W O Bentley: The Man Behind the Marque

Book Description

The Bentley motor car is one of the most respected marques in the world. It is synonymous with what is often referred to as the golden age of motorsport. Still the image remains of open sportscars, bearing the legendary winged B emblem, thundering around Brooklands and along the Mulsanne Straight at Le Mans. Yet while Bentley motor cars are widely revered, their creator, Walter Owen Bentley, is largely unknown.

In this meticulously researched and revealing biography, Malcolm Bobbitt chronicles W.O. Bentley's life and career and his love of machinery, especially motorcycles and motor cars. He records the rise and fall of Bentley Motors, the triumphs of the cars in competition, especially at Le Mans, and the enduring legend these performances created. The author looks back at W.O. Bentley's early career, his entry into the motor industry and his significant contribution during World War I to aero-engine design. He also gives a fascinating account of Bentley's continuous struggle to remain financially afloat. Without massive investment from the wealthy diamond merchant Woolf Barnato, Bentley Motors would not have survived as long as it did. When, during the Depression, Barnato could no longer afford to finance the company, it was taken over by Rolls-Royce. Malcolm Bobbitt recalls this controversial change of ownership and W.O. Bentley's diminished, sometimes unhappy role at Rolls-Royce and later at Lagonda.

Book Description

This book uses film to reassess post-war architecture and urbanism in London, Paris, and New York taking a close look at classic films from the Forties, Fifties, and Sixties. It uniquely brings to bear questions of urgent cultural relevance on critical design decisions and as such is of as much importance to architects, planners and students of design as to students of cultural history, geography and all enthusiasts of cities and of film.

Walls Have Feelings: Architecture, Film and the City

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Walls Have Feelings: Architecture, Film and the City
Katherine Shonfield
Manufacturer: Taylor & Francis, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000MUYGIK

Book Description

So many years after Star Wars: A New Hope burst upon the world in 1977, why is The Force still with us? Why do the Star Wars movies continue to haunt the imaginations of young and old alike? In the Journey of Luke Skywalker,Steven Galipeau applied depth psychology to the Star Wars epic, uncovering a wealth of symbolic meaning embedded in this seemingly simple tale of adventure. Luke Skywalker's journey, from his early life on a desert farm to his act of redemption that helps transform an entire galactic civilization, captures many of the struggles of the modern psyche, and exercises a powerful sway akin to that of religious myth.

Customer Reviews:

Carl Jung as Ben.......2007-07-06

Quite an outstanding analysis of he steps through which we all pass in life. The author takes you through Carl Jung's theory of development of "normal" human to achieve their full potential. By taking Carl Jung's theories and using the steps Luke takes from immature and undeveloped young man to a mature and self-actualized adult/hero (something we all need to pass from and to), Galipeau explains Jung and Luke extremely well and interestingly. Well done....well worth a couple of weekends to read and digest.

..........2002-09-24

Joseph Campbell wrote "The Writer's Journey" and "The Hero with a Thousand Faces"; two books which have altered storytelling and which were a direct influence on the creation of Star Wars. Go buy those books.

This book, on the other hand, is a glorified retelling of Star Wars with not a single ounce of valuable insight.

Let me repeat that: this book is a retelling of the Star Wars saga. The author is clearly trying to make a buck off of that name. His commentaries are uninformative and uninteresting. What a waste.

umm, umm, good.......2002-01-28

This book is yummy. Definitely not a cocktail table book. I love understanding why I have enjoyed the series of movies so much. It puts into words my feelings and occasional thoughts. I appreciate the author's style, I can hear and see the movie as he writes. At first it may seem dry or difficult to grasp, yet as one reads the author explains concepts clearly and the subject matter kept me reading.

