Cultural Books

I spent many a long hour reading philosophy on the nature of property, possession and place. Also, I have spent many an hour reading the history and politics of nations for their respective histories of territorial aspirations. The mystery and problems of the human connection to particular places still eluded me.

I picked up this book at a flea market and began reading. I learned more and gained more insight into the nature of Nature's territorial inhabitants than all my previous reading. Through carefully observed case studies of animals, conservative conclusions are drawn. Light on theory, and heavy on examples of particular territorial behaviours of our fellow creatures, `The Territorial Imperative' is must read for any person interested in the way of Nature and ourselves.

My book is the 1966 edition by Atheneum. The theme is devoted to the right of an animal to its territory, and expresses the interesting fact that the possessor is usually the victor if and when confronted with an intruder. After reading Ardrey's work, I have watched with interest my 17 pound bundle of fluff, chase a much larger dog from our property. It was no contest. Just as the one knows his rights and the bounds within which they can be excercised, so too, does the other realize that, as an intruder, he has no right to contest that right. One needs to keep in mind that man is no less an animal than those studied by Ardrey who, although his writing is good, tends to be a bit tedious until he gets to the point of his discussion; namely, that man is no less territorial than lesser beasts. Within certain social groups this truth is more revelent than in others. Immigrants to the U.S. stake out their "turf," as they say, and woe be to the trespasser, not a few of whom have been killed. Readers who take seriously what Ardrey reveals should be able to point to areas on earth where his thesis is in full bloom, and is the cause of considerable consternation and death. I would rate the book five-star were it not that it takes awhile for the casual reader to appreicate what is being written. It is a work which every Secretary of State should read and discuss with the President and membes of his cabinet before allowing the United States to become actively involved in national affairs, which is not to suggest that the U.S. should remain aloof from affairs that deal with decency and terrirotial righteousness.

Who are human beings? What they are? How do we deal with the reality of what human beings are? Anyone who has ever put these and similar questions will read the book by Robert Ardrey with great interest. People are both biological and social beings, and these two natures are ineradicable in them. While human social life has become the subject of studies in the social sciences, human biology has become, to great degree, exclusively the subject of medicine. R.Ardrey's aim was to draw a bridge over the "no man's land" between the natural and social sciences, since in his own words, "no man or other animal lives as other as a whole thing." Attachment to a certain territory, which Ardrey has defined as the "territorial imperative", is a most deeply rooted feature of all living beings, from a worm to a human. R.Ardrey begins his book with the definition of this central notion: "A territory is an area of space, whether of water or earth or air, which an animal or group of animals defends as an exclusive preserve. The word is also used to describe the inward compulsion in animate beings to possess and defend such a space." Of course, the most inventive of animals - the human species - have extended their "territories" far beyond their appartments or garden plots to spheres of influence in business and politics, empoyment, etc. In the book by R.Ardrey a reader will find answers and clues to the question: "Why do things happen in human everyday life and history as they happen and not according to the precepts of the most enlightened minds?" His answers are more informative than many volumes of writings about "man and society". A human being is not good or bad, all of its features are products of nature and these features have strong and rooted biological foundations regardless of the value judgements, lamentations and appraisals of moralists. It is not possible either to understand the driving forces of an individual or a society, nor to put them into a more friendly shape unless first, these obvious things are taken into account. Thirty years have passed from the first publication of Ardrey's book, and these years have provided more evidence to support his basic assertions. Those readers who fear that this may be yet another unintelligible scientific book, laden with indecipherable jargon, may put their fears aside. Ardrey's book serves to show that it is possible to speak clearly and convincingly of human nature, that most profound and intricate thing.

When I first read this book after being graduated from Boston University as a science major, I was stunned by the depth and perception of observation by the author. It, the book, has made a profound impact on my life and scientific beliefs.

