Events Books

This book really opened my eyes to the conditions in which animals are being raised. Not only is it inhumane to the animals, but it is contaminating OUR food. It has many pictures, which I like, being a visual person. Read this book and you will find it very educational.

When I was first exploring the issue of eating meat vs. becoming vegetarian, a friend recommended this book. Mason and Singer look inside the world of modern factory farming, providing an unsentimental look at the reality behind your dinner. Even those who don't give a damn about animals and their suffering will be alarmed at the information concerning what's in animal feed and the conditions in meat production. An eye-opener.

If you're not a vegetarian, you probably will be by the end of this book. It's like a nightmare on paper. The book was a very informative read. Jim Mason & Peter Singer are two of the best sources for books on animal rights.
It was appalling to read what happens to animals that are being raised for slaughter. Some of this book is difficult to stomach. While it may seem unbelievable, it is a true account. Male chicks are literally thrown in the garbage, others are debeaked with a hot iron, pigs are kept confined in tiny stalls.. so tiny that they cannot turn around. I'm sure there are a lot of people out there who think that this kind of abuse can't possibly happen.. but it does. This is a life changing book.

I bought this book years ago and became a vegetarian after seeing how horribly the animals are treated and how wasteful meat production is. I don't think there is anything worse than closing your eyes to what really goes on just so you don't have to take action and possibly change your lifestyle. This book will open your eyes.

I read the Federalist Papers before I read this book and was convinced that the Constitution was a wonderful document. Then I heard the other side. It turns out that the Anti-Federalists were right...in most cases. The book greatly added to my understanding of the Constitution and the change that occurred in our government when we left the Articles of Confederation behind. I was left wondering whether we should have simply modified the Articles rather than embracing a consolidated government. I only wish the Anti-Federalists had won the debate about taxation. It was foolish to give the federal government the power of unlimited taxation.

I only wanted to add a few points to the other reviewers. If you are looking at this page you probably know who the Anti-Federalists (AF) were and what part they played in our history. If not, I suggest you look at Saul Cornell's fine book, The Other Founders or Herbert Storing's, What the Anti-Federalists Were For.
My main point is this: as a resource for primary source material by AF writers this collection of Frohnen's is without peer. As Mr. Kelley points out, one of the great strengths of this volume is that it includes the complete writings and, in some cases, is more complete then Storing's collection since some additional writings have been discovered since Storing was published. One small correction to Mr. Kelley's review. As he mentions there is a brief synopsis at the beginning of each essay or letter. The Essays of Brutus number sixteen so there are sixteen such synopsis. Each one of these refers the reader to the relevant essays in The Federalist where the same issues are addressed. This is especially useful for Brutus in that Brutus and Publius were consciously writing in response to each other. And I would like to affirm Mr. Vick's suggestion by saying that an evening spent in the company of Brutus and Publius is an education in itself.
I have only one complaint about this book and about most of the writings I have read in regards to the AF writers and the Ratification debate. The forward by Sobran, Mr. Kelley's review below and, in some cases, the introduction by Frohnen present the AF writers as if they spoke with one voice on issues like representation and judicial review. They did not. You might as well make the claim that there is one voice for conservatism in this country at the present time. Cornell's volume is essential to understanding the various splits and factions within the AF blogosphere. Frohnen has a tendency to gloss over some of these divisions. On p. xxx, Frohnen claims that several AF writers became supporters of the Constitution once a Bill of Rights was promised. He then goes on to discuss the by now cliched point that originally the Bill of Rights was intended to only apply to the Federal government. True enough but what he doesn't mention was that within AF ranks there was much dissension at to what should be in the Bill of Rights. Luther Martin railed at the Constitution for not requiring a religious test for public office (see Cornell, p. 57). Writers like Martin disapproved of the First Amendment applying to the Federal government. Frohnen claims on p. xxvii, that AF had a fear of political elites of any kind but that simply isn't true for all of them. Richard Henry Lee very much believed in a natural elite guiding the masses. He simply felt that local elites working within a smaller governmental jurisdiction would 1. do a better job of ascertaining the common good and 2. the locals would be able to be more vigilant in watching and evaluating how well the elite were doing.
These are important distinction that speak to the complexity of the debates surrounding the ratification that tend to get glossed over in a localism/liberty versus national/consolidationist presentation.
But I have gone on too long in regards to minor flaws with Frohnen's introduction. My main complaint with this book is that there is not a cheap sturdy paperback edition that could be used in most college classes on constitutional and early national history. Anyone who reads in those area of history, anyone who wants to understand the evolution of our government and system of laws needs to own and read this book. My sincere thanks to Dr. Frohnen for putting it together.

