Haitian Vodou Flags (Folk Art and Artists Series)

Haitian Vodou Flags (Folk Art and Artists Series)
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Gorgeous and thoughtful

Haitian Vodou review

Haitian Vodou review

Haitian Vodou Flags (Folk Art and Artists Series)
Patrick Arthur Polk
Manufacturer: University Press of Mississippi
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Sacred Arts of Haitian Vodou

Where Art Is Joy: Haitian Art : The First Forty Years

Vodou Things: The Art of Pierrot Barra and Marie Cassaise (Folk Art and Artists Series)

Vodou: Visions And Voices Of Haiti

Voodoo in Haiti

ASIN: 1578060249

Customer Reviews:

Gorgeous and thoughtful.......2001-08-29

If you're interested in the art, religion, or culture of Haiti, this book is fabulous! It shows clear links between Catholic and Vodou imagery and themes, and the art is inspiring. The color photos are rich & wonderful, and consistent enough to provide a clear understanding of Haitian and Vodou artistic/spiritual traditions. In this case, a picture (or pictures in this book anyway) are worth more than 1000 words. If you're interested in Vodou and/or folk arts of the Caribbean, this book is a worthwhile purchase.

Haitian Vodou review.......2001-05-14

This book displays the wonderful art and tradition of Haitian sequined prayer flags. The layout of the book with it's full color reproductions is very well done. The text of the book beautifully describes the history and aspects of vodou religeon, in a way that speaks to all people who are touched by art and culture. I highly recomend this book especially to those interested in folk art and Haitian culture.

Haitian Vodou review.......2001-05-14

Dollars & Cents of Convenience Centers
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Dollars & Cents of Convenience Centers

Manufacturer: Urban Land Institute
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0874208432

Dollars and Cents of Convenience Centers: 1990
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Dollars and Cents of Convenience Centers: 1990
Michael D. Beyard
Manufacturer: Urban Land Inst
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0874207088

Dollars & Cents of Convenience Centers: 1990 : A Special Report
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Dollars & Cents of Convenience Centers: 1990 : A Special Report
Michael D. Beyard , Dennis W. Burr , Deloitte , Touche , and Algorists Inc.
Manufacturer: Urban Land Inst
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0874206847

Dollars and Cents of Convenience Centers, 1993
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Dollars and Cents of Convenience Centers, 1993
Michael D. Beyard , and Urban Land Institute
Manufacturer: Urban Land Institute
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0874207452

Amazon.com

Joseph McBride is mostly known for cooking up feasts for the mind--learned books on great directors (Steven Spielberg, Orson Welles, Hawks on Hawks). This book of addictive tidbits is more like a jumbo box of Jujubes. Though it boasts some privileged Hollywood insider gossip (4 Actors Whose Bodies Were Stolen; the untold story of Rock 'n' Roll High School, which McBride cowrote), it's mostly a superb tool for video shopping by someone with diverse tastes, bottomless knowledge, and a yen for fun. Check out these lists: The 10 Unlikeliest Movie Couples; The 10 Sexiest Movie Nuns; 17 Great Close-Ups; 17 Great Female-Female Buddy Movies; The 17 Most Memorable Movie Kisses; The 30 Greatest Overlooked Performances; 23 Credit-Card Movies and What They Cost; The 25 Best Unexpected Musical Numbers in Movies; John Ford's Favorite Movies; Truffaut's Favorite Movies About Kids; Steven Spielberg's Gradeschool Teacher's Favorite Teacher Movies; Movies That Most Embarrass Their Stars and Directors; The 32 Best Screenwriters and Their Three Best Films; 35 Brilliant and 10 Most Ridiculous Literary Adaptations; 48 Movies About Happy Marriages; Best and Worst Performances by Film Directors; Best and Worst Mental-Hospital Movies.

