Book Description
Rich selection of 47 great drawings by modern Austro-German master; mainly portraits, but also nudes, a self-portrait and other works in pencil, crayon, charcoal and ink. Notable for originality, power and acute psychological penetration. Introduction. Captions.
Book Description
Just as a familiar old song can bring into focus an event from the past, so for Gingy Beckerman, the clothes in her closet are like a magic key opening a door to the past. From her Brownie uniform to her Diane von Furstenburg wrap dress and her Rita Hayworth-style strapless from the Neiman Marcus outlet store, each outfit in LOVE, LOSS, AND WHAT I WORE tells its own story. All together, they tell the story of a life. "A memoir every reader will wish to copy in her own size."--Glamour. Now in its 4th printing. Over 103,000 copies in print.
Customer Reviews:
There might be a generational gap here but the book explains it very well.......2007-08-14
Delightfully wacky little book deliciously decorated. Even though I'm a male I loved the book and its many drawing/paintings of clothing and other things. It is interesting to know how the book came about and how its author was writing about her life for her children and using her creative ability to show them how her life was growing up.
I learned of the book when reading Jane Smiley's book: "13 Ways of Looking at the Novel" and thought her comments interesting enough to buy the book and read it. And I enjoyed it very much. I recommend "Love, Loss and what I Wore" to everyone regardless of gender.
more than meets the eye.......2007-07-28
This is a remarkable book!
It is so modest and charming that it takes a while before it sinks in that it is also PROFOUND!! Clothes are no obsession of mine, yet for whatever reason we women do remember what we wore at life's pivotal moments. Who knows why? Anyway I've given this to many friends -- the perfect gift for when you don't quite know how to say what you mean--especially at times of love and loss--those creeping up birthdays, job losses, divorces, breakups and so on and so on and so on. It works for the light moments and the heavy ones, too. The artwork is absolutely lovely! A little jewel!
Buy it for yourself, with an extra one for a friend. You'll find it will quickly come in handy.
Charming, poignant memoir.......2006-11-10
I had picked this book up and put it back down several times when I saw it at the book store. I am glad I finally bought it! It is an interesting idea, and one that I am sure many of us can identify with: a memoir built on memories of certain beloved items of clothing. Ilene Beckerman had an interesting childhood and has had a varied life as an adult. Obviously, her talents lie more in writing than in drawing--the sketches of the clothing are rather simple,but she does manage to convey what she felt like wearing each outfit. It doesn't take very long to read, and if read in one sitting you get quite a sense of her life. Sometimes funny, sometimes quite bittersweet, but always entertaining.
It's how we remember.......2006-03-22
I, like most of my women friends I've talked to, including my mother and my sisters, shape memories and moments based on the clothes we were wearing at the time.
I bought this book in 1995 when it was first published and have referred to it several times over the years for inspiration and support. I found it in the "Self-Help" section of the bookstore.
This little book does as good a job as anything I've read, at getting in a woman's head. Clothes are how we remember. Wearing our favorite clothes or shoes or carrying our favorite handbag gives us confidence and helps us cope.
For a while, I kept a diary of drawings of outfits whenever I'd want to remember an important event. Ask me what I was wearing when I held my niece for the first time (navy blue A-line Liz Claiborne dress) or when I went to my first job interview out of college (a polka-dot suit I called The Stewardess) or the night I was first kissed by the love of my life (a shirt that said "Keep On Truckin" in glitter... heh).
A good friend's mother passed away a few months ago, and I bought a copy for her, since Ms. Beckerman mentions the death of her own mother. She also mentions marriages, divorces, babies, and career successes, and most importantly, what she wore.
It makes a great gift for any woman. Or for yourself.
LOVE THIS BOOK!.......2005-08-28
If I could, I would give this book more than 5 stars. What a clever idea to recall onel's life by remembering the outfits worn. Loved the delightful illustrations. Beckerman is a unqiue and talented writer/illustrator. Thanks for the memories!
Customer Reviews:
Excellent as always.......2007-06-27
This fifth book in a long series (currently 23 I think)of Baby Blues is enjoyable, touching and funny.
