Book Description
My baby instruction manual gives parents over 100 quick, easy-to-do lists of proven, mom-tested, pediatrician endorsed tips. Included are chapters on eating, sleeping, crying, bathing and a myriad of other subjects. There are no lengthy paragraphs to read, just fast, reliable help when over-stressed parents need it!
Customer Reviews:
Easy tips and quick to read.......2007-05-23
Common sense advice that we sometimes need in the middle of a crisis!
I enjoyed the easy to read tips and cute photos through-out the book. "Help, My Baby Came without Instructions" has good advice for your marriage and reminders to take care of yourself -- something we often forget to do when we're taking care of our new babies.
I wish I had this book around when I brought my twin daughters home. They were difficult to get to sleep and if I had used some of Blythe's advice they would probably be better sleepers today!
Unless you have NO idea what youre doing, I'd skip it.......2006-12-30
I thought most of the info in this book was pretty common sense. Its sort of a cute little book which is why I gave it two stars, but I didn't learn anything from it.
A must read for all new parents!.......2006-04-10
I bought this for a present and found myself reading it before I gift wrapped it. Sure wish this book had been around when my kids were babies. Great tips, and very easy to read! Can pick it up on the spot during a "crisis" and get immediate advise! Just right for those times when you don't want to bother the pediatrician, but could use some really good suggestions. Great for new mom's groups to use for discussions as well...hurry up with the sequel Blythe!!!
Just in the Nick of Time!.......2006-03-29
I was out for the first time with a friend after having my little girl and I saw the book, "Help, My Baby Came Without Instructions." That's exactly what I was thinking at the time so I bought it. My friend was in town to help out with the baby for the weekend so while I took a much needed rest, she read a couple of the tips in the book. Viola, when I got up I did't hear crying and the baby was asleep in the crib... for the first time! The warm blanket comforted her and putting her in the corner of the crib instead of the middle was perfect. So many of Blythe's tips have helped us. I don't know where we'd be today without knowing these valuable bits of helpful information!
Blythe's Book.......2006-03-28
I happened upon Blythe Lipman's "Help! My Baby Came Without Instructions!" while shopping for my niece, a first-time mom. It seemed the perfect gift.
For safety's sake, I asked a couple of my pediatrician pals to peruse the book. They gave it "two thumbs up."
"Blythe's advice is right on target," one of the physicians said.
"These are the same things I say to my new mothers," the other reported.
Not only was my niece pleased with her present, she is constantly telling me how helpful it is.
Now I know exactly what to do when a similar occasion arises: Buy Blythe's book.
Book Description
Stonewall Jackson depended on him; General Lee complimented him; Union soldiers admired him; and ladies adored him--this dashing, handsome, young Henry Kyd Douglas. He rode with Stonewall. He fought at the side of Ashby. He lived, joked and courted with Jeb Stuart.
From his meeting with John Brown, shortly before Harper's Ferry, through the long bitter years of the Civil War, he clung to the Southern cause. He fought its battles and endured its defeats. And he captured it all, in a resonant prose, in his diaries.
Douglas was born in 1840, became a laywer and was the youngest member of Stonewall Jackson's staff. At the close of the war he was in command of the Light Brigade. After the war he pratices law, rose to prominence in Maryland, and died in 1903.
Customer Reviews:
A Great Read! .......2007-08-20
Written by a man who was close to Jackson, but published over 75 years after the fact, this account may or may not be totally factual. Nevertheless, even if it contains a modicum of BS, it is still first-hand BS, and to me this is so much more interesting than accepting someone's perhaps biased "interpretation" of the same events well over a century later.
Is This Memoir a Hoax? .......2006-02-20
I read this book in 1979, and would rate it highly as a good read.
However, I was disappointed a few years ago to learn that the entire thing is a fabrication, a string of lies from beginning to end.
A lot of men lie about their military service. Apparently Douglas was one of the more flagrant exemplers.
Unfortunately, I can't back up what I'm saying. I have no source. I forget where I read it.
While re-reading a passage in Shelby Foote's narrative history, I came across the account of Stonewall sitting on the fence, eating the lemon. Douglas is, I believe, the main, if not the only source for the "Lemon Legend."
I wondered to myself, "Now where did I read that Douglas's memoir was an utter fabrication? I'll check the Amazon reviews; surely someone will have debunked this book."
So here I am. My only point is, don't believe me or Douglas.
Let the Reader Beware.
Can anyone shed some light on this?
