News and Reviews Books

As with Fearing's other recently re-issued NYRB novel, 'The Big Clock', this book is comprised of a series of statements by a disparate group of commentators. In this case, the central event is the attempted putsch against a 'Provisional Government' of an anonymous country, presumably in North America and likely the USA of the future. The rebellion was lead by 'Colonel' Clark Gifford representing the 'Committee for Action'. Exactly what the Committee's various objections to the Provisionals might be and what exactly this group has in mind for rectifying the problems isn't exactly specified, perhaps by intent. The paramilitary actions, in turn, set in motion retributive action by the state governor. Gifford and his confreres are captured and several are executed. There is one turncoat, aptly named 'Danton', whose name maladroitly invokes the Danton of the French Revolution. The French Danton was accused by Robespierre and St. Just of betraying the Revolution, as this Danton betrays the Committee's revolution. The heroic Gifford is eventually executed as was the French Danton, but Gifford's raid and subequent martyrdom provoke internal rebellion, adding to the Provisionals' headaches, as they already have at least one major war in progress. Interestingly, the Committee specifies it will prosecute the ongoing foreign war to a victorious conclusion. There are several subplots, e.g., a cabaret singer's quest for her long-lost son, who was left 'on the other side'. These become mere digressions and are only vaguely related to the central action, but serve to set the milieu. The book is characterized as 'political noir', but lacks just about all the characteristics that define this genre. Further, none of the characters are sufficiently developed for the reader to develop an understanding of their motives, much less to have any sympathy or empathy for them or their affairs. The greater theme, if there was one, escaped my notice. This book was particularly disappointing given the obvious and widely recognized talents of the author. Based on the title, one might assume Fearing intended Gifford as a symbolic John Brown character and the radio station raid as an analogue to the Harpers Ferry action. If so, the book fails, miserably. It lacks the sentience of Orwell or the miserable anonymity invoked by Kafka. It has none of the gripping insights into the totalitarian mindset provided by Koestler, Jan Valtin or Victor Serge. It is sterile, rather than stark and seems more like a work-in-progress, as opposed to a finished product by an experienced writer.

Jack Fischel's review can itself now be reviewed at Amazon. (It does seem a little funny to be writing a review of a review). The content of Fischel's review is disappointingly slanted, and I expected better from a mainstream periodical such as MIDSTREAM.

To begin with, Fischel not only accepts the dubious version of events at Jedwabne propounded by Jan Thomas Gross, but does so hook, line, and sinker. To top it all off, he even attacks those who challenge Gross for "refusing to accept his evidence". Incredible! Since when are scholars just supposed to accept the claim of a particular writer without question? And what about the shoddy nature of Gross' so-called evidence?

Fischel criticizes Polish scholars Bogdan Musial and Tomasz Szarota not only for daring to disagree with Jan Thomas Gross, but also for what Fischel considers the undermining of Holocaust historiography itself. Musial is quoted as pointing out that the entire Second World War has now become reduced to the Holocaust, while Szarota adds that the attitude towards the Jews has replaced the struggle against Hitlerism as the primary measure of morality during World War II. Would Fischel actually have us believe that nothing much happened in World War II except the genocide of Jews, and that the 2-3 million murdered Poles are supposed to be consigned to an Orwellian memory hole? Fischel even complains that the annihilation of European Jews by the Nazi Germans is diminished by the attitudes of these Polish scholars. In view of the fact that the fact of 5-6 million murdered Jews is well known all over much of the world, how could this even be potentially true?

Fischel repeats some rather primitive Polonophobic remarks, such as the one about few Poles doing anything to rescue Jews. In actuality, Poles did more to rescue Jews than any other German-occupied nation, and did so under vastly more difficult conditions than, for example, the much-acclaimed Danes. In accepting Gross' version of events at Jedwabne, Fischel also repeats the charge that Poles share the burden of moral culpability in the Holocaust. Well, what is good for the goose is good for the gander. If so, then Jews also share the burden of moral culpability for the sufferings of the Poles, even if in fact it was only a small fraction of Poland's Jews that assisted the Soviets in the arrests, imprisonments, deportations, and killings of Poles.

