Events Books

Dobson's detailed writing of character is pictoral and cutting edge. I was impressed with Stanford's courage in sickness and his journey down childhood challenge and woes with his family, friends and loves of his life. I was constantly reminded of my own trials and tribulations while reading this book. Exciting ending with a twist. As an novice writer, this piece gives my endeavor; focus and inner strength to a foundational outlook as a future writer. A must read and especially looking forward to more prints from this phenomenal author.

I love this book. I think this book should go straight to Oprahs Book Club. As my father and my friend, I feel that Frank Dobson has a talent like no other writer today. I love his style and I love him. GREAT JOB DAD! From Jasmin Dobson (your child)

I have just completed reading this novel after having to put it down a number of times to ponder my own feelings and life. I found it to be both haunting and thought provoking. This writer is extremely talented, having the ability to totally involve the reader with all of the characters and their individual pysche. I was both inspired and challenged by this experience. It made me think, it made me pray. It is sending me on a quest to find my own voice.

This novel is an extremely well-written piece of fiction. What stands out the most to me is the way the rythyms of the language combine with the centrality of music to create a world as lyrical as anything from the pen of Toni Morrison. It is the music and the fate of Stan that compel you to read on to the explosive conclusion. I would recommend this novel, Dobson's first, to anyone and eagerly anticipate the arrival of Climbing, his next.

Reading this reflected so much of my own similar upbringing and struggles. I was truly amazed of the writers' technigue and the ambiance that is developed between the reader and the author. You feel the story flow with ease from the pages to your inner self making you feel like you know exactly where the characters are and what they are dealing with. It is beautifully done and has a melodic sense as the words and emotions are filtered through and sent out to each reader to analyse and discover. The book has great depth and I look forward to many 'new' work done by this fresh new and very talented African American writer. Hats Off to Frank Dobson and continued success. I will pass the book on to everyone I know,and I await his next 'new' release.

the forward starts off "(she) could have left russia--remember that as you read these journals." what comes across initially as anna's relentless account of putin's rise to autocratic dominance is more of an alarming and disheartening account of russia's systematic devolution where democracy, freedom of press and the semblance of a worthy society were fleetingly promised as they were taken away. incredible heart-wrenching accounts of the moscow theater and beslan school massacres as well as the two chechen wars.

A must read for anyone who wants to understand the "new" Russia. One hopes others will have the courage to take up Ms. Politkovskaya's crusade in exposing the corruption so rampant in Putin's (and now Medvedev's)Russia.

This is a riveting account of a life constantly in peril. The translation is equally outstanding, conveying both the "conversationalism" of a "diary" and the formality of the more essential elements.

Anna Politkovskaya's "Russian Diary" is a gold mine of information and provides unparalleled insights into Putin's Neo-Soviet Russia.

Many believe that Politkovskaya was murdered for her indepth investigative reporting into all aspects of Putin's regime. In this book she makes it clear that Russia is rapidly sliding into a dark and deep abyss.

Politkovskaya reveals the rampant corruption prevalent in the Russian government and its total disregard for the Russian population, human rights, and basic democratic principles.

"Russian Diary" is a first-hand account of the growing power of Russia's criminal community and its alliance with Vladimir Putin, the rampant greed and lawlessness of the new Russian business elite, the unbridled brutality of the Russian security services, and the gross incompetence of the Russian military.

Politkovskaya believed that Russia was headed for another major war in the Caucasus against the mountain peoples it has been terrorizing and murdering for the last decade.

This is a sad and depressing story that is all too familiar to those with firsthand knowledge of the Soviet Union and Russia.

For those who care about Russia, it is hard to put this book down. It is a compelling read. However, one cannot help read "A Russian Diary" without an overwhelming sense of sadness. We know how the story ends. The last entry in the diary was made in August 2006, and soon thereafter Anna Politkovskaya life ends, murdered by unknown assailants in Moscow.

The profound nature of this loss comes across on every page of this book, as Ms. Politkovskaya carefully and without flinching describes contemporary Russian society, warts and all, as perhaps no other journalist left living can. This book brings the reader a first-hand look into the tragedies of Dubrovka Theater and the school siege at Beslan. And also chronicles the seemingly endless war in Chechnya. She asks hard questions of the Russian government and its apparent failure to manage these matters.

As great of a loss as the death of Anna Politkovskaya is, her dairy is a reminder of perhaps the greatest tragedy and missed opportunity in the last quarter of a century. With the fall of the Soviet Union, Russia had the opportunity once and forever to move into the family of democratic states. This book documents that although there are elections, this has not really happened, not even close. What we have now is a tightly controlled state governed by an intelligence oligarchy with a fondness for the Soviet past, which has restricted rather than expanded civil liberties and workers' rights. These restrictions have been justified in the name of protecting national security and the promotion of state controlled capitalism. "A Russian Diary" documents how the Russian people are languishing with a government seemingly disinclined to tackle the serious social welfare problems that are besetting the country.

This book is commentary on the Russian government, but it also asks tough questions of Americans and Western Europeans. What could they have done differently to nudge Russia toward a democratic direction? Is it too late? Are we destined to regress into a more perverse version of the Cold War, with a Russian government mistrusting the West once again, but now empowered by oil and gas revenues?

