Events Books

My optimism shines when a state that is known for progressives, bible thumping, and other forms of collectivism (take your pick), produces a rational voice that is seldom heard in the local papers. Jack Criss delivers a straight-forward defense of individual rights and free markets in his book, _Ready, Aim, Right!_.

This is a collection of Jack's writings over a fourteen year period that covers our culture, politics, business, local issues, and even a few book reviews. Also, Jack has a section dedicated to personal issues where Jack discusses his father, family, children, and of course his beloved Minnesota Vikings.

If Mississippi had only a few more voices in sync with Jack's, the state would be a beacon on the road back to restoring the founding principles of our country. Kudos to Jack for a job well done!

This book offers a very enjoyable read.

I found it of interest that Criss discusses his own "odyssey" from "Marx, Ginsberg, Siddhartha, long hair and 'Rock Against Reagan' ... to Ayn Rand, Aristotle, Ludwig von Mises, Voltaire and business meetings," as he puts it in the Preface of his book. He praises "laissez-faire, individual freedom, high culture"-values "most often identified with the Right," while having no sympathy for the Libertarian Party (though he clearly agrees with the LP's core principles and "party message").

All this seems pretty "Right-wing" to me, including some of his stances on the current war.

But Criss is no traditional conservative, since he takes issue with the "Family Values" crowd in the GOP.

Criss has a fightin' style to his writing: very colorful and very entertaining. Even when you disagree with him on any specific issue, you marvel at his way with words.

The book is not all politics, however; I was most enchanted by his various musings on his personal life. A tribute to his father and his reflections on becoming a father offer the most poignant moments in the book.

Well done!

Jack is a breath of fresh air....it is a great refreshing departure when a person can stand and deliver his opinion
on matters without folding before the status quo. I respect his intelligence...his insight and his courage.

Edward S.
Jackson, MS

It often seems today that the voice of reason is trying to make itself heard above a howling, never-ending hurricane of perilous irrationality. It shouts, it pleads, it warns, it explains. Sometimes, it even damns the stubbornly, consciously deaf. It knocks on the doors of men's minds with the same persistence that the hurricane rattles and buffets those doors.
But most people, it also seems, can barely hear that voice because they have taken refuge from the endemic irrationality in reason-proof states of mind. They cannot be blamed for fearing the hurricane; they seem to think that the irrationality is a natural phenomenon, and that they are powerless to stop it. They think their only option is to ride out the storm and pick up the pieces after it has passed. Regrettably, when they lock out irrationality, they also lock out its antidote.
The number of American periodicals in the print medium that consistently promotes reason in men's affairs can be counted perhaps on the fingers of two hands. Almost without exception, these are conservative publications such as The New York Sun and the Washington Times, which unfortunately leave reason behind when the subject is abortion, the promotion of "family values" as government policy, and religion. Perhaps the only newspaper in the country that does not exhibit this dichotomy is The Orange County Register in California.
Jack Criss, career editor, journalist and former talk-show host, is also one of those exceptions. Ready, Aim, Right! is a collection of his writings covering fifteen years of shouting, warning and explaining in a variety of prominent Mississippi business publications. However, Jack Criss does not plead, whine or beg. Should the welfare state be abolished? Yes! Should the government, local and federal, get out of the lives of Americans, and protect their rights instead of violating them every day and everywhere citizens turn? Yes! Should the government cease its policies of fraud, deceit and extortion via Social Security and the income tax? Yes! Should the government abandon the education racket that accomplishes rampant illiteracy at the cost of billions? Yes!
Where in the original Constitution, Criss might cause a reader to ask himself, is the clause or article that grants the federal or any state government the power to "manage" the economy and the lives of Americans? And if such a clause or article exists, wouldn't it nullify the balance of the Constitution? He refuses to allow Americans to forget their rights and the original purpose of government, first enunciated by the Founders. Wherever he detects dishonesty, scams, lies, and outright robbery by career politicians and bureaucrats, Criss is on top of it, exposing it all. He does so with style, wit, frankness and integrity, virtues no longer apparent in most journalists today, either in the print or the broadcast media. His is a voice that should be heard and heeded.
We hope Criss's next book project will be a collection of his radio interviews, which should also make interesting and infuriating reading. They are discussions with notables ranging from populist demagogue Jesse Jackson to philosopher of reason Leonard Peikoff.

