Clarke Books

This book, and the IFG group in general, do not offer an alternative to capitalist globalisation, which is the real problem, not solely globalisation. While subsidiarity, or localisation, is an important concept that should be considered and implented in any alternative to capitalism, this book misses the point that capitalism is the problem.

This book operates on the outmoded and illusionary idea that Adam Smith's capitalism, local capitalism, can be achieved and will provide an opporunity for fairness and equality. Capitalism can never be this way, as it is by nature expansive and anti-local.

This book leaves out the perspectives of many concerned social actors such as Indigenous people and women. It provides the view of a very narrow selection of the anti-globalisation movement.

This book is dangerous and subversive in that it appears to offer a viable alternative to the exploitation of the current economic world order, and so activists will work toward this reform of capitalism, and in the end prolong suffering and exploitation.
The only way is to end capitalism and explore alternatives that are noncapitalist(and perhaps anti-globalisation as well) in nature.

SMASH CAPITALISM!

The diet for the "beast" is MONEY. Stop feeding the beast MONEY and make your demands. But this is unlikely because even the "ANTI-GLOBALIZATIONITES" that despise "GLOBALIZATION" possess the same inherent GREED of the "beast"; they won't admit it though! By the way MR. GEORGE SOROS has no idea or understanding of economics - But isn't it funny how he just happens to be one of the WORLDS RICHEST PEOPLE and wrote a few books entitled: "The Crisis of Global Capitalism - Open Society Endangered" / "The Bubble of American Supremacy: Correcting the Misuse of American Power". SOLUTION - Short the USD and become RICH!

This book is heavily mis-titled. It does not offer any alternatives at all. The book is merely a compilation of rants and raves about the current world system. The people who compiled this book are clearly unhappy with how things are going with the present situation in the global economy. But, they do not know what to do about it. So, it's not worth reading.

This is a very important book that lays out workable solutions to the worst aspects of globalization. And it's nice to read a book that not only offers hope and solutions, but that goes beyond the 101 primers about globalization that are widely available. This book assumes you already know some of the issues and the problems that they create.

The downside to this is that it's unlikely to be a book read by the people who most need to read it. While the information is laid out clearly, it's not very readable; at times, it's even pretty dry. Personally, I would have found more examples helpful both in terms of illustrating the points and in giving a human face to the problems and their solutions. It's one thing to know how Monsanto is shutting down x-number of family farms; it would be another thing entirely to hear the story of a farmer who lost his livelihood due to a ridiculous Monsanto lawsuit.

So while it's nice to find something on the subject that's more challenging to read, I do wish it's something that the general public would be inclined to pick up and feel inspired by. The Forum has very, very important things to say about the future of work, the environment, and human life, but I'm afraid, given the format and style, that they're likely preaching to the converted.

The authors of this incisive book issue a timely and essential wake-up call to all those who consider economic globalisation to be a positive, inevitable and irreversible process. The authors' clear and articulate arguments illustrate the extent to which a small rich and powerful corporate elite have pulled the wool over the eyes of the rest of us in selling a corporate model of global trade built on the poverty and suffering of the majority of the world's people. The book outlines a comprehensive and coherent alternative vision of a more just and sustainable world that is hard to argue with. Prepare to be both informed and inspired to campaign for a fairer world!

This was one of the best books i have read about J.F.K. and was taken back in to the 60's and as if i was there.So uplifting.

If you are looking for a book which will use primary documents to discover if JFK did a large amount of the writing of his inauguration speech, then Clarke has written your wish. Well researched with excellent use of primary documents, Clarke asserts that JFK was indeed the author of his own speech.


However, Clarke's arguement is hurt on two fronts.

The first is that he is an obvious Kennedy worshiper. Though I agree that no historian is able to completely remove bias, Clarke's praise and defense of Kennedy in all aspects of life begin to wear thin on the reader. By the end of the book, one wonders if Clarke wrote the book not so much to discover who wrote the famous line "ask not." but rather to praise his role model.

The second is Clarke spends way too much time on other issues. From the writing of FDR's inauguration to JFK's relationship with Jackie, Clarke covers subjects that are not dealt with in depth due their importance or with any real link to the writing of ingaugural.

For those wanting to see excellent research on the speech, they do get a good book. However, they have to muddle through alot of unexplained Camalot praise.

and if this is how he writes for Vanity FAir, whoa, who's their copyeditor?

We do not do well to speak ill of the dead.

I bought this in greeat hopes it would be a scholarly historico-literal textual analysis. Instead I soon got stuck in a thick swamp of unsupported, unchecked tabloid gossip and sniping, laden with cliche catch phrases like "white noise (both the ocean and jets)" and how JFK's fear of solitude and horror of boredom later combines to be a supposed horror of solitude . . .

THe writing is very poor, the research is worse, and unverified from at least wto independent sources, and the hypothesis he alleges to hold, that Ted Sorenson did not write the Inaugural Address, he goes on to disprove.

Yet TEd in actuality served no more function than a Harvard Grad research assitant, taking notes from JFK for themes and structure and format, receiving from JFK catchphrases and syntax and semantics, checking sources, forming rough outlines that were later rejected or at best adapted, etc. JFK wrote and spoke, and IMPROVISED his Inaugural Address, listed as one of the all-time greaets American speeches. And Yet the GREATEST SPEECH never given in all of American HIstory is JFK's Second Inaugural, which would have saved our nation from the disaster we all now live.

Unfortunately the author of this work wallows in miserable petty interpersonal details and allegations of personal habits of the president which cannot be verified. He faintly dismisses some allegations in such as way as to present them as fact, in fact.