I hope that is not the case both for Russia and the West. However, without Anna Politkoyskaya alive to point out the deficiencies in the Russian government and the shortcomings of the West, the unthinkable becomes possible.

the forward starts off "(she) could have left russia--remember that as you read these journals." what comes across initially as anna's relentless account of putin's rise to autocratic dominance is more of an alarming and disheartening account of russia's systematic devolution where democracy, freedom of press and the semblance of a worthy society were fleetingly promised as they were taken away. incredible heart-wrenching accounts of the moscow theater and beslan school massacres as well as the two chechen wars.

A must read for anyone who wants to understand the "new" Russia. One hopes others will have the courage to take up Ms. Politkovskaya's crusade in exposing the corruption so rampant in Putin's (and now Medvedev's)Russia.

This is a riveting account of a life constantly in peril. The translation is equally outstanding, conveying both the "conversationalism" of a "diary" and the formality of the more essential elements.

Anna Politkovskaya's "Russian Diary" is a gold mine of information and provides unparalleled insights into Putin's Neo-Soviet Russia.

Many believe that Politkovskaya was murdered for her indepth investigative reporting into all aspects of Putin's regime. In this book she makes it clear that Russia is rapidly sliding into a dark and deep abyss.

Politkovskaya reveals the rampant corruption prevalent in the Russian government and its total disregard for the Russian population, human rights, and basic democratic principles.

"Russian Diary" is a first-hand account of the growing power of Russia's criminal community and its alliance with Vladimir Putin, the rampant greed and lawlessness of the new Russian business elite, the unbridled brutality of the Russian security services, and the gross incompetence of the Russian military.

Politkovskaya believed that Russia was headed for another major war in the Caucasus against the mountain peoples it has been terrorizing and murdering for the last decade.

This is a sad and depressing story that is all too familiar to those with firsthand knowledge of the Soviet Union and Russia.

For those who care about Russia, it is hard to put this book down. It is a compelling read. However, one cannot help read "A Russian Diary" without an overwhelming sense of sadness. We know how the story ends. The last entry in the diary was made in August 2006, and soon thereafter Anna Politkovskaya life ends, murdered by unknown assailants in Moscow.

The profound nature of this loss comes across on every page of this book, as Ms. Politkovskaya carefully and without flinching describes contemporary Russian society, warts and all, as perhaps no other journalist left living can. This book brings the reader a first-hand look into the tragedies of Dubrovka Theater and the school siege at Beslan. And also chronicles the seemingly endless war in Chechnya. She asks hard questions of the Russian government and its apparent failure to manage these matters.

As great of a loss as the death of Anna Politkovskaya is, her dairy is a reminder of perhaps the greatest tragedy and missed opportunity in the last quarter of a century. With the fall of the Soviet Union, Russia had the opportunity once and forever to move into the family of democratic states. This book documents that although there are elections, this has not really happened, not even close. What we have now is a tightly controlled state governed by an intelligence oligarchy with a fondness for the Soviet past, which has restricted rather than expanded civil liberties and workers' rights. These restrictions have been justified in the name of protecting national security and the promotion of state controlled capitalism. "A Russian Diary" documents how the Russian people are languishing with a government seemingly disinclined to tackle the serious social welfare problems that are besetting the country.

This book is commentary on the Russian government, but it also asks tough questions of Americans and Western Europeans. What could they have done differently to nudge Russia toward a democratic direction? Is it too late? Are we destined to regress into a more perverse version of the Cold War, with a Russian government mistrusting the West once again, but now empowered by oil and gas revenues?

I hope that is not the case both for Russia and the West. However, without Anna Politkoyskaya alive to point out the deficiencies in the Russian government and the shortcomings of the West, the unthinkable becomes possible.

It's about time that a textbook like this was introduced into the world of fire investigation.

Excellent book. John has done the fire investigation community an outstanding service by writing this book.
The sections debunking "arson indicators" are noteworthy, as are the excellent fire cause examples and the great pictures. If you don't have this book go out and buy one.

John Morse, PE

Book Review

Scientific Protocols for FIRE INVESTIGATION

By John J. Lentini, CFEI
Published by CRC Press, 2006

604 pages, full-color photographs, illustrations, and diagrams, $139.95.

This publication is a MUST HAVE and MUST READ for all memebers of the fire investigation community. The document clearly outlines all aspects of the craft in simplistic terms.

I recommend that you buy it and study it. The publication is such that both the rookie and the seasoned fire investigation will learn and learn and learn.

Dennis J. Merkley CFEI, CFII, CVFI
Senior Consultant - Fire and Explosion Analyst
Fire Facts Incorporated
Toronto, Canada

Book Review:
Scientific Protocols for Fire Investigation
by John J. Lentini

Mr. Lentini has produced a book on fire investigations. So, why purchase and read another book on this subject, it has been covered in several texts before. The book should be read to educate the reader [presumably a fire investigator] on the significance of their work. Fire investigations impact people's lives. Aside from the lofty goal of making accurate determinations of causes of fires thereby helping to prevent a repeat of the fire, determinations of the fire cause can impact a person's financial wellbeing for the remainder of their life, affect a person's personal freedom, and in the extreme instance, determine if a person lives or dies. Yet, as Mr. Lentini so notes, a fire investigator is one of the few forensic professions where no scientific education or training is required to offer opinions on complex scientific phenomena. To this reviewer, Mr. Lentini is the first published author to stress the need for improvement in the professional standards for fire investigators.

