Teaching Kids to Love the Earth

Customer Reviews:

A great book for anyone who has kids........1998-11-25

A great book to have if you have kids or spend time with kids. Has great activities for children of all ages (and even adults). Not only have I gotten great ideas for things to do with my young son from this book, I have also learned alot myself. Every parent and teacher on my shopping list is going to get a copy of this book for Christmas this year.

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More Teaching Kids to Love the Earth
James Kasperson , and Marina Lachecki
Manufacturer: Pfeifer-Hamilton Pubs
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Science, Nature & How It Works | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Nature & Ecology | Science | Subjects | Books

Natural History | Nature & Ecology | Science | Subjects | Books

History of Technology | Technology | Science | Subjects | Books

Reference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1570250405

Book Description

This volume expands on the concepts first presented in the best-selling Teaching Kids to Love the Earth. It offers 156 new activities that encourage children to love, trust, and nurture the earth. The stories about kids in urban, suburban, and rural settings invite children to live in partnership with their planet.

Best Kids Love-The-Earth Activity Book (Best Kids Books)

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Best Kids Love-The-Earth Activity Book (Best Kids Books)
Cynthia Overbeck Bix , Sydney L. Donahoe , and Patricia Parrott West
Manufacturer: Sunset Pub Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Ages 4-8 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Environmental Science | Earth Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books

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Teaching Kids to Love the Earth
Marina Lachecki
Manufacturer: University of Minnesota Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Children's Books | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
ASIN: 0816641978

Book Description

Like other guidebooks in the Hidden series, Hidden Wyoming reviews the popular attractions -- such as Jackson Hole, the quiet ranching community transformed into a collection of million-dollar alpine resorts -- then invites readers to go further by exploring "hidden" spots other guides overlook such as Gros Ventre River Ranch with its inexpensive log cabins, nearby summer fly-fishing streams, and winter snowshoeing trails. Travel writer John Gottberg is equally comfortable describing a ride down a stretch of white water, the atmosphere at an exclusive resort, or the history of an Old West mining town, making him uniquely qualified to lead visitors through the state's amazing landscape of high mountain peaks, alpine lakes, hot springs, ghost towns, and lost bits of wilderness. This guide covers Wyoming's Wild West heritage, listing 18 Indian museums, ten trading post craft shops, and four cowboy museums. Over four dozen parks and wilderness areas are described including information on camping, hiking, boating, and horseback riding.

Hidden Wyoming: Including Jackson Hole and Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks

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Lodgings, sightseeing, and special dining experiences

Hidden Wyoming: Including Jackson Hole and Grand Teton and Yellowstone National Parks
John Gottberg
Manufacturer: Ulysses Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Guidebooks | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books

North America | Travel | Subjects | Books

General | Travel | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1569754926

Book Description

Combining unique travel choices, outdoor adventures, and little-known locales into guides where vacations meet adventures, each title in the Hidden series also offers readers the comfort of detailed maps, Internet information for each listing, author picks, suggested itineraries, and walking and driving tours. Hidden Wyoming reviews everything from Jackson Hole's million-dollar resorts to Gros Ventre River Ranch and its inexpensive log cabins, nearby fly-fishing streams, and winter snowshoeing trails. The author guides readers to the state's amazing landscape of high mountain peaks, alpine lakes, hot springs, ghost towns, and lost bits of wilderness. Author John Gottberg lives in Seattle, WA. Include 14 maps.

Customer Reviews:

Lodgings, sightseeing, and special dining experiences.......2001-09-12

Hidden Wyoming appears in its third edition to provide selective recommendations and reviews of lodgings, sightseeing, and special dining experiences throughout the state. A "user friendly" and recommended pick for destination-bound travelers.

Book Description

Actin is one of the most widespread proteins in eukaryotic cells. This book and its companion (Molecular Interactions of Actin. Actin-Myosin Interaction, Actin-Based Regulation) provide an authoritative and opinionated view of the structure and function of this essential protein. Each section includes an historical perspective and a detailed commentary on actin protein chemistry, molecular and cell biology of actin. While some chapters review the body of knowledge of the subject, others contain new experimental data. This book will appeal to research scientists seeking contemporary overviews of actin and its binding proteins. Contributors include senior scientists as well as the new breed of younger scientists.

