Madame de Pompadour: Images of a Mistress

Book Description

As mistress to King Louis XV from 1745 until her death in 1764, Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson, marquise de Pompadour, was portrayed in an impressive array of paintings, engravings, sculpture, and other media. Most of these representations were made under her careful supervision and control, as she sought to maintain her place at the king's side and to develop authority and influence at the royal court and in national politics. To this end, the marquise summoned the greatest artists of the day, including Boucher, La Tour, Van Loo, Nattier, Drouais, Falconet, and Pigalle.

This beautiful book is the first scholarly biographical study of Madame de Pompadour in fifty years. Eminent historian Colin Jones places these pictures within the historical framework of art, culture, gender, and politics, considering all aspects of Madame de Pompadour's unprecedented power. He also shows how she utilized her image as a means of retaining her royal lover's affection, as her relationship with him passed from sexual infatuation to platonic friendship.

This book accompanies an exhibition at the National Gallery, London from October 16, 2002 to January 12, 2003.

Book Description

Stephen Venables and three companions made the first ascent of Panchu Chuli V-a remote Himalayan peak on the borders of India, Nepal and Tibet. A rappel anchor failed on the descent, pitching Venables into a 300-foot fall. Crashing through the black night, flung from rock to rock, he assumed that he was plunging to his death. Against all odds he survived, but was left stranded 19,000 feet above a labyrinth of glaciers and snow slopes with two broken legs, the threat of gangrene, and scant food or medical supplies. If he was to return to his wife and son waiting at home some 5000 miles away, Venables knew he had to draw on his reserve of courage and determination. The third Adrenaline Classic, A Slender Thread is a spellbinding account of Venables' survival-and his intense personal struggle to understand the risks he takes for the sake of his insatiable passion for climbing. He comes as close to anyone to answering the unanswerable question: Why do they do it?

Customer Reviews:

Raises troubling questions.......2001-07-13

On one level 'A Slender Thread: Escaping Disaster in the Himalayas' is a standard mountain expedition book, with the focus on Steven Venables' own experience. But throughout there is a dark undercurrent of premonition and doubt. Venables has a bad feeling about the expedition from the start : "there was a sense of unease, even doom when I set off for India". There is also a sense of futility, that the golden age of mountain exploration is long past, as he implicitly compares past expeditions to the area (the Panch Chuli group near the border of India and Nepal) with the one he is on. Gone is the conviction of purpose and the "gentlemanly camaraderie" of earlier times. In fact Venables shows himself to be anything but gentlemanly on this trip. Often out of sorts, half-wishing he were back home with his wife and child, Venables indulges in tantrums and verbally attacks Chris Bonington, the team leader, when Bonington suggests retreat..

As for the accident, it is the breaking of the Slender Thread that all mountaineers depend on at many time during a climb. A well-tested anchor pulls out below the top of Panch Chuli V, sending Venables on a steep fall that breaks both his legs and which he is lucky just to survive. This combination of bad and good luck, and his utter dependence on his companions for making it down the mountain, is the real story of this expedition for Venables as he recognizes that in climbing he is gambling with more than just his own life.

This is my least favorite of the three book by Venables I've read, though I did enjoy it. There is little of the excitement and freshness of 'Painted Mountains' or the combination of great accomplishment and fascinating route finding in 'Everest: Alone at the Summit'. However, it raises troubling questions about mountain climbing and faces them directly, and these questions, along with the detailed description of a remote and rarely climbed range, make this a book worth reading.

I'VE FALLEN AND I CAN'T GET UP..........2001-06-29

This book is well written, but much of it is decidedly dull. The author writes with all the passion of a dead fish. There are, however, some interesting passages about the history of a remote section of the Himalayas known as the Pancha Chuli massif which are actually five peaks close to India's border with western Nepal.

It is to this region that the author went in 1992 as part of an expedition led by world reknowned British climber, Chris Bonnington. Quite frankly, the author makes himself out to be a less than ideal climbing partner. He apparently had choice words for everyone, including Chris Bonnington. He is lucky that they are apparently better men than he, or he would never have survived his accident, a three hundred foot fall 19,000 feet up the mountain. But for his fellow expeditioners, the author would still be up there, a silent, frozen reminder to other climbers of the peril that may sometimes await one while climbing.

