Events Books

I love what he said about government, politics and toleration. It's kind of cool how he used the bible to push his point. This work is very influential and has been the modern foundation for many governments. Where would America be without John Locke? I believe that he was at the fore front of the British enligtenment. Along with Newton and Boyle he made the modern world what it is today.

The Second Treatise of Government provides Locke's theorizes the individual rights and involvement with the government; he categorizes them in two areas -- natural rights theory and social contract. 1.Natural state; rights which human beings are to have before government comes into being. 2.Social contact; when conditions in natural state are unsatisfactory, and there's need to develop society into functioning of central government.

Political Power and Natural state: He explains the need for civil government; by detailing life with the absence of civil government. This is the premature state of an entity; through this one can see the need and a role for a government structure. He begins by defining political power; which is the right of making laws with penalties varying with the nature of transgression. The laws are maintained for the preservation of property; the enrichment of the community and its defense.
He determines the need for civil government by expressing the state of society without a government. To maintain harmony; there is a need to maintain equality; this is the state of nature. The chief end for the human species is survival; to attain it we need life, liberty, health and property. These are natural rights that we have in a state of nature before the introduction of civil government, and all people have these rights equally.
The Natural State personifies a state of utopia; as it does not account for the realistic issues of violations of this natural state. There are no police, prosecutors or judges in the state of nature as these are all representatives of a government with full political power. In addition to our other rights, we have the rights to enforce the law and judge on our own behalf. We may intervene in cases where our own interests are not directly under threat to help enforce the law of nature. Still, the person who is most likely to enforce the law under these circumstances is the person who has been wronged. The basic principle of justice is that the punishment should be proportionate to the crime. When victims are judging a crime; they likely to judge it of greater severity than an impartial judge. As a result, there will be miscarriages of justice.

Slavery: Is the state of being in the absolute or arbitrary power of another. On Locke's definition of slavery there is only one way to become a legitimate slave. In order to do so one must be an unjust aggressor defeated in war. The just victor then has the option to either kill the aggressor or enslave them. Locke tells us that the state of slavery is the continuation of the state of war between a lawful conqueror and a captive, in which the conqueror delays to take the life of the captive, and instead makes use of him; only in this condition is slavery legitimate. Illegitimate slavery is the state in which someone possesses absolute power over someone else without just cause. Locke holds that it is this illegitimate state of slavery which absolute monarchs wish to impose upon their subjects.

Property: In evolution of the state of nature to civil government. It is the account of nature and origin of property, which leads to the explanation of why civil government replaces the state of nature. In discussing the origin of private property Locke begins by noting that God gave the earth to all men. Locke holds that we have a property in our own person. And the labor of our body and the work of our hands properly belong to us. The state of evolution for property is hunter/gatherer to agriculture to introduction of money; each development provides more flexibility and removes limitations of trade; creating economical inequality. The inequality may cause quarrels which increases the numbers of violations of the law.
The institution of civil government comes about because of the difficulties in the state of nature. Rather clearly, on Locke's view, these difficulties increase with the increase in population, the decrease in available resources, and the advent of economic inequality which results from the introduction of money. These conditions lead to an increase in the number of violations of the natural law. Thus, the inconvenience of having to redress such grievances on one's own behalf become much more acute, since there are significantly more of them. These lead to the introduction of civil government.

Social Contract Theory: Locke's argument for the right of the majority is the theoretical ground for the distinction between duty to society and duty to government. When the designated government dissolves, men remain obligated to society acting through majority rule. It is entirely possible for the majority to confer the rule of the community on a king, oligarchs or an assembly. Thus, the social contract is not linked to democracy; still a government must perform the legitimate function of government.

Civil Government: The aim of such a legitimate civil government is to preserve, so far as possible, the rights to life, liberty, health and property of its citizens, and to prosecute and punish those of its citizens who violate the rights of others and to pursue the public good even where this may conflict with the rights of individuals. In doing this it provides something unavailable in the state of nature, an impartial judge to determine the severity of the crime, and to set a punishment proportionate to the crime.

I could not believe how different this book was from what I expected it to be based on professors in politics classes describing Locke. I think they never read this book or were confusing him with someone else. This book is short and sweet, and at the same time a cornerstone for what the world has become in most developed countries. Many ideas in this book were revolutionary in his time (in fact Locke would not let it be known he was the author) but are now so commonplace as to be things observed in any developed country without explaining why. At least the economic ideas could be classified as such; but the ideas of the people overthrowing a tyrant due to horrible ruling is equally revolutionary in monarchies and dictatorships today, and even in poorly governed "democracies" today. A must read.

The importance of this book, first published in 1690, cannot be denied. The book's most famous and controversial idea is that the people have a right to overthrow their government if the government fails consistently in its responsibilities and duties.

The book, which lacks an introduction or conclusion, may be challenging for modern readers. Locke's writing covers a wide range of topics; conquest, paternal power (i.e. the power that fathers have over their children), despotical power and his over-arching central concern, property.

