The Uses of Argument
by Stephen E. Toulmin
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Paperback (01 January, 1958)
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Reviews (2)

A classic--in argument, rhetoric, and philosophy
Stephen Toulmin's The Uses of Argument distinguishes itself as a work of importance in three different yet related fields.As philosophy it offers a compelling critique of analytic methods for looking at arguments, showing the limitations of a philosophical system that excludes discussion of ethical and practical issues.As rhetorical theory it was, along with Perelman's New Rhetoric, to reinvigorate Aristotle's topics within philosophical and practical argument.As argumentation theory, it models and maps arguments, providing a basic vocabulary for establishing claims, in terms of"warrants," "grounds," and "backing."

Toulmin is a gifted and engaging writer.He often lays out a concept in incomplete form, though, making one wonder exactly what he meant.You have to look at other things he's written much later to see a fuller exposition of an idea that is tantalizing in its original instance.He, for example, discusses "argument field" in Uses of Argument, but provides little explication of the term.You have to read his much later Human Understanding to begin to get a fuller picture of the idea.

Toulmin has often changed directions intellectually, so his work might not universally appeal to someone interested in argument or rhetoric.Nevertheless, his knowledge and writing style make him a consistently entertaining philosophical showman, much in the tradition of Bertrand Russell.He has also written one of the best books ever about Wittgenstein.

He has made significant contributions to epistemology and the philosophy of science.

Brillant book, giving new insights on ouruse of reason
It is a book you won't forget. Far from being boring or too technical, it is filled with examples, often funny, that help you to understand betterthe way our reasoning works. The classical categories are here related toour daily use of reason and the 'human face' of logic is brillantlypresented. ... Read more

Isbn: 0521092302
Sales Rank: 405593
Subjects:  1. Logic    2. Philosophy    3. Ethics & moral philosophy    4. Philosophy / General    5. Philosophy of language   

Animal Farm
by George Orwell
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Paperback (06 January, 2004)
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Since its publication in 1946, George Orwell's fable of a workers' revolution gone wrong has rivaled Hemingway's The Old Man and the Sea as the Shortest Serious Novel It's OK to Write a Book Report About. (The latter is three pages longer and less fun to read.) Fueled by Orwell's intense disillusionment with Soviet Communism, Animal Farm is a nearly perfect piece of writing, both an engaging story and an allegory that actually works. When the downtrodden beasts of Manor Farm oust their drunken human master and take over management of the land, all are awash in collectivist zeal. Everyone willingly works overtime, productivity soars, and for one brief, glorious season, every belly is full. The animals' Seven Commandment credo is painted in big white letters on the barn. All animals are equal. No animal shall drink alcohol, wear clothes, sleep in a bed, or kill a fellow four-footed creature. Those that go upon four legs or wings are friends and the two-legged are, by definition, the enemy. Too soon, however, the pigs, who have styled themselves leaders by virtue of their intelligence, succumb to the temptations of privilege and power. "We pigsare brainworkers. The whole management and organisation of the farm dependon us.Day and night, we are watching over your welfare. It is for yoursake that we drink that milk and eat those apples." While this swinish brotherhood sells out the revolution, cynically editing the Seven Commandments to excuse their violence and greed, the common animals are once again left hungry and exhausted, no better off than in the days when humans ran the farm. Satire Animal Farm may be, but it's a stony reader who remains unmoved when the stalwart workhorse, Boxer, having given his all to his comrades, is sold to the glue factory to buy booze for the pigs. Orwell's view of Communism is bleak indeed, but given the history of the Russian people since 1917, his pessimism has an air of prophecy. --Joyce Thompson ... Read more

Reviews (986)

Simple Tale, Complex Theme
Orwell's allegory regarding the Soviet Regime certainly is perfect; and such perfectionism was hard to publish at the time, as this book was initially declined by four publishers-a fact Orwell persistently emphasized: the ignorant justification and biased publications for the Soviet Regime; simply put, the British Press moguls were generally hesitant to carry out anything against the USSR lest it might offend their ally, or, the expediency of the political situation (then). One letter revealing this fact was from T.S Eliot, who as a spokesman for Faber & Faber wrote: 'we have no conviction that this is the right point of view from which to criticize the political situation at the present time.'
But apart from all that he did manage to get it published, and when it did, it was a huge success. The simple tale wraps around a group of animals who rebel and success in driving away their proprietor, Mr. Jones. Hardship and Tyranny ensue, making the animals wonder whether they are any different now than the earlier days when they were under the influence of Mr. Jones. The pigs become power obsessed; one is an eloquent speaker named Squealer, another named Snowball and the main character of the story Napoleon (Stalin). Later Napoleon devices falsified accusations which lead to many executions, apart from driving away his counterpart Snowball (Trotsky) out of pure greed for a centralized, totalitarian system. By way of Squealer (whose rhetoric is known to 'turn black into white') Napoleon manages to con the animals into various false convictions, some of which never did at any time exist.
So and so, Orwell has allegorized the many treacheries behind the USSR via a simple story...simplicity of a complex political topic is the point of success here.

Boring OLD Animal Farm
Animal Farm is one of the worst books that I have ever read! It completely put me and my classmates to sleep. There is no pazzaz to awaken you or catch your attention. Who would want to read a book like that is beyond my belief.
This is one book I wouldn't mind burning. And I am a complete book lover! I don't know if it's just because I'm a teenager or if it's because the book just isn't my type, but it seriously need to be taken off the recomended reading list for high schoolers!

~The ME!~

"BUT SOME ANIMALS ARE MORE EQUAL THAN OTHERS"
Animal Farm, published in 1945, is widely considered to be one of the cornerstones of George Orwell's literary legacy. Though it is a much shorter and somewhat less developed account of totalitarianism than his later work 1984, muted only by its fairy-tale qualities, it is no less frightening in presenting the dangers of blindly following a leader in a political climate of absolute power.