His account of what happens both before and after his accident, and upon his return home, as well as what occurs on his next expedition, gives the reader a measure of the author as a person. There are certainly those who may find him wanting. Yet, notwithstanding his readily apparent, personal shortcomings, his dispassionate account of his travail high up on a remote Himalayan peak is still a worthwhile read, if you are a devotee of mountaineering literature. If you are not, deduct one star from my rating.

ZZZZzzzzzzzz.......2001-06-13

This is one of the most cliche-ridden, naval-gazing climbing stories I've read in a long, long time. I didn't even know an audience still existed for this kind of well-worn mountaineering pablum. The story is right out of a computer format: Stephen Venables goes on a climb, gets hurt, misses his wife and kids, and needs to be rescued so he can get back and see them. [...]I think I've read this story about a hundred times before, usually by more honest observers.

Two-thirds a good read.......2001-03-06

I am not sorry I read ths book. Venables is a fine writer--one of the best in his genre working today. Having read one too many accounts of the Everest region (and a number of books on the west, K2, region), I appreciate Venables's description of the less-written-about middle Himalaya. The writer's account of the Panch Chuli climb itself is also fine.

Unfortunately, after Venables's accident, there is little left to sustain the narrative. He simply sits around in his tent with his two partners, discussing food and British lit., waiting for the helicopter to come rescue him. In reality, I'm glad his rescue was easier than, say, Joe Simpson's was in Peru, but it makes for some rather boring reading.

To sum, the book is well worth reading, but expect a let down around two-thirds of the way through.

Difficult to read.......2001-02-06

Overall, I found this book to be a good look into Himilayan climbing. My only complaint was that it was written in British English and is a little difficult to read. The climbing terms are a little techincal as well. Being a non-climber, I sometimes can't picture what the author is describing when using climbing lingo.

Book Description

Together with Chris Bonington and other distinguished British climbers, Stephen Venables was high on the unclimbed and sacred mountain of Panch Chuli when, at 1 AM on a dark Himalayan night, his abseil failed and he fell catastrophically, somersaulting from rock to rock and landing, seriously-wounded, at the end of a rope suspended above a 50-degree icefield. This is the story of his arduous and almost miraculous survival, and of the brilliant, committed teamwork which brought him to safety.

From the Trade Paperback edition.

Customer Reviews:

I'VE FALLEN AND I CAN'T GET UP..........2003-01-04

This book is well-written, but much of it is decidedly dull. The author writes with all the passion of a dead fish. There are, however, some interesting passages about the history of a remote section of the Himalayas known as the Pancha Chuli massif, which are actually five peaks close to India's border with western Nepal.

It is to this region that the author went in 1992 as part of an expedition led by world-renowned British climber, Chris Bonnington. Quite frankly, the author makes himself out to be a less than ideal climbing partner. He apparently had choice words for everyone, including Chris Bonnington. He is lucky that they are apparently better men than he, or he would never have survived his accident, a three hundred foot fall while 19,000 feet up the mountain. But for his fellow expeditioners, the author would still be up there, a silent, frozen reminder to other climbers of the peril that may sometimes await one while climbing.

Book Description

Although a long-established and influential genre, this is the first comprehensive study of the European road cinema. Crossing New Europe investigates this tradition, its relationship with the American road movie and its aesthetic forms. This movement examines such crucial issues as individual and national identity crises, and phenomena such as displacement, diaspora, exile, migration, nomadism, and tourism in postmodern, post-Berlin Wall Europe. Drawing on the work of Said, Hall, Shields, Urry, Bauman, Deleuze and Guattari and other critical theorists, Crossing New Europe adopts a broad interpretation of "Europe" and discusses directors and films who have long been associated with the road movie, such as Wim Wenders ( Alice in the Cities, Lisbon Story) and Aki Kaurismäki (Leningrad Cowboys Go America!), and other more recent contributions such as Run Lola Run, Dear Diary and The Last Resort.

Book Description

This book is to be used with the corresponding volume of the SUZUKI HARP SCHOOL to produce duo versions of the pieces in the original series.

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Alltime Classic

Staple for Chess Players

A manual for chess survival.

