An amazing undertaking and masterfully accomplished.

This is truly a remarkable feat that demands our utmost admiration. The level of skill and expertise demonstrated in its execution is simply outstanding.

Every aspect of this undertaking has been meticulously planned and flawlessly executed. From the initial concept to the final result, it is evident that a great deal of thought and effort has gone into making it a reality.

The attention to detail is astonishing, and it is this attention that sets this accomplishment apart from others. It is a testament to the dedication and hard work of all those involved.

Overall, this amazing undertaking is a shining example of what can be achieved through perseverance, talent, and a passion for excellence. It serves as an inspiration to us all and leaves us in awe of what is possible.

Please note that my glowing review is of the annotated version.

I highly recommend this book. In the first part, it presents an impressive combination of philosophical thought that is firmly rooted in extensive historical research. This provides a solid foundation and enriches the reader's understanding.

In the latter part, there are some truly soul-shaking stories that are drawn from Vollman's personal experiences in some of the scariest places on Earth, such as Somalia and Sarajevo. These real-life accounts add a layer of authenticity and intensity that is truly captivating.

Vollman has been described as a "cult" literary figure. I would attempt to categorize him as a unique combination. He shares the willful disregard for personal safety, with a particular focus on firearms, similar to Hunter S Thompson. He also exhibits extreme erudition and verboseness, along with a deep desire to uncover the goodness within people, much like David Foster Wallace. Additionally, he has the ability to unflinchingly describe death in horrendous detail, similar to Roberto Bolano.

Europe Central, Vollman's later novel, is made even more impressive. This is because one can trace the challenges faced by his characters, many of whom are based on real people, back to the thoughts he presents in this volume. This connection adds depth and continuity to his body of work, making it all the more engaging and thought-provoking.

Brilliant

He was truly brilliant, with a mind that seemed to sparkle with ideas and insights that others could only dream of. His intellect was sharp and his creativity knew no bounds. He could come up with solutions to the most complex problems in an instant, leaving those around him in awe.

Rambling

However, his brilliance was often accompanied by a tendency to ramble. He would start on one topic and then veer off into another, sometimes losing himself in a web of thoughts and ideas that only he could follow. His conversations could be long and meandering, leaving his listeners struggling to keep up.

Unsystematic

His approach to life and work was also rather unsystematic. He didn't like to follow rules or procedures, preferring to do things his own way. This could lead to chaos and confusion at times, but it also allowed him to think outside the box and come up with truly innovative solutions.

Maddening

His rambling and unsystematic ways could be maddening to those around him. They would try to get him to focus and stay on track, but he would often resist. He seemed to thrive on chaos and uncertainty, and would become frustrated when others tried to impose order on him.

Uncompromising

Despite all of this, he was uncompromising in his beliefs and values. He would never back down from what he thought was right, no matter how difficult the situation. His integrity was unwavering, and he would always stand up for what he believed in, even if it meant going against the crowd.

Vollman's work is truly remarkable.

Based at least in part on this particular piece, it wouldn't be at all surprising if he were to win the Nobel Prize for Literature someday.

His writing is not the kind that one would casually pick up for a relaxing read on the beach. Instead, it delves deep into the complex and often disturbing topic of violence.

Yet, despite its weighty subject matter, his 2000-page history of violence is as compelling as it could possibly be.

It grabs the reader's attention from the very first page and holds it throughout, making it a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the darker side of human nature.

Vollman's ability to bring this history to life through his vivid prose and detailed research is truly a testament to his talent as a writer.

Whether or not he ultimately wins the Nobel Prize, his work will无疑 have a lasting impact on the literary world.

Not for the faint of heart.

I am currently reading the abridged version, which still clocks in at a hefty 800 pages. Oi vey!

This book is an absolute treasure trove, encompassing a wide range of subjects including history, geography, philosophy, and literature, all rolled into one captivating volume.

To quote the famous line from 'What About Bob', you truly have to take "baby steps" when approaching this book.

It's not something that can be devoured in one sitting. Instead, it requires patience, focus, and a willingness to engage with the material on a deep level.

Each page is filled with fascinating insights and thought-provoking ideas that will keep you coming back for more.

Despite its length, this book is well worth the investment of time and energy. It has the power to expand your knowledge,开阔 your视野, and inspire you to think differently about the world around you.

So, if you're up for a challenge and ready to embark on a literary adventure, then this book is definitely for you. Just be prepared to take it one step at a time.

They press into the pinstriped ball of heat cupping, tickling and coraling.

