Cultural Books

This book exceeded my expectations. Being from Hialeah, what I consider to be the current heart of Cuban Miami - as the book mentioned, Little Havana, the old enclave of the Cuban exile, is slowly being overtaken by Central Americans - I was pleasantly surprised to see several pictures of Hialeah included (and not of the racetrack like many other books focus on, but of actual shopping centers and streets that residents can recognize).

The book does a good job at summarizing the exile experience in Miami, from the first wave of the 1960's to the Balseros of the 1990's. I wish that they would have spent as much time studying the Marielitos as they did with the first wave of exiles, though. I also like how they mention not only successful Cubans but those of the lower and working classes, though more attention should be given to them as well, as not every Cuban is living the "American Dream" and owns their own business, or even their own home. Studying poverty in the Cuban community is essential, and not just the poverty of the recent Balseros but of older immigrants who just never assimilated enough to succeed. Success stories are great and all, but there are other realities to explore as well.

I also enjoyed that the book is not just a study of Cuban immigrants but of how they have changed the culture of Miami. I especially liked how it mentions our traditions and products. As a Cuban-American, I found myself relating to a lot that the book had to say and recognizing many of the traditions, places, personalities, foods/restaurants, and stores mentioned.

I would have liked that the pictures be in color, as they were all in black and white, but this is a minor gripe.

A personal suggestion to the authors: you should write a book about Cubans in Hialeah, they are a case study onto themselves! I would also love to see an updated version showing all that has changed since the book was published in 1999, though it can still be considered current.

This book by one of the authors of Secret Missions, offers a pleasant and often poignant glimpe of the history of Miami's Cuban community. Rather than books of this kind, the author shows his respect for Miami's Cuban community although he does not emphasize the glittering success of its most powerful indivuduals. Rather, the book covers everyone from Peter Pan arrivals to Mariel boat people and rafters. A model study, and illustrated with wonderful cartoons and photographs.

Excellent! This book manages to provide a comprehensive textual documentary of the Cuban exile experience in Miami in an easy-to-read manner. It accomplishes this with its great visual exposition of photographs ranging from the early 1900's to the present time, as well as a thorough analysis of this group's migration to this country.

For those interested in understanding the Cuban-American experience, especially after the Elian Gonzalez events, this book is a must. Ironically, and it gives it more credibility, this book was written prior to the Elian saga. Yet, I think it can help answer to others why this group of opinionated, passionate, and often stubborn Cuban-Americans have reacted the way they have on the Elian debate. It indeed answers a lot of questions regarding the political, economic, and social idiosyncrasies of Cuban-Americans. Answers to such questions as why Cuban-Americans are the only Hispanic group (and probably only "minority" in this country) with an overwhelming Republican Party affiliation? Why economically Cuban-Americans have been such great implementers of the "American Dream" in such a short amount of time? Why socially Cuban-Americans are closer to the American family and religious values held in the 1950s in this country?

The authors have done a wonderful job of capturing and reporting a sense of a Cuban-nostalgic state-of-mind that only exists in the Cuban-Americans' psychic, almost frozen in time. It is a testimony of perseverance and survival to the older and first generation of Cuban exiles that arrived in this country. Their main accomplishment has been to be able to pass this "dream" or state-of-mind to the next generations. The book's last page states - "In Miami, but not in Havana, you can buy a "Cuban sandwich" and "Cuban bread," Bacardi rum and Hatuey beer." This I find ironic and hopefully fitting. Who knows? It is, I think, in the end this kind of Cuban-American capitalistic mentality which might bring back to Cuba itself a sense of Cuban identity at some point in time. Not to mention of course a sense of family and religious believes kept alive by that first generation of exiles. A sense of family and religious believes that unfortunately no longer exist in that island.

Like other groups of immigrants to this country, this book shows the Cuban-American experience as homage to the human spirit, survival, and a great tribute in itself to this great country of ours. If you're of Cuban descent and live in exile, this book will make you proud, sad, and also hopeful. If you're not of Cuban descent and living in this country, this book will make you better understand that other group of Americans residing in "Cuban Miami". And yes, it should also make you very proud of this country.

The Authors Asis and Levine have created an excellent documentary of the Cuban immigration to Miami-Dade county. The book takes one from the 1930s to the present. It explains ins and outs the Cuban life in Miami. It is a very neutral book which neither glorifies nor demeans the Cuban immigration to Miami and Florida. It simply explains the reasons of Cuban behavior which might seem somewhat confusing to a non-Cuban as well as other races and nationalities from Latin America.

Miami and Cuba had a long relationship way before the revolution came to the island nation. Many of the wealthy sugar barons, rum distillers and tobacco kings kept their cash in South Florida. Miami was the playground for the rich and famous of Cuba usually occupying more hotel space than the rather well known northern snow birds of today.

