The World's Easiest Pocket Guide to Buying Insurance

Book Description

'The World's Easiest Pocket Guide' brand is filling a vacuum in the bookselling marketplace with an introductory level series on subjects affecting important lifestyle issues. Each product features a highly recognizable author writing on topics of his or her expertise. Shortly after leaving home or college, most young adults are unprepared for making practical life decisions and planning for their futures. Leading financial expert Larry Burkett has created this practical pocket guide to help young adults make sound financial decisions from the start. Filled with bite-sized chunks of trustworthy advice, readers will be better equipped to choose the right first job or career.

Average customer rating:
Lectures on Economic and Financial Sector Reforms in India
Y. Venugopal Reddy
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OKYVZQ

Book Description

Imagine you have a real Jurassic Park right around the block--wouldn't that be super? Well, these dinosaur activities, projects, and other fun things to do are the next best thing! Journey back to ancient times with a prehistoric quiz that sets the facts straight on whether dinos could fly, if the largest dinos dragged their tails on the ground, and whether brontosauruses ate only plants. Identify different dinosaurs by their silhouette. Flip through history with stick figure animations you make yourself. Find out about fossils-and where to search for them. Draw in the missing bones in a Triceratops' skeleton. The art's great, too: you'll see pictures of a fossilized tooth (actual size), an enlargement of an iguana, the image of an iguanodon, and more!

Average customer rating:

Trivia Mania: Literature
X. Einstein
Manufacturer: Zebra
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Trivia | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

General | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0821714511

Customer Reviews:

Not the "insider's account", but still good.......2006-05-16

This book gives you the idea that it was written by someone who is very knowledgable about the music industry, but hasn't had any actual hands-on experience. It's a good addition to your collection, but might not be what you are looking for if you want to actually get in the game. Check out "The Music Business: How YOU can make $500,000 "or more" a year in the music industry by Doing it Yourself!" by Ty Cohen for a better read.

A Bitter Pill.......1998-12-03

I was upset. I was even angry. With the author? No, with the business. As a New Jersey songwriter, I am an outsider. More like an outsider looking to displace a Nashville "insider". We all want music to be our livelihoods. But there are only so many musical chairs. We all know this. So why do books that remind us of this fact disturb us so much? If you are absolutely determined to do all that is necessary to be a part of the country music scene, then this book is an easy read. For those circling like vultures, keeping their distances, but not willing to dive full force into the fray, this book will shoot you down. It is extremely well written, jam-packed with critical info, and is a one-stop country history lesson. I have a brand new appreciation for the Nashville machine. I hated what I read. But I believed what I read. Suggestion: 1. Buy the book, 2. Take a sedative, 3. Read the book, and 4. Well, you'll decide what's next.

Average.......1998-07-09

Daley's book still doesn't get to the insider track of what the Nashville music business is all about - mainly because he has not lived the experience - by trying to make it on music row. Rather, he uses the self-reports of others to guide his words.

For example, the quote ``Thou shalt live in Nashville,'' which refers to the industry's disapproval of anyone daring to commute between the main hive and the outlands.

However, he fails to explain why so many of the new artists signed to Nashville labels have never spent one minute in Nashville - compared to how it use to be. In short, he failed to mention that it is 'financial' backers paving the way for new artists, who have 'nothing' to do with the music business in Nashville.

Revealing and insightful insider's account........1998-02-02

As a reality-check, this should be considered a must-read by any aspiring songwriter, musician or singer before embarking on the pitted road to Nashville. Through incredible insight, research and experience, Mr. Daley illuminates the good, the bad and the eccentricity of the business of country music. His engaging style captures the tone of the laid-back, but unique, methodologies of the movers and shakers of the Nashville Community.

Book Description

How -- and when -- did making a million dollars become as uplifting as joining the Peace Corps and as exciting as being a rock star?

Four years ago, Steve Fishman decided to make a million dollars. Why not? Despite his lack of business background, financial skills, or the slightest interest in management, 1990s America seemed to offer very few obstacles to his dream; in fact, in the midst of the entrepreneurial boom, it seemed almost unpatriotic not to want to be a business success. And so was it any wonder that, in the same way that it called to Benjamin Franklin, Horatio Alger, Andrew Carnegie, or Thomas Adams (the inventor of chewing gum), the siren song of success whispered in Steve Fishman's ear?

