Frank Books

This is an important title if one can believe organized crime figures. Did the Mafia plan Casto's murder? Or, did it BS the federal government? There's some pretty good arguments for Castro wanting to get even with Kennedy and the Bay of Pigs fiasco. And, with Kennedy's initial statements that he would free Cuba. Highly recommended for Mafia fans as well as JFK assassination students.

A outstanding naration of Frank Ragano's life and career, and of the nature of one Santo Trafficante Jr..A perfect example of getting too comfy with the wrong crowd. A tale about how connections can give you incredible power or crush and reduce you to nothing. I couldn't put this book down. This book will have you rooting for an underdog lawyer at first. By the middle of the book you'll seriously question his morals and judgement. But by the end of the book you'll began to understand how vulnerable we all are to power . Hell, being honest I probably would've fallen into Santo's trap as well. He seemed honorable. But Frank Ragano, being Sicilian, should have known better. Cuba, Bay of Pigs, JFK, and Hoffa........need I say more?

I was overwhelmed by the reviews, both positive and negative. The book only reveals some of the highlights of my
father's career. It captures the essence of what really transpired between Hoffa, Trafficante, and Marcello. He was in an unusual position to be able to represent all three of these men at once. According to my father, it was "tantamount to being counsel for General Motors." The book explores the uneasiness of trying to represent your clients zealously, yet ethically. In the end, though, he crossed the line of objectivity: Your never socialize with your clients, he would warn. When he was fighting Bobby Kennedy ("The General") in court, all too often he would refer to it as: "Their enemies became my enemies." The book reveals the inter-workings of a truly brilliant criminal defense attorney. It also shows how insightful these mafia chieftains were to the american public being exposed to drugs, particularly cocaine. This is later demostrated in John Gotti's interactions with the mob. I am very proud of him and I think he would be very proud of me, although I concentrate my practice in family law, where the clients are less difficult.

I read the book years ago and in my opinion the most compelling "insider" account of mafia mores...It is true that most true crime mafia tales are written by or with the help of mob members, hence the dubious veracity of some facts.(I was reminded of this book, as I just finished For the sins of my Father, written poignantly by Al Demeo, the son of a murderous mobster. We get to see another avenue in this certain world of horror.)
Mob Lawyer provides this same kind of insight, as Ragano was invited in to the mob world for a function, but he was not involved in the criminal activities.Extremely insightful.

A Straight-Forward and seemingly reliable Mob-insider's account by one of the LCN's top lawyers. Ragano is no name dropper, nor is he full of it. He was a top Lawyer for both Hoffa and Santo Trafficante from the late 50s through the 80s.

The books explores the life of Tampa lawyer Ragano and his close relationship to Santo Trafficante. This is one of the few, if not only books, that examines the life of this shadowy, but important mobster who by his own and others' admission, was involved in planned or real assassinations of Castro and JFK.

Ragano's account of his dealings with Hoffa and Trafficante and his association with a who's-who of Organized Crime personalities- Carlos Marcello, Luchesse, Gooodfellow's mobsters Henry Hill and Jimmy Burke, Sinatra, Alan Dorfman (who milked the Central States Pesnion fund for all it was worth) and others -- is told without nonsenes and in a fully credible way.

Ragano is not a conspiracy nut, nor does he come across as one who makes up stories. Neither was Trafficante. So that is why when Ragano reveals what was told him by Trafficante about Hoffa's and JFK's murders, accounts which jive with other and most prevelant thoughts about those killings, I think he can be taken at his word. Clearly, it should come as no suprise that the Mafia was involved in those murders. And while not much is added to details of JFK's assassination, the death of Hoffa is clearly related, including the names of the triggermen and who ordered the hit.

Unlike some mob-insider accounts I have read, where the subject's integrity is of little worth and the story sometimes hard to swallow, 'Mob Lawyer' is both profound, soul searching and entertaining.

Both the book and the transaction were great. A perfect step by step guide.

The author provides excellent resources and instruction on building Mongolian style yurts. Though the text is somewhat dated many of the principles are still applicable today. I recommend this book to any beginner interested in constructing this type of nomadic dwelling.

