Events Books

this is a great book on a complicated subject. goes beyond the headlines, written by the people who make the headlines. you can't go wrong with chris cerf's brilliant iraq war reader. another great read by cerf is "the experts speak", a chapter of which is excerpted in the current book.

I was impressed by how well this book is balanced. Although the editorial comments are on the whole skewed to the left, there is very little editorializing in the book. Many of the articles are historical documents, speeches or other matters of public record, while most are opinion pieces excerpted from books or periodicals. The reader is left to himself to make a decision on the politics of the situation. Regardless of your politics, nobody will be able to read this book without better grasping the complexity of the Iraq situation.

I've purchased and read many books on Iraq since it's what I'm studying at grad school right now, and this book is among the best I've read. There are so many different points of view offered here ranging from Noam Chomsky, Ann Coulter, and everyone in between. Even though Coulter's horribly titled (and written) article "Why we hate them" is a testament to how horrible a person she is, it's good to know all sides of the debate.

As the title suggests, in this book you'll find opinion pieces, articles from government officials, and government documents. The editors do a wonderful job at compiling a vast amount of relevant information. This is a good place to start if you'd like to familiarize yourself with the conflict, but most pieces are short and do not provide in-depth analysis of the topic.

This book provides an interesting and insightful look at Iraq and The Middle East situation. I was especially impressed with the list of contributors, the exceptional writing and the different perspectives presented. A must read, once you start, you can't put this book down.

This book was an excellent read. Both sides of the current Iraq War issue are well represented, with excellent footnotes for factual claims. Easy to differentiate between opinion and information. Each piece is from 2 to 8 pages. If you are willing to hear both sides of the story, this book is for you. But beware, I believe that the vast majority who read this with an open mind will develop serious doubts about what America is doing. For those who started out with doubts, this will give you some well-referenced factual support for your doubts. Enjoy!

A must read book for this excellent new author. Totally an eye opener on how people in other countries live in fear every day of their lives and this war has been going on for years. Myself being naive about how palestinians are treated and how their lives are so different from our own secure world. Americans are so engrossed in their busy lives and we hear very little of what goes on there. The author totally cares about these people and is so compassionate interviewing them. I highly recommend this book.

Cathy Sultan's book is a must-read. Most Americans don't have the opportunity of knowing what is happening to Palestinians in Israel. We mainly hear what our government wants us to hear, about suicide bombers, not about the millions of innocent Palestinians who are living (and dying) in extremely oppressive circumstances. They too want peace. Cathy Sultan provides a well written and well documented glimpse into the pain, humiliation and struggles that Palestinians face on a daily basis. She interviews both Israelis and Palestinians, asks tough and probing questions, and gives us a very readable, informative, and engrossing book. I highly recommend it.

An absolute must read!!!
Cathy Sultan recalls the painful past of the Middle East through very specific research. She experienced first-hand the present daily struggles of its people and documented them through her travels there. She invites you to help visualize a peaceful and vibrant life for those who have little voice in government.

A definite must have!!!

After reading Cathy Sultan's book, one certainly appreciates the freedom that we so easily take for granted here in the United States. Her book was clearly written and very educational. I'm going to recommend my high school age children read it. The people she interviewed were presented in a caring and compassionate manner. The men, women and students interviewed in "Israeli and Palestinian Voices" were diverse and yet ordinary people. After reading this book, I have a far better understanding and appreciation for the issues facing the people in that region of the world.

