Average customer rating:
|
Why is My Child Having Trouble at School?: A Parent's Guide to Learning Disabilities
Barbara Z. Phd Novick
Manufacturer: Villard
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 Learning Disabled
| Special Education
| Education
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Disabilities
| Special Needs
| Parenting & Families
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Parenting & Families
| Subjects
| Books
Obstetrics & Gynecology
| Specialties
| Medicine
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Pediatrics
| Specialties
| Medicine
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0394585097
Release Date: 1991-08-27 |
Customer Reviews:
A Life Saver.......2001-08-10
A step-by-step expert advice on spotting and getting help for learning disorders and their symptoms like:
*Attention Difficulty
*Hyperactivity
*Overall Disorganization
*Impulsiveness
*Underachievement
*Forgetfulness
*Problems with Self-expression
*Careless errors
*Slow performance
Book Description
Within the intelligence community, Bob Hunter is known as the agent who caught master spy John Walker and brought an end to what many top officials call the most damaging espionage ring in U.S. history. Hunter, a foreign counterintelligence agent for the FBI, was the lead investigator on the case. His book presents an insider's account of the detection, pursuit, and capture of the U.S. Navy communications expert and his partners in espionage. He writes from a unique perspective--no one else was involved with the case from beginning to end--and he allows the reader not only behind the scenes but into his mind as he plots his course of action.
Although we know the outcome, this is a first-rate mystery story that pits the hunter against the hunted in a benchmark case against which all others are measured. It offers a front-row seat to history in the making as it reveals, with the accuracy and attention to detail only this author could provide, the events that led to Walker's arrest. That arrest at a motel in Maryland brought an abrupt halt to eighteen years of spying activities. In an unprecedented breach of Navy security, Walker had sold more than one million secrets to the Russians--vital information on codes, ship movements, weaponry, tactics, and plans so crucial that a top KGB official called the ring the most important operation in the KGB's history.
Walker's elaborate spy network included his son, who was a seaman on a nuclear aircraft carrier; his brother; and his best friend. This book is the first to discuss in detail the interviews with his wife (who first put the FBI onto the case) and his brother, and to explain why the agency never believed the brother told the entire truth about his involvement. This is the first book to include interviews with the KGB general who supervised Walker and with the judges and prosecutors involved in the case. It is also the only book to offer a close-up look at how the investigation was conducted and what the lead investigator was thinking as he attempted to bring down one of the biggest traitors in U.S. history.
Customer Reviews:
An excellent, accurate read!.......2000-04-03
As a former sailor and current resident of Virginia Beach, I was stunned to learn that much of this entire story happened in familiar places surrounding me. The author spares no details and does not hesitate to give addresses, places, names, etc. to make the story come to life.
I read this book over a weekend because I simply could not put it down. I enjoy the way the story was told. Our country should thank the FBI, Bob Hunter, and his team for their professionalism in catching America's most damaging spy.
excellent.......1999-08-01
Excellent true spy story from the justics side of the case. Other books ont his case don't cover this much at all. The author (and case agent) is a good, unpretentious storyteller.
Gripping True Spy Story.......1999-07-30
Espionage stories like this are usually fiction! The author tells his story in a casual way, like he's talking to you personally over a glass of ale. He's a character himseld!
Good agent- not so good author!.......1999-07-22
Having read few earlier books on this subject and served on-board a nuclear powered submarine during John Walker's "active years", I had high expectations for this book. I was disappointed! The book seemed to be simply an "off the cuff" recollection of the author's very significant experience with this case. It was a very surface, rambling treatment of a very complex story.
excellent factual insider recounting of true spy case.......1999-03-27
The author is the FBI agent in charge of this spy case, who actually arrested Walker and was present at trials and debriefings. It is the only actual insider book about the investigation. Hunter is the FBI counter intelligemnce agent who holds the record for the most spy convictions ever. Very exciting stuff.
Customer Reviews:
A Tragic Story from Early Georgian History.......2003-12-01
Princess Sophia Dorothea lives a sheltered life with her parents in Celle. Her father is manipulated into making her marry George, the heir to Hanover. There, she lives a sad life as the wife of George. His mistresses are flaunted in front of her, and he treats her badly. She does bear him two children, another George and another Sophia Dorothea.
