CELEBRATING 70 : Mark McGwire's Historic Season

Amazon.com

The venerable Sporting News, located in St. Louis, was around and flourishing when the Babe set the mark of 60 in 1927, and when Roger Maris broke it with 61 in 1961. It saved the real celebration, though, for its hometown hero: Mark McGwire is virtually coronated in this smart, photo-rich, comprehensive veneration of his record-breaking season compiled under the Sporting News aegis. Each home run gets the royal treatment: every McGwire at-bat of the game is codified, the pitcher identified, the count remembered, and a picture of the ballpark shows where the shot landed and just how far it was hit. There are lots of fascinating bits and pieces--facts and figures, quotes and observations--thrown in to complement solid reportage and good writing, ending with a table of fascinating historical data to give McGwire's achievement added perspective, as if the number 70 wasn't perspective enough. --Jeff Silverman

Customer Reviews:

Mark McGwire's 70 Comes Alive!.......2002-09-18

Relive Mark McGwire's historic 1998 assault on the single season home run record with this magnificent book overflowing with full-color photos and amusing anecdotes. "Celebrating 70" charts the slugger's season, home run for home run, and features a bevy of information - complete with pictures - including the date of each long ball, the distance, and which pitcher was christened with the dubious distinction of yielding one of Big Mac's clouts! Along the way, you can read a brief summary for each game McGwire applied his trade. The pictures have been well chosen, conveying the emotion of each moment. The text matches the shear exuberance of the images, and Jack Buck's forward is simply splendid.

Mark McGwire's 70 Comes Alive!.......2002-09-18

Outstanding!.......2000-10-12

The 1998 baseball season was truly one of the most magic in recenty years, thanks in part to the "home run battle" between Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa. This book chronicles their achievement which I suspect will grow to legendary tones in the years to come. The sportmanship between these two hereos was evident all season long, and the book reflects that.

Perhaps it was fitting that McGwire should wind up in a city that is a true "baseball town," and one that could truly love and cherish his accomplishment. I remember watching the game on TV where McGwire broke Babe Ruth's home regular season home run record and even the Cub players stood and applauded him. This book remembers that.

It starts off with pictures of McGwire and a nice foreword by Jack Buck, the longtime St. Louis Cardinals' broadcaster. There's also a brief story about Maris and Ruth, the men McGwire chased for most of that long summer. And then the home runs. Each page is devoted to a description of each one; the date, the opposing pitcher, the final score and so on.

Reading through each page brought back all those wonderful memories of the 1998 season for me. This book is a wonderful treasure and keepsake to celebrate an incredible baseball season by one man.

Celebrating 70 is historic.......2000-05-31

For the strongman from Pomona, California playing for the St. Louis Cardinals, the Summer of '98 was one long victory parade. A reminder of seasons past & a celebration of baseball future. He became a national hero & role model with class. He gave baseball back its luster. In this large, glossy, colorful homage to one fabulous boy of summer - the team of writers, photographers, designers & editors has given us a memorable, collectible, hit-by-hit, play-by-play story of a modern grand adventure. What a gift!

This was one of the greatest sports books I have ever read.......1998-12-24

It was a fabulous book which relived all of the excitement of the homerun-record chase of the 1998 baseball season. The photographs are excellent and the text is very well-written as well. The exact distance, pitcher, count, inning, and stadium are given for every one of "Big Mac's" homers, with at least one picture for each. Not only does it cover McGwire's homers, but it also covers the homeruns of Sammy Sosa. The introduction by St. Luis Cardinal announcer, Jack Buck is nice too. Overall, Celebrating 70:MARK MCWIRE'S HISTORIC SEASON is a must-have for any baseball enthusiast.

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A Man Called Lion

african enigma

Pondoro was a man

Good Book about a Strange Man.

You have to be a real fan to enjoy this.

A Man Called Lion: The Life and Times of John Howard Pondoro Taylor
Peter Hathaway Capstick
Manufacturer: Safari Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
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Hunting | Hunting & Fishing | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1571572724

Book Description

This is the first biography ever written on John Taylor, one of the most controversial characters to ever transverse the Transvaal of Africa.