Mr. Lentini starts out with the basics in the first six chapters. He includes discussions on fire science, chemistry and physics of combustion, fire dynamics and investigative procedures. Given Mr. Lentini's expertise in chemistry, he spends an entire chapter on chemical analyses and ignitable liquid residue aspects of fire investigation. Recognizing the audience for that chapter is limited, he encourages the unrelated reader to "skip over" all but the introduction to this chapter. He also devotes a chapter to ignition sources, possibly the most significant factor in any fire cause determination. Without the investigator being able to adequately address how devices work and fail, the tendency becomes to dismiss the energy sources in residences as not having caused the fire. This lack of consideration of devices that can become ignition sources is the most likely explanation for why fire investigators rely on the "Negative Corpus" determination.

Mr. Lentini devotes the remainder of his book to developing his arguments for recognizing the significance of the fire investigator's work. He gives thirty examples of how or how not to investigate a fire. From that foundation, he moves into the mythology of arson investigation and an excellent discussion on sources of error in fire investigations. The sources of error chapter [my personal favorite] may possibly be the reader's first realization that there truly is an error factor in fire investigations that must be addressed. He finishes up with a chapter on the professional-practice aspect of the profession, including quality assurance programs, consistency in one's work, and expert witness testimony. Although quality assurance programs may never get implemented in many fire investigation offices [both public and private], his discussion sets out for the reader a typical plan that is clear and not overly burdened with jargon.

Throughout the book, Mr. Lentini adds superb artwork including full color photographs, clear and in some cases color charts, graphs and illustrations. He also inserts his "Sidebar" discussions, examples and opportunities to discuss aspects of the chapter that illustrate or explain a concept in a little different light. His choice to push his publisher to make all photographs be in color was unusual, but by doing so he has made his text stand out from the crowd with its artwork.

If someone is just starting out as a fire investigator, other texts may do a better job of discussing the basic aspects of the profession. But, Mr. Lentini's philosophical approach on the responsibility of the fire investigator to conduct a thorough, scientific investigation is an excellent primer for a fire investigator to begin his career. Likewise, those career investigators that have been around a long time can benefit by the much needed reminder of the importance of their work.

I purchased Mr. Lentini's book as soon as it was released.

The color photographs and diagrams are excellent. The book is laid out in an easy to understand straight to the point format.

The book guides you through a proper investigation while using a scientific method.

I include this book in my suggested reading list for the classes that I teach.

If you would like to add another great text book to your library then this would be the one.

Steve Riggs, PATC

Rivers is a wonderful author and I expected these books to be as good as her Lineage of Grace series. They were not quite there...

Great writer. Brings the characters to life. Wonderful story of ordinary people doing extraordinary things with God's help. It shows that you don't have to be the wealthiest, most popular, or most intelligent for you to be used in an amazing way...even to the point of changing history!

The Scribe follows the journeys of Silas, the scribe who traveled with Paul and Peter. Along the way, it gives amazing insight into the lives and faith of early church believers and brings the New Testament to life.

This book is incredibly relevant to our lives today and made such an impact on me. So inspiring! I was in tears by page seven. It's easily one my favorites in this series (along with The Prophet) and from Francine Rivers in general. I didn't want the story to end, and I'm sure I will read it again. It made me eager to read the New Testament from beginning to end, and to live for Christ no matter the cost- a true mark of a great Christian book!

When I was a child, I became an avid reader when I picked up my first secular novel, and I was particularly facinated by historical novels because of my love for history. When I became a Christian, I was in such love with my Savior Jesus Christ that I couldn't get enough of Christian literature. I put aside novels for years. I never thought that there were good Christian novels available, except for romances and the like which only seemed to arouse in me sinful passions and desires. I ran across Francine Rivers somewhat inadvertently. It had been so long since I read a novel that I decided to try once more. "The Scribe" was the second of her books that I read within a couple-week period. I was shocked by the expertise of skill of her writing. She intrigued every facet of my interests, from a good story, to a historical drama, to a Biblical edification. Though much of the story of Silas's personal life in this book is fictional, the concept behind the fiction is so real-to-life for any Christian, that I was greatly helped in the Christian walk. This book is particularly a story of encouragement. Its center is God and the glorious strength that He gives to pick up His despondant servants. The book exalts Jesus Christ and magnifies the unchanging faithfulness and goodness of the Lord. I highly recommend it!

I have read all Francine Rivers novellas. She is truly has a godly gift and blessed for conveying important stories of the Bible many readers may not be familar with. Although the story of Silas the scribe was difficult for me to get emersed into. Once, I did get into the story I was wowed with all the Silas as well as the other displines endured after the resurrection of Jesus. The story impresses upon the reader that Silas and Paul are not only men of Christ spreading the word but are the first missionaries. The story happened in biblical times but one can not help but think of todays missionaries and wonder what persecution they must endure. I would reccommend this book but be patience with the story. You may need to read of the sorrow and sadness to get to the joy and happiness.

This is usually the third book you read in a Political Philosophy course after "The Republic" and the "Nichomachean Ethics".

Locke comes to an understanding of "society", "government", and "property", among a number of notions central to our way of life. Doing that, he's also justifying them, as they exist. He states better and more clearly than anyone else what it is we think these things are and why we should view them as good. I don't know if anyone is thought to have done these particular things any better. (I guess I'm saying that Hobbes, Rousseau, etc., did other things.)

Lots of good stuff written here on this. Just think it's worth pointing out that Locke's argument for man's leaving the state of nature and his argument for the establishment of property are notoriously inconsistent.