Nomadic living in the 21st century can be achieved if your house is flexible and even portable - and MONGOLIAN CLOUD HOUSES: HOW TO MAKE A YURT AND LIVE COMFORTABLE advocates and shows how to construct a yurt using low-cost, natural materials available in either a backyard or wilderness. Step-by-step black and white drawings accompany a yurt history and includes construction alternatives and tips and tricks. A rare 'must' for any interested in alternative do-it-yourself construction.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

This book covers all the bases for homemade yurt living. History, how-to construction manual, reference guide, state-of-the-art catalog for all things in world of yurts (ger). Great pictures and graphics; the original nomadic living bible.

Mongolian Cloud Houses: How to Make a Yurt and Live Comfortably If you're into simplicity in dwelling and have a piece of land (your own, or unhindered use of some other property) then Mongolian Cloud Houses by Dan Frank Kuehn may be for you. But please note, if you wish to build a yurt similar to Kuehn's specifications, you will also need to glean a fair amount of natural raw materials from that land, as well as have ample time if you intend to build according to the author's specifications. Although not terribly labor intensive in sheer physical construction, building yurts as Kuehn does requires a fair amount of determined patience (a notion of building that is almost heretical in today's culture of "instant gratification" but was widely accepted practice for centuries and firmly reconstituted by many a counter-cultural self-builder of the 1960's and 70's.) In short, this is not the book for you, if you're seeking to get a yurt erected overnight. (If that's the case, pony-up some hard earned dough and go buy a commercially manufactured yurt. Then also hire/recruit a bunch of warm bodies to assist you. Maybe you'll get the thing up in a week, maybe you won't. This IS the book for you, if 1). You are basically building alone or maybe with some help from a friend. 2). You are short of, or very economical with money. 3). You have abundant free time. 4). You want to live simply in the round and wish to work mostly with materials you can gather or scrounge. And finally, 5) You need to have something warm and comfortable yet nomadic (Because a nylon camping tent as your base camp/wilderness home/extra dwelling space just won't cut it.) As a micro building enthusiast, I admire anyone who creates useful organic dwellings and then shares what they know with others. Especially when that knowledge is shared at a most affordable price. As with all Shelter Publications, this book is chockful of useful information. Kuehn's own hand drawn ilustrations are fabulous. The pics of his yurts and his self-evolution from 1976-2006 are delightful. And Jim Macey's b&w photos of Mongolia are a nice addition. It is a valued addition to my homestead and architectural bookshelf.

Frank Asch is on my entering kindergartener's Summer Reading List and I (we) can certainly understand why. His stories are gentle and cute and wonderfully illustrated.

In Moongame, Bear learns how to play hide and seek. And when Little Bird goes home, he continues playing with the moon. At first, the moon finds him hiding in a hollow tree trunk. The moon then 'hides' behind a cloud, and when Bear cannot find him, he asks for Little Birds and the forest creatures help.

They look everywhere but cannot find the moon! Perplexed and a little sad, Bear suddenly thinks to say, "Okay, Moon, I give up. You win!". At which point, a breeze blows the clouds away and there is the moon. Hurray!

Five Stars. A lovely book for toddlers on up.

Of all Frank Asch's books, this is our four year old daughter's favorite. She responds very well to the humor of the situation and loves the idea of playing with the moon.

Back when we first started reading to our daughter as a baby, she was very impatient and wouldn't sit for long stories. We were limited to board books that were very short and direct. Frank Asch's titles helped us show her that sitting for a whole story was worthwhile. Now she'll sit for much longer titles, but the whole Moon Bear series are still favorite re-reads!

Little Bird teaches Bear how to play "hide and seek," complete with covering his eyes, counting to ten, and, most importantly, taking turns. Later, when Little Bird is not around, Bear asks the moon to play. When it's Bear's turn to count, the moon "hides" behind a cloud. But when Bear can't find the moon, he first enlists the help of Little Bird, then all of the animals in the forest to help search for the moon.

