Average customer rating:
|
The Art of the Flower: The Floral Still Life from the 17th to the 20th Century
Manufacturer: Edition Stemmle
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 History
| Subjects
| Books
| Africa
| Americas
| Ancient
| Arctic & Antarctica
| Asia
| Australia & Oceania
| Books on CD
| Books on Cassette
| Europe
| Gay & Lesbian
| Historical Study
| Large Print
| Middle East
| Military
| Military Science
| Russia
| United States
| World
General
| History & Criticism
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Themes
| History & Criticism
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
Collections, Catalogues & Exhibitions
| Photography
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Photography
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Arts & Photography
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 3905514958 |
Amazon.com
Deep down, every woman wants to be a Bad Girl. But after living a life of sweetness and light, it's sometimes difficult to stray from the path. Cameron Tuttle (author of the riotously funny Bad Girl's Guide to the Open Road) points the way in The Bad Girl's Guide to Getting What You Want. Tuttle offers up tips to help even the saintliest soul find her inner Bad Girl--and then use that power to get better dates (date yourself for a while first, until you're ready to dive in the dating pool); a better job (don't just settle for job satisfaction, aim for "job jubilation, job nirvana, job titillation"); and better parking (pray to Gladys, the universal parking goddess). With its sassy, iced-lavender cover--just the right size to slip into your purse--the Guide is jam-packed with practical and not-so-practical-but-funny advice, including excellent answers to one of life's most pressing questions: What do you do with old bridesmaid dresses? "Drench with ketchup and dress up as Carrie for Halloween"; "Sew into board bags for your snowboard and surfboard"; and, best of all, "Make your bridesmaids wear them in your wedding." Remember: it's great to be a girl, but it's even better to be a Bad Girl. --Sunny "Bad Girl" Delaney
Book Description
This hilarious follow-up to the wildly popular Bad Girl's Guide to the Open Road is the ultimate guide to getting it—anything and everything—in Bad Girl style. Delayed gratification is a thing of the past with this inspired collection of tips and tricks for scoring love, fame, money, power, parking spaces, and other essentials. With sure-fire schemes for everything from free food and airline miles to insider lingo for paving pesky resume gaps, The Bad Girl's Guide to Getting What You Want shows how to fake it fabulously. But spin and strategy are just the beginning—the truth can be an even more wicked weapon. Learn the secrets of men's hair, the landlord's Achilles' heel, and the maitre d's darkest desires, and the dream date, great apartment, and best table are yours! Racy bad-girl confessions and edgy illustrations make this indispensable volume even dishier. Ethics are overrated—it's the results that count! Pack this sassy package in your purse and knowing what you want is as good as getting it.
Customer Reviews:
I'm working on it!.......2007-06-20
I'm not a "bad girl" yet, but the book has inspired me to bring some sheltered "wants" out in the open and into my personality. The book is both funny and an easy to swallow dose of confidence.
DON'T BUY THIS BOOK UNLESS U LIKE THROWING$$$ AWAY.......2006-11-04
THIS BOOK WAS HORRIBLE! IT WAS SO STUPID, I CANNOT BELIEVE I WASTED MY TIME READING NOR MY MONEY BUYING IT. IT IS COMPLETELY IMMATURE AND RIDICULOUS. I CAN'T BELIEVE SOMEONE WOULD PUBLISH THIS CRAP!
Great fluff to give to every soon to be college girl.......2006-08-17
Just buy several copies of the book and give it to your daughter and for her to give to her friends.
Fun Fluff.......2005-10-14
If you are looking for something to stimulate your brain, this isn't it. However, if you are just looking for a good laugh, you'll enjoy The Bad Girl's Guide. It's funny and light, and definitely a good way to pass a little bit of time.
Amusing fluff.......2005-09-15
It's nice to have a cheeky-style self-help book. Tuttle's irreverence is refreshing and a couple of her lines made me laugh. Nonetheless, it's forgettable nonsense and at $14, a tad too expensive for what is offered the reader.
Customer Reviews:
fun of the day.......2002-12-02
I always gain playful moods for the day after read it. It is helpful at work especially on Monday. Read these Bad Girl dramas may not be the funnest thing to do, yet. Be one.
