Activism Books

This is something of a prejudiced review since I was one of the contributors to this book. But there is NO other book that covers the history of the "gay mecca" of San Francisco as thoroughly and as completely as this one does. The book is a paean to the "gay ghetto" of San Francisco with particular attention paid to the time when Harvey Milk was its cultural and spiritual leader. The writing professionalism of the contributions varies but all of them come from the heart. The photographs alone chronicling the heyday of the Castro are worth the price of admission. Frequently touching, frequently shocking in their nakedness and nudity, they capture the Castro in photographs to make the book a complete volume of text and pictures of a tiny urban area whose influence extended far beyond its geographical size.

I am somewhat surprised that the book has drawn so few reviews, especially locally in San Francisco. There has never been as complete and frank a depiction of any other urban area in America. In that respect, the book is unique. To this day, I doubt that the publisher realizes what he accomplished.

The book chronicles the last of the "grass roots" politicians in the United States from the viewpoints of those who knew him best. "Same-sex marriaage" was not even a twinkle in anybody's eye back then but this is where it started. For a pictorial history of a lifestyle, there is nothing to match it. The same can be said for the multi-faceted view of a politician slowly slipping into an undeserved obscurity but who was the Martin Luther King of the Gay movement.

I confess as to my prejudices on the subject but for those interested in Harvey Milk and his era, "Out in the Castro" is its Baedeker. A well deserved five stars.

Frank M. Robinson, San Francisco

Not since the early 1980s has there been a book that literally takes one's breath away. Prof. Alexander's new volume is profoundly spiritual at the same time it's grounded in a unique materialist feminism. Its signifiance also lies in the book's manifestations of a real hope. Being alive and politically conscious in the first decade of the 21st century is to be easily seduced by despair, it is also to be absolutely at odds with terrible, counter revolutionary, antifeminist cultures. Not for Alexander glib, soggy liberalism but a spirit that is courageous and awe-inspiring. In the book's third section, Alexander writes of 'returning' to the magnificent anthology, 'This Bridge Called My Back' and, following this essay, the book's most thrilling chapter, in which the writer conjures a new life force, one thoroughly rooted in both spiritual and secular lifeworlds. As if this adjectival 'heap' of praise were not enough, Alexander's book render obsolete the common periodization of feminisms by 'wave'. It would not be innacurate to say that 'Pedagogies of Crossing' is a epistemic rupture, demanding its readers to again grapple with feminist legacies from an entirely new standpoint. If you've not heard Prof. Alexander speak, I suggest you do so as soon as possible. The impact of her spoken word 'appearances' powerful. Her lectures constitute an epistemological rupture, filling one with true hope.

The book is a well-written and politically informed biography of an outstanding political activist. It combines serious academic analysis, with complete citations from primary and secondary sources, with a compelling narrative of political forces operating in the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s in the U.S and New England. Strom's book will captivate both academic and general readers with its current implications. Finally, the whole endeavor situates personal accounts of the subject and the author in ways that the personal and the political come alive! Most highly recommended.

I bought this book as background reading for a trip to Tunisia, not expecting too much after knowing little more than the title. I have actually read quite a lot about Islam, politics and society a couple of years ago, and this little volume has positively surprised me. While the author admits that he has been part of the movement described, he shows a very critical and differentiated attitude towards the Islamist's claims. For those interested in Tunisia, he offers insight in the power struggle between the government and the Islamic opposition between 1970 and 1990. For those interested in political Islam, the example of an Islamist movement in an extremely westernised and liberal Arab country shows a lot of differences to other countries, for example a positive attitute towards democracy that is theoretically based on the Islamic principle of shura'.

James Jennings is a valued member in the African American community, his contributions are culturally constructive, professionally progressive, and economically empowering.

We support him because his goal is to empower us.

'St. Clair Blob' rekindled in new book

review written BY CALE COWAN Courier Press staff

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This is Environment Week. What better time to revisit the 10-year-old controversy that came floating down the St. Clair River? The issue of the infamous 'St. Clair Blob' that focused the country's environmental ire on the region came to a head in 1985 when Dow Chemical spilled 40,000 litres of dry-cleaning solvent into the river. The resulting 'blob' demonstrated just how poorly the St. Clair had been treated.

