Events Books

For the past few nights, I've annoyed my husband by busting out laughing while reading this book. Brian is a funny writer with a clever book that's more memoir than advice book, though I will save mine for my boys for when they're old enough to read about Irish pubs and French stalkers.

... so hard on the subway that people are looking at you. 'Tis true. The even better part of this book, is that it is very very touching. It's so good that I've been reading it aloud to friend who have already bought it.
Bravo!

"In the Event of My Untimely Demise: Twenty Things My Son Needs to Know" is a laugh a minute (or second, depending on whether or not you're speed-reading). For anyone who's ever read Mr. Sack's blog, banterist dot com, or seen any of his commentaries on The Glenn Beck Program, you won't be disappointed by his first book. It seems that whatever Brian Sack touches is comedy gold (he even co-produced, of all things, a comedy-documentary, "Johnny Berlin"). I highly recommend this book. It may yet become my third favorite piece of comedic writing behind Steve Martin's shamefully out-of-print "Cruel Shoes, and Woody Allen's "Without Feathers."

I've got to say that since I don't have children I wondered if a book like this could be interesting to me. Brian's writing style made it enjoyable, educational and funny all at the same time. This book isn't just for his son, it should be read by every oxygen breathing human...this is a book more on common sense than raising a son. Young, old, man or woman, everyone should read this book and tell their friends !! I can't wait for the next book !!

I've been waiting for this book for a while...I'm a big fan of Brian Sack's writing. So I receive notice today that it's available on the virtual shelves (and real ones too). I rush to purchase on Amazon on the first day it's out, and what do I find? None are available used. Yep, it's that good. Enjoy it!

The book is easy to read. The information is presented in an user friendly way at the end of every chapter are valuable resources. I would strongly recommend the text to anyone working with or caring for infants and toddlers.

The book and companion book were in great shape. Book was brand new and cheaper than it was in stores for being used (at the date of purchase). Shipment was quick and no problems.

Rarely...very rarely does a book approach this kind of perfection...every once in a while.

I had the pleasure of attending a lecture by Gonzalez-Mena, so I realize the depth of her wisdom on babies and toddlers. This book incapsulates all of her ideas with vivid color and comprehensive, but brief, chapters. She even includes tons of citations and research to solidify her points.

It's the natural companion for the WestED Program for Infant Toddler Caregivers (PITC). The champion guidebook bar-none for infant/toddler caregivers.

I think anyone can learn a great deal from this book. I had to buy it for my college class child development and I learned alot from it.

Janet Gonzalez-Mena and Dianne Widmeyer Eyer have developed a precise method of working with groups of infants and toddlers based on the relationship principle. Their philosophy is one of respect for the child. I have recommended this book to many new educarers and they all have thanked me, saying it was the best guide they had come across. It is a "must read" for all who work with infants and toddlers in group care as well as for the parents of those children.

I can't put Roger Kahn's book down. His writing style is personal yet detached, and he is as unkind to himself at times as he is to others. He is in his eighties now, and reviews the people and events that impacted his life. He has not grown softer with age, and still has his signature sharpness. His sportswriting and journalistic career are the backdrops from which he travels through life, but all of us on our own pathways can benefit from reading his struggles and observations.

The author of the classic The Boys of Summer reveals his life story via a select few main influences, from his journalistic mentor Stanley Woodward to Jackie Robinson and finally to his late son, Roger, Jr. Books like these often provide glimpses into lives we know mostly from a public non-intimate perspective. In Into My Own, we get a deeper revelation about the heroism of Jackie Robinson as the first black player in major league baseball as well as insight into his full humanity. The same can be said for all the other protagonists in Kahn's memoir, including his first wife. There is some sadness that lingers from the narrative, particularly the lack of closeness between Kahn and his mother, and especially the passing of his son, but there are also moments of triumph and joy in everyday life.

Roger Kahn is one of the greatest sportswriters of the century, and in this memoir he does what all great sportswriters do--bring the readers into the story. Although this is a memoir, Kahn focuses not on himself (which is in itself refreshing), but on the people he loved and worked with. The first chapter is as much about the Herald Tribute as it is editor Stanley Woodward, who taught Kahn his craft. As Kahn moves on professionally we get to know Pee Wee Reese, Jackie Robinson and Robert Frost. Even when Kahn exposes his deepest feelings in the heartwrenching chapter describing the gradual deterioration of his son, the story focuses on young Roger.

This is really an elegant, moving book that everyone should read even if they've never heard of the Brooklyn Dodgers or the Herald Tribune.

The English poet Alfred Lord Tennyson once wrote, "I am a part of all that I have met." Roger Kahn has provided us with a heartfelt tribute on those individuals who have influenced him throughout his adult life. Stanley Woodword, his mentor at the New York Herald Tribune, teammates Pee Wee Reese and Jackie Robinson on the Brooklyn Dodgers, poet Robert Frost, polititian Eugene McCarthy, and his late son Roger Laurence Kahn are all written about in a way that author Roger Kahn can use his skill as a writer to bring these people who have special meaning to him to life. Anecdotes not found in other baseball books are included here such as Dodger pitcher Orel Hershier's kindness to Roger's late son, Dodgers' owner Walter O'Malley sending a note of warning to the author when Kahn's late wife, Joan, had her nose broken by a batted ball while sitting in the stands, Jackie Robinson suppressing anger and quietly telling a teammate to deal the cards when pitcher Hugh Casey described what folks in the south used to do when good luck was needed. Kahn interviewing Robert Frost with the poet calmly describing his son's suicide little knowing that he, himself, would have to face the same tribulation lurking in the future. We all have people who have influenced our life in a positive manner, and Roger Kahn's sincerity fills the book on those who have touched his life. This is a book that will appeal to anyone who enjoys good writing whether you are familiar with Roger Kahn's previous books or not.

