Book Description
Asha Tyson's own rise from homelessness at 17 to prominence deems her an expert on personal achievement. Now she reveals the secrets of her success by offering you an easy-to-understand blueprint that can afford you the lifestyle you always wanted.
Here Tyson examines and shatters the mold of traditional retirement ideas that reek of defeat; she demonstrates a winning and fresh philosophy that is effective for anyone at any age.
How I Retired at 26! provides an eye-opening practical process for obtaining personal, professional and financial freedom all in this one astonishing book!
With her coaching, you will learn new techniques that rid you of worry--for good! You can apply these proven principles and begin living a life that most people only talk about and dream of!
Customer Reviews:
Inspirational - A great read!.......2007-10-12
Asha Tyson's book is fantastic. Such an inspirational story on her life's journey and challenges. What Asha has achieved is a must read for anyone who needs that motivation to keep going and the belief that anything is possible! She talks of how she coped with difficult situations and gives great tips on how to fight and overcome challenges. A very inspirational and informative book!
I still don't really know what Asha means by "Retired".......2007-09-19
I originally picked up this book because I've just written my own book - Retired at 27, If I can do it anyone can. Asha's story is very compelling. I found the first part of the book, which focuses on her childhood, absolutely fascinating. It was powerful, easy to read, and I was hooked. Then, quite quickly this story telling was over, Asha had declared herself retired at 26 and despite reading this passage over and over again, I'm still not sure what she means by "retired". The second part of the book has some good content, but is more along the lines of a "self-help" book as opposed to the business book I thought it was going to be. In all - I would give the first part 5 stars, however the second part didn't appeal to me as much - I wanted to keep hearing more about her personal journey!
I really wanted to give it more stars.......2007-06-13
The first part of the book was great. Her life story is amazing and the way it's written took me right where she was. I even cried a little. So with that set up I was expecting alot in the advice section. The advice was rather vague and she stopped talking about her life. I kept waiting for her to give me the happy ending. She talked a little about her mother. But I don't know why she considers herself retired and what she does now. I mean I can guess it's writing books and life coaching, but it wasn't made clear how she got there. This is a book I would definitely reccomend to people and I have already passed it on to a coworker, but I was expecting the end to be different. Like other reviewers have said, if you have read other wealth building books and success books you won't find anything new. But this is a great introduction to this genre.
book that chaged my life.......2007-04-23
This book has great advice in it that you need I love everything about the author. This is real talk not bs in the book.
Mind Changing, Life Changing..........2007-01-14
...It's in her powerful prose and writing style that makes this book seem like "easy conversation". The author covers a wide array of topics in order for you to fully understand the "how-to" of how she retired at 26 . It's powerful!!! with back-to- back "real-life" scenarios and situations that you can relate to. It's like she predicts your questions,and answers them on the very next page! After reading this book and applying yourself in the way she has mapped out, there is no way you can go wrong!
Contrary to some negative reviews you might see, they really have no substance or relevance to the author's point of view. It is a clear indication that this critic must have not have read the book in its entirety and wanted to share his/her personal feelings versus an unbiased critical analysis of the reading material and its usefulness. Especially, when you consider the stats. and facts---that is, of course, the techniques she offers in this book are some of the same strategies people have consistently thanked her for. She not only motivates the individual to their fullest potential, but I've read that even major companies have increased productivity and employee morale in their businesses and that friendships and marriages were mended and repaired from past relationships,etc...You can read all of this on her website. I did,and it's cool!
Yes,I agree, the author is truly a "gifted person" and has unselfishly decided to share her gifts with the world by using this book as a catalyst for her readers and fans all over the world to launch their newly created lifestyles. Even the famous psychologist A.Maslow was considered by some as "gifted" and as witnessed in his need heirachy theory of motivation, shows there is a correlation to self-motivation and achieving your goals just like Asha Tyson has described in her book. They both dispel some of the common myths associated with the spectrum of human behavior, in order to reach a point of self-actualization and self-awareness. Take a close look at chapters six through nine and you will see exactly what I am speaking of.
I am starting to experience it for myself and I highly recommend you read this book too as apart of your new year's resolution!
Average customer rating:
- Nomar is Awesome!
- best player today
- it's a great read about one of the best players in baseball.
