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A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier

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This story is truly amazing
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A RARE GIFT OF INSIGHT
An important story to tell
Amazing

A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier
Ishmael Beah
Manufacturer: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0374105235
Release Date: 2007-02-13

Book Description

My new friends have begun to suspect I haven’t told them the full story of my life.
“Why did you leave Sierra Leone?”
“Because there is a war.”
“You mean, you saw people running around with guns and shooting each other?”
“Yes, all the time.”
“Cool.”
I smile a little.
“You should tell us about it sometime.”
“Yes, sometime.”

This is how wars are fought now: by children, hopped-up on drugs and wielding AK-47s. Children have become soldiers of choice. In the more than fifty conflicts going on worldwide, it is estimated that there are some 300,000 child soldiers. Ishmael Beah used to be one of them.

What is war like through the eyes of a child soldier? How does one become a killer? How does one stop? Child soldiers have been profiled by journalists, and novelists have struggled to imagine their lives. But until now, there has not been a first-person account from someone who came through this hell and survived.

In A Long Way Gone, Beah, now twenty-five years old, tells a riveting story: how at the age of twelve, he fled attacking rebels and wandered a land rendered unrecognizable by violence. By thirteen, he’d been picked up by the government army, and Beah, at heart a gentle boy, found that he was capable of truly terrible acts.

This is a rare and mesmerizing account, told with real literary force and heartbreaking honesty.

Customer Reviews:

This story is truly amazing.......2007-06-30

I like to say that "A Long Way Gone" is quite a depressing story but very inspiring. Ishmael Beah tells the story of becoming a boy soldier in Sierra Leone and of his later rehabilitation. This was a heartbreaking story and very difficult to read from an emotional standpoint. I read the book over a short period of time as it is so gripping that I did not want to put it down, but at the same time it brought an overwhelming sense of sorrow. The horror that Beah so well describes, was unbelievably moving.

The book is well written and flows rather nicely. However, the story itself is so incredible that, even if it were poorly constructed, it would have been worth reading. Saying that it was "worth reading" is not really adequate. All people should read it in order to remind us what the reality of life is outside of Western culture. It is partly because we block incidents like those described by Beah that they can continue to happen.

I would not presume to know how to stop the carnage that occurs in so many Third World countries, but I can not help but think that if we as a society, were more aware of them and had to face the emotions and gut wrenching sorrow that come with the knowledge of such atrocities, we would be far less willing to allow them to happen.

Ishmael Beah has demonstrated that he is a remarkable individual with great reserves. He shows what changes can come about when people are caring and thoughtful of others. I would venture to say that Ishmael Beah feels guilt for what he has done. However, I think he should be proud of the fact that he has endured and triumph over so much evil and pain in becoming who he is today. It was an honor to be allowed to read Beah's story, as it must have been as equally difficult to recount it, as it was to live through it. Highly recommended.

Fast and Affordable Service.......2007-06-27

The shipment was delivered quickly and the price was great. I had no problems.

A RARE GIFT OF INSIGHT.......2007-06-26

When I first saw Ishmael Beah interviewed I thought he had a remarkable poise, a glowing presence. At that point, nerves from appearing on national television, added to the whirlwind of an intense book tour, added to the energy already generated by writing the book, on top of the huge relief of successfully fleeing the nightmare in Sierra Leone could explain all that poise and glow. But I wondered if Beah was special... inspiring because he had unusual talents or an inner mission or vision that made him, his accomplishments and his message beyond the reach of mere mortals. So I read his book.

His direct unvarnished style, his humble honesty and the utter lack of a self-defense told me this first-time writer was indeed special. But WHAT he wrote told me he was just a kid, caught up in yet another manmade hell, used and abused psychically and physically. The difference between him and his friends who withered and perished or returned to "the life" after rehab was that he saw a ray of hope and reached for it, even when it could mean his imminent death. He made a choice. He mustered all his courage. No excuses. He was desperate. He had nothing to lose. He never gave up.

Reading his assessment of his life I realized that he experienced trauma the same way many children experience it who have not been soldiers in a war, because there is a terrible sameness to man's inhumanity to man however it morphs into our lives. And the reaction of a human soul to its challenge is always either surrender, fight, flee or go crazy. I read about his confusion, his desire to run away, his despair and fear. I recognized all the symptoms. So I bought the book for a young friend, a woman in her 20's, who has been grappling with childhood sexual and psychological abuse. I told her if he can come through THIS, perhaps it will give you hope that you, too, can come through your hell.

She read the book and felt a deep compassion for Ishmael Beah (...had it not been for the book, a man we might otherwise easily condemn for his brutality to his fellow man, in many cases, his brutality to his fellow children... I cringe to remember how some people treated U.S. soldiers returning from Vietnam, as if their age made them any less the victims of war as the drafted envoys of violence.) This young woman KNEW what Beah was talking about, she who had never held a gun. And she has taken strength from the connection she feels with him.

I would suggest giving this book to someone who is struggling with despair and fear and confusion, because it may help him or her to feel not so alone. As heavy as it is, this book will honor his or her dark exerience of life, and validate their own instincts about right and wrong and betrayal. It may also inspire them to hope. A LONG WAY GONE probably deserves a special occasion of its own rather than being a birthday or Christmas gift. And it may require the promise of talks afterward to help a young person sort through it. For adults who have experienced childhood trauma long since buried, it may be a wake up call to become their authentic selves.

And for the rest of us, who vote for the Congresspersons who can take our own youth into war, this is a must read (along with James Webb's FIELDS OF FIRE) if you have any doubt that war isn't a tolerable option. I have a 19-year-old son and I can promise you his sensibilities are as innocent and fragile as the 12-year-old Beah's... only my son, and kids in high school, are considered fair game, cannon fodder to the leaders who have never read a book like this.

An important story to tell.......2007-06-26

With the continue debate of Dafur and the movie "Blood Diamond" Ishmael Beah forces readers to enter a world that they choose to ignore. Beah tells his story in great detail and the images he explains are booth disturbing and sad. He is one of many child soldiers and he is the voice of those children who are recruited each day and forced to kill. This is an easy read and an important book. There are few first hand accounts of what it is like for children trying to survive in war torn countries and this gives us a sense of the horror that they live through each day.

Amazing.......2007-06-26

I really enjoyed this book even thought at times it was a bit hard to read. This book made me think about life, other people and their turmoil, and what is happening beyond my sheltered life here in America. This man has been through more than I can imagine. I admire the person that he has become.

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Read This
More of a rant than a revelation
Misguided, self-indulgent rant.
Dawkins - The Fundamentalist Atheist
Dawkins' Delusional Arguments against God

The God Delusion
Richard Dawkins
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0618680004

Book Description

Discover magazine recently called Richard Dawkins "Darwin's Rottweiler" for his fierce and effective defense of evolution. Prospect magazine voted him among the top three public intellectuals in the world (along with Umberto Eco and Noam Chomsky). Now Dawkins turns his considerable intellect on religion, denouncing its faulty logic and the suffering it causes. He critiques God in all his forms, from the sex-obsessed tyrant of the Old Testament to the more benign (but still illogical) Celestial Watchmaker favored by some Enlightenment thinkers. He eviscerates the major arguments for religion and demonstrates the supreme improbability of a supreme being. He shows how religion fuels war, foments bigotry, and abuses children, buttressing his points with historical and contemporary evidence. In so doing, he makes a compelling case that belief in God is not just irrational, but potentially deadly. Dawkins has fashioned an impassioned, rigorous rebuttal to religion, to be embraced by anyone who sputters at the inconsistencies and cruelties that riddle the Bible, bristles at the inanity of "intelligent design," or agonizes over fundamentalism in the Middle East—or Middle America.

Customer Reviews:

Read This.......2007-06-30

Those with or without faith should be skeptical of this book alike, due to its very title-- What discerning Christian would pick up such a thing, if not for curiosity. I ask you readers: What good is the author doing by polarizing believers and non-believers further? This can only be seen as fuel for both sides. Is it not such opposite views that make wars, any conflict interminable, until one or the other's physical force becomes absolute?

