Paul Rand: A Designer`s Art

Customer Reviews:

Great examples but lacking the depth I hoped for........2004-09-23

This book uses the teaching by example system giving illustrated examples of the author's past advertising design work. I did not get the in-depth education in visual design that I had hoped for. Rand's work uses a combination of simple to mid complexity visuals that communicate in an abstract high brow way. It is this sophistication that I suppose makes others give the book such high ratings. If more text was added to explain the principles then the book would have been a much better educational experience. A 4 rating for visual quality and examples, a 3 for content, are fair ratings.

A Designer's Inspiration.......2004-06-23

Reading Paul Rand's book "A Designer's Art" should be a source of inspiration for anyone who considers him- or herself a designer -- in any medium. At least, it was definitely an inspiration for me.

I didn't expect to get much out of it when I started it, frankly. Part of that feeling is attributable to the fact that I didn't know Rand's work as well as I should. I had heard the name, but did not know what he had done. As the book began, and I figured out that he is, in a large way, responsible for the corporate identity of some pretty big names (IBM, Westinghouse, and UPS among them), and is capable of working in multiple media, both two-dimensional and three-dimensional, I found myself respecting him. As it continued and he showed himself to be not only a very creative designer, but also a thoughtful analyst and an excellent communicator, I found myself agreeing with most of what he had to say. As the book concluded, I found myself inspired in my own work by what he pointed out.

"A Designer's Art" is everything its title implies... it is about good design and it is about compelling art. The two, while not necessarily the same, are definitely fused together in many ways. Artistic disciplines and methods and trends affect design work to a large extent, while principles of good design can also be applied to the basic creative process one goes through when making a more purely artistic endeavour.

Particularly compelling in this regard was the chapter near the end of the book, about the benefits of the "play instinct" and how it applies to design. By discussing several games and ways of playing with visual relationships, such as tangrams, tatami (the arranging of floor mats), Le Corbusier's "Modulor," and the creation of Chinese characters, Rand discusses several games and how they can be used in the design process, either in the solution for a specific problem, or as tasks in and of themselves. These "games" help to teach the designer to look at visual presentations in a different way, to see tired concepts in a new light, and to use originality to think their way around a problem. Like directed play does for children, visual games help to discipline the mind to see through what is presented and into an original way of looking at the same thing. "The student learns to conceptualize, to associate, to make analogies," he says. "To see a sphere, for example, transformed into an orange, or a button into a letter, or a group of letters into a broad picture."

Also very interesting was his discussion of the color black, reclaiming it for new audiences and new purposes, and his thoughts on including a sense of humor or wit in your designs. His conclusion is where I really came to admire this book, though, as he relies on the words of one of his employers: "Good design at heart is simply honesty. It is an ingredient of character. Good design helps to form in any one part of the business an influence that affects all part of the business. It sustains character and honesty in every part of the business. Good design, therefore, is very good business indeed." It's a good thought to take away from this book, that a skilled designer's work is valued by those he or she works for, and a reminder of the burden that designers bear in their work.

Reading Rand's "A Designer's Art" was something like the experience I had when reading Stephen King's "On Writing." Both men are (or were, in Rand's case) masters of their respective craft, and both have had their effect on our culture and our way of life, each in their own unique way. More importantly, though, just as I was inspired to write as I was reading "On Writing," so too was I inspired to make something new and original as I put down "A Designer's Art." Both books inspired me to create. I can't think of any better motivation for reading them than that.

Paul Rand: A Designer's Must Have.......2003-07-30

The single greatest book on Graphic Design ever written. This is not a tutorial or a how to, but a why. Why things work, why they don't, and why it is important to know about its history. Learn the importance of this medium, its impact on industry, and its place in the arts.

"That graphic design is generally considered a minor art has more to do with posturing than it does with reality."
-Paul Rand

NON LIKE ANY OTHER.......2003-01-08

I don't want my competitors to read this. It gives me the edge in designing.