I am the author of "Ready, Aim, Right!" I must say that I am very proud of this work on many levels: I believe that the ideals of classical liberalism (i.e., Enligtenment values such as this country was founded on) find voice in my essays. Individual rights, the defense of the market along with those who create and produce in it, high culture, reason as an absolute, et al, are some the values I defend vigorously and cogently in a way that I believe is unprecendeted. As an autodidact---and business owner--the essays in "Ready, Aim, Right!" come from the frontlines of the modern, non-tenured boardroom. My perspective is that of a self-taught philosopher who is also a business owner. I attack and vivisect, yes; but I also propose solutions in a clear, often humorous and highly personal way. I urge you to buy the book. As a salesman, I would appreciate the business! As a classical liberal who is disenchanted with both the Right and the Left I will also add that you will find these essays unlike most commentary you might read today. Thank you.

A great insight into the world of the 'forgotten superheros', the people who deliver the news of the tragedies that occur. This is very interesting, giving lots of different points of view from across the affected area. It could have done with more pictures and photos, but the stories of the pressure-filled newsrooms paint a good enough picture to keep you interested throughout this book.

The authors do an amazing job of letting the stories stand on their own in providing readers with a rare and engaging look at how the press responded to a national tragedy. Even just one year later, Running towards Danger, is already an important piece of American history.

The photographs and the reporters' accounts of their September 11th experiences are a piercing and necessary reminder to all Americans of why the war on terrorism must be won.

From Library Journal Reviews ; October 1, 2002 Tuesday By Audrey Snowden
The Newseum, an interactive museum of news located in Arlington, VA, was operating as usual on September 11, 2001. After seeing smoke billowing from the ravaged Pentagon, its staff members immediately closed the museum and worked through the night assembling an exhibit of wire service photos from around the world. This book is the outgrowth of that initial exhibit. What sets it apart from the plethora of books on 9/11 is its focus. Told chronologically through 100 first-person vignettes and 75 powerful color and black-and-white photographs, the book covers the varied experiences of members of the press. Big-name anchors weigh in, but the stage belongs to the reporters and photographers who usually work behind the scenes. Authors Trost, a former Wall Street Journal reporter, and Shepard, award-winning media critic, provide a firsthand - and very human - look at the process behind the coverage, revealing how the immediacy of ongoing television and Internet coverage helped journalists, photojournalists, and anchors shape a nation's perception of a tragically unique day. A valuable addition, especially to school libraries. - Audrey Snowden, formerly with Clark Univ., Worcester, MA
Newseum with Cathy Trost & Alicia C. Shepard. Rowman & Littlefield. 2002. c.256p. photog. ISBN 0-7425-2316-0.

This is a round of fraternal applause for American journalists, who earned everyone's sincere respect on September 11th. Journalists from all levels of the profession who were on the story are interviewed. Their tales are then spliced up and laid out in chronological order, from onset to post-traumatic jitters. The professionalism on display here is absolutely superb. Most people have some idea of how hectic the job of getting the news produced each day is. Here we have the spectacle of these brave professionals getting the job done minus most of their familiar tools and surroundings, and plus a soul-sucking fear that they or their colleagues are about to die. No smirks, no condescension, no "women and minorities hardest hit" credentializing.

So is this book an adequate tribute to them? Yes. Can't go wrong. The text is punchy and hot-off-the-presses, and the photos really crackle. There is a problem, though.

The book seems to discriminate against Foxnews. Apart from a screenshot of Shepard Smith and a photo of a correspondent at the Pentagon, Foxnews is excluded from this collection. This is very strange, since Foxnews is based in New York and is the number four American news network, behind the networks and ahead of CNN. Could it be that the Newseum staff who edited this book don't consider those eeeevillll conservatives to be *real* journalists? That's a nasty thought, but what other explanation could there be? Even a reporter from the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, in town for a fashion show and caught up in events, is quoted multiple times. To be sure, staff from the Wall Street Journal are quoted extensively, as their offices were hardest hit.

