Events Books

In this essay Richard Rubenstein contends that the Holocaust should be viewed within the context of a tradition of slavery that is deep rooted in western culture. Drawing on Max Weber, Rubenstein argues that the combination of unrestricted capitalism and protestantism helped to create the conditions necessary for the ultimate form of slavery as expressed in the Nazi death camps. Additional factors include a European trend toward viewing certain segments of a given population as expendable.

The analysis is thought provoking and intelligently written. My reservation is that while I agree that viewing the holocaust in this way leads one to the conclusion that under the right circumstances genocide on this scale could happen again , I also believe that there was something uniquely evil in the Nazi leadership that contributed to the Holocaust. Rubenstein's analysis focused on historical/economic/social forces at the expense of the personal responsibilty of Hitler and his inner circle. Despite that this is an important book that should be mandatory reading in any study of the Holocaust.

If you doubt his premise, think about World War I. The leaders of the nations of Europe and the US put their male citizens into soldier's uniforms, lined them up in close proximity to one another to dig trenches, ordered them into the trenches, and then gassed them. It was an extermination experiment. It's time we all woke up to the global death machine and its propaganda. Also read How the World Really Works.

In 1944, Polish Jew Raphael Lemkin coined the term genocide, applying it to Jews and Poles alike. In this small but thought-provoking book, Richard L. Rubenstein approaches the German Nazi exterminationist policies in much the same vein, while stressing the role of the modern state bureaucracy to make it possible.

Probably the first step in genocide is the denial of the humanity of the intended victims: "Once the victim is categorized as belonging to a different species, the task of transforming him into a thing is immensely simplified...Before the Nazis assaulted the Jews, the Poles, the Russians, and the Gypsies, they were categorized as members of sub-human races."(p. 54). Terms such as Tiermenschen ("animal people") and Untermenschen ("subhumans") were commonly used. Rubenstein (p. 83) points out that Jews were often referred to as "a surplus population", but not the fact that the Germans also used this term for Poles.

The denationalization of those intended for genocide was also significant: "Unfortunately, the Nazis clearly understood the importance of the question of statelessness. When they began to deport Jews from such occupied nations as France, Bulgaria, and Hungary, they insisted that the deportees be stripped of their citizenship by their respective governments no later than the day of deportation. There was no need to denationalize Polish and Russian Jews because the Nazis had destroyed the state apparatus as soon as they occupied the territory. The absence of a state apparatus in Poland and occupied Russia was an indication of the ultimate fate of the Poles and the Russians had the Germans won."(pp. 32-33).

While the mass shootings and gassings of Jews were already well underway, the Germans set their sights higher. Rubenstein cites an October 13, 1942 letter by Otto Thierack, the German minister of justice: "With a view of freeing the German people of Poles, Russians, Jews, and Gypsies, and with a view to making the eastern territories which have been incorporated into the Reich available for settlement by German nationals, I intend to turn over criminal jurisdiction over Poles, Russians, Jews and Gypsies to the Reichsfuhrer-SS (Himmler). In doing so, I stand on the principle that the administration of justice can make only a small contribution to the extermination of these peoples." (p. 34). Richard L. Rubenstein comments: "Soviet domination of Eastern Europe was closer to that of a classical tyranny than was the German occupation. The German aims were far more radical. They sought to create a society of total domination involving initially the enslavement and extermination of the Jews and eventually similar treatment to other subject peoples. They were determined to clear a Lebensraum, a living space, for German settlement."(p. 76).

Of course, owing at least in part to the much greater numbers of Poles than Jews, and despite the fact that 2-3 million Polish gentiles (including half of all educated Poles) were murdered before the Germans before the latter were finally driven out of Poland, the overall extermination of the Poles was more of a long-term German project. In this regard, practical methods of mass sterilization were actively being developed (p. 49), with the 3 million Russian POWs to be the first large-scale victims (p. 50). The Nazi goal was clear: "As we have noted, had the Germans won the war, mass sterilization would have been an important aspect of their program for the subject peoples. It must be remembered that with both the Nazis and the Bolsheviks, victory inevitably led to an intensification rather than a diminution of terror. Mass sterilizations of Poles, Russians and, in the more distance future, the French and the Italians, would have permitted the Germans to exploit the vanquished at their own convenience in the certain knowledge that the subject peoples' national existence was at an end. Whether extermination or killing was the means of securing absolute dominance or whether a certain number of the vanquished might be permitted to reproduce in exactly calculable quantities would have depended solely on the requirements of the German masters. The victims would have had as little control over their own destiny as cattle in a stockyard. In a society of total domination, helots could be killed, bred, or sterilized at will."(p. 52).

Richard L. Rubenstein also picks up where scholars such as Hannah Arendt and Isaiah Trunk left off in discussing the role of the Judenrate (the Jewish community councils) and its central role in the Nazi extermination of Jews (p. 3). Although the degree of Judenrate-German collaboration differed from place to place, the reader may be stunned by the degree to which the collaborationist actions of some Judenrate eliminated the need for large numbers of Germans and non-Jewish collaborators in the roundup of Jews for extermination: "In almost all of the killing operations, the German personnel were short-handed. It is estimated that only fifty SS personnel and 200 Lett and Ukrainian auxiliaries were assigned to the Warsaw Ghetto which hade a population of five hundred thousand at its peak, almost all of whom perished."(pp. 74-75).