THe most valuable part of this book is presented in italicized Roman Numerals, the actual address, which takes all of three pages, and then the ending where Boy GEorge Bush plagiarizes and destroys the JFK Inaugural Address. But the edition of the Address presented here varies greatly from that which I closely studied a quarter century ago. This one reads like the REader's Digest version. If it does sound "bellicose" remember it was written in a time in which Senator Joe MacARthy still cast a chilling pall over our nation, in which commie and pinko baiting was rampant, in which one had to act all out anti-commie in order to do anything. In fact in the context of the times, thius speech is a real and orignal and a unique call for negotiation and understanding and common ground and to peace.

THe middle is just puff and airy filling you can get from Kitty Kelly (who is actually better substantiated and researched) or any tabloid or late night talk show host any day of the week as the character assassination of this greatest American family continues under our present imposed unelected regime.

Once we were Kings, the once and future Kings, of a free and a just and a peaceful, contented world.

And where did they get that absolutely bad cover photo, the worst they could have gotten, that gives no true image of the man?


For a more scholarly approach to this address get Sounding the Trumpet instead. A great DVD is included.

This is a short, interesting, and satisfying read. It follows closely, and as factually as is possible, the development of this historic speech. I think it does a good job of finding and exploring the influences and authorship of the speech as well as the editing and construction of the speech - its amazing to see how much each word and phrase is considered, changed and laboured over.

Something which adds weight to the book, is the authors ability to depict the feeling and temper of the time. Kennedy obviously brought some new hope to America and was also just a very popular, charismatic figure. There are some good, revealing anecdotes which i have not come across in reading other kennedy books. The book goes into quite a bit of detail about a very short period of time which gives also a closer insight into their day to day lives and habits.

For mine, Kennedy comes across as an intelligent and sincere man. His ideals are admirable and i think he was the real author of this important speech. I'm not so interested in the complete and utter originality of Kennedy's ideas, what is more important is that he selected, developed and articulated them in a way that spoke directly to the world and will leave an indefinite mark.

Overall, a beaut little book, i really enjoyed it.

I loved this book. As a New Englander who was only 6 years old at the time of the inauguration, I can no longer tell if I remember watching the Inaugural or if over the years seeing the newsclips and videos at the JFK Library have indelibly stamped his words in my brain. In any case, the book made me want to hear the speech again. A visit to the Library during my next visit to Boston may be in order.

One bone to pick. How is it that a regular person like me constantly finds errors in books that seem to be otherwise well-researched and the editors don't catch them? Henry Fonda's ex-wife who was at Joseph Alsop's party was named Afdera, not Alfreda. Errors like that drive me nuts.

This is the first biography of Savitri Devi. For a long time, it was the only biography. Thus I recommended it in spite of the author's dry style and evident distaste for his subject.

But HITLER'S PRIESTESS is no longer the only game in town. Most of its biographical information is drawn from ten hours of interviews taped by Savitri Devi in New Delhi in 1978. These interviews have now been transcribed as And Time Rolls On: The Savitri Devi Interviews. The interviews are mostly autobiographical, but Savitri Devi also discusses her ideas on religion, history, National Socialism, and contemporary society. They are lively and entertaining reading.

It is interesting to check HITLER'S PRIESTESS against the original. Some, however, might wish to skip the copy and go directly to the original. For me, the primary interest of HITLER'S PRIESTESS now lies in its summaries of Savitri's books, its account of her last four years, after the 1978 interviews, and the connections it draws between Savitri's ideas and their historical context and influence.

Devi was more or less completely insane, especially her wacky ideas about Hitler being an incarnation of the Hindu God Vishnu but if your smart enough to weed out the psychosis she did write some good stuff. Her anti-monotheism, ecological and animal rights stuff in particular is very good.

So much about her reflects how nutty and contradictry she was. For example she was obsessed with Nazism and Aryan racial purity but she married a man of Indian ancestry. She had a genius level IQ and a phd in a hard science but had her strange ideas about Hitler being a Hindu God. This book is worth reading because, whether you like her or not, she did live an interesting life. For what it was worth at least she was an original thinker.

The back cover claims this book to be a study, but information is only given and not analyzed or "studied", the information given, if concerning Savitri Devi (SD) is taken directly from her own books or does only very indirectly, around many corners, concern her.
The author keeps calling her pagan beliefs "amoral" (of course they are, i.e. not fitting Christianity), SD's religious beliefs are portraied as only serving political ends, and the last chapter is a general, rough summary of all the bad things that various left/green/right/ufo/new age/satanist etc. groups have perpetrated, or tried to, over the last 30 years.
Conclusion: Information given can easily be obtained freely by using an internet search enginge, and money spent on this book is lost money.

