Events Books

Interesting book really makes you think about self defense in todays world. I grew up with guns, hunting and target shooting so I might have a different perspective than most. Having a loaded gun readily accessable is a huge responsibility that can either save your life or ruin it forever.

If you even thought about owning a gun you should have this book. It is full of factual information regarding crime statistics, dos and don'ts regarding gun ownership and use. It is written by a women for women and I bought it for my wife but I read every page. I recommend it highly.

Larry C

Informative
Great to give your lady if you would like her to consider arming herself

Thoughtful, informative and written in simple language for the woman who has, or is intending to own/carry a concealed weapon.
Covers types of handguns, true life experiences, other means of self defense and consequences of using lethal force.

I bought it for her and she thought it was worthwhile. So much so I ordered some similar titles. These books aren't crazy. They're for women that refuse to be victims.

This is a comprehensive examination of gambling in America, so well written I put aside the thriller I was reading to pick this up each night. Well researched, balanced, and thorough, it should be read by everyone on both sides of the gambling issue.

I read this book this year (2006) and was staggered by its accuracy in describing the events of the last eight years in the gaming industry. It is far more insightful than most accounts written after the fact. O'Brien takes a historical perspective, inspired by a genuine appreciation for gamblers and gambling along with a rare cool-eyed and unsentimental realism about the casino business. Too many other authors, horrified by the crime and corruption associated with the business, forget that the urge to gamble is deep and ancient; the opposite camp too often uses romantic gambling fiction to distract from the undeniable rottenness that suffuses the legal and illegal industry.

O'Brien tells the stories of gamblers of various stripes, from hapless victim to celebrity successes, types who rarely coexist in the same book. Entrepreneurs are featured as well, weak crooks, clever crooks and genius visionaries. He cites in damning detail the negative effects of legal gambling on local economies, society and political institutions; but there is no suggestion of throwing out the baby with the bathwater, this book is the beginning of a blueprint for how to reform the industry, not outlaw it (or even less plausibly, to stop gambling).

If all of this makes the book sound like a dull policy text or dated account of once-current events, it's not. It's an entertaining read, and more relevant now than when it was written.

Mostly an interesting, well-written, and throroughly researched book. The anthopological and historical information about gambling in the US was very informative. The vignettes about individual gamblers were thought provoking. However, often the descriptions of gambling take awkward twists into very biased and unfounded criticisms. It reads that someone combined a readable historical and cultural treatment of gambling with a distorted rant about the horrible evils of gambling. Despite the confusion, there were many parts of the book that were well done.

Mr. O'Brien has written a thought-provoking book, the thesis of which is that casinos rely on a small percentage of problem gamblers for most of their profits. I was a little surprised that he didn't interview Frank Scoblete, the top gaming author in the world and my personal favorite because I would have liked to read Scoblete's opinions on O'Brien's thesis. But that is a minor quibble. The book is definitely worth reading. I tend to agree with O'Brien. Too many people are out of control when it comes to gambling.

I live near one of the big casino riverboats mentioned in O'Brien's book and I read this book out of curiosity more than anything. Prior to reading this, I had NO idea how much intense lobbying - as well as graft and corruption - were behind the gambling industry.

One tidbit I found especially disturbing is the story behind how gambling was legalized in my home state.

"Bad Bet" tells of a former Midwest governor who was in power when Argosy Gaming made it's big push to get gambling legalized in this state. (Argosy won) Now that we have riverboats all over our state, this former governor now *works* for Argosy Gaming.

Rapes and robberies went up 33% in Atlantic City, New Jersey after the casinos opened there.

"Bad Bet" it tells of the subtle and overt techniques casinos use to lure people in and entice them - to keep the money flowing. Even the layout of casinos is done with much forethought as to the best way to separate people from their money.

And O'Brien talks about how the gambling industry goes looking for communities in economic straights to set up shop. (which is exactly what happened in our city)

This is a powerful book. I think every local or civic leader that has a casino in their community or is even considering allowing casinos in, should pause and read this book. It'll open their sleepy eyes to some hard ugly truths.

Having lived in a community that invited the riverboats in, I see firsthand that O'Brien is telling the truth about what to expect when big gambling comes to town. It's a sad affair.

I wanted to know the real scoop for years on the Geronimo Pratt case. Although I'm not yet finished reading the book, it is very obvious that Mt. Pratt got screwed, like so many others caught up in the "good old USA" system. Obviously this one is a case of racial prejudice, but it could have just as easily been some other kind of prejudice. It is clear that the concept of "innocent until proven guilty" is just a nice theory that should be strictly adhered to but rarely is. The presumed guilt is clear from the get go on the part of the police. It continues on to the top with lies and deception on the part of the police to get a conviction at any cost, especially with regard to the truth. It's frightening and a relief to know it's not me. But next time it could be me, or anyone who gets targeted by individuals in a position of power, who have no integrity, and don't give a hoot about the constitution of the US.

This is certainly one of the best books I've ever read. Jack Olsen did an outstanding job of weaving together all the facts in a highly readable narrative of one of the most blatant chapters of injustice in 20th century legal history.

