Reviews (148)

The Beginning of a Needed Dialog
This book is one of the most interesting summaries of the need for a dialog on what religion has brought us.Whether you are a believer or not, this short, concise and well written book will hopefully be a stimulant for assessing what one believes in the face of overwhelming pressure to subscribe to one religion or another.It is a calling for accountability for in how we live our lives, and not to "give it up" as they say to a higher being - as if you were an actor on a stage.This book will also lead you to question whether religion has brought more suffering to the world or less.

Harris tries to be brief, but misses
91 pages and you're done.Sam Harris does his best to get to the point: Christianity is false and everyone should stop believing it right now.
Oh, the irony
God, save me from your followers. And while you're at it save me from their equally intolerant detractors. These people cry out for an end to religion because it is bigoted and intolerant, but they have no problem with their own intolerance or calls for an end to free speech. They would overturn the First Amendment if they had their way. I wonder what would come next, midnight arrests at the homes of believers?
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Subjects:  1. Christianity    2. Christianity - Christian Life - General    3. Christianity - Christian Life - Pop Culture Issues    4. Christianity - Christian Life - Social Issues    5. Christianity - History - Social Issues    6. Christianity and politics    7. Church and state    8. Fundamentalism    9. Religion    10. Religion - Christian Life    11. Religion And Politics    12. Religion, Politics & State    13. United States    14. Current Events / General   

Reviews (64)

A Beautiful and Heartbreaking Read
Lawrence Wright, whose 2003 New Yorker profile of Ayman al-Zawahiri is still the best source for biographical info on the al-Qaeda number two, has written an exceptional book on the development of al-Qaeda over the years leading up to 9/11.
YOU OWE IT TO YOURSELF AND YOUR FAMILY TO READ THIS BOOK!
I tyically read novels rather than non-fiction, so I put off reading this book for a while when a friend of mine gave me a copy. Finally, I got to the bottom of my stack and I just finished it. I am so glad I took the time and strayed from my normal fare. Informative, yet gripping, I learned volumes about the situation in the world from Mr. Wright's thoughful and timely book. Regardless of your political persuasion, I highly recommend reading this book!

detailed, yet entertaining....very well written!
Mr. Wright has made sense of the senseless by effectively tracing the roots of the Islamic terrorism which led to 9/11. His research paid off and the reader will find this book both easy to read and hard to put down. The best book I have read on the subject thus far. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Government policy    2. History - U.S.    3. Intelligence service    4. Islamic Philosophy    5. Political Freedom & Security - Intelligence    6. Political Freedom & Security - Terrorism    7. Political Science    8. Political Terrorism    9. Politics/International Relations    10. September 11 Terrorist Attacks, 2001    11. Terrorism    12. United States    13. United States - 21st Century    14. Current Events / General   

Features

• Abridged
• Audiobook

Reviews (81)

Solid, mostly objective reporting
I have read several of Woodward's previous works, and found this to be a solid piece of reporting, wrapped and shaped to provide believeable characterizations of the players.I was not particularly surprised by much in the book, since a lot of it was clearly in the public domain press and television.But, Woodward has managed to fill in additional details to provide a soild context for the 10-second sound bites we get from the White House, and others.
I'm a Republican and I liked it
I have read all of Bob Woodward's books going back to the early-80's, The Brethren - which was not very good. I have consistently found him to be fact-based and fair in his reporting and analysis. I read this one twice.
What are we going to do about it?
While reading this book, which is about the fifth one I have read that basically says the same things about Bush and this war, and which I agree with and appreciate having authors tell me about, but when is someone going to write a book with advice about what we can do about it? All this talk just frustrates me. The points made in this book cannot fail to upset any reasonable taxpaying US citizen. I love the way they are presented but to be honest, I couldn't finish the book.It was just making me feel sick and helpless to do anything. What can we do besides read books about it? ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Abridged Audio - Misc. Nonfiction    2. Audiobooks    3. Foreign Policy Formulation    4. Government - Executive Branch    5. Government - U.S. Government    6. History    7. Iraq War, 2003    8. Military    9. Military - General    10. National security    11. Public Affairs & Administration    12. U.S. President    13. United States    14. United States - 21st Century    15. Current Events / General   

Reviews (17)