First and foremost I firmly believe that Israel has a right to exist and to defend itself. The Jewish people have suffered an incredible amount of persecution over the centuries, culminating in the events of World War II. Had there been a nation firmly representing the Jewish people, then the Germans would not have been able to engage in their extermination tactics. However, that does not justify the deliberate acts of "ethnic cleansing" that the Israelis have carried out since the first days of the emergence of Israel. The actions of the terror organizations the Irgun and Stern Gang in raping and killing Arabs are well known, having been documented by Israeli historians.
In this book, the author interviews Palestinian and Israeli people of all political persuasions. On the Israeli side the spectrum is from those who believe that they have a biblical right to the exclusive use of all the land of Palestine to those who think the only solution is a dual Jewish-Arab state. The Palestinians interviewed tended to be more towards the moderate wing, there were few statements advocating anything along the line of the destruction of Israel.
What you do get out of the book is the understanding that it is Israeli state policy to keep the tightest possible clamps on the Palestinians. Among many other things concrete rubble is dumped in the Palestinian streets to make it difficult for them to travel, centuries old fruit trees are bulldozed down to make room for Israeli settlements, and tariffs collected on goods that go through the Palestinian territories bound for Israel are not paid to the Palestinians. It is also clear that this attempt to keep the Palestinian territories a vassal state of Israel cannot be continued indefinitely.
Another thing that is clear is that the Palestinian people were very tired of the corruption exhibited by the Fatah organization of Yassir Arafat. In reading through the interviews with the Palestinians, one can sense the forces that led to the Hamas victory in their elections. The Palestinians voted for a change, and in their minds, anything was better than what they had.
Sultan has succeeded in presenting both sides of this seemingly irreconcilable conflict in a free and candid manner. The Palestinians describe the actions of the Israelis in the forcible confiscation of Arab land that began back in the forties. The Israelis counter with their history of centuries of persecution and their casualties as a consequence of suicide bombings. One can only hope that at some point both sides will finally realize that past suffering does not justify the persecution of the present and somehow reach an understanding that will allow both to eventually know some form of peace.

As a new employment rep for people with disabilities, this guide does a great job of going over the basics of forming relationships with the job seeker as well as potential employers. I was impressed with the respectful language the authors used, as well. I know I will go back to it again and again.

Griffin, Hammis and Geary take on Customized Employment (CE) in a powerful and thought-provoking way in this new book that is destined to become a "must-read" for professionals assisting job-seekers with significant disabilities, as well as families and friends.

The authors examine the roots of CE and lay out strategies for providing support services in non-traditional ways that bring each individual's gifts and talents into the forefront of job development. Explanations for frequently asked questions are both well researched and insightful. Strategies that are critical to successful job development - the use of discovery, job analysis and negotiation - are identified and defined in user-friendly terms.

This book goes a step further in navigating the reader through the array of viable resources that are often overlooked and generally misunderstood by both providers and job seekers. G/H/G take a close look at the important role that Social Security Work Incentives play in enhancing employment opportunities, and they articulate the role that business must play in successful customized employment when careers, not just jobs, are the goal.

Debra Noel
Project Director, Start-Up/Florida
Agency for Persons with Disabilities
University of South Florida
The Florida Center for Inclusive Communities

A MUST for all people doing Job Development. A great resource and guide for staff. I especially appreciate the emphasis on being person centered. There are strategies and resources in the book that are great assets to a team in assisting a person to find the right job. It is easy to read and offers many ideas for people to implement as they explore career opportunities. Very complete and you can see how implementing the strategies will lead to success in assisting people with their career development.

Again, Griffin-Hammis sets the bar high. This book, which attempts to teach art step by step, starts with the expectation that individuals with disabilities want to and can be economically self-sufficient. Providing real examples of how the road to successful employment is full of twists and turns, the tools in this book will be helpful to all job developers. But more importantly, they address this subject within the context of everything else in a person's life not treating employment as something extra, but as a part of life. If you can't work with Cary, Dave or Tammara in person, this is the next best thing.

Once again Cary and Dave have reset the bar for best practice in supporting people with disbilities to gain economic power. Over the past few years supported employment has slipped back a bit and lost some credibility. This book will help all practitioners, educators, families to understand Customized Employment practice in a hands on nuts and bolts practical manner and get to the next level. This is a great tool for SE teams who are always on the road and have trouble with training. This book will also teach how to leverage many new funding sources!!!! Corey Smith Director of Employment Services Via of the Lehigh Valley PA

J. Blaine Lewis, Jr. was fired in 1989 from his post of Connecticut state lottery chief. This is the story of his ten year legal battle against the state in which we gain an insight into the politics of lottery management, the courage and integrity of a man in a David and Goliath scenario, and the failure of the legal system to provide justice. It is also a love story of a devoted wife, who in memorium, is driven to vindicate her husband. The message conveyed deserves national attention. What a great story for TV or the large screen.