I already had considerable knowledge of the case before I read this book. In the early 1990s, the case was being publicized again. I was a reporter for Wave Newspapers in Los Angeles and journeyed with a co-worker to the state prison at Tehachapi where Pratt was then being held and we interviewed him. I then wrote several stories about his situation.

Pratt was imprisoned for 27 years for a crime he clearly did not commit. The prosecution was part of the FBI's notorious COINTELPRO operation-essentially a war against numerous dissenting groups in the 1960s including the Black Panther Party. As Olsen makes clear, in Pratt's case this also involved LAPD and the L.A. County District Attorney's office.

Pratt was convicted of the December 1968 Santa Monica tennis-court murder of school teacher Caroline Olsen. There was considerable doubt about the credibility of key-witness Julius Butler, who had a previous falling out with Pratt, and was later proven to be an informant. (When I was a reporter, I actually contacted Butler. He yelled that he was "tired of this" and hung up on me.) Plus, numerous other Panthers could have confirmed he was at a meeting in Oakland the day of the murder but most wouldn't testify because of a severe split in the ranks.

Appeal after appeal was turned down despite more and more evidence being discovered pointing to Pratt's innocence. In all probability the crime was committed by two low-level Panther members to obtain money for drugs.

That ties in with the only complaint I would make about Olsen's book. He really glossed over the fact that the FBI and police campaign against the Panthers (which I am not defending) was not just because of their militant political rhetoric. They had a lot of criminal types within the group.

Regardless, this is an extraordinary book about another era and the governmental abuses of that time. Johnnie Cochran redeemed himself in my eyes by getting Pratt released. That was after he was involved in a travesty of justice, himself, by getting O.J. Simpson off. But that's another story.

The courage and essential goodness of Geronimo Pratt, in spite of receiving a life sentence for a crime he did not commit, is truly inspiring. This is a wonderful book.

Geronimo Pratt had one of the most honorable and incredible lives I have ever heard of. This book documents his entire life, from is Morgan City childhood to his unjust incarceration for the murder of Caroline Olsen. I literally had trouble putting this book down. It is a great read for anyone interested in the judicial system, the FBI's COINTELPRO, the Black Panther Party, and racism in general. READ THIS BOOK!!!

This book should be mandatory reading for every black person when they turn 15 years old. To read what the gov't put this man through was utterly shocking. After you read this book read "The Judas Factor - The Plot to Kill Malcolm X." You'll be numb after reading these two books back to back.

This is a book people might shy away from since it deals with the 1988 campaign, and those candidates are basically ancient history (except for Biden). However, what the book really describes it literally 'what it takes' for any man or woman to believe they can be President.

We look at the people running today, and we see them as TV characters and sometimes buffoons, but forget that in their youth they were probably the smartest, most popular, most driven people we would have known. Just to get to a place where one can entertain the idea of running for President takes a life of very, very few wasted opportunities.

So, while this book doesn't talk about Obama or Clinton or Huckabee, etc., you can read it and at least get sort of a sense of what the candidates are like behind the masks they put on.

The best thing that can be said about "What It Takes" is that you will read it and you will appreciate that Presidential candidates actually are qualified, and while they might make terrible decisions, they really are the best we have.

"What It Takes" is an antidote for cynicism.

It's a great insight into the psyche of candidates, the jargon of campaigns -- and a demonstration of just how tough campaings are. (The author of this book is also a frequent contributer to Rolling Stone and Esquire. Some of the language in this book certainly isn't appropriate for younger readers).

Ben Cramer follows the major candidates in their races to become president in 1988. He reproduces their speaking and thinking styles in such an incredible way that you will never be able to think of any of these people (Bob Dole, GHW Bush, Jesse Jackson) in quite the same way you did before.

His intense focus on how the candidates act differently when in private than they do when they're out giving their stump speech makes for fascinating reading. If you're tired of dry books that are "nothing but the facts, ma'am," you'll love this well-written story.

No study of modern American politics is complete without reading this book. At the center of the political universe is the presidency. What kind of people seek this office, and all of the attendant scrutiny and hardship that even the most fortunate candidates endure? What personal attributes set one candidate above the rest?

Essentially, one of these men will be the most powerful man in the world, and have a chance at shaping history. This book answers the questions "why" and "how."

Cramer understands his subjects, and the profiles of each candidate would be excellent stand-alone biographies. Extremely readable and well written, without sacrificing substance.

A truly unique and indespensible work. To find out what it takes, read this book.

As a lifetime Democrat, I was horrified to read this book and feel not only sympathetic towards Bob Dole, but also admiration.

Of course, the author goes on to confirm my worst fears about George H.W., Reagan and some of the Democratic party's candidates from the era.

A stunning work. It is inspring and depressing at the same time.