The main ideas of the book are that government exists by the consent of the governed who found government for the purpose of securing their lives, rights and property. Locke frequently contrasts people who live in a state of nature (i.e. no government; people enjoy considerable personal freedom) and those that live under government. Under Locke's view of the social contract, men give up give up the unlimited freedom they enjoyed in the state of nature so as to secure their life, limb and property more securely under government. There is also some discussion of the idea of separation of powers; what is interesting here is that Locke does not use the traditional formulation (i.e. executive, legislative, and judicial), rather he discusses executive, legislative and "federative" (by which he means the conduct of self-defense and foreign policy) powers.

The type of government that Locke describes more closely resembles the system employed by Britain and Canada, more than the United States. He conceives of a monarch or prince at the top of the government (as in Britain and Canada; the Monarch is the Head of State), with the legislature representing the people (Parliament) and so on. This is not to deny that this book still holds value for Americans, as other reviewers have pointed out.

All that said, I would not recommend this particular edition of the book. The lack of introduction to put Locke in his historical context can make the book difficult to understand and some of Locke's 17th century references will simply be skipped over by most readers. However, if you simply want a copy of the book that is plain and plan to quote from it, this edition is quite useful. Each paragraph of the book is numbered allowing a researcher to precisely footnote information.

John Locke (1632-1704) wrote "Second Treatise of Government" in 1690, it was the main political philosophical source that our "Founding Fathers" went to in writing the "Declaration of Independence" and in forming our government. I think you should know something of Locke to understand what influenced his thinking. His father was a small landowner, attorney, Puritan and his political sympathies were with the Cromwell Parliament. Like Hobbes, Locke attended Oxford Univ. and did not think much about the curriculum or his professors. Most of his education came from reading books in the Univ. library. Renee Descartes and Sir Isaac Newton's writings greatly influenced Locke. Like Hobbes, he took a tutoring job teaching the son of the 1st Earl of Shaftesbury, and traveled Europe. His friendship with the Earl was beneficial in obtaining government appointments. During the political unrest in England, (1679-83) he fled to Holland because his liberal notions put him at odds with the government.

Locke writes the "Second Treatise of Government" to justify the Revolt of 1688 and the ascension of William of Orange to the English throne. The book argues against two lines of absolutist ideas. The first is Sir Robert Filmer's "patriarchal theory of divine right of kings; secondly, Hobbes argument for the sovereign's absolute power in his book "Leviathan." Locke argues that government emanates from the people. Locke's treatise rests like other political writings on its interpretation of human nature. He sees our nature opposite the way Hobbes did, decent and not as selfish or competitive. Man is more inclined to join society through reason and not fear. Man prefers stability to change.

His very important contribution to "law of nature" theory was his bias toward individualism. In state of nature, before government, men were free independent, equal enjoying inalienable rights "chief among them being life, liberty, and property." Where have you read that before? Property rights receive much attention in this treatise. Locke argues that government based on consent of man can still preserve freedom independence and equality.

His political writing had immediate influence in the world and influenced our founding fathers in their struggle against tyranny. He is an excellent writer and his theories are easy to understand by the laymen. As a graduate student of political philosophy, I recommend if you have an interest in politics, philosophy, or government then you must read Locke's "Second Treatise of Government"

Everyone with a slight interest in MidEast history and the Arab-Israelis conflict should read it. First part is a mine of historical information about what went-on behind the scenes. The palestinian tragedy and exodus was more a result of dis-unity between the Arabs than supremacy of the Israelis.

While now everyone is refusing to nationalise the palestinian refugees, in the early 50's this was offered in exchange for extra land captured on different fronts. Extra land that was palestinian in theory, but since this became a battle field Palestine ceased to exist.

Second part is a bit slow but never the less of great value.

Highly Recomended to arabs and westerners alike.

I have read this book for like 4 times...and each time i find out something new that i have not noticed before.
Haykal was in a position to get so much information,and he has a way to put such information in a valuble book.

if you are ready to be neutral,then go ahead and but this book cause then you will know the meaning of secret channels.

It is refreshing to find somebody who tells the other side of the story. No wonder the book is out of print.

Like all his other books..this bookof Mr.Haykal..is full of secrets,inner looks,and analysis. Many questions are answered,alot ofopinions are outlined.This book tellsthe story of the peace process,past& present. I highly recommend this book,and urge everybody to buy it.

Mohammed Heikal is the type of journalist whose inner circle of friends includes emperors, kings and heads of states, in addition to lessor, yet very powerful global figures.

With a powerful analytical mind, a penetrating insight and, a fluent pen, Mohamed Heikal draws on his years of deep, deep connections with the most influential to focus our attention on how Palestine was ignominiously sold out by a pack of vain parvenus with Whom the Arab nation had to content with having at the helm of its political destiny.

Secret Channels gives us a stupendous insight into the vanity, narcissism and cowardice of the frail characters that led the Arab nation through an era that will live in infamy for a long, long time to come.

Mohamed Heikal, hated and despised by the dwarfs of his contemporaries, and hailed by the great pears of his caliber, continues to fascinate the reader with graceful literary eloquence, and a sense of appreciation for the entertainment value of the news.

This is the 7th book in the A.D. Chronicles series. This is the best series of books I have ever read, and I have read many. I would highly recommend this book. I am understanding the Bible better as I get insights into the history and traditions of the 1st century A.D.

