Independents Books

I almost feel a twinge of guilt in not giving this superior work a full five stars, as it a wonderful resource for those studying the rise and fall of detente.

Mr. Garthoff offers readers both breadth and depth in his study of superpower politics, bringing insights to the formulation of foreign policy as well as the policy makers themselves. The book goes in depth on every important event in US-USSR relations in the late 1960s through the end of the 1970s, with a particular strength in detailing the arms control negotiations of the period.

The only reservation I have is the particular emphasis on the details of the diplomacy of detente. This substantial work is perhaps not well suited to those who are interested in the broad strokes of Cold War history, but those who want to learn about the nuts and bolts of policy making will be pleased.

On the other hand, Mr. Garthoff handles his treatment of the details in a clear and straight-forward style, with explanations of technical matters written to be understood by both novice and expert historians. From ABMs to Zbignew Brzezinski, Detente and Confrontation explains it all.

Garthoff refutes the theory that the US state just responded to aggressive Soviet moves. He writes, "The Soviets' reaction to the NATO LRTNF [Long-Range Theater Nuclear Forces] decision was thus formed in the context of their belief - self-serving though it may have been - that their own modernization and replacement programs based on the SS-20 missile (and Backfire medium bomber) were consistent with maintaining an existing rough balance between the Soviet Union and the United States, and between the Warsaw Pact and NATO. The United States-led NATO decision was not a response, as claimed, nor a comparable modernization program. It was a major new escalation of the arms race and an attempt, by circumventing SALT [Strategic Arms Limitation Talks], to tip the overall strategic balance as well as the European nuclear balance to the advantage of the United States and NATO." (page 969.)

He also points out that the USSR was not an aggressor on the world stage, contrary to the lies put about by Reagan et al. As he writes, "All the cases of direct coercive use of Soviet military power occurred in its directly adjacent national security zone - Hungary (1956), Czechoslovakia (1968), and Afghanistan (December 1979-February 1989). Each case was unquestionably perceived by the Soviet leaders as strategically defensive and protective against counterrevolutionary challenges, although objectively and analytically the actions were coercive. While the defensive nature of the Soviet action may not have been accepted, the significance of the subjective perceptions of a defensive purpose should not have been neglected in evaluating the question of a Soviet propensity to use force and in predicting whether, where, and when the Soviet Union might again have done so.
On the whole the United States used its own military forces coercively more frequently ..." (page 744.)
On the Soviet intervention in Afghanistan, Garthoff wrote that to the Soviet leaders, "It was seen as the only solution to a specific situation on their borders that was threatening Soviet security." (page 1037.) "the Soviet decision was a reluctant recourse to defend vital interests." (Page 1074.)

Garthoff concludes, "There is no evidence that the Soviet leaders ever contemplated launching a military attack on the United States - or against NATO." (page 1153.) The US state, not the Soviet Union, raised the danger of nuclear war by its hodtility to any arms control agreements: as Gerthoff writes, "Regrettably, by the early 1980s, they [the Soviet leaders] came to see little prospect for arms control because of the shifting American stand. The United States had ratified none of the arms limitation treaties it had signed since 1974 and it had repudiated the SALT II Treaty signed in 1979." (page 1156.)
This extraordinary book gives a realistic picture of the US and Soviet records, and it gives the evidence needed to make intelligent judgements about world affairs.

This book is a bit dry, but it is an invaluable discussion of its subject, Soviet-American diplomacy in the seventies. Garthoff was a diplomat at the time, and his account is based on a wide reading of all availabe sources. Although neither side was as imaginative or informed or as sensitive as they should have been, Garthoff presents a compelling case that the United States was responsible for botching the opportunities for peace in this period. The case is even more compelling because Garthoff is so moderate and quiet in his argument. Much of the debate on detente has been confined to the Republican party, and to those Democrats who supported Republican policy. According to this limited debate, supporters of Ronald Reagan criticized the supporters of Nixon and Kissinger for their unduly idealistic view of a rapprochment with the Soviets. Naturally Nixon and Kissinger argued that their view was the height of realism. A slightly different version of this debate would be held in the Carter administration as national security adviser Zbigniew Brezezinski criticized Secretary of State Cyrus Vance while neoconservatives damned Carter as an appeaser.