Hilarious for parents and those who interact with kids.......1998-11-14
Jerry Scott and Rick Kirkman show the trials and tribulations of parenthood with lots of humor. Their books are great. Whenever I feel down on my parenting, I pick up one of their books for a good laugh and can see the humor in my own life again. I thank them for making me laugh!
Book Description
This is a series of sixteen short articles about my father and his life experiences. Sometimes an adventure and almost always humorous, these are his true experiences, or my own recollections of his later life. He was Claude Raymond Crowley (1908-1992), C.R. to his friends, and Claude only to his brothers and my mother. As a teenager, he met the infamous Texas outlaws: Clyde Barrow, Bonnie Parker, and Ray Hamilton. His remarks are intriguing tales for all who have an interest in rural family life in the first decades of the twentieth century. We never tired of his words on a cold winter's night that were only broken by the noisy flame of a kerosene space heater and the light of an oil lamp. As we children grew into adults, the details were enlarged to bring into prominence the more mature issues involved. He was a serious person who saw humor in all his surroundings.
Book Description
The Matrix Trilogy: Cyberpunk Reloaded is a collection of critical essays on the massive phenomenon that is the three Matrix films, including the subsequent Web sites, computer games and The Animatrix films. Among the topics considered are the new cyberpunk, Baudrillarian simulacra, the politics of gender and race, the femme fatale, costume, cyberculture and the body, virtual realities and special effects. Discussing both the influences on the trilogy and the impact they have had since their release, the contributors to this collection provide critically innovative readings of the franchise. The Matrix Trilogy: Cyberpunk Reloaded is a long-awaited exploration of a modern film phenomenon and is the first academic publication to consider the films as a cultural event.
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Music of the Colonial and Revolutionary Era (American History through Music)
John Ogasapian
Manufacturer: Greenwood Press
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Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0313324352 |
Book Description
The colonial days of America marked not only the beginnings of a country, but also of a new culture, part of which was the first American music publishers, entrepreneurs, and instrument makers forging musical communities from New England to New Spain. Elements of British, Spanish, German, Scots-Irish, and Native American music all contributed to the many cultures and subcultures of the early nation. While English settlers largely sought to impose their own culture in the new land, the adaptation of native music by Spanish settlers provided an important cultural intersection. The music of the Scots-Irish in the middle colonies planted the seeds of a folk ballad tradition. In New England, the Puritans developed a surprisingly rich--and recreational--musical culture. At the same time, the Regular Singing Movement attempted to reduce the role of the clergy in religious services. More of a cultural examination than a music theory book, this work provides vastly informative narrative chapters on early American music and its role in colonial and Revolutionary culture. Chapter bibliographies, a timeline, and a subject index offer additional resources for readers. The American History through Music series examines the many different types of music prevalent throughout U.S. history, as well as the roles these music types have played in American culture. John Ogasapian's volume on the Colonial and Revolutionary period applies this cultural focus to the music of America's infancy and illuminates the surprisingly complex relationships in music of that time.
Customer Reviews:
its fun.......2006-01-11
its hard and looks like a toliet on the cover but its fun so if you like sudoku or you've never played its fun it tells you how to play and everything
Amazon.com
In 24 Essential Lessons for Investment Success, the founder of Investor's Business Daily and author of How to Make Money in Stocks, William O'Neil, distills his 40 years of experience, study, and analysis of the market into a series of lessons about how to buy and sell stocks. O'Neil is neither a pure fundamentalist nor a technician--instead, he advocates blending both approaches, applying fundamental analysis to identifying the best companies and technical analysis to understanding the price actions of those stocks. The lessons cover everything from protecting your investment account (always cut your losses at 8 percent of the purchase price) and basic chart reading (identifying market tops and bottoms) to understanding relative price strength and tips on building a concentrated portfolio. While not absolutely necessary, it helps to have a copy of Investor's Business Daily handy: these lessons were drawn from a series that O'Neil wrote, which frequently mention features unique to that newspaper. 24 Essential Lessons for Investment Success is a easy-to-read, commonsense guide to stock picking that both novices and seasoned investors should find extremely useful. --Harry C. Edwards
Book Description
The Wall Street Journal, New York Times, BusinessWeek, and USA Today Business Bestseller!
