Rachel Ashwell's Shabby Chic Treasure Hunting and Decorating Guide

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By now most readers even marginally interested in home decorating are familiar with the democratic principles of decorating elaborated in Rachel Ashwell's first book, Shabby Chic: namely, that well-made vintage furniture and home accessories can add a cozy grandeur to your home, even if the paint's a little thin or the fabric a bit faded. In her second book, Rachel Ashwell's Shabby Chic Treasure Hunting & Decorating Guide, Ashwell shares her processes, from a stall-by-stall description of a flea market trip to pictures of her design boards scattered with photos, fabric swatches, and paint chips. Ashwell doesn't skimp on details: she tells how to decide on a fair bargaining price at flea markets, how to clean old items without harming them, and (step by step) how one ugly glass-fronted cabinet topped with old linoleum and mismatched shelf paper became an attractive, roomy storage piece that houses her daughter's books, dolls, and bedding. This is a friendly, intimate book in which Ashwell shares pictures of her own home and those of her friends--some of whom live in roomy beach houses and some of whom live in 450-square-foot cottages, and all of whom use the main Shabby Chic concepts of comfort, function, and beauty in deciding which objects to share their space with. Fans of the original Shabby Chic will find this follow-up every bit as useful, attractive, and accessible.

Book Description

Shabby Chic — the rich, inviting, practical, timeworn style created by one of America's top designers,

Lavishly illustrated with lovely and informative photographs and drawings, Rachel Ashwell's Shabby Chic Treasure Hunting & Decorating Guide shows you how to re-create this popular style. The book features invaluable treasure-hunting advice and tips for essential materials, furniture, objects and decorations, with which you can live a life of simple, but rich, beauty.

Customer Reviews:

Not too shabby.......2007-09-15

Rachel Ashwell has grown 'Shabby Chic' from a decorating style to a big brand name. The ideas in the book are testimony to the fact that you do not need a lot of money to create a beautiful interior in your home. It is filled with gorgeous photographs to inspire the tentative home decorator into action. A lovely coffee table book that is beautiful to look at and filled with practical ideas that can help you create the look of luxury (minus the price tag that usually accompanies it). Full of terrific ideas for decorators with a limited budget who love comfort and style.

Beautiful book, inspiring ideas........2007-01-04

This is my favorite Shabby Chic book. It's full of beautiful pictures with the classic shabby chic look. The ideas are clean, feminine, vintage. Although it isn't shock full of written ideas, the inspiration from the pictures and captions was enough for me.

A Wonderful Guide........2006-08-12

I find this book incredibly useful for tips in buying things, old and new, for my home. The handwritings in this book are readable, and I am not a native speaker! And it is interesting to see how Ms. Ashwell's taste and eye get more and more refined over the years. I appreciate work by other great interior designers like Jacques Grange and the late David Hicks and my style is not very much shabby chic at all. But for everyday living, I find Ms. Ashwell's advice to be adaptable and elegant. This book does not disappoint.

Beautiful!.......2006-07-31

Ms. Ashwell continues to inspire me with great collecting and decorating tips. She actually shares her sources, which is refreshing.

Inspiration for those who love vintage things.......2006-05-06

Before I even finished the book, I had to rummage out my odd selection of cream pitchers and glasses to fill with wildflowers. The photos inspire you to enjoy vintage fabrics, china and furniture in a fresh way.
It's been years since I've made the early rounds at Baltimore and Pennsylvania flea markets looking for the unique items that make a home special. Reading this book makes me take a fresh look at some things stashed in my closets. The lovely photos of rooms show uses for mismatched linens and distressed chairs.
The book branches out from just decorating by following Rachel on her flea market searches. It also includes a chapter on vintage clothing and also one on decorations (old silk flowers, etc.) for parties and packages.
Her style focuses on a palette of whites and faded pastels. She recommends some thrift measures like substituting pressed glass for crystal. Use it in abundance; for instance, put a bud vase at each place setting on the table. In general, it won't be totally inexpensive to get this look for your home.

2 Book Set; Shabby Chic Home ; Shabby Chic Treasure Hunting&decorating Guide

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2 Book Set; Shabby Chic Home ; Shabby Chic Treasure Hunting&decorating Guide
Rachel Ashwell
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Rachel Ashwell | Expert Advice | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000UIRRXA

Product Description

2 book set by Rachel Ashwell. nice clean copy with light shelfwear to the cover edges and corners.