Just OK.......2002-02-04

The book was extremely well written, but it was the content I was diappointed with. I expected more info on basic design techniques. It seemed more of a picture book.

Average customer rating:

an essential
Great book!
Buy a Magnifying Glass
A good work about a great designer
Excellent

Paul Rand: A Designer`s Art
Paul Rand
Manufacturer: Yale University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0300034830

Amazon.com

IBM, UPS, ABC. If these acronyms ring a bell, their ubiquitous logos springing instantly to mind, then you know the work of Paul Rand (1914-1996), the Picasso of Graphic Design. A pioneer in the field of visual communication, Rand developed a fresh and individual design language drawn from European art movements including Russian constructivism, de Stijl, and the Bauhaus. His career as an art director, teacher, writer, and design consultant to major corporations spanned almost seven decades. Rand arguably got his start at the tender of 3 when he first began to secretly copy pictures of the attractive Palmolive models pictured in advertising displays in his father's grocery store in Brooklyn, New York. He later modeled his aesthetic on avant-garde artists like Paul Klee, El Lissitzky, and architect Le Corbusier, each of whom advocated a timeless spirit in design. Rand began his career in an era when working by hand was a given, a reality that would change before his eyes as the mass media, entertainment, and consumer industries were revolutionized by increasingly technical equipment, and ultimately the computer.

Steven Heller, senior art director at The New York Times and prominent author of numerous design books, presents this meticulously researched and detailed survey, which marks the first complete retrospective of Rand's powerful body of work, exploring the full range of his advertising, publishing, and corporate identity projects. Eminent designer Armin Hofmann writes the forward, and the introduction is penned by advertising legend George Lois, who writes, "The constant concern of the scholarly and humanistic Paul Rand was to create images that snared people's eyes, penetrated their minds, warmed their hearts and made them act." Appropriately, the designers of this large, bold, beautifully designed book seem well versed in Randism themselves, creating a gorgeous tribute to this quintessential artist's artist. Rand's uncanny ability to inject wit and whimsy into the corporate vocabulary is echoed here, for example, in an enlarged reproduction of an opened children's book whose spine is aligned with that of the actual book held by the reader, creating a playful trompe l'oeil effect. At 255 pages, with a staggering 452 illustrations (over 300 in color), this book is a delightful and inspiring must-have. --A.C. Smith

Customer Reviews:

an essential.......2007-06-23

I bought the book used and it is definitely an essential to a graphic designer or art lover's collection!

Great book!.......2007-03-24

If you are looking for a Paul Rand book with great quality pictures and lots of information, this is the book for you. A wonderful reference book but also just a great book to look through. I was very happy with my purchase

Buy a Magnifying Glass.......2005-11-20

This is a pretty thorough book on a graphic design icon. Unfortunately, the book is typeset very poorly in an 8pt serif font. Reading more than a few pages at a time strains your eyes and results in a headache - ironic considering Rand was a firm believer in usable design.

Lots of full color samples of Rand's work to coincide with the text, which is nice.

Overall, this book is a great resource. It's too bad the type is so difficult to read.

A good work about a great designer.......2000-09-13

Paul Rand was a giant among designers, and one of the key reasons that graphic design exists as a profession in the United States. Heller, obviously a great Rand fan and friend(not to mention a prolific author), has given his subject his due, tracing Rand's evolution as an artist and the arc of his career. From a 1942 Autocar annual report whose design is astonishingly current to some work for Dubonnet that perhaps hasn't stood the test of time as well, Heller's choices of accompanying materials is excellent, illustrating as well as telling Rand's core philosophies: Effective graphic design is straightforward, purposed, and well-reasoned. This is a straightforward, well-assembled book that falls short in two very minor ways: While much is made of Rand's European influences, none of this work appears in the book, and select examples rather than just mention of Rand's contemporaries would have done a better job of placing his work in a more historical context.

