Events Books

Most absolutely outstanding Book on Gays and Lesbians ever published. A MUST read for ever young Gay or Lesbian and their Parents.

This was an excellent read. Well written with clearly organized ideas, this book tells us what life is like for a gay midshipman trying to live up to (and succeeding) proper military ideals. You get a feel for who the author was as a human being and how unfair it was for him to be dismissed according to a military policy based in fear. Gay men and women who are looking to serve our country in the military would do well to read this book.

A very honest rhetorical satire on 'reality' . The author narrates the actuality of the country 'stalked' by homophobias. It leaves us thinking about how should we face up with such controversial issue; to feel for these individuals or to contiue with the discrimination that is presently destructing and murdering their spirituality. A good start-off for individuals who would like to expound on this issue.

An account of a young Midshipman's experience at the Naval Academy, and ultimate litigation as a result of his dismissal three weeks prior to his graduation. This book is well written and one more in a growing list depicting the mindless discrimination policies against homosexuals in the militar y. Joseph Steffan, as a cadet, was exemplarary in all aspects. Ironically, his dismissal was a result of his adherence to the "honor code". He refused to deny his sexual orientation, even though his conduct was never in question. A truly sad commentary on the military today, but nevertheless, the reality.

Rob Morris and Rep. Steve Gunderson tell their story very well. The layout is very well done with Rob and Steve each having their own section in each chapter. I couldn't recommend a better book to politicaly motivated gay men and women. Oh, and yes, a great cover design too!

I read this book a few years ago and was particularly interested because I had lived for years in Steve Gunderson's congressional district, had met him several times and had voted for him. He was first elected as I recall in 1980 as part of the Reagan Revolution. He was a decent enough fellow, did his job conscientiously and probably with his background in agricultural issues might've ended up as a Secretary of Agriculture perhaps. Whatever his rise was in the Republican Party it pretty much was ended after he was "outed" although I was impressed in the book about his friendship with Newt Gingrich and Gingrich's acceptance of his homosexuality (then again, one of Newt's sisters, I believe, is gay). Say what you want about his personal lifestyle, if it had a bearing on his political future (and how could it not have) then it was the public's loss in the long-run to have a conscientious congressman like Gunderson take himself out of the political arena.

Being the only gay GOP congressman, Gunderson's book is worth reading if only for that fact. I had moved out of his district by the time he was "outed" by "B-1" Bob Dornan but I recall having heard years earlier about his being gay and knew that one of his Democratic challengers during his tenure had struggled with the idea of outing Steve himself in order to try and win the election; this was long before Dornan decided to do what he did. In the end the Democratic candidate decided to keep the news to himself, so to speak, and not make an issue of it. He was soundly defeated in any event, by Gunderson.

As a liberal Democratic activist, I was suprised how much I liked this book. While I had known Representative Gunderson was hardly one of Ginrich's drones, his independence impressed me in some cases.

Throughout the book, Gunderson and his partner are frank in exploring the balancing act between being gay and Republican. It also makes no bones about the dislike for former Representative Robert Dornan (who was thankfuly replaced by Democrat Loretta Sanchez)Yet, at the same time Dornan was responsible for Gunderson's outing, the congressional conservative unwittingly freed his colleauge from a long standing dilema.

Myself included, some allies and GLBT people might forget there are Gay Republicans and they are just as deserving of equal rights as the more typical members of the community. In a non-judgemental tone, this book shows the skeptical reader just how difficult it can be to maintain those two identies. Ultimately, honesty is the best policy.

In a day and age when politicans from both sides of the aisle are caught up with imagery instead of truth, reading this book is a thought provoking and humbiling experience for any individual regardless of party or sexuality. Although I might disagree with some of Gunderson's decisions, I at least know that he has character depth.

This is a story once again that shows how religion damages gay people, but how individual integrity can win out. Gunderson seems at times naive and is often trapped by his homophobia. His struggle to accept himself is painful. I wished for more House and less Home, but it is his story to tell and it was very interesting and complelling.