Customer Reviews:

A Man Called Lion.......2007-01-03

This is an excellent read if you love the outdoors and Capstick's writing...

african enigma.......2006-06-16

If a ever a man turned the gender concept on it's ear, it was John Howard "Pondoro" Taylor. He shot the biggest game, carried the best big-bore rifles and fought the toughest men.
I would ask readers to overlook Taylor's sexual orientation and concentrate on his prowess as a writer, hunter, and rifleman.This book is best read after reading Taylor's autobiography.

Pondoro was a man.......2006-02-10

I absolutely loved this book. Pondoro may have had faults but this is a great tale! The chapter on Fletcher Jamieson is brilliant!!

Good Book about a Strange Man........2005-12-02

AFTER YOU START READING THIS BOOK YOU BEGIN TO SEE THE DEEP DEVOTION THIS MAN HAS FOR AFRICA, THIS STORY IS VERY INTERESTING, SOMETIMES FUNNY AND IN THE END KINDA SAD. JOHN TAYLOR HAD A GREAT KNOWLEDGE OF GUNS AND CALIBURS AND WAS WHAT WE WOULD CONSIDER IN TODAYS TIMES AN UNETHICAL HUNTER. THIS STORY IS FROM A DIFFIRENT TIME AND A DIFFIRENT AFRICA, A GOOD ADDITION TO YOUR CAPSTICK COLLECTION.

You have to be a real fan to enjoy this........2001-08-09

Don't get me wrong here, I'm one of the biggest Capstick fans there is but what I've seen from him is this: He either writes a nail biting account of personal or researched adventures or he rambles on about some boring life chronology spiced up by only a few tidbits of adventure or peril. Thats the way parts of Silent Places is and thats how this book is. If you are a fan of John Taylor or are interested in getting a history lesson of the everyday life of someone like him, then you'll probably enjoy this book.

Me, I'm a fan of the man who writes about the true life (or not)near death experiences of Corbett, Patterson, and himself in exotic bush locations in a time long since forgotten.

I knew what I was getting into when I bought this book but, hey, it's a Capstick book and I have to read 'em all. It's not a terrible book but it's definitely not Long Grass or Dark Continent.

Average customer rating:
A Man Called Lion: The Life and Times of John Howard Pondoro Taylor
Peter Hathaway Capstick
Manufacturer: Safari Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000K1MWAK

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The Man Called Lion
Peter Hathaway; Capstick, P. Capstick
Manufacturer: Safari Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000P8UG74

Average customer rating:
Set of 15 Techno-Thrillers by Ken Follett (Whiteout, Hornet Flight, Jackdaws, Code to Zero, Hammer of Eden, Third Twin, A Place Called Freedom, A Dangerous Fortune, Night Over Water, Lie Down with Lions, Man from St. Petersburg, Key to Rebecca, Triple, Eye of the Needle, Pillars of the Earth)
Ken Follet
Manufacturer: Signet
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000U7UWUG

Average customer rating:
Set of 16 Techno-Thrillers by Ken Follett (Whiteout, Hornet Flight, Jackdaws, Code to Zero, Hammer of Eden, Third Twin, A Place Called Freedom, A Dangerous Fortune, Night Over Water, Lie Down with Lions, Man from St. Petersburg, Key to Rebecca, Triple, Eye of the Needle, Pillars of the Earth)
Ken Follett
Manufacturer: Signet
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000U7QVVK

Book Description

The 13 screenwriters gathered together in this book are world-class storytellers, whose skill at delineating plot and capturing character make them internationally renowned and respected.

The contributors speak directly to the reader, allowing a rare insight into the creative process of the screenwriter.

The interviews are illustrated with script excerpts, hand-written notes, storyboards, film stills, and photographs from the screenwriters' own personal collections.

