Columbia Books

The best review of the aspects nd consequences of tropical deforestation!

This is a facinating little book, published soon after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. It is a manifesto explaining the reasons why America chose to declare war on Japan, Germany, and Italy. It is mostly made up of primary sources, with speeches and declarations by President Roosevelt, Congress, Prime Minister Churchill, the Japanese, Mussolini, Hitler, and others. There are historical texts, including the Star-Spangled Banner, the Declaration of Independence, and minor quotes from Stephen Decatur, Thomas Paine, and others.

Caveat: at least once it uses the derogatory term "Japs."

There are 128 pages, the cover is textured, and the front has gilt stamping. Two of the product descriptions for this say it has black boards. My copy however is very dark blue. Otherwise, the product descriptions match my copy, which was copyrighted in 1941. This is a great book for history buffs, or anyone with an interest in World War II.

The American Library of Congress holds over 110 million items - many of them unique and priceless - and this charts the history of the Library and its holdings, from its initial 740-book collection begun in 1800 to its miles of bookshelves today. Vintage photos and illustrations pack a presentation which is a 'must' for any who would understand American book history.

Well-worth its price, American Hymns is a definitive resource for both scholars studying the field of music, or simply for "hymn-enthusiasts!" Aside from the main divisions by century, the book also divides the song content by denomination. As a researcher in Early American psalmody, I have used its material heavily in my own studies. From the time the pilgrims stepped foot onto our soil through the latter portion of our 20th century, a quality cross-section of the repertoire is presented with research notes and historical background. Highest recommendation!

One of the most important events in the beginning of the cold war was Harry Truman's demand for American support for the government of Greece in its war with pro-Communist guerillas. In fact, as Wittner shows, the history of the Greek civil war was far more complex than this. The Communist forces were not Soviet puppets. In fact, Stalin freely gave Greece to Churchill as a British sphere of influence. In fact, as a direct consequence of Chruchill's actions, the wartime resistance of the EAM was savagely and treacherously attacked by the Greek right, many of whom had been Nazi collaborators. Intimidation and electoral fraud made civil war inevitable and when the British had to leave in early 1947, the Americans had to take over. Wittner, relying on more than 75 sets of private papers, gives us many fine details on the process that lead to "victory." The United States lied when it claimed it was looking for UN mediation. American officials approved of the exectution of Jehovah's Witnesses, and even denounced them as Communists. Greek military tribunals were so unjust that one American official was called to testify against two people accused of murdering him. Greek politics were crudely manipulated, economic injustice was ignored, and trade union elections overriden. And the consequence of this "victory" was the establishment of a psuedo-democratic government, and later dictatorship. Not until 1974 would Greece securely become the democratic republic it had wished to be when the war ended. This is a book no student of the period should ignore.

Perry Miller -- who, regardless of what the credit on top says, was not the photographer in this pictureless collection, but the editor -- was the twentieth century's most towering colonial historian. Terrifying generation after generation of graduate students at Harvard, Miller was one of those people who knew absolutely everything about his subject: the American Puritans. A confirmed atheist, Miller spent his life exploring the lives of the most religious of all American groups. This anthology, which has been in print for the better part of half-a-century, is still the basic introduction to the subject in most schools. Taking excerpts on all the most important subjects, Miller introduces each with his own framework of ideas and connections; although the ellipses can come to annoy once you really get into the subject, there is still no good substitute for this collection. Indispensable to anybody wanting the primary texts of that most influential of all religious groups in America, the Puritans.

A fascinating inside look at President Truman's seizure of the steel mills during the Korean War and the constitutional crisis that followed. Westin pieces together bits and pieces of key legal briefs, Truman's memoirs, and an account of the social and political forces operating at the time of the seizure. If you ever wanted to know what the key actors were really thinking and what happened after the Supreme Court declared Truman's action unconstitutional, this book is a must read.

As for me, I truly believe I am right, since there is nothing so contrary to a generous and loving God as dictatorship - I believe He has reserved, in a separate spot in Hell, some very special punishment for tyrants and their accomplices. - _Discours sur la servitude voluntaire_.