Apart from that, the book is gripping. The journos' professional instincts snapped into action. Taking to bicycling when traffic congeals, giving the cordon police the slip, phoning Mom to relay a report second hand, the ingenuity and dedication is impressive. There's also a seldom-reported sensitivity. Some reporters pitch in with relief efforts. Some cry along with the sobbing victims they are interviewing. There's only one case of a reporter getting the bum's rush, from some firemen who were trying to catch their breath.

We get all meat in this book. The actual TV broadcasts that day were teeming with hastily miked-up guests experts, helping the gabbling anchors fill air time until actual news got into their earpieces. But ever the pro, Peter Jennings signaled for silence on the set when the towers came down. No comment was necessary.

It might have been nice to include a story or two from a West Coast news outlet. When the attacks happened, I couldn't get into any of the national news websites. I finally connected to the Sacramento Bee's site. The webmaster was frantically posting up wire photos and rolling copy through, with what must have been a small, sleepy crew.

And then in a few weeks things were back to normal. NPR's Loren Jenkins blurted in an interview that he would "smoke out" and disclose the location of any U. S. troops on a secret mission, if it meant getting the story. The TV news people harrumphed at Fox for wearing lapel flags, fearing that the sight of the national flag on the set would signify support for the Bush administration and not the country as a whole. Reuters insisted on calling Arab terrorists "militants", and putting "terrorism" in skepticism-implying quotation marks. The liberal pundits covered the Afghan war like children in the back seat whining "Are we there yet?" New York Times editorial page editor Howell Raines concluded that the war on terror was Vietnam II, and used his page of that august newspaper to try to block further retaliation. But even with all its faults, the American press is mano-a-mano the greatest in the world. It's inspiring to see this record of how great it was on a day when it laid its faults aside.

I am interested in good clean stories that leave one feeling like life has some value. The A D Chronicles are such books. I would recommend them
for any adult's reading. The Thoenes are wonderful writers that have the ability to transport a reader back in time to share the action first hand.

This is the 7th book in the A.D. Chronicles series. This is the best series of books I have ever read, and I have read many. I would highly recommend this book. I am understanding the Bible better as I get insights into the history and traditions of the 1st century A.D.

I love this authors series. This one follows the life of Christ with very interesting characters. They weave truthful facts and stories into a well developed story line. I am always anticipating the next one in the series - can't wait! Very well written.

I love all the Zion books, and waited with great excitement for the seventh installment of the AD Chronicles. I even bought the hardback as I didn't want to wait for the paperback edition. The book is written well; and even though I knew what was going to happen, I was still on the edge of my seat waiting to see just how the story was going to be handled. I wasn't disappointed with the story. However, I fear that this series may be falling into the same category as other good series as the books become shorter and the substance stretched thinner to allow for more sequels. This could be what publishers do but I hate to see it happen with this series. I will be much more patient in future and and wait for the paperback to come out

First off, I am a huge fan of B & B Thoene. This book is the continuation fo the story of Jesus through the eyes of the people who he touched. The most wonderful thing is that He (Jesus) continues to touch and change lives. Even though I have read the story of Lazarus many times, this book puts a new Light on the miracle at Bethany.

I loved this book. It covers the history of Open Source and explain WHY people do open source and HOW they make it happen!

The Success of Open Source in a not a just wistful paean to Linux as the title would suggest. Rather, it is two books in one.

The first book is one of the very best recapitulations of the open source movement and all of its predecessors. The second book is about how something that just seemingly shouldn't work, works so well, and how those principles behind its working extend to more than just the open source movement.

The author, a university professor, draws liberally from the traditions of historians, economists, sociologists, and psychologists to paint a compelling picture of why the forces behind open source are not going to go away any time soon. Read in best companion with The Cathedral and the Bazaar, which IS a bit of a wistful paean to Linux, it illuminates its subject wonderfully.

Steven's book brings a rich articulation of the social practices innovations unleashed by the Open Source collective: a new understanding of private property that better fit the tech forces and the challenges of the present. His book it is not a model; it is not the list of the 10 reasons why...; it is not the defense of an emerging theory; but an historical account in which anecdotes, facts, historical moment, tentative hypothesis, set the background to allows the reader to reshape her/his own questions. The book gave me a perspective I have been testing with IT architects, programmers, software designers...I feel myself much more prepare to engage in conversations about the future in a meaningful and effective way. Thanks to the author!