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Nomar Garciaparra: High 5! (Superstar Series Baseball)
Mike Shalin
Manufacturer: Sports Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Nomar Garciaparra: Non-Stop
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Nomar Garciaparra: Fenway Favorite
ASIN: 1582610533 |
Book Description
Few players have experienced as much success in their first two years in the Major Leagues as Boston shortstop Nomar Garciaparra. The 1997 American League Rookie of the Year has put up huge offensive numbers and provided solid defense for the Red Sox. Michael Shalin tells the story of Garciaparra's baseball life, from the youngster's play on the 1992 United States Olympic team, to his leadership in helping Boston reach the 1998 playoffs.
Customer Reviews:
Nomar is Awesome!.......1999-12-13
Nomar is awesome. I'm a HUGE fan and when I got this book I didn't think I'd be learning too much more than I already knew, but I did. This is a great fact book and I'm looking forward to many more Nomar books. GO SOX!
best player today.......1999-11-19
This book gives an interesting look into Nomar Garciaparra. From his superstitions to his quick rise up through the Boston organization. Nomar is on \e of the best players today, and also one of the most humble who is quick to praise his teammates before himself. He truely plays for the love of the game.
it's a great read about one of the best players in baseball........1999-08-22
High 5 is a good book that explains all about one of the most exciting players in baseball today. Through text and pictures it gives a complete story on who Nomar is and why he plays the game he loves so much.
Average customer rating:
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What Are You Looking at: Queer Sex, Style and Cinema (Lesbian and Gay Studies)
Paul Burston
Manufacturer: Cassell
ProductGroup: Book
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ASIN: 0304343005 |
Book Description
High rollers looking for something more adventurous than The Joy of Cooking will find it in The Marijuana Chef Cookbook. This guide to cannabis cuisine takes satisfying the munchies to a new level. In addition to such scrumptious and imaginative recipes as Primo Poultry, Nutter Butter, Midnight Pizza, Primeval Pasta, and Chocca Mocha, the book covers potency issues, health information, legal tips, and a culinary history of the weed.
Customer Reviews:
Great Cook Book.......2003-09-03
The Marijuana Chef Cookbook is probably the best marijuana cookbook of the lot because it has so many different recipes for various food and drink formats. The start of the book deals with marijuana and its history and how it used before talking a bit about the Marijuana and the Law. The beginning of the recipe book has guides on how to produce the basic ingredients of marijuana foods such as Marijuana Alcohol, Marijuana Butter and Marijuana Flour. The extraction methods are sound and since marijuana is not water soluble you mix it with water as much as you like. In fact, water extraction is probably one of the recently valid additions to cannabinoid extraction techniques. You can basically go off and use any of these Marijuana bases to cook up your own marijuana meal.
As you probably know from experience eating bud will get you high but takes awhile to digest and has much different effects than smoking it. The author has a good section on preparing food dosages and this should help novice cookers gauge how much they should use.
Once you get over the cooking basics you have recipes for Deserts, Soups and Starters, Main Courses, Vegetarian Meals and Marijuana Drinks which should come as a refreshment to most.
There are enough recipes here to keep you churning out new pot dishes for the next few years. Yum Yum.
I'm going to save you the trouble.......2003-08-13
The author writes an entire book about recipes which anybody could find in any cook book or online. The ONE and ONLY thing you want is on page 50. It's the reason why just popping a bud in your mouth will not get you high. It has to be cooked for the THC to be extracted and since THC is basically an oil, butter works best. I wasn't going to do this, but the author didn't even get that right. He tells us to combine the butter, "leaf" AND WATER in a "stockpot". Not true, what you want is a double-boiler to simmer the LEAF WITH BUTTER for 3 hours OVER THE WATER THAT SIMMERS UNDERNEATH AND NOT COMBINING THE THREE MATERIALS. When it's over, strain and press the buds to get all the juice. Refridgerate overnight and use the butter to make cookies or whatever (which fills in the rest of the book with standard recipes).
The other snippet of info your probably looking for is whether Police dogs will know that they are pot-brownies, the answer is YES they will.
Scintilating Intoxication.......2002-04-27
Though the doses were a little light (probably for safety sake) the recipes were very, very good, much better than the average.There are even recipes for drinks. Also, the information was well written, and nicely laid out. if you have any interest in making special treats for friends or for yourself this is the perfect book to get.
