Washington Books

"Bad Neighbor Policy: Washington's Futile War on Drugs in Latin America," by Ted Galen Carpenter is arguably the best book ever written on the American war on drugs in Latin America. This book is engaging and enlightening. Moreover, it is one of the most thoughtful and perceptive analyses we've ever had on Washington's campaign against drug production in Latin America.

This book is truly special. The "Introduction" exposes thirty years of American failure. From there the author explains policy from Presidents' Nixon, to Reagan, to Bush and to Clinton. He then goes on to focus on the dangerous implications of Plan Colombia and of many other flawed strategies that create an "ugly American" image. Finally, the author's narrative arrives at Mexico and the potential for disaster.

In conclusion, author Ted Galen Carpenter bravely outlines a blueprint for peace and for ending the war on drugs. This man has unique vision and this is a very worthy book. Hats off to a tier-one scholar! Highly recommended.

Bert Ruiz

"Ted Galen Carpenter's new book is an indispensable, up-to-date examination of `Washington's futile war on drugs in Latin America,' as its subtitle states the topic. The author, a vice president at the Cato Institute, surveys the history of this policy, dissects the `ugly American' tactics used to carry it out, and concludes with `a blueprint for peace.'

"The title Bad Neighbor Policy cuts to the quick by twisting Roosevelt's `Good Neighbor' phrase of the 1930s to fit the current reality of destructive buck passing that characterizes the U.S. drug war in Latin America today. Most Americans, including drug policy analysts, seldom take this international aspect seriously. Although U.S. policymakers since the Cold War have trumpeted U.S. support for legal, democratic, and market reforms in the region, the `prohibitionist [drug] strategy works at cross purposes to all of these objectives' (p. 167). Indeed as Venezuelan American journalist Carlos Ball remarks, `The war on drugs has done more harm to democratic institutions in Latin America than all the communist guerrillas of the last four decades of the twentieth century combined' (personal correspondence, Ball to William Ratliff, June 24, 2003)....

"Public and government `hysteria' in America reached `record levels' in 1986 after the death of basketball star Len Bias from an overdose of cocaine. This hysteria provoked passage of the Anti-Drug Abuse Act and the declaration that drug trafficking is a national-security issue that requires significant involvement by U.S. military and intelligence forces. The invasion of Panama to seize Manuel Noriega in 1989 was the most overt U.S. military intervention to date....

"The core of recent drug policy is the Plan Colombia, originally an integrated $7.5 billion project that was born dead during Clinton's last years. Little beyond the antidrug military component (about a quarter of the total) was delivered (by the United States), while the economic and other development aid depended in large part on nonexistent Colombian and seldom forthcoming European funds. Neighboring countries have become unwilling hosts to drug producers and traffickers driven out of southern Colombia by expanded eradication campaigns -- the inevitable `push-down, pop-up' phenomenon.... Arrogant policies -- such as the potential annual `decertification' of Latin American governments that are determined not to have `cooperated' enough with the United States -- have weakened fledgling institutions, angered the public (who think the United States should be decertified), and driven peasants into the arms of narcoguerrillas. `The bottom line,' Carpenter notes, `is that, no matter what the specific configuration of tactics, the supply-side campaign against illicit drugs is doomed to fail. As long as there is a substantial global demand for those drugs, the supply will continue to flow' (p. 121). In the end, as The Economist has stated, `by any reasonable measure, America's "war on drugs" is a disaster' (May 3, 2001, qtd. from the on-line edition).

"In his final chapter, Carpenter concludes that the only way out is drug legalization -- that is, `treating currently illicit drugs as alcohol and tobacco are now treated' (p. 232). The book's strength, however, is its detailed dissection of U.S. drug policies in Latin America, not its summary statements (however much we may agree with them) on other matters that must be examined in detail when changing a complex, fundamentally flawed, decades-old policy with vast international repercussions. The monster the U.S. government has nurtured in Latin America and beyond is now on its own seeking whom it may devour....