Classic Memoir of the Civil War.......2004-10-02
"I Rode with Stonewall" is one of the finest personal narratives of the Civil War, America's most decisive and costly conflict. The author, Henry Kyd Douglas, began writing this memoir soon after the conclusion of the war, but put it aside for more than thirty years while he practiced law and raised a family. At his death, his book about the war had not been edited and it wasn't until a descendent discovered the transcript and found a publisher that it was finally released in 1940, on the even of another great martial struggle. I purchased my first copy on a visit to the Fredericksburg battlefield more than twenty years ago and after reading most of it on a flight back from Washington D.C. to California, left it on the plane and in the days before the Internet, it was hard to secure another. Fortunately, on another tour of Civil War battlefields and museums, I managed to bring a copy back for my library - it's that memorable a book. Henry Kyd Douglas was a native of Maryland and a dashing young officer who served on Stonewall Jackson's staff in the early stages of the Civil War. And, like many other Confederate officers and enlisted men, he was devoted to the stern, brilliant artilleryman. Douglas later had a field command and despite being wounded no less than six times, he survived four years of brutal war. Unfortunately, other young heroes of the Confederacy, friends of Douglas like John Pegram, Sandy Pendleton and John Pelham did not. Douglas was handsome, dashing, brave and outgoing and because of these qualities, he was popular with officers on both sides in the war and a favorite of the Southern belles. His account is peppered with fond encounters, but always chivalrous, he abbreviates the names of the women he flirted with. Although the book is full of death, of lives lost in the ill-fated cause of the Confederacy and the abominable institution of slavery, it also shows that there was an idealistic and romantic side to the war. Even in the service of a bad cause, the terrible conflict between North and South brought out the deeper qualities of the men that served. Jeffrey Morseburg
A Great Memoir and A Fun Read!.......1998-05-29
This book, first published in 1940 - long after Douglas' death - is based on Douglas' war-time journal and personal papers. Douglas began to assemble them into book form several times, but never had them published; his relatives did......What emerges are wonderful portraits of Douglas, Jackson (for whom Douglas was a staff officer) and many other well-known (and not so well-known) soldiers and civilians caught in the Civil War. Douglas is decidedly pro-Jackson, but Douglas also shows us the real Jackson: a man who could be cruel to the extreme and then gentle and kind a few moments later. The book is fill with humorous anecdotes, which make it a "fun read" - I could not put it down. Yet there is an underlying sadness in the book, as one watches Douglas' many friends being killed off, sees the homes of his family and civilian friends burned or otherwise destroyed. Douglas never explicitly states it, but the reader can feel the anguish that Douglas - and many others - experienced....... One thing Douglas did not do was go into great detail about each battle. He reasoned that later historians, with a better overall view of things, would do a much better job. What he does do is "put you there" - whether in battle, in camp, or on some small adventure. This is one fantastic book! Along with the memoirs of Gen. E.P. Alexander, these memoirs are about the best I have ever read. Simply a great book!
Average customer rating:
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I Rode With Stonewall
Manufacturer: Premier Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000ERNCTA |
Product Description
A history of the Civil War.
Average customer rating:
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I Rode with Stonewall
Manufacturer: Mockingbird
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000GYF2JO |
Book Description
This brief overview provides both a chronological and a thematic analysis of European history since 1945.
Customer Reviews:
Concise but thorough.......2005-06-05
This is certainly one of the better books of its type. Wegs and Ladrech have presented history in a lively, interesting style that manages to avoid a tendency to be dull or `dry'. The book follows a logical order from the end of World War 2 and the consequent rise of the Superpowers, through to the fall of Communism in Eastern Europe. All important aspects of this period are covered such as economic recovery in Western Europe, the end of the Eurocentric order, the Cold War, Eastern and Western European politics, post war society and the student riots of the 1960's. The final two chapters in the book cover culture and thought in Europe and a look toward the 21st century.
In the introduction, the authors freely state they have `favoured conciseness over excessive attention to detail'. In being concise however, the authors have merely avoided excessive, over detailed prose and have not omitted essential detail. This is a work that should prove invaluable to students of this era.
Book Description
W.M. Spellman explores the past half century focusing on key topics such as human migration, science and technology, international business, religion and politics, and the break-up of Europe's overseas empires. Two central points of debate are examined: the struggle between centralized socialism and free-market capitalism and the interaction between the forces of cultural fragmentation and the competing integrative forces of "globalization" or world culture.