Roger Kahn has been writing about sports and other topics for more than half a century, but it was only with THE BOYS OF SUMMER, his watershed account of the Brooklyn Dodgers, that he became a household name and a standardbearer for similar endeavors.

The product of an intellectual New York home, Kahn grew into a curious, if not exactly academically motivated, young man. School was tolerated, not embraced, until his father arranged an interview for him with the Herald Tribune. Thus began a long career in journalism, writing about other people and issues. With INTO MY OWN, he invites the reader into a personal world, focusing on several individuals who were influential in his life and work.

Among these are Stanley Woodward, his boss, mentor and friend, who challenged him to be not just another sportswriting hack. Kahn looks back fondly on his salad days as a young copyboy who broke into the ranks of the ink-stained wretches, earning more increasingly important assignments until he became the Dodgers' beat reporter.

Since the Brooklyn team was his ticket to middle-aged fame, it is fitting that two of the key members of the team receive significant attention: Harold "Pee Wee" Reese and Jackie Robinson.

Reese, the shortstop and captain, was a Southerner who literally embraced the African-American Robinson in full view of hate-spewing racists, thereby setting an example of gentility, cooperation, tolerance and friendship. Robinson was a more fiery personality and gave Kahn the opportunity to learn about the difficulties of being a black man in America on several levels. These relationships lasted long after the players had retired.

Kahn was more than a one-trick pony, however; he also wrote about "serious" subjects, such as politics and his Jewish heritage (THE PASSIONATE PEOPLE). He also recalls relationships with the likes of Eugene McCarthy and the poet Robert Frost.

The most touching chapter, however, is painfully personal: the difficult life and premature death of his son, Roger Laurence, a suicide at 23. Roger L. was the product of a "broken home" following the divorce between Kahn and his second wife, Alice. The author does not mince words as he writes about their tenuous relationship, which deteriorated when his son was quite young. Despite numerous therapists and private schools (including a controversial boarding school), Roger L. sank deeper into bipolar problems, much to his father's helpless distress.

--- Reviewed by Ron Kaplan

Over a decade old, Is It Utopia Yet?, remains the essential text introducing Twin Oaks, now 40 years on, America's highest profile and most successful intentional community.

With witty cartoons (by T.O. member Jonathan Roth) extrapolating personable, organized prose, co-founder Kat Kinkade riffs on the title query, playing with palpable relish the role of the avuncular, wry debunker of her own idiosyncratic, yet primary, role in building a sustainable piece of Sixties mythology - then living with (and in) it as Twin Oaks matured and mutated into a living organism independent of her initial design.

So the 'angle' here is Kinkade provides both insider and outsider accounts of Twin Oaks. Vivid, honest, warm and entertaining. Cheers to the good life!

Easy to read, fun and honest. Does it miss anything? Most likely it does, does it gloss over anything, perhaps. But what is life in community like, it covers it. Is it a manual on how to start a community... NO, but it is a look at a community from the heart of one of it's founder.

Highly recommend this book!

Kat has given us a close-up view of what it is like to live at Twin Oaks Community. As a regular visitor since 1993, I can say that her book captures the benefits, joys, and strains of living in community, and many of the quirks of Twin Oaks in particular.

Kat's writing is as lucid as her thinking. A must read for anyone considering community or thinking about visiting Twin Oaks.

kat's at it again! her personal style makes this second accounting of the history of twin oaks read like a conversation with an old friend. supplemented with great cartoons, it's a funny book for those involved within the communities movement & those who never even knew there was such a thing.

though i've yet to make it out to twin oaks, i have met some incredible people who make their home there & am currently a part of an urban commune. this book helped my family see a bit clearer what my vision for life is & how it's not just a bunch of crazy, drug addicted, occultists that wish to live together recreating the world they've inherited.

I visited the Twin Oaks commune in 2002 and was amazed at the size of it as well as the sophistication of their housing, dining center, and production warehouse. Also, the people there were pretty cool and progressive. I bought every book they had about the place at their little book store.

Is It Utopia Yet captures the lifestyle of people at Twin Oaks about as well as any written book could. Kat Kinkade was one of the founders over 35 years ago and is one of the very few who has seen Twin Oaks evolve from its very beginnings to what it is today. The book is full of funny cartoons that poke fun at the life of Twin Oaks too.

If you're interested in the concept of economic democracy where workers themselves make decisions over how the production process is run, you should get this book. If offers a glimpse of what a possible better future could be... a real, live, breathing model that exists in the here and now.