You'll learn from this book how to defend when you need it.

Very good chess study

The Art of Defense in Chess
Andrew Soltis
Manufacturer: Random House Puzzles & Games
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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The Inner Game of Chess: How to Calculate and Win (Chess)

Pawn Structure Chess

How to Defend in Chess: Learn from the World Champions

Turning Advantage into Victory in Chess

Art of Attack in Chess

ASIN: 0679141081
Release Date: 1986-09-12

Book Description

Most games are not won -- they are lost. The vast majority of instructional books tell how to improve a position when it is already (or may be) favorable. The Art of Defense in Chess analyzes the practical aspects of not having the advantage:
-- How to obtain counterplay
-- When to contest open lines
-- When to accept sacrifices
-- How to anticipate short- and long-term threats
-- How to restrain your opponent's pieces
-- How to create a defense perimeter
-- How to minimize losses
-- And much more

The Art of Defense in Chess also discusses the proper psychological attitudes for successful defense -- coolness under fire, the Saving Grace, stonewalling, etc. -- as well as the Principle of Exploitable Weakness and the Principle of Economy, as illustrated in more than one hundred positions taken from competitive play.

Customer Reviews:

Alltime Classic.......2005-03-14

This is an alltime classic. Although the subject is defence, it would be more accurate to call it a book on tactics: Not combinations of the kind "white to play and checkmate in five moves", but all the little tricks (strategic as well as tactical) that strong players use in every game with almost every move. The games are basically from the first half of the 20th century up to the seventies, but still very relevant, as tactics is tactics.

This book is incredible value for money, highly-recommended.

Staple for Chess Players.......2004-02-12

The Art of Defense in Chess is an excellent book. Along with The Art of Attack, this book will help any serious chessplayer round out his/her style. Most books focus only on attack and the few books that do focus on defense usually turn toward counterattack as the only method. This book helped me to understand the principles of defense, which helps when you're being beaten and when you're beating someone. I can't emphasize enough how important the strategies that are discussed in this book are. You will not always be attacking, I guarantee it. Note that this is written in English notation, ie, KN7 and so on. If you only know algebraic, you'll have to practice this older system, but it will be time well spent since many books that one can find are written in this format. Also note that this book, if read correctly, will take a great deal of time to plow through. Basically, you need to have a board out and thoroughly analyze each and every position in order to get the most out of this book. I highly recommend this to intermediate and above players.

A manual for chess survival........2003-12-13

This book helped push me from a mid ranking player (ca 1500) to an advanced amateur (ca 1800). This book helped me learn how to hold onto a busted position and more so, learn how to shore up weaknesses and survive powerful attacks. It's a terrific learning tool, though not for the casual reader. I constantly used a set when reading this book, to analyze positions.

If openings like the Modern Benoni and the Sicilian appeal to you, then this book will eventually help you play more competitive chess and win more games.

You'll learn from this book how to defend when you need it........1998-03-10

Most of the books I've read deal only when you're on the attack, but in my games this does not happen very often. After reading this book my game improved as I learned how to defend well when I'm under attack and my attacking play became more precise as I am aware of my opponent's defense.

Very good chess study.......1998-01-14

If you can stand English notation and you like challenging positional study - then you will like this book. The exercises are very hard but they help you recognize the issues. This is a good book.

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The Art of Defense in Chess
Andrew Soltis
Manufacturer: David McKay Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000O3RVS2

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The Art of Defense in Chess
Lyev ; Damsky, Iakov Polugayevsky
Manufacturer: Cadogan Chess
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000MFQ95I

Book Description

The Shopfloor Series puts powerful improvement tools in the hands of an entire workforce. And now Productivity's all-time bestseller, A Revolution in Manufacturing: The SMED System, is available in a condensed version prepared especially for front-line workers and general interest readers. Quick changeover techniques, the basis for "just-in-time" manufacturing, result in dramatically lower costs and vastly improved product quality. This peerless introduction includes chapter outlines, margin assists, illustrations, and helpful application questions. The late Shigeo Shingo was the undisputed master of advanced methods that revolutionized manufacturing worldwide. Dr. Shingo, inventor of the Single-Minute Exchange of Die (SMED) system for Toyota, shows how to reduce changeover time by an average of 98 percent! Application of Shingo's techniques can reduce lead time from weeks to days, and lower work-in-process, inventory, and warehousing costsall of which will improve quality, productivity, and profits.

