Government Books

I own the affordable paperback version, and I'm glad I do because this is one of the best books out there on terrorism. Sure, the writing is a little scattered with snippets or profiles of different terrorist groups to illustrate various points, but the flow is great and the insights are just at a very high level. I particularly enjoyed how the book seems to read like a series of intelligence estimates, but this is due to the author's background, I guess. It's not only a great book on terrorism, but one that a reader may come back to time and time again to get some new insight out of it.

Within the broader framework of outlining the goals, motives and strategies of modern terrorist groups, Harmon documents some very specific examples of people, places and events.

This is not a catalog of terrorist groups or a chronology of individual terrorist acts. Rather, it is an in-depth look at the problem as a whole. Harmon uses examples from groups all over the world and in the process discredits such notions as "one man's terrorist is another man's freedom fighter."

In the chapter dealing with future threats, Harmon all but predicted the events of September 11th.

Anyone interested in a scholarly look at the terrorist threat since the end of the cold war, should read this book.

difficult subject explained in terms a non-Jesuit can understand.

The market for books on terrorism has flourished in the months following September 11th. This has been a mixed blessing. On the one hand, quality works of enduring value have had increased exposure, on the other hand we have seen a flood of books of extremely dubious merit and sensationalism. This book belongs in the first category and deserves more exposure than it has had.

Harmon (a lecturer at the Marine Corps Command and Staff College) provides a readable and wide ranging overview of his subject; with coverage of the politics and effectiveness of terrorism, terrorist groups, counter-terrorism methods and a section debunking some of the many and varied misconceptions and popular myths regarding terrorist groups. The text is scattered with thumbnail descriptions of various leading terrorist groups, terrorists and important works of literature in the terrorism canon.

This book serves as an excellent general introduction to the subject and acts as a solid foundation upon which the newcomer to the subject can build. It belongs alongside the serious academic texts on terrorism rather than the sensational journalistic mush that is now common on the shelves of mainstream book shops and yet is still readable and easy to get into.

If you only ever read one book on the general theme of terrorism you could do worse than making it this one. Undergraduate students studying terrorism should make a point of giving it a look too.

Terrorism authority and foreign correspondent Ronald Payne reviewed TERRORISM TODAY in the August 18, 2000 edition of the prestigious "TLS"--Times Literary Supplement (London). Payne calls this book "a masterly survey of the big picture of world violence" and "a comprehensive survey of what can be done to cope with the problem..." The book "provides many useful strategy recommendations which Western governments would do well to study. It also provides an up-to-date glossary of operational terrorist groups." -CCH

The Third Freedom is an excellent book that gives countless suggestions, answers, and reasoning for World Hunger. After reading George McGovern's theories I now see how simple it is for the world to end starvation and to make a difference. I recommend The Third Freedom to anyone interested in the issues around World Hunger and to anyone who wants motivation to make a change in the world.

This is NOT a utopian dream. This basic blue print should not be objectionable to conservatives, moderates or liberals. The elder statesman and historian puts forward some straight forward and relatively inexpensive proposals to end world hunger in our time. Sen. McGovern goes out of his way to praise the contribution made by some of his Republican colleagues especially Robert Dole. He recognizes the need for open markets and the value of liberalized global trade while seeing the need for sensible adjustments to deal with the social and economic upheaval. He calls upon the U.S. to lead the United Nations in an integrated approach involving the private sector, the world market system, governments, NGO's, religious communities and grassroots organizations. This book is MUST reading for anyone looking for realistic and practical solutions to the world's gravest and cruelest injustice, malnutrition caused by poverty.

In his simple prose and humble middle-American manner, former Senator George McGovern addresses one of humankind's moral imperatives: world hunger. It is a great tragedy that the majority of Americans are overweight (or have access to three square meals, at the least), while people across the globe -or even across the city- suffer from hunger.

Mr. McGovern presents five possible solutions that may mitigate the plight of millions, among these worldwide WIC and school lunches, an increase in the food stamp program, and a minimum wage increase. Unfortunately, many of these measures seem implausible, for the ironic reason of their political inviability; FEW Americans favor an increase in taxes, to say the least.

I found this book to be more than an overview of hunger's politics. It is a window into the soul of a great man. In truth, world hunger would be a fading memory were we like Mr. McGovern: compassionate and selfless.

Every caring person will be glad that she or he reads this book, because each of us can help eliminate world hunger in our lifetimes. The reference to the third freedom is to the idea of creating "freedom from want" that is found in FDR's famous speech about the four freedoms.

Senator McGovern has been close to the issue of hunger for many years, having first headed the Food for Peace program for President Kennedy and more recently working with the United Nations on food issues for President Clinton. In this book, he describes many of the lessons learned about allievating hunger in the United States and elsewhere around the world, the benefits from eliminating hunger, the barriers to making faster progress, the plans for making the next steps, and his proposal for eliminating world hunger for humans by 2015.