A GREAT BOOK,OBVIOUSLY WRITTEN TO VERY HIGH STANDARDS,AS IS USUAL FOR READER'S DIGEST.AS THE TITLE SAYS, IT THOROUGHLY COVERS JESUS'S LIFE, AND THE POLITICAL,SOCIAL AND RELIGIOUS CLIMATE OF THE PROMISED LAND, FOR SEVERAL YEARS BEFORE HIS BIRTH, AND SEVERAL DECADES AFTER HIS CRUCIFICTION ( I.E., PAUL AND PETER'S TRAVELS AND TEACHINGS, THE FATES OF THE OTHER APOSTLES,ECT.)BEAUTIFULLY ILLUSTRATED WITH MAPS, PHOTOS AND PAINTINGS OF BOTH PEOPLE AND PLACES, IT ALSO INCLUDES AN APPENDIX TO IMPORTANT TOWNS AND CITIES IN JESUS'S TIME. THIS IS A MUST HAVE FOR ANYONE INTERESTED IN JESUS'S TEACHINGS AND BIBLICAL HISTORY.

This beautiful volume has a short introduction titled Jesus And The Four Gospels. The first chapter, The Birth Of The Savior tells of the census that brought Joseph and Mary to Bethlehem and the visit of the wise men from the East. The attached portfolio illustrates the events surrounding the birth of Jesus by artists like Andrea della Robbia, Federico Barocci, Jan van Scorel, Giotto and others.

A Troubled Land, chapter 2, deals with the political situation of the time and a brief overview of the ancient history of Israel, Alexander The Great, Hellenism, the Romans and Herod. This includes information on the famous historian Josephus, maps of the Holy Land including a political map of the kingdom of Herod The Great, full colour pictures of the landscape, a chronology of Israel and tables of the Hasmonean line and the Herodean family.

The next: Classes And Masses, looks at Herod in greater detail, especially his building programmes, with photographs and illustrations of amongst others the remains of Herodium, the aqueducts and roads, Masada, Sebaste, the palace at Jericho, jewellery and household utensils. There are also maps of Israel and a political map of the division of Herod's kingdom into the territories of Archelaos, Herod Philip, Herod Antipas and Salome.

Chapter 4: Village Life, discusses life in the countryside, rituals and rites dictated by the seasons, family life and family home and the festivals of Israel. The next chapters deals with Jerusalem and includes impressive photographs and maps of the city, the old city, the temple mount, the wailing wall, illustrations of King Herod's temple and other landmarks.

Chapter 6: The Life Of The Mind, discusses the Torah, educational life, the synagogue, the scribes, Greek education, the arts, the Alexandria library and Hellenistic Jewish Literature, whilst the next one: Trade And Travel, deals with the vigorous flow of trade and travel around the Mediterranean, Europe and the East.

Chapter 8: Religious Conflict, addresses the political situation, religion, the priesthood, the Pharisees, synagogues, the two great teachers Hillel and Shammai, the Essenes, John the Baptist and the baptism of Jesus. The next: The Mission Of The Messiah, looks at the areas of Capernaum, the Sea of Galilee, the family of Jesus, the Twelve Apostles, the travels of Jesus, the trial, crucifixion, the resurrection and the ascension. It includes beautiful works of art by Duccio, Claude Lorrain, Domenico Fiasella, Giotto, El Greco, Rembrandt, Velazquez and others.

With its many maps, chapter 10: Spread Of The Gospel, traces the growth of the gospel message from Pentecost, the conversion of Saul and the spread of the Word to Asia Minor, Greece and Italy, also dealing with the destruction of 70AD, the further growth of the church and Constantine The Great.

The reference section includes Places In Bible Times which lists place names from Alexandria to Tyre, Biblical Citations and an extensive Bibliography divided into General, Bibles & Commentaries, History & Archaeology, Biographies, Jesus: His Life & Times, Daily Life and Art. The book concludes with an index. Jesus And His Times is an absorbing and richly illustrated text and also a valuable reference work.

Understanding the Difficult Words of Jesus

Yeshua: A Guide to the Real Jesus and the Original Church

Yeshua: The Name of Jesus Revealed in the Old Testament

The Sacred Names

This is undoubtedly the best book ever written about life in the times of Jesus. It is comprehensive yet detailed, with voluminous illustrations, maps, geneaologies, etc. There are chapters on village life, schooling, trade and travel, and internal politics. A few chapters are devoted to Jesus' life, and here the editors make a number of mistakes. For example:

- they seem unaware that the proper translation of almah is "young woman" and not "virgin" (p. 17)

- they make the common error of translating "tekton" as "carpenter" (p. 26)

- they seem unaware of the fact that the village of Nazareth didn't exist as a village at the time of Jesus (p. 91) and it was more than a century after Jesus' death that a synagogue was build there. As a consequence, they translate his name as "Jesus of Nazareth" when in fact the proper translation is "Jesus the Nazarene."

But these errors are few and relatively minor, when weighed against the plethora of interesting details that they supply.

Anyone looking for a desciption of what life was like in the times of Jesus needs to get this book. This isn't necessarily the best book about the life of Jesus, but it surely is the best book about his times.

This is a very good book for the student of faith who seeks a more thorough understanding of what life was like during the time that Jesus lived in the flesh on earth. Rich with photographs, drawings and maps, this book is a visual treat as well as providing much insight through the text.

