Freedom Books

The simplicity of the title mirrors the simple approach to what could be a daunting and challenging biography. Marcello's biography follows a straightforward timeline explanation of critical events in the life of the Dalai Lama without delving too deeply into an analysis of the issues. Even though the book follows a relatively effortless structure, the actual events of the life of the Dalai Lama are fascinating enough to quickly carry the reader through the text.
Marcello's effort to capture the Dalai Lama's inspiration, humor, and devotion is validated in her biography of his life. The clean chronology makes it very easy for a reader who knows nothing about the Dalai Lama and Tibetan customs to follow along and understand the basic principles that he has followed. Sporadically throughout the book, though mostly concentrated in the beginning, are sections dedicated to the history behind specific customs. Marcello does a wonderful job explaining the history of the Dalai Lama and the traditions that are associated with the selection of the Dalai Lama, especially since the customs may seem quite strange to most Western readers. Her biography is obviously well researched with full notes at the end of every chapter and direct quotes that help make the events more real and relatable.
One of the most enjoyable aspects of the biography was Marcello's ability to intertwine the stories with the lovable sense of humor of the Dalai Lama. Each chapter is sprinkled with either a quote or situation which convinces the reader that, even though he dealt with serious and difficult issues, the Dalai Lama still was a human being at heart, one whose wit and cleverness kept him optimistic. It is an often occurrence for the reader to find him or herself smiling or laughing out loud at the comical situations described, which is appreciated, especially because of the gravity of the other events described.
Although the biography is applauded for its simplicity, it is also one of its shortcomings. Admittedly by the author, the book is aimed at a high-school reading level and has little depth when it comes to exploring specific issues of negotiation with the Chinese, or even explaining the perspectives of other players. There is very little attention to the Chinese outlook, which suggests the bias of the author. Understandably, however, it is a biography of the Dalai Lama, not the Chinese, so it is clear why there is not equal representation of ideas.
Also, one of the most difficult things to over come as a reader was the insurmountable number of strange names and places. There was a constant urge throughout the book to look at a map, yet there is not one provided in the book pages themselves. The timeline and index were helpful, but a map and a list of important names and relationships would have been even more so.
After finishing Marcello's biography, I found myself wanting to read the autobiography of the Dalai Lama published in 1990. Marcello refers to it often and many of the fun stories and inspirational quotes come from that autobiography, which creates a certain attraction to it. It would be fascinating to hear about all the events of his life from the Dalai Lama's point of view. In addition, Marcello's biography, though thorough in its descriptions of Tibetan tradition and the lifestyle of the Dalai Lama, had little description of Buddhist teachings themselves. I understood basic concepts from her text, but found it a little difficult to understand where the Dalai Lama's principles and actions were rooted from. I am glad, however, that I read this biography first. It served as a useful introduction to the life of the Dalai Lama and served to keep me interested enough to want more.

Very well researched and informative. A must read for those interested in the Dalai Lama.

The Dalai Lama was was just a name to me. It was difficult to understand how a 3 year old child could be chosen to lead his people. This book clearly discribes the life and customs of the Tibetan people as well as the difficulties between Tibet and China in an easy to read chronological order.

This biography of the Dalai Lama was both interesting and enlightening. One of the reviews I read felt that the treatment of the Communist Occupation of Tibet showed bias. I disagree. It is evident to me that Ms. Cronin has captured the essence of a truly remarkable man who, like many others, endures despite adversity. He is clearly a holy man. He is an inspiration to us all, and what we can achieve with faith. All of these attributes, come through in this work. I am gratified that the target market, our youth, will be well served with it. Who knows, it may spark the next Age of Reason in World Affairs!
The Dalai Lama resisted oppression and unlike some of our American Academics, he doesn't apologize for it.

Christopher Ringwald has crafted a fine book that interweaves history, scripture, and personal experience to illuminate Sabbath traditions among Jews, Christians, and Muslims. His writing is intelligent and absolutely lyrical in many places. He manages to offer a comprehensive sweep of these religious traditions that's quite detailed without bogging the reader down.I agree with the reviewer who notes the value of this book for those interested in comparative religions. I'd add interfaith families as well.

"A Day Apart" is an isightful study of not only the special day of observance in the three major religions of the world, but also a far-reaching journey to the spiritual boundaries of these faiths. This is a must-read for all students and teachers of comparative religion. The book presents the unbiased perspective of a devout Christian scholar. It has the potential to help bring about healing among the three cultures. The day-to-day experiences of the author's friends -- from all three faiths --lends both power and instruction to the narrative. I thoroughly enjoyed this powerful book.