She falls in love with a handsome count from Sweden and they have an affair. They are caught, however, and he is murdered and she is banished. She lives the rest of her life in exile. When her husband is proclaimed King of England, she is refused the title of Queen. She eventually dies, alone, about the same time as her husband
I think Sophia Dorothea was really stupid, but tragic. She should have found a better way out of her misery. I did enjoy reading this book though. As all of Jean Plaidy's, it is very well written.
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST..........2002-12-09
This is the first volume in the Georgian saga by Jean Plaidy, a master storyteller and prolific writer of historical fiction. It is the tragic tale of a German Princess who would go on to become the wife and captive princess of the uncouth boor who would one day be crowned as George I of England.
William of Celle and his wife Eleanore had a beautiful, pampered daughter, Sophia Dorothea. His younger brother, Ernest Augustus, ruled in the rival principality of Hanover. He was married to Sophia, daughter of the King of Bohemia. Together they had a number of children, the oldest of whom was George Lewis, an ugly, coarse, and boorish man, born to be a soldier, rather than a statesman or diplomat.
There came a time when Sophia Dorothea, as a result of some underhanded political intrigues, was forced into a loveless marriage with her first cousin, George Lewis, much to her and her mother's despair and dismay. George Lewis was also not thrilled with the match, given as he was to coarser delights. Sophia Dorothea, however, tried to make the most of her unpleasant situation, buoyed by her own innate charm and disposition.
In the end, however, Sophia Dorothea became undone by her love for the dashing Count Konigsmarck of Sweden. Through the political machinations and intrigues of the jealous and sexually insatiable Clara von Platen, her father-in-law's long time mistress and Konigsmarck's spurned lover, Sophia Dorothea and Count Konigsmarck were betrayed. Ruined, Sophia Dorothea ended her days as a captive princess, the tragic and pitied Princess of Celle. George Lewis would go on to undeserved heights as George I of England, and the house of Hanover would become a force with which to be reckoned.
This is a wonderful account of the tragedy that befell Sophia Dorothea and an excellent one of how the house of Hanover rose to prominence in England. Well written and absorbing, it is a page turning book for all those who enjoy historical fiction.
Beauty and the Beasts.......1998-11-12
Of Jean Plaidy's Georgian Saga books I've read so far, I rate this one the best because it has a more complex and satisfying plot. But then, this is one of the most fascinating of the romantic tragedies the British monarchy has given to the world. This book is a damned good bodice-ripper-full of lust, passion, jealousy and intrigue in the Court of Hanover. Unfortunately, the beautiful princess is not rescued by her handsome lover but is imprisoned by her loathsome husband who goes on to become King George I of England.
The story of the beautiful, tragic Sophia Dorothea is well told by this artful translator of historic biography. Plaidy's novels are fairly close to historical fact without being tediously so.
Beauty and the Beasts.......1998-11-06
Of Jean Plaidy's Georgian Saga books I've read so far, I rate this one the best because it has a more complex and satisfying plot. But then, this is one of the most fascinating of the romantic tragedies the British monarchy has given to the world. This book is a damned good bodice-ripper--full of lust, passion, jealousy and intrigue in the Court of Hanover. Unfortunately, the beautiful princess is not rescued by her handsome lover but is imprisoned by her loathsome husband who goes on to become King George I of England.
The story of the beautiful, tragic Sophia Dorothea is well told by this artful translator of historic biography. Plaidy's novels are fairly close to historical fact without being tediously so.
Book Description
A detailed, chronological account of the princesses and consort Queens of the Georgian era, from Sophia (mother of George I) who died shortly before she would have become Queen, to Adelaide, consort to William IV, whose failure to provide an heir ensured the succession passed to his niece, Queen Victoria. During this period, an array of colorful personalities came and went--George I's ill-fated wife, Sophia Dorothea of Celle, who was imprisoned for adultery. The equally tragic Caroline Matilda, Queen of Denmark and sister of George III, who married an incipient schizophrenic, saw her lover put to death, and was divorced and imprisoned, released after pressure from her brother, only to die from typhoid or scarlet fever at 23. This book also looks at the life of the astute Caroline, consort of George II, who during the years of Robert Walpole's premiership was Queen regnant in all but name.
Customer Reviews:
an easy read.......2004-01-08
John Van der Kiste has written a book that is easy to read. He treats his subjects with sympathy whilst not being afraid to point out the less than endearing aspects of their characters.