Book Description
Keith Robbins' accessible and stimulating account of world history since 1945 provides a framework for making sense of the political and social developments of the period. The focus is firmly on global political interaction. The underlying theme of the book is the tension between the world conceived as a unity and as a diversity. From this perspective, the author discusses the impulse towards globalization in the aftermath of the Second World War, the divisions inherent in the Cold War, and the shifting allegiances and conflicts in the decades which followed.
Average customer rating:
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Concise History Of British Social Policy Since The Second World War (Gildredge Social Policy)
Robert Page
Manufacturer: Routledge
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 Social Services & Welfare
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ASIN: 0415297877 |
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- See Griffith's more recent work and impressive reviews
- A home brew of holistic science and extreme idealism
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Free: The End of the Human Condition--The Biological Reason Why Humans Have Had to Be Individual, Competitive, Egocentric, and Aggressive
Jeremy Griffith
Manufacturer: FHA Publishing & Communications Pty Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Self-Help
| Health, Mind & Body
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Developmental Psychology
| Psychology & Counseling
| Health, Mind & Body
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ASIN: 0731604954 |
Book Description
Author Jeremy Griffith's first book that introduces the reader to the issue of the human condition and his biological explanation of it. It describes how the anger and selfishness felt by humans is the result of a conflict between two factions within ourselves - the gene-based instinctive self struggling against the nerve-based intellect's need and responsibility to understand existence. The conflict caused humans to live with an undeserved sense of guilt that understanding now ameliorates.
Griffith has written two other books, his second in 1991 'Beyond The Human Condition' and his third in 2003 'A Species In Denial', which has become a bestseller in Australia and New Zealand. Both books are also available on Amazon.com.
Customer Reviews:
See Griffith's more recent work and impressive reviews.......2006-03-03
I strongly urge any readers of Jeremy Griffith's book `Free: The End of The Human Condition' to also look at his 1991 book `Beyond The Human Condition' and probably even more significantly his 2003 book `A Species In Denial', which has become a Bestseller in Australia and New Zealand and continues to receive critical acclaim.
These books are also available on www.amazon.com - the Amazon.com page for `A Species In Denial' contains an extraordinarily supportive review from one of the world's leading scientists. I also encourage readers to visit the website www.humancondition.info for even more recent publications and essays by Jeremy Griffith.
A home brew of holistic science and extreme idealism.......2006-03-01
Jeremy Griffith, out in Terry Hills, Australia, has had a vision. The Sydney Morning Herald called him "a man who went in search of the Tasmanian Tiger and found the meaning of life". It then asked, "Is this person a prophet, a saint, or just a crackpot?".
For sixteen years, while establishing a furniture factory, Griffith worked toward his book, driven by a "desperate need to reconcile my extreme idealism with reality". The result is an instantly controversial blend of holistic science and messianic vision, akin to the efforts of Ken Wilber or Teilhard de Chardin, except more down home.
Amazon.com
Granted privileged access to Russia's secret archives, Edvard Radzinsky has broken down the iron curtain of myth, secrecy and lies that has surrounded Stalin's life and career, painting a picture of the Soviet strongman as more calculating, ruthless and blood-crazed than has ever been described or imagined.
Book Description
From the author of The Last Tsar, the first full-scale life of Stalin to have what no previous biography has entirely gotten hold of: the facts. Granted privileged access to Russia's secret archives, Edvard Radzinsky paints a picture of the Soviet strongman as more calculating, ruthless, and blood-crazed than has ever been described or imagined. Stalin was a man for whom power was all, terror a useful weapon, and deceit a constant companion.
As Radzinsky narrates the high drama of Stalin's epic quest for domination-first within the Communist Party, then over the Soviet Union and the world-he uncovers the startling truth about this most enigmatic of historical figures. Only now, in the post-Soviet era, can what was suppressed be told: Stalin's long-denied involvement with terrorism as a young revolutionary; the crucial importance of his misunderstood, behind-the-scenes role during the October Revolution; his often hostile relationship with Lenin; the details of his organization of terror, culminating in the infamous show trials of the 1930s; his secret dealings with Hitler, and how they backfired; and the horrifying plans he was making before his death to send the Soviet Union's Jews to concentration camps-tantamount to a potential second Holocaust. Radzinsky also takes an intimate look at Stalin's private life, marked by his turbulent relationship with his wife Nadezhda, and recreates the circumstances that led to her suicide.
As he did in The Last Tsar, Radzinsky thrillingly brings the past to life. The Kremlin intrigues, the ceaseless round of double-dealing and back-stabbing, the private worlds of the Soviet Empire's ruling class-all become, in Radzinsky's hands, as gripping and powerful as the great Russian sagas. And the riddle of that most cold-blooded of leaders, a man for whom nothing was sacred in his pursuit of absolute might--and perhaps the greatest mass murderer in Western history--is solved.
