Book Description
Kids will be kids, which, among other things, means that they develop some unhealthy habits, like riding bicycles without a helmet, watching too much TV, or eating too many cookies. And for the most part, as they get older and become responsible adults, kids learn to shed those bad habits that lead to adult diseases like osteoporosis, high cholesterol, and obesity.
The fact of the matter is that unhealthy lifestyle habits that plague us later in life develop from an early age. The good news is that these potentially debilitating conditions and precursors to adult diseases can be prevented or lessened by making some very simple lifestyle adjustments. GOOD KIDS, BAD HABITS provides kids and parents with the means to make a personalized program that will help children grow into the healthiest adults they can be.
A comprehensive "BehaviorRater" test sets the stage for the book, and helps parents target which areas a child should focus on improving, whether it involves cutting down on sugar, getting more exercise, or making the right choices under the duress of peer pressure. Once a basic personalized program is created (which accounts for a child's age, temperament, and other unique factors), readers can use the RealAge® metric to understand how certain healthy habits will benefit the child in later years.
GOOD KIDS, BAD HABITS will help parents encourage their kids to enjoy exercise, eat right, manage stress, and develop healthy intellectual and emotional habit
Customer Reviews:
Common Sense Advice.......2007-09-27
I ordered the book to find the magic solution to my son's (age 6) bad eating habits. My other 3 kids eat anything. The book had very useful advice but no earth shattering solutions - just good common sense. I enjoyed reading the book and was glad I did, but it did not help. It did reinforce many things were were already doing as a family. It was a good check up.
What's new.......2007-05-09
I eagerly ordered Good Kids, Bad Habits, hoping for new insights and parenting tips. The first problem was that my children are 12, 14 & 17 years old, and the book's advice targeted parents with much younger children. Unfortunaltely some of us with teens and preteens have still not figured out how best to shepard our children into the healthest possible lifestyles, given our modern culture.
I read the book anyway, and was struck with the thought that very few of the suggestions presented by the author were new or original. Many of the main stream suggestions have been in parents' magazine articles for decades. The title and cover of the book were the most creative and original part of the package.
The author is a pediatrician, yet little or no science graced the pages.
Of course I was not been able to bring myself to toss the book in the recycle bin. So I have donated the paperback to the local library. A 5 minute scan of the text at the library, should provide you with all its insights.
No Picnic.......2007-04-10
I have read part of this book. It is work, no easy answers. You have to evaluate, evaluate, evaluate.... I have started with one child, but then the next question is about another child. I'll work it out. But you have to do the work.
The BEST book I have ever read.......2007-04-04
This book is the very best one I have ever read on kids and nutrition!
LOVE THIS BOOK.......2007-03-08
What a fantastic book! Useful advice given in a practical and non-judgemental way. Dr. Jen provides a fantastic road map for helping to put your child on the path of a healthy life both physically & mentally. As the Mom of a 9-year old son, I really appreciated her advice on parenting children during the 'tween years and thoughts on self-esteem.
