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The Great Depression struck California hard, just as it did countless other states and nations. It also helped remake California, writes Kevin Starr in this fourth installment of his multivolume history of the state. The Depression brought a massive influx of hopeful refugees to California from elsewhere in the United States, including 300,000 new agricultural workers--the people of John Steinbeck's Grapes of Wrath. These newcomers worked in the fields and stores for fifteen cents an hour while Hollywood made movies about their lot, Woody Guthrie sang songs about them, and union organizers tried hard to make a labor-based revolution. The fortunes of these "Okies" is just one of the sweeping topics that Starr, a fine writer and imaginative chronicler, takes on in this book.

Book Description

California, Wallace Stegner observed, is like the rest of the United States, only more so. Indeed, the Golden State has always seemed to be a place where the hopes and fears of the American dream have been played out in a bigger and bolder way. And no one has done more to capture this epic story than Kevin Starr, in his acclaimed series of gripping social and cultural histories. Now Starr carries his account into the 1930s, when the political extremes that threatened so much of the Depression-ravaged world--fascism and communism--loomed large across the California landscape. In Endangered Dreams, Starr paints a portrait that is both detailed and panoramic, offering a vivid look at the personalities and events that shaped a decade of explosive tension. He begins with the rise of radicalism on the Pacific Coast, which erupted when the Great Depression swept over California in the 1930s. Starr captures the triumphs and tumult of the great agricultural strikes in the Imperial Valley, the San Joaquin Valley, Stockton, and Salinas, identifying the crucial role played by Communist organizers; he also shows how, after some successes, the Communists disbanded their unions on direct orders of the Comintern in 1935. The highpoint of social conflict, however, was 1934, the year of the coastwide maritime strike, and here Starr's narrative talents are at their best, as he brings to life the astonishing general strike that took control of San Francisco, where workers led by charismatic longshoreman Harry Bridges mounted the barricades to stand off National Guardsmen. That same year socialist Upton Sinclair won the Democratic nomination for governor, and he launched his dramatic End Poverty in California (EPIC) campaign. In the end, however, these challenges galvanized the Right in a corporate, legal, and vigilante counterattack that crushed both organized labor and Sinclair. And yet, the Depression also brought out the finest in Californians: state Democrats fought for a local New Deal; California natives helped care for more than a million impoverished migrants through public and private programs; artists movingly documented the impact of the Depression; and an unprecedented program of public works (capped by the Golden Gate Bridge) made the California we know today possible. In capturing the powerful forces that swept the state during the 1930s--radicalism, repression, construction, and artistic expression--Starr weaves an insightful analysis into his narrative fabric. Out of a shattered decade of economic and social dislocation, he constructs a coherent whole and a mirror for understanding our own time.

Customer Reviews:

Californians, Learn Your State's History.......2003-09-17

Kevin Starr's continuing work on the history of California since 1850 continues to impress me and fill me with interesting and useful knowledge about the state. Being a resident of the state, it is relatively easy for me to keep following the thread and the meaning of names and locations. I can imagine this would be somewhat more difficult for readers not as familiar with our state. The story of the waterfront strikes in San Francisco and the farming/migrant/labor issues of the 1930s are very compelling and should be easily understood by readers regardless of where they are from. The issues dealing with our water supply and other water management issues as well as those dealing with large public works within the state, can pose a bigger challenge for those readers.

As with his other volumes, Mr. Starr doesn't just give us straight-ahead, factual history. In my view, he is especially good at giving incidental stories about some of the players involved in a way that keeps the reader more interested. Immediately after finishing the book I went to the internet to find out more about people like photographer Dorothea Lange and the 1939 Golden Gate International Exposition. That is what I ask of books like these: that they teach me about things I don't know much about and that they cause me to follow up and learn more about some of the topics within the book.

One learns reading this particular volume that the current quirkiness of California (governor recalls, liberalism, social diversity) is not something that just developed in the 1970s. We had recall movements back in the 1930s as well and some ugliness comes through regarding racism and discrimination in this state that sometimes thinks so highly of itself in that area. It is truly shameful how we discriminated against all migrant workers, whether of color or the Oakies that came to us from the Dust Bowl. The stories of abuse of power by the police and other government entities were very interesting.

