Handbook of Reptiles and Amphibians of Florida: The Amphibians, Part 3 (Handbook of Reptiles & Amphibians of Flo)

Roger Conant, author of the Peterson Field Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians

This is the first book published exclusively on the amphibians of Florida. It contains an abundance of color illustrations from life, distribution maps, drawings, and excellent descriptive text. The Ashtons have produced a superb book that will appeal to both amateur and professional naturalists, and is indispensible for the biology classroom.

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WOODY PLANTS OF THE WESTERN NATIONAL PARKS, Containing Keys for the Identification of Trees and Shrubs (The American Midland Naturalist, Monograph No. 4)
Virginia Long & Harold Edwards Bailey; John D. Mizelle, ed. Bailey
Manufacturer: University Press of Notre Dame
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000KNVB50

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Woody plants of the western national parks;: Containing keys for the identification of trees and shrubs, (The American midland naturalist. Monograph)
Virginia Long Bailey
Manufacturer: University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Shrubs | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
General | Plants | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
General | Trees | Plants | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B0007EITGQ

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Woody Plants of the Western National Parks. Containing keys for the identification of trees and shrubs
Virginia Long & Harold Edwards Bailey
Manufacturer: The University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NUUO4Y

Book Description

A travel guide to surfing Britain, including places to eat, sleep and drink. Covers the whole of the British Coastline including England, Scotland and the Islands, Wales, the Channel Islands plus Northern Ireland.

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History Resource Master 3

Manufacturer: Collins Educational
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | History & Historical Fiction | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0715717804

Book Description

The topic of the book — a theory of functional biology that incorporates the fundamental principles underlying the functioning of living organisms — is clearly appropriate as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the discovery by Watson and Crick of the structure of the DNA molecule. 'The Mathematical Nature of the Living World: The Power of Integration' is here to remind us that the world of biology is anchored in the world of mathematics and physics, and that, to understand the living world, we need to incorporate the laws of the nonliving matter. In particular, an important emphasis of the book concerns the relationships between structure and function, a point so well illustrated by the work of Watson and Crick. A nice aspect of Chauvet's book is that he does place his work and his approach in a general framework and historical background of the work performed by pioneers in a variety of fields ranging from physics to biology. As such, the book should be of general interest to a wide range of readers, from college students interested in integrating biology with physics and mathematics, to general readers curious to know more about the differences between the living world and the nonliving matter, to professional scientists and teachers concerned with more specific questions regarding relationships between structure and function in biology.

Book Description

The Toxicological Evaluations by the BG Chemie focus on the health hazards associated with industrial work substances. They are a compilation of critically asessed data for occupational safety officers, industrial hygienists and human and animal toxicologists. The series is being continued.

Customer Reviews:

This is a really dense collection..........2006-04-10

...and I don't mean that in a bad way. It took me a month to get through, and when I finally put it down I sat for a good thirty minutes, just thinking. There are five stories in all, and they all focus on someone musing about their life in light of recent events.

"Him With His Foot in His Mouth," the title story, is basically a letter of apology, thirty-five years late, to a librarian. The author, old and in bad health, is hiding out in Canada as a result of some vague legal troubles. Years ago, he made a rude remark to the librarian, and seemingly has never forgiven himself for it. He reflects on his lifelong tendency to say rude things to people, and what might make him do it, inspiring pity that peaks with the conclusion of the letter.

"What Kind of Day Did You Have?" comes next. It's written from the point of view of a recently divorced woman having an affair with a much older academic man. He calls her and asks her to fly with him to a lecture. She's involved in a custody battle with her ex-husband and, although she has an court-appointed interview with a psychiatrist the same day, she agrees. A snow storm strands them in the airport, and she starts thinking about their relationship.

"Zetland: By a Character Witness" is the shortest story in the book, and probably my least favorite. It didn't really seem complete. It's about a young man who moves to New York to become a philosopher and has a somewhat disastrous life in a rundown apartment with a gypsy wife.

"A Silver Dish" is a completely heartbreaking tale of a man dealing with the recent death of his father. He reflects back to an event from his childhood - his father stealing a silver dish from a philanthropic widow who was paying for his education at seminary. It's a story about making the best of an imperfect relationship, and I suspect most people will be able to relate to it, since it perfectly communicates the frustration of loving a less-than-perfect parent.