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Good Kids/bad Habits (prince): DiGeronimo
Charles E. Schaefer
Manufacturer: Three Rivers Press
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Braun IRT 4020 ThermoScan Ear Thermometer
ASIN: 0517880032
Release Date: 1993-02-16 |
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Good Kids/Bad Habits
Manufacturer: Random House Trade Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0517588862 |
Book Description
The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Battle Cry of Freedom and the New York Times bestseller Crossroads of Freedom, among many other award-winning books, James M. McPherson is America's preeminent Civil War historian. Now, in this collection of provocative and illuminating essays, McPherson offers fresh insight into many of the most enduring questions about one of the defining moments in our nation's history. McPherson sheds light on topics large and small, from the average soldier's avid love of newspapers to the postwar creation of the mystique of a Lost Cause in the South. Readers will find insightful pieces on such intriguing figures as Harriet Tubman, John Brown, Jesse James, and William Tecumseh Sherman, and on such vital issues such as Confederate military strategy, the failure of peace negotiations to end the war, and the realities and myths of the Confederacy. This Mighty Scourge includes several never-before-published essays--pieces on General Robert E. Lee's goals in the Gettysburg campaign, on Lincoln and Grant in the Vicksburg campaign, and on Lincoln as Commander-in-Chief. In that capacity, Lincoln invented the concept of presidential war powers that are again at the center of controversy today. All of the essays have been updated and revised to give the volume greater thematic coherence and continuity, so that it can be read in sequence as an interpretive history of the war and its meaning for America and the world. Combining the finest scholarship with luminous prose, and packed with new information and fresh ideas, this book brings together the most recent thinking by the nation's leading authority on the Civil War. It will be must reading for everyone interested in the war and American history. "James McPherson is the master historian of the Civil War in our time." --Gabor Borritt, Director, Civil War Institute, Gettysburg College "Not merely is McPherson the leading living historian of the Civil War, but he is a scholar whose knowledge and authority are unsurpassed; when McPherson speaks, even in a minor key, people listen." --Jonathan Yardley, The Washington Post
Customer Reviews:
Citizen Soldiers.......2007-09-22
The Forgotten Cause of the Civil War: A New Look at the Slavery Issue
I was very impressed with the way Union soldiers debated the issue of slavery in their letters (Slavery was not a controversy in the slave states, so no comparable debate took place among Confederate soldiers). Few Americans are also aware that Union soldiers' experience with confronting slavery in the South provided essential support for emancipation.
it is unprofessional to mix social activism and history.......2007-08-09
Instead of giving us a balanced study showing the foibles and positives of both sides, we are given this pro-Northern dribble. McPherson has a made career of distorting history to suit his social agenda, That puts him the same class as Howard Zinn and Eric Foner.
A Reader's Delight - Except for the UDC and the SCV! .......2007-08-05
With 'This Mighty Scourge: Perspectives on the Civil War' James McPherson demonstrates once again why he is America's foremost Civil War historian. McPherson serves up sixteen essays for your delectation (most of which have been previously published elsewhere).
McPherson arranges his essays around several themes: What caused the war? What were the goals of each side? What strategies did the leaders pursue? And how is the war remembered?
McPherson's genius lies in his ability to synthesize perspectives of value to any reader, but especially the general reader with some knowledge of the war. Many of the essays analyze recent scholarship with McPherson's encyclopedic knowledge and understanding gained from years of study. This reader especially appreciates McPherson's even-handed dispassionate scholarship in a still field laced with emotional landmines despite the passage of nearly 150 years.
Despite all that has been written, McPherson remains remarkably able to bring fresh insight. One essay ('Long-Legged Yankee Lies: The Lost Cause Textbook Crusade') examines the extraordinary efforts by Confederate loyalists to distort the war's history and its teaching, especially in Southern schools. No doubt that gets the goat of the SCV (Sons of Confederate Veterans) and the UDC (United Daughters of the Confederacy), but they don't like him anyway.
An earlier essay ('And the War Came') establishes beyond cavil that the institution of slavery and the interests behind it were the cause of the war. In other essays McPherson examines the relative merits of Grant, Lee, and Sherman and whether the South was foreordained to lose the war due to the imbalance of resources.
I am not a Civil War historian, but I can't imagine that even the most learned professor would not benefit from McPherson's wonderfully distilled insights. I've read a number of McPherson's other works and rank this book at the top. McPherson's sparkling prose and easy clarity made reading 'This Mighty Scourge: Perspectives on the Civil War' a rare pleasure.
Mighty Interesting.......2007-06-12
This is a fine series of essays and book reviews by the author of Battle Cry of Freedom, the best single volume on the Civil War. McPherson is a passonate and lively writer, full of interesting facts and angles on the War.
I would not, however, recommend this particular book for the Civil War neophyte, as it assumes a fair amount of prior knowledge. If your new to the subject, read Battle Cry of Freedom or any of a number of other comprehensive histories before moving on to this book.
Some of the topics:
Slavery as the the main cause of the War.
Harriet Tubman and John Brown.
Confederate war strategy-offense or defense?
Antietam as the death knell for British and French recognition of the Confederacy.
Lee's goals in Gettysberg campaign.
Jesse James' post-war motivations.