For those people who like to read and do a lot of reading, this is one of those books that you find quite by accident and wonder why you never read it in high school or college. The overall argument of the book lends profound insight into the study of animal behavior (ethology i believe) and answered so many questions I had about my personal daily observations. This book also attempts to make a link between animal behavior and human behavior. Those who believe that humans are not animals, but higher than animals may want to skip this title if you don't have the courage. Keep in mind however that it was Carl Sagan who called for an alliance between religion and science and Pope John Paul II who said "Science can purify religion from error and superstition; religion can purify science from idolatry and false absolutes. Each can draw the other into a wider world, a world in which both can flourish...Such bridging ministries must be nurtured and encouraged."

Lastly, it's worth would be justified merely by the bibliography of books it provides throughout its pages. No doubt, this is a dying field of science (mostly thanks to religion's inability to adapt to the facts) in a country that is mentally decaying itself. That should not, however, diminish the importance of ardrey's work and his wonderful writing style. 5 stars, no doubt.

"If we can't think for ourselves, if we're unwilling to question authority, then we're just putty in the hands of those in power. But if they citizens are educated and form their own opinions, then those in power work for us." -Carl Sagan

-B

Another great book by Robert Young Pelton. There's something deeply wrong with this guy going to Chechnya like that, but he gives a great feel of what's going on there at street level, as well as some enlightening history that very few of us have any clue about. The Sierra Leone section tells of that area after things began to settle a little. While much has been written about the wars there and the diamond industry this book really adds a dimension to the Sierra Leone picture for me. As for Bougainville, all I knew was that there was a war there, but had never learned anything about it.

Like all of RYP's books this is a great read and well worth the money.

pelton is at times redundant, but the book moves along w/ just the right momentum to keep your attention. before his book, i had never even heard of Bougainville. this is a good read to store more detailed info. on the 3 places explored by pelton. at the very least, you'll feel smarter than you did before you picked up this book.

I've read everything he has out. Loved it! It's current (as books go), funny, serious and a great read!

where are the pictures? He goes to all these places, meets all these different personalities, admits that he has a camera and where are they? Now I don't need pictures in a book for me to read it but his stories I think would be enhanced with photos of his journeys.

The book is good and is part adventure/travel/survival/third world political science. In his travels, Mr. Pelton does not seem to take any easy route to go anywhere. He gets smuggled into Chechnya and tracks down a rebel leader on his own choice. The rebels who are known for kidnapping foriegners and journalists are meanwhile being tracked and bombed by the Russian military. He goes to Bougainville when everyone including the people that live there tell him not too. Why? I think because as he feels that there is a story to tell and it usually is not the "popular" one fed to most news agencies. Case in point is his Chechnya visit, where again he chooses to go to the "terrorists", not to give them a voice, but to get the unpopular side of the story (especially when considering the lack of freedom of the press in Russia). It is an objective look at the history of the Chechnya/Russian relationship and the situation where atrocities are seem to be committed by both sides. He even "interviews" a captured Russian soldier whose handlers casually tell Mr. Pelton he will most likely be executed the next day. The part on Sierra Leone is equally impressive, probably because there has been more press about the atrocities and violence there.

So as long as Mr. Pelton feels the need to travel to different "worlds gone mad", writing the about the lesser known histories and/or conflicts, he will most likely have me as a reader of his books.

Not exactly LP, but it tells stories of two places that been
extremely dangerous and one that still is.in SL conflict(the hunter) was fuelled by greed, diamonds made many Lebanese come to SL and
the become rich on trading, MEA (middle east airlines) flew
in several of their big passenger planes to rescue it's citizens, SL
isn't a tourist resort nowadays like The Gambia today, but
still not extremely dangerous.
Bougainville (the Heaven) was Oz mining company property until the fighting

drove them of the island, PNG gov tried to recruit SA mercs to
"conquer" the island and start mining again, but it failed badly.
Chechenya (the Hammer) was also about greed, in this case oil-pipelines from
Azerbadjian. The late Chechen leader Dubajev was a former Soviet
airforce general that was married to an Estonian lady, he stopped
a carnage in the Baltic states planned by hard-liners. The Russians was later upset by the Estonians because the gave away
3 plane loads of roubles to the Chechens (arranged by Georgia) that the Russians refused to take as payment for oil deliveries, the money came when Estonia changed currency from the Soviet rouble to the Estonian Kroon.
3 stories about where everything gone haywire, but in two cases
the violence have halted, at least temporary...