" ...Rather than dodging this dilemma, we need to highlight it, pointing constantly to the baleful international consequences of the prohibitionist drug strategy and to the extremely difficult options it throws in the laps of American policymakers, who of course made the bad policies in the first place and are in a position to change them. Most Americans are moralistic about foreign policy, so one important tack would be to emphasize the moral abomination of this policy, abroad as well as at home.

"Some other recent studies touching on Latin America offer valuable supporting or contrasting perspectives. Ivelaw Griffith's edited volume The Political Economy of Drugs in the Caribbean (New York: St. Martin's, 2000) and Robert MacDoun's and Peter Reuter's coedited book Cross-National Drug Policy (London: Sage, 2002) touch on many of the broad issues. The latter includes a thoughtful essay by Francisco Thoumi. Robin Kirk's More Terrible Than Death (New York: Public Affairs, 2003) relates many examples of the horrors in Colombia and places great responsibility on the United States, but for the most part it targets users, not government policy. Russell Crandall's Driven by Drugs (Boulder, Colo.: Lynne Rienner, 2002) provides considerable detail on how drugs drive U.S. policy toward Colombia. My essay co-authored with Edgardo Buscaglia, War and Lack of Governance in Colombia: Narcos, Guerrillas, and U.S. Policy (Stanford, Calif.: Hoover Institution Press, 2001), focuses on domestic as well as international factors affecting drugs and chaos in Colombia. Articles by Pamela Falk and Kenneth Sharpe in Stephen Thompson's edited volume The War on Drugs: Opposing Viewpoints (San Diego: Greenhaven, 1998) are useful, but their brevity illustrates how even books that bring together drug war specialists seldom look seriously at the problem's international aspects. Finally, a different twist in several ways is Walton Cook's Buzzword (Boalsburg, Pa.: Public Policy, 2001), a novel that discusses the possible control of narcotics-producing plants by the use of natural or enhanced organisms."

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Excerpted from a review by William Ratliff in "The Independent Review," Winter 2004.

This is almost the same book as Mirage, published by the same authors in 1997. The only difference I noticed after a quick review in the bookstore is the addition of a 20-25 page epilogue that deals with the recent budget surplus and how it came to be. The epilogue is good, but I wish it were longer.

Mirage/Balancing Act is a great book. If you read David Stockman's The Triumph of Politics, and wondered how we got out of the budgetary hole in which we found ourselves about the time of Stockman's departure, Mirage/Balancing Act is an fascinating update. Happily, Mirage/Balancing Act is even more balanced than Stockman's work.

Hager and Pianin have a transparent writing style that is a pleasure to read. As a result, the reader effortlessly absorbs the detailed information that they present.

Perhaps Mirage/Balancing Act will receive the attention it merits when Congress and the President face up to the still-considerable budgetary issues that remain to be resolved on a more permanent basis than they have been to date. Read this book and stay tuned.

When assigned to read a book that covered the history of the budget deficit crisis for my Grad school class I was less than overwhelmed with excitement. However, these authors make the complicated history of the budget so interesting and gripping, I couldnt put it down. Though a slow reader, i must admit, I was able to finish this off in less than a week. The discussions it inspired in class were lively and germane to the world today. I could not recommend this book more highly!

This story of a small college that made football history is a blockbuster. Little Washington and Jefferson College, averaging about 400 students, from 1890 through 1935 played the likes of Pitt, West Virginia, Notre Dame, Penn State, Syracuse, Army, Navy, and a host of others. And W & J won far more of these games than it lost.There are loads of interesting pictures, including a monster bonfire in 1909 at WVU as Mountaineeer enthusiasts implored their team to "incinerate W & J." (But W & J won, 18-5.)The small Pennsylvania college produced many All-Americans, including Wilbur F. Henry, all-time All-America tackle; Deacon Dan Towler, who went on to a great pro career with Los Angeles; Tackle Russ Stein, who starred on W & J's 1922 Rose Bowl team; and Johnny Spiegel, halfback who led the nation in scoring in 1913.W & J produced the first black quarterback to play in the Rose Bowl, Dr. Charles "Pruner" West. This book has the entire Pruner story -- Washington and Lee refused to play the Presidents if Pruner played. The W & J players elected not to play if Pruner did not. The game was called off. In "Battling..." you'll also read about two of the strangest plays in football history, the nasty words WVU adherents used for Pruner West, and W & J's return to grid prominence in the 1990s after decades in the doldrums.

