New England Natives: A Celebration of People and Trees

Amazon.com

The forests of the "New Founde Lande" of New England have sustained human life for thousands of years, and they offered an irresistible lure for the European settlers who shaped the early history of the United States. In this leisurely look at the way people and trees have gotten along over the centuries, Harvard archivist Sheila Connor delves into the arcana of sugar-maple tapping and clockmaking, explores the origins of Arbor Day and witch hazel, and generally has a fine time evoking New England's past. She also points to a forested future, thanks to widespread conservation and reseeding campaigns over the last century, noting with pleasure that "at no time since the arrival of the Europeans, until today, has so much of New England's landscape been forested." Connor's book brims with affection and intelligence, and tree enthusiasts everywhere ought to have a look at it.

Book Description

Taking us back to the birth of New England's forests, Sheila Connor shows us these trees evolving amidst a succession of human cultures, from the Archaic Indians who crafted canoes from white birch and snowshoes from ash, to the colonists who built ships of oak and pine, to the industrialists who laid railroad tracks on chestnut timber, to the tanners who used hemlock bark to treat the leather required to shoe the Union army. In this engaging narrative, cultural history affords insights into forestry, botany, horticulture, and ecology, which in turn illuminate the course of human conduct in a wooded land. Beautifully written and lavishly illustrated, this book will delight readers with a special interest in the trees of the region, as well as those who wonder what our American culture owes to nature.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent text that combines natural and social history.......2002-06-11

A truely wonderful read. This book goes through the history of New England and how the plants and natural resources of the area shaped the history of this region all the while using our Arnold Arboretum as the focal point and reference. There's too much information to call it a quick read, but it is very well organized and easy to read in that sense.

I must read for plant and history buffs.

Average customer rating:
New England Natives: a Celebration of People and Trees
Sheila Connor
Manufacturer: Harvard University Press, Cambridge
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000RZMUFQ

Average customer rating:
New England Natives: a Celebration of People and Trees

Manufacturer: Harvard University Press, Cambridge
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000I9QAMU

Book Description

Experience the wonders of Alaska during a 44 day cross-country journey by motorhome. Shows the how-to of motorhoming while telling what's it like to be part of a 12-recreational vehicle caravan exploring this spectacular region. Learn the joys and pitfalls of traveling with others and handling the unique challenges of long-distance travel and camping in the wilderness.

Customer Reviews:

My opinions on Alaska at your own pace.......1999-12-17

Although the book gives a lot of very interesting and good information for the Alaska bound RV'er, Mrs. Beard uses far too much verbage. The roughly 300 pages could give a reader the same information in about a third of the pages if verbage such as "Good morning I said to Scott through the screen of the small window above the kitchen sink in our motorhome"

The travel information and routing arranged by the caravan company is of great help if you can muddle your way through all the extra words.

reads like a diary, no substantial information.......1999-09-17

This is a book to read if you want a story and not to get any information. I really could care less what she eat for breakfast. I was expecting it to be more informative and intelligent. Ms. Beard should stick to writing children's stories.

Must reading if you're considering caravaning to Alaska.......1999-01-18

Though this book "reads" like a diary, it contains within its pages very interesting information if you're considering RV caravaning to Alaska. From the bone jarring perma-frost damaged highways, to the beautiful scenery making it all worth while.

I highly recommend this book to anyone considering caravaning to Alaska. You can read the book and decide for yourself if this is how you'd want to travel.

Also, the book has tips and tidbits that enlightens the readers as they take us on their wonderful journey.

Interesting, entertaining, informative.......1998-11-06

My second book by Bernice Beard in my quest to gather all the information possible before buying my first motor home this is one of the easiest reading books that I have read. It contains information that is valuable to me in making a choice of whether to buy an RV for full time living and travel plus some of the pleasant and unpleasant things to look forward to when I do decide to make the big step. Overall a good book that was easy for me to read.