_Anti-Dictator_, published in 1942, is among the earliest translations of the _Discours sur la servitude voluntaire_ of Etienne de la Boetie into English, translated by Harry Kurz. La Boetie was a French Catholic with a liberal point of view who had served as a judge attached to the court of Bourdeaux. He wrote this tract at a very young age in either 1548 or 1546. La Boetie had witnessed the religious wars of Protestants and Catholics and his tract expresses his horror of many of the oppressive kings at the time. La Boetie was a good friend of Montaigne and this tract is often printed accompanying Montaigne's essays. Although contrary to La Boetie's wishes (La Boetie was a peaceful man who did not advocate violence), this essay was later used to justify the revolution of the oppressed against dictators. In addition, it came to play some role in the conflict between the Huegonots and the Catholics. This essay may also be seen as a precursor to the American Revolution and indeed embodies the very rights expressed in the Constitution of the United States.

In this essay, La Boetie notes that the tyrant is often a coward and that he rules over his people through their own consent. La Boetie believes that slavery and servitude are entirely voluntary and that the people are stupid for submitting to the arbitrary rule of the tyrant and groveling before him. La Boetie notes that should the people "resolve to serve no more" the tyrant would be left a gigantic colossus which would easily be toppled. Rather than advocate violent revolution, La Boetie simply suggests that the people withdraw their support from the tyrant. La Boetie expresses his love for liberty and the innate gift of liberty as coming from God. In addition, La Boetie shows how the idiotic sycophants who cling to the tyrant and attempt to win his favor are in fact worse off than the serfs and peasants who merely have to do their duty and be done with it. La Boetie's essay as well reveals his classical learning, showing extensive knowledge of Greek and Roman rulers and the wars between them. La Boetie shows how these rulers were corrupt and how they were loved by none (even their own families turning on them). La Boetie contrasts three types of dictators: those who achieve their positions from elections by the people, those who achieve their positions by force of arms, and those who achieve their positions by inheritance. La Boetie argues that there is really no preference among them, they are all uniformly bad, because even those who achieve their positions through elections by the people will quickly turn on the people once they feel themselves to be higher than them. La Boetie also shows how the dictator will attempt to profit off the people, in particular, the wealthy will become his subjects as he tries to acquire their wealth. La Boetie ends with a cry for liberty, calling the people to resolve no longer to serve and to throw off the shackles of slavery.

This book has much to say about the modern bureaucratic state as well as about the rulers of old. Bureaucratic idiots in positions of power are actively able to enforce their whims upon the people through the evils of government. However, should the people merely resolve to no longer serve, to quit believing in government as the answer, then the entire bureaucratic system would fall to its knees. The people do not do this however because they are too stupid to realize how simplistic the answer really is that the government is oppressive precisely because they support it. As La Boetie has shown, all slavery is really voluntary so long as people do not resist oppression. However by refusing to submit to oppressive systems one in fact renders their power null. As La Boetie states they will come toppling down like a gigantic colosus left without support.

Travelers to or residents of New York who want a fine updated guide to the dealers of the City plus Westchester, Long Island and Upstate receive a fine pocket-sized take-along tote to the best shops, written by two long-time writers in the antique industry. Over a thousand dealers are listed by section, an invaluable street guide for Manhattan has been reorganized for better efficiency, and appendices list them by specialty areas and special services as well. Antiquing New York is a 'must' for any New York bound antiquing enthusiasts seeking the best places to explore for antiques of all kinds and categories.

Although 90 years have passed since first publication, Wheeler's "Ants Their Structure, Development and Behavior" remains a classic of ant enthusiasts and ecologists. Although much of the taxonomy has changed and continues to change, the book is still a valuable reference for identification and description of many of the world's ants. What I enjoyed most are chapters XVII -XXVII that deal with many of the fascinating ant relationships with other organisms (tending aphids, protecting plants, slave-making ants...). Another asset of Wheeler's book are the numerous wonderful illustrations accompanying each section. Although a bit technical for a general audience, "Ants" should remain a stimulating excursion into a fascinating group of insects.