Princess Diana, The House of Windsor and Palm Beach: America's Fascination With "The Touch of Royalty"

Book Description

A comprehensive account of visits to Palm Beach by Princess Diana and other members of the royal family, and the events and impact of Diana's death -- both internationally and in Palm Beach. This book represents personal social contact, 12 years of research, and PREVIOUSLY UNPUBLISHED observations... including Diana's eating disorder.

Book Description

Veteran New York sportswriter Maury Allen writes candidly of Mickey Mantle's luminous achievements, including being named the American League's MVP three times and hitting an astonishing 536 career home runs; of Mantle's uneasiness at being a national hero; of Mantle' long, eventually triumphant, struggle with alcoholism; and of Mantle's subsequent losing battle with liver cancer.

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AN EXCELLENT SALUTE TO A HERO

Memories of the Mick
Maury Allen
Manufacturer: Taylor Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Baseball | Biographies | Sports | Subjects | Books

General | Biographies | Sports | Subjects | Books

General | Baseball | Sports | Subjects | Books

General | Sports | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0878339736

Amazon.com

More of a warm, extended, photographic eulogy than the probing, analytic biography that the complex and often troubled life of Yankee icon Mickey Mantle deserves and will, no doubt, one day receive, Memories of the Mick has the feel of a fan's scrapbook, and there's nothing wrong with that. Allen, a New York sportswriter who covered Mantle's career from beginning to end, captures a sense of the excitement that pervaded New York baseball in the '50s and early '60s, and how much of it was centered on the broad beam of Mantle's shoulders. His portrait of Mantle's post-baseball life is quite poignant in its details of how much his fans demanded from his legend to the end.

Customer Reviews:

AN EXCELLENT SALUTE TO A HERO.......2000-12-31

THE MICK HAS BEEN THE HERO IN MY LIFE FOR 35 YEARS. THIS BOOK IS AN EXCELLENT ACCOUNT OF HIS CAREER IN PICTURES AND NARRATION. MR. ALLEN SHOWS THE GREATNESS OF MICK AS A PLAYER AND THE HUMANESS OF HIM AS A PERSON. THIS BOOK IS A MUST FOR EVERYONE WHO WORSHIPPED THE MICK. HE IS STILL A HERO AND A VERY BRAVE MAN WHO WAS AT HIS BEST NEAR THE END OF HIS LIFE. HATS OFF TO THE MICK AND THIS WONDERFUL ACCOUNT OF HIS LIFE AND CAREER. THANK YOU MR. ALLEN.

Memory, Psychology and Second Language Learning (Language Learning & Language Teaching (Ll&Lt))

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Memory, Psychology and Second Language Learning (Language Learning & Language Teaching (Ll&Lt))
Mick Randall
Manufacturer: John Benjamins Publishing Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Words & Language | Reference | Subjects | Books

Linguistics | Words & Language | Reference | Subjects | Books

Study & Teaching | Words & Language | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Foreign Languages | Reference | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 902721977X

Tides of Change: Memories of a Kerry Childhood

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Tides of Change: Memories of a Kerry Childhood
John Curran
Manufacturer: Curran Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000NT0ADA

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Tissues Required!
Heartwarming
Highest recmommendation
A poignant little book

Nothing (Golden Books)
Mick Inkpen
Manufacturer: Artist & Writers Guild Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Similar Items:

ASIN: 9995381427

Customer Reviews:

Tissues Required!.......2002-10-31

This is a lovely, warm book with gorgeous illustrations. I can't seem to get through it without crying, every time. I think it's a wonderful story that will help children with low self-esteem, adoptees, or anyone who has ever missed a bit of their early life -- as well as being a generally delightful book for all who read it. Certainly one of the very best children's books I've encountered.

Heartwarming.......2001-03-30

This I must say is the most heartwarming of all children's books that I have ever read. Of all of my daughter's books this one is truly my favorite.

Highest recmommendation.......2001-01-10

Our family really enjoys Mick Inkpen books and this one is a real treasure. The watercolor illustrations are beautiful and fit this sweet story perfectly. I won't retell the tale here since a summary is given above in the editorial review, but I will say that the story is filled with beautiful hope for any child (or adult) who has ever felt like "nothing". My two little girls always enjoy the surprise ending and the illustrations of the "transformation" (I won't say what it is) are done perfectly.