_Savitri Devi_ by Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke is an extremely bizarre read on one of the more mystical figures in the neo-Nazi movement. Devi was born Maximiani Portas of Greek and English heritage in the south of France, and earned a Ph.D. in mathematics. She grew up feeling disillusioned with Western liberalism, and set out to India in the 1920's to study India's caste system as an example of racial segregation and the Hindu scriptures, in particular the Vedas and the Bhagavad Gita, which she considered the most ancient examples of Aryan wisdom. She found India, the world's last Aryan pagan nation, to be a place poor but with an unbroken spirit, especially among the high caste Brahmins. She also viewed it as being under cultural assault by British colonization and its growing Muslim population. She joined the ant-British, anti-Muslim Hindu Mission (to spread Hinduism) and the Hindu Nationalist movement in India (groups which were to the right of Gandhi and favored militancy) which was under the leadership of V. D. Savarkar. Devi married a Brahmin, Asit Krishna Mukherji, who was well traveled in Europe and published a racialist and pro-Nazi magazine under the auspices of the German Consulate in India. Following the defeat of Germany in WWII, Devi went on three Nazi propaganda missions in Germany and even spent time in prison for subversive activities. During this time and the 1950s and 60s, Devi made contact with well known British and American neo-Nazis, among whom were George Lincoln Rockwell, Colin Jordan and John Tyndall. She also became aquainted with ex-Nazis such as the ace Hans Ulrich-Rudel and Leon Degrelle and others who had fled Germany and set up a networks in Spain, Latin America and the Middle East. She returned to India in 1971 and corresponded with Holocaust revisionist Ernst Zundel and the South American Nazi occultist Miguel Serrano. Devi published a number of books popular among the far-right and and also far-left environmentalist groups: _The Impeachment of Man_ (an argument for animal rights against a human-centered outlook), _A Warning to the Hindus_ (some of the aims of the Hindu Nationalist movement), _Pilgrimage_ (her reflections on her visit to post-WWII Germany), _Son of the Son_ (a study of Akhnaton who initiated the solar cult in Egypt, which Devi considered to be a forerunner of Nazism), and _The Lightning and the Sun_. _The Lightning and the Sun_ is Devi's most notorious book, in which she argues that Hitler is an incarnation of the god Vishnu the
Preserver, a "Man Against Time" who intervened and fought against the process of decay in today's modern world, which is known as the Kali Yuga of the Hindus. Thus Savitri Devi managed to provide a theological justification for outright Hitler-worship in the context of an Aryan/pagan revival. Altogether, this is an even-handed book on a highly controversial and eccentric woman.

Since this book has been well reviewed by others, I'll refrain from writing much about the content of the book. I've started to notice a tendency from the author to repeat himself a LOT in his books. Large parts of the various chapters are word for word taken from other places. My point is that if you buy the "Black Sun" book by the same author, you'll get everything about Devi you need to know in a condensed form, AND you get some bonus chapters. That being said, I did enjoy the book, but that is because I'm into the subject at hand, but I don't think most people will need to read a whole book about her, the chapter in "Black Sun" is quite enough, and the words are exactly the same, so.

All in all, recommended but unecessary.

In this sequel to A Year in the Merde, Paul West has shrugged off the restraints of cooperate France and is now ready to open the first English tea room in Paris. Little does he realize how French he has become himself in the last year. But there is still enough for him to discover about France and the French to make his story a fun read. From his vacances with his lover Florence, to the hands-on work in his tea room, we aren't left out of his thoughts and aspirations; nor his desires when it comes to sex. This sequel is a bit raunchier than the first book and Paul's character felt different to me for that reason. The bumbling, embarrassed Englishman has become a demanding, unapologetic man of middle years.
After fulfilling his goal of professional success Paul sets out to make his private life shipshape by concentrating on winning back the love of Alexa, the French woman who had stolen his heart in book 1 and who had left him after finding him in bed with another woman.
I enjoyed reading more about Paul West but there was only one rofl scene in this book for me. I cherish the first book for its sweet and often hilarious helplessness in the face of another culture than your own and I missed that in this second book.

Same old, same old... Too bad I can't give this one the big fat zero it deserves.
Mr.Clark, si vous n'aimez pas les Français et bien restez chez vous et arrêtez de nous bassiner avec les mêmes conneries! C'est du réchauffé!

After reading A Year in the Merde by Stephen Clarke I thought I would give it's sequel, In the Merde for Love, a chance while the first was fresh in my mind. I was not overly fond of the first book but it was interesting and funny enough for me to try the next. What a nice surprise to find myself laughing out loud through nearly every page! This book was not only funnier but Mr. Clarke's writing is better and he seems to have grown up a bit. I have recommended this book to everyone who has read the first with the assurance that they will like this one much more.

Stephen Clarke provides a pleasant and humurous journey through Paris and parts of regional France. Following on from his previous book 'A Year in the Merde' the central character, Paul, explores more personal relationships and dives head first into a new business venture.

I found this book as good as the first. It's an easy read containing lots of laughs. As someone who has visited Paris, and will soon be holidaying in regional France, I thought the authors anecdotes of the french language, personal habits and cultural differences were deliciously delivered.

I recommend this book to all, and especially to those who know the country or intend to introduce themselves to it. In the Merde for Love

I love every one of Stephen Clarke's books. I have never laughed so hard reading. Looking forward to getting his newest. I wish these books would also go to the big screen. Hugh Grant?