With the possible exception of Vance these arguments were wrong from beginning to end. If Nixon and Kissinger ever believed that Russia could be a "normal power," they overreacted and panicked whenever the Soviet Union sought, like a normal power, to expand its influence. Out of spite towards Indira Gandhi and warped realpolitik, Kissinger and Nixon deluded themselves that India, with Soviet encouragement, was going to attack Pakistan while the latter was slaughtering Bangladeshis. In fact the opposite happened (and Pakistan lost). Garthoff shows how Kissinger and Nixon paid insufficient attention to the technicalities of the arms race, so the number of nuclear arms boomed in the aftermath of SALT I. Garthoff's account of the Yom Kippur war, in which Nixon was in a drunken haze and Kissinger brought the world to the brink of war because he panicked and incorrectly thought the Russians were going to intervene, is, as they say, worth the price of the book itself.

Similar problems occured in Angola, Yemen, Ethiopa and Afghanistan. Essentially knowing nothing about these countries, many Americans viewed them as part of a cunning Soviet plot to expand its influence. In fact Communist agression was exagerrated (as in Yemen), or the Communists were not the aggressive party (as in Ethiopia's war with Somalia). Americans saw the brutal Soviet invasion of Afghanistan as part of a cunning plot to seize the world's oil reserves, when in fact it was a strictly local response to the incompetence of the Afghani party. (Who in turn had come to power almost by accident. They had reacted to a crackdown by the military government and found themselves in power.) Garthoff's account of these countries is especially detailed and well-informed.

By the 1980 election conservatives had claimed that there was a window of vulnerability and that the Soviet Union could conceivably defeat the United States in a first strike. This was, as Garthoff shows, a fantasy. Most American missiles were not even in landed silos, and a far greater percentage of Russian missiles were. Even if the best possible Soviet scenario, they could not reasonably expect to destroy more than a fifth of the US arsenal. By contrast, the Americans in the worst scenario could threaten to destroy two-fifths of the Russian one. Garthoff's book ends in an atmosphere of fear and ignorance. One should read his sequel, The Great Transition, to read how the World got out of this mess.

Just such a great style of art that you don't see often in comics these days...or ever? And the writing was so tongue in cheek it was great! gotta love the detective inspector, he was my fave!!

Bret Herholz does something really great with his book, Diary. with astounding success, he has taken inspiration from greats like gorey and burton and used them to catalyze his own artistic innovations. His quirky, tongue in cheek and solid writing is beautifully supported by even more quirky, exaggerated figures and sketchy, victorian settings. His characters have a shallow outer shell that pushes his satire but ooze personality from the inside that allows for an interesting and exploritory read. I love it and you will too!

Hello! All i have to say is that if you are a fan of Edward Gorey's art style and quirky storyline, then you will love this graphic novel!

At 90 years of age, Relta Gray writes from a unique perspective. We so seldom get to hear the voices of writers her age and receive the benefits of their accumulated wisdom. The book is organized in a very thoughtful and easy to read fashion. I knew a lot of the information from my caring relationships with my own mother and grandmother, but Relta had a few insights that make the book well worth reading. It won't take long to read, but tidbits picked up can make a world of difference in your life and your relationship with your elderly friends and relatives. I hope that Relta will write another book of personal stories and anecdotes surrounding each of the points in this book.

Kudos to Relta Gray. She has hit the nail on the head when in comes to concerns of the elderly. It has helped me with my own mother and given me a better understanding of how she feels and her needs. Great book!