When deadly riots broke out in Tibet, Steve Lehman captured that terror in his outstanding photographs. Lehman continues to chronicle the Tibetans' courageous struggle for human rights, and his work is a major contribution to understanding the Tibetan story. -Congressman Tom Lantos Co-Chairman, Congressional Human Rights Caucus

i just wanted to say how incredible i thought this book is. the layout and design really highlights the power of the photos. perhaps most important, the book allows the reader/viewer to gain some insight into the complexities of the tibetan situation. the author's passion for the people and culture there is profoundly moving.

sue simon

THE TIBETANS is a beautiful portrayal of a courageous, earthy, and spiritual people struggling for survival under the tremendous burden of late twentieth-century colonialism. It is a must read for those who want to understand their planet. -Robert A.F. Thurman President, Tibet House

A stirring photographic essay which gives texture and grit to the reality of life in Tibet. A timely reminder of the ongoing ecogenocide and obliteration of Tibetan culture in its painful recent history under the Chinese. -Peter Matthiessen, Author

I have just returned from seeing Steve Lehman's exhibition of photographs from Tibet at the Newseum/NY- PLEASE GO SEE THIS SHOW IF YOU CAN!!! I stood before some of the most touching and moving color, black and white photographs and collages with tears running down my face at the inhumanity and humanity of the disgusting situation in Tibet. How can the United States and other so-called free nations stand back and allow this foul occupation continue to take place? Not only is the culture, religion, architecture, forests, etc. of Tibet being decimated but MOST IMPORTANTLY her people are being mass murdered, tortured and ignored by the "powers that be." (The setting of the show was wonderful also with thankgas, prayer wheels and other Tibetan objects. It was also incredible to be surrounded by all the photographs in one fell swoop.) I was particularly struck by the personal, hand-written descriptions on the photographs which made them even more immediate. One could really feel for the peaceful protestors who were subsequently imprisoned and tortured. I searched their faces and was mesmerized and thought about what each person's life was like now. Even if you cannot stand before the pictures, be surrounded by the injustice of it all, do obtain the book and see for yourself. This is photo-journalism at its finest and most poignant.Mr. Lehman's photographs give ample illustration that more needs to be done to help the Tibetans and now!

Two thumbs up for "Touched By The Jacksons!" An impressive tribute to the name that defines entertainment... JACKSONS!

An awesome book! Phoenix has captured the distinctive magic that only the Jacksons possess in all their glory. Their life story is truly an American Dream come true! Phoenix does a wonderful job intertwining the Jacksons career into his own life, and unravels a new appreciation and admiration of the Jackson family.

Read it and you'll know why. You won't be able to put it down! Phoenix gives a front seat view of the Jacksons road to success. A phenominal retrospect of their entire career. Five stars for Phoenix!

Touched by the Jacksons is not just for Jackson fans, but everyone. As we go through many stages of life, we experience good times and unfortunately bad times. At some point in time we need something to cling to. For the author, the Jacksons were the remedy! For once you not only are touched by the content, but you are able to relive the Jackson heydays all over again.

Think of it as parallel lives. A young man from Brooklyn who grows up worshipping the Jacksons and is able to parlay that worship into a career as a Michael Jackson impersonater. Phoenix does a masterful job transporting you back to the late 60s, early 70s, so you are right there as the Jacksons begin their climb to fame How his love of the Jacksons, and becoming a performer just like them, shaped his life. Allowed him to survive growing up in a climate of drugs and assorted family tragedies. The journey from youth to manhood, with all its successes and dark times, is gripping. Sometimes even mirroring the trials and tribulations of the Jackson family.

Graeber's book is not only a welcome addition to the anthropological literature on value; his work also goes well beyond simple exposition of Durkheim, Mauss, Marx and Malinowski and does what most authors should: make this book not only relevant to a wide variety of concerns but propose a theory that can lead you to change your view of the world if you take it seriously. Reading this book brought me to look at further works by Caille, Godbout and others working with the aptly named and little known MAUSS group in France; Graeber's book has been not only good to read, but good to think.

