Security Books

Edited by global market strategist and foreign affairs expert Alan R. Ackerman, Investing Under Fire: Winning Strategies From The Masters For Bulls, Bears, And The Bewildered authoritatively presents expert testimony from financial experts concerning the hazards and opportunities awaiting investors in the constantly changing present and future. From biotech; to the Chinese market; to available legal recourses; to examples of what investors should look for when reading between the lines of an annual report, Investing Under Fire is an especially recommended "inside scoop" of thoughtful extrapolations and solidly practical advice for those who are somewhat experienced with investing, yet are seeking to learn more of the increasingly complex and volatile financial and global markets.

Investing Under Fire is a very interesting collection of essays by 30 luminaries from various fields, some of them not at all related to investing. Each selection contains at least a thought or two to repay the effort of perusal, and that's a great deal more than many books deliver, especially books about investing. The anthology's five segments cover mutual funds, key sectors - from Asia to precious metals, research and legal resources, innovative companies and geopolitical influences. Anyone who merely reads the first selection, by Vanguard founder John Bogle, and applies its lessons, would more than recapture the purchase price of the book. Despite the sometimes self-promotional comments from a few of the other contributors, it's a very valuable book. If nothing else, we note, it will expose you to a spectrum of diverse opinions, a useful prophylactic against complacency.

Investing Under Fire is a very interesting collection of essays by 30 luminaries from various fields, some of them not at all related to investing. Each selection contains at least a thought or two to repay the effort of perusal, and that's a great deal more than many books deliver, especially books about investing. The anthology's five segments cover mutual funds, key sectors - from Asia to precious metals, research and legal resources, innovative companies and geopolitical influences. Anyone who merely reads the first selection, by Vanguard founder John Bogle, and applies its lessons, would more than recapture the purchase price of the book. Despite the sometimes self-promotional comments from a few of the other contributors, it's a very valuable book. If nothing else, we note, it will expose you to a spectrum of diverse opinions, a useful prophylactic against complacency.

This is a great book. A must for anyone who wants to understand the current state of the U.S. economy and the global economy. I have seen Alan Ackerman on T.V. a few times and always enjoyed his advice.

The book is well done and the roster of contributors is very impressive. I cannot recall a book that had such a wide and important variety of industry leaders and analysts.

There were so many interesting and important points that it is difficult to mention them all. In short, the book is cautiously optimistic and is a must have for anyone who wants to be prepared for the future.

Investment firms confront a world of change. Yet many of them have managerial cultures that are ill suited for that confrontation. Author Jim Ware, writing with Beth Michaels and Dale Primer, exposes 10 myths of investment firm management, and shows managers what it takes to build a strong, successful management culture. The authors seem generous and humble, drawing examples from and crediting the work of numerous management authorities. The book does not break new ground, but rather it summarizes, compiles and restates what has been said elsewhere. The authors' approach is frank, straightforward and anecdotal. Their focus on the book's target market - investment firm managers - is tight and unvarying. Only in the last chapter do they stray from that focus, restating a number of criteria that investors might use to evaluate stocks on the basis of corporate culture. One suspects that the authors might have included this chapter at the urging of an editor eager to expand, if only incrementally, the readership for the book. If so, we believe the editor should have been content with how precisely the book serves its intended audience.

Investment Leadership explores why some investment organizations produce above average long-term results for clients while others don't. Jim Ware and his team discovered that the best ones have key common characteristics. Ware illustrates how an investment firm's culture influences creativity and success.

This is an engaging book and I believe every investment professional would benefit from reading it. Clients will learn important characteristics to look for when hiring an investment advisor or investing in mutual funds.

Management theorist Peter Drucker famously said: "What gets measured, gets done." Busy executives know this is true. So they have little time for management how-to books that repackage upbeat platitudes about excellence. But asset management executives should make time for Investment Leadership. It is refreshing on two counts. First, it's a management book for and about asset managers. Second, it tries to get its quantifying arms around leadership and culture. It's partly successful on this second count, and that's why it's worth a look.

The authors start with the premise that most investment professionals have no interest in managing people. (We'd point to the example of bond guru Bill Gross, who admits as such in RunningMoney's July 22 profile of PIMCO). That's why the book urges firms to find people with business and organization talent to lead.

And leading is different than just managing...

To read the entire review, check out www.runningmoney.com.

A fascinating insight into the differences in values, culture and leadership between good (or "stagnant") firms and great ones. Jim and his team have a wealth of experiences and facts to draw on to support their thesis.