Few incidents have exposed man's inhumanity to man like the Holocaust. Richard Rubenstein in his pamphlet "The Cunning of History," attempts to demystify the Holocaust to show it as not only an event that happened, but also as one capable of happening, again.
Rubenstein establishes a linkage between the Reformation and the concentration camps. He asserts that the contemporary culture of death was the apex of ideas forged way back to Martin Luther's schism from the Catholic church. He establishes that without the active collusion of business interests, a docile citizenry and the military, the extermination of Jews might not have occurred. The complicity of Britain and America is barely treated, but the little touched on is informative.
A Century of Progress, the last chapter in the book, exposes the excesses of power as not inherent in the executive, but rather in the structure of government. To Rubenstein, an American president "can resort, if not to overt terror, at least to extralegal bureaucratic harassment to secure the compliance of the governed."
While a very good book, The Cunning tends to skip over events that could interrupt the narrative, like his definition of bureaucracy. Far from being a mindset unique to Nazi Germany, the rationalization and disenchantment of the natural existed since the Enlightenment. The Nazis set up concentration camps not because of bureaucracy, but because there was economic incentive. Rubenstein also posits that men have no natural rights - A dreadful propostion considering that if rights are granted by the state, those rights can be taken away. (A point he had repeatedly emphasized.)
Notwithstanding these kinks, The Cunning of History is a stimulating book with much to tell us about our past, as well as our future.

Professor Rubenstein was my most fascinating and challenging professor at FSU during the 1970s. His range of intellectual inquiry makes him a "Renaissance" man. He has written numerous provocative and important books -- ones are still important books -- that are available at amazon.com.

I loved this book!! The way the author can combine the hot sex with the snorting humor is priceless. The characters were all well-rounded, extremely likable, and basically...hot as he**! I'll definitely add Ms. Laurenston to my "must have" list.

I was desperate for something new to read and decided to take a chance when I saw this book at the store. The Mane Event blew me away! I haven't laughed quite that hard in a while. I actually laughed so hard, I would have to put the book down to catch my breath. If you love alpha males And alpha females, you will really enjoy this book. This is an awesome erotica paranormal romance. As soon as I finished it(in record time), I looked Shelly Laurenston's books up on Amazon and ordered more. I can't wait to read The Mane Attraction.

My first book by Shelly Laurenston and I devoured it! As another reviewer has so aptly said - a guilty pleasure kind of novel - a light and romantic read - in the style of Susan Elizabeth Phillips - but with very steamy and erotic scenes laced in.

The book contains two stories that are linked together.

Christmas Pride - the first novel. It deals with Mace - a very sexy, shape shifter, x-Seal officer. His pack is a Pride of lions. He returns from his tour of duty back to NYC with his shape shifter Seal buddy - "Smitty" - who is all wolf. When he arrives at his sisters' house, the place is bursting with NYPD and in the mist is Desiree - the only woman he has loved and still desires. Mace can't believe that Dez has matured into one of the most stunning women that he has ever seen. For both, the remembrance of their high school crush is a warm, sweet memory - however for Mace, now that he has seen Dex again - he is going to have her - and what Mace wants Mace gets. No easy feat there - since Dez is a very independent, sure-footed and tough female great cop - with a no-nonsense "I will kick your butt" attitude.

The murder of one of the male members of Mace's pride is being investigated which creates for some great, on the edge of your seat moments - as Dez comes face to face some with some real nasty shape shifters. But Mace is there to protect his mate, though Dez proves time and again that she's one tough cookie and can take care of her own - a very worthy heroine for this majestic and sexy King of the Jungle!

I loved the way Mace and Dez come together - their pleasure is quite delicious and will have you squirming on your seat... Packed with great, witty and hilarious repartee and situations (you will love the reaction of Dez's two, super tough Rotweilers to Mace - and also the group of tough NY male, mothering cops whose top priority is to protect Dez!) makes this is a great start to THE MAIN EVENT.

In Shaw's Tail - the second novel - we've meet Shaw at the climactic end of Christmas Pride. The relationship that develops between Shaw and Ronnie Lee - a member of Smitty's wolf pack is steamy and tender. Shaw is taken by Ronnie Lee - who has stayed behind at the hospital while Shaw is recovering. After his recovery - he finds her staying in his hotel with Smitty's pack and starts wooing her. Ronnie Lee has been in some gnarly relationships and is now pretty independent. He knows he can't just pounce and claim her - as he has realized that he wants her to stay. A slow courtship is what Ronnie Lee needs so she doesn't feel trapped and leaves.

Again - like in the first novel - the repartee is funny, witty and liberally sprinkled with laugh out loud situations. Their coming together is equally as steamy and there are also some lighthearted and very poignant moments. The relationship between Shaw and his siblings - younger brother - (black sheep of the family) and the "I play tough - but am really not" loving sister is very endearing.

In the end - it is very clear that cats and dogs really do get along!!!

I loved this novel and highly recommend it!!! The sensuality level throughout this novel is very high - bordering on erotica. Quite remarkable how Laurenston has interweaved such great sex, with marvelous characters and a superb, light and romantic read! Definitely recommended to paranormal lovers - that love sexy novels. NOTE - The next book is about "Smitty" - THE BEAST IN HIM.