"This government [Federal Government] will destroy the state governments, and swallow the liberties of the people." This was the declaration of Patrick Henry, found in these pages, along with many other intriguing and wonderful speeches. This text is a definite 'must read' in American History writings.

This volume is a collection of speeches, letters, essays, articles, and addresses presented during the era of American Constitutional history. Debate over the ratification of the constitution was obviously a huge debate in historical political philosophy and this volume is a great testimony of that fact.

It seems that the Federalist papers have received more attention in the classroom and in table talk conversations due to men like Hamilton, Madison, and Jay, and their respective writings. But we should not neglect a well rounded reading of political history and skip over the writings of the Anti-Federalists (Henry, Cato, DeWitt, and Brutus. In fact, I have the Federalists Papers in a collection as well as this volume and the two make for a wonderful evening of reading.

Were it not for the Anti-Federalists we would not have the Bill of Rights, and thus their opposition should be seen in history as a necessary cause if for no other reason than their concern that the State governments and rights should have some protection against federal incursion. Here is a volume of collected writings which demonstrates why, in my estimation anyway, the United States had such a well rounded and firmly established form of government and political history. These pages demonstrate an America were freedom of speech and opinion rise to wonderful occasions. If you love American history, more specifically historical American political history, then you should not be without this text and these writings.

To begin with, I wish all to understand that the title to this Review is in itself controversial. The "Finest Source" of "Genuinely AMERICAN Political Thought Available" will be well received by some, and roundly condemned by others. I intended it that way.

You see, what the study of the writings by men such as those chosen for inclusion in this volume shows, is that even prior to the inauguration of the current Constitutional order, there were profound, radical and ultimately irreconciliable differences amongst and between the polyglot people who readily and ardently considered themselves to be "American" - just exactly as is happening today.

The writings of the "Anti-Federalists" show that there were fundamental differences over fundamental issues such as "judicial review"; the threats posed by an unelected, appointed-for-life (and thus largely unaccountable and uncontrollable) FEDERAL judiciary; the scope and extension of federal power; the powers and "rights" of the several States; the meaning, scope and extent of truly REPUBLICAN government - whether vast and/or national in scope as advocated by those (deliberately misleadingly) named "Federalists", or local, community-based with primacy given to the States, as advocated by those (not-deliberately but also misleadingly) named "Anti-Federalists"; the threat posed by the Constitution of the possiblity of an all-powerful, all-dominating CENTRAL government, and whether or not this would be either good or desirable for a "free people"; the threat posed by an all-powerful Commander-in-Chief, especially when combined with a standing army and navy; the presence and effects of slavery in and amongst a "free people"; along with many other issues that we are STILL arguing about and fighting over to this very day.

Now as to why I gave this otherwise excellent book only 4 stars. First, let me count its strengths:

- It IS the finest source of Anti-Federalist thought (and thus AMERICAN political thought, IF one takes the position with regard to the Federalist/Anti-Federalist debate that I do) READILY available today. The Editors of this volume make reference to the then-comprehensive compilation of Anti-Federalist thought, Herbert Storing's "The Complete Anti-Federalist", which ran to 7 volumes. Originally published by the University of Chicago in 1981, it is now out-of-print, and neither easy to find as the set, nor inexpensive if you can find the set. Furthermore, this much shorter, readily available edition of the Anti-Federalist papers INCLUDES ITEMS STORING DID NOT - either because they were not yet found (as in the case of the last essay by A [Maryland] Farmer) or because Storing LEFT THEM OUT (as in the case of portions of some of Patrick Henry's speeches - here included).