All this, plus short essays about the hidden forces controlling the Oscars, unsung collaborators of famous directors, the best story pitch and the worst director in Hollywood history, and very personal lists by the likes of Leonard Maltin and Jonathan Rosenbaum. This book will put the pizzazz back in your love of film. --Tim Appelo

Customer Reviews:

Decent fun for movie lovers.......2001-04-25

I found McBride's book to be a good time-killer for a movie buff (maybe to read while waiting in the doctor's office, or in-flight), yet definitely not a "must-read." My criticisms stem from what seemed to me as the author's constant tub-thumping of his own accomplishments throughout the book (that he knew Orson Welles, that he wrote a controversial review about "Patriot Games," that he was a screenwriter, etc.) and his repeated mention of different facts concerning the making and premiere of "Won Ton Ton, the Dog That Saved Hollywood," a film not even well-known enough to be considered a cult movie. That said, I found his opinions to be quite controversial and in some cases refreshing (after what we were subjected to in the '90's, I somewhat identify with his frustration concerning "Star Wars"). The cynicism with which he attacks some popular films may serve to distance him from the reader. But if you're an open-minded film lover looking for a pleasant diversion and can't locate anything by Danny Peary, I suggest you give it a try.

Great book. Really enjoyed it........1999-10-26

This book was a joy to read. Loved it, and read it in one sitting. Anyone who loves movies and wants something different would love this book/. The lists were definitely offbeat, but that's what I liked about them. It was something different and very informative.

GREAT BOOK! INTERESTING READ FOR MOVIE BUFFS!.......1999-10-26

I thought this book was very original. It provided movie lists that were unique and offered something different from every other book on movies that I have read. It was a fun read.

response to reader.......1999-07-18

This is a response to "Reader from North Carolina July 7, 1999." Yes, the book is a compilation of Mr. McBride's opinions. Yes, it contains lists of movies. That is why it is called "The Book of Movie Lists: An Offbeat Provocative Collection of the Best and Worst of Everything in Movies." Since Joseph McBride is a well-respected film critic and biographer, I was anxious to learn which movies particularly delighted him and which did not. The book did not disappoint me. In fact, I found it delightful. It is filled with fresh insights and anecdotes about movies and it was the catalyst for many discussions among my friends.

Horrible!.......1999-07-08

I thought this book would be unique lists about movies based on facts. However, it's just a compiliation of Mr.McBride's offbeat opinions. He is entitled to his strange thoughts...I just wish I hadn't paid to read them!

Book Description

Renowned commentator chronicles life and career of the most controversial, fascinating, influential operatic personality of our time. Extraordinary story of the legendary diva's struggles and triumphs — available for 1st time in paperback. Features 64 photos of Callas in personal life, famous roles. New introduction and epilogue by George Jellinek.

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Callas Portrait of a Prima Donna
George Jellinek
Manufacturer: ZIFF DAVIS PRESS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000SGHY14

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Callas; Portrait of a Prima Donna
George Jellinek
Manufacturer: Ziff-Davis Publishing Company, New York
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000VZB3AA

Mensa Guide to Chess: 30 Days to Great Chess (Mensa)
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Chess Mensa

A primer for intellectuals

Mensa Guide to Chess: 30 Days to Great Chess (Mensa)
Burt Hochberg
Manufacturer: Sterling
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Pandolfini's Endgame Course: Basic Endgame Concepts Explained by America's Leading Chess Teacher (Fireside Chess Library)

ASIN: 0806912413

Book Description

You don't have to be a genius to enjoy chess. The practical instruction provided here can help anyone progress from first timer or novice to capable intermediate in 30 days, while instilling an understanding of the game's fundamentals, and providing a strong foundation for future advancement. The game's history, the basic moves for each piece, and strategies for openings, middle game and endgame positions are all covered, and you can measure your progress with the exercises that follow each section. Checkmating tips for the Queen and minor pieces are included, as is advice for salvaging a draw when you have a weakened position. Unlike many other chess books, the lessons included here are designed for "real-world" play, using positions that are most likely to occur for newer players. Also featured is a Foreword by renowned chessmaster, teacher, and columnist Bruce Pandolfini, who was the instructor played by Ben Kingsley in the film, Searching for Bobby Fisher.

Customer Reviews:

Chess Mensa.......2006-11-10

This book is about par for beginning chess books. It teaches the basics of the game as well as tactics and elementary strategy. A good addition to a chess library, but not a "must read" book.