I remember hearing much about this subject in the 1960s, and especially recall the CBC special from 1968. Historically, American farmers had excess production that was hurting farm prices while people were hungry. During the Kennedy administration this was turned into a series of initiatives to reduce the surpluses to strengthen the prices and feed more people. Large gains were made in students attending school and in their academic performance through free school breakfasts and lunches for the poor.

What has happened since then? Well, the good news is that these and many other good ideas have been expanded around the world. The number of hungry people is still enormous, 800 million, but it is many fewer than 40 years ago. As Senator McGovern rightly points out, we now have the technology, expertise in food distribution, and financial resources to eliminate hunger for the final 800 million. All we lack is a focus on the issue, and the will to make a difference.

The U.S. contribution would be less than the cost of a building a B-2 bomber annually. It turns out that most people think that more than 10 percent of the Federal budget goes for foreign aid, and that is almost all food. Actually, foreign aid is less than 1 percent and most of that is armaments. In recent polls, over 70 percent of Americans favor ending world hunger. Throughout the last presidential campaign this issue got lost. That's a shame, because here is an area where we pretty much agree.

His proposal focuses on the following elements:

(1) Extend the school lunch program around the world (the bulk of the poor hungry are children, and this gets them to school and improves their ability to learn)

(2) Favor women and children in food distribution (because of their better use of the resources and the fact that this by-passes corruption the most) usually by providing the food at the schools for pick-up

(3) Create local food reserves around the world of the sort we have in the United States so that emergency food can be more readily available to respond to natural disasters and wars

(4) Train local farmers to be better at what they do and provide them with better technology, appropriate for their part of the world (especially better ways to irrigate that don't harm the soil)

(5) Support research into better agricultural practices, including biotechnology

(6) Reduce the arms made available to countries where on-going wars are likely since such wars cause much hunger

(7) Clean-up the water supplies to reduce disease at the same time, and eliminate the risk of future wars over water

(8) Further encourage democracies since they make avoiding famines a high priority.

One of the nasty surprises I got from reading the book is that despite world progress, hunger is growing again in the United States due to cut backs in food stamps and other programs aimed at hunger. If we have been making mistakes in this area, that's pretty bad . . . at a time of unprecedented prosperity and government surpluses.

I also hope that private companies and individuals will step up their efforts to take a hand in eliminating hunger. I suspect that the know-how of these individuals is probably even more valuable than their money and time.

I strongly encourage you to read this book. Write to your congressional leaders and to our new president about this subject.

Also, I suggest that if you can afford it, that you allocate $30 per person per year in your household for donations aimed at eliminating hunger. That's about what it would take. At least you would know you are doing your part, even if the rest of society sleeps. Ultimately, that's all any of us can be sure of, is that we have stood up and been counted.

This book should be shared. If you belong to a book reading group, I hope you will suggest it. I also ask that you give a copy to your spiritual advisor. This book could become the basis of some good projects for your house of worship.

Love thy brother as thyself.

George McGovern, former senator from South Dakota, has written a compact, layman's guide, The Third Freedom, on the politics of hunger. McGovern, long-time workhorse of food and agriculture policies, makes the case for a 5-point program to end hunger. The book's biographical anecdotes are as compelling as the case he makes. The author, World War II bomber pilot and Democratic presidential nominee, draws upon experiences from the Great Depression to the Clinton administration. Along the way, the reader learns how McGovern's father, farmers, Franklin Roosevelt, Henry Wallace, John Kennedy, Maryknoll missionaries and Pope John XXIII infulenced his thinking.

In the 1960s, McGovern's origination and stewardship of food and agriculture policies led to programs that benefited the U.S. economy. In the new century, McGovern uses his national visibility and standing to propose fresh political remedies: food policies that favor women and children; universal school lunch; genetically modified crops; fresh water; and agricultural aid modeled on the Peace Corps. The author endorses government action, rooted in biblical teachings, to feed the hungry. While the book is short on documentation, it is long on policy. The title from Gary Hart's memoir of McGoven's ill-fated presidential bid, Right from the Start, may aptly sum up this new work.

As Christian Potholm's former student, I've seen first-hand his enthusiasm for Maine politics and his depth of knowledge on the subject. Therefore, I was not surprised to find This Splendid Game to be a wonderfully entertaining account of politics in the Pine Tree State and a must-read for anyone with an interest in Maine's political history. Potholm captures the importance of the campaign effort and proves that the outcomes of political races are never preordained. He shows that while a candidate's personal qualities are a factor in being elected, it is the "ebb and flow" of the campaign that inevitably distinguishes victory from defeat.

Having been personally involved in many of the campaigns discussed in this book, Potholm skillfully provides an insider's perspective while remaining balanced and objective in his analysis. He avoids the partisan sentiments that dominate so much of today's commentary, and in turn provides a refreshing and honest look at politics in the state.