Customer Reviews:

Easy and straight forward for beginners.......2007-03-11

Whether you start with JIT/Lean or Quick Response Manufacturing, you need to learn some simple tools helping you with the process improvement after any process analyze. Many books about operations management will teach you the interaction of workstations and the parameters influencing the performance of a workstation, line or even a factory. Furthermore good operations books will give you the insights how to analyze the performance of a system. What often misses (which is Ok), is to provide the knowledge, e.g. if lot size reduction will bring a huge improvement for cycle-time etc., how to do this? Most of the books of this series exactly deal with this questions and present some methods that work and will simplify your life reading more sophisticated literature about this issue later on.

All the books of the productivity press series were a great help to me. The following books of this series provided a good start about:

- SMED: how to reduce change-over time and to make small lot sizes happen
- TPM: how to improve machine availability and breakdown variability
- ZQC: overcoming the problem of other quality methods, that only measure what was done but w/o pre-active prevention for rework/ scrap (Six-Sigma, SPC etc. are more complicated and not pre-active..)

The key for SMED is explained very well - separation of the change over step by distinguishing internal and external set-up and how to proceed. I read more sophisticated books about this subject, but this simple book is the first one I pick from my shelf, whenever I need some help. When you need more specific information e.g. about quick-fixations and what exists and how they look like, then buying other books can be helpful as well.

Best Regards,
Oliver

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Private Lives; Historic Confusion

Highly readable and insightful psychological sketches of some of our most important recent leaders

Private Lives/Public Consequences: Personality and Politics in Modern America
William H. Chafe
Manufacturer: Harvard University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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From the Center to the Edge: The Politics and Policies of the Clinton Presidency

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The INHERITANCE: HOW THREE FAMILIES AND THE AMERICAN POLITICAL MAJORITY MOVED FROM LEFT TO RIGHT

Revolutionary Characters: What Made the Founders Different

ASIN: 067401877X

Book Description

A political leader's decisions can determine the fate of a nation, but what determines how and why that leader makes certain choices? William H. Chafe, a distinguished historian of twentieth century America, examines eight of the most significant political leaders of the modern era in order to explore the relationship between their personal patterns of behavior and their political decision-making process. The result is a fascinating look at how personal lives and political fortunes have intersected to shape America over the past fifty years.

One might expect our leaders to be healthy, wealthy, genteel, and happy. In fact, most of these individuals--from Franklin Delano Roosevelt to Martin Luther King, Jr., from John F. Kennedy to Bill Clinton--came from dysfunctional families, including three children of alcoholics; half grew up in poor or only marginally secure homes; most experienced discord in their marriages; and at least two displayed signs of mental instability. What links this extraordinarily diverse group is an intense ambition to succeed, and the drive to overcome adversity. Indeed, adversity offered a vehicle to develop the personal attributes that would define their careers and shape the way they exercised power.

Chafe probes the influences that forged these men's lives, and profiles the distinctive personalities that molded their exercise of power in times of danger and strife. The history of the United States from the Depression into the new century cannot be understood without exploring the dynamic and critical relationship between personal history and political leadership that these eight life stories so poignantly reveal.

Customer Reviews:

Private Lives; Historic Confusion.......2006-10-23

I will admit this book left me confused.

It is not that William H. Chafe failed to articulate his point. Quite the contrary, the history professor and former faculty dean at Duke University communicates his theme clearly and concisely. His premise - that childhood events mold and influence the direction, personality and life choices of our national leaders - is an intriguing thought.

It is, however, not history. Historians - and Dr. Chafe is a distinguished one -
spend their hours probing primary sources for clues of how social movements swept up individuals and used them in their dialectic march towards a preordained future. Once done with their research, historians then hide their conclusions in books and articles distinguished by long couplings of footnote-festooned, incomprehensible complex-compound sentences.

That is not this book. There are no primary sources; there are no footnotes. You can read these provocative essays and understand them. The author admits it is a departure from his academic training and practice.

