundian knights. King now controls most of France. Sweden split from Denmark. Constantinople finally fell to the Turks who were at its gates for a century. The West thus lost the eastern trade. Ottomans have Anatolia, Greece, Balkans, Bulgaria, Wallachia (N of Danube).
1478 Religion: The papacy has been in decline. Unable to govern Italian lands, popes fled for safety to Avignon. Schisms set up competing popes & colleges of cardinals. Reformers challenging doctrinal despotism are burned as heretics. Nevertheless, outside far-southern Spain, Greece, the Balkans, Bulgaria, Wallachia, Europe is Catholic from the Dneipr and Dvina valleys, to the Atlantic. Only the Principality of Moscow and Kingdom of Georgia remain Orthodox.
1478 Trade: Now 6 cities of 75,000+ each: Paris, Milan, Venice, Constantinople, Cairo, Tabriz (NW Iran). Total of 38 cities 25,000+: 10 in N Europe, incl. London, Ghent, Bruges, Antwerp, Brussels, Cologne, Lubeck, Novgorod, Moscow. Seville & Barcelona in Christian Spain. Nine in Italy, with Genoa, Verona, Bologna, Florence, Rome, Naples, Palermo. Seventeen in the Islamic world. incl. Granada, Spain. Coal is being shipped abroad from Northumberland. England exports cloth. Asian trade collapsed with Mongol empire. Dutch dominate Baltic trade. Wind & water mills power machines. Horse collar enables plowing. Portuguese begin coasting Africa.
For more detail, Asimov's Chronology of the World is a terrific 1-volume history of the world, covering from the Big Bang through World War II.)
My Family and Other Animals, Gerald Durrell, 1956, 273 pp., ISBN 9780142004418
Budding zoologist Gerald Durrell, age 10–15, explores the Greek island oMy Family and Other Animals, Gerald Durrell, 1956, 273 pp., ISBN 9780142004418
Budding zoologist Gerald Durrell, age 10–15, explores the Greek island of Corfu, teeming with collectible wildlife, off the coast of Albania, living there with his widowed mother and his three older siblings, 1935–1940.
He describes magpies’ near-human intelligence, mischief, and sense of humor. His pets know which parts of the house they may and may not enter. Brother Larry’s room they’ve never been allowed into: he screams abuse and throw things at them when they try. They wait until he’s swimming at the beach with his window open. They open tins, strew paper clips and bicarbonate of soda everywhere; knock over ink and track it everywhere; pull the ribbon out of the typewriter; defecate repeatedly on the keyboard; scatter manuscript pages everywhere, and poke holes in them. Author Larry was “Upset? Upset? Those scab-ridden vultures come flapping in here like a pair of critics and tear and besmatter my manuscript before it’s even finished, and you say I’m upset?” Larry’s books: goodreads.com/author/show/8166.Lawren...
Then the birds are caged on the porch. “Confined as they were, they were able to devote a lot of time to their studies, which consisted of getting a solid grounding in the Greek and English languages, and producing skilful imitations of natural sounds. Within a very short time they were able to call all members of the family by name, and they would, with extreme cunning, wait until Spiro had got into the car and coasted some distance down the hill, before rushing to the corner of their cage and screaming, ‘Spiro . . . Spiro . . . Spiro,” making him cram on his brakes and return to the house to find out who was calling him. They would also derive a lot of innocent amusement by shouting “Go away” and “Come here” in rapid succession, in both Greek and English, to the complete confusion of the dogs.” They also waited until the chickens had just gone to roost, then imitated the maid’s chicken-food calls—bringing the hens hurrying to the magpie cage, where the magpies chuckled at them. (Chapters 15 & 16, pp. 205–213, 220–222, 257–258)
Funny. Shaggy-alien stories, ending in outstanding puns. Unfortunately out of print, and offered at outer-atmosphere prices used.
Don't open until you'Funny. Shaggy-alien stories, ending in outstanding puns. Unfortunately out of print, and offered at outer-atmosphere prices used.
