Services Books

As a corporate social responsibility professional, I am always reading to expand my CSR tool belt. "Cause for Success" proudly joins my list of "must read". In her book, Ms. Arena provides specific examples of the strong business case and social need for corporate citizenship. Each case study includes valuable reflections from business executives, and measured outcomes of the organizations program. While the entire book is worth reading, Ms. Arena also provides several boxes in each case study that highlight program components and quotes that are extremely useful for future reference. For me, it is a great tool that will assit me in presenting the case for CSR initiatives in an enterprise. Thank you Ms. Arena.

Cause for Success recently won FIRST place for "Best Business Book" at the Nautilus 2005 Awards ceremony that honored books that contribute significantly to conscious living and positive social change.

According to the editors at Marilyn McGuire & Associates, Inc., the company that hosted the awards: "There is hardly a wasted word in this succinct homage to ten corporate exemplars who prove that "conscious business" is not an oxymoron. These high-purpose companies are changing the face - and the principles - of standard business practice with a diversity of commitments to ethics, partnership, economic justice, environmental wisdom, and service to a greater good. In a world of rampant corporate malfeasance, it's heartening to know that companies with a soul do exist, and are thriving because of it."

Cause for Success was a most inspiring book. Ms. Arena helped me to realize even more ways to better run my business. It helps to know that the big guys are working hard to do what they can too.

Thank you Ms. Arena for writing an articulate, interesting and exciting book.

"Cause for Success presents fascinating insights into a new paradigm for business success in the twenty-first century. It shows how a leading set of "high-purpose" companies moved beyond charitable giving and used constructive social engagement as the central means of improving their performance in the marketplace."
- Bradley Abelow, Global Head of Operations, Goldman Sachs

"At a time when business confidence is depleted and cynicism about corporate conduct rampant, Christine Arena raises our sights and expectations. She reminds us that the companies which seek to make both a difference and a profit are the same ones that attract the most gifted, committed and ambitious people. The cycle of virtue she describes is rooted in real case studies, not wishful thinking. Cause for Success is a cause for cerebration as well as celebration."
- Richard D. Parsons, Chairman and CEO, Time Warner

"I loved this book. It will help all leaders redefine success in broader, longer-term ways previously overlooked in traditional business analysis."
- Jonathan S. Lavine, Managing Director, Bain Capital

"The way that businesses are run has a profound impact on the lives of pretty well everyone in the world, including those in the poorest countries. Christine Arena's book shows through the use of inspirational examples that companies and their leaders can establish a powerful new role for business in society. An important call to arms for all business executives to recognize the vital responsibility they have in this world."
- Philip Rowley, President, AOL Europe

"Cause for Success demonstrates the power of innovation and leadership. CEOs that recognize the true costs to communities and the planet of unfair or unsafe business practices, and who therefore commit themselves to a better way, have actually built highly profitable and widely respected companies. By examining several well known and widely regarded examples, the author effectively argues that it is in fact the commitment to do the right thing that has differentiated these companies and driven their success."
- Amy Domini, President, the Domini Social Equity Fund

"In the face of mounting evidence of a world in disequilibrium, the compelling stories in Cause for Success inspire hope. They are stories of visionary leaders who are "redefining normal" in the business world, creating and nurturing companies that serve society. They remind us that it really is within our power to walk more lightly on this Earth."
- Liz Dowdeswell, President, Nuclear Waste Management Organization

"When you Google "success" the first hit should be Cause for Success! This is a rare book: interesting leaders, packed with useful knowledge, and well written and edited. Read it. Keep it close."
- John O'Neil, President, The Center for Leadership Renewal; and Author, The Paradox of Success

"An inspiring, compelling and highly readable set of stories about courageous corporate executives who have demonstrated beyond any doubt that social responsibility and a commitment to sustainability not only make the world a better place but also drive a better bottom line. This is a book that makes you excited about the powerfully positive role that corporate America is capable of playing in these perilous times."
- Tony Schwartz, Bestselling Author, What Really Matters

"Cause for Success makes a compelling case that the great companies of the future will be companies that have integrated the motive for profit with the imperative to care about their community and the environment. The common good and private gain are not contradictions but complements for skillfully navigating an integrating world."
- Jim Garrison, President, State of the World Forum; and Author, America As Empire

This terrific book clearly demonstrates how great companies achieved greatness - financially and socially - by taking on some of the world's worst problems. It defies critics who still contend that social responsibility is unrelated to business performance, and sets a higher standard that made me expect more, not only from my business, but from other companies that I support. It's one of the best books I've read this year.