This book is an inside look at the politics of state run funtions and the effects on honest employees. A must read book!

This book is the story of a man with principles, written by the wife who loved him to the end, and loves him still. It is the factual account of a man who was ordered to lie by his bosses and refused, and was then hounded out of his job by men more concerned with kickbacks than doing what was right. The author backs every word up with transcripts and documents-not a word of it is unsubstantiated. In this little book is a magnified look at the workings of government. Read it and weep.

What is it about Tina Lewis's "Justice Denied" that so fascinated me? I couldn't put it down. I had to know the outcome of a man's decision to remain true to himself and to tell the truth-no matter the consequences. Blaine Lewis was that man and he accepted the disastrous results of that decision. His principles, however, remained in tact. Blaine Lewis could live comfortably with himself. Tina Lewis's book lovingly chronicles his life and their lives during that period. Great and fascinating factual reading.

J. Blaine Lewis, Jr. was fired in 1989 from his post of Connecticut state lottery chief. This is the story of his ten year legal battle against the state in which we gain an insight into the politics of lottery management, the courage and integrity of a man in a David and Goliath scenario, and the failure of the legal system to provide justice. It is also a love story of a devoted wife, who in memorium, is driven to vindicate her husband. The message conveyed deserves national attention. What a great story for TV or the large screen.

It took me awhile to get into this book but it was worth it in the end. Serious book about a very serious issue. Good read and a very deep story.

Stunning. Poetic. Mr. Bernard did not merely "scratch the surface" but more like savagely clawed the surface (smile).

This book exposes or has the reader examine the whys and whats of what we, as humans, do, in all aspects concerning the way we live our lives.

There were times when it got to be to much as I was like "I'm going to read something else as this is too deep even for me," but by saying that it made me want to read more as I became addicted to this book. This book similar and different than when I read "The Darkest Child" was intoxicating.

This book, the characters, all became real and I recognized that this was fiction, but Mr. Bernard wrote this in such a fashion that made it real.

If you want a book that is and will take you on a trip that delves into the human psyche then I stronly recommend "The Last Dream Before Dawn" as it will truly rock YOUR world and have you examine yourself and others more closely.

D.V. Bernard presents a fresh viewpoint of the rising violence and scandal in America in his debut novel, THE LAST DREAM BEFORE DAWN. Twenty years ago, Roland Micheaux's innocence was shattered when his father was executed for heinous crimes. Now, as a successful New York attorney, Roland finds himself face to face with the very thing that he has tried to put behind him. One night in a parking garage his father's persona comes to haunt him as Roland makes a calamitous move that will send his life into a tailspin and cause him to question reality. Roland then meets Jasper Kain, a seer of sorts, who tries to convince him that the world is coming to an end and that madness will take its reign on the city. Kain's prophecies defy rationale, but Roland soon sees that these ideas should not be so easily dismissed.

THE LAST DREAM BEFORE DAWN is a flurry of characters, scenes, and plots, but somehow, Bernard coheres it all together into cerebral fiction that challenges reality and sanity. A distinguished entrance into the literary arena, this novel is splendidly written and brilliantly executed.

Reviewed by CandaceK
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

This book was a great departure, from what I normally read, which is black fiction, based around romantic relationships. These books are more commonly known as "sistagurl" books. This book was written intelligently, and dealt with issues that we can all relate to in society. This book was a page turner, filled with mayhem, suspense, love, hate, violence, peace, and introspection. This novel makes the reader feel as though they are a part of the story, and I hope it will go on to be a best seller.

Roland Micheaux is no stranger to violence and holds a secret that he hopes will never be discovered. He is sitting on top of the world working as a successful attorney with a top law firm in New York City. Then one day he commits an unspeakable act and his world is turned upside down; and he is left pondering the question of who and what he has become. Leading him down this path of self-discovery is the unusual and elusive Jasper Kain.

Jasper Kain is a mysterious man who seems to just appear out of no where and feeds on evil and chaos. He is one of the most important characters in this book because he seems to hold some influence over all of the major characters.

