Events Books

I first read this book (not completely) just out of high school, for the purpose of a little education prior to declaration of a Political Science major. It was easy to read and concepts were easily understood. This book gives enough information to answer basic questions of Political Science as well as creating deeper more involved questions to be answered elsewhere. This is a great background book. Personally, I love the ancient philosphers and this book does a good job of using their best works.

I have the 3rd Edition from college and recently returned to it to read some parts that were omitted then. The book is great because it is not only a comprehensive anthology of important political thought but it also has well-written introductions that explain what you are about to read. Since some of the writers are not the easiest to read in the original, the introduction plays an important part in understanding what you are reading. And don't worry about the price -- you are buying a lifetime reference book.

I used this book in college, I think maybe an earlier edition, very good readings of different political thinks, put together very well, I must say one of the best political science text books.

I purchased this book in 1975. It is the remaining text from my undergraduate days that I keep on my book shelf... a tremndous resource.

I actually took the class of the same title at UC Santa Barbara from Dr. Ebenstein himself. Back then, he was a giant in the political science field (still is) and we stood in awe of him. At the same time, he was the only professor I had there who would invite us to a brown-bag lunch each week to discuss course work and his personal experience in Europe before and during WWII. I cherish the text as a reminder of my unbelievable good fortune to have known this great scholar as well as a kind and gentle man. He and this book continue to inspire me.

I was required to read this for my intro. to Political Science class, respectfully named Western Political Tradition. I could not think of a more useful and concise book for students to have during their studies, especially for those wanting to have the main arguments of the worlds leading philosophers.Starts with the Greeks on to present thinkers such as Hayek and Rawls, with biographical backgrounds followed by some of the works they are most famous for.

Michael Ratner of the Center for Constitutional Rights is interviewed in this fascinating, authoritative, and riveting book. This is a must read for anyone interested in learning more about Guantanamo, past and present. Anyone who cares about human rights will find this short but provoking book a fascinating read.

With the exception of those on the payroll of the United States Government, Michael Ratner (with staff he directs at the Center for Constitutional Rights and volunteer lawyers he assembled) knows more about Guantánamo than anyone.

The book is a quick read at 93 pages of text.

For those who have grown up believing that the rule of law is central to our democracy, it is a chilling read.

Published in mid-2004 it reviews a broad array of the issues which had arisen as of that time and which continue to inform the realities on the ground at Gitmo today. It provides a careful analysis of the ways in which "rule by executive fiat" deviated from the U.S. Constitution, the entirety of the Anglo-American legal tradition, the Geneva Conventions, and international law.

He discusses how a great percentage of persons were selected to be prisoners at Guantánamo, a great many by bounty hunters capturing persons far from any battlefield, the bounties paid for by U.S. tax dollars. He discusses extraordinary rendition of prisoners rendered to countries known to torture, the "outsourcing" of torture.

He recounts the abuse and torture suffered meted out to those interrogated at Guantánamo and links the methods used there to those later made infamous by the exposé of interrogations at Abu Ghraib.

The more serious reader will appreciate the 66-pages of primary source documents collected in the appendix covering a broad range of topics from the original lease of Guantánamo from the Cuba to relevant parts of Geneva Conventions to a series of memoranda issued by various departments of the executive branch which framed some of the major issues that the detentions at Guantánamo present for our country.

For anyone concerned about the state of our democracy, this is an important book.

This book provides a really concise, clear and powerful explanation of the American interrogation camp at Guantanamo Bay Cuba. The author who represents some of the detainees and has interviewed them paints a vivid picture of their hideous treamtment. He demonstrates that the camp is not only outside the law, but a threat to the safety of us all. If you want to know why Guantanamo has become iconic in the Muslism world for everything wrong with the US, read this book.

This book consists of interviews of Michael Ratner, President of the Center for Constitutional Rights, by writer Ellen Ray, plus relevant UN and other documents. Ratner was co-counsel in Rasul v Bush, which the New York Times called "the most important civil rights case in half a century" because on 28 June 2004 the Supreme Court ruled against President Bush that the US military could not hold what it called `enemy combatants' indefinitely, without charge and without access to legal representation. The Court ruled that the prisoners had the right to challenge their detentions in civilian courts.

The Bush government then set up `combatant status review tribunals', supposedly to decide whether the detainees had been correctly designated as enemy combatants and therefore were being rightfully detained according to the laws of combat. However, the administration breached the Supreme Court's ruling that the prisoners had the right to challenge their detentions in civilian courts, since all the tribunals' members are military officers.

Guantanamo is `an interrogation camp', which is flatly illegal, under US and international law. It harks back to Stuart Britain's offshore penal colonies which were beyond the reach of law, forms of executive imprisonment which the 1679 Habeas Corpus Act made illegal. The US detention centres in Iraq, Afghanistan and Diego Garcia and on board US aircraft carriers are modern Devil's Islands.