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Thermodynamic properties of the elements Tabulated values of the heat capacity, heat content, entropy, and free energy function of the solid, liquid, ... 92 elements
Daniel R Stull
Manufacturer: American Chemical Society
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General & Reference | Chemistry | Professional Science | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
General | Physical & Theoretical | Chemistry | Science | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0006AUVCG

Book Description

How can one be assured that computer codes that solve differential equations are correct? Standard practice using benchmark testing no longer provides full coverage because today's production codes solve more complex equations using more powerful algorithms. By verifying the order-of-accuracy of the numerical algorithm implemented in the code, one can detect most any coding mistake that would prevent correct solutions from being computed. Verification of Computer Codes in Computational Science and Engineering sets forth a powerful alternative called OVMSP: Order-Verification via the Manufactured Solution Procedure. This procedure has two primary components: using the Method of Manufactured Exact Solutions to create analytic solutions to the fully-general differential equations solved by the code and using grid convergence studies to confirm the order-of-accuracy. The authors present a step-by-step procedural guide to OVMSP implementation and demonstrate its effectiveness. Properly implemented, OVMSP offers an exciting opportunity to identify virtually all coding 'bugs' that prevent correct solution of the governing partial differential equations. Verification of Computer Codes in Computational Science and Engineering shows you how this can be done. The treatment is clear, concise, and suitable both for developers of production quality simulation software and as a reference for computational science and engineering professionals.

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Kafka in Prague

Kafka

A Unique and Wonderful Book

R. Crumb's Kafka

GET THIS BOOK

R. Crumb's Kafka
Robert Crumb
Manufacturer: IBooks Graphic Novel
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
General | Graphic Novels | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
Classics | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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The R. Crumb Handbook

ASIN: 1596878126

Book Description

Part illustrated biography, part comics adaptation, R. Crumb's Kafka is a vibrant biography that examines this Czech writer and his works in a way that a bland textbook never could! R. Crumb's Kafka is a work of art in its own right, a very rare example of what happens when one very idiosyncratic artist absorbs another into his world view without obliterating the individuality of the absorbed one. Crumb's art is filled with Kafka's insurmountable neuroses. They are all there: Gregor Samsa's sister, the luscious Milena Jesenska, the Advocate's 'nurse' Leni, Olda and Frieda, and the ravishing Dora Diamant--drawn in that mixture of self-command, tantalizing knowingness and sly sexuality--that Amazonian randiness and thick-limbed physicality that is Crumb.

Customer Reviews:

Kafka in Prague.......2007-09-16

Having recently returned from a few days in Prague, I was impressed with both the artwork and the serious history of this book. I highly recommend it for those reasons, as well as its clever summaries of several Kafka tales.

Kafka.......2007-09-12

Kafka's life in itself is a very interesting tale, and I would recommend any book concerning the actual events of his life and the strange things that went through his mind. There are so many to choose from. From the multitude of books written about Kafka, R. Crumb's is actually a good addition. It provides something new to the world of Kafka, just as Maus provides something new to the WWII genre. It is sophisticated, intriguing, and downright creepy: definitely a great addition to your library.

A Unique and Wonderful Book.......2006-12-08

Reviewed by: Tom Hendricks, Musea Review Service. Posted courtesy of the Underground Literary Alliance Book Review Blog.

Tom Hendricks is a ULA member. He has probably never met Robert Crumb, but might want to. I'd like to meet Robert Crumb.

What is it? : Franz Kafka's biography with text by David Mairowitz, and illustrations by celebrated underground comic artist Robert Crumb.

Technical Quality: High. Book is a well made, 175 page, trade paperback. Note the somewhat chilling cover with an orange Prague cityscape drawing , with a green insert of Kafka writing.

Innovative Quality: High. The book uses the graphic novel approach to tell the life story of the troubled but brilliant Franz Kafka. Crumb illustrates the main biographical events and portions from some of Kafka's most celebrated works.

Review: Three parts come together to make this a memorable and notable read: Franz Kafka's life and works, Robert Crumb's illustrations on every page, and an informative biographical text by David Zane Mairowitz.