From the publisher of Investor's Business Daily and best-selling author of How to Make Money in Stocks, comes the National Bestseller, 24 Essential Lessons for Investment Success, two dozen of the most important lessons for investors. In this one accessible guide, William J. O'Neil puts his popular and easy-to-follow techniques for building a profitable portfolio firmaly in the hands of investorsand the goal of long-term financial security easily within their reach.
24 Essential Lessons for Investment Success is based upon the closely followed "26 Weeks to Investment Success" editorials that appear in Investor's Business Daily. Edited and updated, O'Neil's timeless advice encapsulates such investing nuggets as buy high and sell higher to making a million in mutual funds. Concentrate your investments in a few areas, know them well, and watch them carefully.
Don't just rely upon PE ratios and other common technical tools. Learn to use Relative Price Strength to help you choose stocks. O'Neil's cautionary yet pro-active advice has helped to make Investor's Business Daily one of America's fastest growing and most respected newspapers. Now investor's can benefit from his timeless words of wisdom, collected in one easy-to-use resource.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent Lessons.......2007-05-14
The author of this book increased his account 20 fold in 26 months and then bought a seat on the New York stock exchange. He studied the top performing stocks from 1953 to present to create his CAN-SLIM method, which has been proven in many independant studies to be one of the best. After his individual success as an investor he founded O' Neal & Co. and uses his companies stock data base to advise top investing firms. This is a credible author who all traders should listen to.
Here are some of the top lessons in this book:
#3 Follow a system rather than emotions.(This takes experience and time)
#6 Relative price strength: A key technical tool (Buy stocks in up-trends close to 52 week highs, these are the stocks with buyers)
#18 Don't try to be a Jack of all trades (Focus on one investment vehicle, be an expert)
#20 Sell Rules (Reset stops on stocks showing a profit so you do not give back all of your profit on a down trend)
Buy this book for 20 more essential lessons. This book will help beginners tremendously and also can be very beneficial for experienced traders and investors to revisit to keep on the right track.
This is a great little book that belongs in every investors/traders library.
Easy Money in 2000.......2007-03-26
Anyone who had read Investors Business Daily will not gain too much from this book since it's mainly a novice walkthru of the daily publication. O'Neil's major concepts are higher highs in enormous volume, double bottom, flat base, and cup with a handle. Even looking at some charts he has in the book in hindsight appear misleading. I think IBD is an excellent resource, but here are my criticisms of this book. It was written during the tech boom. Anyone could have plopped money down and doubled it in a month. Too many times O'Neil brags about making 200% on a stock. He tells how one should never be afraid to jump into a stock with a PE over 100. In 2000 they were prominent, today, extreme rarity. Gee I wonder why. A cup and handle to you may be different to me and besides, by time you really realize it's a cup and handle or double bottom, you're already late to the party. Though I'm not too crazy about his steps for buying a stock, he does a thorough job explaining how he goes about establishing a position. Take this book for what its worth, there's plenty to learn but most of it was only applicable in the late 90's.
Great Advertisement - poor book.......2007-03-22
This book covers a lot of the fundamental basics that other books contain, but the recurring theme throughout is, "If you really want to learn how the market works you should subscribe to my newsletter".
I don't know if the Investor's Business Daily is any good, but certainly the credibility of the author is damaged in my eyes... IBD should have paid me to read this extended advertisement, rather than the other way around.
Great Book For Beginners - In Simple Terms.......2007-02-16
This book is good for beginners that don't know how to invest. They put things in simple terms vs the How To Make Money In Stocks book (although they both have the same information pretty much). I seem to be getting more from this + their website (www.investors.com) than any other resources. William J O'Neil is a GREAT writer and I hope that he keeps updating his books, because I would sure buy them. His books and his website are my BIBLE to invest, although I haven't invested yet as I am still studying charts for further evaluation to make sure that I buy the right stock or stocks that I want to buy.