If you actualy read it
This is a wonderfully rich book in addressing many of the most important
Debunking the Bush crowd
"Hubris", the fine new book by Michael Isikoff and David Corn, continues a parade of offerings which spell trouble for the Bush administration. Nicely paced and rich in detail, the authors delve deep into the parallel stories of the war in Iraq and the Valerie (Plame) Wilson leaks. "Hubris" is well worth the read.
well researched but there's the rest ofthe story
Reading the book makes us aware of the problem but it needs to point to a resolution of the problem.Otherwise it's too depressing.It's like someone yelled 'Fire!' in a crowded theater and that's not right.I'd rather read one of Lyndon LaRouche's books. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Causes    2. Conspiracy & Scandal Investigations    3. Government - General    4. Government - U.S. Government    5. Iraq War, 2003-    6. Military - Iraq War    7. Military Policy    8. Political Science    9. Political aspects    10. Political corruption    11. Politics / Current Events    12. Politics/International Relations    13. Pride and vanity    14. U.S. Federal Executive Bodies    15. United States    16. Political Science / Government / General   

Reviews (7)

Never understood How important a Dad really is.
I am the father of two little girls, three and four months old. I want to be the best dad that I can possibly be and I believe that this book will really help me.

For fathers and their friends who have daughters
A very important book. It speaks the truth.I'm buying twenty copies so I can hand them out to my friends who have daughters.

Attention, Fathers of daughters!
Dr. Meg Meeker has written an important book for fathers in the 21st century. I purchased this book to pass on to a young father that I know and I'm hopeful his family will benefit from it.
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Subjects:  1. Child Development And Rearing    2. Family & Relationships    3. Family / Parenting / Childbirth    4. Family Relationships    5. Family/Marriage    6. Fatherhood    7. Fathers and daughters    8. Parenting - Fatherhood    9. Current Events / General   

Editorial Review

Sam Harris cranks out blunt, hard-hitting chapters to make his case for why faith itself is the most dangerous element of modern life.And if the devil's in the details, then you'll find Satan waiting at the back of the book in the very substantial notes section where Harris saves his more esoteric discussions to avoid sidetracking the urgency of his message. Read more

Reviews (622)

deeply ingrained religious baggage
This is a provocative book - intentionally so - that hits the mark pretty much dead on.Harris argues with patient reason and considerable humor that we, as a nation and a global culture, have suffered terribly as a result of our deeply ingrained religious baggage.He argues persuasively for us to free ourselves of these persistent belief systems in order to rise above the intolerance and ignorance they too often promote.Most readers will be challenged, and many offended, by these arguments, but they will find it difficult to rationally refute them without lapsing into defenses of their preconceived belief systems.I found the book weakest in its stretch to address consciousness, and to contrast mysticism with religion, but these are relatively minor quibbles that detract only somewhat from the broad suite of empirical evidence Harris brings to the table (augmented with over 60 pages of supporting notes).The sooner we turn the corner on the road Harris lays out, the better we will all be in the long run.

Religion versus Spirituality
Harris is doing what so many are trying to do.He has reached a point in his life when the religion of spirituality doesn't make sense, yet his spiritual religion does.Religion is an institutionalized remedy used to control the masses, usually through fear, and that institution has nothing to do with faith.Religion and terror are key words, but Harris misses the most important part of being human, that we have a choice to be religious and therefore subjected to the terror of this institution, or to recognize our spirit as part of the the true "religion", non-denominational, non-secular, and therefore truly faithful. We need this book because it forces the questions and definition of religion versus spirituality.Pair this with "God Winks"and "Forget The Cures, Find The Cause," and we may actually get a spiritual education.

disappointing, says one anti-theist
while I looked forward to reading this I was immediately disappointed to discover that the author is in fact
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Subjects:  1. Comparative Religion    2. Controversial literature    3. General    4. International Relations - General    5. Movements - Rationalism    6. Philosophy    7. Political Freedom & Security - International Secur    8. Politics / Current Events    9. Psychology, Religious    10. Religion    11. Religious aspects    12. Terrorism    13. Current Events / General    14. Miscellaneous Items    15. POLITICS & GOVERNMENT   

Reviews (34)

Brigitte Gabriel for President!!!!!!!!!!!
First off, she is amazing.Her courage, truth, wisdom, and awareness make her the person that she is.She shows the truth about radical Islam, and about the Palestinian society and how they manipulate the media and their people to hate Israel.There is not one thing that comes out of her mouth that I don't agree with.And I'm not kidding when I say I want her as my president!Anyways, the book is amazing and very easy to read and understand.She can definetely change the world.

