From: RickBook@aol.com Subject: [LDS-Bookshelf] CD-ROMs vs Originals Date: 03 Feb 2002 23:37:27 EST From time to time, people mention that they no longer have to worry about obtaining a certain book, since it is available on CD-ROM. While that point of view holds less appeal for a book collector than for a non-collecting reader or scholar, all of us probably depend on CD-ROMs for some texts which we simply cannot obtain or afford otherwise. These are wonderful tools, both for searching and for easy copying and pasting into our own projects. However, as I have mentioned before, there is a real danger of error on CD-ROMs, either in something so minor as a page number cited, or something as extreme as what follows. Verifying against hard copy, whenever possible, is very important before we quote something in a serious research paper or book catalog. I'm not sure what happened to create so many errors in one paragraph, but here is what I encountered this evening: As it appears in SMITH RESEARCH ASSOCIATES "New Mormon Studies CD-ROM": Sunstone 13:3/8 (Jun 89) If subsequent research on the origins of the names Moroni and Cumorah point to the Comoro Islands as a source, must the whole Mormon story be labelled a myth in the pejorative sense of that word? I think not. As a Scot, and a nationalist at that, I have some special reasons for not getting too concerned about that particular possibility. In the eighteenth century, James MacPherson claimed to have "discovered" an ancient Celtic epic which gave Scottish culture a great boost at a time when it was almost submerged by Anglifying influences. The publication of Ossian also molded the course of European literature by helping to shape the emerging Romantic movement. Now there is no doubt that MacPherson's manuscript was not as ancient as he said it was, but modern scholars are more charitable in their assessment of the man. He is no longer considered the deliberate forger which Samuel Johnson branded him, but a creative intellect who made a real contribution to our literary heritage. As actually printed, at least in MY copy of Sunstone: If subsequent research on the origins of the names Moroni and Cumorah point to the Comoro Islands as a source, must the whole Mormon story be labelled a myth in the pejorative sense of that word? I think not. I have always had an almost religious commitment to being a Scot and am fiercely proud of my homeland's traditions and history. However, as research sheds new light on those traditions I have had to adjust my perceptions and be content with the meaning which can be derived from the past even if it cannot be proven in a factual sense. Two examples may illustrate this point. In the eighteenth century, James Macpherson claimed to have "discovered" an ancient Celtic epic which gave Scottish culture a great boost at a time when it was almost submerged by Anglifying influences. The publication in 1760 of Fragments of Ancient Poetry Collected in the Highlands also molded the course of European literature by helping to shape the emerging Romantic movement. Now there is no doubt that Macpherson's manuscript was not as ancient as he said it was, but modern scholars are more charitable in their assessment of the man. He is no longer condemned as the deliberate forger which Samuel Johnson branded him, but a creative intellect who made a real contribution to our literary heritage. - LDS-Bookshelf, information and discussion of LDS books - To unsubscribe, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with - "unsubscribe lds-bookshelf" (without quotes) in the message body. - For assistance, mail to "lds-bookshelf-owner@lists.xmission.com" ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Hugh J. McKell" Subject: Re: [LDS-Bookshelf] CD-ROMs vs Originals Date: 05 Feb 2002 19:42:48 -0700 At 11:37 PM 2/3/2002 EST, you wrote: Thanks Rick! It was the Sunstone article that prompted me to acquire a copy of "The Poems of Ossian " I wonder where Sunstone got the 'corrected version" that is now on the CD-ROM! AH, the prerogatives of the editors....... Hugh > >>From time to time, people mention that they no longer have to worry about >obtaining a certain book, since it is available on CD-ROM. While that point >of view holds less appeal for a book collector than for a non-collecting >reader or scholar, all of us probably depend on CD-ROMs for some texts which >we simply cannot obtain or afford otherwise. These are wonderful tools, both >for searching and for easy copying and pasting into our own projects. > >However, as I have mentioned before, there is a real danger of error on >CD-ROMs, either in something so minor as a page number cited, or something as >extreme as what follows. Verifying against hard copy, whenever possible, is >very important before we quote