A primer for intellectuals.......2004-01-02

This is an efficient way to learn quite a bit about chess. It will NOT make you a strong player (you need to do tons of tactics problems for that) but it will give you a thorough understanding of what chess is about.

What's great about the book is that it is replete with WORDS! Imagine that: A chess book with words in it. What a novel concept.

There are words to describe everything. But it is not a dry, pictureless read. There are also diagrams with arrows, diagrams with X's, partial-board diagrams, sets of successive-move diagrams, and standard single-position diagrams from named historical games.

Don't worry. It's not a kid's book with nothing but diagrams and arrows. The moves are given in standard algebraic notation, and some have normal annotations.

Basically, if you consider yourself an intelligent adult, but you would like to understand this game better, buy this book. To find something more accessible to a non-chess player, you'd have to look to Edward Lasker and his old descriptive-notation books.

But please note: This is NOT for serious players. It teaches you the intellectual side of chess. It gives you the full vocabulary to sound as if you know what you are talking about -- not just the rules (which are explained extremely well with the arrows etc.) but also the tactical motifs, the openings, and the strategic concepts. However, it does not develop your talent. It is like a book on tennis: To get better, you need more than an intellectual understanding; you have to play the game, or at least practice exercises.

Competing by Design: The Power of Organizational Architecture
Average customer rating:

Excellent overview

Too Academic

Good Start

Organizational design made feasible

"The Lessons of Design."

Competing by Design: The Power of Organizational Architecture
David Nadler , Michael Tushman , and Mark B. Nadler
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Designing Dynamic Organizations: A Hands-On Guide for Leaders at All Levels

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ASIN: 0195099176

Amazon.com

The search for competitive advantage, write management consultants and educators David Nadler and Michael Tushman, is "the defining goal of modern-day business." Competing by Design: The Power of Organizational Architecture, is their guide to reaching that goal through total integration of corporate structure, workplace culture, and employee motivation. Bringing all such processes together into one unified organization, they contend, is as important to a company's future as the architectural unity of the building that houses it.

Book Description

If the defining goal of modern-day business can be isolated to just one item, it would be the search for competitive advantage. And, as everyone in business knows, it's a lot harder than it used to be. On the one hand, competition is more intense than ever--technological innovation, consumer expectations, government deregulation, all combine to create more opportunities for new competitors to change the basic rules of the game. On the other hand, most of the old reliable sources of competitive advantage are drying up: the hallowed strategies employed by GM, IBM, and ATandT to maintain their seemingly unassailable positions of dominance in the 1960s and 70s are as obsolete as the calvary charge. So in this volatile, unstable environment, where can competitive advantage be found? As David Nadler and Michael Tushman show, the last remaining source of truly sustainable competitive advantage lies in "organizational capabilities": the unique ways each organization structures its work and motivates its people to achieve clearly articulated strategic objectives. For too long, too many managers have thought about "organization" merely in terms of rearranging the boxes and lines on an organizational chart--but as Competing by Design clearly illustrates, organizational strength is found far beyond one-dimensional diagrams. Managers must, argue Nadler and Tushman, understand the concepts and learn the skills involved in designing their organization to exploit their inherent strengths. All the reengineering, restructuring, and downsizing in the world will merely destabilize a company if the change doesn't address the fundamental patterns of performance--and if the change doesn't recognize the unique core competencies of that company. In this landmark volume, the authors draw upon specific cases to illustrate the design process in practice as they provide a set of powerful, yet simple tools, for using strategic organization design to gain competitive advantage. They present a design process, explore key decisions managers face, and list the guiding principles for incorporating the design function as a continuing and integral process in organizations that are looking to the future. In 1918, Henry Ford's Dearborn assembly plant was the model of the new assembly-line technology. Today, the assembly plant is an aging relic, but, incredibly, the organizational architecture it spawned lives on in steep hierarchies, centralized bureaucracies, and narrowly defined jobs. As companies are coming to realize they can't compete successfully in the 21st century with organizations based on 19th century ideas, Competing by Design shows clearly and persuasively why--and, most importantly how--to harness the power of organizational architecture to unleash the competitive strengths embedded in each organization.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent overview.......2003-08-12

This is a good book for both practitioners and academics. Full coverage of many topics.