The International Committee of the Red Cross has reported that US forces had inflicted on the 550 prisoners illegally held at Guantanamo Bay psychological and physical coercion that was `tantamount to torture'. It said, "the construction of such a system, whose stated purpose is the production of intelligence, cannot be considered other than an intentional system of cruel, unusual and degrading treatment and a form of torture." At least three children, between 11 and 13, were held at Guantanamo; some are still there today.

The British state is guilty of collaboration and connivance with these illegal US state actions. British courts, like US courts, are using as evidence statements made under duress and torture in these US-run camps, thereby condoning the use of torture.

You need to read this book. Since the suicides of last week, the US government has sealed off Gtmo from the world - no lawyers, no press. It is vitally important that we understand what is going on there and close Gtmo down. Michael Ratner and Ellen Ray have collaborated to produce a highly readable "primer" on this disgraceful period in US history. I used this book in my human rights courses.
Susan Gzesh, Director, Human Rights Program, the University of Chicago

Alain Paul Martin gives us a new, non-traditional, and thought-provoking guide to intelligence gathering and strategic planning. This book is must reading for decision makers. Its incisive analyses, practical framework, and real-world examples provide valuable lessons that can be immediately put to use as we cope with our ever-changing world. Mr. Martin deserves our congratulations and our gratitude for this masterful work.

Alain Paul Martin's "Harnessing the Power of Intelligence, Counterintelligence & Surprise Events" is a great pleasure to read. This practical book is clearly based on extensive research and fieldwork in competitive intelligence in America, Europe and Japan. For over a decade, Japan has been shifting from large-scale manufacturing to a knowledge-based economy, and moving production facilities to Asian countries. The competitive-intelligence method and road maps described in this book can help managers fast-track projects and new-product development, and succeed in this new environment.

As a scientist who has made the transition from managing R&D in a global company to educating graduate students in management, I recommend Martin's book to entrepreneurs, scientists and fellow educators. I also agree with Harvard Professor Mark Thompson who states: "Alain martin has deftly incorporated, adapted, challenged, and complemented the insights of Fuld, Porter, Sun Tzu, and others to achieve a superb practical guide to the strategic and tactical management of institutional information."

Professor S. Ohara, Chiba Institute of Technology, Japan

I have read countless publications on strategy and competitive intelligence. Since I was often disappointed, I was hesitant to buy the new book "Harnessing the Power of Intelligence" and commit precious hours to study its content. But I quickly changed my mind after glancing over the long list of testimonials from well-respected intelligence experts and executives who highly recommend the book. It is now clear to me that author Alain Paul Martin has distilled the lessons of his extensive field experience to craft a practical framework that has been successfully applied in the private and public sectors.
Apart from the first Chapter, which I skipped, here is my impression about the rest of the book.

Chapter 2 "Building A High-Performing Organization" offers tips on the role of chief intelligence officers, issue managers, intelligence collectors and other scanning resources in an intelligence-centric organization. The section on intelligence culture deserves a greater coverage.

Chapter 3 "Building Intelligence Capital" starts with a brief discussion on scanning but the competitive-intelligence road map is a real gem.

Chapters 4 and 5 on intelligence platforms, search engines and the invisible Web are relevant to a wide range of occupations and activities beyond competitive intelligence. Just by applying the tips in the Brain Stem-Cell Case Study, I got my money and time worth within a week of reading Chapter 4.

Chapter 6 "Intelligence Security in Business and Government" does not provide new material to intelligence experts but is a good primer, filled with examples, for managers.

Chapters 7 and 8 examine the process of opportunity and threat incubation through the lenses of Martin's powerful paradigm. The illustrations suggest that the instrument is already used to capture new markets, and anticipate and manage various risks. The appendix on the Mad-Cow issue in Britain supports the framework and adds credibility to it. It is written by Dr. Brian Morrissey, a veterinary scientist who led government R&D on a host of complex national and global issues related to food and health protection.

The ideas and tools described in both Chapters 9 and 10 are the most advanced I have ever came across on stakeholders' analysis. Chapter 9 offers novel tips to identify the players who can make a difference in managing projects or reaching deals. It also sheds a new light on the role and power dynamics between these players. Chapter 10 helps readers map the positions and perceptions of the stakeholders, a pre-requisite for strategy formulation. Chapter 11 is a basic introduction to psychographics and VALS. Chapter 12 completes the book with concluding remarks about the application of intelligence to our personal lives.