Or that he sang right back?

What the sirens whispered was a little business idea: hip-hop karaoke...over the Internet. His flash of genius, KaraokeNation.com, began almost as a caper -- involving a former rock 'n' roll drummer, an aspiring novelist, and an ex-paratrooper -- but quickly became an obsession. And again, why not? Music business legends like Russell Simmons (hip-hop's godfather) and Chuck D (founder of Public Enemy) bought in...to say nothing of New Economy kingpins Jerry Colonna (CEO of Flatiron Partners) and Joseph Park (founder of Kozmo.com), who, each in his own way, encouraged a budding entrepreneur. But mostly, this tale became, if not a success story, then a story about success. Karaoke Nation is Steve Fishman's journey into what was truly the heart of the American dream, 1990s style: self-actualization through entrepreneurial success. It's the best, funniest story yet of the dot-com boom, a gold rush the likes of which America hadn't seen since Roughing It, Mark Twain's story of the 1861 Nevada gold and silver strike. It chronicles one of those rare times when it seemed as if anyone -- ANYONE -- could become hugely wealthy, just by collecting the dollars that floated down from the sky.

But Karaoke Nation is more than that. It's about the peculiar way in which the self-fulfillment ethos of the seventies -- the one that promoted creativity and passion and mission and self-invention and the desire to make a difference -- became the ethos of business. It's about the new culture of "making it," how the values of one generation re-emerged in the next, only changed; about the way in which work, the undertaking that gave our fathers ulcers and a decent living, became a source of joy.

Karaoke Nation follows Steve from before he had even a germ of a business idea (or a business inclination) through the germination of a business. He signs partners (with big dreams and ridiculous social skills), meets venture capitalists (who seem to take him seriously), pitches foulmouthed stars (who seem interested in "monetizing eyeballs" and "developing sticky applications"), narrows in on a CEO (the one with the empty apartment), and finally sells the near-business in a scene that involves sunglasses, alcohol, removing shoes and shirts, and...well, you'll just have to read the book to find out. At once hilarious and perceptive, ironic and affectionate, Karaoke Nation is the sanest look yet at a lunatic era.

Customer Reviews:

Steve's Excellent Adventure.......2005-02-20

Steve Fishman's "Karaoke Nation" is an underrated and relatively undiscovered gem. It covers Fishman's attempted transition from journalist to entrepreneur, intermingled with essay-like takes by Fishman on business today. Those pieces feature some trenchant (and funny) observations on the likes of Fast Company, Tom (the spitter) Peters, The Brand Called You and other late-90s business phenomena.

Where the book really excels is in Fishman's recounting of his attempts to breathe life into Karaoke Nation concept. What I love is his recounting of the interactions between himself and advisors/partners-to-be Steve Reynolds (aptly called "Consigliere" thoughout the book by Fishman), web guru Peter Clemente and Oddcast CEO Adi Sideman. It's really fabulous writing. Hopefully, these three are happy with the way they've been depicted. I think Fishman has drawn each of them in a very positive light.

Other high points include meetings with hip hop entrepreneurs Russell Simmons and Chuck D. Fishman has a real ear and eye for what his readers want to hear out of those interactions.

I do take exception to the comment by another reviewer saying "of course the business failed." Not true. What did happen is that the entire Internet craze got pulled out from under Fishman and his circle (they tried to bring this live in the 1999 - 2000 timeframe). And, Fishman does have a completed product he can point to...see karaoke.oddcast.com for a licensed version of the technology. You can actually go there and record a karaoked version of 'The Tide Is High' and a small number of other tunes. It's pretty slick technology. Fishman got his vision into a product. He can hold his head pretty high.

Orchid Thief meets Karaoke!.......2003-06-01

I f you love adventure this is the book for you. Steve Fishman has the ability to turn a conversation at a cocktail party into a high wire act of observation. His meeting with Russell Simmons as well as his encounter with his missile selling dry cleaner are hilarious and deeply revealing about the nature of the business culture in this country. I've long been a fan of Mr. Fishman's writing in NY magazine and this book confirms his status as one of the leading reporters on our time.