I would consider this almost a manual for individuals looking to lead their firms down the road into becoming a great investment organization. It also contains practical insight into how values, culture and leadership are also essential qualitative research elements for consultants and analysts.

There is no other book like this on the market. It teaches a person how to use complicated research to invest, yet it is easy to understand. I would recommend this book for the beginner investor as well as the seasoned vet who may need a refresher course. Every broker should have to read this book. It is filled with information that is hardly ever taught only learned through trial and error. It will definitely give a broker or an investor a leg up in the market.

The only stocks I've owned ---up until this point---are ones that I inherited when my father passed away. Lacking any further inclination to investigate the subject of investing, I have relied on advisors. Virtually 100% of the time, I have taken their advice without question, simply because I didnt know enough to even articulate a question.
This book changes all that. Written in concise prose and including lots of example to illustrate points, this book is eminently readable, providing simple and logical explanations of what to look for when considering investment. It provides numerous portfolio models based on one needs, objectives and perspective.
Does it contain all you need to know? I can't say. But I can tell you it has provided me in one read enough information to become a nuisance to my advisor. Hey, the fees I pay buy me that license. Read this book no matter how much you know!

As a marketing professional who has little time to research investment opportunities, I was seeking a guide to educate myself about using investment information effectively. Investment Survival is an expansive educational resource that uses pertinent examples applicable to the laymen to provide a comprehensive guide to constructing a well-balanced portfolio. I will refer to this valuable guidebook for years to come when making decisions about my stock portfolio.

Review of Investment Survival

What I liked about Investment Survival is that I learned practical things I have never found in any other investment book. It is especially helpful about how to use the information and opinions I hear on TV, read in the newspapers and in research reports my broker sends me. In other words, this book is packed with "news you can use."

It explained to me how to figure out how risky my portfolio is by going to a free website and putting in the ticker symbols the stocks I own. The book also explains how I can decrease the risk in my portfolio or increase it, if I care to. I realized as a result that I was overloaded with technology and communications stocks and, perhaps, I should reduce my holdings in these two areas.

It also explains what I should do next when I read or hear an opinion I agree with. For example, when somebody says, "You should overweight retail stocks" and I want to do that. Now I know what "overweight" or "underweight" means in terms of dollars and cents in my portfolio.

It also explains how to check out my own opinions. By that I mean, how to figure out if analysts, investment strategists and other just plain investors agree with my thinking or not.

I liked the fact that the book doesn't preach. Instead, it gave me some simple ways to clarify my thinking and simplify the job of monitoring my portfolio and figure out when I should do more research and when to ignore the advice I am getting. It's also easy to read and it explains clearly whenever it uses a technical term.

I would recommend this book to somebody who isn't new to the game and believes that she or he can do better in the market. Someone who has been investing for a while and owns at least a dozen different stocks. If you are willing to spend a few hours a month working on getting more profits from your stocks, I think you will thank me for recommending this book.

This Book Has More Meat In IT Than A 2-FT Long Philly Cheesesteak Sandwhich. Every time I see this book lying around the house, I pick it up and lose myself in it. It's absorbing for its information, not its easy readability. Author Dan Smoot is a man in the know. His profile near the back lists him as "a former member of the F.B.I. headquarters staff in Washington...and [who]authored the bestselling "The Business End of Government". The book, "Invisible Government" is a companion to those of us who realize how absurd it is that the mega wealthy would accept the democratic principles of the US Constitution (which supposedly gives governing power to the people). With chilling support, Smoot writes that the real government (the Invisible one) is composed of certain secret and pseudo-secret societies such as the CFR (Council on Foreign Relations) and the Trilateral Commission. Members of these societies (and he gives lists and names plenty of very familiar people) are then placed within the US Government in very key positions and control world events, with the president merely a puppet, a public face man who smiles at the public and is the receiver of their trust-and their wrath when things go bad. (Who could doubt this, given the George W. Bush tenure?) Smoot tells us about the founder of the CFR, Col. Edward M. House, and that the CFR is only the US branch of the secret society, with the main branch known as the RIIA, Royal Institute of International Affairs, founded in Great Britain under the stewardship of certain members carrying on the mission set forth in the will of Cecil Rhodes, see my review of Rhodes: Race for Africa. Col. Edward M. House wrote a novel in 1912 entitled "Phillip Dru: Administrator" in which House details numerous laws that eventually became laws in the US over the next 20 years, including the income tax, the federal reserve, social security, and giving women the franchise. House was President Woodrow Wilson's closest advisor, who lived in the White House and was NOT a government employee. Thus began the puppet presidencys, beginning with Woodrow Wilson. There is too much more to tell, but to doubt this book is to stick your head in the sand, which is a natural sport for mankind, allowing such things to happen in the first place. For an easy read on the whole nine yards of what is going on, why and how, see the book, Don't Weep for Me, America: How Democracy in America Became the Prince (While We Slept).