Customer Reviews:
VERY OVERRATED AND PRETENTIOUS.......2006-03-19
Based on the favorable reviews this title received, I decided to pick up a copy of Jon Boorstin's "Making Movies Work." After reading most of it, I remain nonplussed as to why it's received such acclaim and attention. This book is really a collection of pseudo-intellectual and highly pretentious rantings on various aspects of the filmmaking process. The author speaks with authority, as if he is an experienced master craftsman of film but, when looking at his resume, his list of credits is EXTREMELY thin. Thus, I wonder how Boorstin can draw many of his conclusions and postulate his theories on the filmmaking process. It seems he's never had the experience of writing or directing a feature film of his own, let alone enough to make him an authority on the process of making motion pictures. The cover highlights many positive comments by well-known filmmakers (Robert Redford, Alan Pakula, Paul Schrader, etc.). But in reading the author's bio, we see he worked for these people or had other social connections to them. I suspect these well-known writers and directors were doing the author of favor by giving his tome a thumbs up.
For anyone interested in a much better book about the filmmaking experience and creative process, John Sayles book on the making of his film "Matewan" is far superior to "Making Movies Work." This book is less pretentious, and comes from a man who has actually made numerous films of his own. That is a book deserving 5 stars, not "Making Movies Work."
an easy read with loads of insight into the nature of Hollywood Cinema.......2005-08-30
If you are looking for theory or for technical analysis of film, this is not the place. If your interest, instead, is insight into the thinking that goes into making (mostly mainstream) films this is an excellent starting point. Boorstin doesn't write like a movie critic or a professor of film; he writes like a very knowledgable and reflective craftsman who has insider experience on filmmaking and has been able to capture that experience into a series of analytic perspectives on the nature of "movies that work."
He breaks his analysis of the "working of movies" down into three perspectives that amount to the various levels at which the film needs to operate on or captivate its audience. A movie that "works" has to work on all three levels, though it may emphasize one over the others. First, it should appeal to the "voyeur" in the audience. We watch movies because we want to see, and a movie works at a voyeuristic level when it shows us something that we can both believe and be interested in. That sounds straightforward enough, but the voyeuristic perspective allows him to go into the "why" behind a wide range of cinematic techniques, and to introduce quite a bit of the vocabulary you'd find in another introduction to film but might not see why it was so important. Secondly, the film has to work at a "vicarious" level: we have to care about the characters in the film, and what they do has to be emotionally true. Under this heading Boorstin is able to discuss a range of topics, from Kuleshov's psychology experiments with film montage to what makes a film soundtrack work. The third level is the "visceral": films can work, not only because they are intriguing or make us feel something for the characters, but also because they make us feel something period. The rise of horror cinema is directly connected to this longing for a visceral experience: we don't just want to care about someone who is potentially being harmed but we want to feel their fear along with them. The book goes on to discuss combinations between these, the differences between narratives and films of other forms, and the difference between mainstream Hollywood cinema and avant garde or foreign cinema.
My only quibble with the book is that he doesn't address a fourth level at which films work -- maybe because it's hard to come up with a "V" word for what might be called the "reflective dimension" of film, and I believe that a discussion of this dimension would complement his other discussions and allow him to introduce in an unpretentious and insider fashion themes that are the subject of what film theorists call "ideology." Every film, at some level, has a theme -- has to have something it is "about" and this is a level that is not only of interest to film theorists but also to filmmakers. Sidney Lumet's wonderful "Making Movies" discusses this at length. For a film to work it has to have a theme and it has to somehow make sense of that theme. In some films, and not only foreign or avant-garde films, this "thematic" or "reflective" dimension is the dominant one. Take the success of the "Matrix" for example -- what makes it stunning is not only its superb visuals (voyeuristic level) or its strong narrative (such that we vicariously connect with Neo) or its tense mood (such that we have a visceral experience), but also that it forces us to think, raising interesting questions and posing tentative answers to those questions.
In the end, though, this is merely a quibble with what is still a very worthwhile book that I am glad I encountered. While the style is personal and the ideas are to some degree idiosyncratic to the author, it is a rare book that offers so much information and insight and is such an enjoyable read. (I would compare this book to other remarkable and insightful works by working filmmakers such as Lumet's Making Movies and Walter Murch's In the Blink of the Eye -- and if I had to choose which one to recommend of these three I would say that Boorstin's book is more comprehensive and can likely teach more about the nature of film and filmmaking than the others.)