This powerful work is at once inspiring, frustrating and captivating. Kozol draws the reader into a world called Mott Haven that is filled with substance, love, service and hope. He poignantly describes the lives of children while blasting the manner in which we have chosen to deal with our most needy sectors of society. Kozol's gifted and powerful storytelling reminds us of several truths:

1. Segregation is potentially a bigger problem today than ever. White flight, private schools, school choice, home-schooling, virtual schools and lack of equitable access to technology are widening the gap.
2. Inequities in education must be addressed with the underlying belief that every child has the potential to achieve his/her dreams. Society must be responsible and held accountable for creating conditions ensuring that this occurs.
3. Teachers and students must all be able to work and learn in optimum conditions that safeguard and ensure dignity.
4. Although children appear to be resilient, we must protect their innocence, ensure they have the chance to dream and be inspired by their eternal optimism and hope. The real heroes of today are those who spend time with our children, listening to and nurturing their dreams.
5. We spend too much on our prison system and must figure out a way to divert that funding to education and healthcare so we can be proactive rather than reactive.

Kozol manages to convey the realities of inner city education by illuminating the complexities behind the daily challenges facing teachers and parents. His manner of connecting the problems to the institutions and practices that society has created to deal with those who do not "fit the system" provides a wake-up call to all of us who are working to make a difference in the lives of children. Kozol shows us that the system we have created is nurturing itself instead of helping people to break out of the vicious cycle characterized by lack of quality education, health care, meaningful work opportunities and dignity. We can no longer ignore the problems in the inner cities of America, not just because it makes economic sense but because it makes human sense to individually develop our most precious resources - our children. Community leaders, parents, educators, and corporate leaders should put this compelling book on the top of their "must read" list.

In Ordinary Resurrections, Jonathan Kozol deviates from his usual "gloves off" attack of the issues facing minority children. Instead of building the case against the inequitable system with facts and figures, as he has in previous work, he has chosen the subtle but effective approach of a storyteller. He paints a very descriptive portrait of the victims of continued segregation and racism that may inspire those in positions of influence to make more compassionate decisions regarding the lives of the children they serve.

Things that scream out to me from Kozol's book(s):

1) Incarceration vs. Education (do the math!)
The incarceration industry is thriving on blind public support. If taxpayers knew they were paying on the average ten to twenty times more to incarcerate supposed perpetrators of victimless crimes than it would cost to educate them, I'd bet they might even overlook their racist fears. The corporate/federal mentality that chooses to decide early on what these children will bring to the economy seems to prefer them as a product in this system versus potential contributors to something greater.

2) Resilience (despite our conditional "help")
In their innocent naiveté the children neglected by the system remain courageous, hopeful, and resilient. This resilience may diminish as they weather the inequities of the system that oppresses them, but it is often the attribute that enables them to succeed regardless of our preaching and teaching. Just imagine what heights they might reach if they continued to be nurtured as they are by the caring individuals in their lives now.

3) Compassion (essential)
As a beneficiary of white male privilege his reflections from the other side of the gap are poignant and insightful lessons for those of us too far removed from the reality that exists in many of our cities. Even after this racial inequity is acknowledged it is difficult for most of us to express empathy in ways that ring genuine. Kozol does! He is trusted and welcomed by the culture and community he strives to serve. His stories reflect a model for learning and practicing compassion which, in my opinion, may be the single most important factor in saving ourselves from extinction. Kozol repeatedly demonstrates the importance
of compassion in his work. Listen to him!

4) Racism, segregation, inequality (market view politics)
Racism is institutionalized in the United States despite the hope segregation was ending that the civil rights movements of the sixties inspired. "Kids notice that no politicians talk about this. They hear the politicians saying, "We're gonna have tougher standards in your separate-but-not-equal schools. We're gonna raise the bar of academic discipline in your separate-but-not-equal schools." But nobody says we're going to make them less separate and more equal. Nobody says that." - Kozol interview in Education World

5) Toxic environments (no one to litigate)
AIDS, asthma, drugs, violence, toxic pollution, poverty, malnutrition, lack of medical attention, apartheid economics, and neglect are common elements in the environment Kozol's children try to survive in. Basic needs must be satisfied before we can expect children to be receptive to that which we would have them learn. Kozol is issuing a wake-up call to the complacent masses that are either unaware or in denial that this situation is serious and threatens all of us socially, emotionally, and economically.

In my opinion, implications for educators that may be gleaned from Kozol's book include:
* The extreme importance of compassion in all aspects of dealing with children.
* Recognition that before we talk about diversity we need to spend a lot more
time in the conversation about racism.
* Locking people up is not rehabilitation and in the long run is socially,
emotionally, spiritually, and economically disastrous. Break the cycle of incarceration!

Ordinary Resurrections is one of the most important books I've ever read and one of the most poignantly beautiful. It is an absolute must read for everyone who cares about children, the wide disparity in economic opportunity in the U.S., and who dares to hope for our future. Kozol movingly brings to life in his first-hand descriptive account the lives and conditions in their own words of children and their families who have been deliberately neglected, ignored, hidden away. This true story of their hope, strength, resilience, and beauty testifies to the dominance of the human spirit in the face of unspeakable abuse by government at every level and all systems that have failed them.