The "state of nature" is more rhetorical device or thought-experiment than historical description. Nonetheless, it is essential to the argument.

Oh well. Plato's dialogues often end in despair.

I wish more people knew political philosophy. It would raise the general level of discussion. People would spend less time monkeying demagogues, charlatans, and hucksters.

Good edition too.

John Locke (1632-1704) wrote "Second Treatise of Government" in 1690, it was the main political philosophical source that our "Founding Fathers" went to in writing the "Declaration of Independence" and in forming our government. I think you should know something of Locke to understand what influenced his thinking. His father was a small landowner, attorney, Puritan and his political sympathies were with the Cromwell Parliament. Like Hobbes, Locke attended Oxford Univ. and did not think much about the curriculum or his professors. Most of his education came from reading books in the Univ. library. Renee Descartes and Sir Isaac Newton's writings greatly influenced Locke. Like Hobbes, he took a tutoring job teaching the son of the 1st Earl of Shaftesbury, and traveled Europe. His friendship with the Earl was beneficial in obtaining government appointments. During the political unrest in England, (1679-83) he fled to Holland because his liberal notions put him at odds with the government.

Locke writes the "Second Treatise of Government" to justify the Revolt of 1688 and the ascension of William of Orange to the English throne. The book argues against two lines of absolutist ideas. The first is Sir Robert Filmer's "patriarchal theory of divine right of kings; secondly, Hobbes argument for the sovereign's absolute power in his book "Leviathan." Locke argues that government emanates from the people. Locke's treatise rests like other political writings on its interpretation of human nature. He sees our nature opposite the way Hobbes did, decent and not as selfish or competitive. Man is more inclined to join society through reason and not fear. Man prefers stability to change.

His very important contribution to "law of nature" theory was his bias toward individualism. In state of nature, before government, men were free independent, equal enjoying inalienable rights "chief among them being life, liberty, and property." Where have you read that before? Property rights receive much attention in this treatise. Locke argues that government based on consent of man can still preserve freedom independence and equality.

His political writing had immediate influence in the world and influenced our founding fathers in their struggle against tyranny. He is an excellent writer and his theories are easy to understand by the laymen. As a graduate student of political philosophy, I recommend if you have an interest in politics, philosophy, or government then you must read Locke's "Second Treatise of Government"

In his book, Second Treatise of Government, John Locke (1632 - 1704) writes that all humans are born equal with the same ability to reason for themselves, and because of this, government should have limitations to ensure that people are free from the arbitrary will of another person, according to the laws of nature. Government, in Locke's view, is a social contract between the people in control, and the people who submit to it.

The editor of this edition, C. B. Macpherson, gives a little background and overview in his introduction to this book. He writes that the book "was directed against the principles of Sir Robert Filmer, whose books, asserting the divine authority of kings and denying any right of resistance, were thought by Locke and his fellow Whigs to be too influential among the gentry to be left unchallenged by those who held that resistance to an arbitrary monarch might be justified." (p. viii)
Locke's book served as a philosophical justification for revolting against tyrannical monarchies in the Glorious Revolution and the American Revolution. His book was practically quoted in the Declaration of Independence.

Locke lays out his basis for government on the foundation that people are able to reason. Because of this, people have inherent freedoms or natural rights. Though he believed in reason, Locke was an empiricist, meaning he believed that all knowledge of the world comes from what our senses tell us. The mind starts as a "tabula rasa", latin for an empty slate. As soon as we are born, we immediately begin learning ideas. Thus, all the material for our knowledge of the world comes to us through sensations. Nevertheless, Locke had an unshakable faith in human reason. He believed that people do learn what is right and wrong, regardless of what they choose to do. Locke believed that faith in God, certain moral norms and understanding consequences were inherent in human reason. So, even though people acquire everything they know about the world through the senses, they are able to think for themselves and reason at a higher level about what they learn.

Locke presumed that there are universally recognized principles and that the consequences are practically scientific. He was greatly influenced by Isaac Newton (1647-1727) who wrote The Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy. Locke took the ideas that there were "natural laws" in science and tried to extend that to society.

Natural laws, or rights, in Locke's view, are obvious and learned through human reasoning, and apply to everyone. They are also called "self-evident," which appears in The Declaration of Independence. All humans are created equal, and Locke bases this idea on the golden rule, that people are to do to others as they would have others do to them. Natural equality is the basis of the first and most important "natural law" which is to care for one another. (p. 9) Locke believes that with or without government, there were universal natural rights.

Without government, people are unprotected from harm by other people. Where there is no government, people are free to do as they please, even to harm others. In this state, natural laws still apply, such as the right of people to protect themselves and seek reparation for injuries done to them. However, people are naturally inconsistent in executing punishments, because they have a propensity to act out of hate or revenge. Therefore, laws are necessary in a civil society to fairly arbitrate justice. The purpose of creating a civil society is to avoid major conflicts and keep peace.
Thus, civil government is a "contract" between people to regulate their affairs fairly. According to Locke's theories, people enter into a social contract by forming governments that will preserve order.

Locke describes a civil government as being democratic with some checks to ensure that it does not overstep its boundaries, and having both legislative and executive powers. A civil government is democratic or representative, meaning laws are created by the consent of the people through the voice of a majority vote. The legislature should represent the people equally based on population. (Salus populi suprema lex) All people are subject to the law, including the rulers-no one is above the law. Even the legislature needs "standing rules" to keep it from over-stepping its boundaries. Locke advocated the principle of division of powers. Because the legislature only meets at appointed times to create or revise laws, there needs to be an executive power that is constantly enforcing the laws. So Locke describes a division of the legislative and executive powers.