The one serious criticism I have (hence 4, not 5 stars, I would give 4.5+ if I could) is that Graeber needs an editor; not to clean up typos but to clarify his style. He keeps almost everything he writes tentative by qualifying everything in a conversational and hesitant style. Hesitation is not the same as prudence! This detracts so seriously from the real pleasure I gained from reading the book that I considered giving up before the end; if this book had been written with more attention to those issues of style, I would have stayed up all night to finish reading it the first day I received it.

Written at a time when the so-called "linguistic" (i.e. litcrit) turn has made many outside of anthropology question its relevance to larger issues (or to believe it had been superseded by literary "Cultural Studies" departments, Graeber has made a case for a sophisticated, relevant and engaged anthropology that doesn't simply limit itself in area studies or make itself irrelevant to contemporaneous worlds in a misguided positivism; his book keeps open the very human questions of value and action in our historically contingent and yet imagined worlds.

not having yet read more than a few pages of mr. graeber's work, i can already wholeheartedly agree with him when he says it is the only readable book on the subject.

This is a book that I suspect will be assigned in many anthropology classes & derservedly so. It should (but probably won't) also be assigned in most economics classes. It's sophisticated yet accessible treatment of core disciplinary issues is something we can all be grateful for.

Graeber is extremely erudite but never overbearing. His logic is complex, impeccable, and totalizing. And he has with easy grace wrung new meanings and infused new life into classic anthropological cases and works that hitherto have existed simply to torment fledgeling social science graduate students taking courses on veteran scholars like Mauss, Durkheim, Marx, and Weber.

What he is suggesting massively changes the way we look at cultural systems of value, exchange, and meaning. These ideas (and perhaps the author's politics) are revolutionary, yet you cannot come away from a reading (or re-reading--be prepared to take some time with this in order to understand all of the issues at stake) of this book without feeling that it all makes perfect sense.

If you are ready to read an academic book that really challenges the way you look at the economy you are part of, this may be the one for you.

Value, reciprocity, and exchange are making a big comeback and deservedly so. Graeber's book is a fascinating trip through the literature (both the good and the bad) with his own persuasive and original theory thrown in to boot. Graeber deserves thanks for the former and does it one better with the latter.

You should be forewarned, though, Graeber is . . . an anthropologist! I know, I can hear you saying: "No! Surely they all died of self-reflection during the postmodern plagues! Are there really any still alive?" One of Graeber's great accomplishments is that he actually understands and can talk about in plain language - even with flair and humor - the important theoretical issues that others have attacked and obscured using indecipherable jargon and nonsense verse.

More suprising still, he makes topics that drive most people to tears of boredom seem not only interesting, but relevant. If you've no idea what a potlatch is or what the kula is all about, Graeber tells you not only how they work, but why you should care.

Most importantly, then, this is not just a nice book of theory & it's not just a pleasure to read. It's about really important stuff, the stuff that makes life both possible and meaningful. If you want depth and breadth of analysis about how social life shapes meaning and quality of life, forget Putnam and social capital; this is a far deeper and more important work. This is anthropology as it should be: rich, lucid, and open to all comers.

Highly recommended.

I had the opportunity to read this book. From the moment of the first word to the very last word, the book draws you in to read more. The graphic descriptions can take you to the other side of the world and stand next to the author on his travels. You know what it was like be black during the "Jim Crow" days on the trains in the south. Granted that my 25 years never saw the ugly side of America, his visual imagery is just so vivid that I seriously think they should dump "Scarlett Letter" and place this book on the reading lists of High School Students.