Every page in this short gem of a book has wisdom for anyone who loves and cares for an elderly or aging parent. The author writes clearly and honestly about the basics that can be so important to making life a bit easier, safer, healthier.

the book came quickly and it was in good condition--i was perfectly satisfied

Not really afull review as not had time to read all the book
(its a lot of pages) But so far seems quite comprehensive and detailed certainly some useful infomation and reasonably well organised in places , although in others picture layout of island groupings dont always make sense to what the text states,
but may be better giving a review after I have reade more (so far read about 25-30 pages which is really just all the intros
but never the less stillm info in here that would be really difficult to find easily elsewhere. For UK buyers, if you are buying a couple of books then order from the US if you dont need them straight away as its cheaper there, also the UK Amazon site dont list the 2006 version. I fot the rough guide at the same time to the greek islands both UK prices are £11.99
so it would 24 pounds plus delievry in the UK, and it only cost me 23 pounds ordering with delivery from the US

I have found this book very helpful in planning a trip to the Greek Islands. However do have one critiscm in that it is not very clear about the winter months,january to april.

At the same time that Benjamin Grierson was making his remarkable raid through Mississippi and on to Baton Rouge, another raid took place in the opposite direction. Poorly equiped and badly scouted, Colonel Abel Sleight's raid across northern Alabama could have been successful with better scouting and being better equipt.

Robert Willett has written an interesting story based on eyewitness accounts and regimental histories. This work, which is well cited, is the only in depth work on this raid. Perhaps the most unfortunate aspect of this work is that it will not gain the attention it deserves since it was not published by an academic press or written by an academic scholar. So much the loss.

I'm a great history student on Nathan Bedford Forrest myself. When I heard about this book, "The Lightning Mule Brigade" I immediately had to have it because I knew that NBF was involved in deterring Streight's Raid into Alabama. Bob Willett has done an outstanding job at pulling all the reference resources together into a great book about the raid. It has a lots of factual accounts that make for excellent reading about Forrest and Streight alike.

Okay, first of all let me start by stating that I was born and for the most part raised in Gadsden, Alabama. Abel Streight & Nathan Bedford Forrest practically stomped through my back yard while riding toward Rome, GA. What's odd about this is that most people from that area are only aware of Emma Sansom and her role. She was the brave 16-year-old girl who kept Forrest and his Calvary on the heels of Streight and his Mule Brigade. Most of us grew up seeing that statue of Emma Sansom right on the edge of the Coosa River Bridge at the end of Broad Street. This mislead me for years to believe it was the Coosa she helped Forrest cross - it was actually Black Creek that she helped him cross. As a teenager, I would go hunting and see "John Wisdom Trail" signs on old rural roads. For some reason... I never thought to ask, "Who is John Wisdom?" Of course all this was before the Internet. Now I know that John Wisdom is the "Paul Revere of the South" and rode farther, faster and longer than Paul Revere actually did. These are just a few of the interesting elements of Streight's Raid. A Google search sparked my curiosity and led me to this book. This is the only comprehensive work on Streight's Raid. Simply put, this story sells itself. Streight was a righteous and decent man who believed in his cause. Forrest was noble and brilliant... who also believed in his cause. I have read far too few books on the Civil War to offer a serious book review, but I will give you a few thoughts.

I feel as though it was a fair representation of both Union and Confederate point of views. The acute attention to detail and first hand accounts were beneficial to the storyline. I am not an avid reader of military battles, so this next comment should be taken with a grain of salt. I found some portions of the book to be a little confusing. On more than one occasion, I had to back up a page and read it again. Someone more educated in regard to the Civil War might have zipped through these sections with ease. This is the only reason I subtracted a star from the review. I strongly suggest this book to anyone who is a "Civil War Buff". If this were a movie, no one would believe it was non-fiction.

Robert L. Willett conducted his own raid into previously uninhabited territory, and for this I commend him. There were no major battles fought in Alabama during the Civil War. Maybe it is for this reason that Streight's Raid is rarely written about. Maybe it's because the outcome of Streight's Raid somewhat glorifies Nathan Bedford Forrest. It may be too taboo in today's politically correct environment to glorify the founder of the Ku Klux Klan - whose military tactics were admired and studied by Nazi General Erwin Rommel. The significance of Forrest's "victory" is strongly debated. Could this be the most overlooked raid of the Civil War? Not anymore...

As a new member to the Old Catholic Church
and a future seminarian i found this book
very helpful i think Bishop Queen did a great
job .