For the serious reader (and who indeed thinks open source is hilarious?), Weber provides a detailed history of how this idea developed. He traces it from the advent of unix in the 1970s, and the generous (ie. low fees) licensing terms by ATT. Which led to the BSD Unix that flourished in the 80s. Also during this time, GNU took off.

But the bulk of the book deals with the 90s onwards. Especially as linux grew from Torvalds' seminal contribution. Its intellectual roots in unix and GNU are studied. We also see the rise of the Free Software Foundation and Apache, as articulate enablers and promoters of open source. All of which was aided by the invention and meteoric growth of the Web. This played a vital role in enabling a global audience of programmers to hear of and contribute their efforts.

I'm a commercial software developer, and found the author's history of the UNIX culture and the story of its evolution into what we now call Open Source to be fascinating. That alone made it a good read for me. Add in the thought provoking analysis of the "whys" (the real point of this book), and it's a killer combo.

Warning: the book is *full* of sentences like "Pluralism at many different levels is being enabled by communications technologies and by experimentation with property; together, these are reducing the marginal cost of adding voices toward an asymptote of zero." Despite that, I've been able to read it at the pace of a thriller, not a textbook.

I WISH I COULD HAVE GIVEN IT 500 STARS! READ IT! THAT'S MY ORDER! Man I love this book!

I can't speak for others, but in my case I was always of the impression that campaign finance was the best solution for the country. I bought into the idea that there was massive corruption in government, and that a way to curb this would be through restricting contributions from large donors. This is what I was always led to believe, so naturally I would be for campaign finance reform.

After reading Bradley Smith's book, however, my view on the issue has completely changed. He documents in great detail the harm of campaign finance, how it can restrict the political speech of challengers and grassroots movements, and ultimately how the reform process will never end if it continues, and will only bring on more restrictions to help close "loopholes" in the current set of reforms.

Though I believe there is still a great deal of discrimination and corruption in politics (just look at the voter caging that took place in the 2000 and 2004 elections), I no longer am of the viewpoint that money is THE key factor in this problem, and limiting its use in the campaign process will only hurt the average US citizen's means of obtaining information and supporting a candidate in a monetary sense, rather than promote an even playing field for all those involved in an election.

I greatly appreciate Professor Smith's analysis. If nothing else, the rarely heard opposition to campaing finance reform is set forth clearly in this book. There is, however, some shortcomings in his analysis.

First, take this passage (there are other analogous ones in the book that prove a similar point) from page 71:

"(Steve) Forbes indicated that he would not have sought the nomination had former congressman and secretary of housing and urban development Jack Kemp decided to run. Kemp chose not to run in large part because he did not want to engage in fund-raising. Had Forbes been able to donate to Kemp the $25 million he planned to spend on his own campaign, Kemp might have run and would quite likely have been a frontrunner for the Republican nomination."

It is easy to see that from this bit (and others) that Professor Smith does not wish to gloss over that fact that money in fact DOES affect politics. Later on that same page he entertains a thought experiment in which all campaign contributions were banned to see who would run in such a scenario. He admits that those with the most name recognition (athletes, celebrities, incumbents, succesful business persons active in their community, etc.) would be able to win. And importantly, he says that those who would win in the experiment wouldnt be much different than those who win now. It would seem then, that name recognition or fame also affects politics.

Thus, the following two things Professor Smith does not challenge: money affects politics, and name recognition affects politics. Now, it is also apparent that money affects name recognition (think TV ads). Given that Professor Smith does not argue with these things, an proponent of reform is unlikely to be swayed. For proponents the unconstested fact that money affects politics (and can buy at least some degree of name recognition) is enough to justify contribution limits. So, it would have been better to see Professor Smith adress more directly the proponents onjections.

I also find lacking that Professor Smith does not mention much about spending for state or local elections and how money affects politics in those instances. For example, in the Austin, TX city council elections recently, 4 Democratic candidates with near identical views ran. The election came to a runoff between the two top contenders, both of whom had TV ads while the other two did not. Does this disprove Professor Smith's arguments? No, but it would be better if he discussed local elections as well.