The politics of dislocation is discussed indepth to help one understand the often hostile position of Cuban-Americans toward Castro and Cuba today. Something of a surprise for me was the way the first wave of exiles often viewed the newcommers of the second wave commanly known as the Marielitos with suspicion.

The influence of wealthy Cuban businessmen of yesterday and today are felt in many places of the US in Finance, Educational Scholars, Politics and Government. They superficially touch base on this without going into a lot of detail but it still one understand from where they have come from to where they are going.

The Catholic church plays a very important role in almost all Cubans' lifes. Many of the cultural and religious specific traditions are explained in great detail. All of the refugees from the first wave and operation Pedro Pan were mainly cared for by Catholic charaties, which also reinforces their beliefs and support for the church.

Gloria Estefan, Willy Chirino, Silvio Fontanellas and other Cuban-Americans who have contributed to Cuban culture in the area of music and arts is only briefly discussed on several pages. As a passionate listner of Cuban music, I thought it would have been great if they would have introduced other Cuban musicians in South Florida but then again, this is not a publication about Cuban music.

Exiles love to dream about the Island but I think this chapter is a little bit niave as most of the Cubans think that once Castro is gone they will all return home. I have been in Europe during the fall of the wall and many of the former East Germans dreamt about going back to their former country and rebuilding their homes and reuniting their families. This all turned out to be falacy. Those that tried to come back and claim their property were detested by their families who remained in the Communist part and saw their relatives from West with a lot of suspicion. Many family reunions didn't last long and the their dreams were shattered. Things will be different when Castro is gone but it will not be like most Cuban exiles think. Family members who have stayed in Cuba the entire time will want to have their property as well, citing the suffering they have endured under Castro as their rights to the deeds. More important is that exile Cubans understand what caused the revolution and that they try to avoid the pitfalls of their predecessors.

Most companies prepare a business plan and if it is not bearing fruit after a certain amount of time they decide to try something else. Perhaps the Cuban exile community should try and persue a dialogue with Cuba. Fourty years of isolation hasn't worked guys.

This is similar to (although not as good as) the Apocalypse Culture books where you have a collection of compiled articles on subjects or people that are from the fringes of mainstream belief.

Overall this was worth reading but one big annoyance is the condescending, smirking attitude Parfrey has towards some, if not most, of the people and subjects being discussed. This attitude seems to be a very common thing that west coast and Jewish types (Parfrey is both) have towards anybody that doesn't share their world view. Which is really funny because one of the essays in this, "How to Frame a Patriot", does a great job of pointing out how a writer can subtly twist words around in order to defame the person they are writing about. I don't want to seem like I'm being too hard on Parfrey though because I enjoy a lot of his work and think his Feral House is argueably the best publishing house going right now.

One of the best things about Adam Parfrey's articles are the subtle sarcasm that abounds. While one man recounts his ardour for Russian mail-order brides, Parfrey, without shame reveals his opinion of this man as a travesty. Not all the subjects in this collection of articles are treated as rudely though. Parfrey investigates anything weird from millenialists to congenital human oddities with an open-mind. Photographs adorn the articles, making this book more alive in the reality of the strange.

Where other reporters are afraid of letting their opinions be known, Adam Parfrey, in his exploration of the fringes of society, is fearless. At times he does seem a bit mean, but come on, he is printing what everyone is thinking! Included in this collection are tongue-in-cheek reports on women sexually obsessed with Elvis, the history of big-eyed waif velvet paintings, the Unarians (who prophesized that the Space Brothers would land in their UFOs and save the world in 2000 -- are they still around?), Bo Gritz (the man who Rambo is based upon) and, yes, a group that encourages the empowerment of the handicapped through sex. There are other articles on various charlatans and conspiracy theories,including an excellent one on Waco (Fact: did you know that every ATF agent killed at Waco worked as security for Bill Clinton while he was governor?!?). My personal favourite is an interview with Shelby Downard, my all-time favourite "paranoid" (I can't wait until his collected works are released in 2002 by Feral House!).

I am David Brandenburger. My (deceased now) wife & I are the sources/subjects of "May I Touch Your Scar", in this book. Parfey makes some stuff up, takes things people said, either out of context, or alters their words to suit his own pervertions of thought. While sex INSTRUCTION was a small part of what we taught people (adults only), it was NOT our main focus. To refer to us as, "a sex cult for cripples" is ludicrious. Please contact me for further information if anyone is interested. E-mail to irhp@phonl.com a Thank you.

You have spelled the author's name wrong. My name is Yale Richmond, and the paper edition of the book was published in 2004, not 2000.

