5 comments about Master Plan, The: Himmler's Scholars and the Holocaust.

1. Although I enjoyed the read, by the end I was left somewhat disappointed by the content. The details of the Nazi occult belief system are glazed over. I understand that this is a difficult topic to get to the bottom of, and many have tried before, but the author seems more at home dealing with the external logistics of Himmler's strategy rather than explaining the ideology that lay behind. When reading of the primeval blond-haired master race I couldn't help thinking of the "Nordic" aliens who feature so regularly in UFO abduction stories and in alien conspiracy books, and how Nazi scientists appeared in Speilberg's "Taken" series working hand in hand with the little grey aliens on the operating tables. No doubt a respected journalist, such as Ms Pringle, would be disinclined to follow that line of thought, but I wouldn't put it past Himmler. He was also inhuman. But more to the point, why would Himmler, or Hitler for that matter, be so obsessed with tall, blond hair blue-eyed types when they so obviously did not resemble them? Did the thought not occur to the author? It must have.



2. Heather Pringle's "The Master Plan" gives an excellent history of the Ahnenerbe, the special branch of the Nazi SS made up of some of Germany's leading scientists and scholars whose purpose it was to document the history and prehistory of Germany and the Aryan race. These scientists, often hand-picked by Heinrich Himmler himself, were intended to provide the historical and scientific justification for the Nazi's ideology and conquests. Much of this story has remained largely unknown and Pringle's work is the first book that provides a comprehensive account of this fascinating subject.
   
   Himmler was obsessed with the idea that he could validate the superiority of the Aryan peoples and the supremacy of the German "volk" by providing clear scientific evidence supporting these claims. Where such evidence was lacking, it could be invented. Thus was born the SS Ahnenerbe, a organization that operated under the guise of unbiased scientific inquiry by some of the leading German scholars of the day. The findings of the Ahnenerbe were used to justify the Final Solution and the sinister deeds of the Nazis as the German war machine steamrolled across the world. Pringle's book explores the lives of the many scientists who served the Ahnenerbe and the various expeditions that were undertaken in the service of the Reich. It was these very archaeological undertakings that partly served as the inspiration for the film "Raiders of the Lost Ark".
   
   Pringle's book also makes clear Himmler's agenda to alter the very fabric of German society, especially religion. Himmler was a passionate anti-Christian who believed that Germany should be returned to the pagan religion of their ancestors. To that end, he used the SS as a prototype for a future society that would embrace the beliefs and practices of their Aryan forbearers.
   
   Himmler understood that if you can control what people know and understand about their past and their ancestors then you can control the future of that society. History is written, or often RE-written, by the victors for a reason. The Ahnenerbe was created for this very purpose. It is an important piece in the complex puzzle of understanding the motivations of the Nazis and why they did the things they did. Pringle's book is an excellent addition to that understanding.



3. This is not the first book about the mysterious branch of the SS called "Ahnenerbe". But it is the most well-written one and also the first book to present all the amazing Ahnenerbe expeditions abroad. These expeditions bring Indiana Jones to mind but are far more interesting than the "Indy" movies, as they took place in real life.
   
   As Ahnenerbe was to a great extent about motivating the pagan faith of the SS leader Heinrich Himmler and many early SS-officers the book is also about the relationship of the SS to the major religions. Both to buddhism (therefore the fascination with Tibet), hinduism (with its "Aryan" side), Islam (two SS divisions were largely Muslim) and Christianity (incompatible with true SS spirit according to Himmler).
   
   Had Nazi Germany been victorious the SS would have dropped its wartime acceptance of Christianity and would have worked hard on replacing Christianity with its brand of pagan faith. "The Master Plan" gives a really fascinating insight into what was actually done in the SS to promote the new/ancient faith, and what the SS planned to do about religion, had the SS won.



4. I've been a fan of Heather Pringle ever since I picked up The Mummy Congress and spent an entire day in Acapulco in my room reading it in preference to splashing about in the Pacific. This book is, of course, entirely different and concerns the efforts of Heinrich Himmler to establish a anthropologic/historical "school" called the Ahnenerbe to indoctrinate young Nazis by advancing the theory of the "master race" and tracking the history of advanced civilizations back to thier presumed Aryan ancestors.
   
   While Himmler's efforts were in themselves crackpot and gathered quite a few kooks along the way such as his assistant, former mental patient named Karl-Marial Wilgigut who traced his family back to the Norse god Thor, more interestingly is that many of the reputable German scientists of the day followed along either through fear of political censorship or quite possibley through shared beliefs.
   