Rachel Ashwell's Shabby Chic: treasure Hunting & Decorating Guide

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Rachel Ashwell's Shabby Chic: treasure Hunting & Decorating Guide
Rachel Ashwell
Manufacturer: Harper Collins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Rachel Ashwell | Expert Advice | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000J2K55E

Rachel Ashwellandapos;s Shabby Chic: Treasure Hunting and Decorating Guide

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Rachel Ashwellandapos;s Shabby Chic: Treasure Hunting and Decorating Guide
Rachel Ashwell
Manufacturer: Regan Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Rachel Ashwell | Expert Advice | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000OEMO1K

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How to Draw and Paint the Outdoors: Practical Techniques For All Junior Painters
Moira Butterfield
Manufacturer: Book Sales
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 1555219128

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How to Draw and Paint the Outdoors : Practical Techniques for All Junior Painters
Moira Butterfield
Manufacturer: Chartwell Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0785804870

Book Description

The Moravian town of Salem joined with its industrial neighbor, Winston, to officially become the city of Winston-Salem in 1913. Located in the Piedmont section of North Carolina, at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Winston-Salem has a rich cultural heritage. Tourists and residents alike visit Old Salem to experience the restored Moravian village and participate in traditional events. Some come to explore Winston-Salem's historic homes and neighborhoods and to sample the city's varied culinary treats. Others come to tour picturesque college campuses, attend sporting events, and partake in the city's vast array of arts offerings.

Salem and Roanoke County in Vintage Postcards (VA) (Postcard History Series)

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Salem and Roanoke County in Vintage Postcards (VA) (Postcard History Series)
Nelson Harris
Manufacturer: Arcadia Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Book Description

In 1800, James Simpson, a Botetourt County landowner, purchased 31 acres of land for $100 and dedicated half of the purchase to plotting a new town. The Town of Salem was officially established when Simpson recorded his ownership at Fincastle Courthouse in October 1802, and it later became the government seat when Roanoke County was carved from Botetourt County in 1838. Today, Salem is an independent city, boasting a rich tradition of educational, commercial, and residential success. Roanoke County, like Salem, has emerged from its agrarian past to become a suburban county that embraces the beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains, as well as the strength and success of corporate centers and residential communities.

Salem in Vintage Postcards (MA) (Postcard History Series)

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Salem in Vintage Postcards (MA) (Postcard History Series)
Christopher R. Mathias , Michael Michaaud , and Kenneth Turino
Manufacturer: Arcadia Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

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Beetle Bailey: I'll Flip You for It
Mort Walker
Manufacturer: Ace Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Comic Strips | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
General | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0448168618

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I'll Flip You for It Beetle Bailey
Mort Walker
Manufacturer: Ace Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0441052525

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I'll Flip You For It, Beetle Bailey

Manufacturer: Tempo Books, Grosset & Dunlap, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0448140373

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Cartoon paperback featuring Beetle Bailey.

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I'll Flip You For It, Beetle Bailey

Manufacturer: Tempo Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000H6EOAY

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I'll Flip You For It, Beetle Bailey
Mort. Walker
Manufacturer: Ace Tempo Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000VJRSLE

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I'll Flip You for It, Beetle Bailey

Manufacturer: Jove Pubns
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Book Description

It's a good thing lawyers are thick-skinned. From Dostoyevsky calling lawyers "a conscience for hire" to notorious bank robber Willie Sutton equating the legal profession to his own line of work, the world is filled with quotable quotes about those who practice law. The Trouble with Law Is Lawyers is a collection of the most scathing of these.Quite possibly the most insufferable, cursed group of "professionals" in the world, lawyers have a long, illustrious list of critics, including Shakespeare, F. Lee Bailey, and Alan Dershowitz. You'll find them all in this vicious little volume.