Southern censorship of history textbooks inconsistent with the "Lost Cause."
Grant and Sherman.
The North's transition from restraint to total war.
Copperhead newspapers.
Peace negotiations.
Herndon on Lincoln.
Lincoln's exercise of war powers.
The tension between war powers and civil liberties is addressed in the last topic. After a military commission jailed Clement Vallandigham for "disloyal sentiments and opinions" at a crucial stage of the War, the Copperheads howled about free speech, trial by jury, and habeas corpus. Lincoln's famous response: "Must I shoot a simpleminded soldier boy who deserts, while I must not touch the hair of a wily agitator who induces him to desert?"
Excellent in every way..........2007-05-22
Prof. McPherson is, in my opinion, the dean of Civil War historians, a well-earned complement. This collection of essays is up to his usual high standards. They are thoughtful, persuasively argued and well-written. Whether one is new to CW scholarship or has read hundreds of titles, this should not be missed.
Book Description
Undoubtedly the most cataclysmic military struggle of the late nineteenth century, the American Civil War spanned four bloody years of fighting in which over 620,000 American soldiers and sailors lost their lives. From its outbreak at Fort Sumter, South Carolina in April 1861 until its conclusion at the Appotomax Court House, more than 10,000 battles, engagements and skirmishes were recorded across the length and breadth of America. This book explores the political, historical and cultural significance of the American Civil War, examining its impact on the civilians and military personnel caught up in it.
Customer Reviews:
One Mistake.......2007-02-27
There is in fact a misprint on the chronology page. It is not the fault of the authors, as it was correct in the original 4 book publication. After that though the book is pretty flawless in terms of printing, spelling and dates. This is a clear and concise history of the American Civil War. It is broken into 4 parts. The first half of the war east and west, and the second half east and west. Besides facts on the battles, it also contains interesting information on the leaders of each side, as well as the common soldier. Also are eye witness accounts of several civilians of life during this time. It gives enough details, but does not burden you with too much information. This is published by Osprey whose specialty is military history. If you crave more information, they published literally a hundred books about the American Civil War from weapons to uniforms to individual battles. All in all, a good resource book that has lots of interesting maps and pictures and excellent authors.
Hard to get past major typos.......2007-02-05
I collect books on the civil war so it was not surprising I would add this title to my bookshelf. I'll give it two stars for interesting photos and maps. Frankly, I couldn't get past the chronology on page 23. You would think a book by 4 authors could get a couple of facts straight. They have Lincoln being assassinated in 1865 and again on the same date in 1866. I never heard it took two attempts to achieve this pivotal moment in history! After that I wouldn't trust any of the rest of the text, but if you are more tolerant you may find it interesting.
Book Description
Ever since a Native American prepared a paper "charte" of the lower Colorado River for the Spaniard Hernando de Alarcón in 1540, Native Americans have been making maps in the course of encounters with whites. This book charts the history of these cartographic encounters, examining native maps and mapmaking from the pre- and post-contact periods.
G. Malcolm Lewis provides accessible and detailed overviews of the history of native North American maps, mapmaking, and scholarly interest in these topics. Other contributions include a study of colonial Aztec cartography that highlights the connections among maps, space, and history; an account of the importance of native maps as archaeological evidence; and an interpretation of an early-contact-period hide painting of an actual encounter involving whites and two groups of warring natives.
Although few original native maps have survived, contemporary copies and accounts of mapmaking form a rich resource for anyone interested in the history of Native American encounters or the history of cartography and geography.
Customer Reviews:
Great starter book .......2005-09-29
I don't know that much about the topic but, this makes it a very intersting read. It could be a bit more technical though.
A Model of Popular Science Writing.......2002-03-19
Morton Hunt has done a masterful job of explaining meta-analysis. Not only does he make a complex statistical technique accessible and understandable, he also provides an interesting history of the method and of its founders. I recommend this book both as a practicing meta-analyst and as a keen reader of popular science writing.
Popular account.......1999-11-16
Presents meta-analysis through biographical accounts of noted cases of its use. The book is very readable, but I found it rather disturbing, because in making to stories more *interesting*, the author is frequently sensationalist. This has (to me, at least) the cumulative effect of undermining the credibility of the synthetic approach.