   Throughout, Ms. Pringle pops up with interesting facts such as Hugo Boss' supplying of the Nazi uniforms and Ludwig Roselius' invention of decaffeinated coffee (sufficient reason in itself to dislike the Nazis.)
   
   This book is well worth the price particularly as it presents the acceptance of craziness and promulgation of insanity in modern civilization and deals with an area of the Third Reich which would otherwise be unfamiliar to most readers. Highly recommended.



5. There are two recent books that touch on this subject. Ms. Pringle's and Christpher Hale's "Himmler's Crusade". Hale's book is about the expedition to Tibet, which also occupies a large part of this book. Even so, go with this one. Ms. Pringle is an excellent researcher and writes very well. She avoids veering off and making mistakes about military affairs, a major weakness in Hale's book. In addition, this book goes beyond the Tibet expedition (a fascinating subject) and takes up additional matters regarding the group set up by the SS to examine racial-biological-political issues. If you have an interest in Himmler or the SS, you won't be sorry you read this book.

No comments about Bettelheim: Living and Dying..

5 comments about Freud: A Life for Our Time.

1. Best compendium of Freud's work by far. And with intelligent commentary by Gay. Yes, some of Siggy's turgid prose is hard going but, it is worth the investment in time and effort. Read it with an open mind and you will see how timeless Freud's message is...and Gay does not sink into sycophancy, as many others did.



2. May 6 was the 150th birth anniversary of Sigmung Freud; he died in London in 1939. His theories have been changed along the way by other psychologists, but they remain the basis for therapy. He believed that past conflicts cause current emotional problems, the trauma of being born was actually at the root of neurotic anxiety, and that childhood experiences are the crucible of character. He delved into the science of recollection and reflection. Some of his beliefs have been tossed aside as so much feminist bunk, but had he still been alive, he would have agreed that history will never end because it is made by human beings.
   
   Someone acting rashly (out of character) is said to be "frontal" referring to the part of the brain involved in impulse control. They react to slurs in a violent manner to protect their self-integrity. One must confront the parts of himself which are painful and shameful and difficult to face. A philosopher at the University of Chicago identifies a "core idea" on which Freud's reputation must rest, that human life is "essentially conflicted." Today, we have brain-imaging technology which can prove or disprove his mind-boggling ideas.
   
   A person of character always is truthful. Dishonesty by omission (withhold the truth) or commission (telling an untruth) is a byproduct of the change system. Don't tell people what they want to know; that is misleading. When you fail to tell the truth, minor issues escalate into major ones. You usually become angry at perceived psychological threats. Someone threatens your self-esteem, your reputation, your peace of mind, or your sense of well-being, and you explode in anger. There are biological reasons for the way we act or react to this threat to our self-preservation. Empathy helps us to contain and expand our own sense of self-esteem. You have to confront the parts of yourself (your mind) that are painful, shameful, and difficult to face.
   
   Eric Kandel wrote a book about the memory for which he won the Nobel Prize. The future of neuroscience leads us to the biology of the mind. This science is called phrenology -- a science of the mind. Why we act and think the way we do. How we interpret danger from slander. Too much sadness become depression, too much gladness becomes mania, too much fear becomes panic, and too much anger becomes rage. Can virtue be taught? In today's society we constantly search for the pursuit of happiness. One thing to question is "What makes a problem moral."
   
   It's too bad Freud isn't around to see how immoral our society has become with deceit and even by the way they dress in public. Many more humans have psychological problems these days than in the '30s, which are going unresolved. His ideas probably would be considered obsolete, but they have been expanded to include behaviorism, humanistic, mythological, cognitive behavioral therapy, even self psychology. With his sometimes wrong ideas, we can pick and choose which field is best for us to overcome our hurts (caused by others, not being born or ignored as children) and understand that we are not alone.



3. Disagree with two of the reviewers below: Gay is not unbearly biased in favor of Freud, book is not too much for casual dabblers in the subject.
   
   First, one could hardly expect a six hundred page biography of Freud to be authored by someone who hates the man. Important to be realistic about who writes books in the first place.
   
   Second, Freud was a prolific writer, and the book doesn't shy away from in depth analysis, so really it's like two three hundred page books. Now, if that's too much Freud for you, you're probably not that interested in the first place.
   
   I like to read biographies of thinkers who left behind copious amount of published work. That way, it's easier to get a sense of what you want to read (if anything) by the author.
   
   Because much of Freud's work revolves around family life, his family life is more then usually interesting. It's impossible to appreciate the originality of Freud's thought without having a firm context for HIS everyday life.
   
   This book provides a balanced reading of Freud's controverial life. I found the bad to be included as much as the good. Freud's influence on the 20th century has been so profound that even if you completely disagree with the man (over, say, his attitude towards women), it is still rewarding to learn about his thought.