Perhaps the strongest aspect in favour of this text is that it is a book on American Old Catholicism by an American Old Catholic. So many texts about the Old Catholics, American and otherwise, are written by outsiders, who bring the biased lenses of their contexts and communities with them. Sometimes these biases are subtle and unintended, but sometimes they are quite deliberate. Needless to say, those who write from the inside similarly write with bias; in the case of Old Catholicism, there is still a long way to go to achieve a parity in sources that could approximate objectivity.

That being said, this text does strive for some degree of objectivity. There are few texts available on Old Catholicism; it is an obscure-enough denomination and topic that books go out of print very quickly. Also, there are many varieties of Old Catholicism (and arguments as to the validity of the claim 'Old Catholic' by many from many). It is easy to get lost in the fray, and even the most able historian and researcher will find clarity an elusive goal.

Andre Queen is not an historian by profession or training, nor is he a writer. He is, however, bishop of a jurisdiction within American Old Catholicism, based in Chicago, and has various other titles and affiliations that have given him a reputation as a good source of information. Queen made effort to seek the counsel of other leaders in various jurisdictions as he compiled this text, so there was an element of collaboration in the process.

In some ways, this book is a compilation, and Queen would be in some respects more aptly described as the editor and compiler rather than the author. This, of course, is in keeping with the methodology of those who have a care for tradition and history - re-inventing the wheel is not necessary. For example, the longest chapter (comprising almost one-third of the entire text) is a model catechism, reprinted with permission from the catechism of the jurisdiction of the Old Catholic Church of America (James Bostwick, archbishop). Not all Old Catholic jurisdictions follow this catechism, and it is not intended to serve here as a dogmatic imposition, but rather as a paradigm for exploration.

The first several chapters give a brief history of the development of Old Catholicism in Europe (which has several strands), together with the text of important historical documents, and the transference of Old Catholicism into North America, a trek that has not been without incident, intrigue, and the occasional unfortunate occurrence. As a history, it suffers a bit from lack of a narrative framework; it is more like a patch-work quilt (made of documents, principles and brief biographies) that tells a story than a seamless narrative. For those not already acquainted to some degree with the history, it is easy to get lost. Perhaps in a future edition, this will be addressed.

The concluding chapters, 'Why Eastern and Western Expressions Combine in American Old Catholicism' and 'Yesterday's Tomorrow, Today', bring up important points that beg for further development. They address questions that most likely will be ongoing concerns, but further work on these issues would be appreciated.

There are three appendices, which deal with more obscure points (one an essay on married clergy, and two biographical/autobiographical pieces on figures of prominence in the movement). These are not really for the uninitiated - the essay on marriage assumes a familiarity with historical theology and church practice (and some degree of canon law); the other two appendices are more accessible. In particular, a reading of the appendix dealing with Archbishop Vilatte, side-by-side with that out of another text, Episcopi Vagantes, shows the trouble in dealing with Old Catholic history, and how apparent bias can be.

One minor criticism is that, in a day of computers with spell-check and grammar check, there are a few more typographical errors that one would hope; alas, in this day of self-editing even for major publishing houses, the primarily error-free text is becoming a vanishing species. Again, should there be a future edition, perhaps these will be corrected.

With the advent of lightning publishing and print-on-demand, texts such as this can remain available for longer periods of time, which is a blessing, given that in circles drawn as the Old Catholic circles are, it takes time to disseminate the information regarding the text's availability. There is not as yet a tradition of scholarship and publication in the Old Catholic world (European, North American or otherwise); in that instance, most any book is a blessing. This book represents another step in the direction of self-study and self-proclamation by the Old Catholics of their own community and beliefs. Imagine a world in which the only available texts about the Anglican, Presbyterian or Lutheran communions were written by Roman Catholic scholars, or the only texts available on Roman Catholicism were written by Eastern Orthodox scholars - one can begin to appreciate the difficulty of study of the subject.

This book strives to put Old Catholicism in the best possible light - a worthy goal, and one that any leader such as Queen would try to do. However, space should be made for the frank admission of the difficulties in Old Catholic history that Old Catholics have caused for themselves; this is brought up implicitly in some of the text, but never specifically addressed. Future editions might develop this theme, so as to not be subject to the charge of not facing our own origins.