Great story time book for children - especially for children whose parents/Grandparents have sheep! Even for those who don't, it helps to teach them that sheep can provide clothing, too.

I love this book. I bought it for my kids to give me for Mother's Day. I'm a handspinner and just love this story about Charlie the shepherd who needs a new cloak. He goes through all the steps from shearing his sheep to sewing the finished fabric together into a new cloak. It has great humor and is a fun read.

Tomie dePaola always writes such good books, that I don't worry if it will be good, I know it will be. I will be using this book to help with a yarn/fiber art unit in class. I have enjoyed reading it and I know my students will like it too.

I enjoy dePaola's books very much, but this one I am extra enthusiastic about. I work in a classroom of 3,4 and 5 year olds, and I am responsible for selecting literature for, and reading to, the younger children in the class. Sometimes when I am reading a dePaola book I have to cut some of the narrative to keep their attention. I don't have to do that at all with this book. This is a book that will keep the 3 year old's attention and still offer something to the older children as well. A lot of the charm of this story is the pictures which feature the action outlined in the text as to what Charlie is doing and also clearly represents the agendas of a spunky sheep and craftly mouse. YOung children love to discover these little "surprises" within the illustrations.

While I am a pre-service teacher, the second grade classroom that I am observing is currently working with _Charlie Needs a Cloak_and sequencing. The students are given the prompt of each of Charlie's actions on 'wool' pieces and then the students write 2-3 complete sentences using various punctuation. Also, there is a story within a story, which students (at least these 12 second graders) showed enthusiasm with prediction and sequencing. The story within a story format is one big reason why I am a fan of this book!

Great descriptions, unbelievable quality photos; compact. Never having visited Italy befoe, we wanted to travel in teh countryside, in Tuscany and the Lake District. We used the 'Editor's Choices'. Our first stay at Villa Simplicitas near Lake Como was perfect, like we were visiting friends, fabulous service and food, locally made aperitifs. It was inexpensive and fabulous. Just perfect. It set the tone for the trip, and what a relief to find, after driving from Milano and flying in from California. We stayed at other places and were perfectly informed by this guide. There's nothing as valuable as relief from worry when traveling in a foreign city, without speaking the language well.

Great descriptions, unbelievable quality photos; compact. Never having visited Italy befoe, we wanted to travel in teh countryside, in Tuscany and the Lake District. We used the 'Editor's Choices'. Our first stay at Villa Simplicitas near Lake Como was perfect, like we were visiting friends, fabulous service and food, locally made aperitifs. It was inexpensive and fabulous. Just perfect. It set the tone for the trip, and what a relief to find, after driving from Milano and flying in from California. We stayed at other places and were perfectly informed by this guide. There's nothing as valuable as relief from worry when traveling in a foreign city, without speaking the language well.

Great descriptions, unbelievable quality photos; compact. Never having visited Italy befoe, we wanted to travel in teh countryside, in Tuscany and the Lake District. We used the 'Editor's Choices'. Our first stay at Villa Simplicitas near Lake Como was perfect, like we were visiting friends, fabulous service and food, locally made aperitifs. It was inexpensive and fabulous. Just perfect. It set the tone for the trip, and what a relief to find, after driving from Milano and flying in from California. We stayed at other places and were perfectly informed by this guide. There's nothing as valuable as relief from worry when traveling in a foreign city, without speaking the language well.

This can be a very helpful starting point for your travel planning, containing useful information about many attractive, special places in Italy. In this modern era, however, it is also important for the reader to leap to the Internet for additional information before making those reservations.

That done, you will discover that there are several potentially disappointing errors in this book, most notably the transposition of the photos for the magnificent Villa San Michele (Fiesole; attributed to Michelangelo) with the Hotel San Michele in Cortona. The former is one of the most beautiful and expensive hotels in Tuscany, standing atop a hillside overlooking Florence. The Cortona San Michele (while quite nice) is a more modest, affordable hotel, on a steep, narrow city street. One can only imagine the dismay for the visitors who arrive in Cortona, expecting the first, and found themselves at the latter! "Certainly doesn't look like its photo, now does it?"