I applaud the author for this effort and will gladly donate the cost of the book to any non-profit organization that is "helping to make the world a better place" in return for an electronic copy of the book. Ideas such as this should be available to everyone.

I have not read the book, so this is really not a review, but how could anyone give a negative review of such a work? I look forward to reading this material and as a result, taking action where possible to help reach the goals.

Presentation:
The interior text is formatted nicely. I don't recall encountering any typos. No interior illustrations, graphics, or photos. The text is divided up into headings, subheadings, etc to lend sufficient visual interest, and this makes it significantly easier to skim the book if necessary. The writing style is neither humorous nor bland.

Subjects covered:
The book is divided into eight parts, is further divided into 33 chapters by subject, and is further divided into 116 "actions."

The parts are these: Building community. Raising the next generation. Computer activism. Protecting the environment. Food, hunger, and agriculture. Socially responsible banking and investing. The responsible consumer. Peace, Justice, and social change.

Each "action" is fairly brief, only a couple pages, and tells you some background information about the subject, argues why something should be done, and tells you what you can do, and who to contact to learn more and actually do some things. There are plenty of things you can do other than donating money to organizations, such as volunteering or making changes in your lifestyle. Interestingly, the last action listed in the book, number 116, is about supporting gay rights.

Since this book was published in 1995, much of the information may no longer be of use:
~ References to the Internet are obsolete, since this was before the World Wide Web.
~ Changes may have happened to mailing addresses, phone numbers, and fax numbers of organizations to contact. You'll have to Google them and find out where they are now.
~ Statistics aren't fully up to date, although ten-year-old statistics are probably satisfactory information.

Suggestions:
~ Since a lot of this book is disappointingly out of date, get it from the library rather than buying it. Don't feel bad, since the book itself says that getting library books is better than buying a book you're doubtful about, since it conserves resources.
~ Read this book with a notepad at hand, to jot down things you found interesting: points, actions, and names of organizations to look up later.
~ You can read this book in short breaks when you're fairly busy with other things, since its layout makes it very easy to find your spot again to resume reading, or to skim.

This book is different from most books of the 50 Ways to Save the Earth genre because it covers a diverse array of social, political, ethical, and environmental problems in an in-depth fashion. The authors explain tough issues like the environmental effects of eating styles in clear, calm terms. The suggestions to make the world a better place range from extremely easy acts to reduce personal consumption to ambitious, challenging proposals for personal engagement with the homeless, the homebound, and others in need of assistance. Not only has it changed my own daily behaivor, I've found it to make a great, thought-provoking gift

This is a great book, reminding us that no matter what we do, it affects the whole world. So we might as well direct our attention and affect our world in a positive way by following the suggestions the authors have put together. Extremely well researched and organized book. Everyone can make a difference. I wish everyone would read the book to find out how!!!

Are you human? Do you have a body? Are you and organ donor?
Are you not an organ donor? Are you pro life or pro choice? Well then this book is for you.
It is out of date, but still very important. The out of date part just has to do with the fact that things have changed and more issues have developed since this book.
There is a reviewer here who says he is in the footnotes. Can he contact Andrew Kimbrell and have this book continued out to our current date, so I do not have to explain this book is out of date, but important. Used bookstores ignore this book because it is so old. They do not realize how important it still is. Old book do not have it do not want to obtain it is their attitude.

My only complaint you have to keep adding to this book each year or start an updated website like some books have with a note in the new book to go to it for updates on current bio ethical issues.

Who gets the parts? Who makes the parts?

Want to think further go for this topic and read fiction?
1)Read Brave New World by Aldous Huxley a book way ahead of its time.
2)Rent the Movie The Island a curent movie.

The main take away is that we need to talk about and deal with these ethics. Every one needs to think about their values and not ignore this. Obviously the answer is not an easy one, but get more facts. If you have not read this you are probably missing facts.

One reviewer says this is not a ballanced book nope it is not, but we do not hear this perspective much at all so it provides ballance in the world.

Amazon has a reference for this if you like this you will like other books. Body for Life. That is a diet book, so you really want to skim those suggestions because they just pull up books that say body in them that have nothing to do with bio-ethics or this book. Obviously computer generated.