Interesting, but didn't live up to expectations.......2002-01-08

I was very excited to come across this book as I have been looking for a Jungian analysis of the Star Wars saga for quite some time. I have always been fascinated by George Lucas' use of various mythical motifs and archetypes throughout his amazing Star Wars saga. It is no secret that Lucas was an enthusiast of Joseph Campbell and his Jungian analysis of myths and legends and how they resonate across cultures and generations. Lucas himself catagorized his saga as modern myth and it is loaded with powerful images of the collective unconscious. But Galipeau's "The Journey of Luke Skywalker" doesn't really touch on these aspects so much as describe scene by scene the various nuances of the scenes and characters. It isn't a bad book in any regard. In fact, there are many interesting psychological aspects of the story that I had never even anticipated. For instance, the use of color and it's inherent meaning throughout the saga, particularly references to alchemistic symbolism. Also, images of the Jungian anima and animus appear throughout the Star Wars storylines, especially regarding Luke Skywalker's quest for the Self. And of course, there is no missing the concept of the Shadow in regard to Darth Vader and the Empire. Thus, this is really the tale of two entities, the individual (Luke Skywalker), and the Galaxy at large (human civilization and its many manifestations). This shows that there is much deeper meaning involved in this wonderful space adventure than meets the eye. Unfortunately, I am still left to search for a thorough discussion of the profound mythical aspects of this great epic elsewhere.

May the Psyche Be With You.......2001-10-23

I always enjoy reading other people's thoughts on the underlying themes of Star Wars. And this book takes a great Jungian approach to it. Several times the author points things out that make you think "Hey, i never thought about it like that." On the other hand, there were some parts where I felt the author was making an observation that was a litle out there. But then, I'm not a psychology student.
The majority of the text in the book is relating the events of the movies. So even if you're not a hardcore fan like me, who's seen the movies a bazillion times, you'll be able to follow along as if you were watching the movies.

Book Description

These 52 illustrated activities offer fun and meaningful ways to spend time with grandchildren of any age. Whether you reside near or far, these are great ways to keep in touch and continue to build cross-generational friendships.

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Helpful guide for current & potential female executives

Powerful advice with real examples

A must read to progress in your career!

Going To The Top

Irresistible Landmark Study of Women's Success Models

Going to the Top: A Road Map for Success from America's Leading Women Executives
Carol A. Gallagher , and Susan K. Golant
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Motivation & Self-Improvement | Business Life | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Women & Business | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Guides | Job Hunting & Careers | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Leadership | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Management | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Skills | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 014029841X
Release Date: 2001-04-03

Amazon.com

Much has been written about the glass ceiling women encounter in business, but Carol Gallagher isn't having it. Of the 200 women executives she interviewed for Going to the Top, many had already found "windows" through the ceiling; many others, Gallagher says, will get through eventually. To her, the future looks bright for women in corporations: she notes they earn more than one third of all MBAs and more than 42 percent of law degrees. Women also hold close to half of all managerial and professional jobs. Sure, about 30 percent of those women leave corporate life, but the other 70 percent keep on going. It's for them Gallagher has written this guidebook.

What does it take to make it to the top in today's corporate world? Gallagher shows that the same qualities top male managers have--a desire to win, an ability to learn the complex unwritten rules of an organization, the emulation of role models--are absolutely essential for women, too. One large section of the book debunks female myths of achievement--that a single mentor will lift you to success; that endless networking is productive; that you can't afford to be nice and help others if you want to succeed. "If people trust you--if you can lead, build a team, and get the job done without alienating others--higher-ups will think of you first for promotions," Gallagher writes. The last section of the book presents strategies for juggling marriage, family, and career choices, and there's also a chapter for minority women. But it's chapter 12, "Fifteen Proven Strategies That Will Advance Your Career," that many will undoubtedly read first. Most guys should probably read this chapter, too, because ultimately, Going to the Top demonstrates that competence, leadership, and corporate political savvy are gender neutral. --Lou Schuler

Book Description

In this timely and informative strategy guide, leadership development expert Carol Gallagher reveals the lessons learned from her groundbreaking research with more than 200 women who have successfully climbed the corporate ladder at many of America's Fortune 1000 companies, including America Online, Chase, Pepsi-Cola, and Intel. In lively, engaging prose, Gallagher offers her six-step model and shows how these strategies and practices can open up new levels of accomplishment and satisfaction for women and their employers.