I have read a lot of books about the venerable sabbath, but none of them was - sit venia verbo - as ecumenical as Christopher Ringwald's book on the subject: 'A day apart'. The subtitle of the book - 'How jews, christians, and muslims find faith, freedom, and joy on the sabbath' - evokes a harmony which could greatly benefit the Middle-East from Beirut to Islamabad and from Cairo to Kabul.
Under the same title there is a book by Noam Zion e.a., but this is, with the subtitle 'Shabbat at home', really a jewish how-to-do-book rather than a pioneering study like the book of Ringwald. He describes the historical and spiritual interrelations of the three abrahamic days of rest and worship with a lot of information which has never been brought together in one book before. He also describes his personal impressions of abrahamic co-existence in his own environment in the USA, without even suggesting that one of those days is better than the other. The book is a happy mix of good scholarly research and personal testimony, highly recommended to anyone who is interested in the relations between jews, christians and muslims and, for that matter, in the future of mankind.

Christopher Ringwald, a journalist and scholar of religion, has used a deceptively simple difference as a lens onto the three great monotheistic religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. That difference is that the three religions all keep the Sabbath, but on different days. The Muslims on Friday, the Jews on Saturday, the Christians on Sunday. It's a great and very comprehensible device that allows the readers to enter into these three related, but also different and sometimes warring, faiths. As someone who considers himself spiritual but not religious, I found Ringwald's book extremely interesting. Until I read the book actually, I wasn't aware that Muslims kept their Sabbath on Friday. Ringwald's book is a great way to go deeper into these three religions, and also to understand how religion affects secular culture. For example, probably the only reason we have our beloved weekend, is because of its roots in religious faith and the commandment to have a day of rest. Very worthwhile book.

The book arrived in the estimated time and in the condition advertised by this seller.

This book has great facts about weapons of mass destruction throughout the world's countries. Great for research.

This is a comprehensive book in which the authors describe proliferation issues and nonproliferations issues. This is a great reference book to have on nuclear issues as well as biological and chemical threats.

The book is detailed to the extent that one would think that some of the material should be classified, because there is a chapter on Russian nuclear facilities which handle nuclear materials, waste mamnagement sites, Russian stategic submarine fleet sites and nuclear test sites are featured. Also China's aresnals are thorougly presented and many others. Iran N. Korea to name a few.

The authors describe many of the international network of treaties and agreements construted over the past 50 years. Also there's a chapter on nuclear, biological and chemical materials and weapon systems to deliver them.

Overall I enjoyed reading this book, it's a good refernece to have if you want to know about proliferation and non proliferation issues that affect the fragile world we live in.

The latest in the line of Carnegie proliferation surveys, Deadly Arsenals is an essential resource for all concerned with WMD proliferation issues. Students of nonproliferation will appreciate the up-to-date analysis of the regime and its hard cases, including timely information on North Korea, Iran, and the most recent "success" story, Libya. This is one of the few books I keep on my desk--my dog-eared 2002 edition is ready to be shelved.

Although my sister had died before I read Dear Sister, Once Abused, I gained necessary insight into her challenges with childhood sexual abuse. This was the best book I could have read on this subject for my situation. There were many similarities. This book has helped me and I will pass it on to others."

As I read through the Pages of Dear Sister, Once Abused, I found myself finally understanding the reasons why my life was in such a turmoil. I understand what I have to do to heal. Now I have hope.

Victoria Lynn, psychiatric nurse, draws upon her experience and talks openly about her healing process from childhood sexual abuse. This book is a powerful resource for adults who have suffered abuse and for their families and friends. Well written and hopeful, it is about a journey that connects with human suffering and opens hearts to understanding.

If Dear Sister, Once Abused, the first book written by psychiatric nurse Victoria Lynn, were a conventional first-person account of discovery and recovery from childhood sexual abuse (CSA), sympathetic readers would expect a higher than usual quotient of self-absorption and finger-pointing.

They will be pleasantly surprised that Dear Sister's...deeply troubling story is coupled to specific information and techniques that other victims, their families and friends as well as clinicians, therapists and clergy may use to understand and deal effectively with the seemingly chronic after affects of childhood sexual abuse. Lynn also hopes that reading about the lasting damage they cause may even dissuade some perpetrators and provoke them to seek help.

Lynn tells her story in conversational language that creates the distinct impression that she's invited you into her kitchen for a confidential "straight-from-the-soul" chat - tangents and all --over a cup of coffee. Her obviously cathartic report candidly bares many excruciating details-- confounding setbacks and exhilarating breakthroughs.

Plagued all her life by serial physical and emotion maladies, Lynn's vivid "breakthrough" recollection at age 42 that she had been molested as a three-year-old sets of an obsessive quest that illustrates dramatically the life-long residual affects of childhood sexual abuse.

The details of her struggle make a compelling case for early intervention and vigilance by parents, health care providers, teachers and clergy. "That's why I wanted to write the book in the first place - to help victims and people who can help victims," she says emphatically.