Thinking Like a Filmmaker.......2001-05-09
For those people that just stumbled on this book and are not aspiring film makers, the insight and even the abundance of photographs from major scenes are worth the purchase price.
For the rest of us, everyone knows what makes a professional in any field is that little extra effort to be one step ahead of the next person. This book may be that next step.
A paragraph from the introduction says it all:
"How does a surgeon attack a tumor, a lawyer a murder case, or an architect a concert hall? When you learn a craft, or a profession, or an art (and film is all of these), you have to master a way of thinking as well as a set of skills. A way of approaching the problem that make techniques your tool."
I wish I could give 4 1/2.......2001-03-06
The only reason I did not give this book 5 stars is, because it is not a smashing, shocking masterpiece. But it is still a VERY GOOD book. It gives one a great first taste on filmmaking, touching on almost every topic and field in the production process. It is also very well organized into a system of own logic, and contains quite a few funny and interesting anecdotes, which make it more like a personal friend instead of just "a book". The language is clear and "user-friendly" (which was quite important for me, English being only my second lang.), and Mr. Boorstin is like a smiling tour-guide that takes one around the various aspects of the craft. It is an excellent introduction to all people interested in film, and to all those who just want to have a good read about 'the film job' in general. Read it and You will like it, if it does not make You want to fall in love with film right away. If You already are: You will learn not just about the craft, but about creative processes and "Hollywood vs. World"-philosophy too, while You get to understand what actually makes a filmmaker. A definite 4 and 1/2.....
Slow start, great middle, good finish........2001-01-18
I've been doing some research into film making and I picked this book up from the bookstore because it looked okay. At first I was a bit let down, but after getting into it I found it truly great! The author gives an amazing amount of examples, and even though they're a little outdated, he gives them in such ways that you don't have to have seen the movies to learn from his examples.
Book Description
TWENTY-THREE UNFORGETTABLE, GOOF-PROOF PARTIES FOR KIDS OF EVERY AGE
Whether your child is two or twelve, a budding ballerina or a swashbuckling pirate, The Penny Whistle Party Planner brings the fun back to giving birthday parties. Each party plan features:
- A step-by-step schedule, from choosing the themes to preparing the food
- Ideas and instructions for invitations, decorations, and even party favors
- Activities and games to reflect the theme of the occasion
- Delicious recipes for refreshments, including the best birthday cakes ever
- Ways to adapt any party to space, time, and budget considerations
Customer Reviews:
Best Party Planning Book Ever.......2007-08-30
This is the best ever party planning book. If you are planning parties for kids, or just want themed activities for another event, this is the book for you. These people really know their stuff!
great book chock-full of ideas.......2003-08-27
Outstanding book...something for everyone, and most items that need to be purchased can be had at the dollar store. Rock-Solid book full of well-thought out parties.
great resource.......2003-07-30
This an excellent book with a number of party ideas for all ages. I especially like that this books gives suggestions for older kids parties. Packed with recipes, decoration, invitation, and favor ideas to go along with your theme. I will be using this for years to come.
Great Resource Book!.......2001-09-27
This book was easy to follow and had ideas in it which were easy to adapt to other themes. I loved the information about how much activity each different age group should be able to handle. My three-year-old's party went off without a hitch thanks to this book. It will get used many more times in years to come.
A Very Helpful, Comprehensive Guide for Parents.......2001-03-02
I find this book to be very helpful for prents planning a party for their children. It's completely foolproof, from deciding on the number of guests appropriate for your childs age to making clever invitations, food, activites and take home gifts...all falling into one of several themes. There is a theme for any child's interest. The instructions are simple and very adptable to many different situations. I have had this book for years and used it many, many times with 4 kids.
Product Description
The complete step-by-step guide to planning, giving and enjoying the best parties for children of all ages
Average customer rating:
|
Radio Wars: Truth, Propaganda and the Struggle for Radio Australia
Errol Hodge
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Television
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
Australia
| Australia & Oceania
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Politics
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Sociology
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Communication
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0521479274 |
Book Description
Radio Australia, the multilingual overseas radio service of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, was launched in 1939 as an instrument of war propaganda. Ever since, it has been caught uncomfortably between those who would continue to use it as an instrument of Australian foreign policy and those who would have it an icon of journalistic integrity. In a covert war, broadcasters, bureaucrats and politicians have struggled for the editorial control of Radio Australia. From the Second World War to the Dili massacre, Radio Australia’s news coverage and commentary has been affected by politics and internal conflict. This book raises important questions about journalism, censorship, foreign policy and cultural imperialism. Errol Hodge’s exhaustive research has produced this comprehensive, insightful and entertaining book. Radio Wars is a fascinating history of an important but unexplored aspect of Australia’s outreach.
