Book Description
Strike one! Strike two! Strike....no, they're not out. They're playing. But among the truisms of baseball, we offer three. One is that kids have always kept on playing, no matter what the pros do. The second is that the cartoonists of The New Yorker have kept on hitting home runs with their funny and insightful looks at all aspects of baseball. The third is that, year in and year out, baseball fans and devotees step up to the plate (and the cash registers) at bookstores to buy books on the most cerebral of team sports. With cartoons spanning eight decades, this collection includes work from many of The New Yorker's most beloved cartoonists (clearly devoted fans, with maybe a heckler or two thrown in for spice). An All-Star lineup featuring Arnie Levin, Jack Ziegler, George Price, Robert Mankoff, Danny Shanahan, and Charles Barsotti are all on deck for this book, which is sure to hit a grand slam with every baseball fan--and fanatic!
Customer Reviews:
Ok, but way dated.......2004-05-16
Many of the gags are good, a few are belly-laughers, but overall this collection is full of old-timey jokes -- men in fedoras type of jokes. Funny, I guess, but hasn't anyone at New Yorker done a gag about baseball in the past 50 years? C'mon, there are baseball fans under the age of 50.
More home runs than Barry Bonds.......2004-04-14
I love baseball as much as I love a good joke, so this collection was a "double" for me. Being a New Yorker collection, a few cartoons are Yankee-specific, and the Mets are lightly ribbed, but any baseball fan will appreciate this look at the sport's many sides. My favorite cartoon shows a player telling the media, "Hey, I'm just happy to be making an obscene amount of money." If only real players were that honest!
A Yankee Fan's Delight!.......2004-04-13
The New Yorker Book of Baseball Cartoons benefits (or suffers) from (depending on your fan allegiance) having a Bronx perspective on the sport. For Yankee fans, this will be a four-star book. With cartoons from over eight decades, many of the cartoons harken back to baseball as it was . . . rather than how it is now. Somehow, that didn't work as nostalgia for me. I have to assume that The New Yorker has a more recent selection of cartoons on this subject that could have captured the contemporary game better . . . but there are too few of those. As a result, many cartoons are sources of curiosity rather than humor.
I did find myself laughing in a few places. Here are some of the better efforts:
A woman stands over a man watching a baseball game on television and says, "Oh, no! Not already!" That reminds me of my wife's reaction when I turn on the first preseason football game every summer.
A happy woman speaks to her scowling male escort as they reach their seats in full stands, "See, Grouchy? We haven't missed a thing--the score is still nothing to nothing." As you can see, the battle of the sexes is a frequent topic in the book.
In "The First Straw" a groom turns to his bride as they drive away from the church and asks, "Mind if I put on the game?"
A woman watching a game on television speaks to a man as he returns to the room, "I think you missed something. The ball went up into the air and somebody caught it and the crowd's yelling like mad."
With no caption, you see a sign in the outfield that says "Hit This Sign and Abe Feldman will give you A SUIT absolutely free" as an outfielder catches a fly ball while being shadowed by a man in a suit and hat . . . and two gloves.
The umpires take some kidding . . . and give some out. As one ump comments to the batter, "I don't think I'd say anything about eyesight if I had your batting average."
A wealthy matron smiles at two of the players while speaking to a manager of the Yankees, "Sometimes we sell them, lady, but only to other teams."
A father speaks to his son who is praying, "Never mind mentioning all twenty-five of them. Just 'God bless the Mets' will do."
Two men are behind home plate in the stands. One of them is behind a tall beam. The other one says, "High inside. Ball three. Count is now three balls and two strikes. Here comes the pitch."
A gondolier in Venice has on a baseball uniform. He says, "I was sent down to the minors and from there to Europe, and one thing just led to another."
Unfortunately, I didn't leave out very many of the best ones. Most didn't even make me crack a smile.
As usual, there is no introduction. Surely, Yogi Berra could have been pressed into duty for such an obvious application of his well-known wit and wisdom.
Play ball!!