Smoot's book "The Invisible Government," is a great historical record that is informative, disturbing, and well documented.
If your're interested in the elitist policies, the history of globalization, and the shadow government behind it all, then, this book is for you !!

Smoots isn't the greatest writer I've ever read, but the story is so important that it should find it's way to everyone's bookcase. Most people believe that only kooks believe in a government within a government, but here is a former FBI agent that found exactly that.

Some will remember the IPR - China scandle that brought communism into China right after WWII. Those that don't will be educated on it. Those that do remember, we be taken down into the motives and reasons behind the actions of the IPR and the men that backed them.

Dan Smoot's "Invisble Government" sold about 1 million copies through self-publishing alone, but it did not appear on the New York Times "Best Sellers List" of 1962.

Essentially it is a book dealing with organization called The Council on Foreign Relations founded by Edward Mandel House, one of the Dullers brothers and others devoted to bringing "socialism as dreamed of by Karl Marx.", to quote House, to this country.

The writing is dry but effective. I think that had he lived, Senator Joseph McCarthy might have written this book himself since the Council is one of groups that he was getting into his sights before Eisenhower stopped him.

What Dan Smoot revealed is how it'c control of the national medias is so pervasive that true and vital news seldom gets to the populace at large. For instance, current members of the CFR include: Dan Rather, Tom Browkaw, Charlene Hunter Gault, and many others we have intrusted to inform and protect us.

His anaylsis of it's goals bear close attention for those who are interested in anwering befuddling questions about U.S. foreign and domestic policies.

Over twenty six years later "The Shadows of Power" by James Perloff, brought the CFR up to date, and the report on how this subversive organization has not been dealt with is not good!

From what one may gather after reading "The Invisible Government" is how many lives have been ruined or lost in order to fulfill the dreams of a few determined to create a "New World Order". If you think this is only the stuff of Ian Flemming or H.G. Wells, this book goes a long way to prove otherwise.

Other books, and there are many, devoted to exposing suberversion in high places frequently mention the CFR and its offspring the Trilateral Commission. While the news tends to focus on people in particular, the infulence of the CFR is seldom given proper consideration, if at all.

Dan Smoot revealed how the CFR is clearly anti-American, pro-socialists, and in league with organizations and individuals hostile to our form of government and way of life and he provided ample documentation that still serves interested parties to this very day.

For an interview with the author about his book search the net for "Radio Liberty". This host, Dr. Stanley Monteith" managed to get an interview with Mr. Smoot revealing the travails he had in getting his book out.

Mr. Smoot has done an invaluable service. And it lifted the weight of confusion and mystery about what is and is not true about rescent history of the Unted States.

I have an interest in IPO's because I have invested in a company involved in oil and gas exploration which is planning to issue one this year. ThusI read with interest "IPO's for Everyone"and was gratified to find this book useful and informative. The subject is covered thoroughly in a manner easily understandable by a layman such as myself. The topic is treated with scientific honesty and objectivity.

This is a surprisingly fun read and contains intersting true storeis about IPO winners and losers. I think individual investors will find is especially helpful because it gives easy to understand tips on how to invest in IPOs. The tips are easy to follow and are important in figuring out whether a comapny is worth investing in. Overall, I give it a high rating because it is entertaining, simple and helpful. After reading this book I feel more prepared to trade IPOs.

What a solid book on IPOs! I am an international investor trying to diversify my portfolio to include IPOs. Usually, I wait for analysts to come out with opinions on a new company. Now, after reading this book, I think I can do my own research using the prospectus and feel much more comfortable evaluating a company myself. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in doing his own research. This book is easy and fun to read, and the stories about past IPOs are really interesting.