It made me sing along!.......2003-05-23

I loved this book. Steve Fishman offers the reader two great stories in one: his own sometimes hysterical, sometimes bittersweet story of trying to become an internet entrepreneur and all the characters he meets along the way; and the story, the history, really, of American business ethic and practices - from Ben Franklin's principles through the dotcom dreamers and schemers.
Fishman has a wry sense of humor and you will laugh out loud at his encounters with all those who participate in the e-business romp, from his dry cleaner who also sells missiles online, to his colorful partners, to the distractible Israeli commando in pink bathrobe and wooly slippers.
It's no secret or surprise that journalist Fishman fails at business; but, lucky for us, he took lots of notes and turned the experience into a great read!

E-business fluffery meets it match.......2003-05-19

The most redeeming factor about "Karaoke Nation" is that the concept, which reads like something Bill & Ted would have thought up, fails so miserably. Instead of another IPO story, what we get is a nonevent that proves that even during the nutty Internet boom VC's could occasionally be trusted to filter out unworthy projects.

Fishman, who spends almost a quarter of the book glorifying the 70's granola-flaky ideals that defined his sense of self at Brown University, makes a connection that the weird turned pro sometime during the 90's and things like research, development and execution just didn't matter to business anymore - all it took was an Idea, and Passion.

Unfortunately, Fishman has trouble even on these two counts. The Idea, after throwing away some amusingly low-caliber concepts like a "Hi-Five" dummy arm for lonely sports enthusiasts (don't ask) stumbles out of a bar with a vague concept having something to do with Karaoke (duh) and the Internet (because there's no manufacturing involved, so it sounds easy.) Through his journalistic connections, he ends up partnering with a couple folks who have enough experience to at least fake their way through their Power Point presentations and hype things up to some interesting audiences along the way.

The Passion part proves to be hard as well, partly because Fishman's exercising some truly new mental muscles here, and partly because it becomes increasingly obvious that he's the weak link in the chain. Ultimately, being the "Idea Man" isn't enough to keep his partners from deserting him, and Edison's "1% inspiration, 99% perspiration" success ratio holds true.

The downer for me is that Fishman should have read Tracey Kidder's "The Soul of a New Machine" before writing this book. As I mentioned, while 25% of the book is spent glorifying the marvels of EST, he totally missed out on the fact that the foosball-in-the-office sleep-on-the-floor cult of New Technology office life didn't spring from this; it evolved out of mid-1970's microcomputer engineering culture run amok. Fishman has nothing but disdain for programmers, tech workers, and anybody who actually has to develop things; he is, after all, an Idea Man and seems them as the logical extension of 1950's Organization Man. Even when OddCast provides Karaoke Nation's only saving grace in hacking up a quick demo, Fishman seems ungrateful; the fact that his shred of a non-idea ends up being bought out by his tech partner for a pittance seems poetic justice indeed.

And just in case you're wondering, the Million Dollars didn't happen, although Fishman did mange to find find a little bit of Glamour and Fulfillment along the way.

grabs you and makes you beg for more.......2003-05-14

I was in a friends house yesterday and picked up his copy of kareoke nation. It took me thirty minutes to put it down and we missed our lunch reservation but it was worth it. I can't wait till my copy comes and I can go back to reading it.

Definately a must for people who are interested in wit, modern culture, and a whimsical look at fortunes folly.

Customer Reviews:

Good analysis of the role of the media.......2000-04-21

This is a great book and it access most of the important nuances of the role of the media in Brazil's political system. It also addresses the slow process of redemocratization after the end of military rule.

Amazon.com's Best of 2001

While it's true that no one person's vision encompassed all of what we now consider personal computing, we can't help but focus on individual effort as we try to understand how we got here. Science writer M. Mitchell Waldrop carefully balances this hero culture with a historian's mania for completeness in The Dream Machine: J.C.R. Licklider and the Revolution That Made Computing Personal.

"Lick," as his students and colleagues called him, was deeply involved in guiding the evolution of personal and networked computing from the 1950s through the 1980s, after leaving a career in cognitive psychology. Waldrop captures his spirit vividly--contrary to our stereotypical view of computer scientists, Licklider was profoundly interested in his fellow humans, and this interest helped him lead the design of technology adapted to human needs.