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This digital document is an article from Florida Bar News, published by Florida Bar on October 1, 1999. The length of the article is 492 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: Miami lawyer works to keep inner-city kids out of trouble and off drugs.
Publication: Florida Bar News (Magazine/Journal)
Date: October 1, 1999
Publisher: Florida Bar
Volume: 26 Issue: 19 Page: 1

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Book Description

From George M. Cohan to The Beatles . . . “Danny Boy” to “My Heart Will Go On” . . . Popular Song presents a lavishly illustrated, in-depth look at 100 of the most influential popular songs of the twentieth century.

Here are the legendary songwriters and performers who have changed the course of musical history with a song. From the origination and evolution of recorded music with Thomas Edison's breakthrough cylinder recordings to the birth of the modern music business, from London's West End to New York's Broadway musicals, readers will learn about the most influential songs from ragtime, country, rock, rap, and more. Popular Song also celebrates the arrangers, session musicians, publishers, producers, and many others on both sides of the Atlantic who helped make the music so memorable and influential.

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A study of the relationship between tradition and cultural identity in Pulap, an atoll in the western Pacific.

Diplomas and Thatch Houses: Asserting Tradition in a Changing Micronesia. (book reviews): An article from: Oceania

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Diplomas and Thatch Houses: Asserting Tradition in a Changing Micronesia. (book reviews): An article from: Oceania
Glenn Petersen
Manufacturer: University of Sydney
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Oceania, published by University of Sydney on June 1, 1995. The length of the article is 3425 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: Diplomas and Thatch Houses: Asserting Tradition in a Changing Micronesia. (book reviews)
Author: Glenn Petersen
Publication: Oceania (Refereed)
Date: June 1, 1995
Publisher: University of Sydney
Volume: v65 Issue: n4 Page: p355(6)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Book Description

THIS SERIES OF THREE CDÂ'S IS IDEAL FOR PARENTS, STUDENTS IN EDUCATION, SOCIAL SCIENCES, AND MEDICINE, DAY CARE CENTER AND IN-HOME CHILD CARE PROVIDERS, CHILD CARE ASSOCATIONS AND REFERRAL AGENCIES. The Child Care in Action Series is a pocket-sized reference to the care of infants and toddlers, preschoolers and school-age children that has the teaching power of a personal tutor. Each CD simulates the effectiveness of personal coaching from a child care expert through narratives, video demonstrations of key child care skills, and exciting interactive games to test oneÂ's knowledge. No other product in early childhood education combines text, video, and interactive testing in such a compact, affordable package.

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Solid Start (Penguin Original)
Annie Opray
Manufacturer: Penguin Global
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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General | Baby-3 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0143000594

Book Description

Advice and recipes for starting your baby on solids.

Solid Start explains the fundamentals of a healthy diet for babies and offers instructions on the transition from liquids to solids. This practical guide includes over 90 easy to prepare recipes carefully presented in age groups so that parents can provide their child with the right food at the appropriate stage of development.

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A Tactical Decision Game at it's Finest

Enjoyable Small-Unit Leader Primer

What combat experience costs!

Wonderful Snall Book on Tactics: Puts you in the Scenario

Field Primer for Combat Leaders

The Defence of Duffer's Drift
E. D. Swinton
Manufacturer: Avery
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Military | History | Subjects | Books
Military Science | History | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0895293234

Customer Reviews:

A Tactical Decision Game at it's Finest.......2007-09-12

Marine officers are often required to read this book during The Basic School (the six month infantry-focused training all lieutenants undergo after OCS or the Naval Academy). I have read that some Army schools also list it as required reading. Swinton takes a simple issue, the defense of a small swatch of land during entrusted to a young officer, and uses dream sequences to illustrate shortcomings of various tactical approaches to the problem. The officer realizes via hindsight the solutions to each problem and the reader becomes engaged in a sort of Monday-morning quarterbacking of his methods. Just when you think you have the answer, Swinton tears your theory to pieces with the next report of failure. After reading all of the scenarios, one realizes that the answer was so simple and some basic but careful analysis would yield the answer. That is the heart and core of tactics. Making a quick decision with limited information but moderate knowledge in order to come up with a 90% solution. Not only is this book a must-read, it yields new lessons every time I go back to it. It's one of those books you buy and come back to every few years. Highly recommended for the military historian, NCO or junior officer.