In contrast to what was being claimed by the rulers of the time, Locke taught that the purpose of government is to serve and benefit the people and that it should be controlled by the people for which the government was made. His claim that people have the right to rebel against government was controversial. Second Treatise of Government served as a foundation for future political philosophies.

John Locke's Second Treatise on Government is the Natural Rights philosophy's greatest essay. Locke, an English freethinker, wrote both his Frist and Second Treatise on Government to refute the patriarchial and absolutist writings of Sir Robert Filmer. Locke clearly believes man is imbued with the natural right to life, liberty, and property. He believes men have a right to live free from tyrannical government.

Locke shows how when a government degenerates into tyranny the "people" have a right to revolt and throw off such government. Sound familar? Jefferson wrote these words into the Declaration of Independence. Locke believes that liberty is a man's right by his very nature of being human. He points out how that men come together to form a government, based upon a social contract, and that the rulers or government must abide by that contract or man returns to his natural state. In the natural state men are not bound to the current ruler but may institute new government for their security and protection.

Although he believed that government should not be changed lightly or on a whim, and believed that the ruler must violate the contract and usurp power, he nevertheless pointed out that government is of men, not God or gods. He repudiated the doctrine propagated by Filmer, that rulers are appointed to rule by God, ie: the Divine Right of Kings.

This "wee little book" as Jefferson put it, has had a tremendous influence on the Western world. Locke, a child of the English Enlightenment has caused conservatives and other tyrants, socialists and communists to shudder at the right to throw off tyrannical government. A truly great read.

John Locke (1632-1704) wrote "Second Treatise of Government" in 1690, it was the main political philosophical source that our "Founding Fathers" went to in writing the "Declaration of Independence" and in forming our government. I think you should know something of Locke to understand what influenced his thinking. His father was a small landowner, attorney, Puritan and his political sympathies were with the Cromwell Parliament. Like Hobbes, Locke attended Oxford Univ. and did not think much about the curriculum or his professors. Most of his education came from reading books in the Univ. library. Renee Descartes and Sir Isaac Newton's writings greatly influenced Locke. Like Hobbes, he took a tutoring job teaching the son of the 1st Earl of Shaftesbury, and traveled Europe. His friendship with the Earl was beneficial in obtaining government appointments. During the political unrest in England, (1679-83) he fled to Holland because his liberal notions put him at odds with the government.

Locke writes the "Second Treatise of Government" to justify the Revolt of 1688 and the ascension of William of Orange to the English throne. The book argues against two lines of absolutist ideas. The first is Sir Robert Filmer's "patriarchal theory of divine right of kings; secondly, Hobbes argument for the sovereign's absolute power in his book "Leviathan." Locke argues that government emanates from the people. Locke's treatise rests like other political writings on its interpretation of human nature. He sees our nature opposite the way Hobbes did, decent and not as selfish or competitive. Man is more inclined to join society through reason and not fear. Man prefers stability to change.

His very important contribution to "law of nature" theory was his bias toward individualism. In state of nature, before government, men were free independent, equal enjoying inalienable rights "chief among them being life, liberty, and property." Where have you read that before? Property rights receive much attention in this treatise. Locke argues that government based on consent of man can still preserve freedom independence and equality.

His political writing had immediate influence in the world and influenced our founding fathers in their struggle against tyranny. He is an excellent writer and his theories are easy to understand by the laymen. As a graduate student of political philosophy, I recommend if you have an interest in politics, philosophy, or government then you must read Locke's "Second Treatise of Government"

Every day it seems the world looks a little more broken to me. It helps so much to read a few pages of Wendell Berry. He is a fantastic example of someone who thinks for himself; and really strives to get to the core truth about the important issues we face as a civilization. It should be required reading for everyone in the United States - IF we want to get on a path to restoration and healing of our society. But that's where the scary part comes in. I'm beginning to think people would put this book down and give up on it a few pages in. Even if they did get all the way to the end, not many would be willing to put the ideas into practice in their daily lives.

I picked this selection for my book club, and it was very interesting to watch the responses of the participants. You could sense the tension - watch them wiggling in their chairs. They were so relieved when we were finally done with the book; and not because it was poorly written; just because it requires an examination of how far we've all fallen from what is true. I will continue to encourage people to read this excellent and important book, but it will never be an easy sell...and that's a shame.

This is the first Wendell Berry book that I've read, and from the introduction, I found it to be an immensely interesting and engaging read. I was amazed at how skillfully Berry could take complex social issues and boil them down into bite-sized (read: understandable) pieces. I typically wouldn't find myself being overly interested in a collection of essays like this, but needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised by the enjoyable read.

The one element of this book that was hard for me to swallow was Berry's overly idealistic view of people and communities. Granted, significant changes to the current social, economic, and agricultural systems would most likely have to begin in the mind of an idealistic individual, but I felt like many of Berry's arguments rested solely on the inherent goodness of people as a whole. Here's the core problem - individuals act in their own self interest. People are selfish.

This is still a worthy book to read, however, and can bring about fantastic discussion. (I may be frequenting a farmer's market now, as a result of his arguments...Just trying to close the distance between producer and consumer!) Read it and wrestle with it.