"Although I had the telltale symptoms, mother admits she did not know what to look for and none of the doctors she took me to ever suggested I might have abuse trauma," Lynn writes. She notes that key telltales are eating disorders: one expert claimed "that 90 percent (or more, in his opinion) of those suffering from an eating disorder have a history of sexual abuse," she writes.

Understandably Lynn's search for "my truth, as I know it" upset those near and dear,, but, in the end, brought deeper understanding as to why relationships with her mother, father and step-father -- who took over parenting duties when Lynn was just seven-had been strained, frightening and contentious.
When her paternal grandmother finally seems to confess that Lynn's recovered memory is accurate, but that the abuser was her recently deceased grandfather, not her father as Lynn had suspected, the grandmother adds dismissively - "you can't blame a dead man." In keeping with the way people of her generation often dealt with painful issues from the past, her grandmother chides: "Why can't you just forget about something that happened so long ago?"

The confession - and subsequent loss of a close relationship with her grandmother-- propelled Lynn into another mental and physical tailspin, yet "It helped me to have my my own knowledge of what happened to me in order to continue healing," she noted.

Lynn's journey forces her to reevaluate the roots of her life-long fear of her mother, the downright cold and aloof relations with her father, who apparently would have preferred a male child to Victoria -- " His European upbringing had convinced him a son made a man manlier -- and I was his second daughter," she writes, and a somewhat checkered relationship with her step-father.

Even the breakthrough flashback presented life-threatening traumas. "It's my belief that victims can die not only of shock from abuse itself, but from the shock that almost always accompanies the breakthrough flashback as well," she said in a telephone interview. "It is not uncommon for traumatized victims to consider or attempt suicide and other self-destructive acts."

Although the book underscores that there is much a victim can and must do on his/her own, Lynn lays out specific tactics parents, spouses, children, siblings and friends can do to speed the healing process. She illustrates her points with many touching examples of how her husband and six sons coached her through set-backs and tough times.

Further, she emphasizes the importance of getting professional help, but cautions: "as is true of any therapy, the most benefit is derived if the therapist is well trained...Someone who is not well trained can cause even more trauma." Ditto the importance of using pharmaceuticals to control depression and anxiety as well as the need for gradual weaning under the supervision of trained medical personnel.

Because she interweaves her story with practical suggestions, the book is likely to become a primer for clinicians, parents, educators, victims, students and clergy. Each chapter follows this general format: chapter topic and discussion; here's what happened to me; here's how I responded; here's what you can do; here's how others can help; here are the outcomes.

Oddly, Lynn virtually ignores the impact CSA may have had on her first attempts in high school to forge romantic relationships with boys. She remembers avoiding a particularly handsome classmate "because he was so good looking, I worried he wouldn't be very reliable. As intimacy (with men) barriers continue to fall - remember God probably had a purpose in mind when he gave me a nurturing husband, and six sons to raise -- perhaps I'll have something to add in a second edition of the book."

Lynn's "everything but the kitchen sink" healing formula includes the need for spiritual/religious tools, although she hastens to add "one needn't be religious to employ spiritual resources. Meditation-"prayer is a powerful form of meditation--" can be enormously helpful, particularly in the "forgiveness" stage.

Concluding a cathartic open letter to her abuser, her dead grandfather, she writes: "I can look at your picture and see you as the handsome soldier grandma fell for. Who am I to judge? Only you and God know what went amiss for you. I feel mercy toward you-not really love-but mercy is an improvement."

Above all, Lynn's book demonstrates that she is indeed improving. She assures that with time, clinical help and support from their families and friends, so too can most victims of childhood sexual abuse. This is good news indeed!

Yes, Robert Finch writes with an intensity that comes with his passion for his life on the Cape Cod peninsula. But many of these essays describe creatures and natural phenomena that take place in other locales as well -- it's just that we're too busy or too apathetic to observe them. He sees. And then he tells us about his encounters, just as easily as if we're sitting across the table from him at a casual eatery.

My favorite passage is beach-oriented and describes a old cottage being overcome by natural forces: "Sand sifts slowly, like age, over everything, softening, obscuring, and finally obliterating each distinct thing into a semblance of itself and the next thing. In this sense, sand is the ultimate progressive poet, whispering, 'This chair is like this table, is like this bed, is like this sink -- and each thing is, more and more, like all the others, until finally they are all -- like me'." (p. 153) Of course! Why didn't any of the rest of us think to say or write that?

Save this volume for a time in your life when you need the peace of Nature to drape itself over you and slow down your blood pressure. These stories are worth savoring. Then go out and "see" for yourself.