Jonathan Kozal has taken away the protective myth that America's school children are all treated equally, with dignity and given unvarying opportunities. In his latest book, ORDINARY RESURRECTIONS, Kozal's readers get a glimpse into a reality that replaces equal value with present day segregation to children of the poor. Although many in power would like to ignore the disgrace of how our underprivileged students are educationally treated in areas such as Mott Haven, New York, Kozal's first hand account of such inequality calls for a recognition and reformation of America's priorities. Told in the children's words, this book contributes awareness to the desperate need for compassion to and knowledge of the struggles of many American youth. The facts are both shocking and compelling, and will challenge the values one holds to necessitate action on our children's behalf. As Kozal states, the reality is that "...there are few areas in which the value we attribute to a child's life may be so clearly measured as in the decisions that we make about the money we believe it's worth investing in the education of one person's child as opposed to that of someone else's child." Once read, ORDINARY RESURRECTIONS destroys the bliss of ignorance. One is faced with the decision to powerfully act or despairingly ignore.

kozol is my hero. i am a teacher in washington, dc. i see the same things kozol sees, i feel the same way he feels and i am continually frustrated by those who don't. it is impossible to listen to the news and read the papers and get a clear picture of the inequalities in urban education. these kids are every bit as dynamic as kids in the suburbs, and i might even argue that they are more dynamic because they are forced to rise above their problems again and again. i challenge others to forget what the politicians say, forget what the media says, become a teacher or a volunteer in the inner city and meet these special kids. don't let this book just be one that sits on your shelf. use it to motivate you to help make a difference.

When a disaster directly affects us--an earthquake, a hurricane, a car accident on the freeway--we respond in different ways. Writing as a widely consulted expert on adapting to change and crisis, author Laura Day explains four different reactions to crisis: denial, anxiety, rage and depression. Most of us experience one or more of these typical reactions as we respond to the sudden setbacks and unexpected difficulties of our lives.

Yet instead of these largely negative reactions, Day believes we can train ourselves to respond to a crisis with positive energy, transforming what might have seemed disastrous into a life-changing experience that fills us with hope, vision, and fresh energy. The difference is not the depth or difficulty of the experience, but rather our attitude as we encounter it.

Counselor to the star and guest on major TV shows, Day believes instead of fearing change, she believes, we should learn to expect change and be empowered by it. The worst of circumstances can be transformed if we are willing to adjust our perspective.

As Day writes on page 77, "To be effective in your life...you need to grow from your experiences, rather than being derailed by them." This is the primary thrust of Welcome to Your Crisis, as the author teaches us that even a major disaster can become a stepping-stone to personal growth.

Many of her ideas are not new, yet she explains them with a fresh voice. Readable and easy to understand, her prose keeps you moving forward, turning the pages and continuing to learn.

Decide who you want to be, Day insists, rather than letting the difficult moments of life define you and limit your future. Transform the negative thoughts, attitudes and feelings
that you encounter into warmer, more confident beliefs and values.

"Good lives are not easy," Day writes on page 219, "they require daily acts of adaptation, courage, and love." Clearly, the author supports the idea that all of us can learn to face our challenges in these ways--and by doing so we can improve our own lives and the lives of those we encounter.

Armchair Interviews says: Thought-provoking information.

Thsi book is a fabulous book for those in need of solace and direction. Perfect to help in any type of crisis management situation. A must read.

Life Changing.

Crisis or not, this book will help you find a new path if you let it. Your true path. The simple tools and ideas in the book provide immediate direction. Hope. Energy. I'm a big fan of this author, I absolutely adore "The Circle" and "Crisis" takes her work to great new heights.

It is personal and practical and immeasurably powerful.

Thank you, Laura Day.

I felt guided to this book by a higher power -- and boy, am I glad I listened to that voice. (Or rather, to those Voices!) For so long, I was burning my candle at both ends, to steal a line from Edna St. Vincent Millay. And nothing seemed good enough, until my own personal crisis arrived. Well, needless to say, this book was -- as you can tell from the cute little life preserver on the cover art -- a lifesaver! Many blessings to you, Laura.

Laura Day narrates her own journey out of a crisis ... first through the tragic loss of her mother at 14 ... and then the devastating divorce that left her life in tatters ... to its gifts of healing and intuitive ability and career as a writer and speaker. Laura Day has been there herself ... a crisis ... and the stakes have been high ... but she pulled herself out of it ... and now shares the tools that became her lifeline. Day addresses the unique response styles and how you can make them work for you in a crisis. Best of all she has set up a website for this specific book with resources and group support so you need not go through this alone. I first met Laura Day at a Circle workshop on the East Coast in 2002 and returned to her work when she published the Crisis. More than any other self-help book on the market, this is stunning in its brilliant simplicity. No New Age blame game, no woo-woo, no magical thinking. A great tool to have in a self-help tool kit that keeps you empowered with YOURSELF.

Day emphasizes the gift of a crisis because you cannot go back to the past. This is the best advice in the book. It is like an old episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation where Captain Jean-Luc Picard is given a chance to return to his youth and change destiny. Instead of having the trauma of a fight in a bar that lead to his receiving an artificial heart, Jean-Luc averts the disaster. Good? Not really because when he returns to the present he discovers that his life has been mediocre rather than stellar. In fact, he is a low-level ship mate who is not seen to have any leadership ability! The gift of his crisis was the development of impeccable judgment and calculated risk taking. Jean-Luc opts to go back and claim his sacred wound and returns again the Star Fleet legend and Captain of the Enterprise. This old storyline depicts Laura Day's wisdom on why the rock bottom of a crisis can actually be starting point of a brand new life that outshines the old.