CAUTION! The language and graphic, sexual content may bother some readers. So definitely not for the weak kneed and easily offended readers. If the books on your shelf are Barbara Cartland - then this is not the light and fluffy read that you may be used to!

WOW! The main characters are really interesting. This is not your usual pride/pack leader meets girl series. There is a whole pack involved in the story. And do they get into some funny situations. You actually hold your breath and don't realize it until the end. I will be continuing this series.

If you like your characters "not nice" but definitely appealing, get your hands on this book. These are not your usual shifters but down-home folks with flaws and edges. I've been a fan of Shelly Laurenston for years and will buy anything I see her name on. I have to be careful where I read her books as I always end up laughing aloud.

I loved this book. Jana McBurney-Lin captured the sights and smells and sounds of Li Hui's village. I had great empathy for Li Hui and did not want this book to end.
What an adventure! I laughed; I cried.

I savored the read of this book. Every part of it is a very real personal glimpse into life in China as we Americans don't know it. Jana McBurney-Lin is a marvelous story teller and the story she tells is masterfully done. I have bought several copies for my friends and family and they in turn have each thanked me for the experience. This isn't just a good read, this is a book to share.
- Carol Wood, Editor [..]

Jana McBurney-Lin has penned a beautiful story of a young Chinese girl, Lin Hui, who struggles to find her place in the world. The author successfully takes the reader on a captivating journey to China and into the innocent mind of Lin Hui.

My Half of the Sky is one of those books you'll remember for a lifetime. I know I will.

Oh, how I loved diving into this world I'd never seen before, and how I hated leaving it! I highly recommend this book, for those who love a great story, and for those who'd like an insight on life in modern China.

Can't wait for another book from this author!

First time novel, nominated for a Pultizer! From a new publisher.

This story has universal appeal; how does culture shape us? How do we honor our heritage if antiquated traditions hold us back?

Li Hui is a university graduate in China with dreams of being a teacher. She longs to be a dutiful daughter and support her parents, to hold up her half of the sky. Her father's gambling and scheming keeps the family in constant poverty, thwarting Li Hui's ambitions at every turn. While corresponding with a prospective husband in rich, exotic Singapore, Li Hui finds love and friendship in expected places.

Jana McBurney-Lin has lived and worked in Asia and her book takes the reader on a heartfelt journey into Chinese village life, with rich and vibrant characters and insight into an ancient yet changing culture.

In this book the author blames the initial assault on David Koresh's Mount Cramel property on the ATF. He neglects to mention that David Koresh had enough guns, hand grenades and illegal automatic weapons to outfit the Kosovo Army for it's next Revolution.The BLAME lies with David Koresh and his followers. When you amass such as stockpile of ILLEGAL weaapons then you should expect a visit from the authorities which is exactly what happend . And due to Koresh's arsenal he managed to "outgun" the ATF and four good Peace Officers were murdered. All of this occurred because that madman and psychopath Koresh thought he had a "Direct Hotline" to God. Those 86 people chose not to surrender. Perhaps they thought the seige would end with flowers and free bottles of French Champagne? It seems like nearly everybody wants to blame somebody else for the Waco Incident instead of laying the blame at Koresh and his followers.I give this book 5 stars because no doubt it will apeal to the Paranoid Conspiracy Theorists out there and the Survivalist who now think their Government is "The Enemy "ever since Russians turned out to be nice people after all.

Kopel and Blackman did more than just their homework on this book. It is perhaps the most factual yet interesting critique on the way in which federal law enforcement operates today. The attack on Mt. Carmel is a very important even in the history of this nation and only from our mistakes can we change the future. This review I believe is especially credible since I read but certainly don't always like David Kopel's writings. Highest recommendation and a great source for research papers.

A very impressive accomplishment. There is a tremendous amount of detail here -- right down to how the ATF's name evolved from BATF -- but presented in a compelling and readable way.

This book is unusual in that it does not slant everything in one direction; it refuses to classify those involved as unambiguous good guys or bad guys.

The scope of the book goes beyond what's implied by the title. There is plenty of fascinating history here, many references to other law enforcement debacles. A compelling case is made that law enforcement has become too militarized and too federalized. The discussion of how "groupthink" on both sides (the government and the Davidians) leads to this kind of tragedy is especially excellent.

I've long wondered why liberals and conservatives seem inverted on Waco. Liberals are thought to be strong on civil rights, including religious freedom, and anti-military. Conservatives are thought to favor strong law-and-order. The authors explain this puzzle: the Congressional hearings quickly degenerated into an attempt to embarrass political opponents rather than a dispassionate search for the truth. The American public and the media took their orientation from Congress to a large extent. If a Republican had been president at the time of Waco, it's very possible the sides would have been reversed.

The authors show very clearly that the real problems with law enforcement have been building regardless of which party controls the White House or the Congress. I hope some legislators read this book and take the excellent reform suggestions to heart.

Once again David Kopel (and Paul Blackman) gets to the bottom of things and shows what the Waco disaster was all about. If you only read one section of this book, read the part detailing the search warrant. It appears that all the death and destruction (on the part of both the Branch Davidians and the BATF agents who were killed) was brought on because of a failure to pay a several hundred dollar tax on a firearm.