Mairowitz writes: "Before ever becoming the ADJECTIVE (Kafkaesque) Franz Kafka (1883-1924) was a Jew from Prague, born into its inescapable tradition of story-tellers and fantasists, ghetto-dwellers and eternal refugees. His Prague, "a little mother' with 'claws' was a place that suffocated him, but where he nonetheless chose to live all but the last eight months of his life."

That well sums up a lot of the main threads of Kafka's life too. He was a Jew in a country that more and more hated and persecuted the Jews. He had an oppressive and abusive father that, like Prague, he could never escape. He had troubled relationships with all the women he was attracted to, and he never got the respect for his writing in his life time that he deserved.

The book goes into detail on all these issues and lets us see his world - a depressing world where it seems his only escape was his writing. And what writing he did. Throughout the book are illustrated excerpts of major Kafka works including: an early story 'The Judgement', the famous "Metamorphosis' where Gregor Samsa turns into an enormous bug; "The Burrow" an animal fable; "In the Penal Colony" with the new killing machine invention; his best known work, the novel, "The Trial" where 'K' is arrested - but for what?; "The Castle" the 2nd of 3 novels; "A Hunger Artist" who is a sideshow freak for his ability to starve himself, and "Amerika" his last unfinished novel.

At the age of 39 he retired from his insurance job (one that by improving safety standards actually saved many lives) due to tuberculosis. Kafka instructed his friend Max Brod, to destroy almost all his works upon his death. Fortunately for us, Brod did not carry that wish out.

The bio is fascinating, and the excerpts cover some of the best of Kafka's work. Now add to that the superb black and white illustrations of Crumb and we get a very great book indeed.

Crumb, known for his underground comics, has taken that style of art to high art here. His drawing style is the technical equal of any illustrator. Yet beyond that he has a gift for characterization , an eye for detail, and the ability to illustrate any scene. Had the bio and excerpts been any less compelling, the illustrations would have still been notable. Each page was filled with drawings and many of them are minor masterpieces on their own. An example are the illustrations on page 64 and 65. Kafka wrote many letters to Felice Bauer one of 4 women that he had important
relationships with. On the left side we see the couple up to their chests in pages of letters. On the right side of the page, we see Kafka writing at his desk in the bottom right corner with letter after letter stacked through the air, all the way up to the upper left corner.

Wisely Mairowitz, who wrote the text, does not try to embellish his work, instead his comments are sparse and to the point , thus better allowing Kafka the classic writer, and Crumb a world class gifted illustrator, to shine.

High marks all around in this new classic.

R. Crumb's Kafka.......2006-08-05

A find collaboration with Robert Crumb and David Z. Mairowitz. This opus reveals two things about Crumb: Crumb's attempt to vent his childhood Hell with his own father and a depth of related emotion uncharacteristic of his personality.

GET THIS BOOK.......2006-07-13

The serious student of Kafka or the neophyte will find much to admire in this rendering of the life and work of Kafka.

IT is truer a retelling than Welle's The Trial.

Excellent plot summaries well illustrated and very evocative.

Crumb is the perfect artist to present the life and work of Mr. Kafka, with sincerity and illuminating truth.

I wish Mr. Crumb would do more and full length versions of the Kafka opus

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Fun, If Taken As Such

trivialized women

Great Dames grates on nerves

Leaves a bad aftertaste...

Disappointing Dames

Great Dames: What I Learned from Older Women
Marie Brenner
Manufacturer: Three Rivers Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
Women | Specific Groups | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
General | Women's Studies | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0609807099
Release Date: 2001-04-10

Book Description

"Fascinating, gossipy, entertaining. . . ."
— New York Times Book Review

They are ten outstanding women of the century. Each had an aura, including Thelma Brenner, the first great dame her daughter ever knew. Their lives were both gloriously individual and yet somehow universal. They were mighty warriors and social leaders, women of aspiration who persevered. They lived through the Great Depression and a world war. Circumstances did not defeat them. They played on Broadway and in Washington. They had glamour, style, and intelligence. They dressed up the world.