Too Academic.......2003-07-14

This book is fine if you are interested in a purely academic approach. This offers nothing for practitioners.

Good Start.......2001-07-17

This is a very good start for Org Design consultants. The book correct addresses the key principles in designing an organization (Chap. 3) and explores the key issues that affect the key crucial design issues (Chap. 4). Don't wait for a "how to" book, this is much more a "what" one.

Organizational design made feasible.......2001-06-20

Competing by design is a great source for for anybody who thinks about organizational design. After having read it, you will never consider "cocktail-napkin" designs again, and you will recognize when you see a design created that way. The book doesn't only explain the basic elements of design, but also the do's and dont's of a design project. The structure of the book is very well-conceived, and the level of detail is just right: Focus on the important steps, best practices and lessons, with enough backup examples, and without boring repetitions or lenghthy explanations. I'm not sure you will sleep better after having read the book, as the size of the design project becomes clear, but you will certainly have the tools to make the process a successful one.

"The Lessons of Design.".......2000-05-04

"Today, more and more companies are coming to realize that they can't hope to compete successfully in the twenty-first century with organizations based on nineteenth-century design. Radically different organizational architectures are emerging in much the same fashion as new schools of physical architecture...In order to perform effectively, the new architectures require new collateral technologies. In particular, they demand new leadership skills, new methods for selecting and developing key people, new human resources approaches to assessment and reward, and new techniques for enhancing the organization's capacity for collective learning...In this book, we consider a number of leading companies in the United States and around the world that are developing their own versions of the new architecture.(pp.7-10)."

Throughout this study, David A. Nadler and Michael L. Tushman present a comprehensive, balanced approach to design that recognizes the technical requirements, human dynamics, and strategic demands of successful design in any organization or business unit.

Nadler and Tushman summarize the ten basic themes that capture the essence of this book :

1. Organizational capabilities represent the last truly sustainable source of competitive advantage.

2. Organizational architecture provides a conceptual framework for employing strategic design to develop organizational capabilities.

3. At every level of the organization, design constitutes one of the most powerful tools for shaping performance.

4. Regardless of its scope or scale, there are certain fundamental concepts that apply to design at every level.

5. There is a logical sequence of actions and decisions that applies to the design process at any level of the organization.

6. There are no perfect design; the design process requires the weighing of choices and the balancing of trade-offs.

7.The best designs draw upon the knowledge, experience, and expertise of people throughout the organization.

8. Even the best designs can be derailed by ill-planned, poorly executed implementation.

9. As continual redesign becomes a fact of life, successful organizations will learn to create flexible architectures that can accommodate constant change.

10. Flexible architectures and designs that leverage competitive strengths will themselves become the ultimate competitive weapons.

I highly recommend.

Competing by Design: The Power of Organizational Architecture
Average customer rating:
Competing by Design: The Power of Organizational Architecture
David; Tushman, Michael; Nadler, Mark B. Nadler
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OKOSEK

Book Description

Originally written while the author was a prisoner of the US Army in 1945-46, Black Edelweiss is a boon to serious historians and WWII buffs alike. In a day in which most memoirs are written at half a century's distance, the former will be gratified by the author's precise recall facilitated by the chronologically short-range (a matter of one to seven years) at which the events were captured in writing. Both will appreciate and enjoy the abundantly detailed, exceptionally accurate combat episodes.

Even more than the strictly military narrative, however, the author has crafted a searingly candid view into his own mind and soul. As such, Black Edelweiss is much more than a "ripping yarn" or a low-level military history. Black Edelweiss joins not only the growing body of German military memoirs, but the more select, more narrowly-focused group of personal memoirs by other Waffen-SS enlisted men. Beyond the microcosmic view of combat these books relate—to the extent that they are honest and candid—such books are important for what they can reveal about their authors' motivations and reflections on those impulses and their consequences. To date, these works differ significantly.