Orwell presents to us the story of Manor Farm, run by the drunk, laggard farmer, Mr. Jones. The animals of this farm are under the poorly organized rule of their proprietor, mistreated and underfed. One night, the animals, rallied by a speech from one of the senior animals of the farm, the pig, Old Major, decide that the only way to lead a better existence is to rebel - more precisely, revolt - against Jones, thereby pulling themselves from the yoke of human rule and enjoying for themselves the fruits of their own labor. Old Major dies shortly after his portentous speech and two pigs - Napoleon and Snowball - arise from the vacuum to successfully lead the animals in triumph over Jones chasing him and all other humans off the farm. With the renamed Animal Farm under new leadership, committees are formed along with a party flag, party slogans and songs. The pigs assume the top of the political hierarchy and set up rule over the other "lower" animals convincing them of the porcine superiority for planning, oversight of the farm and their new government. Both Napoleon and Snowball are young and intelligent, possessing a lust more for individual power than true equanimity among the other animals. However, it is shown that Napoleon maintains the greater cunning of the two. In the midst of the senior pigs' personal rivalries, political cohesion among the farm's animal populous also splinters. Napoleon ousts Snowball in the midst of this division forever using political machinations to denounce him as a type of "Emmanuel Goldstein" figure, later used by Orwell as the agent provocateur of Big Brother in 1984.

Orwell's use of names in this story serves as a form of irony to guide the narrative in such a way as to present a foreshadowing of the totalitarianism that is to come to Animal Farm. One can see that Napoleon will surely be the despotic lead pig when all is said and done. True to form, Napoleon assassinates all political rivals and manages to break every covenant of the animal community protected by a pack of dogs he has raised and indoctrinated with his own political world-view. Squealer, the silver-tongued pig spokesperson for Napoleon's camp, evokes the popular connotation of a conniving liar, pushing Napoleon's agenda with poems created by the party's propaganda minister, Minimus. The main worker horse, Boxer, is a symbol of the everyman worker on the farm and promotes an image of someone willing to fight. In fact, Boxer does fight but selflessly for the party of the pigs and what he believes to be the good of the community of animals, forever chanting the mantras, "I will work harder" and "Napoleon is always right." In Boxer, Orwell's irony is most biting. When Boxer lays mortally injured from overwork just before his retirement, Napoleon tells the other animals that he will be taken to town for medical treatment and is instead picked up by a horse slaughterer. This event summarizes the moral lesson Orwell wants his readers to understand in Animal Farm, that is, never to sacrifice a life of individual liberty unto a centralized power for when replicated in like forfeiture, it is likely to be perverted into a form of control over the masses. Tied to the lesson of Boxer, the ultimate irony is perhaps found in the donkey Benjamin, who surely is the only one with any horse-sense (if the pun can be pardoned) in the whole affair. How fitting that the ass should reign as the supreme intellect in Orwell's world. Be that as it may, Orwell's symbol for the intellectual in society remains taciturn in those times of the most dire distress, perhaps the author's way of telling the reader of the dangers of waiting for death to come into one's own backyard before reacting to it; a condition exemplified all too well in the political climate of World War II when the work was written.

In the spirit of true repression, Orwell has Napoleon keeping the tools of education from the masses he rules over. Only a select few of the animals are educated enough to read their own laws in the form of Seven Commandments printed on the side of the barn, which are artfully modified in instances when it is most convenient for Napoleon to adapt them to his personal lusts and political indiscretions. Ultimately, when Napoleon and his cronies have become utterly scrofulous and achieved unchallenged control, the commandments are done away with entirely and replaced by the slogan, "All animals are created equal but some animals are created more equal than others."

By the time the worker animals realize their economy has been one of more guns and less butter, it is too late for them to consider taking back any semblance of equality. Most animals on the farm were content to be in the role of coolie; to let the pigs rule and gain more power over their lives until the community fell into the iron grip of Napoleon and his cabinet. By the time the animals are alerted to the incongruity of the poor quality of their lives and the gluttony of the pigs, we find Napoleon and the other pigs going against all of the communal tenets of the Animal Farm as originally conceived by Old Major. Instead of denouncing the vile life of man and exalting the animal with "Four legs good, two legs bad", the pigs emulate man's existence to the point they finally choose to walk on their hind legs in physical imitation; the new party slogan, replete with whip in hand, is now "Four legs good, two legs better!" Their physiognomy even more closely resembles power-thirsty men who have fattened in such a way as to emulate the gluttony of despots of the time. When Orwell speaks of the many chins of the pigs as they sit around the table playing cards in Jones' old farmhouse with the very men they professed to hate, there is more than a tongue-in-cheek resemblance to men like Göring and Mussolini.

Even though many have previously read Animal Farm as part of a core requirement for a high school or college curriculum, a book such as this is always worth rereading at a later point in life as a reminder on how historical events shape an understanding of any lived-in political climate. It was Orwell's hope that such foresight could be utilized as an aid for future citizens of the world to pinpoint potential sources of governmental malignancy. Animal Farm can be read independent of other sources to glean Orwell's message, for certain, but is better employed to supplement 1984, which, as an augmented exposition of his theme, paints a more realistic depiction of the social philosophy and political dangers he attempted to portray.

If this subject is of interest, H.G. Wells', The Time Machine and Arthur Koestler's, Darkness at Noon are two similarly-styled books for recommended reading.

-Edward J. Carvalho

... Read more

Isbn: 0451526341
Subjects:  1. Classics    2. Literature - Classics / Criticism    3. Literature: Classics   

1984
by George Orwell
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Mass Market Paperback (01 May, 1990)
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Editorial Review

"Outside, even through the shut window pane, the world looked cold.Down in the street little eddies of wind were whirling dust and torn paper into spirals, and though the sun was shining and the sky a harsh blue, there seemed to be no color in anything except the posters that were plastered everywhere."

The year is 1984; the scene is London, largest population center of Airstrip One.

Airstrip One is part of the vast political entity Oceania, which is eternally at war with one of two other vast entities, Eurasia and Eastasia. At any moment, depending upon current alignments, all existing records show either that Oceania has always been at war with Eurasia and allied with Eastasia, or that it has always been at war with Eastasia and allied with Eurasia. Winston Smith knows this, because his work at the Ministry of Truth involves the constant "correction" of such records. "'Whocontrols the past,' ran the Party slogan, 'controls the future: who controls the present controls the past.'"

In a grim city and a terrifying country, where Big Brother is always Watching You and the Thought Police can practically read your mind, Winston is a man in grave danger for the simple reason that his memory still functions. He knows the Party's official image of the world is a fluid fiction. He knows the Party controls the people by feeding them lies and narrowing their imaginations through a process of bewilderment and brutalization that alienates each individual from his fellows and deprives him of every liberating human pursuit from reasoned inquiry to sexual passion. Drawn into a forbidden love affair, Winston finds the courage to join a secret revolutionary organization called The Brotherhood, dedicated to the destruction of the Party. Together with his beloved Julia, he hazards his life in a deadly match against the powers that be.