This, I think, is a difficult book to review. There are so many diverse themes throughout the book that it is hard to describe what the book is "about", and my reaction to the book was a mixture of excitement, personal conviction, and intellectual challenge. Yet, hopefully I can get something coherent down for you.

The book is a collection of eight essays written by Berry, all of which deal (sometimes loosely) with the degradation of community. "Community" is a term of art for Berry; it is more than merely a group of people living in close proximity to one another who happen, from time to time, to bump into each other at the store. Rather, community is a defined group of people who live together in a particular place, over time, in a way that fosters a strong sense of togetherness. People who have this type of community have experiences together in everyday life, such as work, play, tragedy, and joy. In community of this nature there is a sense of belonging that most Americans today would not be able to relate to.

Berry is not the only intellectual (a label I would guess he'd hate hear applied to himself) to suggest not only that our communities are deteriorating, but that this deterioration adversely effects the quality and essence of our lives. For a more empirical approach to the subject, see especially Bowling Alone : The Collapse and Revival of American Community by Robert Putnam. I think when Berry's book is read in light of Putnam's we see not only a picture of the problem but also a recipe for the remedy.

Berry is a challenging author. He is at times very radical, and he sometimes employs demagoguery to press his point. However, when taken as a whole he approaches his topic from a position of humility and honesty. There is even a sense, after coming to grips with this humility and honesty, that Berry comes to his subject with righteous indignation. He is clearly passionate about small, rural communities like his own, and his passion easily rubs off onto the reader. After reading this book, I feel like I have a heightened sense of compassion for people who are trying to keep their communities alive.

This book is probably not for everyone. I would recommend it to people who already have sympathies for the rural, self-sufficient lifestyle and those especially who have concerns for the quality of our environment (a topic that Berry hits upon numerous times). This is not to say that this book cannot change minds. However, many people who read this book from the point of view of an average modern American will dismiss Berry's ideas as utterly and hopelessly out of date. This is because Berry criticizes the way in which most of us (including himself, he admits) tend to live our lives. It takes a special intellectual state of mind to read such a book, in which you are being criticized, and keep an open mind. I hope that, if this book is for yourself, that you do keep an open mind, and allow Berry to convince you that he is right, and to show you a better way. Happy reading!

This highly stimulating collection of Berry's essays contains some of the most important things Berry has written. The essay "Christianity and the Survival of Creation" is one of the most insightful and important theological statements of our day. It is in everyone's best interest to work to see that the organized churches take Berry's essay to heart. Of course, the book is also notable for the beauty of Berry's writing -- not coincidental, since he argues here and elsewhere for a recovery of the idea of work as sacred and for beauty as a measure of "right livelihood."

...thinkers I was exposed to in high school while researching for an essay report. His well-balanced thoughts on various agrarian and community-based themes are the most eloquent I have found from a single writer. His words and rationales spring from the land and argue pursuasively for more restraint for the betterment of the world by the human animal. The most compelling living philospher I know of is Wendell Berry. I recommend all of his written works.

This is a great book. It describes the slow descent of humanity into an abyss.

Pin Yathay's biography is a unique dramatic and shocking report on the Red Khmer regime in the 1970s in Cambodia.
It contains an excellent first-hand account of the disorderly evacuation of Phnom Penh after the Red Khmer victory in the civil war. After the evacuation, the whole country was turned into an experiment of totalitarian economy (no money, no private property, spying on everybody). The main ideological aim was equality at any cost, not freedom, except naturally for the members of Angkar (the Organization) themselves.
The whole system resulted in murderous labour camps with hundreds of thousands of deaths from hunger, exhaustion, torture and summary executions of 'enemies' of the system. A terrible shame for humanity and for the ideologically pure left.

The escape to Thailand reads like a nail-biting but bitter thriller. It was a real and, for some family members, deadly escape, not fiction.

Apart from its uncontested historical value, this book should be read as a warning against the madness of pure ideologists, who, once in power, accept without the slightest remorse millions of human casualties in order to implement their maniacal policies.

For a more political (national and international), economical and social analysis of the Cambodian history and the Red Khmer regime, I recommend the works of David P. Chandler and Ben Kiernan, as well as William Shawcross's 'Sideshow'.

this book should really help all of us appreciate our lives. It is amazing what he and his family went through! I could not put this book down! BY the way, does anyone have any recent info on the author? It would be interesting to see what he is up to now, and how his life is going, and if he ever contacted his son Naweth, or obtained any information.

This tragic biography traces the story of an educated man and his family in Phnom Penh. Subjected to the indescribable barbaric cruelty that the Khmer Rouge inflicted on its own countrymen, the writer provides the reader with their sense of hopelessness that gripped their nation less than 30 years ago. His hardship and ultimate triumph is the very definition of human survival and the will to survive. Anyone wanting to gain a better understanding of the plight of the Cambodian people under the Khmer Roughe MUST read this book. I can guarantee that when you finish reading this book you will undoubtedly take a moment to think about humanity itself.

Pin Yathay's amazing account of his ordeal under the Khmer Rouge is truly unforgettable and deeply moving. He was a successful engineer who had gone to college in Montreal and had a big happy family in April of 1975 when everything about his world changed forever. At first he and other members of the family didn't believe that anything was going to happen with the new rulers in power (after all, he had supported the Khmer Rouge against the opposition leader Lon Nol and believed they would give Cambodians a better life). Even when they were forced to evacuate Phnom Penh soon after the takeover of power, he didn't believe that anything horrible would happen to them. Most of the people forced onto the road believed that this would merely be a temporary evacuation and that before long, once the political situation became stable, they would be allowed to return home and be put to good use working for the new regime.