Six Steps for Going to the Top

• Focus on the big picture-avoid the perfectionism trap
• Create alliances-go beyond networking
• Help others be successful-you can be nice and get ahead
• Take risks-reach past your comfort zone
• Be yourself-show your authentic self to build relationships
• Find advocates-mentors can be limiting

Customer Reviews:

Helpful guide for current & potential female executives.......2004-06-15

This practical book provides useful insights for aspiring female executives that were gained from Carol Gallagher's interviews with more than 200 senior executive women at Fortune 1000 companies and many of their CEOs. It is divided into three parts. Part I introduces the reader to the windows in the glass ceiling these women discovered by knowing themselves and what they wanted, learning about their companies and their unwritten rules, and finding and emulating role models. Readers are asked to begin evaluating themselves and their own companies. Part II addresses six common myths and offers replacement lessons for success. For example, although results are important, four critical success factors (CORE - competence, outcomes, relationships, and endurance) are important in the big picture. Part III outlines several issues related to life at the top, including the parenting choice, work/life juggling, the experiences of minority women, and proven strategies for advancing one's career. While the guidance is sound and would also benefit current female executives by offering relief from a frequent sense of isolation, the 300+ pages made me yearn for an executive summary of the main points. Many professional women with limited time for reading would benefit from this addition to the book.

Powerful advice with real examples.......2004-02-10

This book is great because it gives concrete examples of how to succeed. A great read. Advance Mentoring www.AdvanceMentoring.com also has a Mentoring operation that allows people to find Mentors or be Mentors. Find a mentor to help plan your career. This book joined with that site will definitely help peple meet their career goals. Good luck.

A must read to progress in your career!.......2001-06-21

I would recommend this book as a must read for anyone who wants to refresh his or her career. This is not just a book for 'her'. Ms. Gallagher has done a fantastic job of capturing human attitude and behaviour in the workplace based on observations and interviews and made some very valuable suggestions and recommendation on how one should respond in the world of work. The book covers key issues each of us faces daily in our work-life. The excerpt from the book covers the gist and key points. However, I would recommend reading the book in whole to understand the rationale, justification and thinking behind Ms. Gallagher's suggestion. Nearly every topic has boxed captions which captures the essence of some of these thoughts.

Her chapter on fifteen proven strategies that will advance your career and the last chapter on constructing your road map are a very useful guide to those who are self managing their careers.

Going To The Top.......2000-07-16

As a business owner for over 20 years, I thought this would be a good book for my niece, but in fact found Carol's insights useful for my own purposes.

Not only is this book rich with insightful, common sense information, but most importantly to me is that the format makes it an easy read as Carol develops a framework and fills it in with lots of practical advice and first hand examples from executives that have been through the ringer.

I wish I had this book 20 years ago as Carol spells out a lot of lessons that I had to learn the hard way.

This book appeals to anyone, male or female, who is considering entering the business world, but especially for anyone who is already trying to learn the elements of success.

I've read numerous "How to" business guides and none put it all together like this one.

Thanks Carol!

Irresistible Landmark Study of Women's Success Models.......2000-06-08

This book deserves more than five stars.

While many have theories about why women executives do and don't rise to the top, Carol Gallagher has done a real service by going out to find out what those who are succeeding have been doing that worked. She did this in a landmark study that involved personal interviews with 200 women who are either CEOs or within two levels of being CEOs in their Fortune 1000 companies. And, interestingly, she also interviewed many of their bosses (often males) including many CEOs. These latter interviews serve as a sort of control on the self-reporting of the women executives.

The book gets to the heart of the matter. I liked that. While almost all male MBAs aspire to be CEOs, a majority of female MBAs do not. You have to have the goal of going to the top before you can hope to be in the contest. This is the first book about women in business that makes that point, but it is a very important one.

The part of the book that absolutely delighted me was the effort put into dispelling myths about what it takes to succeed that were not proven out in the research. As an example, most women feel they have to have a powerful mentor. Gallagher finds that to be partially right: Women executives need a lot of advocates, not just one mentor.

Two other points in the book really delighted me. One was a thorough treatment of what relationships in the workplace should be for women. I often find women executives to have stalled thinking in this area. Women executives both need more relationships and more professional ones. The point is well explained.

I also liked the emphasis on being effective, rather than being perfect. All of us in business have seen people become ineffective in search of perfection. The point is nicely made here. Don't interrupt the CEO if she/he makes a small mistatement to the board. Your relationship with the CEO, and the CEO's relationship with the board are much too important to interrupt for something that minor. If you don't have all the data you would like, don't start off the presentation with an apology. Be accurate, and be both positive and confident.

The last part of the book is an excellent section on how to think about life choices (45 percent of the women surveyed had no children), and getting on a path that can lead towards and to the top.

I know of no other book of this calibre on this subject. I heartily recommend that all women and men executives read this book. The women can apply it directly and use it to mentor others. Men can do the same. Although the points and research are phrased in terms of women, the ideas apply just as well to men.