Film-making is all about telling stories. While the director is the person responsible for pulling all the aspects of film-making together, the screenwriter creates the backbone of the film; suggesting location, forming and sustaining plot and devising and building character.
The screenwriters in this book come from the US, Ireland, Poland, Italy, Japan, France, Germany, and Canada.

In-dept interviews with world-renown screenwriters about the craft
Full-color, oversized book with 450 color photographs
A show and tell of how words on the page transform into action on film

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Screencraft Screenwriting (Screencraft)
Declan McGrath , and Felim Macdermott
Manufacturer: Rotovision
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Direction & Production | Movies | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

General | Movies | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Screenplays | Movies | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

General | Writing | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Performing Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 2880463637

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Screenwriting: Screencraft Series
Declan; MacDermott, Felim McGrath
Manufacturer: Focal Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OPTRQY

Book Description

A monument in Mahler studies, this volume concentrates on the composer's vocal music and, in particular, on some of his most famous, most original and best loved compositions: the late Rueckert orchestral songs and Kindertotenlieder; Das Lied von der Erde, one of the composer's supreme masterpieces, and the vast Eighth Symphony. Much new ground is broken but the author bases his conclusions on a meticulous examination of the principal manuscript sources, especially those for Das Lied. He offers an unprecedented exploration of the original Chinese texts for that work and indeed of the whole Oriental dimension of Mahler's last and greatest song-cycle. Time and time again, the composer's sketches back up the author's reading of these massive scores and there will be few among this book's readers who will not find a familiar passage or movement sharply illuminated by fresh insights and information. The scope of the book, despite its concentration, is immensely wide; and so is the readership it addresses: Mahler scholars, performers, and general readers. DONALD MITCHELL was Founder Professor of Music at the University of Sussex. He is currently Visiting Professor at Sussex and York, and formerly at King's College, London.

Gustav Mahler: Songs and Symphonies of Life and Death, Interpretations

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Gustav Mahler: Songs and Symphonies of Life and Death, Interpretations
Donald MITCHELL
Manufacturer: see notes for publisher info
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000MYPBE4

Book Description

Who Are You?, Famous Lines, and Two Truths and a Lie are three of the fun games and activities that can be found in this resource book. Intended for use by all types of youth leaders, the activities apply to children between 8 and 18 and provide many ideas for leaders about how to bring young people together and promote creativity and communication. The book has chapters on games, rainy day activities, dramatics, storytelling, songs, campfires, worship and devotions, and inspiration for leaders. Also included are the sheet music and lyrics to songs.

Book Description

Surprising Advice from Top Business Minds on What It Really Means to Lead

Leadership requires many attributes besides intelligence and business savvy-courage, character, compassion, and respect are just a few. New managers learn concrete skills in the classroom or on the job, but where do they hone the equally important human values that will guide them through a career that is both successful and meaningful?

In this inspirational book, Daisy Wademan gathers lessons on balancing the personal and professional responsibilities of leadership from faculty members of Harvard Business School. Offering a rare glimpse inside the classrooms in which many of the world's prominent leaders are trained, Remember Who You Are imparts lessons learned not in business, but in life. From the revelations on luck and obligation brought by a terrifying mountain accident to a widowed mother's lesson of respect for people rather than job titles-these unforgettable stories and reflections, shared by renowned contributors from Rosabeth Moss Kanter to HBS Dean Kim Clark, remind us that great leadership is not only about the mind, but the heart.

Addressing the moral, ethical, and personal dilemmas professionals face as they climb the ladder to success, Remember Who You Are will help aspiring leaders everywhere use their time and talents in ways that truly matter.

Customer Reviews:

Heartfelt leadership.......2004-08-18

I was deeply touched by the personal stories expressed in "Remember Who You Are". Each chapter reaffirmed my conscious belief that leaders must lead with their hearts as well as their minds. As someone who never attended college, but have always been blessed in all I do, I have a huge amount of respect for those leaders who still practice the Golden Rule.

Genius!.......2004-07-01

This book is a must read for those interested in the power of thought and introspection. It is an important tome that inspires us to think about what we want in life and how we are all going to get "there." Kudos to Ms. Wademan, she is clearly a star in the making, a most impressive debut.