Lee North has done a superb job of recording the early history of football... the first team to wear numbers, the first indoor game, the first college powerhouses and their now famous coaches. Nicely illustrated and laid out. A must for all football enthusiasts!

The author is justly proud of his brother "Bernie Whitebear". The book provides many facts and stories of Whitebear's accomplishments in fighting for Indian rights. Many of these facts can be be authenticated by going on-line and reading newspaper articles from that time.

I knew Bernie Whitebear while I was a teenager in Seattle and he was the first Urban Indian leader I had met. Over the course of time, I found him to be a person who mentored youth and he was a visionary in a very enlightening period for Urban Indians in Seattle. His perseverance and dedication is a testament to his character and reading the book written by Lawney, his brother, about their upbringing makes all the pieces in the puzzle fit and make sense. He came from a humble background (perhaps "poor" as far as wealth) but also one that was rich in morals, values, traditions and culture. This book was a very good read.

Good reference of some of the favorite multi-day bicycle tours in the Northwest.

While there are several multi-day trips in the guide, this book is targeted at the more serious recreational rider who is looking for day rides of 25 to 60 miles. It covers quite a large area, mostly in Washington State, with general and detailed descriptions of the routes, augmented by line maps. One nice feature is that it details the vertical profile of each ride so you can see what you're getting into when it comes to climbing hills at various milage points in the rides.

I've ridden about 1/3 of the routes and have found the rides well planned and accurately described. There is always a place to stop for a break near mid-way, and often alternatives to shorten or lengthen the trip. A great book to get you in touch with quiet roads or bike trails that you otherwise may never discover.

This new guidebook to hiking in the coulee, sage and Palouse east of the Cascade crest fills a void in learning about and discovering a region that many overlook when contemplating an outdoor adventure. Many of the hikes and areas described may be foreign to many "westsiders", and some even to their neighbors in eastern Washington! One of the particular thrills in reading through the guidebook is the sense of discovery on finding out things about a land that many have dismissed as a wasteland and habitat for the occasional rattlesnake, tick, lizard and sage plant.

One soon finds out the truth very quickly with the help of Alan Bauer's photography and the writing of Dan A. Nelson. One of the greatest things about the region is that it's a perfect antidote to the wet and gray fall through spring of the Westside. Fall and Spring are mild, winters cold but generally dry with just a dusting of occasional snow. The region is abundant with all kinds of wildlife and without the thick forest can be seen much more readily. The wildflower show in spring is not to be missed either.

I have done a few of the hikes they describe and a whole new world has opened up for future enjoyment. Interestingly, though with most of the 100 hikes featured in the book they are describing a physical trail, jeep track or game trail, they stress that due to the mostly wide-open layout of the land the hiker has the freedom to roam whenever or wherever the need strikes them. Of course private property and common sense needs to be paid attention to!

The book is chockfull of helpful info such as a long list in the front breaking down each of the 100 hikes (in the same order as they appear later in the book) by the name, total distance, hiking time, difficulty and season it can be hiked in. A good introductory chapter gives you background on the region and how to prepare for it. Then follows the 100 hikes covering an area from just east of the Cascades, north to the upper Grand Coulee, east to Kamiak Butte near the Idaho border and south to Twin Sisters Rock near the Oregon border. Hikes range in altitude from the Saddle Mtns to the shores of the Columbia River and inside vast canyons and coulees to vistas over wildlife-teeming pothole lakes.

Each hike begins with the necessary info like mileage, degree of difficulty, elevations, maps and permits that are required that anyone familiar with a hiking guidebook would expect. What is nice is a quality photo for each trip (though a shame more are not in color- they are stunning) and a good map, plus accurate directions to get to the trailhead and the hike description itself- where the authors enthusiasm and delight in each spot is contagious!