Customer Reviews:
Literate and dramatic bio.......2007-06-06
This is a literate and dramatic telling of Stalin's life and times from birth to death. The knowns and unknowns of Stalin are covered, as well as his colleagues (or adverseries in Stalin's case). The author's style is literary - a playwright by vocation - as if writing a novel. So, yes, there are the usual cliffhanger chapter endings and is suspensful to a degree - - a definite page turner overall. Also, the author is a native who lived part of his childhood during the Stalin era and his father felt the full brunt of Stalinism. So I like the touch of the personal emotion here. Is more readable and personable than the Conquest and Service bios, and covers more time than Montefiore. I heartily recommend.
Great Book.......2007-05-19
Of all the Stalin books, this is the best one by far. I strongly recommend it.
Very biased and Anti Communist Propaganda book.......2006-10-17
I m not a big fan of communism, nor of Stalin. But I cross checked the facts mentioned in this book with facts in some other books I have read on similar subject and found that author Edvard Radzinsky is strongly biased against Stalin. In the entire book he seems to give no credit for anything to Stalin nor to his leadership qualities during the course of Second World War. Dont waste your money on a propaganda book. Better to go for an unbiased account from a neutral observer, thats what Biographies are supposed to be.
Engaging.......2006-03-31
This is one of the most interesting biographies that I have ever read. It should be, as the author is also a successful Russian playwright, and he is not inexperienced at writing biographies. Combine this talent for researching and telling dramatic stories with the fact that the author had privileged access to formerly top-secret archives of the Soviet Union, and the ingredients are there for the compulsive read that it is.
Radzinsky makes it clear just how little is known about Stalin's early years. Nevertheless, he considers various testimonies and documents to offer several possibilities about the nature of each of his parents - an absent father and a poor, toiling mother. Considering similar kinds of evidence, and also painting a picture of how Georgia may have been like at the close of the 19th Century, the author also offers glimpses of a child who was always small, feisty, and yet natural as a leader.
His mother pressures him into going to a seminary school so that he may become an orthodox priest. However, this proves to be against a backdrop of various ideologies and revolutionaries, and so we can imagine the transition as Stalin goes from bright student, to atheist, and on to zealous terrorist who has no qualms about taking innocent lives for his ideals.
Stalin's rise to prominence is just as fascinating, in its own way, as Hitler's; but we don't only meet Stalin. We see a lot of Soviet history in the making, and we meet an array of colourful contemporaries along the way. The book is gripping as we read about revolutions, wars, civil wars, the rise and death of Lenin, and the rise of Stalin as he consolidates absolute power into his own hands. By now, we have already glimpsed just how un-human his heart can be, but that is only just the beginning in what is to become an all out attempt to eliminate all political rivals and all classes who may not conform to a system that promises a utopia built upon a foundation of human bones.
There is brief respite during WWII, where some power had to be given back to the generals. With this sense of relative freedom, and the victory over Nazi Germany, it seems as if for a while things will get better. However, as soon as the war is over, the time for independent thinkers is over, and it's back to purges, and then the purges of those who purged, once more.
Unfortunately, I could never really get a feel for how accurate some of the story was, as this is the first major biography on Stalin that I have read, and I have also read relatively little on Soviet history in general. Some reviewers praise this book, saying how they use it to teach their high-school students. Others attack it for being unfounded lies and propaganda. Having been a student of history for some while, I never got the sense that it was too much of the latter; but then I wouldn't be aware of some of the more technical points. Still, if like any other book it can't be assumed to be absolute fact, I continue to feel there has to be much to it that is fair.
Overall, I thought Radzinsky was clear about the fallibility of his explanations, and I always felt as if I were being allowed to draw my own conclusions. The only time that I really questioned the validity of some of his arguments was when it came to Radzinsky's interpretation of Stalin's death, and the seeming conclusion that one way or another Stalin was murdered. This was when at best it looked as if people had been slow to help him because he was not in his normal place to issue commands from the top; and at worst it looked like he may have suffered from a well-deserved dose of neglect. Neither of these possibilities would personally lead me to conclude 'murder'. Still, as I have said, I was able to reach this conclusion for myself, based on the fact that Radzinsky presented alternative evidence and that he was clear when his own conclusions were not absolute.