4. This biography on Sigmund Freud proves to be a total integration of all aspects of Freud's life. Everything from his psycho-analysis works to his family life, Jewish background to the political climate that surrounded his life were all integrated in this book in one massive volume. The book proves to be well written and relatively objective in outlook as the author maintain an even kneel toward his subject. I found the book to be quite informative and full of interesting insights on Freud's motives and actions.

   It seem to the author that Freud's life really didn't start until he published his famous book, Interpretation of Dreams. Roughly a hundred pages covered his life prior to that and rest of 550 pages covered his life after that. There is another 150 pages of source materials and index just to let you know how thick this book can be. (Hardback)

   It should be warned that due to an overwhelming amount of information provided in this book, most of the first time readers into Freud's life would probably suffer from information overload. Many of the technical terms used in Freud's work were not meant for casual readers. This biography is quite complex in nature and content. I would recommend reading couple of shorter and simpler biographies on Freud before moving up to this book. If not, you will just slog through this book like being stuck in a giant swamp of information.




5. Peter Gay has given us yet another intelligent and stimulating work. The book was highly praised in a review and although I would have never thought it possible, the writing transported one back to the Europe of the early 20th century. In many aspects Freud was a typical bourgeois Jew - intellectual, deeply opinionated, haughty, wealthy, well-mannered and hard-working.

   His group-breaking advances are explained in detail as well as his ideas on several modern practices he patented - therapy, the id, ego and superego, guilt, eroticism. It was the latter on which he rested his claim for in his exploration of sexuality he thinks he has discovered the core of each of us. We are, he states, sexual creatures and all our decisions and thought processes are geared around that fact.

   The triune history - Freud's, psychotherapy, Europe - combine to form a dazzling work in which the author shows a real empathy for his subject. One of the best around.

No comments about Biographical Dictionary of Sociologists.

3 comments about Rising to the Light: A Portrait of Bruno Bettelheim.

1. That Theron Raines was Bettelheim's friend and literary agent makes one understand that this will not be a critical biography. And Raines is an elderly man who cannot be expected to overturn his longheld beliefs. But I was still deeply shocked and offended that Raines scarcely addressed the major issue of Bettelheim's life.
   
   Bettelheim's entire career was based on his "expertise" in autism. But in fact, Bettelheim lied all the way through his career about his experience and his results. His "success" with autistic children blew away like dust the second anyone from the outside world took a good hard look at it. His Refrigerator Mother theory of autism has harmed and is still harming countless families around the globe-- because even though scientifically discredited, Bettelheim's writings were so widely promoted that they are still in print around the world. Mothers in France are still being told today, in 2007! that they caused their child's autism-- why? because the brilliant Dr. Bettelheim said so. But Raines never mentions the harm Bettelheim did and is still doing. It looks like deliberate blindness.
   
   Raines mentions autism only a few times in the book and obviously knows nothing whatever about it; he even calls people with autism "autists"-- that says it all. His feeble attempt at defending Bettelheim's lack of happy results at the Orthogenic School amounts to quoting Karen Zelan, a psychoanalyst who worked with Bettelheim there and who still believes mothers cause autism, as saying that providing any kind of follow-up results would go against Bettelheim's therapy for the children. (How convenient.) But then Freudian thinking cannot be disproven, as it is faith-based.
   
   For a true look at Bettelheim, read Richard Pollak's thoroughly well-researched book instead.



2. After all the angry attacks that followed Bettelheim's death and after the unmerited smearing of his reputation as a thinker, it is a relief to read his balanced biography. Raines wrote book worthy of its subject, a book that does justice to Bettelheim as an educator and therapist. The book does not delve into many details of Bettelheim's private life and because of that is very cogent. On the other hand, none of the important events are omitted, none of the difficulties and contradictions glossed over. The portrait that emerges is of a man who, like Maria Montessori and Janusz Korczak, transformed his own personal tragedy into a life-restituting effort for those who are most vulnerable: children. A most helpful book to read for anyone who would like to understand Bettelheim's attitude to children is "A Good Enough Parent."



3. As a former student of the O.S., I feel entitled to interrupt Raines' eulogizing about Bettelheim with a few questions:
   1) Why is it so easy for this Raines guy to downplay, whitewash, sugarcoat etc., the repeated beating of emotionally disturbed children and teens? I mean if he was being beaten by Bettelheim in the name of a very distorted theory (namely that beating and shaming children will help them overcome their fear of inner aggression), would he so easily rationalize that abuse was good for him?
   