As it joins the ranks of the books in this genre, Black Edelweiss makes a unique and very important contribution. It is a true, personal account of the author's war years, first at school and then with the Waffen-SS, which he joined early in 1943 at the age of seventeen. For a year and a half, the author fought as a machine gunner in SS-Mountain Infantry Regiment 11 "Reinhard Heydrich," mainly in the arctic and sub-arctic reaches of Soviet Karelia and Finland, and later at the Western frontier of the Third Reich. The characters in the story are real, and the conversations and actions are recounted to the best of his ability from the short distance at which he wrote the manuscript in 1945-46.

Apart from the piercing insights into the question of why the German soldier fought as he did, what makes this book truly unique is the author's anguished, yet resolute examination of the dialectic between the honorable and valorous comportment of his comrades and the fundamentally reprehensible conduct of about 35,000 men behind the front lines who nevertheless wore the same uniform.

During his captivity, the author was assigned for a time as a clerk to a US Army Judge Advocate General's Corps officer, and in the performance of his administrative duties, the author had access to the mounting reams of documentation of the Holocaust. His growing recognition of the involvement of Waffen-SS personnel in the monstrous crimes of that process caused him to dig deeply into his soul, to examine his most intimate and private motivations and thoughts, and to reevaluate the most basic assumptions of his life to that point. The author captured this process and the result in the notes which became this book.

Honestly, forthrightly, and courageously told, Black Edelweiss is a precious gift to historians and other students of World War II. It not only provides a glimpse into the attributes that made the German armed forces a formidable and tenacious foe, but squarely confronts the most painful issue facing German World War II veterans in general, and Waffen-SS veterans in particular.

Supported by 22 photos, 8 maps, and notes.

Customer Reviews:

Another great personal account from the German Army.......2007-10-13

Great read for a student of military history or one who is interested in how it is in combat. Unfortunately, guys like this dont live in Europa anymore they have passed on :-( Every European should read this one.

Good book, but must be read with a bit of skepticism........2007-10-04

I purchased this book to help me understand the otherside of WWII. I was curious to see how the war was witnessed through the eyes of the defeated.
Voss does a good job with his descriptions of life in the SS. I believe that he goes a bit far though with trying to persuad the reader that the SS was not the criminal gang portrayed at the Nuernberg trials. Every Officer was excellent and every soldier was honorable. Anyone with military experience knows that no unit has perfect sodiers and officers. I can understand and respect that he wants to protect the honor of his fallen friends. He also tries to portray the unit as humanitarian when they hand out what few rations they have to American POWs since they fought so bravely against his unit. Or when they bury church bells in Finland to "protect" them from the advancing Russian Army. Again these stories seem to embelish upon his recollections of the war.
I find a common thread within the book, that is a patriotic, selfless, honorable individual who did what he felt was right given the information provided to him from his government. Voss does note that he sees a box car filled with people but states he was ignorant as to where they were going. He never takes this any further. This could be attributed to his youth, military training not to ask questions, or ignorance is bliss. If on the otherhand Voss is telling the truth and he was a simple soldier doing what he felt was right then it makes it difficult to think of the whole German Army as a simple killing machine. He was just a person who wanted to do what was right and may or may not have been ignorant of the atrocitties his government was commiting. But as the story goes on you find Voss not fighting for Hitler but instead for his own survival and his comrades around him. Maybe it is a good thing to put a human face on the Axis soldier.
I would highly recommend this book along with the Forgotten Soldier, In Deadly Combat, and Seven Days in January.

Duped!.......2007-09-30

The name of this book should have been `Duped! They Fooled Me!' The author enlists in the Waffen SS to save Germany and Europe from Bolshevism, and to be a good citizen by fulfilling his duty to his country. His unit has uniformly good officers who are competent and morally admirable. However, the author witnesses some disturbing incidents, including a train of sealed boxcars full of people going to a concentration camp, slave laborers begging for food and being brutally rebuffed, and an uncle forced to divorce his wife because she was a Jew. These incidents are rationalized away by the belief that all will be straightened out after the war is won.