Newspeak, doublethink, thoughtcrime--in 1984, George Orwell created a whole vocabulary of words concerning totalitarian control that have since passed into our common vocabulary. More importantly, he has portrayed a chillingly credible dystopia. In our deeply anxious world, the seeds of unthinking conformity are everywhere in evidence; and Big Brother is always looking for his chance. --DanielHintzsche ... Read more

Reviews (1156)

Big Brother Is Here Now.
Read NO PLACE TO HIDE by Robert O'Harrow
Check it out on www.muckraker.org

Hey, folks, Big Brother has arrived Big Time!

It Will Haunt You!
In "1984", George Orwell proved his brilliance with this short novel. It portrays the life of a simple man, Winston Smith, in a totalitarian society. In Oceania, where Winston lives, the Party controls every aspect of every person's life and has the ability to erase the past and "vaporize" any member of the society who betrays the Party.

Winston Smith,or better known to the Party as "6079 Smith W.", is a seemingly average worker of the Ministry of Truth who begins to let his mind wander, an act punishable by death. He purchases a journal where he begins to express his true feeling towards the Party and Big Brother, the ultimate source of power. Even more dangerous that keeping a diary, Winston forms an on-going love affair which he cleverly hides well. All of these act, if caught, could potentially put him in Room 101, the most terrible punishment ever created.

As the plot thickens the reader feel a part of Winston's life. Although dense, this suspenseful page-turner keeps you on your toes. The three slogans that run Oceania, "WAR IS PEACE/ FREEDOM IS SLAVERY/ IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH" artistically portray the twisted and intense rules of the Party. Orwell warns his readers of the possibilities of the future government. 1984 subtly hints the government's power over the brotherhood and our society today.

George Orwell's "1984" is a thought provoking novel that will make you stop and reflect about your own life and the government's ultimate control over you. Once the ideas of "1984" get into your mind, they inevitably will always linger as life goes on. Honestly, this book will haunt you. Pick up a copy! Another book I need to recommend -- completely unrelated to Orwell, but very much on my mind since I purchased a "used" copy off Amazon is "The Losers' Club: Complete Restored Edition" by Richard Perez, an exceptional, lonesome (but also funny) little novel I can't stop thinking about.

Fantastic Book. Predicts the future which is today.
This is very prophetic and very touching. Greatly change your perspective of everything and everyone around you! Read it, you'll enjoy it to the last word. I know, i've read it 4 times and feel like reading it again! ... Read more

Isbn: 0451524934
Subjects:  1. Classics    2. Fiction    3. Literature - Classics / Criticism    4. Literature: Classics    5. Science Fiction - General   

Drug Crazy : How We Got into This Mess and How We Can Get Out
by Mike Gray
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Paperback (January, 2000)
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Drug Crazy is a scathing indictment of America's decades-long "war on drugs," an expensive and hypocritical folly which has essentially benefited only two classes of people: professional anti-drug advocates and drug lords.

Did you know that a presidential commission determined that marijuana is neither an addicitve substance nor a "stepping stone" to harder drugs ... only to have President Nixon shelve the embarrassing final report and continue the government's policy of inflated drug addiction statistics? Did you know that several medical experts agree that "cold turkey" methods of withdrawal are essentially ineffective and recommend simply prescribing drugs to addicts ... and that communities in which this has been done report lower crime rates and reduced unemployment among addicts as a result?

Whether he's writing about the American government's strong-arm tactics toward critics of its drug policy or the reduction of countries like Colombia and Mexico to anarchic killing zones by powerful cartels, Mike Gray's analysis has an immediacy and a clarity worth noting. The passage of "medical marijuana" bills in California and Arizona (where the bill passed by a nearly 2-to-1 majority) indicates that people are getting fed up with the government's Prohibition-style tactics toward drugs. Drug Crazy just might speed that process along. ... Read more

Reviews (61)

History speaks for itself........we lost this war
Great Book

i don't want to sit here and repeat the praises from the other reviews, but i just got done reading this joint and i thought i'd put my 2 cents in.

This book isn't an encyclopedia of statistics & reports on the Drug War like some books i've seen on the subject......it's easy-to-read and pretty short (about 200 pages), which is good because we need everybody in America to understand EXACTLY what's going on here without puttin' them to sleep......Mike Gray gives the average reader enough hard evidence and statistics to shut up any prohibitionists out there determined that stricter sentences & harder laws will make this problem "go away"......sorry, but it ain't happenin'

personally, the only parts of the book that i could do without is the first chapters telling stories about the hood and the dope dealings in Chicago by the GD's, and the last few chapters with stories of people who could benefit from Medical Marijuana but can't get it due to our current laws........to me they were old news and kind of boring, but i can definatly see why they're there.....to somebody disconnected from the battlefield in the hood, or somebody who is unfamiliar with the medical uses of weed and the people who could use that, i can see how those chapters would put a human face on the distant problems that they don't actually HAVE to deal with on a day to day basis

Most people can't see the forest for the trees, and what Mike Gray does with this book is take a HUGE problem that is usually looked at as smaller, isolated issues (the rise in drug use among kids, packed prisons, uneven racial statistics) and basically put it in "The Big Picture"........from the Racist Propaganda & false statistics that started the "War", to the Drug Wars in south america fueled by america's appetite for the product

Even if your already familiar with the situation, this is an interesting read.......it's crazy to me to think that i'm a 19 year old kid, from the hood, with no college education, reading some books i bought from down the street, but it seems like the people up in Washington (supposedly the best & brightest we have to offer to lead our country) don't have any reason or ambition to want to reform the biggest failure in American history

Knowledge is Power

Outstanding book
This book grabs you on the first page and does not let go.It is just what it claims to be -- a clear story of how we got into this mess and how we could get out.Everyone should read this book.

Great book!
Rather than taking the prohibition argument and tearing it apart point by point, Gray introduces us to the, at times, unbelievable players behind the movement, and how these individuals could manipulate public opinion about drugs through misinformation and flat-out lies. Gray is good at analysing the forces behind the enactment of drug laws-political motivations, greed, and religious fundamentalism.