It's a decade later and things are better but not as good as they could be, according to some of the players who were around in the day. Adding to the nostalgia of the event is a book published earlier this spring by PhD Laurie E. Adkin that has a chapter dealing with the 'blob', along with the industry, government and media reaction. Some of the conclusions drawn in Chapter 11 of 'Politics of Sustainable Development -- Citizens, Unions and the Corporations' are less than flattering. An excerpt: "The story of the blob uncovered not only the extent of long-term chemical dumping in the river but also the degree of collusion between officials of the (Ministry of Environment) and the chemical industry."

Publicly revealed in 1984, Adkin said the blob was actually known to MOE officials since 1976. Adkin, who did extensive research in the area during the fallout of the discovery, also recounts how citizen groups and unions dealt with the environmental impact and how they dealt with industry in their desire to clean up the river and preserve jobs. Adkin writes: "Dow had undertaken a campaign to woo over to its point of view the citizen 'thought leaders' in communities downstream of the Chemical Valley. Shortly after the blob incident had broken in the media and had resulted in the shutdown of the water purification plants in downstream communities like Wallaceburg, Dow scientists and managers we! nt to Wallaceburg to reassure citizens that everything was under control. "They found that their audience was not prepared, this time, to accept either their assurances or their authority." Kris Lee, a member of the Wallaceburg Clean Water Committee at the time, has read Adkin's book and feels it's an accurate depiction of what happened here.

"It's a credit to Wallaceburg," she said of the book and the recollection of how citizens here stood up to protect a natural resource. Lee said interest in the problem has faded since spills have become less of a media event but also concedes that "Sarnia has really cleaned up" since the problems they had in the 1980s. Part of that has been due in no small part to a downsizing in the petro-chemical industry, but is also partly due to self-policing in the industry and a greater appreciation for protecting the environment, said Lee, who is a teacher at Wallaceburg District Secondary School.

There are still concerns today, however, like ICI Canada, which recently got permission from the environment ministry to discharge treated waste water into the St. Clair. And with cuts in all government agencies, Lee says it's just as important today for residents to remain diligent in keeping an eye on what's happening. "We can't stop them from discharging ... but we can make sure they monitor it and speak with ICI and find out what's going on. "People say that today there are not as many spills but you have to remember that every day tons of contaminants are allowed into that river. People seem to forget." Things are better now, Lee says, but there are signs that indicate a watch dog approach is necessary. With Wallaceburg's former town council taking an "arm's length" approach to the ICI issue and accepting a $1.5 million compensation package, more than ever it seems that environmental concerns are in the realm of the individual.

"We have to have people more aware of what's going on," Lee ! said.

This book provides an excellent introduction to environmental politics. An overview of environmental philosophy is offered, providing the backdrop for an extensive discussion of the unique hurdles faced by both Green parties and interest groups, and those trying to craft public policy. The author does an excellent job of covering a wide range of topics and provides a useful overview of each, while at the same time offering jumping-off points for interested readers to further pursue individual topics. Highly recommended for students as well as the casual reader.

A great primary source that traces the development of popular uprisings and protests throughout t he later Middle Ages. Cohn clearly establishes the context and roots each "rebellion" into the times that generated it. He further provides angles from all available sources, and treats each account, no matter how outlandish, with severity. The chapters spotlighting the Jacquerie and the Ciompi Revolt after the Black Death are breath-taking in particular.
A must-have for all medieval enthusiasts.

This is not only the best book available on the French Front National, but one of the absolutely best on the new European extreme right (or populist) parties generally (it competes only with Kitschelt's book, which is becoming increasingly outdated). Contrary to most accounts on the extreme right, this book provides a firm theoretical foundation. This must be a must buy for all students (like myself) of extreme right and populist parties.

ive had this book for several years and used to skim the photo pages. the photos alon give it a 5 rating. reading the text increases my rating to a 7 if it were permitted. charles moore discusses his background as a white man growing up int he south and his early days as a photojournalist. a great book.