Among hundreds of art books in my collection, Paul McCartney's Paintings is one of the 5-6 I return most often to.
His are very personal paintings - as he admits himself. I find them beautiful and inspiring, every time after viewing the book I feel like grubbing the brush myself...
Are they professional?
If by that we mean 'commercial' - I believe they are not.
But they represent very special type of abstract expression: inspired by but not necessary aspiring to "approach the style of the models (de Kooning in this case)" as some very pompous reviewer wrote in Publishers Weekly (cited by Amazon), expression of a deep intellectual persona.
The interview with the artist and discussion of the more significant paintings presents very unpretentious, down-to-earth and passionate painter.
There are thousands of us - painting our hart out for our own use, craving a feedback, but not necessary willing to step out from our own, intimate world...
Who knows, we may encounter an art 'specialist' like those two who gave 1-star valuations of the book (Jim-the-good-guy or the Anonymous). The two who wrote just to write something negative about a celebrity stepping out-of-the-line, rather than presenting their point of view. That's probably their only chance to 'get' an over-achiever, excelling in yet another field of art and adding more to his celebrity - all what most of us desire, but very few achieve. I bet that these two buy tabloids and devour tasty details of Paul's divorce...
But the biggest put-down comes from the above mentioned Reed Business Information (?) reviewer. 'Inane titles', not even approaching the style or significance of the 'master', one, (truly weak) sentence, taken out of context from otherwise interesting, intimate discussions between Paul McCartney and Wolfgang Suttner, and, finally, the "loose assortment of little-known art journalists with varying degrees of separation from McCartney" - how else to display high-brow disgust... on implied self-promotion of Paul McCartney.
As I mentioned before, I have access to hundreds of art books. Most of them were written by independent, well-known, influential and knowledgeable art critics... Most of the books are un-readable art-gab - I keep them just for the pictures of, otherwise, great art.
I recommend this book to anybody who likes free, un-educated but sophisticated abstract art.
I can only hope that the artist continues to paint and we will be able to see more of his internal life on canvas - it's very interesting.

Paul McCartneys is not only a great recording artist, but he is a GREAT painter as well. He is a true artist. I enjoy his art very much, and I was extremely impressed that he can paint the way he can. I would place right up there among Picasso and Chagall. He's that good.

While I didn't like all of the paintings, I did find it an interesting book to look through. The influence of DeKoinig and the other Abstract Expressionists is clear and interesting (if not on the cutting edge of today's art scene.)

All in all, it adds another dimention to this very complex man. I look forward to reading his book of poetry for the same reason.

I am a dancer who is also a writer, so I understand the desire to expand disciplines, and I applaud it.

It's a joy to flip through this book of wildly inventive faces and colorful dreamscapes. There is a freedom and a vibrance to McCartney's paintings, that, like his music, can't help but draw you in and infect you with a buoyant kind of wonder.

These paintings tear at the boundaries of what you think can and can't be done. They're appealing and yet completely unpredictable. In short, they are paintings from the same imagination that came up with both "I Will" and "Why Don't We Do It in the Road?" and then had the not-so-common-sense to put them back-to-back on the same record.

McCartney is obviously setting the artist inside free with these bold, bright canvases. Whether this is great art, that is really a question that each pair of eyes must answer in its own way, in its own unique language.

I for one am glad that McCartney has chosen to make his paintings public. I find these colorful canvases, and the artisitic courage that propelled them into being, quite inspiring.

Regardless of the high brow reviews of this book, I chose to purchase this book to see if this was another celebrity who found art and realized their celebrity could sell their art. Bottom line I had hoped that McCartney's personality would triuumph and his down to earth philoposphy would come through. Indeed it did and this is the first Unpretentious book on Art I have ever read. If anyone has the desire to paint, draw or create but is held back through social conditioninig this book is for you. McCartney albeit through interviews and ghost writers tells how he himself freed himself from his own perfectionist procrastination mode and at the age of 40 painted. What resulted I found to be liberating in the way that in his celebrity circle of friedns he learned from William De Kooning how to "kill the canvas" and get over the fear of standing in front of a blank canvas. Additionaly McCartney goes onto explain his creative process for his paintings again influenced by De Kooning. He discussed how he would write a friends name on a canvas or a sketch or just a smudge of paint and see what stimulated his creative enery to produce and be led by creativity instead of coming to the easle prepared with a pre-conceived idea. McCartney never pretends to be a De Kooning or indeed a high brow artist. He comes across as someone who enjoys the process and output that art offers. Through his own conditioning he is also seeking the feedback for his efforts, regardless of the technicalities I for one see his work as inspirational and has encouraged me to go and "kill the canvas" myself.

Don't get me wrong...There is a ton of useful information in this book. The included CD has a great collection of images that really make the lessons work.

But this guy is a horrible writer. That's not his fault. The floggings should begin with the editors. (Which begs the question: Were there editors? Some are listed, but what did they do?)

I don't mind dense text, when it knows where it's going. But being verbose on the excuse of being conversational just doesn't make it. Also, there are no conventions used in the text to help you navigate. Remember -- the reader will be splitting his/her attention between screen, book, and maybe some scribbled notes. Text conventions like bold-face for commands, different font for filenames, etc., can go a long way.

I'm using it in a university course right now, and the instructor feels compelled to explain what the book is trying to explain. That just aint right.

I continue to find myself disappointed with this "Artistry" version. I read Photoshop 6 Artistry cover to cover and found it very good. All the praise of the other reviews was certainly deserved. I upgraded to CS and felt compelled to buy the new version of "Artistry" primarily to learn about the new features, especially since the Adobe documentation is a bit cryptic in places.

I must say, I'm disappointed. It's feels like this version was rushed to press. The new features are mentioned but not explained very well at all. In many cases, the explanations are nothing more than a rehash of the Adobe documentation.

For example, the camera raw section doesn't really give much insight into what you are trying to accomplish through the use of the feature (some, but not much). Nor does it give a very good description of the recommended workflow within the feature or how to incorporate it into your overall workflow. Further, there are no hands-on examples.

The Shadow/Highlight section is similarly lacking. The authors seem to allude to the fact that this may be more of a "simple tool" rather than one for the serious user. But they don't really come right out and say that. If so, tell us. If not, tell us how to incorporate it into the workflow, especially since it isn't available as an adjustment layer.