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How Science Takes Stock: The Story of Meta-Analysis.: An article from: The Futurist
Jeffrey H. Epstein
Manufacturer: World Future Society
ProductGroup: Book
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ASIN: B00097JEDS
Release Date: 2005-07-28 |
Book Description
This digital document is an article from The Futurist, published by World Future Society on March 1, 1998. The length of the article is 1585 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: How Science Takes Stock: The Story of Meta-Analysis.
Author: Jeffrey H. Epstein
Publication:
The Futurist (Magazine/Journal)
Date: March 1, 1998
Publisher: World Future Society
Volume: v32
Issue: n2
Page: p44(2)
Article Type: Book Review
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Book Description
An instructive and relevant look at an explosive period in urban history! This savagely moving autobiography of a violent street gang covers its heyday in the 1960s when it had perhaps ten thousand members in at least twenty-six branches on Chicago's West Side. It is the story of a street gang that became a community organization, supported by private foundations and corporations and dedicated to social, economic and political development. The gang's violent neighborhood was transformed into Head Start's most improved block where the crime rate decreased as did the number of gang-related killings.
Customer Reviews:
A vital look at one of America's secret histories. .......2005-04-26
Much can and has been written about how important this book is, especially now. Few things I've ever read have said so much about the ability to transcend one's circumanstances and the opportunity to employ that momentum toward tremendous social change. Strangely, far less has been said about how wonderfully told the story is. Nation of Lords is an energetic and stirring read and is among the most charged social biographies ever written.
A Compelling and Important Chronicle.......2005-04-22
A NATION OF LORDS tells a story that is -- on its face -- viscerally compelling and exciting, but below the surface examines humanity, the nature of social change and how people (or a single person) can have a positive affect on one's environment. The Vice Lords were a gang that redefined inner-city violence, but they ultimately became a social and political force to be reckoned with -- nonviolently fighting corruption in local Chicago government and elevating their impoverished community. It is a story of triumph and sacrifice for a greater good. And it is an inspiration -- one that will hopefully call future generations to similar action.
The book is very well written -- from a collective "we" perspective that serves as a voice for the body of Vice Lords. It is a heartfelt memorial to those that died along the way. And it is a time capsule of one of the most interesting and volitile political periods in American History.
I cannot stress enough how strong this book is -- and how much of an impact it has made on me and those to whom I've recommended it. I hope more people pick it up, learn about the Vice Lords and David Dawley and consider how they can be just as brave and make an impact on their lives and the world around them.
Do yourself a favor and read this book.......2002-06-15
A NATION OF LORDS chronicles the transformation of one of Chicago's most notorious street gangs from ruthless criminals to community leaders and activists. It is at once a horrifying and inspiring account, a must read for anyone with an opinion on the racial and economic oppression that plagues this country.
A Sensational Journey into Gang Life.......2002-02-06
A violent but inspiring journey into what seems like Conrad's "Heart of Darkness." Much has changed since the Sixties, but A NATION OF LORDS remains instrutive as Dawley's success in moving an outlaw street gang into constructive community action offers lessons and encouragement for taking on the toughest challenges in urban development. A great read for anyone.
Another Uncle Tom's cabin point of view.......2001-06-03
This book I thought would be entertaining to me. I found out it was written by a white man from New England who grew up in an upper class family and went to a fine university. He moved to the ghetto for 2 years to "hang" with the Black people and "try to get things done" as he says. I found it to be a book of propaganda sending messages to people about how blacks are mistreated. I am black myself and thought the book had some ok stories from news clippings but overall the book was junk. I wouldn't get this one. Try Uncle Tom's Cabin.
Book Description
From the Nuremberg trials to the grisly campaign of "ethnic cleansing" in today's Bosnia, the world recognizes that certain actions are morally and legally unacceptable even in the midst of war. This book features extensive excerpts from treaties and charters that define the proper treatment of civilians, detainees, and POWs during wartime.