4 1/2* Fields of Ink.......2003-11-08
This is a funny and wryly amusing collection of 100 baseball cartoons that first appeared in "The New Yorker." Although illustrators are credited, no dates are given. (This would have been helpful in discerning which jokes are relatively old, and which just sound old.) Some of the material is fairly trite, deriding such easy targets as umpires and over zealous fans. Most of them are quite funny though, including a picture of seven infielders gathered close to home as one fan explains to another "They expect him to bunt," and another showing an umpire pondering how to call a play with a wonderful Jack Benny-like expression and the equally Benny-esque caption "I'm thinking!" (with 'thinking' underlined).
A major problem is the formatting, all the `toons are given equal size, and hence equal weight. A number of these are just "throwaway" jokes, pictures and captions without much weight or originality. As a small illustration added--like a condiment--to a large text, these are appropriately lightweight and amusing, but as large pictures they don't compare to the more creative and funnier efforts here. After a while, the similarities begin to inoculate you against the humor. A better format might have been to present these in the size in which they originally appeared. However, this would make a good gift for baseball fans and those who live with them. Overall, it's an excellent coffee table book that doesn't take up the whole coffee table.
Humorous home runs and base hits - no strikeouts!.......2003-05-06
Everyone will find favorites in this collection, whether they are about kids and baseball or overpaid, over-egoed pros. One favorite part for me is the running motif of umpire jokes. The New Yorker's cartoonists are simply the best. I loved The New Yorker Book of Golf Cartoons, but this is even better.
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Handmade Jewelry: Simple Steps to Creating Wearable Art (Decorative Painting)
Carol Grape
Manufacturer: North Light Books
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ASIN: 0891346600 |
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Simple Handmade Jewellery: Over 200 Easy-to-make Designs
Manufacturer: Continuum International Publishing Group
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0855327642 |
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- Very stylish jewlery!
- Very stylish jewlery!
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Simple Handmade Jewelry
Arthur Schwartz
Manufacturer: Search Press(UK)
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Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0855327499 |
Customer Reviews:
Very stylish jewlery!.......2002-05-09
This book is a compilation of several books, so it has a lot of different styles and techniques: Polymer clay, painted glass, mother of pearl, leather cord etc. I myself come from a polymer clay background and this book gave me a lot of new ideas both of polymer clay jewlery and how to combine different mediums to get stunning looking jewlery.
The book includes step-by-step instructions with pictures only for the general instructions. The different projects have a picture with text instructions, but they are quite well written and easy to follow, even for beginners.
I warmly recommend this book to anyone interested in making jewlery. Lots of eye candy!
Very stylish jewlery!.......2002-05-09
This book is a compilation of several books, so it has a lot of different styles and techniques: Polymer clay, painted glass, mother of pearl, leather cord etc. I myself come from a polymer clay background and this book gave me a lot of new ideas both of polymer clay jewlery and how to combine different mediums to get stunning looking jewlery.
The book includes step-by-step instructions with pictures only for the general instructions. The different projects have a picture with text instructions, but they are quite well written and easy to follow, even for beginners.
I warmly recommend this book to anyone interested in making jewlery. Lots of eye candy!
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Simple Handmade Jewellery
Manufacturer: Southern Book Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 1874937508 |
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Petroglyphs of the Heart
Connie Sullivan
Manufacturer: Morgan & Morgan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0871001926 |
Book Description
The 108 stories in Who Ordered this Truckload of Dung? offer thoughtful commentary on everything from love and commitment to fear and pain. Drawing from his own life experience, as well as traditional Buddhist folk tales, author Ajahn Brahm uses over 30 years of spiritual growth as a monk to spin delightful tales that can be enjoyed in silence or read aloud to friends and family. Featuring titles such as "The Two-Finger Smile" and "The Worm and His Lovely Pile of Dung," these wry and witty stories provide playful, pithy takes on the basic building blocks of everyday like. Suitable for children, adults, and anyone in between, this eloquent volume wraps insight and inspiration inside of a good old yarn.
Customer Reviews:
Fantastic!.......2007-06-20
This is a fantastic book, a treasure of short Buddhist tales with the deepest insights. Sometimes, when I don't have the time or the energy to read long discourses on spirituality I just grab this book, open it at random and read a couple of stories. It's and instant spiritual pick-me-up. Ajahn Brahm tells these stories with such a skill that you feel them come alive right before your eyes. I love them.
