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Orden y Caos: Un Estudio Cultural Sobre Lo Monstruoso en las Artes (Coleccion Argumentos)
Jose Miguel G. Cortes
Manufacturer: Anagrama
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ASIN: 843390549X |
Book Description
Teaching beginner photographers how to create good, flattering light, this book discusses topics such as proper equipment, developing an eye for form, and positioning equipment to maximize the appeal of a subject. As studio photographers face a host of lighting challenges not often encountered outdoors-from lighting reflective objects to photographing food-this guide provides unexpected tips and surprising solutions for adding a jolt of creativity to images. Step-by-step guidance on using the ordinary to create the extraordinary is provided. With its dual focus on creating lighting styles that are both technically correct and creative, this book shows photographers how to effectively light everything from portraits to product shots with confidence.
Customer Reviews:
If i just had one book to learn this from..........2007-09-13
I've taken a variety of classes and read a number of books to improve my lighting skills. i found this book to be the one that delivered the best "a-ha" breakthrough on understanding the basics of lighting--and then some. the author very systematically goes through metering and set-up for a single light shoot, and then adding additional lights and other techniques to produce cool results. he also provides some extremely useful methods for working with what you've got (boring backgrounds, mixed lighting conditions etc.) to produce some very interesting and satisfying results. all one really has to do is follow the exersizes that he demonstrates through diagrams and photo examples in order to learn the techniques he recommends.
I found this book to include more than enough--but not too much--information. it was neither too simplistic or too overwhelming. i recommend it to photographer friends who are strobe-phobic and thumb through it again periodically as a refresher.
A Disappointment.......2006-10-20
Congratulations - you bought a fancy camera, purchase expensive lighting equipment, now you are searching for a book to help you learn the tricks of the trade. Sadly, you search DOES NOT end here. This book, if you want to read it is much better checked out from the free library than purchasing it. The author sorely misses the idea of what beginners need to succeed in studio photogrpahy. The images seem out dated and the author provides no diagrams. In an attempt to make his book readable to a larger audience he waste space assuming that his readers do not have the correct equipment for the job. Don't waste the money, but I cannot be too critical as there are some morsles of lighting wisdom scattered around.
First few chapters.......2006-03-23
The first few chapters are ok for a beginner like myself but most of it is dealing with pro equipment which I dont have and studio which I dont have. I am not going to throw the book out it does have good points, but not really what I was looking for. I did like the light explantion with out all the math Hard and soft. I am still looking for the book that will tell me how to get good lighting at home with what I have on hand.
Not for visual learners.......2006-03-13
I bought this book almost a year ago and really tried to make use of it. Although it's obvious that the author has extensive photography knowledge I don't think he did a very good job of passing it on to the beginner. He gives really no diagrams for lighting set up or any other beginning helps. If you are like me and really are a visual self learner and an absolute beginner to photography I would not recommend buying this book.
This book is PRETTY useful for ADVANCED photographers.......2006-01-27
If you are new to photography you may find the first two chapters useful. However, if you are not fully comfortable with terms like exposure, highlights, and bracketing this book will be confusing if not intimidating.
The book covers all aspects of studio photography lighting. Here are some of the useful things I found in this book:
*A clear description of the basics of light (that was useful soft vs hard, etc)
*Why and how to use light meters (yes they can be useful for digital photography too!)
*Practical one light setups (I learned the classics light setups here)
*Using background lighting ( like white or black background)
*Various useful tips and information throughout the book like using gels to change color temperature and using fill lights to increase details in shadows
However the book comes with some weaknesses too, like:
*Its mainly written for film photography (you will have to be creative to use his tips with digital photography)
*The writing level is pretty average and at times boring
*The book needs to be better organized
*More pictures would help illustrate concepts and practices better (for God sake he is a photographer!)
The title of the book is missing one word, professional. The title should read Beginners Guide to "Professional" Photographic Lighting.
If you want a book that's truly for beginners then consider Photographic Lighting Simplified by Susan McCartney.