Good advice, stop trying to sell stuff!.......2006-08-12
The book wasn't the easiest to read, but it gave good ideas for investors to keep in mind when selecting stocks and great tips for when to buy and sell. However the book was overwhelmed with constant advertising for Investors Business Daily. A good third of the book talked about the features of Investors Business Daily and how they could be used with the book. There was a some great info in this book, but the constant references to the magazine were annoying.
Product Description
2 Book Set By Willian J. O'Neil; How to Make Money in Stocks: A Winning System in Good Times or Bad; 24 Essential Lessons for Investment Success: Learn the Most Important Investment Techniques From the Founder of Investor's Business Daily.
Customer Reviews:
Redundant Rambling Fiction.......2007-06-02
It is common knowledge that this book is really a pile of lies. It isn't much of an autobiography and leaves the reader wondering which, if any, parts of it to really consider seriously.
It is truly painful to read due to the unending redundant rambling nature of Menchu's storytelling.
I cannot believe that this garbage is still being assigned as required reading. Worthless.
I,Roberta Menchú.......2007-01-24
We give I, Rigoberta Menchú four stars because it was a good book but at the same time it was complicated to understand. For instead, it was a good book because she explains her life very well with details. Rigoberta also never gave up she kept going no matter as hard situation she'll face in her life. This book is complicated because Rigoberta just keeps repeating her self, is like we want to know more, something different. What we learn from this book, if we really truly want something we should never give up and when you feel like falling down for a moment, pick your self up and accomplish your dream.
Amazing book of survival.......2006-12-30
I read this book years ago and re-read it again recently. It is still one of my favorite books. Rigoberta Menchu suffered unbelievable atrocities and incredible losses and still lived to tell her courageous story through an interpreter. I think the book is phenomenal and I recommend it to anyone with a heart. It helps explain a lot about the Guatamalen people and their strife. It also is a timely book since the illegal immigration debate rages on in this country on a daily basis. It paints a vivid picture of the suffering of indigenous peoples and helps us to relate to their need to escape their countries in search of a better life. I dont know what David Stoll had to gain by writing a book that contradicted Menchu's powerful account. She states at the beginning of her book that her perspective is hers alone and that her memories may have been clouded by the trauma. It makes me crazy when people pick apart one tiny aspect of a book and then, throw the entire thing out as a sham. The same thing happened with the James Frey book, A million little pieces. People tended to ignore the overall strengths of the book and his basic message of surviving drug addiction over a few little insignificant details. This book is the same situation. The overall message and story of rigoberta menchu is so powerful and moving, it must be read, even if there is a fact or two that someone wants to contradict.
Memorable.......2006-06-16
I read this book shortly before visiting Guatemala, and I have to say it made my travel experience alot richer. I felt more sensitized to the currents of racism and political struggle still present in the country, as well as to the pain of a people recovering from a horror in the not so distant past. Nearly every Guatemalan that I met had some powerful story of the genocide, and this book gave me a good background on the facts and politics behind the peasant struggle.
Though it has been criticized as being imbellished and realistically inaccurate, I think that it can still be used as a tool to learn about the native Quiche culture in past and present times. Their spiritual and political beliefs and their connections to the natural world are interwoven throughout the memoir. And most importantly, the horror of a major Latin American genocide that still scars the memories of peasants in the region today. Rigoberta was very matter of fact in sharing information about the torture and killing of her people in gruesome detail... so detailed that it was difficult to read at times, but nevertheless, essential in understanding the extent of the what happened to her people.
Whether you read this book as fact or historical fiction, I think it is a good read for anyone interested in Latin American history, politcal science, peasant cultures, or human rights. It is a story that will stick in your mind... and your heart.
Just 2 or so hours South of Miami! .......2006-01-11
It is incredible that such human suffering went on, and in many ways is still going on, just a couple of hours (by pane) away from where I live. Rigoberta Menchu's book, written as dictated by her, is sad and tells of horrible situations.
Guatemala is a beautiful country, the indigenous sill dress in their local garb, each unique to a particular village. Guatemala has been referred to as the most exotic country in the Western hemisphere.