Don't open until you've read--this will spoil one of the best stories. Leftmost pun only (the others aren't from the book).(view spoiler)[
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The Obesity Code: Unlocking the Secrets of Weight Loss: Why Your Body's Own Insulin Is the Key to Controlling Your Weight, Jason Fung, M.D., 2016, 315The Obesity Code: Unlocking the Secrets of Weight Loss: Why Your Body's Own Insulin Is the Key to Controlling Your Weight, Jason Fung, M.D., 2016, 315 pages, Dewey 613.25 F963o, ISBN 9781771641258
Insulin makes us fat. p. 187.
To lower insulin levels:
0. Fast. Skip a few meals. p. 250. Intermittent fasts of 24 to 36 hours. p. 236. His 24-hour fast days have water and coffee for breakfast; water, green tea and a cup of homemade bone broth pp. 258, 265, for lunch, but a low-carb dinner every day. 36-hour fasts also have just water and green tea instead of dinner on those days. pp. 252-255. Muhammad encouraged fasting Mondays and Thursdays. p. 238. Fasting appears to have extraordinary health benefits. p. 248. Metabolism increases, energy increases, blood sugar and insulin decrease. p. 249.
It's important that fasting be intermittent. Any constant stimulus will be met with an adaptation that resists the change. p. 246. Periods of low insulin levels help break insulin resistance. p. 247.
Conversely, frequent eating fattens the liver and increases insulin resistance. p. 247.
Don't pig out before fasting. That nullifies the benefits. Break your fast gently and eat normally after fasting. Don't binge. p. 264.
If you are not hungry, don't eat. p. 198.
Do not snack. p. 222.
Make breakfast optional. p. 223.
Eating one meal per day loses more fat than eating the same amount of food in 3 meals per day, without muscle loss. p. 243.
Longer fasting periods produce lower insulin levels, greater weight loss, and in diabetics greater blood-sugar reduction. p. 257. On longer fasts, take salt. pp. 258, 260.
1. Avoid sugar. Avoid all sweeteners, even zero-calorie ones. p. 219, 222. A small amount of dark, more-than-70%-cacao chocolate is OK. pp. 221-222. Drink nothing sweet. No juice. No smoothies. Water is best, 2 liters/day. p. 257. Unsweetened coffee and tea are good. One or two glasses of red wine are OK. pp. 225-226.
2. Avoid anything made from flour or ground grains. p. 228.
3. Moderate your protein intake. 20% to 30% of calories. p. 230.
When we eat, insulin level rises. Muscle and brain absorb glucose. The liver stores excess glucose as glycogen.
Six to 24 hours after fasting starts: insulin levels begin to fall. Glycogen breaks down to glucose. Glycogen lasts about 24 hours.
Fasting is the best way to lower insulin levels and improve insulin sensitivity. This is the missing piece of the weight-loss puzzle. p. 240.
Appetite decreases with increased duration of fasting. p. 245.
24 hours to 2 days: the liver makes glucose from amino acids and glycerol. Glucose levels fall but stay within normal range, in nondiabetics.
Ketosis starts one to 3 days after fasting starts. The liver breaks fatty acids down to ketone bodies, which brain and body use for fuel in place of glucose.
After 5 days: high levels of growth hormone maintain lean body tissues. We metabolize fatty acids and ketones. Increased adrenaline prevents decrease in metabolic rate. A 48-hour to 4-day fast increases metabolic rate. Fasting stimulates growth hormone secretion. p. 241.
Even a 2-month fast does not cause malnutrition or micronutrient deficiency. We don't need to fast so long. p. 241. One therapeutic fast of 382 days on water and a multivitamin, had no harmful effects. p. 242. The man reduced from 456 to 180 pounds. p. 256.
Breakdown of muscle happens only at body-fat levels below 4%. p. 242. Alternate daily fasting over 70 days decreased body weight by 6%, and decreased fat mass by 11.4%. Lean mass did not change at all. p. 243.
That's how the body switches from burning glucose to burning fat.
These beneficial changes do not occur in calorie-reduced diets. p. 240.
All foods cause insulin secretion. (Especially but not only carbohydrates. Even the anticipation of food raises insulin level.) p. 189. The stomach produces hormones called incretins that amplify insulin secretion: glucose eaten raises insulin more than does glucose injected into the bloodstream. p. 191.