Product Description
Nestled at the feet of the Karpash Mountains in Corinthia, on the Road of Kings is a bustling city run by noble landlords and toiled by thousands of peasants from all walks of life Nahab. Nahab has seen mercenary hordes pillage their lands, droughts that killed crops and brought about famine and more bloody infighting between the noble houses in the past twenty years than anywhere else in the troubled territory. All of these things have made it a difficult place to live if you do not have one of the thirteen powerful families backing your name, but things run rather smoothly under their constant supervision and heavy taxation. All of that may be about to change. Something dark and sinister has targeted the streets of Nahab, a creature most foul, a many who have crossed its path lie in ruin after it has passed. It is a true Terror, and the people of Nahab will not find protection or solace in the trained military forces of the nobility. They must instead look to the wayward adventurers that stop in Nahab after the long journey through the Karpashs, hoping that worldly travellers will be able to stop what no one else seems to be capable of. This adventure is a fully contained story centred greatly around not only the murderous beast stalking the streets of Nahab, but also the political tensions between the different castes of people found in the city itself. It is a place where just the right situation could spark a massive war between the nobles again, or a full scale revolt from the people who serve them. Whether or not Nahab can survive the machinations and mutilations of the horrific Terror, it will never quite be the same after the events that take place in this adventure. Perhaps a group of road weary adventurers can lend a hand to these downtrodden folk, or perhaps they will instead use the distraction to make a fortune at their expense? Whatever their choice may be, there is much more to this than meets the eye
can the adventurers discover what that is before it discovers them instead?
Customer Reviews:
SOLID, THRILLING ADVENTURE.......2006-08-11
Conan and the Lurking Terror of Nahab is a 32 page adventure module for the outstanding Conan RPG from Mongoose Games. The adventure is designed for four to six player characters of 4th to 6th levels. The module is set within the city of Nahab in the nation of Corinthia, probably one of the lesser known of the Hyborian kingdoms. There is great trouble in Nahab. The noble families have been engaged in all-out war with each other for a decade, fighting over trade routes and precious resources. The war has had a devastating effect on the peasants and lower classes in Nahab as homes and fields have been destroyed as the peasants stand on the verge of revolt. The death of a popular priest among the peasants has made the situation even worse.
Out of this chaos comes a lotus addicted (think Hyborian Age LSD) street prophet named Sabiat who intends to make the nobles pay and pay in blood. Sabiat is actually a thief who years ago stole a scroll from a half-demon witch. Using the ancient scroll, Sabiat unleashes a terrible creature upon the people of Nahab called "The Starved One" and is the "lurking terror" referred to in the title. The creature is indiscriminate in its murderous rampage, killing noble and peasant alike. It is up to the players to stop its killing spree, bring Sabiat to justice and stop the revolt.
The adventure plays out over the streets of Nahab taking the players to locations such as taverns, cemeteries, and the ruined estate of a noble family slaughtered by the "Starved One". Like so many of the excellent adventures from Mongoose for their Conan RPG, this will not only take a strong sword arm, but also a sharp intelligence to complete. It's no hack-n-slash dungeon crawl. There's a lot of intrigue and thrills (if the DM plays it right) in the adventure that will keep players busy for a good while. My only minor grumble is the lackluster art that consists of unfinished pencil sketches that give it a bit of an amateur look, but that's a small complaint and doesn't detract from an well-designed adventure.
Reviewed by Tim Janson
Average customer rating:
- Once again--great book!
- Not Funny
- Funniest book I ever read!
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More How to Speak Southern
Steve Mitchell
Manufacturer: Bantam
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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How to Speak Southern
ASIN: 0553273922
Release Date: 1983-04-01 |
Customer Reviews:
Once again--great book!.......2001-04-02
I read this book right after I read the first one,and I thought it was just as funny. This book also helped me understand some of my southern friends a little more. Being southern,I can laugh at how some of us talk,and I believe this is one of the funniest things I've read in my life,simply because it is quite true. I love this book and I recommend it highly.
Not Funny.......2000-06-09
Really, this isn't much of a book. 53 pages the size of a greeting card. It might have been funny fifty years ago.
Funniest book I ever read!.......1998-11-11
I'm from the south and I have to say Steve Mitchell knows what he is talking about! He knows exactly how us "suthun" people talk! It's a riot!!