For a more serious discussion on meditation make sure you check our his other book: "Mindfulness, Bliss and Beyond". That one is a true gem of a book too.
Like fables for adults!.......2007-06-17
We're having a lot of fun reading this. Like a book of fables, it's the kind of book you'll read again and the stories might speak to other scenarios currently happening in your life.
Wonderful book!.......2007-05-15
My kids age 7 and 11 ask for this as a bedtime read. good way to impart wisdom without being preachy. The stories speak to adults as well!
Who Ordered This Truckload of Dung?.......2007-05-13
I bought this for my husband. He loved it.
I couldn't put it down........2007-05-12
I read this book from cover to cover in a matter of a few days. I couldn't seem to put it down. Ajan Brahm has a unique and humorous way of presenting the simple truths that make up Buddhism.
Book Description
Inside story of godfather of low-budget British films, Tony Tenser. Tenser's name was a byword for colorful titles, controversial themes and outrageous publicity stunts. He made movies in every genre from childrens films to cannibalism, among them, the notorious nudie Naked as Nature Intended; Roman Polanski's ground-breaking Repulsion; and Witchfinder General. This detailed overview of Tneser's work and career includes * full production details, reviews and box-office stats * rare, unpublished photographs, many from Tenser's private collection * an extensive interview with Tony Tenser * remembrances from peers and stars of his movies * an exhaustive filmography * details of unfilmed projects * exclusive interviews, original production files and private correspondence
Customer Reviews:
All the Kings Things.......2000-01-07
A great book for any Elvis fan! Has tons of memorabilia photos
Book Description
Widely regarded as the world's best poker player, Johnny Chan has been beating the highest buy-in tournaments and big money cash games everywhere for the past twenty years. Because he worked his way up to the top of the poker world by starting in the smallest games, Johnny is the perfect person to teach you how to do it. Whether you are a beginning or intermediate player, this book will help you on your way to expert status. All of the popular casino poker games are covered in a clear and easy to understand fashion.
Win just one extra pot and this book will have paid for itself!
Customer Reviews:
Play like Chan (would be nice).......2007-03-30
This is the best beginner/intermediate book that I have seen. It covers all the popular poker games of the day plus general tips on all the games and how to play at a Casino. John also discusses some of the great players he has played against. I must mention the paper is excellent (no cheap stuff here) and the illustrations (photos?) of the cards make it very easy to use. Highly recommended
Wide-ranging strategy guide by a poker pro.......2005-11-07
This a beautifully produced, pricey paperback covering the poker games that Chan plays. Of course, he doesn't just play, he wins big. By my count, he's won ten WSOP events.
The book is something of a scrapbook of poker photos, with strategies on many poker games: basically stud, omaha, both high and high low, as well as limit and no-limit Texas hold'em. He describes his thinking as a hold'em hand progresses -- very useful.
By the way, there is little math in book, so if you're looking for the clearest expression of pot odds, implied odds, look elswhere. (For a book that leads you safely through the odds jungle, see Weighing the Odds in Hold'em Poker by King Yao.)
Remember the list price is $30. The qualiy paper and color photos cost more. In fact, even the hands are shown in color photographs.
This is a worthwhile book with insights from a successful player, covering too many kinds of poker to be the ultimate in-depth guide to any one of them. Yet it scores in readability way above the serious classics by Sklansky, Malmuth and others.
It's not the best first book on poker as it's too advanced for a beginner, but it may well be the best second one.
Fantastic.......2005-09-22
Saw this book on amazon.com and figured, what the hell, I'll buy it and see what happens. Got it a week later, read the section on limit hold em first, since that's about the only game I play well, and was surprised my gameplay was very different to what was mentioned. After reading it and trying out the different techniques, I was pleasantly surprised to see my profits increasing. Well worth the price and the time to read. Have since read through the other sections and am finding myself getting some good earnings in Omaha and 5 card stud as well, although 5 card stud is a bit tricky.