Average customer rating:
- Nice history, cutely written and illustrated.
- A Bad Guy?!?!
- it's fun to read and you learn a lot from it
- Historically funny and accurate
|
Can't You Make Them Behave, King George?
Jean Fritz
Manufacturer: Putnam Juvenile
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
Europe
| History & Historical Fiction
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Colonial
| Fiction
| United States
| History & Historical Fiction
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Historical
| Biographies
| People & Places
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Fritz, Jean
| ( F )
| Authors & Illustrators, A-Z
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Literature
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Europe
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Biographies & Memoirs
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Fritz, Jean
| ( F )
| Authors & Illustrators, A-Z
| Children's Books
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Europe
| History & Historical Fiction
| Children's Books
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Colonial
| Fiction
| United States
| History & Historical Fiction
| Children's Books
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
General
| Literature
| Children's Books
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Historical
| Biographies
| People & Places
| Children's Books
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
General
| Europe
| History
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
All 4-for-3 Deals
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
-
And Then What Happened, Paul Revere? (Paperstar)
-
Will You Sign Here, John Hancock?
-
Shh! We're Writing the Constitution
-
Why Don't You Get a Horse, Sam Adams?
-
What's The Big Idea, Ben Franklin? (Paperstar)
ASIN: 0698114027 |
Customer Reviews:
Nice history, cutely written and illustrated........2006-02-17
I bought this book to read with my children (ages 8 and 10). I found the book interesting, and learned a bit about King George's youth. My children thought it wasokay, even though their father was forcing it on them. I even caught my wife sneaking a read.
The writing style is nice and folksy, and the illustrations are charmingly naive. The personal spin it places on the American Revolution, coupled with the emphasis on the British perspective, is a refreshing contrast to some of the more serious books I've read on revolutionary history.
All in all, a nice read.
A Bad Guy?!?!.......2004-10-24
King George is considered to be one of the greatest opponents of the American Revolution. But does anyone ever really hear of his good traits until now. And in a childrens book! Well I know I didn't. And after reading this short story I found that ole George wasn't such a bad guy after all. All he wanted was for Brittain to become, well...richer. Couldn't those colonists help pay for some of his debts. Well maybe, if those colonists actually had any SAY in British matters then they should have to pay taxes. Well I still think he wasn't a BAD guy, he just tried to take the easiest way out.
Tomie DePaola and Jean Fritz-I think-make the perfect team. His comical illustrations with her undefinable text make this book a classic.
Fritz or Freedman '04. You decide.
it's fun to read and you learn a lot from it.......2000-04-16
I learned all kinds of things about King George, Queen Charlotte and others. It really helped me with my research on the Revolutionary war. In this book you get to learn the funny things about King George and things that happened during his time.
Historically funny and accurate.......1999-01-02
Jean Fritz has created many fabulous books for children. "Can't You Make Them Behave, King George?" is one of my favorites. It shows the beginning of the American Revolution from the eyes of King George. The book is humerous and historically correct. Kids and adults will enjoy reading it together!
Average customer rating:
|
Can't you make them behave, King George?: Study guide (Novel units)
Jean Fritz
Manufacturer: Anne Troy and Phyllis Green
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
General
| Books & Reading
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Education
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Reading
| Elementary School
| Education
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Fritz, Jean
| ( F )
| Authors & Illustrators, A-Z
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Literature
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 1561370703 |
Average customer rating:
|
Can't you make them behave, King George?: Jean Fritz (Novel units)
Anne Troy
Manufacturer: A. Troy and P. Green
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
General
| Books & Reading
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Reading
| Elementary School
| Education
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Literature
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: B0007229I2 |
Book Description
A military historian explores these mammoth warships. A great gift for WWII buffs.