If you read only one business book this year, make it this one! In these talent scarce times, helping everyone become more effective at reaching their own goals at their own speed is the best thing we can all do.

Customer Reviews:

The Quiet Light - St. Thomas Aquinas.......2007-10-14

A great novel! Portrays the life of St.Thomas Aquinas, one of the most influential scholars in the Catholic church. Extremely well done! It helps a great deal with understanding the historical background of the 13th century. A book worth reading for readers of all ages!

Pleasing, exciting, inspiring, informative historical fiction.......2007-05-29

This Catholic historical novel, published in 1950, has proven a delightful surprise. Although a great reader of historical fiction of all types and vintages, I confess I ordered this book with trepidation, expecting that any sort of religious fiction, consciously marketed as such, might be too sentimental to suit my taste. On the contrary, The Quiet Light is a terrific example of most of the finest conventions in historical fiction: exciting, witty, often stylish, capable of piquing one's interest in the period and its leading figures. It's not at all interested in preaching to its reader, choosing instead to engage his or her attention in the conflicts of the period, whether physical, intellectual or spiritual.

De Wohl apparently wrote many novels about Catholic saints. I chose this one because of St. Thomas's special significance to me, as the patron of scholars. Like the best historical fiction, it not only excites and delights me in its trappings and makes me want to read more, but also led me to investigate the personages and events of the day, to see how well the fictional and historical have been woven. The novel remained at a high standard of quality throughout and was on occasion both moving and exciting. About the only things I can say against it is that it takes an unflinchingly anti-Muslim slant (perhaps not that unusual for a 1950 Catholic novel) and it falls prey occasionally to heavy handed dialogue--not stilted but heavy on exposition. But given the wide scope of the novel, De Wohl is actually pretty subtle at getting the historical essentials across as smoothly as possible.

The novel's somewhat peripheral treatment of St. Thomas is surprising at first, but then begins to make sense as his full story emerges. Thomas spends his days writing, teaching, thinking and praying, while Italy and his family are being torn to pieces around him. The main focus of the story is on political situations, then, (mainly the conflict between Emperor Fredrick II and Rome) which Thomas informs, inspires, and illuminates when the main characters seek him out, but which he only tangentially affects himself. That De Wohl is so capable at evoking this complicated political situation, that he can do so without resorting to tired genre clichés, is the really delightful thing about the novel.

Some brief mention of the people and places this novel manages to take on, within its 377 pages. Historical persons featured as characters include Thomas and Frederick of course, but also the following: Albert the Great (Albertus Magnus), one of Thomas's teachers; the Emperor's sons Manfred and Conrad, each of whom eventually become kings; Edward I; St. Louis of France; William of St. Amour, who writes a treatise against the mendicant orders which Thomas challenges; St. Bonaventure, claimed to be the heart of the Franciscans as Thomas is the heart of the Dominicans; John of Procida, a physician in Frederick II's service--at least I think he's historical; and Roger Bacon. Many other historical persons figure in the novel but aren't characters, including Popes Alexander IV, Urban IV, and Clement IV.

As for place, The Quiet Light roams around Italy quite a bit: Monte Cassino, the monastery; the University of Naples; Parma; Rocca Secca and other homes of the Aquino families. Paris also is visited, mainly Notre Dame and the Convent of St. Jacques. One scene of the crusades (mostly a backdrop for the novel) takes place at El Mohar, which I take to be in North Africa.

A really delightful surprise--probably would make a great gift too! I'm definitely ready for more De Wohl soon.

De Wohl: A Sustained Light of Genius..........2001-11-29

I could not have been older than 12 when I first read Louis De Wohl's THE QUIET LIGHT.

It was certainly not a children's book. Instead, it was the passed-along gift of an aunt --fittingly, a Daughter of Charity who in those days sported the intimidating wings that Sally Field would later demystify for me-- and one of the many books on a wide range of genres and topics she carried on long train rides from El Paso to St. Louis.

THE QUIET LIGHT also was, I believe, instrumental in sparking my earliest desire to write my own novels.

And that is surprising, because De Wohl's narrative, character development, and spellbinding prose made THE QUIET LIGHT much more than the fictionalized biography of Thomas Aquinas I had expected. It was nothing less than a staggering example of compelling storytelling which, by the sheer enormity of talent displayed, should have intimidated any aspiring/wanna-be writer.