- This next "strength" I cannot emphasize enough: Although subtitled as a volume of "Selected Writings and Speeches", neither the publisher nor Amazon tell you that the writings and/or speeches of the authors chosen for "selection" are presented IN THEIR ENTIRETY - you DON'T get just "selections" of the writings of Cato, or of Centinel, or of Brutus, or just "selections" of the speeches of Patrick Henry with regard to the Anti-Federalist/Federalist debate over the Constitution, you get ALL OF THEM. Thus, you are able to follow and develop ALL of the thinking of each writer with respect to the vitally important issues discussed. In reality, it is more of an abridgement of the ENTIRE CORPUS of Anti-Federalist thought, than a "selection."

Now, as to weaknesses - This otherwise truly excellent volume has, in my opinion, two shortcomings:

--It does not have an Index, neither with regard to topics/subjects or people/authors discussed. It DOES have, however, a brief synopsis of the principal topics/issues to be discussed at the head of each writing/speech included, and this is a great help;

--Secondly and lastly, it does not have a distribution table, that connects the issues discussed in each paper/speech with its correspondent in the Federalist papers (i.e. "the other side" in the relevant debate).

Neither of the two "shortcomings" given should, in my opinion, hinder you in any way in acquiring this book. In addition to being a genuine and very valuable contribution to the works available on the fundamentals of American political thought, I am quite sincere when I tell you that it is a literal work of art in itself. The titles in this series are not only beautifully bound and printed, the dust-jackets are superb reproductions in miniature of actual works of art that are relevant to the subject of each particular volume; You can quite easily use these volumes as very attractive "coffee table books", that invariably lead to long and interesting conversations with virtually any guest.

In sum, this volume is an invaluable work for those who wish to understand the fundamentals of American political thought and philosophy, and also the "taproot" of many of the seemingly irreconciliable issues that confront us today. It is thus much more important than just as a piece in the history of the development of American political thought. I highly recommend it to ALL Americans who wish to understand more fully and completely what America is "all about."

Saba called this book "The ARMAGEDDON Network" because he felt he had identified a group of powerful Americans who were unreservedly pro-Israel and supported a highly militaristic American foreign policy coupled with massive support for the Israeli military and Israeli foreign policy. He believed people like Richard Perle and his friend and colleague Stephen Bryen "consistently promote policies that will resurrect Armageddon as the final battlefield for the Middle East--and the world."

This is an extremely well researched book and its information to noise ratio is very high; it gives much evidence and very little simply emotional rhetoric. For those who wish to understand what I believe to be perhaps the most serious foreign policy problem America has in 2006, its "special relationship" with Israel, this book is invaluable.

Muslims do not "hate us for our freedom"; those that hate us do so largely because of our nearly unconditional support for Israel's mistreatment of the Palestinians.

I read this book almost a year ago, and the reason I decided to write this was because I was surprised and glad to see it available in a mainstream source. The book is about a specific, terrifying incident of American statesmen illegally giving top secret American (military) information to Israel. The author is not a professional writer, so it has its flaws, however, one must admire the courage it took for him to write it. The establishment does not appreciate criticism against Israel, an issue which the book also touches on but not nearly in depth enough. Unfortunately, the book probably isn't believed by enough people

I first read The Armageddon Network twenty years ago when it was first published and find it unforgetful. It is the story of a senior US Government official passing secrets to Israel, but the crime was ignored even after verified in an FBI investigation.

Worse, the perpetrator was promoted to the highest levels of the Department of Defense and given more responsibility and more access to vital secrets.

Now we may watch the same story unfolding again in the case of Larry Franklin passing secrets to AIPAC currently being investigated.

How will this play out?

My bet is that Franklin will drop from the news and the case will never be tried.

Jim Ennes
Survivor, USS Liberty

It is books like the Armageddon Network that make people sick, because it reveals how corrupt their government is. It also unveils the blatant arrogance of the self-serving elites and untouchables. The elites genuinely believe that the majority of the people are stupid, therefore, they can get away with anything. I think the majority of people are too afraid to see the truth, because it is extremely unsettling to go against one's own political socialization and training, and the alternative for that is denial. Denial makes a great coping mechanism.
The Armageddon Network is a well documented and written expose. It is highly recommended for the curious mind!