Customer Reviews:

Informacion basica .......2006-09-27

este libro de texto limita la historia de Puerto Rico, y esconde muchos datos que son ricos para una real concpecion de lo que fue y es Puerto Rico. El maestro que utilize esta edicion debera enriquecer el curriculo con material adicional, puesto que el libro carece de muchos elementos importantes.

Average customer rating:

Historia Y Geografia Puerto Rico

Manufacturer: Norma S a Editorial
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | History & Historical Fiction | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Spain | Europe | History | Subjects | Books

Spanish | Foreign Language Nonfiction | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Infantil y juvenil | Libros en español | Formats | Books

No ficción | Infantil y juvenil | Libros en español | Formats | Books

Book Description

This updated and expanded A New Island Biogeography of the Sea of Cortes, first published nearly 20 years ago, integrates new and broader studies encompassing more taxa and more complete island coverage. The present synthesis provides a basis for further research and exploration in upcoming years of the biologically fascinating Sea of Cortes region. The Gulf region is increasingly being exploited, for its natural resources by way of marine fisheries, and for its stunning natural beauty by way of a burgeoning tourism industry. Further, the region's human population is increasing apace. It is appropriate, therefore, that this volume discusses these evolving circumstances, and the efforts of the Mexican government to regulate and manage them. The new Biogeography includes a section on the conservation issues in the Sea of Cortes, past accomplishments and conservation needs as yet outstanding. This book should be of strong interest to conservation biologists, ecologists, and evolutionary biologists more generally.

Book Description

This collection of papers originally presented in 1987 at The International School on Crystallographic Computing is largely concerned with methods of single-crystal structure determination, with an emphasis on direct methods and on methods applicable to protein crystallography. In addition
there are contributions on fiber diffraction and electron diffraction techniques. Programming methods for assessing data bases are presented as are introductions to symbolic programming and programming for array processors.

CRYSTALLOGRAPHIC COMPUTING 4: TECHNIQUES AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES (HB)

Average customer rating:

CRYSTALLOGRAPHIC COMPUTING 4: TECHNIQUES AND NEW TECHNOLOGIES (HB)
Isaacs/taylor
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OL0UDW

Book Description

This book encourages and demonstrates an innovative approach to the design and operation of urban wastewater systems: integrated modelling and control. Consideration of sewer system, wastewater treatment plant and receiving water body as a single system (rather than as three moderately independent units as before) opens up new types of analyses and new control algorithms for urban wastewater systems.
After a comprehensive review of the literature of various fields including processes affecting water flow and quality in urban wastewater systems and their description by different types of models, this book also introduces some of the fundamental concepts of the operation of such systems. It discusses conventional as well as innovative control approaches - ranging from control by simple set-points to elaborate hierarchical control concepts taking into account the water flow and the quality of sewer systems, treatment plants and receiving water body. Thus it will enable the researcher as well as the practising engineer to analyse and to implement various types of control for a particular case study site. In order to illustrate the concepts developed, a detailed simulation study, covering the complete urban wastewater system, is presented. The conclusions drawn demonstrate that the application of innovative control concepts can lead to improved performance of wastewater systems.
In addition, a comprehensive survey of mathematical optimisation methods is presented. This book can assist the practising engineer and the student to gain knowledge of all aspects of wastewater systems. To the researcher, this book provides a thorough survey of existing simulation and control concepts and inspiration for further work.

Integrating simulation models with a view to optimal control of urban wastewater systems [An article from: Environmental Modelling and Software]

Average customer rating:

Integrating simulation models with a view to optimal control of urban wastewater systems [An article from: Environmental Modelling and Software]
D. Butler , and M. Schutze
Manufacturer: Elsevier
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B000RR4KX4