The book is hard-cover, very study and well-made, and is 336 pages in length. There are 10 main chapters and some appendicies. The book begins with the significance of the expectation of a Messiah and his birth in Bethlehem. Then the political intrigue of the day is presented, especially a history of Herod the Great and the Roman Empire. The daily life of a typical Jew is then presented, how a person lived, what they did, what they ate, and how they raised their families. Jerusalem has a chapter dedicated to itself, with emphasis on the Temple that King Herod built for the Jews. The middle chapters deal with education, trade, travel, and religious conflicts of the time. Finally, the last two chapters explain the mision of the Messiah and how the gospel of his teachings spread after his death and resurrection.

This is not a book that is an easy or casual "fun' read. It is written for the more serious student of faith and the Bible. The information is detailed and quite extensive. A very thorough job was done in putting this book together. The reader can use it as a text book to teach themselves the cultural and religious signficance of the time. It is a good book to read for insight into Biblical times and Biblical narratives (scriptures).

At .01 cent (used), this book is a steal.

Jim "Konedog" Koenig

I only rated this book at 5 stars because I couldn't go any higher. To think I got a copy of it for $.01 (a penny) plus shipping is unreal. Talk about a steal! This is one of the best books about the life and times of our Lord Jesus Christ that you'll ever find. The pictures of the Holy Land alone are worth it but there's so much more. By all means, get your copy NOW!!!!

Despite its hard science dressings, this book is primarily a popular (versus academic) account of modern political leadership. Although Dr. Ludwig is obviously knowledgable about psychology, the scientific discourse in this book is kept to a minimum. Mostly, the book consists of a series of highly entertaining anecdotes about famous political figures, collected to support his thesis that political greatness equates possesing the characteristics of the "Alpha Male". The acceptability of this amoralistic conception of "greatness" - where Mao and FDR are co-ranked the greatest modern political leaders with Stalin a close second - is up to each reader to decide.

This is one very interesting and entertaining book. A relative recommended it to me and although he made it sound interesting, I was still a little apprehensive. I thought the book was going to be how average human leaders have similar traits as monkeys and half the book was going to be talking about 5 year studies in the jungle done by National Geographic types. I was wrong. The author completed one mammoth feat of research by researching every leader of a country from 1899 to 2000. He spent 18 years doing it and read thousands of books and articles on the subjects. Over1,900 mostly men were studied and the author came up with common personality traits that the leaders shared. The book details out these traits and how the author interpreted them in relation to political leadership and slightly how they stacked up against monkey hierarchies. .

I really enjoyed how the author detailed out certain traits and then used examples from his research to show how those traits came into being with the different leaders. What came out of the book right away was that a certain type of man has the drive to become a leader, the alpha male, and that very few leaders just happen to fall into being the man in charge. Not only was the psychology of the book interesting, but the vast coverage of interesting bits of history made the book enjoyable to read. The author would dig up relevant and many times amusing, antidotes from his research to describe a particular ruler. He also did not just focus on the most well know leaders, but showed the reader how the traits on display covered leaders from all aspects of the spectrum, from democratically elected leaders to dictators and Kings.

Probably the only sad section of the book dealt with the ways so many of these men hung one to the very last minute to the power they had and that the obsession with keeping the power tended to facilitate the circumstances for their down fall. Overall I really enjoyed the book. It is interesting and well written. It could have very easily been a dry and dull study, but it comes no where near this. The authors quirky sense of humor helped to keep the book light and fast paced. If you are interested in politics and the men on stage then this will be a good book to add to your collection.

This is one of the most ambitious and interesting works I've ever seen. The author, apparently on his own and without institutional backing, took on the study of political leadership and addressed it empirically, coding 182 features of different leaders during the 20th century. Although replete with entertaining anecdotes, the book is based on statistical analyses that are presented in a clear and intuitive manner. There are literaly hundreds if not thousands of new facts and observations. By examining so many leaders and identiying types, he shows that individuals such as Hitler are not mere anomolies but share common traits - independance of interests, excellent memories, supreme confidence in their own vision, etc. This book is similar in approach to my own (Personality, Character, and Leadership in the White House) but extends analysis to leaders in all sorts of governments. My only complaint is that some of the metholdogy underying the study could be more fully explained (for example, how many raters provided jdugments on personality traits and how these were defined?), but most readers will not miss this. A tour de force.

I loved reading this book as much as I enjoyed the funny picture on the cover. The thesis that most if not all leaders of people are similar to primate alpha males in the sense that they have more concubines and children, not necessarily more intelligence or ability but more macho desire to rule over others for the sake of ruling (whether known or not by the agent), and that much in the politics of primates and that of humans is remarkably similar is fun to examine and read about. My only desire was that after ten years of studying and researching for this book, maybe the University of Kentucky emeritus psychiatry professor could have focused even more on the roots of the nature of political leaders, both in the primate and strikingly similar human realms. I expected much from this book and did not get as much as I would have hoped, but it was still an excellent read thanks to the depth of research it contains. All national leaders from the 20th century collated and examined as a whole in comparison with primates: maybe there is ample reason to be disappointed in a 400 page book trying to take on so much. Nonetheless, the accounts of the idiosyncracies of certain leaders, the primate-like actions of many, the sloth and greed of others, and other remarkable accounts make this a fabulous book for almost any reader interested in the imperfections of people, especially the most visable people: leaders.