Dr. Pascual has managed to cut right to the nerve of some very complex current issues: the roots of Islamic terrorism, the anger focused against the U.S., the troubles with our long-term allies, and U.S. policy in the Middle East, explaining it in such a way that anyone can gain an understanding of the events that are shaping our future. If you are looking for a well-written, interesting overview of the situation, this is the book for you. Pascual quotes policy experts extensively, but you don't have to be a political scientist to understand what is there; in fact, the research is presented in such a way as to make the book a fascinating, but easy, read. Buy this book to see what only an "outsider" who has come to love our country can teach us about ourselves.

arma against faith is a well thought out way of looking at our great american society in the light of middle earstern cultures
it can be a great way of introducing those who are just begining to understandthayt the middle eastren world looks at us americans from a very diffrerent point of veiw

this comes froma man who can stand outside our culture and look in. an excellent read

Its a compelling book with everything thats happening now.Thrilling and informative "arms Against faith" is a must read.

A must read for all radical anarchists! In "Arms Against Faith" Dr. Eladio Pasqual presents a bi-cultural perspective on how America's complacency led to it's own demise on the fateful day of September 11th. Dr. Pasquals' religious and spiritual background assist him in analyzing the Islamic faith and offshoot radical fundamentalists and how their interfacing with the United States ends in near implosion. With great passion he speaks of the America that he loves having become so grandious that it enters a war alone and with no end in sight.
A brilliant read! I encourage you all to go on this journey with Dr. Pasqual as he examines pertinent issues of this war from his American and Spanish roots; countries each that he cherishes but only one that he grieves.

This book is an excellent summary of the holocaust and the controversies which have arisen around it in the past years. Everybody who has ever had any doubts about the holocaust should read this book to realize how dangerous is to deny a historical event for the collective memory of the people. Vidal-Naquet is brilliant in his sociological-discoursive method. A first-class historical treatise.

Great insights on the truth about the Holocaust

This book is an excellent summary of the holocaust and the controversies which have arisen around it in the past years. Everybody who has ever had any doubts about the holocaust should read this book to realize how dangerous is to deny a historical event for the collective memory of the people. Vidal-Naquet is brilliant in his sociological-discoursive method. A first-class historical treatise.

This is a commentary on our age as much as it is a series of essays about the people Vidal-Naquet calls assassins of memory. And a sad commentary it is. For it features some of our greatest minds and some of our most revered institutions.

Here is Chomsky, proudly proclaiming that "It is the responsibility of intellectuals to speak the truth and expose lies"... shortly before penning a preface to Robert Faurisson's book--a book that denied the Holocaust. (Chomsky later realized what he had done and frantically called the publisher to omit his preface).

Here is an institute that finances revisionis activities offering $50,000 to anyone who could prove the existence of a gas chamber. A gentleman who had seen his entire family murdered accepted only to find that the conditions of "proof" were set so high that only a person who HAD been gassed could, in fact, prove the existence of a gas chamber.

Here is Jean-Paul Sartre's report on genocide--a report which omits the Armenian genocide so as not to offend the Pakistani and Turkish authorities.

Here is the origin of the book's title for those who would deny the Holocaust, "chose their target well: they are intent at striking a community in the thousand painful fibers that continue to link itself to its own past."

Here is the French Court struggling with the concept of "crimes against humanity" on December 20, 1985.

And here is the state of the French libraries. "Neither at the Sorbonne nor at the Bibliotheque Nationale can one find fundamental documentation concerning Auschwitz, which has to be consulted, for the most part, at the Centre de Documentation Juive Contemporaire, which itself is far from possessing all that it should."

It seems Vidal-Naquet is amply justified in concluding "Will the truth have the last word? How one would like to be sure of it....."

Michael Twohey sets aside the long-standing disposition to see political arguments in China in the past hundred years from a liberal or Marxist point of view, argues that to call them "Confucian" is too simple, and demonstrates their strikingly pragmatic continuity from Kang through Sun Yat-sen and the early Mao and Deng to the present. The result is a clear, powerful and persuasive intellectual history, of the first importance for understanding China in the twentieth century and its likely progress into the twenty-first.