Book Description
From the writer/director of the dazzling surprise hit Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels that grossed over $100 million and won the Edgar for Best Movie (1999) from the Mystery Writers of America—from Screen Gems (Sony Pictures). A diamond heist gone helter-skelter, the rough and tumble world of bare-knuckle boxing, an unpredictable Irish gypsy and...a dog. Writer-director Guy Ritchie's highly anticipated comedy takes the gangster genre into another dimension—hilarity. The colorful ensemble cast features Benicio Del Toro, Dennis Farina, Jason Flemyng, Vinnie Jones, Brad Pitt and Jason Statham. Double-crossing, double-bluffing and double-dealing abound as various parties pursue personal agendas—all of them illegal, some of them farcical and most of them involving an 86-carat diamond. As plans go haywire and tempers fray, dogs, diamonds, mobile homes, boxers and assorted weaponry get swept up into a chaotic free-for-all. Who will emerge with the stone? Snatch premiered in England in September 2000 to rave reviews and huge box office! This Newmarket Shooting Script® edition of the book includes the complete shooting script, an introduction by Ritchie, stills and credits.
Customer Reviews:
Read it in one sitting!.......2007-03-09
Movie script writing is one of the most lucrative ways of writing these days... and yet screenplays are so difficult to get hold of. This is a great script of a great film. If you're just a fan of the movie or an aspiring scriptwriter, this is for you. Some of the classic "one liners" in this movie get an extra shine when you read them from the page while the scene plays in your mind. Well worth it!
Great film, great script --- snatch.......2004-09-10
This is a great script! I've seen the film quite a few times, and it was still very interesting to read this script. It's very fun-reading, has some pictures from the film to accompany some scenes and contains original English slang, which makes it a great value! :-)
Liked the movie? Love the screenplay.......2003-08-23
If you loved Guy Ritchie's first major movie, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, you're sure to love his second movie, Snatch. Like the movie, the shooting script is fast-paced, sharp and amusing. From the introduction to the original script, filled with black and white photos of certain scenes, much like the movie, you can't stop until you're finished.
However, if you were expecting the same humor and nonserious nature of Lock, Stock... you may be in for a surprise. Snatch is a bit more serious at times and works with very different scenery.
Guy Ritchie wins this fight.
Average customer rating:
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Developing Verbal Talent: Ideas and Strategies for Teachers of Elementary and Middle School Students
Manufacturer: Allyn & Bacon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: 0205159451 |
Book Description
This extraordinary new work focuses on developing a language arts curriculum for high ability learners in grades K-8. A central theme of the book is the process of talent development. It discusses how to recognize gifted children, and how to provide opportunities for them to enhance their talents. Teachers and Administrators in Grades K-7. A Longwood Professional Book.
Customer Reviews:
Good book with several useful chapters.......2005-08-22
VERY good book. Alexei Kosikov's article, "Assessing a Position and Choosing a Plan in the Middlegame", is itself worth the price of admission. If only he wrote entire books himself!
I have several of Dvoretsky's books (of course, having them is not the same as having read them), and have found this to be the best of those I have read. It is very readable, with several articles, which are inter-related, but do not require each other. That is, you can pick and choose which articles interest you.
Great book for all levels.......2005-06-10
This is a great book not only does it show you key ways to improve but also uses great examples.
The first element it describes is understanding the your weaknesses and eliminating or minimalising them. Are you too cautious, attack too much, lack positional or calculative powers?
The second element is games from the past, it explains why these can still be used, great masters of the past were able to better exploit and implement their plans (Defensive technique by the weaker player was not as developed as today) therefore you get to see the whole implementation of the plan. What are these plans? minority Attack, Attack on F2, Queen side pawn majority, isolated pawn the list goes on.
Also discussed is keeping a scrap book of key positions you come across as an aide memoir.
Finally the 3rd element is annotating your own games. By annoting your own games you see first hand where you went wrong this may indicate a weakness to work on and therefore work on your identified weakness will lead to improvement in practical playing strength.
Useful Ideas.......2000-11-13
The book is basically a manual on how to asess your own chess and begin to cover up weaknesses and promote strengths. Emphasising the need for unviversality of style (covering weaknesses) it advocates a method of analysing the individuals games to come up with ways of strengthening openings, psychology and analysis at the board.