I give this book my highest recommendation.

A poignant little book.......1999-07-26

My daughter and I love to read this book together. I won't tell you what happens because it would spoil the book - suffice to say that every time we read it, it makes us both smile! I hope you enjoy it too.

Book Description

In the past 30 years, Diane Keaton has been an actress, a director and a photographer. This work begins with her early years in California, but the primary focus is on her film career from the 1970s through the present. The author examines Keaton's image as star and public figure, drawing on information from interviews (including personal conversations with Keaton), feature pieces, press releases, books, photographs, posters, films, and reviews of films. Each chapter provides an overview of the significant events and influences in Keaton's life during a particular period, along with a thematic and stylistic analysis of that period's feature films, television movies, and photography. The film analyses include an examination of themes and technical elements such as cinematography, mise-en-scène, movement, editing, sound, acting, costumes, set, and narrative structures.

Customer Reviews:

Five stars!!.......2006-08-24

I read this book after watching Annie Hall recently, for the first time, and have watched a lot more of her old movies since then. This book gives a lot of information on Ms Keaton's persona and on her films which confirms most of my analysis of her based on her performances and from reading about her from different sources. Her film collaboration with Woody Allen are considered classic and all her other movies reflect how versatile an actress she is. I'm highly recommending all of her movies to my kids even though they were just born around the time when Annie Hall first came out. I know they will enjoy them.

Author Mitchell makes Keaton look like a God.......2006-03-03

I am not a big fan of Debroah Mitchell's book Diane Keaton: Artist and Icon. She is an actress not a God. I will say I am a fan of Keaton but this book went to far. Hollywood stars today are treated like their better than everyone else. Liberalism is portrayed all over this book. Too much leftist talk for me!

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Why is this book out of print?!

101 Tips to Improve Your Chess
Tony Kosten
Manufacturer: Henry Holt & Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Chess | Board Games | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Silman's Complete Endgame Course: From Beginner To Master

Chess Endings Made Simple : How to Approach the Endgame with Confidence

ASIN: 0805047328

Customer Reviews:

Why is this book out of print?!.......1998-09-03

Chess is a game of patterns and strategies that are appropriate for those patterns. The strongest players, in addition to their knowledge of theory and ability to calculate variations, are those that can recognize the pattern and apply the strategy. This book is a collection of 101 of the most important patterns. Kosten supplies two or three examples of each and shows how the players solved (or should have solved!) the complexities at hand. Items like the outside passed pawn, pawn majorities, outposts and a host of other things are covered. For many of us, this is an excellent review (and most of us need it!),and for others this will be a first-time introduction to important concepts. Many of these often seem simple, but the solutions can be complex, so this book is appropriate for players from 1300-2000. If you can still get a hold of this book -- do so.

Book Description

Leading Minds and Landmark Ideas In An Easily Accessible Format

From the preeminent thinkers whose work has defined an entire field to the rising stars who will redefine the way we think about business, The Harvard Business Review Paperback Series delivers the fundamental information today's professionals need to stay competitive in a fast-moving world.

The Harvard Business Review on Strategies for Growth presents the latest tactics--including acquisitions, diversification, and innovation--for helping managers find and exploit the best opportunities for growth and profitability. A Harvard Business Review Paperback.

Download Description

The Harvard Business Review paperback series is designed to bring today's managers and professionals the fundamental information they need to stay competitive in a fast-moving world. Here are the landmark ideas that have established the Harvard Business Review as required reading for ambitious business people in organizations around the globe. The Harvard Business Review on Strategies for Growth presents the latest tactics--including acquisitions, diversification, and innovation--for helping managers find and exploit the best opportunities for growth and profitability. Articles include: Breaking Compromises, Breakaway Growth by George Stalk, Jr., David K. Pecaut, and Benjamin Burnett; Value Innovation: The Strategic Logic of High Growth by W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne; Growth Through Acquisitions: A Fresh Look by Patricia L. Anslinger and Thomas E. Copeland; To Diversify or Not to Diversify by Constantinos C. Markides; The Living Company by Arie De Geus; Making the Deal Real: How GE Capital Integrates Acquisitions by Ronald N. Ashkenas, Lawrence J. DeMonaco, and Suzanne C. Francis; Capturing the Value of Supplementary Services by James C. Anderson and James A. Narus; and Exploiting the Virtual Value Chain by Jeffrey F. Rayport and John J. Sviokla.