Unfortunately, Fischel is not up to date in his analysis of the tragic events at Jedwabne, although he may not have been aware of it at the time he actually wrote his review. A book published several months before Fischel's review article appeared (Chodakiewicz, Marek Jan. 2005. THE MASSACRE IN JEDWABNE, ISBN 0880335548, available from Amazon) meticulously examines ALL the evidence relative to the Jedwabne massacre, not just the small sample of mostly-hearsay individuals selectively quoted by Jan Thomas Gross. Archeological evidence itself practically eliminates the possibility of a spontaneous or quasi-spontaneous Polish pogrom. The preponderance of actual eyewitness testimony, both Jewish and Polish, implicates the Germans and not the Poles as the main perpetrators of the Jedwabne massacre. The Polish involvement in the roundup and guarding of Jews is shown to be subsidiary to the Germans and probably not consensual to begin with. Finally, there is no compelling evidence of the Poles taking part, consensually or not, in the torching of the Jew-filled barn. The latter, in fact, bears all of the hallmarks of a classic German atrocity. For those readers seriously interested in the Jedwabne massacre, I recommend Chodakiewicz without reservation.

I wanted finished room design ideas from the show. It's mostly photographs of the steps before the finished project. It might be helpful to someone who wants to do the construction of a building.

Out of all the MCAT review books I got, I used this one the least. It wasn't very helpful: the questions aren't arranged in a very practical way, and the questions didn't much resemble actual MCAT questions--they require a more detailed/extensive knowledge of science than you really need. This book won't help you refine your reasoning skills, which are what you most need. Try Examkrackers instead--much better.

How Murder Went Unpushished by Stone, is just that... an early paperback that attempts to draw attention to the unjust nature of the shootings. As an historical review relatively shortly after the event, it contains a very accessable reprinting of the FBI investigation. This book is recommended if only for that reason... but, given so many other books that also look at the trials, settlements, and new information that has surfaced since the time of publication, this book will appear dated by comparison. --A must have for Kent State Riot completists, but should be viewed as an EARLY historical reference.

The authors have intended this to be a reference book to New Zealand feature films over the period indicated and their selection demonstrates that they have a very liberal view of what constitutes a "New Zealand" film and a "feature". Even so there are a number of surprising omissions. Apart from full details (some of which are wrong) and credits they give a story outline and their own opinions about each film. Generally the latter are well reasoned but in some cases they are also highly debatable. The book gives little detail about what what was going on in the cinema industry and the country that was manifested by these features and doesn't present much of an overview of the whole scene. Perhaps the greatest disappointment however for what is a visual medium is the poor choice of and reproduction of the stills. For those wanting a complementary and generally better book on this subject, I recommend "Celluloid Dreams: A century of film in New Zealand" which was published about the same time.

I was very disappointed with the Test Secrets book. I imagined the book to consist of social studies secrets and not "test secrets". The small 77 page paperback booklet actually had 31 pages of social studies definitions, words to look up and study and suggested material to review. The first 21 pages lists items such as: "Secret key #1 Time is your greatest enemey and pace yourself". Anyone who has taken any one of the NYSTC is aware of these strategies and doesn't need a $40 book to remind them of basic test taking suggestions.

I copy the review from previous buyer and it's what I felt exactly..."
If you are looking for test questions - this is NOT the book for you as there are NO TEST QUESTIONS to be found anywhere in this book. This book is not worth the money ... "

This book contains a great deal of information; some if it is generic with regards to study/test-taking skills. Developmental milestones are also presented. The book is difficult to read as there are no true "chapter" or seprations to the information (age, language, etc.); the information is just listed in the book and it is difficult to read and get through. If you are looking for test questions - this is NOT the book for you as there are NO TEST QUESTIONS to be found anywhere in this book. This book is not worth the money ...

I have been using this book and the Reiss/Hall pharmacy law book and have to say, this one was not as useful. The questions in the back are not really similar to the kind of questions you get on the MPJE (in my opinion) and there was an entire section in the CSA section that was completely contradictory to the information on the DEA's website...for example, this book says that oral prescriptions are permitted for schedules III-V ONLY in emergency situations...then goes on to cover the same thing that CII oral "emergency" prescriptions require. When I looked this up in the other book and on the DEA's website of prescription requirements, it is stated that all III-V substances may be communicated orally, in writing, or by facsimile to a pharmacist, and may be refilled if so authorized on the Rx or call-in, without the stipulation of an "emergency situation." Due to this type of misinformation I would not recommend the book to anyone. They even have some answers in the back that are completely incorrect.

The questions are too short and are not board-type