The book is highly recommended to managers and students in military colleges, business and public administration. Chapters 7 through 10 will be of great interest to intelligence analysts who are constantly in search of new ways to connect the dots. I hesitate between a rating of 4 out of 5 stars for expert readers and 5/5 for managers. Actually, the framework alone is worth 5/5 and is without match in the world of competitive intelligence.

The stories featured in A. P. Martin's Harnessing the Power of Intelligence are fun to read and talk about, at work and at home. I have used some of them to alert my customer-service team about hidden risks and untapped opportunities. We have been applying the ideas of the first six chapters (Part I) for about three months. Our interactions with customers are yielding better results. We are now moving aggressively to prevent tampering with our information assets as noted in the section titled "How Good Organizations Lose Intelligence".
Four of my high-school educated supervisors, who read the book, found Part I a down-to-earth eye-opener, and right on target, for making wiser choices and avoiding costly errors. They, however, thought Part II would be more applicable to middle and senior management. A drawback: the cases in the chapter on Psychographics lack the detail necessary to be useful.
I have also read C. S. Fleisher's Strategic and Competitive Intelligence. Both books represent, in my opinion, two different, credible and complementary approaches to intelligence-based decision-making. Except for some references, there is virtually no duplication of content. A big bonus!

"Ninety percent of the information used in organizations is internally focused and only ten percent about the outside environment. This is exactly backwards." -- Peter Drucker

As usual, in one pithy phrase, management sage Peter Drucker captured the central problem facing organizations in uncertain environments -- they look in the wrong place. In volatile times, humans tend to hunker down in the cocoon of the controllable. Effective leaders embrace such times as an opportunity for greatness, when the prepared organization can jump ahead of ostrich-like competition.

Yet, few management advisors opine on how to combat these human tendencies and systematically scan, analyze and act in uncertain environments. Michael Porter's classic works on Competitive Strategy and Competitive Advantage did dispense advice on competitive intelligence gathering, but did not attend to the conversion of intelligence into commercial advantage. Alain Martin's new book "Harnessing the Power of Intelligence" compiles tested processes which create such value.

Martin's frameworks are based on research at American Express, Boeing, Dell, DuPont, GlaxoSmithKline, and Microsoft as well as application of his ideas in businesses, government, and the military. The book has the most up to date, and complete list of intelligence sources. For example, Martin cites the University of California at Berkeley "invisible web" project, which has shown that search engines only document about 15% of the business intelligence available publicly, because the vast majority of it is either not in a standard hypertext format or not linked to a public domain name (the silent campers). His framework on issue incubation, shows that large scale issues go through a relatively predictable process of incubation and development. Many leaders make the mistake of getting on an issue too early or too late. The issue incubation process delineates ways to recognize the progression of topics, and provides advice on if, when and how to intervene. Martin also has a tool called, Factional Analysis that helps a manager analyze who is likely to influence a volatile situation (from allies to adversaries). This tool is much richer than the traditional stakeholder analysis for it includes roles that do not fit in the normal economic calculus. For example, he includes "fanatics" in the analysis -- people whose sole purpose is to disrupt.

A leader can take the advice in this book and use it to guide outward looking intelligence, assess the current state of issues (or do a triage on a surprise event), and then take concerted action.

At points, the book does suffer from the same weakness of Porter's books in that its desire for completeness, the text often has a "list-like" feel. But, on balance this book provides a framework full of tested tools to turn uncertainty into value.

This book is logic, well-reasoned, and has lots of footnotes pointing to research studies and reliable sources of data. Even if you disagree with their prescription for how to fix the problem, you will get a lot from this book by following along with their diagnosis of the problems facing our health care system.

The book's greatest strengths may also be it's greatest weakness. This book is "wonkish" -- filled with hard data and logic. If you're looking for entertaining anecdotes or emotional arguments, this is not the book for you.

...but only in the title. A well written book both describing (in surprisingly concise writing) the problem, as well as laying out a path towards fixing it. I can't say I fully agree with his proposals, but I am much better informed, and my views have been altered as a result of this book. In my mind, that is a terrific outcome for any book of substance.

Intellect with humility is hard to come by. Cannon and Tanner define a clear path for all Americans to have health insurance and they have the humility to believe in Americans as wise consumers. Different than politicians who 'know what's best for you,' they trust you to make prudent decisions for yourself. Free markets are healthy and they provide an excellent outline for cost savings and a healthier 'you' by putting you in charge of your own well being. I want to thank Cannon and Tanner for being Americans and loving freedom, especially in the face of fear mongering socialists. God Bless America!

"Healthy Competition" by Michael F. Cannon and Michael D. Tanner of the Cato Institute is a critically important book for both those interested in health care policy as well as for every American as we all eventually consume health care services.

Cannon and Tanner's book starts with a foreword by the Hon. George P. Shultz: "We begin with a riddle. What country's health care system offers the best health services in the world, is consistently criticized for not being accessible enough, and yet is so accessible that overutilization is leading to runaway costs?" The answer is, of course, America.