There is no doubt that one would be hard-pressed to find a more comprehensive assessment of Maine politics. Potholm acknowledges every person who has ran for major political office in the state in the last five decades, and provides biographical information for some of Maine's past and present political titans. However, his scholarly interest is clearly directed more toward the inner-workings of the campaign effort, as well as the many staffers, pollsters, consultants, journalists, and others that make politics so exciting to watch and be a part of.

From the story behind William Cohen's 600-mile walk across the 2nd Congressional District to the strategy behind both James Longley and Angus King's electoral success as Independents, This Splendid Game is truly a splendid read, one that undoubtedly fills a literary void in Maine and honors the countless men and women who have participated in the state's political process over the years.

With this feat to add to his ever-growing list of achievements, Christian Potholm has made yet another indelible impact on the academic discourse in the state and further solidified his reputation as the professor of Maine politics.

Do you ever wonder how Maine Government reached its current size and scope?

Perhaps you have a historical interest in the strategies and unique abilities of the winners and losers of high political office in Maine over the last 60 years.

Or maybe you're curious about the decisions and influences of the key people behind the political leaders of our time- from Margaret Chase Smith and Ed Muskie to Angus King.

Whether you're a student of politics or just wondered how our government has evolved to where we are today, you will find Bowdoin College's Dr. Christian P. Potholm's new book This Splendid Game answer these questions and more from his intellectual and first hand account of the people and policies which have created the Maine we know today.

From the rise of Margaret Chase Smith by virtue her strategy of a "personal campaign organization" over the traditional political party campaign; to the "Muskie Revolution" in the 1950's where he deployed television for the first time in Maine elections combined with "retail politics" which converged to toppled the reign of Republican Party dominance.

Chris Potholm's insight and wit enables the reader to wade past the tedious attention he paid to dates and election results percentages, which well serve the researcher of Maine politics and those of us with a curious eye about the people and issues that has defined and branded Maine.

His success in interviewing candidates, their family and advisors enabled him to paint a vivid picture of our political leaders. Here is a glimpse. He traces Ken Curtis' victory from the jaws defeat in the 1960's and the baker's son Bill Cohen's rise to the rank of United States Secretary of Defense beginning with an arduous 600 mile walk across Maine's 2nd Congressional District in 1972 resulting in the reemergence of the Republican Party.

No account of Maine political history would be complete without an understanding of how the referendum process has enabled special interest groups to get their proposed law decided by the public and not their legislature. Here Dr. Potholm takes you inside the dynamics of why referendums are so different from candidate elections. His political science and keen instincts show you how; the Maine Yankee Power Plant earned the support of Maine voters and remained open.

Potholm proves his theory that Angus King duplicated the dynamics and savvy of Jim Longley's amazing election as Governor in the 1970's worked again in the 1990's when King upset the two-party system to be elected Maine's second Independent Governor.

Finally, Dr. Potholm weaves together the realities of how the press, political insiders and scientific polling determined the eventual outcome of most all races long before Election Day. Along the way he rightly acknowledges the courage and integrity of the men and women who at the end of the long election season did not have the sweet pleasure of giving a victory speech. For the scholar and the casual observer of political dynamics alike, reading This Splendid Game is time well invested.

Philip Harriman is a former Town Councilor and State Senator. He actively participated in many of the elections covered and for 25 years has operated a financial services business in Portland Maine.

In the first chapter of Chris Potholm's latest book, he opines, "Lecturing on the important figures and campaigns over the years [in Maine], I often wished I had a single book to assign, one that would put the past fifty years of accomplishment and failures in some common perspective."

Well, Potholm has answered his wish with the publication of This Splendid Game. If there was one feeling that I had to put aside while reading the book it was that I should be making notes on the chapters as there was surely going to be a test in the near future.

Politics has always been an interest of mine and Maine politics has been a consuming one for a part of my life as I served eight years in municipal government as a city councilman and mayor and was elected to two terms as Chair of the Maine Republican State Committee following my municipal service. I have been active in several gubernatorial campaigns in varying capacities as well as most of Bill Cohen's many campaigns going back to the time when we were both mayors of our respective cities.

The book that Pothom has produced is an analysis of what he deems to be the seminal elections of each decade since 1940 and in it he also weaves through the years the lessons that were learned or not learned by those that were invoved in "this splendid game.

If you were any kind of a player during those decades, you are most likely mentioned in the book. In fact the book reminded me of many people whose names had dimmed in my memory and also revealed to me that people I had known growing up were involved in Maine politics in ways I did not know, If you are from Oregon, some of the details of the past might make your eyes tend to close from time to time, but if you are from here or have been here "from away" for some time, you will find it interesting to realize how much you have forgotten.