The only persons that will be converted by this book itself are those with dim lamps in their head. Otherwise Atheism or Faith will remain strong in the individual-- both of which are tolerable, because they are BELIEFS. Only nihilism should be met with the kind of hostile disdain seen in these reviews. PEOPLE, see that first and foremost it is the person and not their association that decides what they do. Atheists can spew out cant just as much as any catholic; CAUTION to those who wear their beliefs like an expensive suit, the ego has no place in deciding such matters, and caution to readers of this ego-enlarging book with its inflammatory title.

This atheism revolution is probably most attributed to the decade's rise in terrorism-- such crying and finger-pointing is no surprise, any logical individual will go after the connection between terrorist's actions and their beliefs. There's an idea that violence will always find a cup to fill into, of this I am skeptical, but not anymore than the idea of religion alone being the cause of wars. Leave this question aside. In the mean time I ask you, are the propagators of so-called religious-spawned violence going to read this book? No. That leaves it to a rather large niche of westerners to soak up and use as leverage to wage their own battles.

A certain amount of understanding must be introduced. It is painful to have to point out such basic truths, that science and faith are irreconcilable; that the search for truth isn't necessarily compatible with a belief in God. How many reviews must I read that actually dismiss faith with a lack of proof? "A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign!" Many atheists will roll their eyes at such pious talk, since again people of religion so often use the bible (or some other text of reputation) to stand over their opponent-- are not your own words convincing enough? Regardless, the word of Jesus himself according to the gospels should stand alone, and shouldn't be left to be interpreted by a third-party; or even worse, be a vague symbol of those you have contempt for.

If I show contempt it is not for atheists; on the contrary, so many I respect greatly and have shaped my life-- but I have nothing but contempt for those who use their position with aim to destroy another's belief. It is needless foundation rocking without understanding. Do not call a person of faith disillusioned lest you would like them to think the same of you.

Is atheism dangerous? Those who propagate that life should be about finding "happiness" may be no better than any religious fundamentalist. Just as crucial ideas in the bible become pliable and able to be misconstrued, so will the atheist find the meaning they desire through their own reason. Are murders, rapists, and other anti-socials not a population of atheists? Some may profess a religion, however skewed, but that only strengthens my argument that the individual is first and foremost accountable. But never mind even criminals, what about the disregard evident in government, big business-- faith in the lack of a collective conscience, pursuit of one's own interests above all. Is it cynical to say humanity isn't to be relied on to forge its own principles? The dangers of widespread atheism should be held with the same esteem as religion. I hope any person with an ethical sense can see that publishing a presumptuous book, called The God Delusion, with a mirror for a cover may not be what humanity needs.

More of a rant than a revelation.......2007-06-30

There is no doubt Dawkins is an intelligent man and has many interesting observations concerning evolution. I have enjoyed some of his other books. However there is nothing revelational in this book. Dawkins is not writing as a scientist in his latest creation. There was very little surprising arguments that I found new and interesting. Particularly irritating did I find the attempt to discredit, scorn any other view than his own at the start of the book. If the author is confident about his arguments and they are well thought out and described this shouldn't be necessary. I didn't think it encouraged the reader to start with an open mind and found it slightly patronising. First of all he ridicules anyone who is an atheist but doesn't agree with his style of prose or argument, then the religious and obviously the rest is about convincing people theres no supreme intelligence. Fair enough but it would have come across better in a less emotional tone.I was particularly unimpressed by his argument against those critics who reported much of his book was a rant and tried to argue that such behaviour was only because the book was related to religion and that no-one would bat an eyelid if it was a similar commentary about food served in a restaurant. If critics ranted about food in a restaurant in the same gratuitous tone I wouldn't take them particulary seriously either and I don't think people do. An interesting topic for most of us but I think Dawkins missed an opportunity by straying from his normal intellectual tone to more of a blustering rhapsody

Misguided, self-indulgent rant........2007-06-29

The problem with these apologetic type books is their largest audience usually ends up being those who already agree with the thesis. Christians foam at the mouth at the mere mention of Dawkins' name, while atheists see him as the champion of their cause. A book like this really has a true audience in an agnostic fence-sitter, and I doubt there's much material here bound to change that mindset. The centerpiece chapter "Why there almost certainly is no God" and Dawkins apparent trump card statement that "God is the ultimate 747" is about as convincing as a third grader's treatise on existentialism. All of the material dismissing Christianity is effective, but when it comes to outruling a general supernatural deity, it fails miserably.

Dawkins - The Fundamentalist Atheist.......2007-06-29

Dawkins is a hypocrite for writing with such disdain about fundamentalists, when he is just as hardcore in his advocacy of fundamentalist atheism as anyone else ever has been with their ideas of religion.

The man is a scientific giant, and with one of the finest minds on the planet is over-qualified to write about evolutionary biology, his specialist field. But spiritually he is dwarfed by a peanut, and so one wonders exactly what qualifications he claims in this department. Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player to have ever lived, but does that qualify him to write an insultingly authoritative book on, say, the stock market?

"Until such point as a man has strived to elevate himself above his material existence, God shall remain forever invisible to him."

Dawkins, as fine an academic mind as he possesses, has only ever become master of a materialistic universe, and is no more spiritually aware than a gnat.

With what authority does he talk about matters of God?

Dawkins' Delusional Arguments against God.......2007-06-28

British ethologist, Richard Dawkins, professor for the Public Understanding of Science at Oxford University, is a long-time popularizer of Darwinian evolution, ardent proponent of atheism, and prominent debunker of religion. In his latest book, The God Delusion (Houghton Mifflin, 2006), Dawkins' thesis is that belief in a supernatural creator qualifies as a delusion, which he defines as a persistent false belief held in the face of strong contradictory evidence.

Dawkins claims his purpose in writing is to convert religious believers to his brand of atheism. "If this book works as I intend," says Dawkins, "religious readers who open it will be atheists when they put it down." Are Dawkins' arguments persuasive? Does he accomplish his goal? These questions deserve closer scrutiny. For the sake of space, I'll restrict my comments to reviewing only one chapter of his book.

Dismissing Proofs for God's Existence

In Chapter 3, Dawkins mentions the classic proofs for the existence of God developed by the medieval Christian philosophers Anselm (late 11th century) and Thomas Aquinas (13th century). For example, the cosmological argument uses the principle of cause and effect to establish the existence of a necessary Being (God) who causes the existence of the world. But Dawkins dismisses this by claiming it makes an "entirely unwarranted assumption that God himself is immune to the regress." In other words, if we assume that everything has a cause, then what caused God?

What Dawkins doesn't mention is that there are actually three different forms of the cosmological argument. Aquinas offered one form, but Gottfried Leibniz (d. 1716) proposed another, and a third form was developed by Arabic philosophers during the Middle Ages. This last form, known as the kalam cosmological argument, is considered by many current Christian theologians to be the strongest of the three. It has been defended by Christian philosophers over the years, most recently by William Lane Craig.

In his books, Craig offers an overview of this argument, objections against it, and rebuttals defending the soundness of its premises and conclusion. Simply put, the kalam cosmological argument proposes:

1) Whatever begins to exist has a cause.
2) The universe began to exist.
3) Therefore, the universe has a cause.

Craig offers two philosophical reasons for the soundness of the first premise and two scientific reasons for why the second premise is true. Therefore, the concluding third statement is true. Regarding the conclusion, Craig states that "philosophical analysis reveals that such a cause [of the universe] must have several of the principal theistic attributes." Therefore, not only must God exist, but He would have the qualities generally ascribed to Him in the Bible, i.e., omniscience, omnipotence, rationality, etc.