Though the aircraft carrier has become the cornerstone of the modern fleet, it is a relative newcomer to the world of navy vessels. It wasn’t until World War II that the carrier’s outstanding effectiveness forever altered the future of naval warfare. Through gripping historical anecdotes and breathtaking paintings by the most respected aviation and military artists, this crucial period lives again. Begin with the earliest demonstrations of planes flying from and landing on a vessel at sea and the carrier’s evolution in the period between the wars. The British, Japanese, and US fleets all obtained true carriers, with their numbers growing by leaps and bounds by the onset of World War II—especially in America, which had the largest of all. Written by a renowned military historian, packed with thrilling accounts of daring missions, and illustrated with stirring aviation art, here is a unique look at one of the most effective weapons platforms in the world.
Customer Reviews:
Some of the most realistic artwork you will ever see.......2007-01-19
World War II exceeded all other wars in the amount of technical progress that it drove and in no area was it more pronounced than in naval warfare. Before it started, most naval planners still considered the battleship to be the pinnacle of battle tactics. To many naval minds, control of the seas would be determined by the opposing fleets of ships firing their powerful guns at each other until one side was destroyed or ran away. The only role envisioned for aircraft was as spotters who would inform the gunners where their misses landed so that they could adjust their aiming.
The sneak attack by the Japanese on Pearl Harbor changed all that. Within days of the attack, the American military planners concluded that the number and strength of the aircraft carriers would determine who controlled the Pacific. This book is a series of photos and paintings depicting naval aerial action during the war. While there are a few devoted to action in the Atlantic, the bulk describes what went on in the Pacific. Each picture and painting combination is accompanied by a caption explaining the action. The artwork is superb; some of the paintings are so real that I looked twice to see if it was in fact a slightly out-of-focus photo.
The action of World War II has been captured in many ways. In this book you will find some of the most colorful and accurately rendered paintings of the events. The artists went to such lengths to accurately depict the scenes that the underwater survey of the Saratoga even shows the light from the flashlight held by one of the divers.
Good art, but the title's a bit misleading.......2002-09-18
Maybe it's just a quibble, but when I picked up this book (based solely on the title), I was expecting something fairly different from what I ended up with.
What I thought I'd get was a collection of World War Two-era paintings, with some informed comment about the scenes pictured. Instead, this book is essentially a history of carrier aviation and the naval war, one that happens to be illustrated primarily by paintings instead of photos. Indeed, the "aviation art" -- much of which is by contemporary artists -- takes a decided back seat to the history. The paintings are reproduced in large size and bright color, but receive scarce mention in the text. Information about the artists themselves is relegated to a few pages of small print in the back.
This isn't to take anything away from Paul Stillwell, who is a fine historian (in fact, one of the paintings reproduced in this book, R.G. Smith's "Air Raid, Pearl Harbor," was earlier used as cover art for Stillwell's book on the December 7 attack). And many of the paintings themselves are excellent. I just think it might have been more accurate to advertise this as an illustrated history of naval aviation in World War Two, rather than as, essentially, a collection of aviation art.
Book Description
Social Security is facing the most serious, well-financed, and determined threat to its existence since its inception in 1935. For Americans to make sense of the barrage of conflicting messages on the subject, it's necessary to understand who is behind the campaign to "reform" Social Security, what the campaign aims to achieve, and how it misrepresents its goals. Best-selling author Joe Conason exposes why and how this is happening. "The Raw Deal explores the Right's privatization goals, Bush's hard-fought privatization campaign (built on a stacked "study"), the corporate interests behind the plan, the media campaign to undermine confidence in Social Security, and how the swindle can be stopped. Conason's no-apologies, no-nonsense approach clears up the myriad misperceptions surrounding this important, confusing issue and gets to the truth about the big Social Security bluff.
Customer Reviews:
The Planned Destruction of Social Security.......2007-02-12
The `Preface' by James Roosevelt Jr. says Social Security racks up surpluses as it had done for decades and will continue to do so. The special interests who want to "reform" Social Security really want to weaken or abolish it. So it is up to the American people to protect it in order "to promote the general welfare". Al Franken's `Foreword' wastes its pages on comic comments. The `Introduction' says Bush's scam would be both risky and costly, they use scary stories to fool people into believing their lies. Most Americans don't trust Bush (p.4). Conason warns about the "United Seniors Association" created to scare people into sending them money (p.5)! Powerful financiers want to destroy Social Security (p.6). They use phony fronts to fool people (p.8). Complaints and lies about Social Security go back to 1936; they have been proven false repeatedly (p.10). They can't learn and can't forget.