Robert Finch's words not only portray the flora and fauna and geography of Cape Cod, he shows the reader what the Cape really is. Those of us who've only visited during the season and thought we "knew" the place should be ashamed. Mr. Finch is a part of the Cape, and the Cape is a part of him, and this reader can only stare in wonder at the majesty and beauty of the world he describes.

What a remarkable year this has been for writing about nature in New England. First the dazzling debut Bullough's Pond, now this thoughtful collection of essays. Can't wait to see what the fall lists have in store.

This is Robert Finch's finest work yet. His rich, visual observations of everyday nature enlighten and entertain us--- from the tiniest observation of a spider's web to the adventure of saving beached whales off the seashore. Each piece shows the how nature can connect to our often busy, technical lives and how we can not and should not ever try to break that connection.

I really enjoyed this book. It provides an interesting outcome to a possible event - the discovery of the original copy of the Declaration of Independence. The book draws you in, from the first pages, until you are so engrossed that you NEED to know and understand the ending ASAP! I'd recommend it to those interested in history, and those interested in mystery, alike!

Wonderfully thought provoking, exciting, stimulating, witty, and artfully written, The Declaration is a MUST READ for any thinking citizen, American or otherwise.

Finally, a book about freedom that does not wince away from saying it like it is!

In this book you will find no mealy mouthed, repressed, and insidious puritanical political correctness.

You will be challenged by the "what if's." You will be challenged to think out of the well established box in which we now find ourselves. You will not find advocations of violence, hatred, amorality, or senseless idiocy in this book. But, you will find timely thought provoking fodder.

Whether you live in the city, suburbs, eat meat or dine exclusively on organic vegetables, you will thoroughly enjoy this book and wish it were all true!

The Nappen's have penned an easy read that is filled with historical facts and current headlines about the state of the American people and our political system as we know it to be.

The Nappen's have written an original as well as thought provoking novel that, proves that we as American's are being denied the freedoms our forefathers set for us when Thomas Jefferson penned the Declaration of Independence.

This novel is a must read for those who are disenchanted with the way our political system is being run today. If you believe there is an urgent need for a third party then this book is for you.

The author's have approached the idea of our country's need for a third party system creatively. They help the reader to understand why our country should embrace the idea of implementing a third party through the ideas and beliefs of the three strong and well written main characters who, truly grasp and want to utilize the rights of freedom we, as Americans, are entitled to according to our forefathers.

From the moment the original document is found to the surprising ending, the author's have the reader anxiously awaiting their sequel.

An incredible novel that the reader will enjoy from cover to cover and not want to put down!!!

Nappen and Nappen have succeeded in writing an exceptional fictional account of the accidental finding of the original copy of the Declaration of Independence. With each turn of the page, the suspense of the story mounts as the colorful characters become more alive. The reader is drawn into the book through emotional ties to these characters. In addition, this well-written account makes the reader contemplate the reality of society today! The DECLARATION leaves room for the reader's imagination to take over when the story ends! Still above all, it leaves its readers with the lingering question, "Could this actually happen?"

Imagine leaving your comfortable world as you knew it in the erly 1960's. Young white women; some from the north, some from the south. Rural and urban, college kids, middle class, working class and just plain poor. Heading to a dangerous world and joining the early days of the Civil Rights Movement. Leaving behind the scorn, disdain, and ridicule of family and friends. Walking into a climate of hate and bigotry, and joining in civil disobedience against segregation. Walking in the picket lines, sometimes fearing for your life; organizing, and joining in singing hymns of freedom. Going from tears of frustration to smiles of great joy, while hitching a ride on that freedom train and holding on for dear life.
One recent eveing at Northern Lights Book Store and Cafe in St. Johnsbury, Vt., 70 people heard two local women who participated passionately in that movement. The authors read from their book, Deep In Our Hearts: Nine White Women in the Freedom Movement.
The book is an eloquent and powerful one that takes us back to one of the most tumultuous periods in American history; the erly days of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), Freedom Summer, voter registrations, lunch counter sit-ins and the rise of Black Power and the women's movement. Deep In Our Hearts is a collection of essays, that take us into the lives of a group of young women who were transformed by the Civil Rights Movement.
The audience listened as Penny Patch looked back and read softly. "I understand well that what was between us will never be again, but still, that experience remains at the core of who I am. The fact that some of us had deep friendships that crossed all racial lines is simply a miracle. For short periods of time, in those early yers, we leaped over all the history and all of the minefields between us."
Perched on a stool and sipping warm tea to sooth a sore throat, Theresa Del Pozzo read from the book. "My involement with the movement began as a moral reaction to the blatant injustice of segregation and the denial of basic human rights of African-Americans. Along the way I got an education in the intricate patterns of racism and began to experience what I think as the small-c culture of the African_American community: the wisdom, dignity, strength, humor, gentleness and creativeness of its everyday life and people. The experience of living within the black world changed forever the person I was to become and the way I live my adult life."
Listening to the authors as they told their stories one could not help but admire their courage and admire this courageous book. They stand as powerful testaments to a time when the goal of universal justice was truly in sight and to the hope that a new generation of blacks and whites will take up the challenge to make the world a better place.