An excellent book
Normally, I'm not all that fond of anecdotal nonfiction.But I think Brigitte Gabriel has done a fine job with this book.
Fantasic and very disturbing. A GREAT READ

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Subjects:  1. Biography & Autobiography    2. Biography / Autobiography    3. Biography/Autobiography    4. Islam    5. Lebanon    6. Personal Memoirs    7. Political Freedom & Security - Terrorism    8. Reference    9. Religious aspects    10. Terrorism    11. Victims of terrorism    12. Women    13. Biography & Autobiography / General   

Editorial Review

David J. Pelzer's mother, Catherine Roerva, was, he writes in this ghastly, fascinating memoir, a devoted den mother to the Cub Scouts in her care, and somewhat nurturant to her children--but not to David, whom she referred to as "an It." This book is a brief, horrifying account of the bizarre tortures she inflicted on him, told from the point of view of the author as a young boy being starved, stabbed, smashed face-first into mirrors, forced to eat the contents of his sibling's diapers and a spoonful of ammonia, and burned over a gas stove by a maniacal, alcoholic mom. Sometimes she claimed he had violated some rule--no walking on the grass at school!--but mostly it was pure sadism. Inexplicably, his father didn't protect him; only an alert schoolteacher saved David. One wants to learn more about his ordeal and its aftermath, and now he's written a sequel, Read more

Reviews (1753)

The Best Book Ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is a story about a young David.His life was practically perfect and then it all changed.His mother beats him from age 4-12!It's horrible, but it is such a great book.You will cry when he cries, and you will hurt when he hurts, but you will feel his angry and hate for his mother when he does!
A story about a Brave child
I read this book in 2 days, less then 24 hours. I was so touched by David's strength that he had from a very young age. It's hard to believe anyone especially someone's mother would do the kind of things she did to David. It's sickening and sad. I am glad David decided to tell his story, as I'm sure it has helped other people. I am currently reading David'd 2nd book the lost boy and hope to get hid 3rd book as well as his brother Richards books
"A Child Called 'it' " is a good read!
"A Child Called 'it' " is a book about a young boy,David, who is severely beaten by horrible, cruel mother.No one knew the purpose of this,(the beatings) but it maybe she was taking out her anger from her constant fights with her husband or maybe she is just very frustrated with having all the respnsobilities of being a normal,kind, and caring mother to all of David's other siblings.Although it was extremely unlikley for David to survive, his hope & faith kept him alive.
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Subjects:  1. Abuse - General    2. Abused children    3. Abusive mothers    4. Biography    5. Biography & Autobiography    6. Biography / Autobiography    7. Biography/Autobiography    8. California    9. Children of alcoholics    10. Daly City    11. Family relationships    12. General    13. Pelzer, David J    14. Personal Memoirs    15. Specific Groups - Special Needs    16. Child abuse    17. Self-Help / General   

Editorial Review

Essayist and cultural critic Barbara Ehrenreich has always specialized in turning received wisdom on its head with intelligence, clarity, and verve. With some 12 million women being pushed into the labor market by welfare reform, she decided to do some good old-fashioned journalism and find out just how they were going to survive on the wages of the unskilled--at $6 to $7 an hour, only half of what is considered a living wage. So she did what millions of Americans do, she looked for a job and a place to live, worked that job, and tried to make ends meet. Read more

Reviews (979)

Next week on The Simple Life, Barb joins Paris and Nicole for shift work at the local Wallyworld!
She Made It Even Harder To Get By
Ehrenreich is the kind of journalist I despise. One who thinks her insights are so important that it doesn't matter how much she inconveniences others to make her point.
Bring your own grain of salt.
This is not a bad book, but it's not a good one. Although I certainly gained some insight from reading this book, I was disappointed (and surprised) by Ms. Ehrenreich's (or the editor's?) lack of fact-checking/ attention to detail, and/or embellishment.
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Subjects:  1. Government - U.S. Government    2. Labor    3. Labor & Industrial Relations - General    4. Labor Economics (General)    5. Minimum wage    6. Politics / Current Events    7. Poverty    8. Social Science    9. Sociology    10. Sociology - Social Theory    11. United States    12. Unskilled labor    13. Labour economics    14. Sociology, Social Studies   

Reviews (50)