Sophomoric Smugness

What is so breath-taking about Dawkins' smug dismissal of the cosmological argument is that he does not attempt to respond to any of the specific points that Craig brings up. It's not as if Craig is an obscure author whom Dawkins would not be familiar. Craig has defended this argument in three books dating back to 1979, written numerous articles over the years, and he has publically debated the issue with many skeptics, including the well-known atheist philosopher Quentin Smith.

But instead of dealing with any of the serious points that Craig brings out, Dawkins simply asks, "Where did God come from?" With this, Dawkins shows that he is totally unfamiliar with the wealth of literature on the subject and the strongest arguments currently employed. If he had done his homework, he would have realized that his question misses the point entirely. The first point of the kalam cosmological argument is that whatever begins to exist must have a cause. God, by definition, never began to exist. God is the "Uncaused Cause." So the question "Who made God?" is irrelevant! This is the kind of reckless handling one might expect from first year philosophy students, but not from a seasoned, distinguished university professor.

But one might counter, then why postulate God as having always existed, isn't it simpler to just assume that the universe has always existed? Craig notes two reasons why this is not feasible. Scientifically, we know that the universe is not eternal because of the evidence for the "Big Bang," and second, the 2nd Law of Thermodynamics. Based on these scientifically well-established principles, the most rational assumption is that the universe has not always existed; it had a beginning. And since it began to exist, it must have a cause other than itself. This cause must be of another nature, namely, a supernatural entity. Therefore, a supernatural Creator must exist.

Dawkins mentions several other arguments used to prove God's existence, and in each case dismisses them by arguing from a weak form of the proof. Over and over again, he builds straw men to knock down. So much for Dawkins' "incisive logic."

It seems that the only person deluded is Dawkins who thinks he has adequately explained away God.

The World Is Flat [Updated and Expanded]: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century

Average customer rating:

Hey, this book is about me!
Fantastic and very insightful - 6 Stars
Extraordinary SYNTHESIS of forces of today
Fabulous book!
A must read

The World Is Flat [Updated and Expanded]: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century
Thomas L. Friedman
Manufacturer: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0374292795
Release Date: 2006-04-18

Amazon.com

Updated Edition: Thomas L. Friedman is not so much a futurist, which he is sometimes called, as a presentist. His aim in The World Is Flat, as in his earlier, influential Lexus and the Olive Tree, is not to give you a speculative preview of the wonders that are sure to come in your lifetime, but rather to get you caught up on the wonders that are already here. The world isn't going to be flat, it is flat, which gives Friedman's breathless narrative much of its urgency, and which also saves it from the Epcot-style polyester sheen that futurists--the optimistic ones at least--are inevitably prey to.

What Friedman means by "flat" is "connected": the lowering of trade and political barriers and the exponential technical advances of the digital revolution that have made it possible to do business, or almost anything else, instantaneously with billions of other people across the planet. This in itself should not be news to anyone. But the news that Friedman has to deliver is that just when we stopped paying attention to these developments--when the dot-com bust turned interest away from the business and technology pages and when 9/11 and the Iraq War turned all eyes toward the Middle East--is when they actually began to accelerate. Globalization 3.0, as he calls it, is driven not by major corporations or giant trade organizations like the World Bank, but by individuals: desktop freelancers and innovative startups all over the world (but especially in India and China) who can compete--and win--not just for low-wage manufacturing and information labor but, increasingly, for the highest-end research and design work as well. (He doesn't forget the "mutant supply chains" like Al-Qaeda that let the small act big in more destructive ways.)

Friedman has embraced this flat world in his own work, continuing to report on his story after his book's release and releasing an unprecedented hardcover update of the book a year later with 100 pages of revised and expanded material. What's changed in a year? Some of the sections that opened eyes in the first edition--on China and India, for example, and the global supply chain--are largely unaltered. Instead, Friedman has more to say about what he now calls "uploading," the direct-from-the-bottom creation of culture, knowledge, and innovation through blogging, podcasts, and open-source software. And in response to the pleas of many of his readers about how to survive the new flat world, he makes specific recommendations about the technical and creative training he thinks will be required to compete in the "New Middle" class. As before, Friedman tells his story with the catchy slogans and globe-hopping anecdotes that readers of his earlier books and his New York Times columns know well, and he holds to a stern sort of optimism. He wants to tell you how exciting this new world is, but he also wants you to know you're going to be trampled if you don't keep up with it. A year later, one can sense his rising impatience that our popular culture, and our political leaders, are not helping us keep pace. --Tom Nissley

Where Were You When the World Went Flat?

Thomas L. Friedman's reporter's curiosity and his ability to recognize the patterns behind the most complex global developments have made him one of the most entertaining and authoritative sources for information about the wider world we live in, both as the foreign affairs columnist for the New York Times and as the author of landmark books like From Beirut to Jerusalem and The Lexus and the Olive Tree. They also make him an endlessly fascinating conversation partner, and we've now had the chance to talk to him about The World Is Flat twice. Read our original interview with him following the publication of the first edition of The World Is Flat to learn why there's almost no one from Washington, D.C., listed in the index of a book about the global economy, and what his one-plank platform for president would be. (Hint: his bumper stickers would say, "Can You Hear Me Now?")

And now you can listen to our second interview, in which he talks about the updates he's made in "The World Is Flat 2.0," including his response to parents who said to him, "Great, Mr. Friedman, I'm glad you told us the world is flat. Now what do I tell my kids?"

The Essential Tom Friedman

From Beirut to Jerusalem

The Lexus and the Olive Tree

Longitudes and Attitudes

More on Globalization and Development

China, Inc. by Ted Fishman	Three Billion New Capitalists by Clyde Prestowitz	The End of Poverty by Jeffrey Sachs
Globalization and Its Discontents by Joseph Stiglitz	The Travels of a T-Shirt in the Global Economy by Pietra Rivoli	The Mystery of Capital by Hernando de Soto

Book Description

The World Is Flat is Thomas L. Friedman’s account of the great changes taking place in our time, as lightning-swift advances in technology and communications put people all over the globe in touch as never before—creating an explosion of wealth in India and China, and challenging the rest of us to run even faster just to stay in place. This updated and expanded edition features more than a hundred pages of fresh reporting and commentary, drawn from Friedman’s travels around the world and across the American heartland—from anyplace where the flattening of the world is being felt.

In The World Is Flat, Friedman at once shows “how and why globalization has now shifted into warp drive” (Robert Wright, Slate) and brilliantly demystifies the new flat world for readers, allowing them to make sense of the often bewildering scene unfolding before their eyes. With his inimitable ability to translate complex foreign policy and economic issues, he explains how the flattening of the world happened at the dawn of the twenty-first century; what it means to countries, companies, communities, and individuals; how governments and societies can, and must, adapt; and why terrorists want to stand in the way. More than ever, The World Is Flat is an essential update on globalization, its successes and discontents, powerfully illuminated by one of our most respected journalists.

Download Description

The Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times columnist gives a bold, timely, and surprising picture of the state of globalization in the twenty-first century

Customer Reviews:

Hey, this book is about me!.......2007-06-28

I've only read the first few chapters, but this is an interesting book on how technology is making the world flatter, bringing us all closer together and giving more people more power to influence the world.

It hits particularly close to home for me, because I've been using many of these technologies for a very long time. Recently become a remote worker and am becoming even more of a player in the flat world.

This book was recommended to me by a friend and I would recommend it to you, as well.

Fantastic and very insightful - 6 Stars.......2007-06-19

Mr. Friedman is par excellence. He has coined these new buzzwords and introduced a whole new subject that very profound affects every individuals and beyond including things that make up this world. A must read and a keep sake!

Extraordinary SYNTHESIS of forces of today.......2007-06-10

The World is Flat is an extraordinary SYNTHESIS of forces shaping the world today - chiefly a new globalization where individuals hold power - not companies or nations.

Friedman looks at globalization through an staggering number of lenses - politics, economics, environmentalism, socio-economic division, national identity, healthcare, poverty, terrorism - the list goes on and on.

This may sound chaotic, but somehow Friedman binds it together into a cohesive, coherent body of thought, resulting in a portrait of a global community with both tremendous potential and tremendous challenges.