The following 147 pages offers a detailed analysis of what's wrong with American health care (government and insurance industry policies that lead to overuse of medical services) and what's right (the strong remnants of a free market system that encourages innovation, high quality, at an often lower cost). Both detailed and heavily footnoted, but also very readable at the same time, "Healthy Competition" strikes the right balance between a dense academic paper and a clarion call for action.

In concluding the book, Cannon and Tanner write:

"Despite its marvels, America's health care sector continues to present troubling symptoms: excessive costs, uneven quality, a lack of useful information for patients and providers, extraordinary waste, and enormous burdens for future taxpayers. An accurate diagnosis points to too much government influence and too little choice and competition. Proposals to increase the role of government would aggravate these symptoms. More subsidies or controls would drain from the medical marketplace even more of the dynamics that drive other sectors of the economy toward lower prices and higher quality. The only sure remedy is to restore those dynamics to the health care sector.

"Although there are dark clouds on the horizon, we are heartened by the creation and steady growth of health savings accounts. HSAs have already begun to change private-sector health care from within, and will enable a reexamination of the role of government in health care."

The last citation in "Healthy Competition" comes from a June 1, 2004 Harvard Business Review article by Michael Porter and Elizabeth Teisberg. It deals with the oft-heard argument that we somehow should not apply free market principles to the health care sector:

"It is often argued that health care is different because it is complex; because consumers have limited information; and because services are highly customized. Health care undoubtedly has these characteristics, but so do other industries where competition works well. For example, the business of providing customized software and technical services to corporations is highly complex, yet, when adjusted for quality, the cost of enterprise computing has fallen dramatically over the past decade."

Cannon and Tanner accept this argument while also embracing the argument of many of the proponents of government control of health care because it is special and distinct from other parts of the economy - they just come to the opposite conclusion, concluding in their last paragraph, "...Unlike software, wireless communications, or banking, health care involves very emotional decisions, which often entail matters of human dignity, life, and death. However, we do not see the gravity of these matters as a reason to divert power away from individuals and toward government. Rather, we see the special nature of health care as all the more reason to increase each consumer's sphere of autonomy. The special nature of health care makes it all the more important that we use the competitive process to make health care available to more consumers - and makes it all the more important to get started now."

Two side notes of a personal nature: on February 1, 2007, I introduced AB 245, a bill that would allow the tax deductibility of contributions to HSAs (California is one of only four states that do not treat HSAs as tax deductible); and author Michael Cannon is someone I have grown to respect from our first meeting in 2004 as Lincoln Fellows of the Claremont Institute. I suspect we will be hearing quite a bit from Mr. Cannon over the next few decades - and, if policymakers are smart, they will listen carefully to what he has to say.

Reviewer: Chuck DeVore is a California State Assemblyman, a retired lieutenant colonel in the Army National Guard and the author of "China Attacks."

I enjoyed the book and found it presented a well organized argument for why it is so critical to allow the markets and consumers to experiment with new methods of controlling health care costs and improving access. I also appreciated the author's acknowledgement that health care is a special service that is critically important in our lives. That is what makes reforming the system so challenging.

The book makes clear that market based proposals to reform health care are designed to lower the cost of care and increase coverage. These are proposals that are critical to all Americans.

This is a very thick book... and for good reason. It has photos (albeit black and white ones) or photo-rendered sketches of many potential wedding and reception venues. Each venues' pages come with the stuff you need: the seating capacity and approximate prices. There are also other sections of the book focused on vendors for flowers, etc. I recommend this book if you're trying to get a feeling for "what's out there" with regard to venues. It's a great place to start, and you'll probably feel like you've covered a lot of ground once you've gone through this book.

Wonderful book, a must have!

This has been an invaluable book during my wedding planning. When I got engaged in December 99, a girlfriend suggested that I buy the SoCal edition immediately to start finding reception and ceremony locations. I did buy it, and whipped through the whole book one evening. Sitting there reading, I quickly dismissed reception site after site and determined that the book just couldn't help me. I put it aside.

Then I started actually going out, visiting places, and realizing that it wasn't so easy to find the perfect place! I quickly realized I was going to have to work a lot harder than I thought to mesh the right church location, my number of people, and a convenient indoor reception site. So I came back to the Guide--time and again! Soon I had it dogeared and filled with notes as I reconsidered the options I'd been so quick to skip past earlier. The statistics on each site helped keep me focused and helped me and my fiance consider new places when others fell through, and keep the attributes of each place in mind. The descriptions of the reception sites are detailed, positive and generous-but-not-misleading. We ultimately booked a site listed in the Guide and are thrilled to have found it.