Average customer rating:
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Pocket Billiard Guidebook for Pool Players, Tournament Directors, and Spectators
Manufacturer: Que House
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ASIN: 0945071558 |
Book Description
An indispensable quick-check guide to saving money and headaches during home renovations
Lured by skyrocketing real estate values, more Americans than ever are renovating their homes. Some have had some experience with home renovations. Many are trying their hands at it for the first time. Most are totally unprepared for the thousand-and-one pitfalls, screw-ups, and headaches that can plague a home improve project, including runaway costs, unscrupulous suppliers and contractors, arcane building codes, and more.
Written by America's #1 source of real estate know-how, Home Renovation Checklist is an indispensable guide to navigating the renovation process and keeping costs, time, and headaches involved to a minimum. Modeled after Irwin's bestselling Home Buyer's Checklist, this book is packed with hundreds of checklist questions (and answers) covering every detail of any home improvement project, including:
- Budgeting costs
- Dealing with contractors
- Obtaining financing
- Determining whether or not to do all or part of the renovations themselves
Customer Reviews:
Very Useful.......2006-07-11
This book is very useful in answering questions homeowners may have about renovating their homes. The format features questions, the answers "yes" or "no" with checkboxes next to them with room underneath for note taking, and a detailed explanation with tips and hints. For the most part this format works well, although I wish that author Robert Irwin had varied the answers a bit since not every question can be answered "yes" or "no", for example "when will you do the job?"
The first four chapters in the book focus on general questions about home renovations such as hiring a contractor and financing the job. The rest of the book focuses on certain areas to be renovated, for example there's one chapter on renovating the bathroom, bedroom, and kitchen; another on installing cabinets; and another on installing floors. This is really helpful since the homeowner can read just the chapter that focuses on the repair work they want to do. The questions that Irwin asks are very helpful and he doesn't hesitate to say whether or not you should tackle the job yourself or hire someone to do it.
Very useful.
Book Description
James K. Polk was a shrewd and decisive commander in chief, the youngest president elected to guide the still-young nation, who served as Speaker of the House and governor of Tennessee before taking office in 1845. Considered a natural successor to Andrew Jackson, 'Young Hickory' miraculously revived his floundering political career by riding a wave of public sentiment in favor of annexing the Republic of Texas to the Union. Shortly after his inauguration, he settled the disputed Oregon boundary and by 1846 had declared war on Mexico in hopes of annexing California. The considerably smaller American army never lost a battle. At home, however, Polk suffered a political firestorm of antiwar attacks from many fronts. Despite his tremendous accomplishments, he left office an extremely unpopular man, on whom stress had taken such a physical toll that he died within three months of departing Washington. Fellow Tennessean John Seigenthaler traces the life of this president who, as Truman noted, 'said what he intended to do and did it.'
Customer Reviews:
One of our better presidents........2007-06-24
I agree with some of our previous reviewers. Seigenthaler puts alot of effort into the beginning of Polk's career, but little of his actual Presidency. He goes into great detail about his early life and how he became a disciple of Andrew Jackson. The book also details the campaign and then gives his Presidency a small portion of this small book. However, the reader can learn a great deal about the first dark horse candidate for the U.S. Presidency. What Seignethaler does do is describe the early career of one of our better presidents.
This is an OK read in the U.S. Presidency series. I have not read any of the others, but the armchair historian can pick up some details from this biography of a misunderstood president.
Waste of Paper.......2007-05-24
This is really a total waste of money. The entire volume is devoted to the excruciating minutiae of Polk's relationship with his political allies and foes. There are perhaps a total of five pages explaining or treating the issues of the day, Polk's life, or anything else you would expect in a biography of a US president.
I usually resell my books if I don't want to keep them, but I was so disgusted with this one that I heaved it in the trash.
A Partisan Defender of a Forgotten President.......2006-08-10
The reasons I rated the work as only average are:
1. I distrusted the scholarhip.
2. The biographer forfeited objectivity with the way he argued that that Polk is underappreciated.
3. Polk never came to life for me.
4. The tone can be overly casual, like a human interest story in a newspaper.
4. It does not compare well with other biographies in The American Presidents series, such as the Jackson or Van Buren works.