It is surprising that the proponents of evolutionary psychology have not paid more attention to this book. Ludwig argues that the human desire to be the supreme political ruler is rooted in the same biological nature that supports the dominance of alpha males among monkeys and apes. He supports this argument with analysis of the 1,941 chief executive rulers of the independent countries in the 20th century. He illustrates his points with lively anecdotes from the lives of the 377 rulers for whom he had sufficient biographical information.

Of the many interesting points that he makes, one is that he can explain one of the universal traits of human politics--that the highest positions of political rule tend to be filled predominantly by men. Political scientists rarely acknowledge--much less explain--this remarkable pattern of male dominance. Ludwig explains it as a manifestation of male primate tendencies rooted in the neurophysiology of the male as shaped by natural selection in evolutionary history. (Surprisingly, Ludwig does not mention Steven Goldberg's book WHY MEN RULE, which makes a similar argument.)

There is one bright spot in Ludwig's otherwise dark vision of politics dominated by Machiavellian brutality--he shows that democratic leaders in established democracies act with more restraint than those in other kinds of regimes. He doesn't explain this. But he could have argued that even this has biological roots by appealing to Christopher Boehm's claim (in his book HIERARCHY IN THE FOREST) that there is a biological basis not only for the natural desire for dominance but also for the natural desire to resist dominance, and that modern democracy expresses that ambivalent political nature by allowing ambitious individuals to compete for high office within the constraints of constitutional structures that protect subordinates from being exploited.

I have developed some of these points in my book DARWINIAN NATURAL RIGHT: THE BIOLOGICAL ETHICS OF HUMAN NATURE.

La industria empacadora de carne es de las más crueles para sus empleados que hay en los EE.UU. Su alto índice de heridas, en combinación con bajos sueldos e interminables horas, crea un ambiente de lucha de clases todos los días.

En los ochenta los trabajadores de la empresa Hormel hicieron una huelga histórica que defendió la existencia su sindicato. La editorial Pathfinder especializa en abrir espacio para que los luchadores de todo el mundo se expresan en sus propias palabras, y en este folleto unos huelguistas recuentan la historia de esta lucha conforme avanzaba. Es una de las lecciones históricas que Pathfinder encapsula para los luchadores de hoy y de mañana.

La industria empacadora de carne es de las más crueles para sus empleados que hay en los EE.UU. Su alto índice de heridas, en combinación con bajos sueldos e interminables horas, crea un ambiente de lucha de clases todos los días.

En los ochenta los trabajadores de la empresa Hormel hicieron una huelga histórica que defendió la existencia su sindicato. La editorial Pathfinder especializa en abrir espacio para que los luchadores de todo el mundo se expresan en sus propias palabras, y en este folleto unos huelguistas recuentan la historia de esta lucha conforme avanzaba.

La industria empacadora de carne es de las más crueles para sus empleados que hay en los EE.UU. Su alto índice de heridas, en combinación con bajos sueldos e interminables horas, crea un ambiente de lucha de clases todos los días.

En los ochenta los trabajadores de la empresa Hormel hicieron una huelga histórica que defendió la existencia su sindicato. La editorial Pathfinder especializa en abrir espacio para que los luchadores de todo el mundo se expresan en sus propias palabras, y en este folleto unos huelguistas recuentan la historia de esta lucha conforme avanzaba. Es una de las lecciones históricas que Pathfinder encapsula para los luchadores de hoy y de mañana.

I remember sitting at dinner with Hormel strikers in 1984 or 85, visiting, trying to gain solidarity not only for their strike, but for workers around the country. I remember what they told about what was happening in the meat packing industry in Minnesota, and why the workers in that union fought not just the company, but the union bureaucracy. What they faced then is more like too many workers, not just in the meat packing industry but especially there, face or know they will face soon. This book about the strike is not a sociological or journalistic analysis, but the analysis of a longtime working class leader, who was also one of the central leaders of the anti-Vietnam war movement. In this pamphlet we have the voices and struggle of the Hormel Strikers displayed so that workers of today, around the world, in and out of meat packing can learn from their successes and failures, and use this pamphlet as a weapon in their struggle.

Este es un folleto de gran importancia por cualquier trabajador en cualquier país del mundo. Traza la historia de una huelga importante por trabajadores de la carne en los Estados Unidos contra la empresa Hormel a mediados de la década de los 1980.
Con muchos detalles, explica el porque de los ataques patronales que obligaron a los trabajadores a lanzar una huelga tan larga y tan difícil. Detalle la rica historia de lucha de los obreros de la carne, y los enormes retos que todavía enfrentan para construir un movimiento sindical capaz de luchar y ganar en contra los capitalistas. Yo he trabajado en las matanzas en este país y reconozco la verdad de lo explicado en este folleto.
También ayuda al lector entender la crisis mundial del capitalismo, y la posibilidad de unir las luchas de trabajadores en países del Tercer Mundo (pienso hoy en Argentina, por ejemplo) con nosotros en los países más poderosos del capitalismo. ¡Léalo y discútalo con sus compañeros de trabajo!