Based on his reading and observations, Dr. Chafe offers his thoughts on how the personal lives and political fortunes of Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt, Martin Luther King, Jr., John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan and Hilary and Bill Clinton intersected to shape the United States.

For the moment, I will discount the fact that the author was three years old when Franklin Roosevelt died. This book is a fascinating read. As a professor of modern American history, I have no doubt Dr. Chafee has read many books on his subjects. His observations deserve a thoughtful consideration. It is difficult to document the psychological influences on a life. Nevertheless, Dr. Chafee produces poignant portrayals of vision and paranoia; moral strengths and weakness; sincerity and artificiality.

I admit my Hegelian biases. They grow stronger as I age. Yet, I do not find it a stretch to believe the Muse of history recruits individuals it has equipped with the tools and experiences it required to continue its movement.

History or not, this book will spark a new appreciation of the joys and heartaches of our country's recent past.

Highly readable and insightful psychological sketches of some of our most important recent leaders .......2006-05-21

Chafe has produced a highly literate, totally engaging collection of eight essays on six recent presidents plus Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy. As the author freely admits, these essays do not reflect new research or close examination of primary sources. Yet they do capture the heroic essence of each man (and they are all men, despite cameo appearances by Eleanor and Hillary) and they persuasively argue that each was deeply affected by a particular and profound personal crisis in his early years which, if properly understood, could have predicted how each would respond to the difficult choices they faced once in office. Perhaps Chafe is a better historian than psychologist but after reading this book it is hard to believe that the public has no reason or right to know not just the politics of candidates for high office but their most personal histories.

Private Lives/Public Consequences: Personality and Politics in Modern America.(Book review): An article from: Journal of Southern History

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Private Lives/Public Consequences: Personality and Politics in Modern America.(Book review): An article from: Journal of Southern History
Van Gosse
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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Book Description

This digital document is an article from Journal of Southern History, published by Thomson Gale on February 1, 2007. The length of the article is 584 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: Private Lives/Public Consequences: Personality and Politics in Modern America.(Book review)
Author: Van Gosse
Publication: Journal of Southern History (Magazine/Journal)
Date: February 1, 2007
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 73 Issue: 1 Page: 215(2)

Article Type: Book review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Private Lives/Public Consequences: Personality and Politics in Modern America.(Book review): An article from: Presidential Studies Quarterly

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Private Lives/Public Consequences: Personality and Politics in Modern America.(Book review): An article from: Presidential Studies Quarterly
Michael A. Genovese
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Presidential Studies Quarterly, published by Thomson Gale on December 1, 2006. The length of the article is 812 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: Private Lives/Public Consequences: Personality and Politics in Modern America.(Book review)
Author: Michael A. Genovese
Publication: Presidential Studies Quarterly (Magazine/Journal)
Date: December 1, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 36 Issue: 4 Page: 771(2)

Article Type: Book review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Book Description

This latest book in the Battleground Europe series describes the battles over several years, and in particular 1917 and 1918, for a wood and small village. The Germans stubbornly refused to retreat as the area held a key position in their defense of Arras.

In the bitter fighting, thousands of young men mainly from East Yorkshire (Hull) and East Lancashire were sacrificed.

Book Description

Updated to include the 2004 election From our nations inception there has been tension between the left and the right despite the fact that the vast majority of voting citizens are really moderates. Back and forth the power shifts. Why? Its The Great Game of Politics. Dick Stoken examines the history of the Presidency in terms of this game, highlighting the shifts that force a change of party power at the executive level. Stoken looks at all of the presidencies and determines who had the most influence on our nations direction, who failed, who stayed the course, and who charted a new one.