This book focuses on Waco but also delves into the expansion of federal law enforcement and the effect it has on civil liberties in this country.

As per the United States Constitution, the federal government should have law enforcement jurisdiction over the following acts: piracies and felonies committed on the high seas, offences against the law of nations, and counterfeiting the securities and current coin of the United States.

Something has gone terribly wrong.

Read this book. Then read anything else that David Kopel has written. It will be well worth your time, and you will be well educated about the erosion of our rights as citizens.

This work is not only an outstanding explanation of the Waco and Ruby Ridge incidents, but a critical review of modern federal law enforcement. The book goes beyond sorting out -- in meticulous detail -- what really happened in these debacles. Even more valuable is the objective analysis of the abuses and excesses of federal law enforcement, along with suggested remedies.

This book is a "must read" for anyone concerned with civil liberties or law enforcement.

I enjoyed the book very much because author use his point of view to describe his journey through his students, friends and travel through out the China abut the feeling toward past, today and the future of China.

Hessler uses his own experiences, combined with detailed experiences gathered from native friends throughout the important regions of China to describe their lifestyle and situations in regards to growing up and making their own lives in "The New China." As Hessler describes the current status of economic regions and interpersonal relationships, he also weaves in ancient and recent history creating a resource for understanding why the Chinese react and function as they do.

A compelling read. I speak Chinese, my wife doesn't, and we have both found Hessler's books intriguing and understandable. "River Town" is also excellent. Hessler allows you to remember how it feels to be in that situation--even if you never have been.

An interesting story that will leave you happy to have read it, Oracle Bones is worth the time.
A country is best learned about by living with the people; something the author has done. Furthermore, he is able to relate the feeling of China in a way that is accessible and entertaining. Thankfully without cliche. . . for example, never does Hessler mention the "raising importance of China on the world stage." By avoiding the subject he toys with a tension that is best only alluded to: we as westerners are aware of China on the horizon; his job as a journalist is simply to offer well vetted evidence. All of this sets a stage for an understated humor.
The idiosyncrasies of particular regions in China (as in any country), are illustrated by slang. For example, one Sichuanese student named Willy, who sought his fortune in Wenzhou, writes to Hessler of his "backward and yashua [toothbrush] hometown--Sichuan". Throughout the story is the word "jiade". Meaning pirated, jiade becomes a catch-phrase and an inside joke that we're in on.
A method employed throughout the book is that of a parallel narrative: Artifacts A through Z. These are loosely interconnected chapters that pepper the book's 458 pages. They function as historical vignettes; Hessler here has an opportunity to contrast his travel documentary within the context of ancient Chinese history. In Artifact A, we are introduced to the Oracle Bones of the book's title. Oracle Bones are the oldest surviving Chinese writing. Named in Chinese "jiaguwen", they were ideas carved onto tortoise shells and cow scapulas. Cryptic passages such as "The king goes to the hunting field; the whole day he will not encounter great wind" or "We ritually report the king's sick eyes to Grandfather Ding" were, depending how they broke apart, read as an oracle. "The irony of Chinese archeology" Hessler points out, "is that the earliest known writings attempt to tell the future. . . . From the Shang, the voice of the turtle speaks." Throughout the different Artifact chapters the author demonstrates his diverse and growing knowledge of archeological sites, past dynasties, and oracle bone era written characters compared to their classical and contemporary counterparts.
The plot shifts toward a more investigative thriller. Mr. Hessler follows a thread of a story for The New Yorker: did historian Chen Mengjia commit suicide and, if so, why? Mengjia had travelled to the Unites States in the 1930s. There he documented ancient Chinese bronze artworks that had wound up in private hands. The Artifact chapters also begin to follow this theme. Part of the intrigue in this subplot lies in the how so many of the older generation in China were persecuted and threatened under Mao. Mengjia's book was published later by the communists. Only they had a different idea for the title: Our Country's Shang and Zhou Bronzes Looted by American Imperialists. As the author unravels what happened, he must, upon interviewing elder intellectuals, word his questions carefully so as not to offend. This story dovetails nicely into Chairman Mao's misguided-- and later aborted-- attempt to simplify the written Chinese character. We find ourselves uncovering a linguistic mystery.
In a story like this, being a journalist is a perfect job to keep things interesting. Whether we're in a border town across the river from North Korea for a National Geographic piece, or in a threatened hutong neighborhood in Beijing (where he finds an apartment-- and the next story) he moves the tale along. We witness the sad fate of Falun Gong members as China "cleans up" for a State Visit in Beijing. Later, the attacks of September 11th allow us a peek into the expatriate world as a news starved Hessler buys jiade videos to see more of what happened in New York. All along we are aware of the tremendous rate of growth in the country. The locals say, "we live in chai nar" (meaning "demolish where?").
Reading Oracle Bones is a learning experience. The placement of the Artifact chapters is an enjoyable way to break up the story, and there are many facts woven into the book by way of this lexicon. Having myself lived outside the States for several years, I could identify with some of the difficulties Peter runs into. As the Olympic games approach, and with China in the news, I have been checking the bylines of my New Yorker magazines for Mr. Hessler's name, to learn what he has been up to. I enjoyed the book and recommend it.