Dense like lead is dense next to tin, Chomsky's serial revelations of atrocious U.S.A. histories will leave you burdened to suspend belief. If you can read and you are a citizen you will contend with your complicity of the 'us' in U.S.A. These plotted histories(many times not linear by the way)spill you through hundreds of years of stuff you don't think 'we' could do and up into 1992. Instead of pushing the weary citizen reader to the safety of the beach and THE END you will realize it is 2004 and we, the U.S.A. are the same.

If you cannot suspend belief you will bend over dazed, thoughts spinning like an errant compass, by the time you finish a few decimals of the first chapter, let alone if you can possibly fight through the moral exhaustion to reach 288.

If you have heart you will finish. If this is your first Chomsky, 288 will not be the end as the Notes and Bibliography begin and spider into more places to go. This is the densest calorie of writing as behind each thought and twitch you sense the colossus of study behind that tiny notice called a footnote. You will feel that this word 'footnote' should be dismissed as a derogatory description for these 288 moments - they should be called Massivenotes or something.

This is a sorrowful journey that is impossible for rationals to contend with. All i can do afterward is know 'yes, i am American.' I feel as if orphaned and wanting to know who I-Am-We-Us are. And 501 hasn't left me alone.

I happened to be reading this on the anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attacks; on the same day my local paper carried a Mallard Fillmore strip which tried to mock the liberal media by having a stereotypical liberal media commentator intoning, "Today the Japanese Attacked Pearl Harbor. Let's examine how we brought this on ourselves." Amongst many other topics, Chomsky actually does show how we brought Pearl Harbor on ourselves. The "Pacific War" as he calls it was not just an unprovoked act of aggression. The Japanese imperialists, even though (as Chomsky points out) they were every bit as brutal as their white rivals, had an arguably legitimate political goal: that is, they wanted Asia to be ruled by Asians rather than by Europeans.

As others have noted, this is a pwerful, angry and wide-ranging book. As you can see just from the title: "Year 501" refers to the 501st anniversary of Columbus's first voyage, but Chomsky's story ranges all over the globe abd all over history.

If you're like me, you know Chomsky's political works primarily from his extensive collaborations with David Barsamian, which are based on speeches and radio interviews. Chomsky voice is much more fiery when, as he is here, he speaks without Barsamian as a moderator.

Chomsky's Year 501 is another engrossing work from this erudite and learned treasure and scholar. A good place to start is the concluding chapter as it presents an incredible analysis with an astonishing array of facts and figures relating to the domestic American scene and the conditions that have befallen the average U.S. worker. He brings the same studious approach to this area of inquiry as he's done for the last forty years regarding the international arena and linguistics. Along with Michael Parenti's Democracy For the Few, it's simply some of the best work available on this pressing topic. Deindustrialization, increasing underemployment, rising poverty, the increasing gap between the super rich and middle class, and the business community's relentless assault on unions - Chomsky touches on all these issues. He summarizes these developments by writing that the United States is showing the characteristics of a Third World country by becoming a two-tiered society. That the child poverty rate in New York city is approaching forty percent is just one example of the many nuggets of information a reader can garner from Year 501.

Of course the majority of the book covers an incredible amount of ground pertaining to international politics and economics with particular emphasis on Latin America. As always these passages shine with insight and brilliance while being backed up with rigorous documentation and research. Colonization to neo-imperialism are broached along with the two rip off machines known as the International Monetary Fund and World Bank.

Since he's always refused to punk out to mainstream corporate opinion Chomsky's a somewhat cruel reminder to the orthodox pundits and intellectuals of what intellectual responsibility is truly about. The New Yorker recently ran a hit piece against him; this of course demonstrates that he's still pontificating and writing truths the black-tie cocktail party set refuse to countenance. Year 501 follows in the tradition of a long line of Chomsky books that make the establishmentarians a bit uncomfortable.

This is a book by Chomsky that is probably even more scholarly than usual. At least in the way it is written. Chomsky wrote this book on the 500th anniversary in 1992 of the beginnings of the invasion of much of the world of what Adam Smith refered to, in a rather narrow context as "the savage injustice of the Europeans ("revealing himself to be an early practicioner of the crime of 'political correctness,'"Chomsky comments sardonically)". Chomsky begins his survey by analyzing the policies of the major European powers and the United States as they grew to dominate the world. Such policies., he explains, are not the free market doctrines stressed by right wing talk radio hosts, University of Chicago professors and other such bores and frauds but by massive state subsides, huge tarrifs to block foreign competitors, extreme violence and colonial occupation.