His chapters about fighting drug trafficking are extremely terrifying. His argument-prohibition is immoral-needs no more justification when we learn about the multitude of violence the drug wars create. An excellent book. ... Read more

Isbn: 0415926475
Subjects:  1. Criminology    2. Drug control    3. Drug traffic    4. Government - U.S. Government    5. History    6. Narcotics, Control of    7. Political Science    8. Politics - Current Events    9. Politics/International Relations    10. Public Policy - Economic Policy    11. United States   

More Guns, Less Crime: Understanding Crime and Gun-Control Laws
by John R. Lott Jr.
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Paperback (15 June, 2000)
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Editorial Review

Multiple regression analyses are rarely the subject of heated public debate or 225-page books for laypeople. But John R. Lott, Jr.'s study in the January 1997 Journal of Legal Studies showing that concealed-carry weapons permits reduced the crime rate set off a firestorm. The updated study, together with illustrative anecdotes and a short description of the political and academic response to the study, as well as responses to the responses, makes up Lott's informative More Guns, Less Crime.

In retrospect, it perhaps should not have been surprising that increasing the number of civilians with guns would reduce crime rates. The possibility of armed victims reduces the expected benefits and increases the expected costs of criminal activity. And, at the margin at least, people respond to changes in costs, even for crime, as Nobel-Prize winning economist [TAG]Gary Becker showed long ago. Allusions to the preferences of criminals for unarmed victims have seeped into popular culture; Ringo, a British thug in Pulp Fiction, noted off-handedly why he avoided certain targets: "Bars, liquor stores, gas stations, you get your head blown off stickin' up one of them."

But Lott's actual quantification of this, in the largest and most comprehensive study of the effects of gun control to date, a study well-detailed in the book, provoked a number of attacks, ranging from the amateurish to the subtly misleading, desperate to discredit him. Lott takes the time to refute each argument; it's almost touching the way he footnotes each time he telephones an attacker who eventually hangs up on him without substantiating any of their claims.

Lott loses a little focus when he leaves his firm quantitative base; as an economist, he should know that the low number of rejected background checks under the Brady Bill doesn't demonstrate anything by itself, because some people may have been deterred from even undergoing the background check in the first place, but he attacks the bill on this ground anyway. But the conclusions that are backed by evidence--that concealed-weapons permits reduce crime, and do so at a lower cost to society than increasing the number of police or prisons--are important ones that should be considered by policymakers. --Ted Frank ... Read more

Reviews (156)

Best Book on the Subject
This is definitely the best book on the subject of gun control available.Prof. Lott is fact-based and unemotional.First class research methodology as well.

A must have book
This is a must have book, i think everybody that does care about the truth and the wright to have guns should read and more get their friends and relatives to read it too. Serious data and facts that smashes the myth about guns causing violence and crime.

Guns Are a Deterrant to Crime.
John Lott's impeccable research confirms what every intelligent person in America has known for years. Gun control does not equal crime control. Anti-gun laws will not deter criminals or keep guns out of their hands. Guns in the hands of honest citizens do deter criminals who fear armed citizens as much as much as liberal gun control nuts do. It's time our legislators woke up to the fact that trying to keep guns out of the hands of honest law-abiding taxpayers does more to help criminals than hinder them. If you don't want to be a victim the soundest thing you can do is buy a gun today. And learn how to handle it. ... Read more

Isbn: 0226493644
Subjects:  1. Criminology    2. Firearms    3. Firearms and crime    4. Government - U.S. Government    5. International Relations - Arms Control    6. Law and legislation    7. Political Process - General    8. Political Science    9. Politics - Current Events    10. Politics/International Relations    11. United States    12. Social Science / Criminology   

The Myth of Male Power
by Warren, Ph.D. Farrell
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (09 January, 2001)
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Reviews (82)

Provocative and Well-researched, Fresh perspectives
This book will show you where radical feminist writers have distorted facts and imposed a hateful agenda upon the media and the educational system.It is not in any way woman-hating, in fact, Dr. Farrell is a staunch supporter of equal rights for both women and men.In fact, this book celebrates individual freedom and has nothing to do with putting down either gender.It shows how radical feminists have hijacked the women's movement,changing it from a movement for equality, to a movement for preferential treatment of women and man-hating.This is not news, but what has previously been lacking is the well-researched statistics that prove that many radical feminist ideas are completely baseless.I would recommend this book to anyone interested in modern social issues.Whether or not you agree with Dr. Farrell, I think that you will find his work fascinating and open minded.

A backlash wolf in sheeps clothing
It would take a book to answer all that is wrong with Farrell's reasoning, but to make a few points:
1. He implies that female 'circumcision' is much the same as male circumcision which is astounding but points to his general ignorance.
2. He does not acknowledge that the shorter male life-span is due to testosterone and all its consequences for males. Castration is known to increase the male life-span.
3. The male 'instinct' to protect females is actually to protect the bodies men need for sex and reproduction. As more than 50 million females have been killed recently in Asia simply because they were female should make us question this supposed 'instinct to protect'. And protecting females most often translates into ownership and control.
4. Powerless men are created by male-male competition for access to young females and again, the sacred testosterone drives this not women.
5. His views on rape are ridiculous. Young human females have permanent sexual signals whether they want sex or not. These external signals do not usually reflect the females internal desires and concerns and this causes the confusion. Men are responding to fake signals that females don't know how to override without becoming invisible altogether.
6. This book is basically about all the hoops males try and jump through in order to rise in the male hierarchy and ultimately get their DNA into females.The men who fail are the men without power. Farrell wants us to feel sorry for them which is as likely as men feeling sorry for, and diverting their sexual interest and resources towards, unnattractive old women.
This book is interesting for debate and as an example of male sexual frustration being blamed on women. Ultimately it is about how some men suffer trying to get sexual/reproductive access to females and might help us notice that the 'power' being defined is reproduction.
Perhaps the real myth is the myth of ADULT power and we should direct our anger and frustration towards our gametes, hormones, fetuses, infants and children that are the real reason males and females exist, are pulled together and driven apart.

problematic
Actually, some of Farrell's citations did not lead to the 'facts' he claimed in his book.This is the biggest shortcoming of The Myth of Male Power.He should be more thorough in his fact-checking next time, because there were quite a few errors in the book. ... Read more