Book Description

This digital document is a journal article from Environmental Modelling and Software, published by Elsevier in 2005. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Media Library immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Description:
Rising expectations concerning levels of service, protection of the environment and enhanced sustainability are putting increasing demands on the urban wastewater system. The conventional approach to design and operation of the system, considering each component separately, cannot provide the gains in performance required. However, with recent gains in the understanding and modeling of the system it is now possible to represent the system as a whole and to optimize its performance. This paper describes the development and benefits of integrated modelling of the operation and control of urban wastewater systems and describes the development of a simulation package SYNOPSIS. SYNOPSIS encompasses sub-models of the sewer system, treatment plant and river, based on commonly accepted modeling approaches. The sub-models are linked in a parallel way allowing interactions between these sub-systems to be fully considered. This feature, used in concert with a control module implemented in the software, proves to be of particular importance for the development and analysis of integrated real-time control strategies. The model is applied to a case study site where it is clearly shown that river quality can be significantly improved by implementing an integrated control strategy as compared with the conventional passive or local control scenario. It is also shown how the application of conventional criteria (e.g. overflow volumes, discharged pollutant loads) can result in misleading conclusions when assessing the performance of the urban wastewater system under various scenarios. The paper argues that it is no longer necessary to use such simplified criteria, but using the software and techniques outlined, it is now feasible to operate complete urban wastewater systems to maximize river water quality directly. Furthermore, simulation results indicate the clear potential of integrated control even for catchments where local control provides hardly any benefits.

Book Description

Banned in Vietnam until 1986, Dumb Luck--by the controversial and influential Vietnamese writer Vu Trong Phung--is a bitter satire of the rage for modernization in Vietnam during the late colonial era. First published in Hanoi during 1936, it follows the absurd and unexpected rise within colonial society of a street-smart vagabond named Red-haired Xuan. As it charts Xuan's fantastic social ascent, the novel provides a panoramic view of late colonial urban social order, from the filthy sidewalks of Hanoi's old commercial quarter to the gaudy mansions of the emergent Francophile northern upper classes. The transformation of traditional Vietnamese class and gender relations triggered by the growth of colonial capitalism represents a major theme of the novel.

Dumb Luck is the first translation of a major work by Vu Trong Phung, arguably the greatest Vietnamese writer of the twentieth century. The novel's clever plot, richly drawn characters and humorous tone and its preoccupation with sex, fashion and capitalism will appeal to a wide audience. It will appeal to students and scholars of Vietnam, comparative literature, colonial and postcolonial studies, and Southeast Asian civilization.

Vu Trong Phung died in Hanoi, in 1939 at the age of twenty-seven. He is the author of at least eight novels, seven plays, and several other works of fiction in addition to Dumb Luck.

Peter Zinoman is Associate Professor of Southeast Asian History, University of California, Berkeley. Nguyen Nguyet Cam is Vietnamese Language Instructor, University of California, Berkeley.

Customer Reviews:

excellent, hilarious book.......2005-11-11

i haven't read a lot of vietnamese literature but among those i've read, i would rank dumb luck and tale of kieu at the very top. dumb luck is hilarious and absurdly modern for its time and place. i could definitely see this book translated into a quirky comedic film (i think the preface says the author may have been influenced by such french films and i can see that, if that's true). the main character, red-haired xuan, is delightful but not annoying. not a word is wasted here -- every character and line of dialogue is essential to the story. the book is a quick, refreshing read. however, in trying to give an objective comparison, i can tell you that my israeli boyfriend also loved it but my vietnamese high school brother merely thought it was funny but not hilarious. pick up this book if you want to read an excellent piece of vietnamese literature or want to spend a few hours rollicking with laughter (or more likely smirking and uttering a couple of "hah!"s every few minutes). this is a rare, obscure find. read it if you have the opportunity to do so.

Best novel I have read for class.......2005-05-26

I was assigned this novel for a Vietnamese history class; I would not have even heard of it otherwise.

This novel is excellent. The writing style, translated from 1930's Vietnamese, is humourous, witty, and fast-paced. The luck, charisma, and quick thinking of Red-Haired Xuan is hilarious, and the plot is worthy of the best modern comedy movies (particularly British ones).

I have no clue how you would find out about this novel, but if you do, you should read it. It had me laughing out loud, and I am not a fan of historical or foreign novels. Considering that this novel is 70 years old and from a totally different language, it must be a masterpiece if to still be so good.