Good information and very comprehensive........2001-12-06
I just got this book and thought it was a great buy, as well as some amazing recipes there was very thorough information on the basics of cooking with pot and some good legal tips. So far we tried 2 of the cookie recipes and they tasted better than any other recipe I'd made. The only flaw that while there are over 40 recipes a few of them are pretty complicated and I think the author needs less than me or erred on the side of caution re the dosage, it was fine for my girlfriend but I was happier increaing my doseage by about a third. Still apart from that this is one of only 2 cookbooks I'd recommend, the other being an excellent book by Tom Flowers called The Marijuana Hebal Cookbook, either of these would be an excellent addition to any kitchen.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent.......2006-02-15
This book is excellent choice for those who want to learn more about playing Chess. Though I have yet to read this book I highly recommend it due to the popularity of words in its title. The focus of this book seems to be opening moves, rest assured that this exciting topic will be at least mentioned.
Like BCO/MCO/NCO but for class D-A.......2005-06-29
This book and the first volume (Basic Chess Openings) (...) are an excellent opening book for players between class D and class A. They cover the basic ideas of the openings. In particular they look at all the alternatives that your normal opening book assumes you already know how to refute.
So for example: 1 e4,e5, 2Nf3 Nc6, 3 Bc4. This is a line that everyone knows (the italian) and everyone knows the "correct response" is Bc5. But why?
Kallia first goes through the very natural Nf6 and how the two knights defense makes life very tough for black. He covers in detail the major lines of the two knights
a) Violent central attack (4 d4)
b) Attack on the f7-pawn (4 g5)
and their sub-variations
Having shown why 3 ..Nf6 isn't so good he then looks at 3..Nd4 (and shows how it is refuted by 4Nxd4 (while telling white to avoid the trap of 4Nxe5). Then he looks 3..Be7 and how this ends up too passive. Thus 3..Bc5 seems to be the only move left. From here the 3 main lines of the Italian are discussed, etc... Detailed thorough discussion of the basics for people who are capable of understanding opening theory but just don't know it yet. This book lays the groundwork for you to read an MCO level book. I strongly recommend it for the player with a USCF rating over 1000 and under 2000.
Essential and unique.......2003-03-11
I heartily disagree with the other reviewer who questioned the necessity of having these books (that is, assuming it is necessary to have any chess books at all, which, for the sake of argument, I am assuming that it is). In this age of internet chess, where the VAST majority of games played by people are blitz games, it is more important than ever to get out of the opening in good shape. These two books by Kallai are the absolute best opening books that I have, because not only do they set out variations and plans for all major lines in ALL openings, but they also have odd but frequent second and third moves in all major lines as well. For instance, in the queen's gambit section, you can quickly and easily find the Albin and Chigorin lines dealt with. Far too often, books do not discuss these very common second moves by black. But this book has it all right there. Have you ever seen an opening book explain why white does not play the exchange variation of the queen's gambit immediately on move three? This one does. Kallai tells you succinctly that white wants to wait until black plays Nf6 so that the exchange can be followed up with Bg5. It is all there. I have read Sadler's book on the queen's gambit, and although he has that question-answer dialogue, he does not address many of the practical questions that come up, such as the one above. This Kallai book magically does that. It is the only book that addresses nearly every opening point you can think of. I only have one complaint about these books (I did not play nearly full price, so price is not an issue for me): that is, the bindings are total .... Some Cadogan books were fine, while others fall apart on repeated usage. On my copies, the pages are beginning to fall out. This is inexcusable in a $... book. But, nonetheless, these books are the best. I use them more than Nunn's Chess Openings, more than Fine's Ideas Behind the Chess Openings, and more than all other opening resources that I own.
Fills a niche, but not essential.......2001-01-27
I own this and Kallai's BCO, which is about moves beginning with 1-e4. The title makes them sound they're for beginners, but I think they fall midway between Seirawan's Openings and books like NCO and MCO, and may lean more towards the latter. MBCO is more thorough than Seirawan and just as recent, but has less text and theory. On the other hand, Kallai explains some moves and traps which would be obvious to the expert, and also gives tips on how to play the middlegame. There are no complete games given, just openings.
There's a good deal of information here for a short book. But a price is paid in terms of layout: there are no neat tables as in NCO. Also, I personally dislike the notation, which is figurine algebraic.
This book fills a niche as a pre-NCO/MCO openings reference guide, but is it a big enough niche to justify $40 (you'll need both volumes)? Maybe you're better off buying MCO if you need a thorough reference book (not everyone does), or going elsehwere if you really need to learn how to play openings. I like Kallai's two books, but am not convinced I should have bought them.