I definitely believe this book is good for beginners and advanced players alike. Well written, easy to read, clear illustrations and excellent presentation overall.
An in-depth discussion of card-counting or related mathematical methodology.......2005-09-12
A solid "how-to" guide co-written by the highly-regarded poker player Johnny Chan, whose titles include 2002 WSOP Match Play NLH Champion and 2003 WSOP No Limit Hold-em Champion among many others, Play Poker Like Johnny Chan: Book One Casino Poker is a simple guide to poker basics for players who are out to win. Chapters discuss general poker concepts for the uninitiated, and the rules and favorable versus unfavorable situations for many poker variants including Limit Hold-em, Seven Card Stud, Eight Or Better Stud, Omaha High, Omaha Hi-Low, and No-Limit Hold-em. Some background information on tournaments and internet poker is included, as is general (and very sound) strategy advice for the would-be career poker player, as well as a mentions of famous and skilled individuals Chan has played with. Notably absent from Play Poker Like Johnny Chan is any in-depth discussion of card-counting or related mathematical methodology; it is primarily an introductory guide to give the reader a hands-on understanding of game mechanics as well as the importance of the professional mindset. Chan's key rules - keep playing when you are winning, stop when you are losing, stay to an environment where you feel comfortable, take a vacation from poker when you need it (never try to win the money needed for a vacation from poker when you need one, that's a certain way to burnout), and discipline yourself to move back down to smaller tables when you're losing at big tables - are vital and should be taken to heart by all prospective professional poker players. Full-color photographs illustrate this handy primer, which is printed on glossy paper.
Good Beginner's Poker Book.......2005-08-09
This book cover the basic rules and strategies of different poker games. Personally, I did not find this book very useful partially due to my participation in many tournaments and cash games weekly.
All in all this book is nice to read, great for beginners, and printed on nice material, but I would not recommend for intermediate poker players. However, if you are often beat in cash games or tournaments then this book may be useful.
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Yes, Mr Bronson: Memoirs of a Bum Actor
Michael Sheard , and
Roger Moore
Manufacturer: Summersdale Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 1840240075 |
Amazon.com
In the summer of 1914, Sir Ernest Shackleton set off aboard the Endurance bound for the South Atlantic. The goal of his expedition was to cross the Antarctic overland, but more than a year later, and still half a continent away from the intended base, the Endurance was trapped in ice and eventually was crushed. For five months Shackleton and his crew survived on drifting ice packs in one of the most savage regions of the world before they were finally able to set sail again in one of the ship's lifeboats. Alfred Lansing's Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage is a white-knuckle account of this astounding odyssey.
Through the diaries of team members and interviews with survivors, Lansing reconstructs the months of terror and hardship the Endurance crew suffered. In October of 1915, there "were no helicopters, no Weasels, no Sno-Cats, no suitable planes. Thus their plight was naked and terrifying in its simplicity. If they were to get out--they had to get themselves out." How Shackleton did indeed get them out without the loss of a single life is at the heart of Lansing's magnificent true-life adventure tale.
Book Description
The astonishing saga of polar explorer Ernest Shackleton's survival for over a year on the ice-bound Antarctic seas, as Time magazine put it, "defined heroism." Alfred Lansing's scrupulously researched and brilliantly narrated book -- with over 200,000 copies sold -- has long been acknowledged as the definitive account of the Endurance's fateful trip. To write their authoritative story, Lansing consulted with ten of the surviving members and gained access to diaries and personal accounts by eight others. The resulting book has all the immediacy of a first-hand account, expanded with maps and illustrations especially for this edition.
Customer Reviews:
Leaders aren't what they used to be.......2007-10-13
People bandy about the word "classic" without considering its significance, but this all-time bestseller will remain in print many more years. It's a true classic, ranking among the top adventure books. Nowhere will you find a more gripping account than Endurance, the survival story of polar explorer Ernest Shackleton and his crew of 27 men, in 1915. This cliff-hanger of a book stays with you. Could it be that today's leaders pale beside the likes of Shackleton?