Geoffrey Hawthorn University of Cambridge

Twohey's book re-thinks the usual Confucian-centered view of the development of Chinese political and economic thought. Focussing instead on the influence of Xunzi, Twohey convincingly demonstrates that China's leadership has, for centuries (and particualarly at the present time), relied extensively on the practical thought of Xunzi to provide sound economic and social moorings for the development of China. His views on New Authoritarianism help one better understand the philosophy and thought processes behind the decisions of China's modern leadership. I found the book to be readable, thorough, and well-researched. I strongly reccomend this book to academics, business people, or anyone else interested in China

In this thought-provoking study, Michael Twohey persuasively argues that the Confucian conception of the relationship between authority and welfare, informed by Xunzi's political thought, is a pertinent frame of reference for understanding contemporary Chinese statecraft. He has demonstrated that familiarity with Xunzi's ideas of group, natural inequality and great harmony can significantly enhance our appreciation of the rhetoric and ritual of exercising power in the People's Republic of China. His analysis of the debates on New Authoritarianism offers a fresh perspective on democracy and socialism in China.

Tu Weiming Professor of Chinese History and Philosophy, Harvard University and Director, the Harvard-Yenching Institute

Michael Twohey has written a book that is vast in scope, innovative in theme and clear in execution. Who would have thought Confucius irrelevant to Chinese political traditions? Who would have thought Deng Xiaoping a follower of ancient philosophical virtues? These and other revelations come to the fore as Twohey challenges one orthodoxy after another, supports his arguments with over six years of extensive research and re-positions contemporary Chinese authoritarianism on Xunzi's classical notion of welfare. The result is a must read for China specialists and non-specialists alike.

Dr. Sepideh Gharai Thornhill, Ontario Canada

I picked this book up on a whim and couldn't put it down. Simple and easy to understand, it answers every question I hear about in the news almost daily. This is the first book that I have read which really explains how 9/11 unfolded.

This is the first book I've read that really explains why 9-11 happened. Nowhere else have I found the FAA failings detailed. It is scary to think that our government enabled the hijackers to do what they did. Even more scary is the fact that it could happen again - after all the billions and hassle.

As a resident of Massachusett's South Shore and a frequent user of Logan Airport, I am saddened and angry at what Mr. Thomas has revealed in his case study of Boston's Logan Airport - a culture of compromise. Despite the steps Logan has taken since 9/11, the genie is long since out of the bottle. FAA Civil Aviation Security was responsible for oversight of the airport and airlines at Logan and failed miserably in the lead up to 9/11. Massport, then and now, was the least culpable entity charged with security responsibility. The airlines and their fawning sycophants within the FAA's New England Region Civil Aviation Security Division have the blood of thousands on their hands. Willie Gripper and Mary Carol Turano should be fired. I thank Mr. Thomas for recording their wretched performance and at least holding them guilty in the court of public opinion. Mr. Thomas is absolutely correct when he says "No accountability - No justice - no progress." The state of aviation security today leaves much to be desired. We certainly are not getting what we've paid for from the TSA. The airline industry, so critical to the economic well being of our nation, remains vulnerable, but the margin of error has been reduced significantly. I can't imagine what would happen to the air industry and our economy should we experience another downed aircraft in a terrorist attack. The problem is, as before, it is not a question of if, but when. Without accountability we will continue to see a culture of bureaucracy more focussed on trying to convince the traveling public that it is safe to fly, rather than one which actually has the chutzpah to make it safe to fly. Where are our elected representatives who are charged with providing the necessary oversight to insure the American public is protected? What an outrage!!

In this riveting account, Thomas has pieced together the sad history of aviation security. A great read, it made me very angry. Intensive research and attention to detail show how aviation security BEFORE and AFTER 9/11 is still not taken seriously by our government. A necessary book for all Americans.

The thread connecting the chapters in this book, several of which are adapted from Buruma's previously published writing, is the author's journey from free Los Angeles and thereabouts to unfree Beijing. At each stop along the way Buruma interviews dissidents or former dissents from Chinese societies. Their stories do seem to blend into each other after a hundred pages or so. There's the childhood of relative prosperity, the youthful recognition of a corrupt society, and the public expression of defiance, followed by arrest, imprisonment, and usually torture. The grisly repetition of fiendishly cruel punishments would be macabre if it weren't for Buruma's personal explanation for his curiosity: he wants to know if he and his generation in Europe could have borne such trials.