Throughout the 90s I traveled to China a lot, as part of several research projects through my university. Though I have been hampered by not speaking the language (I started Chinese lessons three different times), I had wonderful hosts who introduced me to a wide range of things going on. I spent 6 weeks in 1993 teaching at Peking University, and was there when the disappointing news about the Olympics were announced. I was there in 1999 when we bombed the Chinese embassy.

Reading Hessler's book took me back to all these times, but gave me also so much more. He has done a fabulous job of exploring many different scenes and characters in the China of the 90s. I did not get the chance to spend time in the countryside, so I really enjoyed those parts of the book. Also, his ongoing stories of former students or of the Uighur Polat give great insight into the flow of events in this period. Going back to the 50s and 60s, with the stories of people's experiences in the cataclysmic events of the Mao era of China's recent history remind me of the similar stories I heard from my friends who had also lived through these periods.

I love the continuous story of the Oracle Bones themselves, and all the people, past and present, who were tied up in the stories of their discovery, interpretation, and preservation. And the late section of the book on the written language, and the attempts at change, was particularly interesting.

I am now motivated to go read Hessler's earlier book, River Town. He is clearly an author with a sensitive eye to what's been going on. I hope he as more books in mind.

It's refreshing to find a book on China by a journalist with some knowledge of and, even better, an interest in really learning about sinological matters. Since the end of the Cultural Revolution, Western journalists have written their books on China: at first largely from the perspective of being the rare Westerner in a newly opened up China, and then over time with increasing emphasis on his or her observations of China's political and economic situation--invariably in the context of the reporter's personal experiences in China.

ORACLE BONES, too, is personal, not that we get to know Peter Hessler very well (though a "Postscript" titled "Meet Peter Hessler" presents a short autobiographical sketch), but in the sense that we experience China through his "I"s. Unlike many earlier books by journalists, though, there isn't much focus on leadership politics here; instead the warp of the fabric of this book is perspectives on Chinese (and Uighur) culture and history.

If that is the warp, the weft principally follows the story of Chen Mengjia, a renowned scholar of "oracle bones" (scapulae and tortoise shells inscribed with writing and used in divination practices a few thousand years ago). Chen Mengjia was branded a rightist in the late 1950s, and he subsequently committed suicide at the onset of the Cultural Revolution. In the course of Hessler's journeys--not all related to Chen--the writer learns pieces of Chen's story (only a little of which is consistent) and a whole lot more about 20th century Chinese and Western sinological history. It's refreshing to find Hessler's views so well informed; you'll find nothing here, for instance, about the so-called Chinese "ideograph" that sullies so many books that refer to the Chinese writing system.

Hessler, now a Beijing correspondent for The New Yorker magazine, was once a Peace Corps volunteer English teacher in China, an experience that he describes in his earlier book, RIVER TOWN. He devotes a good part of this book weaving in descriptions of his encounters with his former students and of their post-education lives. Hessler also discusses the life of a Uighur that he befriends in China, and who subsequently travels to the U.S. and successfully seeks asylum. In these stories, Hessler doesn't flinch from the terrible realities of Communist China, and they are often brutal; at the same time, though, the U.S. (specifically, Washington, D.C.) doesn't get off easily in the depiction of the everyday difficulties that confront Hessler's Uighur friend, including racism and robbery.

Hessler's style gives the appearance of effortlessness when you just know how much work must have gone into the book. His keen observations often express subtle truths, such as when he comments, "There is always something sad about furniture in a museum" (p. 384) and his empathy conveys genuineness, e.g., when he confronts a scholar with a personal criticism of Chen Mengjia that the now old man felt forced to write when he was a youth (p. 390). You want to continue hanging out with Hessler and see what more he learns. It's a disappointment then when, even at some 450-plus pages, the book quietly ends.

Unbelievably inspiring. I challenge you to compare his reading with any one else's or your own in your head. He makes it alive. Not perfect, mind you. You'll find yourself suggesting to him in certain spots that he missed the meaning by putting some emphasis or other on the wrong words. Nevertheless, you know you couldn't do better overall. A real treasure.

My review is of the library binding edition released by Buccaneer Books. It is a very plain and small volume which is wonderfully bound. It contains nothing but the poem itself (including the prose arguments) with the original spelling and punctuation. That means no notes, commentary, or introduction, so if you're looking for lots of in-text help, this isn't what you want. The Fowler, Hughes, or Norton editions are all laden with helpful material like that. But if you just want to experience Milton's masterpiece alone, this is a lovely edition. I found that the book could be purchased much more cheaply if I ordered directly from the publisher's website.

Great for a long drive or while driving cross town in Manhattan. You can debate the issues of suffering with Milton in your head.

Sure do wish it were the whole work.

Contains extensive information in the introduction that is lends an understanding to anyone reading any of Milton's work. This particular version is very inexpensive, and contains everything one would need to understand PL. Excellent!