It is the story about what makes the British so different.......2007-10-12
Shackleton is always calm. He is resourceful and undaunted. He is not always right, many times he is just absolutely wrong. But his courage is simply breathtaking.
You must know many British famous sentences as those: "I am going out and will be for some time" or "Dr Livingstone, I presume".
Shackleton probably did not utter so famous remark. But still his above-the-all-odds behaviour makes him one of the greatest British heroes. And the mankind's. Read the story you will never forget. Read and think, how you could possibly behave in those utmost terrifying circumstances.
(I am Polish so my English is poor. Please forgive me).
Mind boggeling.......2007-05-29
This is an amazing story of leadership, and man's ability to persevere under extraordinary circumstances. It is really unbelievable. I was staggered by the odds these men overcame and their determination to press on. The book is well written and easy to read.
Amazing story.........2007-05-19
This is a great book that will make you feel as though any hardship you have ever encountered is really not so bad when you think about what these men endured. Imagine being cold, wet, hungry, tired for basically 2 years while in the back of your mind you know that the chances of ever seeing the civilized world is remote at best. These men handled it well. Very good historical account written based on interviews, historical accounts, and actual diaries of the men on the journey.
Finest adventure book ever written.......2007-04-21
I am working my way through the top 100 Adventure Books of all time. This one is, so far, the best. It is the concatenation of several adventure books, since almost every type of mishap and obstacle is encountered. Shackleton must go down as a true hero, as well as his crew. The version of the book with the glossies in the middle was captivating... I spent a good bit of time staring at the remarkable pictures. The story of how those film plates survived this oddysey is, in itself, remarkable.
A good adventure would be ruined by poor writing. Lansing is superb and does credit to this story.
This story could never be made into the movie because it would be considered too "far-fetched" to be believable. Note that there is a documentary DVD that (in a nutshell) describes some of the story, as well as lets you see an interesting reunion of the Endurance crew's children. Try to get this video right after you read the book.
Product Description
This is the story of Shackleton's incredible voyage to the South Pole
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Endurance (Shackleton's Incredible Voyage)
Alfred Lansing
Manufacturer: Blackstone Audio Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: CD-ROM
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Shackleton, Ernest
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ASIN: 0786173238
Release Date: 2007-01-01 |
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Described by the Chicago Tribune as "one of the most gripping, suspenseful, intense stories anyone will ever read," Endurance is, without a doubt, a book listeners will talk about whenever man's durability is discussed.
Product Description
Note: this Tyndale edition has been edited in content for a Christian audience. Includes a section of b&w plates and a double page map. An account of how the drive and determination of Ernest Shackleton, the expedition leader, brought a group of stranded explorers out of the Antarctic without a single death, against incredible odds. Lansing's narrative is absorbing from beginning to end. Foreword and afterword by James C Dobson.
Customer Reviews:
Survival against all odds.......2006-10-20
This classic from Alfred Lansing (first published in 1959), has been reissued as a special edition with a forward and epilogue by Dr. Dobson (of Focus on the Family fame).
This true story follows Shackleton's attempt to sledge across Antarctica in 1914. That adventure ends well before it even began when the ship was beset by ice in the Weddell sea. The new adventure - survival - takes place over the next 17 months as the team experiences the most extreme conditions this planet has to offer. That anyone survived is a miracle. The fact that everyone eventually gets home alive is almost beyond belief.
The photographs and many diaries kept by the men on the voyage allowed Lansing to cover this epic adventure in amazing detail. A must read.
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Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage
Alfred Lansing
Manufacturer: Blackstone Audio Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD
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ASIN: 1433206293 |
Product Description
This is a thrilling account of one of the most astonishing feats of exploration and human courage ever recorded.
In August of 1914, the British ship Endurance set sail for the South Atlantic. In October, 1915, still half a continent away from its intended base, the ship was trapped, then crushed in the ice. For five months, Sir Ernest Shackleton and his men, drifting on ice packs, were castaways in one of the most savage regions of the world.
Lansing describes how the men survived a 1,000-mile voyage in an open boat across the stormiest ocean on the globe and an overland trek through forbidding glaciers and mountains. The book recounts a harrowing adventure, but ultimately it is the nobility of these men and their indefatigable will that shines through.
