Product Description

This title offers the story of the human quest for perfection. The paradise myth has been one of the most powerful motivators in human history, influencing and energizing all kinds of individuals and groups. From the Assassins of twelfth-century Persia to the Pilgrim Fathers of America; from Pythagoras to modern-day downsizers, there have always been those who would seek perfection on earth. This hope for an earthly paradise drives humanity onwards, pressing for change and offering salvation. Yet, it also comes attached to religious beliefs such as Armageddon, original sin and martyrdom - all notions that influence modern life even when hidden beneath a veneer of secularism. Kevin Rushby traces the belief in paradise from its earliest origins down to the present day, taking in a vast array of characters, particularly from within Christian and Islamic cultures. The story carries us not only through the delights of the botanic gardens and utopian dreams of seventeenth-century Europe but also to terrible events such as the Holocaust and the atrocities of modern-day religious extremism. "Paradise" uncovers the history of an idea and in doing so reveals some of the key events and characters that have shaped our view of perfect happiness.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #427837 in Books
• Published on: 2006-05-25
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 288 pages

The Guardian, April 16, 2005
'This is a wonderful book ... it manages to be balanced, humane and life-affirming'

About the Author
Kevin Rushby has lived and worked in the Sudan, Malaysia, Thailand and Yemen. A full-time writer, his other books are: Chasing the Mountain of Light: Across India on the Trail of the Koh-I-Noor Diamond (1 84119 882 X), Eating the Flowers of Paradise: A Journey through the Drug Fields of Ethiopia and Yemen (1 84119 679 7), Children of Kali: Through India in Search of Bandits, the Thug Culture and the British Raj (1 84119 568 5) and Hunting Pirate Heaven: In Search of the Lost Pirate Utopias of the Indian Ocean (1 84119 488 3).

Customer Reviews

A really fascinating read
This is the sort of book to dip into, mull it over and dip into again and again. Rushby writes great grabbers - little cameos to launch serious historical perspectives. And the links with our lives today lift this book from dry ancient history to the omnipresent question: which paradise am I seeking? Which God does my life honour? Rushby's book defies category. Its a little bit of paradise itself.

Another Masterpiece
I'm a huge fan of Rushby's travel writing - a fascinating mix of history, philosophy, theology and cultural analysis, which gallops along with the author's always intense and often dangerous experiences. He is a true adventurer.

So I eagerly awaited Paradise and was delighted. Kevin must have stayed in one place for a usually long length time to bring his vast knowledge and experience to bear on this universal concept.

He crams a lot of facts but his style of writing is fun to read.

An accessible magnum opus
In this highly entertaining work Kevin Rushby treads the fine line between academia and journalistic expression with masterly aplomb. The result is a major work reflecting mastery of a huge body of work yet accessible and presented with wit and a wry humour targeting the most human of our collective frailties: the longing for perfection.
With tasty morsels of personal history and travel from this well journeyed author we are taken on a global and historical jaunt through "civilized" man's longing for paradise - and the outright mess created at each fascinating twist and turn. What is clear is that Rushby has gripped a massive amount of research in putting this thesis together but the presentation never falters in its breathless and sometimes hilarious charge down the ages.
Ultimately, I felt that Rushby has produced a deeply spiritual book. At the least this is a deeply humanistic work describing the manifestations of perhaps our most important driving impulses. Hopefully, in presenting this thesis, which he ties up most skilfully in bringing attention to the modern world's variation on paradise seeking, Rushby contributes significantly to helping us to avoid pursuing our current trajectory of hurtling towards oblivion.
Highly recommended