Customer Reviews:

AN OUTSTANDING COLLECTION OF THOUGHT! RECOMMENDED........1999-04-05

Looking for some informative, original and clear thinking about strategies for growth? This book is a great choice! This is a collection of eight outstanding articles selected from past editions of the HBR. The articles cover: value innovation; growth through acquisitions; growth through diversification; capturing the value of supplementary services; and exploiting the virtual value change. Each article begins with an executive summary which, for the fast-forward crowd, is a big plus.

Book Description

no description

Silvio Napoli Schindler India Case Analysis

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Silvio Napoli Schindler India Case Analysis
LWC Research
Manufacturer: LWC Research
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books

Estrategias De Crecimiento (Strategies for Growth) (Harvard Business Review)

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Estrategias De Crecimiento (Strategies for Growth) (Harvard Business Review)

Manufacturer: Deusto
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Spanish | Foreign Language Nonfiction | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 9508570202

Product Description

Tras el pasajero impacto de la reingeniería y la reestructuración de empresas, el crecimiento se ha convertido en una nueva fórmula estratégica para generar beneficios y aumentar el valor de la empresa. Esta selección de artículos presenta las iniciativas más innovadoras para aprovechar las oportunidades de crecimiento, tales como la identificación de las empresas más rentables cara a una posible adquisición, el análisis de la posibilidad de diversificar las actividades y el fomento de la innovación dentro de la empresa.

Harvard Business Review on Strategies for Growth

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Harvard Business Review on Strategies for Growth
Harvard Business Review
Manufacturer: Harvard Business School Pres
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000K7R18W

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Less About Elephants, More About Bureaucracy & Ego

A wildlife conservation story to inspire

Saving the elephants: the ultimate management challenge.

Great General Read and for Teaching Conservation Politics

magnificent

Wildlife Wars: My Fight to Save Africa's Natural Treasures
Richard Leakey , and Virginia Morell
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
Political | Leaders & Notable People | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
Sociologists | Professionals & Academics | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
Wildlife | Animals | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
General | Paleontology | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
Wildlife | Conservation | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

The Myth of Wild Africa: Conservation Without Illusion

The Tree Where Man Was Born (Classic, Nature, Penguin)

Paradise Lost: A History of Game Preservation in East Africa

In the Dust of Kilimanjaro (A Shearwater Book)

Elephant Memories: Thirteen Years in the Life of an Elephant Family

ASIN: 0312206267

Book Description

Known the world over for his work in early human origins, Richard Leakey was serving as director of Kenya's National Museums when in 1989 President Daniel arap Moi appointed him to run the country's Wildlife Conservation Department. The news stunned Leakey. He was suddenly in charge of an enormous bureaucracy whose responsibility was to oversee millions of square acres of parks and sanctuaries, and to protect the animals living in them. Like many other Kenyans, Leakey knew that the country's fabulous wildlife population was in very real danger, and in particular the elephant. By the late 1980s, the once numberless herds of elephants that roamed its savannas were dwindling fast, victims to poachers armed with automatic weapons, bureaucratic inefficiency, and the world's appetite for ivory.Extinction was more than a theoretical possibility. Leakey quickly realized he had been given far more than a job; he had been thrust onto the front lines of a wildlife war, one that was being fought as fiercely in Nairobi's government offices as in the parks themselves. Extreme conditions called for extreme measures. One of his first orders of business involved an enormous warehouse of confiscated elephant tusks that were to be auctioned off to the highest bidder, the proceeds used to buttress the demoralized and nearly bankrupt Wildlife Department. Rather than sell the tusks, however, Leakey decided to burn them. The bonfire flames captured the world's attention. The fight to save the African elephant was ignited. Wildlife Wars is Leakey's inspiring and dramatic account of these turbulent times, indelibly capturing Kenya's struggle to balance the needs of its human population with the task of maintaining the world-famous parks that are its major source of revenue. He threw himself into his job: restructuring the department, firing non-performing personnel, securing funds for equipment, and building up a park police force that had both the will and the means to take on the poachers. By slow degrees he and his colleagues at Wildlife were beginning to turn the tide. But the cost of success was often high. As candid and controversial as its author, this memoir, co-written with Leakey family biographer and writer Virginia Morell, is testimony to one man's commitment to save African wildlife and to serve his country. Richard Leakey has survived threats on his life, political attacks, and a plane crash that cost him both legs. Today, unbowed, he remains one of Kenya's-and sub-Saharan Africa's-most passionate spokesman for conservation, political, and economic reform. Wildlife Wars reveals how deeply his passion runs.

