Rebel Books

The topic is taken within a wide context--from South Africa to Prince Edward Island and Scotland, from Mexico and the United States to Germany. The period of time covered is wide also--from the 1500s to the present. The 11 collected essays treat the movement of "crops and techniques of cultivation, rumors, radical plebeian ideas, workers, sailors, and prisoners" in spreading political and social ideas throughout this wide area over the several centuries. This is seen as a kind of cross-pollenization, or a vein of globalization going on in the countries touched by the Atlantic since the Renaissance. In places, some authors discuss how the cultivation of a new crop such as corn or potatoes or tobacco brought to another country or an overseas market for it played a role in the dissemination and formation of agrarianism. One learns that there are historical and ongoing ways other than diplomacy, wars, books and the media, and immigration that particular ideas and perspectives spread in the world. These ideas spread and are shaped both by acceptance of them and resistance to them. Except for a couple, the essays' authors are college professors of history. The editors are authors of books in the areas of agrarianism and political and social ideas.

Margaret Thatcher coined the phrase, TINA, "There Is No Alternative." Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan were bound disciples of Milton Freidman and his theories on neo-liberal economics. Francis Fukuyama concluded similar reasoning in his book, The End of History.

Duane Fleming, in his book THE TRINITY CONSTELLATION provides a contrasting alternate view to free market capitalism not thought possible by the neo-liberal economic theorists. Fleming critiques the oppressive policies of the wealthy landowners in South America with an alternative solution by way of worker owner cooperatives that have been very successfully experienced in Mondragon, Spain.

THE TRINITY CONSTELLATION is a fictional story of bringing the Mondragon solution to South America, and financed by five fictional billionaires. The key to all this is the taking of privately owned plantations by eminent domain for a higher social purpose, providing secure employment and a new way of life for the displaced poor in South America in strategically planned communities designed for full employment that are self sustaining, financially sound and environmentally sustainable.

I beg the readers to disregard their first reactions, this is not "pie in the sky thinking". This is a new way of thinking of how humankind was meant to live, and not thought possible by the capitalistic consumer mind set of our current times.

The remarkable thing about THE TRINITY CONSTELLATION is that it proposes the Mondragon solution as a new way of life with a common social purpose that could possibly bring peace between Islam and progressive Catholicism based upon the similar spiritual dynamics they share that hungers for a more just and genuine way of life.

I guarantee the reader will not put this book down, and will leave with a far greater social imagination of where we are in this broken world and where we should be heading to heal our broken world.

There are plenty of books that describe the politics of rebellion in Asia, but none other that I know of that takes you inside the experience of being a rebel as an ordinary person. Falla's achievement is to take quite everyday events such as meals and show how every aspect of the lives of the Karen has been moulded and influenced by forty years of insurgency. Also, the grander rituals - weddings, funerals, national days - come to life. The details are colourful and bizarre: for example, meeting camouflage-dressed soldiers in bamboo huts in the rainforest who put their feet up on the back porch and sing propaganda lyrics to John Denver tunes. The book is both personally moving and very thought-provoking, and strongly recommended to anyone with an interest in Asian politics and/or anthropology.

I first read this book when it was published in the Seventies. Leon Harris did a bang up job on his research and understanding of Sinclair's life. There's always room for improvement, and probably Upton Sinclair deserves another biography to meet the needs of people today. But, until that happens, Leon Harris' book keeps the Sinclair vision alive.

For more information on the author and other titles see:

www.clivebloom.com

a follow-up to "wild at heart," the book that inspired the movie by the same name, directed by david lynch. this book is written in mini-stories that follow lula, pace and sailor as they grow up, skipping great spans of time at the climax of each story to bring you to the next noteworthy event in their lives. intertwined themes and characters make for an adventure you'll not soon forget.

the first story is called "sailor's holiday" and was previously published as a stand-alone book. if you're navigating your way through the wild world of the former denizens of big tuna, you'll not need to duplicate your purchase. just read "the wild life of sailor and lula" and you'll have "sailor's holiday" as well.

anyway, with that little piece of advice out of the way, i have to say that i LOVE this book. "wild at heart" was a fun read, and normally i would recommend reading the book before you see the movie, but in this case, i have to say it was pretty fun imagining laura dern and nicholas cage growing old together.

some of the changes made in the movie version negate plot twists that we get in this book, but like i said, very fun to read. another interesting aspect: mr. gifford has a sparse writing style. the chapters tend to be no more than 2 or 3 pages, so where most writers would leave you feeling like you'd missed something by having so few words telling their story, he manages to capture only the most important details and let them do the talking.

another book that ties in is "perdita durango." it follows one of the minor characters from "wild at heart." it's also been made into a movie "dance with the devil." so there, i've spoiled your weekend. go check out these books and movies, lay off the booze, get some tasty snacks and frosty beverages and stay in the house for a change.

I read this book expecting to see the same information on Prince William that every other book has printed since that boy was born. But I was wrong. The thing that makes this one stand apart from the rest is its portrayal of him. This is the first book I've read (and I've read quite a few) to show him for what he is: a young man trying to not only figure out who he is but also trying to accept WHAT he is as well, and where he will fit in to the world. It also offers a more realistic picture of what his relationship with his mother was like. I never really bought that whole she was the center of his universe story, and now I see why....it was never that realistic. It had to be more complicated then that. Any teenager will tell you that their relationship with their parents is one that's constantly blowing hot and cold....especially at the age he was when Diana died. I was always worried about how this boy was going to break out of his mother's shadow...especially because he looks so much like her. And, all things considered, he seems to finally be coming into his own. It'll be interesting to see what happens next.

A collaborative publishing project of The Nixon Center and the Brookings Institution Press, A World Challenged: Fighting Terrorism In The Twenty-First Century is a thoughtful reflection on the menacing threats posed by independent terrorist organizations to global security. Russian premier Yevgeny M. Primakov expresses his critical concerns over such terrorist organizations obtaining weapons of mass destruction, especially when over 100 nations today are stockpiling such nuclear material. Strongly recommending that the global community develop a comprehensive Charter on Terrorism to facilitate criminal prosecution, and exhorting that Russia and the United States need to join forces and share information about emerging terrorist threats, A World Challenged is a critical and astutely written account of the dangers facing the world in the twenty-first century.

The book was a gift to me from a friend who traveled with me to India. Reading the book is just like enjoying the journey a second time. If you are new to Osho, these five discourses/chapters may give you a shook on your traditional believes in religion and world politics. For readers who have been to Osho's meditation resort, you will love the drumbeat and gibberish note, it just take you back to the meditation hall again!

I came across this little book by accident, and although I'm neither a Civil War buff nor a food historian, I had an hour's worth of fascinating reading. The author quotes extensively from primary sources (with footnotes) to give a vivid description of what the prisoners ate -- or didn't eat. Rats and lice were delicacies to be fought over, and starvation and scurvy whittled away at the men's humanity. There are several recipes of the period to give the reader an idea of the delicious home-cooked meals the boys dreamed and talked about obsessively. The heartfelt letters to home are especially moving.