Marvin Minkler of the North Star Monthly

Forty years ago, in regard to the "race question," white people in this country fell into five general categories: those who never gave a thought to race-based segregation and discrimination (the numbers of whom could probably be counted on one hand); those who through ignorance or paranoia thought that African-Americans were in one way or another "inferior" beings, which somehow justified our own brand of apartheid; those who knew or suspected that the "inferiority" premise applied to African-Americans was bogus but who profited from that fiction being maintained; those who knew or believed that the inferiority idea was false but who, through reluctance or apathy, chose to do or say nothing about it, and those who, deep in their hearts, knew that the inferiority thesis was false and cruelly unfair, knew that our apatheid system made a lie of all the claims of equality our nation prided itself on, and who chose to confront it in an attempt to bring segregation and discrimination to an end through personal involvement and direct action. The nine white women who contributed to this book the stories of their development and their involvement in the civil rights struggle were of that last category. They never really saw themselves as particularly strong or smart, although their writing shows them to be exceptionally articulate, and none of them were brought up by their families to become involved in that fight. They took it upon themselves to make their own stands and become part of that effort regardless of the personal risks. "Deep In Our Hearts" is aptly named - what springs out at us from their stories is their simple strength, the heart-deep commitment to social justice, that helped make this country face up to its promises to all of its citizens. That they came from genuinely different backgrounds reflects the diversity that sets our country apart and which puts the lie to common assumptions about them, such as that they were born of affluent families from the northeast and went south with Ivy League educations and high-flown notions of setting things right. What is also remarkable about their stories and their lives is that they have continued with that commitment to equality and fairness in varied ways; they never saw fit to rest upon their laurels once this nation recognized, in words at least, that racial segregation and discrimination were wrong and brought down the obvious barriers to equality. These little stories, none more than forty-eight pages long, also spell out how their subsequent involvement in combating the Vietnam War was a logical progression, the same struggle on a different front. Although some of them became front-line soldiers in the fight to free women from their own set of shackles, all of them contributed to modern feminism and women's rights more by their actions than by their words. To them, and to the many whose stories who are not in this book, we all owe a debt of gratitude. If not for them this country may not have been able to look itself in the eye in the bathroom mirror. The collective lesson of these stories is that one need not come from uncommon beginnings in order to develop the will to lead extraordinary, adventuresome, purposeful lives. Read their stories, be inspired without being preached to, and put some meat on the dry bones of history.

Just finished reading " Deep In Our Hearts", a book I'd like to strongly recommend. It captures on a very personal level, the spirit of the Civil Rights era, from the perspective of nine different white women who were deeply involved in the struggle to bring about more racial justice. It is a moving tribute to all the heroes of that very difficult time. To all who were involved at the time or those who are the least bit curious of "what went down", you cannot fail to admire the stories of these brave women. This is history (herstory) as it should be related-from the participants.

This collection of stories, detailing the lives of nine white women active in the fight to end racial segregation and discrimination in this country, is sure to touch your heart. It is a must read for anyone interested in learning more about the Civil Rights movement of the sixties. I couldn't put it down.

This book was done by Diane Garey, whose creative roots are in film not as an author. I think she has compiled an excellent book as a companion to the PBS film and agree with another reviewer that this book is also excellent on its own.

As a card carrying member of the ACLU I sometimes cannot praise the ACLU enough, while other times, I cannot wrap my mind around why they take some positions that seen in diametrical opposition to what I want them to. This book gives a great explanation of how and why the ACLU has been viewed as a savior and a villian, and why we are all better off for their existence.

While written as a companion book to the PBS broadcast of the same name it stands alone as an adequate, spritely written review of the ACLU's history. Like a skipping stone, it moves over their troubled waters, briefly touching upon both the high and low points of their past eforts. Not meaning to represent itself as a complete analysis of the ACLU, Garey, none the less, has written an entertaining and thoughtful book. It will serve as an excellent introduction to the complex entity the ACLU has become.

Garey's history shows the ACLU's most magnificnent victories as well as the organization's most inglorious warts. This book makes history of civil liberties in America come alive. The stories are gripping. The writing sparkles.

You can only admire a group of people who defend the bill of rights. It isfashionable to defend the ten commandments, but if you defend the billof rights, you are called every namein the book. I salute the ACLU andanybody else who defends the rights ofAmerica.