Book Description

This book tells the remarkable story of Robert F. Williams--one of the most influential black activists of the generation that toppled Jim Crow and forever altered the arc of American history. In the late 1950s, as president of the Monroe, North Carolina, branch of the NAACP, Williams and his followers used machine guns, dynamite, and Molotov cocktails to confront Klan terrorists. Advocating "armed self-reliance" by blacks, Williams challenged not only white supremacists but also Martin Luther King Jr. and the civil rights establishment. Forced to flee during the 1960s to Cuba--where he broadcast "Radio Free Dixie," a program of black politics and music that could be heard as far away as Los Angeles and New York City--and then China, Williams remained a controversial figure for the rest of his life.

Historians have customarily portrayed the civil rights movement as a nonviolent call on America's conscience--and the subsequent rise of Black Power as a violent repudiation of the civil rights dream. But Radio Free Dixie reveals that both movements grew out of the same soil, confronted the same predicaments, and reflected the same quest for African American freedom. As Robert Williams's story demonstrates, independent black political action, black cultural pride, and armed self-reliance operated in the South in tension and in tandem with legal efforts and nonviolent protest.

Customer Reviews:

still relevant.......2007-04-03

A compelling look at a fascinating figure of the modern American civil rights movement whose story continues to be relevant. Particularly interesting is the nuanced and thoughtful treatment of the complex dialogue and tension between "nonviolence" and "self-defense" in the history of the Black freedom struggle in the US.

The period of Williams's life following his exile is only very tersely outlined (as the author himself admits), giving the book a bit of an abrupt end. More analysis of Williams's decision to renounce public life, of his scepticism about the later direction of the "Black Power" movement that had claimed him as one of its icons, and of his decision to seek an "understanding" with the US gov't enabling his return from exile, would probably make for most interesting reading.

The Revolution Will Not Be Televised.......2006-12-27

Mainstream history seemingly gets real nervous about who is carrying a loaded weapon and who one associates with. Combine the two and it will take an outstanding historian like Timothy B. Tyson to bring to life the tireless work and controversies surrounding civil-rights activist Robert F. Williams.

Williams brought the element of armed self-defense in seeking equal rights, especially in his hometown of Monroe, N.C. Though Williams, a military veteran, stressed that the specter of self-defense was necessary - and proven successful in confronting the KKK and other racists - his stance drew the ire of the NAACP's national office, the FBI and other government agencies & those in the civil rights movement who stressed non-violent actions no matter what the situation.

The book is more than a biography on Williams. It shows how his demands for equal rights meant something different to various individuals and groups, though Williams would not politically "fall in line" with any movement. It was the perceived idealism that drew many to Williams, but it was such a coalition - including Malcolm X and the Socialist Workers Party - that made him particularly dangerous in the eyes of federal officials.

While in exile from the U.S. after being erroneously charged for violating several federal laws, Williams was in Cuba after the revolution, North Viet Nam during the war, China as the Cultural Revolution caught fire and travelled to Africa. His independent thinking got him in trouble in Cuba; a radio show he conducted to the U.S., Radio Free Dixie, along with public comments he made, found Williams facing the wrath of Cuban government officials and ultimately led him to China.

The book also shows how his wife, Mabel and women in Monroe & in other cities not only demanded civil rights, but were willing to defend themselves and their families from violent attacks through the barrel of a gun. Mabel Williams was also an important person in the writing, editing and publishing of a newsletter that gained national and international attention.

Williams was an important catalyst for Huey Newton and the Deacons for Defense in their quests to skillfully confront the haters on the streets. In yet again another example on why we must continue to look past the history as it is written in textbooks, Robert F. Williams showed what can be accomplished when the intimidators become the intimidated while trying to perpetuate the myth of white supremacy.

Beyond the Headline Makers.......2006-11-05

The civil rights movement was not created by, lead by, or moved forward by the dozen or so media heros whose names we all now know. The civil rights movement succeed because so many ordinary people decided that they could no longer stand to live in the midst of injustice, and decided to step out of their daily lives and do something about it.