I love this authors series. This one follows the life of Christ with very interesting characters. They weave truthful facts and stories into a well developed story line. I am always anticipating the next one in the series - can't wait! Very well written.

I love all the Zion books, and waited with great excitement for the seventh installment of the AD Chronicles. I even bought the hardback as I didn't want to wait for the paperback edition. The book is written well; and even though I knew what was going to happen, I was still on the edge of my seat waiting to see just how the story was going to be handled. I wasn't disappointed with the story. However, I fear that this series may be falling into the same category as other good series as the books become shorter and the substance stretched thinner to allow for more sequels. This could be what publishers do but I hate to see it happen with this series. I will be much more patient in future and and wait for the paperback to come out

First off, I am a huge fan of B & B Thoene. This book is the continuation fo the story of Jesus through the eyes of the people who he touched. The most wonderful thing is that He (Jesus) continues to touch and change lives. Even though I have read the story of Lazarus many times, this book puts a new Light on the miracle at Bethany.

This is an excellent book; well researched and with scripture to support where appropriate. The Thoenes write with such real emotion and paint such vivid pictures that you almost feel yourself in the middle of the action.

This is not just a book but a comprehensive education for anyone concerned with the love-hate relationship between American and China. Too bad it came out at such a late date. To me, both and Korean and Vietnam wars might have been avoided had it come out in the late 1940s or early 1950s

simply using the United States, via Stilwell. The war with the Japanese was a convenience in aid of the real issue--waging war against the Communists.

This book's triumph begins with a brilliant idea: Barbara Tuchman's decision to combine a biography of Gen. "Vinegar Joe" Stilwell with a history of China's failed republican revolution. To an amazing degree, Stilwell showed up as history was happening in China after the collapse of Qing Dynasty in 1911. During the Second World War, he played a leading - and doomed - role in United States' relationship with the incompetent, corrupt regime of Chiang Kai-shek. As a result, Stilwell is a perfect vehicle through which to explore the United States' tragic relationship with China for most of the last century. Stilwell is fascinating - tough, smart, curious about the world around him, disdainful of pretense, entirely lacking in tact and patience. In some ways, he was the perfect man to try to coax Chiang into actually fighting the Japanese who were devouring China in the `30s and `40s: Stilwell spoke fluent Chinese, knew Chinese culture, admired Chinese people, had faith in the beleaguered Chinese soldier's ability to fight - and was a brilliant battlefield tactician. In other ways, he was precisely the wrong man for the job: He lacked the temperament to hide the contempt he felt for the Generalissimo and the corrupt sycophants around him. As a result, Stilwell was ineffective in his dealings with Chiang. Then again, perhaps no one could have persuaded Chiang, who emerges here as equal parts stupid and arrogant (with an equally sickening wife), to defend his country instead of his own narrow interests. Tuchman strikes a nice balance between sweeping themes and intriguing, even funny details. True, I sometimes got lost in the narrative. I couldn't always remember the characters, and I got confused on military strategy - so much so that I couldn't evaluate the wisdom of Stilwell's plan for an aggressive ground offensive to retake Burma from the Japanese and weigh it against a rival plan from the British. At least one of its themes - the way a muzzled media presented a wildly misleading impression of Chiang's regime to the U.S. public - struck this reader as particularly timely.

Who was Joseph Stilwell? What part did he play in the unfolding of Chinaýs troubled century? It has been said that "men make a lot of history, and history makes a lot of men." To what extent was Stilwell "made" by the history he lived through? And how might the recent history of China have been different if another were in his position? How did the relationship between Stilwell and Chiang Kai-Shek (Jiang Jieshi) affect their joint ability to save China from the Japanese? To what extent was the conflict between them made irrelevant by the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki? Chiang Kai-Shek always said that the Japanese were a disease of the skin, but the Communists were a disease of the heart. Was he correct to hold back from fighting the Japanese so that he could spare his reserves for the inevitable conflict with the Communists? Might he have been more effective on both fronts if he had been more aggressive against the Japanese? And how would present day China be different if the Gomingdang rather than the Communist Party had been running China for past 50 years? What implications does this story have for the "Taiwan question?"

Nothing stands out more in my study of 20th Century China, than the frustration of so many situations where there were simply no good choices. Of course, I am not Chinese, so I suppose I am able, because of that, to view the period with some measure of detachment. But I was born in Tokyo, and grew up in the north of Japan, so, while I am always viewed as a foreigner in Asia, I am, in fact, a child of Asia, and keenly interested in what factors contributed to the painful history China has lived since the revolution of 1911.

One of the most interesting comparisons in this book is between Joseph Stilwell, and Claire Chennault. Barbara Tuchman clearly favors Stilwell, to the point where I would say that if this book were your only source of information about Chennault, and who he was, you probably would not have a very high opinion of him. But even Tuchman must admit that Claire Chennault had much better rapport with Chiang Kai-Shek than Stilwell.

Let me try to phrase the matter in very basic terms: Joseph Stilwell was a brilliant general whoýs relational skills, and more importantly his relationship sense was seriously wanting. Throughout the book, I am struck, not by a deficiency of intelligence, or determination, or persistence, but by a lack of basic humanity. This deficiency hangs over Stilwell like a cloud, polluting his relationships with those with whom it was most important for him to get along.