Waldrop interviewed dozens of contemporaries and examined reams of notes and primary sources to compose this massive biography of influence that stretches from MIT to the Pentagon to Xerox PARC and far beyond. If it sometimes seems that Licklider was a little too well beloved, especially in comparison to some of the more colorful figures in computing's recent history, it is worth remembering that his patience and humility were the very qualities that helped deliver the home-computing revolution we take for granted today. If we had to choose just one 20th-century computer pioneer that we couldn't do without, it would have to be the man behind the Dream Machine. --Rob Lightner

Book Description

While most people may not be familiar with the name J. C. R. Licklider, he was the guiding spirit behind the greatest revolution of the modern era. At a time when most computers were big, ponderous mainframes, he envisioned them as desktop tools that could empower individuals, foster creativity, and allow the sharing of information all over the world. Working from an obscure office in the depths of the Pentagon, he set in motion the forces that could make his vision real. Writing with the same novelistic flair that made his Complexity "the most exciting intellectual adventure story of the year" (The Washington Post), Waldrop presents the history of this great enterprise and the first full-scale portrait of the man whose dream of a "human-computer symbiosis" changed the course of science and culture, gave us the modern world of computing, and laid the foundation for the Internet age.

"Waldrop's account of [Licklider's] and many others' world-transforming contributions is compelling." (John Allen Paulos, The New York Times Book Review)

"A masterpiece! A mesmerizing but balanced and comprehensive look at the making of the information revolution." (John Seely Brown, former director of Xerox PARC, and coauthor of The Social Life of Information)

Customer Reviews:

Fascinating and Detailed.......2007-01-29

For anyone who wants to know the history behind the personal computer revolution, this book is a must read. The author was a senior writer for Science magazine and understands both the technology and the people involved. There's almost no fluff in the book's 475-pages of fact-rich, well-written prose. My only complain it that, along with pictures of people, I'd have loved to have seen pictures and diagrams of the early equipment he describes.

--Michael W. Perry, author of Untangling Tolkien: A Chronology and Commentary for The Lord of the Rings

Epic in its Scope.......2006-09-21

If there such a thing as an "epic" story of computer science, then M. Mitchell Waldrop's The Dream Machine is it. Although it purports to be the story of J.C.R. Licklider, and the birth of personal computing, this book is much more than that. It takes us from the edges of the computer science revolution, through the development of the modern computing industry and the World Wide Web.

Waldrop spends more time exploring the shadowy edges of the rise of computer science in America, and the intellectuals whose raw thinking provided the structure around which computing would develop. Giants like Norbert Weiner and Claude Shannon, and more obscure players like John Atanasoff of Iowa State University are given more thoughtful attention here than in most popular history accounts that I've encountered. Not only are their concrete accomplishments covered with clarity and understandability, but the thinking that got them there is attended to as well.

Of course, among the cast of great individuals is Licklider, whose efforts are worthy of the title billing Waldrop gives him. J.C.R. Licklider was a computer scientist before there was computer science, in any practical sense. While Lick (as everyone called him) himself, and the voice of technical accuracy, would likely disagree with that assertion, I stand beside it. Licklider was first a scientist, and he applied those core principles to developing his ideas in computing; computer science.

However, Waldrop's book does not feel like it was about Licklider, per se - despite a very intimate coverage of the man. Instead, the book remains focused on the growth of the intellectual concepts, and the practical technology that rose from those ideas. The scope of characters and technical detail covered by the book is remarkable, and yet it remains a readable and compelling story. The science is clear and understandable to individuals with an interest in the subject, without requiring a deep background (although, those with deeper backgrounds will still find the book enjoyable, and original).

Comprehensive Historical Overview.......2004-05-25

A graduate course in a book! A tour through historical theories, accounts, and events that made up the development of the modern computer and the Net. Far more extensive than just the story of Kicklider, a historical overview of many of the minds at that time and the events that converged to form the new informaton era.

A computer chronology that reads like a novel.......2003-01-26

If The Dream Machine were a novel, you might conclude the author used every writer's technique to make it a thriller. Even though you know the outcome, you wonder how the many "miracles" and lucky breaks it took for the dream to become reality.