Tighter editing--- and diligent reader investigation-- is essential. But all totalled, a recommended starting point for travel planning, especially if you recall that ancient Roman admonition, "Caveat Emptor!"

Great descriptions, unbelievable quality photos; compact. Never having visited Italy befoe, we wanted to travel in teh countryside, in Tuscany and the Lake District. We used the 'Editor's Choices'. Our first stay at Villa Simplicitas near Lake Como was perfect, like we were visiting friends, fabulous service and food, locally made aperitifs. It was inexpensive and fabulous. Just perfect. It set the tone for the trip, and what a relief to find, after driving from Milano and flying in from California. We stayed at other places and were perfectly informed by this guide. There's nothing as valuable as relief from worry when traveling in a foreign city, without speaking the language well.

Originally published in 1995, this book was updated in 1999. My wife, who is in the Navy, found it in Singapore when her ship visited there. It is a wonderful book with delicious recipes, well explained procedures and clear illustrations, that calls for easily accessible ingredients -- no need to go to the non-existent "Indian foods store" all the other cookbooks send you to. Recipes are detailed and well-explained. I have over fifty books on Indian and South/Southeast Asian cooking in my library (most of them gathering dust), and this is by far the best. I use it every week, and friends and work colleagues demand the recipes. This is a book for the beginner and pro alike. I lived in London for years and had a lot of curry, and the results of these recipes taste authentic and are uniformly delicious. A great book!

I would recommend this book to someone who is not familiar with Indian cooking but enjoys the cuisine. It gives a basic idea of Indian cooking methods and Indian spices....people can play around with it a little to come up with variations on their own. I've cooked almost 50% of the recipes in it and have been satisfied with the result on 75% of them....not a bad record.
In case you're wondering, this review comes from an Indian who bought this book as soon as she got married to obtain a few Indian recipes. But now, I just look at the book to inspire me with new ideas.

Excellent pictures that guide you to delicious Indian Cooking, with useful tips, a great gift for a new bride

I am a native Indian; I LOVE this book. The dishes come out tasting VERY real; like a restaurant or even an Indian 'Dhaba'. I gave my copy to a friend for his wedding and have regretted my decision; I CANT FIND IT. Please help me someone.

I am a Native Indian and immigrated to this country and loved this book and all its illustrations and wish I could find it.

PLEASE HELP. Publisher please reprint.

More good fun from Chester Himes. On the plus side, he finally includes some entertaining sex. On the other hand, one of the main bad guys here (the "Colonel") is particularly flat and unbelievable. Also, as usual, the end is much less satisfying than the ride to get there.

Chester B. Himes wrote a series of "Hard Boiled" detective novels set in Harlem during the the 1950's and 60's. His two main protagonists were "Coffin Ed" Johnson and "Grave Digger" Jones, a couple of black police detectives operating in the seedy underworld of Harlem and New York City. Himes himself had served time for armed robbery in Ohio. While in prison he first read the works of Dashiell Hammet("The Maltese Falcon","The Thin Man",etc.)and decided that he could write similar fiction set in Harlem's vibrant African-American culture. He moved to France after his prison release and then began to write (in French!) his own brand of mysteries set in the New York City section that had become world famous for it's culture, nightlife and intellectual renaissance. The first of these mysteries was "A Rage in Harlem"(first published in French as "For Love of Imabelle" in 1959). Coffin Ed and Grave Digger were only minor characters in this first novel, but by the time of the 5th novel "Cotton Comes to Harlem" they were the stars of the series.

In "Cotton..." a ex con named Deke O'Hara scams $87,000 from a group of families who want to go to Africa to start a new life free from segregation and prejudice. Before O'Hara can abscond with the money a group of white gunmen steal it in the middle of the "Back to Africa" rally O'Hara is hosting and then escape. All this takes place in the first few pages, and the action only steps up the pace from that point on. Cotton Ed and Grave Digger are assigned to the case, and their brand of brutal, violent police work may not be always legal, but they have their own code of honor, which demands that they do all in their power to see to it that the families get their money back, as in most of the cases it amounts to their life savings. Through a maze of deceit and treachery filled with white supremacists, voluptuous women, scam artists, underworld informants, and real to life street people the two cops thread their way with both violence and guile. I won't spoil the ending, but suffice it to say that Himes delivers.