With so many of the Georgian princesses having the same name it is easy to lose track of who is who. Thankfully the author has included a useful family tree at the beginning of the book which helps you to follow the various family lines.
The downside of this book is its brevity. The author has covered over 150 years of history in a mere 221 pages which means none of the characters are covered in any great depth.
This is a good book with which to gain an overview of these women but if you want an in depth study of them then this may not be the book for you.
Georgian Princesses.......2003-10-10
I really enjoyed this book and found it fascinating to read about so many women who in other books are often only referred to as "wife" or "daughter" of someone else. Finally, I got to learn about who these women really were!
Some reviewers found the fact that so many women had the same names confusing. It is a bit, but we can hardly fault the author for that! He does use nicknames when that will help to differentiate. And, the family trees were invaluable in keeping everyone straight. I didn't find the names a drawback at all. But, anyone who reads about royal/noble families will be accustomed to this.
Interesting Chronicles of Little Known Royal Women.......2003-09-11
The Georgian Princesses describes the lives of many of the women of Britain's House of Hanover in the 18th and early 19th centuries. In their lifetimes these women were regarded as mere pawns on the European chessboard of alliances and power politics. They were married off to men they scarcely knew and who in many cases were extremely unpleasant companions and expected to make the best of it. Most of the time all we now know of these women are their names on various genealogical charts. John Van Der Kiste has resurrected these royal ladies and given them new life.
Most of these women turn out to have had fairly sunny and mild dispositions. They were rarely given much education and had few inner resources to fall back on when their lives and marriages soured, as they so often did. Nevertheless they seem to have borne their lot with dignity most of the time, and sometimes they were able to find consolation in religion or in extramarital affairs. I felt the sorriest for Caroline Matilda, sister of George III and known as Denmark's "Queen of Tears" for the suffering she underwent at the hands of a schizophrenic husband. I liked George II's consort Caroline of Anspach and Electress Sophia of Hanover (the progenitress of the family) the best for their sharp intelligence and senses of humor.
Because so many of these women have similar names it can be confusing separating the Sophia Dorotheas and the Sophia Charlottes from the Carolines and Louises, but the genealogical charts at the front help a lot. Also, I felt some of the women got short shrift and were barely mentioned at all. Nevertheless, Van Der Kiste has turned out a very satisfying volume.
Very Good.......2003-03-02
I thought the author did a remarkable job of writing about so many princesses and queens. I didn't find it hard to read at all and for those who did the family tree was very clear, all you had to do was turn back a few pages.
I was very impressed and delighted by the amount of information you recieved without making it dry. One of my favorite books.
Definately buy this book because you'll never see other books on some of these Queens. When was the last time anyone saw a biography on Queen Adelaide?
If you liked this book you should read Victoria's daughters to pick up where this one left off by Jerold M. Packard.
Confusion reigns.......2003-01-13
I somehow finished this book because I felt challenged but I couldn't tell you one fact about any person described in this book with certainty. True, their names were alike, but the author jumps from one Duchess, Countess, Princess, Queen in the same paragraph and you can't tell who he is talking about. There was certainly research done, and I applaud that, but I still don't know who was what, when, or where. There were at least 10 people mentioned on every page, half with the same names so you just have to laugh and do the best you can.
Customer Reviews:
BEAUTY AND THE BEAST..........2006-11-08
This is the first volume in the Georgian saga by Jean Plaidy, a master storyteller and prolific writer of historical fiction. It is the tragic tale of a German Princess who would go on to become the wife and captive princess of the uncouth boor who would one day be crowned as George I of England.
William of Celle and his wife Eleanore had a beautiful, pampered daughter, Sophia Dorothea. His younger brother, Ernest Augustus, ruled in the rival principality of Hanover. He was married to Sophia, daughter of the King of Bohemia. Together they had a number of children, the oldest of whom was George Lewis, an ugly, coarse, and boorish man, born to be a soldier, rather than a statesman or diplomat.
There came a time when Sophia Dorothea, as a result of some underhanded political intrigues, was forced into a loveless marriage with her first cousin, George Lewis, much to her and her mother's despair and dismay. George Lewis was also not thrilled with the match, given as he was to coarser delights. Sophia Dorothea, however, tried to make the most of her unpleasant situation, buoyed by her own innate charm and disposition.