The section on the color replacement tool is as obscure as Adobe's. I still can't figure this tool out very well. The descriptions for sampling and limits are extremely confusing. This is a case where the book could have cleared up the mysteries that remain after reading the Adobe documentation several times.

I still think this series is very good and I have learned a great deal from it. I would still recommend it to anyone wanting an in depth understanding of Photoshop. I am simply disappointed that the authors appear to have taken shortcuts with the new features in CS and don't seem to have carried through with the same quality of the previous editions.

I'm currently using this book for a digital imaging and video class. I agree with others, the writing is not good at all!! Its confusing and the instructions are poorly written. Half of it doesn't work. Maybe its because I'm using CS2? Who knows but I dont like this book!

This is the ONLY one of the four of five different books - all supposed to be functional, easy-to-use, and logically organized - that I have bought and tried to use. Others are either: (1) poorly organized; (2) too technical; (3) too "cutsey" ie the Dummy series; or (4) accompanied by a CD that seems out of synch with text. I struggled to "fill-in the gaps" from courses and workshops I have taken. This book has truly helped me. I would recommend it for intermediate or advanced users. For any user under the age of 50 the print font shouldn't be a problem. For those of us over 50, the font size is a real struggle for those of us with either aging eyes or extreme nearsightedness. Nevertheless, it is worth the effort.

A. Schwartz

As a total beginner, I learned Photoshop using the 5.5 version of this book and have bought the corresponding version each time I have upgraded. This book is great for not only intermediate and advanced users but also for beginners who want to understand why and how the program works in depth from the start and don't mind investing the effort to do so.

If you are looking for a quick reference or "Photoshop basics in 3 hours" DON'T buy this book! You will be better served by something else; BUT, if you are looking to really learn the program and willing to invest the time, your efforts will be richly rewarded using this book. I can't say enough for it.

If you look through reviews, you will see either love it or hate it. The ones that love it are looking to learn/understand the program. The ones that hate it are most likely looking for a quick reference book or to learn the bare basics quickly which is totally fine as everyone has different needs but this book simply is not designed for that.

I will say that the screen captures are not as good as previous versions but still acceptable. Hopefully future versions will go back to the previous quality.

Thanks to Haynes and Crumpler for their great work!

My wife bought me two new books for Christmas. They are:

Petersen, Paul R -- Quantrill of Missouri : the making of a guerilla warrior : the man, the myth, the soldier; and

O'Flaherty, Daniel -- General Jo Shelby : undefeated rebel.

I just finished reading Petersen's book last night. I had heard a lot about the book before from Missouri Civil War online discussion groups to which I belong. Due to my family history, I have a very personal interest in Quantrill. Events in my life have led me to have a very emotional response to Petersen's book.

Before getting into my personal reaction to the book, I would like to say that it is very well written and very well researched. The only other book I have read about Quantrill was Edward E Leslie's: "The Devil Knows How to Ride : The True Story of William Clarke Quantrill and His Confederate Raiders." If one reads one of these books, it might be a good idea to read the other to get a more balanced view. If you haven't seen "Ride With the Devil", it might be worth your time to watch it.

Petersen gives much more detail then Leslie. He has clearly read many sources and accounts of the career of Captain Quantrill. Quantrill's career is surrounded by controversy. Petersen resolutely takes one side. I tend to believe that no one can ever know "the truth" about Quantrill.

I tend to doubt his claim that he had only been a Jayhawker to get revenge against Jayhawkers who had attacked him and killed his "brother." My view of Quantrill was that he was attracted to the life of a partisan, and the side made little difference. His story makes much more sense if it is seen as a way to gain the trust and confidence of the Bushwhackers he later joined and led. Petersen consistently refers to "Colonel" Quantrill, although that title is very much in question.

One of my reasons for reading this book was to get more information about the lives of my ancestors who lived through the events. My McFerrin and Porter ancestors lived in Cass County, about ten miles east of Harrisonville. The Porter's lived near Dayton, which was burnt by Jennison's Jayhawkers, led by Susan B Anthony's brother, early in The War. The McFerrin's lived on Eight Mile Creek. Three couples of McFerrin and Porter children married each other. They also lived in the area. Samuel Burton McFerrin, on whom my SCV membership is based, served first in the 8th Battalion Missouri Infantry (State Guard). He and his father were at Lone Jack. Burton later served in the 9th Missouri Confederate Infantry, against Banks on the Red River, and against Steele in the Camden Expedition.

My Deay and Vitt ancestors lived about fifty miles away in Eudora, Kansas, about seven miles west of Lawrence. Some of them enlisted in Kansas regiments after Quantrill's raid on Lawrence. During that raid, Quantrill sent a company to Eudora. The farmers in Eudora had heard the sounds of the battle. They were armed when Quantrill's raiders attacked, and turned them away. The children of William H Musick, on whom my SUV membership is based, married into the Deay and Vitt families. Members of William's regiment served under Steele in the Camden Expedition. My great-great-grandmother, Lena Vogel, was born in 1863 in Macon, Missouri, about thirty miles north of Centralia.

Due to these family connections, I have a very personal interest in the events of the Kansas/Missouri War. I received my Master of Divinity degree from Thomas Starr King School for the Ministry in Berkeley, California. This is a Unitarian Universalist seminary. Starr King was a Universalist. He is credited with keeping California in the Union. He was a colleague of Theodore Parker, the Unitarian minister who agitated for war against the South. Parker was a member of "The Secret Six" who raised money for John Brown. My deep personal feelings against Parker may be the main reason I did not pursue a Unitarian ministry.