Yale Richmond

Cultural Exchange highlights the intrinsic events within the educational system, that is, the exchange program between the U.S. and the U.S.S.R., that led to the downfall of the Soviet Union by the ideas that it helped to foster. It gives you a detailed, well researched account of the events that led to these programs, as well as many small entertaining tid-bits such as students in the program who were afraid to do anything because they thought the CIA was working with the KGB. All in all, a synopsis of the book is not needed here, just pick it up yourself if you have an interest in the Cold War and/or the events that led to the downfall of the Soviet Union, to see for yourself what lies within the book.

Other recommendations along with this title:
New Myth, New World, from Nietzsche and Stalinism
Toilet: The Novel (A Tribute to the Literary Works of Franz Kafka)

Scholarly and illuminating, Richmond's book colorfully documents official, government Soviet-American cultural exchanges that began after Stalin died in 1953, and helped to break down barriers of fear and ignorance, at a time that many of us felt the Cold War was freezing all contact.

These cultural exchanges involved books, movies, writers, performing artists, scientists, technologists, think tanks, politicans, and scholars.

Richmond writes eloquently, liberally using quotes of people who took part in the exchanges. One was organized by Gerald Mikkelson, professor of Slavic languages and literature at the University of Kansas, and it flourished in the 1970s and 80s. From several days to several weeks, Soviet writers came to the university, experienced the Midwest, and went away forever changed.

"Those visits to Kansas," says Mikkelson, "not only broadened their horizons culturally and ideologically, and gave them plenty of food for thought that sometimes got translated into specific literary works or images, but it added to their prestige and emboldened them at home in their efforts to make the Soviet Union a more livable place for writers and people in the other creative and performing arts."

Imagine a Soviet writer being plunked down in Kansas!
And other new places!
The same for Americans in the Soviet Union!

Some Soviet scholars were not allowed to take part, because the Soviet Foreign Travel Commission didn't think they were "reliable" to travel abroad, for whatever reasons. One of them was Soviet professor George Mirsky, a Middle East expert, who whole-heartedly encouraged his students at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations to go on such exchanges.

Mirsky writes, "Before the exchange, people believed that Western society, no matter how wealthy and affluent, was narrowly materialistic, devoid of any humanism and spirituality, selfish and arrogant, indifferent to moral, cultural, and artistic values, full of hostility for Russians and of anti-Communist crusading spirit.

"What amazed them was American hospitality, warmth, willingness to oblige, civility and politeness, lack of ethnic prejudices, care for disabled, richness of artistic life, pluralism of opinions, abundance of associations. The Soviets were able for the first time in their lives to see a functioning civil society. This was a great surprise...The exchange visitors would never be the same again."

As a musician and lover of the arts, I especially enjoyed the chapter on performing arts, with highlights of American impresario Sol Hurok's success in bringing Soviet musicians, dance troupes, ice shows, and circuses to the U.S. As a child, I had seen some of these performances, but not been aware of their long-range effect! Reciprocal trips took such Amerian writers as Norman Cousins, Robert Lowell, and Edward Albee, and such groups as the Philadelphia Orchestra, the American Ballet Theatre, and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band to the Soviet Union.

These cultural exchanges paved the way for the the arrival of Mikhail Gorbachev to the presidency of the Soviet Union. Gorbachev and his wife had done a great deal of foreign travel in the 1970s and 80s, and loved it. They saw that another world existed beyond their country. As president, Gorbachev opened the door even farther and moved the Soviet Union forward to help end the Cold War.

I love this book because it is informative, inspiring, and written with obvious relish and passion. Richmond was there, working on these exchanges, helping to get people talking, and opening up their minds. He records this first-hand. Who else can tell such a great story so well? I recommend the book to anyone who wants to learn, to understand more about history, and to appreciate the people who changed it. Bravi!

The jacket of Richmond's book states that this work "demonstrates that the best policy to pursue with countries with whom we disagree is not isolation but engagement." Whether or not this is universally true, a very strong case is made for this argument in this study of cultural exchanges during the Cold War between the Soviet Union and the United States.

The exchanges between the two countries were initiated by President Eisenhower in a letter to Bulganin, the Soviet head of state, and were begun in 1958. Whatever concerns there might have been about potential Soviet espionage, the program found approval even from FBI Director J. Edger Hoover. Richmond demonstrates the wisdom of this program as thousands of Russians and Americans participated in these exchanges which continued up to the time when the Soviet Union ceased to exist.

The book's table of contents provides early clues to the range of the program. There were exchanges of scholars in science and in the political and social sciences, exchanges of scientists and technicians for conferences and participation in working groups, exchanges of journalists and diplomats, and the well publicized exchanges of performing artists in ballet, music and theater. Students in the exchange program often remained in the host country for several years; scientists and technicians only for the several weeks of a conference or working group.