Places like India and Bengal (Bangladesh) which were highly advanced industrial societies by the mid-1700's but all of the industries which were superior to their counterparts in Britain were deliberately undermined or simply forced out of existence by the British colonisers. India and Bangladesh became extremely poor, feudal agricultural countries supplying Britain with raw materials and as a captive market for British goods. The latter is a familiar pattern outlined by Chomsky in this book. The West, since World war II, dominated by the U.S., has always sought any way it could to block advanced economic development in the third world. The exceptions to this that Chomsky points to are Japan and its former colonies in Asia who violated all the laws of the free market to create very dynamic, if, of course, very far from perfect economies. The British, noted Chomsky, started to adopt "free trade" as policy as the United States would do later under similar circumstances, around 1846 when they had no competitors in their field but this changed around 1930 when they, along with the Americans, French and Dutch erected high tarrif walls around Japanese exports to their colonies in Asia with which they could not compete, a major factor in staring Japan's wars of conquest.

He examines the U.S. role in the slaugter of half a million people in Indonesia in 1965 as the independent nationalist Sukarno was overthrown and "a staggering mass slaughter of communists and pro-communits." The U.S. media, rejoyced at the massacre of landless peasants and the destruction of the only mass-based political party the communist PKI. General Suharto took power initiating ongoing plunder and exploitaion of Indonesia's resources by Western corporations while engaging in mass murder in the U.S. backed occupation of East Timor and elsewhere. He examines the media reaction to this slaugter and the reaction back in 1990 when this great event was brought up again by Kathy Kadane.

He examines the showcases of capitalism in the third world like Brazil, whose liberal capitalist president Goulart was overthrown in 1964 with U.S. aid by a group of Neo-nazi generals who compiled over the next few decades a truly horrific human rights record but who were praised for producing an "economic miracle" as the population sunk into quite horrific levels of malnourishment and disease and land became ever more concentrated in fewer hands and millions of street children arose in the big cities. And Nicaragua where the massive terrorism, celebrated by the media liberals that Chomsky quotes, brought to force upon the Nicaraguan people a defeat of the Sandanistas in "democratic election" in 1990 (the 1984 election won by the Sandinstas dissapearing into the memory hole). This has predictably resulted in a terrible rise in starvation and disease and drug running and street children and on.

He continues with an in-depth examination of the woes of Haiti and the American and Western efforts to ravage it since 1804, and particularly since 1915 when the U.S. invaded and reestablished virtual slavery, with a U.S. imposed constitution ratified with five percent of the voting public participainting under the U.S. marine bayonets, reversing the ban on foreign ownership of land.

He compares the podering of the unique evil of Japan in being unable to fully face up to their past crimes and the comparable ignoring of things like the hundreds of thousand of tortured victims of U.S. chemical warfare in South Vietname, which occasionally elicits a comment in the science pages of the newspapers about how we are missing a great opportunity to study the effects of dioxin on a control population

This is a powerful book indeed. The facts are there for those willing to check them out. For some people this maybe hard to acknowledge , but Chomsky is writing an account of History that everybody should take a time to read and investigate. In so doing , I am sure that you will have a new understanding of how things are , how the world really works and why.
When you read all those books praising globalization , world free trade and neoliberal economics...take a time and verify...go to the real world...and see what is really happening to the majority of the people...Capitalism is a better system , I'm sure...but some adjustments need to be done to the way the big economies are trying to impose it to the little countries....It is creating more poverty and social unrest..and I am afraid that there will come a time when we are not going to be able to control this...

I didn't think a non-fiction book about the personal and professional lives of 'everyday' people would be so well composed. Sure, I expected to read about drama and bravery and tragedy, but Sean Flynn writes with well-tuned prose and a well-honed ear for the people and the town he reveals to the reader. He has done a great service in getting to the heart and soul of the protagonists and their loved ones. He does so without exaggeration, false bravado, or romanticism. The heroic fire fighters are shown three-dimensionally, and there isn't a phony note or word in the book. And like the true heroes in history, they are far from perfect human beings. In fact, the profound issue suggested in this book is that they are willing to risk their lives because they have flaws and have felt personal pain. How else could one feel so obligated to save utter strangers at the risk of their own lives and to have such an intuitive sense of how far your body and soul can go when they're up against a formidable foe. George Orwell said that it is the job of a human being not to be a saint. If my life was at risk, and given the choice who would try and save me, I'd pick these guys over any saint, preacher, minister, or holy man.

Note to who ever wrote the Publishers Weekly review. Get a map. The second largest city in New England is Worcester Mass. not WorcHester. Those of us born and raised there pronounce the city to rhyme with mister.

All that I can say is that Sean Flynn wrote this book about a horrific true event in such a way that I feel as if I lost my friends in the blaze. I can only imagine how the true friends of these 6 men felt and continue to feel each time they see a family member of one of their perished brothers. I'm not a crying man, but I cried at some points in this story b/c they hit so close to home for one, but for two you get so wrapped up in the lives of these men that you feel the stinging pain of realizing they have died. It's a sad story, that I actually remembered hearing about after i read the book, but it's also very motivating to anybody that has thought of becoming a FF. It's almost as its a test of your heart to be a FF. Like the beginning of initiation (hazing) to become a part of a fraternity. I know two other people that read it, that upon completion(one wasn't even able to finish) withdrew from the FF applicant process in which we all signed up together. Weeds out the weak...well kinda. :o)

Either way you look at it, this is good reading. I finished in in 4 days and I was continually fussed at for 3 of those days by my 9 month pregnant girlfriend b/c I wasn't giving her the attention she wanted. Now she's reading it and i'm not getting any attention. Go fig!