When the dot-com IPO phenomenon first got started I took an interest in how these companies raised money. But, I could not find a solid source to get started. There were not a lot of books on that specifically keyed in on the subject, and those that were out there were far too technical for me to understand. IPOs For Everyone is the first book that comes at IPOs from a perspective that a layman can understand. The authors do a good job peppering the book with anecdotes that illustrate what potential IPO investors should be on the look-out for. It's a highly entertaining read for novice or more seasoned investors interested in getting an insider's angle of how the IPO process works and how individuals can participate

Irish Secrets: German Espionage In Wartime Ireland 1939-01945 by Mark M. Hull (Assistant Professor of History, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, Missouri) is a 383-page exploration of why World War II German intelligence basically failed in the Irish State, and offers the documented view that the german effort represented a genuine menace to the Allies (including Northern Ireland) as well as the wartime neutrality of the Irish Republic. So much more than a stodgy historical study, Professor Hull offers the reader a truly gripping and comprehensive account of the intelligence war in Ireland and showcases the story of a brilliant, creative, and ultimately successful Irish Military Intelligence in waging a counter-espionage campaign that would overwhelm the German intelligence operations. Strongly recommended for personal and academic World War II Military Studies collections, Trust Yourself To Transform Your Body draws upon newly released intelligence files in several countries, in-depth interviews Professor Hull was able to conduct with surviving participants, and other previously unpublished primary sources.

It's not often that a history book comes along that catches my interest. When first starting to read "Irish Secrets," I thought I would be in for another historical timeline reading. As I kept reading, I was captured with the informative and humorous, yet tragic stories. Mark Hull has put real-life incidents together to tell the truth, whether liked or not. You do not get lost in the first chapter with the events occuring out of place, instead, you are given an understanding of the German Intelligence Service and the tools used to achieve an ultimate outcome of events. For Example: agent basic training, radio transmission secrets, secret inks, a coding system, and the people that were chosen.

I am not educated with this part of history. Frankly, I find it boring in the classroom, but not with "Irish Secrets." You will get to know the people and feel their half achievements and full loss. You will go to Ireland and have landed in the wrong area only to come upon a long hike through the roads, I believe the gent walked about 70 miles...of which he was dressed out of sorts! He is very easily spotted as a foreigner - not too well planned. You'll have illicit affairs, entrapment, thrilling escapes and ultimately see the inside of a jail cell.

This book is beyond a doubt, one of its own kind and should be read for the classroom, but also for pleasure! A simple "Spies Like Us" all the way humor. The classroom reading list should include "Irish Secrets" for scholars to learn a bit of forgotten history and enjoy a well written bit of work on the authors part. Irish Secrets is very well written and thorough in its recalling of a time went wrong. I enjoyed the book from start to finish and urge others to do the same.

This book has amazing insight into the realms of Irish and German espionage history. I found the reading to be thoroughly enjoyable and entertaining. Dr. Mark Hull brings a bit of humor into a subject that is difficult to entertain. I have never been an advent reader of any type of historical writings and found that once I started reading, I honestly felt capitivated by the reconstruction of history in this book. Unlike most history books, Dr. Hull has brought to life a writing that is serious in depth of subject, yet could be viewed world wide on a theatre screen as thoroughly enjoyable (James'Bond anyone?).

I would recommend this book for a history class or just for the enjoyment of sitting down on the sofa with a good book and a cup of wine for a relaxing evening at home.

Irish Secrets provides a stunning insight into a now forgotten aspect of the Second World War - Nazi Germany's secret overtures to neutral Ireland, 1939-1945. Berlin sent a "dirty dozen" agents by parachute and U-boat to Ireland, whose wartime leader, Eamon de Valera, was striving to maintain strict neutrality in the face of strong pressure to join the war (mainly from British Premier, Winston Churchill).
Mark Hull, a professor of modern history at St. Louis University, has produced the most detailed study of the agents sent to Ireland by Germany. They included a German circus weight-lifter, an Indian and two South Africans. Most were en route for missions in England, but all were caught and incarcerated in Athlone army camp in the Irish midlands (luckily for them because they would have faced executiion if discovered in wartime Britain).
The most colourful agent by far was Dr Hermann Goertz, who parachuted into Ireland just north of Dublin in 1940. Goertz was wearing his Luftwaffe uniform and medals in the mistaken belief that he would be shot if caught in civilian attire. Goertz who was in his 50s and a First World War veteran, asked a startled Irish farmer if he had landed in Northern Ireland by mistake. The farmer asked the German agent "You wouldn't happen to know Ballivor?" (the nearest village), at which point the conversation abruptly halted as Goertz went on the run.
As Professor Hull points out, Goertz had the most success among the German agents, remaining at large for 18 months. But it's believed that the Irish Army deliberately kept him on a long leash, checking all those with whom he came in contact, including the German ambasador, Dr Eduard Hempel.
Goertz was unsuited to a spying mission, however, and spent his time in prison writing love stories, practising suicide drills, and dreaming about taking over the leadership of the IRA (Irish Republican Army). After his post-war release, he was so alarmed at the prospect of being repatriated to Allied-controlled Germany (he feared he would be tortured to death by the Russians) that he took a cyanide pill and died instantly, in 1947.
Professor Hull's book - which is destined to become a standard work of historical reference - will prove an invaluable read for anyone intersted in recent Irish history, Ireland's historical links with Germany and, in particular, Nazi Germany's attitude to Europe's neutral states (which included Ireland, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden and Turkey).
It is noteworthy that the foreword for Irish Secrets was written by none other than Enno Stephan (the former head of German Radio's French-language service), whose 1963 book "Spies in Ireland" did much of the spadework on this fascinating topic.