From the 1970's on, Potholm brings a special perspective to the matters he writes about as he was in the middle of all of it in one capacity or another.However, this is not a chatty, tell-all about Maine politics. It is an analysis and a chronicle of a system in the poltical microcosim of Maine. That a state with Maine small population has harbored and nurtured some of the larger political names in US history remains a mystery to me, but it is a fact. Margaret Chase Smith, Edmund Sixtus Muskie, William Cohen and George Mitchell are clearly in the elite section of such people. But their stories and the stories of other elections have hundreds of names invoved in that melange of political activity. In stirring and disecting the melange, Potholm has no peer.

If you lived through those times you will enjoy a studious analysis of what you thought you already knew. If politics is something you are considering, this is required reading. No matter your reason for reading this book, you will be the wiser for it and I'm pretty sure there will be no test.

Potholm's Splendid Game

Although our lives are governed by politics, few understand how the political game is played and even fewer participate as an active player.
There is one man in Maine who understands and plays the game better than any other: Bowdoin College professor, Dr. Christian Potholm, a nationally recognized pollster and strategist whose campaign won/lost record is the envy of all who aspire to political office and participate in our electoral system.
In Maine, Potholm has dominated what he calls "This Splendid Game," since he managed Bill Cohen's first Congressional campaign in 1972. Few venture into a major political campaign without making a pilgrimage to Potholm's office in the Bowdoin Tower.
Potholm's new book, "This Splendid Game," is a fascinating and informative tour through all of Maine's major elections and campaigns from the 1940s to the 1990s. The professor has been working on this book for ten years and his final product is impressive. Published by Lexington Books of Lanham, Maryland, these 241 pages describe the election results of all major races in each decade, and then focuses on what Potholm calls the "seminal election" - the most critical and defining - in each decade.
I must disclose that the button collection on the book's cover is mine. Look carefully and you will spot a smiling "Smith" button in the middle of the collection. And it was my privilege to work on several of Potholm's seminal election campaigns in the 70s, 80s, and 90s.
Potholm offers amazing insight into these campaigns and wins my admiration for being able to step outside campaigns in which he participated to present objective and illuminative analyses of these campaigns. He does this well.
In the introduction, Potholm asks, "Over the last 50 years, what were the sea changes in Maine political processes? What changed over time in terms of how to run and win a campaign? What are the enduring patterns and trends? Why did some candidates succeed and others fail? What techniques were introduced when and what impacts did they have?"
And then he answers all of these questions and more. While other books have focused on the political leaders, none has looked with such scrutiny at the campaigns that elected those leaders.
I learned a lot from this book. I did not realize, for example, that Republicans were so slow to grasp the power of television and that my friend Jim Erwin lost the governor's race in 1970 "in large part because he did not make use of it."
Did you know that Angus King and Jim Longley won with identical coalitions of Franco American voters and small town Republicans?
The Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel win Potholm's praise, while other larger daily newspapers are criticized for poor campaign news coverage and an "interventionist endorsement style and a rush to assist one candidate over a need to inform the public as to the actual state of affairs."
"The Sun Journal, Central Maine (Morning) Sentinel, and Kennebec Journal seem to routinely do a better job at keeping their editorial comment separate from their reporting arm and their endorsements seem to be more balanced than their larger rivals," writes Potholm.
Potholm's premise is that the outcomes of the major elections that shaped Maine's political system and government were determined not by the candidates, but by the campaigns. And he effectively proves his case.
In these pages you will learn about how Maine's dominant politicians succeeded - but you will also learn about the smaller - but vitally important - roles played by others, including one of my favorite unsung political leaders, Judge Frank Coffin.
I found the description of Margaret Chase Smith's 1948 U.S. Senate race to be particularly captivating - and the account of how Smith won four congressional elections in one 6-month period.
The special sections describing the reasons the seminal campaigns were victorious, and the impacts of those campaigns on Maine politics, make this book particularly valuable.
It is when Potholm turns to referenda that the professor offers insightful lessons that campaigns pay big bucks to learn today. His analysis of the 1980 anti-nuclear referenda includes his ten ballot measure rules and an explanation of why Franco Americans and women who work in the home are Maine's key swing voters.
There is so much fascinating material in this book that I can't begin to do it justice in this short column.
I have purchased several copies of "This Splendid Game" for the leaders of an upcoming referendum, because no one should enter the Maine political arena without the lifetime of knowledge and experience provided in this book by Maine's foremost political guru.
And all citizens should read the book to understand how their votes are influenced by political campaigns - and why they should be paying attention to and participating in this splendid game that rules their lives.