I initially bought this book expecting it to be similar to the other slew of WWII books out there ( The ME-109 dove at me out of the sun with guns blazing...). Instead I got an honest account of a man who wanted to fly for his country and be treated with the same respect as any other pilot. Dryden's memories and descriptions of his voyage through training to be a pilot as well as the segregated and de-segregated Air Force are interesting and honest. Dryden't narrative is not the heart-pounding, can't-put-the-book down type but rather the story of a man who, faced with tremendous adversity from his own society and country, persevered. There is no bitterness in Dryden's story, and I put the book down tremendously impressed by his belief in himself, in his religion and his friend. It's a good book

Every young African American boy should read this book. It is an inspiration.

Charles Dryden's book forces people to see the trials and tribulations encountered by black servicemen and women during WWII. I was shocked to read about the different encounters with 'Jim Crow' that Dryden and his peers waded through during their service years. A must for anybody curious about WWII, the Tuskegee Airmen or about the fight for civil rights in America.

I meet Col. Dryden when he gave a talk about his experiences and his book. I then read the book a felt a tremendous respect for the author and all the Tuskeegee Airmen. Col. Dryden tells his personal story in a way that made me feel as though I was there with him the whole time. The challanges of blacks in America in his story left a powerful impact on me, the courage the author displayed is an insperation. A-Train is very well written and reads easily. It is an powerful story that left me feeling inadequate and ashamed to be white. I had the oportunity to meet Col. Dryden again and sought him out just to shake his hand again, knowing him from his book, it was hard to hide my emotions.

What most interested me in this brilliant collection is Bender's periodization of New York cultural authority. In line with other works on New York, but more cleanly and clearly articulated and supported with well chosen facts, Bender identifies three cultural authorities loosely suceeding one another after the Revolution.

First, The Patrician as exemplified by De Witt Clinton as both a powerful politician who 'qualified' as an authority, and who was a member of and directed cultural institutions. Next, the Common Man came during the Jacksonian era where cultural authority was seized by the common man a la Whitman. During this period, Barnum's American Museum offered all citizens the opportunity to visually inspect a 'promiscuous' collection of artifacts and allowed them to decide on its significance and importance. Commercial values predominated and, at least early on, this approach was a renuciation of the patriciate.

Then came as the Civil War drew closer, the era of the 'Professional Authorities' such as F.L. Olmsted and Samuel F.B. Morse (who as founder of the National Academy of Design as a professional organization in 1826, an early example of the doings of the "metropolitan gentry' who endorsed and promoted the Professional Authority. Other examples include E.L. Godkin, founder of The Nation and who decried the 'large body of persons' taught by common schools, lyceum lectures, small colleges,newspapers "who firmly believe that they have reached in the matter of social, mental and moral culture, all that is attainable or desirable by anybody, and who, therefore, tackle all the problems of the day." The result he insisted was "a kind of mental and moral chaos," presumably of the middle class. The Metropolitan Gentry who founded the Metropolitan Museum, by contrast, established clear categories on its objects -- unlike Barnum's populist American Museum. One supposes we're still in the era of the Professional Authority and the Metropolitan Gentry here in New York. More's the pity.

Bender's periodization was of particular interest to me, but there is much more here than the historical, including architectural, cultural and political perspectives, all of which Bender intersects in fascinating and original ways. Highly readable and insightful.

Whether you know nothing about New York, or think you know it all, this eloquent book will nourish your love and broaden your embrace of the City.

This compilation of essays about the culture, history, and concept of New York City is both thought-provoking and passionate. But be warned: this is no Introduction to New York History 101 book, and definitely should not find itself on the top of any coffee table. This is a studious and sophisticated account of Gotham's fluid and, as the title states, unending role in the modern world's intellectual and cultural history. Fortunately, Professor Bender's ideas are clearly and reasonably presented, making for smooth reading.

One of the major riffs throughout the pieces is that because New York City was relieved of the duty of being the nation's capital, and because of the new talent and diversity that free market capitalism attracts and needs, the city has always been at the forefront of America's and the world's aesthetic and technological development. These elements also make the city so chimeric that it's never the same city from one day to the next. (Unfortunately, the events of 9/11/01 would seem to refute this. Those terrorists and their backers saw the city as the fixed center of America's wealth, greed, and power. Professor Bender's introduction acknowledges that the effects to New York of that day are still unknowable.)