Milton in Paradise Lost unfurls a morning star banner heralding the cosmic story of the fall of angels and men in language eminently civil. I am sure that Homer and Dante were Milton's schoolmasters yet Milton almost exceeds them in the slendid language and poetry of this epic creation. Philip Pullman said "No one, not even Shakespeare, surpasses Milton in his command of the sound, the music, the weight and taste and texture of English words". This is a poem of majesty and sublime lyricism as in Milton's description of Mulciber falling: "from Morn
To Noon he fell, from Noon to dewy Eve, @@@+PARADISE LOST+@@@
A Summer's day; and with the setting Sun @@@+JOHN MILTON+@@@
Dropt from the Zenith like a falling Star".
Each book of Paradise Lost is introduced with an argument, or summary. These arguments were written by Milton and added because early readers had requested a guide to the poem. Milton's purpose in this masterpiece is to tell about the fall of man and justify God's ways to man. When the angels battle in heaven at one point they pull up mountains and hills and throw them at each other: "So Hills amid the Air encounterd Hills Hurl'd to and fro with jaculation dire, That under ground, they fought in dismal
shade." After their coup attempt in heaven Satan and the other rebel angels are lying stunned on a lake of fire. Satan rises from the lake and makes his way to the shore. He calls the other angels to do the same, and they assemble by and above the lake. Satan tells them that all is not lost and tries to cheer his followers. Led by Mammon and Mulciber, the fallen angels build their capital and palace Pandemonium. They decide to get at God through his new creation and Satan sets off on this mission. In reading Paradise Lost the poem reads the reader while being read. What I mean is that Milton lets his readers go awry in their affections and he corrects and instructs those misreadings as well as anticipates them. In this way the poem becomes a live text with meaning apprehended through the interplay between the peruser of the poem and the text itself. Milton allows the reader to subjectively question the justice of the current religious paradigm and then leads them back to the perspicacity of deity. Ultimately Paradise Lost is Milton's paean to a vast pattern in the universe, the disruption of that pattern by rebels, and the weaving of those rebellion threads back into an ever more beautiful tapestry.

Attorney Lieber deserves high praise for his objective, informative presentation of the antitrust criminal case vs. Archer Daniels Midland, the agribusiness giant, that ADM, its powerful lawyers and Clinton's Justice Department did not want published. To his credit, he continued to pursue this case after most reporters backed off and swallowed the dizzying spin and disinformation that ADM's CEO Dwayne Andreas and his aggressive lawyers gave the media, crying crocodile tears as the "victim" of an allegedly deranged ADM executive, Mark Whitacre, who became the FBI's mole, and made hundreds of tapes incriminating ADM executives fixing prices in world markets with their competitors. Lieber correctly smelled the stench of a cover-up and adroitly guides readers to make their own
conclusions after compiling evidence, omissions from court records, and other factors that allow readers to infer that the judicial process was compromised by ADM's widespread political
influence before the trial even began. Although Dwayne Andreas,
the infamous political fixer and king of corporate welfare, got immunity in a highly secretive plea bargain to Justice in 1996,
after ADM agreed to pay a record fine of $100 million, his son
Michael was convicted and imprisoned with Terry Wilson for a
mere 3 years, and Dwayne (thanks to outraged and courageous ADM
shareholders) finally resigned. Tragically, Whitacre was
convicted, fined and sentenced to a harsh term of 9 years
because of ADM's swift retaliation against him as whistleblower, for exposing to the FBI the ... corporate culture of
ADM...(anything goes-but don't get caught-and here's your big
bonus (not reported on books)to keep silent, the unspoken words
being that an employee would be fired and crucified if they
blew the whistle.
Lieber's chilling comment (p. 322)should concern every citizen
or future whistleblower who believes in due process and our rule of law: "It was expected that ADM's attorneys would savage the
snitch. What was highly bizarre in the world of criminal law was the way the Justice Department joined in the frenzy to destroy Whitacre. This was an aberration...the perpetrator was a
politically wired corporation whose law firm- the president's law firm- had unbridled entree and influence at Justice. The
mole's lawyer had none."
Lieber makes a strong case that this American corporate history- "one of the most important antitrust cases of the century"- should be closely examined. Rightly so. Why was the court record sealed, why were key witnesses (e.g., Wayne Brasser) not deposed, who could have validated Whitacre's claims that the hidden bonuses were a quid pro quo for engaging in illegal price-fixing? The author's appendices are very helpful. ADM and Dwayne Andreas not only have lobbied for years to emasculate our antitrust laws (the "Magna Carta" of free enterprise) but know that the massive soft money donations to key politicians can grease not only the wheels of justice, but also ensure that ADM continues to get huge subsidies for ethanol and other favors from Agriculture Dept. (high fructose corn syrup,peanuts) that have cost taxpayers billions of dollars.
Rats in the Grain is highly recommended, and was a difficult book to write because of the case's complexity. James Lieber should be considered for a Pulitzer Prize.

I have not read this book, but it seems that the publisher's statement here at Amazon should include some mention of what this book can tell us that Kurt Eichenwald's exhaustive, prizewinning book, _The Informant_, does not. Eichenwald's book covers exactly the same material, and Eichenwald (the _New York Times_ reporter who covered the case) had the same access to Whitacre and other sources that Lieber had.

For obvious reasons, I would prefer not to give a "number-of-stars" rating to a book I haven't read. But Amazon demands it, so I've chosen a neutral "three."