Isbn: 0425181448
Sales Rank: 19873
Subjects:  1. Gender Studies    2. General    3. Men    4. Men's Studies - General    5. Psychology    6. Research & Methodology    7. Self-Help    8. Sex role    9. United States    10. Psychology/Self-Help   

Cultural Studies
by Lawrence Grossberg, Cary Nelson, Paula A. Treichler
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (01 December, 1991)
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Reviews (1)

Compelling collection of cultural studies essays
Grossberg, Nelson, and Treichler have compiled a compelling collection of cultural studies essays.The selections in the book examine cultural studies from multiple angles, demonstrating the difficulty in identifyingone encompassing definition of cultural studies.The differences do notcreate dissonance, however; rather they create a thought provokingcollection that is worth reading. ... Read more

Isbn: 0415903459
Sales Rank: 396661
Subjects:  1. Anthropology - Cultural    2. Culture    3. Methodology    4. Popular culture    5. Sociology    6. Sociology - Social Theory    7. Study and teaching    8. Anthropology    9. Cultural studies   

Cultural Software : A Theory of Ideology
by J. Balkin
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Paperback (25 May, 1998)
list price: $25.00
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Reviews (2)

A wise and erudite analysis of cultural understanding
This is a wonderfully wise, erudite, and well-written book. Don't let the title fool you. The book is not about forms of software designed to promote culture. The book is about cultural understanding, and culture software isan apt metaphor, helping Balkin to explain his position. As Balkindemonstrates in a wide variety of contexts, our tools of culturalunderstanding are a double-edged sword leading us to progress on the onehand and substantial injustice on the other. The book features anenormously valuable guide to and critique of the literature on ideology, apersuasive account of the pragmatic necessity of making transcendent claimsabout truth and justice, and extremely rich discussions of the ways wethink about the world, including, e.g., narration, metaphor, and pairedoppositions. Particularly impressive is Balkin's ability to crisply,accessibly, and fairly treat a wide variety of important thinkers from manydifferent disciples. This book should appeal to all who try to thinkbroadly whether their primary intellectual allegiance is to Anthropology,History, Law, Philosophy (analytic or continental), Political Science,Psychology, or Sociology.

Steven Shiffrin, Cornell University

A profound and sophisticated theory
I highly recommend this book, especially for scholars in law, philosophy,and political theory.It is one of the most insightful and wide-rangingbooks I have read.Balkin develops a profound and sophisticated theory ofcultural understanding - the ways in which individuals think, form theirbeliefs, values, and identities, and evaluate each other's ideas.Balkinexplains cultural understanding by using the very appropriate metaphor of"cultural software."With this metaphor, he crafts a theory ofcultural understanding that accounts for the effects of historical changeon shared belief systems as well as variation and disagreement amongindividuals in the same culture.Balkin's topic is one that is bothincredibly complex yet essential to many fields: conceptions of culturalunderstanding underpin much of the scholarly discourse in philosophy,sociology, political theory, and law.Although his project is quiteambitious, he engages it with remarkable clarity, depth, andsophistication.The book is unusual in that it masterfully synthesizesnumerous diverse fields, including philosophy, law, psychology, biology,and sociology.Balkin is at home in each of these fields, displayingcommand over the thought of such diverse thinkers such as Plato, Geertz,Foucault, Levi-Strauss, Gadamer, Goffman, and Mannheim.

Balkin is afantastic writer, able to explain his concepts very clearly withoutresorting to excessive jargon and without sacrificing complexity or nuance. The richness of his thoughtis manifested when he applies his theories toconcrete issues in law and politics, such as his powerful analysis ofracism toward the end of the book.The book is also worth reading forBalkin's absolutely superb discussion of narratives, one of the mostilluminating I have read.In sum, this book is definitely worth reading;Balkin has set forth a serious and convincing theory to be reckoned with. ... Read more

Isbn: 0300072880
Sales Rank: 682247
Subjects:  1. Culture    2. Ideology    3. Jurisprudence    4. Memetics    5. Law    6. Mind & Body    7. Philosophy    8. Philosophy (Specific Aspects)    9. Social values    10. Sociology    11. Sociology - Social Theory    12. Contagion (Social psychology)   

Discipline & Punish : The Birth of the Prison
by Michel Foucault
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (25 April, 1995)
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Reviews (29)

BUYER BEWARE
I bought the book on a recommendation a year back and tried to read it but failed to concentrate enough as it was a pretty dense book. Recently I picked it up again, this time determined to finish it as it is considered an important work.

I have forced myself and it takes forever to get through a single page. Either the author or the translator did a lousy job. I wonder if the original is easier to decipher. I ended up putting the book down on page 111 (a third into the book). Do not waste your time with this book. Foucault may have been a great philosopher who had an impact on many other scholars but I wouldn't know because i cant understand what he wrote.

HAHAHAHAH LET ME DEMONSTRATE WHAT I MEAN AS I QUOTE FROM THE BOOK (p.23), SEE IF YOU CAN UNDERSTAND WHAT HE IS SAYING ON YOUR FIRST TRY:

"Instead of treating the history of penal law and the history of the human sciences as two separate series whose overlapping appears to have had on one or the other, or perhaps on both, a disturbing or useful effect, according to one's point of view, see whether there is not some common matrix or whether they do not both derive from a single process of 'epistemologico-juridical' formation; in short, make the technology of power the very principle both of the humanization of the penal system and the knowledge of man."

NOT AS BAD AS FINNEGAN's WAKE, but it sure comes close.