"Vivid, intimate portraits . . . a splendid tribute to ten of the century's grandest, most powerful women."
—Us

"These women were our geishas, whispering in our ears to influence all aspects of American life."
—Susan Salter Reynolds, Los Angeles Times

"Delectable, classy . . . a runaway hit."
—Liz Smith

"An engrossing introduction to a way of life that's now extinct, for better or for worse."
—Chicago Sun-Times

Customer Reviews:

Fun, If Taken As Such.......2002-12-19

Well, the jury seems to be split on this book. The cover and sales pitch for the book do make it seem more "serious" than it actually is. But once you decide to have fun with this book, it's quite enjoyable. I enjoyed the character sketches very much.

trivialized women.......2002-01-03

Brenner trivialized the lives of these women (or perhaps they WERE trivial lives!)focusing way too much on their use of their feminine wiles versus what their contribution was. Many of the women I did not know and it was often 2 or three pages before Brenner directly stated what the women's claim to fame was - the previous text discussed how they manipulated men, went shopping, were coy or cute, etc. The only chapter that actually focuses on the woman's accomplishment (versus her prowess with man, fashion, or dining) is chapter 2 (Motley) and early on Brenner laments the fact that Motely would only focus on her career accomplishments. Brenner did manage to slip in the sentence that before a big court appearance Motely did get a fashionable outfit at Lord and Taylor. The whole tone of the book was degrading to women and did nothing to elevate these women through their accomplishments.

Great Dames grates on nerves.......2001-08-10

I couldn't wait to read about these famous and semi-famous women. Ms. Brenner's choice of personalities is strange. Most of them were dames, all right, but hardly great. The study of these women has absolutely no depth. Most of the women's quotations are mundane phrases, useless in learning more about them. The writing is high-school level...I wondered throughout where the editor was.

Leaves a bad aftertaste..........2001-07-13

This book is -- for the most part -- a really mean-spirited look at the lives and reputations of some of this century's most well known women. With the exception of the pieces on her mother, Kitty Carlisle, Constance Motley and Jackie Kennedy, the profiles entirely fail to capture the talents, charm and/or magnetism of some of the most celebrated women of our time. ALL of these women were accomplished -- and not just at snaring the right man, as Brenner would have it. There's alot of judgement in this book, but very little real insight.

The pieces on Pamela Harriman and Clare Boothe Luce are particularly unpleasant -- even the documented kindnesses of these women are subjected to high school pychologizing with conclusions that flatter neither their motives nor their results. Indeed, no opportunity is missed to portray their actions in the worst possible light, even when other interpretations of their actions may make just as much sense. Brenner quotes numerous "friends" of her various subjects but, as cliched as it sounds, with friends like these, who needs enemies?

The subtitle of this book is "What I learned from Older Women"; From the profiles of Luce and Harriman, it is apparent that Brenner learned the cattiness exemplified in Luce's play "The Women." The profile of her mother shows she also learned grace and tolerance. This book would have been so much better if only Brenner had extended the same grace and understanding to all her subjects that she demonstrates in writing about her mom.

Disappointing Dames.......2000-11-11

Sorry to disagree with the raves but I found this book trite. Instead of real character study, we get bits and pieces. there is no thread to really connect these women except that they were all rich and/or famous. the author did not attempt to really get at the heart of her characters so we are left with magazine articles. This book is a complete waste of time. We learn little and what there is to learn about these intelligent and independent women is fluff. Very disappointing.

Great Dames : What I Learned from Older Women

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Great Dames : What I Learned from Older Women
Marie Brenner
Manufacturer: Crown Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000O61Y6Y

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Great Dames; What I Learned from Older Women
Marie Brenner
Manufacturer: Crown
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000X6HC6G

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The Gallant and Tragic Hood of Texas

A Complete and Disastrous Failure - A Balanced Account

Selective.

A Solid Bio

John Bell Hood and the War for Southern Independence
Richard M. McMurry
Manufacturer: University Press of Kentucky
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | United States | Americas | History | Subjects | Books
General | Civil War | United States | Americas | History | Subjects | Books
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Nothing but Victory: The Army of the Tennessee, 1861-1865

ASIN: 0813114578

Customer Reviews:

The Gallant and Tragic Hood of Texas.......2006-11-15

John Bell Hood remains one of the more tragic figures of the Civil War. Winning laurels in the Army of Northern Virginia in 1862 and 1863 by leading his division to great victories, Hood would suffer serious wounds at Gettysburg and Chickimagua which cost him one limb and the use of another. Rising to command the Army of Tennessee, Hood would be forced to abandon Atlanta and would lead his army to disaster in the bitter Franklin/Nashville campaign in late 1864. Having been censured by the Virginia legislature, Hood would resign his post and spend the rest of his life trying to regain his reputation. Sadly the young general would lose his wife and some of his eleven children in the great yellow fever epidemic that ravaged New Orleans in 1879. Hood would also be claimed by the disease. He simply did not have the money to escape New Orleans during the months of illness.