To sum up, this is a fascinating read; a real page-turner. The story seemed fairly balanced and accurate to me (but then I couldn't be certain). Nevertheless, it was very colourful and highly entertaining. I think it's a very recommendable book.
Solid Research Based on Russian Archives.......2006-02-02
The research done in this book is solid. I read both Russian and English stories, articles, and even books on the recently (if you can call mid nineties that) opened archived by the FSB (then KGB).
Radzinsky does little to interfere with his opinion. He is solely the messenger here, the message is what has been rumored about, spoken of, conspired around, and basically shared in millions of dining rooms, "skomeyak" while old men played dominoes.
Most of what is projected to the reader has been known for some time, especially in Russia proper. Some of the most incredible finds are not really anything knew to most Russian; mainly those that read "Suvorov" back when he first made allegations that based on the numbers, his own eyes when documents passed him, that Stalin was, indeed, planning to attack Hitler first. The difference with Radzinsky and Suvorov, is the incentive.
These finds, of course, would be, and were met with outrage. Partisans would never want to submit they sacrificed so much just for some madman's play. The maginitude of personal destruction, farms, families, culture, religion, all for what? The more documents come to light, the more truth and evidence that this was, in fact, a very real possibility.
Radzinsky does an excellent job of sifting through a lot, picking up where there was little trace, and attempting to explain, as subtle as he can, the sheer magnificance of the issue.
Customer Reviews:
Chamberlain is great the book is dull.......2001-08-29
It has been several years since I read Soul of the Lion. However, although the Civil War years of Chamberlain are quite interesting and alive, the rest of the book is quite dull. Chamberlain's remaining days in Maine and Florida are just not very interesting reading. I attribute most of this to Wallace's weakness as a writer.
A fitting tribute to an outstanding General and Soldier........2000-08-15
This is an excellent book by Willard M. Wallace that was first written in 1960. It begins with the family background of the Chamberlain family and its historical roots back in Europe and then goes to the birth of Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain and details his life story, in which many triumphs and tragedies happened. While this book was written in a "romantic glossy tone", it is an excellent resouce for material about this gallant soldier and his contribution to save the Union at Gettysburg and Petersburg
A man of immense intellect Chamberlain spoke many languages and was a gifted writer and poet. His natural leadership abilities was an inspiration not only to the students at Bowdoin College in Maine, but also to the 20th Maine on the hard fought day of July 2, 1863. This man quite possibly saved the Battle and thus the Union with his suprising and daring charge down Little Round Top thus suprising the men of the 15th Alabama and the rest of Confederate General Evander Law's Brigade.
A true leader, as the book points out, Chamberlain was elected Governor of Maine and in later life was a great speaker at many GAR Reunions.
This is an excellent book and highly recommended to anyone who wants to know more about the brave and amazing Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain.
Very good biography of Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain.......2000-06-19
Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain is one of the greatest American military heroes of all time. He won the Congressional Medal of Honor for his courageous leadership of the 20th Maine Volunteer Regiment at the Battle of Gettysburg in 1863, thereby ensuring his place in history. "Soul of the Lion," by Willard M. Wallace, is a well written biography of Chamberlain. With clear and lively prose, Wallace chronicles Chamberlain's early life and career as a professor at Bowdoin College; his rise from command of the 20th Maine to general officer rank in the Union army; and his unfailingly heroic performance in some of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War, including Fredericksburg, Gettysburg, Petersburg, and Five Forks.
Wallace also details Chamberlain's post-Civil War career as Governor of Maine (1867-1871); President of Bowdoin College (1871-1883); and unsuccessful businessman. Especially interesting was how Chamberlain, as commander of Maine's militia, saved the state from violent anarchy during the 1880 gubernatorial election.
Despite being well written, "Soul of the Lion" doesn't quite approach the depth found in the best biographies of military leaders. I would have especially appreciated more detailed information concerning Chamberlain's relationships with his family members. This is only a minor reservation, however; "Soul of the Lion" is a good basic survey of Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain's life, and a highly recommendable book about one of the great Americans of the 19th century.