   2) Why is this guy so impressed by how beautiful the Orthogenic School looks? Why does this prove that Bettelheim has the best interests of children at heart? I sure didn't care about fine china or pretty tiles while someone was repeatedly pounding on my body to get me to eat...and by the way depriving me of seeing anyone privately in sessions for the first 4 years of my stay there.
   
   I think Theron Raines needs a course in how to relate compassionately to children.
   
   Also, I want to offer an alternative explanation for why Bettelheim created the Orthogenic School. Raines includes Bettelheim's explanation at face value. First a look at Bettelheim's explanation. Bettelheim says he based his idea for the O.S. on his stay in a Nazi concentration camp. When Bettelheim saw how this sadistic milieu so completely destroyed personalities of sane people, he realized that he could rebuild destroyed personalities by creating a nurturing, understanding milieu. Well, this explanation sounds so nice at face value. However my sense of the underlying truth is that Bettelheim hid his deeper motives possibly from himself and certainly from others. He actually created an environment with certain rather horrific similarities to the concentration camps. Of course, not nearly as horrific. But, remember, the population that came to the O.S. already had weakened or damaged or destroyed personalities, plus they were children...so the Orthogenic School's cruel, sadistic side didn't have to be so blatant to wreak havoc on these emotionally fragile people. I think Bettelheim was enraged when he saw weakness or vulnerability in children. In fact, I think he was drawn to autistic children because he admired how disconnected they were from their feelings. But, for those children who actually still showed some vulnerability, well they got the smacks and the whacks and the beltings and the nasty cracks. I think Bettleheim created the O.S. as an outlet for his own rage at being made to feel powerless and abused at the camps. He used his brilliance to hide his true intentions. And I guess for many reasons, no one ever said boo to him about his thirty years of abusing children. Maybe some staff just assumed he must be right because the University of Chicago supported his work. Maybe some staff were too intimidated by him to question what he said or to report his terrible abuse of children. Maybe some staff got off on being cruel to children themselves. Maybe some staff were dumb.
   
   Now, Raines tries to prop up his idealized picture of Bettelheim with reports of children with "Good Leavings". And he focuses on one "success story" in particular. But, from reading this "success story's" own version of events (in a book entitled The Thing I Was), it appears that one of the MOST successful graduates was practically overcome with ambivalence about what Bettelheim did to him. Even this person describes Bettelheim as capable of terrible physical cruelty and shaming. And even this person clarifies that the main reason he was able to feel better about himself was because of a compassionate counselor who did her best to protect him from Bettelheim.
   
   But, somehow, in Theron Raines' heart of hearts, the abuse seems to mean nothing to him. He doesn't seem to care about all the children who suffered terribly during Bettelheim's reign. So, please read this book with a grain of salt.

No comments about Anna Freud: The Dream Of Psychoanalysis (Radcliffe Biography Series).

3 comments about The Godfather of Grappling.

1. Fantstic read. I wish a few rumors had been covered in this book. I guess the legal stuff keeps him from doing so thought.
   Any fan of wrestling or martial arts should read about this man.



2. Great book, if you like Gene Lebelle and what he has done for the sport, this is the book. Very easy reading.



3. Judo Gene is the absolute best! This bio contains some great stories. He truly is a treasure.

3 comments about Undertaker of the Mind: John Monro and Mad-Doctoring in Eighteenth-Century England (Medicine and Society).

1. Though it starts off slow, by Chapter 2 the enthralling story of John Monroe, one of several Monroes to be primary physician at Bethlem hospital in London, England, begins to unfold. This man spent four decades in his position at "Bedlam" which is likely why he is the one to be featured - as opposed to his father James, who held the position before him and his son Thomas, who came afterwards.
   
   Though I was aware that John Monroe has somewhat of a bad reputation in our day and age, largely because of his work in mad-doctoring and that Bethlem hospital is associated with great horror and scandal.. I didn't reach that conclusion from this book. There was evidence of mistreatment and false confinement and a lack of much help beyond custodial-type care - it seemed more a symptom of the ages rather then an intentional practice.
   
   It was obvious, however, that a motivating factor for people to become engaged in the business of lunacy by owning and operating madhouses (often without any credentials or experience) and catering to those pronounced mad was the profit to made from such. Though mad-doctors, it is said, were not well respected in the 17-18-19th centuries, John Monroe and others seemed to have reached quite a great height in their social status.
   
   What I found most fascinating was the many stories of those deemed mad - most especially the story of "Mad Meg" near the end of the book. Along with these stories there is a great deal of pictures in the book with excellent descriptions by the authors. It is very clear from reading that the two authors know their subject well and have done a great deal of research. I was familiar with Skull's work prior to this reading but had not had the pleasure of reading Andrews. Both authors have several other titles on the subject that I have since picked up and look forward to reading.
   