"Cousins" is the final story, and it centers on an older man who looks after all of his cousins. One of them is in some kind of trouble with the mob, one is a genius desperate for greatness before he dies, and one is quite ill. His tender thoughts about his family are beautiful, especially when tied in with the end, when he has a startling epiphany about himself.

There are so many truths in here about human nature and how we interact with each other. Reading it takes a little thought and a little time, but it's worth every bit of effort you put into it.

the discomfort of an old shoe.......2000-04-02

This is a beautiful reading experience, not without the usual display that Bellows is so masterful in communicating, through gentle suggestion. Banal horrors which a person incorporates into his being and his identity in the methodical manner of a person savoring a meal of shoes come out and glare from the characters like an unmistakable body-odor. If you like this book, then start reading Martin Amis, by all means.

Him With His Foot in His Mouth and Other Stories.

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Him With His Foot in His Mouth and Other Stories.
Saul. Bellow
Manufacturer: Harper & Row
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000NXNHF4

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Him With His Foot In His Mouth - And Other Stories
Saul Bellow -
Manufacturer: Harper Publishing -
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000PS361M

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HIM WITH HIS FOOT IN HIS MOUTH AND OTHER STORIES
SAUL BELLOW
Manufacturer: Unknown
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000S5WGLS

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Him With His Foot in His Mouth and Other Stories
Saul Bellow
Manufacturer: Harper
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000GYP6VI

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Him with His Foot in His Mouth and Other Stories
Saul Bellow
Manufacturer: New York: Harper & Row, 1984
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NXFYYQ

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Him with his foot in his mouth and other stories
Saul Bellow
Manufacturer: Harper & Row, c1984.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000UDZJOY

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A candid talk with Saul Bellow
D. J. R Bruckner
Manufacturer: The New York Times]
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0006YHAS0

Him With His Foot in His Mouth: And Other Stories (Penguin Classics)

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Him With His Foot in His Mouth: And Other Stories (Penguin Classics)
Saul Bellow
Manufacturer: Penguin Classics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OJFBJC

Book Description

"I swing big, with everything I've got. I hit big or I miss big. I like to live as big as I can." -- Babe Ruth

Babe Ruth is without a doubt the most famous character ever produced by the sport of baseball. A legendary player, world-famous for his hitting prowess, he transcended the sport to enter the mainstream of American life as an authentic folk hero.

In this extraordinary biography, noted sportswriter Robert W. Creamer reveals the complex man behind the sports legend. From Ruth's early days in a Baltimore orphanage, to the glory days with the Yankees, to his later years, Creamer has drawn a classic portrait of an American original.

Customer Reviews:

Writing by a true fan of the greatest game.......2007-01-01

Legends transcend time. The Stories get better, the adjectives get bolder, until they become passé. Ruth was the only athlete who was already at legend at age 21. There was no reason to exaggerate, and no words to describe his ferocious dominance. And the timing of his nuclear assault on history couldn't have been better planned. Fresh from the Black Sox crisis of 1919, America's greatest sport teetered on extinction. To this day, this baby faced Neanderthal had more athletic dominance over his peers than anyone in history...and more charisma than ten W.C. Fields. He changed the sport. Some say he changed the world.

Home Runs were non-existent before him. Baseball runs were earned one base at a time; singles...sacrifice bunts...a sport of hard drinking pitchers, and gritty base stealers led by Cobb. After Ruth arrived, the physical dimensions had to be rearranged just to accommodate his abilities. Mammoth stadiums were built with double the capacity, replete with awe inspiring 450+ ft fences. All because of Ruth. But the parks were no match for him. He was the all-time home run champion at age 25, HR champ 13 times in 15 years, and in his 17 years as a hitter, he hit 235 home runs 450 ft. or further. By comparision, Bonds was HR champ just twice, and hit just 3, count em, 3 450ft HRs his first 15 seasons pre-roids.

I've just read the new Ruth book out called The Big Bam, but afficionado's like me still choose Beamer's documentary as the voice of record. Unlike the rest, he best captures Ruth's massive power and abilities, childhood innocence, great sense of humor and rebelliousness, and rock star image. Ruth was the real deal. He was a true legend in his own time, and wore the badge humbly on his sleeve. He lit up every room he entered, and lit up every pitcher he faced. This book is a classic, like the man himself.