Now that I've moved on to choosing a photographer, I went to the Guide again. First I read through each photographer's profile in the book, then went on the Guide's website! It's so easy to use - - it allows you to jump to photographers' websites and see their portfolios, all without making appointments or driving around! I feel satisifed that I don't need to look beyond the professionals listed in the Guide, since the authors have already done the legwork in finding people with high standards and good customer service.

If you really want to explore all possible options for your ceremony, reception, and event professionals, you will love Here Comes The Guide! The hardcopy book and the website are thorough, pleasant to read, and - - most importantly - - really helpful. My mom keeps saying, "I had no idea it was this complicated to plan a wedding in this day and age!" Here Comes the Guide goes a long way towards relieving the complication!

While the bulk of the Guide is dedicated to reception site listings, the vendor listings in the back are very helpful. The listings are not mere "paid advertisements." If you read the book, The Guide explains how each vendor undergoes a thorough screening process--something even the most persistent bride likely wouldn't have the time or ability to conduct.

As The Guide states on Page 483, their process "involves interviewing 15-20 other event professionals. We call every single reference and ask about the professionalism, technical competency and service orientation of the advertiser in question. ... Those candidates who received consistent, rave reviews made it into The Guide."

Using The Guide as a starting point (combined with the internet, magazine ads, and friends' recommendations), I conducted exhaustive research of my own of wedding professionals in Los Angeles and beyond. I wound up hiring three vendors who had been featured in the Guide (caterer, band and florist, 11-11-00 wedding). All performed beyond my greatest expectations, and my guests cannot stop raving about the "fabulous," "amazing," and "out of this world" food, music, and flowers. Clearly, The Guide got it right.

So don't be fooled by the relative size of the vendor section compared to pages allotted to reception sites. The vendor section may be small because they are the cream of the crop, thanks to the Guide's legwork.

I am so glad that a friend told me about this book. I was so daunted by the search for a location for my wedding, I didn't know where to start. This book (and their fantastic website by the same name) made it really easy. They give great descriptions and the pricing information helped me narrow down the places I could afford. It saved me so much time, I was able to actually enjoy looking for a reception location. Thank you, Here Comes the Guide.

A very well written thriller, with fully-developed, complex characters that jump off the page, and a plot that keeps you guessing as to what will happen next. A remarkable first novel. Recommended!

This well crafted page-turner is full of plot twists that keep you wide awake and thoroughly engaged with Jim Nordberg, the narrator, as he warily deciphers the roles of each of the other characters, many of them re-emerging from his past. Neff makes Nordberg an appealing person with whom to identify, someone with a history of convictions but not always the gumption to act on them, now returning from nursing failures back into a world that needs him. The settings, ranging from poverty to posh, from city to village and forest, with all the heat, humidity, stench, and desperation of Nicaragua, feel truly authentic. For those of us who suspect that not all the players in the Iran-Contra drama have been dealt with, this is a particularly good read.

HIDDEN IMPACT has all of the makings of a great novel. The characters are brilliantly created, the setting is realistic, and the plot is entertaining and fresh. Charles B. Neff tells this story through the eyes of Jim Nordberg, a middle aged man who is looking to revitalize his life by rebuilding Nicaragua where, years before, he lived as a Peace Corps Volunteer.

After Jim arrives in Nicaragua, he learns about the existence of secret diary that contains information from his past. In order to keep this diary out of the hands of the public, he teams up with some old, and new, friends and finds himself on the adventure of a lifetime.

For being Charles B. Neff's first novel, I was very impressed with HIDDEN IMPACT. There were a few typos and grammatical mistakes, but the story itself was richly written and highly entertaining. If you like political thrillers, this book is a must read.

"Hidden Impact, a debut novel by Charles B. Neff, hits its mark with exceptional writing, a riveting story, and fascinating characters."
-- Dana E. Blozis, writer, editor, and book reviewer

Set primarily in Nicaragua, author Charles Neff tells the tale of a middle-aged Jim Nordberg who is looking for meaningful work to energize his solitary existence. Nordberg returns to the setting where he first became a Peace Corps volunteer in the early 1970s, hoping to help rebuild Nicaragua while infusing himself with much needed life. Shortly after his arrival, Nordberg's past returns to him in waves as business associates, friends, and enemies reappear in his life one by one.

Nordberg quickly finds himself entrenched in the search for a missing document containing sensitive information about those who supported the Contras in the 1980s. To find and protect the document, Nordberg faces difficult decisions and is thrust into the face of danger at every turn. Nordberg, suspicious of the novel's other characters, finds himself drawn to a woman from his past, Luci Fuentes, who was a young teenager when they first met. Fuentes joins Nordberg in the adventure, trying to save her family and a struggling Nicaragua in the process.