I see I'm reviewer #999 of this book, so no need to go on. IN SUM, check out this book if today's world seems fragmented, and you want a vision of the pieces fitting together.

I listened to this book unabridged on compact disk, read by Oliver Wyman. Wyman does a terrific job capturing Friedman's enthusiasm and optimism - to the point you think Friedman himself is reading it. It's a captivating listen, but 20 disks long. Give yourself a few months!

Fabulous book!.......2007-06-08

The World Is Flat offers an incredibly insightful analysis of the factors affecting the business world today, bringing together technology (in a way that is accessible for non-geeks!) sociology, economics, etc. It is an exciting read, and I couldn't put it down! This is a must-read!

A must read.......2007-06-01

The world is flat provides a very detailed explanation on why, how and when globalization turning points happened, and who made them happen, but above all it provides the reader with general guidelines on what to to to avoid being run over by this porcess.

Religious Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know--And Doesn't

Average customer rating:

Interesting thesis but underwhelming
Not Religion 101
not much more than a brief dictionary of religion
the good old days weren't always good...
Uh huh.......

Religious Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know--And Doesn't
Stephen Prothero
Manufacturer: HarperSanFrancisco
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0060846704
Release Date: 2007-03-13

Book Description

The United States is one of the most religious places on earth, but it is also a nation of shocking religious illiteracy.

Only 10 percent of American teenagers can name all five major world religions and 15 percent cannot name any.
Nearly two-thirds of Americans believe that the Bible holds the answers to all or most of life's basic questions, yet only half of American adults can name even one of the four gospels and most Americans cannot name the first book of the Bible.

Despite this lack of basic knowledge, politicians and pundits continue to root public policy arguments in religious rhetoric whose meanings are missed—or misinterpreted—by the vast majority of Americans.

"We have a major civic problem on our hands," says religion scholar Stephen Prothero. He makes the provocative case that to remedy this problem, we should return to teaching religion in the public schools. Alongside "reading, writing, and arithmetic," religion ought to become the "Fourth R" of American education.

Many believe that America's descent into religious illiteracy was the doing of activist judges and secularists hell-bent on banishing religion from the public square. Prothero reveals that this is a profound misunderstanding. "In one of the great ironies of American religious history," Prothero writes, "it was the nation's most fervent people of faith who steered us down the road to religious illiteracy. Just how that happened is one of the stories this book has to tell."

Prothero avoids the trap of religious relativism by addressing both the core tenets of the world's major religions and the real differences among them. Complete with a dictionary of the key beliefs, characters, and stories of Christianity, Islam, and other religions, Religious Literacy reveals what every American needs to know in order to confront the domestic and foreign challenges facing this country today.

Customer Reviews:

Interesting thesis but underwhelming.......2007-06-25

I read this book after reading a profile of the author in Newsweek and then seeing him interviewed on a number of televison programs including the Daily Show. His initial point--namely, that educated people need to be aware of religious ideas, concepts, figures, etc-- is interesting, but grows repetitive. Yes, it is true that there are over 1,300 Bibical references in the works of Shakespeare and certainly any discussion of Middle Eastern politics warrants an understanding of the differences between Sunni and Shiite traditions and beliefs, but this book is really more about the history of religious education than actually offering any. After the fun of his little quiz (Name the twleve apostles. Name the four noble truths of Buddhism.) and a superficial dictionary of terms that actaully makes up a third of the book, I was left feeling let down.

Not Religion 101.......2007-06-20

I saw this book discussed on "The Jon Stewart Show" and thought the premise was interesting. I share in the author's concern about the increasing religious illiteracy of our nation. It doesn't mean that you have to be religious to appreciate the value that religion has contributed historically and culturally. As the author states, you just can't be an educated citizen without knowledge of religion, especially in times like these when religion is infusing our politics be it from the Religious Right or from dangerous misconceptions that we have about Islam. In order to be a good "world citizen," you really do need to know about religion. That is the author's premise in a nutshell.

Now, having said this, the book is not exactly what I expected. It is divided into three parts, outlining what we used to know about religion starting from Colonial times, how we gradually inadvertently became increasingly illiterate about the subject, and the author's ideal proposal of how to get back our knowledge, which is a very ambitious proposal indeed. I enjoyed the first chapter or so where he discusses the extent to which Americans are illiterate about religion by citing startling statistical examples of misconceptions in the general public and humorous mistakes that students make in identifying Bible characters and stories. I also enjoyed the mini quiz that you can take to see just how illiterate you are.

However, with a title like the one this book has, I expected to be told outright just what it is we need to know about religion as is relevant to our times. I did not find this in the book except for the last chapter which is a dictionary of religious terms that the author believes are essential for us to know in our modern world. If only the entire book had been a discussion about this, I would have been more satisfied. It is more a history lesson about what we used to know and how we have lost that knowledge, but doesn't tell you really what you do need to know. So I found the title misleading.

The author does state clearly that the book is not a text on "Religion 101," but I wish it had been. Granted, I never read any reviews or even the description on the book beforehand - I just went on the title alone. But if only he had, for example, broken up the book into sections about topics that are relevant in the here and now, such as what Americans need to know about Islam (its holy book, major characters, teachings, and divisions). And another chapter on Christianity as far as divisions between Protestants and Catholics, about what different Protestant denominations believe, about morality and values, etc. All of these things are covered in the dictionary at the end of the book, but not so much in depth. This would have been different than just a "Religion 101" book because it would have dealt with religious topics and terms relevant to the here and now - indeed, it would have been an early 21st century primer on what we really need to know about religion to be educated world citizens in this day and age. That is what I had been expecting and I was disappointed that it was not.

not much more than a brief dictionary of religion.......2007-06-18

I was dissapointed in this book. The first third or so seemed like it could be replaced with the sentence "Can you believe how little people know about religions?". I didn't get much out of the hand wringing.
The rest of the book is primarily a dictionary of religion, and that was pretty interesting, but really didn't go into enough depth about different religions and denominations. In the end, this book didn't teach me much. I probably could learn more about religions and denominations in an afternoon browsing wikipedia.

the good old days weren't always good..........2007-06-10

I enjoyed reading this book, especially the dictionary of terms in the back, and the introduction. It bugs me when I hear people speak as though they know what the Bible says, or what the Koran says, when in actuality they are simply repeating what they heard on TV. So, I understand the need for this book, and the simple fact that if people claim to be believers of a religion, at the very least they need to know the literature of that religion.

What did bother me about the book was that the author (and I know that we all write, speak, describe, etc. from our own point of view) really seemed to latch on to the "old days" of learning our abc's and reading essentials from Bible verses. The argument seemed to be "well, at least back in the old days, when religious fanatics burned witches, they knew their Bible verses."

That being said, anyone interested in learning the basics about a religion other than his/her own, or perhaps clearing up misconceptions about that religion, should check out this book as a good place to start.

Uh huh..............2007-06-09

Does anyone else find it ironic that this book claims that so many Americans don't know what the bible actually says, yet right-wing would-be theocrats claim that 80% of the American people believe that the bible is the literal word of god?

I really looked forward to reading this book, but was completely turned off by some of the author's thoughts on Church/State Separation. I also got the distinct impression that he's not really advocating a broad religious studies program, because he seems to lament the passing of the days when "children learned to read by reading the bible" (among other things).

While I agree that Americans need to know more about religion, I think comparative religion and critical thinking is the way to go. Somehow, I don't see the religious right going for that.