(Dr David O'Donoghue, Dublin, Ireland).

A must-have desktop reference! Well written, incredibly informative and easy to follow. If you work in the industry, you MUST purchase this book! If you don't work in the industry, but want to learn about it, you MUST purchase this book!

This comprehensive guide offers unparalleled insight into some of the hottest topics in modern finance: from asset allocation to online trading, from broker-dealer operations to advanced portfolio management. It is a "must-read" for anyone who wants to get answers to the many questions concerning investments and modern securities markets. The book makes an excellent reference guide for everyone from a novice investor to a seasoned investment banker.

This book provided a clear overview on the world's leading financial instruments. It is a must read for anyone working in the financial services industry.

An excellent, well written, easy to read tool that is useful for the first time investor as well as the Financial Services Professional. I've been in the business 13 years, and still found this book to be captivating! Very useful in illustrating the basics to newcomers of the investment process.

I bought this book on the basis of the title, with no idea of the author's deep history of accomplishments. This is a lovely book, largely an essay. The author opens by telling us he is concerned about the lack of political argument (dialog) in the USA, including substantive coherent dialog about core issues such as:

1. Nature and role of human rights in defining legitimate behavior by both individuals and governments

2. Role of religion in politics and governance

3. Distribution of community's economic wealth

I bring back from page 125 the following superb quote: "But our national politics fails the standard of even a decent junior high school debate."

And on page 127: "So Americans are horribly misinformed and ignorant about the most important issues." This is true. What he does not tell us, which we learn in the following book, is that all of our politicians and their so-called "advisors" are equally ignorant. See: Security Studies for the 21st Century

I was in error when I first thought the author was a conservative, forming that impression from the index and the endnotes, where I usually start a book. He is rather a very educated and philosophically well-grounded person of liberal to centrist perspective, and I found this book to be sensible, easy to read, and compelling.

The book could not be more timely for me (published in 2006) as I wathc Senators Clinton and Obama behave like children and avoid substantive policy backed up by a balanced budget they are both incapable of producing, while Senator McCain gets a "bye" and is not asked any tough questions at all (for 52 tough questions and transpartisan "starter" answers, visit the 501c3 Public Charity, Earth Intelligence Network).

The author, with a deep legal understanding and much work previous to this book, probes how character and forms of governance and politics shape the decisions we make.

He labels partisanship destructive, and puts forward his view that despite the superficial divide between "red" and "blue" he believes we can still come together at a deeper level of understanding such that we can overcome partisanship. I urge one and all to visit Reuniting America and especially their page on transpartisanship, it is consistent with what this author presents to all of us for consideration.

He specifically labels campaign rhetoric from 2004 to be shallow, as shallow as any since the last substantive debates in America, between Lincoln and Douglas (he says, I agree although Kennedy and Nixon I thought did well).

The author identifies his agenda in two parts: to explore how we might find shared principals, and to explore how such might lead to good outcomes for the Nation as a whole.

He puts forward three propositions early on:

1. Equal rights for all, meaning that both US citizens and foreigners (e.g. the ones in Guantanamo) should be treated equally, i.e. human rights should prevail here and both groups have equal right to dignity and justice and equality.

2. No television advertisements for political campaigns in the months leading up to an election.

3. Poor merit special protection and consideration as part of establishing the legitimacy of government and the equality of all (e.g. the poor cannot insure themselves the way the wealthy can). At a stratgeic level, there is no finer book than Max Manwaring (ed)'s The Search for Security: A U.S. Grand Strategy for the Twenty-First Century.