Food For The Soul.......2004-06-14

This superb collection of inspiring stories is a must-have addition to any collection. You will find yourself going back and rereading many of these tales time and again.

This book has quickly become one of my favourite gifts to give to friends. The stories are not only inspirational, but make you want to take a closer look at your own path in life.

I keep a copy of this book in my spare bedroom (it's the perfect size, if you only have time to read a few short tales at a time), and find that guests who pick this book, end up chatting about the stories throughout the day.

Well Done!

A compilation of simple inspirational messages.......2004-06-03

Great short and simple book. Read the messages which every HBS professor transmits to their students during the last day of class. From real life stories, to amazing metaphors, to inspirational messages, I am happy see a fellow grad had the initiative to put in writing some of those messages with which our professors leave us year in and year out. Inspirational messages don't get any simpler than this - you will truly spend a couple of hours of magnificent inspirational reading from some of the top thinkers in the business world.

A great little book to build on and to share..........2004-05-24

I have had the opportunity over the past few years to participate in an executive and professional non-denominational fellowship facilitated by the former (1980's and 1990's) Chaplain of the San Francisco 49ers. The focus of our meetings is leadership and "doing the right thing." We have used books by Maxwell, Lencioni, and others to draw on for discussion. Daisy Wademan's book will fit right into our program. She has, through her professors, provided us with much to think about and to discuss.

For those want to improve their lives as leaders, form a small group of 6-8 people with peers (but not from the same organization), meet once a week for one hour, and use books like this to center your discussion. This one works well as it is well organized (one professor per session) and very well written. Hopefully, Ms. Wademan will follow in the footsteps of Maxwell, and Lencioni providing us with a stream of books to work with. She is off to a grand start!

Average customer rating:

Ruminations of a Reader

Not fat enough.

What a delightful book

Would rather be reading than reading about somebody reading

A delightful gem for book lovers

Ruined by Reading: A Life in Books
Lynne Sharon Schwartz
Manufacturer: Beacon Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Authors | Arts & Literature | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0807070831

Amazon.com

From the author of the acclaimed novels Disturbances in the Field and The Fatigue Artist, this wonderfully written and enchanting meditation explores what the act of reading means--an act that is in danger of being lost today. Lynne Sharon Schwartz of course isn't "ruined" by reading anymore than Tarzan was by apes; it's her life. She was a child prodigy who, beginning at age 3, was summoned to read for guests and has been immersed in the written word ever since, developing into a writer and novelist. In this essay she defends the magic of reading and its place in the development of the mind and ideas. "There is good reason for the addictive cravings of readers. The only thing new under the sun is the sound of another voice," she writes.

Book Description

"Without books how could I have become myself?" In this wonderfully written meditation, Lynne Sharon Schwartz offers deeply felt insight into why we read and how what we read shapes our lives. An enchanting celebration of the printed word.

"This slender rhapsody on the joys of reading will be gobbled up like the rarest and finest chocolates."
-Jonathan Yardley, The Washington Post

Customer Reviews:

Ruminations of a Reader.......2007-04-26

I have often pondered why reading assumes addictive proportions in the lives of some (in that they structure their routines to accomodate this activity). Is it because reading is a means of escapism to locales more exciting? Does the written word offer a fleeting glimpse into the mind of those more interesting than the people in your life? Does it validate the innermost thoughts and experiences that you are reluctant to share with others? Perhaps, the reason is escapism from all that is mundane and routine, period.