Who really created Windows?.......2002-09-26

Many books and documentaries have been produced chronicling the emergence of the mouse, windows and the internet. Most focus on familiar personalities: Gates, Wozniak, Jobs, and that crowd. But, that's too simplistic; they're merely the contemporary pioneers of the modern computer age. All of these invetions were propelled by visionaries of an earlier age, and J.C.R. Lickleider was one them. If you're interested in the history of emergent technology, you'll be fascinated by this alternate tale of the computer revolution in which one man became the focal point of technological change. His name is not a familiar one to most, yet without his ability to get university (and later government) financing for what seemed like zany ideas at the time, we might not have seen the development of ARPAnet, the progenitor of the modern internet. Though Lickleider himself probably never had a complete vision of what was to come from his efforts, there can be little doubt that his role was pivotal.

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Technical Communication, published by Society for Technical Communication on November 1, 2003. The length of the article is 821 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: The Dream Machine: J. C. R. Licklider and the Revolution That Made Computing Personal.
Author: Terri Gregory
Publication: Technical Communication (Refereed)
Date: November 1, 2003
Publisher: Society for Technical Communication
Volume: 50 Issue: 4 Page: 637(2)

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Average customer rating:

ONE WORD: GLOBALIZATION

The Pentagon,s New Map - a recipe for continuing millitary catastrophies.

Must read

A Most Important and Dangerous Book

This book projects the future - and its right on in Iraq

The Pentagon's New Map: War and Peace in the Twenty-first Century
Thomas P.M. Barnett
Manufacturer: Berkley Trade
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Military | History | Subjects | Books
Military Science | History | Subjects | Books
U.S. | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
International Security | Freedom & Security | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Blueprint for Action: A Future Worth Creating

The Sling and the Stone: On War in the 21st Century

America Alone: The End of the World as We Know It

Imperial Grunts: On the Ground with the American Military, from Mongolia to the Philippines to Iraq and Beyond

The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order

ASIN: 0425202399

Amazon.com

This bold and important book strives to be a practical "strategy for a Second American Century." In this brilliantly argued work, Thomas Barnett calls globalization "this country's gift to history" and explains why its wide dissemination is critical to the security of not only America but the entire world. As a senior military analyst for the U.S. Naval War College, Barnett is intimately familiar with the culture of the Pentagon and the State Department (both of which he believes are due for significant overhauls). He explains how the Pentagon, still in shock at the rapid dissolution of the once evil empire, spent the 1990s grasping for a long-term strategy to replace containment. The terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, Barnett argues, revealed the gap between an outdated Cold War-era military and a radically different one needed to deal with emerging threats. He believes that America is the prime mover in developing a "future worth creating" not because of its unrivaled capacity to wage war, but due to its ability to ensure security around the world. Further, he believes that the U.S. has a moral responsibility to create a better world and the way he proposes to do that is by bringing all nations into the fold of globalization, or what he calls connectedness. Eradicating disconnectedness, therefore, is "the defining security task of our age." His stunning predictions of a U.S. annexation of much of Latin America and Canada within 50 years as well as an end to war in the foreseeable future guarantee that the book will be controversial. And that's good. The Pentagon's New Map deserves to be widely discussed. Ultimately, however, the most impressive aspects of the book is not its revolutionary ideas but its overwhelming optimism. Barnett wants the U.S. to pursue the dream of global peace with the same zeal that was applied to preventing global nuclear war with the former Soviet Union. High-level civilian policy makers and top military leaders are already familiar with his vision of the future—this book is a briefing for the rest of us and it cannot be ignored. --Shawn Carkonen

Book Description

Building upon the works of Thomas Friedman, Samuel Huntington, and Francis Fukuyama, The Pentagon's New Map describes recent U.S. military history and strategy, discusses where America's forces will likely be heading in the near future, outlines the crucial role the nation needs to play in establishing international stability, and provides much needed hope at one of the most difficult times in American history.

Customer Reviews:

ONE WORD: GLOBALIZATION.......2007-09-15

I give this book 5 stars for educating me about how the Pentagon thinks, organizes and deals with Internation issues such as military conflicts.

The "New MAP" refers to the POST COLD WAR ERA. Measuring up possible future world powers vs. multiple smaller conflicts, and how "GLOBALIZATION" is steering countries like China towards becoming more Democractic over time.

Mr. Barnett describes his role at the Pentagon, and politics that steer decisions in war time or peace time (Defense Budget inter fighting).