Amazon.com
America is divided into two camps, according to U.S. News and World Reports writer and Fox commentator Michael Barone. No, not Red and Blue, though one suspects Barone may taint the two groups in the hues of the 2000 presidential election. Barone's divided America is one part Hard, one part Soft. Hard America is steeled by the competition and accountability of the free market, while Soft America is the product of public school and government largesse. Inspired by the notion that America produces incompetent 18 year olds and remarkably competent 30 year olds, Barone embarks on a breezy 162-page commentary that will spark mostly huzzahs from the right and jeers from the left. Certainly the unforgiving nature of the marketplace can sharpen skills in upstarts, but what's softer than the landing of a CEO with a golden parachute? And one would assume Barone would favor toughening up coddled kids by retaining, if not drastically raising, the inheritance tax, but the subject never comes up. Still, the Washington, D.C.-based pundit's premise is provocative, his arguments are nuanced, and his writing is sharp. Ultimately, Barone forecasts "a Harder America on the horizon." Would that be what they used to call "hard times"? --Steven Stolder
Book Description
A Tale of Two Americas: This groundbreaking book shines a brilliant light on contemporary American life. Michael Barone reveals how the divide between “Hard America” (defined by competition and accountability) and “Soft America” (which tries to shield us from those rigors) explains the state of everything from our economy to our schools to the military to the government and beyond.
Download Description
A peculiar feature of our country today, says Michael Barone, is that we seem to produce incompetent eighteen-year-olds but remarkably competent thirty-year-olds. Indeed, American students lag behind their peers in other nations, but America remains on the leading edge economically, scientifically, technologically, and militarily.
The reason for this paradox, explains Barone in this brilliant essay, is that "from ages six to eighteen Americans live mostly in what I call Soft America—the parts of our country where there is little competition and accountability. But from ages eighteen to thirty Americans live mostly in Hard America—the parts of American life subject to competition and accountability." While Soft America coddles, Hard America plays for keeps.
Educators, for example, protect children from the rigors of testing, ban dodgeball, and promote just about any student who shows up. But most adults quickly figure out that how they do depends on what they produce.
Barone sweeps readers along, showing how we came to the current divide—for things weren't always this way. In fact, no part of our society is all Hard or all Soft, and the boundary between Hard America and Soft America often moves back and forth. Barone also shows where America is headed—or should be headed. We don't want to subject kindergartners to the rigors of the Marine Corps or leave old people uncared for. But Soft America lives off the productivity, creativity, and competence of Hard America, and we have the luxury of keeping part of our society Soft only if we keep most of it Hard.
Hard America, Soft America reveals:
- How the American situation is unique: In Europe, schooling is competitive and demanding, but adult life is Soft, with generous welfare benefits, short work hours, long vacations, and state pensions
- How the American military has reclaimed the Hard goals and programs it abandoned in the Vietnam era
- How Hardness drives America's economy—an economy that businesses and economists nearly destroyed in the 1970s by spurning competition
- How America's schools have failed because they are bastions of Softness—but how they are finally showing signs of Hardening
- The benefits of Softness: How government programs like Social Security were necessary in what was a harsh and unforgiving America
Hard America, Soft America is a stunningly original and provocative work of social commentary from one of this country's most respected political analysts.
Customer Reviews:
I expected more from Michael Barone........2007-02-28
I disliked Michael Barone's Hard America, Soft America, which is sad really, because Michael Barone is one this nation's better political commentators. His knowledge of the American political landscape is encyclopedic, as evidenced by his annual Almanac of American Politics (a sort of dungeon master's guide for political science nerds like me), and from his appearances on Fox News we know he's not a rabble-rousing showman, but rather intellectual in manner. More George Will than Ann Coulter.
Which is probably why I found Hard America, Soft America so disappointing. Barone's encyclopedic mind is apparent in full force here, but it serves an incredibly simplistic thesis. Hard America, Soft America asks, "why does America continue to produce incompetent 18-year-olds but remarkably competent 30-year-olds?" The answer is the dichotomy between the Soft world of education and the Hard world of business ("Hard" and "Soft" are always capitalized). Soft worlds are worlds free of competition and accountability, where failure is tolerated, understood, and dealt with in a compassionate manner. Education theories are the best example of a Softness in America today. Hard worlds are worlds of accountability, punishment for wrongdoing, risk and reward; the world of the entrepreneur. Barone shows how law enforcement, big business, and the military went from Soft to Hard over the past generation, and hopes that education will do the same.