Robert Williams did just that. An ordinary working class guy, he used his people skills to form a network of working class black people who did not have the patience of the old line leaders of the local NAACP chapter in his hometown. He got himself elected president of the chapter, and backed by dozens of local people, formed one of the most activist chapters in the country. The national NAACP never was comfortable with Williams or the work of his chapter, and at best held them at arms length.

Inevitably, Williams' hard pressure on local structures of racism lead to a backlash. When he was attacked and his family threatened with death, the local police did nothing. When he and his community defended themselves, by taking up arms to combat the armed violence of the white racists, he was charged with murder, and became the subject of a massive FBI hunt. Escaping to Cuba, he operated a radio station, beaming the "truth" along with progressive jazz and blues which would never be played on corporate radio in the south, to Dixie.

Ultimately, Williams' stance of self-defense was taken up by Stokley Carmichael in the South, and by the Black Panther Party in Oakland, and is now well known as the "Black Power" movement. But at the time, it was simply a slightly more hardline version of the NAACP. Local chapters of the NAACP, building on long traditions of mutual support in black communities throughout the south, supported by thousands of ordinary people, formed the backbone of the civil rights movement. Anyone who thinks otherwise should read the statements by Bob Moses and the other SNCC organizers, who readily admitted that they could never have accomplished anything at all if not for the decades of groundwork done by the local NAACP chapters throughout the south.

Great book, which everyone interested in the history of the Civil Rights movement, or just interested in the way social changes really happen, should read.

Armed Resistance to the Viciousness of Jim Crow.......2005-06-11

Ultimately, the notion of white supremacy and the so-called glory of the Lost Cause always devolved to the use of violence and intimidation against black people and any one who sided with them. Williams' is an amazing story of courage and determination as he challenged the KKK and assorted white rabble of rural North Carolina in the 1940s through the 1960s in his quest for racial justice.

Williams, a soldier during WW2, came back to Monroe, NC after the war and took on the clowns and goons of the KKK and the local and state white government. When they fired on his home, he shot back, upsetting the applecart of segregation.

Tyson's book is a powerful portrayal of a man quite willing to die for his rights, a man fed up with the violence degradation inflicted on him by southern society, and a man willing to kill to protect his property, his person and his family.

Tyson's realistic and entertaining portrayal of the stupid and inane actions of white southern racists in North Carolina is another reason to read this book. The local thuggery is almost comical, until one remembers they are well armed and prone to alcholism and violence. Tyson goes into great detail about a 1958 case where two black boys, 10 and 8 were BEATEN and IMPRISONED for kissing a white girl.

Williams and his wife are not well known heroes of the Civil Rights struggle. This book gave me a greater appreciation of the vicious hatred, violence, and stupidity they were fighting, and how disciplined and determined the Civil Rights struggle had to be in the face of overwhelming white resistance.

Read this book.......2005-05-07

highly recommended to anyone who enjoys U.S. history. I wish this book and Williams' life story and struggle were more well-known

Radio Free Dixie: Robert F. Williams and the Roots of Black Power. (Book Reviews).(Review): An article from: Journal of Southern History

Average customer rating:

Radio Free Dixie: Robert F. Williams and the Roots of Black Power. (Book Reviews).(Review): An article from: Journal of Southern History
Lance Hill
Manufacturer: Southern Historical Association
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B0008IIUZQ
Release Date: 2005-07-28

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Journal of Southern History, published by Southern Historical Association on November 1, 2001. The length of the article is 686 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: Radio Free Dixie: Robert F. Williams and the Roots of Black Power. (Book Reviews).(Review)
Author: Lance Hill
Publication: Journal of Southern History (Refereed)
Date: November 1, 2001
Publisher: Southern Historical Association
Volume: 67 Issue: 4 Page: 900(2)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Book Description