The book was made into a movie in 1970 which played up the humorous aspects of the book. While there is much mordant and cynical humor in Himes' writing, the book is much more than that, and deserves a place in the "Hard Boiled Detective" Hall of Fame. If you like this one I would recommend Himes' other works, especially "The Real Cool Killers".

A definite 5 stars.

The dialogue, the action, the characters, it's Harlem world and it's all here! What else do you want?

This novel has some of the same characters as Himes' Rage in Harlem. This is not a sequel and it is not imperitve that you read "Rage" first, but I think that you will like this book more if you have read about Coffin Ed and Gravedigger Jones in the early novel.

... The book doesn't concern Bible Flowers. It's about the efforts of two black detectives, "Grave Digger" Jones and "Coffin Ed" Johnson, to recover $87,000 in money stolen from a con-man/storefront preacher in 1960s Harlem. Along the way, Grave Digger and Coffin Ed encounter a few murders, a southern colonel, and a 50-pound bale of cotton.

Raymond Chandler wrote that detectives must walk the mean streets, but they must not themselves be mean. Well, Grave Digger and Coffin Ed walk the mean streets just fine, but the "not being mean" part gives them trouble; they doubt the feasibility of solving a case without, say, slapping around a few witnesses or firing a few shots into a crowd. Despite the detectives' unhesitating brutality, this novel compares well to the best of Raymond Chandler and Robert B. Parker. This is due not only to the spot-on dialogue and the stark, vivid character depictions, but also the detectives' uncompromising determination to bring justice to Harlem. The plot is better, i.e., less predictable, than any of Parker's, and Himes's depiction of 1960s Harlem is so bizarre, yet compelling, that it invites comparison to Carl Hiassen's Florida rather than Chandler's LA. Add to this Himes's unique, excruciatingly honest depiction of race relations in the 1960s, and you have one of the best detective novels I have read in years.

...

Just finished reading it (little hard to find copy) and once again Colin Wilson doesn't disappoint. I'm truly amazed at the amount of research the author put in. Recommended to readers who like true crime.
There are others who have said the same thing but Wilson's perspective makes all the difference.

I bought my initial copy of this book almost 30 years ago. I am drawn to re-read it every four to five years and everytime, am overwhelmed by the effortless blending of research and information into an exceptionably readable style. An academic myself, I know how difficult it is to explain complex ideas in simple terms, so I salute Colin Wilson for his fluid style and readability.

Essentialy, Mr Wilson's argument asks: "Can people be bad?" His discussion and evidence suggests firmly that, yes, people can be; which negates the "Nature Vs Nurture" debate which has raged steadily for so many years. His annecdotal examples support his hypothsis in a believable and compelling manner. I find this a facinating insight into the pychological make up of the distanced person, who views their fellow human almost as an abstract, whilst thinking: "As I am above this, I shall and can, do as I please."

A truly insightful study into the human mind and its depths. Essential reading for anyone who has ever wondered about the fundamental nature of humankind.

if you have ever read anything by colin wilson (certainly youve read "the outsider") then definetly read this book. The things this book can teach us about society and humanity is unparalelled in a 'simple' true crime fashion. One of our centuries greatest philosophers has an intriguing view on many things, yet quite often you will find yourself agreeing with much of what he says about us all.