All of the good officers and most of his friends and comrades are killed in action. Upon capture by the Americans, Voss learns that the SS has exterminated millions of people in death factories. (He calculates that in one camp alone, 3000 people a day were murdered.) But his SS unit never exterminated anyone (or so he claims). They fought a `clean' war under exemplary officers. It dawns on the author that something might be wrong. His loyalty to the men he fought with, and to those who died dominates his thinking. He has a lot of trouble coming to terms with the reality of Nazism.

The book reads well, but the first 50 pages tend to drag as the author describes his family life. Later in the book, his high school sweetheart Christina is killed in a bombing raid. His family's house is destroyed. Germany has attacked the whole world and is in shambles. Again there is little discussion about these tragedies. In his mind he is still fighting Bolshevism.

He risked his life in combat to keep the concentration camps open for business, to allow SS troopers (in other units) to burn down villages and execute people, and give nazi bigwigs time to grab their loot and head for Argentina. But he clings to the idea that his SS unit consisted of good men fighting Bolshevism, and can't get himself to see beyond that. He was manipulated and used as a tool by a cult group of homicidal maniacs. He sees only that good men were killed. I'm not sure he recognizes the bigger picture.

Nothing else touches it, for what it is........2007-07-08

Wow. Great book. Nothing combines insight and combat like Black Edelweiss. This guy was a fighter and a thinker. See how a waffen-ss soldat comes to introspective conclusions about his part in Hitler's war and his comrades' part as well. Also shows the varied mind-set and attitudes torward the war from German civilians close to Voss before info about how bad things really were was widely available. Written close to the time it happened so it has a very 1940s feel to it. And as an extra bonus, if you want more statistical type data to go with it, you can read "seven days in january" along with it which isn't near as introspective but goes into what actually happened on the battlefield, espcially during 1945. You may not like it, but Voss will tell you what he was really thinking as close as any man could get, and it gives you a glimpse of what many "realistic" Germans must have been going thru when they had to come to terms with what Germany had done.

Invaluable Insights Into the Mind of a Waffen-SS Soldier.......2007-05-18

"Black Edelweiss" is a thought-provoking memoir by a machinegunner in a Waffen-SS mountain/Alpine division. (The "black" in the title refers to the black uniforms of the SS. "Edelweiss" refers to a mountain/Alpine flower used as a symbol by German and Austrian mountain troops.)

The book follows the author from his experiences as a 13-year old boy in Nazi Germany, to the time he volunteered for the Waffen-SS at the age of 17 in 1943, to his training as an SS soldier, to his combat experiences in World War II, to his capture by the Americans as a prisoner of war in 1945, to his discovery of the atrocities of other SS in concentration camps, and to his release in December 1946.

Several things set this memoir apart as an outstanding addition to the history of World War II in Europe.

One of the things that sets this memoir apart is that it is an engaging first-hand account of how German soldiers interacted, not only with each other as Kameraden, but also their officers, their enemies on the battlefield, and civilians.

Another is that this memoir was written in 1945-46, only a few months after the war, so the author was able to recount things from a fresher, and clearer, perspective.

A third is the setting of these memoirs, which take place primarily in Soviet Karelia and Finland. The book provides a fascinating, and rare, look into battlefield conditions-operations in arctic temperatures.

(Near the conclusion of the war, after the Finns entered into a pact with the Soviets and the Germans were forced to evacuate Finland or face fighting both the Finns - a formidible adversary on its home turf, just ask the Russians - and the Russians, the setting switches to the Third Reich's Western borders.)

Finally, the book provides a fascinating insight into the mind of a Waffen-SS soldier who tries to come to grips with the knowledge that because other members of the SS had committed atrocities, every member of the SS, even if, like him, they were not even aware of any atrocities, was branded a war criminal by the Allies and the SS itself condemned as a criminal organization.