After the Vietnam War the US Army had to rebuild itself while the US government had to reconsider its military intervention strategy. This book examines how it was done and how this has affected US intervention policy, from the victory of the Gulf War to the failure of Somalia, before examining the Bosnian and Kosovo interventions.
This volume sets out to analyze the changes in US military intervention strategy by examining two separate issues: the nature of the US Army as it rebuilt itself after the Vietnam War, and the attempts by the US to establish criteria for future military interventions. Richard Lock-Pullan first argues that US strategy traditionally relied upon national mobilization to co-ordinate political aims and military means; he subsequently analyses how this changed to a formula of establishing militarily achievable political objectives prior to the use of force. Drawing on a vast body of strategic culture and military innovation literature, the author demonstrates that the strategic lessons were a product of the rebuilding of the Army's identity as it became a professional all-volunteer force and that the Army's new doctrine developed a new 'way of war' for the nation, embodied in the Air Land Battle doctrine, which changed the approach to strategy.
The book finally gives a practical analysis of how the interventions in Panama and the Gulf War vindicated this approach and brought a revived confidence in the use of force while more recent campaigns in Somalia, Kosovo and Bosnia exposed its weaknesses and the limiting nature of the Army's thinking.

This book will be of interest to students of strategic studies, international relations and American politics as well as to military professionals.

Customer Reviews:

An Outside view of the U.S. Army from Vietnam to Iraq.......2006-03-27

Vietnam left as many wounds in the structure of the U.S. Army as it did in the American culture. Among these was a wide spread drug abuse problem, a large and widespread negative view towards military authority, and suspicion that the need for a military was over.

In the years since the military and our culture has changed. Minor events like Grenada and Panama help to restore the faith of the Army in itself and that of the public. It became clear that the need for a military has not passed.

During these years the Army changed from a force requiring conscription to an all Volunteer force with considerably more professionalism than before. Other events such as the bassing of the bomber generals that ran the Air Force in World War II to the Fighter Mafia that developed more recently.

These years formed the foundation for the Army that began operations in Afghanistan and Iraq after the 9/11 attack. This book examines the changes that have occurred in not only the U.S. Army, but the political and social climate that drove these changes.

The author is British and is a Senior Lecturer at King's College, London in the Defence Studies Department. As such, he can see with perhaps more clarity than we who lived through these years. His analysis is most interesting, this is a very worthwhile book as we view the changes happening as a result of the intervention in Iraq and the political uproar that grows louder as the time increases.

Book Description

Terrorist attacks regularly trigger the enactment of repressive laws, setting in motion a vicious cycle that threatens to devastate civil liberties over the twenty-first century. In this clear-sighted book, Bruce Ackerman peers into the future and presents an intuitive, practical alternative. He proposes an “emergency constitution” that enables government to take extraordinary actions to prevent a second strike in the short run while prohibiting permanent measures that destroy our freedom over the longer run.

Ackerman’s “emergency constitution” exposes the dangers lurking behind the popular notion that we are fighting a “war” on terror. He criticizes court opinions that have adopted the war framework, showing how they uncritically accept extreme presidential claims to sweeping powers. Instead of expanding the authority of the commander in chief, the courts should encourage new forms of checks and balances that allow for decisive, but carefully controlled, presidential action during emergencies. In making his case, Ackerman explores emergency provisions in constitutions of nations ranging from France to South Africa, retaining aspects that work and adapting others. He shows that no country today is well equipped to both fend off terrorists and preserve fundamental liberties, drawing particular attention to recent British reactions to terrorist attacks. Written for thoughtful citizens throughout the world, this book is democracy's constitutional reply to political excess in the sinister era of terrorism.

Customer Reviews:

Good place to start.......2007-06-10

Ackerman's argument is straightforward. Future large scale terrorist attacks are probably going to happen, but happen infrequently. The problem after an attack is the uncertainty about immediate follow-on attacks; if terrorists successfully planned and executed one attack, they may have more in progress. Ackerman fears that in the rush to prevent attacks the President and the administrative organs will accumulate too much power and destroy our liberty. Worse, Presidents will be tempted to claim the country is at war, giving them even more power.