Enjoyable Small-Unit Leader Primer.......2005-10-11

A perfect primer for every small-unit leader and above. Learn guerilla tactics and how to counter them from the series mistakes in a series of dreams of another young Lt. The story is a fast-paced and entertaining story and provides lessons learned by real combat experience. Though the setting is the Anglo-Boer war, the lessons are universal and well thought out. An enjoyable primer on small unit leadership of counterinsurgency.

What combat experience costs!.......2005-06-14

Hypothetical Lt Backsight Forethought has 50 men and a mission to hold a drift in South African territory during the Boer War of 1899-1902, and he starts his mission fresh from officer training and being totally unaware of the realities of combat. In the first trial he gets beaten really bad but he analyzes his faults and learn from them. He also gets beaten in his second, third, fourth and fifth trial, every time making different mistakes which the enemy does not forgive. Finally, when he has a sixth chance to re-fight the battle he puts up a splendid performance making his opponent to pay dearly and holding the drift until friendly reinforcements arrive. It is a very enjoyable little book and although it was written a hundred years ago it is still very useful for anyone who wants to learn about the core of tactical prowess in infantry battle.

Wonderful Snall Book on Tactics: Puts you in the Scenario.......2005-06-09

Swinton is a military professional with experience in the Boer War who wrote this famous short book based on a series of thoughts he had on how a infantry unit with only 50 men could defend a river crossing. A young Lieutenant has the role but you are given his perspective, the terrain features, the political situation, conflict with civilians and limits on your own military support. There is a brief history of the war with the "Dutch" and then your Lieutenant receives his assignment. With the use of maps, there are six scenarios of the Lieutenants approach to defending the crossing (drift). Each scenario is acted out and with each of the first five scenarios there are several lessons learned such as the effect of enfilading fire, the limitations of a simple trench, the use of the military crest versus being located on top of the hill, the effect the local sympathetic population may have on aiding guerrilla fighters, the effect of surprise, disguising your defense from view, proper posting of sentries and responsibilities, how to combat artillery, dealing with multiple directions of attack, using the terrain to advantage and on. As the Lieutenant in each scenario learns from his mistakes, he alters the outcome to his advantage but only incrementally. Only at the end and sixth scenario does he get it right but with realistic loss. The same map is introduced in each scenario with defense features matching the new defensive tactics. Fascinating book for all interested in basic infantry tactics, which has been used as a training manual for militaries world wide. This is a very readable book that can be read in less than 2 hours time. Applicable to any war but this book would be interesting to read with an account of Rappahannock Station, which was a spearhead position held by Confederates in advance of Lee's line on November 7, 1863 where Meade's forces overwhelmed the defenders and took almost 3,000 prisoners. Duffer's Drift would be very applicable here.

Field Primer for Combat Leaders.......2002-12-21

A timeless classic of Military instruction set forth in simple and fast reading manner. It is truly amazing how many principles never change. If you are an instructor make your students read it, if you are an NCO memorize it, if you have a new junior officer assigned to you tie him down with 100 mph tape and read it to him. Any individual who does not learn anything from this text should be reassigned to a position where they cannot influence or harm soldiers in the field.

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The Defence of Duffer's Drift
Swinton E.D.
Manufacturer: Avery Publishing Group Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000X01SBW

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The Defence of Duffer's Drift
Ernest, Swinton
Manufacturer: Vincent-baxter
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000P9VPZ0

The defence of Duffer's Drift: A few experiences in field defence for detached posts which may prove useful in our next war

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The defence of Duffer's Drift: A few experiences in field defence for detached posts which may prove useful in our next war
Ernest Dunlop Swinton
Manufacturer: William Clowers & Sons
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

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The Defence of Duffer's Drift
Ernerst D. Swinton
Manufacturer: W. Clowes & Sons Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000MVF232

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The Defence of Duffer's Drift
Captain E.D. Swinton
Manufacturer: US Army Command and General Staff College
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Pamphlet
ASIN: B000K6JVTA

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The Defence of Duffer's Drift
E. D. Swinton
Manufacturer: U. S. Army Command and General Staff College
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000R3J1LE

The Defence of Duffer's Drift (U.S. Army Engineer School-Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri)

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The Defence of Duffer's Drift (U.S. Army Engineer School-Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri)

Manufacturer: US Army Engineer School
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000E8VYKS