I would love to have every Californian---especially our politicians---read Mr. Starr's work. Most history is slow to read, and this is no exception, but the amounts of knowledge one will get about California, make it worth the while.

A terrific summary of California's Labor history.......1998-12-11

This fourth chapter in Starr's "Americans and the California Dream" is the best yet. I was paticularly interested, in what Starr sees as the States battle between the forces of communism and fascism. The text reads like an account of a some great war, following each battle and skirmish throughout the State. I would recommend this work to anyone who is seriously interested in California or Labor history.

Learn something new today!.......1998-07-17

I finally got around to reading "The Grapes of Wrath" and was ashamed to realize that the context of the story was all new to me. Right about then, Kevin Starr's book came out and was reviewed in my local paper. He's done a great, steady job of illuminating the rise of the unions and the treatment of the Okies. The only major flaw I found was the lack of a map of California included in the book. I'm from the east coast and found it difficult to keep the place names straight without a ready reference.

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Luttwak's search for Hobbesian economy
I can't believe it !
A clarion call to stop decay in its tracks
Essential reading for the globalization controversy

Endangered American Dream
Edward N. Luttwak
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Strategy & Competition | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

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Strategy: The Logic of War and Peace, Revised and Enlarged Edition

ASIN: 0671896679

Customer Reviews:

Luttwak's search for Hobbesian economy.......2005-07-05

Luttwak's book of early 90's operates within the Hobbesian intuition that a certain type of warfare among divers"us" and "them" is an essential component of history. Far from Fukuyama's picture of ending history, Luttwak suggests that the head wagons of the train of history are going to enter a new space called "geo-economics". In order the United States to avoid "third-worldization", Luttwak suggests, she must mobilize a geo-economic warfare to be waged on a systematic basis. This seemingly counter-Wilsonian suggestion, in fact, is designed as a dialectical counter-balance for possible hot and cold wars among rival subjects of the global market.
Instrumental for the geo-economics is a state-supported research, product development and market penetration - the main equivalents of standard warfare means: fire powder, weapon innovation and military bases on foreign soil.
Luttwak's observations and descriptions of various cases of already operating geo-economical ambush tactics and plain "war zones" in the global market are fascinating. The story of the possible third-worldization of the United State is chilling.
It seems,post 9/11 warfare developments only supplement Luttwak's intuition and point to the need for functional analysis of levels and forms of warfare.
The perspective through which the book engages into the essentials of the post Cold War United States' pragmatics is revealing.

I can't believe it !.......2003-01-22

How is it possible to be so wrong ? That is the question which is growing in the reader's mind when looking over this book. According to Edward Luttwak, America was in the Nineties, on the verge of a final crisis which would have to precipitate it in the abyss of the Third World. Very amazing when so much people everywhere complain about its extreme domination. Today, despite dark clouds, nothing is allowing us to think that the spirit of America is lost. I hope that, unlike the Luttwak's prediction, american people is still believing in the ideas of the " Founding Fathers ", and in the triumph of the democracy. To this condition the USA will still be able to enlighten the world for a long time.

A clarion call to stop decay in its tracks.......2002-05-29

Edward N. Luttwak's text does not fit into any traditional political or economic molds. On the one hand he calls for pragmatic, standardized education which will train folks for the rigors of the modern education. He critiques a multicultural agenda which holds that teaching tolerance of other cultures is more important than raising children to be tomorrow's economic leaders. On the other hand, he calls for a value added tax similar to what exists in Europe to encourage savings rather than excessive consumption.

Luttwak's proposals, from tightening security along the US Mexico border to reforming the legal system to curb excessive and frivolous lawsuits, are all viable. The book's only shortcoming is that it comes across as aggressive to the point of being hostile. I certainly agree with much of what he has to say, but I fail to understand why he chooses to employ rhetoric of warfare and belligerence in describing the country's economic situation and the solution. I would much rather see a call for fairness and compassion in economic decisions rather than the belligerance of Luttwak. Still, his book is readable and offers solutions that are highly viable nine years after its publication.