Alexander Randolph is a Black Republican and Mayor of New York City. In his mind, he is one of the most important men in the world. Even though he has all of these things going for him, Mayor Randolph is not immune to madness.

The paths of these three men cross continuously throughout the book as each of them is touched by the madness and evil of the world. In reading this book, just when you think things can't get any worse they do. THE LAST DREAM BEFORE DAWN is an unusual book.

Reviewed by Simone A. Hawks
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

The fact that Trotsky tried to devise a revolutionary strategy to cope with the issues aroused by the existence of a Popular Front government in 1930s France made this collection of short pieces and pamphlets to remain consistently out of fashion for the next 70 years, as Marxists tended more and more to make a fetish out of Liberal Bourgeois political forms. Therefore the relevance of this book, as a discussion of the shortcomings of said Bourgeois Democracy in terms of the overall sclerosis imposed by it on the Body Politic.

Paris, February 1934: tens of thousands of rightists attempted to overthrow the French government in a violent demonstration. The Radical government was soon replaced with a Bonapartist ruler. How could the powerful working class movement respond? The French Communist Party was moving to the "Peoples Front" alliance with the Socialists and the Radicals, in reflection of Stalin's search for alliances with one or other of the imperialist powers moving towards war to redivide the world. Together with the Socialists, the Stalinists politically disoriented the French workers. Six years on from the 1934 demonstrations, Hitler was able to crush France, and the fascist Petain ascended to power. "Leon Trotsky on France", a collection of writings from throughout those six years, brings the light of Marxism and the experience of the Russian Revolution to bear in showing the way for workers seeking a revolutionary way forward. As the 21st century takes us deeper into a situation like the 1930s -- economic depression, political volatility and instability, rapidly sharpening inter-imperialist rivalry, the rise of ultrarightist forces -- the lessons of the 1930s loom large. With each passing year, books like this one are becoming more relevant for workers and fighters for social justice.

More than a history text, this is a compelling day-by-day analysis of the great political developments in France during the 1930s depression-- and incisive arguments for what working class parties needed-- and failed -- to do to fight their way victoriously out of the crisis. The brutal economic depression and the crisis of capitalist political rule, the approaching world war, the fascist uprising in 1934, the rise of Bonapartist-police state regimes, the great workers strike wave of 1936, the stakes in organizing a workers militia, the political basis for alliances in working class struggles-- all are explained clearly and logically, with the aim of helping working people understand and organize to defend their interests.

Trotsky writes with the experience of a leader of the 1917 Russian Revolution and the early years of building an international communist workers movement. He was particularly familiar with the French workers movement from years in exile before 1917, and spent time in France in the 1930s after being expelled from the Soviet Union by Stalin and his henchmen-- this experience helping him give rich political detail to his writings.

Above all, the questions posed here do not belong just to the 1930s. The perspectives of the capitalists, the petty-bourgeoisie, the workers and the peasants, and the question of leadership of the working class, of the forging of a revolutionary party with a correct program and the confidence to act are issues for today and tomorrow. Trotsky's writings here are invaluable in helping understand and organize in today's world.

Best part of the book -- Part Two: A Program for the French Revolution. For anyone who has had to deal with trade union brass who caution that the union membership must be careful not to alienate the friendly wing of management, for anyone who has had to suffer through debates in parties such as Canada's New Democratic Party, this book helps straighten things out clearly. As Europe thrashed its way through the 1930s, socialist revolution or fascist victory was put on the agenda in country after country. Trotsky goes over all the key issues as they arose concretely in France: elections and picket lines, workers armed defense versus reliance on the middle class, the relationship of general strike to the fight for a revolutionary change in government, how to win over the farmers. He hammers away at the fact that while capitalism was degenerating before everyone's eyes, nothing was automatic, nothing would inevitably change for the better without conscious action and organization by the powerful French working class. He pointed out that he was fighting for the lives of French workers who went into the streets in strike waves, who occupied their workplaces, who fought the police and fascist gangs over and over throughout the decade. And went down to defeat. Difficult to read simply as a historical document since so many issues are of burning relevance today.