So this book is about another book about "two Americas"- conservative and liberal, red and blue, Hard and Soft. Barone is smart enough to recognize that both Hard and Soft environments are necessary for the country to survive (which I suppose puts him above most of his colleagues), but the whole thing is rather simplistic and, for my money, the labels "Hard" and "Soft" have too much of a David Brooks-like cuteness to them (I think Brooks would have come up with better labels than Hard and Soft though. "Bobos" is rather clever). In the end, Hard America, Soft America is book of pop sociology from a guy who is capable of far more.
"[W]hile we act reasonably in keeping parts of American life Soft, we depend for our prosperity...on the parts...that are Hard.".......2006-10-17
"Welfare dependency, like crime, approximately tripled in the ten years between 1965 & 1975 and remained at high levels until well into the 1990s." "We tried to provide more for the poor and produced more poor," instead, as "[w]elfare dependency and crime built on each other." "The great mass of well-meaning Americans who wanted a Softer response to crime and welfare dependency had in fact increased and perpetuated misery." In particular, the post-war economic boom in America (as well in Europe), Barone argues, made us susceptible to complacency, in imagining "...that the problem of maintaining low-inflation economic growth indefinitely had been solved. The important question, therefore, was not production of wealth but distribution of wealth;" instilling doubts on the idea that the Hard aspects of competition and accountability actually are the foundation and are the necessary requisite for growth, wealth creation, and alleviating poverty. "At the opening of the 20th century, American life seemed too Hard, and the nation used some of the prosperity that was the product of a Hard economy to make life Softer. At midcentury, it seemed that everything was fated to get even Softer, and many things did. The Big Unit private sector was laced with Softness, the country (spurred by the success of the civil rights movement) was turning toward Softness in criminal justice and welfare dependency, and the Hardening of education in response to Sputnik turned out to be only temporary;" as academic requirements were abandoned, absenteeism increasingly tolerated. "Grade inflation and social promotion became commonplace," as a result. It had happened before too. "[W]ith rising enrollment of black and hispanic students in the 1970s and 1980s, teachers lowered expectations and reduced requirements, as they had with the rising enrollment of the children of immigrants in the 1920s and 1930s." Conclusion: Coddling doesn't help the folks who need to learn to compete in a capitalist economy. That's the central point of this book; "that Soft America lives off Hard America, that while we act reasonably in keeping parts of American life Soft, we depend for our prosperity and our advancement and our existance on the parts of America that are Hard." "All of these efforts to Soften life for black Americans, and for Americans in general, were misguided. For blacks in particular, the supposed solutions offered only exacerbated problems. The problem blacks faced was not that American society was too Hard for them, that they suffered from too much competition and were being held too accountable. The problem was that they were shut out of Hard America altogether, unable to reap the rewards available in a Hard system for those who achieve. The Softening of American society that started in the mid-1960s---the Softening of criminal justice, welfare, racial quotas and preferences, and education---had the effect of confining most blacks to Soft America." "The advocates of Softening hated the idea of imposing middle-class mores on black Americans, but middle-class mores are necessary for achievement in Hard America, and underclass behavior makes such achievement impossible."
Big business (General Motors, US Steel, et al) had likewise been coddled for far too long. Have not American automakers been producing far higher quality vehicles since the American auto market's opening to foreign competition? That's not the only example Barone offers, either. Deregulation of financial markets has permitted America to become a stock and mutual fund-holding society. "The deregulation of transportation, "likewise, " made a Soft industry substancially Harder, and it squeezed enormous costs out of the American economy. Case in point: "Shipping of parts just-in-time for assembly in manufacturing, impossible under the old regulatory regimes, was now possible." To boot, look what the telecommunications revolution of recent times has done for business. Add these to the 32% drop in crime between 1993 & 2000 thanks to the (much copied since) policy of Rudy Guliani in making people accountable for their actions. Likewise, the welfare rolls have cratered since recipients have been subjected to increasing levels of accountability. Surprise, surprise---though it ought not be a surprise to see confirmed the axiom that "Hard disipline produces good performance."