A solid book covering a variety of openings.......1999-05-19
Much like 'Basic Chess Openings' by the same author, this book covers many of the more common 1 d4 and other openings. Queens Gambit, Kings Indian, and a couple of others are covered in-depth with many of the variations discussed. Unlike some books, Grandmaster Kallai really tries to describe what you are trying to achieve with each opening/variation. For basic/intermediate level of play, I really recommend this book. The only reason it doesn't get five stars is because some openings are simply glanced at - almost as if it was a rush finish.
Book Description
What do economists know that business executives find useful? Economics ought to be indispensable for business decision-makers because it deals with the issues executives face daily: what to pro duce, how and how much, at what price, how best to use resources (time, labor, capital), how to understand markets. Why, then, do managers often think that economists' theories are ivory-tower and impractical? Perhaps because most economics texts are mystifying, jargon-rid den, and written from every perspective except that of the line manager.
In Executive Economics: Ten Essential Tools for Managers, Shlomo Maital brings economics down to earth, back to the hard day-to-day decisions that executives have to make. He shows how all decisions can be organized around two key questions: What is it worth? What must I give up to get it? Answering these questions depends upon finding and maintaining the right relation in the "triangle of profit" -- cost, price, and value.
Each of Executive Economics ten chapters focuses on one or more legs of the triangle of profit, defines a decision tool, and illustrates how it can be used to improve the quality of executive decisions. Drawing on recent examples from both Fortune 500 firms and smaller companies, Maital shows why economics main contribution is to deepen executives' understanding of the structure of their costs, and to explain why some of a business's highest expenses are those that never appear on a check stub or in a profit-and-loss statement.
Executive Economics is written for executives, about executives, and by an author who has both taught executives at MIT's Sloan School of Management for over a decade and served as a consultant to small and large businesses. It is must reading for executives who need simple, effective decision-making tools to give them an edge in today's competitive global economy.
Customer Reviews:
Economics for busy business managers.......2003-08-28
As an instructor in a graduate course in managerial economics for non-economists, I have struggled to find texts which would appeal to students and professionals who are sceptical of the value of economics as a discipline which can help in solving business problems.
Professor Maital's book is an exception. It speaks directly to executives by focussing on the kinds of strategic problems they face, and introducing fundamental economic concepts by illustration, not by the formalistic exposition of standard texts.
I find his book as an excellent way to illustrate key concepts such as opportunity cost, marginal cost, economic versus accounting costs, and other concepts that unfortunately too often mystify students - or turn them off.
Even if many of the examples now seem dated, I would heartily recommend this book to both instructors and students who seek to bridge the world of business problem-solving with the tools of theoretical microeconomics.
The book is organized in ten highly readable chapters. My favorite quote from the book: "If you face no tradeoffs, your company is poorly managed."
Extensive yet to the point.......2003-07-11
Professor Maital is very clear in his writing style and introduction of these 10 key economic tools. He elegantly analyses series of real life examples and provides clear cut explanations. This is one of those books you cannot put down, a real page turner. The tools are real, the examples are real, and all are very intuitive and simple to implement. This book will positively impact the way you look at your company's operations and profit.
An amazing book on economics for busy executives.......2000-09-01
The title of the book really says for it. This is trully a book for very busy executive managers in all kind of businesses. As a senior manager in a number of businesses, I very much understand that while management is about economics of business, little knowledge about economics as a science is known to many managers. The 10 tools for managers as described in the book are almost all the "micro-economic knowledge" business managers should know. This book brings an outstanding approach to studying economics, that is most understandable, practical and effective. I got a MBA in management and am still questioning myself why this book is not yet so popular among all biz schools. It will be, and the approach of the author to "teaching economics" will be popular one day, I believe. Whether you already got MBA or don't ever consider going to study management, I recommend this book to you as a must read. Moreover, there is as much fun as enlightenment reading it.
Excellent for MBA Students.......2000-02-22
Professor Maital's book has been used at ECU (Perth, Western Australia) on 'executive' short courses and MBA programs for several semesters. "Executive Economics" has been successfully combined with more 'conventional' or mainstream economics texts. Students have thoroughly enjoyed Maital's exposition of key economic ideas and find the blend of accessible theory backed up by real world examples very helpful in their studies. However, "Executuve Economics" is now rather 'long in the tooth'. The 1990s have provided so much new material for books of this kind. A second edition, revised and updated would be most welcome.
