Opium, Empire and the Global Political Economy: A Study of the Asian Opium Trade (Asia's Transformations)

Book Description

Up-to-date, easy to read, and wide-ranging, this is the first comprehensive academic work to explore the growth and development of the opium trade in relation to imperialism and a global economy. The book provocatively links the general expansion of the European empires-from Columbus to Cornwallis to Conrad-and the growth of commercial capitalism specifically to the Asian opium trade. Trocki breaks new ground by considering the production and traffic in tobacco, sugar, alcohol, tea, as well as opium. In an age of awareness of large-scale drug use, this book takes a long look at the history of our relationship with mind-altering substances.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent study of the Empire as a 'global drug cartel' .......2005-04-29

This book is an excellent study of the infamous opium trade, `the most long-continued and systematic crime of modern times'. And who committed this crime? The pious, canting, hypocritical Christian rulers of the British Empire!
Throughout the 19th century, the British ruling class paid for its ever more expensive empire by producing opium in India and exporting it to China. The British state promoted, protected and profited from the trade. Revenue from the opium trade financed all its governments in Southeast Asia.
By the 1830s, opium was the largest commerce of the time in any single commodity. In 1860, the British Indian government legalised India's narcotics trade with China as a government monopoly, run by the Opium Department. It became the Indian government's second largest source of revenue.
Trocki wrote, "So long as there was considerable profit in the drug, the enterprise was protected and given a safe haven in British India. ... the continued legal production of the drug in British India effectively prevented the eradication of drug use elsewhere." "if Britain did not provide a safe and legal haven for the trade, it could not flourish."
"The records show that the Indian government and the Colonial Office were constantly at pains to maximize profits and to protect, at almost any cost, the opium revenue of India. ... British authorities fought tenacious battles throughout the 1890s and into the twentieth century to preserve the opium system against reformers or opponents. So long as the British government profited from and perpetuated the opium industry, there could be no stopping it. It was the persistence in protecting the trade and preserving the revenues that seems the most reprehensible element of British policy during these years."
He concludes, "without the drug, there probably would have been no British Empire." "In their dreams, the empire, the Raj, was a great and glorious enterprise. It was also a global drug cartel which enslaved and destroyed millions and enriched only a few. The image of the Raj was itself a delusion created by opium."
And now the present pious, canting, hypocritical Christian rulers of Britain have the gall to praise the global drug cartel that was the Empire!

colonial history as a system.......2005-02-23

Most histories are about countries, cultures, or some social unit tightly bounded in space and time. Following the history of opium allows Trocki to show the inherent connection between regions (Europe, India, Southeast Asia, China), policies (free trade, monopoly, war), development of capitalism and the material basis of colonial exploitation, and the European hand in the creation of the Third world. Trocki's great strength is that he tells the story with evidence: numbers, charts, photos, and documentation. The result is that a complex, organic, and fascinating world opens up to the reader.

This is not a polemical work. However, its evidence and narrative undermine what ever is left of the European claim to bringing civilization. Trocki opens and closes the book with Joseph Conrad's peerless vision into the European heart of darkness.

Nice try, but...........2001-03-29

If you are one of those who appreciate sweeping generalizations, unsubstantiated declarations, and retrospective morality this is the book for you. One has to give Trocki credit for a concerted effort, and it is clear that he chases his mission with a vengeance. The thesis is controversial to say the least: "Without opium there would have been no British Empire." Many will be turned off by such a bombastic declaration, and, knowing this, Trocki does go in with all guns blazing. But no question, he shoots wide of the mark.

Besides the simple question of layout and direction of argument (which does not support the declared thesis) there are out-of-context and simply wrong quotations both of secondary authors and his own primary sources. Trocki makes extensive use of sarcastic remarks to drive home is own (presumably Marxist) political views and they can really irritate, especially when he is factually wrong. Trocki is not a historian but has tried his hand at historical research, and from this point alone he certainly made a poor impression.

To be fair, some of his later chapters are thoroughly interesting, as they concentrate on the author's own research area of South East Asia where he has undeniable expertise. Also, unless you reject post-modern historiography out of hand, it is always interesting to see a scholar attempt to create an entire weltbild out of his research and tie it in to other major developments worldwide. Personally, I think this is what historical research should be about. Trocki, however, could easily have damaged the entire budding genre with this book. If you want to read about British-Indian opium production, stick with Singh, or better yet, Amar Farooqui's new book 'Smuggling as Subversion.'