Far too many have predicted America's downfall even as America's ever rapidly adapting economy evolves. Western Europe, the perennial favorite to ecclipse America, however, remains a Soft welfare state "with high pensions and early retirement, with little flexibility and therefore low growth and high unemployement." It's interesting to note that Europe and America are rather opposite when it comes to issues of competition and accountability---the requisites for a Hard economy and strong growth. "[M]ost Americans up to the age of eighteen live mostly in Soft America [thanks to "the stubborn resistance to Hardening America's schools"], just as most Americans after the age of eighteen live in Hard America. This is the opposite of the situation in most of Europe, where high schools are Hard, to the point that students' performance usually determines how well they will do in the rest of their lives, and where life after high school is Soft, with generous welfare benefits, short work hours, long vacations, early retirement, and generous state pensions." Saddled with such, Europe is not about to ecclipse many growing economies anytime soon. In fact, dynamic countries in Asia (look at South Korea, for instance, now the 11th largest economy in the world) are likely to ecclipse individual European countries before Europe begins to challenge the USA...all because vigilence against Softening exists. "For many years," Barone states herein, "I have thought it one of the peculiar features of our country that we seem to produce incompetent eighteen-year-olds but remarkably competent thirty-year-olds." If only, now, America's schools can be subjected to the same accountability as other legs of America's economy have been emboldened and revitalized by. (06Oct) Cheers
This book was unsatisfying.......2006-03-21
I was hoping for a book that would excite me, one that would probe deeply for a long, long time, leaving me gasping and spent, yet craving more. Sadly, this was not that book. The book was flaccid and despite all of my efforts it never managed to stimulate me.
Easy Labeller.......2005-12-03
Intellectually the book is drivel, a high-school level history of the United States wherein Barone gets to label things as either Soft or Hard(he actually capitalizes the adjectives. Hard he likes (the GI Bill, FHA mortgages), Soft he don't (Welfare, Social Security, most modern education.). It is short, an hour should get you through it. You might want to start at the end because it is so repetitive in its approach you won't get past the 60's otherwise. I jumped to the end and my impression is things turn out well. Things are going well in Iraq (because the army is now Hard, unlike the Vietnam era Softies), and so on.
The blurbs in my library copy indicate that Barone is considered some type of intellectual by the right. For this reason it is worth checking out to see how little ability is required to achieve that status. I had the same reaction a few years ago reading a book by Thomas Sowell ("This is one of their leading thinkers?????"). Some reviewers praise Barone's balanced view (he doesn't foam at the mouth a la, say, Ann Coulter, but there is no mistaking his selectivity or willingness to assert without evidence that which will make his audience happy and sell this little book.
Exaggerated conclusions and missing half the picture.......2005-10-26
This book shows the dichotomy that exists in modern-day America between the cutthroat environment that supposedly exists in the private sector, and the easy-does-it culture fostered within the public sphere of schools, government agencies, etc... The book makes the case that America's youth are basically coddled K-12, and end up playing catch-up during and after college when working in the free-market culture of the private sector.
These conclusions have been elaborated on before in other publications, and are only true to a certain degree. For example, the author gives examples of how Americans working in the private sector excel and achieve like citizens of no other country. The author forgets to mention that nearly all the successful industries in this country, especially those that have gone to spawn copycats in other countries, were and are all supported and protected by government largess. For example, automobiles would only be rich men's toys today if it were not for all those roads and parking lots built by taxpayers. Another example, US agriculture would not have survived the Great Depression and become the world's leader in food produce if not for the introduction of farm subsidies, government-funded agricultural research, government-operated satellites and weather stations to monitor the weather, and other government programs that directly or indirectly help farmers. These and other established, successful private industries would be nowhere without some "coddling" from US taxpayers.