A Classic Biography that Stands the Test of Time.......1999-12-11
Although John Pullen recently wrote a biography of Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, Willard Wallace's 1960 classic remains a highly readible and informative gem. This was an era of great writing about the Civil war, including Bruce Catton's Centenial trilogy and the first two volume's of Shelby Foote's masterpiece. Wallace's writing is equally lucid and his coverage is vast in scope. He devotes nealy as many pages to Chmaberlain's post war career as he does to his heroic years as the Colonel of the 20th Maine and later General. We all know of the heroics of Bowdoin professor (turned military leader) Chamberlain on Little Round Top but he also was instrumental in the final battles near Petersburg at Five Forks and Quaker Road. Despite being wounded (for what seems to be the umpteenth time) he went on to rally his troops. After the war he went on to serve a governor of Maine and President of Bowdoin College. His Presidency of Bowdoin was progressive but troubled. Quite simply, his innovations were ahead of their time thus opposed by many in the Bowdoin community. In politics, he was independent, answering to no bosses and as head of the Maine militia, he put down a near inserection, after a disputed election, without calling out his troops. This is a great book about a great American. I highly recommend it.
Common man with an extraordinary life as soldier & statesman.......1999-01-10
The biography of Joshua Chamberlin is about a common man who had an extraordinary life as a result of a seminal event at the Battle of Gettysburg. He was a professor in Maine who decided it was his duty to serve his country. He had no military training, but became one of General Grant's most trusted generals. He fought in some of the most terrible battles in the war. For his courage at Gettysburg by turning the Confederates flank on the Little Roundtop with a bayonet charge, he was awarded the Medal of Honor. After the war, he was Maine's governor and statesman until his death. A truly inspiring life story.
Book Description
MIGHT IS RIGHT is an unprecedented book by an author of extraordinary virility and rugged primeval force, whose sense perceptions border on the supernatural. The Laws of Nature are explained, defined and expounded upon in detail in eloquent 19th century English.
Customer Reviews:
Good.......2007-09-07
The only reason this is not a five, is because of the racist and anti-semetic tone this follows. Otherwise, it's excellent. If not taken too literally, it can be an excellent book to draw some inspiration from.
Philosphy of Nature.......2007-07-21
Written under a pseudonym, the author's true identity still remains a heavily debated mystery.
Might is Right is a book of philosophy. The author's boldness in challenging the conventional wisdoms of modern society and his refreshingly new outlook on life and society ought to rate his standing and work among the philosophers most heavily promoted by modern academics - Plato, Socrates, Aristotle, Nietzsche, Sartre, and Locke.
The author observes that modern people have been brainwashed to live their lives against the laws of nature. He challenges the teachings of modern society and modern religions of Christianity, Judaism and others in that there is nothing virtuous at all in being meek, or humble, or weak, or poor, or submissive, or obedient. The glorifications of these self deprecating traits are simply lies that have allowed religions, politicians, governments, and financiers to control populations. The author proclaims that natural virtue comes from being strong, bold, powerful, courageous, wise, audacious, defiant, valiant, loyal to friends, dangerous even in defeat, and never blindly believing anything.
As good as I hoped........2007-05-09
This book is just as good as I hoped. The editor gives a short history of the book and has references all throughout it. In the beginning, the editor states that he had the book reprinted for educational purposes. The message of the book can be harsh but the core of it is quite true (mature readers only).
Only the Strong.......2007-03-15
This book is for the intelligent and strong minded. Not for the weak and timid. Absolutley intersting.
Ignore nature and be punished to the point of extinction!.......2007-02-02
This book is about extreme Social Darwinism. The problem with this is that Ragnar's understanding of Darwin was flawed and of it's time - What is wrong with Ragnar's understanding of Darwin is the meaning of "survival of the fittest". What Darwin meant was that in any environment one species over another will "fit" [or survive] better. I prefer cool climates so I live in the North - I do not do so well in hot climates, so even avoid them on holidays - that is what "survival of the fittest" means. The term is not an [..] to be a sociopathic Social Darwinist - or - "a lion on the path". The fact that some people after reading this book view themselves as "a lion on the path' only supports the 1906 advertising which stated "this book is not for the immature", and is no doubt the reason the book has been on and off the banned list since it was first published.
There is another fundamental flaw with Ragnar's view: He reasons but apparently does not realize it.
In "The Selfish Gene" Richard Dawkins states that the only purpose of a [human] organism is to act as a dna carrier - it is through the [human] organism that dna replicates and survives. However, Dawkins notes that of all dna carriers humans alone have an inate ability to reason. He calls this "Conscious Foresight" and states that it is this that allows us to not participate in the most extreme behaviours [ie. violent social darwinism to the max]. Ragnar overlooks the fact that he reasons, the fact that it is a part of our Nature to reason, and the fact that "reason" or "conscious foresight" because they exist, are naturally a part of Nature. Nature, according to Ragnar, is "Right" [so this oversight on Ragnar's part makes him "wrong"].
