Charlie Chaplin's Own Story

Book Description

Baseball is woven into American culture and history to the point where myth and reality blend, making it difficult at best to distinguish between the two. Rarely is this more apparent than in the life and times of Bob Feller, one of the greatest pitchers in the history of the game.

From his childhood during the Great Depression in rural Iowa, Feller lived storybook experiences that seemed to foretell his unparalleled ascent to big league stardom. His father structured everything to help young Bob realize his potential as a baseball player, including building a farmland "field of dreams" expressly for young Bob’s diamond education.

But Feller’s professional life in baseball was far from the near-mythic quality of his childhood. Feller became a controversial figure from the moment he signed his first professional contract. Battling with owners, the press, and fellow players, Feller alienated and charmed them by turns, reflecting the complex motivations of a man aware of his own prodigious talent and opportunities. Feller was both an unabashed patriot who enlisted in the Navy the day after Pearl Harbor and a remarkably successful businessman who organized lucrative winter barnstorming tours. His unquestioned position as one of the first players to advocate integrating the game was complicated by his combative relationship with Jackie Robinson. As a result, Feller’s contribution to the game has been the subject of both positive and negative interpretation. John Sickels has produced the first balanced, historical portrait of this controversial player whose commitment and talent inspired his teammates and whose outspoken opinions just as frequently exasperated them.

Customer Reviews:

An interesting, and successful approach to biography.......2007-09-14

I really enjoyed how Sickels was able to blend historical information with statistics to make this biography more complete. Through this interesting approach, the reader really gets a more complete picture of Feller, not only through the eyes of his peers/contemporaries, but through placing him in his historical context.

This is a book the deserves a wider readership. Even if you are not a fan of Bob Feller or of the Cleveland Indians, you will be able to find a lot of value in this book.

A VERY GOOD BOOK.......2005-06-07

THIS IS THE STORY BOB FELLER STAR PITCHER FOR THE CLEVELAND INDIANS DURING THE 1930'S THRU THE MID 1950'S. THE BOOK TOUCHES ON HIS CHILDHOOD WHERE BOB AND HIS FATHER BUILT A PLAYING FIELD ON THEIR FARMLAND (FIELD OF DREAMS) TO HIS DAYS AS A STAR PITCHER. HIS CAREER IS COVERED IN GREAT DETAIL AND IS WELL WRITTEN. THE AUTHOR ALSO TOUCHES ON HIS STINT IN THE NAVY DURING WORLD WAR 2 AND ALSO SOME INSIGHT AND OPINIONS BY VARIOUS PEOPLE CONCERNING BOB. AMONG THESE ARE JACKIE ROBINSON, EX TEAMATES AND VARIOUS WRITERS. BOB WAS NEVER ONE TO BE TIMID IN HIS OPINIONS AND THIS STORY COVERS IN DETAIL HOW HIS CANDIDNESS GOT HIM IN TROUBLE. THE ONLY COMPLAINT I HAD WAS THAT IT DID NOT COVER MUCH OF WHAT HE HAS DONE RECENTLY. OVERALL A GREAT TRIBUTE TO RAPID ROBERT. RECOMMENDED TO ALL BASEBALL FANS.

Pleasantly surprised.......2005-02-24

I was given this book as a gift from a good friend. I thought it might be full of baseball statistics - I found it to be not only informative but entertaining. Many times during my reading I had a smile on my face or was laughing about a comment Mr. Sickels made. It was very enjoyable reading.

An excellent biography.......2004-12-11

This is one of the best baseball biographies that I have ever read -- balanced, throroughly resaearched, very well written.

I am of Feller's generation, was a Cleveland Indians fan throughout his career, and therefore knew a great deal about him. I have read Feller's autobiographies.
Yet I learned a great deal from Sickels books and found it fascinating reading -- hard to put down. Some of it was a very pleaseant trip down memory lane.

Interesting and Entertaining, but Incomplete.......2004-06-12

The book is written in an intersting, insightful and entertaining manner. It covers Feller's individual baseball seasons in detail. It alos presents interesting info. about his military service in WW 2. It presents an insightful analysis of his complex personality. Its weaknesses are: (1) it covers reatively little of his personal life, especially his post baseball life; and (2) it includes few, if any, recollections of Feller, based on interviews by the author with players and other people who knew Feller.