For those interested in Old Catholicism, this is a valuable resource. It should be required of clergy and lay leaders of every jurisdiction in Old and Independent Catholicism; even the areas of disagreement can yield insight, and issues of difference made more explicit can aid in mutual cooperation. One hopes for further developments of this sort among the Old and Independent Catholic communities.

I have read many, many publications about the Old Catholic Church in America, this book by far is the most comprehensive.

Truly a credit to the Old Catholics in America.

A must read for anyone interested in religious history in America.

Well worth the price for those who want information, not scare hype from those pushing the fringe element buttons. I have personally verified much of the information in this book. If you want to learn more of who is really in control of our lives and future, buy and read this book.

Why then did I not give it 5 stars¿?Bill Still is one of the few authors who is respected and is qualified to complain about the conduct of the FED and ultimately its owners... it just seems to me that if I was him the 'new world order' thing would have to be left ouf .... it does two things in my eye... draws in moronic conspiracy nuts who have no ability to benefit our country due to their level of paranoia (you can speak your version of the truth without being lame and paranoid about it). A lot of these guys just lay around all day and complain much like churchgoers who pray 24/7 but dont DO anything for themselves....The second reason is when I see the conspiratorial vocab in a book title I am often inclined to pass it up and I feel that many 'professionals' would tend to agree. Part of the problem with exposing the FED is having 'credible' teachers ..credible in the eyes of the target student. Other than that... the material itself is beautifully laid out for the reader to come to his own conclusions. Bill Still, Michael Collins, and Tom Schauf are true men of character and their literature speaks for itself (you can search the net on these names because i cant post links) In addition to learning the workings of the Fed however I subscribe to the belief that one must also learn to play within the lines to support himself --- books such as Path of Least Resistance,Six Thinking Hats,Think & Grow Rich,Simple Steps to Impossible Dreams, and Rich Dad Poor Dad provide some much needed financial fluency.

Still's book will provide the reader with a thorough educational view of the history of money, the birth of the Federal Reserve bank, and the beginning of the privatization of the United Stated financial and political institutions. This is not a book about conspiracy, but a book about facts and the legitimization process of the elitist power.
It's an expose worth buying and reading...

CalvaryChapels has been an "underground" church for over 25 years now - an alternative for the typical lifeless church down the street. Now someone has studied this phenomenon to see why it continues to grow and attract more people (often from non-religious backgrounds). The same for Vineyards & HopeChapels (which both have intersecting histories with CalvaryChapel). The personal stories are touching and fascinating, The research is exhaustive if not exhausting. The author belongs to a mainline church and periodically shows his amazement at these new church movements. They were all built on simplicity of faith, by those whose lives were radically changed by Jesus Christ (often people who would be the last ones you would expect). A little too much psychology & sociology throughout but the author is a professor and the book is published by a university press.

This is an insightful exploration of the so-called third wave or new paradigm churches from a scholar who presents the information in a readable fashion. The author is an outsider, yet he provides a favorable account of these rapidly-growing, Pentecostal-type congregations that all originated in California. It is a great book for anyone who is interested in the contemporary Christian scene. It is filled with stories, keen observations, balanced analyses, and surveys on the movement.

An excellent introduction to some of the most interesting contemporary developments within American Christianity. For those with experience in traditional, mainline churches, what the book describes will seem strange but a growing number of new believers only know this type of church as what "church" is supposed to be. Since many new paradigm churches have large attendance, they are able to financially support the start of other new paradigm churches. Indeed, new paradigm churches may well become the new normal of church life in America.

For two in-depth case studies of a new paradigm church, see Gerardo Marti's A Mosaic of Believers: Diversity and Innovation in a Multiethnic Church and also his book Hollywood Faith: Holiness, Prosperity, and Ambition in a Los Angeles Church.