I had read only one book by Colin Wilson ("The Outsider", of course) when I found a paperback in a used-book store. There followed a month of fairly intense reading, because "A Criminal History of Mankind" is fascinating from beginning to end, and many sections I read over again. Wilson divides the book into three main sections: 1) The Psychology of Human Violence 2) A Criminal Outline of History 3) The Age of Mass Murder. In the first section, Wilson notes that criminal actions have been motivated by the "hierarchy of needs":food, shelter, sex, and the need for admiration. (In recent years, we have seen those who commit murder in order to gain fame.) Wilson describes what he calls the "right man", a sociopath obsessed with image and self-esteem. Most of these people are life's losers, but not all. A startling exception is the successful comic actor Peter Sellers, whose son's biography shows Sellers to have been almost criminal in his manic, morbidly obsessive nature. The second section is, by Wilson's own admission, H.G. Wells' "Outline of History" from a criminal point of view, everything from ancient Athens to Victorian London. Interestingly, Wilson writes: "This book is centrally concerned with crime; but if we ignore the creativity, we shall not only fail to understand the crime: we shall miss the whole point of human history." The third section goes into our own era, the Bundys, the DeSalvos, the Mansons. Wilson spends a full 50 blood-drenched pages on the Mafia. The book, published in 1984, touches only briefly on the disturbing increase of children who kill. Along with the horrors, there are pages of incisive philosophy: "It is true that we cannot live without an ego; a person without an ego is little more than an idiot. Another name for ego is personality, and in artists, saints, and philosophers, the personality is a most valuable tool. Neither St Francis nor Beethoven nor Plato would have achieved much impact without their personalities. But the personality is a dangerous servant, for it has a perpetual hankering to become the master. Every time we are carried away by irritation or indignation, personality has mastered us."Violence will always be with us. A casual glance at yesterday's New York Times finds the coverage of a man who threw his baby from a 15-story window while bickering with his wife. But Wilson ends his riveting book with cautious optimism: Referring to the criminal as a distortion of humanity, he writes (and quotes the German poet Novalis) that when humanity itself is aware that this is only a nightmare, we are close to awakening.

The title is misleading... this is a work far beyond criminal history. It is comprehensive history and philosophical work... it is Colin Wilson at his best... and as always difficult to find but easy to read.

As with other 'Dummies' books this provides a pretty comprehensive overview of the subject. The authors are experienced professionals in the field and clearly have much expertise to share. The 'Dummies' books are laid out in an appealing and easy to digest way. Great to dip into for inspiration.

Simon Hazeldine Author of 'Bare Knuckle Customer Service', 'Bare Knuckle Selling' and 'Bare Knuckle Negotiating'

Customer Service For Dummies (For Dummies (Business & Personal Finance))

I have several of the dummy books and this is the best of the line that I have read. Whether you are already a professional or a beginner, this will give you tips and insights rarely considered. I would recommend it in a heartbeat!

I have taught a lot of classes in cutomer service in the information technology field. This is a great book to use for reference and discussions.
It teaches on a level almost anyone can understand, provides insites to customer satisfaction, and how to achieve it. It's filled with little gems like "answer the phone with a smile on your face." This book is an easy read and well worth the money.

As a Best Buy Consumer Relations representative we deal alot with the satisfication of customers & the products that they purchase at our stores. The level of service that i recieved with the purchase of my book was outstanding & the follow up on this has been nice. I would reccommend this service anytime , and look forward to my future purchases :)

This book is a must for those who are finding themselves just put in a situation where they must speak with customers. Gives insight into customer types, reminds on proper etiquette both on the phone and in person and in general makes communication more effective. Good for a geek (like myself) who is finding himself talking with the clients that (s)he supports more and more.

This book is so cute! It has a lesson in it about not trying to be someone you're not; It's best to just be who you are, plain and simple.

A lion, Dandelion, is invited to a friend's house for a Tea Party! I love that! WHO writes books anymore about Tea Parties?!?

Of course, it's authored and illustrated by my newfound favorite, Don Freeman! The illustrations are all in a rich gold and contrasting black. (The pink you see is just on the cover.)

As always, Don Freeman doesnt let you down with his storyline or his artwork.

We read this book first thing in the morning. Well, at 7:30 at night, my son brought this book up by saying, " I really like that Dandelion book. I wish you had more books like that one!" I looked up at him and he had the biggest grin on his face. He was all lit up! I think I'll read it to him again tomorrow morning!

I love the author, the message the story sends, the artwork and the fact that my boys enjoyed it so much, so that's why this one has made it to my booklist of favorites!

The reason why I think it is a great book for Tea Time is because I think it's neat to read books at Tea Time and especially neat to read story books about others having Tea Time!

A funny book about a lion for preschool through young readers. This was read over and over many times to my three children when they were younger and was one of their favorite books. I bought it this year for a gift for my nieces little boy.

This book is so cute. My son covers his ears as the part where Dandelion is not recognized by Jennifer the giraffe, in anticipation of his roaring voice. Another super book by Don Freeman. I wish there were more classic books like this one and his other books. It seems as though they have a moral to them and in this one, it's just to be yourself. Isn't that what we need to be teaching our children in these times? We read them over and over and I don't growl about it, I enjoy the books as well.