This critical examination into the world that is New York is not only testimony its greatness, but also to the pride and passion Professor Bender has for it.

Collection of distinct but companionable articles by Bender (Humanities/NYU) assessing New York City as a multiplicity of public places and institutions in flux and very much sui generis. New York, the author finds, sits outside the metropolitan idea. Unlike Paris or Vienna, it has not assumed national centrality and leadership in political and cultural matters; it doesn't realize and standardize the best hopes for the American polity. This, he figures, is because the city is continually in the making: unresolved, or resolved only temporarily. In its physical development and social organization it refuses a single logic, preferring a self-fashioned pluralism that is pragmatic, unpredictable, nonhierarchical. "The center has never held firmly in New York," Bender writes. "It has been continually undermined by fragmentation of the elite and by manifold rebellions." That has consequences for better and worse. Aspiringly democratic, polyvalent, and vibrant in architecture, politics, and art, the city is a place where, as Virgil Thomson observed, one group could argue "esthetics with intelligence and politics with a passion" while the other discussed "esthetics with passion and politics with intelligence." But New York lacks an image of itself as a collectivity; it has no representative institutions and lacks a civic culture in which "the public space is the terrain of the public as visual representation, while institutions provide a place for representative political deliberation." Bender (Intellect and Public Life, not reviewed, etc.) brings wide-ranging curiosity, literacy, and experience in urban matters to the question of New York, from the iconography of the Brooklyn Bridge and its rolein urban reconfiguration to the dialectical relationship between the city's horizontal, civic impulses and its vertical, corporate ones. There are persistent issues, including the city's racial divisions, but "New York's character is to be incomplete." A meaty and satisfying look at a great city, its multiple environments, and their unending transformations. (b&w photos throughout)

The Unifinished City (New York and the Metropolitan Idea) works as a series of independant essays (as it was written) but also pulls together beautifully as a major look at a city, specifically New York but more generically at cities in general in the book's final chapters. The author's, Thomas Bender, view is expansive and always intellectually sound as it ranges from architecture to Walt Whitman to cultural politics to Beat poets to democracy and to universities, and these are only a few of the ideas integrated smoothly into the book. Some of the concepts may be a little difficult for the uninitiated (myself, at times) but the writing is so smart and clear that the reader will fall into place quickly enough. A wonderful book and one of the best examinations of New York to be encountered.

Dave, Thanks so much for taking the time to put your lessons and memories on paper. I have very fond memories of J Bar D when I was there in '81- '82. I have shared my recollection of the ranch with my kids and my co-workers for years and I'm so glad I found your stories in book form. I have a lot of wonderful pictures of that time in my life, but my treasure is a cow tooth from the ranch, I always keep it on my desk. It reminds me daily of what's important in life, it mentally gets me out of the city and back to Ione. I wouldn't be where I am today if it wasn't for Dave's unique, patient, loving way he helped you look inside of yourself to become a better person. This book can inspire every parent, teenager or person going through a struggle to see how you have it within yourself to make the world a better place. I don't think Dave could ever count how many lives he has touched, thank you again Dave for remaining in my heart for this lifetime and changing my and my childrens course.

Everytime I cook butterscotch pudding, I think of you, with love to you and your family.

I know Dave personally and when he finished his book I had to have it. I found the book very entertaining and interesting. Dave took his life and told it in a way only Dave could do. I really like the chapters when he worked at the school for the deaf and blind. There was one part were Dave seemed to dwell on some issues, that he could have shortened up a little bit. All in all I found the book hard to put down once I started to read it. Thanks Dave for this wonderful autobiougraphy.

WOW!! This book brought back so many childhood memories. During my childhood, Dave's son Brad was my best friend. Our respective families were very close and spent many days and hours together.

With first hand knowledge, I remember some of the events that occurred on the boys ranch during long summer days and weekends. Some of my best childhood memories hearken back to time I spent on the ranch.

While many years have passed and I have lost contact with Dave and his family, I can truly say they were, and I know, still are awesome people.

From the day our families first met in church, until the last time I visited the ranch, I always felt like I had a second home there.