For starters, he was one of the ungodliest officers in the history of the U.S. Army. To his daughter, he wrote about the "criminal instincts I picked up by being forced to go to Church and Sunday School, and seeing how little real good religion does anybody, I advise passing them all up and using common sense instead." This cynical godlessness expressed itself in many ways. Stilwell was generally contemptuous and disrespectful toward those with whom he disagreed (mostly Chiang Kai-Shek). This was a source of irritation to FDR, who felt that Chiang Kai-Shek was a head of state, and ought to be accorded the level of respect due one in that position. Stilwell did not see it that way. He constantly referred to Chiang in his diary as "Peanut," or "Hickory Head." Several times he referred to FDR himself as "Rubber Legs." The Japanese he called "buck-toothed bastards."

Both Churchill and MacArthur possessed a spiritual dimension that was completely foreign to Stilwell. Churchill used to say, "In war, resolution; in defeat, defiance; in victory, magnanimity; in peace, goodwill. Stilwell probably should be given credit for understanding the first point, and perhaps the second in some measure. But for the rest of it, he was clueless. No, I mean really, completely clueless. When MacArthur ruled Japan as a virtual dictator after World War II, he issued a request for 10,000 missionaries. He also contacted the Gideons and requested as many bibles as they could supply. Whatever one may say about MacArthurýs personal spiritual life, he did understand that the essential problem of post-war Japan was a spiritual crisis. Stilwell had no such insight. Following a tour of the gutted and burned out districts of Yokohama after World War II, he said, "We gloated over the destruction and came in feeling fine."

At one point, after he had been removed from China, he allowed himself to believe that he would be chosen over MacArthur for command of forces in the Pacific. By Godýs mercy, he was not chosen, and the Japanese people experienced the big-heartedness of MacArthur.

This book is old. It came out in 1971. In spite of that, this is a very useful book. Barbara Tuchman was a war correspondent who personally witnessed much of the Sino-Japanese war during the 30s. She is very thorough, detailed and organized. She also possesses a level of objectivity which is refreshing in this day and age when so much written history is editorial in nature.

I have been pretty hard on Stilwell. Perhaps I have been so turned off by his acerbic nature that I have tended not to appreciate his brilliance as an officer. Marshall, who was always Stilwellýs strongest supporter, said that Stilwell was "his own worst enemy." The point, here, I guess, is that many good qualities can be obscured by a little bit of folly. Nonetheless, this, as I said, is a very useful book. It isnýt all about Stilwell. It is about a very important point in Chinaýs history, and the way personality affected policy. Understanding the American experience in China is critical to comprehending how events developed toward the culmination of the conflict, in 1949.

"Stilwell and the American Experience in China" is a very interesting biography of one of America's great military leaders. It engages the reader on several levels.

Mrs. Tuchman weaves a study of an era in China's history around the biography of General Stilwell. The period spans approximately one hundred years, beginning with the Opium Wars of the mid 19th century. The history concludes with the Chinese Communists' assumption of power in 1949. Barbara Tuchman's research and analysis of the events and people who lived during this period provide a partial explanation for the success of the Communist revolution. She accomplishes this through her intriguing character studies of the main protagonists, Chiang Kai-shek, Mao Tse-tung, and President Franklin Roosevelt. The character studies suggest the motivation for their decisions.

Mrs. Tuchman also effectively exposes the vastly different management styles of the Allied military and political leaders. They include Churchill, Mountbatten, Roosevelt, Marshall, Eisenhower, Chiang Kai-shek, and Stilwell. She reveals how these men attempted to exert influence over each other in deciding the conduct of the war. She identifies which men prevailed in these negotiations. This book would serve as an excellent reference on management for either civilian or military leaders.

Mrs. Tuchman also provides interesting insights into the personalities of Major General Claire Chennault of the Flying Tigers and General George Marshall, who also authored the plan that restored Europe's economy after the war. She helps us understand the basis for their fame and determine whether they were worthy of the recognition they received.

Finally, this is a compelling biography of a man who played a significant role in World War II, but received little recognition during his lifetime. She details the reasons why General Stilwell is not as famous or held in the same regard as the other great military leaders of WWII. Even so, Mrs. Tuchman's analysis forces the reader to conclude that General Stilwell's devotion to this country and the people of China was unsurpassed.

I would like to see this book released again, so that more people can learn about General Stilwell and America's relationship with China during World War II.

Ruth Stevens' Trade Show and Event Marketing has proven to be a very useful book with many good ideas. As a Marketing representative who has worked in both the Tech Industry and for Consumer Products companies I have had the opportunity to attend a wide variety of trade shows, ranging from annual Comdex and CES shows in Las Vegas, to ECRM, NACS, and GMDC shows around the country. When you are dealing with such high costs and logistical problems at these shows you can tend to feel overwhelmed. But authors like Ruth Stevens have helped to pave the way, making our paths to trade show success a little more pleasant, by way of communicating a thoughtful approach to difficult problems. Good work!
Review by: Adam Platts, Northridge

Completely comprehensive on every aspect of trade shows and event marketing. Whether you are part of show management or an exhibitor this book is a solid reference. Even if you are seasoned at trade show and event marketing - you will learn something from this book.