This delightful book teaches toddlers and preschoolers several important lessons. First, they learn the rules of hide and seek, a quintessential childhood game. They can count to ten along with Bear and practice taking turns. And they learn the importance of cooperation and asking for help when you need it. Many books for children attempt to teach such life lessons in heavy-handed ways, but this one maintains its gentle tone throughout.

Moonbear and Little Bird spend a day playing hide and seek. When Little Bird leaves, Moonbear doesn't want to stop, so he asks the Moon to play with him. In a quiet, great-for-right-before-bed book, kids can learn about playing with friends, playing on their own and cooperation. This is a gentle book and thoroughly enjoyable for my whole family.

This book tells the story of a young bear who learns to play hide-and-seek from his friend the bird. He spends all day taking turns hiding or counting to 10 before searching for his friend. At night he decides to play the same game with the moon. The natural world of the moon and the clouds astounds him. The animals of the forest come out and help. The book is charming, and a good short read before bed, with about 700 words.

I feel like this book, with its collection of oral histories, would make great supplementary reading for high school A.P. U.S. History classes or for American Studies curricula at the undergraduate and graduate level.

It's got a nice blend of academic approach and non-academic narrative style.

This stimulating collection is a veritable trip to a past American era, an inclusive picture of our nation at a time of crisis and rediscovery. The essays range from the sentimental to the dramatic to the humorous, but above all they are informative. It's a book to keep on your night table to browse at will. (Disclosure: A piece of mine is included.)

every so often a book appears that epitomizes an era and manages to encapsulate shared experience from many unique points of view. "a nation lost and found" belongs in that rarified pantheon of memoirs. if only history were taught routinely this way. at approaching age 72 i can clearly remember listening to norman corwin's broadcast after v.e. day "on a note of triumph" and the chills of recognition, hope, and caution his words produced. an american giant of his time, still. all the essays are memorable. required reading for anyone in the least interested in the events of the 20th century and what they tell us of human folly and hope. norman d. levine, md

According to the LA Times Book Review (9/22/02) this book is, "a delightful, cinematic, even musical way to understand the daily lives of Americans at a particularly vulnerable, tottering moment in our history." I couldn't agree more. It chronicles what may be the seminal year in our nation's history when we pulled together with a strong sense of national identity. The LA Times goes on to say, "If more history were written this way, we'd have eager students, driven to the subject with a greater sense of diversity and possibility. We all might have a finer understanding of what freedom means." The reviewer did us all a service by bringing this book to our attention.

Consisting of vignettes contributed by people both famous and unknown, A Nation Lost and Found describes life in America in 1936. Some contributions are taken from WPA interviews (from the 30s) and reflect the speakers' then current lives and concerns; most are remembrances produced for this book. The vignettes are loosely organized in sections such as, "Politics," " The Holocaust," "Daily Life," and "The Olympics." In their Introduction the authors place the book in the context of 9/11, saying the terrorist attack was not the first time there has been a major catastrophe in this country,
Most of us were not alive in 1936. This book, then, is about a time our parents and/or grandparents experienced. Thus, the book is of interest not only from a disinterested historical perspective, but also from a more personal, familial perspective, because it speaks of the experiences and attitudes of some of our family members and members of their communities.
The vignettes reflect many viewpoints. Some of the contributors seem to have been unaware of the suffering and turmoil in the world. In the words of one man, "Depression is a state of mind. There was no depression in 1936." Others were well aware of the difficult circumstances many experienced. To quote another, "It was a great year if you didn't care about eating."
Those who were poor had various strategies for coping. Some went to Canada for work. Others scrimped, wearing second-hand clothes and skipping trips to the doctor or dentist. A number rented rooms. A few women became prostitutes.
The authors do not attempt to draw lessons from what they present or to analyze the material. They present it as a book to be "browsed at random." In this they have succeeded admirably. All of the vignettes are interesting. Many are gems.