I'm still reading this book, and I know the data is a bit outdated, but for someone newer to this subject, it's still informative and facinating to read, if this subject interests you.

The Pentagon,s New Map - a recipe for continuing millitary catastrophies........2007-06-27

This book is pure salesmanship for a person and a point of view. It is not fun to read, but it is probably important that it be read because it provides insight into the incredibly mundane world of selling military solutions to congress and the administration. What are touted as great ideas turn out to be simplistic interpretations of the world situation based upon a lack of understanding of culutral diversity and concern for human rights. Because it is important for the public to understand how the U.S. gets into stupid, counterproductive militeary adventrures it is imporant that this book be widely read, however it is tedious and tiresome to be continually barraged with the authors misguided and unsophisticated views.

Must read.......2007-05-18

This book is a must read for anyone wanting to understand the world at large. Barnett puts issues of security and economics within the context of globalization. A true guide to our 21st century universe.

A Most Important and Dangerous Book.......2007-04-03

Thomas P. M. Barnett's "The Pentagon's New Map" is one of the most important Post-Cold War books on defense, and possibly THE most important book on American national security written in decades. "The Pentagon's New Map" is also one of the most, if not THE most dangerous books on American national security written in the same timeframe.

Dr Barnett's `Functional Core and Gap' model of the world is a compelling construct for America's policymakers to use in future national security planning endeavors -- executed as part of a comprehensive American (and Core) grand strategy to shrink the Gap that is the source of so much of the recent and current world strife.

The Core-Gap construct and analysis alone earns this book a place on the shelf of any serious military library. It goes far in clearly identifying much of the world's systemic problems and provides a powerful argument for use in framing the development of possible strategies and tactics to form a long-term strategy and designing long-term solutions. In short, the Core-Gap construct is a superb starting point for analyzing future security needs and developing a national `grand strategy'.

The author correctly signals his world model's greatest strength as being the `repeatability' of the Core-Gap construct. That is, understanding of the construct is compelling and tends to convince any rational audience of the truth of it -- regardless of political party or position in the American ideological spectrum. What makes this construct even more compelling is the truth of it comes through in spite of the book's surrounding conceptual (no convincing rationale for keeping current defense spending at historically low levels for example, and oversimplification of what it takes to make and maintain a `Leviathan' for another), and perceptual (the author's perspective benefits AND suffers from having been `inside the Navy', but not `of it') missteps. All these errors in the early chapters are irritations, but do not detract at all from the beauty of the Core-Gap model and understanding as to how and where the world is (or is not) working.

However, problems with the author's arguments in the first half of the book that are introduced as part of convincing the reader of the `truth' of the Core-Gap model unfortunately multiply and cascade later in the text-- and become foundations for much of what is wrong with the second half of the book.

`Repeatability' begins to fade in Chapter 5 and takes a beating from Chapter 6 onward, when Dr Barnett begins expanding on ideas and providing the details of his vision. When the author lays out the `hows' and `whats' whereby the Core shrinks the Gap via his prescriptions for structural changes to the United States and the world, it is then that the gamut of probable, possible, and fanciful inexplicably get rolled up into the `inevitable'. Dr. Barnett goes to great lengths to present the Core-Gap model within a logical framework as ideology-free as possible (which I believe hinders him somewhat in identifying causal factors from time to time), but Dr. Barnett's ideological bent hemmorages over the second half of the material - and this prevents the arguments for his way forward from ever being as `repeatable' as the argument for the Core-Gap construct.

Given the senior political and military leadership audience that Dr. Barnett has gained for his Core-Gap construct in the wake of 9/11/2001, his vision of the future may gain far more interest, acolytes, and apostles than it otherwise would or should have. If military and civilian long-range thinkers 1) ignore the problems with the `how' the U.S. should achieve the ambitious end-state the authors offers as our future, or even the problematic end objectives themselves, and 2) embrace instead the Core-Gap construct with its baggage intact, then the unfortunate `perturbations' of this book could be ruinous to the long term security and well-being of the nation, as well as the Core and the Gap - hence my `Most Dangerous' assignation (and decision to review this book as my first for Amazon).