Not fat enough........2006-10-03

Although we are very nice people, and are very modest about it, those of us who spend a lot of time reading consider ourselves superior to people who spend a lot of time watching television or playing computer games. Are we justified?
Over fifty thousand books are published every year in the USA alone. How can we choose which ones to read?
Is there a canon of great books that everyone should read, and that we should make students read before they're allowed to get degrees in engineering or medicine ?
If there is a canon is it overloaded with dead white males?
If we revise the canon are we being too politically correct?
In this slim and elegant essay Lynn Sharon Schwartz offers answers to some of these questions. (The answer to the first one is, of course, yes).
The book begins with personal reminiscences of reading, almost entirely of fiction reading, although the first work mentioned is by a Buddhist monk who is opposed to reading. She does admit to some television watching.
Her most solid argument comes towards the end, when she encounters an American writer who has not heard of Raymond Carver. She makes a good case that anyone in the writing business cannot practice his trade properly without having done some homework.
It is highly readable, and, as I said, slim and elegant. Therein is my major criticism. A fat book full of facts and figures would have done more justice to her topic. Some reports of surveys of public opinion, sales figures,interviews with college curriculum planners and descriptions of publishers marketing strategies, would have added to our interest, even if they spoiled the prose style.

What a delightful book.......2006-02-14

Schwartz' style is clear and satisfying. After spending an afternoon consuming this essay, I checked the frontispiece to see if it had originally appeared in "The New Yorker" or "The New York Review of Books" or some similar publication. Imagine my surprise to find instead that it was published by a press run by the Unitarians. But then, the book starts by quoting a Buddhist scholar, goes through a history of the development of the author's reading, touches on different authors' search for meaning in the act of writing coupled with this author's search for the meaning in the act of reading, and ends with a profoundly optimistic justification for that act. It is fitting that an apology (in the sense meaning personal explanation of belief held, rather than statement of atonement) be a product of Beacon Press.

Would rather be reading than reading about somebody reading.......2005-05-31

This was recommended to me by someone on LiveJournal. I hate to say this, but I really didn't like it at all. I thought I would, but after the first few pages I knew it was going to be difficult to get through it. The major problem is that I couldn't relate to the author at all. I think it may be because I don't take reading as seriously as she does. All the books she referred to were classics, heavy reading for intellectuals. Then she spent some time talking about how she thought movies weren't a worthwhile form of art and how horrible it was that some books were made into movies. These viewpoints go completely against what I believe and the way she put them across made her come off rather haughty. The book also seems a bit like someone talking about their own vacation. By the middle of the book, I realized I would rather be reading a good book than reading about somebody reading.

A delightful gem for book lovers.......2004-09-27

Lynne Schwartz' "Ruined by Reading" has languished on my bookshelf for quite some time while I continued to read the latest bestsellers. I regret that I did not read this delightful essay on the joys of reading earlier. Filled with anecdotes about her childhood and her initial exposure to books, this paen to reading reminds us of how we felt as children when we first entered the kingdom of books and were whisked away from the "here and now" to enchanted lands. As I read her book, I was taken back to the two-room schoolhouse as a teacher exposed us to Long John Siver and "Treasure Island". I also recalled reading Leon Uris' "Exodus" as a teenager and the profound impact it had in shaping my view of the world and the evil that humans are capable of. No doubt you too will be reminded of similar experiences if you choose to read this delightful little gem for book lovers.

Average customer rating:

Ruined By Reading a Life in Books
Lynne Shar Schwartz
Manufacturer: HOUGHTON MIFFLIN CO@
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000Q2Z228

Average customer rating:

Ruined by Reading: A Life in Books
Lynne Sharon Schwartz
Manufacturer: Beacon Press c1996
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000ONZCLU

Book Description

Textbooks of Military Medicine.
Specialty editors: Kent B. Pandoff and Robert E. Burr.
Volume two in the three-volume textbook, "Medical Aspects of Harsh Environments," which provides historical information, proper prevention and clinical treatment of the various environmental illnesses and injuries, and the performance consequences warfighters face when exposed to environmental extremes. This volume deals with the effects of altitute, especially as experienced in mountain terrain and by aviators, and the complex interactions between humans and the special environments created by the machines used in warfare. Index included.

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A Solid Start to a Growing Question

Outdated but accurate - and funny too!

Tough Read, Good Book

Great read if your starting your own nation.

A good historic information, but...