A 30% reduction in calories eaten results in a 30% reduction in calories expended. p. 36. This reduction in calories expended persists indefinitely--long after eating returns to normal. pp. 39-40. Calorie-restricted subjects become weak and lethargic and hungry and depressed and cold and tired. pp. 37, 40, 45.
Satiety hormones are released in response to proteins and fats we eat. pp. 44, 183. Low levels of satiety hormones persist in dieters, long after eating returns to normal. People who've lost weight have permanent difficulty resisting food. This is a normal hormonal response. p. 45. There are no satiety hormones for refined carbs. p. 101. Carbohydrates are just long chains of sugars. p. 189.
There is a hormone, leptin, that the hypothalamus secretes to signal that we've had enough to eat. Fat people have plenty of leptin in their blood, but have become resistant to its effects. p. 66.
We burn fat only after our glycogen is depleted. p. 75.
Avoiding carbohydrates resensitizes the liver to insulin. Exercise resensitizes the muscles to insulin. p. 116.
Fructose causes insulin resistance in the liver. p. 164.
Artificial sweeteners raise insulin level higher even than sucrose does. p. 172.
Two teaspoons of vinegar taken with a high-carbohydrate meal, lowers blood sugar and insulin by as much as 34%. Type 2 diabetics taking 2 tablespoons of apple-cider vinegar diluted in water at bedtime reduced their fasting morning blood sugars. Higher doses of vinegar seem to increase satiety. p. 186.
What Uncle Sam Really Wants, Noam Chomsky, 1986-1992, 111 pages. Historical Society Library Pamphlet Collection 92-3298. Dewey 327.73, ISBN 1878825011What Uncle Sam Really Wants, Noam Chomsky, 1986-1992, 111 pages. Historical Society Library Pamphlet Collection 92-3298. Dewey 327.73, ISBN 1878825011
This may be the single best Chomsky book. What's most important is here, concise.
The U.S. Government wants continuing profit for investors, by plundering the rest of the world p. 72-74, 77, including plundering the nonrich in the U.S. pp. 73, 76, 79-80, 82-84, 86-91, 97-98. To this end, we kill millions of people we know are, or suspect of, opposing corporate control. (By proxy if possible, p. 57. We fund and arm militaries, paramilitaries, and security forces all over the world, so that our friends the military officers can stage coups if the elected government fails to serve investors. "Before the coups, we were very hostile to the governments, but continued to send them arms [that is, to send arms to friendly military officers]" pp. 30-31, 51-52, 54-56, 69. Such as in Latin America pp. 18-20, 28-33, 57, 72, 82, Central America pp. 17, 19, 54, 72, 96, 100, Guatemala pp. 17-18, 1954 & 1963 p. 21, 25, 30, 46-50, El Salvador pp. 21, 23, 25, 34-40, 46, 70, 87, Nicaragua pp. 21, 23, 25, 34, 40-46, 49, 51-52, 54, 56, 60, 66, 68-69, 77, 81, 86, Honduras pp. 35, 54, Panama pp. 17, 50-56, 60, 81-82, Costa Rica pp. 20-21, 43, 45, 47, Grenada 1983 p. 22-23, 56, 77, Haiti pp. 11, 54, the Dominican Republic pp. 11, 1963 & 1965 p. 21, 30-31, 54, Brazil 1964 pp. 21, 31-33, 71, Chile 1973 pp. 21, 24, 31-32, Argentina pp. 32, 41, Colombia p. 17, Venezuela p. 17, Mexico p. 71, Cuba p. 72, 96, Florida 1818 p. 30, Indochina pp. 23-24, 56-60, 85, 100, Vietnam pp. 12-13, 16-17, 22, 26, 56-60, 70, 85-88, 96, 98, Cambodia pp. 58-59, 61, 70, Laos 1960s p. 22, 57, 59, 70, 85, Thailand pp. 58-59, 84-86, Indonesia 1965 pp. 31, 54-55, 58, 61-62, East Timor p. 58, 61-62, Philippines 1972 pp. 27, 54, 58, Japan pp. 17, 25-27, 84, South Korea pp. 17, 26, 58, 84, Taiwan p. 84, China p. 55, 59, 84-85, Middle East p. 27, 88, Iran 1953 p. 21, early 1980s p. 31, 68-69, Iraq pp. 54-55, 60-68, 77, 82, Lebanon p. 64, Palestine p. 65, 88-89, 100, Pakistan p. 86, Afghanistan p. 86, Africa p. 73, North Africa p. 14, Zaire pp. 54-55, 66, Namibia p. 66, Angola p. 66, Italy pp. 15-16, 24, France pp. 18, 85, Eastern Europe p. 71-72, Romania pp. 54-55, 70-71, Greece p. 16 .)