The background to the exchange rogram is provided through citations from the reports of American administrators and scholars associated with it and through personal interviews in which they describe the difficulties of implementation in the face of bureaucratic obstacles from two mutually suspicious countries. It is the interviews with the exchange participants, however, which is at the very heart of this quiet but remarkable story. Of particular interest are the interviews with dozens of participants from the Soviet Union.

This reader was arrested by the positions held by the Soviet participants at the time of their arrival in the U.S. and by what became of them and their careers on their return to the home country. In contrast with the American exchange scholars who came largely out of academia, many from the Soviet appear to have held government positions when they arrived in the U.S. or at some earlier time. The nature of some of these positions is especially surprising to the lay reader. Among four students who came to study at Columbia University, for example, two were in the KGB, one in Soviet military intelligence, and the fourth in the Central Committee of the Communist Party. These backgrounds do not appear to have been exceptional among Soviet exchange scholars.

It is not certain from Richmond's reports if expsure to the U.S. through this program was, in general, an advantage or handicap to Soviet participants' careers on their return home. Nevertheless, it is evident from some of the case studies that some achieved positions of great influence. Alexander Yakolev, for example, became a senior advisor to Gorbechev and is known as the "godfather of glasnost." Rem Khoklov was awarded the Lenin Prize for his scientific research and became a member of the Soviet Parliament. What may have been of importance even greater than those who reached high positions, however, is that many scholars were inthe government and on the job when the Soviet Union collapsed and were prepared for the social and economic changes which were to come.

At a time of increasing barriers to those who would enter the U.S. as students or observers, CULTURAL EXCHANGES AND THE COLD WAR demonstrates the value of openness even during the most stressful periods of the Cold War. American leaders coming from a broad political spectrum took the risk of allowing access to this country by students and leaders from our most feared competitor. From this there appears to have been an unimagined payoff.

My uncle wrote this book and like..its awesome. i read other peoples reviews and i am so glad they liked this book. good job uncle rich!
~*)Kayleigh(*~

I enjoyed this book tremendously! Some puzzles are real stumpers, and as a movie & TV buff I was hooked. Hope a sequel comes out soon!

This book is truly for the person who is really into TV, movie & music! I couldn't answer most of the questions!! Ex: "Name the Steven Speilberg directed film that features mashed potato replica of Devil Tower" Arghhh!

I consider myself to be a true cultural idiot, but after taking some of these quizzes I guess my brain is not as warped by TV, movies and music as I thought it was. In some of the categories I only got one answer right-especially the TV Spin-Off one. I highly recommend this book, it was a lot of fun taking the quizzes and a lot of fun going back in time and remembering some of the goofy shows, music and movies I used to think were cool!

The struggle for a science of culture represents a lenthy contention, as to whether or not culture is a infrastructure or simply a superstructure. The empirical approach used in Harris's work, avoids the realm of philosophy and the abiding law of society, which however is presented as a fact of matter. The contention between the survival of the fittest and the early need to develop agricultural society, the human need not to inter marry were, in fact the effect of a culture in motion. The materialization of culture as a container of human activity opposed to the idea of culture being the sum of the contents obsures the reality; that both coexist and do represent as stated in book, the true Dilectical relationship. Harris's view while I feel is a honest reflection of culture and science does not apply its conclusions to the dominance of the struggle by men to dominant women in society. Cultural materialism does recognize the exploitation of people as the category of change demanded by society and not these shifts in the mode of production.

Marvin Harris' book, Cultural Materialism, is a must read for any student in the social sciences who intends to address issues of war and peace, environmental decline, and social justice. Written in clear, understandable language, the theory presented is compelling and fully relevant to the most pressing issues of today. The updated edition offers an introduction by Allen and Orna Johnson that "examines the impact that the book and theory had on anthropological theorizing." Compared to today's muddled and often unfathomable social theories-Cultural Materialism provides a practical and useful research approach relevant to any social issue and usable by those working for social change. Don't be put off by the title, the book and theory fully address all aspects of culture and in an evolutionally perspective. I particularly recommend the book and theory to those who work on environmental and social justice issues. Conservation biologists seeking to explore sociocultural issues, especially when addressing conservation planning implementation problems, would be well served appreciating the Cultural Materialist perspective.

Foundational. This book is the core of cultural materialist theory. I lays out in simple language a theory for describing and explaining the complexity that is human behavior and thought. Many have railed against cultural materialism for being too simplistic, for "naïvely" arguing for evolutionary, universal patterns throughout human societies. Harris spent his life fighting for a scientific approach to anthropology and this was his masterwork towards that goal.