How To Start Your Own Country
Erwin S. Strauss
Manufacturer: Paladin Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Civil Rights & Liberties | Current Events | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
General | Political Science | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1581605242

Book Description

Can you really start your own country? Erwin Strauss shows you five different methods for doing just that, as well as everything you need to know about sovereignty, national defense, diplomacy, raising revenue and recruiting settlers. Includes dozens of new-country success stories. Why settle for being king of your castle when you can be king of your own country?

Customer Reviews:

A Solid Start to a Growing Question.......2007-06-07

Many people wonder whether or not their current government or state is able to hold firm through times of economic crisis, war, corruption, and natural disaster. Others wish to secede for their own agenda; profit, heritage, lifestyle. And many just want to have fun and create their own country. This work by Erwin S. Strauss provides information, ideas, and concerns with starting your own country.

Ironically, the author of this piece has most of his work in science fiction. But don't let that turn you away from this scholastic effort. Strauss begins this small book by introducing the present opportunities available, the five approaches, and the pros and cons of each. This is quite a simple process and is easily understandable to someone with little or no knowledge of history or government. From there he presents the unlikelihood of being able to produce your own traditional sovereignty and encourages the construction of a model country, unless of course you are inclined to form a large army and play with the big dogs (any developed country). The remainder of the book is a presentation of case studies. This presents examples of the many failed and struggling attempts by individuals and groups to create their own country. Some stories are in depth and very well known, others are minute and little is known of them. But it does give great examples of countries that were completely serious and others that were just fun. The examples range from all 7 continents, on islands, on water, in space, underground, in homes, and even in someone's backyard. The economics, population, type of government, and success of each are listed. A great addition is the black and white photos and scans.

Although it's an extremely difficult idea to succeed at, in a serious sense, starting your own country is achievable. It is quite simple to start with your own model country and take the effort in a serious manner, eventually working your way up to a legitimate country. I would recommend checking into this book for the overall outlook Strauss gives in regards to the difficulty of achieving such a task and then use the case histories for ideas on your own. Please also note the technology he speaks of is outdated as it was written in 1979 and last updated in 1999.

Outdated but accurate - and funny too!.......2004-10-07

Unlike most of the projects described, this book is pretty realistic about the problems facing prospective nation founders. It contains an excellent compendium of past projects, with some amusing commentary. While the title is rather overstating the content, it does provide some decent ideas about how to go about this difficult task. The material is dated, but at least its not absurdly utopian or impractical like some of its competitors (ie Marshall Savage).

Expect humor pointed at foolish projects, some hard talk about realism, and some good ideas to get started. Don't expect a true handbook or fleshed out ideas, its a short book.

Tough Read, Good Book.......2003-05-16

I found this book to be quite entertaining, I myself started my own country with the help of this book (The Principality of Saint Corjimia). Although this book is wirtten with em' big words and all, its a great read. I also noticed you get funny looks when reading this book in public.

Great read if your starting your own nation........2003-03-17

This book was very entertaining. I dont think the age mattered very much. It was confusing at parts, but over all a great read. Very little seemed outdated.

A good historic information, but..........2000-12-27

This book contains very outdated information from the 1970s and early 80s. While it has a good value as a historic information it lacks in more practical ideas, i.e., *how* to start your own country, as the title suggests.

Average customer rating:

How to start your own country newspaper
Don Rivers
Manufacturer: Country Editor Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0006XF4FW

Customer Reviews:

Wanted, Dead or Alive.......2002-04-25

Although it lacks scholarly citation and in-depth analysis, this book sizzles. Sometimes a small, compact, hard-hitting, concisely-worded book is exactly what the doctor ordered. If you are sick of theoretical softies telling you the environment is this or that, look no farther. This book takes dead aim at actual polluters and the stinky cloud of facts that surround them. Bull's Eye!!!