A truly great book! Maoz has shown that Israel, like other nations, has failed to take in the best interests of its people by failing to see the outcome of their actions. That's not to say they always tried to do the wrong thing, but unfortunately it comes across that way. The United States and its disastrous war in Iraq is another example. Read and learn!

Prof. Maoz analyzes the evidence underlying the basic beliefs about Israel's military policy and history, held by most Israelis and supporters of Israel. From a pro-Israel perspective, Maoz's work is a call for change within Israel to promote new institutions that would lead to non-military solutions. The chapter pointing out the flaws in Israel's nuclear policy is extremely important in view of the current nuclear build-up in Iran.

This is a truly weird book. It is really big and thick, with all sorts of references. It's very scholarly. And it even discusses some interesting issues. But I still don't like it very much.

First of all, the topic is strange. Plenty of Arabs want to destroy Israel. Does it even make sense to ask what Israel ought to do? Israel is a small nation and it is at great risk no matter what it does. In any case, this book not only asks such a question but gives some answers.

Zeev Maoz appears to believe that most of Israel's wars were simply folly. After all, there are indications that with hindsight, Israel had other options! Well, maybe that's true. But most nations make plenty of errors when they have to make decisions about whether or not to fight a war. In my opinion, Israel has done an above average job here. And even Maoz points out that he is not trying to deny that other nations (especially the Arabs) have often made far worse decisions than has Israel; he just wants to point out where Israel could have done better in the past and where it could improve in the future.

I disagree most with the author when he characterizes various Israeli wars as optional. The Israelis might indeed have avoided war for a short time by doing something else. The Israelis might even have gotten a couple of pieces of paper in exchange for something of real value at various times. But such speculations are not only counterfactual (that's not what happened, so we can't be totally sure it could have), they also ignore much of what might have happened after that.

As an annoying aside, this characterization of Israel's wars makes it look a little like the Israeli people and their leaders simply did not want to survive. After all, when the easiest way to die is to get into a war, it's suicidal to choose war when peace is available! I don't believe that the Israelis or their leaders have been suicidal, and I doubt that Maoz believes it, so I am wary of a book that might imply such nonsense.

Time after time, Maoz criticizes Israel for doing something that seemed reasonable at the time. Israel's serious attempts to avoid or deter the 1973 war look as though they are dismissed out of hand. When we get to the Arab attacks on Israel in 2000, Maoz casually (and very dubiously) blames the start of the violence on Sharon's visit to the Temple Mount! I don't mind asking a lot of tough questions, but I think Maoz goes overboard when he implies that virtually everything Israel has done has been wrong. He should have done a better job of separating really clear errors from decisions which made far more sense (and may even have been ideal).

Still, there is good news about the book. Maoz does ask about various Israeli strategies for retaliation against attacks (including limited ones). And I think these are very good questions to ask, even though they may, quite unfairly, imply that everything would be just fine were Israel to do the right thing all the time. There is also an interesting section dealing with Israel's nuclear strategy. Here, Israel is encouraged to give up its nuclear weapons as part of a deal to make the region free of such weapons. If it were that simple to make such a deal and have it honored, I think there would already be peace in the Middle East, so I am not so sure how brilliant Maoz is being here.

With all due respect to the author, I think this book exaggerates Israel's ability to influence its own future. I suspect that Maoz would (possibly quite correctly) reply that I am underestimating Israel's ability to do just that.

I think even the detractors of this book will have to at least admit that this book is a very brave endeavor by the author. The analysis that Maoz gives us here is at times subjective which does leave the author open to criticism, but he takes such a scientific approach in analyzing the evidence that any critic will be hard pressed to find flaws in his methodology.

The book is not for the casual reader or those with just a passing interest in Israel or the Arab/Israeli conflict. The author uses almost fifty pages at the very beginning of the book to explain to readers his methodological approach to analysis of Israeli defense policy. I for one have never read such a detailed analysis of an approach to analysis before. Any potential reader should be prepared for a dense work that requires a lot from the reader.

If you decide to take on this book I think you will be rewarded with the best analysis of Israeli defense policy there is out there. The information is neutral and based on the best evidence available and presented in a rational and almost clinical fashion.

Maoz goes into great detail about how the IDF has had too much influence on policy making decisions within the government, and how civilian leadership has played a subservient role to defense needs. He goes on to explain how this lack of civilian leadership has created a process by which military solutions to conflicts take a priority role over political solutions. This has affected Israel's peace making efforts in the region. Israel has been all to willing to embark on some extremely risky military adventures to seek an end or at least an improvement vis-à-vis its neighbors, but at the same time Israel has been unwilling to try even moderately risky attempts at political solutions.