something in a serious research paper or book >catalog. I'm not sure what happened to create so many errors in one >paragraph, but here is what I encountered this evening: > > >As it appears in SMITH RESEARCH ASSOCIATES "New Mormon Studies CD-ROM": > >Sunstone 13:3/8 (Jun 89) >If subsequent research on the origins of the names Moroni and Cumorah point >to the Comoro Islands as a source, must the whole Mormon story be labelled a >myth in the pejorative sense of that word? I think not. As a Scot, and a >nationalist at that, I have some special reasons for not getting too >concerned about that particular possibility. In the eighteenth century, >James MacPherson claimed to have "discovered" an ancient Celtic epic which >gave Scottish culture a great boost at a time when it was almost submerged by >Anglifying influences. The publication of Ossian also molded the course of >European literature by helping to shape the emerging Romantic movement. Now >there is no doubt that MacPherson's manuscript was not as ancient as he said >it was, but modern scholars are more charitable in their assessment of the >man. He is no longer considered the deliberate forger which Samuel Johnson >branded him, but a creative intellect who made a real contribution to our >literary heritage. > > > >As actually printed, at least in MY copy of Sunstone: > > If subsequent research on the origins of the names Moroni and Cumorah point >to the Comoro Islands as a source, must the whole Mormon story be labelled a >myth in the pejorative sense of that word? I think not. I have always had >an almost religious commitment to being a Scot and am fiercely proud of my >homeland's traditions and history. However, as research sheds new light on >those traditions I have had to adjust my perceptions and be content with the >meaning which can be derived from the past even if it cannot be proven in a >factual sense. Two examples may illustrate this point. In the eighteenth >century, James Macpherson claimed to have "discovered" an ancient Celtic epic >which gave Scottish culture a great boost at a time when it was almost >submerged by Anglifying influences. The publication in 1760 of Fragments of >Ancient Poetry Collected in the Highlands also molded the course of European >literature by helping to shape the emerging Romantic movement. Now there is >no doubt that Macpherson's manuscript was not as ancient as he said it was, >but modern scholars are more charitable in their assessment of the man. He >is no longer condemned as the deliberate forger which Samuel Johnson branded >him, but a creative intellect who made a real contribution to our literary >heritage. > > > >---------------------------------------------------------- >- LDS-Bookshelf, information and discussion of LDS books >- To unsubscribe, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with >- "unsubscribe lds-bookshelf" (without quotes) in the message body. >- For assistance, mail to "lds-bookshelf-owner@lists.xmission.com" > > - LDS-Bookshelf, information and discussion of LDS books - To unsubscribe, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with - "unsubscribe lds-bookshelf" (without quotes) in the message body. - For assistance, mail to "lds-bookshelf-owner@lists.xmission.com" ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Steve Eccles" Subject: [LDS-Bookshelf] Customers Date: 05 Feb 2002 19:45:30 -0800 After Hugh's last story of a customer, I thought I'd pass this one on. It is from today's Los Angeles Times in the column by Steve Harvey called Only In LA: Staying in character: Visiting the Mystery Book Store in Westwood, writer Hank Rosenfeld asked a clerk at the front desk, "Where is Dashiell Hammett?" "He's dead," the clerk responded. It struck Rosenfeld as the type of terse wisecrack that Hammett's Sam Spade might have uttered. - LDS-Bookshelf, information and discussion of LDS books - To unsubscribe, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with - "unsubscribe lds-bookshelf" (without quotes) in the message body. - For assistance, mail to "lds-bookshelf-owner@lists.xmission.com" ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "EDLUND,MARK JAMES" Subject: [LDS-Bookshelf] JWHA Conference and new bio of Joseph Smith Date: 21 Feb 2002 14:06:33 -0800 (PST) Bookshelfers, Most of you are probably familiar with the John Whitmer Historical Association. For those who are not, JWHA is loosely affiliated with the RLDS church (now Community of Christ), and is similar to the Mormon History Association in that they publish a journal and hold a conference each year. However, LDS historians also play an active role in JWHA. This year's JWHA conference at Nauvoo will be particularly interesting, as many outstanding scholars have committed to coming. Undoubtedly the highlight of the conference