The author seems to rely entirely on synthesizing information from the various articles and books that have been writtem about Feller, plus the results of one or two interviews with Feller. Why the author chose not to contact any of Feller's former teammates or others who knew him is bewildering. Since Bob has been retired for 47 years, it would have been nice to hear more about his post-baseball life. There's a little on this in the book, but not that much.

Book Description

David MacDougall is a pivotal figure in the development of ethnographic cinema and visual anthropology. As a filmmaker, he has directed in Africa, Australia, India, and Europe. His prize-winning films (many made jointly with his wife, Judith MacDougall) include The Wedding Camels, Lorang's Way, To Live with Herds, A Wife among Wives, Takeover, Photo Wallahs, and Tempus de Baristas. As a theorist, he articulates central issues in the relation of film to anthropology, and is one of the few documentary filmmakers who writes extensively on these concerns. The essays collected here address, for instance, the difference between films and written texts and between the position of the filmmaker and that of the anthropological writer.

In fact, these works provide an overview of the history of visual anthropology, as well as commentaries on specific subjects, such as point-of-view and subjectivity, reflexivity, the use of subtitles, and the role of the cinema subject. Refreshingly free of jargon, each piece belongs very much to the tradition of the essay in its personal engagement with exploring difficult issues. The author ultimately disputes the view that ethnographic filmmaking is merely a visual form of anthropology, maintaining instead that it is a radical anthropological practice, which challenges many of the basic assumptions of the discipline of anthropology itself. Although influential among filmmakers and critics, some of these essays were published in small journals and have been until now difficult to find. The three longest pieces, including the title essay, are new.

Multiple Modernities: Cinemas and Popular Media in Transcultural East Asia

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Multiple Modernities: Cinemas and Popular Media in Transcultural East Asia

Manufacturer: Temple University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Movies | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Popular Culture | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Media Studies | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Performing Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1566399866

Book Description

Multiple Modernities explores the cultural terrain of East Asia. Arguing that becoming modern happens differently in different places, the contributors examines popular culture—most notable cinema and television—to see how modernization, as both a response to the West and as a process that is unique in its own right in the region, operates on a mass level.

Included in this collection are significant explorations of popular culture in East Asia, including Chinese new cinema and rock music, Korean cinema, Taiwanese television, as well as discussions of alternative arts in general.

Book Description

Migration is a major global issue, increasingly determining who we are and how we define ourselves. Projecting Migration: Transcultural Documentary Practice is a groundbreaking book/DVD-ROM project that explores contemporary ethnographic narratives through the medium of film, photography, multimedia, and radio. The DVD contains media material from each of the essays while the text engages interprets migration through the medium of image and sound. Audio and visual imagination is a crucial component of cultural identity, and this collection marks a major cross-media, interdisciplinary contribution.

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Treasury of Individualized Activities for the Music Class
Gwen Hotchkiss , and Margaret Athey
Manufacturer: Parker
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
Instruction & Study | Theory, Composition & Performance | Music | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0139306021

Average customer rating:
Treasury of Individualized Activities for the Music Class
Gwen and Margaret Athey Hotchkiss
Manufacturer: Parker
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OJ4GLG

Customer Reviews:

Easy, Fast & Beautiful Samplers.......2000-04-25

This softbound booklet would appeal to both the novice cross stitcher and the more advanced needleworker. The charts are very easy to read and follow, with few colors of floss to use for each project, making each sampler an inexpensive way to stitch a gift, or something special for your home. Although some of the samplers look as though they are intricately detailed, the stitching is quite easy. A novice can look like they've been doing cross stitch for years, and the more experienced stitcher will be able to do one of these in a matter of a few days at the most. An excellent buy for the price, as well as the number and variety of samplers included in the booklet.

Average customer rating:

okay book

The Veritable Bible for Bankers

Wow! An incredible amount of great info in a single volume!

Extremely dry book

Highly Recommended!