Excellent.......1999-08-25

I just received my book today and have not been able to put it down. Beautifully written and lavishly illustrated, Paul Rand by Steven Heller pays true homage to a man who was blessed with true talent, wit and intelligence. An amazing talent, and a fascinating book. A must-have for any serious design student or professional.

Book Description

Acclaimed artist Anton Gutknecht invites you into his artistic world as he shows you how to re-create an array of captivating oil landscapes—from dry desert washes to seascapes and snowy mountain scenes. In this step-by-step book, he explains a number of oil panting techniques, as well as his own method of developing a painting from initial sketches to final details. As you follow along with his excellent instruction, you will refine your skills as you discover how to portray illumination, softness, and even mood. Best of all, you'll find a wealth of beautiful oil landscape paintings to both copy and admire. This book will be a welcome addition to any artist's library!

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Fritz Henle's Rollei;: Photographs,
Fritz Henle
Manufacturer: Hastings House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

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ASIN: B0007EBLGQ

Book Description

It is 1961 and there is reason for hope. The United States is being led by its youngest president. Korea seems nearly forgotten. Only a few people have heard about Vietnam, which, for America, is still officially some years away. There is peace in the air. It is a great time to join the Army. Or is it? The Last of the Short MPs is the story of an eighteen-year-old immigrant from Canada who joins the U.S. Army to be in the military police and to become a man. At five-foot-seven, Ray Holland enlists three days before the MP height requirement is raised to five-foot-nine, thus earning him the title of the book. He meets up with Military Police Staff Sergeant Richard King, or King Richard as he is known by the troops. King is a large, angry and unforgiving man who believes that size commands respect. His reasons for wanting to get rid of Holland go beyond height and add fuel to the fires burning within the sergeant and his new recruit. Each is determined to succeed. Something has to give. Take a humorous and raw look inside the Military Police Corps as seen by a short MP.

Customer Reviews:

A humorous insider look at a short MP.......2006-06-06

Most military books normally jump out of the pages with lots of macho blood and gore along with the action. In the humorous first novel "The Last Of The Short MPs - Volume 1", by ex-MP Wayne Lennon, we have a whole new genre of military books. The author takes a fictional, yet almost autobiographical look back at the time when the U.S. Army changed the rules on height requirements and raised them to five-foot-nine. The troubles begin as our main character, Private Ray Holland, reports for OJT with a Military Company fresh out of basic - by passing the MP training school who will not allow him in because he does not meet the height requirement at five-foot-seven. Thus, the dilemma and the ordeal begin for our 18 year old MP trainee.

The author, who models the lead character on some of his own experiences (or least it feels that way) along with his great and wonderful imagination and many enhancements, molds a story around what this young soldier goes through in the unit he is sent to. How he manages to survive and cope in this mad capped company that is hostile to his very presence, makes for a non-serious and whimsical look at what an MP unit might be like.

I am sure that former Military Police veterans might get more out of the book than civilian readers as they would recognize situations and MP cultural experiences. The book is light hearted and makes a nice easy read. There is nothing deep or philosophical about what is going on but the characterizations and the portrayals of events and situations is a study in human relationships and behaviors. I think everyone who ever wore a uniform can find some delight in recognizing the various personality types from the sergeants to the officers.

This is Volume 1 but do not need to read beyond this book. It is a complete story and brings you much satisfaction; however, you may get hooked on the story and want to find out what happens to our hero after this book ends. This is definitely a book which would be of interest for any and all former military police to read. There is some "adult language" used although it is not overly heavy; but it may not suitable for all readers.

Short Man in a Tall Man's World.......2006-04-29

Wayne has captured a delightful story of a young AND short kid who joined the Army to be in the Military Police Corps. Set in post-war Korea and pre-war Vietnam Wayne brings out the innocence of the time and also his spirit to be accepted in what becomes a "tall" mans world. Wayne gets into the Corps just days before the minimum height requirement is raised. He's hounded by a vengeful and vindictive Sergeant who doubts his ability, and falls in love with a girl who ironically turns out to be this very Sergeant's daughter. Cleverly written and imaginative the book will carry you through to it's end as well as leave you hanging waiting for Wayne's next installment of his quest to prove his mettle and prove himself. I liked it.