Ackerman advocates a temporary state of emergency which the president may declare of his own authority. The declaration would have a built-in sunset provision, with only congress capable of reauthorizing. Reauthorization would require an escalating supermajority; the longer the emergency persisted the smaller a minority of legislators needed to end it. The declaration would permit broad powers of arrest and detention after an attack. Such measures would presumably mitigate the risk of further attacks, as well as re-establish national sovereignty.

The book is thought provoking and worth reading, but there are problems with Ackerman's ideas. He assumes that the most pressing need in the immediate aftermath of an attack will be to reassure the public that measures are being taken to prevent further attacks. Reassuring the public is a concern, but I think it overextends a factor unique to 9/11. The actual attacks on 9/11 and the time needed to restore order was short. Aside from those stuck because of the airspace shutdown, most people were back to normal within a few days. The system disruptions were minimal.

Such a short event period is unlikely in future large scale terrorist attacks. Dirty or nuclear bombs, chemical or biological weapons will involve much greater disruptions for a longer period of time. The event will look more like Katrina then 9/11. Massive social breakdown, no police or fire services, looting, confusion over evacuation destinations and means of transportation, these problems will last for weeks if not months. Plus, any response will be hamstrung by the need to protect responders from the contaminant (radiation, virus, chemical residue on skin or clothing). So at the time Ackerman thinks feds will be rounding up thousands of suspected terrorists most national systems will likely be overwhelmed just coping the direct aftermath of the attack.

An even bigger problem is with Ackerman's assumption that terrorist attacks will be infrequent. This implies that the administration is capable of effectively stopping most attacks. If it fails to do so, wouldn't that initiate further restrictions of liberty which Ackerman fears? Put another way, if terrorists successfully execute an attack under existing laws, it implies those laws are inadequate to prevent terrorism. Cheap information flow implies the holes or flaws in the law will be exploited with increasing frequency until they are closed, and they will be exploited again if the holes are allowed to reopen. Closing those holes necessarily entails restrictions of liberties we now enjoy. This dynamic is I think the core of the problem, not the short term emergency response but the long term incremental battle between terrorists and the law. The state of emergency concept is flawed because it assumes temporary measures can have long term preventative effects.

In a sense this book was aimed too much at 9/11. That event featured an improbable combination of mass casualties through primarily conventional means, with no subsequent attacks for a period of several years. Future attacks are unlikely to follow this pattern. That said, it is a starting point for dealing with the reality that in the current system terrorism encourages a dictatorial presidency, and terrorism isn't going away. Framers of the Constitution sought systematic ways of preventing tyranny from taking root, but they did not envision mass casualty terrorism. We owe it to them and to our children to further their work.

A Useful Book.......2006-06-24

This is a pretty good book for people concerned about possible deterioration of American civil liberties in the event of further successful 9/11-type attacks. It is almost impossible to amend the U.S. Constitution. So Ackerman proposes laws that could be enacted by Congress and states that would help do this. It should be read in conjunction with Richard Posner's Catastrophe, which makes a case for some curtailment of civil liberties, given the dangers of the age we live in.

A Yale professor impressed with himself.......2006-05-05

This book spews the progressive line that judges should make laws and run the country. By proposing that war powers be taken over by a group of congress and ruled over by judges, he proposes that we all give up our right to vote and express ourselves to an unelected and unfireable federal judge. More of the same "we know better than you" pablum spewed by the socialist/communist/nambla movement. What is even sadder is that he is a professor of law and influences young minds in this capacity. Save your money. Why pay to read "I am smart and you are not". If so bright why has he never been able to get a real job in the private sector without the cushion of tenure. Buy a latte instead, more satisfying.