It wasn't long before the true intentions of the Khmer Rouge became known. In their ruthless fanatical quest to purgue the nation of anything smacking of the old regime, they took away anything deemed to be "imperialist," even something like the registration for a car, a pair of glasses, or certain types of clothing. Their hatred of all things "imperialist" was so irrational and fanatical that they would even throw away or destroy things like cars or foreign money, things that could have been very useful to them in their position of power or quest to supposedly reform the country. Although Thay hid his true background from them, fearing execution or imprisonment if they knew how high-ranking he'd really been, he and his family were still deemed "New People" (as opposed to the "Ancients," or peasants, who were left alone because they hadn't lived or worked like "imperialists"), and therefore sent from work camp to work camp in the forests and jungles, made to work the land and do other backbreaking hard labor. Hunger, disease, and fatigue soon began to take their toll on the people in these work camps, and before long only he, his wife Any, and one of his sons were left. He and his wife made the incredibly difficult decision to leave their surviving child Nawath behind in a hospital, in the care of an older woman who promised to look after him, so that they might escape and live, and then one day be able to return to Cambodia to look for him.

The account of Thay's arduous trek through the jungle and into Thailand is incredibly powerful and compelling, a true testament to the will to survive. After he was left alone, he knew he had an obligation to all of his lost loved ones to live, to testify to the world about what was happening in Cambodia, so that their deaths would not have been in vain. It gave him the courage and strength to live even after he ran out of lighter fluid and food supplies and had to resort to eating the raw meat of animals such as tortoises and bats, and to escape again after being recaptured by some Khmer Rouge near the border. And all along the way, the dying words of his father, ordering him to stay alive, urged him on even when succumbing to the elements or his hunger and fatigue might have been a welcome relief. This book is both excellent history and a moving story of survival against the odds, and, when it comes to books about this era in Cambodian history and this particular genocide of the 20th century, is as good a place to start as any.

If you are familiar with the Giraffe Heroes Project (http://www.giraffe.org/), you will know of John Graham.
Stick Your Neck Out, his latest book,is one I recommend for
citizen activists (that's you, and me...Graham gives tools to help any of us stop complaining and take action).
This guide reads easily and is packed with helpful information and inspiring case studies. His suggestions are holistic and soulful, while still grounded in the realities and challenges of changemaking in today's world of polarized views. He advocates win/win solutions as optimal, but offers advice on how and when legal means might be necessary.
If you aren't already motivated to take action to improve situations in your neighborhood, community, country, or planet, Graham's sharing of his heart, experience, and optimism will move you to action. His message: take risks, be smart (by learning from his and others' mistakes), and yes, YOU absolutely can make a positive difference!

This book is easy to browse, and its advice is made more accessible though many anecdotal examples. A worthwhile investment no matter what your level of experience is in creating change. Above all, I found it a source of great encouragement every time I picked it up. I'm getting copies as Christmas gifts for friends, and keeping my own copy for reference.

It certainly has been the case for as long as I can remember. Stop and think about the community where you reside or about the organizations you might belong to. Isn't it usually just a tiny fraction of the citizens or membership who wind up doing most of the work? And the problem has become even more acute in recent years as fewer and fewer people are willing to even join civic, religious or service organizations let alone do any meaningful work. Having said that there are still millions of folks around our nation who unselfishly lend their time and talent to the causes they believe in. If you are one of these good people then "Stick Your Neck Out" is definitely a book you should read. Author John Graham, President of an organization known as the Giraffe Heroes Project has created a volume that is just chock full of practical advice and useful suggestions for those who see the value in getting involved. Among other things you will learn how to recruit like-minded volunteers, formulate a plan of action, negotiate with opponents, raise money and deal with the media. In addition "Stick Your Neck Out" offers a number of inspiring profiles of ordinary people who are out there accomplishing extraordinary things while working on a wide variety of issues. This book is especially valuable as a source of encouragment for those folks contemplating getting involved in such matters for the very first time. "Stick Your Neck Out" would be a great book to give to a graduating high school or college student. The message of this book is clear. Each and every one of us has something to offer. Whatever your interests or political persuasion the possibilities for making a difference are virtually limitless. In "Stick Your Neck Out" John Graham illustrates this point over and again. It is a book I can highly recommend!

You will find this book not only a source of very practical ideas, but also a rich and thought provoking read. Whether you want to organize a block party or spark opposition to urban sprawl, this book tells you how to be effective in organizing a social enterprise. But it is far more than a cookbook for project management. Interleaved with the no-nonsense `how-to' information, John Graham reveals the personal philosophy he forged and tested in his personal journey from his Viet Nam years to now. The subtitle `Service as the path of a meaningful life' hints at what you will find in the book's pages. It is great as a textbook for project planning, group dynamics, negotiation, and success. But it is also an inspiring guide for achieving genuine personal fulfillment.