Read this book and embrace the Core-Gap model by all means. But to safely traverse the whole book, keep a wary eye open for optimism, cynicism, oversimplification, unnecessary complexity, and more.....in all the wrong places.

This book projects the future - and its right on in Iraq.......2007-02-15

I bought and read this book because I watched the author giving a powerpoint presentation on PBS. I don't know if you've ever sat through one of these, but I actually wanted to buy a tape of the show just so I could see it again. HIGHTLY recommended, and his projections for the future of the military are already happening exactly how he describes.

A new standard for the use of force?(Review Essay)(Book Review): An article from: Naval War College Review

Average customer rating:

A new standard for the use of force?(Review Essay)(Book Review): An article from: Naval War College Review
Lawrence J. Korb
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Science | Subjects | Books

Science & Technology | Subjects | e-Docs | Formats | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Naval War College Review, published by U.S. Naval War College on January 1, 2005. The length of the article is 1539 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: A new standard for the use of force?(Review Essay)(Book Review)
Author: Lawrence J. Korb
Publication: Naval War College Review (Refereed)
Date: January 1, 2005
Publisher: U.S. Naval War College
Volume: 58 Issue: 1 Page: 151(4)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

The Pentagon's New Map: War and Peace in the Twenty-first Century.(Book Review) : An article from: Parameters

Average customer rating:

The Pentagon's New Map: War and Peace in the Twenty-first Century.(Book Review) : An article from: Parameters
George T. Doran
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Science | Subjects | Books

Science & Technology | Subjects | e-Docs | Formats | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Parameters, published by Thomson Gale on December 22, 2005. The length of the article is 641 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: The Pentagon's New Map: War and Peace in the Twenty-first Century.(Book Review)
Author: George T. Doran
Publication: Parameters (Magazine/Journal)
Date: December 22, 2005
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 35 Issue: 4 Page: 143(2)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

The Pentagon's New Map: War and Peace in the Twenty-First Century.(Net Assessment)(Book Review): An article from: Air & Space Power Journal

Average customer rating:

The Pentagon's New Map: War and Peace in the Twenty-First Century.(Net Assessment)(Book Review): An article from: Air & Space Power Journal
Randal D. Fullhart
Manufacturer: U.S. Air Force
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Science | Subjects | Books

Science & Technology | Subjects | e-Docs | Formats | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Air & Space Power Journal, published by U.S. Air Force on September 22, 2004. The length of the article is 425 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: The Pentagon's New Map: War and Peace in the Twenty-First Century.(Net Assessment)(Book Review)
Author: Randal D. Fullhart
Publication: Air & Space Power Journal (Refereed)
Date: September 22, 2004
Publisher: U.S. Air Force
Volume: 18 Issue: 3 Page: 110(1)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Perpetual war for a lasting peace.(The Pentagon's New Map: War and Peace in the Twenty-First Century)(Book review) : An article from: Monthly Review

Average customer rating:

Perpetual war for a lasting peace.(The Pentagon's New Map: War and Peace in the Twenty-First Century)(Book review) : An article from: Monthly Review
Richard Peet
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B000FI953U
Release Date: 2006-04-20

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Monthly Review, published by Thomson Gale on January 1, 2005. The length of the article is 2558 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: Perpetual war for a lasting peace.(The Pentagon's New Map: War and Peace in the Twenty-First Century)(Book review)
Author: Richard Peet
Publication: Monthly Review (Magazine/Journal)
Date: January 1, 2005
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 56 Issue: 8 Page: 53(7)

Article Type: Book review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

THE PENTAGON'S NEW MAP War and Peace in the Twenty-First Century

Average customer rating:

Ambitious, pleasantly arrogant, often thought provoking, occasionally convincing.

THE PENTAGON'S NEW MAP War and Peace in the Twenty-First Century

Manufacturer: G. P. Putnams
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000H0SVEA

Customer Reviews:

Ambitious, pleasantly arrogant, often thought provoking, occasionally convincing........2006-09-19

Barnett is very ambitious in this book, pleasantly arrogant in tone, slightly presumptuous in his conclusions, but often thought provoking and occasionally convincing.