Customer Reviews:

Less About Elephants, More About Bureaucracy & Ego.......2002-06-07

No one should dispute Leakey's dedication to the wildlife and people of his native Kenya. This book, however, is a rather dull account of the political intrigue and manouvering Leakey faced from 1989 to 1994 when he was involved with Kenya's various wildlife services. Those in the field may value his insights and perseverance, but the average reader may find his grandstanding and, at times, painstaking defensiveness a bit hard to stomach. I'd much rather read a book by those out in the field (such as rangers) who saw the elephants every day and who would have many a tale to tell about fighting off poachers and dealing with tourists and natives. Leave this book for the bureaucrats in world wildlife agencies.

A wildlife conservation story to inspire.......2002-01-04

Dr. Richard Leakey has authored a compelling account of his time at the helm of Kenya Wildlife Services. The book recounts the bush war against poaching, and contains a very vivid description of Kenyan political life. Sadly - and ironically - the success of Dr. Leakey's management of KWS created a long list of political adversaries that eventually forced Leaky to resign from the post.

There can be no doubt that Dr. Leakey has been the chief architect behind the saving of the African elephant from extinction by the hands of poachers. Dr. Leakey's work stands as one of the most important wildlife conservation achievements of all time. Finally, I believe Dr. Leakey is one of the - perhaps last? - great Kenyan patriots. This story inspires. If there were ever a Nobel Prize for bravery and commitment, surely it would be his.

Saving the elephants: the ultimate management challenge........2001-11-25

Anyone who has ever been to Kenya's extraordinary game parks to see the elephants, or dreamed of doing so, will be fascinated by this story of how these parks came to be the refuges they are and not the corrals for government-sanctioned poaching that they were. When paleontologist Richard Leakey took over the Department of Wildlife and Conservation in 1989, rampant corruption, theft, absenteeism, and a don't-care attitude were hallmarks within the department.

The Kenyan government lacked a real commitment to conservation, and the burgeoning population exerted pressure on national park borders, clearing land for farming and threatening wildlife, unimpeded. Poaching, patronage, a general ripoff mentality, and collusion between park rangers, politicians, blackmarketeers, and smugglers, were so interconnected and seemingly so ineradicable that the department resembled a many-headed hydra. Tribal rivalries within Kenya, a porous border through which Somalian thieves made forays, and a lack of agreement between Kenya and neighboring African countries about the best way to conserve animals made this one of the most daunting management challenges imaginable.

In prose that is as direct and to the point (and sometimes as self-congratulatory) as he is, Leakey tells how he managed a multimilliondollar corporation in a country in which everyone wants a piece of the pie, usually under the table. As Leakey tells of cleaning up the department and conserving the elephants, the reader also learns about the economics of the ivory trade, the tug-of-war between immediate political realities and long-term goals, the role of the World Bank in African development, and the politicking involved in deciding what is an endangered species under the U.N.'s Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). It's a fascinating tale, equally intriguing to the lover of wildlife, the student of management, and the East African history buff. Mary Whipple