Torture and murder by the U.S. or its proxies are of no interest at home. p. 34-37, 40, 43, 46, 49, 52-54, 58-60, 62, 64, 66-69, 73, 75, 82-83, 85, 88, 93-95. The Carter administration even persuaded the media to downplay the story of the rape and murder of four American nuns by U.S.-armed, -trained, and -funded Salvadoran armed forces. p. 36.
Financial control by the International Monetary Fund and World Bank is easier than military control. In exchange for a loan, a country's economy is controlled for foreign investors; services for the people are cut. p. 32-33, 43-44, 71, 73, 76. Brazil has a wealth of natural resources, and has industrial development. It should be rich. Thanks to the 1964 coup and following "economic miracle," its people are destitute. One-third of Brazil's education budget goes to school meals. The kids would otherwise not eat. p. 33.
Our leaders have succeeded rather well at their assigned chores. pp. 28, 61.
Every U.S. president since WWII has been involved in war crimes. p. 32.
Peasants are the main victims, along with labor organizers, students, priests, newspapermen, or anyone suspected of working in the interests of the people. pp. 15, 22, 25, 34-37, 40, 49-52, 58, 87-88.
The U.S. government officials and business elite know they're much wealthier than most of the world. They're afraid of losing that status. So they do all they can so that poor countries remain poor suppliers of free raw materials and cheap labor, and to keep poor Americans obedient laborers p. 14. Huge military expenditures; cutbacks in social services. Don't even /speak/ of human rights, living standards, or democratization. pp. 8-11, 29, 43, 46-48, 51-52, 56-57.
The U.S. Government defines "Communism" as, "the idea that the government has direct responsibility for the welfare of the people." --George Kennan, head of the State Department planning staff, 1950. p. 10. Any supplier country infected by this heresy, must be crushed, brutally. pp. 11-16, 18-23. The weaker and poorer a country is, the more dangerous it is /as an example/. If a tiny, poor country like Grenada can succeed in bringing about a better life for its people, some other place that has more resources will ask, "why not us?" pp. 22-25, 42-48, 51-52, 56-57, 78.
Diplomacy risks compromise. Military conquest ensures domination. p. 74-75, 89. This is why George W. Bush rushed to war in Iraq, forestalling any risk of a peaceful defusement of the crisis. pp. 60-68, 75. The U.S. blocked all attempts at a political settlement of the Vietnam conflict, which risked successful development of Vietnam outside U.S. influence. pp. 57-60. No lawful path could stop the very low-level social revolution in Laos in the 1960s, but secret genocide by bombing worked well. p. 22. The U.S. dismissed possibilities for a peaceful resolution of the Cold War, which would have left intact the actual Soviet threat, which was never military but political: the idea that the government has direct responsibility for the welfare of the people. pp. 78-82. The sole military threat of the USSR was ballistic missiles--which the U.S. made no effort to curtail. p. 78.
The parts of the U.S. economy that are able to compete internationally are primarily the state-subsidized ones: capital-intensive agriculture, high-tech industry, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, etc. pp. 13, 15, 87.
Until 1968, the U.S. led the world in oil production. We didn't need Mideast oil. We wanted to control Mideast oil as a lever of world power, and to direct the profit to U.S. and British corporations. pp. 27, 67.