A good friend of mine, a Guatemala Indian, told me about the efforts of the Indians to get help from the United States. They sought out various Native American tribes in the U.S., that to them was seeking help from America. From what he told, it never occured to the elders of the Guatemalan groups to approach anyone other than Native Americans. And they did not receive help, because help was not available. But had they approached the U.S. government, they most likely wouldn't have been helped either.
I have been in Guatemala so many times, I started to call it my second home. There is still a lot of oppression, and the indigenous still feel fearful of the police and the military. I have not been there in a couple of years and am yearning to return.
The last time, the police/military made great efforts to change their image. Instead of stopping trucks and harrassing the passengers, they handed out white carnations!
Menchu does not deal with the greatest problem that is keeping the indigenous in danger, that of language barrier. The Guatemala Indians speak over 20 local languages. The languages are so totally different, that communication is impossible. Though some books are written in the local languages, they cannot be read by the indigenous because they are illiterate. Division is a "great" tool to keep populations from binding together to fight a common evil. Spanish is the country's political language, but over 80% of the indigenous do not speak Spanish.
I have traveled into the villages, into the hills and mountains where customs as ancient as the peoples themselves still reign. All of them have experienced evil. Their story did not end with Menchu's book. It continues, and who knows how much longer it will continue.
Book Description
Term paper due tomorrow? Need to cram for a test? Or just looking for the best information about a favorite literary work?
Turn to "Literature of Developing Nations for Students" to get your research done in record time. Brought to you by Thomson Gale--the world's leading source of literary criticism and analysis--this e-doc contains: author biography; plot summary; character analysis; a discussion of the work's themes, style, literary heritage, and historical context; a compendium of in-depth critical material; study questions; suggestions for further reading and much more.
Why choose "Literature of Developing Nations for Students"? Because no other source offers so much in such a compact package. Trust the experts: Thomson Gale--and "Literature of Developing Nations for Students."
Download Description
Term paper due tomorrow? Need to bone up for a test? Or just looking for the best information about a favorite literary work?
Turn to "Literature of Developing Nations for Students" to get your research done in record time. Brought to you by the Gale Group--the world's leading source of literary criticism and analysis--this e-doc contains: author biography; plot summary; character analysis; a discussion of the work's themes, style, literary heritage, and historical context; a compendium of in-depth critical material; study questions; suggestions for further reading and much more.
Why choose "Literature of Developing Nations for Students"? Because no other source offers so much in such a compact package. Trust the experts: The Gale Group--and "Literature of Developing Nations for Students."
Book Description
Used wisely, America's immense military power can preserve freedom but used unwisely, it can fracture global stability. Stefan Halper and Jonathan Clarke argue, that as long as neo-conservative radicals dominate the nation's national security process, fracture is more likely. Assuming Americans will see increasing threats in the future, this book is important because it identifies the factions and agendas involved. It advocates an alternative approach based on a return to the mainstream principles that have successfully guided American diplomacy for half a century. years.
Customer Reviews:
Why they hate us.......2006-12-17
This book describes how the moderate conservatives lost their bid to still govern effectively by allowing a certain scet of neo-conservatvies come in and with a sense of paranoi and war mongering, slip us into a state where we are no longer the world's mediator but the world's tagert of hatred. The book concludes with 'And there will be plaenty of help from America's friends, who know that the world works best when they and America are in partnership.'
Saving Reagan from the neo-Reaganites.......2006-05-12
The two authors here are ex-Reagan foreign policy officials. They argue that the neocon groups, that dominate the Bush administration and who claim to be "neo-Reaganites", are essentially exploiting Reagan's popularity, not reviving his policies.
The real Reagan regularly over-ruled his hardline advisors. And the neocons turned on Reagan for his glasnost with Gorbachev and missile reductions. Contrary to the unilateralist neocons, Reagan worked closely with allies and was prepared to reverse course if he made a mistake (i.e. Lebanon). The authors wish the current Bush administration really was "neo-Reaganite" in deed as well as word. They should copy Reagan not just repeat his name as a mantra.