Big Deal: Mergers and Acquisitions in the Digital Age
Bruce Wasserstein
Manufacturer: Business Plus
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
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Consolidation & Merger | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
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The New Financial Capitalists: Kohlberg Kravis Roberts and the Creation of Corporate Value

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ASIN: 0446675210

Amazon.com

Wasserstein sees five waves of mergers beginning in the mid-1800s: the first wave involved the building of the railroad empires; the second in the 1920s saw a period of merger mania which was fueled in part by a frothy stock market and rapid industrial growth; the third wave happened during the "Go-Go Years" of the 1960s, which witnessed the rise of the conglomerate; the fourth occurred with the hostile takeovers of the 1980s, driven by names such as Icahn, Boesky, and Milken; and finally Wasserstein sees a fifth wave happening today. He attributes the current explosion of mergers and acquisitions to the need for companies to reposition themselves in today's ever changing competitive environment.

Wasserstein peppers the book with thumbnail personality profiles of some of the big dealmakers including Barry Diller, Sumner Redstone, Carl Icahn, T. Boone Pickens, and Bernard Ebbers. He also considers the many techniques and strategies employed by the dealmakers--poison pills, proxy fights, and bear hugs. Trends such as globalization, deregulation, and profound technological change are causing mergers and acquisitions to happen more than ever, and Big Deal provides a good foundation for understanding why and how these deals happen. --Harry C. Edwards

Book Description

Nothing in business is more shrouded in secrecy and mystery than "doing the deal." The dealmakers themselves are usually flamboyant, the sums of money involved are vast, and the number of people who are affected by the deal are many. So it's no wonder that the media loves to cover stories like the QVC/Viacom battle over Paramount or Worldcom's recent takeover bids--deals like these can dominate headlines for days. Big Deal is about this high stakes game of corporate mergers and acquisitions. Author Bruce Wasserstein, himself a participant in many of these deals through his firm Wasserstein, Perella Co., writes a highly readable and fascinating account that covers the history, personalities, and mechanics of mergers and acquisitions.Wasserstein sees five waves of mergers beginning in the mid-1800s: the first wave involved the building of the railroad empires; the second in the 1920s saw a period of merger mania which was fueled in part by a frothy stock market and rapid industrial growth; the third wave happened during the "Go-Go Years" of the 1960s, which witnessed the rise of the conglomerate; the fourth occurred with the hostile takeovers of the 1980s, driven by names such as Icahn, Boesky, and Milken; and finally Wasserstein sees a fifth wave happening today. He attributes the current explosion of mergers and acquisitions to the need for companies to reposition themselves in today's ever changing competitive environment.Wasserstein peppers the book with thumbnail personality profiles of some of the big dealmakers including Barry Diller, Sumner Redstone, Carl Icahn, T. Boone Pickens, and Bernard Ebbers. He also considers the many techniques and strategies employed by the dealmakers--poison pills, proxy fights, and bear hugs. Trends such as globalization, deregulation, and profound technological change are causing mergers and acquisitions to happen more than ever, and Big Deal provides a good foundation for understanding why and how these deals happen. --Harry C. Edwards

Customer Reviews:

okay book.......2007-02-05

I'm a banker. This book is about banking deals, no stories, no filler, just cases. Good read of you want to learn about older mega deals. I think if you are a non-banker you will be bored out of your mind reading this book.

The Veritable Bible for Bankers.......2005-12-16

You will see this book and wonder how'll you finish an 800 pager like it in a reasonable ammount of time.

No worry -- this Bible of M&A is an engaging, informative read that will go by faster than you ever imagined.

I find myself recommending this book at least 3 or 4 X a year for people who want an overview of M&A in the late 20th century.

Instead of just spilling a bunch of historical data on the reader, Wasserstein dissects deals and tells us why things happened as they did.

My favorite part: the disastrous Quaker/Snapple merger!

Trust me, you'll love this book.

Wow! An incredible amount of great info in a single volume!.......2002-11-29

What an incredible resource! I bought this book because it was on the suggested reading list for a course on Corporate Control I took in the MBA program at the University of Michigan b-school. Yes, it is almost 900 pages long. Yes, some of the stories could use a bit of updating because of the recent events at places like Tyco and Worldcom. But so what? It is nice to have on record how people used to think and talk about these businesses and their CEOs.

That little tiny caveat aside it is important to focus on everything you get in this really neat book. You get a history of the different waves of the M&A process throughout history, how it has evolved, the way it has developed in different industries and market sectors, and a rather nice analysis (in the broadest strokes) of what goes in planning and executing these deals.