Maoz attributes some of this to the fact that Israel's founding elites instilled a siege mentality during the founding and early days of the Israeli state. Unfortunately this siege mentality has persisted even after the realities on the ground have taken on some fundamental changes. Israel now has a large conventional edge on all of its enemies, and Israel, for the foreseeable future, has no real existential threat from those states in the area. This does not mean that Israel is safe, but what it should mean is that Israel should have more political room to maneuver and seek political solutions that will further its security.

When Israel has taken some risk for political solutions it has benefited enormously, as when Israel finally accepted Sadat's overtures for negotiations which lead to the Israeli/Egyptian peace treaty. This peace, even though it has been a cold peace, has lifted an enormous burden from Israel. This should have been the template for Israeli peace policy towards its neighbors but unfortunately Israel seemed to take no lessons from this peace, but instead Israel insists on focusing on Arab rhetoric which is not grounded in reality nor are these states pursuing policies that could make their rhetoric a reality.

Israel is in a relatively safe position right now. They have an economic, social and military edge over every one of their potential enemies and Israel should try to capitalize on its improved position by bargaining for peace and establishing a WMD free zone in the Middle East. These types of policies could possibly go along way in bringing security to the Israeli state and it could lighten the defense burden which could free up money that is needed for infrastructure and social programs within Israel.

Maoz goes into all of this and more. His discussion of Israel's nuclear policy is fascinating, and his information on the economic aspects of Israel's defense policy and its economic situation as a whole was extremely elucidating. All in all I found this book to be an invaluable contribution to the discussion. This is one book that anyone who seriously studies this region and Israel cannot do without. I highly recommend this book.

Steven Toushin has written a very important book, a must-read for anyone interested in Freedom of Speech issues, sexuality and alternate sexualities, particularly BDSM, and the legal issues surrounding obscenity and pornography. His first hand account of his arrest and trial for the distribution of pornography is a fascinating and educational view of the excesses of government's attempts to control morality.

Toushin's book may in fact be unique, in that it is a defendant's document of his obscenity trial, and includes transcripts of the actual trial. It also includes transcripts of the development of the legal defense, interviews with possible witnesses that run the gamut from participants in the films seized, to mental health experts and sociologists.
Prosecuted under an insidious plan developed by the Meese Commission on Pornography, Toushin defended himself against the full brunt of the Federal Government. Most of the other businesses charged in this particular sweep of adult film companies closed, paid fines, and kept a low profile. To his lasting credit, Toushin fought to save his businesses, his personal freedom, and First Amendment rights.

The government's plan was brilliant, although it's legality was questioned by many, including the FBI. Smaller cities in conservative states were chosen as a venue where it was felt there would be a greater probability of conviction for obscenity. Postmasters in the chosen cities ordered and bought catalogs from adult businesses, then frequently purchased additional "specialty" catalogs. They then ordered films depicting acts that were determined most likely to offend a jury. It was actually stated the outcome of the trial was not crucial to the prosecution's plan. The real intent was to charge the defendants in as many states as possible at the same time and to make legal defense impossible financially. The adult companies would be bankrupted or closed even if it was later determined by the court the material they sold was legal and protected.

`Moral Fabric' reads like a good thriller. The reader is lead through the defense team's discovery process and then the trial, not knowing in advance what the outcome will be.
As the defense lawyers educate themselves on the BDSM lifestyle and it's wide variety of sexual practices, this reader was also informed. There are brow raisers and chuckles.

The book's true value is as a social document late 20th Century sexual practices, ideas on morality and individual rights, and legal precedent. It is fascinating now and surely will also be equally so in 50 years.
We live in a society where every art form, every kind of media, every kind of entertainment and even our advertising is directly influenced by pornography. Our ideas about sex and sexuality are in constant transition. If the financial numbers for the pornography business are correct, the creation, sales and consumption are a huge business that rivals or surpasses Hollywood. Someone is enjoying a lot of erotica. The success of "moralists" to shame some into submission and denial leaves a conflicted populace that want to continue consuming porn with pleasure, but must also punish...someone. It is telling that "someone" is not the creator, the participants, or the consumer, but it is the distributor.
Steven Toushin is to be commended for his insistence on personal sexual freedom, free speech, and his willingness to share his own life experience.
There are many memorable ideas and quotations. To paraphrase and quote a few favorites:
"The right to view legal adult material in one's own home is meaningless if there is no way to purchase or otherwise obtain it."
-Judge

"It is not popular speech that needs protection, but unpopular speech."