Excellent set of tools for the executive.......1998-07-22
I not only read the book, but had the opportunity to hear Prof. Maitel teach from it, along with other topics, at the M.I.T. Executive Program referenced in the introduction. Very practical approach to everyday problems.
Customer Reviews:
Brilliant.......2007-07-31
Like some of the other reviewers I discovered Janet Frame through the movie,'An Angel at my Table," and I knew I had to read something of hers.
I started with her autobiography, and I'm so glad that I did.
This is perhaps the finest piece of writing, bar none, fiction or non-fiction that I have ever read. I think Frame is a genius, she should be awarded every prize for literature in the world. This is a funny thing to say about such a humble woman who endured so much to become one of the greatest writers the world has ever known.
I was completely bowled over, enthralled, by her recounting of her life. Her word pictures, her recollections of places and things are incredible. I don't know another writer who has as fine a capacity for detail and description. The book is utterly lyrical as she weaves a painful, at times, story through decades of her life. I could not put this book down at times and I grieved when I had finished it. Stories like hers are instructional and give us all a reason to go on living. I sometimes wonder, I'm a memoirist myself, but a baby compared to Frame, how did she do it? It may be crazy to think this but I wonder if those numerous shock treatments she endured rearranged her brain in some magical fashion and gave her the capacity to be a superwoman writer? The line between genius and insanity is permeable. I think writers, for good and ill, are exquisitely fine-tuned, sensitive people. Unfortunately some of them are so beyond ordinary human beings they can't survive living in the world, but what they have left us is priceless as we make our own life journeys. Frame has allowed millions of readers, I hope, to accompany her on her challenging journey through life and she shows how she coped with fate and a set of circumstances given her courageously, copiously, and heart breakingly. I am in awe of her acheivement.
She is a writers writer. Her musings on art and the capacity of the imagination are among the finest I have ever read. She is an inspiration to artists everywhere.
Frame saves herself and achieves, in spite of all!.......2007-07-03
I came to this book by way of the movie "An Angel at My Table" [which was fairly true to the book]. I had never heard of Janet Frame, and was so intrigued by the film that I knew I had to read her autobiography. The book introduces you to her impoverished life in New Zealand [she was born in 1924], and includes about two dozen pages of photos of Janet's family [it was wonderful putting the real faces to the ones we were introduced to in the movie]. From the epilepsy of her brother, the drownings of her two sisters, her own mental breakdown in college [which was erroneously diagnosed as schizophrenia], you understand how all of her traumas and perceptions are incorporated later into her writing career. She overcomes daunting events and social alienation to become a novelist, poet, and short-story author.
I have continued to read more of her writings.
Excellent Autobiography.......2007-01-06
I do not know of any author who can retain so much authencity in his writing and yet produce such beautiful and imaginative prose, other than Janet Frame.
Her excellent autobiography is definitely worth a reading and offers an insight to her other works which are, at times, more experimental and harder to grasp. I have seen the film adaptation but this book has even more to offer: the heartfelt descriptions of the family members, some beautifully written passages which could hardly be translated into film, the 24 pages of delightful photos of Frame and her family...etc.
Excellent.
She Gives Us Good Reason To Write.......2005-01-09
Janet Frame was an amazing woman. She died on Jan 30, 2004. I had this book on my 'need to read' shelf when I read an obituary in the NY Times about her death at age 79. She endured so much and wrote so keenly. She was thought to be a schizophrenic and wrote about her periods of madness in mental institutions. This autobiography was fascinating for me. There is a gentleness and everlasting patience about her that will make anyone like her. If you want a real treat...find the film AN ANGEL AT MY TABLE (from 1990) that Jane Campion (famous for the film THE PIANO) to complement the book. If only I could have met this woman. I would have loved to have tea and crumpets with her.
To The Is-Land.......2003-04-19
To forever capture the past in the present - to be always telling the tale, towards the destination and yet always on the go, postponing the end of self-perception and portrayal: one does not write an autobiography about what one gained but what one lost. Janet Frame shows an intense desire (and flair) in retaining her possessions - a place, an object, a thought, an emotion, a fragment of memories - in writing. It deals with loss and trauma in an honest, realistic, and fairly subdued manner, making it more geniune than a lot of best-selling memoirs. Frame has been described as an ego-centric writer in her fiction - always writing about and examining herself - but in her autobiography she reminds us of existential moments when one detaches from one's self and looks at the world: the unnamable sadness that we do and do not experience. The imagery here is also a lot richer than most autobiographies - if you enjoy down-to-earth and yet beautiful and touching stories, this is something you should read.