I use this book at school in teaching the children to like who they are and to know you do not have to dress in a certain way or wear you hair in a certain fashion to be considered special. The kids all love to hear the Dandelion story over and over again!

My 5 year old daughter takes this book out of the school library every week. Every once in a while we have to insist she gets something else because we're tired of reading it over and over. But it is a wonderful story with a very good lesson. I've decided to buy it so the other kids at school can have a chance to read the library copy.

My 85-year-old mother recently fell and severely fractured her hip. Unfortunately, she belongs to a Medicare HMO based in Southern California. Because of the nature of her fracture, she required pinning of her femur, a more extensive procedure than the usual treatment for hip fractures. The HMO which was contractually responsible for her care denied payment to the Skilled Nursisng Facility after l8 days, in spite of written reports from her physical therapists and her doctor detailing the remarkable progress she was making. Thanks to this book, we were able to appeal the HMO's denial, which was immediately again denied by the HMO. The appeal then went on to HCFA for review and the denial was reversed. This has saved my mom thousands of dollars. It should be required reading for anyone involved with HMO's!

Don't Let Your HMO Kill You is an invaluable resource which every family should have. It empowers the consumer to take charge of their and their family's health care. Drs Theodosakis and Feinberg bring both insight and useful advice to help the patient make the most of managed care. From better organizing your doctor's visit to learning how to successfully appeal a denial from your HMO, there is something for everyone in this powerful book.

Read this before you go to the doctor! It explains how to work with your doctors, rather than against them, to get the care you need. It points out why the red tape exists, why the doctors are bound by it, and how the two of you can get around it. This book should be issued to every patient. It will benefit doctors and patients alike.

This book is full of great advice for all of us who have been frustrated by dealing with an HMO. It lays out the reasons why managed care has problems, and then explains in plain language how to get good health care from a system that isn't set up to be patient-friendly. There are really good tips on how to get the most out of your plan. Instead of focusing on what's wrong, Drs Theodosakis and Feinberg tell you what you can do to make it work. They are especially good on telling how to build good relationships with the health professionals that you have to depend on within the HMO system.

As a physician who has dealt with many HMOs, I believe this will become the premier guide for people to get the best care out of whatever system they're using. It is about time someone put all of the secrets and resources in one place. Medicine has changed significantly in the last few years - right under the noses of most patients and doctors. It's caused frustration as quality care has diminished. This book will help you get back in charge. I think it should be given out by insurance plans as a guide to how patients should use the system. Congrats to the authors!

I would like not to see the parallels. Any rational and compassionate person should like not to see the parallels. But the parallels are there, and Miller lays them bare in this devastating and meticulous extended analogy.

This is an astonishing book. Its thesis is provocative, to say the least, and it may not be for everyone -- but if you've ever wondered if just maybe our current federal drug policy wasn't delivering quite what you'd hoped, crack this book open and prepare to lose sleep.

This is one of the most powerful books I've read in a long time. Richard L. Miller deserves an award. In this book, the author details the erosion of civil liberties by the current war on drugs. For those familiar with this area, he trots out the typical points: harsh penalties for minor violations and loss of civil liberties for all.

But what makes this book special is the author's analysis of legal issues and history. Richard Miller is an independent scholar who has written about Nazi justice (in "Nazi Justiz"). I thought his application of Nazi jurisprudence to the drug war was overkill at first. Little did I know just how wrong I was. As one reviewer put it, this book will help you lose weight.

What sets this book above the others on the drug war is that Miller explains how the war effects the innocent, and how innocence is no longer an adequate defense. In fact, Miller has a Justice Department official quoted as saying that innocence was not a defense to forfeiture of assets. He argues that asset forfeiture has corrupted law enforcement at all levels.

In one example, Miller tells of an elderly couple in one California county who owned a mutil-million dollar ranch adjacent to a national park. Apparently, the Park Service wanted the land, the local law enforcement the assets (in the form of the house, possessions, etc.). Thus, police had to get a warrant to raid the property. First, they searched it illegally. This is a typical tactic of DEA agents and local law enforcement, who search a house and either plant or discover evidence that they can use to get a warrent later. Regardless, the courts have determined that even illegal searches and seizures are acceptable in the war on drugs. All of this is documented in the book. Even in the illegal search, no drugs were discovered. An elderly couple, go figure?