I liked this book. I read it while I was stuck in the airport when my flight was canceled. It helped to take me out of the foul mood I was in about the airline mess. It is a funny book and gives good insight about people you will not find in other novels. It is even a little disturbing in that way. I admit I was still thinking about things I had read several days after finishing the book. My only problem with the book is that the author seemed to actually like the protagonist and other characters. These are people on the fringe of society for a reason. These sorts of people do not contribute anything to society. They only suck it dry. And I wish the author had not presented them as having some special insights the rest of us are lacking. Other than that I recommend getting this book.

This is a great book! There were lots of funny parts. It had a fresh voice to it, and the story was interesting. You have to pay attention to figure out what is going on. For example, there is a play within the story that reveals an important secret. That was pretty cool. There is also a great cat in there and I love cats! I recommend this book.

Not For Public Consumption
Not For Public Consumption is a fast read that is over much quicker than you want it to be. It is extremely funny. The author shows us the world as seen through the eyes of society's outcasts. I found myself cheering for the misfits, groaning at the empowered, and wishing I could live (at least for a day) in the alternate reality of these all too real characters. One warning: Once you get this book, being in public will never be the same.

This brilliantly constructed novel explores the concept of sanity/insanity through the often hilarious experiences of a group of people who have dropped out of society. The plot twists and turns in the manner of a first-rate psychological thriller. The thrill here includes discovering the truth about the protagonist, Murray. Is he merely secretive and possibly involved in some sort of underground movement? Is he insane? Has he been driven to insanity or is the appearance of insanity a concious choice on his part? The novel takes a fresh look at the age-old question: what is normal? An entertaining, compelling read-at-a-single-sitting book.

If you like playing armchair psychologist you will love this book. Author PL Frank does a surprisingly good job of taking the reader deep into the psyches of some disturbed characters, but rather than exposing them as freaks, Frank explores their warped senses of reality with the understanding, kindness and empathy of a psychoanalyst. Part of the reason we grow to actually like these people on society's fringe is the author's sharp-witted observations and sense of humor about the human condition. I laughed out loud throughout this book and came away with an entirely new way of seeing others. Highly recommend!

I enjoyed Homer Martin's review of my book, but I stand by my position that the Notre Dame vs. Army game of 1913 was indeed the game that changed football. I understand that many teams had used the forward pass prior to the 1913 game, including the great teams at the Carlisle Indian school. Sally Jenkins in her recent book points this out very well. However, I would point Mr. Martin, Ms. Jenkins and others to Chapter 3 of my book concerning the evolution of the rules governing the forward pass and also the change in the shape of the ball. Prior to the 1913 season the rules and the shape of the ball virtually prohibited the full and free passing attack that Notre Dame used against Army in 1913. Notre Dame gained 213 yards in the air that day. An unheard of statistic at the time.The evolution of the rules and the change in the shape of the ball made all the difference. Note also that ESPN, see the final chapter of my book for the citation, called Jesse Harper's decision to to pass against Army in 1913 the number one college coaching decision of the 20th Century. Hollywood did not make a myth out of the 1913 game. The credit for the game being the game that changed football has been asserted by numerous sport's writes since the day the game was played - starting with 2 and 1/2 columns on the game in the Sunday edition of the New York Times the day after the game was played. The Times article quoted Bill Roper, the former head football coach at Princeton, who was one of the officials in the game to the effect that "he had always believed that such playing was possible under the new rules, but that he had never seen the forward pass developed to such a state of perfection." So I submit, there is no myth to put to rest. It is a reality. Best regards to Mr. Martin and all who read this. Frank P. Maggio, the author. I can be contacted at "maggioND@msn.com"

Great book! This book is a MUST read for any die-hard Notre Dame fan. But also, it's a story ALL football fans should take interest in. Plus, it's interesting to learn about Jesse Harper and how he contributed to the storied history of the Notre Dame football program. Get it for your sports library.

I like the subject of the book, but really the Army game was long after Carlisle and LSU had been throwing the ball with great effect in the years of 1906-1909.

The game of 1913 wasn't the first forward pass and many years after Pop Warner had made the Indians a passing machine. The Indians with Jim Thorpe and the great passing game of 1907-08 were a one of the best early football teams.