will be the roundtable discussion that Newell Bringhurst has organized on the "1844 United States Presidential election and why Joseph Smith, Jr. decided to run for office". This discussion will feature Richard Bushman, Michael Quinn, Klaus Hansen, Mark Scherer, and Robert Remini. In my opinion, this is the most distinguished and varied panel that have ever appeared together in any MHA, Sunstone, or JWHA session. Quinn and Bushman of course need no introduction. Hansen has written three books: Quest for Empire: The Political Kingdom of God and the Council of Fifty in Mormon History, Mormonism and American Culture, and Mormonism and the American Experience. His work on the Council of Fifty was pioneering. Mark Scherer is the Community of Christ church historian. So who is Robert Remini? This is taken from the JWHA site (as is the above quotation): "Robert V. Remini is professor emeritus of history and the humanities at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He has been called the oremost Jacksonian scholar of our time. He has authored a definitive three volume biography of Andrew Jackson as well as biographies of Daniel Webster and Henry Clay. He is known as an artful teacher capable of capturing the character of his subjects and make the American past come alive. His forthcoming (October, 2002) biography of Mormon Church founder Joseph Smith from Viking Press is highly anticipated and JWHA will be the first scholarly forum for consideration of the text. Advanced copies of Professor Remini's book will be made available for conference attendees by Viking Press." The conference is held at the end of September. More info can be found at www.jwha.info. Mark Edlund - LDS-Bookshelf, information and discussion of LDS books - To unsubscribe, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with - "unsubscribe lds-bookshelf" (without quotes) in the message body. - For assistance, mail to "lds-bookshelf-owner@lists.xmission.com" ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Morgan Adair" Subject: Re: [LDS-Bookshelf] JWHA Conference and new bio of Joseph Date: 21 Feb 2002 15:32:21 -0700 >>> medlund@ucla.edu 02/21/02 03:06PM >>> > >forthcoming (October, 2002) biography of Mormon Church founder Joseph >Smith from Viking Press is highly anticipated and JWHA will be the first >scholarly forum for consideration of the text. Advanced copies of >Professor Remini's book will be made available for conference attendees by >Viking Press." I think this is going to be a volume in the "Penguin Life" series (along with biographies of Mozart, Proust, Rosa Parks, Crazy Horse, Mao, Saint Augustine, etc.). It will be interesting to see how he places Joseph Smith in the context of Jacksonian America, but I'm not expecting the book to be groundbreaking (like Bushman's likely will be, if he ever gets it done). MBA - LDS-Bookshelf, information and discussion of LDS books - To unsubscribe, send an email to "majordomo@xmission.com" with - "unsubscribe lds-bookshelf" (without quotes) in the message body. - For assistance, mail to "lds-bookshelf-owner@lists.xmission.com" ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: "Keith Irwin" Subject: [LDS-Bookshelf] A Winter with the Mormons Date: 23 Feb 2002 13:21:47 -0800 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0001_01C1BC6D.0F5C5110 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable I looked forward to receiving the limited of David Bigler=92s new book, =93A Winter with the Mormons.=94 The book is nicely bound in leather = by Handbridge Bindery, a bookbinder I=92ve often used to do fine repair and restoration. Nice quality paper and good looking = endsheets=85=85..but=85=85=85the registration on the pages is screwed up. =BC=94 top margins with 1 = =BD=92=94 on the bottom. Even then the top registration is slightly off on each page, easily evident if you fan the pages and watch the page numbers jump up and down. Disappointing. I=92m told the trade edition has = the same defect. =20 Keith ------=_NextPart_000_0001_01C1BC6D.0F5C5110 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable A Winter with the Mormons

I = looked forward to receiving the limited of David Bigler’s new = book,  “A Winter with the Mormons.”    = The book is nicely bound in leather by Handbridge Bindery, a bookbinder = I’ve often used to do fine repair and restoration.  Nice = quality paper and good looking = endsheets……..but………the registration on the = pages is screwed up.  =BC” top margins with 1 = =BD’” on the bottom.  Even then the top registration is = slightly off on each page,  easily evident if you fan the pages and = watch the page numbers jump up and down.  = Disappointing.    I’m told the trade edition has = the same defect. 

Keith


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