Glory Of His Time.......2006-11-27

Some personalities are too big to be contained in a single book, especially one who exemplified bigness like Babe Ruth.

Ruth was not much into analyzing the whys of his greatness. As retold in Robert Creamer's 1974 biography, when asked the secret of why he hit so many home runs, he replied: "Just swinging." Asked about "the psychology of the home run" by the same reporter, Babe responded: "Say, are you kidding me?"

Creamer seems to feel the same way. He's not the prose version of Jack Webb exactly, but his "Babe" is heavy on facts and remarkably light on the sort of thing modern sports writers like to fill their weighty tomes up with, cultural impact and inner-self profiling. Creamer presents teasing glimpses of Babe's revelries, and some hints of who he really was beneath the legend (one close friend says "I don't think he really loved anybody"). But his focus is on Babe the baseball player, his statistical brilliance and his awesome, game-breaking power.

He broke into the majors as a pitcher, developing into "the best lefthander in the game" before it became clear, in this blessed time before the advent of the designated hitter, that he could do more to win games with his bat than his arm. What followed transformed baseball from a slightly noisier and faster version of cricket into the National Pastime. Babe Ruth didn't invent the home run, but he might as well have deserved the copyright, hitting 54 homers in 1920, more than any other entire team produced except for his Yankees, red-haired stepchildren to the fabled New York Giants until Babe arrived and changed everything.

Even though his career home-run record was in the process of being broken when "Babe" was published, Ruth was about so much more than that. Creamer gets at a lot of the on-field stuff, especially, like the fact he once led the American League in batting average and, as a pitcher, produced the longest stretch of earned-run-free innings for more than 40 years.

The book does come across as dry at points, though, focusing on Ruth's more measurable accomplishments and ignoring the less tangible stuff. Creamer doesn't overwhelm you with a lot of flowing prose, which is a good thing, but he leaves a lot of things alone that seem fertile ground for exploration. Possibly because the last bio I read was Robert Caro's "Path To Power," it felt like Creamer was light on sourcing, but that's probably because his method of research was a lot less formal, chats at the bar with old-timers over the course of decades condensed into the iceberg we get here.

What Creamer wrote, he got right, though, something I know as a fact. My grandfather covered the Yankees and was Babe's favorite ghostwriter, and my father, who saw Babe in the Yankee clubhouse, swore by Creamer as one of sportwriting's best for giving the honest, unvarnished truth. It's not a book for boys, as Creamer notes, but "Babe" will make you feel like one reading about this real-life giant who walked the earth.

This is not the Tom Meany biography of my youth........2006-07-25

That was written for boys & swallowed every legend whole. Robert Creamer has written quite a bit on baseball. This may be about the best biography of its time. You can't do much better than Tom Parker if you take the audio route. I've read or listened to other works by Mr. Creamer & they are consistently good. That said he has alway seemed a bit to attached to the numbers. Baseball is the most satistical of sports & I do enjoy them. Ever year there is a new on that can be applied however unofficially to players of other eras such as the Babe. One of the newest ones now in vogue is the quality start.
Six inningss minimum with three earned runs or less is a quality start. Having said that sometimes the numbers overwhelm the story. Stats on the Babe's minor league years will be forgotten about 2 seonds after you hear them. Mr Creamer endeavors to be accurate & may knock down some of the legends, or reduce them to believable proportions. The belly-ache heard round the world & The Babe hitting three home-runs in his last game are examples of the hype at the time. Creamer gets real & lifts, in the end his biography to a more adult level. I think Mr. Creamer dwells a bit more on Babe's other appetites, as well, such as women. His various ailments, injuries & suspensions have surprisingly depressed records that could have been even greater than they eventually were. Babe's juvenile behavior in his early years & the number of people in the baseball world that he irritated by his sometimes arrogant attitude through-out his career thwarted him in the thing he wanted most: to be a big league manager. That is sad & we'd have a lot more to talk about since he lived for another 10 years after he left baseball. He died relatively young but he was & still is (despite his numbers being slowly
eclipsed) the greatest. If you wanted a truthful biography this is is a pretty good one & its available in the audio version.