The Profit Order World
Reviewers are right about this book tracing the origins of the modern surveillance state back to the birth of the modern prison system but they are not mentioning the prime motive for this that Foucault points to: profit and capitalism.With the rise of industrial society it was more important to regiment and discipline the masses than 'off with their head' or hands.The panopticon prison idea was taken to the factory and service industry by industial giants like Carnegie and Rockefeller and the fruits of this profitable perversion can be seen all over society today: delivery drivers monitored throughout the day by GPS, social security cards, public schooling (founded by the same industrial giants) intellectual and psychological grading, job placement and conformity, credit ratings, licences needed to do everything but go to the bathroom, a growing snitch culture...Foucault's major thesis is that surveillance (discipline) aids profit and any deviation from profit leads to state-sanctioned punishment in the form of increased surveillance.As industry and profits increase so will the surveillance and discipline that make it run smoothly.Every facet of modern society works to this end.The irony is, as techno-pundits like McCluhan later pointed out, in the modern world the prisoner with a tv set has as much denatured freedom as the tycoon in his guarded estate and they enjoy a lot of the same things in a world where pleasure is increasingly programmed and vicarious; in a world that has turned from the moral order to the profit order, where bad credit today is the profit order version of the ancient moral order idea of excommunication.Everything that stands in the way of the profit order, whether it be an idea, person, religion, or country is attacked.Bottom line, we are all 'human resources' in the political economy, in the religion of capital: packaged and packed like a bunch of sardines with the capitalist state and its laws protecting the tabernacle of profit over all else.The inanity and inherent fraud of our system, not to mention the explosion of prison populations and an insane consumer society, makes a lot more sense after being traced by a renegade like Foucault.Of all his books this is also the easiest read.This is a beautiful book by a complicated man.by the way, he taught at the University of Buffalo for a short time.

It Isn't Just Big Brother Watching You
Once again, Foucault is showing us that everything we know is wrong by tracing the history and evolution of discipline and punishment from the stocks and public executions of the 18th Century to the modern penitentiary system. He argues that despite the good intentions of the modern penal system, it has failed in its noble aims. What's more, on some level, society knows it has failed, but keeps it around anyway because it serves as a method of control which we cannot give up. Overall, this is a fascinating and persuasive book that will change the way anyone thinks about not only prisons, but discipline in society in general. I only give it four stars because I felt the last chapter was not argued on very firm or convincing grounds, nor that the conclusions necessarily derived from the premises he defines. However, you can decide that for yourself. I would most strongly recommend this to those who are interested in cultural studies and literary theory. The idea of the Panopticon in society has become an essential concept for both fields of study. Those interested in revisionist history or just an entertaining, if slightly dense, read should also pick this one up; compared to most philosophers, Foucault writes with a clarity and grace few can match. ... Read more

Isbn: 0679752552
Sales Rank: 4063
Subjects:  1. Criminology    2. History & Surveys - Modern    3. Penology    4. Philosophy    5. Prison discipline    6. Prisons    7. Punishment    8. Sociology    9. Social Science / Criminology   

A People's History of the United States: 1492 to the Present
by Howard Zinn
Average Customer Review:
Hardcover (01 November, 1999)
list price: $35.00
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Editorial Review

Consistently lauded for its lively, readable prose, this revised andupdated edition of A People's History of the United States turnstraditional textbook history on its head. Howard Zinn infuses the often-submerged voices of blacks, women, American Indians, war resisters, andpoor laborers of all nationalities into this thorough narrative that spansAmerican history from Christopher Columbus's arrival to an afterword onthe Clinton presidency.

Addressing his trademark reversals of perspective, Zinn--a teacher, historian,and social activist for more than 20 years--explains, "My point is not that wemust, in telling history, accuse, judge, condemn Columbus in absentia. It istoo late for that; it would be a useless scholarly exercise in morality. But theeasy acceptance of atrocities as a deplorable but necessary price to pay forprogress (Hiroshima and Vietnam, to save Western civilization; Kronstadtand Hungary, to save socialism; nuclear proliferation, to save us all)--that isstill with us. One reason these atrocities are still with us is that we havelearned to bury them in a mass of other facts, as radioactive wastes areburied in containers in the earth."

If your last experience of American history was brought to you by juniorhigh school textbooks--or even if you're a specialist--get ready for the otherside of stories you may not even have heard. With its vivid descriptions ofrarely noted events, A People's History of the United States isrequired reading for anyone who wants to take a fresh look at the rich, rockyhistory of America. ... Read more

Reviews (446)

A turn for the losers and underdogs...
I think there gets to be a time in many hardcore history readers' lives when they realize that they know a heck of a lot about American history.We come to a moment at which we feel as if we know who all of the most important figures are by heart, along with the most significant events, the most relevant milestones and the most earth-shattering developments since 1492.

However, after reading a slew of more specific books on the topics that interest you most (be it the Revolutionary period, the Civil War, business history, or what have you), a day comes along when you feel like it is time to read another "overview" that will give a global vision of American history in its entirety.That is what happened to me a few weeks ago when I walked into my local bookstore and came across "A People's History of the United States," completely by chance, when I was overtaken by this need for generality.

It was the PERFECT choice.As I said before, I have always been the history buff, so reading the same once again would have been fun but somewhat pointless in the big picture.By reading THIS particular survey of American history, I was reminded of all the main eras and events, but this time I got to see the viewpoint of the major losers and underdogs, who probably wouldn't be waving the star-spangled banner if they had lived until today.

This is the history of the downtrodden, all those people who we intuitively know must have existed, but that nobody ever seems to mention at school or elsewhere.In the back of our minds, as intelligent human beings, we know that the American Revolution couldn't have been a boon to everyone.And same goes for the Civil War, the uprise of Big Business, the takeover of the whole North American continent, the building of the railroads, the winning of all our wars.

You can take the negative view that this book is left-wing Anti-American rhetoric, or you can look at it positively and just say, "hey, I guess it is only fair that someone took the time to tell the story from the other perspective."If you read this history book, you will then know who was left behind or stepped on in order for the rest of us to reach the wealth and power we are so fortunate to have today.

Brings needed balance.
This history book is an excellent primer for those who want to learn about the complete history of the United States. All of the atrocities that regular history books gloss over are brought to light and this shows how fragile a democracy can be when it falls into the wrong hands.

Unfortunately, there have been a lot of attacks from far right conservatives which have diluted the reviews section. Not one I will point out has been able to list a single instance where Zinn has been wrong or misleading about anything. Instead, the reviews are simply vicious personal attacks that, of all things, accuse the left of being vicious and personal in nature. But then, they tend to attack that which scares them, and if Zinn is scaring them it is because of the information that he brings attention to.

Covering more than 500 years of history means that the book can not go into as much detail as I would have liked concerning some subjects. At the same time, there are very few important historical events that are not presented. Having read this book, I was motivated to do more research and found that all of the information is corroborated elsewhere and even more interesting when coming from a dedicated source.

Well worth reading. It's a shame though that so many reviews that are simply ideological attacks are allowed taint what is otherwise a great system for reviewing books.