Its Carlisle in the North and LSU in the South that put the passing game on the map and near every football team in America started following thier lead.

Army had already been beat by Carlisle great team of 1912 and between Jim Thorpe's running and the Indians passing game, Army was destoryed by the score of 27-6.

Coach Wingrad comes to LSU and has the pass as his key weapon in the 1907 and 08 seasons, Joe Pitchard uses the same offense in 1909 at LSU. Its the two key passing plays vs Auburn on plains that lead to the victory over the Plainsmen, both passes were Fenton to Seip in a 10-2 victory. Read up on Doc Fenton, he is in the Hall of Fame and was the key passer on those teams.

Hollywood made the myth out of the Army-Notre Dame game and today we are still hearing the myth, its time to put it to rest.

So unlike the movie shows, no one by 1913 and in no way was Army surprised by the farward pass.

And Notre Dame like all the smaller teams of those times saw and knew that the small Indian teams had beat the football powers of Harvard, Yale, Penn, Army, Navy, etc using the passing game.

Who is Jesse Harper?
And where is Notre Dame?
These matters don't concern you?
We'll tell you just the same.

Is it "Knute" with a "K"
Or "Knute" with an "N?"
It's all in the book, man,
Read it and then,

You'll know more of football,
Forward passes and scores
Than goofy John Madden
And the rest of the bores.

So, if you want the real lowdown,
Want some arcana to bank.
Get out your checkbook:
Send your money to Frank.

TIO CARLOS copyright 2007

Looking forward to reading the book, but the forward pass was used to beat ARMY! Not Navy

This book is a remarkable account of life in the trenches from a soldier (the author) who served in France from the beginning of the war in August 1914 to the Armistice. Never once was Richards wounded in all that time! He served with the 2nd Battalion, Royal Welch Fusiliers, which also numbered among its ranks Robert Graves and Siegfried Sassoon. Unlike Graves and Sasson, Richards did not become an officer. He was a Private throughout his years of service in France.

Richards saw action from the earliest clashes between British and German forces at Mons (Belgium) in August 1914, to Ypres, to Neuve Chapelle, the Somme, Passchendaele, and the decisive battles in the late summer and autumn of 1918.

It's without doubt the best memoir written by a common soldier since Mark Twain's "Private history of a campaign that failed". I had the paperback Ballantine Books edition in the 1960's but lost it. I've seen copies of this edition sold through amazon recently for over $100. Right now, it's not available here, but a new edition IS AVAILABLE,and can be ordered from Naval&militarypress.com in England, along with Richards other book "Old soldier sahib". Both are around 10 pounds each (about $18) excluding shipping. Reading Frank Richards personal memories of his life in the Royal Welch Fusiliers during WWI and earlier in Burma & India is a super treat. He was quite a character.

Frank Richards was a member of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers, from 1901 until the end of the war. He displays a natural ability for story telling, in this wonderful account of a regular old soldier. It is amazing to note that this story would probably never have been published if he had not known the famous writer Robert Graves, whom he had served under in the trenches, he even mentions Graves as well as another famous member of the Regiment: Siegfried Sassoon. He sent the whole rough draft to Graves in longhand, who then edited it and got it published, as he recognized what a true gem he had. It has been intimated that Robert Graves actually rewrote much of the text as we now see it, though it has never been proven. Though punctuated with grim moments of death and destruction, it is an uncomplaining account, a testament to Mr. Richard's indomitable spirit and pride for his regiment, though he wryly recounts that after the war he had trouble adapting to civilian life, providing a couple of well written examples. The number of times he narrowly escaped death or injury makes it unbelievable that he survived the entire war virtually unscathed. There are moments when men all around him would perish, or he would leave an area just as it was shelled. A must read for those with even the slightest interest in World War 1. This book flows smoothly and never jumps, a steady good read. We are fortunate that this book was published, as accounts of regular soldiers are few and far between, especially those of this caliber. He followed this account with a prequel entitled "Old Soldier Sahib" another excellent memoir. I highly recommend this book to all.