Be advised: you will come away from THE QUIET LIGHT with more than the pleasure of having read a masterly crafted novel of the Middle Ages. Rather, you will find yourself informed and educated on everything from the Crusades to the philosopical infighting then being waged throughout both Europe and the Saracen worlds to the intrigues of the Italian nobility and their Germanic, decidedly unholy Holy Roman Emperor. You will marvel at how De Wohl weaves all this into a story that is filled with richly drawn characters, both historical and fictional.

By the end of THE QUIET LIGHT, you may even discover you have learned something about how to tell a story in a way that makes the reader mourn that he or she has reached the end of the book.

THE QUIET LIGHT is that good. So is Louis De Wohl.

--Earl Merkel
(Author of FLU SEASON and LIKE DISTANT CITIES BURNING, Penguin/Putnam's New American Library; both books are due out in Summer 2001).

Excellent book.......2000-07-10

An excellent book about the life and times of a great saint. It would be hard to estimate the spiritual fruit which this man's intellect has produced. The Catholic Church as well as intellectual life in general has benifited much from his life and writings. This is a well written book and hard to put down. I gave it four stars, however, because it is a novel more about the historical situation of the saint than the saint himself. Although the book did try and speculate about the some of the motivations of the saint, it failed to tackle his philosophy. Nevertheless, the book is sure to inspire further readings, especially into Thomas' own writings.

edifying.......2000-03-13

This edifying novel about the life of St. Thomas Aquinas actually focuses on the people who were all touched by his serene, cheerful, ascetic way of living. Carefully told through the eyes of the faithful knight-turned friar-turned knight again, his devoted sister, his protective mother, his arrogant brothers, and his fellow priests, the story reveals to us how a simple man brought spiritual strength and renewal to those around him, during a time of great political turmoil. The author does not tell the story through the lips of St. Thomas. At times, we may even feel cheated, thinking to ourselves that the story deviates too much from the simple life of the Dominican monk, to focus on the other characters. However, this ingenious manner of story-telling alludes fittingly to the way Thomas lived: quietly, doing the work of God, contemplating on mysteries only he shared with God, praying for those he loved, and discreetly staying away from all the attention he deserved.

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Why so many are poor...

Impressive Synthesis: 4.5 stars

Imperialism: the deadliest stage of capitalism

Look at History from an Alarming Perspective

Davis Book

Late Victorian Holocausts: El Niño Famines and the Making of the Third World
Mike Davis
Manufacturer: Verso
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

19th Century | World | History | Subjects | Books
General | World | History | Subjects | Books
Social History | Historical Study | History | Subjects | Books
Social Services & Welfare | Poverty | Current Events | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Human Rights | Constitutional Law | Law | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 1859843824

Book Description

Examining a series of El Niño-induced droughts and the famines that they spawned around the globe in the last third of the 19th century, Mike Davis discloses the intimate, baleful relationship between imperial arrogance and natural incident that combined to produce some of the worst tragedies in human history. Davis argues that the seeds of underdevelopment in what later became known as the Third World were sown in this era of high imperialism, as the price for capitalist modernization was paid in the currency of millions of peasants' lives.

Customer Reviews:

Why so many are poor..........2007-08-27

One of the major perennial topics of research in the social sciences is "Why are some nations rich and others poor?" Tackled from the time of Plato onwards, many texts have been written on this subject, from many points of view. Like the other sciences, the huge advances in metrology, analytical techniques, and data collection, manipulation and visualization using computers in the 20th century has helped scientists connect dots that once were thought unlinked. And so answers to this question have become more comprehensive, more factual-based, and more pressing in the amount of evidence brought to bear. This book attempts to answer this question by examining the economic divergence of the world's major civilizations in the approximate period of 1860 - 1920 AD. The civilizations examined include Brazil, Indonesia, France, England, the USA, Philippines, India, China, Ethiopia, and Russia. Specifically, England, France and the USA underwent huge economic growth and subsequent improvements in the standard of living, while China, India and many other parts of the world descended into Third World status that have lasted until the late 20th century.