For me this oversight was a major blunder in his reasoning and his understanding of Nature and made the final part of the book tedious [The final third of the book is mostly Ragnar ranting!]
So why did I give it 5 stars?
1.
The editor of this edition has done an excellent job of researching obscure and colloquial terms and has provided helpful notes throughout the book. It saved me a lot of time reaching for the dictionary. However, effort is still required to read this book as it is over 100 years old. It's not for the "immature" or "more-ons".
2.
Ragnar has the ability to be liberating. I found myself challenged on many occassions - and often found myself re-evaluating long held assumptions and conditionings.
3.
Ragnar understood the fundamental rule of Nature: "Let a tribe of human animals live a rational life. Nature will smile upon them; but let them attempt to organize an unnatural mode of existence....and they will be punished even to the point of extermination"
4.
On what basis should these viewpoints not be read or discussed?
Potentially transformational - read it and think for your-self.
Product Description
Reprint of Dil Pickle edition of 1927 with an introduction by anarchist Laurance Labadie. "Might is Right," subtitled "The Survival of the Fittest," was first published in Chicago in 1896 and the identity of its pseudonymous author has been the subject of debate ever since -- indeed may never be known for sure. Some have argued that the book has the hallmarks of Jack London's early style, while others have pointed out that London did not read Nietzsche, whose influence pervades "Might is Right," until eight years later. Among other even less plausible candidates for authorship is iconoclast Ambrose Bierce. Anarchist S E Parker agrees with those who think it was written by New Zealander Arthur Desmond -- though for literary rather than any other obvious
reasons, since Desmond, of English and Irish parents, was a trade union organizer, radical publisher and writer who supported the Maori cause -- surely the antithesis of "Might is Right." Or could it be that this unapologetically racist, mysogynist, anti-Christian, anti-semitic, anti-everything book is in fact not to be taken at face value, but is really the bitterest of straight-faced satires on extremist and conservative thought? That is another question about this unusual book that may never be answered with certainty. Read it, and decide for yourself.
Book Description
"...a book as rich in detail as it is devastating in its argument." -SCIENTIFIC AMERICAN
"Water Follies deserves a place alongside the late Marc Reisner's classic Cadillac Desert." -ENVIRONMENT
"a lively account of hydrology" -NEW YORK REVIEW OF BOOKS
"if you want to scare yourself silly, read Water Follies, by Robert Jerome Glennon. In it you'll learn how America is irrigating itself to death-just like the Sumerians-while sucking its groundwater aquifers dry."-TORONTO GLOBE & MAIL
Customer Reviews:
Water Follies - a must read for water concerns.......2007-06-08
I gave this book to a friend who just completed an environmental science degree. She said she thought it should be required reading. She learned about some major water concerns in this book that she wasn't taught in classes she took on this same subject. If you are at all concerned about the future of our water supply, you must read this book. While most of us cannot fight the big battles that this issue requires, we can stop buying McDonald's french fries, farm-raised salmon, farm-raised blueberries, etc. Even if you aren't majoring in environmental sciences, read this book. It is an eye opener. We are all going to be affected by a water shortage in the near future. We need to be educated about this very severe problem. Those who control the water will control the world.
Pumping too Much.......2006-08-24
Glennon writes in plain English to warn Americans of the growing danger under our feet. We are pumping groundwater, the gift of fresh and wholesome well water, at an unsustainable rate across the country. Glennon ties groundwater to surface water and illustrates in terms that are as accessible as they are urgent that the United States is headed for a crisis of our own making.
Using a number of case studies, Glennon gives us a glimpse of the American approach to ground water. Throughout much of the US, ground water is considered legally separate from surface water. Within this legal framework, there are few restrictions placed on the use (and abuse) of a critical resource that respects neither property lines nor political boundaries. Indeed, the law encourages abuse with a use-it-or-lose it philosophy to ownership of ground water. Whoever pumps the most wins. Unfortunately, we are pumping so much ground water that rivers, lakes, and ponds across the nation are running dry--ruining many local ecosystems in the process and setting ourselves up for major economic ramifications. With the studies Glennon has chosen, he shows us the consequences of unrestricted ground water pumping for lawns, for agricultural uses, and in support of mining. In every case, Glennon demonstrates that we are doing grave damage to ourselves with our profligate pumping.
This book belongs on the reading list of all high school and college students, regardless of major or course of study.