Amazon.com
Jared Diamond's Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed is the glass-half-empty follow-up to his Pulitzer Prize-winning Guns, Germs, and Steel. While Guns, Germs, and Steel explained the geographic and environmental reasons why some human populations have flourished, Collapse uses the same factors to examine why ancient societies, including the Anasazi of the American Southwest and the Viking colonies of Greenland, as well as modern ones such as Rwanda, have fallen apart. Not every collapse has an environmental origin, but an eco-meltdown is often the main catalyst, he argues, particularly when combined with society's response to (or disregard for) the coming disaster. Still, right from the outset of Collapse, the author makes clear that this is not a mere environmentalist's diatribe. He begins by setting the book's main question in the small communities of present-day Montana as they face a decline in living standards and a depletion of natural resources. Once-vital mines now leak toxins into the soil, while prion diseases infect some deer and elk and older hydroelectric dams have become decrepit. On all these issues, and particularly with the hot-button topic of logging and wildfires, Diamond writes with equanimity.
Because he's addressing such significant issues within a vast span of time, Diamond can occasionally speak too briefly and assume too much, and at times his shorthand remarks may cause careful readers to raise an eyebrow. But in general, Diamond provides fine and well-reasoned historical examples, making the case that many times, economic and environmental concerns are one and the same. With Collapse, Diamond hopes to jog our collective memory to keep us from falling for false analogies or forgetting prior experiences, and thereby save us from potential devastations to come. While it might seem a stretch to use medieval Greenland and the Maya to convince a skeptic about the seriousness of global warming, it's exactly this type of cross-referencing that makes Collapse so compelling. --Jennifer Buckendorff
Book Description
In his runaway bestseller Guns, Germs, and Steel, Jared Diamond brilliantly examined the circumstances that allowed Western civilizations to dominate much of the world. Now he probes the other side of the equation: What caused some of the great civilizations of the past to fall into ruin, and what can we learn from their fates? Using a vast historical and geographical perspective ranging from Easter Island and the Maya to Viking Greenland and modern Montana, Diamond traces a fundamental pattern of environmental catastrophe—one whose warning signs can be seen in our modern world and that we ignore at our peril. Blending the most recent scientific advances into a narrative that is impossible to put down, Collapse exposes the deepest mysteries of the past even as it offers hope for the future.
“DiamondÂ's most influential gift may be his ability to write about geopolitical and environmental systems in ways that donÂ't just educate and provoke, but entertain.” —The Seattle Times
“Extremely persuasive . . . replete with fascinating stories, a treasure trove of historical anecdotes [and] haunting statistics.” —The Boston Globe
“Extraordinary in erudition and originality, compelling in [its] ability to relate the digitized pandemonium of the present to the hushed agrarian sunrises of the far past.” —The New York Times Book Review
Customer Reviews:
A Life-Changing Book.......2007-10-13
This extraordinary book will change the way you look at life and man's fate. Unlike Al Gore, Diamond deliberately under-argues his case, which makes it all the more compelling. And unlike Gore, he does not open himself to easy and cheap criticism by focusing on just one factor like climactic warming. He clearly believes in global warming from man-made effects. But what he demonstrates is the full range of our environmental quandary.
Putting aside global warming, how do we deal with the inherent limits on absolutely vital commodities -- sunlight, fossil fuels, fresh water,building materials, clean air, clean water, good land, the productive value of agricultural land? Then he shows the pressure of and irreversible momentum of population growth and the ambition of third world peoples to achieve the standard of living of first world peoples. Then he shows how even the first world cannot continue to sustain that standard.
Combined with this are the examples of past civlizations that failed by not solving their environmental problems. Most chilling is how those societies could remain in denial and do nothing until too late.
Diamond does include examples of successful societies that managed their environmental challenges. And he professes to be an optimist. But I find myself increasingly pessimistic about man's fate after reading this book. The Earth is a jealous mistress, and we cannot afford to take her for granted and to ignore the fragility of the environment and resources on which we depend.
The book is also extraordinary for its exploration of political and cultural issues. One of the most interesting chapters is his comparison of the Dominican Republic and Haiti -- two very different societies on two halves of the same island. He argues quite convincingly that the very different fates of the two societies are attributable to political, historical, and cultural developments. Though there are some differences between each half of the island, each is blessed with the same essential environment. Hence this is a great test case for proving or disproving environmental determinism -- and Diamond comes out against determinism.