Book Description

From Elvis Presley's Heartbreak Hotel through Telstar, Pet Sounds, Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, The Dark Side of the Moon, Bohemian Rhapsody, Vienna, Two Tribes, Zooropa, Older, to Britpop albums from Oasis, Kula Shaker, Cast and Radiohead, Good Vibrations follows the development of popular music recording from the perspective of the producers, engineers and session players.

Customer Reviews:

A worthwhile read.......2002-11-27

This book is a well-written history of record production. I was impressed at the amount of content for the price. The writing style is solid and enjoyable. Some Americans might find that too much focus is on British record production.

Insightful Look at British Pop.......2001-11-06

When I first got a look at the contents and sampled a few pages, I was eager to read this book. Ultimately, I too came to the conclusion that it is too biased towards the British Pop scene.

Not to fault Mark Cunningham, after all he's British, but a lot of the artists he spends time on, have had little impact on the history of record production, at least on this side of the pond.

Ron and Russell Mael? Chris Rea? Slik? Interesting to read about, perhaps, but hardly of the same caliber as Trevor Horn, The Police, Peter Gabriel and U2.

Mainstream American artists such as Fleetwood Mac (yes, American!), Prince, Paul Simon, Billy Joel, Springsteen, Toto and The Cars are largely ignored if mentioned at all. Equally absent are prominent American producers, such as Phil Ramone, Russ Titelman, Richard Perry, Jam & Lewis, Reid & Babyface, Nile Rogers and the like.

Still, what it does discuss is interesting. There are whole chapters on The Beatles, Brian Eno and the making of "Bohemian Rhapsody." There are substantial sections devoted to The Beach Boys' "Good Vibrations," Jeff Lynne, Leiber and Stoller, Motown and Carol Kaye, Joe Meek, "Heroes," and Flood.

There are interesting discussions of the specific technologies used in producing the records. But unfortunately, beyond a certain time period in the book, just at the point where the use of technology gets really interesting in music production, the book fails to explain its influence. For example, one might assume that an Anglophilic book might wax poetic about how automated mixing changed the way records were made and how it was introduced by British mixing desk manufacturers Solid State Logic (SSL) and Neve. Not a word.

I think it would be most useful as a companion to a book that focused mostly on what was happening in the States. But as a general history of Record Production, it is somewhat weak.

I used it as a textbook for a course I teach in Record Production Techniques here at Mercy, but after one semester, I am looking for a replacement text. Perhaps the Wadhams....

Stephen B. Ward
Mecry College, White Plains, NY

An Awsome Record History and Production!.......2001-08-26

This book is truely an amazing work. It covers so so very much in history of Production and it covers not only whom, what, where but with all the microphones used, names of studios, artists and time, and what happened behind closed doors and why, and so very much more. I highly suggest this to anyone going into recording and into anyone with a love for music. It tells you all the things you want to know!!

Awfully Anglo -- but still worth a read........2000-12-30

Like most reviewers here, I agree that this book is a bit unballanced. It is indeed biased to rock/pop. More so, though, it is biased to British rock/pop. Very little is said about US record production except when various Brit producers head to the US to "learn American tricks". Uhhhh... like what, exactly, guys? Nonetheless, this book is full of great info about the (very influential) Anglo music scene. More than anything else, it chronicals the increasing influence of studio technology on the way music is made and the rise of the studio itself as a musical instrument, and not simply as a passive tool for recording music.