This is a dead-on description of law practice today. I can't speak too highly of this book. It disillusions would-be lawyers and validates the second thoughts of practicing attorneys. All this in a well-written, mercifully concise format.

I practiced litigation in fairly large New Jersey firms for five years. I didn't read this book until I had been out for a year. I wish I could have read it during my transition out of law practice; it would have saved me a lot of self-doubt, anguish and guilt. Now I recommend it to law students, "pre-law" undergrads, and lawyers. I also assigned it to an upper-level undergrad class I taught recently on law and legal studies.

Buy this book. Read it. Then lend it to someone who needs it.

This book is mind opening for those who want to be lawyers. It presents the reality in the life of the lawyer within himself, family, work and society. It also presents the truth that lawyers are afraid to say when working for a firm. After reading it you might learn that the time and money spent might not be worthy. It is an insight in the career for those who know nothing about what they will be facing.

A seasoned attorney gave me this book when I was in my third year of law school. Eight years later I remain very grateful that I received this gift, because it is the most poignant, blunt, and accurate synopsis of the legal profession I have ever come across. The point of this book is not to deter people from being lawyers or scare the daylights out of them. Rather, it aims to prepare aspiring lawyers for what lies ahead of them in the real world of the law. If you're in law school or thinking about going to law school this book will open your eyes to the practice of law, but even if you're already a practicing attorney there is plenty in here that you'll recognize and appreciate.

This book is EXCELLENT and the kind of book to buy and KEEP on one's shelf as a law student and lawyer. Fast moving, easily read in one afternoon but material to be digested slowly. The author's vivid, extraordinarily creative analogy of lawyering to a money experiment - only that one short chapter - is well worth the price of this book...and then some. That analogy was well-crafted, like a great trial lawyer would tell. What the author begins here on his sociological analysis is absolutely TOO DAMN GOOD to skim as he did. I was left wanting of more depth to his observation, more thought, more help.

To me, this book did not warrant five stars because I place a higher burden on this author with what he has started here. I feel it is the duty of an author of such intellect and keener, stronger analytical ability than others to take us not further, but deeper, into understanding what this book has the potential to do, what it introduces us to in its 140 pages.

NONETHELESS, this is the kind of book that needs to be written, one which needs to be read BY EVERYONE, NON LAWYERS ALIKE!!!! to better understand ourselves and our present society. Excellent beginning job for Walt Bachman.

In nine quick and easily accessible chapters, Bachman outlines many striking truths about what an aspiring lawyer can expect to encounter in contemporary practice. This text is an absolute must read for anyone pondering law school.

Bachman reveals some brutal truths, such as "Lesson Seven: 10% of a lawyer's soul dies for every 100 billable hours worked in excess of 1,500 per year" (p.107). I appreciated his earnest approach to quantify, as scientifically as possible, his ideas about problems in the law.

As for others criticisms of this book- that he outlines only the problems and does not present possible solutions- well, that's just too bad. The very fact that he chooses not to is a direct reflection of the severity and fixed nature of these problems.

If you are interested in the history of the American Left or are a militant trying to understand some of the past lessons of our history concerning the socialist response to various social and labor questions this book is for you. This book is part of a continuing series of volumes of the writings of James P. Cannon that were published by the organization he founded, the Socialist Workers Party, in the 1970's and 1980's. Cannon died in 1974. Look in this space for other related reviews of this series of documents on and by an important American Communist.

In their introduction the editors motivate the purpose for the publication of the book by stating the Cannon was the finest Communist leader that America had ever produced. This an intriguing question. The editors trace their political lineage back to Cannon's leadership of the early Communist Party and later after his expulsion to the Trotskyist Socialist Workers Party so their perspective is obvious. What does the documentation provided here show? This certainly is the period of Cannon's political maturation, and the beginning of a long political collaboration working with Trotsky. The period under discussion- from the late 1920's when he was expelled as leader of the American Communist Party to the early 1930's and the start of the great labor upsurge which would bring wide spread unionization to the working class. Cannon won his spurs in this struggle to orient those organizations toward a revolutionary path. One thing is sure- in his prime, which includes this period- Cannon had the instincts to want to lead a revolution and had the evident capacity to do so. That he never had an opportunity to lead a revolution is his personal tragedy and ours as well.

As an expelled faction of the American Communist Party, which continued to stand on the program of the defense of the Russian Revolution, the Cannon group needed an orientation. That they considered themselves an expelled but loyal faction of the Communist Party was the correct orientation for a small propaganda group. The party was where the vast bulk of the advanced political workers were. Immediately going to the "masses", as has occurred with other expelled groupings, then and now, would have proved disastrous. Cannon's group needed to cohere a programmatic basis and recruit a cadre to win over workers and intellectuals from the party. Its Platform of the Communist Opposition, a generally good programmatic statement, was its key analytical tool to win cadre. There are two points in that document that should be of interest to today's militants. Those are the slogans for a workers party and for the right of national self-determination for blacks (at that time called Negroes).