A gleeful struggle occurs. Spittle flies. They suffer minor scratches and are flailed from and at.

However exceptional, the boy just won't take to handling. It is either this or he lengthens and stiffens like a board and must be transported overhead.

The basement stairs sometimes require a relay system. But emotional and behavioral problems are coin of the realm, no?

Yes, certainly. Clarities like these come fast and easy when nurturing the genius of an exceptional creature.

So much so that she cannot but wonder if there was a missed diagnosis in her own childhood. Such agile prioritization and lighting adaptability being potential evidence of a simpatico type of high functioningness or something.

But that is of no moment. Not now. Not yet.

She continues to deal with the challenges presented by this exceptional boy. The daily interactions are a mix of chaos and wonder.

She tries different approaches, hoping to find the one that will work best for him. Sometimes she feels frustrated, but she never gives up.

She knows that he has something special within him, and she is determined to help him bring it out.

As she goes about her days, she constantly reflects on her own experiences and how they might relate to the boy's situation.

She wonders if her own childhood might have held similar secrets that were overlooked. But for now, her focus is on the present and doing what she can to support this remarkable child.

A fairly interesting read indeed when it comes to the question of whether violence is ever justified. The answer, as it turns out, is yes, but the circumstances under which it is justified are complex and require careful consideration. The first half of the article, which focuses on setting up a "moral calculus," can be a bit of a slog to get through. It presents a rather theoretical and perhaps somewhat dry approach to the topic. However, the case studies in the second half more than make up for it. They are very interesting and read much more like a captivating story. It's as if we are drawn into real-life situations where the question of violence and its justifiability becomes palpable. Even in this abridged version, though, there are parts that still manage to feel a bit too long. But overall, it's a thought-provoking piece that makes one stop and think about this age-old and highly controversial topic.

I read the unabridged version of this book the year after I returned from Iraq. At that time, being a poor student, I had to sell it on eBay for $500 in order to buy food for my family.

Although the book was exceedingly long, I managed to learn a great deal from it. Most significantly, it assisted me in formulating a personal philosophy regarding when violence can be justified. Additionally, it presented an interesting perspective on the extensive history of people causing harm to one another.

This book truly had a profound impact on my thinking and understanding. It made me reflect on the complex nature of human behavior and the difficult decisions that we sometimes have to make.

Even though I no longer possess the book, the lessons I learned from it continue to stay with me and influence my actions and beliefs.

I will never finish this book, but I revisit it every few years. This is because of something I read or hear that makes me think "hmmm, I think Willie V. talked about something like that".

The writing in this book has a dual nature. When it comes to discussing theory, it can be overly academic, perhaps a bit too dense for some. However, when it delves into the personal, it is heart-achingly good.

If you are a fan of his fiction, there's a 50% chance you will like this book. It has elements that might appeal to those who enjoy his fictional works. On the other hand, if you are also a fan of difficult-to-wade-through academic writing about philosophy and history, then you will 100% love it.

But be warned, he is neo-liberal as fuck. This aspect of his views might not sit well with everyone and could potentially influence how you perceive the book as a whole.

The first part is interesting and offers several points for reflection.

It presents some thought-provoking ideas that can stimulate further consideration.

However, the second part, which deals with specific cases related to a current situation that is no longer relevant, I found it superfluous and burdensome.

It seems to add unnecessary details that do not contribute significantly to the overall message.

Perhaps it could have been omitted or presented in a more concise and relevant manner.

Overall, while the first part has its merits, the second part detracts from the quality of the article.

It would be beneficial to reevaluate and revise the second part to make the article more engaging and focused.

La musica tra quelle antiche pareti ocra, ancora tiepide per il sole, vibrava di una bellezza dolorosa. It was as if the very essence of melancholy had been captured and transformed into sound. The notes seemed to dance along the warm walls, leaving a trail of bittersweet emotions in their wake.

Come uno stillicidio di oscurità estiva che gronda da fiori di rame, the music had a certain heaviness to it, like the slow drip of something precious and yet unknown. It was as if the ancient walls themselves were weeping, mourning the passage of time and the memories that had been lost within their embrace.

The beauty of the music was both captivating and heart-wrenching, pulling at the listener's emotions and taking them on a journey through a world of pain and longing. It was a reminder that even in the midst of darkness, there can be moments of such profound beauty that they leave an indelible mark on the soul.