This book changing my way of thinking 180 degrees. I was a huge John McCain and Campaign Finance Reform fan, but I read this book just to see what the other side had to say. I am sure glad I did! Smith points out many problems with alleged reform on mulitple levels. If you are interested in campaign finance reform, however you may feel about the subject, I suggest you read this book.

As the best known critic of campaign finance reform, Bradley Smith makes strong arguments not just against the legislation itself but against the philosophy underlying the entire movement. This is important, because many supporters of reform refuse to acknowledge that any case against their rationale exists. Many critiques of campaign finance legislation focus on proving that not nearly as much money is spent on campaigning as the public has been led to believe, or that the proposed legislation would give certain types of grassroots groups an unfair advantage over others. Smith's attack goes much further than that. He demonstrates why, in the long run, strict regulation of campaigns will harm everyone by crippling their ability to channel their talents into meaningful participation in the political process.

The first half of the book serves as a comprehensive survey of arguments brought against reform. He begins by analyzing why the proposed legislation would give incumbents enormous advantages over challengers. From there, he discusses how the term corruption has been expanded to mean anything that a legislator does to respond to the wishes of constituents who helped contribute to her campaign-whether or not a causal link can be established between particular contributions and particular legislation. He concludes it with a section on how limits placed on monetary expenditures made to pay for speech are, in fact, limits placed on speech itself because the expenditure of money to pay for speech is inextricably linked to speech itself.

In the second half, he deconstructs philosophical arguments used to justify reforms and turns them on their heads. He starts by pointing out that supporters of reform typically ignore the fact that most non-monetary means of influencing politicians are not distributed on an egalitarian basis. Thus, simply removing private contributions from our political system will not make everyone equal overnight. He develops this point by discussing the traditional notion of political equality-that "...Citizens are free to use their differing abilities, financial wherewithal, and personal disposition to become more or less active in political life, and to attempt to persuade their fellow citizens to vote in a particular manner." He points out that campaign finance reform is nothing more than an attempt to narrow the pool of individuals afforded this freedom.

He concludes by hammering this point home: "...Because the First Amendment...makes no distinction between the different types of political influence, it allows a maximum number of voters to participate and helps to prevent any one faction or interest from gaining the upper hand in political debate." This Madisonian indictment of the campaign finance movement goes above and beyond merely attacking various legislative proposals as incumbent protection schemes. It cuts through all the political rhetoric and reveals what campaign finance reform really is: an attempt by a coalition of elite groups to cast the rules of political debate on their own terms.

If you're concerned about free speech, read this book. You won't be disappointed.

Mr. Dunning gives his readers insight to real people living in the South through his story of a fictional Mack Oliver, a man who finds himself in a real-life situation where he is unable to help himself. This book is more than a crime novel, as it explores and explains how people are perceived and treated differently because of their standing in society. His portrayal of the legal system's inadequate treatment of the mentally ill is very accurate.

Who's Mack OliverThis book is brilliantly written !!!
I believe "Who's Mack Oliver?" could and should be used as a teaching guide to help individuals take notice how they interact with different cultures in our society today. The way Mr. Dunning depicts the characters within this story is superb !!!

Individuals that read this novel will be pleasantly surprised the way you can follow each character; their role in the story; and, the interaction of each character to the completion of the story.

You may find yourself in one of the characters personality; how they reacted in their situation; and/or how your experiences identify with Mack Oliver.

I recommend this book to everyone with the greatest of pleasure !!!
The way Mr. Dunning designed the cover to the very last page is magnificent and will leave you hoping for a sequel !!! FANTASTIC !!!

This is a book that makes you think differently about the invisible people that we see in our everyday comings and goings. Mr. Dunning brings Birmingham to us with meticulate descriptions and his characters are poignant and real. The issues he tackles are well thought out and intriguing.

Great book, even if you are not an avid reader you will not want to put this book down. It made me feel like I was in Birmingham, AL on the southside of town at the Fountian hearing the music.
It also makes you stop and think about all the homeless people out there.
Could this really happen?

This novel is so real that it seams that you are walking on the Birmingham streets. Dunning plays with his knowledge of the English language using very rich vocabulary; some descriptions are Poet's work. He also has a profound knowledge of the Human behavior and a strong historical background with a clear understanding of what is really happening in this Country; all the silent but brutal racial and religious conflicts. Overall, this is an excellent masterpiece that deserves to be in any best-seller's collection.