The Best About The Best.......2006-03-19

Although I am only 27 years old I consider myself a baseball purist(as well as a huge Dodger Fan). I have a big attraction to the greats and the detail of the book is incredible! I was Rivitted and a Must read for ANY Baseball fan.

The Legend Truly Does Come to Life.......2006-02-28

One of the finest sports books I have ever read...great as a sports book, even greater as a biography....probably better as a biography....the characters, especially the Babe, come alive. It's as if you are living history as it happens and the characters are real, so, so real. Gives the reader an understanding and appreciation of the men who played the game as never before. Simple, yet complex men, in a simpler time. Simple to us, but still complex and uncertain to them....A rare find. A rare book. A good, good book. Highly recommended to the devout baseball fan, the casual baseball fan and to the reader who has a casual, passing interest in Babe Ruth, his life and times. Highly recommended.

Babe: The Legend Comes to Life by Robert Creamer & The Glory of Their Times by Lawrence Ritter (Sports Classics)

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Babe: The Legend Comes to Life by Robert Creamer & The Glory of Their Times by Lawrence Ritter (Sports Classics)

Manufacturer: Holtzman Press, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000I0TSWI

Product Description

Two volumes in maroon Slipcase with Braves Logo.

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babe the legend comes to life
creamer robert
Manufacturer: simon and schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000LS1IUC

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Babe The Legend Comes to Life
Robert Creamer
Manufacturer: Holtzman Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Leather Bound
ASIN: B000VU1Y4K

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Babe - The Legend Comes To Life
Robert W. Creamer
Manufacturer: Fireside / Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000K1MYRQ

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Babe The Legend Comes To Life
Robert W. *Author SIGNED!* Creamer
Manufacturer: Holtzman Press, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000J0WATA

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Bio of "The Babe"!

Babe: The Legend Comes to Life
Robert Creamer
Manufacturer: Penguin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000I38K0Q

Customer Reviews:

Bio of "The Babe"!.......2007-07-26

Uncovers the complex and captivating man behind the legend. Babe Ruth! Presents the truth behind the famous stories (the "called shot" homers, the home run for a dying child), analyzes stats with detailed info on specific games. From the early days in a Baltimore orphanage to the glory days with the Yankees, to his final years, this is the babe. "The first really adult biography of the Babe, as well as one of the best, and least sentimental, books about a great sports figure ever written." -- Time

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BABE: THE LEGEND COMES TO LIFE
Robert W. Creamer
Manufacturer: Easton Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Leather Bound
ASIN: B000SJMV3C

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Babe: The Legend Comes To Life
Robert W. Creamer
Manufacturer: Easton Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Leather Bound
ASIN: B000O2P3AG

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Babe the Legend Comes To Life Ruth
Robert W Creamer
Manufacturer: PENGUIN PUTNAM * TRADE
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000PLI5GK

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Vague and mildly interesting biography......

Fascinating, albeit brief, account of the son of a legend

An American Hero!

In the Roughrider's Shadow: The Story of Theodore Roosevelt Jr. -- War Hero
H. Paul Jeffers
Manufacturer: Presidio Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
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Roosevelt, Theodore | ( R ) | People, A-Z | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
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Similar Items:

The Lion's Pride: Theodore Roosevelt and His Family in Peace and War

The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt (Modern Library Paperbacks)

Theodore Rex (Modern Library Paperbacks)

Mornings on Horseback: The Story of an Extraordinary Family, a Vanished Way of Life and the Unique Child Who Became Theodore Roosevelt

The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt's Darkest Journey

ASIN: 0891417974
Release Date: 2003-03-04

Book Description

Here is the extraordinary true story of Brig. Gen. Theodore Roosevelt Jr., the son of a president who refused to languish in his father’s shadow.

During World War I, Ted (as he was known) was the youngest American regimental commander to see combat. After the war, he returned to civilian life and founded the American Legion, as well as receiving a succession of important presidential-political appointments, including secretary of the navy, governor of Puerto Rico, and governor general of the Philippines. Early in 1941, Ted petitioned the army to return him to active duty. In April of that year, despite his advanced years, poor eyesight, weak heart, and arthritis so bad he had to use a cane, Colonel Roosevelt was back in uniform. Promoted to brigadier general, Ted fought with the 1st Infantry Division and served with distinction in North Africa and Sicily.

