Theos-Talk Archives (July 2005 Message tt00141)

Jerry,

Thanks for your comments to Konstantin. I agree completely.

Daniel

--- In theos-talk@yahoogroups.com, Jerry Hejka-Ekins <jjhe@c...> 
wrote:
> Dear Konstantin,
> 
> I am beginning to find this discussion about people writing books 
some 
> consider unfriendly to Theosophy out of a motivation to make money 
a bit 
> disturbing. Big selling fiction books are written for money. 
Danielle 
> Steele's romance novels and Steven King's thrillers sell in the 
millions 
> of copies and make their authors very wealthy. On the other 
hand, Greg 
> Tillett's Elder Brother and Paul Johnson's Masters Revealed are 
hardly 
> in that league. Rather, it is likely that the little bit of money 
they 
> made from those books hardly covered the time and expenses they 
incurred 
> in order to do the necessary research need to write them the first 
> place. Also, please note that The Elder Brother has been out of 
print 
> with the publisher and was remaindered for some ten or fifteen 
years 
> now. Therefore, Tillett as made nothing on any book sales since 
it was 
> remaindered. Considering the above, money cannot be a realistic 
> motivation for people to write books such as these which have so 
limited 
> an audience. In truth, Gregory Tillett's book began as a 
dissertation 
> as partial requirement for a Ph.D. The original dissertation is 
1200 
> pages long and published in three volumes. I have a copy of it 
and in 
> my opinion, the dissertation is far more damaging to CWL than the 
cut 
> down book version which came out later. So, Tillett's original 
intent 
> was clearly to create a work of scholarship in order to earn his 
Ph.D. 
> Since Dr. Tillett's committee indeed awarded him his Ph.D., the 
> dissertation must have passed the standards for scholarship. 
> 
> As for Paul Johnson's The Masters Revealed, it was published by 
the 
> State University of New York, which is a peer reviewed press. 
> Therefore, his work also had to pass certain standards of 
scholarship. 
> Whether or not we agree with Tillett's and/or Johnson's 
conclusions, 
> both produced works which are recognized as scholarly 
contributions to 
> our knowledge of the Theosophical Movement. Those who find fault 
with 
> their documentation or other aspects of their scholarship are free 
to 
> write their own peer reviewed books in order to overthrow the 
> conclusions of the previous writers. That is how scholarship 
works--it 
> is a progressive search for the truth of the matters in question. 
If 
> you decide to write such a book proving that Tillett's and/or 
Johnson's 
> conclusions are wrong, then you will make a contribution to human 
> knowledge which will in turn be read and analyzed. I will be 
among the 
> first to purchase a copy of your book and read it--and my purchase 
will 
> bring you a whole dollar or so in royalties. 
> 
> I look forward to your book and wish you wealth.
> 
> Best wishes,
> Jerry
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Konstantin Zaitzev wrote:
> 
> >--- In theos-talk@yahoogroups.com, "Daniel H. Caldwell" 
> ><danielhcaldwell@y...> wrote:
> >
> > 
> >
> >>What are you suggesting here? That Dr. Tillett has made money 
or 
> >>fame in this "good business of exposing Leadbeater" and 
therefore we 
> >>should suspect base motives on his part? Just what are you 
getting 
> >>at? "Exposing Leadbeater"? Or has Tillett only been searching 
for 
> >>the truth about Mr. Leadbeater and trying to set the record 
> >> 
> >>
> >
> >Of course, he is making money. Otherwise he would put his book 
online, 
> >but he just advertizes it. It's the case similar with that of 
Johnson 
> >who makes similar business on exposing Blavatsky.
> >
> > 
> >
> >>I view your remarks as "ad hominem" in nature and am somewhat 
> >>surprised that you would even write them. 
> >> 
> >>
> >
> >Exactly as those used by Tillett and his followers -
> >The books by Leadbeater are wrong because he was a sexual maniac 
and 
> >faked his birthdate.
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > 
> >Yahoo! Groups Links
> >
> >
> >
> > 
> >
> >
> >
> > 
> >