He begins by discussing science in general; its beginnings, evolution and application. At the end of the chapter he says something which resonates throughout the rest of the book and his work. This statement provides a window into the character of Marvin Harris like nothing else Ive read. He says, "No other way of knowing is based on a set of rules explicitly designed to transcend the prior belief systems of mutually antagonistic tribes, nations, classes, and ethnic and religious communities in order to arrive at knowledge that is equally probable for any rational human mind. Those that doubt that science can do this must be made to show that some other ecumenical alternative can do it better. Unless they can show how some other universalistic system of knowing leads to more acceptable criteria of truth, their attempt to subvert the universal credibility of science in the name of cultural relativism, however well intentioned, is an intellectual crime against humanity."

Throughout the first part he discusses his theory. Beginning with the epistemological underpinnings of the theory and ending with application he thoroughly explains and attempts to preempt any questions that might arise. In the second half of the book he compares his theory to other anthropological explainations and descriptions of human behavior and ideas. He discusses sociobiology, Marxism, structuralism and psychological approachs to humans. He ends with a critique of postmodernism or obscurantism as he calls it in this book.

His theory is basically that we are motivated primarily by a few basic biopsychological drives. These drives lead us to produce things and reproduce ourselves. Production and reproduction, in relation with the environment, lead to the organizational structures and the symbols and ideologies of particular societies. This is a system. As such all of the parts feed back into each other so that a change in one part usually leads to a change in all other parts. The primary way change occurs in the system, however, is through alterations in the modes of production and reproduction or because of changes in the environment. This is because these are the only things that are tied directly to our basic biopsychological needs.

It is a shame that anthropology has lost Marvin Harris and his scientific, multi-linear evolutionary theories and wandered into the abyss of postmodernist, interpretationist mishmash.

This book will eventually be recognized as one of the most important of the 20th Century - but not until the 21st Century. In spite of what the previous reviewer said, it does indeed deal with male supremacy - and Cultural Materialism's explanation for male dominance is something that feminists should learn and understand, if they want to do something to end male supremacy.

Culture and Customs of the Central Asian Republics (Culture and Customs of Asia)
If you have seen little of Central Asia, this book will deepen and expand your sense of having been there. If you know Central Asia as a scholar or as a wanderer (or both), this book will illuminate your experiences. If you haven't been to Central Asia and want to know about it, this book will tell you. In any event, you will enjoy reading Rafis Abazov's book.

A very good overview of Central Asian folklore and life. Could be used as a textook for courses on the region and for students, businessmen, aid workers, tourists and others who are interested in or will visit the region. Gets behind life in Central Asia and is therefore good in conjunction with a typical guidebook.

Unfortunately, Central Asia remains an unknown part of our planet. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more of this vibrant and intriguing area of the world, especially those interested in the life and cultures of the Great Silk Road. It is a clear and useful reference to the politics, economics, history and fascinating customs of the Central Asian peoples. I wish you a happy journey reading this work which will provide an opportunity for you to feel the ancient spirit and modern life of Central Asia.

So you want to learn more about the Central Asian Republics? This book can provide you with answers. The book does not boringly describe the customs and cultures of the republics. It shows how throughout the history the cultural and religious influences from Greece, Middle East, China and Russia have shaped the modern cultures of the Central Asian Republics. It explains why the cultures of the regions are so diverse; it also discusses their unique and common features. Every topic covered in the book, such as visual and performing arts, archeology, media, cinema, music, etc., is discussed from the ancient times to modern days. Moreover, the book comes with beautiful photographs, selected bibliography and index; and each chapter begins with an epigraph! I think this book could be the right choice to read for anyone who wants an objective account of the regional cultures and customs.

Most of the times, academics are enclosed in a bubble far away from real life. This book is exactly the contrary: Culture and Equality offers a vigourous defense of egalitarian liberalism regarding minorities' rights.
The book can be easily read since it was written in a succint delicious prose (with some gestes of humour).
Every responsible citizen should read this book in order to form a well opinion of what multiculturalism is and how it will change our societies.

Barry's work is presented as an egalitarian critique of multiculturalism. The work argues against much of the recent theoretical literature on multiculturalism (most notably W Kymlicka, IM Young, and B Parekh), but takes a more positive stance on reasserting the basic values of liberal egalitarianism--i.e., that individuals ought to have the ability to make and exercise rights claims as individuals, not as members of collective cultural groups. Barry goes through a number of case studies, such as the case of Sikhs in Britain on safety laws to explore whether what he calls "rule and exception" approaches to public policy are consistent with liberal values. He looks in depth at issues of religion and education.