The underlying, and recurrent, theme of the book is that not all members of the Waffen-SS were evil men, even if in the end they were advancing the cause of evil men. (The author claims he and many others joined the Waffen-SS out of patriotic reasons, to stem the tide of Bolshevism and save not just his country but all of Europe from the Bolshevik menace. This was a common reason many non-Germans volunteered for the Waffen-SS. But in the author's own country, Germany, Bolshevism was often a code word for anti-Semitism and the Nazis taught that the Bolsheviks were sub-humans, "Untermensch". The author never explains why he failed to pick up on these subtleties in Nazi propaganda, perhaps his youth explains his naivete.)

In any event, the book is really a tribute by the author to those fallen members of the Waffen-SS who had nothing to do with any war crimes but who became reviled after the war only because of the atrocities and misdeeds of others and is an attempt to restore the honor of his fallen comrades.

Book Description

Reviews of the previous edition: Excellently informative...lucid and convincing. This is a well-constructed and thoroughly useful book. --THE INDEPENDENT (UK) The origins of each individual war are carefully analysed, and its course equally carefully chronicled.--TIMES EDUCATIONAL SUPPLEMENT (UK)

Customer Reviews:

Flawed, Dull, Superficial, Indispensable.......2000-03-24

Although flawed, WC is informative, almost comprehensive, and quite handy--it's a 682pp paperback you can read at the pool, but don't expect to make friends; the cover looks downright anti-social. His analyses are rather slanted in the expected, standard Anglo-English mode, i.e., he spends 20pp. on Northern Ireland (cf., only 8pp on all of Korea, and 13pp on China). And although he does bash America where it needs obvious bashing (eg., United Fruit, the CIA, etc.) his unabashedly liberal stance forces his hand into rather superficial, yet standard, conclusions concerning the nature of nation building, modernization, and repressive and totalitarian regimes. While endorsing the democracy/free-market system is hardly a bad thing, it does seem small minded to think of it as a panacea. There are functional reasons for countries to 'choose' other systems, especially when confronted with internal chaos and external threats (eg., Islamic Fundamentalism, extreme nationalism, Communism, Fascism, centralized economic systems, and totalitarianism may not be stupid mistakes made by crazy and evil men, but unpleasant yet necessary means to an end). But all books have their bias, and PB's is probably the most palatable to the most people. Also, this book is basically a micro-encyclopedia. It is not a profound treatise on the clash of peoples with historical necessity, whatever that may be. In fact, it's not profound at all, but it is informative. The prose is text-bookish, and he has a thing for using the same 1-2 cliches throughout the book (one of which is, 'to the tune of', as in,'to the tune of 2 billion dollars'.) But this is beyond nit-picking. A more important flaw is the sporadic lack of explanation. Granted, he can't write everything, but it gets increasingly frustrating to read a series of 'whats' without any 'whys'. Eg., PB writes, correctly, that Thailand backed the Khmer Rouge and that Israel backed Somoza, but no reasons are given. This turns what should be interesting history into a confused and very boring shopping list of disjointed facts, free from both causation and meaning.

Admittedly, this is somewhat unfair. The book is over 600pp as it is, and one can't accuse PB for being prolix. If he included penetrating insights at every needed point, the book would be in volumes.

As the reviewer from Mexico discovered, the book is not perfect. If you know a lot about a particular area, PB's thumbnail sketch may upset you. But again, this is unfair. The world is a big place, if PB were to make all distinctions and treat all conflicts to, let's say, 25pp, then the book would be roughly 1500pp long. Also, one of the beauties of the book is its inclusion of conflicts (and even countries) which most people don't know about or remember. WC provides the starting point for deeper analysis. (You can't look it up on the web or in the library if you don't know that it exists.) In sum: it's a great learning tool. It may not be as good as I had hoped, but it's well used, I have no regrets. At best and worst, WC will show even the most informed how little they know about many contemporary conflicts. Even if one doesn't learn much from WC--all this fact stuff doesn't 'stick' well--exposure to one's ignorance is very enlightening. And if the book creates more questions than it answers, all the better. Until something better comes along, WC is indispensible, and there is little point in waiting for that to happen.