"Poverty" Misunderstood.
Let me start off by mentioning all the positive elements of this work (of which there are not many). In the beginning, the author shares accurate Census figures about poverty along with insight that it is a relative condition which applies to all races and creeds. She also recommends that educators should teach and strengthen rather than praise and condemn. From here, however, the work slips into the abyss. A Great Start
I work in a large middle school which hit the 50% level of students in poverty a few years ago. The majority of our poverty students are white, while the number of African-American students is less than 5%.The percent of Hispanic students in poverty in our school/community is growing.Ruby Payne's description of students and families in poverty fits our school to a large degree.Our entire corporation has been exposed to her materials, we've had Ruby as a guest presenter and our entire middle school staff has studied her book. We continue to incorporate much of what her materials recommend.We are having good success with this endeavor, and like anything in education, it is a work in progress.
A Must Read for any...
This is a must read for all teachers, pastors, doctors, lawyers,who deal with various social levels and just about anyone else who feels they can't understand why poor people are poor and stay that way generation after generation.
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Subjects:  1. Poverty    2. Social Science / Poverty    3. Social Science / Social Work    4. Sociology    5. Education    6. People with social disabilities    7. Poor    8. Social classes    9. United States   

Reviews (96)

Required reading
Ron writes another riveting story of 'The Decider' aka GW Bush.Everyone should read this book, particularly those who voted for him in 2000 and again in 2004.Anyone with a logical brain and half history of the ME Region could anticipate that the foray into Iraq was misguided at best and a breach of trust at worst.America will need years to recover from this Fiasco (another fine book) as well as all the lives and money squandered in this poor attempt at a war on terror.

Docudrama
This book is a "docudrama" where real people are placed in scenes with words and thoughts given to them.The book comes with no notes or references.Though most of it rings true, the reader cannot tell fact from fiction.The story-line seems plausible about a large organization facing a large new challenge, regaining its balance and developing a strategy to counter it.For someone to write a book of this nature, he would have had to interview many of the players, but you don't know who.I got a sense that the vast majority of the interviewees were middle level.Their frustrations with their upper management through all of this turbulence come through pretty clearly.
The 'one percent solution' says it all.
My take on this book is that we have lost personal liberties and have been deluded into believing that we are actually safer now than we were before 9/11. This book was outstanding. I have never been so embarrased at having voted for a politician TWICE as I was after reading this book. We have been so manipulated!
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Subjects:  1. Political Freedom & Security - Intelligence    2. Political Freedom & Security - Terrorism    3. Political Science    4. Political Terrorism    5. Politics / Current Events    6. Politics/International Relations    7. Prevention    8. Terrorism    9. U.S. Government - Intelligence Agencies    10. United States    11. War on Terrorism, 2001-    12. History / General   

Reviews (4)

Political correctness has put us into this situation
Bill Gertz explains clearly the rationale for improving America's counterintelligence. He throws out all political correctness that has put us in this current situation. Gertz is a better man for exposing these problems in our intelligence community. Now they may get fixed properly. Gertz can not believe that the Intelligence community has not changed many of its tactics since 9/11. Gertz points out the lack of intelligence in Iraq before the war began. He describes the problem with bureaucracy and its blocking of new changes. Gertz in each chapter describes a spy case that has happened in the past decades. Some points that jumped out at me in the book.
Enimies:Another wake-up call to America from Bill Gertz
This book gives an inside look at our failing intelligence agencies and the extent to which politics plays a roll in keeping them that way.While our short and long term enemies gain intelligence and sensitive weapons information on us, our politicians and incompetent leadership throughout our government's defense agencies do nothing but the same.I don't know what else to say.I hope everyone can read this and other Gertz books.Highly Recommended *****

what a shame
It is exactly this kind of short term mentality in this book, looking on all other countries as enemies instead of friends, that has been isolating the US from the rest of the world. Talking about military intelligence expense and power, no country beats the US. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Espionage    2. Military - Intelligence/Espionage    3. Political Freedom & Security - Intelligence    4. Political Freedom & Security - Terrorism    5. Political Science    6. Political Terrorism    7. Politics / Current Events    8. Politics/International Relations    9. Terrorism    10. U.S. Government - Intelligence Agencies    11. United States    12. War on Terrorism, 2001-    13. Current Events / International   

Editorial Review

John Perkins started and stopped writing Read more

Reviews (431)

Yawn...
While it does contain a few interesting bits here and there (mainly in the first half of the book) this book fails to live up to the buzz surrounding it. There were few actual "insider" details (or details of any kind, in fact) and the author's voice grated on my nerves -- very self-serving. I suppose those interested in U.S. foreign and overseas development policy during the Cold War and post-Cold War era will find it worth reading, but getting through it is something of a chore. It took all my will power to plow through the last quarter of the book...