The author lists and discusses two dimensions of human dignity:

1. Human life as having special intrinsic value

2. Each person bears responsibility for themselves

He suggests that in discussion political versus human rights, the latter is the more stringent test, and I agree, as one of those who signed the letter to Senator McCain opposing torture by CIA or the US military. The author clearly states that to treat the "enemy combatants" as we have is to declare them to be less than human.

He places great emphasis on the importance of dignity for all, and I am reminded of the superb book, All Rise: Somebodies, Nobodies, and the Politics of Dignity (BK Currents)

He suggests that the religious clash in America is not about the more fundamental issue of faith and the value of faith, but rather about the role of religion in national life. The author leans toward the belief that we should (as the founding fathers intended, see Founding Faith: Providence, Politics, and the Birth of Religious Freedom in America, be tolerant with selected unitarian references to God (e.g. in the Pledge of Allegiance, in coin) but not--as most extreme right fundamentalists would have, as a "Christian Nation." As the author of Founding Faith makes clear, the latter is simply not an option.

The author states that we need to have a faith-based dialog between left and right, and I agree, while also noting we need to do this at an international level, where we are long overdue for a global Truth and Reconciliation Commission on what damages America has wrought "in our name" but against our public moral faith. A couple books worth close scrutiny (or at least read my reviews:

God's Politics LP
Faith-Based Diplomacy: Trumping Realpolitik

The author addresses liberty as not just being freedom, and defines it rirectly as the right to do what you want with the resources that are rightfully yours. That last bit is of course subject to long discourse: is Exxon entitled to $40 billion in profit while externalizing $12 in costs to the planet and future generations? Is Wal-Mart entitled to profits and the abuse of most of its employees while destroying small busiunesses for 150 miles around each Wal-Mart, and destroying the South Pacific off the coast of Chile so as to produce cheap fish while killing all life on the ocean bottom there? See my many lists.

The author specifically confronts and rejects the "culture of life" as being a compulsory sort of paternalistic and judgemental intrusion into our liberty. He defends abortion by pointing out that the fetus, while undeniably alive (so is a cancer) has no mind and hence no intersts. I for one place higher status on the mother's desires and needs in the first tri-mester.

He strongly supports gay "marriage" as a loving contract, and demands scientific proof before being willing to consider "intelligent design" (in passing I note that Germany has declared Scientology to be a cult, and outlawed it. I am reminded of the excellent book, Forbidden Knowledge: From Prometheus to Pornography.

He provides an excellent discussion of how legitimacy in political authority stems from shared morality and balanced equality, and on this basis believes that the poor merit special consideration. He does not address how corporations should be deprived of their abuse of the personality privilege.

He tells us that a big reason the conservatives want to cut taxes is their desire to end the "welfare" state. From where I sit, we do need a smaller government but until labor unions are restored, and the Secretary of the Treasury starts to do his job instead of fronting for Wall Street against the public interest, I believe the author is on target and merits our respectful attention.

I completely agree with him on the indefensability of the gap between rich and poor in America, and elsewhere.

The book draws to a close with two contrasting views of what comprises a democracy, the one being majoritarian, the other in which We the People are full partners and the majority cannot impose its views on the minority, whose rights and views must be treated with respect and protectied. Here I point the reader to the formidably scathing Running On Empty: How The Democratic and Republican Parties Are Bankrupting Our Future and What Americans Can Do About It. BOTH parties are nothing more than two branches of a single organized-crime family, and both should be forced to pass the Electoral Reform Act before November 2008, or every incumbent dismissed and the two parties vanquished by Independents, Greens, Reforms, Libertarians, moderate Fiscal Conservatives, and conservative Southern Democrats.

He closes the book calling for equality for all, and dramatically increased self-government. He says we MUST do better in Education (I am reminded of Thomas Jefferson, "A Nation's best defense is an educated citizenry"), and calls for public election channels, the regulation of private networking (to which I would add Open Spectrum), the Right of Comment (e.g. on Jack Cafferty saying "Ralph Nader should be batted away like a fly"), and on term-limits for Supreme Court justices, he suggests 10 years.

As I contemplate the existence of 27 secessionist movements in the United States; the collapse of the Federal government whose ineptness is virtually complete, the criminality in the White House, hijacked by Dick Cheney, I have to come down strongly in favor of a public demand for a Constitutional Convention in 2009, making that the litmus test for any candidate. NONE of the three is qualified to govern in their present condition. We may yet need a third party candidate with a transpartisan cabinet, a balanced budget, a commitment to both Electoral Reform and a Consttutional Convention (see also Our Undemocratic Constitution: Where the Constitution Goes Wrong (And How We the People Can Correct It))

My review does not do this author justice. His book is elegant, thoughtful, philosophical, balanced, not at all confrontational, and the best thing I can say of this book is that I had to read it and think about it. This is a first-class piece of work, one the Founding Fathers would have found worthy.