A Fascinating Journey to the World of Record Production.......2000-04-28

First of all, I'd like to share a few comments about the previous reviews. Although I agree this book is really geared towards the rock/pop scene, I do believe the bias is justified. Even today, classical and jazz recording techniques don't really employ the more radical innovations in production approach generated by the demands of rock/pop projects. Let's remember that multitrack classical recordings are a relatively new thing (The Zappa LSO recordings in the 80s are a fine example), and moreover, the role of the record producer is not so proeminent in such enterprises. Also, another complain points to the greater coverage of the UK scene. The book deals with the early days of multitrack recordings (Les Paul), then moves on to Phil Spector's 'wall of sound', Motown, Muscle Shoals and stops at Brian Wilson's efforts. Of course it's an incomplete US panorama, but then again the book does justice to important (and sometimes overlooked) names of the trade, like Joe Meek, Gus Dudgeon, Tony Visconti and David Hentschel. The idea of centering the chapters around a particular studio is nothing short of brilliant, giving the author the opportunity to comment on the evolution of recording technology and techniques, generated by the demands of their particular clients. Another fine addition to this book (in comparision to Buskin's book 'Inside Tracks') is the abundance of historic photographs and the presence of 'real-life' cases, where a particular producer shows the approach he used to achieve a particular result. Add a wealth of anecdotes and behind-the-scenes stuff aplenty and you get a sure winner.

Book Description

This collection of 15 original contributions reveals a complex interaction between communist ideology and post-fascist society. Following recent trends in everyday history, it examines how the change of 'becoming communist' was experienced by those wielding power as well as ordinary citizens. Questions explored include: what went on behind Politbüro closed doors? How did the police justify their mission to surveil society? What were the arguments on shop floors during the June 1953 insurrection? How did farmers experience collectivization? Did women feel genuinely emancipated by socialism? How did young people entertain themselves outside the classroom?

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The Druze Between Palestine and Israel, 1947-49.(Book Review): An article from: Middle East Policy
Robert Brenton Betts
Manufacturer: Middle East Policy Council
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B0008DOCF8
Release Date: 2005-07-31

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Middle East Policy, published by Middle East Policy Council on June 22, 2003. The length of the article is 1502 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 Druze Between Palestine and Israel, 1947-49.(Book Review)
Author: Robert Brenton Betts
Publication: Middle East Policy (Refereed)
Date: June 22, 2003
Publisher: Middle East Policy Council
Volume: 10 Issue: 2 Page: 141(3)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

The Druze Between Palestine and Israel, 1947-49 (St. Antony's)

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The Druze Between Palestine and Israel, 1947-49 (St. Antony's)
Laila Parsons
Manufacturer: Palgrave Macmillan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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The Palestinian Druze are the only Israeli Arabs who are conscripted into the Israeli army today. Based on Israeli military and political documents, this book looks at the origins of the Druze's unique status in Israeli society by telling the story of the military and political alliance that emerged between the Druze and the Jewish army in the 1948 war.

Book Description

After September 11, Americans agonized over why nineteen men hated the United States enough to kill three thousand civilians in an unprovoked assault. Analysts have offered a wide variety of explanations for the attack, but the one voice missing is that of the terrorists themselves. This penetrating book is the first to present the inner logic of al-Qa’ida and like-minded extremist groups by which they justify September 11 and other terrorist attacks.

Mary Habeck explains that these extremist groups belong to a new movement—known as jihadism—with a specific ideology based on the thought of Muhammad ibn Abd al- Wahhab, Hasan al-Banna, and Sayyid Qutb. Jihadist ideology contains new definitions of the unity of God and of jihad, which allow members to call for the destruction of democracy and the United States and to murder innocent men, women, and children. Habeck also suggests how the United States might defeat the jihadis, using their own ideology against them.

Customer Reviews:

THE MIND BEHIND THE MADNESS.......2007-08-06

Knowing the Enemy

This is an Outstanding Book. As we in the West are beginning to realize, the war against Salafist Jihadists is.... all about ideology. Although unnatural to western minds, which have long been conditioned to compartmentalize ideology - and especially religion - in such a way as to pretend that it has no bearing on the `real' issues in life (meaning: those things we can see, smell, touch or somehow scientifically measure), the fact of the matter is: violent Jihadists act the way they do because they believe the way they do. Action proceeds from belief. (Isn't that usually the case?).