Jones does a great job of teaching people how to "win" with the media as opposed to "surviving" or "defeating" the media. That mindset change is key for most people. I learned many new tricks of the trade from reading his book.

If I had to pick only one book of the hundreds written on how to deal with the media, this would be the one I'd recommend. In fact, when I reviewed an earlier edition of this book several years ago for my newsletter, The Publicity Hound, I said that this was the book I wish I had written. As a former newspaper editor who worked in the business 22 years, I thought I knew it all, and more. I didn't, particularly when it came to TV. I couldn't put the book down.

Clarence Jones, a former award-winning investigative reporter in both newspapers and TV, knows his stuff, including all the tricks reporters use to loosen your lips. The book is pithy, with easy-to-read chapters broken down into numerous sub-heads--making it easy to find exactly what you're looking for in a hurry.

Jones takes you inside the heads and brains of working journalists. He explains how they think, how they react, and what they have the power to do to you if you don't play by their rules.

I read an earlier edition from cover to cover and referred to it so often in my consulting practice that the book literally fell apart from use. When I scanned this 8th edition, I got lost in it AGAIN, long past my bedtime. Reading it will make you much smarter, much savvier and much better prepared to meet the media when bad news strikes. Even if all the stories about you are good (yeah, right), please don't do another interivew unless you read this book first.

Joan Stewart
The Publicity Hound
http://www.PublicityHound.com

If you deal with the media then you should have read this book already. I read Michael Levine's Guerrilla PR Wired, a brilliant book on PR, and then read Winning With The News Media. Both were influential in my career.

I work as a Public Infomation Officer and Paramedic for EVAC Ambulance in Volusia County, FL (Daytona Beach / Metro Area). This book is is quite simply the BEST how to guide to any one who works with the media. Clarence Jones continues his tradition of excellence with the new and revised 2001 edition. Don't hesitate just buy it, you'll love it.

I must admit, as a Public Information professional I at first found Jones' writing style and key points for working with the media rather simplistic. But as I continued reading, I found myself marking and underlining passage after passage. As a spokeman and media relations officer within NATO, and having just returned as a spokesman for NATO operations in Macedonia during a major deployment of troops, I wished I had read this book before I went there. I was doing as many as 20 interviews per day ranging from live stand-ups with CNN and BBC, to radio call-ins and newspaper interviews representing media world-wide. This book reinforced everything I learned leading up to and during that experience, stating clearly what's important and why, as well as many tips and techiques that seem rather minor but are really quite important when push comes to shove and you find yourself face-to-face with a reporter. I will use many points from this book to further refine my own training program for senior leaders within NATO and to prepare them for interviews. A great resource that has found a prominent place among my professional books.

As a person with a conservative background, let me start off by telling you what this book is not. It is not liberal, despite what reviewer Kennedy of CA may believe. Yes, James Blanchard is a Democrat, but aside from mentioning select election results, there is no liberal or conservative ideology contained within this book. Further, James Blanchard does much to bolster his credibility through listing his own shortcomings and relaying some less than flattering views of the Clinton administration where warranted. I was surprised and impressed by his candor.

Lastly, reviewer Kennedy is just plain silly when implying that former congressman, governor, ambassador Blanchard (with a masters in business and a law degree) "...discovers Canada actually exists..." With the majority of Canadian/American trade flowing between Ontario and Michigan, and the fact that every handful of Michigan pocket change contains at least one Canadian coin, it is preposterous to assume any Michigan resident would be ignorant of the planet's second largest country.

The heart and soul of this book is a very human and relatable James Blanchard giving readers an inside look at what is like to be an American ambassador to Canada and how he may have played a humble, yet key role in the shaping of the two nation`s policies. The former ambassador's most lasting contributions may well lie within the Canadian/American Open Skies agreement and the results of the Quebec referendum.

No doubt, Canadians and Americans of all slants will enjoy learning more about the partner with whom they share the world's longest open border.