Not until I dug into the case histories did I realize how truly valuable this book is. These punchy examples drive home point after point with clarity that makes all other how-to books I've read on this subject pale by comparison. "Put Ruth in Your Booth" could be its subtitle.

Ruth has hit all the right buttons in this book. As a trade show consultant, too many of my clients focus on the display and event on the show floor, neglecting the pre-show and post-show part of the medium. When you take Ruth's well-documented book literally and plan, promote, you will indeed profit. Especially with proper post-show lead development. I am sending copies of this one to my best clients and prospects.

If you are in marketing and you exhibit at trade shows, this book may change your behavior forever. Not only does it provide in-depth information about what trade shows can do and how they operate, but it also explains the financial structure you should put in place to determine whether participating in a trade show is worth your while financially. That may be bad news for corporate marketers who prefer to unpack their booth, buy the coffee and flowers, and hand out literature.
But if you want to turn a trade show appearance into a truly special corporate event, author Ruth Stevens has a game plan for you. Her book includes sample budgets, case studies, expense spread sheets, lead generation forms, checklists, survey ideas and a great appendix listing sources of additional information. It explains everything you need to know about the opportunities that trade shows offer and how you can use them to advance your marketing goals. We highly recommend this book to marketing managers of business-to-business companies who want to start getting solid returns from special events.

This book is excellent, I can't tell you how many times I've referred back to it. Contains tips for training horse and rider in all three phases, and common problems that most riders will certainly face sometime in their career. Lots of great photographs to show you the right (and sometimes not so right) way to do things. Advice on conditioning (which I've found to be very helpful) and gymnastics at the back of the book. If you event, get this book.

I have had the incredible opporunity to work with this man in person. He is THE most informative, patient, helpful trainer I have ever worked with. Both of his books, "Training the Three-Day Event Horse and Rider" and "Gymnastics", are must-reads for any equestrian. I can only hope he writes more!!

I am just a beginner, but this book inspired me to try hard to event. I loved the gymnastics in the back!

In 1984 I began riding in Jimmy's clinics and have accumulated numerous hours riding, watching and listening. During this time I took copious notes on his comments; measurements of his gymnastics; watched other riders and listened to Jimmy's critiques. "Training-the-Three-Day Event Horse" IS Jimmy Wofford. His concise, straitforward teaching comes through in his book just as though you are there listening to him. If I could only have one book, it would be this one. I recommend it to my students, I give it as gifts and I wouldn't leave home without it.

I was SO happy to finally read a book involving cross country with so much emphasis on good basics and snaffle bits. I am so sick of hearing trainers advocating bigger bits to control your horse. Mr. Wofford advocates better TRAINING to control your horse - what a concept. This book covers quite a range of topics; from choosing an event horse, dressage, how the horse sees jumps vs. how we see jumps, cross country, jumping, conditioning, cross country position and more. I think this is a great book!

This valuable edited volume attempts to answer the question: What's going on in our Culture? What is producing the dramatic changes, the social chaos and even the creativity in the present era? What is giving so many people permission to tinker with the hallowed traditions and symbolic heritage of societies: bypassing long-held myths and mixing old rituals with new traditions like a tossed salad; inventing new personal identities; revising old political ideologies; and picking and choosing between what to believe and what not to believe, as if picking hors d'oeuvres from the table of a corner bazaar? These are the questions this book's thirty-three carefully selected chapters try to answer.

The illustrative contributors to this edited book are themselves among the trailblazers of thinking in our modern era. Collectively, they think they see a pattern linking such diverse events as the collapse of Communism, the information revolution, the theological wars within organized religions, terrorism, racism, the Civil Rights movement, and the desperate search for a re-centering of our spiritual values and lives. According to them, the common thread to this turbulent pattern has more to do with a change in how we believe than in what we believe. That is to say, what they see is a "shift in beliefs about belief." To some this is decidedly good news: a new era of liberation; to others, it is a very threatening and grievous lost of a comfortable past, indeed.

Modernity pre and post: A Primer

The term "modernity" is a "made up word" used to describe the meta-games of cultural life: attempting to describe the grand meta-narratives, or the systemic and global ideas that command, govern and guide our cultural Worldviews, as well as our lives.

Pre-modernity was about how to install and maintain in perpetuity a single meta-narrative about our cultural life such as Christianity, Communism, racism, "Manifest Destiny," democracy, and their overarching systems of thought such as rationality, mysticism, belief in faith or some other metaphysic, essentialism, ideology, or science and evolution. Our march out of pre-modernity into modernity has been a series of culture shocks, only matched by the current pains in moving form modernity to post-modernity.

These authors tell us that Modernity is now being eclipsed by post-modernity, which was about the four-century dominance of the Enlightenment era meta-narrative about rationality, reason and logic. However, in retrospect, Enlightenment was not only about the installation of logic, reason and science, but also about how to work out the kinks and the disconnects in the leading contending pre-modern ideas, basically the struggle between the ideas of science and religion.