In a pre-revolutionary or revolutionary period a revolutionary workers organization would recruit militants directly to the party. Other events like the labor upheavals in the United States in the 1930's fall in the same category. Thus, using some algebraic formula for drawing workers to a broader revolutionary formation is not necessary. At other times, and the late 1920's and early 1930's was such a period in the United States, the call for a workers party, presumably based on less than a full socialist program, by a propaganda group would be appropriate. In short, propaganda and agitation in favor of a generic workers party is a tactic. The call for such a formation today by militants in the United States is appropriate. In any case, no militant makes such a call for a workers party based on, for example, the model of the British Labor Party, then or now.

The left-wing movement in America, including the Communist Party and its offshoots has always had problems with what has been called the Black Question. The Communist Opposition's position on this question reflects that misconception, taken over from the party. This position has always been associated with American Communist Party member Harry Haywood (see his book Black Bolshevik). Marxists have always considers support to the right of national self-determination to be a wedge against nationalists and to attempt to take the national question off the agenda and put a working class resolution on the agenda. In any case, that programmatic point has always been predicated on there being a possibility for a defined group to form a nation. Absent that, other methods of struggle are necessary to deal with the special oppression, in this case of black people. Part of the problem with the American Communist position is that the conditions which would have created the possibility of a black state were being destroyed with the mechanization of agriculture, the migration of blacks to the Northern industrial centers and the overwhelming need to fight for black people's rights to survive under the conditions of the Great Depression. If one really thinks about it the only realistic time that this slogan could be raised or supported would have been shortly after the American Civil War when the black population was more compacted geographically and there might have been some political will by Radical Republican to back such a scheme. This misconception of the viability (or desirability) of a black nation would later came back to haunt Cannon's group when the Civil Rights struggles of the 1950's and 1960's presented opportunities for intervention in the black struggle. At that time they essentially abstained from recruiting blacks based on their program. They zigzagged between following Malcolm X and Martin Luther King rather than fighing for a socialist program among blacks. And we are still paying the price for that missed opportunity.

The Cannon faction was not the only group expelled from the American Communist Party during the period under review. One cannot understand this period inside the Communist movement if one does not understand which ways the winds were blowing from Moscow. A furious struggle for power in the Russian Communist Party, reflected in the Communist International, was under way during this period. First, the Stalin faction defeated the Trotsky-led Left Opposition, and then shortly thereafter the Bukharin-led Right Opposition was defeated. In America, this was reflected in the expulsion of the Lovestone group, previously the leadership of the Party. The political shakeout from these events was a certain pressure to unite the two expelled factions. Trotsky, and through his influence Cannon argued strenuously that such a combination was unprincipled and unworkable.

Most parliamentary parties, and here the writer includes reformist workers parties, do not confront a question such as this proposed bloc for the simple reason they are not, and do not want to, carry out a revolution. Therefore, such parties, will freely block with any other organization under any advantageous conditions. Not so a revolutionary party. While it may unite, for the moment, with a wide range of organizations for general democratic demands it must have a fairly homogeneous program if it is to lead a revolution. The program of the Right Opposition, in effect, was a transmission belt for reformism. In short, if you unite left and right you have two parties, at least in embryo in one organization. The Russian Revolution and later the Communist International in its better days should have put that idea of unification to rest. For Trotsky, Canon and the International Left Opposition this necessary separation was shown most dramatically in Spain when the formerly Trotskyist Left Opposition led by Andreas Nin fused with the Right Opposition led by his friend Juan Maurin in 1935. The result, the Party of Marxist Unification (POUM), while being the most honest revolutionary party in the Spanish Civil War floundered over revolutionary strategy due to its confused orientation on the popular front, military support to the bourgeois government and a whole range of questions of revolutionary strategy and tactics. The POUM experience is the textbook of what not to do in a revolutionary period. Unfortunately, for confusion on this issue Nin lost his life at the hands of the Stalinists, the POUM leadership was arrested after the May Days in Barcelona and the Spanish Revolution was derailed.

In Communist history, the period under review is called the `Third Period', in theory allegedly the period of the final crisis of capitalism. The conclusions drawn by the Stalinists from this theory was that revolution was on the immediate agenda everywhere and that it was not necessary, and in fact, counterproductive to make alliances with other forces. This writer has read a fair amount of material about this `Third Period', mainly at the level of high policy in the Communist International, especially in regard to Germany where it was a disaster. This volume gives a very nice appreciation by Cannon in a number of articles of how that policy worked at the base, the trade unions and the unemployed. It is painful to see how the Stalinist withdrew from the organized trade union movement and set up their own "red" unions composed mainly of Communist sympathizers. That the Stalinist did not suffer more damage and isolation after this flawed policy was changed later during the great labor battles of the 1930's testifies more to the desperate nature of those struggles than any wisdom learned by the Stalinists. Read this book for more on how to build a workers organization in tough times.

As an addition to the historical record of this period this book is a very good companion to Cannon's own THE COMMUNIST LEAGUE OF AMERICA, 1932-34 and DOG DAYS: JAMES P. CANNON vs. MAX SHACHTMAN IN THE COMMUNIST LEAGUE OF AMERICA, 1931-1933, PROMETHEUS RESEARCH LIBRARY, Spartacist Publishing Co., New York, 2002.