   The book ends abruptly with the death of John Monroe. I would have liked to hear about what happened with Thomas Monroe when he took over "the business" much like we were able to read about James Monroe's work. But, the book is about John Monroe so I suppose it makes sense to concentrate largely on his work and I believe the others are likely written about in greater detail in the other books available by these authors.
   
   The book was a joy to read, I think you will enjoy it!



2. Monro's life and career have been satisfactorily documented, however this book attempts to bring forward more detail and evermore facts, and as such is a worthy treatise. In our day of analysts and a theory for everything, it is almost impossible to understand that in the eighteenth century one might be forever locked away for such diagnoses as truculance and intractability. Besides the awful Bedlam most associated with this era, there were also private, rather more poshy institutes that catered to the rich and the famous, to which Monro also applied his 'mad-doctoring' skills. By means of his profession, Monro was privvy to the social world, and made acquaintance with the aristocracy and assorted politicians, would-bes, also-rans, and dignitaries. The authors utilise a huge base of extant materials to draw this portrait of a fascinating time in medical history. Especially noteworthy are the exceptional mentioned drawings, which alone are worth the price of the book.



3. See the review of this book in the Wall Street Journal, Thursday, January 30, 2003.

4 comments about The Hit Men and the Kid Who Batted Ninth: Biggio, Valentin, Vaughn & Robinson: Together Again in the Big Leagues.

1. So many times have I heard stories about career(or dream)-ending injuries and knew it wasn't as mellow to them as they made it seem. It was nice to see Robinson rewarded with the HOF(Seton Hall) in the end. Biggio was destined for greatness, Valentin was better than I thought he was, and Vaughn was a monster from the start. They all have some facinating human stories that make it hard to look at them the same.



2. The Hit Men and the Kid Who Batted Ninth by sports writer David Siroty is an involved and involving study of the lives of Craig Biggio, Mo Vaughn, and John Valentin, three renowned baseball players, each of whom earned MVP honors, Gold Gloves, and more, -- as well as the life of Marteese Robinson, a friend and college teammate of the three men who was left behind from the professional baseball world. Robinson would eventually find a way to join his friends; just not a way that any of them expected. The Hit Men and the Kid Who Batted Ninth is an engaging tale, featuring an aside with a quotable quote from the men it spotlights on almost every page, as well as an inset section of black-and-white photographs. The Hit Men And The Kid Who Batted Ninth is a very fine read -- especially for baseball fans.



3. Maybe I'm a bit biased since two of the four players profiled in this book are now Mets, but I really enjoyed their stories. Siroty takes you from their childhoods through college, to the minor leagues and the majors. Every player has a different path, and not all of them have the traditional happy endings. Every page mentions a new player whose name you'll recognize - I always wondered how every baseball player seemed to know each other, even if their teams never competed. You'll love this book if you love baseball - because it really shows the players' passion for the game.



4. David Siroty writes a factually accurrate account of the Hit Men from Seton Hall. As a former Pirate player, I spent some time with these guys and they were all good guys and had one distinguishing trait in common; they all had the burning desire to play the great game of baseball. Excellent job by Siroty telling a great story about the greatest game on the face of the earth.
   Brought back good memories. Wish I was there!
   Can't wait to bring my son to Mike Sheppard's Basball Camp...keep the hustle.
   PS: Marteese Robinson was one of the nicest guys in our high school, SHP.

2 comments about Erich Fromm: His Life and Ideas.

1. I have loved the works of Erich Fromm since I was a sophomore in high school. His impact is immense, though his relevancy has been belittled by the Frankfurt School (omitting his contributions - and his development of the basics - of their major theories). When I heard of an Erich Fromm biography written by his long - time companion, Rainer Funk, I was excited. I bought the book as soon as I could, and I was very pleased with it. It has a lot of photos of and relating to Fromm that are hard to find, and give an intimate look into his life and ideas - not just what his ideas were, but why he thought them. Fromm's semi-autobiographical work, "Beyond the Chains of Illusion" offer a bit of insight into his life, but it is interesting to see the characters actually given faces. This book is great for anyone interested in Fromm, whose humanism is hard to surpass. It explains in the way only Funk could what Fromm's life was like.



2. This book is an illustrated biography of one of the most well known psychologists of the 20th century. Fromm had a varied career and his fame spread far beyond the confines of traditional psychoanalysis and sociology. This biography, written by his literary executor, Dr. Rainer Funk, outlines the life and work of Erich Fromm in a good way.