At Normandy, General Roosevelt was the oldest American and only general to land with the first wave on Utah Beach. His valorous leadership on the beach saved the day for his troops and earned him the Congressional Medal of Honor. Throughout his life, Theodore Roosevelt Jr. strived to be a credit to his father. As this marvelous biography demonstrates, he succeeded beyond expectation. When Gen. Omar Bradley was asked to name the bravest act he had ever known over his more than forty years of military service, he replied with four words: “Ted Roosevelt. Utah Beach.”

Customer Reviews:

Vague and mildly interesting biography.............2005-03-15

If I had a chocie, I would rate this book as 3.3 stars. The author tries to do justice to the first born son of one of the most famous Americans of the first quarter century of the 20th Century. He rightfully painted Theodore Jr. as a man totally overshadowed by the legacy of his father but yet managed to put his own imprint into history. I also thought it was insightful that Theodore Jr. did right to followed his father's examples even although by doing so, he ran the risk of being accused that he was merely mimicing his more famous sire. On these points, I thought the author did well. But when the author tries to paint a general picture of what kind of the man Theodore Jr. was but he was only partially successful. I would regard this a very friendly and sympathatic book on Theodore Jr. being that all of his strengths, accomplishments and great deeds were highlighted but there is nothing much written on his negatives or failures. (Even his defeat for his race for New York govenor's office was sugar coated.) As any reader would know, no one is perfect and no one is perfect as Theodore Jr. was portaryed in this biography.

Another weakness of the biography lies in Theodore Jr.'s military career. He won the Medal of Honor of his actions on 6 June 1944 when he landed on D-Day in Normandy but I am still wondering what he did to earned such a prize. Outside of reading how brave, courageous, and a great leader of men that Theodore Jr. was, I didn't get any picture that separate him from any other brave, courageous and great leader of men that thousands of American officers who served in World War II outside of the fact that he was a high ranking officer. Maybe that where one of the main weaknesses of this biography lies, that the author's knowledge of Theodore Jr.'s military skills proves to be quite mininal. Citing Stephen Ambrose and reading out citations of valor exactly don't do justice to a man's military career. The author's sources appears to be somewhat limited. (That is bit ironic considering that the subtitled of this book is "The Life of a War Hero".)

Overall, although its pretty well written and easy to read, I found this biography to be pretty limited. But it still the only one we have on the life of Theodore Jr. that I know of and perhaps some day, a more ambitious writer will tackled Theodore Jr. with more gusto.

Fascinating, albeit brief, account of the son of a legend.......2004-04-30

So much has been written about Theodore Roosevelt that one can feel like they personally know the man. Alas, TR's star was so bright that, in history's eyes, it has flashed over the lives of those close to him, especially those of his children. What is a shame is that little has been written about his namesake son, Theodore (Ted) Roosevelt, Jr. Most of what is known about him comes from anecdotes gleaned from biographies of his famous father. What was it like to live with the pressure of that famous name? Fortunately, author H. Paul Jeffers has taken the separate scraps of knowledge about Ted Roosevelt and crafted a relatively absorbing biography of a man who, it can be argued, was the equal of a his father on many levels.

"In the Rough Rider's Shadow" is a very appropriate title because it describes how Ted Roosevelt had lived most of his life. What Jeffers is able to reveal is a very accomplished man who bore the name Theodore Roosevelt as a mark of honor instead of a burden. Ted's path in life was not dissimilar to his father's. He attended Harvard, and while not the other-worldly student that his father was, still graduated with honors. He served in the United States Army bravely in the Great War and with conspicuous gallantry in World War II (earning the Congressional Medal of Honor). He was an admired family man who was a loving husband and caring father. He even developed a love of outdoor expeditions that his father was so famous for. The only real difference between the two men was that Ted didn't have the love of politics that TR did. He served a few terms in the New York Assembly before an unsuccessful bid for the 1924 New York governorship. After that, he was through running for elected office. Instead, he did wonderful work in appointed positions such as Assistant Secretary of the Navy (once again emulating his father) and colonial governor in both Puerto Rico and the Phillipines.