France in the 1930s was wracked by mass struggles by workers, fascist, monarchist and other right-wing conspiracies two futures: the future of war, Nazi occupation and the Petain regime that aped fascism, and a victory of workers and farmers like the one in Russia in 1917 and Cuba in 1960s. Battles went on that could have prevented World War two, prevented fascism in Spain, and more.
Trotsky's advice here is not just directed to analyzing the big questions, but also discussing how small groups of revolutionists were affected by these big events, how they could deepen their role in the mass struggle.
With war, and what some call a gathering world depression looming in front of working people around the world, the same questions before French workers in the 1930s are coming before workers, youth, farmers and others who want to fight today. We are fortunate to read these writings by Trotsky to fight to avoid a future of war and fascism.

As an occupational therapist working in the school system, and currently providing assistive technology evaluation, education, and training, I found Living in a State of Stuck to be one of the most influential works I have read in a good number of years. We all have stories, and the individuals that Dr. Scherer has listened to and followed in her book have voices that resonate. I have practiced for nearly 30 years, and her approach feels like coming home to the core principles of the profession I have love. Thank you, Dr. Scherer, and please keep writing.

In working with people with disabilities I found Scherer's book gave a different slant on their issues and the use of technology. It was easy reading and informative. The case studies gave examples of the various needs, likes and dislikes and preferences of people with disabilites and their uses of assistive technology. Probably the most important emphasis of Scherer's book is know your consumer and listen. There is no universal recommendation for assistive tech for our consumers.

This book was very insightful and well researched. It includes numerous individuals with disabilities and describes using Assistive Technology in real life situations. It highlights that all persons with the same disability do not use the same Assistive Technology and that above all else, the individual's needs, desires and goals should be considered before the purchase of Assistive Technology. In addition, it also points out that people with an acquired disability may feel differently about Assistive Technology than a person born with a disability. Overall, an excellent read!

Living in the State of Stuck teaches us how to look at assistive technology in a "big picture" perspective. The book discusses tailoring adaptations to particular needs, and how to practically apply adaptations to every day lives. Many people are afraid to use assistive technologies themselves, but expect people with disabilities to embrace adaptations. Scherer talks about matching people with technologies, not because they are a quick fix, and easily accessible, but because that person is genuinely interested in attaining and using the device which THEY have informatively chosen. Scherer uses practical information are stories about people of all ages and disabilities successfully using the latest technologies. She provides online resources, organizations, vendors and a worksheet to assist with matching persons with technologies.

As a rehabilitation professional and an individual with a severe mobility impairment, I found Dr. Scherer's book to be most enlightening. To tell you the truth, I was expecting another dry textbook bogged down with a lot of technical terms and professional jargon. Instead, I was pleasantly surprised to read interesting stories about flesh and blood individuals, and the impact their disabilities and the use of assistive technology have had on their lives. It's one thing to read about all the wonderful things assistive technology can provide - it's quite another to read real life examples of its implementation.

I can relate to the author's belief that the technology is only as good as it is perceived to be by the individual that is using the technology, and that a holistic approach to matching the appropriate technology is essential. As Dr. Scherer points out, it doesn't matter how marvelous we as professionals' think the technology is. If it doesn't meet the need of the individual, it is virtually useless. To illustrate the author's point, I can't count the number of times a rehab professional has told me I should do this, or I should use that, or I should do it this way or that way, etc., without ever bothering to ask for my opinion or ideas. However, I have recently had my bilateral long leg braces refurbished, and (per Dr. Scherer's model), I essentially told the orthotist how I wanted it done. The end result - the braces are much more comfortable to wear and skin breakdown at the various pressure points has decreased dramatically!

There may be no better book anywhere on the subject of the underlying principles of Freedom. Why have men starved for 6,000 years, then in a very short period of time seen prosperity explode? Private Property is one of the keys. The ability of a man to keep what he has earned and dispose of it as he will is a radical concept. The citizen who is protected from the plunder of thieves and of the State can do wonders. If the leaders of every developing nation were to read this book and apply its principles, they could kiss the IMF goodbye and solve their incessant economic woes. This is one of the best five books ever written on economics and freedom. My dad gave me a copy when I went to college - took me about five years to get around to reading it - wow! What I had been missing!

This book can create a general framwork around human history like not too many books that I have read. Expressed in clear language and organized in short, thought provoking sections.