OUR INFLUENCE
No one protested President Kennedy's terrorist campaigns against Cuba and Vietnam. Not until Southeast Asia was awash in blood. Twenty years later, when Reagan hinted he'd like to send a few marines to get Central America in line, Americans shouted, "Like hell you will!" so loudly, Reagan had to make do with CIA operations (some of them illegally funded). p. 96-97. Sustained, organized dissent is effective. The struggle for freedom is never over. The people of the Third World need our help. We can provide them with a margin of survival by internal disruption in the United States. There's a growing Third World at home. pp. 98-101.
Asimov’s Chronology of the World, Isaac Asimov [1920–1992], 1991, 649pp, ISBN 0062700367.
A one-volume education.
Asimov gives us not only events and daAsimov’s Chronology of the World, Isaac Asimov [1920–1992], 1991, 649pp, ISBN 0062700367.
A one-volume education.
Asimov gives us not only events and dates, but causes and consequences of what happened. Not just wars, but discoveries and ideas. As a biochemistry professor, Asimov knows which discoveries were significant, and why. Very concise, yet thorough. Asimov was brilliant. And interested in everything. And prolific.
Focusing on events influencing Western culture (p. 30). The Big Bang through V-J Day, September 2, 1945. In the epilog he says he had thought to extend it to the present, 1991—but that the rate of change since 1945 has been off the charts—it would take another 650 pages to cover 1945–1990. [And the rate of change hasn’t slowed. 1991 was when Tim Berners-Lee introduced the World Wide Web.]
It’s not possible to remain a pure pacifist after reading Asimov’s account of German aggression in WWII.
Introduction: pp. 1–3 Big Bang through 12,000 years ago: pp. 3–23 10,000 BC–600 BC: pp. 23–54 600 BC–1700 AD: pp. 54–269: a section every 50 years, subsections by country 1700–1880: pp. 269–416: 25-year sections 1700s, 20-year 1800–1880 1880–1910: pp. 417–490: 10-year sections 1910–1914: pp. 490–502 1914–1920: pp. 502–531 1920–1930: pp. 532–560 1930–1939: pp. 560–594 1939–1945: pp. 595–647 Epilog: pp. 647–649
There are no notes, no bibliography, and only a feeble index (pp. 653–674). If you forget when silk was smuggled out of China to Europe, google it. Silk isn’t in the index. If you want to know which of the ancients thought the earth orbits the sun, reread the book. Heliocentrism isn’t in the index—nor even astronomy. Only if you know the names of all the astronomers and philosophers you’re interested in, will the index help. There are no maps, no graphs, no tables, no illustrations. Just text. Brilliant text.
Bacteria existed by 3.5 billion years ago. Photosynthetic cyanobacteria allowed an explosion of life by trapping solar energy. They oxygenated the atmosphere. Eukaryotes (with cell nuclei) appeared about 1.4 billion years ago. Jellyfish and worms by 800 million years ago. Shelly animals—and plants—by 600 million years ago. Chordates (like us—spinal cord, gill slits) by 550 million years ago. Life begins to invade land, 450 million years ago. Dinosaurs die out 65 million years ago—leaving mammals an opportunity. (pp. 6–13)
Hominids walk upright 5 million years ago. Homo habilis, larger brain, smaller jaw, flaked stone for cutting and scraping tools, 2 million years ago. Homo erectus 1.6 million years ago, 6 feet tall, brain up to 40 oz, hunted mammoth, reached Java and Peking. Ice age 600,000 years ago. Sea level down 300 feet as glaciers cover land. Fire in use at least by 500,000 years ago, maybe by 1.5 million years ago. Neanderthals, brains larger than modern humans’, by 300,000 years ago. Entered Europe. Buried their dead, often with food and flowers. Modern human, taller, slender, weaker, smaller brain than Neanderthal, by 50,000 years ago. Neanderthals extinct by 30,000 years ago. (pp. 15–21) [Non-African modern humans have Neanderthal DNA.]