Vollmann's "Like a Wave that Rises and Falls" stems from his desire to compose a global history of violence over the centuries, proposing a moral calculus to determine if and when it is just to use it. The idea took shape in 1980 when WV was a university student ready to protest with the anti-nuclear movement through non-violence. Soon, the protest was quelled with batons and tear gas, and the group was labeled as violent by the American media. WV thus began to wonder how it was possible to understand when violence is justified, what excuses are acceptable, and how to analyze them.

WV frankly acknowledges the probable failure of his work, well aware that, despite the aspiration for a universally valid calculus, his moral calculus cannot be mathematical but can only be limited to the best he can do.

Explaining this book is like trying to funnel the ocean into a toothpaste tube. It is massive, a jumble of words and concepts, a river in full flow of examples and logical abstractions. The fact that this is the abridged version makes it even more complicated. WV starts by challenging axioms, or self-evident principles that require no proof. He rejects, changes, and disputes them, always trying to keep his propositions as simple and obvious as possible. The prime axiom is Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

From here, a series of impressive examples and counter-axioms are presented. It ranges from Gandhi (whose call for non-violence, while absolutely admirable, "sins of condescension with the prisoners who suffer the most"); Plato and his conception of moral calculus with three classes of citizens (where WV concludes that any generalization about class life, especially that of slaves, requires exhaustive specifications, but "what these data largely show is the futility of any single definition of class: class as rank, class as wealth, class as prestige, etc. The slaves of the rich were housed and pampered for reasons that we should define as structural rather than personal: it doesn't matter that their owners qualified them as members of the family"); class struggle ("what is class? we ask again. Is it rank, wealth, caste, or status? The local definition is not relevant. Class is, rather simply, the particular mechanism by which power and resources are unevenly distributed within a society, regardless of whether the divisions of the latter are attenuated by numerous gradations […]. Class is the local determinant of social inequality"); Napoleon (and his use of honor and love of country to mobilize the masses); Lycurgus (a Spartan who in exile studied the laws of the Cretans, Ionians, and Egyptians, finding the most rigorous equality as a solution to class struggle: hence the collectivization of land, the banning of all that is superfluous, the sharing of meals in groups of 15 people, so that no one feels free to flaunt wealth or abundance of food; thus, in a precarious but chilling parallel, the Sparta of Lycurgus eerily resembles the Russia of Lenin and Stalin); Lenin and Stalin ("they erected a temple to Fear, because it was this, more than anything else, that held a state together"…); Robespierre (according to whom "the people were so sovereign that they did not have to accept any representative, but only agents or 'commissaires', precursors of the Leninist commissars; how often does history reverse the meaning of words! The blatant failure of Robespierre once again demonstrated that, in practice, a people cannot exercise indivisible power in its own name; that collectivizing and universalizing participation leads to totalitarianism, whose tragic effects are difficult to distinguish from those obtained when the people are systematically deprived of all power and face despotism"); Jefferson (who proposed that power be held by the people but then delegated through political mechanisms); Lincoln (abolitionist… but "if slavery is wrong, to oppose it we must override both the law and the consensus", because we know well that in those confused years few really wanted the end of slavery; "in short, we must transform ourselves into a revolutionary authority of some kind, extending our dominion beyond the limits imposed by tradition. Do we prefer to remain faithful vassals of the pre-existing authority? Then we must wait for a remote utopian future like that of Trotsky, the day when slavery will be legally abolished and with the consent of the majority"). WV finally has to admit that "Lincoln was wrong to prohibit secession, but this pursued widely immoral ends" (i.e., the right to slavery). "The outcome, which neither Lincoln nor the Confederates expected, was positive: the formal elimination of slavery in the United States"; Cortés (whose bloody campaign in Mexico will support the thesis on the defense of territory and the absolute will to lead the infidel Aztecs on the path of the Lord); punishment as a deterrent, often seen in diametrically opposed ways, both as inhibitory for violent behaviors and as radicalizing for those who suffer it.

And so much more...

At the end of the first part, we are faced with Vollmann's "final" moral calculus. There is no point in listing the points that characterize it here, as there are an infinite number of justifications and corollaries to the justifications. The only invitation I can give is to read it, absolutely.

After the moral calculus, the second part begins, which is less substantial and consists of case studies. There are really only a few essays. I can only say that after reading it, I can well understand why the original version of this monumental work consists of 7 different volumes for a total of 3,300 pages. I can also say that in my opinion, this work should have remained as it was. There are too many "missing" parts, and their weight is felt throughout the reading. But how can one not appreciate a work of such magnitude? Even just the intentions and premises are, to say the least, brilliant and visionary.