McMurry's biography on Hood remains the best book on the Texan. Yet there seems to be something missing. Too often McMurry resorts to offering grand panoramas of battles and campaigns and often the reader loses trace of Hood. This is not suprising; Hood left very few papers and his autobiography remains somewhat controversial. McMurry could have added more on Hood's postwar career.

McMurry presents an odd picture of Hood. Certainly the general's admirers, and there remain a great deal of them, can not be happy with this look at Hood. Having said that McMurry recognizes some of Hood's virtues as a man and as a commander. Still, after reading the book, one can generally agree with the woman engaged to Hood at the time that the Texan simply was in over his head as commander of one of the two primary Confederate armies. While Hood showed no problems using his politcal connections on his way up the ladder, like many others he simply could not manage the politics of the most factionalized of all Civil War armies.

This is not to say Hood was without merit. McMurry shows Hood's courage and determination. The problem is there are simply very few personal papers to work with. Hood, the ambitious and agressive young general, who lost the woman he was engaged to, two of his limbs, his reputation and the prime of his life for the Conferderacy is an intriguing man. The man who had eleven children after the war but found no success or rest must have been hanuted by many demons. It's an interesting and tragic tale and, while McMurry does the best he can with the material and sources, the story of Hood may be beyond the ability of a standard biographer or even one as talented as McMurry. The great rise and fall of John Bell Hood is tragedy of the highest order. Send for Sophocles.

A Complete and Disastrous Failure - A Balanced Account.......2005-11-07

John Bell Hood was blamed for the defeats at Franklin and Nashville of the Army of Tennessee in 1864. Hood expected, however, that history would eventually restore his reputation. He wrote, "I have never feared but that I would get justice, but expect it to be tardy." This well-researched, well-balanced, concise biography - John Bell Hood and the War for Southern Independence by Richard M. McMurry - attempts to offer fairness and justice, but unfortunately for John Hood, McMurry draws conclusions that are not entirely favorable.

John Bell Hood's early career was marked by good fortune and successes in battle, and ultimately he became the youngest of the eight full generals of the Confederacy. No one questioned Hood's courage nor his effectiveness as a brigade commander. Following his severe injuries at Gettysburg and Chickamauga, Southern newspapers compared the loss of Hood's service as second only to that of Stonewall Jackson.

McMurry attributes Hood's "complete and disastrous failure" as commander of the Army of Tennessee to his inability to plan thoroughly his operations and to his inadequate supervision of his subordinates. Instead, Hood displayed a romantic's happy assumption that, despite all evidence, matters would work out for the best. McMurry strengthens his argument by identifying in Hood's early war years traces of weaknesses that would later contribute to his ultimate failure.

John Bell Hood and the War for Southern Independence easily warrants four stars.

Selective........2004-02-09

This biography of John Bell Hood is piecemeal; you will not find the whole story here. For example, it barely touches on Hood's contributions to the battles fought at Antietam and Gettysburg where Hood was openly critical of Robert E. Lee's battle plans. You have to wonder why, when focusing on an offensively minded General like John Bell Hood, the author chooses to really omit the first two Confederate invasions of the North! Surely his experiences there were the foundation for the attacks he subsequently led at Franklin and Nashville, Tennessee.

More importantly, the author does not take General Hood to task either for destroying the Army of Tennessee at Franklin and Nashville or for the continual politicking the General loved to engage in. John Bell was definitely not a loyal subordinate. He was quarrelsome, difficult and in reality, could not be trusted by his peers.

But he was a fighter. On any battlefield in which he was engaged he fought like a demon. It is quite likely that with the exception of Stonewall Jackson, John Bell Hood was the finest combat general the Confederacy possessed.