Essential reading for the globalization controversy.......1999-12-10

This lucid and readable book focuses largely on the reasons (sociopolitical as well as economic) for Japan's phenomenal ascent from a resource-poor, war-ravaged island nation to its premier status today, in contrast to the accelerating decline of the U.S. This is no reactionary us-versus-them rant, as Kirkus might lead you to believe, but an objective analysis of different societies' behavior and priorities, and why we cannot continue to delude ourselves with past glories. The points Luttwak makes are even more relevant now, six years later, as much of the globe falls in thrall of the supranational corporate oligarchy.

The Endangered American Dream : How to Stop the United States from Becoming a Third World Country and How to Win the Geo-Economic Struggle for Industrial Supremacy

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The Endangered American Dream : How to Stop the United States from Becoming a Third World Country and How to Win the Geo-Economic Struggle for Industrial Supremacy
Edward N. Luttwak
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000KPKJ7Y

The Endangered American Dream: How Environmental Lunacy Is Destroying America How to Stop It

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The Endangered American Dream: How Environmental Lunacy Is Destroying America How to Stop It
Timothy Robert Walters
Manufacturer: Rawhide Western Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Civil Procedure | Procedures & Litigation | Law | Subjects | Books

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The Endangered American Dream: How to Stop the United States from Becoming a Third World Country and How to Win the Geo-Economic Struggle for Industrial ... from: Issues in Science and Technology
Alan Tonelson
Manufacturer: National Academy of Sciences
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Science | Subjects | Books

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Book Description

This digital document is an article from Issues in Science and Technology, published by National Academy of Sciences on March 22, 1994. The length of the article is 2423 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: The Endangered American Dream: How to Stop the United States from Becoming a Third World Country and How to Win the Geo-Economic Struggle for Industrial Supremacy. (book reviews)
Author: Alan Tonelson
Publication: Issues in Science and Technology (Refereed)
Date: March 22, 1994
Publisher: National Academy of Sciences
Volume: v10 Issue: n3 Page: p86(4)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Endangered Dreams : The Great Depression in California (Americans and the California Dream Ser.)

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Endangered Dreams : The Great Depression in California (Americans and the California Dream Ser.)
Kevin Starr
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, Incorporated
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000KXK0CA

Book Description

The major themes of financial regulation in the U.S., the EEC, and Japan are discussed in four interwoven, but independent, essays. The central focus is the protection of the financial system by insuring prudential rules against systemic risks, particularly through promoting capital adequacy by international and national agreement and with due consideration to the distinction between the banking and securities business. The work concludes with the assertion that international harmonization of regulation is necessary for the long-run efficiency of financial markets.

Book Description

When Carrie Knowles and her siblings learned that their mother was suffering from Alzheimer's, they joined more than 50 million other Americans who are providing long-term care to an Alzheimer's victim in their family. In The Last Childhood, Knowles presents the first realistic voice on what it's like to be in this position. She speaks frankly about the emotional toll the disease can have on caregivers, explains what to expect as the disease progresses through its stages, illustrates through her own experience the numerous decisions families must make along the way, and provides information on such
topics as:
Understanding the symptoms of Alzheimer's
Communicating effectively with the patient's doctor
Deciding who in your family will be the primary caregiver
Becoming a legal guardian for your ailing spouse or relative
Choosing an assisted living center
Letting go of negative feelings such as guilt and regret
Taking care of the caregiver

Written with compassion and empathy, and recognizing that the battle with Alzheimer's is never an easy one, The Last Childhood will leave you feeling comforted, enlightened, and hopeful. Whether you are a child, spouse, relative, or friend of a loved one suffering from Alzheimer's, whether you are the primary caregiver or not, this book will be an invaluable source of inspiration and support.

Customer Reviews:

Good companion for Alzheimer's caregivers.......2001-03-23

This is a lovely book about a very difficult subject. The first sentence sets the tone: "Last night I dreamed my mother knew my name." It's honest and right to the point. It helps families of people with Alzheimer's cope with the shifting stages of the process. And it's a fine memoir, even if you're not looking for information about the disease.

Book Description

The Richmond campaign of April-July 1862 ranks as one of the most important military operations of the first years of the American Civil War. Key political, diplomatic, social, and military issues were at stake as Robert E. Lee and George B. McClellan faced off on the peninsula between the York and James Rivers. The climactic clash came on June 26-July 1 in what became known as the Seven Days battles, when Lee, newly appointed as commander of the Confederate forces, aggressively attacked the Union army. Casualties for the entire campaign exceeded 50,000, more than 35,000 of whom fell during the Seven Days.