It is the personal element that makes this book as captivating as it is. We hear not only each dissident's words but also Buruma's reactions to them and sometimes arguments against them. His long experience in Asian affairs and understanding of Western and Asian societies make his thoughts as illuminating as the stories of the dissidents themselves. The book is not a travelogue but has elements of one. He meets old friends and strangers, eats new foods, and ruefully observes changes in urban landscapes. His brief descriptions of Singapore, Taipei, Hong Kong and other cities on his route capture them in their essence.

"Bad Elements" is informative, horrifying, inspirational, and even funny at times. Anyone with an interest in Chinese culture, Asian politics, or modern history will find it enlightening.

Ian Buruma gives us a penetrating portrait of all kinds of modern Chinese rebels against authoritarianism ('A human being should have the right to choose his own destiny').
These dissidents represent 'the first principle of good governance: the freedom to be critical and in this respect, they are an example not just for China but for all of us.'

Among the most fascinating interviews are those with the Tiananmen rebels more than ten years after the bloody events. These dissidents are now more or less troubled men in exile, full of disillusion and desperation, even fleeing into religion, but still bickering with and criticizing their fellow travellers.
Although they showed enormous courage, the truth is that they were not really a threat for the regime. As Ian Buruma states rightly: 'The Communist government fears rebellious workers far more than students and intellectuals.'

This book contains a wealth of information on China and the Chinese Diaspora.
It contains painful interviews with victims of the Cultural Revolution who suffered horrifying tortures, as well as a harsh report on the Shenzhen zone and a correct evaluation of the Falun Gong movement.
The author sketches a terribly bleak picture of Singapore's dictator Lee Kuan Yew, who couldn't support the slightest criticism and who crushed even the mildest of his opponents.
He gives us also an excellent historical and actual portrait of Taiwan with the bloody Kuomintang invasion and the brutal dictatorship of Chiang Kai-shek.
One minus point: in his distinguished portrait of Tibet he fails to mention the fact that Tibetans were trained by the CIA as invasion troops for an attack on Mao's China.
With every report and interview, the author illuminates different aspects of the Chinese mentality (Confucianism, zige, xenophobia, self-loathing ...)

This book is a magisterial achievement and a must read for all those interested in the history of China.

As with all of Buruma's other writing, this is a brilliant book, well-written and convincing. The strength of his writing lies in his appreciation of, and his craving for the intricacies and idiosyncracies that make up the Asian lifestyle. In this book, he gets down and dirty, even enduring the squalid conditions of rural Chinese life to live with a family whose Christian matriach runs an underground 'Church'.

My primary grouse with Bad Elements can perhaps be encapsulated in this very episode: I was very much looking forward to hear Buruma's views on the underground Church movement in China, and was expecting as much, but he chose to present the internal conflict within the above-mentioned matriach's family instead, whose children (like the Communist government) think that she's dabbling in the occult. Buruma loses the opportunity to discuss much of the issues he so tantalizingly mentions: an interview with a senior Chinese dissident falls through because the writer misses him as he passes quickly through the turnstiles of the Beijing underground, for instance.

This book strikes one as more of a work of travel writing, with plenty of pointed perspectives and unexpected opinions emerging from both the writer, the landscapes through which he passes and, of course, the people he meets. As such, this isn't quite as academic, nor does it provide as much in-depth historical/sociological research as some readers might expect. Another word of caution: while Buruma is mostly accurate in his descriptions, he does tend to neglect details - titles, place names, translations. Still, he does correctly observe that Lee Kuan Yew is, indeed, Senior Minister, the title he's held ever since stepping down from Prime Ministership. In Buruma's earlier The Missionary and the Libertine, Buruma actually makes the jarring mistake of addressing the man as Head Minister, a position which doesn't quite exist in Singapore.

Buruma's views are informative, but don't expect much objectivity here: he never shifts from his position that the CCP is 'morally bankrupt' (a phrase he uses a lot), and fails to provide balanced commentary of a wide array of issues, ranging from Tibet to the Tiananmen Massacre. Anyone or anything associated with the CCP is hence rendered malignant.