Looks more like a tourist guide........1999-07-23

Brogan's title is a very ambitious one for a book in which he fails to separate the Colombian case (decades of violent guerrilla and terrorism) from the drug wars,who fails to note that there are five and not four Central Asia former USSR replublics, who includes Mexico (situated in North America, a geographic area regardless of economic and cultural differences) in a broad and superfluous Central America chapter. The book can not be rated above a conventional tourist guide where you get a brief summary of the conutry's history and current situation. Waste of paper.

Excellent Companion to Little Known world wars.......1999-06-10

This is a truly excellent book. I picked it up in England, started reading it on the plane back to the States, and couldn't put it down. The author manages to describe almost every important armed conflict since the end of World War II in breathtaking clarity. Through this book I found about wars that I never knew existed. As a bonus, the author also throws in a chapter about all of the different terrorist groups-fascinating reading.

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The truth hurts!.......2002-08-06

...My father is a retired nuclear engineer who spent a majority of his career working as a project manager for three of the "area" contractors. My mother was a staunch pro-nuclear advocate who directed a grassroots organization called W.A.V.E.- Washington Voices for Energy. Now they're both voicing concerns over the information that has recently come to light regarding past practices at Hanford. Their concerns are based on solid knowledge and the cause & effect results of nuclear industry practices. Many of these concerns, especially the plight of the downwinders, are addressed in this book. Atomic Harvest is well written, and gives a personal voice to the peole afflicted by the heinous acts perpetrated by the nuclear industry. Some of these people are personal friends of my family. In an age where government conspiracy theories are rampant it's easy to say this book is just another example of history blown out of proportion. It's not, and the truth hurts! I'd like to see D'Antonio write more books. It would be interesting to read his take on the current waste management fiasco in the Tri Cities. I'd also like to read more about the Yucca Mountain situation.

Well-written but clearly influenced by paranoia.......2000-04-15

D'Antonio is clearly an excellent writer but he relies too much on a prevalent sinister attitude as portrayed to him by a few "legends in their own minds" at the Hanford Reservation. The "whistleblowers" he interviews are clearly so caught up in their own personna that we have to be reminded that these "experts" have no college degrees and are going up against PHD's. Yes it is clear that there were mistakes made in the past before adequate safety measures were observed, but D'Antonio seizes on exploiting what he perceives as secrecy as evil and sinister.

Storyteller Exaggerates and creates heroes out of nut cases.......2000-04-15

I live in the Hanford area of Washington State. I did not appreciate Michael D'Antonio's portrayal of the surrounding communities as uneducated and ignorant. We have some of the finest schools in the area and some of the most stringent regulations to control and regulate wastes. The author tries to paint a pictures of whistleblowers as prophets when generally they are just loud mouthes who crave attention and want their day on the spotlight.

Atomic Harvest: Hanford and the Lethal Toll of America's Nuclear Arsenal. (book reviews): An article from: Issues in Science and Technology

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Atomic Harvest: Hanford and the Lethal Toll of America's Nuclear Arsenal. (book reviews): An article from: Issues in Science and Technology
Steven M. Blush
Manufacturer: National Academy of Sciences
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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This digital document is an article from Issues in Science and Technology, published by National Academy of Sciences on March 22, 1994. The length of the article is 1324 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: Atomic Harvest: Hanford and the Lethal Toll of America's Nuclear Arsenal. (book reviews)
Author: Steven M. Blush
Publication: Issues in Science and Technology (Refereed)
Date: March 22, 1994
Publisher: National Academy of Sciences
Volume: v10 Issue: n3 Page: p90(2)

Article Type: Book Review

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Crows and Jays: A Guide to the Crows, Jays and Magpies of the World
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Crows and Jays: A Guide to the Crows, Jays and Magpies of the World
Steve Madge , and Hilary Burn
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 039567171X

Crows of the World - An Authoritative Guide to all 116 Species of the Crow Family, Including Jays, Magpies, Rooks, and the Raven
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Crows of the World - An Authoritative Guide to all 116 Species of the Crow Family, Including Jays, Magpies, Rooks, and the Raven
Robert Gillmor Derek Goodwin
Manufacturer: Unwin Brothers Great Britain
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000ODPV1Q

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