Hidden Impact is a well written book full of politics, history, and adventure, with a slice of romance thrown in for good measure. Neff artfully presents each of his characters, slowly unfolding the subtleties of each one while drawing them into the action. As the novel's main character, Nordberg is the unlikely hero whose past failures undermine his confidence. Despite his flaws, Nordberg is a good guy at heart and easy to relate to.

In Hidden Impact, readers will find an extraordinary first novel that is well written, easy to read, and hard to put down. Neff's storytelling skills will quickly enrapture even the most stubborn of readers, drawing them quickly and completely into the adventure ahead.

Hidden Impact is a fast read, beautifully crafted and developed. The intrigue kept me guessing, and the hero's solution to the complicated web of corruption is brilliant. The violence is disturbing at times, but much of the value of this novel is in its realistic portrayal of actions in a third world setting. A touching love story is sensitively portrayed, the heroine a truly courageous and intelligent woman who fulfills a mission of service while surrounded by pain and tragedy.

Hidden Impact is a very satisfying novel.

The author provides an insightful and at time intense criticism of inner governmental workings. Depicting through first hand experience the bureaucratic failures that have resulted in the continued operation of many criminal and terrorist financial networks. The removal of these "financial networks" is crucial, to ensure our victory in the "War on Drugs" and "War on Terror". These failures can cost lives, as so dramatically depicted by the author. To someone who seeks to pursue a career in government service, like myself; this book is an invaluable tool. In depicting the failures of previous generations of government employees, it serves as a "wake up" call to both current and future governmental employees. This will help to prevent these errors from continuing to happen in the future. Finally, the authors' career serves as an example of excellence in government service, that the new generation of government service employees should aim for in their career.

This book is not only exquisitely written but extremely informative as well. The utter incompetence of high-level government employees that is exposed by Cassara is enough to make your blood boil. If you thought the government was infallible, think again. I'd highly recommend this book to anyone who is concerned with the well-being of our country.

I'm sort of a government/spy stories buff, and I really enjoyed this book. The first half is sort of a story, almost like reading a novel, while the second half is almost instructional. The author makes a lot of good recommendations in the last chapter. This guy should go into politics!

What a great book! My husband somehow was able to get a copy of the book a few days before it came out (he lives for this type of stuff), and I picked it up the other day while he was at work. Four hours later, I was finished. I couldn't put it down. My reading usually consists of romance novels (I'm not ashamed), and to be honest, I only picked up this book out of sheer boredome. Boredom turned to fascination very quickly, and I was hooked after reading just one chapter. While there is a good deal of government jargon, the auther does a great job of explaining everything. Still, what I liked most about the book were his stories. This guy has had an amazing life! So many adventures, I'd love to meet this guy just to hear him tell some stories. Not to diminish the importance of the book, as he does say a lot of things that our government should be paying attention to, but he's a great storyteller. He definitely puts a personal touch on a sticky subject. Anyway, it's a great book, and believe me, I usually stay away from these types of books. My husband and I actually sat down and discussed the book for almost 2 hours last night...he was very impressed with my knowledge. Great book, I hope he writes another one.

HIDE AND SEEK: INTELLIGENCE, LAW ENFORCEMENT, AND THE STALLED WAR ON TERRORIST FINANCE is a 'must' for any who would understand one of the failures of the U.S. in 9/11. John Cassara is an expert in terrorist financing and money laundering and here surveys the lack of reporting requirements before 9/11, efforts since, and how the failures of law enforcement have helped foster terrorist efforts. HIDE AND SEEK could not have been written without an insider's knowledge of how foreign intelligence, domestic efforts, and international finance works: the fact that John Cassara has such knowledge lends authority and depth to a survey which encourages law to follow the unusual paths of international terrorism's money networks.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Joseph Steffan gives us an interesting account of the military in general and the US Naval Academy in particular in the late 80s and early 90s. Mr. Steffan was selected for entry in the academy and flourished, reaching high leadership positions and gaining numerous honors. The first half or so reads much like the standard military academy novel. But something happens along the way. The author discovers he is a homosexual. Understanding his sexual orientation would end his career he tries to keep this quiet, telling only a handful of friends. Unfortunately, one of these friends outs him to authorities. At this point Steffan shines and the Academy tarnishes itself by being completely inflexible. As the investigation reaches its climax, a senior naval officer at the academy asks Mr. Steffan if he is gay mere weeks before he is to graduate. Feeling bound by the Academy's Honor Code, he tells the truth. Before you can say "youre out", Mr. Steffan is......well....out!