First class account by a man who served as a soldier and NCO throughout WW1 on the Western Front. Even more interesting as he served in the same infantry unit as Graves and Sassoon. An unvarnished account from the view of a long service professional soldier of some of the most momentous events of the war. A good counterpoint to some of the more tragic/romantic accounts of the war.

I read Frank Richards story, apparently a chapter from this book, "The Third Battle of Ypres 1917" in the Mammoth Book of True War Stories (now in print) and you have to be impressed by the man's style--sort of like the naturalists (Steven Crane comes to mind), but also either intentionally or unintentionally ironic. A masterpiece of prose. Recommended.

I bought one of these for myself, recieved it...looked through it and proply ordered 2 more as gifts for friends. Don't pass this up. Get one, or two today.

If you want to stop chasing around after what you've heard is, or believe to be, the cool thing this season, stop right now and pick up a copy of Panda Meat. This book will make you the center of cool and the nexus of hip-intellectuality in the fly-over or port town of your choice. Panda Meat, Vol. 1 is the end product of over 100 independant artists (illustrators AND designers) who've set aside there differences long enough to entrust Mr. Frank Kozik with the editorial job of the decade thus far. The resulting collection is one that has been discussed with great enthusiasm in select coteries, coffee houses, local taverns, biker bars, hipster dives, knitting circles and living rooms across this great nation of ours. Be sure to get in on the ground floor of this phenomenon while you can still rub it in the faces of those who didn't.

This book showcases a large number of artists who have made their name in the world of (rock concert) poster design. Many styles are represented and should be on the shelf of every art director who wants to have access to a list of current and hip designers & artists.

If you are like me and cannot read good then this is the book for you. It's all like pictures and stuff and the story is super easy to follow. Whee! I like pictures!

Mere words are not enough to describe how goddamn wonderful this book is, although "astonishing" is one that comes to mind immediately after opening this tour de force of a book. A stunning collection, rich in contemporary pop culture, yet rooted in things from a more dark and sinister past. This sucker is highly recommended!

The sheer volume of literature devoted to understanding behavior in humans and animals underscores how tricky understanding behavior is. A fraction of this literature, including this book, devotes particular attention to the problems that humans and animals encounter within social and natural environments. With a grasp of the important problems people encounter, a new perspective arises that identifies behavior as stragegic, attempted and on average efficient solutions to specific problems.

But these problems though hinted at here and there are rarely understood well by even the elite of the academic world let alone found within the common knowledge. Arguably among the more important problems that shape behavior are the freerider problem, the prisoner's dilemma, the problem of mutually offsetting investments, the problem of uncertainty, and the commitment problem. Robert Frank is perhaps the commitment problem's best spokesperson.

Often a person or an animal must convince a mate, an rival, or a predator that one is committed to taking a course of action that will require a substantial investment and perhaps substantial risk. If the commitment has convincing force, often the investment and risk will not be necessary. So the best course of action in a situation can seem highly counterintuitive. Behavior that might seem irrational or crazy can actually be the most efficient resolution to a competitive or cooperative circumstance. The commitment problem arises because in order to take advantage of these efficiencies, one must convince others that one is not bluffing and is actually fully committed. Robert Frank explores these situations including the cooperative enterprise of marriage and other social relationships. The explanatory power is impressive.

Frank argues that emotions in general are essentially technologies designed to solve the commitment problem. Emotions convey to others that one is committed to certain perspectives or courses of action. The significance of this insight cannot be overstated. Those who are privy to evolutionary psychology and the evolutionary perspective will appreciate how this theory of emotions fits into the paradigm of selective pressures and adaptive behavior. This book can be read right along with Darwin's "The Expression of Emotions in Man and Animals."

Why is the commitment problem an important idea? One reason is that many philosophies, including Objectivism, treat emotions as the polar opposite of logic and rationality. The commitment problem underscores the logic behind emotions.

As an aside, Frank is the perfect explanation of why some economists are among the brightest social scientists. The economic perspective includes the idea that rationality is strategic and that in order to make the most efficient choice, often problems are encountered that require tradeoffs. So, economists are among the first to discover or elaborate on specific and pervasive problems that people and other organisms encounter.