Here's how this fraud would work. They promised a lucrative return on "personal" accounts but didn't tell that management fees and substantial risks would drain these accounts. They promised the owner of the account would control their money but didn't tell that choice would be limited. They promised these accounts would be inherited but didn't tell you this would need an annuity that would leave little to heirs. They promised that Social Security would go bankrupt but didn't tell you this contradicted their prediction of increased growth in the economy. Heads they win, tails you lose. In the real world, people making these promises on investments would go to jail.
Chapter 1 explains when Bush says he wants to "strengthen" Social Security he really wants to reduce benefits (p.22). Conason neglects to tell that in 1952 Eisenhower promised to extend Social Security to the middle-class by including small business owners and farmers. He did this in 1953. There is no crisis in Social Security, and won't be if economic growth continues. If growth is slow private investments will suffer (p.29). Chapter 2 tells about the various publicity groups formed to attack Social Security with lies and half-truths. Conason names the corporations who pay for these advertising attacks. They simply lied about privatization (p.49)! Billions were squandered by Bush on tax cuts for the super-rich (p.50). Conason explains the frauds of the privatizers (p.56). Privatization was renamed "Choice" (p.57).
Chapter 3 tells about the phony groups who either mislead people to try to defraud them. They make up "facts" to try to prove their case (pp.67-68). This chapter tells of their techniques to divide and conquer (p.74). The AARP opposed Bush's failed proposal, and described the essential elements for a retirement plan (p.77). AARP won't tear down the house because of a clogged drain (p.78). Does the description of "United Seniors Association" on pages 79-83 expose their hidden agenda? Chapter 4 tells about the plans of Wall Street to swindle private accounts (p.86). Private accounts are losers compared to Social Security (p.89). Bush's plan to privatize Social Security because of a lack of popularity (pp.104-105). "You can't fool all of the people all of the time." Social Security was the best-working government program.
The `Conclusion' points out that Bush has not provided an actuarially sound plan to deal with an alleged future crisis in Social Security (pp.109-110). The proposed change could not work. The projected outlook for Social Security over the next 75 years is reasonably good (p.114). [The real problem is falling real wages and too high taxes.] There are other real solutions (p.117-121).
Outdated by events, but still worth reading.......2006-05-06
Given the current state of affairs in Washington, it's highly unlikely that Bush is going to be able to get very far with his plan to abolish..... (or "reform", as he puts it) Social Security. The Republicans aren't suicidal enough to bring this up before the midterm elections, and let us hope that the results of the elections will put the kibosh on this at least for a while. So the alarm that the book sounds is a bit outdated, since the public woke up to what was going on (at least partly thanks to books like this). But it's still worth reading as an expose of some of the tricks the Republican noise machine has been up to. My favorite episode involved the attempt to paint the stodgy AARP as pushing gay marriage (remember that one?). Let's hope people don't forget it!
Primer on Bush Administration Operating Procedures.......2006-01-10
If the Ku Klux Klan were to suddenly announce a plan to help black people it would be advisable for blacks to stay as far away from it as possible and when Conservatives announce their intention to save Social Security you can bet that saving it is the last thing on their minds. For 70 years Conservatives have seethed over the existence of Social Security as the de facto centerpiece of the New Deal and St. George W was to be the last best hope to slay the dragon once and for all.
In a sense `The Raw Deal' seemed dated even before it hit the bookshelves since personal accounts were already dead in the water. The disastrous sales pitch may have had a lot to do with timing since it came on the heels of the second largest stock market collapse in history as well a series of corporate scandals. A few sustained years of stock market success and the public might quickly find itself blinded by dollar signs. In another sense this book couldn't be any more timely as it's a template for the operating methods of the Bush administration and the Republican party. The fight for privatization is a classic attempt by wealth to usurp debate. This is boilerplate Bush with attempts to stack the deck, ignore impartial advisement, bully businesses and politicians, use industry sponsored Think Tanks to unleash mountains of biased information and as Bush himself said `catapault the propoganda'. In one of the most cynical moves of late, Conservatives used what are called Astroturf organizations. These are groups that give off the illusion of being grassroots movement for a specific demographic (blacks, elderly etc.) when in fact they are corporate funded with little to no actual members. Meanwhile, in perhaps the lowest move of the battle Conservative funded USA Next, fresh from Swiftboating John Kerry unleashed its fury on AARP claiming them to be anti-military and pro gay marriage.