If you think that stopped the police, DEA, et al., then you haven't read the book. One local officer testified before a judge that "thousands" of marijuana plants were being cultivated on the property. This testimony was based on a lie told to the officer by another. Although both were aware of the lie (and the couple's complete innocence of ANYTHING), this way neither officer could be chared with perjury. Needless to say, the judge issued the warrant.

During the raid, the husband was sleeping. He was roused awake by his wife's screaming and was shot to death as he put down his rifle, which he had becuase he thought he was being robbed and was defending his wife. The agents participating in the raid evicted the wife. Even agents of the U.S. Park Service were involved, in case you doubted their complicity.

It gets better. The location of the ranch was in a different county than the one in which the local police were from! They went out of their own jurisdiction for the express purpose of seizing property from people THEY KNEW were innocent. All of this was expressed by the county prosecutor (where the ranch was), when he said that they appeared to be motivated by a desire to obtain the property and assests of its owners.

This book is meticulously documented and researched. The analysis of the legal issues with references to the Nuremburg Tribunal and Nazi legal principles is stunning. As well as his telling of the internment of Japenese-Americans to demonstrate how segments of society can be treated if the propaganda warriors desire their elimination.

If you're not enraged by the time you're finished reading this book, your heart is dead.

The author has done the work and now the citizens must spread the "gospel". Like a seer Lawrence is able to anticipate the insane trajectory of where this drug war is leading. Though the picture he paints is ugly, if these drug warrior zealots are not vigorously challenged now he clearly shows how much uglier it will become. The evil of Nazi Germany and that of the US drug war are clearly shown to progress via the same chain of events: identification, ostracism, confiscation, concentration, and the final solution ie annihilation. Miller is an American hero doing the best he can to awaken conciousness.

This is one of the best books I have read. I am against prohibition. Many people are but whenever the subject comes up in conversation the retort to my sugestion that prohibition be repealed is typically something along the line of "all you want to do is smoke pot" ...followed by some chuckling and then some stories about the days when we use to get high as kids.
This book is not about smoking pot. It is about the use of the drug war and prohibition law to circumvent Americans civil liberties. It is very well written. It helped me to form reasonable counter arguments to the for mentioned statement such as... "is it OK to strip search a child?"
This book is made even more relative when used as background material to analyze what I witness while watching the Judge Alito confirmatio hearings.
The scariest part of this book is watching the events described come alive right before our eyes on C-span.
I think you should read this if you, like me, suspect that something is rotten in Denmark and the official version of what is happening just isn't making sense.

This book is an anomaly amidst the typical drug policy literature available. Miller's argument stems from his scholarship on Nazism. He applies Raul Hilberg's "chain of destruction" to the current "war," not on drugs, but on drug users. William Bennett was less than secretive about his abhorrence for those who used drugs, especially those "hard-core users who were too far gone to care about" - stated differently, the real issue is not the drugs themselves, but the type of people who use drugs. America is full of social problems, e.g. poverty, crime, &c.; problems that most politicians are timid in addressing because of the complexities involved in solving them. Yet, politicians need a platform to stand on and the American public needs a scapegoat. Drug users, that most alien element in the population, according to Miller, are the perfect group to identify, ostracize, confiscate, concentrate, and then annihilate as scapegoats for all the ills in society: in fact this sequence of stages is Hilberg's "chain of destruction." It is from his "seminal" study on the Holocaust, later published as: The Destruction of the European Jews, that Hilberg constructed his theory of the chain of destruction. Nazi Germany, like America, was in the throes of profound social discord and the public demanded a scapegoat. The Jews became the literal manifestation of a scapegoat for the German people. Hitler, faced with harsh social problems, exercised his own prejudices to isolate, blame and thus use the Jews as a scapegoat for Germany's problems. It was identification of the scapegoat with a real entity and the eventual acceptance of this scapegoat by a German majority that led to the conceptualization and employment of a "final solution" for the riddance of social ills from German society. Miller's argument is provocative, to say the least, in that he sees a direct correlation between the processes of Nazism and the processes of the "drug warriors." Moral indignation when it is directed toward a highly specified group of people can have disastrous consequences. Miller is not the only scholar who has applied the scapegoat theory to drug users in American society, but he is the first to take it to its disturbing, but logical end.