As many Mainers know, Bowdoin College Professor Chris Potholm is Maine's premier political pollster and campaign strategy guru. He has been an insider in some of the state's biggest and most important political battles and is regularly quoted by the press on Maine issues. Naturally, this book will be especially interesting to people who are into Maine history and politics -- but it's not just for Mainers. It provides a lot of basic political insights that will be interesting and useful to anyone who's involved or interested in candidate or ballot measure campaigns. Each chapter reviews the reasons why a particular campaign succeeded or failed, providing excellent lessons that apply to campaigns in any state. The chapter about the referendum campaign on the Maine Yankee nuclear power plant is probably the best analysis of a ballot measaure campaign that I've ever read. As a professional political consultant and a former Mainer, I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it.

Like its companion, The Torture Papers: The Road to Abu Ghraib, Torture and Truth is an essential resource for scholars or researchers on this subject. However, because of its length (500+ pages)and scope it is an excellent choice for the more general reader. It is a compilation of reports and letters, mostly from the Bush Administration, on the Iraq War and torture issues. Because of its primary source components, it is invaluable for anyone doing research on the subject. It is well-organized, and will find a place in many dissertations in the years to come.

This book offers a chilling rendition of the events that occured at Abu Gharib. It fairly reviews the events through official reports, which are quite chilling! A must read!!

This is by far the best journalistic account of the torture of suspects at Abu Ghraib. This is also the best book to read after reading the books of documents, which give you the vital context for understanding Danner's book. Read them first and then this one - you will then be able to understand what really happened and why. British and US troops really did commit terribe acts against their prisoners, with tragic consequences for the reputation of both nations in the Middle East. Read Danner and the documents books to discove why. Christopher Catherwood (author of CHURCHILL'S FOLLY: HOW WINSTON CHURCHILL CREATED MODERN IRAQ: Carroll and Graf, hardcover 2004, paperback 2005)

The author strongly makes the case that the Abu Ghraib torture scandal was not caused by a few rotten apples on the night shift, but was systematic torture as policy. The Red Cross report and other valid reports are in the book so that the reader can see for himself that the torture at Abu Ghraib was certainly far more than a few rotten apples that were military police serving in the reserves that were sent to Abu Ghraib.

There was sadism at Abu Ghraib. There was a breakdown in law and order at Abu Ghraib. There was a breakdown in discipline at Abu Ghraib. This, of course, puts our entire Country and our entire military at risk.

Not only is the torture wrong, but, beyond that, torture is ineffective and many of the prisoners at Abu Ghraib had no intelligence value in the first place. Torture is very harmful to our Country politically speaking. It is certainly the case that any information that was obtained by torture would be overshadowed by the political damage caused by the activities.

I bought Mark Danner's TORTURE AND TRUTH several months ago from Amazon, and find it ever more relevant to current events. For the numbers of people detained and tortured in the War on Terror-- many of them believed by reputable individuals and organizations to be innocent-- continues to rise, and extends far beyond Abu Ghraib. The very fact that the majority of these people have never been formally charged with involvement in terrorist activity nor tried seems to prove their innocence, for it would be very easy to keep someone in jail these days if one could present solid evidence of their involvment in terrorism. Those who object that the tortures inflicted on these detaninees is not as bad as that which some totalitarian governments inflict upon their victims ignore the fact that the "soft torture" techniques in development since the end of World War II have been found to be more effective in "breaking" victims than simple brutality (see Alfred McCoy, A QUESTION OF TORTURE: CIA INTERROGATION FROM THE COLD WAR TO THE WAR ON TERROR). The suffering of these wretched detainees keeps me awake at night, yet to this day most people seem unconcerned about their plight. Danner's comment from the Introduction to his book still holds true: "Like other scandals that have erupted during the Iraq War and the war on terror, it is not about revelation or disclosure but about the failure, once wrongdoing is disclosed, of politicians, officials, the press, and, ultimately, citizens to act."

I recently researched Frank Pape for a profile in a book I wrote for Paladin Press and I found this biography by Charles Adamson enormously helpful. I had accumulated a lot of news articles about Pape, but Adamson, with his firsthand acquaintance with the city, the stories, and Pape himself, tied everything together. It is a well-written and well-researched book about a fascinating man, a "cop's cop" from a bygone era. Pape wasn't called the Toughest Cop in America for nothing--he is said to have killed 9 criminals in the line of duty. He was also involved in some famous and lurid cases. Anyone who enjoys reading about true crime would find this book interesting.

Ready for the definitive work about a Chicago Police legend?
Author Chuck Adamson knows whereof he speaks. His former Police career as a Chicago Detective Sergeant honed his investigative skills and made him a master at observation. Between crime fighting and crime writing, he also developed his talent as a deft and talented storyteller. As everyone who upholds Chicago's
'thin blue line' knows, Captain Frank Pape was a cop's cop, a larger-than-life lawman who knew how to get the job done. In this important biography, we see that Chuck Adamson has achieved that same distinction. He delivers the gospel acording to cops with a straight shot, one-two punch that will leave you reeling.
If you're ready for a bout with the champs, both in subject matter and author's engaging style, this book's a knock-out!