That being the case, an understanding of militant Islamist thought is necessary in order to understand their actions, and one day defeat them.
As others have said:

"It is necessary to understand the ideology of extremists and to counter it with one's own in order to combat terrorism successfully." (Farid Shafiyev)

"The struggle underway throughout much of the Muslim world is essentially a war of ideas. Its outcome will determine the future direction of the Muslim world and whether the threat of jihadist terrorism continues..." (Building Moderate Muslim Networks - RAND Corp)

"Unless we understand this ideology that gives rise to extremist violence, we will not succeed in defeating either the terrorists or the "non-violent" Islamists who seek to trigger a clash with the West." (Zeyno Baran)

Our Strategy Recognizes That The War On Terror Is A Different Kind Of War, Involving Both A Battle Of Arms And A Battle Of Ideas. (U.S. National Strategy for Combatting Terrorism).

Mary Habeck's book goes a long, well-worded way toward helping the reader understand the bases of militant Islamist belief. I've been on a personal quest to understand just that since Sep 11 2001 and have read not a little on the subject. Dr. Habeck's book is the best I've seen. She does an admirable job of covering the necessary bases - yet not in the "touch and go" fashion often employed by others. She not only introduces several of the major ideologues of the past, whose ideas underpin current jihadism, but deals with them in sufficient depth to leave the reader with a good grasp of both their significance and the beliefs they left behind them.

This book was recommended to me and I, in turn, heartily recommend it to others who have a desire to understand the thought behind the current madness of Jihadist terrorism. It is, after all, a well reasoned and ideologically informed madness. Therein lies the threat - and, one hopes, a vulnerability.

Best Book on the Subject in Existence.......2007-07-29

I would give it ten stars if I could.

This is a very clear, complete and concise treatment of Jihadist ideology. I have read literally dozens of works on Jihadists, terrorism and Islam (including the Quran, 4 collections of the Hadiths and the works of Qutb and Mawdudi) and have never seen it explained so well. I wish I would have had this book ten years ago. If you want to understand how the Jihadists think, make decisions, treat other Muslims and believe, read this book before all others.

A concise history of jihadist ideology and practice........2007-05-23

Mary Habeck's "Knowing the Enemy" examines the ideological underpinnings of the modern jihadist movement. Although many in the West see this movement as a response to very recent social and political developments in the Middle East, Habeck shows that jihadist ideology goes back nearly 700 years to the writings of Ahmad Taymiyya, long before the rise of European colonialism, the state of Israel, the founding of the United States, or the development of the modern global economy.

Taymiyya's ideas were resurrected in the 18th century by Muhammad al-Wahhab, and again in the 20th century by Muhammad Rida, Hasan al-Bana, Sayyid Mawdudi, and Sayyid Qutb, who in turn inspired today's extremists such as Usama bin Ladin.

What were these ideas? The core idea is that Islam is in a state of decadence and peril, corrupt within and threatened from without, and that the only true Muslims in the world are the exponents of violent jihad intended to found a totalitarian Islamic theocracy, first in the nominally Islamic lands, then spreading throughout the entire world. It is absolutely essental to understand that the jihadists are at war not only with the West, but with most of the Islamic world, and that virtually every Islamic government from Pakistan to Algeria is also - to one degree or another - at war with the jihadists.

In the 20th century, these ideologues often coopted the language of Western socialists and communists, portraying radical Islam as a kind of liberation theology which would free the world from every form of slavery and every form of exploitation by others. In the words of Qutb, "[Islam] is really a universal declaration of the freedom of man from servitude to other men . . . and to remove all human kingship."