Customer Reviews:

"My policy is to have no policy." Lincoln.......2007-03-26

This inoculous looking little book was a great surprise to me.When I bought it,I thought it would be just a light hearted read of politics and ,as is the case,with most political books;would have a left or right slant. It didn't take long to realize that this was a book with a great deal of merit. It is a wonderful insight into the Politics and History of America.
I won't try to summarize the book;as it suffices to say that the author contends that the real thing that happens is what he calls Paradigms.It is these Paradigms, more so than basic party philosophy and beliefs, that influence Presidents in their greatness and affect how their actions are judged by the electorate,and hence influence elections.For this reason,sometimes Democrats act like Republicans and Republicans act like Democrats.Not on all issues nor at all times.The author analyses the results over history and shows that the Presidents who start,recognize and adapt to paradigms are successful and those who do not,or cannot, become the lesser for it.
He covers the Parties,including the 3rd parties in a fair and balanced manner and shows what they fundamentally believe and why they have their strengths and weaknesses. Try as I may;I could not find any bias on the author's part. He simply tells it as it is .
He shows that politics is an Art and definately not a Science.Paradigms are hard to predict,often not recognized until late into their course,and hard for the party to alter in the end;resulting in a change in the Administration.One also sees that the thing that gave the party the strength in the beginning is the same thing that when carried to excess becomes its downfall. Thus, it is the balance between Left and Right which ,in the final analysis,is what gives America her strength.
I have no idea of what textbooks are used in schools and universities today to teach Political Science (a term I've always considered an oxymoron);But I believe this book would be an excellent source for students to help them understand why and by whom eletions are won and lost.
Don't expect this book to be an end all in helping to predict elections.The author shows that even after elections are over ,it is still very unclear what things had what effect on the results.
If you follow politics you will find this a most unusual book and one that will give you much insight into it all.It is not an easy thing to look at over 200 years of history and politics and make sense of it all,but Stoken has done an excellent job of it here.This book is a real keeper to me and I am sure I will turn to it often in the future.
Canada's history and politics is immensely influenced by what happens in the United States,and this book explains much of what happened here.
A great book to read at the present time ,particularly with the world events taking place. Are we already into a new Paradigm,are we soon to face one;time will tell.
Remember the words of President Reagan in his inaugural address;

"The government is not the solution to our probmems...IT IS THE
PROBLEM."

...and he is considered one of the great Presidents.

The Presidency, Systematically Analyzed.......2006-01-26

Stoken looks in depth at the Presidency and why we elect who we elect. His main these is that there are paradigm setting presidents -- those presidents who are elected, reelected by a majority, and then ensure the election of their successor. The 9 presidents this applies to are Washington, Jefferson, Madison, Jackson, Lincoln, T. Roosevelt, Harding/Coolidge, F. Roosevelt and Reagan. These then are the "leaders" with other presidents either working to moderate the prevailing philosophy (Clinton) or "restorers" of the prevailing tradition (Kennedy/Johnson). The later restorers are less successful as the prevailing paradigm becomes less able to deal with the world (Pierce, Buchanan, Carter) until it utterly collapses. Paradigms alternate between those of the "right" and the "left."

I found the arguments Stoken makes quite persuasive, including the justification of the Harding/Coolidge administration as being quite influential as well as showing that Grant and Nixon are quite "underrated" Presidents for the impact that they had (they both just miss being paradigm setters) The leaders of the "dominant paradigm" also win close elections. Bush in 2000, Carter in 1976, Kennedy in 1960, Hayes, Garfield, Harrison in the late 19th Century, Polk, Pierce in the mid-19th century. Ties go to the dominant (not necessarily the incumbent) party.

While the discussion is largely domestic and economic focused, there is some discussion about a Bush paradigm in foreign relations possibly taking over from the earlier Wilsonian one. Stoken also discusses the role of third parties and their influence. Excellent read and really gets you thinking.

Politics made Systematic.......2004-05-31

Dick Stoken's newest book is his latest in a string of thought provoking efforts to develop and apply a systematic methodology to important social or economic themes-this time to the understanding of the uniquely American social organization known as the 2-party system. His previous books have dealt with popular economic topics such as market timing and long term economic cycles. This time, he carries his methodology into to the often passionate, partisan realm of presidential politics, as played out in the shifts between the two opposing political parties.

The book lays out a sensible approach to understanding the unique characteristics of each party, identifies the dynamics at work both between the parties and, more importantly, among the general electorate as they vote to either maintain the status quo, or to reject the party in power, in favor of a new political direction. There is a little something for every reader here-social psychology, US political history and systems theory.