In 1928 James P. Cannon is one of the central leaders of the US Communist Party known through the labor and civil liberties movement as the leader of the International Labor Defense,sent to Moscow to represent his faction in the party. In 1928 Cannon along with two of his assistants happen about Trotsky's critique of the draft program of the Communist International. They decides that these are the right ideas, and they fight for them, knowing they will lose offices, and jobs, not knowing but facing being attacked in the streets, their homes burglarized, pilloried through the labor movement from a leader of tens of thousands to a leader of a dozen. This book shows what Cannon's faith in his ideas meant and how they struggle to build a nucleus of a real movement because of the faith of ideas and in the revolutionary capacities of humanity. Anyone who thinks that Marxism had anything seriously to do with the US Communist party should read this book. Anyone who wants the courage to fight for a real future for the working and farming majority of humanity should read this book.

This might seem a rather obscure set of writings, but in reading through them I found a very rich collection of political writings, one that should be inspiring and useful for any thinking worker or young person today.

James P. Cannon was the central leader of the cadres expelled from the U.S. Communist Party in 1928 for their fight to maintain the revolutionary perspectives of Marx, Lenin and the 1917 Russian Revolution in face of the bureaucratic, conservative and increasingly counterrevolutionary policies imposed by Stalin from Moscow. The articles and speeches in this volume amply illustrate two points Cannon stresses time and again: the importance of political program, starting from a working-class world view, in building a revolutionary leadership; and the importance of knowing what to do next and doing it, based on the objective reality confronting the movement at any given time.

Cannon's writings here also present fascinating details of the working class struggle from these years, including the onset of the 1930s depression, defense campaigns for workers framed up and imprisoned by the bosses and their courts, and important strikes by miners, textile and garment workers in the United States. Don't miss them!

Cannon was a central founder and leader of the working class wing of the Communist Party. He was expelled for organizing opposition to the Stalinization of this party. In these writings Cannon explains the dangers of Stalinism and contrasts it with the revolutionary Marxist alternative that he and a number of other workers were in the process of founding. These writings also touch on little known but important working class struggles before the thirties, like the textile battles of the south and the mineworkers "save the union" movement. Cannon's insights on politics as well as his fine writing ability make this a good read, and an important one for those wanting to discover their roots in the fight for a revolutionary party.

The Left Opposition in the Communist Party USA, expelled in 1928, fought to maintain the traditions of the Russian Revolution against the corruptions and crimes of the bureaucracy of Stalin. This collection of writings by its central leader debates the issues at stake: the future of the USSR, the revolutionary potential in the U.S., revolutionary work in the labor unions, the South and the fight against racism, and much more.

"Lethal Medicine, The Epidemic Of Medical Malpractice In America" by Harvey F. Wachsman, M.D., J. D., Henry Holt & Company, Inc. NY, 1993

In engineering, there are various comments that masquerade under the name, "Murphy's Law". I think the original version stated, "If someone can put it on backwards, they will". However, all the different variations metamorphosed into something like:
"If something can go wrong, it will! And, at the worst possible time".
I was surprised that Murphy's Law also applies to the practice of medicine. Dr. Wachsman gives many different examples, and, I think, shows how arrogant some doctors can be.

As an Historian, I was particularly interested in pages 32-33, where Dr. Wachsman describes "Erb's Palsy". This palsy is a "...deformity of the arm, shoulder and hand area..." making "...the arm appear ...twisted and shriveled". The author goes on to say that Erb's Palsy is caused when "...the brachial plexus nerves in the neck and shoulder area are damaged during delivery ..." of the baby. One of the most famous victims of Erb's Palsy was Germany's Kaiser Wilhelm II, who always attempted to hide his crippled left arm. Did this physical defect make Kaiser Wilhelm more aggressive than his cousins, the King of England and the Tsar of Russia? And help to cause World War I? Since Erb's Palsy can only be caused by damage in child birth, I wonder if this case of malpractice holds the record for being the most expensive in history?

Harvey Wachsman writes this book in order to serve and protect society as well as to inform readers of the dangers of receiving medical care in today's society. He organizes the text by topic in order to give readers an in depth look at the different areas pertaining to the United States' current medical malpractice problem. Waschman is certainly qualified to assert his opinions on the issue of negligent physicians in light of the fact that he served as both a chief of neurosurgery in a hospital and as an attorney, specializing in medical malpractice litigation. The book's strenghts lie in its real-life accounts and the author's well-researched advise. I was fortunate enough to stumble upon this book while researching a project in my Composition class at Oklahoma State University. The text proved to be extremely beneficial in my research. It also encouraged me to continue in my pursuit of medicine and perhaps, at some point, help redeem the practice of medicine.

Terse, well written, an absolute gem of a book. This book by Dr. Wachsman demonstrates why you absolutely need someone by your side 24 hours if you are in hospital. We need a web site to rate doctors. Maybe I will start one.

WOW not only did doctor harvey create a real page turner he also motivated me to excel in my future career of gynocolgy. his words touched my soul as he delved into such dangers as heart surgery, anal fissures, bone marrow transplats, vaginal discharge, rectal leakage, and dental malpractice. read this book for an adventure into the daily life of my hero, dr. harvey.

Harvey Wacshman portrays the beuty of childhood love-man realationships with poetic vigor. Each chapter permeates my soul like no other malpractivce lawyer. If reading about various feline habits tickles your fancy, then grab some hot coco and curl up along sid ethe hearth of a warm fire and grab this book!