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Dear Mom, I'm Alive
Randolph P. Mains
Manufacturer: Avon Books (Mm)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0380765683 |
Product Description
Among U.S. allies in the war against terrorism, Pakistan cannot be easily characterized as either friend or foe. Nuclear-armed Pakistan is an important center of radical Islamic ideas and groups. Since 9/11, the selective cooperation of president General Pervez Musharraf in sharing intelligence with the United States and apprehending al Qaeda members has led to the assumption that Pakistan might be ready to give up its longstanding ties with radical Islam. But Pakistans status as an Islamic ideological state is closely linked with the Pakistani elites worldview and the praetorian ambitions of its military. This book analyzes the origins of the relationships between Islamist groups and Pakistans military, and explores the nations quest for identity and security. Tracing how the military has sought U.S. support by making itself useful for concerns of the moment--while continuing to strengthen the mosque-military alliance within Pakistan--Haqqani offers an alternative view of political developments since the countrys independence in 1947.
Customer Reviews:
Pakistan: Between Mosque And Military.......2006-09-23
Mr. Haqqani's views about his mother country are very dubious. The only question I have for the author as he served in some very corrupt governments as their partner...What has he done for his home land? Nothing!!! This book in waste of time.
Realistically Real.......2006-08-28
After listening to the author speak on NPR, I purchased this book.
It is an eye opener and troublesome to know what really goes on in the mosques and their connection to terrorism.
This book is both troublesome and worrisome for the reader, but I can think of no better qualified source to write from the perspective of inside of this regime and government.
Cause for concern? Read it.
Pakistan: Between Mosque and Military.......2006-07-11
This is quite simply the best book on Pakistan that has ever been written, for it finally pierces the veil of deception which the Pakistani military has succeeded in drawing over the true nature of its long-term strategy. The book documents in great depth and detail that behind its "deny, lie, smile" foreign policy, Pakistan's military has: 1) Fomented and conducted a vicious insurgency in Kashmir; 2) Supported anti-American jihadist Gulbuddin Hekmatyar and the Taliban to first conquer and now destabilize Afghanistan; 3) Nurtured and manipulated Islamist parties to help destabilize and dismiss elected majorities in the Pakistan parliament; and 4)Used these same Islamist factions as a recruiting base for terrorism directed against India and Afghanistan, creating a threat to the West as well.
Author Haqqani doesn't address the issue of how America let Pakistan get the bomb. Let's hope he is working on another book to deal with that US foreign policy fiasco!
Between Mosque and Military should be read by Secretary of State Rice, and the book's findings should lead to a change in our policy toward Pakistan.
A Well-researched Book.......2006-06-06
This is a well researched book and offers a new perspective on Pakistan's history and politics. Haqqani's main thesis is that the Islamists and the military in Pakistan have always found it beneficial to cooperate with each other. The main reason for this relationships dates back to the creation of Pakistan when the circumstances forced the early leaders of Pakistan to adopt a tripod strategy. The pillars of that strategy were Islam, hatred against India and reliance on American aid. Haqqani argues that this strategy has not changed over time. In conclusion, he asks the American policy makers to stop assisting the military in Pakistan and help Pakistan move from an ideological state run by the mullah-military alliance to a functional one run by the people of Pakistan.
The major weakness of the book lies in its conclusion. It appeals to the American policy makers to do some thing to solve Pakistan's problems. It is the same mistake that Pakistan's military dictators have always made and that the two exiled Pakistani leaders (Mr Nawaz Sharif and Ms Benazir Bhutto) are making now. Rather than appealing to the people of Pakistan to rise up to the occasion and to understand that if Pakistan becomes a democratic, liberal and progressive state they are the ones to directly benefit, Haqqani seeks the solution in the Capitol Hill and the White House.
The problem is that a majority of Pakistanis is still not fully convinced that a truly democratic Pakistan will serve their interests better than the one run by mullah-military alliance. However, it is for this very reason that scholars like Haqqani should come forward and tell the people of Pakistan what is good and what is harmful for them. The scholars should educate ordinary Pakistanis and show them what the propaganda machinery in Pakistan is not letting them see. In the same vein, it will be a good idea to publish an Urdu translation of this book and make it available at a low price in Pakistan so that more Pakistanis can read and benefit from Haqqani's research.