If you've ever felt more sympathy for a crime offender than for the victim, don't bother to read this book. If you believe there's a social excuse for every crime committed, don't bother to read this book. If you think one person can't have a telling effect on law enforcement in a major city, don't bother to read this book. But if you want to read the story of a remarkable police officer who profoundly influenced not only other police officers but large segments of the city of Chicago - not the least of whom were the hundreds of violent criminals removed from the streets because of his efforts - then this is the book for you. Not many readers will "enjoy" this book, but hopefully many will be forced to think about current crime conditions, how things have sunk to this level, and who is most responsible for this situation. If you don't like tough answers to tough questions, then "The Toughest Cop in America" is not the book for you. Dan Schrager, Prescott, AZ

Charles Adamson, is more than qualified to write this story. Having spent many hours of his own on surveillance, having worked with the best of the best Chicago has to offer, Charley brings a bled of humor and insight other authors lack. If you want to know more about a bygone era, the world of police Captain Frank Pape, it is a story worth reading.

~Hal

As a former crime reporter in Chicago, I was always well aware of the legend of Frank Pape, even if he retired before I started my career.
Chuck Adamson does a very good job telling Pape's story overall, although at times he tends to preach. If he would have left certain things unsaid, I believe the readers would understand -- instead of pounding his point over and over again. I know that most of the readers will probably not be familiar with the workings of the Chicago Police Department, but Adamson tends to speak down to his readers in some sections of his book, which at times reads like a campaign to get Pape's badge on some Fraternal Order of Police wall. As an eighteen-year CPD veteran, Adamson no doubt has insights others do not. The problem is, he cannot seem to make his mind whether or not he wants to be part of the story or not. All that being said, I really did enjoy the book.
Adamson did a fantastic job researching and storytelling, making me identify with Pape and his co-workers. Pape has since passed away since the book was published -- it would be nice if Adamson wrote an epilogue and if the publisher cleaned up some of the typos!

I laughed, I cried, and came out wiser from reading "Tragedy in Paradise". I only wish there were another Doc Weldon out there, somewhere, who would write the sequence to the plight of the Lao people in Laos, be they Lao Loum, Lao Theung, or Lao Soung.

I met Dr. Charles "Jiggs" Weldon several times many years ago. He was somehow related to my mother (I am ashamed to admit that I haven't kept up with such things, until recently). I only wish that I really knew enough about the man at that time to sit and talk with him about his experiences in Laos, I really had no idea. Jiggs Weldon has written a fantastic book about the struggle in Laos and the futile efforts to support the Laotian people in their battle against the communists. He goes into detail about his experiences taking care of the civilians and soldiers. It is basically a collection of short stories that pieced together tell the story of his time in Laos. They had to battle the communists and fight the U.S. Government for adequate funding. This is a must read for anyone having interest in the events of Southeast Asia. Ultimately when the U.S. left Viet Nam, Laos was abandoned to the communists and the Royal Laotians were butchered by the Pathet Lao and their mentors, the North Vietnamese (who were financed and equipped by China). It was clear that Dr. Weldon loved the Laotian people and was heartbroken by the outcome. I always figured that is why he never came back to the U.S. and died in Thailand in 2002.

An amazing disclosure of the real facts of the American secret war in Laos. Dr.Charles "Jiggs" Weldon died recently. He,no doubt, deserves a prayer of gratitude from all of us for the gift of his compelling memoir.

Charles Weldon (``Doc'' to most) has done us and the future a favour by writing his account of what surely was one of the most heroic, saddest wars of the 20th century. A legend in his prime during the height of the conflict in Laos, ``Doc'' Weldon paints a highly personal, sometimes emotional picture. The book is one of the few public recollections by the small group of men and women who participated in the Laos war of the 1960s and early 1970s. Tragedy in Paradise is extremely readable.

It is a series of short chapters, each detailing an event in the Weldon tour of Laos. It details how he fought for aid money from skinflint Washington, and worked to establish a health system in a country which had nothing but a desire for one. The central figure is the crusty but kindly doctor, a caregiver by choice and administrator by order of the penny-pinching bureaucrats. Most them don't really care too much about Laos or its people, so long as the regulations are followed and the career tickets are punched. A main figure is one of those Laotian legends, Edgar ``Pop'' Buell, who could have been the model for the Ugly American. Buell made a deserved reputation as a dedicated friend of Laos, its people and particularly his beloved Hmong.

In short, though, the book describes, in startling detail, how this tragic little war was lost, in the eyes of the men and women at the sharp end of the stick. It shows the duplicity of the senior Americans involved.

Doc Weldon is one of the truly heroic and most-beloved figures of the war years in Laos. He once again serves all Americans well by recording the events of his time and reminding us what it means to be an American. Great things can be accomplished even in pursuit of a lost cause.