See also The Future of Ideas: The Fate of the Commons in a Connected World and my many lists on the Earth Threats (10) Earth Policies (12) and Earth Challengers (8).

All americans should read this book. Ronald Dworkin has the corage to say the truth about the President Bush. And the truth is: YOU DID NOT HAVE DEMOCRACY.

Only Dworkin can get you back to understanding just how important principles are to decision making. "Principles Matter" (his best work in my opinion), and now he applies that same logic to preserving democracy in a world where we are continously befuddled by mass media and political spin bent on stirring our emotions. Anything to keep you "tuned in" and riled.

His arguements are solid, as always. Even if you prefer other "principles", you have to respect his approach and where his values weigh in on critical decision making. Dworkin has a way of revealing to the reader just what principles he or she are applying and sometimes we come away horrified at your own logic, which, of course, we thought was flawless. This book helps us take stock of own own opinions and how we can be more constructive towards preserving the democracy we all believe we cherish. Somewhere we need a divisor to utilize against the bombardment of mass communication and political belligerence. This is an excellent beginning.

Having weathered another election cycle of verbal and emotional combat between the polarized "red" and "blue" electorate, one begins to wonder if there is any common ground for constructive political debate in our contentious democracy. In his new book, legal philosopher Ronald Dworkin answers in the affirmative. He believes that there are certain principles on which both sides can agree. Problems, however, arise when these principles are applied to making concrete policy decisions.

Dworkin sets forth two principles of human dignity to which all parties can agree: 1) "that each human life is intrinsically and equally valuable," and 2) "that each person has an inalienable personal responsibility for identifying and realizing value in his or her life."

These principles are highly abstract and probably most parties would disagree on their application. The improvement in political debate here lies in the fact that debates can go back to a common starting point rather than having parties try to demonize and discredit each other as if they had mutually exclusive worldviews.

In the application of these principles to the policy on torture of enemy combatants, I found Dworkin's views recognizable because they coincide with my own. The use of torture is clearly at odds with any principle of human dignity and should be condemned. However, there are extreme and unique situations where torture may extract information that could save thousands of lives. How does one balance this against human dignity? Dworkin seems to suggest that we do a cost/benefit analysis - typical of legal thinkers. And I tend to agree. However, it is a problematic area and remains unresolved.

On the issue of capital punishment Dworkin tries to show two sides of the argument. Being a liberal, he is personally against capital punishment. On the other hand, he argues that death as punishment is not at odds with human dignity. A death penalty advocate would argue that there are issues of deterence and retribution that must be observed. Again this opens the debate to other sets of issues. Where does one draw the line on human dignity?

These two examples illustrate how difficult it is to achieve a substantive political debate as opposed to the disparagement and invective that we witness today. Dworkin's principles are hard to disagree with, and he clearly illustrates the problems we get into if we deviate too far from these principles. This book is an interesting and useful contribution to the need for civilizing our current political debate.

Although the book uses a specific JMS engine for the examples the details and the concepts were all right on and covered everything I needed for JMS. It literally saved my bacon, especially the peer to peer stuff over topics. Whew!

Super job.

Sam

Eric Bruno's JAVA MESSAGING explores different ways of messaging using Java software, from JavaBean events and JMS to SOAP. Web programmers receive all the basics to using these features, tips on how and why to use each feature and when to choose something else, how to combine features, and more. The basics of Java communication processes are revealed in chapters which form 'classes' to link related information in a logical progression. An excellent, basic foundation for Java users.

As we look at how much we use the web, it is sometimes hard to remember just how new this concept of worldwide packet switching really is. Java was started as a new language before a lot of the new concepts like XML and SOAP were conceived. But as a new language it has been able to move into using these new concepts faster than nearly any other language.

What I especially liked about this book was the first chapter. So often computer books start with programming. This one starts with a description of what we're trying to do here. He gives several examples of the types of communications that he is going to cover in the book. I had a particular application in mind when I got the book, but in reading the first chapter I began to see several other ways that messaging would help our system.