Unlike Paul Petersen, I cannot make a hero of Quantrill or Bill Anderson. I place these two in the same group with James H Lane, Charles Jennison, and Theodore Parker. These are people who chose War and killing as a way to advance their personal agendas. I do not see any of these as being the "protectors" of either branch of my family. I see them as being the reason that my family's lives were terrorized. I very much blame both Quantrill and Jennison for the fact that my ancestors' homes were burnt to the ground, and that they were forced into exile or concentration camps.

If you want to know what William Clarke Quantrill was really like, then this is THE book for you. Petersen really did his homework, questioned all the assumptions closely and paid attention to the answers he got back. This is the story of the War Between the States from the Missouri Point of View. Quantrill is shown for the hero he was instead of the psychopath his detractors have painted him to be (without substantiation, I might add.)

The author seems bent on tipping the balance from the negative portrayal of previous biographers such as Connelly to the extreme opposite. Indeed, this weighty tome seems to be not much more than a response to Connelly's biography at the expense of objectivity. William Quantrill may not have been the devil incarnate but he was also no saint. The author seems to put a lot of stock into "God-fearing people" who followed Quantrill as if to impute their righteousness to him - instead of guilt by association it is the equally unjustified righteousness by association. In the end we are given not an historical biography but an idolatrous apologetic of the Confederate guerrilla leader.

As a biography, this portrayal in an attitude of deep reverance for the subject only perpetuates the neo-Confederate myth. The same fault makes it untrustworthy as a political or military history. Perhaps the value is in it's adoption and example of the Confederate apologetic method. Truly the Confederate side of the history has been vilified to an unfair degree outside the context of the times. But countering the vilification with the opposite extreme does not provide balance. It only makes the Confederate side seem ludicrous and makes one question the purpose for their fight altogether rather than explaining the background of the conflict.

The fact that the text seems a response only to anti-Confederate biographers is evidenced further by little mention of more balanced biographies such as _The Devil Knows How to Ride_ by Edward Leslie. I would highly recommend that book for a more balanced approach. I was pleased to find that many of the works of Mr. Donald Hale and Ms. Joanne Eakin are identified as sources since I have found their work very helpful in my own study of the guerrilla war in Missouri. Their research has led them to gather many of the primary and secondary sources into collections for publication into single volumes. It is a labor of love for them that will help current and future researchers immensely in this study.

In contrast to the portrayal given in the text, the photographs and maps provided are first rate and help to place the reader in the context of the time.

I have done extensive reading and research on this topic over the last decade and this is the most well researched, complete, and accurate account that exists today. If you are looking for a book that just re-enforces your already preconceived notions - then try something much shorter and less well done. Otherwise I would highly recommend it to those looking for a complete, accurate, and well researched account. It is probably much more of a neutral view than a souther view. Since most of the related history that I have found has been an extreme "slant" on history by Northen side of the war, who got to control how history was recorded, this may appear to be a southern view. If you have researched this topic as much as I have done, it will appear as probably one of the few attempts at accurately recording this most difficult time in the history of the mid-west.

From a woman's point of view this book was fascinating reading. Mr. Petersen's book is by far the best book yet written about William Clarke Quantrill. Not only his new insights but his understanding and experience as a combat veteran enables Petersen to give the reader a clear understanding why guerrillas fought so desperately. For the first time a complete account has been compiled written in a clear and easy-to-read style professionally edited and produced by a leading publisher. Reviews by critics who claim their self ascribed knowledge, is immaterial compared to someone who has done years of research and has tangible proof to show for it. Critics who once lamblasted Quantrill's men were labeled as unqualified and irresponsible. Modern reviewers lacking education or credentials are still critical of anything not demonizing Quantrill by showing their bitterness and mean-spiritness in what Petersen has expertly portrayed in his new book. One man with courage makes a majority and I'm glad Petersen had the determination and fortitude to see this work put into print. It should set a new standard for books about the border war in Missouri.

The Kaplan MCAT review series with CD gives me a better understanding on what I should be concentrating on whem preparing for the MCAT exam.

Overall, this is good value for your money.

I bought this book even though I will not be taking the MCAT for some time. However, I am using it as a study aid for my current coursework until then. It's very helpful and has great tips about HOW to take the MCAT not just what is on it. To all who are taking the test-- GOOD LUCK :0)

Just a regurgitation of any science textbook. Go with EK if you want more for your buck.

This book is very poorly written, i bought it hoping that it would help me fill in some gaps i had on the biology section. I have to say that if you're hoping to use this as a textbook and actually learn any material from it - do not buy this book. it can only serve as a reference sheet and assumes that you already know the material. it's a much better idea to get a regular textbook. it does contain some practice material, but in my experience the actual MCATs i purchased were the best prep. in all, i wouldn't buy this book again, it is definitely not worth the money. you can always go to borders and work with this book for a couple of hours at the store.

This book gets three stars, because it did contain pretty much all the information you need to take the MCATs, and made a good attempt to prepare you for the actual test.

However, as a study aid, it left a lot to be desired. First of all - no index. I find this inexcusable. Part of my reason for getting this book was so that if I missed a question on, say, stereoisomers on a practice test, I could quickly look up stereoisomers and review them. Don't expect to be able to do that here.

The much vaunted practice tests in here are pretty useless. According to a study I came across, they don't predict your scores on the real test at all - see [...]. One reason is probably that the raw-to-scaled scoring system in this book seems really off; it's much easier to get a good scaled score in here than it is on the real MCAT.