A Rap Sheet for the Big Polluters.......2001-01-13

Here in northern Nevada we live in an ecological ruin, courtesy of the big mining companies, which have gouged out the mountains and poisoned what pass for rivers in these parts. But who owns these companies? And how do they keep getting away with it? This book will tell you. I was surprised to learn that one of the biggest mining companies in Nevada, American Barrick, was actually a Canadian company and the former President George Bush served on its board. And it's not just mining firms. This little book gives you the lowdown on big timber, the chemical firms and the oil giants. It names names, telling you who their lawyers and lobbyists are, how much money they sluice into the pockets of their favorite politicians and how many times they've been caught violating the law. An incredible bargain.

A must read for all patriotic Americans.......1999-03-17

A Pocket Guide to Environmental Bad Guys is a sharply-written profile of how American liberty & justice and our planet is being killed off. Written by two top-notch investigative reporters, James Ridgeway of the Village Voice and Jeffrey St. Clair of CounterPunch, the book is filled with horrifying tales of eco-pillage and disturbing photos and graphics, including Dewer's profiles of corporate pirates such as Charles Hurwitz, butcher of American jobs and ancient redwoods, and Jim Bob Moffett, whose mining company, Freeport McMoRan, has been linked to human rights abuses in Indonesia.

Unlike most books on liberty or the environment, this one goes right for the throat, exposing the people and their chemical, nuclear, and extractive industries gouging the Earth and poisoning and killing our people. And how these robber barons manage to exercise their malignant corporate power through legions of lobbyists, lawyers, public relations hacks and corrupting political handouts.

St. Clair and Ridgeway not only rip the mask off of the corporations taking away liberty and justice, plunder the Earth, but their book is one of the first to expose the lame response of so many of the establishment's lapdog environmental groups. With Clinton and Gore's rise to power, big green groups, such as The Wilderness Society and the Sierra Club, went along for the ride, allowing the administration to get away with (or actually aiding and abetting) one shameful deal after another in exchange for coffee with Al Gore and a pat on the head.

But the story is not all doom and gloom. Ridgeway and St. Clair's guide also charts how innovative grassroots citizens creative campaigns from around the country have waged successful battles against the nuclear industry, hazardous waste dumpers and even rapacious timber companies. Citizens have demonstrated they can take back their constitutional rights to liberty and justice, their country, their flag, and their future.

All Americans, concerned about our survival as a species, the survival of our country, its democracy and people should read this book and take heed.

Forever Wild and Free Tim Hermach

The benefits of personalizing the environmental crisis.......1999-03-13

In the dominant celebrity culture, explanations of societal phenomena that focus on institutions, laws and processes tend not to resonate with the public.

Increasingly, it seems, events and trends are understood and reported as the products of individuals: Bill Gates creates the computer revolution, Boris Yeltsin leads Russia to a purported democracy, Treasury Secretary Robert Rubin, flanked by Federal Reserve Chair Alan Greenspan and Deputy Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers guide the world economy through turbulent times to a prosperous future.

Well, say reporters James Ridgeway and Jeffrey St. Clair, let's apply the personification-of-social-developments approach even-handedly. In A Pocket Guide to Environmental Bad Guys (New York: Thunder's Mouth Press), Ridgeway and St. Clair name names of the worst polluters, deforesters and despoilers of the wild, and the top lobbyists they employ to pass laws, gut regulations, broker deals and win tax breaks to legitimize their poisoning and destruction of the environment.

"You can focus on institutions and laws until you're blue in the face," Ridgeway says, but no one will pay attention.

"While there has been a plethora of books on how the environment is getting better," he says, in fact things are getting worse. And the way to grab people's attention is not by waving statistical trends on deforestation or global warming or any of a myriad of other environmental ills. People respond when they can put a human face on problems.

There's another reason to identify the "bad guys," Ridgeway says. "You need to know your enemy," Ridgeway explains. "How they operate, what they eat, what their styles" of doing business are. So who do Ridgeway and St. Clair identify as the bad guys? Here's a smattering:

* John Bryson, CEO of Edison International. Ridgeway and St. Clair list Bryson's "most imaginative sideline" as co-founding the Natural Resources Defense Council. Edison's subsidiary Mission Energy is building dirty coal-fired plants in Indonesia.