This book offers nine essays in which well-known Civil War historians explore questions regarding high command, strategy and tactics, the effects of the fighting upon politics and society both North and South, and the ways in which emancipation figured in the campaign. The authors have consulted previously untapped manuscript sources and reinterpreted more familiar evidence, sometimes focusing closely on the fighting around Richmond and sometimes looking more broadly at the background and consequences of the campaign.

Contributors:
William A. Blair
Keith S. Bohannon
Peter S. Carmichael
Gary W. Gallagher
John T. Hubbell
R. E. L. Krick
Robert K. Krick
James Marten
William J. Miller

Customer Reviews:

Insightful essays about Richmond Campaign.......2001-09-19

I agree with an earlier reviewer who writes that this book is a great companion (or follow-up) book to Stephen Sears "To the Gates of Richmond". Mr. Sears books gives a vivid account of the overall campaign, while this book offers some insightful essays about certain aspects of the campaign. The authors are all experts in the field, and offer well written essays for the reader to contemplate.

I really enjoyed this book because the authors cover a wide range of topics to include General McClellan's flawed performance, "Stonewall" Jackson's less than stellar leadership during the campaign, the artillery battle at Malvern Hill, "Prince" John Magruder's struggles, and the affect of the campaign on both Northern and Southern society. These detailed essays offer readers the latest and greatest scholarship about the Richmond campaign. They really helped me gain a much deeper understanding about what the campaign was like, why it was so important to the overall war effort (for both sides), and most importantly, how did if affect those involved.

I highly recommend this book for those "students" of the Civil War (like me) who are looking to gain a richer grasp of the events that happened during the Richmond campaign. If you have not read anything about the Richmond campaign (usually referred to as the Pennisula and Seven Days campaign) then I suggest that you read "To the Gates of Richmond" by Stephen Sear first, then this book.

Fascinating Detail on Key Battles , Leaders and Politics.......2001-06-01

Great book to read after Stephen Sear's Penninsula Campaign (even noted by the editor). This great collection of CW historians take the leading characters and events of the 7 days campaign and provide insights to this fascinating series of battles that set the Union back three years. Fascinating writing of John Bankhead Magruder, the hero of the lower Peninsula, whose prewar reputation for drink and ladies combined with lack of sleep, stress, illness and improper medical treatment created a magnifyer for his failures particularly at Malvern Hill. Lee's desire to rid himself of Magruder who was a hero just weeks before is in stark contrast to his retaining of Stonewall who as R. K. Krick writes was virtually ineffective for a multitude of reasons, primarily due to sleep deprivation. Also, great essays on McClellan whose grandiose ego was not able to stand upright on the battlefield and his engineers who could build anything he needed but were used as scapegoats just like anyone else to excuse his own conduct. Additional essays are on the great importance of the seven days battles to lift southern morale and the enhancement of the radicals position contributed to by McClellan's failures during the campaign. Superb article on the artillery duel on Malvern Hill and confederate attack that collapsed under murderous and accurate union artillery fire. The Union's artillery was no match for its southern counterparts. R.E.L. Krick highlights Whiting's Division (with Hood) breaking the Union line decisively at Gaines Mill. No one knows the battlefield better than Krick. Longstreet may have wished he never picked up a pen after Krick writes of Longstreet's post war confusion of facts over his command of Whiting, "It appears an unusually early example of the gasconade for which Longstreet is now famous". That commentary would have made "Old Jube" proud.

Nine essays exploring questions regarding high command.......2001-03-11

The April-July 1862 Richmond campaign was a critical point in the American civil war that resulted in more than 50,000 casualties, 35,000 of whom fell in seven days (June 26 - July 1). The Richmond Campaign Of 1862: The Peninsula & The Seven Days offers nine essays exploring questions regarding high command, strategy and tactics, the effects of the fighting upon the politics and society of both the Union and the Confederacy, and the ways in which emancipation figured in the campaign. Included is an invaluable analysis of the Richmond campaign's place in the broader sweep of the war in 1862, assessments of George B. McClellan's generalship and Stonewall Jackson's flawed performance, an examination of the campaign's impact on white and black civilians in the region, the role of the engineers in the Union effort, the role of artillery in the battle of Malvern Hill, and more. Highly recommended for personal and academic Civil War studies reading lists and reference collections, The Richmond Campaign Of 1862 is an impressive work of painstaking, informative, insightful scholarship.