The impulse to seek change in neighborhood or community comes from the heart, but even the most dedicated heart can falter when the head says "What was I thinking?". As one who has been in exactly that position, I can say that this book is for the head. It offers practical advice that will be useful to anyone who has taken on a cause, however small, to make the neighborhood or community a better place. The practical how-to's are presented by someone who really has been there and done those things, and illustrated by examples from other ordinary people and their work. And by showing the reader that he/she is not alone, the book works to encourage and inspire those who have taken on the risk of citizen activism (as differentiated from paid activism). The book is helpful to the activist because it can be read in parts and provides quick summaries. There is help here for that panicked "Oh my god, I just got my first call from a reporter" moment. Indeed, any weakness in the book is that length constraints caused some situations that would have been helpful to be left out. And read as a whole narrative, it makes an interesting and thought provoking tale of what is right (and wrong) with our country today-- a view from the trenches, not the think tanks. The book is a work of great optimism based on the premise that we as ordinary citizens can change the world one neighborhood at a time. We are doing it every day. The only question is, will there be enough of us?

For those of you who missed out on all the now-absurd controversies of the late 90's, read this book cover to cover---even if you don't buy into Katha Pollitt's worldview (or even The Nation's worldview, for that matter). Pollitt is a fine thinker who, in this collection more so than in her previous collection, shows that she is indeed capable of casting criticism any which way she sees fit, to the left or to the right.

Of her other book, readers have written that Pollitt isn't "brave" enough to take on the challenges facing ALL women (i.e. minority women, uneducated women, women who don't live in NYC). True enough, at times we know where she's headed from the first few sentences alone; and there's a lot of typical Paglia-bashing and catering to the liberal, educated masses. But Pollitt's scope is ranged in this collection.

In one piece, Pollitt scathingly, yet reasonably, condemns Mary Daly's refusal to allow a male student into her all-female course on feminist ethics; in another piece cleverly titled "The Million Man Mirage," she criticizes Louis Farrakhan's brand of homophobic, racist, anti-Semitic, and sexist political thinking which somehow passes for "liberal." And of course, Pollitt brings into light many issues of importance for woman and men alike: the need for reproductive rights, a modest proposal for deadbeat dads, the limitations of single-sex education and school prayer, the double standards facing professional women, marriage and its discontents, etc etc etc.

Basically, this collection is for anyone wanting to "put things into perspective" and make sense of the senseless.

This collection of Pollitt's columns for The Nation shows all her virtues: her considerable wit, her intelligence, her ability to present feminist views in a clear and coherent manner. She has a keen eye for the media's fatuities; its tendency to split the difference and to move to the stronger side, its fear that it will be viewed as too liberal, the fact that most journalists and columnists are male which does not prevent them from whining about how powerful feminists are.

Consider these thoughts on the perniciousness of sports: "Fans say athletics promote values and so they do--the wrong values, like the childish confusion of physical prowess with `character' that is such a salient feature of the O.J. Simpson trial. Sports pervert education, draining dollars from academic programs and fostering anti-intellectualism. They skew the priorities of the young, especially the poor, black young, by offering them the will-o'-the-wisp incentive of a scholarship, physically gifted kids might not be so ready to blow off their schoolwork. Why not give scholarships for art or music instead?"

Or consider this line about funding for the Arts and funding for NASA: "Representative Sonny Bono says he's never met anyone who benefited from public arts funding; well, I've never met anyone who cares what kind of rocks Mars has." How can one not admire a critic who has no patience with the Clintons, but recognizes that Nader's Green Party is a non-starter? How can one not admire a critic who prefers The Man who Loved Children, Song of Solomon, The Assistant, and Tongo-Bungay to the peculiar list drawn up by the Modern Library? Everyone should read a woman who castigates the ponderousness of communitarianism, the bile of a Farrakhan, and the shallowness of a Mary Daly. Everyone should read her, period.

This is the best book I've read in a long time. I've read it 85 times because it's so good. I have wanted to say everything Katha Pollitt has written in this book. And the book is also a fun read with lots of very dry sarcasm that keeps the reader on her toes. This is a book that looks at the larger (and smaller) political issues of our time with a very even-handed approach. Pollitt makes fun of both republicans and democrats and talks about politics in a way that just makes sense. Her arguments are clear and concise - each essay is only a few pages long, so you don't get bored reading and reading about any particular topic. There is no sacred cow here. Pollitt speaks her mind and doesn't hesitate to let a woman or two have it if their political views or policies are out of line. I highly recommend this book. It makes sense and it will make you laugh.

Katha has insightful, thought-provoking views on everything from welfare mothers . . . to abortion . . . to gun-control . . . to marriage and divorce . . . to school vouchers. Reading her wonderful, witty essays helped me gain new perspective on several issues. That is not to say that I agreed with everything she said, but I always enjoyed reading her well-written, funny, honest essays. I devoured this book in a couple of days of reading it when I could steal a moment or two. It is hard to put down. I feel renewed pride in calling myself a liberal.

Katha Pollitt has a way of getting to the heart of the matter. So, for example, in an essay about the school-uniforms discussion in New York City, she starts out by noting that the "public school systen has libraries without books," that a girl was killed in one school by falling debris - and then, later - she is onto the school uniforms debate - in perspective. If you read the Nation, these essays are a terrific reprise. If you don't, you will find that they are smart, brief (a few pages at most; think of a long, utterly incisive newspaper editorial), and for students, a series of very good examples of political writing. Humor, wit, and a high level of caring about the things that matter. Some are grounded in the politics and goings-on of New York City, where Pollitt lives, but many are of national (and international) interest. Great collection.