Great General Read and for Teaching Conservation Politics.......2001-11-01

Anything with the names Richard Leakey and Virginia Morell on the cover is guaranteed to be a worthwhile read. Like his equally brilliant and famous father Louis, Richard Leakey is not without controversial opinion. Though generally in agreement with the authors, I found this book challenging some of my basic assumptions about conservation. To that end the book provides an excellent point of departure for classroom discussions on major conservation issues of the day such as community roles in conservation, the effectiveness of National Parks in protecting wildlife and biodiversity, and the interplay between international, national and local needs and strategies. The book is an exhilarating, easy read and will appeal to a broad range of ages and cultural backgrounds.

magnificent.......2001-09-23

The text of the book,the determinatoin of the writer in combating poarching,the fight against corrupt elements within the industry i.e tourism and wildlife and above all the success of bringing this fight to the attention of the world all gives me the pleasure of praising this book.

Wildlife Wars: My Fight to Save Africa's Natural Treasures. (book review): An article from: Endangered Species Update

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Wildlife Wars: My Fight to Save Africa's Natural Treasures. (book review): An article from: Endangered Species Update
Joel T. Heinen
Manufacturer: University of Michigan, School of Natural Resources
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B0009FM400
Release Date: 2005-07-30

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Endangered Species Update, published by University of Michigan, School of Natural Resources on May 1, 2002. The length of the article is 1077 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: Wildlife Wars: My Fight to Save Africa's Natural Treasures. (book review)
Author: Joel T. Heinen
Publication: Endangered Species Update (Newsletter)
Date: May 1, 2002
Publisher: University of Michigan, School of Natural Resources
Volume: 19 Issue: 3 Page: 49(2)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

WILDLIFE WARS: MY FIGHT TO SAVE AFRICA'S NATURAL TREASURES

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WILDLIFE WARS: MY FIGHT TO SAVE AFRICA'S NATURAL TREASURES
Richard Leakey & Virginia Morell
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Griffin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OTN7H0

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Wildlife Wars: My Fight to Save Africa's Natural Treasures
Richard; Morell, Virginia; Morrell, Virginia Leakey
Manufacturer: St Martins Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000LHG362

Book Description

This is the first-ever concerted effort to use Russian archival and previously classified secondary sources to document the experience of the Red Army in the conflict with Finland. Van Dyke examines the diplomatic, organisational and social aspects of Soviet's 'strategic culture' by first exploring the Leninist interpretation of violence in international relations, and how this legacy influenced Stalin in his use of diplomacy and threat of force to enhance the Soviet Union's 'forward defence' and to address the Baltic Problem in 1939. He documents the Red Army's poor battlefield performances and looks at how it relearnt the techniques lost during Stalin's purge in the late 1930s. The final section of the book examines the Soviet high command's post-war evaluation of the lessons learned, the debates over the re-professionalisation of the officer corps and the effectiveness of the 'unified military doctrine'. This trail-blazing study should become the standard reference on the Soviet-Finnish War for many yearsto come.

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SOVIET INVASION OF FINLAND, 1939-40
CARL VAN DYKE
Manufacturer: NY
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000N66BWW

Book Description

100 billion dollars. That is the annual cost of gun violence in America according to the authors of this landmark study, a book destined to change the way Americans view the problem of gun-related violence. Until now researchers have assessed the burden imposed by gunshot injuries and deaths in terms of medical costs and lost productivity. Here, economists Philip Cook and Jens Ludwig widen the lens, developing a framework to calculate the full costs borne by Americans in a society where both gun violence and its ever-present threat mandate responses that touch every aspect of our lives. All of us, no matter where we reside or how we live, share the costs of gun violence. Whether waiting in line to pass through airport security or paying taxes for the protection of public officials; whether buying a transparent book bag for our children to meet their school's post-Columbine regulations or subsidizing an urban trauma center, the steps we take are many and the expenditures enormous. Cook and Ludwig reveal that investments in prevention, avoidance, and harm reduction, both public and private, constitute a far greater share of the gun-violence burden than previously recognized. They also employ extensive survey data to measure the subjective costs of living in a society where there is risk of being shot or losing a loved one or neighbor to gunfire. At the same time, they demonstrate that the problem of gun violence is not intractable. Their review of the available evidence suggests that there are both additional gun regulations and targeted law enforcement measures that will help. This urgently needed book documents for the first time how gun violence diminishes the quality of life for everyone in America. In doing so, it will move the debate over gun violence past symbolic politics to a direct engagement with the costs and benefits of policies that hold promise for reducing gun violence and may even pay for themselves.