Average customer rating:
Opium, Empire and the Global Political Economy: A Study of the Asian Opium Trade, 1750-1950. (Book Reviews).: An article from: Pacific Affairs
Bill Sewell
Manufacturer: University of British Columbia
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B0008IOD8O
Release Date: 2005-07-28

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Pacific Affairs, published by University of British Columbia on December 22, 2001. The length of the article is 669 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: Opium, Empire and the Global Political Economy: A Study of the Asian Opium Trade, 1750-1950. (Book Reviews).
Author: Bill Sewell
Publication: Pacific Affairs (Refereed)
Date: December 22, 2001
Publisher: University of British Columbia
Volume: 74 Issue: 4 Page: 598(2)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Book Description

In Politics and Banking Susan Hoffmann explores the influence of public philosophies--in particular, classic liberalism, utilitarianism, progressivism, and populism--on the development of U.S. banking institutions. Focusing on banks, savings and loan associations, and credit unions, Hoffmann demonstrates that though policy makers' political and economic interests surely played a role in the development of these institutions and the policies relating to them, we cannot overlook the importance of ideas.

Following the development of banking from the first Congress through the Great Depression, Hoffmann begins by explaining how particular political ideas helped create the first Bank of the United States. She shows how other ideas--about the relationship between public and private spheres--led to the demise of the second Bank of the United States and establishment of the Independent Treasury. Further chapter topics include the development of the corporate bank; congressional debates on money and banking from the end of the Civil War through the Banking Act of 1935; the creation of savings and loan associations; and a discussion of how philosophical populism led to institutions and policies that emphasize economic democracy. The book concludes by examining the impact of neoliberal public philosophy on U.S. banking today.

Book Description

Smart Things to Know About Consultancy provides the complete guide for those aspiring to set themselves up in consultancy. It covers the basics of starting out on your own, deciding service range, branding and fee policy, through to bringing in the business, writing persuasive proposals and styles of working.

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Stop! Then Count to 10 Before You Lose Time, Money, and/or Reputation. . . By Selecting the WRONG Internet Business Opportunity: And Determine Your Willingness to do What it Takes to Succeed!
A. W. Schade
Manufacturer: Authorhouse
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Small Business & Entrepreneurship | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1403384142

Book Description

A Reference book with over 200 potential jobs in the horse industry. Portraying all the pros and cons of these positions, to open the reader's eyes to the full scope of potentially satisfying careers.

Customer Reviews:

A VERY helpful book.......2006-10-20

I'm a college student with a passion for art and horses. This book has really helped me in finding a way to have a career that involves both. It also has additional sources for information, internships, etc.

Good book. .......2005-09-17

This is for my daughter who needs some career direction. It is helpful regarding education, who to contact, and expected salary.

My daughter aspires to be a mounted police officer; this particular career description is very vague. The book just suggests that interested parties contact the local law enforcement agency for details . Even though it lacked info regarding mounted police officer, just about all other imaginable careers are listed and described.

Opportunities in Animal and Pet Care Careers (Vgm Opportunities Series (Paper))

Average customer rating:

This is great!!!
amazing breadth of job paths covered

Opportunities in Animal and Pet Care Careers (Vgm Opportunities Series (Paper))
Mary Price Lee , and Richard S. Lee
Manufacturer: VGM Career Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Job Hunting & Careers | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Job Markets & Advice | Job Hunting & Careers | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Animal Husbandry | Agricultural Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0844240818

Book Description

Opportunities in Animal and Pet Careers offers job seekers essential information about a variety of careers for animal lovers. The book includes training and education requirements, salary statistics, and professional and Internet resources.

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Customer Reviews:

This is great!!!.......2006-08-19

This book is awesome. It's got just about every kind of job dealing with animals in it. It's got descriptions for the jobs, basic pay ideas, and the education information needed. I was very pleased with this book.

amazing breadth of job paths covered.......2001-06-19

I originally thought that the main focus of this book would be about veterinarians, in fact, it covers the whole range of animal related careers, from working in a pet store to becoming a vet, and all the places you could go after you've become a vet. It has a very helpful chapter on the process of getting in to vet school. The financial aid and acceptance policies are different from those of other schools, and all fall under a single overseeing board for all the schools. All the schools are listed here along with contact info for each. All very detailed.

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Funny but True
The Reality of Professional Pet Sitting
Wrong Title
Cute and helpful
Doggie stories stranger than fiction!