That said, Bad Elements is a great read. It will keep you up at night, just to get through all the details the writer so willingly provides! As complementary reads, I would suggest Ian Gitting's China Through the Sliding Door, a journalistic (if somewhat dry) account of reporting from China over the last 4 decades and Jan Wong's China, a witty work of non-fiction that manages to paint a sympathetic picture of the sufferings of the Chinese people under the CCP. Gitting's book is a masterpiece for its unapologetic objectivity and amazing detail.

For decision-makers in companies which are either doing business in China now or are planning to, this is a must read. Buruma examines various "bad elements" in China and elsewhere whose intransigence and (in several instances) corruption create serious barriers to communication and cooperation as well as to commerce with the western world. Viewed as a global market, the People's Republic of China offers business opportunities which are almost comprehensible. For those of us in democratic societies in which dissent is not only possible but protected by law, it is difficult to grasp the nature and extent of suppression of human rights which we so easily take for granted. Among dissenters, opinions vary as to the pace of reform by which to establish such rights. At one point in this brilliant book, Buruma discusses Dai Qing who can be described as a "go slow intellectual." She advocates patience and prudence, confident of eventual reforms. "One sees what she means, but the analysis is flawed. On the contrary, the raw emotions, the latent hysteria, the pent-up aggressions seething under the surface of Chinese life are the result of living a lie. As long as people speak cannot freely, nothing can be exposed to to the light of reason, and raw emotions will take over." Over the centuries, social reform in China has never been easy and often traumatic. After conducting interviews with several dozen "mavericks" and then reflecting upon what they have shared with him, Buruma seems skeptical that significant social reform can be achieved, given the opposition of various "bad elements." He may be right. There is also the possibility that one totalitarian dynasty will simply give way to another. In that event, to what extent will suppression of dissent be sustained? To what extent will such a new dynasty be more willing and able to accommodate new technologies, notably the Internet? Buruma asks these and other critically important questions. He and we await answers which will indeed have global implications: positive, negative, or more likely both.

This play has emotion and creativity that brings the early chapters of Genesis to life. Not since CS Lewis have I read a fictionalization of the Garden story that gave me pause to think. Right after I read this - I read the chapters in the Bible. I have gone and purchased the remaining books in the series as I expect to enjoy each of them.

This first in a series entitled "The Chronicles of the Door" deals with creation and original sin from the viewpoint of the angels. It's a clever premise, and well carried out. The author's great reverence for God shines through. Through the fall of man, the close "hands-on" relationship with God and Heaven is closed off, but the foreshadowing for redemption is evident. In the epilogue, God calls out to Abram, who will of course become Abraham. At that point, I went back to Amazon.com and bought the rest of the series! I recommend The Beginning because it makes one reflect on the magnitude of sin and how it grieves God. The cost of our disobedience is something rarely preached in church. Churches more and more preach on God's love and all the positive things, and try to avoid the controversy of dealing with sin and Satan. This book will cause you to consider the importance of your day-to-day choices.

As an ex-jock I'm not a real guy, but I wept like I had not wept in 20 years as I read Gene Edwards description of Adam meeting God. I wept when I read of Adam meeting his bride Eve. I wept at the tenderness with which God clothed his Children and sent them from the Garden. Although The Beginning is fiction, Gene Edwards has used Biblical truth to vividly and emotionally describe the events of the beginning of the world. If you have doubts of the glory and honor that it is to be a child of God you must read this book!

This book is incredible! Great reading for all ages. It really opens your mind to help you think outside the box of what "we" humans think about God. He created us in His image, yet we forget that He too has feelings and emotions. This is a great visual into the heart of The Father.

Mr. Mirlis' capacity to capture the thoughts and recollections of these wonderful sportsmen (and women) really made me (and my friends) feel like I was "being there" (of course, no pun intended!). In all seriousness, this book held my interest and I'm proud to say that I am not only a friend of Mr. Mirlis', but that I also own his wonderfully written book.

Having attended several of the sporting events and watched many of the others described by many of the contributors, I really enjoyed re-living these moments in time. I think a sequel would be a great follow up read. Mr. Mirlis should be commended on his ability to gather such a strong group of contributors.

This book is so great! I've bought several copies for FATHER'S DAY gifts for family members and friend who love sports.

I would totally recommend this book for all to read. Nice and relaxing and makes you wonder about the events you have been to in your lifetime. Maybe they should be in "Being There II"