Of course, Qutb fails to mention that even an Islamic theocracy must be administered by men, and to pretend that these men are merely implementing the will of God is to assume (1) that the Koran and hadith actually represent the will of God; (2) that the human administrators correctly interpret those documents; and (3) that everyone in the world can be expected and forced to agree with (1) and (2). Qutb thus bestows the administrators of an Islamic theocracy with a status akin to that of God, a blasphemous and idolatrous notion if there ever was one. The idea that an Islamic theocracy preserves men from the rule of men is laughable on its face.

Modern developments have only exacerbated the threat perceived by the jihadists. They find themselves threatened by Jews, Christians, Hindus, atheists, moderate or backsliding Muslims, Muslim political leaders and governments, atheism, capitalism, communism, feminism, gay rights, science, popular culture, secularism, democracy, international law, the United Nations - pretty much the whole world. Anyone who thinks that they can be appeased by changes to American foreign policy, or by sweet-talking them, simply doesn't understand the depths of their estrangement or the universal scope of their ambitions.

Jihadist ideology also has a non-falsifiable quality, i.e., any temporary setback can be explained with the trump-card of "we have fallen short of the will of Allah," so we must purify ourselves and try harder. They are thus prepared for the long haul, and when George Bush said we must prepare ourselves for a long fight, he was only taking the jihadists at their word. They believe we are decadent, weak-willed, and that they can outlast us. The Mogadishu incident convinced them of this, and they were truly surprised when America invaded Afghanistan after 9/11. However, recent developments in Iraq may bolster their confidence once again.

At the end of the book, Habeck offers several responses to the jihadists: (1) military efforts, when appropriate (she takes no firm position on the Iraq war); (2) efforts to dry up terrorist funding by exposing and shutting down false charities and other money-laundering schemes; (3) intensified efforts to resolve the Arab/Israeli conflict, which is a prime recruiting tool for new jihadists; (4) monitoring and exposing the radical mosques and educational institutions which foster jihadist ideology; and (5) psychological and ideological warfare to discredit the jihadists in the eyes of ordinary Muslims. The last of these might be the most important, and it is arguably the one that we have tried the least.

I give this book four stars because it explains the jihadists in their own terms, not ours. But I think Habeck could have said more about their specific strategies in the modern world, their propaganda efforts, their keen observations of Western society, their ability to manipulate the Western media, our inability to properly assess and understand them, and our tendency to force them into our own categories. All in all, however, it is a concise and much-needed examination of who our enemies really are.

Should Be Required Reading.......2007-05-17

I bought this book because I wanted objective, unbiased information about Islam, and I was not disappointed. This book is informative, balanced in the way Habeck draws distinctions between jihadis and moderate muslims and highly readable. It is also frightening in its implications for the future.

This book should be required reading for every American, and especially for those in positions of power at the national level.

Extremely informative.......2007-03-18

This is one of the best, unbiased presentations on this topic that I have read to date. A quick 2-day read that requires at least a week to study the author's footnotes and references. I feel quite comfortable trusting the information she presented as is, until I get some time to do further research.
In the interest of tolerance and definitive understanding to the current circumstances of our country, this book should be required reading, teenagers and up.
The jihads consist of a portion of Muslims who's faith and beliefs are a sour interpretation of a holy book and subsequent teachings (hadith). This book helps explain what Islamic terrorists found their actions upon. Now that we know who they are and why, if only it was as easy to "encourage" them to reconsider their perspective on God's will.

Knowing the Enemy : Jihadist Ideology And the War on Terror

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Knowing the Enemy : Jihadist Ideology And the War on Terror
Mary/ Habeck, Mary R. Habeck
Manufacturer: Yale University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OSNKJG

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Guide to Florida Birds of Prey (Wildlife Series)
Robert Anderson
Manufacturer: Winner Enterprises.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0932855164

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Florida's birds of prey: An educator's guide
Debbie Fritz
Manufacturer: Florida Audubon Society
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B00072LZQE

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