Throughout the book there are wonderful spotlights on the principle people in the history of M&A and little synopses of the more famous and important precedent setting deals. This aspect of the book is incredibly valuable. In order to make sense of what we read about in the paper about mergers and acquisitions we need to know how we got here. This book provides an incredible amount of wonderful background material. Some complain that the book is long. I think it is amazing that he has put so much in only 900 pages. Amazingly compact!

Mr. Wassertein, one of the industries movers and shakers (currently running Lazard), has organized this book in twenty-three chapters that are grouped in three large sections: (1) Past as Prelude, (2) The Strategic Challenge, and (3) Doing the Deal. Plus there is a nice bibliography (also grouped in according to these three sections) that can lead to further reading on the topics of interest to you. The index is also quite useful because this book can be used for reference in looking up or reviewing specific topics.

Yes, reading this book front to back is a great read, but you cannot remember it all the first time through. It is useful to be able to dive into specific deals, people, and topics. The author has put this book together in a thoughtful and helpful way.

If you want scandal and gossip, well, this book really isn't for you. However, if you are interested in the BUSINESS of M&A this is a six star book. It really is terrific.

Extremely dry book.......2002-07-19

This book makes the Mojave look positively flush with water. Mr. Wasserstein addresses a fascinating topic--mergers and acquistions--with all the passion of a mortician.

Why the five stars? Mr. Wasserstein also happens to be a brilliant attorney, and have a remarkably substantive body of knowledge about innumerable large acquistions that have occurred over the past thirty years. Indeed, in his bibliography, he writes: "Much of the contemporary factual material in this book is drawn from memory." That is an especially impressive statement, given that the book weighs in at over 900 pages.

Read the book if only to be impressed at the mind of such a man.

Interesting side note: Mr. Wasserstein's sister is a Pulitzer-prize-winning playwright, Wendy Wasserstein. Her plays evince a passion utterly lacking in _Big Deal_.

Highly Recommended!.......2002-03-21

M&A tycoon Bruce Wasserstein has not just studied the high-stakes world of corporate mergers & acquisitions, he's lived it. As head of M&A at First Boston and then as leader of his own firm, Wasserstein has played a role in many pivotal corporate marriages. In these pages, Wasserstein comprehensively examines the hows and whys of history's largest deals. While skirting the fundamental question of whether mergers & acquisitions enhance or depress shareholder value over the long term, Wasserstein conveys an overwhelming amount of information about the dynamics and tactics that define M&A. The book is enormous and encyclopedic, so it might serve better as a reference text than a straight-through read. We from getAbstract strongly recommend this book for both its compelling historic accounts of Wall Street's most important deals and deal makers and its detailed breakdown of how the game actually works.

Big Deal: Mergers and Acquisitions in the Digital Age

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Big Deal: Mergers and Acquisitions in the Digital Age
Bruce Wasserstein
Manufacturer: Warner Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000N5ZQYM

Book Description

In this unforgettable, dramatic account of one man's experience as an EMT, Peter Canning relives the nerve-racking seconds that can mean the difference between a patient's death and survival, as Canning struggles to make the right call, dispense the right medication, or keep a patient's heart beating long enough to reach the hospital. As Canning tells his graphic, gripping war stories--of the lives he saved and lost; of the fear, the nightmares, and the constant adrenaline-pumping thrill of action--we come away with an unforgettable portrait of what it means to be a hero.

Customer Reviews:

All you may need, should be required reading in EMT school. .......2007-06-22

As someone who went through EMT training myself, I picked up a group of random books on the subject from Amazon to get a personal take on the world of emergency medicine.

This book truly sets itself apart. Apart from the writer's extraordinary honesty and willingness to admit fear, fault and doubt, these well crafted stories capture all the harsh and gratifying realities of the job. Canning leaves a Washington D.C. job that could have kept him comfortable in a six figure salary and answers a calling to start at the bottom of the medical ladder, but finds out quickly that following this desire to help complete strangers has a few surprises in store.

I found myself unable to stop reading the book, it being broken into short digestible sections. Each time a 911 call is sent out, you're drawn into the next adventure. Of course, it's not always flashing lights and heroic life saving, sometimes it's about learning the hard way, boredom, politics and a very real fear that the author won't be able to live up to his aspirations. At each page turn you may find yourself laughing outloud or gripped by anxiety, but always your thoughts are provoked. I actually slowed my reading down to make the book last, but found out, luckily, there's a follow up book entitled 'Rescue 471'. Rescue 471: A Paramedic's Stories

Great Stories; Choppy Book.......2006-07-10

The medical stories in this book were definitely very shocking and moving. Canning throws in stories about other parts of his life, when he isn't a paramedic, but somehow ties most of it in to medicine. The only problem I had with the book is how it doesn't really flow - there are lots of short choppy stories, sorted under titled sections, but a lot of times, the order of the stories didn't seem to make sense, and it kind of bothered me. Canning does project a seemingly accurate picture of what it is like to be on the front lines of medicine, however, so I give him credit for that!