Thousands of men and women were originally conceived in petri dishes in laboratories from sperm sold by anonymous men for an average payment of 50 dollars. What is the long-term psychological effect on such persons who must live with the knowledge that their conception occurred outside a womb and their fathers were involved in it only for money? This is one of the many questions that Andrew Kimbrell raises in The Human Body Shop, in which he covers the full range of issues relating to the treatment of the human body and its components as marketable commodities, from the controversy in the 1950's and 60's over the sale of human blood to the looming possibilities of human genetic engineering. These are global issues; for example, while the sale of body parts for transplants is illegal in the U.S., the sale of kidneys is a thriving business in India and other developing countries, where the poor are selling their body parts to the rich. Another controversial practice is surrogate motherhood; thousands of babies have been born of mothers who were contracted for the nine-month gestation service, usually for a fee of 10,000 dollars.

Since a 1980 Supreme Court decision that a living organism (an oil-eating microbe) could be patented, the patenting of life has become an accepted practice. As of 1997 over forty animals had been patented, including mice, turkeys, and rabbits. Human cells and hundreds of human genes have also been patented. Kimbrell poses the question of whether genetic engineering will eventually lead to the patenting of a human being?

While treating the reader to a highly interesting recounting of the histories of controversial biotech practices, Kimbrell makes a cogent argument that the marketing of life is dehumanizing; he calls for increased government control in the biotech field, especially as we enter the era of human genetic engineering. There is unquestionably a need for more public debate on biotech issues, but Kimbrell could have helped even more to further such debate by devoting a bit more of his book to the views of biotech proponents, even though he passionately disagrees with such views. Kimbrell's failure to favor the reader with a broader range of views dropped the rating for The Human Body Shop from five stars to four.

In the vein of his mentor Jeremy Rifkin, Andy Kimbrell has written a broadside condemning all aspects of the bio-industries extant at the 1993 publication date of this book. Well written, and thoroughly researched this is a highly readable in-depth review of the major bioethical issues facing us today. I recommend this book highly and not just because I am in the index. The chapter in which I am mentioned deals with the Harvard or oncomouse and patents on living beings. Andy's account is accurate, well researched, and his opinions are thoughtful and well grounded. If you are not repelled by the politics of Jeremy Rifkin, but have an open mind on the questions of the ethics of biotechnology, this book is well worth your attention.

Highly recommended! Kimbrell's book is both thought provoking and informative and is very hard to put down. He addresses the things that the newspapers do not tell us about surrogate motherhood, organ marketing and genetic engineering. He tells about the odd court cases and rulings dealing with issues society has never had to deal with before. He also gives examples of how genetics is being used to affect our lives without our consent. The book does an excellent job of raising the reader's awareness of how our species future is presently at a crossroads and why we should be concerned. Interesting topic, clearly presented and well referenced for those wanting more.

It is wonderful for use as a Bible School teacher.It condenses, stays true to the scriptures and adults as well as children will enjoy it. I use it constantly.Makes a wonderful gift.

It is wonderful for use as a Bible School teacher.It condenses, stays true to the scriptures and adults as well as children will enjoy it. I use it constantly.Makes a wonderful gift.

Words could never express the gratitude that I have that this book was made available to me as a child, for it has brought the most important positive impact that any book has ever had upon my life, enriching it in every area of my life (spiritually, mentially, emotionally, financially) in ways that I could have never imagined.

This is not just another "Children's version of the Bible", but a straight-forward retelling of the chain of ALL historical events (and thus their lessons) of the Biblical record from beginning to end, in all of it's vivid detail. Youths (and men/women of any age) will easily learn here priceless lessons from both the positive and the negative choices and experiences of many well-known people of the past, because all of the events are told, not just the sweet and most beautiful. (The only accounts that are left out are those of a sexual nature.)

If this rating system had 1,000 points, I would unquestionably have to give it 1,000 out of 1,000. Thank You, Thank You, Thank you, Mr. Hurlbut, for this wonderful service rendered to me.