The Defense of Duffer's Drift (The Defence of Duffer's Drift)

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If you want to hold onto a piece of land real badly

The Defense of Duffer's Drift (The Defence of Duffer's Drift)
Ernest Dunlop Swinton
Manufacturer: United States Infantry Association
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Customer Reviews:

If you want to hold onto a piece of land real badly.......2005-04-30

This is one of the frist primers for Junior Officers and NCO's on how to hold onto a piece of property. The format of this tome is just brillant. The gist of the story being of a young British Lt.going to sleep and dreams of being ordered to hold a river crossing during the Boer War. After losing several times to the crafty Boers, the Lt. taking heed of lessons learned, finally gets his act together and defeats the Boers.The lessons are timeless and relevant for todays Warriors. It is a book that is well worth the time and effort if one is going in harm's way.

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U.S. global corporatism and colonization

The Case for Goliath: How America Acts As the World's Government in the Twenty-first Century

Good Book

Overrated foreign policy vista?

International public goods: That which everyone wants, but which is paid for by the USA.

The Case For Goliath: How America Acts As The World's Government in the Twenty-first Century
Michael Mandelbaum
Manufacturer: PublicAffairs
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: B000MKYKDG

Book Description

How does the United States use its enormous power in the world? In The Case for Goliath, Michael Mandelbaum offers a surprising answer: The United States furnishes to other countries the services that governments provide within the countries they govern.

Mandelbaum explains how this role came about despite the fact that neither the United States nor any other country sought to establish it. He describes the contributions that American power makes to global security and prosperity, the shortcomings of American foreign policy, and how other countries have come to accept, resent, and exert influence on America's global role. And he assesses the prospects for the continuation of this role, which depends most importantly on whether the American public is willing to pay for it.

Written with Mandelbaum's characteristic blend of clarity, wit, and profound understanding of America and the world, The Case for Goliath offers a fresh and surprising approach to an issue that obsesses citizens and policymakers the world over, as well as a major statement on the foreign policy issues confronting the American people today.

Customer Reviews:

U.S. global corporatism and colonization.......2007-09-22

Mandelbaum presents a convenient perception of the role of U.S. power in the world, I'll simply offer a few of the inconvenient truths he leaves out. Firstly, the U.S. - and the transnational corporations that have taken it over - does control the politics and economics of other countries. Whenever various nations have tried an independent course, they are labelled communists or threats to global security, and are overthrown (as in the case of Mossadegh in Iran), or face a direct invasion (as in the case of Vietnam). More recently, the U.S. has engaged in brutal proxy wars in regions like Central America (200,000 dead in Guatemala When the Mountains Tremble, 70,000 dead in El Salvador Romero and the U.S. backed terror assault of the Contras in Nicaragua which killed 30,000 Blood on the Border : A Memoir of the Contra War).
We won't hear much about it on our corporate media, but U.S. militarism and corporatist neoliberalism have left a path of wrecked communities, environments and economies in Latin America, Africa and the Middle East.
Chalmers Johnson points out that our empire relies quite a bit on the rule of force and threat of force provided by America's 700 military bases in over 130 countries, and it's half a trillion dollar war budget. The Sorrows of Empire: Militarism, Secrecy, and the End of the Republic (The American Empire Project) Additionally, the U.S. is dispatching an increasing number of private mercenaries to keep the world safe for these so-called "free" markets that are being imposed on Iraq and other parts of the Global South. Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism
Then there is the role played by the "economic hit men" who corrupt or threaten other governments if they dare consider using the resources of their country to benefit their citizens; rather than allowing corporate agents to enrich themselves off of the wealth of other nations. Confessions of an Economic Hit Man
"The Case for Goliath" also mistakenly suggests that the U.S. is a leader in protecting the globe from nuclear annihilation. Wrong. The U.S. has been ignoring global treaties on nuclear weapons, and is also moving to weaponize space. The New Nuclear Danger: George W. Bush's Military-Industrial Complex, Revised and Updated Edition
Lastly, I'd recommend the book that Hugo Chavez recommended during his famous speech at the United Nations, when he called Bush "the devil."
Noam Chomsky's Hegemony or Survival: America's Quest for Global Dominance (American Empire Project) became an international bestseller and reveals that the "public service" that Mandelbaum writes of is far outweighed by the tyranny that the marriage of government and corporate power in the U.S. represents in the world.