Average customer rating:

Attitude Check
Yes, the book lives up to what the slip cover says.
Excellent book!
Wow, Toyota. You Just Want to Join the Company.
Awesome

The Toyota Way
Jeffrey Liker
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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The Toyota Way Fieldbook
Lean Thinking : Banish Waste and Create Wealth in Your Corporation, Revised and Updated
Toyota Production System: Beyond Large-Scale Production
The Machine That Changed the World : The Story of Lean Production
The Lean Manufacturing Pocket Handbook

ASIN: 0071392319

Book Description

How to speed up business processes, improve quality, and cut costs in any industry

In factories around the world, Toyota consistently makes the highest-quality cars with the fewest defects of any competing manufacturer, while using fewer man-hours, less on-hand inventory, and half the floor space of its competitors. The Toyota Way is the first book for a general audience that explains the management principles and business philosophy behind Toyota's worldwide reputation for quality and reliability.

Complete with profiles of organizations that have successfully adopted Toyota's principles, this book shows managers in every industry how to improve business processes by:

Eliminating wasted time and resources
Building quality into workplace systems
Finding low-cost but reliable alternatives to expensive new technology
Producing in small quantities
Turning every employee into a qualitycontrol inspector

Customer Reviews:

Attitude Check.......2007-06-12

Great expose of the attitude of one of the worlds most impressive business organizations. Detailed, but not cumbersome. More than just another "how to" manual. A "must read" for decision makers in any business.

Yes, the book lives up to what the slip cover says........2007-06-10

Any business owner, manager or individual team member who wonders how companies improve should read this. If you wonder why some people love lean processes while others say it does not work should read this book.

I've been a manufacturing engineer since 1981, and I joined a lot of start-up companies because I love the growth and development phase of building a company up. Some worked, some did not. This book has a nice way of explaining what Toyota does and what the others fail to do.

Excellent book!.......2007-05-19

One of my clients saw this book in an airport stand and asked me if it was worth reading. I read the book out of mere curiosity and was totally engrossed. It is well-organized, simple, and clear. While not all companies can implement the Toyota Production System, there are certainly great ideas in this book that can be implemented by any company.

Wow, Toyota. You Just Want to Join the Company........2007-04-05

This book is a revelation on the Toyota Production System and it is scary to behold. Nobody can stand before the might of the logic presented by a writer who lives and breathes his format and hence brings its genius to life. With these systems in place Toyota is relentless and brilliant, and makes your own workplace seem inefficient and non-competitive by comparison. Many good examples are provided about how to apply the Toyota Way to different work environments, be they manufacturing or customer service.

Awesome.......2007-03-20

What can I say. Awesome book that can really help you understand manufacturing in the MODERN world.

Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army

Average customer rating:

On Guard! For all its Promise -- Difficult to Enjoy
Sheds a bright light on a very serious and growing threat
Liberal agenda
Scahill has created a masterpiece.
Great liberal insight

Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army
Jeremy Scahill
Manufacturer: Nation Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Company Profiles | Biography & History | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

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Licensed to Kill: Hired Guns in the War on Terror
Nemesis: The Last Days of the American Republic (American Empire Project)
American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War On America
At the Center of the Storm: My Years at the CIA
Killer Elite: The Inside Story of America's Most Secret Special Operations Team

ASIN: 1560259795

Book Description

Meet BLACKWATER USA, the world's most secretive and powerful mercenary firm. Based in the wilderness of North Carolina, it is the fastest-growing private army on the planet with forces capable of carrying out regime change throughout the world. Blackwater protects the top US officials in Iraq and yet we know almost nothing about the firm's quasi-military operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and inside the US. Blackwater was founded by an extreme right-wing fundamentalist Christian mega-millionaire ex- Navy Seal named Erik Prince, the scion of a wealthy conservative family that bankrolls far-right-wing causes.
Blackwater is the dark story of the rise of a powerful mercenary army, ranging from the blood-soaked streets of Fallujah to rooftop firefights in Najaf to the hurricane-ravaged US gulf to Washington DC, where Blackwater executives are hailed as new heroes in the war on terror. This is an extraordinary exposé by one of America's most exciting young radical journalists.

Customer Reviews:

On Guard! For all its Promise -- Difficult to Enjoy.......2007-06-29

"Blackwater" tells the story of the privatization of the war in Iraq as part of the Bush administration's philosophy of creating a leaner, meaner armed forces.

Blackwater, Inc. is a private security contracting firm based in the southeast, and Scahill describes them as the major player in the growing military-industrial mix that has seen quasi-military corporate entities provide almost as much personnel in support of OIF (100,000 civilian contractors) as the US armed forces (140,000+).

The story is an interesting twist and a good addition to the bookshelf in the cottage industry of Iraq-lit. Read in conjunction with "Are we Rome?" the two books do raise some interesting questions about America's geopolitical standing and how it interplays with our culture. I have to admit, sending mercenaries to "do work Americans don't want to do" (that sounds familiar, maybe we should get KBR into the lettuce fields of Salinas) is somewhat frightening; but, Scahill overreaches.

These "mercenaries" are largely former American special forces types, ex-cops, or action junkies. They are - for the most part - Americans. We have not yet resorted to paying Angolans or Croatians to fight our wars.

And, Scahill's agenda is a real overburdening addition to the narration. Is it relevant that Erik Prince (Blackwater's founder/owner) is an evangelical Catholic? Should I care what charities his chief lobbyist donates money to? Are his black ops contracts a threat to national security and a right wing milit-indus conspiracy? Do I want a close examination of the rules of engagement and what caused a fire fight between US troops/Blackwater forces and Mahdi Army insurgents?

Maybe. But, if all of that is so egregious, Scahill should have just laid it out there and I would have made my own judgment. I am loathe to say it, but there are moments in the book when Scahill justifies Bill O'Reilly's bluster about "secular progressives" "hating the US" and "wanting us to lose."

So, take that as a warning - if you are a Bushie, or just want unbiased storytelling "Blackwater" will certainly have its moments of frustration. I found myself constantly on guard, questioning every statement of fact or interpretation of events. That made this book very difficult to enjoy, for all its promise.

Sheds a bright light on a very serious and growing threat .......2007-06-29

I'll be very up front about how important and valuable I think this work is--after reading it, I purchased 2 additional copies to send to friends (one who's in the military and very knowledgeable about politics and the current state of affairs, and one who only recently began to question the directions of our changing values.)

Scahill puts a face on Blackwater. Understanding its origins allows the reader to better comprehend its comfortable fit with this current administration and its easy rise to prominence as part of the total force concept which is steadily transforming our military from a people's army anchored in national loyalty and bound by a military code of ethics into a privatized mercenary force loyal only to individual and corporate profits and operating free from international or national restraints. Blackwater, and similar "security" providers are sold to us as a resource called on to free up the ever shrinking number of troops so they can focus on combat operations. In reality, these mercenary "security" forces are actually causing this shrinking in our military ranks. They take over the jobs traditionally carried out by the military. Doesn't it seem odd that we suddenly require a security force to guard a military facility, to escort military and government officials, to transport military equipment? To do this, we often share sensitive military information--and at what risk to our troops and national security? In these positions, private security forces are sometimes the ones to fire a shot or initiate an action not intended, authorized, or desired by the military commanders. There are often unintended consequences that result from the actions of these free-lance hired guns.

The military is not a for-profit organization. Our invasion and continued occupation of Iraq has spurred a billion dollar industry to provide security operations for our military, government officials, and civilians. This industry is very much into profits, and they are lavish. Fraud is a common occurrence, yet there has been no move on the part of this administration to investigate or prosecute. Any lawsuits have been initiated by private parties, with the administration sometimes weighing in as a friend of the defendant.

There's a lot going on here that urgently needs our attention, and Scahill brings us to that reality.

Liberal agenda.......2007-06-29

I've read about four chapters of this "book." I have one question... Was Scahill actually writing about Blackwater, or did he use this as disguise to push his hippy agenda? Very little of this "book" even talks about Blackwater. The rest talks about the Iraq war and provides viewpoints only from his liberal buddies. If you believe this nonsense, then the U.S. military hasn't killed one enemy fighter, but instead, has intentionally targeted women and children without pause. He will provide you with a quote from some al-jazeera "journalist," then immediately following, will insert a random quote of some Marine Major saying that "we will crush them."(or something to that effect) This, of course, would lead you to believe scahill's belief that the Major was talking about gunning down innocent civilians. Scahill must have attended the michael moore school of journalism, because the entire "book" is filled with twisted facts and untruths. Horrible, Horrible, Horrible... Mr. Scahill, I look at your book and smile. Because I am grateful to live in a country where children such as yourself are allowed, and in some circles praised, to publish this sort of crap that somehow passes off as "journalism," and not be thrown in prison.