The Enlightenment, or modern era (modernity that is), held the view that the grand problem of reality was one of representation: of how reality was to best be represented: by a single unifying and overarching meta-narrative of rationality of science, with its instrumentalities of reason and logic and experimentation - or by a belief in magic, faith or some other metaphysics.

But the Enlightenment project, which for the past four centuries has sat on the ground floor of the Existentialist Grand Hotel, instead of unifying the dominant meta-narratives of the pre-modern era, has caused them to breakdown. Post-modernity, thus is about this breakdown and about what is to replace the present chaotic and confusing meta-narrative.

Thus, this book is about the waxing and waning of these ideas across the multi-century battleground and about how the major contending meta-narratives of the dominant belief systems: between philosophy, religion, political ideologies, and various combinations and blends of them, have tried, but failed to exert their dominance.

Not only does this book explain the ideas, it also takes us through the key historical shifts in them and their arguments as they have held sway over our cultural thinking for the better part of a half millennium.

Well-organized, beautifully told: A true tour de force: Fifty Stars

Comprehensive. However, with a topic this extensive, not that I am suggesting that Anderson is trying to do this, but it is difficult to produce the definitive PoMo piece. Postmodern thought is the academic topic of the day - or maybe the era. It has replaced Existentialism as the topic of discussion all over the place as THE coffee shop conversation topic. Anderson takes the bull by the horn and comes up with a 4-part book that will certainly prove useful as a primer and will help you impress your friends. Part one and two sets out to define and to explain vocabulary. Part three deals with the construction of self. Part four takes on a more macro look (globalization) and closes with the positive side of postmodern discourse.

Thing with this collection is that it is very difficult to go wrong when you include such notables as Jean Baudrillard, Jacques Derrida, Michel Foucault and Richard Rorty. PoMo philosophers are taking on deity status that was reserved for existentialist celebrities like Heidegger and Sartre. Despite the lack of popular appeal due to purposeful ambiguity as well as the difficulty of the material, it has taken academia by storm.

A dense book, it is packed with information. Despite the range and complexity, I highly recommend "The Truth about the Truth" as a starter kit only. The collection does not really prepare students to discuss this stuff in class in any detail - mind you this is my opinion only and it could change as folks find it a good book for an introduction class. Anderson does a fantastic job. We ignore this stuff at our own risk. Be prepared.

Miguel Llora

To many readers, postmodernism (PoMo) is a vexed subject, smacking of trendy intellectual fashion. However one views it, Anderson's book collects a number of essays on the topic that anyone interested in the dominant ideas of the day should not be without. The entries are not lengthy and therefore persuasive depth should not be expected. Put them together, however, and a pretty complete overview of PoMo is before you. The editor has fashioned a nifty little introduction that lays out the general orientation in clear and understandable language - a not inconsiderable feat given the subject matter.

One point worth noting that is not in the book. Beneath the ideas promoted by PoMo lies a sociological reality captured in that forbidding word "multi-culturalism". There are many different cultures in the world whose customs and mores project many different kinds of worlds. This fact does seem to leave us with no common frame of reference to judge any of them as superior, a key PoMo conclusion. In that sense, postmodernism appears to be the perfect philosophical expression of an emerging multicultural reality. Nevertheless, wedging beneath the world's many and various cultures is another emergent reality - the global consolidation of private property, as represented by trans-national corporations and international trade agreements. Beneath PoMo's relativizing of cultural absolutes, there moves the monolithic grip of global capitalism, homogenizing all cultures in a consumerist vat. It at least deserves consideration that the former serves to conceal the latter from the view of secular intellectuals like post-modernists, and thus becomes the perfect cultural expression of a consolidating world order. Put another way, the power of Pepsi has conquered the outdated truths of reason and anyone who complains is practicing cultural imperialism. So go with the flow. Readers interested in how PoMo serves the powers-that-be should consult Terry Eagleton or Frederick Jameson.

(T) "p" is a true sentence if and only if p

N'est ce pas?

Anderson tells us, "We are living in a new world, a world that does not know how to define itself by what it is, but only by what it has just-now ceased to be." One of the most positive aspects of postmodernism in my view is that, because there is so much chaos of opinion today, reality is being created in plain sight. Walter Truett Anderson is one of the most lucid writers of our time and this book makes that creation of reality clear and comprehensible to anyone who will take the time to read about it. Highly recommended.

Entertaining and informative. Anyone concerned with the future direction and intended targets of the "War on Drugs" would do well to study the chapter entitled "Operation Desert Snow" for it's revealing look at the federally funded drug interdiction programs perpetrated on our interstate highways.

Please read, "One Free Shot", page 17. This was a clear case of murder. I am the victim's mother, and can't tell you how grateful I am to the author for finally bringing this terrible incident out in the open!

As a news junkie, I especially enjoyed this type of book. It takes you where the newspapers left off - or would not go. For those with a social conscience, it is disturbing and may engender feelings of injustice. The stories illustrate a lack of accountability by public officials, particularly law enforcement. It makes one wonder if this stuff goes on elsewhere, not just Orange County California. A good read!