Jim Liebert gets to the truth. Dwayne Andreas and others at ADM are not kind folks. Their ties with murderer/dictator Fidel Castro are real. Their contemptuous involvement with the illegal extraction of Elian Gonzalez from freedom and his subsequent delivery to slavery in Castro's communist prison is also very real. All in the name of appeasment to Castro. These people are stench and deserve to be imprisoned, if not worse. Thank you Mr. Liebert for telling the truth.

Lieber possesses a unique blend of talents to investigate the price fixing trial of the century.

The book chronicles ADM kingmaker Dwayne Andreas's rise to business and political power, charts the evolution of US antitrust law, and dissect's the testimony of key witnesses in the trial.

The chapters on the trial delve into ADM's chief defense: its executives were white-hatted American heroes intent on destroying an "Asian" cartel. You will find the race baiting and "we-are-heroes" defense surreal, especially since audio and video tape caught the conspirators red-handed and potty-mouthed.

Lieber presents shocking evidence to build a solid case that the US Justice Department often subjugated itself to ADM's political power and well-connected attorneys in the prosecution of informant Mark Whitacre for fraud and tax evasion. For example, Whitacre still maintains the nearly $10 million of ADM money he stashed in Switzerland and the Cayman Islands was "off-the-books" bonuses given to him by Michael Andreas with the approval of ADM president James Randall. Lieber provides multi-layered facts that endorse Whitacre's story.

The book's final chapters contain even more revelations: alleged document shredding by ADM chairman Andreas after the June 1995 FBI raid; ADM's hiring prostitutes to help steal competitors' technology; the never investigated role of ADM president James Randall--or Chairman Andreas--in price fixing conspiracies; the Justice Department's refusal to release public documents, and other sordid facts of sex, lies and videotape.

As you will discover in reading this book, justice was plea bargined away and the wishes of the Andreas crime family boss Dwayne were granted, one of which was sending Whitacre to jail for 10 years.

Lieber is to be commended for this historical document which will explain to generations to come how corporate crime destoyed our country.

Rats in the Grain is a tale of corporate criminals from Asia, Europe, and the U.S. whose price fixing conspiracy was finally exposed by a government witness working undercover for the FBI for over two and half years. The FBI tapes and documents sow ADM was involved in fixing prices, technology theft, prostitution, systematic campaign voilations and the transfer of corporate funds without the proper signatures to senior executives' overseas bank accounts to avoid taxes. ADM paid a $100 million fine and was allowed to keep the USDA business worth $85 million, which was unprecededented for a corporation who pled guilty to a criminal felony. THe second conspiracy involved ADM, the Department of Justice and ADM's lawyers working together with the media to paint a picture of Mark Whitacre, the government witness, as the real criminal. Whitacre who worked undercover for the FBI was also receiving illegal bonuses. Records show ADM was aware of this, yet the government and ADM claimed that no one except those around Whitacre were involved. The FBI agents with whom Whitacre worked while recording the crimes at ADM turned their backs on him. All the departments of government in place to administer justice for the people were administering the wishes of ADM's chairman Dwayne Andreas. ADM and the Andreases have spent millions in donations over the years. Adding that to the millions spent on lawyers clearly showed that justice was for sale. Part IV of the book the cover-up is a real eye-opener. It tells of people who sold their souls aiding and abetting in the obstruction of justice which included sending the government witness to jail at the request of ADM. Lieber's book serves notice that all is not well in the heartland and conditions are even worse in Washington.

Thomas Paine is the Main Man who started the two Revolutionary Wars, first America which took 7 years then afterwards France starts her own Revolution with Thomas Paine's help but hers is won almost overnight. Thomas Paine not only started these Revolutions but he participated in both. This book is a real page turner that you won't be able to put down!

With all of the current claims by people of what the Founding Fathers intended for our country I decided to begin reading them for myself to achieve a personal perspective on what the Founders intended. This book and the writings contained are an excellent source of information and insight as to what Thomas Paine's intentions were.

Thomas Paine is an important figure in the founding of the United States. Although he was later ignored by the United States (when he was a prisoner in France...).

The book is a good compilation of the works of Thomas Paine. Paine was a smart man and his writings were influential in the American Revolution (Common Sense) and the French Revolution (Rights of Man). This book combines the writings into one book.

Common Sense is a short phamplet that greatly influenced the United States foundation. The sensical arguments seem obvious to readers in the 21st Century but in the late 18th century they were ideas that people needed to hear, and was a kickoff to the drive for independence. Common sense was read by a lot of Americans at the time and would do students of American History well to get the feelings of the Revolutionary period.

In today's politically heated atmosphere, people seem to have forgotten what this great nation was founded on. Reading this book is enlightening, awakening, and reminds us of what it took to make America. Sadly, it's also a pretty sharp reminder of how more and more of our rights are being stripped away from us. I think this book should be required reading in school, and certainly before any political discussion. I recommend this book to ANYONE of ANY AGE. Absolutely amazing.

every american should have a copy to see how the american goverment has taken away every liberty that was so hard to get!

A brillient and stunning consideration of how advertising affects society. Rather than the more popular route of blaming problems of the modern world on entertainment media, Kilbourne convincingly argues that it is, indeed, the unnoticed and unceasing stream of advertisments which is harmful. Required reading for anyone who ponders modern sociology.