This book, first published in 1947, is both a condensation and an amplification of Rose Wilder Lane's classic The Discovery Of Freedom. With Lane's consent, Weaver retold her story in his own way, making use of her ideas but adding material from his personal experience and from various other sources.

Part One: Comparisons and Contrasts, explores various puzzling questions of history and the concept of human energy. Part Two: The Old World Views, contrasts the fatalistic pagan outlook on life with the Judeo-Christian view of individual freedom and personal responsibility.

Part Three: The Revolution, looks at mankind's three attempts to attain individual freedom: the ancient Israelites, the golden age of Islamic civilization, and the American Revolution. Part Four: The Fruits Of Freedom, investigates the results of freedom, including the flowering of inventive genius that followed. It also explores the concepts of hope versus fear, freedom of choice, the dynamic versus the static, the moral versus the material, voluntary co-operation and the lessons of history.

The writing style is accessible and engaging and there are interesting quotes by people like Thomas Paine, Fredric Bastiat and Isabel Paterson. In an interesting way, the book illuminates many problems still plaguing the world today and traces them back to the ancient conflict between pagan fatalism and the principles of the Judeo-Christian tradition.

Of course there are non-religious philosophies of freedom that are based on reason alone, and the aforementioned Paine was a theist who was opposed to dogmatic religion. But whether one agrees with all of Weaver's points or not, The Mainspring Of Human Progress is a classic that remains an eloquent defence of the principle of individual freedom. The book concludes with a list of references, a bibliography and an index.

On the subject of individual freedom, I also recommend the work of Friedrich Hayek, Ludwig von Mises, Karl Popper, Alfred North Whitehead, Ayn Rand, Stefan Hoeller, Robert Nozick, Milton Friedman and Johan Norberg.

Lucky to have found this one in a "salvage store" that was copyright was 1953. Contains so much information amd simplified that its hard to put down. Enjoyed Mr.Weaver's prospective and I am curious to know more about the author...

At a time when fundamental economic understanding appears lacking, this book (though simplified) makes basic economic principles easy to understand. It is written in a simple format easily understood by all age groups, young folks (junior high school) as well as adults.
I have introduced all of my children to this book and they all agree that it enabled them to have a much better grasp on the realities of economics. If you find Econ 101 boring, read this book. It will provide ample incentive to "dig into" the subject. A "must read."

No matter what your political persuasion or your profession, this book is a great source of wisdom and insight. Beyond a fascinating history of the birth of public interest law, Charlie Halpern provides a deeply personal and affirming account of how to pursue one's ideals in a way that is nurturing of our deeper selves and respectful of others. A key lesson of this book is that it is not just what you stand or fight for, but who you are and how you act as you do it. By cultivating an awareness that allows a deeper wisdom to emerge, Charlie points to ways we all can contribute to the world in a way that contributes to far greater tolerance and balance, without compromising our effectiveness. And in the process, we also become healthier and more loving and also create a world that reflects this.

I highly recommend this engaging memoir, which is an inspiration and fast read. Charles Halpern graduated from Harvard and Yale, and parlayed a legal career into the first public interest law firm and law school. Upon discovering meditation, Mr. Halpern, incorporated his practice into his life's work. As a result of Halpern's efforts, oil pipelines were put in Alaskan soil sustainably, DDT was banned, public interest lawyers found their needed education, and graduates started influential environmental groups such as EarthJustice. The ripple of Halpern's positive wave continues, and you can catch it by reading Making Waves and Riding the Currents.

An enjoyable and inspiring read!! I loved this thoughtful and honest account of the struggles of building a successful career that incorporates a contemplative practice. Great wisdom and advice runs throughout this memoir - and I return to it frequently as I try to balance all aspects of my own life.