While we were young, our family read a story each evening together. Hearing the book several times gave me an overall picture of God and man's history and relationship. That's a treasure from my family that will never die. Now my children and grandchildren are appreciating the stories and truths that will enrich their spiritual growth and knowledge. Recently I began using it with international women in Bible studies. They find the larger print and simplicity of language a great help. Yet the Bible's message is unchanged. It is something they can share with their children who often pick up English faster than they have.

This is the best book I have ever read by a child advocate. Our system does not do right by abused children. If we don't get our system in better shape all these foster children will be in our prison system. And did you know it cost more to pay for prison than it does college!!

Thanks Gay and keep up the great undying work you do!!!

P.S. Everyone in the GAL office in Putnam County is reading your book and Ashley's

This chronicle of the author's experiences as a Guardian Ad Litem in Florida will alternately enlighten you, frustrate you, inspire you, and make you angry. Much, I would expect, like being a Guardian. Besides giving others a blueprint on "how to help," and serving as an education on some of society's problems that most people wish they could ignore, this book is great reading, chock full of emotionally-involving, often heart-rending stories. Prepare to be engrossed.

As a freshman in college, I stumbled upon this book in the library, and soon after dedicated myself to improving the child welfare system. Courter's account is incredibly inspiring, emphasizing the responsibility we all have to speak up for kids who have been wronged by our systems. I have now been a court appointed special advocate myself, and it is the most heartbreaking (but rewarding!) volunteer experience of my life.

If you're looking for a book that will be difficult to put down, and stories of kids who are difficult to turn your back on, then this book is for you.

I picked up the book by Gay Courter and could not put it down. Inspiring! I can't say enough about it!

This is a novel,to me every word was channeled from Jesus himself it was enlightening and gave me peace and hope. It is the truth that has been lost for so long ,the message is God is here for all of us we don't need anyone to get us to God. He is love we are one with him or her.

All I can say is that book is truly inspired (if not Divinely). It is a beautifully and realistic tale of Jesus' journey and initiation through the mystery schools of the Middle and Far East. Dolores' portrayal of Jesus is human, compassionate and authentic. She did a great job of describing the process through which he may have been prepared to transmit the world's truths. I love that Jesus is educated by life's experience, humble, "average" people, as well as the great teachers of his age. She shows him as he grows in wisdom, knowledge, underatanding and COURAGE!!! WONDEROUS!!!!!

This book is a work of complete love. Delores Pevehouse has captured the person and personality of Yeshua (Jesus) in an unparalleled masterwork. This book is not for Bible literalists, but is for those interested in the totality of who Jesus was and is today. "I, the Christ" chronicles his "lost" years ('tho it's difficult to consider anything about him as being "lost") from age 12 to age 30, describing the world and her people, as he saw and learned from everything and everyone who crossed his path. It is written from the first person, which is breathtaking for the reader and incredibly courageous for the writer. However, it becomes very clear early on that it is He who is the writer; Ms. Pevehouse the channel who prepared herself for His story to come through. Read this and be changed forever.

I, The Christ, is Dolores Pevehouse's first book, and what a treasure it is. She says that the novel came to her in a "burst of inspiration."

The book is presented as a journal written by "Yeshua the Nazarene." He is a student at the School for Initiates and is required to write an account of his life before he can graduate.
He begins when he was twelve years old and traveled to Jerusalem with his parents, Yosef and Miryam, for his bar mitzvah. He then records the details of meeting Rabbi Hillel, the first of his many teachers. He spends the next fourteen years traveling and studying with great teachers from Egypt, Palestine, Persia, India, and Tibet. Along with his travels, Yeshua chronicles his inner journeys, and his unswerving devotion to God.

Finally, when he's twenty-nine years old, he's ready to graduate. Not only has he completed his journal, he's accomplished the one task the other Initiates are afraid to even try--he's raised himself from the dead. The priests honor him with an elaborate ceremony in which he is Christed.

Moments later, they all turn against him and he flees for his life. The reason? When asked to declare his life's work, Yeshua replies, "my chosen mission is to make known to all men all mysteries now separating them from God." He wanted people to have a direct relationship with God, and not have to rely on intermediaries.