McMurry spends too much time trying to downplay the Peter Principal in John Bell's life, and, as a result, forgets to highlight those areas of this brilliant combat officer's contributions which should be thoroughly discussed in a book of this nature. As a result, he forgets to pay John Bell Hood the respect he is due.

A Solid Bio.......1999-04-15

McMurry writes a solid bio of Hood in this book. McMurry traces the key turning points,in his mind, of Hood's career. In doing this he delves into the battle of Chickamauga, the Seven Days' Battles, the Atlanta Campaign, and the Tennessee Campaign of 1864, and Hood's courtship of Buck Preston while hardly mentioning the battles of Antietam or Gettysburg, in which Hood played a key role. Even so, it is still a very good book with some new views of Hood. One thing I found annoying was when McMurry dealt with the Atlanta Campaign he was very harsh and critical of J.E. Johnston (who he obviously dislikes) while basically claiming Hood could do no wrong during this campaign. Still, it is a interesting and good book, while being an easy read and giving some new views on Hood the man and Hood the general.

John Bell Hood And The War For Southern Independence

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John Bell Hood And The War For Southern Independence
McMurry Richard M
Manufacturer: The University Press of Kentucky
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000QYJF4W

Average customer rating:

John Bell Hood and the War for Southern Independence
John Bell) McMurry, Richard M Hood
Manufacturer: University Press of Kentucky
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000K5SOTY

John Bell Hood and the War for Southern Independence. (book reviews): An article from: The Mississippi Quarterly

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John Bell Hood and the War for Southern Independence. (book reviews): An article from: The Mississippi Quarterly
Larry J. Daniel
Manufacturer: Mississippi State University
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Book Description

This digital document is an article from The Mississippi Quarterly, published by Mississippi State University on December 22, 1993. The length of the article is 418 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: John Bell Hood and the War for Southern Independence. (book reviews)
Author: Larry J. Daniel
Publication: The Mississippi Quarterly (Refereed)
Date: December 22, 1993
Publisher: Mississippi State University
Volume: v47 Issue: n1 Page: p180(1)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

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JOHN BELL HOOD And The WAR For SOUTHERN INDEPENDENCE.
Richard M. McMurry
Manufacturer: University Press of Kentucky,
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NYFLDY

Amazon.com

In this compelling history of the rise of Japanese organized crime since the end of World War II, Robert Whiting, author of You Gotta Have Wa (an excellent book on Japanese baseball), demonstrates that Americans have only themselves to blame for the omnipotence of the yakuza in Japanese politics and society and the rebirth of conquered Japan as one of the world's great financial giants.

Whiting's real-life protagonist, Nick Zapetti, arrived in Tokyo during the days of the postwar occupation and decided to stay. Jolted from a budding career in low-rent confidence games by a lingering bout of insolvency, Zapetti opened a restaurant on a whim. Against all odds, Nicola's Pizza became the Tokyo hotspot in the '50s for expatriates, ballplayers, entertainers, and politicians, and inevitably, the local mob. Zapetti's erstwhile adventures as a semi-honest restaurateur in a strange land frame the book's real story: the savage backstabbing and dirty dealing of Tokyo's business community, which overlaps so seamlessly with the yakuza at times that it's difficult to see where one entity ends and the other begins. Whiting expertly details the evolution of "the Great Transfer of Wealth," as he calls it (the shifting in funds from American to Japan), and explains why American foreign policy (and its fear of communism) may have unwittingly allowed it to happen. Whiting's writing is illuminating and engaging, and his conclusions belie the simplistic protectionist rhetoric heard from both sides of the fence.

As for Zapetti, he eventually became a Japanese citizen and took his wife's last name. In poor health and dogged by the financial ruin of his pizza empire, Zapetti turned rabidly anti-Japanese: "You ever see the movie Rio Bravo?" Whiting quotes Zapetti as asking one of his foreign customers one night. "You remember the scene where the leering cowboy throws the money into the spittoon ... and Dean Martin, who's the town drunk, crawls after it? That's Japan's fantasy image of us. They want us to beg like Dean Martin." --Tjames Madison

Book Description

"A fascinating look at some fascinating people who show how democracy advances hand in hand with crime in Japan."--Mario Puzo

In this unorthodox chronicle of the rise of Japan, Inc., Robert Whiting, author of You Gotta Have Wa, gives us a fresh perspective on the economic miracle and near disaster that is modern Japan.