Social Security `reform' is dead for now but the methods used to push it are so routine at this point that it would be well worth people's time to analyze what was done. In all the back and forth people tend to forget or perhaps never realized that the Bush administration never once drafted specific proposals. Sure they would drop hints and ideas but nothing substantive for critics to actually analyze. The intention was to win the war first and figure out if a solution was feasible later. Since the Bush administration didn't give a damn about arguably the most successful government program ever it didn't matter whether or not any eventual solution worked.
"The Raw Deal" is a small book at 136 pages that can be read in a few short sittings but it's packed with information. The ideas within are much broader than Social Security. They are about leadership, honesty (mostly a lack thereof), cynical politics and manipulation of the public. It's about a president whose ideas are so vacuous that he can only give speeches before pre-selected audiences of converts and sycophants. "The Raw Deal" is a relatively small investment in time that informs far beyond its short length.
Soc Sec Expert Says Conason is On the Mark!.......2005-12-29
I worked as an expert on US Social Security policy for 7 years in Washington, DC: 4 years at the Social Security Administration (Office of Policy) and 3 years as assistant director of Social Security policy research for a non-partisan Washington, DC non-profit organization. (Type "Kelly Olsen and Social Security" into any search engine if you're unconvinced that I know what I'm talking about here.)
Two years after leaving public service in Washington, DC in 2003, I wrote an op-ed in the Asheville Citizen-Times (March 20, 2005, available online at http://www.citizen-times.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050320/OPINION03/503200308/1058/OPINION01) in which I basically say in 900 words what Mr. Conason says in this book. The main difference between what I said in my op-ed and what's in this book is that Mr. Conason has the space to fill in the main details.
Mr. Conason is onto the Republican elite's game of deception to undermine Social Security altogether. Andrew Biggs, who now heads up the Social Security Office of Retirement Policy under George W. Bush, actually wrote in 1999 (when he was not yet a political appointee) that "private accounts would sever the ties of middle-class and wealthy Americans to government assistance programs and diminish political support for social welfare programs." Mr. Biggs argued that "market investment of payroll taxes sets the stage for ... a new political culture that rejects government intervention in favor of individual and market freedom. In that way, Social Security reform featuring Personal Retirement Accounts doesn't send just one liberal sacred cow to the slaughterhouse. It sends the whole herd." Clear enough? It is important to note that the Republican elite's Social Security goals are far to the right of the desires of most Americans who identify themselves as Republicans.
Alas, Conason's claim that the Republican elite are out to destroy Social Security is NOT liberal alarmist hype. Mr. Conason is right on the mark in his summary of the issue, and he has written an accessible and interesting book for citizens who want to educate themselves about how the current Republican party wants to undermine the most popular and administratively efficient social program in U.S. history, dish out money to their Wall Street friends in the process, and stick taxpayers with the tremendous transition costs of doing so. Mr. Conason's book is important because Social Security is a complex issue, and it's become more difficult for intelligent concerned citizens to gather the needed facts ever since the Social Security Administration started putting out its own pro-accounts political propaganda under George W. Bush. (Hey, your tax dollars at work, folks!)
I've left public service, and I don't plan to ever go back to working on Social Security policy. I'm on no one's payroll, and I have no incentive to write this review (or to have read this book, for that matter) other than my continued concern that people will let the Republicans destroy this critical program that keeps millions of working and retired families (aged, disabled, and young and old survivors) out of poverty. I am writing this only as a concerned private citizen (and a fiscally conservative moderate one at that). Whatever your political orientation, unless you're super-rich or on Wall Street, it's in your rational self-interest to oppose Social Security privatization. As I said earlier, the Republican elite are far to the right of their own citizen constituencies on this issue.
Most observers are saying the fight over Social Security privatization is over, but I don't put anything past this current group of Republicans. Sowing the seeds of Social Security's destruction is a long-standing fantasy of the Republican elite. So long as they control the Congress, the Senate, and the White House -- and there are Big Moneyed interests to appease -- millions of working families are at risk of losing their future Social Security benefits in the form of "personal accounts." Read Mr. Conason's book, inform yourself, spread the word, and make your voice heard.