Jane and Jerry Farhenbacher are two other wonderful people whose good deeds and actions must not be overlooked. They were truly wonderful people.

I wish that everyone who reads this book could have spent a day with Dave and his family on the boys ranch. Through an experience such as this, I know that anyone with an open mind would have come away from his or her visit with a renewed sense of spirit for the American dream.

If the news and print media spent more time focusing on the benevolent deeds and actions of families such as the Goodwin's, America would follow the examples set by them and others thus creating a more harmonious, hard working, generous society.

Bravo Dave!

Respectfully,
Navin

This book talks of a family, a dream, the life of a man, his heart, his soul and most importantly his commitment to mankind. If you want to understand Dave Goodwin, read this book. Knowing he and his wife for many years now, this book is a remarkable story of who they really are, true Americans with hearts as selfless as the sun on a cloudless day. This book had us crying, laughing and wondering how on earth he was able to find the words to express the way he did....in looking back, that's just the way he is. Volume 2 must come soon.

This book tells the amazing true story of a wonderful man. It is such an inspiration. This is volume one of two and I am eager to read the next book. It reminded me of All Things Great and Small. If you liked that series of books, you will love this book! What a great read and a great gift! I highly recommend it.

This was a great book for any Vince Carter fan. It was extremely easy reading and I enjoyed greatly. Great pictures for those who do not enjoy reading. High flying fun.

The book Fast Breaks:The Vince Carter Story by Doug Smith is jam-packed with awesome facts and eight crazy photos of Carter in action.This book is for all basketball and Carter fans because it talks about Carter's struggles and accomplishments throughout his NBA career.I really enjoyed this book becuse it has everything you need to know about Vince Carter,up to how many contests he has won like the famous Slam Dunk Contest when he shocked everyone with three outstanding dunks and where he got the nickname Halfman-Halfamazing.I really admired Vince after reading this book because he's a good player,and he loves his family and friends.I really recommend this book to all basketball fans out there.

The book Fast Breaks:The Vince Carter Story by Doug Smith is jam-packed with awesome facts and eight crazy photos of Carter in action.This book is for all basketball and Carter fans because it talks about Carter's struggles and accomplishments throughout his NBA career.I really enjoyed this book becuse it has everything you need to know about Vince Carter,up to how many contests he has won like the famous Slam Dunk Contest when he shocked everyone with three outstanding dunks and where he got the nickname Halfman-Halfamazing.I really admired Vince after reading this book because he's a good player,and he loves his family and friends.I really recommend this book to all basketball fans out there.

This was a great book for any Vince Carter fan. It was extremely easy reading and I enjoyed greatly. Great pictures for those who do not enjoy reading. High flying fun.

I think the Vince Carter story is a very cool book, because I learned a lot about my favorite player. Also, there are lots of good pictures of him. I never really like to read before, but this book motivated me to pick up a book, and start reading. I would have a good review for this book, because it was easy to read for my grade level. However, any person who loves Vince Carter (like a fan, of course) would definitely love The Vince Carter Story. I myself enjoyed it very much, because of its informational content and facinating photos of Vince's dunks.

As I write this review on the quiet week between Christmas and New Year's Eve, the headlines and news reports are filled with the story of a software tester at an Internet consulting company who wrought an angry vengeance at his former employee by killing seven co-workers. This shocking tragedy has become numbingly familiar to Americans living in a society saturated with violence. This incident underscores the importance and relevance of Dr. Carll's book.

Dr. Carll incorporates valuable contributions from professionals in various fields including mental health, law, business and criminal justice. The book discusses the ways in which violence occurs in the workplace, home and community, and provides a lot of practical approaches for tackling the problem. For example, Dr. Carll offers quick, effective interventions for individuals who have encountered a traumatic violent incident in the workplace. This includes the use of "critical incident stress debriefings" which are confidential structured group meetings that allow individuals to ventilate their emotions and reactions to the traumatic incident they experienced.