If only James Blanchard were still the US Ambassador to Canada! Relations between the two countries would not be in the sorry state they are now. But then the current Republican administration would never send someone like Blanchard to Ottawa. Blanchard made every attempt to get to understand Canada and Canadian issue before he even moved to the capital. He travelled to all ten provinces in the months prior to setting up shop across from the parliament buildings.
This book provides a powerful and insightful backdrop against which to view the current administration's constant harping about the war on drugs. Canada is trying to take a more European approach, treating the problem as a medical issue as opposed to a criminal matter - but that only enrages George Bush's gang. One would think that the US war on drugs was a series of resounding triumphs!
Blanchard also noted that Canada does not 'do inbvasions' but rather does peacekeeping, so advised Clinton not to even ask Canada to take part in an invasion of Haiti. He also noted that we like to do things as part of the United Nations, so that was the best way to approach us. Imagine!
This book should be read by all US ambassadors, in fact all US state department officials for that matter.

As the previous reviewers have said, Blanchard has written a key book for understanding US-Canadian relations. But this is also the most insightful book I have found about Clinton and the Clinton Administration in the areas in which Clinton was most successful, personal relations and trade policy.

...read this book. It is a decent primer for US residents who want to learn more about our oft-neglected neighbor. Warning: Mr. Blanchard is quite liberal, and liberal policies (US & Canadian) are treated matter-of-factly. His conservative successor as governor of Michigan (John Engler) has, in most people's opinions, done a better job. Interested conservatives will still enjoy the book--just keep a few grains of salt handy.

Canadians might get a kick out of a quintessential "American discovers Canada actually exists and is also pretty neato" story.

If you're Canadian, you really need to read this book. If you're American, you really need to read this book. James J. Blanchard has seen our Canadianisms and helped us to do the unthinkable, define ourselves. From coast to coast and beyond, the essence of what we are leaks out on these pages. It is fitting that an American should expose our mysteries and histories. Not that we are hidding them, we just seem to have a hard time accepting them. We remain the True North, Strong and Free. Thankyou James Blanchard.

There are people who will swear by this book, there are people who will hate the book. There is no middle ground, i have checked and tried it out. Either you love it or you hate it. Poetic Nonsense in finesse and the finest form.

This will cure your longing of the cluetrain manifisto stuffs. Beautifully written and meaningless at some point, but you goona love it i guess, you gonna crave for more, and then subscribe the newsletter.

GO buy the book, and immerse yourself. I have read some part of the book more than 3 times. Amen.

I just finished Bombastic Transcripts, so if you have bothered to read this at all you're probably wondering so what did this monkeyboy think? Good question, honestly I am still pondering it mulling it over in my head and probably will for a bit. It is a quick read, it's an interesting read, but fundamentally it's not a light read. It takes a little time for digestion and pondering... I suspect I will read it again in the next month or two and reconsider, hell maybe throw this whole review out.

So here's my advice go buy the book, RageBoy needs the cash. If you like Tom Robbins, Hunter S Thompson, and the Gonzo style read away, you'll enjoy it. Perhaps you will find some stuff to digest, even without ingesting any substances on the Schedule I drug list.

If you didn't like Cluetrain Manifesto, Gonzo Marketing, or any Gonzo writing buy the book anyways, for the reasons stated above. Then hide the book in your bookshelf and wait until a really dark night, one in which your soul is screaming for mercy while the night rages in a Category 5 Hurricane and your only fresh reading material is a copy of Reader's Digest you have flipped through already 15 times. Your mind goes hungry, for something unanswered and unknown, and you will recall this book hiding in some dark corner of the bookshelf covered in dust and a three month old edition of Fast Company magazine. You will pull it off the shelf and find yourself drawn to the words expressed inside and the walls of illusion come crashing down inside your mind. Either that or you'll take a gun and pull a Hemmingway. Doesn't much matter to me, if you survive reading it you might even find yourself signing up for Entropy Gradient Reversals, but let me warn you the shotgun is alot quicker and painless, but it's not nearly as much fun.

I only have one thing to say about this: "The Solution is Poetry". Excellent reading. Warning, you may not get it if you consider yourself too smart and significant.

This is the crash course in understanding the fundamentals of the necessity of change as seen through the eyes of the author, Christopher Locke. Everything you previously thought was lore is turned on its head in riotous fashion in The Bombast Transcripts. Each chapter takes apart some standard you thought was a given, an immutable and constant attribute of practically every aspect of life in the western world.