Introspective and humanistic.......2005-12-05

"On the Front Lines of Medicine" explores a much more humanistic and introspective view of Paramedic work. His book is more of a confession than a narrative. It is in this confessional nature that he trancends the superficial stereotypes of paramedics as arrogant adrenaline junkies, and readily discloses the toll that EMS work has on its practitioners. In a way that not many books do, Canning describes the nuances and boredom, as well as the excitement and danger, in EMS.

Once I started reading, I was hard pressed to quit until fatigue forced me to stop reading until the next morning. I'm pretty hard on book authors and EMS books in particular. Despite this, I have only positive things to say about this book.

Canning and "The Bug".......2005-08-07

Peter Canning once worked for Lowell Weicker as a speech writer. Then he got "the bug." I can't think of a better way to describe that sense of duty and commitment that seems to possess people who are underpaid, overworked, and have to deal with the worst in our society.

Like most "bugs," this bug changes over time. Canning makes the switch from a high paying job to EMS out of a sense of wanting to help. I've known others like him. One fellow I know made the switch from electrician to paramedic even though it cost him (and his family) a third of his salary.

In the beginning is the desire of the new EMT or paramedic to earn the respect of others in his profession. Canning was so proud as he marched into an operating room and established an airway with doctors looking on. I've known those feelings.

The bug metamorphasizes. EMS people often have to deal with the poor in our society. This means a call from someone who has no health insurance and who has to depend upon an ambulance trip to an ER for normal health care.

Or this means the poor in spirit who find nothing productive to do with their lives. For example this includes the elderly woman who calls EMS due to shortness of breath, and then she wants a cigarette.

After a while in EMS you see plenty of folks whose lives could not be saved. The hardest is the feeling of "if I had been there" or "if I had made another decision." Canning writes of those feelings. The bug has changed again from the time Canning was so proud to march into an operating room and establish an airway.

Sometimes EMS burns people out. Canning was not one of them. This book is just the first that he wrote about his EMS experiences.

at a glance.......2005-07-26

I really enjoyed reading this book. Peter is an excellent writer, and he definitely knows what he's talking about! I would recommend this book to anybody who has an interest in the subject.

Paramedic On The Front Lines Of Medicine

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Paramedic On The Front Lines Of Medicine

Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 1568656742

Product Description

Large Print edition about the life of a paramedic.

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More Than You Need to Know

A Must Have!

American Military Horsemanship: The Military Riding Seat of the United States Cavalry, 1792 through 1944
James A. Ottevaere
Manufacturer: AuthorHouse
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Military | History | Subjects | Books
General | United States | Military | History | Subjects | Books
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The Cavalry Horse and his Pack

The U.S. Cavalry Horse

The United States Cavalry: An Illustrated History, 1776-1944

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War Horse: Mounting the Cavalry With America's Finest Horses

ASIN: 1420855522

Book Description

During its time the United States Cavalry grew from a few squadrons of dragoons scattered across a vast frontier to what would become, by the end of the American Civil War, the largest body of mounted troops in the western world. During the post Civil War years the Cavalry would again become a small, but highly affective, mobile force charged with protecting American westward expansion. At the close of the 19th Century the United States would fight its first "foreign war" away from the protective shores of the United States. The Cavalry, although it would play only a minor role in the "small war" with Spain, would emerge as the mounted arm of a newly anointed world power. It would train its troopers to be excellent soldiers, competent horsemen and journeymen riders, mostly, in that order. How its troopers were taught to ride and how they sat a horse is the story of American Military Horsemanship and the American military riding seat. This term, "military seat" as it is often used today has various descriptions and meanings. The purpose of this book is two-fold, first it is intended to clear away some of the misunderstandings of the "military seat" and to explain its evolution in the context of United States Cavalry history, as it evolved through the end of the horse Cavalry era at the close of World War II. There is also a second, underlying purpose to this book. That is, to present to young riders, inexperienced riders, and accomplished riders, as well, the riding style and teaching methods that shaped United States Cavalry horsemen into the mid-20th Century, a style that would eventually evolve into a uniquely "American" military seat. A riding seat that is often misunderstood, yet is in wide use today and is as useful to modern horsemen as it was to the Cavalrymen of the last century.