Similarly compelling is the Rwanda chapter, which demonstrates that while the small differences and petty resentments between races can be the spark for genocidal conflict, race really doesn't explain the conflict. What explains the conflict is political manipulation of race and the great pressure asserted by declining wealth and resource limitations.
Diamond predicts that wars may well become more common in the new century given the competition for resources. This is a depressing observation for those who hoped that the lessons of the Twentieth Century would make wars far less common.
This is a terrific book and a must-read.
Brilliant. Engaging. Informative.........2007-10-01
Amazing book. He manages to hold my interest while providing a wealth of facts.
Mostly on the mark.......2007-09-28
Diamond hits pretty much on the mark all the way across the board. Weakness: for the most part ignores or minimizes the effect of marketing/advertising/propaganda on human consumption patterns. Strengths: one of the few books on this broad subject that actually deals with over-population; indeed, had he concentrated more on this one most important issue, I would have given "Collapse" 5 stars.
I would strongly recommend this book for anyone concerned with the future of the human race.
Collapse review.......2007-09-24
Another excellent book. I realized when I bought this book that I own and have enjoyed all of Jared Diamond's books. His topics and hypostheses are fascinating and compelling.
Collapse by Jared Diamond.......2007-09-19
Jared Diamond, renowned author of the Pulitzer-winning Gun, Germs, and Steel, returns with another piece of mind-blowing work that will simply astonish any reader. In his last book, Diamond took us on a journey into the history of humanity, with cogent and logical answers for why our ancestors did the things they did, tying it in with geological and biological processes; how location matters very much for why certain of our ancestors did much better than others. Guns, Germs, and Steel serves as an excellent introduction to Collapse, though it is not required.
In his new book, Diamond tackles the overarching reason for why certain cities and civilizations decline and collapse, while others get through the hard times enough to get by and sometimes even thrive. What are amazing are the many case studies Diamond uses, ranging from early history with the Anasazi, Vikings, and civilization of Eastern Island; to the modern day cultures of Rwanda, Australia and the area of Montana where Diamond now lives for part of the year. In his introduction, Diamond clearly lays out his plan with the book - much like a scientist about to run a number of experiments - with a specific list of factors that determine a society's success or downfall, including: geographical location, amount of natural resources, amount of possible food, amount of trees. Some societies suffer from a lacking in just one of these factors and are still unable to survive, while others suffer from a lacking in a number of them. What's fascinating with these thoroughly researched and explained case studies is how two societies in close proximity to each other will have different outcomes: one may collapse, or barely survive, while the other thrives for many hundreds of years.
Diamond's reason for writing this book, he explains in the beginning and elaborates at the end, is to help the people of the present day realize the predicament we are in. With global warming, astronomically high carbon dioxide levels, overpopulation, and dwindling supply of nonrenewable energy resources; Diamond seeks to enlighten us in first world countries (those most likely to be reading this book) of collapses and failures of past civilizations - some in the distant past, some in the not too distant, some still ongoing today - as an educational lesson so that we may learn where others failed and why, perhaps then we can ensure our continued survival. With the factors mentioned above, like overpopulation and dwindling energy supplies, we are right on course with some other past civilizations that collapsed. The question is whether the governments of the world will realize this and react soon enough to halt us on this doomed path, and start us on a new and healthier one. Like many things in our lives: only time will tell.
For more book reviews, and other writings, go to www.alexctelander.com
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Title: Before it's too late: civilizations don't have to decline, but what's the secret of success?(books and arts)
Author: Irwin Savodnik
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The Weekly Standard (Magazine/Journal)
Date: April 4, 2005
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Volume: 10
Issue: 27
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Title: Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed.(Book review)
Author: Robert M. Cassidy
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Parameters (Magazine/Journal)
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Volume: 36
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Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed.(Book review): An article from: Independent Review
Jane S. Shaw
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Title: Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed.(Book review)
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Title: Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed.(Book review)
Author: Mark Blumler
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Title: Collapse: the dozen most serious environmental problems and what we can do about them.(Excerpt)(Cover Story)
Author: Jared Diamond
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Skeptic (Altadena, CA) (Refereed)
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The War Against Oblivion: Zapatista Chronicles, 1994-2000
John Ross
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Storm over a Mountain Island: Conservation Biology and the Mt. Graham Affair
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