The Bible
Title says it all. This book has helped me in countless college courses. ... Read more

Isbn: 0060194480
Subjects:  1. Civilization    2. History    3. History - General History    4. History: American    5. United States    6. United States - 20th Century (1945 to present)    7. United States - General    8. United States History (General)   

On Writing Well: The Classic Guide to Writing Nonfiction
by William Knowlton Zinsser
Average Customer Review:
Paperback (01 April, 1998)
list price: $14.00
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Editorial Review

Whether you write an occasional professional letter or a daily newspaper column, William Zinsser's On Writing Well should be required reading. Simplicity is Zinsser's mantra: he preaches a stripped-down writing style, strong and clear. He has no patience for excess (most use of adjectives and adverbs, he writes, just adds clutter) or tired phraseology (for instance, he'd like to outlaw all leads involving those "future archaeologists" most often found "stumbl[ing] upon the remains of our civilization"). He recommends that all writers of nonfiction read their work aloud (don't commit something to paper that you wouldn't actually say) and write under the assumption that "the reader knows nothing" (not to be confused with assuming the reader's an idiot). In addition to the chapters on the expected--usage, audience, interviews, leads--Zinsser also focuses on such trouble spots as science and technical writing, business writing, sports, and humor. ... Read more

Reviews (86)

Secret Sauce for Writing Well
I am a proud owner of a yellowing copy of this manual. All I can tell us is that it is never too late to write, and you can write about something. There is a writer within all of us, and you can discover the writer within you with the help of this book.

This gem of a book by William Zinsser was recommended by an editor to me. He pointed out that he found my piecesinteresting but the writing could be improved. Flab creeps into your writing very easily, and laziness is a contributory factor to this process. Before you know it, you are writing flabby and ornate sentences to convey your idea like I am doing now.

Like many people I have had my fair share of struggle when I have to had to write something. I found that if the subject interests me then I am able to find my style and flow and get those words out of my head. But I often struggle to find the right opening, transition, and convey my message.

There is no secret sauce for writing well and William Zinsser points that out in this well-written book titled, "On Writing Well." In this book he systematically decomposes the process of writing well, and urges us to write in simple and interesting way. The book is liberally sprinkled with examples that helps us learn how to write well.

This book encourages us to explore our ability to write, and not shy away from it. "No subject is too specialized or too quirky if you make an honest connection with it when you write about it," says Zinsser. With that kind of encouragement we should be able to become good writers.

Useful for Both Readers and Writers
I first came across "On Writing Well" fifteen years ago, when I read the second edition. I thought it useful enough that I read it again twice at five year intervals.

Since my copy was literally coming apart at the seams, I purchased this sixth edition, which contains most of the content of the second, but adds chapters about specific forms of writing (The Interview, The Memoir, Science and Technology, Business Writing, Sports, Humor, etc). Additionally, it includes many more examples of what Mr. Zinsser considers to be good writing, some from his own writings and many more from those of other writers.

His selection of writers is so good that I recently purchased a copy of the book as a gift for a foreign student who asked me for list of recent quality American non-fiction.

I like his writing enough that I have read several more of his books ("Writing About Your Life: A journey Into the Past," "Writing to Learn," and "Willie and Dwike"). I find him to be best in writing about memoirs, but like the rest of us he has a limited reservoir of experience, and tends to repeat himself across books. He likes "Willie and Dwike" best of all his books; so do I.

He obviously has had a successful and happy life, which causes him to be a bit of a Pollyanna and critical of writers who write about the dark side of human nature. On the other hand, he does cite Mencken, Joseph Heller, Gary Trudeau and others of that persuasion, so not all is lost.

It's a fine book that will make you both a better writer and a better reader.

Amazingly entertaining and practical!
I was an English major and am currently a freelance editor, and Zinsser's book "On Writing Well" is the only writing book I've ever read that I've found to be both practical and entertaining.

First I must say that "On Writing Well" is not intended as a grammar manual; so if that is what you're looking for, this book is not for you. (In fact, a strict grammarian will find some of Zinsser's opinions and usage rather liberal.)

Zinsser does address craft, however, and this book covers a broad range of writing topics, with chapter titles ranging from "Usage" to "Humor" to "The Sound of Your Voice." One entire section of chapters is devoted to genre-specific insights.

"On Writing Well" doesn't merely tell how to improve writing techniques; it gives interesting examples--articles that I found interesting in and of themselves. In particular, an article about a Saharan caravan caught my attention, and Zinsser shows, step by step, why he wrote that article the way he did.

This book is a "must have" that increased my passion for writing and provided me with the tools to "write well." It was the first book I was told to read in my editorial internship, and I've read it at least three times since.

... Read more

Isbn: 0062735233
Subjects:  1. Authorship    2. Business Communication - General    3. Composition & Creative Writing - General    4. Composition & Creative Writing - Nonfiction    5. English language    6. Exposition (Rhetoric)    7. Language    8. Language Arts & Disciplines    9. Reference    10. Report writing    11. Rhetoric    12. Writing Skills   

Manufacturing Consent - Noam Chomsky and the Media
Director: Mark Achbar, Peter Wintonick
Average Customer Review:
VHS Tape (11 October, 1994)
list price: $39.99 -- our price: $37.99
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Editorial Review

Peter Wintonick and Mark Achbar made this penetrating documentary about the career and views of linguist and media critic Noam Chomsky. While the man is the subject of the movie, the filmmakers wisely and carefully choose not to make Chomsky more important than his insights into the way print and electronic journalism tacitly and often willingly further the agendas of the powerful. We learn a lot about Chomsky's formative experiences as a child, student, academic, activist, and politician (he has campaigned for office), but we learn just as much about the media institutions that deny him access today, from ABC to PBS. The centerpiece of the film, arguably, is a long examination into the history of the New York Times' coverage of Indonesia's atrocity-ridden occupation of East Timor, reportage that (as Chomsky shows us) was absolutely in lock step with the government's unwillingness to criticize an ally. --Tom Keogh ... Read more

Features

• Color
• NTSC

Reviews (55)

More a Tribute to Chomsky than an Expose of Media Control
I was a bit disappointed in this documentary.I'm a fan of Chomsky and Herman's book by the same name, and was expecting this DVD to be a sort of movie version of it.However, this documentary is really a tribute to and catalog of Chomsky's ideas and character.Although I feel Chomsky is entirely worthy of admiration if only for his dogged adherence to the ideal of freedom, I also thought this film was too much the work of fans and not documentarians.Of course, there are very few documentaries that don't make similar mistakes, but I think, for the sake of making Chomsky's ideas and known and understood, this kind of romanticism of him does a disservice to that objective.To the extent that this film does deal with the ideas of his book, it does an admirable job of getting his points across, most notably in the first half of the film.