Through the eyes of Nick Zappetti, a former GI, former black marketer, failed professional wrestler, bungling diamond thief who turned himself into "the Mafia boss of Tokyo and the king of Rappongi," we meet the players and the losers in the high-stakes game of postwar finance, politics, and criminal corruption in which he thrived. Here's the story of the Imperial Hotel diamond robbers, who attempted (and may have accomplished) the biggest heist in Tokyo's history. Here is Rikidozan, the professional wrestler who almost single-handedly revived Japanese pride, but whose own ethnicity had to be kept secret. And here is the story of the intimate relationships shared by Japan's ruling party, its financial combines, its ruthless criminal gangs, the CIA, American Big Business, and perhaps at least one presidential relative. Here is the underside of postwar Japan, which is only now coming to light.

Customer Reviews:

Great Read - Highly Recommended.......2006-11-30

I found it hard to put this book down.

Its more a story of the Japanese mob than Nick Zapetti and better for it. The way Whiting digs below the surface to show the corruption in Japanese business and politics is certainly a different perspective than the average gaijin usually sees. What was particularly fascinating for me was how obvious the yakuza have become in their activities yet how easily foreigners, some at the highest levels, have been duped into believing that Japan is "clean". The story about Bush Sr's brother being retained by the yakuza is a good tale of how big and powerful the yakuza have become.

I would love to see what Whiting has to say about more recent Japanese politics - particularly about how clean / dirty Koizumi was. But since the book was published in 1999 you don't get much insight into any changes since the millenium.

Still, that's a small point and I would highly recommend the book to anyone with the slightest interest in Japan.

pretty good.......2006-05-25

I thought this book had a great title, so I bought it. I liked the history of the yakuza and the stuff about how Ropongi was formed and became a nightlife district, but I found all the content about the American pizza place guy to be sort of dull. (It's like the writer went to the trouble to find all this stuff so he felt like he should put it in.)The back story of the Japanese criminals and gangsters was fascinating and makes this worth reading, but don't expect to be totally glued to the pages.

what a crazy life........2006-01-09

Fascinating book about someone with a crazy life. The writing isn't particularly brilliant, but the subject matter is.

Fascinating look at what's crawling around under the tatami .......2005-01-21

The sub-title of Robert Whiting's fine book is a bit misleading. The American gangster in question often disappears from the narrative for long stretches while Whiting explains the long history of collusion between Japanese politicians and the yakuza. Nevertheless, the result is a fascinating social history with plenty of entertaining anecdotes and colorful character profiles. Chief among the latter are Nick Zapetti himself, the "gangster" who made a fortune with pizza parlors that became the hangout of choice for expatriates, entertainers, and, most significantly, those who make their living on the wrong side of the law, and then lost that fortune through a combination of stubbornness, bad luck, and ignorance. Another highlight is the career of Rikidozan, the former sumo wrestler who became a national hero and single-handedly established professional wrestling in Japan by defeating foreign wrestlers in scripted bouts, all the while hiding his Korean heritage. Often very funny, this book appeals to both a taste for the prurient and seamy and the desire for a serious, even-handed analysis of the role of organized crime, political selfishness, and short-sighted anti-Communism in Japan's rise to power and wealth.

A side of Japan few ever see.......2004-10-18

This is one of the most entertaining books I have ever read about Japan. And one of the most informative too. What really sets this book apart from most others on the topic is the detailed account of an American living through the post-war period and the excesses and hubris of the boom and eventual bust. I can almost imagine myself in Nick's shoes as he fights his way to the top of the pile only to slip under the weight of his greed. At the same time, this book imparts a valuable history lesson on just how much of Japan's economic boom was truly the result of hard work and how much was rigged. Until I read this book, I never fully appreciated the level of collusion and stunning, open-mouthed greed of Japan's ruling classes. It seems like another world, one that I can only see through this book.

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Managing Wildlife Habitat on Golf Courses is written for those who care about golf and the environment. It provides a practical framework for environmentally sensitive land management practices. This book is the perfect resource for anyone striving to maintain the traditions of the game, enhance the natural environment of their golf course, and gain support for their efforts.

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