The Richmond Campaign of 1862: the Peninsula and the Seven Days.(Military Campaigns of the Civil War) (book review): An article from: Journal of Southern History

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The Richmond Campaign of 1862: the Peninsula and the Seven Days.(Military Campaigns of the Civil War) (book review): An article from: Journal of Southern History
James M. Morris
Manufacturer: Southern Historical Association
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B0008FBNNU
Release Date: 2005-07-30

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Journal of Southern History, published by Southern Historical Association on May 1, 2002. The length of the article is 774 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: The Richmond Campaign of 1862: the Peninsula and the Seven Days.(Military Campaigns of the Civil War) (book review)
Author: James M. Morris
Publication: Journal of Southern History (Refereed)
Date: May 1, 2002
Publisher: Southern Historical Association
Volume: 68 Issue: 2 Page: 466(2)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Book Description

For undergraduate and graduate courses in Atlantic History, Global History, Early Modern History, World History II, and Colonial America.

This reader, composed of original essays by leading authors, expands the category of the Atlantic chronologically, spatially, and methodologically. It firmly places the Atlantic within global history and the coverage expands into the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The essays present events that formed the nations and cultures of the Atlantic region and show their global roots and how they intertwine with non-Atlantic communities of the world.

Reviewers have said,

"This superb collection of essays, taken as a whole, represents the best in Atlantic studies. Creatively and incisively, they show how the Atlantic world contained rhythms and conduits that transcended national and regional boundaries, while reminding us that the Atlantic itself was connected and subjected to global influences."

-Alan Galley, Warner Woodring Professor of Atlantic History, Ohio State University

"The editors and contributors alike are to be applauded for grasping with both hands the holy Grail that is scholarliness and accessibility."

-Matthew Restall, Pennsylvania State University

"Recognizing the arbitrary nature of geographical boundaries in the face of human tendency to pursue goals and follow inducements along trajectories that readily cross such boundaries, these essays address a variety of issues."

-David Ringrose, University of California, San Diego

Book Description

With the aid of algorithms, this practical resource guides practitioners through selecting diagnostics, making a diagnosis, and selecting therapeutics. Features a complete list of differentials and information useful for making difficult diagnoses.

Customer Reviews:

My Favorite.......2001-10-02

This is the first reference I reach for. I'm on my second one because the binder released its pages. It has the most practical and quickest to find advice of all my texts!

The most handy reference on the subject.......1999-03-31

This is by far the most useful text of its kind. While it is not as comprehensive as Harrison's book on avian medicine, nor as thorough as Altman's, this book is a better deal in terms of accesing practical information and cost. The book's organization puts both Altman's and Harrison's to shame. For the listed price, this little manual packs a lot of useful information.

Book Description

MANUAL OF AVIAN MEDICINE presents a concise overview of avian medicine and is the first text on this topic to use a practical format based on symptoms. The first half is devoted to diagnosis based on clinical problems, followed by specific diseases. In addition, chapters on special topics such as surgery, anesthesia, endoscopy, pediatrics, behavior, and necropsy are included. The book concludes with an invaluable and extensive drug formulary with indications, dosages, and side effects and appendices with vital statistics, normal values, and conversion tables.

* Presents a concise overview of all facets of avian medicine. * Features a practical outline format, allowing readers to find information quickly. * Includes a problem-oriented approach, which focuses on presenting complaint/clinical manifestations, thereby helping practitioners and students develop diagnostic skills. * Contains "Hot topic" chapters, which include avian behavior, anesthesia, and toxicology. * Offers an outstanding drug formulary, which features a comprehensive listing of drugs, indications, dosages, side effects, and more. * Integrates discussion of species, with differences discussed as necessary, reducing redundancy. * Includes an appendix on normal blood values.

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