The author examines data for these countries such as suspot cycles, birth and death tolls, annual rainfall, sea temperatures, acres farmed and acres abandoned by farmers, and economic transaction data such as trade volume between specific agents (i.e. countries). Looking at all of this, the author puts forth the theory that abrupt weather patterns due to El Nino and La Nina occurrences in this time period substantially weakened the agricultural sectors of numerous countries. This occurred as technological progress in transportation and communication was creating the global economy with humans (slaves), clothing, precious metals, and food produce (crops) being the primary objects of trade. The weakened countries, nearly all of which were centralized monarchies, were colonized by the First World democracies. Within specific nations like the USA and Brazil, one region might rise in prominence vis-a-vis a decline in another region. The results included gradual but radical changes in power structures that lead to famines in times of poor agricultural output. The poor agricultural output was due to bad weather and the forced transitions to cash crops; the famines was caused by evil colonial policies. The final tragedy was tens of millions of dead peasants across the world in what is now known as the Third World.

Impressive Synthesis: 4.5 stars.......2007-06-28

In 1887-1888, former President US Grant undertook a world tour. In stop after stop, Grant and his party witnessed scenes of famine and mass death. This was no coincidence, Nature and other scientific journals published accounts of approximately coincident famines circling the globe. Millions died. Remarkably, this global disaster was only one of three major world spanning famines in the final quarter of the 19th century, all with death tolls in the millions. The explanation for these events was not uncovered for decades. In the 1960s, Jacob Bjerknes of UCLA synthesized approximately a century of meterological and climatological data and speculation with his description of the El Nino/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) as a major driver of world weather. All the great 19th century famines were driven by weather events resulting from unusually strong ENSOs.
Davis does a very nice job of describing the character and history of the discovery of the ENSO, the history of the devastating 19th century famines, and the evidence correlating ENSO changes with the famines. This is a model of integrating diverse scholarship to produce a synthesis with considerable explanatory power. These sections are very well written and leave the reader with powerful impressions of the world wide extent and severity of the famines.
Davis also makes a strong and largely successful effort at further elaboration and synthesis by integrating the social and economic history of the 19th century into his discussions of the great famines. Davis argues that the development of the world economy under European hegemony resulted in a series of changes in many regions that altered traditional societies in ways that made these societies more vulnerable to the effects of El Nino events. The increasing emphasis on cash crops for the world market, for example, eroded traditional subsistence farming that offered some safeguards against famine. Davis documents this feature best for the case of colonial India, where he can draw on a critical literature dating back to the 19th century and where successive British administrations behaved abysmally.
Davis also discusses several other societies impacted by the great famines, notably Qing China and Northeastern Brazil. Quite a few other regions are mentioned at least briefly. Davis has probably bitten off a bit too much in some of these sections. His effort to be comprehensive leads sometimes to superficial coverage.
Davis takes considerable pains to rebut the traditional argument that these famines were a Malthusian consequence of over-population. This is the complement to his argument that the 19th century European imperialism greatly exacerbated the consequences of El Nino events. In the case of India and some other regions, like the Phillipines and Dutch dominated Java, he makes a very good case. In the case of China, his argument is less powerful. By his own account, the horrible vulnerability of China, particularly North China, stems more from ecological consequences of population growth in the 18th and early 19th century plus the decay of the power of the Qing state. In all fairness to Davis, British imperialism did contribute to the decline of the Qing state.
Davis argues also with some force that the great famines contributed to the immiseration of China, India, and many other regions, contributing to the 20th century backwardness of the Third World. This is such an ambitious book that Davis is not always successful, especially in the second half fo the book, in presenting a complete story. Nonetheless, this is an unusually informative and even daring book.

Imperialism: the deadliest stage of capitalism.......2007-05-27

Marx wrote about capital's destruction of the old social organizations of the societies it enters into, either originally or by force, that "the history of this, their expropriation, is written in the annals of mankind in letters of blood and fire". Mike Davis demonstrates that this is, indeed, the case, and not just for Western Europe either. Focusing on the case examples of Brazil, India and China, Davis shows irrefutably how weather fluctuations, known as El Ninõ phenomena, combined with free traderism, colonialism and capitalist organization to create a series of harvest failures, famines, epidemics and regressions compared to which the Biblical plagues are child's play.