Try It !.......2006-07-13
This reviewer commented favorably that Robert Remini's biography of President Andrew Jackson was short and concise. That work was a veritable encyclopedia compared to John Seigenthaler's bio of President James K. Polk. The two Presidents were close contemporaries and fellow Tennesseans. Polk actually had a decent resume before entering the White House. He had served one term as Governor and five in the House, even rising to Speaker before his election as a Dark Horse in 1844. It seems required for reviewers to note that Polk set 4 goals for himself as Chief Executive: Reduction of the hated (to the South) tariff; establishing a pressingly needed independent Treasury; a favorable settling of the Oregon Boundary with England and bringing California into the Union. Polk succeeded on all counts even though he had defined himself from the outset as a one term President! It was also on his watch that the Mexican War was ended, leading to the annexation of the Texas Republic. This reader was surprised to learn that many Americans-including an Illinois Congressman named Lincoln-were opposed to the Mexican conflict and that our principal commanders, Generals Winfield Scott and Zachery Taylor had blatant political ambitions. Such attitudes would not be tolerated today. Polk had his weaknesses: He had virtually no charisma or personality and he failed to demonstrate any leadership over the bitterly divisive issue of slavery. That aside, author Seigenthaler has performed a masterful job of compressing the Administration of an important if unrecognized President into a very slim and compact volume. It is recommended without reservation for aficionados of history and politics.
Better than no Polk at all, but . . ........2006-06-23
If James K. Polk hadn't very unexpectedly become president of the United States in 1845, nobody today would have heard of him. The accomplishments he is remembered for -- the annexation of Texas, the acquiring of Oregon Territory from Britain, the War with Mexico and resultant annexation of New Mexico and California -- he was able to accomplish only BECAUSE he became president. So why does John Seigenthaler devote less than forty of 156 pages of text to Polk's presidency in his book, JAMES K. POLK?
JAMES K. POLK is one of "The American Presidents" series which are supposed to concentrate on the PRESIDENCIES of the chief executives, not the whole lives of the men themselves. Admitted, exploring the biographical and historical background and the process by which particular individuals are able to win the White House over the opposition of many other contenders is essential to understanding the presidencies they spawn -- doubly so in Polk's case as America's first "dark horse" president. But the other equally short contributions to this series are quite capable of covering such material in the first thirty or forty pages of text, leaving the remaining one hundred plus to discuss the presidency itself. Given the constraints of this series and the incredible presidency that was to be Polk's, it is Seigenthaler's DUTY to do the same.
I bought this book to learn how a president, whom I knew very little about, was able in four short years to create, for better or worse, a United States that finally spread "from sea to shinning sea". Thirty some pages is nowhere near enough text to discuss the complications that Polk had to deal with in his War with Mexico alone, particularly when Polk thought he could annex California WITHOUT going to war. Seigenthaler hardly mentions the problems that the obstinate Democrat Polk had with his two equally headstrong Whig generals, Taylor and Scott, or the increasingly fierce opposition he faced as the war dragged on and on. Ditto for the Oregon Territory dispute with the British. He devotes more text to Polk's establishing an independent Treasury and lowering the import tariffs, but these achievements pale in comparison to the previous two
Seigenthaler wastes far more text telling the story of how the washed-up ex-governor from Tennessee hoping for the vice-presidential candidacy, won the 1844 Democratic Party's presidential nomination instead when neither of the two top contenders could secure a majority. Then Seigenthaler proceeds with an almost equally long description of the campaign itself -- during which Polk did NOT make public campaign promises to annex California and gain the Oregon border treaty with England, but merely promised to accept the annexation of Texas and serve only one term. The "four goals" that he had for his presidency he first confided to his secretary of the navy AFTER becoming president (check out pp. 102, 3).
Imagine a book of some one hundred fifty pages about another rather obscure ex-congressman from Illinois named Abraham Lincoln that devotes less than forty to his presidency and barely mentions the Civil War. Change the main character and you've got John Seigenthaler's JAMES K. POLK.