After the first chapter, I've go to say that it's a pretty regular computer software book. It tells you how to do the things that you want to do. It is quite clear on all the different software protocols, packages, and philosophies. Basically it is all that a Java programmer needs to implement messaging in Java.

The CD included with the book gives you all the sample code from the book, as well as the complete messaging toolkit and several open source tools.

Excellent introduction to messaging, including healthy portions on JMS and web services.

The writing style is clear, consistent, and to the point. Probably what I liked most was this no-nonsense writing style. If it's on a page, it's important to understand. The author doesn't waste your time with irrelevant discussions or out of scope topics.

Editing and code presentation are top notch, making it easy to follow, and build upon from one example to the next. The author also shares some gotchas and considerations that I wouldn't have expected to see in an introductory discussion which were particularly valuable.

Another great feature is one of the drawbacks of the book. The framework presented in the book is elegant, but in many of the examples, there is too much cognitive overhead involved in grokking the level of abstraction in the framework, and this takes away from actually learning the concepts. I would have liked to see more non-framework code for the introduction, which is then tied together with the framework.

Heave an egg out of an open window almost anywhere in the world today, and the odds of striking a Netscape user are in your favor. The odds are even better that this person either knows nothing of Java or believes that it is safe. Pick up almost any book on Java programming, and you will see the same superficial and misleading treatment of security issues. This important book is the first one to address the myriad problems raised by Java. It clearly and concisely explains past problems, current issues, and future risks. McGraw and Felten grab the high and mighty Java industry by the ear, and they offer sane and sensible advice to every level of Java programmer and user. One can only wish that this book had appeared a year earlier and had been widely read by Java's cheerleaders and hucksters. Perhaps then more of the problems would have been solved by now, and fewer risks would remain.

This book is wonderfully written and full of good information. It would be useful for anyone from novice users to managers to Java Programmers who are concerned about security. In fact, I strongly recommend them buying a copy to read as this is one of the best technical books I've read in a long time. The only audience I wouldn't recommend it for are the people who are doing very advanced Java Security work such as writing their own Security Manager, but they may even learn something from it.

I'm writing this review in April, 2002 when IE 6.0 became a standard browser and Netscape is RIP.
This book was written 6 years ago in the days of NN 2.0 and IE 3.0 .. Although it's more then
outdated by now it clearly explains what security risks exist for Java-enabled browsers
and answers my (and may be your) question "How the hell applets can break through Security Manager ?!"
It's main idea is to explain readers what harm applets can do, why is it possible at all
and what is done about the subject by the browser manufactures. Good work for 1996.

Note that it's not "Java security book" in the terms you may think today - in 1996 Java
was only understood as a flashy applets popping-up in the Web.

If you use a web browser that is Java enabled (versions greater than Netscape Navigator 2.0 and Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0) ,and are concerned about Java security, this book is required reading.

At under 160 pages of text (not counting the appendices), Java Security provides a superb overview of security issues involved with using Java. The authors are security veterans. Felton heads up the Princeton University Safe Internet Programming Team and is famous for discovering quite a few holes in the Java security model.

One might think that two security experts who know the depths and implications of Java security may come out with a reference with suggestions that are overly restrictive and perhaps paranoid. That is not the case here. The recommendations that the book suggests are rational and reasonable. Java Security provides commendable guidelines on how to use Java more safely and what the future holds for Java security features.

The 6 chapters of the book provide an excellent and comprehensive analysis to all aspects of Java security. Chapter 2 provides a significant amount of detail about the Java Security Model, with in-depth coverage of the 3 prongs (as they call it) of the security model, namely: the Byte Code Verifier, the Applet Class Loader and the Security Manager.

Chapter 3 follows with a discussion detailing serious holes in the security model. The authors consider a flaw to be serious when the breach has the potential to corrupt data, reveal private information, or infecting the workstation with a virus. They fittingly note that all of the flaws detailed in the chapter have been fixed by Netscape and Microsoft. The function of the chapter is to show what sort of things can go wrong. Chapter 3 concludes with a summary of 8 significant security problems that were discovered last year in implementations of Java.

The book also goes into great detail on what developers and end-users can do to make Java much more secure. Their six guidelines for Safer Java use are:

1. Know what web sites you are visiting 2. Know your Java environment 3. Use up-to-date browsers with the latest security updates 4. Keep a lookout for security alerts 5. Apply drastic measures if your information is truly critical 6. Access your risks

Fenton has his doctorate in computer science, nonetheless, the book is written in a very clear and coherent manner. Add this to your bookshelf.