The biggest pump wins!.......2005-08-28
If we say "Glennon covers all the ground" in a book about water, will the reader be confused? Let's take the risk, since that is precisely what the author does in this excellent study. From the ways in which water collects or flows on the land's surface to the movement of water deep in the earth, Glennon carefully explains how water accumulates. He describes farm, mining and even water for scenic tourist views.Water consumption has been an economic, social and legal issue since the colonies were founded almost four centuries ago.
The legacy of those early efforts to distribute water to thirsty farms and communities is a central theme of this book. As settlement moved westward, readily available water waned. Contention arose between early settlers and those arriving later. Farm use of water was challenged by mining and industry as communities grew. In the West, as available surface water was used or claimed, fresh sources were sought. These proved to be buried deep beneath the surface - "ground water". Ground water was a mysterious resource to many - it still is, according to Glennon. Although it's known that, like streams, ground water reserves must be "recharged", only a little is understood about the rate of inflow or, too often, the source of refreshment. In a nation that consumes over 5000 litres per person per day, the availability of fresh water is a major consideration.
Glennon presents a string of vignettes of water issues in the USA. The selection process allows him to present a spectrum of issues surrounding water availability and use. Although naturally focussing his study in the West where availability and variations in types of demand complicate an already complex area. The stops include San Antonio, a minor river in California, mining in Arizona and Nevada. The East isn't ignored - rivers in Massachusetts and Florida are impacted by groundwater pumping. A Florida case is most enlightening. Groundwater pumping drained moist soils, putting houses at risk and drying lakes. The lake problem was addressed by re-filling the lakes - with more groundwater!
Nearly every case demonstrates the level of ignorance surrounding how water moves and impacts its environment. The legal issues Glennon discusses air this problem admirably. The law considerations range from "the commons" [where all have access] to those who settle first gaining full rights which followers must adapt to or contest. Western court archives are stuffed with litigation records over access. In too many cases, decisions have rested on who needs the most water - the biggest pump often wins. Glennon explains how the science of hydrography and legal decisions over water are often at best disparate. In other cases the two disciplines are sharply at odds. His conclusion suggests these divergencies can be overcome. A number of compromises will have to be reached. The biggest problem, however, is establishing realistic priorities regarding consumption. The biggest problem is data. Collecting it while water is being consumed at astronomical rates won't be a simple task. The water is running out faster than reserves can be measured. When the USA runs out of water, they will seek it elsewhere - a fact all Canadians are well aware of. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]
A book any hydrology student should read.......2003-07-25
I read this book during a summer program dealing with freshwater resources throughout the world. It not only helped my progression through the course, but also gave me a new perspective on water as a resource. In the US most of us do not give a second thought to the water we use in our everyday lives. Even in regions plagued by drought modern technology adds to the illusion that water is everywhere and limitless. However, any reader of this book will tell you differently. It takes you through different case studies through out the country where water use has had dramatic influence on the environment we live in. It explains not just the science of the situation but also the politics often behind the scenes as well. I would highly recommend this book to any student, professor, or hobbyist with an interest in hydrology.
The same motives as Scheherazade.......2003-01-19
Most recent controversy over the use and conservation of America's fresh water has concerned the water visible on the surface - river and lakes. With that as an implicit focus, we frequently argue over where dams ought to be built, what fields ought to be irrigated and at whose cost, whether homes in flood plains ought to be insured at public expense, and so forth.
Robert Glennon, a professor of law at the University of Arizona, James E. Rogers College of Law, wants to draw our attention to invisible water, and to the question how we might best avoid either polluting or running out of it.
Early on, he tells the story of Ubar, a city of ancient Arabia, an oasis for the camel caravans of its time, and a place of fabulous wealth. Scheherazade spoke of Ubar in one of her thousand-and-one tales, as did countless bedouins around countless campfires. It became an Arabian Sodom, reputedly destroyed at the peak of its splendor by an angry God. What Glennon adds is that Ubar (in what we now call Oman) was a very real place.
In the 1980s, an amateur archeologist, Nicholas Clapp, led an expedition that successfully located and unearthed the fortress that had once guarded the precious spring-fed well that had made the city a port of call for those desert-crossing voyagers. It now appears that sometime between 300 and 500 AD, Ubar simply fell. It collapsed of its own weight, into a huge underground limestone cavern - the cavern that its wells had progressively emptied of water. The groundwater had held the city up, physically as well as fiscally. So Ubar, having exended its capital, sank out of sight, and entered legend as the "Atlantis of the desert" (T.E. Lawrence's phrase.)
Glennon tells this story for the same three reasons that Scheherazade did: to charm, to instruct, to survive.
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