* Charles Hurwitz, CEO of Maxxam, who just managed to ransom the Headwaters redwood grove in northern California for nearlyn half a billion dollars. Faced with threats that Maxxam saws would chew the entire forest, the Clinton administration agreed to pay $480 million to acquire Headwaters -- even though the government estimated the market value at less than $100 million and even though companies owned by Hurwitz owe the government nearly $2 billion for the collapse of a savings and loan.

* Jim Bob Moffett, head of Freeport McMoran, the mining giant that operates the world's largest gold and copper mine in Indonesia. Local indigenous communities charge the company has polluted local rivers, killing fish and forests, and that the Indonesian military has committed brutal human rights abuses to crush anti-Freeport protests. Moffett's "quotable quote," according to Environmental Bad Guys, refers to Freeport pollution at the Indonesian mine: "[It's] equivalent to me pissing in the Arafura Sea."

* Ira Rennert, who is now building the largest residence in the United States, on Long Island, and controls 95 percent of Renco Group, which in turn owns Magnesium Corp. of America, "the largest source of air pollution in America."

* Donald Pearlman, a former high official in the Reagan Energy and Interior Departments, who "is by far the energy industry's most effective lobbyist in fighting climate control rules."

Identifying the bad guys is Ridgeway and St. Clair's entry point, but it is not the entirety of their handy Pocket Guide. In addition to peeling away corporate greenwashing to reveal how dirty Big Business really is, they highlight the critical work being done by thousands of grassroots groups in the United States to put the bad guys in their place.

Ridgeway and St. Clair have subtitled Environmental Bad Guys "(and a Few Ideas on How to Stop Them)." The most important of these ideas, Ridgeway explains, is that hope for saving the environment lies not with "the large environmental groups which sit in Washington, and don't represent anybody or anything," but with the smaller groups that have maintained their edge, practice a combative politics and are directly confronting corporate power.

It turns out that while highlighting individual bad guys may be a key to focusing the public on environmental degradation, the key to blocking them is not to rely on individual celebrities, but garnering public support. Prominent environmental good guys -- people like David Brower, founder of the Earth Island Institute and Friends of the Earth, and Lois Gibbs, made famous at Love Canal and now heading the Center for Health, Environment and Justice -- have made their mark not as backroom lobbyists, but as effective organizers and crusaders for environmental justice.

Russell Mokhiber is editor of the Washington, D.C.-based Corporate Crime Reporter. Robert Weissman is editor of the Washington, D.C.-based Multinational Monitor.

Who they are and how to fight them.......1999-03-13

"A Pocket Guide to Environmental Bad Guys" (New York: Thunder's Mouth Press) by James Ridgeway and Jeffrey St. Clair

A Review by Michael Donnelly

The Earth isn't dying. It's being killed and the people doing the killing have names, faces and corporations they hide behind and we intend to tell you who they are and how they do it.

That about sums up the premise and promise of the new book, "Environmental Bad Guys" by James Ridgeway and Jeffrey St. Clair. And, in an easy to read format, the authors deliver.

Ridgeway and St. Clair dispense with the usual focus on political institutions and laws that define the nation's anemic Big Green cartel. Instead, they opt for direct exposure of the "loose affiliation of millionaires and billionaires" and the lobbyists and "environmental" groups they handsomely pay to further their polluting, deforesting and otherwise despoiling of the Commons for private profit.

The corporate practice of Greenwashing comes in for some well needed exposure, as well. And, also exposed - the shameless efforts of Teflon Green groups who haul in millions of corporate dollars to ensure that the sludge sticks anywhere but to its creators.

The book doesn't just trot out the facts and the bad actors. It offers hope, as well. A major part of the book is highlighting the grass roots, responsible greens who are making a difference against huge odds. The book is subtitled, "and a Few Ideas on How to Stop Them."

Expect the roaches unaccustomed to the light of such a book to run for cover. They'll surely break out the counter attack with assaults on the authors from the Wise Use loonies on one hand to the house-broken "Greens" on the other. It behooves the average air-breathing, water-drinking citizen to read this book and further their own self-defense.

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