Buy the book! BTW...my addiction i speak of in my title just means my addiction to FF books.

I really enjoyed this book. My dad was a firefighter and I thought the writer portrayed the firefighters with a tough realisim without taking away their compassion for what they do. The families stories seemed to convey not only the day to day fears that all firefighters families have but, a small sense of what they went through when the unimaginable happened to them. Overall a great read by a writer who seemed to care about the subject.

I read this book simply because my boyfriend said he couldn't put it down. I was mesmorized by the bravery these men went gave out to fight the fire. After every page, I kept thinking to myself, "This is TRUE." I have a stronger respect for the brave fire fighters aroundt he world. Not only is this book about the fire and the fighters themselves, but it also depicts the family's devistation after the fact. Every page brought tears to my eyes. I would recommend this book to anyone, especially family's of fire fighters. Didn't want to put it down.

I am placing an order for this book once I am done writing this 'review'...so, no I have not yet read it...but I have been reading Dahr's reports for the last 3+ years - you can subscribe to his dispatches at his website - and have found his work to be a hugely grounding element in my thoughts and feelings of the US invasion and occupation of Iraq.
I had the pleasure of meeting Dahr in NYC in 2005 at one of his presentations on his trips to the country. I asked him how he ever came to the incredibly corageous decision to go to Iraq and he told me that he felt that if he *didn't* go, didn't do something, his head was going to explode. To be so motivated to actually put himself in a war zone is the kind of sincerity and passion that is sorely needed in the journalism of our time.
Dahr Jamail is one of my heroes.

Thank you Dahr for heeding the call to take you to the places few Americans allow themselves to go. This book is a true testament of the degree of devastation and misinformation we in the US are at times oblivious to. This book is a must read. Thank you for your life and for your calling.

Journalism has been called the "first draft of history" and Dahr Jamail's work is most certainly that. His book is an eyewitness look at the events of the war on Iraq from street level and through the eyes of the Iraqis, unfiltered by any official spin. For anyone wishing to make sense of the Iraqi peoples' reaction to the American invasion and occupation this book is indispensable.

One can feel the inevitable insurgency brewing by even the second chapter as the local people react to a foreign occupier who appears to care nothing for their well being. Politics being perception, whether the reader wishes to believe the Iraqis' account of the events or not, this book is a window into why the insurgency had so much popular backing.

I have my own opinions on the war and why America invaded but it is not my purpose to state them here. What I am hoping to do is convince prospective readers that should they wish to take a hard, unflinching look at Mesopotamia under American occupation and why things turned out the way they did this is the best book they can pick up.

Many histories will be written of Iraq at the beginning of the 21st century and works like "Beyond the Green Zone" will serve as their foundation.

This is an excellent book. It tells the truth and is deeply touching. It's hard to read it and not be affected. I am getting copies for a lot of my friends since I believe it's important that people get first hand accounts of the war. Dahr put his own life at risk to bring the news to others. I hope that his message is widely read so the heartbreaking tragedy occuring in Iraq can be stopped and the region can move toward peace.

If you read only 1 book about what is going on in Iraq, due to the Bush/Cheney manipulated/illegal Occupation, this is without any doubt, "The Book To Read"! Beyond the Green Zone: Dispatches from an Unembedded Journalist in Occupied Iraq

Thanks go out to the "Unembedded Journalist in Iraq" and author, Dahr Jamail, for his "Courage and Truthiness"!

Sgt. Allen G. Riegel ret
US Army 3/25th Inf. (VN)
wounded Vet

Perhaps history will never be told better than through the eye of this travelling writer (or is it a writing traveller?). Read and be awed by the staggering proportions of recent history in the vast empire that is no more, the Sovjet Union. And be chilled to the bones by the unimaginable amounts of suffering inflicted by the sovjet leaders on their own people. And be astonished that in the midst of the most utter despair, poverty, and enslavement, Kapuscinski can find optimism, humor, and love of life.

"Imperium" is more than a mere travelogue of the states comprising the former USSR, although if the book were only visit to far-off spots (like Kolyma, Zabaykal'sk and Nagorno-Karabakh) that very few get to see, it would be worth your time. Ryszard Kapuscinski's masterful work not only describes places within "the Imperium" and the history behind them, it plumbs the very soul of Russia.

The book starts in Pinsk, in 1939, when the author was a boy. Stalin ruled the USSR and the Soviet Army's invasion of Kapuscinski's home city gave the author his first glimpse of the terror of the Soviet regime -- made even more terrible by the utterly arbitrary use of power. The remainder of the first section of the book describes Kapuscinski's travels on the Trans-Siberian railway in 1958 and in the southern portions of the USSR in 1967. Here we learn about the beauty and tragedy of Armenia and are given a feel for life in the "stans."