I eagerly await the next chance to explore more of the region Bauer and Nelson have brought to light in this fine guide. It's a must-have companion for central-eastern Washington hiking.

OK, I'm not a big fan of the east side of the Washington Cascades BUT when there is so much snow in the mountains, the east (dry) side of the state looks a little more interesting.

In my heart, I'm a west-sider but I grew up and am currently in the Yakima Valley. Throughout my life (I'm now somewhere in my middle ages), I never knew there were things to do around here on the dry side! This book showed me so many things about the Yakima area and other areas on the dry side. And dry doesn't mean boring!

Herds of deer and elk, eagles, bluejays and avian galore! The flowers in the spring are gorgeous! We even have a cactus - needles and all but in the spring, a fantastic bright fushia bloom can be found on it. The views are outstanding and are comprised of huge mountains, rolling hills, canyons, as well as wild and tamed rivers. Here and there you even get to go through tunnels and visit old ghost towns.

With this book I've found plenty of things to do when the weather up in the mountains becomes too foreboding. And I'm very glad I have done so!

This lovely, little cookbook combines recipes and fun, inside-the-loop stories about prominant Southern figures. I thoroughly enjoyed Vicky Moon's book "Middleburg Mystique," and I'm glad this book is just as good.

Vicky Moon has assembled a nice assortment of Southern salad recipes that take the reader up the eastern coast, from the Florida Keys to Northern Virginia and Washington, D. C. She calls it "Margaritaville to Egoville." The book is witty with bits of humor and antidotes about her travels.

BEST DRESSED SOUTHERN SALADS has a catchy title and the small, but compact book is filled with some luscious sounding recipes. I like the small size of the book, because you can easily take it with you to the grocery store when you shop for the dressing and salad ingredients.

I tried several of her salads and enjoyed them. I'm looking forward to trying more recipes as we get into the summer months when our produce is at its peak.

It is the most accurate rated hiking book I've owned (I have alot) and most used I would also say its an accurate place to start if your out of shape the ratings are realistic you dont feel like your regretting it half way threw the hike You finish without feeling like the only thing you lost is a few pounds (not your mind or breath) your kids arent whinning and are ready for the next one!!!!

I have purchased several copies of this book, everytime a new edition comes out actually. I can't believe I am the first to review it. If you are a parent and you are new to hiking with kids in the western Washington region this will probably be the only book you need. It is superbly written, with great details on the hike itself,knowing ahead of time what difficulty level you are facing is a must in my opinion, as well as directions on how to find the trail head, tips and tricks to hiking with your children in a way that you will all enjoy it and so much more. I highly reccomend this book, you will not be disapointed.

I am lucky to have Professor Morrissey for my Photography class in Rhode Island and his book has really touched me and made me look at my photos in a different way. He truly is one of the most sincere people I have met with amazing talent behind the lens.

There are several books with moving and important photographs of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. This one is a welcome addition as it focuses on the veterans and visitors to the Wall. Mr. Morrissey has obviously spent much time at the Wall and captures the feelings well.

Extremely user friendly -- great for use both by health care professionals and the general public. Very thorough, but not too 'dense'. As a postpartum doula, I recommend giving this to book to all the families you might work with.

This is a very easy-to-read synopsis of postpartum mood disorder. I highly recommend it to other care providers that work with new mothers (OB-GYN, midwives, doulas, pediatricians). It is cheap enough that a practice can buy several hundred a year so they can give out a copy to mothers who look like they are in need.

I am a childbirth educator that gives the Beyond the Birth booklet to my clients before they give birth. I make sure that partners, especially, are aware of its content, and give them all "homework" to read it and watch for mom's symptoms after the baby is born. With giving out this booklet, I feel that I am more effectively preparing the new parents for the inevitable hormone drop, relationship differences and social changes that accompany the birth of their baby.

Highly recommended. Easy to read, easy to give, full of information.