Yeshua is, of course, the man we know as Jesus Christ.

"Pevehouse has written a powerful, radically new story of the 'lost years' of Jesus. . .[giving] us a rich portrait of the inner life of Western culture's pivotal figure." Readers will find I, The Christ interesting and informative.

The book is an eye opener for sure. It really puts the war on drugs (the people) in the real world. It's a got to read kind of book, do your self a favor and read it!

Ibogaine, the illegal, boycotted and most effective treatment for addiction known to man. The ibogaine story reveals the behind the scene story of ibogaine and the bogus war on drugs. Ibogaine is a broad spectrum anti-addictive natural substance that has been used for thousands of years by native people. The attempt by the US government and pharmacutical companies to keep it off the market (and information about it from the public) is cruel and criminal. Being safer than asprin and not subject to any abuse potential it does not qualify as a schedule 1 controlled substance with the likes of heroin and cocaine, yet it is so scheduled. Why? Could the government actually want drugs on our streets? Could it be a threat to many billion dollar medications? Read the book for the answers.

The in-depth information on the theoretical/pharmacological actions of addiction (and Ibogaine's role on resetting the mind's regulatory systems) alone should be enough of a motivation to buy this book. OK, the story line gets a bit muddled here and there - as the authors weave many independent threads into this contemporary account of growing public awareness of the importance of Ibogaine - but don't let this stop you from reading this book. The research covered by this presentation is about as exciting as REAL science gets. After all, scientific discovery is truly a human drama.

Since the overt suppression of research on "psychedelic" (mind-manifesting) drugs, few animal studies - and far fewer human studies (almost none) - have been authorized by the FDA. This book clearly emphasizes the importance of on-going research based in these important chemicals.

Anyone truly interested in the mechanisms of human consciousness and behavior should absolutely read this seminal work. Our potential as individuals (and by extension as a race) is eternally tied to our ability to understand (and ultimately control) the mechanisms governing individual consciousness. As this book clearly illustrates, addiction is a malfunction of the biomechanics of consciousness - as well as the result of bad decisions. Yet, it appears that it may take more than self-help programs to permanently reverse the damage done. When it comes to curing individuals - and by extension society - of addictive behavior, Ibogaine appears to be just the tool we need to tackle this problem at the source.

I might append "The Ibogaine Story" with this epilogue. The maintenance of our own bodies is an individual responsibility. Learning to do so intelligently is nothing less than a primordial right. Put another way, "big brother" has no authority inside the soul's temple. When it comes to the eternal "war on tyranny," if information is power, than THIS BOOK IS A WEAPON OF MASS ENLIGHTENMENT.

The topics of ibogaine and the drug war in America are covered nicely in this book, with an emphasis on historical perspective and cultural insights. This is an important book, but it is also somewhat confused in its overall presentation. By that statement, I mean that it goes so deeply into the topic that it begins to confuse the average reader. This book is a must have however, for anyone interested in the current politics and background of ibogaine.

This is one book where you must read the introduction. and then when you read the book you find out thatthe book can be interpreted in at least one other way. i think everybody would take out something different but that would always be refreshing. i could not stop myself from saying 'aha' at many places. still, i think he sometimes is contradicting himself. he thinks that socialism and liberalism can go together. maybe he is right. i dont think so.

Russell became famous as a mathematician and philosopher.

But when he won the Nobel Prize, it was for Literature. When you read this book of essays, you will see why.

It is beautifully written and has all of Russell's virtues: clarity, wit, humor, forcefulness, simplicity.

Even better, it is a brief education in itself. Most of the essays were written just as the Great Depression was beginning, and Russell gets right to the heart of a problem Capitalists and Socialists do not usually address: How much work is needed, and what is the ultimate point? He constantly stresses that we do too much work, and most of it is unneeded, and makes life grim. He never ceases to remind us that we should work to live, not live to work.