State of Emergency.(Before the Next Attack: Preserving Civil Liberties in an Age of Terrorism)(Book review): An article from: Commonweal

Average customer rating:

State of Emergency.(Before the Next Attack: Preserving Civil Liberties in an Age of Terrorism)(Book review): An article from: Commonweal
Mark A. Sargent
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Terrorism | Current Events | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Commonweal, published by Thomson Gale on May 5, 2006. The length of the article is 1262 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: State of Emergency.(Before the Next Attack: Preserving Civil Liberties in an Age of Terrorism)(Book review)
Author: Mark A. Sargent
Publication: Commonweal (Magazine/Journal)
Date: May 5, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 133 Issue: 9 Page: 28(3)

Article Type: Book review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Book Description

"We do not question that flesh and bone and leaf litter will decay to dust, that seeds will sprout season after season and find renewed nourishment in the soil, that rivers can flow endlessly without running dry, that we can breathe a lifetime without depleting the air of oxygen.... What humans have not fully appreciated until recently is that these services are the work of nature, performed by the rich diversity of microbes, plants, and animals on the earth." -from The Work of Natur.

The lavish array of organisms known as "biodiversity" is an intricately linked web that makes the earth a uniquely habitable planet. Yet pressures from human activities are destroying biodiversity at an unprecedented rate. How many species can be lost before the ecological systems that nurture life begin to break down.

In The Work of Nature, noted science writer Yvonne Baskin examines the threats posed to humans by the loss of biodiversity. She summarizes and explains key findings from the ecological sciences, highlighting examples from around the world where shifts in species have affected the provision of clean air, pure water, fertile soils, lush landscapes, and stable natural communities.

As Baskin makes clear, biodiversity is much more than number of species-it includes the complexity, richness, and abundance of nature at all levels, from the genes carried by local populations to the layout of communities and ecosystems across the landscape. Ecologists are increasingly aware that mankind's wanton destruction of living organisms-the planet's work force-threatens to erode our basic life support services. With uncommon grace and eloquence, Baskin demonstrates how and why that is so.

Distilling and bringing to life the work of the world's leading ecologists, The Work of Nature is the first book of its kind to clearly explain the practical consequences of declining biodiversity on ecosystem health and function.

Customer Reviews:

Problems But No Solutions.......2004-04-21

We used this book for an Ecological Processes class during my Zoology master program. The books best point was that it was well written. The content was well researched but was very disturbing. The author covers many grim aspects of how humans have damaged ecosystems. From an ecological perspective I thought this book presented problems but no solutions. It is easy to find problems as there are many other books written on similar subjects but in order to be great scientific literature the authors should try to provide solutions. Overall the book left me with a negative view of human kind and a poor outlook on the future of our planet. I give it three stars because it was written well even if the content was lacking.

The Work of Nature is a great work of literature.......2000-09-23

One of the greatest deficits in knowledge that most Americans carry has to do with biodiversity. Yvonne Baskin does a great job of pulling together a wide variety of ecological research results to reduce that deficit. Her writing is strong and clear (although it is an exaggeration to compare it to a Stephen King thriller, as is done on the back cover of the book). The Work of Nature is worth reading cover to cover, and then keeping as a useful reference book. Take the message to heart, and spread it widely: it is vital that we do more to save the natural world from human devastation. We depend the "work of nature" for our very lives.

The Work of Nature by Yvonne Baskin.......2000-05-03

Biodiversity is an important global issue that few people consider in their everyday life. Baskin's book provides a sense of purpose for preserving diversity by identifying important connections in ecosystems and their effects on people. According to the author, not all plants and animals are created equal. Some plant and animal species provide crucial functions in ecosystems processes, while others may serve redundant purposes. Although redundancy implies that these species are not needed, they may become important if a similar species is eliminated from the ecosystem. Species that provide crucial ecosystems functions and do not have replacements require focused attention in conservation efforts. The Work of Nature identifies many examples of our attempts to manage plant and animal species without considering the ecological side effects. A striking example is the massacre of small perching birds in China during the 1950's to reduce grain losses to them. After eliminating most of these birds, major insect outbreaks were reported across the country. Diversity is usually associated with tropical rain forests and other wild areas that cover only a small part of the world. To her credit, Baskin expands the discussion to include human dominated systems such as farming. The author describes processes such as the decomposition of compost by microbes in easy to understand language for a general audience. Throughout the book, important and surprising ecological connections are identified that stimulate interest in preserving biological diversity.

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books