"The Gothic idea that we were to look backwards instead of forwards for the improvement of the human mind, and to recur to the annals of our ancestors for what is most perfect in government, in religion and in learning, is worthy of those bigots in religion and government by whom it has been recommended, and whose purpose it would answer. But it is not an idea this country will endure."
-Thomas Jefferson 1800

October 20, 2005 - Attorney General Alberto Gonzales has announced that his office will specifically target "bestiality, urination, defecation, as well as sadistic and masochistic behavior" in pursuing new obscenity prosecutions. The Department of Justice began recruiting in late July for a new anti-obscenity squad to pursue obscenity prosecutions, and the FBI announced in September that it was forming an anti-obscenity task force to crack down on pornography. Any website that has content containing...these acts...should be forewarned that prosecution is possible. Additionally, Federal sentencing guidelines state that any obscenity- related punishment should be "enhanced for sadomasochistic material..." from The National Coalition for Sexual Freedom website.

As some may recall, President Ronald Reagan tossed his religious conservative base a prize in the form of Attorney General Edwin Meese in the late 80's. Meese plunged headlong into controversy when he appointed the "Meese Commission" to investigate pornography in the United States; their report, released in July 1986, was highly critical of pornography and the effects it had on people. Essentially rewriting earlier government studies that pronounced that there were no harmful links between pornography and behavior to suit their conservative agenda, Meese gave the Reagan Administration license to attack the adult entertainment industry and they did so with zeal. Toushin became one of their primary targets.

In 1987, Toushin was arrested as part of "Operation PostPorn," holding him and his staff for twelve hours as some 40-odd shotgun and handgun toting FBI agents searched and stripped his office (after some two weeks of covert surveillance on your tax-dollars.) Under Meese, the Department of Justice had made pornography crackdowns a priority, and had arranged for men in two states to order the hardest of hard-core SM videos. This forced the trials to meet the "community standards" of the locations the items were mailed to (Tennessee and Utah) and eventually laws were amended to include pornography under RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations).

What follows in "Moral Fabric" is a panorama of how the government turned all of its energies on Toushin using movies that were as far afeild or disgusting to a jury of vanilla citizens as the times probably had (including fisting and scat), and how the prosecution was perfectly willing to exaggerate their claims in order to make their case. (The Attorney General of Utah claiming that Toushin was selling child-porn and bestiality being the most flagrant.)

Toushin is more documentarian than judgmental (but not completely outside the realm of zinger-tossing). The bulk of the book deals with how Toushin winds through the court system and prison, yet is also willing to name names. "The Destruction Of The Moral Fabric Of America" is not a light read. In fact, it isn't even an easy read. But frankly, Toushin made history and set precedent for those of us who may forget that battles were fought and at the cost of lives ruined and liberties compromised. While he may still be around to run a successful Theater in Chicago, his book is a reminder that not everyone walks through fire unscathed.

Wow! The Destruction of the Moral Fabric of America has me speechless. Where to begin talking about this volume? You could say it's about the history of gay porn, or BDSM, or it is a memoir of Steven Toushin's colorful and intensely lived life, or an expose by someone dedicated to their principles no matter what morality police do. All are correct. It is about all these things, needless to say it is not a light read but it is an important one.



Steven is well-armed with historical facts, trial transcripts, and interviews. The reader is led circuitously through his first-hand experience with governmental repression and intimidation, his arrests, trials, jail time, his ruminations on pornography, BDSM, and the government. He covers a lot of territory. It is sobering! One cannot walk away from this book without feeling a little queasy about our government and its insistence on overseeing American's sexuality and desires. Steven likes to let the actual correspondences, court documents, and interviews speak for themselves; not that he doesn't express his opinions, there is plenty of that, but he backs up those opinions with cold hard facts. Be warned, nobody is off the hook in this book. Steven takes a cold hard look at the BDSM culture and lays out what he sees as the pitfalls and what his suggestions are for remedying these problems. Including what a certified Master/Mistress may look like and what the criteria for such a certification would entail.



Toushin has waited over 30 years to spill the beans so there's quite a mess of beans on the floor! What are we going to do with the mess? My suggestion, keep this book as a reference point for the long fight ahead...it is far from being over. Those that forget history are doomed to repeat it is the phrase that comes to mind. If we are to fight for our rights, to live our lives as we see fit then we have to build upon the blood, sweat, and tears of those who sacrificed and fought so hard because they had not other choice if they were going to lead life on their own terms. Sleep with one eye open America. As the government likes to keep parroting "freedom isn't free". Damn straight, we've got an internal war going on folks, right here in our bedrooms. Be prepared to fight! Don't worry, there have been warriors that have gone before us. We are not alone...read and prepare yourselves.

By and large, Steven Toushin's latest book is about legal problems revolving around four SM films made in the 1980s which accumulated in a trail in 1989. There are a lot of primary documents included in the book that should be of great value to anyone interested in the legal system and how it is used to try and regulate adult sexuality. It may also be interesting to anyone wanting to know more about SM's history and legal standing. It is a massive book and not for a casual reader however. I have some problems with how sections are arranged but the overall excellent value for anyone doing research into these subjects outweights those concerns.