Customer Reviews:

Based on Impractical Assumptions.......2006-12-24

The benefits of an armed society can never be adequately weighed against the detriments for a variety of reasons, the chief one being a dearth of records on both national and local levels. Firearms, like alcoholic beverages, can be both used and misused; however, unlike firearms, alcoholic beverages have no socially redeeming purposes. There are significant numbers in our society who are alive and well because they had a firearm they could depend on when police weren't available.

Courts have consistently held that governments don't have an obligation to protect individuals, but the population at large. Indeed, most murders are committed when there are no police present. When one considers that police functions depend more on deterrent and solving crimes rather than protection, the benefits of an armed society becomes even more apparent.

Over the past several years, the media has reported that police presence has been sparse to almost non-existent following hurricanes like Katrina and Andrew and other natural disasters. Police have their own families to tend to and in extreme conditions it's conceivable that many thousands of people can be caught alone in extremely hostile environs, unprotected.

When gun deaths are posted, no one has any idea how many are criminals are shot by police, how many criminals are killed and captured by citizens, and how many criminals are killed by criminals. We do know that nearly 50 percent of all handgun deaths are due to suicide, and there is no evidence that restricting handguns would result in fewer suicides. In fact, a 5-year Department of Justice study conducted a number of years ago found that Japanese-Americans had about the same rate on violent crimes as Japanese-Japanese. The same was true for white Europeans and white Americans. And, not surpisingly, it was true in both cases with suicide. The bottom line was that cultural disposition had more to do with violent crime and suicide rates than gun laws or the lack thereof.

Speaking about gun laws, there is no documented case in which more restrictive gun laws ever resulted in less violent crime. In fact, the opposite has almost always been the case.

So who can measure the cost of the human lives saved because a handgun was present when the local rift raft came by to cave someone's head in with a 2x4 or to rape or pillage? In well over 95 percent of the time an armed citizen doesn't even have to shoot a criminal (much less kill) to prevent a violent crime. Thus, how do we calculate those benefits? The same is true for hikers and campers who use firearms against bear, snakes, cougars, or use them to signal others when they are injured or are lost?

I would be far more impressed had the authors tried to calculate, or even concede, that guns might actually be beneficial. For those who complain about the criminal use of guns, perhaps getting criminals off the streets would have a far more conclusive result on the "real" costs.

Only a rightwing lunatic would hate this book.......2005-12-25

The truth is our society feeds into the so-called need for guns for everything. It is no wonder we're actually losing the real war on terrorism and further undermining national security. The people who hate this book seem to find it ok to read and listen to gun toting rightwing propaganda all the time. Yes, my state is a gun toting state but that doesn't mean that none of these people want a little safety once in a while. Gun control and gun violence are two different issues altogether despite the NRA's and the rightwing attempts to lump them together. Read this book and remember this quote from Atticus Finch of "To Kill a Mockingbird":

"Courage is when you know you're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and you see it through no matter what. .. Courage is not a man with a gun in his hand. Real courage is when you fight for what is right regardless of whether you win or lose."

Don't take the word of a crackpot, read the book yourself.......2005-07-29

I am the author of the New England Journal of Medicine review to which Dr. van der Linden so strongly objects. I doubt that Dr. van der Linden ever read the book, and he certainly did not carefully read my review. The review was not effusively praiseful of Gun Violence, and it noted some reasons for skepticism about the book's major conclusions. However, I believe that it introduces a worthwhile framework for thinking about firearm violence, and it is worth reading even if you disagree with it.