There were also a few errors that just annoyed me. Occasionally there will be careless typos in science sections, like writing 10^6 as 106 or mixing up an HO and H - seemingly minor, except that if you trust the book you can spend hours trying to figure out why the answer seems to be opposite to everything you've learned, and get very confused. And there was one part mentioning that you didn't have to be perfect because on some MCAT tests people got seventeen questions wrong and still got scores of 11 - without mentioning that those MCAT tests had half again as many questions as the current test.

So, all in all, I think this makes an okay review of biology, chemistry, physics, etc, but you wouldn't want to use it as an actual MCAT preparation aide.

This is a good book about the marijuana plant itself but is a bit dated. Still if you want to learn more about breeding and plant physiognomy then this is a good choice.

If you have read some other reviews posted for this book then it would seem as if this researcher was talking out his ass but if you bother to actually read the book at all then you will realize that the information provided may or may not be intended for either your level of education as far as cannabis goes or for the specific agenda behind your reasons for growing cannabis.
No it is not a book for the first hand grower, and No this book will not tell you specifically what you need to know for how to grow some "killer bud" but if you want basically a manual for how to develop a purposeful breeding growing regimine and the best way to establish a sterile environment and efficient pollen collection and cultivation techniques then this is the book upon which it wouldn't hurt to start your reading collection.
This book was written in the eighties as has yet to be updated but it is useful and informative. The research however outdated is still competant and unbiased and anytime that you have definative data you should try to learn from it. The stated research spans nearly half a century of labratory and field study from doctors, scientists, horticulurists, and regular old smokey joe from down the street, as a person who has spent a number of years in the research and breeding fields I appreciated the fact that someone else had done the grunt work.
As a person who done some research, here is one thing which I can tell you that is probably the single most important thing anyone can tell you, do your homework!, if growing cannabis is something that you want to do with success then wouldn't you want to find the best way to do it with as little effort and waste as possible the best way that you can do this is READ, books, magazines, college research papers, jotted notes, articles on the internet and do your own kind of gruntwork, talk to competant people who have grown and produced, but most of all don't make any hardcore decisions about who's word you are going to follow and don't take it all to heart.
There is all kind of hype out there and books that have been written by noted celebrity types and documented so called "authorities" on the subject for your sake don't decide to go with anyone specific person's material the more broad based your knowledge the better chance you have of starting the perfect crop.
Probably the single most important piece of information I gleamed from this book is how the plant reacts to environment, chemical, and altitudinal changes, this kind of detailed information is exactly what should be contained in a botany book, and in my humble opinion R.C. Clarke has done a tremendous job of putting this information together.

Marijuana Botany: An Advanced Study In the Propagation & Breeding of Distinctive Cannabis

ADVANCED. This is NOT the book to read if you have never grown or have no knowledge of basic concepts of growing marijuana. This is not a BASIC 'How-To' book. It says ADVANCED and it means just that! This is a study in ADVANCED MJ techniques and information of selective genetic manipulation and breeding. If you want an 'I just need to know how to grow herb.' book, DON'T BUY THIS ONE.

The best place to start with this review is to tell you that you do not want this book if you are new to growing. This is not where you want to be going. Getting this book is a mistake which many new growers have made. So you have been warned!! There are other books that cover cannabis cultivation much more accurately like "The Cannabis Grow Bible" by Greg Green which I very highly recommend or "Indoor Marijuana Horticulture" by Jorge Cervantes a reasonably good grow guide. I find Ed Rosenthal's books a little wrong at times and Mel Franks work is far too old to be practical these days. So if you are looking for cultivation information go in that direction first but if you want some cannabis botany science and breeding information then carry on with this review.

The book is divided into four sections. The Sinsemilla Life Cycle of Cannabis, the Propagation of Cannabis, Genetics and Breeding of Cannabis, and finally Maturation and Harvesting of Cannabis.

The first section is very short and deals with the basic cycle of the cannabis plant from seed to the end of its life to the give the reader the basics of how the plant grows - however the botanical features of all the different strains in existence do vary from Clarke's basic descriptions, but at least his references are explained in extreme detail along with plant morphology. It is an important introduction chapter for what the rest of the book has to offer.

The second section is about the different ways that cannabis can be continued either by seeds or cloning and so this chapters covers both cloning and pollination but it is mostly concerned with pollen and manual pollination techniques. The seed selection part of this chapter is redundant and not really advised as a selection criteria for selecting seeds. There is only one way to know what a new hybrid seed can produce and that is to grow it out. The cloning section covers rooting and hormones, both important parts of the cloning technique for those who want to replicate their mother plant over and over again. The final part of this chapter deals with grafting, which is more of an experiment you can do but it is not used by cannabis cultivators. The chapter finishes with pruning, to help improve your yields.

The third section is really what this book is all about - the genetics of cannabis, and it can be confusing at the best of times because it dives right into it without much of a helper at the start, so be warned you will need something else to help you make head or tale of this section but I will come to that in a moment. After introducing us to the world of filial generations (F1, F2 ...) , heterozygous and homozygous, Clarke quickly turns to Polyploidy. Now this is a manmade condition which is inflicted on the cannabis plant to alter its chromosome number. The author believes this may increase potency but recent evaluation of Polyploidy cannabis and genetics have proven otherwise, but you will find this interesting all the same. The author then comes to meat of the book - breeding. Now this is 50/50 presentation. There is a whack load of breeding information that is extremely helpful and a ton of stuff that is very specialized towards strains that most of us will never see or work with because no one sells them anymore. You will also find references to the botanical aspects of the plant and how these traits can be mixed and fixed by breeding. Interesting and useful and this is probably the most important part of the book and the most often referred to by breeders.