The book is important for at least two reasons. One, the argument draws on empirical case studies which is intertwined with the theoretical material--a rare achievement in political theory. Two, the work challenges so much of the underlying assumptions in multicultural thinking. It is a breath of fresh air to read a tightly argued criticism of the kind of PC nonsense that passes for scholarship these days.

This book is likely to be greatly misunderstood. In this 'egalitarian critique of multiculturalism', Barry is not trotting out the tired right-wing argument that minorities don't deserve 'special treatment' etc., Rather, Barry contends that the best way to help those least advantaged is not by engaging in a politics of difference, but rather ensuring that all are guaranteed the full benefits of citizenship.

Barry wants to move away from the view that cultural rights are of prime importance so as to facilate a more inclusive social model. He gives several examples to illustrate how the politics of difference is ultimately self-defeating and non-sensical. These range from the rights of the Ahmish, to the issue of Quebec separatism.

The discussion of authors such as Kymlicka, Parekh, and Iris Young is very illuminating and to the point. He exposes the weaknesses in their arguments without marginalizing their concerns about the rights of minorities.

I read an earlier draft of this work and was blown away by the wit and energy Barry brings to bear here. This is a work by a top - notch scholar, which should be read by anyone who is interested in just what multiculturalism means.

In his book "Culture and Equality: an Egalitarian Cririque of Multiculturalism", Brian Barry convincingly argues that multiculturalism is not only a threat to liberalism, but - as in the case of communitarianism - gave the green light to practices that might well open a road that could end with Stalin or Hitler. The concept of "group rights", the claims of religious groups to self-government in internal affairs and the demands for specific minority practices and legal exemptions from general rules for members of minority groups fragments society and condemns liberal rights.
Multiculturalism can lead to the reification of cultural groups: "What we might find out by experience is that institutionalizing group representation offers opportunities and incentives for political entrepreneurs to whip up intragroup solidarity and intergroup hostility in the pursuit of power. And indeed this has happened all over the world virtually every time group representation has been introduced."
By attributing rights to cultural groups rather than individuals, one risks reifying cultures in a way that is not the case when rights are established for individuals. Eroding the universal framework to which all should abide in liberal democracies, undermine individual rights and the principles of justice. The `rule and exemption' approach - which establishes the right of cultural groups to make claims that place them outside the parameters of the law applied to others , sets a precedent which ultimately delegitimises the law. It is absurd to establish a framework of law and then undermine the universal application of the law by exempting some groups from it. Any liberal system of justice must apply the law on an equal basis. For Barry, a liberal egalitarian approach to contemporary politics requires a universal set of laws that provide a systematic framework under which everyone can live equally regardless of their private differences. Indeed it is incumbent on the state to establish a liberal system whereby individuals are able to pursue their private perceptions of the good to the greatest extent as long as that does not involve practices that infringe the law.

Brian Barry calls for a renewed attention to the concept of universal rights: "[Universal] rules define a choice set which is the same for everybody; within that choice set people pick a particular course of action by deciding what is best calculated to satisfy their underlying preferences for outcomes. . . . If uniform rules create identical choice sets, then opportunities are equal."
In his view, cultural differences are not problematic because "within a liberal state all groups are free to deploy their energies and recourses in pursuit of culturally derived objectives on the same terms."
Barry's critique of those multiculturalists who seek an alternative for liberalism is indeed devastating because he shows that their approaches conflict with basic liberal values.

Who would have thought that aviation and medicine were so much alike. This book reviews the safety culture in both professions (albeit from an aviation point of view) anb shows that both can learn from eachother.

I have used this book in aviation safety training and it does provide a solid basis for creating a safety culture.

Recommended!

Too many books on this subject are either just too academic or too trivial to be worth the price. This book avoids these pitfalls and provides helpful analysis to the 'real world'.

Robert Helmreich is regarded in the aviation industry as the father of Crew Resource Management (CRM), and in this book he and Ashleigh Merritt (with material contributed by many others) discuss the effects of cultural issues on safety in aviation and in the operating room.

While the bulk of the book is devoted to CRM in aviation (the researchers have vastly more data and experience in that field), the book serves well as an introduction to cultural influences in the operating room (and in medicine in general, to a degree.) This book is not light reading, and is most suitable for professionals in aviation, medicine, or behavioral and social sciences familiar with inter- and intra-cultural dynamics and the statistical methodologies typical in such studies.