Great listen. If you want to hear juicy things about the most famous presidency, just buy this. It is great. Geoffrey did a great job on the writing, narrative, editing.. everything. Just get it, listen to it, and listen again. The closest thing you will get to the court room

Thanks Geoff!

I just let this run continuously when driving in my car. I bet I've listened to it 25 times already! The details are unbelievable. Linda was a real _itch to do this to a "friend" but it's a good thing she did or that A-hole never would have been caught. Monica talks in intimate detail about her affair with Bill...dates, places, activities, etc. There are 22 hours of tapes in all; this is just the best parts. Makes you want to say to Ms Tripp "get a life!" but it's a great listen!!

I was practically upsest with getting this tape. And the results - awesome! You finally get to hear Tripp and Lewinsky in their own words! I've never been so please. 5 stars all the way!!!

YOU CAN NEVER REALLY KNOW HER UNLESS YOUR HER FRIEND, SHE CAN BE INTERVIEWED BUT IT IS NOT THE REAL HER........THIS IS!

While I do not endorse Linda Tripp taping her former friend, Monica Lewinsky, I was interested to hear the conversations that they had about Monica's affair with Bill Clinton. It was amazing to me that Linda would betray her one-time friend the way she did, pretending to try and "help" Monica find out who it was who "ratted" on her. While all along, it was Linda Tripp herself who leaked the information out! It really makes you wonder....can anyone really be trusted in this world?? Is someone taping my conversations??

Turkey is known with its peaceful Islamic movements and among them is the Nurcu movement to which Gulen belongs. Although the Turkish political establishment views Gulen's educational activities with suspicion, he preaches tolerance and co-existence in a pluralistic cultural environment. The book appears to be the first study, a compilation of good articles on the movement he leads. Some of the articles concentrate more on his ideas and views than analyzing the movement itself. Particularly noteworthy are pieces by Hakan Yavuz, Yasin Aktay, Elisabeth Ozdalga, Ahmet Kuru, John Voll and Hasan Kosebalaban. Overall the book is a timely study particularly in the context of strong anti-islamic movements around the world, with the rhetoric that Islam breeds violence. The book shows that this accusation is largely false using the empirical case of Gulen movement. It reminds the readers that Islam like any other religion is interpreted in a particular context shaped by political, social and economic conditions.

This academic work is of a high standard. It Brings out of the mist the work and thoughts of Gulen. He is a remarkable individual who serves others through different activities, particularly in these difficult times where Muslims and Islam are so misunderstood. Of speacial interest to me was the paper by Thomas Michel. I look forward to a greater analysis and research into his interfaith activities.

As a first in this kind of academic attempt, this book is very successfull. The articles especially took my attention are ones from Elisabeth Ozdalga, Ahmet T. Kuru, and Zeki Saritoprak. Elisabeth Ozdalga's research subject is an interesting one which should be expanded in the future. Ahmet T. Kuru's article is compact and very well organized. I liked the conclusion part clever. 4 points explained in detail needs further detailing -which might be a subject for a whole new book-

Thank you to all the authors who contributed to such an excellent guidebook about the Gulen movement. This education-centered modernization is no doubt being watched by many people all around the world with an increasing curiosity. I would hope to see more books on this issue in the future.

Being the first academic book on Gulen, I think this book serves a very important purpose. The articles cover variety of his and his movement's aspects, neverthless there seems to be a lot of room for new studies to cover all of them. The most interesting articles are the ones written by Ahmet Kuru, Thomas Michel and Zeki Saritoprak. I congrulate all the authors and the editors of the book for their nice work. It is also very nice to have the book with this affordable price.

A great book for understanding what really shapes foreign policy and for also explaining todays foreign conflicts. Keylour covers everything from WW1 to the present reaching from the US, & Europe to Asia and the Middle East. If you want to know more than what CNN will tell you, check this book out.

The Twentieth Century World opens with a prologue that examines international relations at the outset of the twentieth century and sets the stage for the rest of the book. The book's three major sections then examine the period bracketed by the two world wars, which was characterized by German expansionist aspirations and attempts by the other major powers to contain them, the cold war era characterized by superpower rivalry, and the post-cold war era characterized by increasing disorder in international relations.

Author William Keylor is consistently strong in describing how geopolitical forces - geography, demographics, technology, and finance - affect national development and international relations. He shows that political arrangements need to be consistent with the operation of these forces to be successful. But he does not imagine that international relations are determined entirely by objective forces: he recognizes that ideas are important too. For example, because it holds itself out as a model of democracy, the United States is judged by the same ideals that it professes. The ideologies of democracy and national self-determination advanced by the United States have not eliminated its self-interested behavior but they have constrained it. Keylor also recognizes the role of leadership in international relations. For example, he describes how competent and farsighted leadership in many Asian countries has helped produce impressive economic growth over a period of many decades, lifting hundreds of millions of people out of poverty and exerting pressure on neighboring countries to adopt similar export-oriented policies.