Steffan's treatment by the Academy leadership is truly sad. Here's a guy at the top of his class who honestly tells the powers that be he's unqualified to serve in the military. Instead of letting him leave with some dignity, the senior leadership changes his vital leadership grade from A to F, strips him of all midshipman rank and throws him into the street. Given his accomplishments and the fact he was weeks from completing coursework, he should have been allowed to graduate. I know service academies do allow students to graduate when they have become unfit to serve close to graduation time. They should have made an exception for this fine gentlemen.

Thats not to say I think he makes the case he should have been commissioned. I do not. His arguments for this fall flat. His main argument is that hes constrained by the same outmoded rules that used to keep out blacks and women. He doesnt tell the reader that these groups were integrated into the military after there was a need and society was ready. In the late 20th Century, there was no shortage of available servicemen that would have warranted allowing openly gay soldiers to serve with people not ready for them. Steffan accidentally reveals the problem with letting him serve when he notes in a post discharge visit to the Academy, many people treated him differently. Its likely this attitude would have caused him and the military terrible problems had he entered Naval service. Many of his other arguments to lift the gay ban also collapse under scrutiny. In particular, he couches these arguments in a way that he believes there is a right to serve in the military. There is no such thing. Go look in the Constitution for this right. It doesnt exist.

This is not to say open homosexuals shouldnt be allowed to ever serve. Some of the old arguments (security risk in particular)dont seem to be valid anymore. I also think its likely attitudes of those now serving may have changed enough to allow the Joe Steffans to serve. But I can say this much. I was in the military at the time Mr. Steffan was at the Academy. Those I served with would have major issues if forced to be in the same unit with this guy!

Another thing Id like to say in Steffan's favor that really doesnt fit above. While at the Academy, he tells us he became aware of other homosexual midshipmen. From reading the text I got the feeling some of Steffan's friends in the gay advocacy community pressured him to name names. He intentionally does not do this, noting this would likely ruin their lives. Kudos to Joseph Steffan for being a classy guy!

Perhaps its time to lift the gay service ban now. It definitely wasnt then!

Joseph speaks out for a lot of the military. It amazes me that we let all the expulsions go on. Every year our military is depleted from these expulsions. No one has proven that homosexuality divides cohesion in a military unit. Another example is Tracy Thorne.

"Honor Bound: A Gay American Fights for the Right to Serve His Country," by Joseph Steffan, is the autobiography of a man who became one of the top midshipman at the United States Naval Academy, was discharged for homosexuality, and then fought the discharge in court. The book starts with Steffan's boyhood in rural Minnesota. The author covers a number of topics as his story unfolds: the trials of "Plebe (i.e. freshman) Year," his rise up the ranks to a key leadership position among the midshipmen, his coming to grips with his own sexual orientation, the harrowing discharge process, and his legal fight.

Steffan creates a vivid portrait of life at the Naval Academy, a truly remarkable institution. He looks at the traditions and language of the Academy, as well as at the process by which the Academy molds leaders. Another important theme of the book is Steffan's overcoming of his own internalized homophobia; he goes through a process of reeducating himself on the topic of homosexuality. The book also touches on events that were relevant to Steffan's situation: the "outing" of a high ranking Pentagon official, as well as the start of the Gulf War.

This is a well-written and very interesting memoir. Steffan's authorial voice is down-to-earth and reasonable. There are some really memorable sections to the book, such as his account of a submarine training cruise. A critical theme of the book is, as the title indicates, personal honor. Steffan pays tribute to some of the other military personnel who have challenged the U. S. military's policy of excluding gay people: Leonard Matlovich, Perry Watkins, Margarethe Cammermeyer, and others. "Honor Bound" is both a fine military memoir and an important "coming out" story. As companion texts I recommend James Webb's "A Sense of Honor" (a powerful novel, set during the Vietnam War, about midshipman at the Naval Academy) and Margarethe Cammermeyer's "Serving in Silence" (another memoir of a gay person who challenged the military).

I read this book (just finished) and wanted to review it while its fresh on my mind. I thought the book was very enlightning, to say the least and I really felt for joe steffan, they don't make guys like this anymore. Where he could very well have just kept his mouth shut, he chose to stand up for himself, I wish I had more of his courage and perseverance. Thanks to men and women like himself, this issue will keep being chipped away at and this book is a testament that good, honest people come in all types; straight, gay, black, white, short, tall and they need to be judged by their merits and work ethics whatever the job deems, thats what counts.

This book was, in short, incredible. I can't believe it's no longer in print. Steffan offers a very frank view of the Navy as seen by one who excels through it's ranks. I've often asked my grandfather (who was also in the Navy) to tell me what it was like. Most persons are very vague about the experiences of boot camp, etc. Steffan clears up the mystery with a very matter-of-fact tone. When the political issues that prevent his graduation come up in the story, I was right there with him, and livid that such injustices happen within the very institution we rely upon to maintain the freedoms offered to us within the US. One of the best aspects of this book is the clear, simple way in which he writes. Steffan is obviously not a slick story-teller and this makes his story ever the more believable and relevant to myself and my political views. This book addresses the very real nightmare of discrimination that is alive and well in our society, and negates our want to be complacent about the system and its injustices. If you can get ahold of this book, read it!