The book is excellent at breaking down cultural influences by national, organizational, and professional affiliation, and it adds a significant amount to the body of knowledge in this area. As a long time airline pilot (and part-time safety and training consultant), I found the book fascinating and generally in agreement with my experiences working with pilots from airlines around the world. There are a couple of minor areas where I disagree with the book, for instance on page 105, the authors state "we believe that every national culture values the safety of its members and that every airline is dedicated to improving the safety of its operations." I agree that this is the case in the vast majority of cases, but I have been given reason to doubt the complete accuracy of the second half of that statement based on my personal interactions with many pilots from airlines around the globe. I think that management at all airlines would prefer safe operations as a matter of profitability, but that some are content with doing the minimum mandated training with safety as a second thought to legality and profitability. This is a minor semantic point separating my opinions from those of the authors, and is based on my personal observations and interactions with several thousand crew members from scores of airlines from all over the world. I will unequivocally say that the cultural profiles that the authors have established for the pilots are nearly identical to my own perceptions.

A very interesting part of the book concerns itself with pilots distrusting management. The authors were stunned to discover what low regard pilots felt for management. (As a pilot I think, in general, justifiably so.) This ties in with my comments above about genuine managerial interest in safety. They all "talk the talk," but many don't "walk the walk." The matter is fully distilled for the non-industry insider on pages 127-128 which emphasizes the group mentality (with resultant long-term corporate health) of Southwest Airlines in a press release written by their founder Herb Kelleher, contrasted with a press release from one of the embattled legacy carriers, released by the CEO of that corporation. The latter gave no credit to the employees, while the Southwest release did. The esteem with which management regards employees couldn't be carved in greater relief: the problem for management is that this is a treacherous two way street, and the employees that are desperately needed by legacy carriers are now largely demoralized in some cases to the point of apathy. Fortunately, the Helmreich team was not able to tie safety records conclusively to morale, though that may be simply because accidents are so statistically rare. On page 179 the authors deal again with the trustworthiness of management. The assertion is that for a safety system to function employees must feel free to report safety problems, instead of hushing them up (this is a major issue on the medical side of the house with the ever-present malpractice litigation waiting to ensnare doctors.) The authors are right on the money: if a hint of vindictiveness or lack of anonymity exists in a safety program, it will fail. The authors cite the excellent program at Continental Airlines as a model for how to deal effectively with an accident (in this case a non-fatal gear up landing of a DC-9) to learn from it and make further safety gains with employees.

On page 204 the authors examine cultural issues in the context of language differences. They cite the problems of Chinese pilots speaking in English. They mention the issues of sending a (non-pilot) translator with the pilots to aid communication. I have worked with several Chinese airlines and they are all bright, polite, and perceptive in my experience, but the dynamics in the simulator with the translator are unnerving as instructions are translated and queried, checklists are run and maneuvers are flown. In general under abnormal conditions I found that when a translator is used, emergency procedures took much longer (perhaps twice as long) to accomplish due to the language problems involved. I fully support the Helmreich proposition that international pilots be given more training in English (the international language of air transport.)

In sum, this book is superior and fascinating. I have commented more on the aviation side of the book because that is where the majority of my expertise is, but the medical side is equally fascinating, and heralds the beginning of a true safety system approach to medicine. I highly recommend this book.

This is an outstanding book that goes deeply inside the airline pilots and medical culture (it is much more related about aviation). Full of data and cases that supports and illustrates the author theory. It is a book not only to people that desing training but also manages those professional groups.

Roger Scruton's book "Culture Counts" is meant as an answer
to Western culture's two current threats: radical Islam and,
from within, multiculturalism. To that end he offers up an
examination of just what culture is: its origins and importance
for a civilization.

In a compact (108pp) format of seven chapters, Scruton discusses
the development of cultures generally, using relevant topics from
philosophy and religion, anthropology, and general history. When
commenting on Western Culture in particular, he offers up specific
examples of both popular and high culture drawn from literature
and drama, painting, architecture, and music. In the chapter
"Culture Wars" aim is taken at several factions of the
multiculturalist brigades.

The book is quite readable. However, for those only at the level of
interested layman (such as myself), there are some passages that wend
off into the esoteric. Fortunately, these excursions are few and
brief, and they did nothing to dissuade me from enjoying the book a
second time several weeks later.

Roger Scruton's "Culture Counts" is much more than just another tiresome, stale screed attacking the postmodernist establishment. Instead, it is a refreshing defense of the actual, if neglected, inclusiveness and meaningful "multiculturalism" of traditional Western culture, and, simultaneously, an expose of the rigid orthodoxies and crude censoriousness which mark that allegedly open-minded, postmodernist "culture" flourishing at our universities, one he calls the "culture of repudiation." This regnant "culture" he sees as unworthy of a university, since it is in grave contradiction, for it argues that all cultures are relative and therefore of equal value, at the same time as it demonstrates a fashionable self-loathing by bashing traditional Western culture as beyond the pale. It is, in fact, merely nihilist and has nothing substantive to offer in place of what it would destroy.