In fact, I found his explanation of development processes in East Asia to be particularly illuminating. He describes how Japan pioneered a development path based on trade and government coordination of large, oligarchic export companies. Japan first specialized in textiles and other manufactures that relied on cheap labor. By postponing consumption and sustaining a high rate of savings and investment over an extended period of time, the Japanese achieved a comparative advantage in accumulating capital for investment in capital-intensive manufacturing industries. Finally, having developed a cadre of highly qualified scientists, technicians, and engineers, the Japanese became world leaders in high technology industry. This same developmental path was successfully replicated by the Asian Tigers (South Korea, Taiwan, Singapore, and Hong Kong), and is being followed now by the ASEAN countries.

The Twentieth Century World, now in its fourth edition, is suitable for lower-division undergraduate courses and will also be of interest to the general reader. It includes many useful and attractive maps but no footnotes. The book also includes a 23-page critical bibliography, two glossaries, and a detailed, reliable index. Since I finished the book a couple months ago, it has served me as a reference several times.

The Twentieth-Century World: An International History, by Dr. William R. Keylor, has been recognized as one of the foremost sources for a historical account of the twentieth century by several professors, students, and other applicable parties alike, and for good reason. There are several factors to take into account when determining the merit of such a text, including the tenability of the text, the efficiency of its organization, the cogency of its material, and its physical practicalities in terms of design and dimension, not to mention the price. This text is an assessment, in narrative form of twentieth-century world history which provides comprehensive coverage of affairs related to the United States, Latin America, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, all of which is up to date as recently as the year two thousand. Dr. Keylor presents the political, diplomatic and military history of the twentieth century while putting an appropriate significance on the effects of economics as well as on the bearing that geopolitics has over a country, both of which are often overlooked. In doing so, this text sheds light on important yet presumably subtle factors that have played important roles in the development of twentieth-century international history. While this account of international relations in the twentieth century is not only concise and depicted with convincing sensibility, Dr. Keylor manages to accomplish this with coherency and clarity, which substantiates a prepossessing flow from page to page. Perhaps one of the most appealing factors of this text is the language, which is straightforward and understandable without diminishing the quality of the material or compromising its effectiveness. In fact, this method likely affords Dr. Keylor to reach a wider audience that ranges from the individual with only an intermediate comprehension, to the educated and experienced history buff. Furthermore, another important element of this text is its ability to cover the history of the twentieth century concisely and clearly, in an intense analytical framework without boring the reader. This fact is among many of the others which separate it from many of its rivals.

This concrete account of international relations in the twentieth century stands out in its clarity and coherence. And unlike many history books, it's not BORING, perhaps because it offers more than merely a narrative account; it is also set within an analytical framework. My attention was thoroughly held as Professor Keylor imparted his insight into the struggle among the major nations in the world for power, prosperity and prestige. Everything seemed to click into place, and the chapters just flow into one another. As Paul Kennedy said of it: " ...The style is pleasing and extremely lucid, and the emphasis on economic and geopolitical trends is greatly to be welcomed... An excellent synthetic work, and one which can be recommended to students and to interested laymen alike."

Dr. Keylor portrays the political, diplomatic and military history of the twentieth century in the most understandable and straightforward language. He shows how history is responsible for what is currently happening around us, and why we should know the causes of the conflicts he writes about. He pays special attention to World War One, the rise of facism, World War Two, the rise of the Cold War, Latin America and the US, Africa, the Cold War in Asia, Israel and the Middle East, the triumph of and expansion of capitalism throughout Latin America and East Asia, the end of the Cold War, arms control and many other topics. The book is a very valuable reference for any student of law, international relations, politics or anyone else who wants to know more about the world that we live in.

I have been involved in the health care sector for some time now but have never viewed the formation of US health policy in the way describe by the author. I find it insightful and adds to my understanding of the topic of health care in the current presidential campaigns.

Working on my thesis on the US healthcare system and some legal issues surrounding it (don't worry; I won't go into it here), I recently discovered this book and must sing its praise.

Dr. Govern's writing style is engaging and he provides here a concrete and strong analysis of his subject.

I recommend to anyone this book for a thorough and thought-provoking look at problem definition and the history of US Health Policy.

With the insight gained from Govern's book, I now better understand why U.S. health care policy is in such shambles.

The dilemma of what to do about the many problems in healthcare in the U.S. is obvious given the great cost yet there are so many people who are underserved. The solutions are based on how the problems are framed. Frank Govern provides an insightful and refreshing look into our country's health policy or lack thereof. Given the necessity to effectively solve this problem and the visibility of health care policy in our Presidential election, this book provides extraordinarily valuable information and perspective.

I have been in the health insurance industry for years. I have seen attempts at national health insurance changes come and go without really understanding why. Now I have a much greater appreciation of the compexities from Govern's book.