Sadly not the book it's been touted to be
The premise for "Confessions Of An Economic Hitman (COHM)" couldn't be more intriguing and the book did after all sell tons of copies and has remained on most booksellers' recommended reading list for ages. So my expectations were high for John Perkins' blow out confessional, the product of a conscience that struggled with but manfully prevailed against the temptations of a financially lucrative and high flying career as an "economic hit man".
enlightening insight into US foreign economic policy
I am so glad I read this book. While it has been critized for relying largely on the testimony of the author, John Perkins' book fits squarely into a lineage of books that are beginning to reveal the United States' plans for "global empire." Like Chomsky, Perkins reveals the actions behind the double-speak and PR-sanitized language that occludes the economic domination that is really going on in the form of "aid," "development," etc.
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Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography & Autobiography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Biography/Autobiography    5. Business    6. Conspiracy & Scandal Investigations    7. Economists    8. Energy consultants    9. Foreign Relations Of Developing Countries    10. Government & Business    11. Intelligence officers    12. International - Economics    13. U.S. Government - Intelligence Agencies    14. United States    15. Business & Economics / Economics / International   

Reviews (18)

Supervision of Police Personnel
Same like the Criminal Investigation book. I needed it so that I can studyfor the Sergeant exam. And Amazon.com was the only place that I could've order the book from. Keep selling the special books.

Must have!Must buy!... but that doesn't make it good...
For promotion exams in my area, this is THE book that the examiners use for the supervision questions.
dry as dry could be
This book was very dry and difficult reading due to the fact the contents could not keep my attention. The 15 questions on the sergeants exam that pertained to this book were lengthy questions that were the demise of all test takers scores. Although everyone passed the exam all test takers complained about the 15 responsibility questions. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Criminal Law    2. Criminal Law - General    3. Police    4. Police Administration    5. Political Freedom & Security - Law Enforcement    6. Political Science    7. Politics / Current Events    8. Politics/International Relations    9. Supervision of    10. United States    11. Police & security services    12. Political Science / Law Enforcement    13. Political structure & processes   

Reviews (21)

Bankrupt and Disappointed
Okay, I'm conservative, but I found this book... disappointing at best, and only gave it 3 stars.The book is a rehash of the insanity of liberals in America today, and how the Democrats are making fools of themselves pandering to said libs.We all know that.If you agree with Limbaugh (and I do), the book is preaching to the choir.If Democrats would read it, have an epiphany and say, "Oh my gosh, we're being foolish and destroying America," that would be another.They won't.So this book does no good except make the conservatives feel warm and fuzzy.Besides, I felt that the only real meat of the book was in the last two chapters.Liberals are dangerous... in the long term, they are as big a threat to America as the terrroists.Democrats are foolish not to divorce themselves from the libs and move closer to the center.This book would help, but ONLY if you get a Democrat to read it.Fat chance.

Hoisted On Their Own Petard - The Left In It's Own Words
David Limbaugh, with this book, has done the country a great service by detailing the desperate times the Left in this country finds themselves in and he does it by quoting them continuously as they search for a way to become relevant and to return to power.
Read and Research, Think.
I am giving this book 3 stars because I couldn't choose a "no rating" evaluation. I am the narrator for the audiobook version of David Limbaugh's book and just want to say that this book like all books should be read carefully and thought about carefully. There is much to think about and discuss regarding the ideas and opinions expressed here. The divisiveness in some of the reviews and between our two major political parties is a waste of time. Children on the playground. Read this book, read others, research, think and act. Thanks for reading this book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 2001-    2. Democratic Party (U.S.)    3. Government - U.S. Government    4. Liberalism    5. Political Ideologies - Conservatism & Liberalism    6. Political Process - Political Parties    7. Political Science    8. Politics / Current Events    9. Politics and government    10. Politics/International Relations    11. U.S. Political Parties    12. United States    13. Current Events / General    14. Political parties    15. Political science & theory    16. USA   

Reviews (20)