In the end, however, Sophia Dorothea became undone by her love for the dashing Count Konigsmarck of Sweden. Through the political machinations and intrigues of the jealous and sexually insatiable Clara von Platen, her father-in-law's long time mistress and Konigsmarck's spurned lover, Sophia Dorothea and Count Konigsmarck were betrayed. Ruined, Sophia Dorothea ended her days as a captive princess, the tragic and pitied Princess of Celle. George Lewis would go on to undeserved heights as George I of England, and the house of Hanover would become a force with which to be reckoned.
This is a wonderful account of the tragedy that befell Sophia Dorothea and an excellent one of how the house of Hanover rose to prominence in England. Well written and absorbing, it is a page turning book for all those who enjoy historical fiction.
Average customer rating:
|
Lady Sings the Blues/With a Revised Discography
Manufacturer: Penguin USA (Paper)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Music
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
| Biographies
| Books on CD
| Books on Cassette
| Business
| General
| History & Criticism
| Instruments & Performers
| Musical Genres
| Recording & Sound
| Reference
| Songbooks
| Theory, Composition & Performance
ASIN: 9993796182 |
Average customer rating:
|
Raf Bomber Command and Its Aircraft 1941 - 1945
J Goulding
Manufacturer: Ian Allan Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
| United States
| Americas
| History
| Subjects
| Books
Aviation
| Military
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Military
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| World War II
| Military
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| England
| Europe
| History
| Subjects
| Books
Aerospace
| Engineering
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
| Advanced Mechanics
| Aerodynamics
| Aircraft Design & Construction
| Applied
| Avionics
| Gas Dynamics
| General
| Heat Transfer
| Propulsion Technology
| Structural Dynamics
Similar Items:
-
Raf Bomber Command and Its Aircraft 1936 - 1940
ASIN: 0711007888 |
Book Description
This second volume of the two volume set tells the story of how Bomber Command continued its tough, uphill battle and made a decisive contribution to the Allied Victory. The continued development of such bombers as the Wellington, Lancaster and Mosquito is covered.
Book Description
In a nation where nearly one-half of all households have firearms, the gun control issue has never been more relevant. While some Americans support controls aimed at disarming only criminals and the irresponsible, others oppose any controls at all, seeing them as steps toward the confiscation of all firearms. Intelligent public debate on what types of controls, if any, are feasible requires some understanding of the results of the best research on guns and violence. In this thought-provoking study of the issue, researchers Gary Kleck and Don B. Kates closely examine the arguments used by advocates and opponents of gun control, identify crucial factual assumptions behind the arguments, and systematically address these assumptions using evidence from the best research available on the subject. Among the topics addressed are media bias in coverage of gun issues, prohibitionist measures for reducing gun violence, the frequency and effectiveness of the defensive use of guns, and a close analysis of the Second Amendment.
Easily understood by both specialists and laypersons, this engaging work will help the reader grasp the many facets of this complex issue.
Customer Reviews:
Read how much we are misled.......2007-08-26
It was shocking to find out how much we are misled on gun control issues. This book contains a lot of very thorough analysis of misleading gun control propaganda. I would have dropped one star because the text is very tense and dry and requires a lot of concentration to read, but the issues are too important to let that be an obstacle.
Scholarly Research on Gun Control.......2005-03-27
Kleck is a professor at Florida State University, Kates is a partner of a national law firm. The 'Introduction' says they want to present the findings from scholarly journals to contradict the propaganda in the corporate media (p.14). Concealed handgun carry resulted in a reduction of violent crimes (p.17). This fact is censored from the corporate media, even though thousands of lives could be saved. The corporate media portrays gun owners as subhumans, but exempts the Rockefellers, the DuPonts, and the publisher of the 'New York Times' (p.18). This is just bigotry. The availability of guns does not cause murders; murderers mostly have criminal records (p.21). Most murders are drug-related. Gun Prohibition only disarms honest people, just as locks only bar honest people. Historians and scholars say the Second Amendment is an individual right, and this was well recognized prior to World War II.