"People who shut their eyes to reality simply invite their own destruction, and anyone who insists on remaining in a state of innocence long after that innocence is dead turns himself into a monster."
-James Baldwin

The Case for Goliath: How America Acts As the World's Government in the Twenty-first Century.......2007-06-08

quick delivery

Good Book.......2007-03-15

Great read for those that want to know more about the "big picture" of global politics and how the U.S. actually holds things together for the rest of the world. Lots of detail and facts to back everything up, and although he writes with extraordinarily long sentences, it was written at such a level that it was completely understandable.

Overrated foreign policy vista?.......2007-03-09

Michael Mandelbaum - though having excelled at teaching-cum-academia - has really written a quite ordinary overview* of what long-term prospects will be like for American foreign policy. The first five chapters of his book tread no new water and what little is ventured into from chapter six is also bland or uninteresting at most.
Though not an academic in my own right, I am sufficiently aware about what constitutes the chaff and the wheat in the U.S. foreign policy publishing field.
I was sorry to learn that Mandelbaum's research was more re-search than a foray into depths a la Henry Kissinger(!), which is what I had HOPED to read..

International public goods: That which everyone wants, but which is paid for by the USA........2006-07-26

"By reassuring, though its military presence in Europe and East Asia, countries in these regions that might otherwise regard each other as hostile, by taking responsibility for coping with the most oppressive and aggressive regimes of the international system, and by providing a currency, reserves, emergency loans, and the largest and most welcoming market for exports on the planet, the United States did for the world at the outset of the twenty-first century many of the things that the governments of soverign states do for the societies in which they are constituted." Hence the USA is, in the author's view, the closest thing the planet has to a world government; actually, that the US acts as the world's government. (In comparison, "the UN is the trade association of the world's states.") The basis for the author's view: The forces of tradition were swept away by the First World War. "In their place, in opposition to peace, democracy, and free markets, there arose communism & fascism." Once the latter was bested "emergency measures to fortify its coalition partners in the Cold War became, over time, services that the United States provided to the world as a whole." Thus the US became the purveyor of various international public goods (public goods: what everyone wants but which nbody wants to pay for). Cases in point: The Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty is enforced by the US & the US nuclear umbrella has negated, thus far, the perceived need of many states (Germany, Japan, Taiwan, S.Korea, Greece, Italy, Australia, etc.) to go nuclear which, if they did so, would encourage others to follow suit (Indonesia, Poland, Turkey, et al) creating a dangerous spiral. Furthermore, the US Navy facilitates global trade. And the policies of the US have "helped to give the world a freer trading system than it would otherwise have had." To boot, oil flows around the world also thanks to the US Navy's safeguarding of strategic shipping lanes. Even the creation of the European Union owes much to the US military. As the author states, "NATO made the EU possible." After all, what is possible if security is lacking? Of course, the US has its critics too. But while these critics, as if they were like the film & theater variety, "speak as if they would prefer that the US shrink its global presence dramatically, they do not act as if that is what they really want." In other words, they'd rather remain critics than having to join the US on stage themselves & show how it ought be done. This is evidenced by Europe's actions (or rather the lack thereof), indicating that they are not willing to make the necessary sacrifices (to their welfare system) required to put themselves on an equal footing with the USA. (Where are the EU aircraft carriers, for instance? Or troops on the ground in Japan, Korea, etc. And where is their willingness to pull their weight militarily outside their neighborhood---environs, not incidentially, protected by America itself too.) Thus "the plausible alternitive" to the US functioning as the defacto government of the world" is not considerably better global governance but considerably less of it, and the consequences of less governance are not likely to be pleasant." And the greatest threat to the American international position...seems more likely to come from the competing costs of social welfare programs within the US...than from abroad;" ie., the willingness of the American taxpayer to continue to foot the bill for the world's most able military in the world is more likely to influence the issue than anything else. PS: This 226 page book is a well-presented fast read, but notwithstanding its merits, it could easily be condensed into an article for Foreign Affairs or such similar publication. In other words, don't expect tons of detailed specifics herein. (06Jul) Cheers!

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