This book was OUTSTANDING. The only thing that pains me about it is that I bought it out of bargain bin. I would have gladly paid full price.
I thought I knew quite a bit about the insidiousness of advertising but this book brought new information on that subject. It is has some very enlightening points on the nature of addiction.
Buy it for your favorite teenage grrrrrrrrrrrrl.

This book not only changed my attitude towards advertising and commercialism, but changed the way I see myself and the world around me. I'm shocked that the book is no longer in print, although after reading it I get the impression Jean Kilbourne would not be entirely surprised. How can you survive without supporting commercialism? I thought at times she overstated her point and could have been more concise, but on the whole her style is entertaining and easy to follow. The adverts on most of the pages are also very interesting - although you feel a bit guilty about being entertained by them! This book has to get back into print - maybe it needs some more advertising?!

This book is a must read for anyone, especially women. I always thought of myself as someone who was not affected by advertisements, but this book makes it painfully clear how not one is unaffected by ads, regardless of what types of good you purchase. It correlates the selling of ideas and attitudes through advertisements with degenerating relationships between males and females, people of different social classes and ethnicities, even different ages. Advertisements sell ideas about self-concept, american culture, and values right along with their products. I found the idea that advertisers create a culture, and use the idea of that culture to sell us not only products, but lifestyles, and attitudes towards other people, our society, and ourselves fascinating and horrifying. This book will make you not only a more aware consumer, but also a more aware citizen. It was fascinating, clear, and well-researched.

This powerful and vital book is out of print - but only under this title. "Deadly Persuasion" was released in November 2000 under the new title "Can't Buy My Love: How Advertising Changes the Way We Think and Feel". Under that title, the book has never gone out of print, so it is easy to acquire. And you definitely should acquire it!

After reading Fighting Immigration Anarchy, I could not sleep for three nights. I kept thinking about all that I had learned from Daniel Sheehy's book about what is truly going on in my own backyard and in the rest of America. The book tells what the our government and the mainstream media won't tell you about the seriousness of the illegal immigration crisis and how we are rapidly losing our country and quality of life. The book isn't just about what is wrong with our government's virtual open borders policy. The book mostly focuses on American citizen-activists of different races and ethnicities who have made a difference in the fight to preserve our borders and sovereignty. I have been truly inspired by these stories- and I plan to get involved myself. This book has caused me to wake up and take notice! I'm buying several more copies to give to my friends.

Mr. Sheehy's book presents current and continuing events about public patriots as well as unknown patriots - those who attend rallies, write to newspapers, call radio talk programs, join Roy Beck's fax writers to Congress, and in many other ways inform the public about the illegal alien invasion of the United States.

It's an easy read about the histories and daily activities of those featured in the chapters and their supporters. Every member of the U.S. Congress and Senate should be locked up in some hotel and not released until they finish reading this book. That goes for state legislatures as well.

Mr. Sheehy's book presents current and continuing events about public patriots as well as unknown patriots - those who attend rallies, write to newspapers, call radio talk programs, join Roy Beck's fax writers to Congress, and in many other ways inform the public about the illegal alien invasion of the United States.

Any person who believes these folks are nativist or bigots just by the title should read the book to learn about the threat to U.S. national sovereignty.

It's an easy read about the histories and daily activities of those featured in the chapters and their supporters. Every member of the U.S. Congress and Senate should be locked up in some hotel and not released until they finish reading this book. That goes for state legislatures as well.

Daniel Sheehy has done an outstanding public service by exposing
the Bush Administration's determination to keep the Mexican border open thus allowing illegal immigrants and terrorists to
enter the U. S. borders. The Bush rhetoric is old and worn as
Bush shows more loyaly to Vicente Fox than he does to the U.S. citizens. Californians Barbara Coe, Glen Spencer and other California voters began taking action in 1994 to get, what became Proposition 187, on the ballot to stop illegal immigration and the resultant burden on taxpayers, schools,
hospitals and jails. Even though approved by the voters, former Governor Gray Davis and former Mexican president Ernesto Zedillo and others prevented it from becoming a law. Nothing
could be more basic to National security than closing our borders to unidentified people. Homeland security has been a joke because of irrational priorities and inconsistencies by the
Bush administration and now open borders. I am a former airline pilot and know many pilots who believe uninspected cargo is a great threat to airline passengers and crew and the ease with which an airplane can be shot down with a shoulder
fired missile. As a Naval Aviation veteran of WWII, a USAFR
retired Major and pilot veteran of the Korean, I believe our country is in great risk because of our weakened position by using our Reservists and National Guard to fight battles in far off Iraq when our troops should be guarding the borders here. My grandson is a U. S. Marine in Iraq fighting "insurgents", while illegal aliens come across our borders at the rate of over 10,000 per day--isn't it ironical? Daniel Sheehy is a fearless patriot, who has exposed what I believe is a national disgrace and which should be the concern of everyone.
Dr. Norman E. Witt (Ed.D.) UCLA--Class of 1969.

This book really gives you important facts about the threat of millions of illegal immigrants in this county. But I think the book should also talk about legal immigration. I am an immigrant from Germany and my goal was to become an American and leave everything else behind. I promised to never rely on any welfare and in all the past decades I never have. There are rarely people who recognize that I wasn't born here.