Stoken's approach should hardly come as a surprise to those familiar with The University of Chicago, where he did his graduate work. The UOC is well known for its theoretical approach, and this book follows in this proud, if unconventional, tradition. Noteworthy also is Stoken's background as a financial historian and practitioner (he's a hedge fund manager, and former floor trader on Chicago's derivatives exchanges), which adds a practical dimension that traditional historians tend to overlook or (better yet) ignore-namely the market-like interplay between presidential politics and the ebb and flow between political cycles, which Stoken identifies and quantifies through an analysis of voting patterns, giving rise to "paradigm" setting presidential administrations.

Stoken sees this interplay (and, yes, clash) between two opposing political tenets as essential to the evolution of US politics, and something to be encouraged and appreciated. It is this 2 party dynamic that both helps define the distinctives of both parties, and allows for quick, decisive change and transition from one "paradigm" to the next.

Stoken's quantitative approach to understanding US elections and his belief that the voter is always right in the end (after all, voters ultimately determine outcomes) is a refreshing departure from doctrinaire, overly politicized methods of viewing party politics. In this vein, a warning: Stoken's perspective may not appeal to readers of all political persuasions. Diehard political ideologues may object to the (perceived) simplification of Stoken's quest for a unifying theme to tie together all the loose ends. Indeed, one comes away from the book much more inclined to view politics through the eyes of a dispassionate and objective observer, than as a passionate firebrand.

Stoken seems to be suggesting that it's only by distancing yourself from this passionate enterprise that you gain an appreciation for the role that both sides play in the evolution of our "great game of politics." In the end, it's not an "either or" game-that is, one party more "correct" than the other. Instead, Stoken suggests that it takes two healthy, opposing viewpoints to create a dynamic political system. You'll find this book a refreshing departure from traditional approaches to understanding US politics and American history.

Germ of an Interesting Idea, From Left to Right & Back Again.......2004-02-15

This is one of those books that caught my eye in a casual browse through the bookstore, where I buy perhaps 10% of my books. It has a germ of a good idea and is worth the price of the book for that alone--the book can be absorbed in a day or rapidly scanned in an hour.

The core idea is that America swings from left to right and back again--from a pro-business risk-taking conservative right position to a pro-people risk-reducing social concern left position.

The author, who is evidently a very well-respected businessman and trader who is skilled at seeing business cycles, applies his skill to politics. Of the 43 presidents America has had to date, he identifies nine that were "paradigm movers": George Washington (Federalists), Jefferson (Jeffersonian Democracy), Madison (New Nationalism), Jackson (New Democrats) Lincoln-McKinley (Transition), Roosevelt (New Progressives), Harding (New Era) and Reagan (New Economy).

I view the book somewhat skeptically. It is certainly worthwhile, and I do not regret buying it nor absorbing the "nine political paradigms" that the author puts forward, but on balance I find it somewhat simplistic and out of touch with today's realities. Indeed, as an admirer of all that Dr. Paul Ray has written (he is co-author of The Cultural Creatives), I would sum up my modest criticism of this book by saying that America, if it is to survive, must be neither left nor right, but in front--as Dr. Ray labels them, "the new progressives." The two mainstream political parties have lost touch with reality and become much too subordinated to political campaign contributions and lobbyists, and hence, if there is a tenth paradigm that will emerge--and I credit this book with framing the question very well--then it will be one that emulates the Internet and creates a political system that restores ethics to both the left and the right, restores the individual to primacy in the democracy, and reintegrates government, business, and citizen associations including unions as equal respectful partners rather than constant antagonists.

Book Description

The research for this publication was funded by the United States Environmental Protection Agency. Below is a list of contributors to Wetlands: An Approach to Improving Decision Making in Wetland Restoration and Creation.

Mary E. Kentula, Project Officer, Wetlands Research Program, U.S. Environmental Protection Agenc.

Robert P. Brooks, The Pennsylvania State University, Forest Resources Laborator.

Stephanie Gwinn, Cindy Holland, Authur Sherman, Jean Sifneos, Ann Hairston, ManTech Environmental Technology, INC., U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

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An approach to improving decision making in wetland restoration and creation (SuDoc EP 1.23/6:600/R-92/150)
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Manufacturer: Wetlands Research Program, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Environmental Research Laboratory
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B00010VRY2

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