Even if we dismiss the previous points, I believe the author has only shown half the picture; specifically, the author does not fully examine the question of why "coddling" occurs in schools and students are not prepared for the competition of the "real world". The answer to this question connects the dichotomy so well illustrated by the author. Specifically, American adults are so busy surviving in the private sector that they have less time and effort to raise their kids to be good competitors themselves. For example, the character traits that makes for successful businesses: willingness of employees to relocate, works long hours, toeing the company line, etc..., are exactly the worse traits to follow when trying to raise kids well.
Raising kids well means living in stable communities with low turnover - this means minimal relocation of employees by businesses.
Raising kids well means spending time with them, and not spending long hours at work.
Raising kids well means teaching them to stand up for what they believe in, not what their peers (boss, coworkers, etc...) want them to do.
This then is what the author has totally missed out on in this book; an explanation of how the dichotomy between private sphere hard-nosed competetion, and public sphere cushion jobs came about. Because of this omission, this book is merely commentary and observation, and lacks insightful thought.
Book Description
Ben Law is an experienced and innovative woodsman with a deep commitment to practical sustainability. Here he presents a radical alternative to conventional woodland management that creates biodiverse, healthy environments, yields a great variety of value-added products, provides a secure livelihood for woodland workers and farmers, and benefits the local community. The author views the separation of agriculture from silviculture as unnecessarily limiting and argues for a new approach to planning that will encourage the creation of sustainably managed woodlands for the benefit of people, the local environment, and the global climate. Although specific to Britain, the principles of The Woodland Way will be understood by foresters worldwide. This brilliant book covers every aspect of woodland stewardship from both a practical and philosophical standpoint. Ben Law writes from the heart after long years of struggle with a whole host of naysayers who tried to convince him by fair means and foul to give up his vision for a renaissance in the countryside.
Customer Reviews:
Where's the Permaculture please? .......2006-09-14
I found the title to this book deceptive. I don't consider interplanting a few fruit trees and listing their habitat a permaculture design. While it might be an step towards a forest garden the book neglects the ground cover layer, various companion planting, the nutrient cycling, water cycling and co-management of animals.
The book is mostly dedicated to traditional woodland managment in the United Kingdom. The author successfully introduces the concepts of coppicing and various derivitives. He also breifly mentions various ways of making a living from the forest, such as charcoal production and furniture making. Although, if you wish to pursue either of those activities you will need to find another source, as the details of these operations are missing entirely.
Finally the resources listed in the book are only sepecific to the United Kingdom, again a let down for someone not culturally familar with the management of coppice stands that has been going on for hundreds of years in places. So to summarize, if you want to learn how to coppice, read this book, otherwise choose somewhere else.
Not quite sure what I expected.......2003-01-29
Something to tell me exactly what to do with my Tennessee woods, I guess. And no British book is going to do that.
Last year a British on-line acquaintance told me that those tales of the early settlers in Tennessee being able to drive their ox-carts through the forest without getting stuck in the trees meant that the Indians were grooming the forest, had put a lot of thought and energy into making sure that the forest could sustain them. I wasn't sure what he meant. This book tells me. How he rotates his crops--cut some of the willow for artist's charcoal, a couple of years later, for rustic furniture, then let it come back from the stumps. In the meantime, blackberries can grow and fruit in the clearing, and a fairly rare bird just loves to nest there. The birds can move on to the next patch of cut back to the stumps by the time the blackberries are in too much shade and the willow is about ready to be cut a little bit for artist's charcoal.
So I'm now busily wondering how I apply this to my woods.
Books:
- Helping Your Teenager Deal With Stress: A Survival Guide for Parents and Children
- How to Cut Kids' Hair (Addison-Wesley Kids' Care Series)
- How to Read Your Child Like a Book
- How to Talk Dinosaur With Your Child
- Is Your Voice Telling On You?: HOW TO FIND AND USE YOUR NATURAL VOICE
- Its Never Too Late to Be Happy: The Psychology of Self-Reparenting
- Keys to Interfaith Parenting (Barron's Parenting Keys)
- Launching Your Kids for Life: A Successful Journey to Adulthood Doesn't Just Happen by Accident
- Living With the Active Alert Child: Groundbreaking Strategies for Parents
- Los Ninos Preguntan, Los Premios Nobel Contestan
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