Chapter 2 tells of the propaganda campaign that uses various medical groups as pawns. Their studies ignore any facts that don't agree with their desired conclusion (p.33). These Gun Prohibitionists assert falsehoods, fabricate statistics, and falsify references, to forge evidence for their views (p.34). Page 38 gives examples where Dr. Tanay and Kr. Kellermann quote references which disprove their opinions! Such articles show intellectual confusion, ignorance of facts, omission of facts, and emotions that suggest a need for therapy (p.39). Freud said fear and loathing of guns is a sign of sexual immaturity and neuroticism (p.38). A neurosis is a mental disorder characterized by anxieties, compulsions, obsessions, or phobias. The criminological evidence refutes the claims of the medical advocates (p.51). The dishonesty of the "health advocates" on gun control is shown by their disregard of falling accidental gun deaths while the numbers of guns owned were rising (p.57). Are they using the idea of dying children just for its emotional impact (p.58)? The Gun Prohibitionists suppress facts, and falsify data and statistics, in order to prove their case (p.63). The CDC admitted to assuming a conclusion then creating evidence to prove it (p.69). This chapter documents the emotional anti-gun agenda in some medical and public health literature. They generally ignore the large amount of sociological and criminological research (p.83). Violence could be reduced when poverty is reduced.
Chapter 3 explains why "gun control" proposals are aimed to prohibit the right to own firearms. Gun prohibitionists can't be trusted. Freud said the fear and loathing of firearms was sexual hysterics (p.109). Their strident advocacy of gun prohibition reflects their neuroses. Their emotional diatribes are the reason for their failures.
Chapter 5 discusses distortion of gun issues in the mass media which provides most information to people. This information is shaped or biased to provide a conclusion by excluding certain information. This results from the policies of the "owners of media corporations" (p.174). But most consumers can recognize these slants. Page 192 tells how CBS' "48 Hours" faked a story. The evidence of news media bias for "gun control" is that gun control advocates never complain about the play (p.203)! No national news corporations are against "gun control" (p.204). Media manipulation of information in general has been documented in books (p.205). This message is widespread and one-sided (pp.206-7). This results in a poorly informed public.
Chapters 6 & 7 reference other articles that are not included in this book. They are not for the average reader. Chapter 8 explains why the Second Amendment in the Bill of Rights refers to a right to personal self-protection (p.343). The need for an armed citizenry was explained by Aristotle, Machiavelli, Locke, Montesquieu, and Blackstone. Self-defense is the most basic of rights (p.345). The general possession of arms is a positive social good (p.348). Blackstone said the subjects of England had the right to petition for redress of grievances, and, lastly, the right to have and use arms for self-preservation and defense (p.349). Possessing arms is a sign of a free citizen. A republic needs armed property-owner, said Machiavelli (p.350). Despots disarm people to render them helpless, and morally degraded (p.351). No twentieth-century military can suppress an armed popular national insurgency.
My New Bible.......2002-11-19
I'm a gun owner and a gun rights advocate. I'm very fair-minded, consequently I've always wondered if my interest in gun ownership led me to be biased against gun control advocacy (i.e. "I like 'em, they don't. Therefore, they must be wrong."). Now that I've read "Armed" I no longer have any doubts that I've made the right choice on this topic. I found myself getting very angry with the medical society and the media while reading this book.
This is the fifth and best book on this topic I've read. I only wish that everyone in a position of power, from government to the media, would read it. If you buy it and read it, maybe they will!
And the truth shall set you free.......2002-09-14
I would recommend this book to anyone who is willing to question their beliefs, anyone who cares about our society, and anyone who believes in the importance of empirical study over irrational dogma.
I once was lost, but now I'm found, was blind, but now I see...
Good consolidation work.......2002-06-19
I can understand how the reader from Philadelphia can be frustrated with repeated arguments. If you are well read on the subject of firearms and its (non)relation to crime, you will not read much that is new in this volume. That being said, I think this book offers a great consolidation of arguments and discussions made in several other works. If I could only pick one book that I had to give someone to try to convince them of the many fallacies spread around the media and "scholarly" research papers, I would pick this book.
Here you will find the legal and constitutional arguments. Here you will find the statistical discussions of anti-gun "scholarship." There are discussions about the motives and practices of the anti-gun crowd, the anti-control crowd, and the middle ground. You will find refutations for the vast majority of anti-gun arguments and the documentation to back it up and/or do the research for yourself.
If you can only afford one book on gun control. Get this one.
Amazon.com
If one is to believe William Shutkin, the times of environmental avengers demonstrating in the streets against huge global organizations may someday be just a memory. In Shutkin's vision, the next stage of environmentalism will be a democratic, partnered one, with interest groups working together rather than vying to defeat each other, reaching consensus and making long-term plans that benefit both the environment and the community. This vision is called civic environmentalism, "the explicit link between environmental problem solving and the goal of community building ... ensuring the quality and sustainability of our communities, economically, socially, and environmentally."