In the chapter on Workplace and Community Violence: Intervention and Prevention, Dr. Carll shows how despite increased public awareness, employers continue to neglect the impact of domestic violence on the workplace. She therefore proposes a comprehensive workplace domestic violence program that is particularly sensitive to the needs and concerns of domestic violence victims.

This book is thoughtful, well organized and detailed while still being accessible and very readable. I highly recommend it not only to clinicians, but to anyone seriously interested in understanding and addressing the problem of violence in American society.

The invaluable and most comprehensive information in this book strongly impels anyone who reads it to become proactive toward attempting to curtail, if not eliminate, the violence that exists in society today. The author discusses the various forms of violence we are presently facing, including workplace and community violence, domestic and intimate relationship violence, media depiction and coverage of violence, and the secondary effects of crime and violence in the course of civic duty, targeting juror stress. What I find to be most unique in this book is the author's recommendations and practical solutions. They are not "pie in the sky," rather, realistic, sensible and attainable. Each one of us must contribute by first reading this book and passing it on to another, then making a visible, concrete effort to help alleviate the violence that does 'not' have to exist in our society today.

Dr. Carll provides a highly readable, and yet scientifically accurate strategy for systematically addressing the major public health hazard facing our nation today--violence. An internationally renowned expert, she possesses considerable "hands on" experience in effectively assisting victims of violence, in its many forms. Her highly practical reflections should be of considerable interest to concerned professionals and our citizenry alike. Her underlying message: As a nation, we need no longer be passive victims of acts of violence, interpersonal or environmental. We really do know how to make a difference.

The invaluable and most comprehensive information in this book strongly impels anyone who reads it to become proactive toward attempting to curtail, if not eliminate, the violence that exists in society today. The author discusses the various forms of violence we are presently facing, including workplace and community violence, domestic and intimate relationship violence, media depiction and coverage violence, including the impact on the family and community, and the secondary effects of crime and violence in the course of civic duty, targeting juror stress. What I find to be most unique in this book is the author's recommendations and practical solutions. They are not "pie in the sky," rather, realistic, sensible and attainable. Each one of us must contribute by first reading this book and passing it on to another, then making a visible, concrete effort to help alleviate the violence that does 'not' have to exist in our society today.

Unlike most other material written about violence, Elizabeth Carll gives a vivid description of the diverse forms of violence that exist in our society today, including family violence, violence in the workplace, random acts of violence in communities, and also media violence, and, in addition, offers practical recommendations aimed at eradicating existing violence and preventing reoccurrence. The techniques offered for professionals in mental health, the law and business are invaluable in that they are explicit as to means of prevention and, if needed, interventions that can be utilized including using more thorough pre-screening of employees, and conducting training seminars on recognizing and dealing with workplace violence. If crisis does occur, critical incident stress intervention (CISI), which encompasses immediate services as well as short and longer-term follow up as needed, is suggested. CISI is also expecially useful in the prevention of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (symptons such as re-experiencing a traumatic event through recurrent and intrusive memories/dreams, increased arousal manifested by sleep disturbances, temper outbursts, concentration difficulties, and exagggerated startle responses). In this book, the author creates an awareness of the extreme prevalence of family violence, especially violence against women, and the deleterious effects it has on children, including acceptance of violence as a normal response to frustrating situations, which may leave them at a high risk for eventually committing violent acts, themselves. Carll also devotes a chapter to covering media violence, including the media minimizing violence against women, displaying explicit sexual violence, and using violence as a form of entertainment. The long-term effects include desensitization to violence and suffering, learning aggressive behavior and becoming fearful of being victimized, many times resulting in increased distrust of others. The profile presented for identifying the potentially violent personality, highlighting characteristics such as having a history of aggressive behavior/continually blaming others for problems, an unwillingness to take responsibility for one's own actions, and social isolation leave all individuals without excuse for becoming more vigilant in our everyday lives in recognizing the warning signs and possibly warding off danger. Elizabeth Carll gives a comprehensive account of the various forms of violence that exist in our society today, and also strategic methods to identify, minimize, and eventually eliminate them, therefore, fostering renewed hope in an otherwise hopeless society.