The second, and longest, section of the book describes the vast areas of the USSR visited by Kapuscinski between 1989 and 1991. Kapusczinski describes Moscow as it was, before Napolean's invasion, Moscow before the Bolsheviks took over, and their transformation of Moscow into a dreary, vaguely industrial-looking city. The symbol of the replacement of worship of God with the mastery of the State is the nearly overnight destruction of the magnificent Temple of Christ the Savior, which was built over sixty years, and its replacement with the Palace of the Soviets. Kapuscinski travels to Georgia, Armenia, and icy Vorkuta. In a chapter on Central Asia, Kapuscinski describes the destruction of the Aral Sea -- another man-made ecological disaster, caused by Brezhnev's order to turn Uzbekistan into a land of nothing but cotton. But the most heartbreaking chapter is on Kolyma, part of the gulag where millions were sent to their frozen, hungry deaths. This is difficult to read, but important.

Whither Russia? When this book was written, more than a dozen years ago, it seemed that Russia was starting to unfreeze -- at least politically and economically. Kapuscinski's outlook at the time was bleaker than most. He recognized the enormous problems facing Russia -- the legacy of terror and repression, the poverty, the demoralization of significant portions of the society and the ecological depredations. He also predicted a confrontation between Christianity and Islam in the border regions.

I wish that the author had been able to return to the Imperium and provide his unique insights into Putin-ruled Russia today. Unfortunately, Ryszard Kapuscinski died this year. This book is part of his important legacy.

A lyrical masterpiece by this superlative writer! Nowhere have I found a dissection of the Evil Empire done with such fluid verse. He goes from the periphery into the heart of the beast and everywhere he discovers that appearances deceive and what seems to signal change is really a re-hash of old. Kapuczinski's sharp analysis and trenchant comments will be sorely missed!

Russia for all its' history has only worked well when it had a philosopher- king as its' ruler. Peter and Catherine did more to pull the country into a modernized version than all of their predicesors. Ivan III (not the terrible but the venerated) and Stalin had many of the same megalomaniac ideas of how to govern. I.e. Banish or exterminate anyone who doesn't agree with you (both had a son murdered on their orders) and rule by fear.

The one thing that you would have expected the CPSU (Communist Party of the Soviet Union) to have accomplished in seventy years, was the construction of a massive infrastructure to allow them to better control the population. But the biggest problem in Russia today, is the work that was done during the communist period. Pre-revolutionary buildings (built before 1914) have held up better than those built under Stalin and especially those built after WW2. Russia has never been able to feed its' own people during the twentieth century because of the poor distribution system that exists to this day. It is estimated that half the harvest is lost each year due to a lack of infrastructure to move food from the farms to the cities.

Kapuscinski gives us a background on the ways in which the CPSU controlled the country but never learned to govern it. He begins with his visits in the pre-WW2 era, gives us extended tours during the middle century and an interesting view at the time of the disintegration of the Soviet Union in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

In his ending section (His Sequel) he is prescient in discussing how he sees the beginning of the failure of 'democrats' to rule Russia and the beginning of the growth of monopolies and dictatorship. Only a strong hand will help Russia survive while it tries to set its' house in order. He saw Putin coming before anyone knew his name.

Ryszard Kapuscinski is a guru to many people in Poland, and his books were always received with unending awe - because he traveled, when hardly anybody else could o anywhere apart from other countries of the Communist bloc, and moreover - he could write about what he saw... I still marvel how he managed to write so many things, which were in principle against the system, and still get published, but it is another question (Polish censorship was maybe not that tight or not that clever, or - most likely - clever enough to allow the chosen one his writing in the name of relative peace???).

"Imperium" is one of my favorites among Kapuscinski's books (NB. I have read the original, so have no idea about the translation, but after reading some earlier reviews I think it must be good too). I have been driven to the mystery of Russia and its acquisitions as well as to the phenomenon of Soviet Union for a long time, and here Kapuscinski gives a lot on these subjects in a concise form.

The book is divided into several parts, starting with the author's earliest memories of Soviet Union, when he was a schoolboy of what is now Belarus, and with his surprisingly acute observations (reminding me of my own, never put into words, forty years later, when everything was already much more relieved, but still the school was mysteriously insane). Then we go through Siberia on the Transsiberian train (still a cult trip for many students in Poland, albeit it must be very different now), and proceed to the other republics of the Soviet Union.

Kapuscinski traveled as a journalist, but always he managed to get something private out of each visit, which had to have an official program and probably nothing more was permitted. He talked to people in the forgotten corners of the Imperium and in the representative places, watched them, saw the ancient rituals and old habits under (and clashing with) the overwhelming, transplanted Russian culture, and wrote about it, preserving the memories and triggering in several generations the urge to see it with their own eyes, managing to capture the atmosphere of each place he got to... He evokes the image of "Homo Sovieticus", at the same time wondering about Russian soul.

The book is full of literary allusions and connections and contains a rich bibliography at the end, which is also recommended. "Imperium", as Kapuscinski warns at the beginning, is a collection of observations and his thoughts, as deep as they can be in this form, but because the subject is vast, everything is treated personally and rather as an encouragement to inflame greater interest, and then more monographic works come in handy (e. g. reading in "Imperium" about the North led me to excellent books by Mariusz Wilk, a longtime resident of Solovki).

I heartily recommend this book - it cannot disappoint!