He addresses this point in many ways--through economics, through architecture, through the then-raging problems of Fascism and Communism. And though he treats serious problems seriously, he always has time for the breathtaking perspective and the ligtht touch--as with the essay, "Man Versus Insects."

A wonderful, even life-changing book.

Written by a very advanced thinker, this book represents a shattering statement against the Christian petit-burgois morality of work, a true revolution and evolution in man's thinking.

+++++

Controversial philosopher and Nobel Prize winner Lord Bertrand Russell (1872-1970) has written fifteen scintillating essays on which to whet our intellectual appetites. These short essays were written between 1925 and 1935.

Russell writes in an elegant, readable, and understandable style. His arguments are well thought out.

These essays consider social questions not discussed in politics. The general theme that ties these essays together is that the world suffers from dogmatism and narrowness; what is needed is the willingness to question dogma.

These essays are a blend of philosophy with other disciplines such as psychology, economics, science, and history. All the essays are brutally honest and forthright. Each is packed with loads of wisdom. What's amazing is that these essays are as current today as when they were first written and their messages will probably remain relevant in the future.

My five favorite essays in this collection include the following:

(1) "In Praise of Idleness." Discusses work and the importance of leisure. In order to get an idea of Russell's insight that permeates this book, here's a sample sentence from this essay: "The morality of work is the morality of slaves, and the modern world has no need of slavery."

(2) "'Useless' Knowledge." Points out that all knowledge is useful not only that which has a practical value.

(3) "The Case for Socialism." Russell gives many arguments in favor of socialism, most notably the need for preventing war.

(4) "Western Civilization." Discusses its characteristics. Sample sentence: "I cannot escape from the conclusion that the great ages of progress have depended upon a small number of individuals of transcendent utility."

(5) "Education and Discipline." Sample sentence: "Education...must be something more positive than mere opportunity for growth...it must...also provide a mental and moral equipment [for] children."

In conclusion, this book is Bertrand Russell at his best. Enjoy!

+++++

I think most people's reaction to a 500 page book would be one of caution, myself included. It has nothing to do with the content, I just know it will take a while for me to get through that many pages.

That being said, this collection of Nader essays is a 500 page book, but it's been a joy reading it because of the organization of the book. Broken down into smaller chapters, the book is full of very short, but well-written essays usually no longer than two pages. It's very easy to read a few at a time, and then come back to the book later. I actually find myself reading this book faster than I would other books of the same length. Each piece is so short I usually end up telling myself, "I'll just read a few more." In the end, it makes the book easier to read.

As far as content goes, the book is great. I think if you're a genuinelly progressive person, you'll still like Nader even though the Democrats have tried to scapegoat him rather than admit their own problems as a party. This country needs people like Nader to remind us that we don't have to settle for what we have, that things can and should be better. This book sends that message loud and clear.

Deeply intelligent, in breadth and depth, these articles by Mr. Nader, who has given everything for just causes over nearly half a century, make eloquent, and plain, what so many others believe and either can't, or won't, say.

The October 23rd "review" pretty much sums up why John Kerry and his hysterical Anybody-But-Bush supporters were shellacked this week, while everything Ralph Nader said during the campaign was proved correct. Ignore the subject at hand, be hysterical and irrational, and wave empty slogans ("A vote for Nader is a vote for Bush" -- what does that mean? In Wyoming, where Kerry lost by over 20 points? In D.C., where Bush lost by over EIGHTY points? My vote would never have gone to Kerry under any circumstances....how was my vote for Nader a vote for Bush?)

Meanwhile, Ralph Nader continues on without a break and will now focus on the ridiculous ballot access laws in this country, as well as the subjects touched on in this book. What he "has done for us lately" is to start one new organization after another from 2000 to 2004, advocate on behalf of the District of Columbia's pathetic public library system - left to rot by the D.C. Democratic Party, which has done nothing for anybody in decades - and highlight solutions to other issues that are working right now in localities around the country. Read what he has to say in this book and climb on board. Roll up your sleeves and put up or shut up, Democrats.

A must read for anyone interested in how our government operates. There is a bit of repetition but a lot of good information and contacts for further research.