This book gives excellent examples of what you will face during the real test. It is a good guideline to show how you are doing in terms of preparation. It gave me great confidence which I desperately needed to do well on this test

its a fair source of basic concepts, but lacks the true reflection of standard of difficulty of boards.if you are a foreign medical graduate and have time it's much better to use NMS BOARD SIMULATOR SERIES.

I thought this book was a great review of Step 1 material. Has 1,000 questions with pretty good answer explanations.

I would not recommend using this as your only source of questions. However, it is a good question source for rapid review of a lot of information. You can get through the questions rather quickly. Offers a nice change of pace from the NMS series or Board Review Series (which tend to bog you down with long, very detailed answers requiring intense attention).

Highly recommend as an additional source of questions.

P.S. Remember, the best way to score high on Step 1 is QUESTIONS, QUESTIONS, QUESTIONS!!!

Charles Durrett's Senior Cohousing book will help lead us into the next 17 years as an estimated 75 million Baby Boomers head into retirement. It only makes sense that the generation that brought social and environmental awareness to the fore would be searching for a sustainable, suportive, self-managed community housing solution for their later years, and Durrett has outlined in detail how - and why - to go about it.

The stories and wisdom are from Denmark, where multigenerational cohousing began over 30 years ago. Since that time, cohousing has translated very successfully to over a dozen countries around the world, including over 90 completed neighborhoods in North America alone. With 20 out of the last 25 cohousing starts in Denmark being senior projects, we can only assume that Senior Cohousing on the rest of the planet will be as big - if not bigger - a hit.

Durrett has given us clear and useful intruction in Senior Cohousing for how to go about creating a Senior Cohousing neighborhood, from gathering other interested parties to finding land, hiring the design and development professionals and building a cohesive community. The step-by-step chapters are interlaced with impotant and interesting sidebars, illustrations and photographs.

The spirit of the book is both informative and fun. The candid photos, quotes and anecdotes drive home the glee with which these Elders are taking charge of their lives. Neighbors work and play together, share frequent meals, dance, bicycle, walk, and create poetry and art. After reading Senior Cohousing, for probably the first time in my life, I thought getting older might actually be a hoot.

At last, here is a guidebook to a new way of aging for older Americans - a housing solution that at once addresses the need for privacy and for community; provides a net of security and mutual care without the institutional restrictions of assisted living; is environmentally friendly - and most importantly, is planned, designed, and built by the residents themselves.

Cohousing got its start in Europe and has been successfully translated to America. In a cohousing community, each household has its own, stand-alone private dwelling, which is smaller than the traditional single-family home. These private homes are clustered around a common house which provides the amenities that are often wastefully duplicated in traditional American housing. The layout of the homes and the entire community provides plenty of privacy while affording opportunities for as much social interaction as the residents desire.

The key to cohousing is that it is planned and built by the people who intend to live there, so the sense of community begins to develop during the planning process as interested participants winnow themselves down to a core group that is committed to building together, on a site they have chosen together, with a development program that they have evolved together through a consensus process.

Senior cohousing is the logical extension of the cohousing idea. Many senior cohousing communities already exist in Denmark, where the author, Charles Durrett, traveled extensively and interviewed community residents. In the United States Durrett and his wife, Katie McCamant, are the principals of The Cohousing Company, an architectural firm that specializes in facilitating the development of cohousing. Their previous book, Cohousing: A Contemporary Way of Housing Ourselves, pioneered the cohousing movement in America.

Senior CoHousing is an inspiring and practical guidebook to help older Americans get started organizing and planning a cohousing community. It draws upon the author's extensive experience in developing cohousing in the United States, and the shared experience of elders in Denmark who have been living in senior cohousing communities for years. Filled with inspiring photographs and helpful graphics, the book presents the nuts-and-bolts considerations that go into planning a senior cohousing community. For many Americans over 50, this book may be the first step toward creating a way of living out the final stages of life in a rewarding, stimulating, supportive environment, where one's choices find expression in a neighborhood of like-minded people.

If you are considering alternatives to aging in isolation or retiring to a gated golf course community, read this book. Senior cohousing is becoming the fastest growing segment of the intentional community movement. This book offers both how-to advice and the social rationale for aging in community.