Scruton is equally provocative in suggesting that current education has things just backwards. To him, the purpose of education is not merely the private benefit to the student, but rather the benefit to the culture, of which a truly educated student will himself be a future guardian. (Pace, John Dewey!)

Finally, it should be pointed out that Scruton is as versed in contemporary art, architecture, music and literature as he is in the traditional, and thus he does not follow his serious analysis with a counsel of impotence and despair, seeing instead convincing "rays of hope" in such current practitioners as, for example, Jacob Collins, Quinlan Terry, David del Tredici, Ian McEwan, Michel Houellebecq, Alain Finkelkraut, Tom Stoppard, Alan Bennett, Paul Johnson, Gertrude Himmelfarb, and James Wood.

Written by Roger Scruton (Research Professor, Institute for the Psychological Sciences in Arlington, Virginia), Culture Counts: Faith and Feeling in a World Besieged declares that rumors of the demise of Western culture are greatly exaggerated. Countering academic, external, and internal critics of Western Culture, such as dismissive attitudes toward the legacy of "dead white European males", Culture Counts reveals Western cultural contributions to moral education, defends traditional architecture and figurative painting, and urges renewed respect for the positive achievements of Western civilization. "We should see culture as Schiller and other Enlightenment thinkers saw it: the repository of emotional knowledge, through which we can come to understand the meaning of life as an end in itself. Culture inherits from religion the 'knowledge of the heart' whose essence is sympathy. But it can be passed on and enhanced, even when the religion that first engendered it has died. Indeed, in these circumstances, it is all the more important that culture be passed on, since it has become the sole communicable testimony to the higher life of mankind." A highly recommended, thought-provoking philosophical treatise.

Just about everything Roger Scruton writes I enjoy reading. He has one of the most penetrating and illustrious minds in all of conservadom, and Culture Counts is a book worthy of his reputation. Scruton is the type of intellectual heavyweight who can score points on every page which is exactly what he does here. Central to his theme is that western education exists to preserve knowledge and transmit it to the generations which follow. Our accumulated observations, values, and judgments must be conserved. Educating individuals is a secondary, and never the primary, goal of organized schooling. One's education is bigger than his person.

The idea I found most intriguing is that no information is superfluous or unworthy of accumulation. Almost every fact we gather in life adds to our general understanding of the world and is, thus, invaluable. Most people don't seem to comprehend this and act as if they are above many things and many individuals. Such attitudes are counter-productive, and are what make an ignoramus an ignoramus. The intrinsic merits of contemplation are today largely forgotten, but not to Mr. Scruton. He reminds us Aristotle regarded contemplation as being the highest good. I also appreciated his short section on the importance of laughter and the way it saves us from despair.

My only criticism is that, at just over 100 pages, Culture Counts is really more of an extended essay than a complete book. Twenty dollars is too expensive a price in my opinion. Of course, the great thing about Amazon is that stuff always sells at a discount here. Furthermore, the z shops have been a godsend for my wallet and I am sure they have been for yours as well.

"The Curtain Rises" is an unusually fine report of individual lives under Soviet communism in Eastern Europe; how thoughtful resisters coped in their daily lives, and were enabled to participate in and shape the basic changes that occurred in their own lives, their communities and countries as they were freed from the constraints of oppressive government control. This book is filled with the life stories and philosophies of extraordinary individuals whose lives were changed by contacts with caring and experienced Westerners who helped them realize their dreams for change and decency.
Susan Shapiro got involved in change behind The Iron Curtain through her concern for the health and eating habits of a Hungarian boy who stayed in her home in Harrisburg, PA. Her concern led her to teach 500,000 teachers and millions of children behind the crumbling curtain not only how to live more healthily, but to change their own lives, their schools, and their communities through grass-roots actions.
This book can be read as fascinating social history of the Soviet Empire or as a blueprint for bringing about basic changes in countries around the world in our time.

I thought that this book was very well-written and extremely interesting. As a dedicated historian with a great interest in the Eastern European region, this book offered a different and unique perspective. It looked into the lives of the individuals, detailing their experiences with communism and the fall of communism. I highly recommend it and think that it would be a great supplement to a history class.

One of the most powerful books I've read in years.
No kidding.
As a professor, this book impressed me by its historical clarity.
And as a humanist, the book touched me for its poignant stories. The people that Susan Shapiro interviews are both ordinary and extraordinary. If you have a belief in the strength of the human spirit, this book will resonate with you. And if you don't, this book can help.

A great read! I highly recommend this book to any person with an interest in Eastern Europe. The writers truly capture the feel of what day-to-day life is really like for people in this fasctinating region of the world.