The first part of the book describes the various mass famines that occurred in northeastern Brazil, central and northern India, and central and northern China in the period of the apogee of colonialism, namely roughly 1870-1910. This matter is certainly not for the light of heart: the scale of the famines is such that they far exceed anything ever experienced under Mao or Stalin combined, and the indifference and repression of the the British and other colonialist elites in the face of so much suffering is staggering, evoking parallels with nazism. Of course Mike Davis' usual ill-chosen title attempts to make precisely this comparison, which rather weakens instead of reinforcing the effect of his book, but the facts speak for themselves regardless. Nothing can describe the effect it must have had on the Indian population to be forced to pay for British wars in Afghanistan and South Africa as well as a tremendously grand Jubilee for Queen Victoria, while in the meantime tens of millions of peasants were dying, in some district leading to reductions in population of almost two-thirds. Such is the effect of Whiggish history still that these facts are almost not known at all, and are never taught in high school history books. But everywhere capitalism goes, it leaves behind such corpses.

The second part of the book is a rather technical discussion of weather patterns, especially the oscillation known as ENSO, leading to the El Niño phenomena. Davis also delves into the scientific discussions of these phenomena both during the period of capitalist famines and in contemporary meteorology. This part of the book is furnished with strong statistical data, which will primarily be of interest to people engaged in studying weather patterns, as well as agriculturists because of the importance of these patterns for monsoons etc.

The third and final part of the book picks up where the first one left off, and goes into more detail about the social organizations of Brazil, India and China both before the colonialist period and during it. Davis produces interesting evidence to the account that not only was the average standard of living for the majority of the people quite higher in India and China than in Europe during the 18th Century, their degree of productivity in terms of manufacturing was higher as well. This to directly contradict the many Whiggish histories, like Landes and others, who posit the societies of India and China as stagnant and unproductive from the start. Instead, Mike Davis hypothesizes that the real reason for the sudden collapse in effectivity and productivity of India and China is the military involvement of (mainly) the British in these regions. Subjugating India entirely to a system of hyper-exploitation for the sole benefit of paying for the huge British military and for the interests of the factory manufacturers and traders in Manchester and London (whose direct influence over Indian Raj policy is shockingly large); and in China forcing the government into such large-scale wars and interventions against the British as to make the Qing dynasty go entirely bankrupt and unable to pay for the vast infrastructure and reserve funds, as well as destroying the most effective administation the world had ever seen, the Imperial magistrature system, from the inside via opium trade corruption. Davis makes plausible, if not quite proven, therefore that the downfall of India and China as powers in the 19th Century was exogenous rather than endogenous to these societies.

But what is most important about this book is the enormity of what it describes: the incredibly large-scale death of the subjugated and exploited peoples of what would later form the 'Third' or developing world. By even modest estimates the various preventable famines in China during 1850-1900 alone must have killed some 30-60 million people, and in India probably again anywhere between 30 and 85 million. Then if we add to that the deaths in Brazil (not exploited by foreign powers this time, but by their own capitalist plutocracy), of various African nations, as well as the costs of rebellion and civil war caused by the social disintegration resulting from invasion and colonialism, we get quite a pretty picture: indeed the 20th Century can hardly be considered bloodier than the 19th was. And this is called, by historians, the "Belle Époque"! One wonders if those who write so-called "Black Books of Communism" etc. are even aware of the lethality of capital.

Look at History from an Alarming Perspective.......2007-01-04

This book recounts in detailed, well documented ways how famines occured in various regions of the world because of El Nino and La Nina weather patterns. This part of the author's message is not difficult to believe, though the science and climatology is complex. The alarming assertion, also extrodinarily well documented, is that British (and other European nations") colonial rule in these areas disrupted the ways in which these cultures traditionally handled famine conditions by focusing the local economies on profit making enterprises benefitting the British, and responded with incredible callousness to the utter misery that resulted. Those who generally think of the British as a civilized, Christian people will be shaken by their deliberate actions which caused millions of deaths. My criticism of the book is the absence of a summary chapter, and the lack of editing for readability. This book is difficult to read, and should be widely read.

Davis Book.......2007-01-04

An interesting take on hurricanes in Cuba. Very interesting when compared to the United States. Read this book for a history of natural disasters class. If you are interested in natural disaster, consider reading Kenneth Hewitt's work about natural disaster from the point of a geologist.