Book Description
This biography explores the controversies, triumphs, and failures of the presidency of James K. Polk. Sam W. Haynes places Polk's expansionist agenda in both political and social contexts and examines the nature and origins of the expansionist impulse. Paperback, brief, and inexpensive, each of the titles in the Library of American Biography series focuses on a figure whose actions and ideas significantly influenced the course of American History and national life. In addition, each biography relates the life of its subject to the broader themes and developments of the times. This text incorporates the latest scholarship and draws upon the longer, far more extensive studies of Polk’s life and times, but makes the story accessible to students in both survey and upper division courses in American history.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent brief biography.......2006-03-31
Between the end of Andrew Jackson's presidency in 1837 and the beginning of Abraham Lincoln's in 1861 there was a 24 year period of presidential mediocrity. Eight presidents served during this era, four of them for less than a single term, forming a roster of forgettable names: Martin Van Buren, William Henry Harrison, John Tyler, Zachary Taylor, Millard Fillmore, Franklin Pierce and James Buchanan. Only one man in this era of mediocrity stands out at all: James Polk.
What makes Polk stand out from these others is that he actually accomplished something noteworthy. During his presidency, the U.S. warred with Mexico. This war was significant not only because it marked the first time the U.S. fought a war in foreign territory, but more importantly, it resulted in the U.S. acquiring a vast amount of land, including California and New Mexico (it also forced Mexico to recognize that Texas was now part of its northern neighbor). In addition, Polk was able to more peacefully obtain what would become Oregon and Washington from England.
The acquisition of Mexican land was controversial during the war and even remains the source of argument today. Long before the controversies of weapons of mass destruction, there were the debatable origins of the Mexican War; Polk was determined to acquire land and set up things to force a conflict. Besides the somewhat dubious origins of the war, the result for the U.S. was also filled with negatives; the new territories would exacerbate North-South conflicts (particularly about slavery) and - though temporarily alleviated by the Compromise of 1850, would eventually lead to the Civil War.
Sam Haynes has written an excellent if brief biography of Polk. In just over 200 pages, he reviews Polk's entire life, focusing on his one term as president. Haynes remains reasonably objective, with as much praise for Polk's better qualities as criticism for his deficiencies. If you are interested in Polk or this era of American History, this is a good introduction.
Customer Reviews:
Husband Loved it...!!!.......2007-01-09
I met my husband many many years ago when he was working at a small Coast Guard Rescue station.. He was in the Coast Guard for 10 years before he got out. Although he's been out now for 18 years he loves reading books about search and rescue.. I bought him this book as an Xmas present and he loves it.. Told me he read several stories twice..
An anthology of the most daring, successful, and heroic efforts of the U.S. Coast Guard .......2005-07-06
Rescued By The U.S. Coast Guard: Great Acts Of Heroism Since 1878 is an anthology of the most daring, successful, and heroic efforts of the U.S. Coast Guard to save lives over the course of the past century. Man-against-sea stories, some told in the words of the rescuers themselves, abound in this exciting collection. Yet not every rescue attempt is successful; Rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard also pays homage to those who lost their lives. Historians will appreciate the attention to detail, particularly in the evolution of life-saving equipment across the years. Enthralling reading and a welcome revelation of the difficult work and life-changing achievements of the U.S. Coast Guard.
Average customer rating:
- A Great Read
- good book if put in perspective
- A Chilling Look Inside An Evil Regime
- Good historical background on Iraq and it's politics.
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Republic of Fear: The Politics of Modern Iraq, Updated Edition
Kanan Makiya
Manufacturer: University of California Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Cruelty and Silence: War, Tyranny, Uprising, and the Arab World
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A History of Iraq
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Inventing Iraq: The Failure of Nation Building and a History Denied
ASIN: 0520214390 |
Amazon.com
Originally written under the pseudonym Samir al-Khalil and published before the Gulf War, Republic of Fear describes the rise of Saddam Hussein and the Arab Ba'th Socialist party. The author, an Iraqi expatriate now living in the United States, offers this updated edition under his real name, Kanan Makiya. A new introduction discusses events following the invasion of Kuwait ("the chamber of horrors that is Saddam Hussein's Iraq has grown into something that not even the most morbid imagination could have dreamed up"). The book is not merely a chronicle of recent Iraqi politics, but a discussion of why the country has evolved into "a Kafkaesque world ... one ruled and held together by fear." Essential reading for anybody who wants to understand modern Iraq. --John J. Miller
Book Description
First published in 1989, just before the Gulf War broke out, Republic of Fear was the only book that explained the motives of the Saddam Hussein regime in invading and annexing Kuwait. This edition, updated in 1998, has a substantial introduction focusing on the changes in Hussein's regime since the Gulf War.