Shutkin, who is a lawyer, environmentalist, and cofounder of an environmental law and education nonprofit organization, describes examples of civic environmentalism at work across America. Fruitvale, California, for instance, was a multicultural, economically depressed segment of West Oakland with high disease rates from the millions of cars that sped by every year on the nearby freeways. When BART, the regional transit authority, proposed locating a parking garage in the middle of Fruitvale's commercial district, a community development organization teamed up with residents to stop the project--which would have brought even more air pollution to the area--and convinced BART officials to support a plan to build a "transit village" instead. When completed, the result will be not a concrete block in the middle of town but a community center with shops, housing, restaurants, commercial space, and a pedestrian plaza. The BART subway stop will be within the village while parking will be located on the village's margins.
Shutkin stresses that potential wins can still become losses if coalitions fall apart. Although readers may find Shutkin's writing style on the dry side, it's nevertheless an inspiring read. If you're wondering how we will evolve from confrontation to cooperation as competition for land becomes more fierce and as we search for ways to revivify our blighted, deprived places, The Land That Could Be is the place to start looking for answers. --Stefanie Durbin
Book Description
In this book environmentalist and lawyer William Shutkin describes a new kind of environmental and social activism spreading across the nation, one that joins the pursuit of environmental quality with that of civic health and sustainable local economies. In the face of challenges posed by often corrosive market forces and widespread social disaffection, this civic environmentalism is creating nothing less than a new public discourse and dynamic social vision grounded in environmental action.
Shutkin points the way to vibrant, sustainable communities through four inspiring examples of civic environmentalism in action: the redevelopment of contaminated urban land for agriculture in inner-city Boston, mass-transit-based development and waterfront restoration in Oakland, protection of open space and conservation-based development in rural Colorado, and smart-growth and sustainability strategies in suburban New Jersey. The book's underlying message is that the nation's environmental health is a critical factor in its success as a vital democracy. Social health, democratic community, and environmentalism, Shutkin shows, are one.
Customer Reviews:
Good book, needs an editor.......2005-12-13
This book has a lot of very valuable information about ways the environmental movement has been less than effective, and ways it could improve. It helped me understand some of the problems I've had with organizations like the Sierra Club and Earth Island Institute. I've felt guilty for not wanting to donate to these organizations. This book put words to my feelings that these organizations have focused on litigation at the expense of participation by average people like me who want to be involved.
The reason I gave it three stars is because it is yet another example of a book that could perhaps have a much larger audience if it only had an editor that was willing to make it more readable. The book is full of run-on sentences that I had to read three or four times to identify the subject and get some meaning. Reading this book was difficult but worthwhile.
relief from the gloom-and-doom.......2000-07-09
Not that Shutkin fails to understand how serious our environmental problems are. He knows. This is no Polyanna-style tale a la Greg Easterbrook, telling lies about how trivial environmental degradation is in order to sell books. Shutkin ralizes that our problems are serious, even life-threatening. But he thinks that we can begin to resolve them, if only we can find the will to begin, rather in the style of Diana Muir in her new book Bullough's Pond. Some of his solutions may not be workable, but surely Shutkin is correct to urge us to try.
A lyrical and compelling work -- though somewhat Utopian.......2000-05-10
Bill Shutkin's sensitivity to the environment and the human dimension of ecological concerns shines through brilliantly in this book. The case studies which are at the core of his narrative and his exposition of environmental problems are well-researched, and well-experienced. As an activist/lawyer/entrepreneur/academic, Shutkin provides an unusual blend of insights which are indeed rare in environmental literature.
Optimism permeates this book which is certainly refreshing to many readers who are probably tired of the gloom and doom that resonates from many green texts. The foreword by David Brower is perhaps a prelude to this optimism and to the change in perception and outlook concerning environmental policy among activists.
Nevertheless, the primacy of this change in contemporary times is perhaps overstated by Shutkin. I was somewhat disappointed with the Amero-centric nature of the text, particularly when it comes to the poetic celebration of so global an issue as environmentalism. By this I do not mean the case selection - which is quite appropriate considering Shutkin's own expertise in working with certain communities. Rather, I am more concerned with the way in which the "reforms" within civic society are heralded as a hallmark of American democracy. Indeed, the work of the Austrian / British economist and thinker E.F. Schumacher (who died in the seventies) are not even mentioned. Much of the community oriented "small is beautiful" approach which is at the core of Shutkin's argument can be found there (and elsewhere), and has been in motion for decades.