I also thought that the film ran too long and much of the last half of it could have been removed without much effect on its clarity.

If you're a fan of Chomsky of course, you'll probably really enjoy this documentary, especially his discussion in the special features section of the DVD with William F. Buckley and Michel Foucault.If not, I'm certain you'll have long lost patience with the film after about an hour and a half.

Unafraid

One of the most controversial figures of our time, Chomsky speaks unashamedly of injustice, media propaganda, corporate corruption and all the other ills of our society. Chomsky has a perspective that is unwavering and focused in a way that is enraging to some and inspiring to others. He is a lightning rod for controversy.

Peter Wintonick and Mark Achbar take us through the life and times of this visionary, prophetic linguist. Reviled by the mainstream, he speaks truth and has his facts in order. In this film we have a chance to see how Chomsky's views and life have been shaped by experience-- very helpful and interesting.His is a voice that will be missed when the time comes. Luckily we will have documentaries such as this one to remind us of those who are unafraid to stand up in the face of scorn.

Thought Provoking
Clocking in at just under three hours (a little over three if you include the special features) MANUFACTURING CONSENT: NOAM CHOMSKY AND THE MEDIA is a marathon documentary dealing with Chomsky's theory of the role of the media in America. There's a governing elite in America, the theory states, whose goals and objectives are protected and forwarded by a press that seeks to marginalize and demoralize the great majority of Americans who don't belong to the elite group.Rather than a free marketplace of ideas, the press is a propaganda arm of the elite.
MANUFACTURING CONSENT, made in 1993, sends a film crew along with Chomsky as he travels the country, speaking at colleges and on public radio programs.It also uses a fair amount of archive footage, including tape of Chomsky debating William F. Buckley on Buckley's `Firing Line' program and French philosopher Michael Foucault.The complete tape of both encounters, each lasting about 15 minutes, are included in the special features, along with a short interview with Chomsky in 2002 asking him his retrospective reaction to MANUFACTURING CONSENT.
I think those who agree with Chomsky will throw five stars at this one, while those who disagree (if they bother to watch it at all) will be a lot more stingy with their stars.If you agree you'll probably appreciate the parade of examples - like the Indonesian invasion of East Timor in 1975 - the film uses in support of its premise.If you think the premise is fatally flawed you'll probably find this movie excruciating.I believe it's as balanced as could be expected.Obviously you don't travel with a documentary subject like Chomsky unless you agree with his arguments, but the film does include some balancing comments by the likes of Tom Wolfe and Jeff Greenfield.Greenfield, a Nightline producer at the time, responds to charges that Chomsky has never appeared on the program with the convincing observation that his style isn't suited to the demands of television, a fact the movie tends to support.Chomsky is a good public speaker but he does run on some, seemingly totally allergic to the pithy phrase or the stinging soundbite.
File this one under "Thought Provoking."
... Read more

Asin: 6303295576
Subjects:  1. Documentary   

I Blow Minds for a Living
Average Customer Review:
Audio CD (12 June, 1991)
list price: $18.98 -- our price: $18.98
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Reviews (10)

Timeless
Although originally released in 1991, during the first Gulf War, the first half of this album is more relevant and rings more true today than it did in 1991. The first half or so of the album is an excellent poetic rant against the war in Iraq and the neocons, even before the term "neocons" was widely used (he describes them accurately, without using the "neocon" label). His poetic rant against the war in Iraq has references to the oil industry, U.S. aid to Israel, the falling U.S. petrodollar, loss of civil liberties in the U.S., U.S. media, and the unwelcome reception the U.S. is receiving in Iraq for spreading "democracy". And just as this album states 14 years ago, the Democratic party has proven ineffective against the Republican war machine. Jello Biafra's words sound prophetic, 14 years later. My only criticism is that in one piece, Biafra puts too much faith in democracy. As we saw in the recent anti-gay marriage referenda, and the questionable election returns, too much democracy can be dangerous (mob rule). A must-have for anyone against the Iraq war, and anyone concerned with the future of America.

Biting Commentaryfrom the High priest of Harmful Matter
For all those who have yet to hear Biafra's satiric social commentary, this collection is a great palce to start. The 1st two pieces, "The Pledge of alleigence" and "Die For Oil" make this set well worth the money alone. And both are just as relevent today in our post 9-11 police state posture as they were when first released at the onset of the Operation Desert Storm, i.e., the holy war for oil. For as Biafra points out, quoting the famous social philosopher George Santayana, "Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repaet it." And that is precisely what this copuntry is poised to do with another round of attacks against Saddam Hussein and the Iraqi people, which is just a pretext for assuring control of Middle East oil reserves and Isreal's contimuing disspossession of the Arab people.

Aside from these serious issues, Biafra also rails against the hypocrisy of censorship and its essential threat to freedom, his own journey from pacisist to advocate of direct action, the possibility of electoral reform, which after the "election" of Bu$h all can see is nothing more than a fanciful, albeit immobalizing, illusion.In addition to his comments on political participation he also gives a sardonic recounting of his own run for mayor of San Francisco, which is both hilarious and revealing of America's so-called democratic process. This is commentary and protest as only one should expect from the frontman of ther Dead Kennedys and as these disc's show, Jello is just as independent, serious, brash and entertaining as he was when singing "Califronia Uber Alles", only know he does so without the accopnaying music. This along with his other works can also be obtained directly from alternative tentacles and AK press. DIY and get involved now, before its too late.

a teacher with a sense of humor
Jello Biafra lays into the Gulf War and the era surrounding it in this spoken-word outing, one of my favorites.He also gives an amusing account of his Mayoral campaign, and rounds out the album with a lengthy talk on censorship.An important work that, like Noam Chomsky's "Understanding Power," should be integrated into the American high-school curriculum. ... Read more

Asin: B000000F85
Sales Rank: 106506
Subjects:  1. Alternative Pop/Rock    2. American Underground    3. Hardcore Punk    4. Political Comedy    5. Pop    6. Spoken / Comedy / Radio Shows