Praise from the New England Journal of Medicine..........2002-11-28

---
...is absolute and unremitting damnation whenever there's a sociopolitical topic under consideration. In thirty-six years of reading (and citing) NEJM, I've found that there is no correlation whatsoever between the standards of scientific rigor with which they peer-review their clinical articles for factual accuracy and the politically-charged "public policy" stuff they publish when the editorial officers of the Massachusetts Medical Society have an axe to grind. Dr. McDowell's 2001 review of this book (quoted in its entirety on this Web site in order to extoll Cook and Ludwig's bogus-from-the-premises-up calculation of estimated costs associated with "firearms misuse") is a perfect example of the marshmallow gooiness of the NEJM's institutional excuse for intellectual rigor whenever the subject of individual autonomy comes under discussion.

By the standards of evidence-based medicine, the analysis upon which this book is predicated *CANNOT* be relied upon as a tool for the accurate evaluation of violence- or accident-related trauma associated with firearms. That same would hold true if Cook and Ludwig were looking at injuries and deaths associated with motor vehicles, toys, pharmaceuticals, power tools, agricultural equipment, or sports activities, and if there were a similar study -- using precisely this kind of analysis -- published on misadventures involving any of these other elements of modern life, the editors of NEJM would sandblast the authors with scathing sarcasm.

But because this book is about firearms, and because the Massachusetts Medical Society is collectively incapable of intellectual honesty in their continuing effort to restrict the rights of people to think and act for themselves, Dr. McDowall's review demonstrates precisely how deeply into blatant deceit the NEJM will shamelessly descend.

This book is bilge, but I encourage its purchase (along with Bellesiles' even more disgraceful and completely discredited ARMING AMERICA: THE ORIGINS OF A NATIONAL GUN CULTURE) as absolutely essential additions to the library of every defender of individual rights. Such works are powerfully demonstrative of the unspeakable dishonesty of the wretched neurotics who have long projected their unjustifiable terrors into the statute books and courtrooms of America in their campaign to secure a specious "safety" by reducing every law-abiding citizen to the status of a disarmed and helpless victim.

Very disappointing research.......2001-09-22

This book is obviously strongly on our side, but unfortunately it is not going to provide us with serious evidence. Suppose someone challenges me on how they got their $100 billion estimate of the costs of guns. Will I be taken seriously if I tell them that the book relies on one public survey question in one survey? If I do use this number, where does that leave me in arguing with gun nuts that cite these wacky surveys showing that guns are used defensively 2.5 million times a year? So they have 16 surveys. I don't believe any of them, but what do I say when they say I only use a survey to measure the costs, why not also the benefits? What if the gun nut morons point out that the estimates of benefits from the surveys are greater than our estimated costs? The one paragraph that Cook and Ludwig have on defensive gun uses being silly could just as well be used against their reliance on a survey. I want to use the figures here, but could one of the people on our side write a review saying how I could respond to these concerns. Absent that this book risks making us look rather silly and hypocritical.

GUN VIOLENCE: THE REAL COSTS SCPP - STU CRIME & PUBLIC POLICY

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GUN VIOLENCE: THE REAL COSTS SCPP - STU CRIME & PUBLIC POLICY
COOK/LUDWIG
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OKS9JK

Book Description

From the formation of this "sea of grass" to the settlers who worked the prairie, this history interweaves the natural and human elements that made the grasslands what they are today. Although this terrain has become our greatest hope for survival--miraculously absorbing and transforming pollution into food for the grasses and, eventually, for humans--no ecosystem faces more danger. What can we do to conserve this special landscape? Through copious illustrations and sidebars taken from diaries, letters, folk tales, music, poetry, recollections, interviews, and other writings, follow the relationship between Americans and the "fruited plains": the European immigrants who broke the land with the plow; the Indians who first inhabited the range; the cowboys and cowgirls who loved the open skies; and the lives of modern-day ranchers.

Customer Reviews:

Last Stand of the Tall Grass Prairie.......2007-01-04

This is an outstanding coffee table book for folks who appreciate or want to know more about the history and what is happening to the Tall Grass Prairie. Having worked with landowners and producers in the Flint Hills of Kansas (last large area of the tall grass prairie), I recommend the book and the video it supports (Last Stand of the Tall Grass Prairie). The Tall Grass Prairie is a vanishing resourse form lack of proper management and fragmentation (urban sprawl).

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