By 25,000 years ago, all continents are peopled except Antarctica. Cave art, Spain and France, about 20,000 years ago. Dogs domesticated by 14,000 years ago. Goats by 12,000 years ago = 10,000 B.C. in Middle East. Herding allowed increased population. Sahara desertifies. Last glaciers recede. Sea levels rise. Americas and Australia will be isolated until 1492. (pp. 21–23)
Wheat and barley farming, N. Iraq, 8,000 B.C. World population explodes to 5 million. [If world population was 10,000 after Tova erupted 72,000 BCE, average population increase was 0.01%/yr for those 64,000 years.] (p. 23) Unrelenting toil from now on. “The population of an agricultural region quickly reached a height that could not be supported in any other way.” Sedentary life, and “property” began. Where nomadic bands’ territorial disputes rarely were lethal—the weaker band left—farmers had to stand and fight interlopers. Warfare, and enslavement of losers, begin. Cities begin for mutual defense. Humans no longer group by tribe (extended family), but by city. “In almost every case, people were willing to trade freedom for security.” Food surplus permits division of labor. The drive toward urbanization is still continuing, all over the world. Jarmo, northern Iraq, dates from about 8000 BC: 100–300 people. Jericho may date from about then. By 7000 BCE, city-states were on the Euphrates and the Nile; Jericho had 2500 population on 10 acres. (pp. 24–26).
Asia Minor and Greece farm by 6000 BC. Southeast Asia grows rice. Pottery. Soup, stew, casserole. Flax was grown for fiber well before 6000 BC. (Women's Work: The First 20,000 Years Women, Cloth, and Society in Early Times by Elizabeth Wayland Barber tells us /string/ was in use by 20,000 BCE.) Cloth. Clothing. Rafts. Cattle domesticated. (pp. 27–28)
Sumeria, first “high” civilization, on lower Euphrates by 5000 BCE: irrigation. Priest-kings. “Religion had become institutionalized and made to support the state, which has been its usual function ever since.” Sailing ships on Euphrates. Andean llama and alpaca are domesticated. Mexicans grow avocadoes and cotton, weave cloth. South Asians grow dates. Ukranians domesticate horses. (p. 28)
Ur, Sumeria 4000 BC. World population may be 85,000,000 [average 0.07%/year increase since 8000 BC]. Wine and beer—safer to drink than the water! In moderation! Metallurgy (never to reach the Americas nor Australia until after 1492). Indus Valley civilization, Pakistan. (pp. 29–30)
Copper-tin alloy: Sumeria enters Bronze Age, 3500 BC. Wheel: potter’s, cart. Oared ships on Euphrates. Plowing with oxen. Loose unions of city-states: Lower Egypt, Upper Egypt. Cities appear along lower Hwang-Ho (Yellow) river, northern China. (pp. 30–32)
Sumerians tally by 12, 60, 360: we still use dozens, 60 min/hr, 360 degree circle. Cuneiform writing by 3100 BC. “History” begins—allowing for self-serving lies! Each symbol stood for a word. Just a few scribes could read and write. Two worlds: settled, literate, technologically-advanced city-dwellers; tribal nomads, no agriculture, no writing. Nomads often tried to conquer rich city lands. When they won, they took over the culture—so civilization also won. Akkadians enter northern Sumeria 3000 BC. Narmer (Menes) unites Lower and Upper Egypt: world’s first nation, 3100 BC. (pp. 32–33)
The Hidden Palace: A Novel of the Golem and the Jinni, Helene Wecker, 2021, 472 pages, ISBN 9780062468710
Terrific story. Well-drawn, likable characterThe Hidden Palace: A Novel of the Golem and the Jinni, Helene Wecker, 2021, 472 pages, ISBN 9780062468710
Terrific story. Well-drawn, likable characters. Interesting setting, 1900-1915 in New York City and elsewhere. Accurate details.
"But how will I know if he's lying?"
"You won't," Anna said, "any more than the rest of us ever do. You'll just have to decide whether to believe him." p. 196.
The author's historical research included reading:
The Luckiest Orphans, Hyman Bogen
The Benderly Boys and American Jewish Education, Jonathan B. Krasner
Helene Wecker's stories have appeared in the fantasy anthology, The Djinn Falls in Love and Other Stories, and in the literary journals Joyland and Catamaran.
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