AN OUTSTANDING AND PENETRATING HISTORY WRITTEN BY A WELL QUALIFIED INSIDER.......2006-03-10
When I began this book, my knowledge of Pakistan was the sum total of various sound bites, short conversations with Pakistani co-workers and articles I had read. This resulted in a vague and conflicted perception. Such is no longer the case. The time spent reading Haqqani's book has acquainted me well with the personalities, issues, history and indeed the phenomenon which is Pakistan.
This outstanding work provides the kind historical analysis only available from someone who was there to live the history of which he speaks. As an advisor to three of Pakistan's prime ministers, an acquaintance or personal friend of several influential generals, and as Pakistan's ambassador to Sri Lanka, the author writes with authority from first hand knowledge. He provides a close-in view of the personalities, relationships and complicated intrigue behind many of the events which comprise the story which is the history of Pakistan.
Concerning political intrigue: I think it's fair to say that since its inception, Pakistan has taken that phenomenon to a new level. The interplay and opposition between the military (whose aim is always to control the government), the civilian government (who at times dares pursue ends unsanctioned by the former entity) and the islamist extremists (whom the former seeks to manipulate to help them control the latter) results in a pervasive and ongoing tension. The media is correct to speak of Pakistani politics as "shadow games". Indeed, much goes on in the shadows, behind the scenes where none are supposed to see. The military - and intelligence service (the ISI) exercise an amazing ability to manipulate events, perceptions and ultimately the sentiments of the masses in order to further their own agenda. While reading the book, I expected the level of shenanigans to eventually subside into a fairly smooth running government... Although on the surface, Pakistan has had such periods, the background intrigue never ceases.
The author is amazing in the level of detail he is able to provide. His long personal involvement with the players and institutions of which he speaks, as well as his learning, enable him to present a cogent and engaging account of a complicated subject which - in other hands - could easily be cumbersome and a burden to read. Instead, I found my interest never at a wane. The book reads like a good novel - except it's true. Once again my personal perspective is vindicated: why read fiction when so much of human history is "stranger yet"..!! For those who wish to understand the phenomenon which is Pakistan, I heartily recommend this book.
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Naval War College Review, published by Thomson Gale on January 1, 2007. The length of the article is 946 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: Haqqani, Husain. Pakistan: Between Mosque and Military.(Book review)
Author: Amer Latif
Publication:
Naval War College Review (Magazine/Journal)
Date: January 1, 2007
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 60
Issue: 1
Page: 144(3)
Article Type: Book review
Distributed by Thomson Gale
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Our man in Pakistan: is Musharraf really doing everything he can to help the U.S.? Not even close, says a former Pakistani diplomat.(Book Review) : An article from: Washington Monthly
Michael Hirsh
Manufacturer: Washington Monthly Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
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ASIN: B000EBE0OM
Release Date: 2006-01-25 |
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Washington Monthly, published by Washington Monthly Company on January 1, 2006. The length of the article is 1265 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: Our man in Pakistan: is Musharraf really doing everything he can to help the U.S.? Not even close, says a former Pakistani diplomat.(Book Review)
Author: Michael Hirsh
Publication:
Washington Monthly (Magazine/Journal)
Date: January 1, 2006
Publisher: Washington Monthly Company
Volume: 38
Issue: 1-2
Page: 40(2)
Article Type: Book Review
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Habitat Characteristics of Some Passerine Birds in Western North American Taiga (Natural History)
Brina Kessel
Manufacturer: University of Alaska Press
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Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0912006986 |
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Arctic, published by Arctic Institute of North America of the University of Calgary on September 1, 1999. The length of the article is 1102 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: Habitat characteristics of some passerine birds in western North American taiga.
Publication:
Arctic (Refereed)
Date: September 1, 1999
Publisher: Arctic Institute of North America of the University of Calgary
Volume: 52
Issue: 3
Page: 311-12
Article Type: Book Review
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