Reagan had some neo-conservatives and uber-hawks in his administration but they were on tap, not on top. He was prepared to listen to his foreign allies, not just demand their fealty. It was a two way street. When he determined, after being persuaded by Maggie Thatcher, that he could work with Gorbachev, Reagan, a long time cold warrior, was able to reverse course.
The authors highlight these differences but for my money I think they miss the real difference. The differences between Reagan and Bush, are not so much ideological as stylistic and personal. Like it or not, the big guy on top sets the tone for a whole administration. The personal and personality element colours whole administrations and their public and global reception. Reagan was certainly a better speaker and media performer than Bush, and he did seem to write credible material in his own hand. But there is more to it than that.
Reagan was an optimist by disposition, and a gambler. He was prepared to take risks, like funding Solidarity in Poland or providing Stinger anti-aircraft missiles to the Afghan rebels. Both bets that paid off. Few US leaders since Truman were prepared to play on the red side of the cold war fence. These were critical events in the ultimate undermining of the Iron Curtain. Reagan took some risks, like El Salvador and Lebanon, that didn't pay off. But in the case of Lebanon at least, he was prepared to reverse track on a bad hand and cut his losses. A good gambler knows when to quit. Maybe had the young George W Bush spent more time gambling and less time drinking fewer people would be dead in Iraq.
Primer on treason.......2006-02-14
"America Alone", written by two traditional conservatives, is a good examination of the origins, ideology and influence of the neoconservative cabal which directs American foreign policy under George W. Bush and which was principally responsible for instigating the Iraq War in 2003. The authors lament the neocons' role in subverting the traditional Republican/conservative understanding of foreign policy as being based on American national interest, and point out how un-conservative, un-American and utterly radical the neocons' ideology actually is.
The book offers no startling new revelations for anyone who has been following the neocon story these past few years in such publications and websites as the American Conservative, Counterpunch.com, antiwar.com, etc. We are told about the neocons' origin as Trotskyite true-believers, their Manichean world-view, their worship of military force, their unscrupulousness, hypocrisy, arrogance, their obsession with Israel and their utter rejection of any facts which conflict with their preconceived notions. The authors show how an "intellectual persuasion" which was widely discredited at the beginning of the 1990s built bridges with right-wing media, wealthy contributors, the Christian Right and mainstream conservative figures to become by subterfuge the dominant force in the Republican Party and thus the U.S. government today. We are told how the neocons had been pushing for the overthrow of Saddam Hussein for years before 9/11 and how, when they finally achieved power, they basically lied us into war.
Since all of the authors' assertions are indisputably true, one is rankled by the pussilanimous moderation which is proclaimed at several points throughout the book. Even though the authors expose the neocons as war-mongering liars who have hijacked American foreign policy and damaged American interests, they seem at pains to distance themselves from any sort of controversial conclusions or even sharp words against their neocon brothers. On page 231 they make the ridiculous statement, "A slew of administration opponents have used strong, harsh words about the administration's arguments in favor of going to war. This is not the camp from which we come". God forbid we should use strong, harsh words to describe _traitors_, a term that would probably make Messrs Halper and Clarke swoon like Victorian ladies!
Indeed, these people are traitors, as their life's work has been to use the American government to further the interests of a foreign power. The authors acknowledge Israel's central and dominating role in neoconservative thought, but in keeping with their avoidance of controversy, deny (pg 58) that has anything to do with the ethnic/religious identity of neoconservatism's main figures. Perhaps it's just a coincidence that neoconservatives only ever agitate for war against the enemies of Israel! Even though the neoconservative label does encompasses people from many different backgrounds, the fact is that the leading spirits of neoconservatism share a common ethnic/religious heritage and a common primary loyalty to the State of Israel, and that unquestioning support for Israel is one of the main tenets-if not the main one- of neoconservatism. In support of their amazing assertion that that is irrelevant, the authors conveniently omit any reference to the instances when leading neocon figures like Perle or Feith have actually been caught passing classified secrets to Israeli agents. I suppose the authors are nervous that they might get lumped in with Buchananite "nativists" and other unfashionable folk if they too strongly condemn people who betray our country.