Mike Madigan presents shocking revelations of the deterioration of law enforcement. Those of us who remember when police officers were dedicated to the preservation of peace and the protection of the public find ourselves disillusioned and discouraged by factual presentations of how bad things have become. Every citizen who takes the American way of life and the freedoms we enjoy seriously should read this book, speak out, and start a dialogue with civic leaders and legislators to reverse this insidious process.

From his early days a a music major, singing at weddings and funerals, to bartending in Manhattan, to a vocal audition at the Opera House in Milano, Italy, the author weaves a captivating tale of how he came to a career in law enforcement. Mike Madigan stands for truth and justice. With first hand knowledge, and an engaging and informative writing style, he presents actual cases from Orange County California that make the reader ponder whether or not justice was served. In cases from murder, to political corruption, to cops nearly out of control, to a behind the scenes look at the largest municipal bankruptcy in U. S. history, YOU BE THE JUDGE! A fascinating read!

This is the most objective analysis on events in the Middle East I found in years. Prof. Harari is a great internationally known theoretical physicist. He was the director of the Weizmann Institute from 1988 to 2001 and received several honors as a leading scientist. His analysis is cristal-clear. I already bought 4 books to give to friends.

This is a penetrating analysis of the components of terror. The book offers a survey of the landscape of middle-eastern conflicts. It is, however, not a pedantic rendition. The author presents a complicated issue in an easily understandable form.

In April 2004 internationally known physicist Haim Harari was asked by a meeting of the International Advisory Board of a large multi-national corporation to present his own personal view on events in the Middle East. He spoke candidly.

Without his knowledge a copy of his remarks was leaked and posted on the Internet. It caused a worldwide sensation and was translated into more than half a dozen languages. (The article is seven pages long and can be obtained by going to the FrontPageMag website, clicking on Archives, setting the date drop-downs to March 15, 2006 and clicking on Go. The article is at the bottom of the page.)

Due to the widespread interest in the article, Prof. Harari went on to write an expanded version, which resulted in "A View from The Eye of The Storm". This is not a scholarly treatise with bibliography and footnotes (although there is a very good index), but the perceptions of a fifth-generation Israeli-born observer. Yet Harari is no ordinary observer. He is a brilliant scientist, trained in objective and precise analysis. And he is a man not only of great acumen and scruples, but a man deeply concerned about human events and the future of humankind.

Prof. Harari believes we are already into a World War with Muslim Extremists, but that a few more years may pass before everybody acknowledges this is a fact. He outlines four main elements of the present World conflict: 1, suicide murder; 2, lies; 3, money and 4, the total breakdown of law. The role of each of these elements is examined in detail in the 211 page book.

Following is Harai's eminently sensible solution to the Israeli-Palestine conflict:

"There are certain immutable facts in the Middle East. Peace can arrive only if the Palestinians except the existence of Israel. Peace can materialize only if the Palestinians have their own state - next to Israel not instead of it. The densely Jewish areas will be part of Israel; the densely Palestinian areas will be part of the Palestinian state. Israel will have an Arab minority. Many Israeli settlements in the West Bank and Gaza will have to be abandoned. Most of Jerusalem will remain in Israel, and it will continue to be the capital city. Some heavily populated Arab neighborhoods of the greater Jerusalem area will be in the Palestinian state and may form its capitol city. A carefully planned demilitarized strategy must be developed; it will take a substantial number of years and can be lifted only by mutual consent. Descendents of Palestinian refugees will be settled in Arab countries, many of them in the Palestinian state. All Arab countries bordering with Israel will have peace agreements with it, and no unresolved disputes will remain. The borders between Israel and its Arab neighbors will be protected by some kind of fence...because no open border can survive a 20:1 income ratio."

Later in the book Harari provides a concise prescription for treating the problem of international terror. He admits "it's easy to list these things...it's far more difficult to apply them worldwide." But "it's just a matter of time until all free countries unite and recognize they are facing a life-threatening, global problem."

Read this book, and you will learn the clear-headed professor's answers - answers that he urges are "simply the only possible solutions" to the international terror of our present World War.

Haim Harari is a great internationally known theoretical physicist. He was the director of the Weizmann Institute from 1988 to 2001 and received important honors as a leading scientist, including the prestigious Harnack Medal, awarded by the Senate of the Max Planck Society in an unanimous decision.

But this book is not about Physics, its about terror and reason in the Middle East. In my opinion, it is by far the best review of terrorism ever written.

Harari is a fifth generation Israeli. His grandmother was born in Jerusalem in 1872, and so was her grandmother. So where his children and grandchildren. He writes in Chapter 1:

"For seven generations we have lived here, in the eye of the storm. We have survived more wars and terror attacks than any other nation. But now we are informed by the former French ambassador to London that we are "a shitty little country" endangering the world; at the same time we learn that the rulers of Iran want to replace our "shitty little country" by yet another Shiite country.

So writes this gifted and deep observer of the reality of the Midle East today. Every page of this book has deep and extremely intelligent observations, whose truth is undeniable. Harari's reasoning is always compelling, like that of any great scientist. He starts each one of the 32 chapters of this extraordinary book with a short citation. These themselves are little gems. For example here is the gem that starts Chapter 30: "You cannot punish a suicide murderer by [the] death penalty; You cannot bomb into the Stone Age somebody who is already there."