Scahill has created a masterpiece........2007-06-27

I don't normally write reviews. But seeing as this book tends to attract some negative reviews, and I did buy it and absolutely love and enjoy it, I felt it my place to offset those reviews.

I will keep this short. The book is very engrossing, it is non fiction but extremely difficult to put down. A very attractive combination. The content is so well researched and studied. Many reviews portray the author as slanted. He is, and I am surprised he isn't much more so given the content of the book. When you get to the end you will notice the 50+ pages of footnotes. Every fact/quote/statistic is thoroughly researched and documented. I won't go into the subject matter, as it is far too much to discuss in a review. I strongly encourage anyone on the fence about reading it to opt for exposing your mind to this very important work.

Great liberal insight.......2007-06-27

Scahill sheds light on the vastly changing foundation of how warfare is played out all around the globe. Much of this book is investigative research centered around the Blackwater company, but there are many others around the world that are seizing the opportunity and money to put themselves and their men in harms way. In my view, these companies are doing these jobs with much more efficiency than national governments yet the governments struggle with how to categorize these private sector businesses and how they operate.

Second Chance: Three Presidents and the Crisis of American Superpower

Average customer rating:

Brilliant. A must read as we approach the future election they are boring us with ...
Needs a Greater Focus on the Last Chapter
Unbiased, Brilliant, Insightful and Timely
Second Chance by Secretary of State Brzezinski
Excellent

Second Chance: Three Presidents and the Crisis of American Superpower
Zbigniew Brzezinski
Manufacturer: Basic Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Religious Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know--And Doesn't

ASIN: 0465002528

Book Description

From the most highly respected analyst of foreign policy writing today, a story of wasted opportunity and squandered prestige: a critique of the last three U.S. presidents' foreign policy.

America's most distinguished commentator on foreign policy, former National Security Adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski, offers a reasoned but unsparing assessment of the last three presidential administrations' foreign policy. Though spanning less than two decades, these administrations cover a vitally important turning point in world history: the period in which the United States, having emerged from the Cold War with unprecedented power and prestige, managed to squander both in a remarkably short time. This is a tale of decline: from the competent but conventional thinking of the first Bush administration, to the well-intentioned self-indulgence of the Clinton administration, to the mortgaging of America's future by the "suicidal statecraft" of the second Bush administration. Brzezinski concludes with a chapter on how America can regain its lost prestige. This scholarly yet highly opinionated book is sure to be both controversial and influential.

Customer Reviews:

Brilliant. A must read as we approach the future election they are boring us with ..........2007-06-28

I happen to hear this guy on Charlie Rose the other night and went out and bought his book. The book isnt as interesting as he is in an interview live but its well worth the read.

His analysis of the past three administrations is superb. It is balanced and I think offers great insight into the hits and misses of our leaders. He goes on to explain his views on the world post Russia and our missed opportunites. His close of post 2008 I would love to hear discussed by him and others.

An important book for this country. Get it and read it and act.

Needs a Greater Focus on the Last Chapter.......2007-06-16

When I picked up a copy of Brzezinski's new book, I was hoping for a thoughtful analysis of the country's future from one of America's greatest statesmen.

What I found instead, in the first part of the book at least, was a very brief history of the foreign policies of the past three administrations. Brzezinski presents a compelling analysis of their successes and failures, but I was not all that impressed with this section of the book. A reader with the topic will find little new information here.

The last chapter, which focuses on America's future in the world, was just what I had hoped for. Here, Brezezinski's brilliance shines through, and he puts forward a series of ideas that are both insightful and thought-provoking.

Unfortunately, "Beyond 2008" is only 37 pages and most of these ideas are not fully explained. Nor does he elaborate on them with examples and evidence. There is enough to write an entire book on here, and I wish he had done so. The brevity is the reason that I am not giving this book all five stars.

Still, with its solid (albeit basic) summaries, and (much more importantly) its examination of the future of our foreign policy, Second Chance is worth taking a look at.

Unbiased, Brilliant, Insightful and Timely.......2007-06-15

This is a must read book for anyone who is in the voting age!

The book may not be well written in some parts, but it's unique and superb in essence and in the way it illuminates and offers insight to our most pressing issues.

This book is not written by yet another pundit or Sunday-News armchair general or politician.

Brzezinski, who in my opinion is as brilliant as Kissinger (if not more) sheds light to major challenges and opportunities facing America.

The cogent and frank style of writing makes this book accessible and a easy read and its non-partisan objective criticism gives it the kind of credibility that is rarely seen these days.

In all a must read!

Second Chance by Secretary of State Brzezinski.......2007-05-27

Essentially, the work begins by presenting the United States as the first
global leader after the end of the Cold War. This is followed by at least
3 or more strategic missions of the United States in the role of superpower:
o management of central power relations
o to contain conflicts where there is a critical strategic interest
o to address intolerable inequities and ecological threats

Some important global historical turning points are presented. i.e.:
o the collapse of the Soviet Union
o the Gulf War victory and subsequent Iraqi involvement
o the increase of the Atlantic sphere of influence
o the World Trade Organization
o the Asian Monetary Systems/ Stabilization
o the Chechen Wars

The book cites an historic search for certitude with regard to the
strategic interests of humankind. In this regard, it is critical
that foreign policy needs and implementation strategies be outlined
thoroughly with a minimum of costly errors. The author critiques
recent presidencies and finds strengths and deficiences in each
administration. The Middle East, Proliferation and the Environment are
the areas of greatest difficulty. The Middle East has see-sawed from
the Camp David Accords to the Oslo Accords to a generous land for peace
proposal to the current regression since the rise of the Hamas as a
governmental majority. Nuclear Proliferation has been managed with
some success between and amongst the superpowers; however, the current
challenges involve smaller nations and their refusal to cooperate with
historic nuclear verification requirements. The environment is interdependent on cooperation between nations, the vagaries of nature,
the development of new energy technologies, global population increases,
the seasonal CO 2 balance on the planet, the cooperation of the global
public and many other factors too numerous to list here.

This book provides an excellent reference point to begin discussing these
issues dispassionately.

Excellent.......2007-05-15

If you're interested in an apolitical analysis of post cold war policy, read this book..If you are a partisan looking for someone to praise one President's policy and bash another, don't bother("Dubya" does get it pretty bad though). Small book, jam packed with info, and, unlike a number of similar works, an incredibly interesting and absorbing read...Could easily be completed on a weekend. Brezezinski has both real world policy and academic experience...highly recommend!

The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals

Average customer rating:

Industrial food chain, exposed
A master-class on asking questions, conducting research, and writing...
Most Important Book of 2007
The Way To Think About Anything
really think about food

The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals
Michael Pollan
Manufacturer: Penguin Press HC, The
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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The Botany of Desire: A Plant's-Eye View of the World
Suite Francaise
Heat: An Amateur's Adventures as Kitchen Slave, Line Cook, Pasta-Maker, and Apprentice to a Dante-Quoting Butcher in Tuscany
The Places In Between
What to Eat

ASIN: 1594200823

Book Description

The bestselling author of The Botany of Desire explores the ecology of eating to unveil why we consume what we consume in the twenty-first century

"What should we have for dinner?" To one degree or another this simple question assails any creature faced with a wide choice of things to eat. Anthropologists call it the omnivore's dilemma. Choosing from among the countless potential foods nature offers, humans have had to learn what is safe, and what isn't-which mushrooms should be avoided, for example, and which berries we can enjoy. Today, as America confronts what can only be described as a national eating disorder, the omnivore's dilemma has returned with an atavistic vengeance. The cornucopia of the modern American supermarket and fast-food outlet has thrown us back on a bewildering landscape where we once again have to worry about which of those tasty-looking morsels might kill us. At the same time we're realizing that our food choices also have profound implications for the health of our environment. The Omnivore's Dilemma is bestselling author Michael Pollan's brilliant and eye-opening exploration of these little-known but vitally important dimensions of eating in America.