Most of what is known about Ted Roosevelt comes from the movie "The Longest Day" where his bravery on Utah Beach (which earned him the Medal of Honor) during D-Day was portrayed by Henry Fonda. Because the book is less than 300 pages, the reader is not able to develop a close connection with Ted the way one could with his father via such remarkable books at Edmund Morris' "Theodore Roosevelt" saga. Still, thanks to Jeffers research and the assistance of a wonderful memoir by Ted's wife, Eleanor (not THAT Eleanor Roosevelt), we are able to get a little closer to a remarkable man.

An American Hero!.......2004-02-14

As the son of a former president, Ted Roosevelt, Jr. could have chosen just about any life for himself. The life he chose was one which placed him in the service of his country. Ted was the only American general on the Normandy beaches on D-Day and led his troops to succeed in their mission. (Henry Fonda portrayed Roosevelt in the Longest Day recreating his participation in the Utah Beach landing.)

While Jeffers' book may be classified as military history, it is much more than that. Jeffers traces Ted Roosevelt's life from his days growing up the son of the flamboyant Teddy Roosevelt, adventurer, Rough Rider, and president, to his adult life which in many ways mirrors his father's life and in other ways excells beyond what his father could have hoped to accomplish.

Ted Roosevelt is frequently mentioned in histories of the Allied invasion of Normandy, but Jeffers is one of the few who makes him the focus of an entire volume. Jeffers struggled with spotty sources depending heavily on Ted's wife's autobiography and Ted's own writing. Still, he manages to put together much of the life story of this exceptional American hero. Jeffers does a fine biography, though there are some gaps in the story. Roosevelt's WWII service appears to be why most remember him, but Jeffers is unable to put together as complete a narrative as he does for other events in Ted's life. Ted's son Quentin participated in the Normandy landing as well, landing at bloody Omaha beach, but little is said of his experience on that day.

Even with weaknesses, this is a must read for WWII buffs and military historians. It is hoped that this will serve as an invitation to a more extensive work.

This book was previously released with the title "Theodore Roosevelt, Jr--the Life of a War Hero." Additional reviews are available under that title.

Book Description

This brilliantly concise book is a classic introduction to Marx's key work, Capital. In print now for over a quarter of a century, and previously translated into many languages, the new edition has been fully revised and updated, making it an ideal modern introduction to one of the most important texts in political economy.

The authors cover all central aspects of Marx's economics. They explain the structure of Marx's analysis and the meaning of the key categories in Capital, showing the internal coherence of Marx's approach. Marx's method and terminology are explored in detail, with supporting examples. Short chapters enable the meaning and significance of Marx's main concepts to be grasped rapidly, making it a practical text for all students of social science.

Discussing Capital's relevance today, the authors consider Marx's impact on economics, philosophy, history, politics and other social sciences. Keeping abstract theorizing to a minimum, this readable introduction highlights the continuing relevance of Marx's ideas in the light of the problems of contemporary capitalism.

Customer Reviews:

Good intro to social & historical influences on economics.......2005-12-23

The earliest political economists, including Smith, Ricardo and Marx, viewed economics quite differently than popular opinion sees it today. For one thing, they beleived social & political institutions had great impact on markets. Their debate was over HOW, NOT IF, social class, political institutions, culture and a society's basic beliefs would effect economic growth.

Today, neoclassical economics refers to a general approach (a "metatheory") to economics based on supply and demand. It rests on the assumption that individuals operate rationally: i.e. each person seeks to maximize his/her individual utility or profit by making choices based on only available information given by prices. More importantly, this is the only factor that matters. Altruism does not exist, making decisions based on social customs or religious beliefs do not fit (these are not economically `rationale'), and being a farmer versus a bank CEO gives no advantage to a person. Ben Fine terms this "ahistorical and asocial" economics. That is to say, the same economic principles work in every society, in every culture, and at every stage in a society's development with absolutely no need to take into account historical, political or social factors.

Marx starts off differently, with economics firmly rooted on a broader study of how society works, including social classes, historical trends and cultural values. For example, Marx used a value-led theory of production where the form of production determined the value of output, in his case, the labour put into making an item. The labour theory of value equates the "value" of an exchangeable good or service {i.e., a commodity} with the total amount of labour required to produce all the components that went in to its production.