Lastly, to argue that emotions are strategic is not to say that the strategy is conscious. As the emotional animals illustrate, the strategy of emotions can be carried out by instinct. Cases where the emotional strategy leads to sub-optimal results doesn't contradict the theory either. The proliferation of emotional animals illustrates this as well.

I challenge that anyone who studies the emotions is in the dark ages without understanding the ideas in this book. From my experience, many PhD trained social scientists and educators don't have a good grasp of this material.

This is Robert Frank's best book. As is true of everything he writes, Frank's style here is clear and engaging.

He aims to show that human emotions are created by natural selection to increase the individual's chances of survival. What appear to be a person's irrational reactions and inclinations often promote mutually beneficial trade and, thus, promote that person's long-run welfare. The explanation of how emotions achieve this remarkably beneficial outcome is the core of this fine book.

Of all the many serious books that I've read over the years, this one is surely among the most fun! It's fantastic reading.

Robert H. Frank is a genius!

Passions within Reason is a remarkably prescient and insightful book, drawing upon behavioral research of the decade leading to its publication (1988). It is also a rather subtle book. Even though I used in in a college course I taught in 1989, I do not believe I really understood it until I reread it very recently.

Frank asks: why to people help others, and retaliate against others who harm them, even when they can expect no future personal, material gain from so doing? His answer is that there are emotional rewards to helping those who deserve our aid and hurting others who deserve our ire. Our behavior towards others is regulated by the passions: empathy, spite, shame, remorse, guilt, compassion, and the other social emotions.

He then asks: why are those who behave in this emotional way not displaced (e.g., by having more offspring, or by acquiring more earthly possessions) by others who are purely selfish, and who help and hurt only when a dispassionate calculation indicates that it is in their material interest to do so? He answers this by noting that our emotions "precommit" us to keeping our promises and carrying out our threats, so that we gain in the long run by not being able (or willing) to make the dispassionate calculation. We gain because others will trust our promises and respect our threats. Frank calls the the "commitment model."

This idea that it is "rational" to be "emotional" is, of course, a commonplace today, and has been popularized by neuroscientist Alberto Damasio's fine book, Descartes' Error, and more recently, philosopher Martha Nussbaum's UPheavals of Thought. Experiments using behavioral game theory more than amply confirm the centrality of emotions in decision-making even in the company of strangers (see papers on prosocial emotions on my web site: http://www-unix.oit.umass.edu/~gintis).

A thornier question is: why can a purely selfish type (otherwise known as a sociopath) not simply mimic the behavior of a committed altruist when it suits his purposes, and not otherwise? If this were possible, and there were no other counteracting tendencies, sociopaths would surely drive out committed altruists. Here Frank is less convincing. He says simply that it is very hard to fake the emotions, just as it is difficult for a small bullfrog to fake his size by mimicking the deep-throated croaks of his larger bretheren. This is true, but some people do this very successfully. Why do they not prosper? Moreover, there is no obvious developmental constraint in humans opposing the evolution of excellent emotional cheats.

Perhaps the payoffs to faking commitment are not that high. Surely this would explain why it is "difficult to fake emotions": they payoff to doing is low or negative, so the capacity for faking has not evolved to a high level in humans. More recent research, using models of gene-culture coevolution, indicate that this may well be the case. See, for instance, Herbert Gintis, "The Hitchhiker's Guide to Altruism: Genes, Culture, and the Internalization of Norms", Journal of Theoretical Biology 220,4 (2003):407-418, and Robert Boyd, Herbert Gintis, Samuel Bowles and Peter J. Richerson, "Evolution of Altruistic Punishment", Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 100,6 [mar] (2003):3531-3535.

Why are some people honest, even when nobody is looking? Why do we indignantly refuse an unfair offer, even if we could gain from accepting? If you're curious, read the book. It's written by an economist, but it's about psychology and ecology as much as economics. It's a wonderful book that deserves to be more widely known (it has a nice bibliography too). Moderately easy reading.