Pollan has divided The Omnivore's Dilemma into three parts, one for each of the food chains that sustain us: industrialized food, alternative or "organic" food, and food people obtain by dint of their own hunting, gathering, or gardening. Pollan follows each food chain literally from the ground up to the table, emphasizing our dynamic coevolutionary relationship with the species we depend on. He concludes each section by sitting down to a meal--at McDonald's, at home with his family sharing a dinner from Whole Foods, and in a revolutionary "beyond organic" farm in Virginia. For each meal he traces the provenance of everything consumed, revealing the hidden components we unwittingly ingest and explaining how our taste for particular foods reflects our environmental and biological inheritance.

We are indeed what we eat-and what we eat remakes the world. A society of voracious and increasingly confused omnivores, we are just beginning to recognize the profound consequences of the simplest everyday food choices, both for ourselves and for the natural world. The Omnivore's Dilemma is a long-overdue book and one that will become known for bringing a completely fresh perspective to a question as ordinary and yet momentous as What shall we have for dinner?

Customer Reviews:

Industrial food chain, exposed.......2007-06-30

A fascinating account of four meals; Michael Pollan delivers a captivating overview of the modern food industry. Omnivore's Dillema alludes to the struggle of trying to figure out what it is wise to eat: processed foods, organic, which diet? Instead of relying on the accumulated wisdom of cuisine and culture, a typical North American consumer is apt to go by expert opinion, food pyramids, and fad diet books - all of which have showed little success. If you're curious about the food-chain, or how the food you consume came to be, this may be an eye-opener. Great read, and highly recommended.

A master-class on asking questions, conducting research, and writing..........2007-06-25

There is a plethora of detailed reviews regarding the merits of this outstanding, extraordinary book, so there is no need to repeat what has been said. Let me, then, add just a brief note on the subject that may be somewhat off the beaten track of most other reviews, a remark that comes from my "teaching" perspective.

The book is a fine example of how to approach a wide topic, narrow it down, ask intelligent questions, plan and conduct field research, complement it with an in-depth summary of published materials, and wind up with a text that is not only brilliant in its informative content, but also very readable - no mean feat. Over the last couple of years, the only other non-fiction book I enjoyed that much, was Jared Diamond's Pulitzer-winning "Guns, Germs, and Steel..."

Most Important Book of 2007.......2007-06-22

This is the best book in the entire world - take my word for it - just buy it and read away.

The Way To Think About Anything.......2007-06-21

I'm posting this to strongly encourage all journalists (I'm a former journalist; 20 years in the business) and all writers to evaluate this book because of how well Micahel Pollan analyzes a topic and then writes about it. The writing is sharp, witty, and inspiring. But the writing begins with the thinking process, the way in which he breaks down something that's fairly obvious in our lives (say, the idea of the big grocery store) and looks at the components underneath. Pollan moves seamlessly from gritty first-person journalism and scientific details to breezy (easy to read) essay writing that reveals how he builds his arguments. Quite simply, this is one of the best pieces of non-fiction I've ever...devoured. I read "Fast Food Nation" but this takes some of those basic facts and branches off and puts forward a much more complex evaluation of all that lies behind the eating problems in this country today. In particular, I found Pollan's point that we have no single national food culture to be particularly compelling. What a book.

really think about food.......2007-06-21

Pollan leads you down the path of food knowledge making you feel like he's sitting at the table with you. I have been in the food industry all my life, reading this book reminded me why. Most of his topics roll out like a great joke being told. Pollan's journey to decipher what is important about how we get and what we eat never loses momentum. He has an ability to cover large subjects quickly and succinctly. There is definite passion in his investigations and each meal he dissects offers new perceptions about how the food we eat gets to our table. I thought the book was a fun read. There is so much world history intertwined with telling of Pollan's story. I would reccommend this book to anyone who is a lover of nature, food and animals. Pollan explored every subject from both sides and never preached about one or the other, the entire time leaving me to decide what to think. By the end of the book I was telling everyone around me random facts about CAFOs (confined animal feeding operation) and what's happening to the soil in Iowa. This book helped me make a conscious choice about my school of thought when it comes to, what's for dinner?, what will your choice be?

Average customer rating:

Einstein: His Life and Universe
Donald T
Everything is Relative
Einstein the Human Being
Wow..... a spectacular look at an equally spectacular man....

Einstein: His Life and Universe
Walter Isaacson
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0743264738
Release Date: 2007-04-10

Amazon.com

As a scientist, Albert Einstein is undoubtedly the most epic among 20th-century thinkers. Albert Einstein as a man, however, has been a much harder portrait to paint, and what we know of him as a husband, father, and friend is fragmentary at best. With Einstein: His Life and Universe, Walter Isaacson (author of the bestselling biographies Benjamin Franklin and Kissinger) brings Einstein's experience of life, love, and intellectual discovery into brilliant focus. The book is the first biography to tackle Einstein's enormous volume of personal correspondence that heretofore had been sealed from the public, and it's hard to imagine another book that could do such a richly textured and complicated life as Einstein's the same thoughtful justice. Isaacson is a master of the form and this latest opus is at once arresting and wonderfully revelatory. --Anne Bartholomew

Read "The Light-Beam Rider," the first chapter of Walter Isaacson's Einstein: His Life and Universe.

Five Questions for Walter Isaacson

Amazon.com: What kind of scientific education did you have to give yourself to be able to understand and explain Einstein's ideas?

Isaacson: I've always loved science, and I had a group of great physicists--such as Brian Greene, Lawrence Krauss, and Murray Gell-Mann--who tutored me, helped me learn the physics, and checked various versions of my book. I also learned the tensor calculus underlying general relativity, but tried to avoid spending too much time on it in the book. I wanted to capture the imaginative beauty of Einstein's scientific leaps, but I hope folks who want to delve more deeply into the science will read Einstein books by such scientists as Abraham Pais, Jeremy Bernstein, Brian Greene, and others.

Amazon.com: That Einstein was a clerk in the Swiss Patent Office when he revolutionized our understanding of the physical world has often been treated as ironic or even absurd. But you argue that in many ways his time there fostered his discoveries. Could you explain?

Isaacson: I think he was lucky to be at the patent office rather than serving as an acolyte in the academy trying to please senior professors and teach the conventional wisdom. As a patent examiner, he got to visualize the physical realities underlying scientific concepts. He had a boss who told him to question every premise and assumption. And as Peter Galison shows in Einstein's Clocks, Poincare's Maps, many of the patent applications involved synchronizing clocks using signals that traveled at the speed of light. So with his office-mate Michele Besso as a sounding board, he was primed to make the leap to special relativity.

Amazon.com: That time in the patent office makes him sound far more like a practical scientist and tinkerer than the usual image of the wild-haired professor, and more like your previous biographical subject, the multitalented but eminently earthly Benjamin Franklin. Did you see connections between them?

Isaacson: I like writing about creativity, and that's what Franklin and Einstein shared. They also had great curiosity and imagination. But Franklin was a more practical man who was not very theoretical, and Einstein was the opposite in that regard.

Amazon.com: Of the many legends that have accumulated around Einstein, what did you find to be least true? Most true?

Isaacson: The least true legend is that he failed math as a schoolboy. He was actually great in math, because he could visualize equations. He knew they were nature's brushstrokes for painting her wonders. For example, he could look at Maxwell's equations and marvel at what it would be like to ride alongside a light wave, and he could look at Max Planck's equations about radiation and realize that Planck's constant meant that light was a particle as well as a wave. The most true legend is how rebellious and defiant of authority he was. You see it in his politics, his personal life, and his science.