In 1968 a coup d'état brought into power an extraordinary regime in Iraq, one that stood apart from other regimes in the Middle East. Between 1968 and 1980, this new regime, headed by the Arab Ba'th Socialist party, used ruthless repression and relentless organization to transform the way Iraqis think and react to political questions. In just twelve years, a party of a few thousand people grew to include nearly ten percent of the Iraqi population.
This book describes the experience of Ba'thism from 1968 to 1980 and analyzes the kind of political authority it engendered, culminating in the personality cult around Saddam Hussein. Fear, the author argues, is at the heart of Ba'thi politics and has become the cement for a genuine authority, however bizarre.
Examining Iraqi history in a search for clues to understanding contemporary political affairs, the author illustrates how the quality of Ba'thi pan-Arabism as an ideology, the centrality of the first experience of pan-Arabism in Iraq, and the interaction between the Ba'th and communist parties in Iraq from 1958 to 1968 were crucial in shaping the current regime.
Saddam Hussein's decision to launch all-out war against Iran in September 1980 marks the end of the first phase of this re-shaping of modern Iraqi politics. The Iraq-Iran war is a momentous event in its own right, but for Iraq, the author argues, the war diverts dissent against the Ba'thi regime by focusing attention on the specter of an enemy beyond Iraq's borders, thus masking a hidden potential for even greater violence inside Iraq.
Customer Reviews:
A Great Read.......2004-05-25
During this time of transition in Iraq where many believe that going in there was a mistake, this book will remind you as to why we did what we did. The book goes in depth about the brutality of the former Saddam hussein regeime.
It goes into such detail about the torture, genocide and other regeime atrocities that I could just about feel the bottoms of my own bare feet being caned until the soles of my feet were completely covered with lash marks and blood.
Please read this book to remind yourselves why it was important to remove Saddam Hussein.
good book if put in perspective.......2004-05-07
Republic of Fear is written in a sensationalistic style, essentially as propaganda, but it does not detract from the reality of the unimaginable terror in the day-to-day lives of Iraqi population. Before Operation Iraqi Freedom, Iraqi exiles like Makiya, Ahmed Chalabi, and other ex-pats who made up the Iraqi National Congress had an agenda to convince foreign governments to help topple Saddam Hussein. That being said, Republic of Fear (and Cruelty and Silence as well,) provide excellent insight into the horrors and atrocities of the Baathist regime. The most valuable thing the reader comes away with is an understanding of the psyche of the Iraqi public. Had the powers-that-be read a little Makiya before the whole Abu Ghraib prison fiasco, the US would be in better standing with the Arab community.
A Chilling Look Inside An Evil Regime.......2002-10-12
This is a very good book to read at the current time. Although it is a bit dated, Republic of Fear presents an extremely detailed and in depth look at Saddam Hussein's Ba'thist regime. The party's history and it's structure are explained very well. The details are extremely chilling. The parallels between the Iraqi regime and that of Josef Stalin are plentiful, from mass killings to child indoctrination. It is obvious early in the book that Iraq is a country ruled by fear and death, where a large percent of the population spies and informs on their neighbors.
Also interesting is the operational makeup of the Iraqi security apparatus. It is through this web of overlapping agencies that Hussein stays in absolute control. The man himself is portrayed as a fiendishly clever but thugish brute who will kill absolutely anyone to stay on top. The Iraqi people are identified as cowed sheep who are desperate to find a way to avoid contact with officials or any kind of Iraqi administration.
Just hope for a free Iraq, it could be a reality very soon.
Good historical background on Iraq and it's politics........1998-05-23
This book goes into great details on the politics of Iraq for the past several decades.
Average customer rating:
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Green Guide Parrots of Australia (Australian Green Guides)
Terence Lindsey
Manufacturer: New Holland Publishers,
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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