Making Waves and Riding Currents is a book that everyone should read. No soft tale here but a journey not unlike rafting white waters. Charles sees the real and the ideal, the what "could be and is not yet", takes time to grasp the whole, sees the way and then takes it. He combines courage, a genuine interest in life and a willingness to "live and learn" both on a professional and personal level. This is a story of major entrepreneurial ventures that impact our own lives, created and co-created, experienced and shared in ways allowing every one involved to learn, use their experience, as well as to question and relinquish old patterns, recognize blocks and crack open into wider realms of understanding and living that center on Wisdom. This book documents changes in thinking that have make our society more humane and just. This is not your usual "lawyer" story. This is speaks to everyone's potential to develop wisdom, played out large, and saying: Come on, you can do it! I can't stop thinking about what one life can do.

From the beginning of this tale of Charles Halpern's remarkable accomplishments, it was obvious that he was an intelligent, effective individual with many skills. But competent doesn't necessarily mean wise. Fortunately for us readers, interwoven with the story of his doing is the story of his psychological/spiritual development -- the story of his growth in wisdom and the integration of that wisdom into his many activities.

Halpern had the courage to place himself in a wide variety of challenging, often uncomfortable, growth-fostering situations. Too many to recount here, they included a winter camping adventure in the Adirondacks, a week-long vision quest based on Native American traditions that included many hours in a sweat lodge, and a five-day mindfulness meditation retreat led by Vietnamese Zen Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanh. This last was a watershed event, about which Halpern wrote: "The experience of extended meditation practice...awakened my interest in exploring the connection between meditation and wisdom. Could I undertake to practice wisdom, living the wise life that would generate wise actions and decisions? Could this be a new way to approach activism, to start from the place of wisdom and compassion rather than the place of anger and insistence on legal rights?"

Meditation became a central focus in his life, and numerous retreats followed. To some extent facilitated by the Nathan Cummings Foundation of which he was now President, he met and got to know many of America and the world's foremost spiritual teachers. "Longtime meditators and respected teachers," he wrote, "gave me a new model for a way to be in the world--committed to serving others, cultivating wisdom, being open to changing themselves, and exposing their own vulnerability." Currently, Charles Halpern is Chair of The Center for Contemplative Mind and Society.

MAKING WAVES AND RIDING THE CURRENTS is a truly inspiring and uplifting book. It is the tale of a life marked by great accomplishment and developing wisdom, told with an engaging frankness about his own vulnerabilities by the man who has lived it.

Title is misleading. Trotsky tries to point out how the state reacts to individual terrorism (political assasinations). His condemnation of terrorism by both the state and those who call themselves from the left is a wonderful reader.

Most people are concerned with finding eternal truths. Certainly preservation of the only form of intelligent life we know of is a noble aim, in other words the survival of our species. Yet something horrible happened in human history about six thousand years ago, and we became "a house divided against ourselves." And as long as society remains unjust, rebels who fight for freedom and equality will be defending ourselves against slanders of violence. Real revolutionaries abhor and denounce indiscriminant terrorism, because it is both immoral and counterproductive. September 11, 2001, was a classic case in point. Even though the choice of targets laid bare the World Trade Center and the Pentagon as monuments to ruthless avarice and violence, such acts do nothing whatsoever to unite or mobilize the exploited in their own liberation. But they DO however immediately mobilize the exploiters to deepen oppression and violence: Kabul was bombed that same night, and both Afghanistan and Iraq were devastated by wars, and the White House frantically scours for its next target. Trotsky denounced the grotesque hypocrisy of those who sermonize pacifism to the exploited while managing to not notice that the wealthy employ us to kill each other to protect their ownership of resources and manufacturing. Consider this book as a companion to Trotsky's pamphlet, Marxism and Terrorism, with a cogent explanation on why individual terrorism relegates workers to the role of spectators while opening their movement to provocation and victimization.

This collection of articles by Russian revolutionary leader Leon Trotsky is an important contribution to the discussion on how to fight against an inhumane and brutal ruling order. It discusses the social roots of terrorism, and argues strongly that it is an obstacle to developing the organized leadership necessary for millions of toilers to take destiny in their own hands and transform society for the good of all humanity. Trotsky bases his observations on the long history of terror in Czarist Russia, and counterposes it to the successful mass revolutionary struggle led by the Bolsheviks that did topple the Czarist regime, established a workers and peasants government and overthrow capitalism.