Hurlbut's Story of the Bible was the first and best comprehensive "Bible story book" I read and re-read. As an adult it remains my favorite and now I am sharing it with my own children.

Hurlbut's tells all the stories you remember from Sunday School as well as many that you may not know. It explains with clear and exciting language that is simple enough for children but also interesting for adults. It is almost like reading a thrilling novel, you can hardly wait to find out what happens next. I cannot recommend it enough.

I read this book as a child 35 years, ago and it was the one book I never wanted to put down. Now, I am purchasing several more copies for my nieces and nephews. I am so thankful it is still available. Mr. Hurlbut was a great story teller as he tells the truth from the Bible, and he did a fine job communicating to us the excitement and amazing Bible truths.

My father read these stories to me when I was little and now I am reading them to my five year old son. He really likes them, the only problem is he keeps wanting to hear about "Jesus on the cross" instead of going through and reading the other stories. I am buying an additional copy to give to our church.

Hurlbut's Story of the Bible has enchanted thousands of children in the decades since it was first published. It is unfortunate that it is so often overlooked in favor of newer "children's bibles". They are often canned broth compared to the rich stew found in the original text and made accessible by Jesse Hurlbut.

Key points: 168 stories, roughly from 2 to 5 pages each, spanning virtually the entire Bible in chronological order.
One distinctive characteristic of Hurlbut's is the omnipresent pronunciation marks. Virtually every name of person or place is marked every time it appears. This can be off-putting at first. However, anyone who has tried to read the Bible aloud (especially any of the Old Testament) will come to greatly appreciate this feature.

Suitable for readers of fourth-grade level and up (the pronunciation marks will help quite a bit, once they learn to use them), this work is a wonderful read-aloud for any age over about 5.

If you take the time to read through this work, you will have a far better understanding of biblical history than the vast majority of adherents to the Christian faith.

Here is the answer to all those who have vowed each New Year to read the Bible but can't get past Eve's pluck of the forbidden apple. In clear, charming prose that stays true to the rhythm of the Bible itself, the author tells all the great stories of the Old and New Testaments. Hurlbut's greatest triumph is the clarity with which he presents each story in the Bible's great continum. God tells Noah "I am going to bring a great flood of water on the earth, to cover all the land and to drown all the wicked people..." and finally you understand why those 40 days and 40 nights it rained like cats and dogs (to kill all the bad people who are God's first experiment with humanity on earth). Of Methuselah he writes "and we do not know anything about Methuselah, except that he lived to be nine hundred and sixty-nine years old, which is longer than any life of any other man who ever lived." Simple enough. Now we know how his name came to symbolize an aged man, and we need look no further for deeper meaning--it isn't there.

Very heart-felt, and gets to the core of many issues affecting us as a nation, and really does make you wonder "Why don't they teach Peace in school?".

In 2002, I read 101 books. "I'd Rather Teach Peace" was the best one.

Colman McCarthy tells stories about teaching people to resolve conflicts. He describes what worked and what didn't. He also tells you what his students taught HIM --- he's humble enough to know he's a student, too.

I learned that I don't think about peace enough. Now I think about it more and I keep an eye out for conflicts that I can help to resolve. I don't know exactly how to create peace around me, but thanks to Colman McCarthy I know I need to learn.

This is an inspiring and simple book. I'd gladly read another 100 just to stumble across something like this again.

Get this book and absorb it! I have reviewed it for two publications and still marvel at its contents. This man changed my mind about the subject of peace, so give him a chance to reach you. Even if you are a diehard military person (I'm a former sergeant of the 101st Airborne) you will still see the common sense in what this man is teaching. His solutions will work, but only if enough of us heed his words and apply them. I wish every person in the world would read this book!

McCarthy's book is inspirational. I'm working on a manuscript on peace and writing, and sometimes the realities of the world raise serious doubts. When it becomes hard to believe in the possibility of peace, I open this book.

I love McCarthy's book. His writing is enjoyable, which is how all writing should be. It was a pleasure to learn from this man.

I recently started studying anything I could find about peace and this book was the second one I read after searching at the local library.

I now have an idea how much literature there is out there about non-violence. McCarthy has successfully urged me to keep reading about this subject. Besides his occasional description of other sources, mentioned throughout his book, he even put a section at the end that lists additional authors and their titles, for further study.

As a result of reading his book, I find that I would like to help in any way I can to make the world a better place through teaching non-violence.