The Reality of Professional Pet Sitting
Suzanne M. Roth
Manufacturer: Xlibris Corporation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Guides | Job Hunting & Careers | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Animal Care & Pets | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0738802956

Book Description

This book is a real-life look at the growing profession of pet sitting. It is a candid look at the author's experiences, and offers helpful hints and advice for potential sitters.

Customer Reviews:

Funny but True.......2007-07-06

The Reality of Professional Pet Sitting

I enjoyed this book very much. Many of the incidents I too had experienced at one time or another and found myself laughing out load. Definitely a good resource of any one thinking about being a pet sitter. Written very well. I highly recommend it.

The Reality of Professional Pet Sitting.......2005-08-02

everything you can use to start your own pet business, I mean everything, very informative. a must buy.

Wrong Title.......2004-08-03

This should of been called "The bad things that happened to me while pet sittng for 8 years." The vast bulk of the book is made up of anectdotes from the author's life that, taken alone, would keep anyone from wanting to become a pet sitter. Although the author obviously has a love of her job, there is not one recount of a positive experience that would explain that love. The reader has to pause in wonder at the author's fear of mice, squirrels, iguanas, and even some cats. If you are a lover of ALL animals, or you if are looking for advice on how to start or improve your business, you will find this book seriously lacking in substance. Written in second (yes, second) person, and full of uninspired language wrapped around poor attempts at humor(ie.repeated use of the phrase 'no pun intended'), this is a disappointment by any measure. Two stars is a generous rating.

Cute and helpful.......2004-05-28

This book was easy to read and full of cute stories, but some of them were lacking in content or the way in which it was written. They are short one-page accounts of incidences that have happened to her, and while most are entertaining and insightful, a few are anti-climatic and I felt myself waiting for something, when it just ended and the whole point was already told. It also fell short in the editing department, with a handful of typos and unofficial technicals in writing. This is something I or anyone could've easily written. As a published book, it needed work in editing and style before publishing. But as a guide and insight to what you can expect while pet sitting, it certainly does the job. She gives you all kinds of incidences that can, and probably will, happen to any pet sitter. She also wakes you up to the hard parts of the job and, exactly as the title describes, the realities of pet sitting. It's definitely good to read if you are considering going into pet sitting, and I would agree with most of her advice. She definitely shows her degree of experience.

Doggie stories stranger than fiction!.......2004-04-10

I read this book in 2 sittings, absolutely impressed by this woman's dedication to pets, when I would have probably given up. If you're considering pet sitting, you certainly need to read this book first. It's a hands-on manual for the job.

Not only does the author give obscure tips (make sure owners didn't lock screen door and exit through the garage) that you'd never think of, she gives personality advice on who will make it and who won't.

In my opinion, one would find it more lucrative to just do cats and not do dogs (which are HIGH maintenance for sure). But the author is a better person than I am in terms of doggie devotion. I'd be in the middle of the street screaming at some of the things that happened to her.

The only thing I disagreed with was her estimation of the income potential, which was low. I think cats and birds would put it much higher than office work. The dogs pull it down. Read it and see for yourself.

Average customer rating:
Opportunities in Animal and Pet Care Careers
Mary Price and Lee, Richard S. Lee
Manufacturer: VGM Career Horizons
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000JVR4S6

Book Description

Learn how individuals and couples can create wealth even if they're in debt. There are two areas to handling money effectively and creating wealth: One, the emotional area, and two, the practical area. Wealth On Any Income addresses both of these areas.

Without first dealing with the emotional beliefs and attitudes we have about money, no amount of practical information or tips will effectively support us to create wealth, live within our income or get out of debt. In this book you will learn how to:

Be rich on any income - even if you're in debt.
Live within your income in 90 days, guaranteed.
Handle emergency spending without financial disaster.
Use the "magic formula" to create wealth and avoid debt.
Create the action and support structure to achieve your goals.

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"Learn how individuals and couples can create wealth even if they're in debt. There are two areas to handling money effectively and creating wealth: One, the emotional area, and two, the practical area. Wealth On Any Income addresses both of these areas. Without first dealing with the emotional beliefs and attitudes we have about money, no amount of practical information or tips will effectively support us to create wealth, live within our income or get out of debt."

Customer Reviews:

Crap.......2005-09-23

I was living in a 5 bedroom mansion until I read this book. Now I live in a cardboard box. I had to use the library internet to write this review. Don't buy this book! It will only bring you pain and misery.
Oh the misery...it never ends.