The best part is that Chris does it in so many different ways in one book. There's flat out ranting and there's cutting ridicule including interviews with himself, Rupert Murdoch and the famous one with Mr Ed. (Yes, the horse.)

Using those cliched critic's terms of rollercoaster ride or rollicking good yarn don't do this volume any justice whatsoever. In fact, this book defies any label you might care to ascribe.

In fact, I defy anyone to come up with a label for this book.

That was my introduction just over a year ago to Entropy Gradient Reversals and the evil genius mind(s) behind it, Christopher Locke/RageBoy. From that first mind-blowing, breathless reading of his newsletter, I was alternately charmed, alarmed and disarmed by the decidedly unpretentious Chris Locke. His new book, the Bombast Transcripts, a collection of essays previously published to the Entropy Gradient Reversals mailing list, contains that first newsletter that caught my imagination, and so many more.

As I've read through this book, I have found myself again reacting to it in the visceral way that I had to become accustomed to as one of his faithful Valued Readers at EGR. While some may call him pompous and crass, I find him to be merely open and honest. Then again, I've always had a soft spot for intelligent, over-indulgent, semi-vulgar Don Quixotes. His chosen windmills are big business that don't have a clue (IBM et all, no small potatoes here) and, while a book about business practices would normally make my eyes glaze over while putting me in a semi-catatonic state, I find this book to be human and engaging at every turn. Each essay stands on it's own as either a rant or a screed, yet each could also be expanded into its own little book. Irreverent, engaging, transforming, contemplative, hilarious....and each page is more of the same.

While I read Locke's words, I get the feeling that I am a part of something much bigger and more important than anyone can guess, especially those that think the internet is nothing more than a collection of chatrooms and porn sites. No, I get the feeling I'm getting a glimpse of a creation, a rapturous inferno of truth and emotion, two key elements that, when exposed to each other under the heat of RageBoy's passion, cause a brilliant flash of evolution that could change the world as we know it. What a wonderful world that would be.

Idealistic? Maybe. Bombastic? Hardly. Evil Genius?? Indeed.

I have only recently purchased this book and must say that Lisa Jones is hilarious! Her analysis about everything in black pop culture from big bottoms to blaxploitation puts a humorous spin on race in the United States. I really enjoyed how much of herself (Jewish, Black, woman) she put into the novel. I wish that she would continue to make essays such as these and keep them aligned with current events.

Though some of the events she talks about are dated news events (Mike Tyson rape and Dr. Dre assaulting Dee Barnes), her appropriately hilarious outlook makes reading her essays relevant even today.

I highly recommend this book.

My mum gave me this book a couple years ago and it opened my eyes to different ideas about race. I'm 15 and a few references to the old days are above me but this book speaks to me. It's the perfect cure for an identity crisis and Ms Jones thought processes are deep and humorous.

I especially love the essay "Tragedy Becomes Her" and "Is Biracial Enough". The essays in part 2 - Bring the Heroines made me think about the maltreatment of black women and gave me more reason to be proud of my mum and grandma's and aunties.

It's a good book to give to young black women especially to help them see that they are worth more than people will lead them to believe.

Pure genius.

She needs to write another and another and another. I thought I was actually there in her memories....real time....in color. I have read this book several times and I am suggesting it to be read for a book club I belong to. A great read!!!!!

She needs to write another and another and another. I thought I was actually there in her memories....real time....in color. I have read this book several times and I am suggesting it to be read for a book club I belong to. A great read!!!!!

I purchased this book when I was still a teenager, and to be honest, I dont remember what attracted me to the book. I like to consider it one of those moments where fate leads you to somthing that will make life-journies a lot easier.

Bulletproof Diva became "my bible" I carried it in my bookbag along with my schoolbooks and dreamed of becoming a woman like Lisa Jones who so eloquently articulates her lessons her passions, her battles and her life. I am now 26 years old, and my worn dog eared copy of this book (which has survived a building collapse, two moves and several tempermental boyfriends) is still listed as a favorite.

I hope that it will inspire, elevate and nourish your soul, as it has mine!