Customer Reviews:

More Than You Need to Know.......2007-07-18

Very interesting book, but only for someone who is very knowledgeable and dedicated to US Cavalry history; including the evolution of the cavalry saddle and the equitation goals of the US Cavalry during the period between WWI and WWII. Very detailed information but is limited to calavry riding techniques and does not include any information regarding other necessary cavalry skills such as saddlery, blacksmithing, use of weapons while mounted, cavalry tactics or use of pack animals in conjunction with cavalry movement.

A Must Have!.......2007-06-20

A truly comprehensive account of American Horsemanship and the riding seat. The author comes across very articulate and easy to read. As a beginner in the realm of cavalry history this book has helped me form a strong foundation from which to grow. I would recommend it for the advanced to beginner cavalry buff.

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One of Harry's Best Volumes

Classic Harry Browne, simple for anyone to understand

Nice thesis, disastrous in application

The book that made a Libertarian out of me

Every American should read this book

Why Government Doesn't Work
Harry Browne
Manufacturer: Liamworks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
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What It Means to Be a Libertarian

ASIN: 0965603601

Customer Reviews:

One of Harry's Best Volumes.......2007-07-19

Government is not necessarily your friend, guardian angel or friendly business partner. Government, for the most part, has become the means by which the powerful and well-connected ram through their personal and/or corporate agendas in their quest for more power and greater profits.

Harry makes a great case for a limited, constitutionally-bound federal government that will do what it was originally intended to do - protect private property, ensure the protection of God-given civil liberties and religious freedoms and provide for a basic military defense. Even if it is too late for classical Libertarianism to save America, read this book to gain a better understanding of how today's hopelessly tragic authoritarian system of 'government' came about.

Classic Harry Browne, simple for anyone to understand.......2006-09-05

One of Harry Brownes best works! Amazing how ignorant so many people have become on the issues of freedom and what made this place unique in history. Harry is able to articulate not only why government doesn't work but also the simple changes that we can all make, to re-create the type of America we used to be and become once again the shining symbol of freedom .

Nice thesis, disastrous in application.......2005-08-09

The Libertarian ideals are nice on paper, but don't work in reality- just like communism.

While there are many ideals within the Libertarian party that are to be lauded, and, indeed, I suspect are essential to be implemented to save this country from it's death throes in the financial arena and to rescue it from the death knell of its civil liberties, the majority of this book has been proven false in reality time and time again. The reason for this? I suspect that the author has close ties with Milton Friedman, the architect of the right wing and fascist regimes that have plagued Central and South America for the past three decades.

This may come as a surprise to most, but, then again, most Americans don't pay close attention to what has happened south of our border above immigration issues. A case in point would be Argentina. This country privatized almost everything in its government, to disastrous consequences. When this lassiez-fare idealism was put into practice within that country, unemployment shot up to 16%, with another 10% of the country too underemployed or underpaid in order to survive. Fuel and energy costs rose almost 400%, once peeking at 1,000% above its nationalized costs. And water? Within six months of privatizing the Buenos Aires district's water system, the water become tainted and undrinkable, while costs shot up to 346% above the nationalized systems!

But, we don't have to take just Argentina's case for this. The same thing has been done time and time again in other countries, all with the same dagerous and inhumane result. Look at Ecuador, Chile, Brazil, Peru, Costa Rica, ad nauseum. All of these governments sought to privatize and save costs, all with the same end result.

Or, just look at what happened in our own country when certain states privatized the power industry. Blackouts, overcharges, manipulation of the power grid to rev up false demands and hence enhance corporate profits. Look at Enron, Entergy, Duke Power, and the other large power brokers. Their emphasis was profits, not service, and we, their customers, paid the price in lost productivity, lost wages, and living with a system that encouraged corporate extortion.

The Libertarian's agenda will only work in those markets that are commodity driven. Power, Fuel, Water, Communications (basic phone lines, that is), Education, and the Armed Services are not optional. They are necessary for us to compete in today's world and to defend ourselves. You can't just do without them if they become too expensive.