This is opposed to the neoclassical theory that everything is reducible to maximising personal pleasure (called utility). Demand is `derived' only (and this is the critical point) from an Individual's single-minded desire to wring out the most utility from a given budget. Supply is determined solely by the production costs. The price comes from the point where the supply and demand lines intersect; i.e. price is based only on the value given to a good's exchange in the market. The idea of value coming from any other cause simply has no place in neoclassical economic models.

Interestingly, while neoclassic models dominate MBA programs, they are promptly thrown out the window in marketing classes, where brand loyalty, brand positioning and all sorts of irrational factors have been proven to be of fundamental importance to demand.

Much is made of Marx's atheistic slant, but this ignores the real issue. Marx thought religion and religious institutions have a great deal of impact on a person's demand for a given item, as did one's social ties and the political institutions of a nation. It is neoclassical, free-market capitalism that completely dismisses the relevance of God or any other factor outside influencing a person's demand for a good, outside of the all-consuming drive to maximise individual pleasure.

So it is ironic to see many self-labelled `Christian fundamentalists' so eager to embrace a neoclassical economic theory that is based on the assumption that God does not matter to decision-making in the market! One recalls the discomfort of many people with the "would Jesus drive an SUV?" campaign. It assessed the essentially amoral (as in lacking a reference to morals, different from immoral) nature of free-market capitalism against Christian beliefs of altruism, compassion, so beautifully by Christ: "it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."

If you wish a short, but intellectually stimulating attempt to present a rigorous and careful alternative view to how value and other elements of economic theory can be defined, this book fills the need very, very well. Highly recommended.

Capital (A Critique of Political Economy) translated from the Fourth German Edition by Eden & Cedar Paul. Two volumes.

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Capital (A Critique of Political Economy) translated from the Fourth German Edition by Eden & Cedar Paul. Two volumes.
Karl Marx
Manufacturer: J. M. Dent & Sons
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NKPGPG

Capital (A Critique of Political Economy). In Two Volumes (Complete). Everyman's Library

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Capital (A Critique of Political Economy). In Two Volumes (Complete). Everyman's Library
Karl. Translated from the Fourth German Edition By Eden & Cedar Paul Marx
Manufacturer: J. M. Dent and E. P. Dutton & Co.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000VUE780

CAPITAL A CRITIQUE OF POLICAL ECONOMY THE PROCESS OF CAPITALIST PRODUCTION REVISED AND AMPLIFIED ACCORDING TO THE FOURTH GERMAN EDITION THE MODERN LIBRARY

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CAPITAL A CRITIQUE OF POLICAL ECONOMY THE PROCESS OF CAPITALIST PRODUCTION REVISED AND AMPLIFIED ACCORDING TO THE FOURTH GERMAN EDITION THE MODERN LIBRARY
KARL MARX
Manufacturer: MODERN LIBRARY RANDOM HOUSE INC.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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"This is a marvelous book. Timothy Doyle provides exactly the right balance of evidence and critical judgment to show how environmental movements differ across the globe. More importantly he shows why this matters and does so in an accessible and informative way."—Brian Doherty, author of Ideas and Actions in the Green Movement

Environmental movements are among the most vibrant, diverse, and powerful social movements occurring today, across all corners of the globe. They range dramatically from government lobbyists raising campaign funds to save the North American spotted owl; to "Green Warriors" engaging in guerrilla conflict in the mountains of the Philippines; to small landholders and indigenous peoples vowing to die by meeting the waters of the Narmada River in India as it rises due to its damming.

Drawing on his primary fieldwork in six countries, environmental researcher Timothy Doyle argues that there is, in fact, no one global environmental movement; rather, there are many, and the differences among them far outweigh their similarities. Movements in the third world—such as those in India and the Philippines —tend to be oriented around issues of human health, shelter, food security, and survival; while those of the developed world—for example, the United States, England, Germany, and Australia —can afford to focus on post-materialist issues such as wilderness concerns and animal rights. Doyle also demonstrates that the consequences of these campaigns are as wide-ranging as their motives and methods.

Taking a much-needed step beyond the wealth of nation-centered accounts of environmentalism, this book makes an important contribution to studies concerned with global environmental problems and politics.

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