Good Summary.......2005-12-19
Conason begins the book with a minor blooper referencing the three characteristics of a high-pressure sale. The first two were: 1)Create a sense of urgency (eg. "limited time only," and 2)Conjure a keen sense of opportunity - eg. "new and improved." I never could find #3. Nonetheless, he goes on to provide excellent material on how Bush et al are truly trying to destroy Social Security, switching from privatization to partial privatization to personal accounts to progressive indexing as opposition mounted.
Conason reports that Social Security has been a priority Republican target since FDR, referencing Eisenhower (he thought opponents were idiots), Goldwater, Reagan (he talked both pro and con; ended up establishing the credible Greenspan-led commission that laid the foundation for continuing its stability), to Bush #2.
GWB, rather than establish a credible commission aka his hero Reagan, stacked the deck entirely with privatization supporters. (Originally as a candidate he called Social Security "the single most successful government program in history," and promised to "lock away more than $2 trillion of the federal surplus for the program's future benefits.) Then, rather than pursue the issue his first term (and damage re-election prospects) nothing happened until immediately after 1/05.
Claiming a crisis, and a means to save the system Bush hit the trail, aided by the support of AIG (American Independent Group - world's largest insurer), the CATO Institute (Coors funded pro-business "think-tank"), and phony groups hiding behind innocuous and misleading-sounding fronts (eg. "Pro 21" - supposedly a black group in support consisted of a black director and a white executive director; "United Seniors claimed over 1 million members - yet only $2 million of its '03 revenues came from members, and most of the rest from the pharmaceutical industry), tried to sell a litany of lies across the country. Example: Social Security discrimates against minorities because they don't live as long. (The claim ignores the higher benefits they receive from disability and survivors' insurance, and has been refuted by the GAO and the Social Security Admin's Office of the Chief Actuary.) Nonetheless, this point raises an interesting question - Why doesn't Bush have interest in improving minority life expectancy and incomes if he want to help them?
Another ploy was to raise the hope of easy money - the new plan would offer much better returns, as much as 10%/year over the long run. Countering, Professor Schiller (author of "Irrational Exhuberance" and its alarm about overvalued stocks) suggests less than half that amount would be more accurate - and that doesn't even take into account the fees that would be charged - now averaging 1.09% for mutual funds. (0.65% would generate an estimated $940 billion in fees over 75 years.
Meanwhile, while Bush et al bewail Social Security's demise, they also omit the fact that their new Medicare drug benefit will cost an estimated double the Social Security shortage!
Alternatives to Bush's "salvation" include eliminating the upper limit on taxable Social Security earnings (now $95,000+), and increasing the employee share by 0.9% over 50 years.
Possibly the only "good" out of the President's effort is that it takes attention away from declining private pension and health insurance coverage, stock frauds, Iraq, and outsourcing.
Books:
- The Art of Wonder: A History of Seeing
- The Body of the Artisan: Art and Experience in the Scientific Revolution
- The Gelede Spectacle: Art, Gender, and Social Harmony in an African Culture
- The Glory of Byzantium: Art and Culture of the Middle Byzantine Era, A.D. 843-1261
- The Illustrator in America, 1880-1980: A Century of Illustration
- The Image and the Eye: Further Studies in the Psychology of Pictorial ...
- The Last Picture Show: Artists Using Photography 1960-1982
- The Life and Wisdom of Gwen Frostic
- The New Yorker Book of Baseball Cartoons
- The Open Studio: Essays on Art and Aesthetics
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Adobe Photoshop CS2 Classroom in a Book
- A Fighter's Heart: One Man's Journey Through the World of Fighting
- Transition State: A Theoretical Approach
- Without Fail
- Working with Precious Metal Clay
- A Colour Atlas of the Anatomy of Small Laboratory Animals: Rat, Mouse, Golden Hamster
- Winterdance: The Fine Madness of Running the Iditarod
- The Venetian Hours of Henry James, Whistler, and Sargent
- Touch This: Graphic Design That Feels Good
- Grants for Environmental Protection and Animal Welfare, 2002-2003: Covers Grants to the U.S. and Abr