In all, nice idea on paper, but look at how it worked in reality, and you will quickly change your mind.

The book that made a Libertarian out of me.......2003-07-12

I loved this book. Its light weight but well thought out. It convinced me to become a Libertarian and vote for Harry in the last presidential election. This book will give you a different point of view on what government is. Maybe you'll agree and maybe you won't but at least you'll have spent some time thinking about the function of government, and no matter what you decide that will be time well spent.

Every American should read this book.......2002-05-31

Great book! Harry Browne is able to sum up most of the major problems with our society, and get to the root cause of those problems - government. It would be great if more Americans would open their minds to Libertarian ideas. Unfortunately, Americans have become so brainwashed and apathetic that they don't even think about what role the government should play in our lives. Rather, they just complain and feel that there is nothing to be done. I'd like to buy a copy of this book for every American.

Backroom Politics: How Your Local Politicians Work, Why Your Government Doesn'T, and What You Can Do About It,

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Backroom Politics: How Your Local Politicians Work, Why Your Government Doesn'T, and What You Can Do About It,
Bill. Boyarsky
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 9994382799

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Backroom Politics: How Your Local Politicians Work, Why Your Government Doesn't.....
Bill & Nancy Boyarsky
Manufacturer: Tarcher Publs.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000V8XF7G

Public Enterprise in Kenya: What Works, What Doesn'T, and Why

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Public Enterprise in Kenya: What Works, What Doesn'T, and Why
Barbara Grosh
Manufacturer: L. Rienner Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Development & Growth | Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

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Planners on Planning: Leading Planners Offer Real-Life Lessons on What Works, What Doesn't, and Why. (book reviews): An article from: Journal of the American Planning Association

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Planners on Planning: Leading Planners Offer Real-Life Lessons on What Works, What Doesn't, and Why. (book reviews): An article from: Journal of the American Planning Association
Frank B. Gray
Manufacturer: American Planning Association
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Journal of the American Planning Association, published by American Planning Association on March 22, 1997. The length of the article is 842 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: Planners on Planning: Leading Planners Offer Real-Life Lessons on What Works, What Doesn't, and Why. (book reviews)
Author: Frank B. Gray
Publication: Journal of the American Planning Association (Refereed)
Date: March 22, 1997
Publisher: American Planning Association
Volume: v63 Issue: n2 Page: p290(1)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

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Planners on Planning: Leading Planners Offer Real-Life Lessons on What Works, What Doesn't, and Why. (book reviews): An article from: Journal of the American Planning Association
Sy Adler
Manufacturer: American Planning Association
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Journal of the American Planning Association, published by American Planning Association on March 22, 1997. The length of the article is 709 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: Planners on Planning: Leading Planners Offer Real-Life Lessons on What Works, What Doesn't, and Why. (book reviews)
Author: Sy Adler
Publication: Journal of the American Planning Association (Refereed)
Date: March 22, 1997
Publisher: American Planning Association
Volume: v63 Issue: n2 Page: p289(2)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Why Government Doesn't Work: How Reducing Government Will Bring Us Safer Cities, Better Schools, Lower Taxes, More Freedom and Prosperity for All

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Why Government Doesn't Work: How Reducing Government Will Bring Us Safer Cities, Better Schools, Lower Taxes, More Freedom and Prosperity for All
Harry; Prelude Pr Browne
Manufacturer: St Martins Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OTF2YG

Book Description

In this work of interdisciplinary scholarship, Stephen A. Germic reveals how America's first parks, both urban and "wilderness," were created and organized to mitigate the most threatening social and economic crises in the nineteenth century outside of the Civil War. Germic analyzes the intentionally disguised relationship between the constructed "nature" of Central Park, Yosemite, and Yellowstone and the expanding but crisis-prone capitalist state. "American Green" demonstrates how the fundamental function of these parks was economic and political--in the service of maintaining a consensus regarding national identity. The organization and control of "natural" space, Germic argues, is inseparable from its function as a capitalist instrument. This instrumentalism served not only to define, constitute, and segregate social groups, but also to promote racial and ethnic identifications above those based on class interest. Providing a fresh insight into United States labor, cultural and environmental history, this book is an important contribution to our understanding of American parks and the complex meaning of American public space.

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