Amazon.com: At Time and CNN and the Aspen Institute, you've worked with many of the leading thinkers and leaders of the day. Now that you've had the chance to get to know Einstein so well, did he remind you of anyone from our day who shares at least some of his remarkable qualities?

Isaacson: There are many creative scientists, most notably Stephen Hawking, who wrote the essay on Einstein as "Person of the Century" when I was editor of Time. In the world of technology, Steve Jobs has the same creative imagination and ability to think differently that distinguished Einstein, and Bill Gates has the same intellectual intensity. I wish I knew politicians who had the creativity and human instincts of Einstein, or for that matter the wise feel for our common values of Benjamin Franklin.

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Book Description

By the author of the acclaimed bestseller Benjamin Franklin, this is the first full biography of Albert Einstein since all of his papers have become available.

How did his mind work? What made him a genius? Isaacson's biography shows how his scientific imagination sprang from the rebellious nature of his personality. His fascinating story is a testament to the connection between creativity and freedom.

Based on newly released personal letters of Einstein, this book explores how an imaginative, impertinent patent clerk -- a struggling father in a difficult marriage who couldn't get a teaching job or a doctorate -- became the mind reader of the creator of the cosmos, the locksmith of the mysteries of the atom and the universe. His success came from questioning conventional wisdom and marveling at mysteries that struck others as mundane. This led him to embrace a morality and politics based on respect for free minds, free spirits, and free individuals.

These traits are just as vital for this new century of globalization, in which our success will depend on our creativity, as they were for the beginning of the last century, when Einstein helped usher in the modern age.

Customer Reviews:

Einstein: His Life and Universe.......2007-06-28

EXCELLENT.....FIVE STARS PLUS. I have ready many books about Einstein. I was reluctant to purchase this one as I thought it would be a rehash. I was wonderfully surprised. The historical chapters are well written. The technical chapters are done equally well. A big round of applause for the author. I learned quite a bit.

Donald T.......2007-06-27

I loved this book. Einstein was a fascinating Character. I'm not in the sciences but am very interested in Einstein. I have recommended this book to many friends. Isaacson has done a wonderful job again.

Everything is Relative.......2007-06-27

This is an enjoyable read if you can understand it. Parts of it left me in time & space. The technical parts were a slow read and difficult to understand. I guess I should have take quantum mechanics in college.

That being said, Einstein's life is extremely interesting. Isaacson well documents the book. You get insight into another side of Einstein that you may not have known or realized. So if you can get through the technical portions, it is an interesting read.

Einstein the Human Being.......2007-06-26

Isaacson's new biography of Einstein describes him as a person in the context of family, history, relationships, and thought. It presents Einstein as a living, breathing, thinking human being. I was fascinated by the book and am now quite fascinated with Einstein. I must admit I had to read the Theory of Relativity six or seven times before I somewhat understood it.

Wow..... a spectacular look at an equally spectacular man...........2007-06-24

Einstein was certainly a great scientist, but he was much more. Rather than being a reductionist, he was quite fascinated with the awe and mystery of life, the laws of nature and the deep ineffable interiority of people and the universe. I think this is partially and incompletely encapsulated in his famous quote, "imagination is greater than knowledge."

What is absolutely wonderful about this book is the drawing out of the man behind the sciene in all his complexity and the various roles he played as a husband, scientist, philosopher, musician, etc. In a nutshell, this book has a lot of depth, breadth and pages!!

If you are a fan of Einstein and love a good story, you will undoubtedly enjoy this book. If you are looking for a simple biography, this is not it. This is Einstein fans who want the full scoop through the eyes of a great storyteller. This length, complexity and detail of this book may be challenging to some readers, but a joy for those who appreciate rich, thick, imaginative interpretation of a very complex personality and scientific giant.

This is top shelf stuff in the area of biography. Don't hesitate to read and enjoy it if you aren't intimidated by a dense, but fascinating book.

Average customer rating:

Lost In Time
Suite Francaise
YUCK
Moving
Excellent Depiction of the German Occupation

Suite Française
Irene Nemirovsky
Manufacturer: Knopf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1400044731
Release Date: 2006-04-11

Book Description

By the early l940s, when Ukrainian-born Irène Némirovsky began working on what would become Suite Française—the first two parts of a planned five-part novel—she was already a highly successful writer living in Paris. But she was also a Jew, and in 1942 she was arrested and deported to Auschwitz: a month later she was dead at the age of thirty-nine. Two years earlier, living in a small village in central France—where she, her husband, and their two small daughters had fled in a vain attempt to elude the Nazis —she’d begun her novel, a luminous portrayal of a human drama in which she herself would become a victim. When she was arrested, she had completed two parts of the epic, the handwritten manuscripts of which were hidden in a suitcase that her daughters would take with them into hiding and eventually into freedom. Sixty-four years later, at long last, we can read Némirovsky’s literary masterpiece

The first part, “A Storm in June,” opens in the chaos of the massive 1940 exodus from Paris on the eve of the Nazi invasion during which several families and individuals are thrown together under circumstances beyond their control. They share nothing but the harsh demands of survival—some trying to maintain lives of privilege, others struggling simply to preserve their lives—but soon, all together, they will be forced to face the awful exigencies of physical and emotional displacement, and the annihilation of the world they know. In the second part, “Dolce,” we enter the increasingly complex life of a German-occupied provincial village. Coexisting uneasily with the soldiers billeted among them, the villagers—from aristocrats to shopkeepers to peasants—cope as best they can. Some choose resistance, others collaboration, and as their community is transformed by these acts, the lives of these these men and women reveal nothing less than the very essence of humanity.

Suite Française is a singularly piercing evocation—at once subtle and severe, deeply compassionate and fiercely ironic—of life and death in occupied France, and a brilliant, profoundly moving work of art.

Download Description

Irène Némirovsky was born in Kiev in 1903 into a wealthy banking family and emigrated to France during the Russian Revolution. After attending the Sorbonne, she began to write and swiftly achieved success with her first novel, David Golder, which was followed by The Ball, The Flies of Autumn, Dogs and Wolves and The Courilof Affair. She died in 1942.

From the Hardcover edition.

Customer Reviews:

Lost In Time.......2007-06-30

What a startling book! The reader has to be constantly cognizant that the book was being written while it was taking place - the author was living and writing in the same time frame. The Storm in June was moving and fast paced, as I begun Dolce I prepared myself that this book had no ending. The four other sequelles were lost in time and only Irene Nemirovsky knows the true ending. JMR

Suite Francaise.......2007-06-27

The book was interesting, but a bit confusing with so many charachters to keep track of. I thought the appendices were more interesting than the story.

YUCK.......2007-06-23

Sorry, but I can't believe anyone enjoyed this book. It was our book club pick for the month and halfway through I sent out an email asking for ANYONE to give me some hope to continue. No one could do it. It was difficult to keep track of the characters, and I didn't "care" about any of them, they just weren't developed enough.

Moving.......2007-06-16

Russian/Jewish author, Irene Nemirovsky set out to write a 4 or 5 part epic in 1939, just prior to WW2. She achieved only two of the books which were to make up her epic before being captured by the Germans and killed in Auschwitz concentration camp. Her surviving work, which was scribbled in tiny writing in notebooks, was somehow saved by her daughters and remained lost for over 50 years. This book is the first two sections of her work, unedited and without a final polish, nevertheless it is a masterpiece of simple yet superb writing, detailing the lives of various classes of Frenchmen, and how they all coped with bombing, evacuation, lack of food and amenities and the things which make up everyday life. Some of the so called upper classes do not come out of it smelling like roses, while the so called "noble peasants" appear brutish and ugly with selfish and animal like behaviour. When I started this book, I was expecting to read about acts of unspeakable cruelty, committed by the Gestapo but the author did not live long enough to write about these future events. The world has surely lost by not being able to read this lady's thoughts over the years of late 1941 and into 1942, as her writing is masterly yet si