While intending to write an appreciation of Phallos Dionysus,a novel with a serious mixture of an ethos of an ancient classical Greek culture,and wildly funny parallelisms to the modern day,I came across a quote from Tom Wolfe,the novelist that would seem to give Phallos Dionysus some topicality,albeit fictional. I quote:"Instead of striding out with a Dionysian yea-saying,as Neitzche would have put it,into the raw raucous,lust-soaked rout that throbs with amped-up octophonic tympanum all around them,our old lions had withdrawn,retreated,shielding their eyes against the light,and turned inward to such subject matter as their own little crevicei.e."the literary world" .The modern novel is dying not of obsolescence but of anoxeria.It needs food!It needs novelists with the energy and the verve to approach America like moviemakers do,with a ravenous curiosity and to go out among 270 million souls and look them in the eye"

While intending to write an appreciation of Phallos Dionysus,a novel with a serious mixture of an ethos of an ancient classical Greek culture,and wildly funny parallelisms to the modern day,I came across a quote from Tom Wolfe,the novelist that would seem to give Phallos Dionysus some topicality,albeit fictional. I quote:"Instead of striding out with a Dionysian yea-saying,as Neitzche would have put it,into the raw raucous,lust-soaked rout that throbs with amped-up octophonic tympanum all around them,our old lions had withdrawn,retreated,shielding their eyes against the light,and turned inward to such subject matter as their own little crevicei.e."the literary world" .The modern novel is dying not of obsolescence but of anoxeria.It needs food!It needs novelists with the energy and the verve to approach America like moviemakers do,with a ravenous curiosity and to go out among 270 million souls and look them in the eye"

While intending to write an appreciation of Phallos Dionysus,a novel with a serious mixture of an ethos of an ancient classical Greek culture,and wildly funny parallelisms to the modern day,I came across a quote from Tom Wolfe,the novelist that would seem to give Phallos Dionysus some topicality,albeit fictional. I quote:"Instead of striding out with a Dionysian yea-saying,as Neitzche would have put it,into the raw raucous,lust-soaked rout that throbs with amped-up octophonic tympanum all around them,our old lions had withdrawn,retreated,shielding their eyes against the light,and turned inward to such subject matter as their own little crevicei.e."the literary world" .The modern novel is dying not of obsolescence but of anoxeria.It needs food!It needs novelists with the energy and the verve to approach America like moviemakers do,with a ravenous curiosity and to go out among 270 million souls and look them in the eye"

This is a fascinating novel for lovers of mythology and fantasy,an unsusual and effective combination of ancient ambiance and the modern day, both joined in Bacchic joy and bacchanal in a surprise to the reader at the end when Demetrius-Dionysus returns and leaves a gift on the beach at the island of Corfu.The novel holds your attention consistently. Plot and theme are daringly original in a daring novel, strongly dramatized by remarkable characters,the eternal Greek God Dionysus in the form of Priapus,and the twentytwo Wellesley and Smith college field hockey teams who become devotees,as well as a lady Attorney General who cancels a cult prosecution as a believer,--all modern bacchantes brandishing hockey sticks as thyruses to protect Demetrius-Dionysus and dancing to the ecstatic beat of dithyrambic music wearing hockey cleats.The novel itself has a strong voice,musical and rhythmic,in a lyrical mode.Evoi' Life'

While intending to write an appreciation of Phallos Dionysus,a novel with a serious mixture of an ethos of an ancient classical Greek culture,and wildly funny parallelisms to the modern day,I came across a quote from Tom Wolfe,the novelist that would seem to give Phallos Dionysus some topicality,albeit fictional. I quote:"Instead of striding out with a Dionysian yea-saying,as Neitzche would have put it,into the raw raucous,lust-soaked rout that throbs with amped-up octophonic tympanum all around them,our old lions had withdrawn,retreated,shielding their eyes against the light,and turned inward to such subject matter as their own little crevicei.e."the literary world" .The modern novel is dying not of obsolescence but of anoxeria.It needs food!It needs novelists with the energy and the verve to approach America like moviemakers do,with a ravenous curiosity and to go out among 270 million souls and look them in the eye"