This pamphlet also includes two articles from the 1930s. One explains why Trotsky and other revolutionary opponents of the Stalinist dictatorship that developed in the Soviet Union did not resort to terror. Another discusses Herschel Grynszpan, a Jewish youth who assassinated a Nazi official in Paris in 1938. Trotsky identifies with the emotions that led to Grynzspanýs act and calls for workers protests to stop the French government from executing him. But he argues ýto all those capable of self-sacrifice in the struggle against despotism and bestiality: Seek another road! Not the lone revolutionary avenger but only a great revolutionary mass movement can free the oppressed.ý

Other valuable writings by Trotsky on this question include: ýHow the Workers in Austria Should Fight Hitler,ý ýIndividual Terror and Mass Terror,ý and ýA Revolutionary, not a Terroristý all from Writings of Leon Trotsky, 1935-36. See also, Their Morals and Ours and History of the Russian Revolution, by Trotsky, and The Changing Face of U.S. Politics, by Jack Barnes.

In "Marxism and Terrorism," Trotsky disparages people (mostly Anarchists) who seek to bring about the revolution prematurely by staging acts of "terrorism" such as assassinations of factory-owning capitalists and local politicians, or the bombing of factories. He says that such actions only move public opinion in favor of the capitalists, while the assassinated persons are easily and quickly replaced, and the oppressive social system itself remains largely unaffected. In Trotsky's own words, here is the situation which follows from an overt terrorist attack by an angry member of the working class: "The smoke from the explosion clears away, the successor of the murdered minister makes his appearance, life again settles into the old rut, the wheel of capitalist exploitation turns as before; only police repression grows more savage and brazen" (p. 10). Trotsky's perspective--which is also, in this case, Marx's--is that history is inevitably moving toward communism all on its own. The more the workers are exploited, the greater will be the number of people who side with them. Eventually, according to Marx and Trotsky, worker exploitation will become so bad that a critical mass of the people will see the "true face" of the for-profit economic system, and will take over the state in order to put in place a different economic system where everyone has ownership. Trying to speed up this inevitable historical occurrence by staging small-scale terrorist attacks is not just ineffective, but actually counterproductive, says Trotsky.

Probably the most striking thing about these writings, for me, was the realization of just how badly original Marxist thought has been distorted by the Latin American revolutionaries, beginning with Castro and Guevara. When you read this, it's almost as if Trotsky is speaking out directly *against* these groups, albeit 40+ years before they ever came to exist! The Latin American theory of GPP ("Prolonged Popular War") and Guevara's theory of FOCO warfare were both built on the idea that a tiny group of determined Marxist individuals can successfully foment a revolution. How? By taking to the countryside and staging hit-and-run attacks on government outposts (which is in fact exactly what was done by Castro's Cuban rebels). But such attacks almost perfectly fit Trotsky's definition of "terrorism," which as already noted he thought to be entirely counterproductive.

In a single twenty minute sitting, this tiny volume really helped to consolidate all that I've learned about Marx and Marxism over the past couple of months. I *highly* recommend it as a starting point for the student of history who is interested in understanding Marxism (which every student of history should be). It may be the best $3.50 I've ever spent on a book!

Edited to add: another book you should check out for concise exposition of radical political theories such as socialism and anarchism is The Great Political Theories, Vol. 2, by Michael Curtis. It's succinct and it's only $7.99 on Amazon. It's also considered somewhat of a classic for introducing undergraduate students to political philosophy. And a free online resource that is great for introducing Anarchism is the Anarchist FAQ (just google "Anarchist FAQ" and you'll see it, it's published by over a hundred different websites).

... This collection of essays by one of the leading revolutionaries of the 20th century provides a much-needed critical perspective on terrorism. Not from a moralizing point of view, but to show that by relying on individual ýheroicý acts of violence like assassinations of government leaders, terrorist tactics ignore and devalue the masses of people as the most important agent of their own liberation. Though his examples are drawn from Hapsburg Austria, Tsarist Russia and Nazi Germany, when you read his words, you can easily see the relevance to liberation struggles taking place today from Palestine to Ireland to the Philippines. I especially like the way that Trotsky sympathizes with the hatred of the gross injustice that breeds terrorism, but at the same time explains that individual terrorist tactics are doomed to fail.