Because the authors shrink from naming these people for the traitors they are, their final thoughts on the neoconservatives are consequently lame. They apparently assume that the neocons' errors are so self-evident to the country that they will soon leave the scene in shame and surrender control of foreign policy to the old conservatives who have steered the ship of state so responsibly in the past. It was sadly amusing reading those sentiments at the moment we are planning an attack on Iran because Israel feels threatened by its nuclear power program. Neoconservatism is dangerous to Americans. These people need to be exposed for treasonous dogs, expelled from all positions of power immediately and, God willing, imprisoned or expelled from our country. Dry, congenial disagreements and/or witty reproaches are not appropriately commensurate responses to neoconservative crimes. However, "America Alone" does give a pretty good (not great) overview of neoconservatism for the uninformed citizen. (The last third of the book can be skimmed though, as the authors go off on wild digressions about the history of anti-Americanism, terrorism through the ages, privacy rights and other topics that only peripherally touch on neoconservatism.)
Disection of the Neocon Foreign Policy and its Affect on the U.S........2005-12-09
This book by two veterans of conservative leaders, the Reagan and Thatcher governments, provide a thorough takedown of the Neo-conservative foreign policy as demonstrated by the (now former) leadership of the Defense Department and our current UN ambassador, among others. These Center-Right authors have provided a thorough trouncing of the neocon viewpoint, starting with its earliest iterations and ending with a discussion of the current policies and projections of the leadership.
Halper and Clarke write many sensible things to me, and I am coming from a Center-Left viewpoint. This may be one of the most incredible parts of the book. I have come of age in my foreign policy thinking since just before 9/11, and while I would take a more liberal perspective many of the criticisms of the Bush Administration foreign policy than Clarke and Halper have, they are still the same as my own thoughts. This may also be one of the book's demonstrated weaknesses. The authors quote heavily from liberal thinkers but cite only scarcely from their fellow conservative intellectuals. This seems to be because other, more serious, conservative criticisms of neocon failings either aren't popular or are non-existent. If this is the case it is a shame.
Whichever the case, this is an excellent book to get the idea that there are those on the right unhappy with Iraq and other unilateral foreign adventures undertaken by Bush and the neocons.
Guilty as charged.......2005-11-21
On page 11 of this book, the authors provide a list of what they think are the unifying themes of neoconservatism.
"[One theme of neoconservatism is a] belief deriving from religious conviction that the human condition is defined as a choice between good and evil and that the true measure of political character is to be found in the willingness of the former (themselves) to confront the latter. ... [Neoconservatives] analyze international issues in black and white, absolute moral categories. They are fortified by a conviction that they alone hold the moral high ground and that disagreement is tantamount to defeatism. ... They disdain country-specific, realist, and pragmatic analysis."
In order to evaluate this passage, consider the following fundamental question: Do there exist methods for determining whether one form of political organization is superior to another?
This same question can be posed in the economic sphere: Do there exist methods for determining whether one form of economic organization is superior to another. In fact, such methods are applied in the economic sphere all the time. For example, the IMF may undertake to determine whether a nation's financial system is sound or needs reforming. Implicit in the IMF's actions are the assumptions that 1.) some forms/features/characteristics of economic organization are, in fact, preferable to others and 2.) the IMF has a methodology for distinguishing between desirable and undesirable features of economic systems. This should not be surprising. After all, businesses like Moody's and Standard and Poors make determinations about the financial soundness of nations and multi-national corporations all the time.
Two more points can be made. First, whatever the basis for the determinations made by institutions like the IMF and the ratings agencies, it is safe to say these determinations are not founded on "religious conviction." (I personally am both a neocon and an atheist.) Secondly, once these institutions have made their determinations, they often seek to use some form of coercion, or conditionality, to force nations with undesirable economic characteristics to modify those characteristics. For example, the IMF may make tranches of funding conditional on certain reforms being implemented in a timely fashion.
We may conclude, therefore: 1.) there do exist methodologies for determining whether one form of economic organization is superior to another; 2.) these methodologies are applied on a regular basis; 3.) these methods are not based on "religious convictions," and; 4.) it is not unnatural for multi-national agencies to seek to coerce nations into reforming economic organizations that display undesirable economic characteristics.