According to Barnett, connectivity (read globalization) is the key to world peace and prosperity. Countries that are integrated into the world economy don't go to war with each other. Standards of living rise leading to less frustration and less violence internally and towards the world. Connectivity is therefore a moral good with essentially limitless potential for making the world a better place. The United States, as the sole remaining superpower, has a responsibility to maintain a safe environment for globalization. It should aggressively expand globalization by being the Leviathan that provides the order necessary for commerce and connectivity. America's military is so vastly superior to any competitor that it is the de-facto Leviathan. America should use preemptive war to remove really disruptive forces from power and expand connectivity to their countries.

If America does this then the non-integrated gap will shrink, eventually disappearing (the disappearing is implied in the book, not explicit), and the world will have "a future worth creating."

A few criticisms:

I'm uncomfortable with the future being defined with such clear terms and such broad strokes. The broad strokes by nature don't address the details of his argument and it is at the detail level that the truth or falsehood of a theory can be examined. Otherwise, his theory is merely an assertion, and whether I accept it or not has less to do with its basis in reality than with the package it comes in: the persuasiveness of its presenter (a matter of rhetoric rather than evidence), anecdotal evidence, illustrations, etc.

I appreciate his effort to paint the future in an optimistic light but I think that his statement that "the end of war is within our historical grasp" is wrong. I see no indicators of war's demise. It seems alive and well.

Also, I find it dangerous to extrapolate too much from current trends, which is what Barnett is essentially doing. He takes the past 15-25 years and looks at what globalization has caused in that time. It has been truly amazing. But to extend that trajectory, sans hiccups, into the indefinite future, is to commit the same fallacy that most prophets fall to: The future as an extension of the present. That said I want to have that hope... the end of war and internal state violence are definitely goals to shoot for. But not realistic ones, I fear.

I agree with him that we probably won't end up going to war with China... but I disagree with him regarding their capabilities. They are more capable than he gives them credit for, and the situation is not quite as in-the-bag as he indicates.

So, I come away appreciating some of his big points, even if he doesn't spell out their mechanics: globalization will bring an increasing level of prosperity to the regions it touches. Good. I agree, with reservations. Is globalization the unalloyed moral good he seems to think it is? Is it something worth shedding blood over? I don't propose an alternative but I am uncomfortable with the ease that war becomes an option in this book.

I'm also hesitant about his role of the US as the Leviathan of the world. I agree that no military in the world is America's equal, and no military in the world could take on the role of international system guarantor... but ability does not equal moral imperative.

Average customer rating:

Learning should always be this fun

Hilarious & Informative

Light elements: Essays in science from gravity to levity
Judith Stone
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Science | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0345365887

Customer Reviews:

Learning should always be this fun.......2002-09-19

Named after her award-winning column in Discover magazine, Light Elements is a collection of essays that appeared there and a few originals, on topics roughly categorized as either Animal, Vegetable, Mineral, or General. Stone's style is like crossing Dave Barry, Stephen Jay Gould, and a generic magazine interviewer--and what a party that menage a trois would have been! She has a tendancy to go for the pun, but her word choice while doing so ranges so far across the field, and the informational content between the puns is so high, that you find yourself grinning rather than wincing. The topics are an incredible mixture of commercial science (a microwaveable hot fudge sundae?) to research speculation (the physiological aspects of humor). Just a list of topics is fun: ozone-destroying cattle, mummification of dead pets, thorny security fences (bushes, not bush league), velcro, dental psychology, why people wince at the sound of fingernails on a blackboard, the culture of country music bars (and I bet you thought there wasn't any), jumping and reeking roaches, the cheese detective and nouveaux punctuation. Don Norman, who I've been raving about recently, even pops up as part of an essay entitled "Voodoo Ergonomics." As a blurb on the cover says, "If science had been this funny in school, maybe you would have listened." Maybe you will now.

Hilarious & Informative.......2002-03-31

A collection of "Light Elements" columns from Discover magazine, these are as informative as they are amusing. Puns, popular culture references and considerable irreverance are Stone's tools-of-the-trade, and as the cover states, "If science had been this funny in school, maybe you would have listened."

Light Elements: Essays in Science From Gravity To Levity

Average customer rating:

Light Elements: Essays in Science From Gravity To Levity
Judith Stone
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000N727E2

Average customer rating:

Light Elements: Essays in Science from Gravity to Levity
Judith Stone
Manufacturer: Ballantine Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OVMPK8

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books