Indeed, the war between radical Islam and the West is waged by people yearning to go back to the past. They reject modernity above all.

Or here is the gem starting Chapter 13: " The incredible economy of China creates an entirely new "South Korea" every three years. Why can't the rest of the poor rural areas of the world do the same?"

World War III already started though many people do not realize it yet. A relatively new totalitarian movement has grown and gained roots in the Middle East, financed by Saudi Arabia, Iran and other oil-rich states. Like the totalitarian regimes of the past, whether in Mao's China , Stalin's Soviet Union, Pol Pot's Cambodia, Hitler's Nazi Germany, fascist Italy, or Tojo's Japan, the adherents of this Islamic form of fascism are prepared to kill a large part of Humanity in order to bring forth the Islamic "paradise" that is supposed to triumph in the entire World. All fascists, it seems, are megalomaniacs, and the new Islamic fascists are no different.

This book is living proof that the pen is mightier than the sword, and a potent weapon against the Islamic totalitarians of today in World War III. Just like Nazi Germany, fascist Italy, Tojo's Japan, Pol Pot's Cambodia, or Stalin's Soviet Union were defeated, ultimately reason will win over this new form of religious fascism and barbarism. World War III already started, but the victors are going to be the same ones as the victors in World War II.

This book is highly recommended. It should be read and reread by every thinking person on Earth.

At last an unbiased intelligent analysis of the situation in the middle east and the events that brought to that situation. A must read for anyone interested in world affairs.

Really well written book. Found alot of friends and family members in the book in the era of which it was written. Very true to it's nature. Purchased 2 books.

It is often common to find in magazines reports: "Carlos Santana. The man who created the latin-rock", as if he had create this sound by his own in a chemical laboratory. Instead, in this book, Jim Mc Carthy gives credit to a lot of people that put their little grain of sand to make this style born and live. Each musician is analicize by a very human view, but always in relation with the musical stuff. The pictures are incredible, and the Glossary... ¡re-grosso!. ¡Aguante el Rock-Latino!.

* LATIN * ROCK * MASTERPIECE *, June 27, 2005
Reviewer: derjenrogers from WILTHIRE
l found long ago, a very special sound,but no one was around totell me about it, no one knew anything, only that the music was so powerful it WOULD change your life. My soul has been searching for 30 years untill Jim McCarthy came and spent four years of his life, writting, hundred of interviews, to bring to life an utter MASTERPIECE, documenting the raw,uncensored passion to the roots of LATIN ROCK. Authenticity and powerful emotion drips off every page,forcing the reader to collect it and greedily drink
down this strong, pungent,wonderful nectar to fill your unknowing soul with THE KNOWLEDGE!

All the peoples names (which i only use to just read on the back of album covers) all come to life and i feel that they are close
friends,as so many are backed-up with the huge amount of photographs in this wonderful book.l now, no longer feel left outside, without The Knowledge, but part of global commune, full of love, warmth and unashamed greed for LATIN ROCK.
Jim McCarthy has pulled off a monumental task with getting to grips with the truth behind the roots of the music to some of the greastest latin rock bands of all time.
Their music will be here forever, as indeed this book will be.

THIS BOOK IS A TOTAL MUST FOR ALL LATIN ROCK LOVERS
DISCOVERING IT'S ROOTS,HISTORY,IT'S MUSICIANS. THIS
MASTERPIECE WILL FOREVER HAUNT EVERY BOOK SHELF ALL OVER THE WORLD, AS THE ONLY TRUE AUTHORITIVE VOICE IN LATIN ROCK

Reviewer: derjenrogers from UK
l found long ago, a very special sound,but no one was around totell me about it, no one knew anything, only that the music was so powerful it WOULD change your life. My soul has been searching for 30 years untill Jim McCarthy came and spent four years of his life, writting, hundredS of interviews, to bring to life an utter MASTERPIECE, documenting the raw,uncensored passion to the roots of LATIN ROCK. Authenticity and powerful emotion drips off every page,forcing the reader to collect it and greedily drink
down this strong, pungent,wonderful nectar to fill your unknowing soul with THE KNOWLEDGE!

All the peoples names (which i only use to just read on the back of album covers) all come to life and i feel that they are close
friends,as so many are backed-up with the huge amount of photographs in this wonderful book.l now, no longer feel left outside, without The Knowledge, but part of global commune, full of love, warmth and unashamed greed for LATIN ROCK.
Jim McCarthy has pulled off a monumental task with getting to grips with the truth behind the roots of the music to some of the greastest latin rock bands of all time.
Their music will be here forever, as indeed this book will be.

THIS BOOK IS A TOTAL MUST FOR ALL LATIN ROCK LOVERS
DISCOVERING IT'S ROOTS,HISTORY,IT'S MUSICIANS. THIS
MASTERPIECE WILL FOREVER HAUNT EVERY BOOK SHELF ALL OVER THE WORLD, AS THE ONLY TRUE AUTHORITIVE VOICE IN LATIN ROCK

i love this book it,s about time a book like this came out i love all the old pics of the bands and of the mission district now people will know the history of san franciscos latin rock and salsa sceen all the bands they mentioned on here like malo santana and sapo azteca tower of power el chicano i grew up listening to them