And yet, if all of these conclusions are true of economic systems, it is not surprising that they should also be true of political systems: 1.) we should not be surprised to find methodologies for determining whether one form of political organization (or a kind of political organization with certain characteristics) is superior to another; 2.) we should not be surprised if these methodologies are applied on a regular basis; 3.) there is no reason to think that the basis for these methodologies is to be found in "religious convictions," and; 4.) it would not be unnatural for multi-national agencies to seek to coerce nations into reforming undesirable political systems.
One may reply to point 4.): "Yes, such actions are appropriate for multi-national agencies, but not for a single nation operating unilaterally. Also, suasion should be used instead of coercion." To which I would reply: "But, what if the multi-national agencies have failed to do their job? Also, suasion and coercion are two points on a continuity. War is merely the continuation of policy by other means."
So, there are certain points that are agreed on (or should be agreed on) by all and some points on which there are disagreements. The points that should be agreed on are: 1.) certain forms of political organization are, in fact, preferable to others and 2.) these preferable forms can be identified and should be encouraged. The points that are not agreed on are: 1.) Who should do the encouraging of nations to change their political forms? and 2.) How should this encouraging be done? As for the points that are not agreed on, I think the disagreements are arrived at in good faith: there are arguments to be made on both sides. But, certainly the Bush administration can make a very strong case that the United Nations has failed to perform its duties in encouraging political reform throughout the world and that war is a proper instrumentality of coercion to effect regime change under certain extreme circumstances.
Let us return now to the passage quoted from the book. First of all, we can see that the idea that methodologies for distinguishing between good and bad political or economic organizations must derive from "religious convictions" is a canard. Secondly, we can see that it is not in the least unusual for agencies to use such methodologies to try to make determinations as to whether particular organizations are good or bad -- to assign "value judgments," in other words. As for the question about how "the character of a politician" should be defined, we can see that, well, yes, the character of a politician, just like the character of, say, an accountant, is, in fact, measured by a willingness to distinguish between good and bad and to oppose the bad. For example, the character of an auditor is determined every day by his willingness to apply a methodology for distinguishing between acceptable and unacceptable accounting practices and to refuse to sign off on unacceptable ones. We have seen over the last several years what happens to financial markets if this "true measure of character" is lacking. It would be absurd to argue that an auditor who is applying his methodology should be criticized because he is "analyzing issues in black and white, absolute moral categories." The real problem starts when the auditor stops analyzing issues in black and white and begins to blur the picture or accepts the CFO's argument that the company ought to be allowed to present financial information in a "company-specific, realist, and pragmatic" way.
In other words, if the main accusation against neocons is that they seek to apply a methodology to distinguish between good and bad political systems and then stubbornly promote good political systems and oppose bad political systems, then, most neocons, I believe, would probably say that they were guilty as charged. For, compromise in the face of evil is worse than defeatism. It is, in fact, (here is that awful word again that post-modernism and relativism have such a difficult time with) immoral.
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America Alone: The Neo-Conservatives and the Global Order.(Book Review) : An article from: Presidential Studies Quarterly
Steve A. Yetiv
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This digital document is an article from Presidential Studies Quarterly, published by Thomson Gale on December 1, 2005. The length of the article is 830 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: America Alone: The Neo-Conservatives and the Global Order.(Book Review)
Author: Steve A. Yetiv
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Presidential Studies Quarterly (Magazine/Journal)
Date: December 1, 2005
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 35
Issue: 4
Page: 801(2)
Article Type: Book Review
Distributed by Thomson Gale
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Ontario Wildlife: An Introduction to Familiar Species (Pocket Naturalist - Waterford Press)
James Kavanagh
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The Pocket Naturalist card is a pocket-sized, folding card which provides simplified, easy-to-use reference to what everyone should know about familiar plants, animals, and natural history. Maps are included to highlight prominent sanctuaries and outstanding natural attractions. Every card is laminated so that it is waterproof and practical for use in the field. This card highlights over 100 of Ontario's most familiar mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fishes.
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