Century: One Hundred Years of Human Progress, Regression, Suffering and Hope

I am become death, the destroyer of worlds.

-J. Robert Oppenheimer, on the explosion of the first atomic bomb in New Mexico, 16 July 1945.-p. 325

Title: Century: One Hundred Years of Human Progress, Regression , Suffering and Hope.

Conceived & edited: Bruce Bernard.

Other contributors: Terence McNamee; Ricard Davenport.

Year: 1999

Publisher: PHIDON Press, London.

ISBN: 0714838489

This book is a collection of photography book in my workplace. Definitely it's not meant to be borrowed and I wouldn't borrow it even if I want. It's a gigantic book ever! A very heavy one too! I discovered this book early this year (before that I was not interested as the book cover was very unappealing) and since then, this book has been one of my favourite passtime during work. I was rushing to end this book as I will not able to devour it anymore next time. I'll resign next month. I enjoyed it not only the pictures but also the writings. Lots of poems, quotes and historical notes inside.

Some say a picture worth a thousand words. A great book, a book truer than the event itself. Susan Sontag said, 'A photograph is not only an image [as painting as an image], an interpretation of the real; it is also a trace, something directly stencilled off the real, like a footprint or a death mask.'p680.

footstep on snow after the war in Rusia

This person being rescued at Lebanon UN shelter after misdirected shell. Killed 150 people.

All I can say is this book is full of war...war...war...
From the world war I until world war II and continues afterwards, Bosnian civil war, the cold war, Vietnam war ... History never fail to repeat itself.

You'll be amazed to see all the historical pictures from all over the world mostly of from the previous century . 1899 until 1999. Cool facts that is unknown to others. Like Fidelio was the only opera Beethoven ever compose. To see the Boxer Rising of Japanese in China, where the human head cutted off bizarrely, suicide, killings,Nazi's execution.There is this one guerilla army proudly smile looking at a head while the other was holding it --almost bring me nightmares.--

Politics and the fate of mankind are formed by men without ideals and without greatness. Those who have greatness within them do not go in for politics - Albert Camus, Notebooks, 1935-42 -pg 322.

What attract me the most is the pictures of Arabs, especially between Palestine and Israel. There are also happy pictures once for a while. Such Marilyn Monroe, World Cup, beauty pageant but it was devastating to know that in other part of the world, at the same time, had been war and disaster. I feel remorseful when I flipped onto another picture of corpses.

I would suggest you read this book if you're interested in history like myself. Why? Because there a lot of important figures in the century portrait in photos and it'll be a waste if you can't relate those with your own knowledge. Otherwise it's gonna be dreadful as you'll probably only see suffering here.

All good books are alike in they are truer than if they had really happened and after you are finished reading one you will feel that all that happened to you and afterwards it all belongs to to you: the good and the bad, the ecstasy, the remorse and sorrow, the people and the places and how the weather was. 
- Earnest Hemmingway, 'Old Newsman Writes', Esquire, December 1934.-p 322.

ps:Bruce Bernard, the photo editor for this book died in 2000 at the age 72.

pss: I'll put up some pictures later. I can't right now because there's something wrong with my pc uploader.

xoxo

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Don't Call Me Baby

Before I write something about this book I found in Scribd. You have to read this by Betty Byers.Its a complimentary copy for readers. Truth, this is really good!

Don't Call Me Baby by Smashwords

Done.
Awesome isn't it? This ebook can also be downloaded from Smashword in epub format.

Synopsis.
Lola Hussey, 24 years old, no boyfriend, still living with her mum on a London housing estate and stuck in a going nowhere job in a third rate Private Investigation Agency. Life had to get better surely? When Derek Lewis, rich Australian playboy, is found dead after falling from the roof of his office in salacious circumstances, Lola's opportunity to flex her investigative muscles had begun.

But it wasn't only Lola's professional career that was about to take off. Little did she know it, her love life was too.

Between her new boss, Julian, who was an uptight Adonis, and Joe the office Romeo, Lola was having a hard time to keep her professional integrity intact and her sassy comments to herself. Still, a job was a job, and if it involved working with two handsome men then who else would be up for the challenge?

My review.
Lola Hussey a girl that is confident with herself but unable to succeed in her work life. One day she was assigned as corporate investigator to find out the true culprit behind the suicide of the company successor, Derek Lewis. In the company she was only known to Julian Davenport, her boss aka Derek's cousin. There was few suspect in the story, Joe the office playboy (former assistant & Derek's best friend) and Derek's secretary,Pam.

Lola was really indecisive between Julian and Joe. Though Julian is more promising and better choice compared to Joe the fishy playboy investigator. [It was until the middle chapter you can truly discover Joe's true color]. My heart still vote for Julian and after read the second book (halfway), Julian is still number one. 

This novel was very intriguing until the last page, as the revelation of scandalous family secrets that was never known before. Will Lola able to decide the love of her life?

Betty Byers was one excellent new writer that we need to look for. Reminder! Don't judge a book by it's cover. Even though it has poor book cover design, the story was really amazing almost on par with other established writer. Often some free copies had editing mistakes but this one is exception. Almost perfect.

Now that I read it for the 2nd time, I reaaaaally want to buy the next book.

ps: I almost forget this Lola. Yay! Mdm Lola, I found your copy-paste character from fiction.
ps2: not for children under 18. Few x-rated (which really put me in difficult place and change my admiration to Lola).

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