The forth part of the book is about harvest times and how to judge them. The author also covers Cannabinoid Biosynthesis, but a lot of this has since changed since he wrote about it. Useful though, and you will reference it if you are interested in cannabinoids - but there are better books on cannabinoids out there. The book finishes by covering curing techniques and storage.

Now listen closely because this is exactly what I recommend you to do if you are interested in breeding cannabis. Do not get this book first. First of all you should take a look at "The Cannabible" by Jason King. It also contains an introduction by Clarke and will give you a look at the different cannabis strain, but forget the breeding section in that book because it has inaccuracies and is not the best. Your next move is a good grow book. Now you would do well to buy several but if you can only afford one get "The Cannabis Grow Bible" by Greg Green. Forget the garbage PDF that you might find on the internet of that book. It is old (2001) and is missing a lot. Get the 2003 paperback edition which is vastly superior and very different. "The Cannabis Grow Bible" has an excellent Chapter on Breeding and is an absolute `must have' for anybody interested in breeding. That chapter alone is sometimes more useful than this whole book from Clarke. Once you have that book and chapter you will be in a much better position to use this book from Clarke. I can guarantee you that now. Forget about the breeding chapter in "Marijuana Indoor Horticulture" by Jorge Cervantes. Its bunk. The author of that book claims that clones loose their genetic integrity with every generation. That is nonsense and voids that whole chapter of his book. If you are looking for a good book on cannabinoids then get "Marijuana Chemistry: Genetics, Processing & Potency" by Michael Starks. Okay this is the best I can do for you. Do get this book though. Just follow the path above and you will achieve your breeding goals. Good Luck.

First of all, if we stick to the facts, Robert Clarke wrote this text as his master's thesis to earn his graduate degree in botany from UC Berkeley, not so that a bunch of dopers could grow stronger weed. With that in mind, think about the subject material; this book was written for scientists and botanists with MSc and PhD level accreditations in botany, not Phineas, Freewheeling Franklin, or Fat Freddie and his cat...

I think that most reviews of this book are negative because they do not understand the nature of this work. In all actuality, it is a very important piece of work that quite thoroughly details genetic breeding of a particular species of plant, and that just so happens to be marijuana...

If you want a very good "how to grow kick-butt weed" book, pick up a copy of, "Indoor Marijuana Horticulture" by Jorge Cervantes; its better suited to the layperson who wants to try growing at home. Another book I found helpful for consulting was "Marijuana Grower's Insiders Guide" by Mel Frank...

The first edition of this book covers a great deal of subject matter & helped me to catch a couple of 'gotchas' that I otherwise would have missed on the test. However, its poorly edited, non-cohesive, & misleading writing is almost unacceptable considering its purpose is to teach a technical & precise subject. The fact that it has 7 contributing authors comes through in the way it feels as though paragraphs from seperate books were pasted together. Despite 14 editors the number of errors makes me wonder if a draft copy of this book sent to print by accident. Typos I understand but graphics with info that conflicts the text, incorrect answer keys, & questions that were not covered in the text make this book difficult at times. Having to research an answer you were sure was correct just to find out the answer key in the book is wrong is frustrating. Despite this I did find the book useful due to its breadth & method of forcing me to do 'fact-checking'. If you can pick up this book cheap ( got mine for $5 ) and have the time to read through & 'FIX' this book it may be worth it. Excellent coverage of small details & the OS side of the test. Not good for the novice or without a more accurate companion book due to the editing problems.

I think that the A+ bible is good for people without expertice on the computer field or with knoledge about computers, i have 4 certifications and have taken many courses of computers and i find these book, well presented, well writen, and especially with a 100% coverage of the exam .

Good luck, always buy two books for a cert.
thats my advice.

I ordered this book right after failing the OS part of the A+ test, in spite that I already had planned it, boo. I like this much very much because the chapters are quite short, about 15 to 20 pages each, something that help me keep focus on the subject. It comes with several questions at the beginning and at the end of each chapter, labs and scenarios. Includes nice pictures of peripherals but could've used more in the other chapters given that there are a lot of visual learners out there including myself. The companion CD is kind of ok, I'll give it 3 stars because practice questions are limited, 75 max for some and 10 for others. It contains a couple of different software testing engines but none really provide strong aid for the test. The book only weighs 3lbs which isn't a bother to carry around with you for studying in your spare time. For me it was a pleasure to order and read this book since that a lot of things that weren't explained at length in the A+ Certification Training Guide by Charles J. Brooks(which I also have), were in this book. I strongly recommend this book as preparation for the real thing. I did indeed a good addition to my bookshelf by buying this great book.

I am new into this world of A+, and I picked this book up and read the first chapter. In the first chapter there were a couple mistakes. Not that it mattered much because I figured out what they were talking about. But It made me fear what they would mess up on later in the book, and the way the presented the explinations. They would ask you questions on the review that were not explained in the chapter. I read the chapter 3 times to make sure I did not miss what they were talking about. And needless to say I did not skip a beat. They simply did not explain what they were quizing you on. I know a little about computer repairs. If you are an expeinced computer technincion this book might be ok for you because you could pick up on the mistakes. However if you are new to the field they could confuse you and fill your head with incorrect teachings. Hope this was help full.

I bought this book, along with the A+ Passport by Mike Meyers and passed both tests with no problem. With any cert test real world experience helps but with these two books, even a complete newbe could pass. The test software with the book was pretty solid, I've seen worse.