Do Not Buy the Microsoft Reader Version - Can't Print !!!.......2004-04-09

Why do I give 1 star to a 5 star book? Because, this book has many forms for you to fill out in the appendix, yet you can't use them since you can't print them in Microsoft Reader. It is wrong for them to not tell you ahead of time before you buy it. I am trying to get a refund from Amazon. Wish me luck!

AT LAST!!!.......2002-07-18

My great discovery for 2002! A book that helped me fit into my own budget! I was a haphazard spender, spontaneously altering my budget according to what I saw that I wanted with no specific plan in mind before I attended a seminar with Rennie Gabriel and purchased his book.

This book is life changing! Get it today!

"A Wealth Of Information".......2002-05-09

"Wealth On Any Income" contains a wealth of information on how to handle money. I was particularly impressed with the clear and concise manner in which Rennie Gabriel writes. The brief scenarios and examples he utilizes to illustrate his points
are also very easy to understand and the forms he provides for the reader to use have proven to be invaluable. I truly wish I had learned the principles of money management discussed in this book at a younger age. "Wealth On Any Income" should be mandatory reading for anyone with an income.

This book is like a cookbook for personal finance!.......2002-05-05

First, I have to admit something...the author - Rennie Gabriel - is my father. The principles he taught me growing up are found in his book, "Wealth on any Income." Thanks to his guidance, I have zero credit card debt, pay myself first and I teach financial professionals throughout the country how to help their clients do the same. If you want your kids or yourself to become savvy in the ways of personal finance, you can do no better than to purchase this book RIGHT NOW!

Book Description

The metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) transistor is the fundamental element of digital electronics. The tens of millions of transistors in a typical home -- in personal computers, automobiles, appliances, and toys -- are almost all derive from MOS transistors. To the Digital Age examines for the first time the history of this remarkable device, which overthrew the previously dominant bipolar transistor and made digital electronics ubiquitous. Combining technological with corporate history, To the Digital Age examines the breakthroughs of individual innovators as well as the research and development power (and problems) of large companies such as IBM, Intel, and Fairchild.

Bassett discusses how the MOS transistor was invented but spurned at Bell Labs, and then how, in the early 1960s, spurred on by the possibilities of integrated circuits, RCA, Fairchild, and IBM all launched substantial MOS R & D programs. The development of the MOS transistor involved an industry-wide effort, and Bassett emphasizes how communication among researchers from different firms played a critical role in advancing the new technology. Bassett sheds substantial new light on the development of the integrated circuit, Moore's Law, the success of Silicon Valley start-ups as compared to vertically integrated East Coast firms, the development of the microprocessor, and IBM's multi-billion-dollar losses in the early 1990s. To the Digital Age offers a captivating account of the intricate R & D process behind a technological device that transformed modern society.

Customer Reviews:

A survey which is perfect for both business and science libraries at the college level.......2007-10-06

TO THE DIGITAL AGE: RESEARCH LABS, START-UP COMPANIES, AND THE RISE OF MOS TECHNOLOGY provides college-level collections strong in science history with a survey of the rise of the transistor and its affects on both business and scientific pursuits. The achievements and discoveries of individual scientists and the participation of private industries in breakthrough discoveries alike are charted in a survey which is perfect for both business and science libraries at the college level, offering students an excellent opportunity to understand and discuss how technological advancements both affect and are fostered by business pursuits.

Excellent record of the semiconductor industry history.......2004-08-27

This a truly great book documenting history of MOS technology. Even though it focuses on MOS, it is a must read for anyone who is interested in the development of semiconductor industry in the United States and Silicon Valley in perticular.

The Author takes us from Bell labs where first transistor was invented to its progress over there and then shows how Bell labs was left behind and the cutting edge moved to places like Fairchild, IBM, RCA, Texas Instruments, General Instruments. It tracks how IBM made it big and then lost the initiative to Intel and about how the great minds moved from East coast to west coast. It focuses on numerous personalities including William shockley, Gordon Moore and Andy Grove.

It is very well researched. The author had extensive access to records from above mentioned companies and he makes good use of those.

Perhaps my only criticism will be that this book is too detailed and scientifically oriented. People not familar with MOS technology may find it little overwhelming. But it is a treat for any student or researcher of this area.

Three enthusiastic thumbs up for this one.

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