Lorenzo Veracini on the political ecology of famine.( Late Victorian Holocausts: El Nino, Famines and the Making of the Third World)(Book Review): An article from: Arena Magazine

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Lorenzo Veracini on the political ecology of famine.( Late Victorian Holocausts: El Nino, Famines and the Making of the Third World)(Book Review): An article from: Arena Magazine
Lorenzo Veracini
Manufacturer: Arena Printing and Publications Pty. Ltd.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Arena Magazine, published by Arena Printing and Publications Pty. Ltd. on February 1, 2003. The length of the article is 1218 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: Lorenzo Veracini on the political ecology of famine.( Late Victorian Holocausts: El Nino, Famines and the Making of the Third World)(Book Review)
Author: Lorenzo Veracini
Publication: Arena Magazine (Refereed)
Date: February 1, 2003
Publisher: Arena Printing and Publications Pty. Ltd.
Page: 50(2)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Mike Davis, Late Victorian Holocausts: El Nino Famines and the making of the Third World.(Book Review): An article from: Journal of Australian Studies

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Mike Davis, Late Victorian Holocausts: El Nino Famines and the making of the Third World.(Book Review): An article from: Journal of Australian Studies
Ravi de Costa
Manufacturer: University of Queensland Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B0008D5PCW
Release Date: 2005-07-31

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Journal of Australian Studies, published by University of Queensland Press on September 1, 2002. The length of the article is 757 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: Mike Davis, Late Victorian Holocausts: El Nino Famines and the making of the Third World.(Book Review)
Author: Ravi de Costa
Publication: Journal of Australian Studies (Refereed)
Date: September 1, 2002
Publisher: University of Queensland Press
Page: 145(2)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

The Late Victorian Holocausts : El Niño, Famines, and the Making of the Third World

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The Late Victorian Holocausts : El Niño, Famines, and the Making of the Third World
Mike Davis
Manufacturer: Verso
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000V2NU9U

Late Victorian Holocausts: El Nino Famines and the Making of the Third World

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Late Victorian Holocausts: El Nino Famines and the Making of the Third World
Mike Davis
Manufacturer: Verso
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000N77I00

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Great thoughts!

Mostly obvious advice, but helpful if you read between the lines

A must-read book

Accurate and funny

Worth reading, especially for new PhD student!

A Ph.D. Is Not Enough: A Guide to Survival in Science
Peter J. Feibelman
Manufacturer: Perseus Books Group
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Guides | Job Hunting & Careers | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
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Craft Of Scientific Writing

ASIN: 0201626632

Customer Reviews:

Great thoughts!.......2007-10-10

This is a great little book for those who have recently gotten their Ph.D.'s or postdocs, and are wondering: "what next?". The book touches on everything from giving good talks, writing good papers, and even comparing the pros and cons of various career tracks. This should be essential reading for young scientists.

Mostly obvious advice, but helpful if you read between the lines.......2007-10-05

Overall, I did not find this book to be helpful upon reading it. The vast majority of the advice is either obvious or something you already know by the time you become aware of and purchase this book. Who doesn't know that working long hours and refraining from having children is one of the best ways to succeed in science? Who doesn't know that having a good mentor is an invaluable asset, but not guaranteed to happen because we as scientists receive no training in how to be good mentors?

On the positive side, if you read the anecdotes and success/failure stories that constitute a significant fraction of the book, there is a lot to be learned. Some provide hope because they remind you that others have successfully overcome the same challenges you have faced. Others reinforce the often overlooked point that, while having a supportive mentor is beneficial, we are in a career where being your own best advocate is a must. Taking the anecdotal stories as advice on how to best represent yourself and prepare for your career can make this a useful read. That having been said, the value of the advice tapers off the later in your career you read it.

A must-read book .......2007-04-03

I am currently finishing my Ph.D. study. I thought that it is too late to read this book. However, it is NOT! Based my own experience, the descriptions of Ph.D. study in the book are really accurate and the suggestions given by the author are really helpful.

It is never too late to read this book, strong buy!

Accurate and funny.......2007-03-22

According to my own experience, this book provides a casual and down-to-earth (but also extremely accurate!) description of scientific life and the different stages of a scientific career. Maybe it is too physicist-oriented (indeed, solid-state-physicist-oriented), but readers with a different background should also enjoy. (Hope so, I'm also a solid-state scientist!)

Worth reading, especially for new PhD student!.......2006-11-04

Although you may have heard some similar suggestions from your senior friends in science field, the author gives more background and clear rationale for such choices, from the pointview of an established scientist and manager.

A Ph.D. Is Not Enough: A Guide to Survival in Science

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A Ph.D. Is Not Enough: A Guide to Survival in Science
Peter J. Feibelman
Manufacturer: Perseus Books Group
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OOHUPK

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