I think that the book should have perhaps been less ambitious in its title and argument by focusing on a certain class of environmental concerns where a sense of place and association with the land can be imbibed. It is important for all of us to consider that there are also many environmental concerns, where such associations are impossible to foster - many global environmental issues such as climate change, ozone depletion or other scientifically dependent areas of environmental concerns which do indeed require a certain intellectual "elite" and an elaborate decision-making apparatus. Let us also not forget that even at the community level and the urban planning level, many of the great success stories of environmental reform have worked with strong top-down approaches - Singapore being a living example. Also, what is one to do when civic environmentalism does not emerge even within a democratic process? The book should have perhaps addressed such anomalies to the argument.
Despite these minor shortcomings, this book is a momentous achievement which will undoubtedly spur much reflection and debate.
The Land that Will Be (if we become more civically active).......2000-04-26
This is one of the most inspiring books I have read in years. When I choose to read a non-fiction book, which is rather infrequently, this is exactly the kind of book I hope for -- engaging from the first page on, well-researched, analytical, passionate and ultimately deeply meaningful. The environmental movement has had a rather narrow audience historically, but this book -- because of its basic premise that the environment is inextricably linked to all facets of our lives and because of the author's embracing style -- could serve to open up the field a great deal more. As I was reading this book, I felt a deep sense that there really is no other way to approach the significant environmental problems facing us than the way Shutkin promotes (through grass-roots citizen coalitions). I found this realization not to be burdensome but to be profoundly uplifting. Shutkin's case studies of successful civic environmentalism prove that democracy is alive and well in certain communities in our country and that, indeed, the grass will always be greener in America if more of us exercise our personal power to keep it that way.
Average customer rating:
|
Environmental politics.(Review) (book review): An article from: Issues in Science and Technology
Martin W. Lewis
Manufacturer: National Academy of Sciences
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
| Audiobooks
| Automotive
| Books on CD
| Books on Cassette
| Crime & Criminals
| Current Events
| Economics
| Education
| Foreign Language Nonfiction
| Government
| Holidays
| Law
| Philosophy
| Politics
| Social Sciences
| Transportation
| True Accounts
| Urban Planning & Development
| Women's Studies
General
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
Science & Technology
| Subjects
| e-Docs
| Formats
| Books
General
| Nonfiction
| HTML
| Formats
| e-Docs
| Formats
| Books
Science
| HTML
| Formats
| e-Docs
| Formats
| Books
ASIN: B0008JBC1E
Release Date: 2005-07-28 |
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Issues in Science and Technology, published by National Academy of Sciences on September 22, 2000. The length of the article is 1987 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: Environmental politics.(Review) (book review)
Author: Martin W. Lewis
Publication:
Issues in Science and Technology (Refereed)
Date: September 22, 2000
Publisher: National Academy of Sciences
Volume: 17
Issue: 1
Page: 75
Article Type: Book Review
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Books:
- You and Your Pregnancy: The Most Commonly Asked Questions Before, During and After
- 500 Great Things About Being A Dad
- A Kid Just Like Me : A Father and Son Overcome the Challenges of ADD and Learning Disabilities
- A Love So Big: Anchoring Your Child to the Heart of God
- A Year of Fun Just for Two's: Fun Seasonal Activities, Songs, Poems, and Fingerplays-Plus Practical Advice for Parents (Year of Fun)
- ABC's of the Birds and Bees: A Guide for Parents and Teens
- Answers: A Parents' Guidebook for Solving Problems
- Arte de respirar, El
- As They Grow: Your Two-Year-Old
- Be Sweet: A Conditional Love Story
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- I Am My Brother's Keeper, Journal of a Gunny in Iraq
- Exclusion and Embrace: A Theological Exploration of Identity, Otherness, and Reconciliation
- Hammerhead Ranch Motel
- Goldmine 45 Rpm Picture Sleeve Price Guide
- Eye of the Beholder
- Evolve Your Brain: The Science of Changing Your Mind
- Ginger: My Story
- Art-Sites Spain: Contemporary Art + Architecture Handbook
- Down the Great Unknown: John Wesley Powell's 1869 Journey of Discovery and Tragedy Through the Grand
- Porky: My Unusual Pet