Very thorough, not well proofread
This book is very thorough, and although it seems a bit alarmist, it's apparent that the information he covers could really become necessary in terms of a major disaster. My primary criticism is the in the editing. The author continually uses the word "loose" when he means "lose," for example, and it's an error that's found throughout the book. It makes me cringe when I see it, but when you get past things like that the information is valuable and it's well presented.
Disaster Preparedness Books
If you're like I was, you're looking through the various disaster preparedness books wondering which one is best. I have worked my way through 7 of the most popular books and offer a shared review of all of them here. I hope this comparison helps you make a decision.
The best?
I picked up this book after having read it some time ago. Reason is I chanced to read these reviews, and I'm stunned. Best book on the subject, perhaps. However, I've yet to read one book, on the subject, worth the price. Please, do yourself a favor and use the price of this book as partial payment for a Red Cross course. Very much of the content is common sense, and more important, time is valuable - don't waste it on this. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cooking / Wine    2. General    3. Health & Fitness / Safety    4. Disaster relief    5. Emergency preparedness    6. Health & Fitness    7. Safety    8. Safety measures    9. Survival   

Reviews (32)

We Want More!
In his adroitly served "Enough", Juan Williams meticulously defends the honor and polishes the tarnished star of Sir William Cosby.While retorting to the haters of individual responsibility, Mr. Williams offers real solutions (not just talk), to the plague that has infected multitudes of African Americans, who live on both sides of the tracks!His intricate weaving of history, politics, and culture qualifies his work as required reading for all with any trace of African ancestry. As a matter of fact, it would be good reading for anyone with any dealings with African Americans, which leaves out no one.

I really really wanted to write a good review...
I first heard of this book on a radio show and was very impressed with Williams' take on black leadership in America.I was shocked to hear these words coming from Juan Williams, who is the token liberal (whoever thought that "token" and "liberal" would ever go together?) on FOX News.I began reading the book thinking that I would be as impressed with the ideas expressed by Williams as much as I was will Bill Cosby's 2004 speech.I was disappointed for two major reasons:
Only Half the Job is Done
Juan Williams gets an "A" for effort, but this book does not go far enough. It is part of the dishonest black circular firing squad started by Cosby, where blame is readily meted out when the cause is black men, but the punches are carefully pulled when the cause seems attributable elsewhere, perhaps, god forbid, even to irresponsible black women.
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Subjects:  1. 1975-    2. African American leadership    3. African Americans    4. Black American Sociology    5. Ethnic Studies - African American Studies - General    6. Government - U.S. Government    7. Leadership    8. Minority Studies - Race Relations    9. Political Process - Leadership    10. Politics / Current Events    11. Politics and government    12. Social Science    13. Social conditions    14. Sociology    15. United States - 20th Century    16. Current Events / General   

Reviews (14)

Not as good as he says or as bad as his worse enemies make him out to be
One can accept the Soros version of Soros , or one can search elsewhere and find far more critical versions. Soros is to himself someone dedicated to making the world a better place, someone strongly committed to the idea of the open- society for mankind as a whole. He believes his own rare combination of great wealth, an original set of principles of life,a strong desire to help humanity,make him uniquely suited to understand what the world needs now, and how to give it to it.
It's a Worthwhile Education
Soros probably writes too many books and doesn't spend enough time crafting them. Certainly he stuffs each book with too many ideas and topics, some of them decidedly under-developed. For all that, the insights are well worth the slog.
yet another hopeless philosopher
After reading Mr. Soros's book, which is not an easy task, I believe he had to deal with his conscience. It must be extremely difficult for a forteen year old Jewish boy escaping Hitler's racial vilification and death sentence, by false identity-papers.
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Subjects:  1. 21st century    2. Civilization, Modern    3. Democracy    4. Essays    5. National characteristics, American    6. Political Advocacy    7. Political Freedom & Security - General    8. Political Ideologies - Democracy    9. Political Science    10. Politics / Current Events    11. Politics/International Relations    12. Sociology    13. U.S. - Contemporary Politics    14. War on Terrorism, 2001-    15. Human rights    16. USA   

Reviews (18)

"Lack of feedback is one of the most critical flaws in existing aid." (Worthy of 4 stars if not for author's quirks--see below.)
JFK declared in 1961 that "existing foreign aid programs and concepts are largely unsatisfactory." He then stated his intention "during this coming decade of development to achieve a decisive turnaround in the fate of the less-developed world, looking toward the ultimate day...when foreign aid will no longer be needed."45 years on innumerable people all over the globe are wondering what went wrong. The author of this book, an economist formerly with the World Bank, thinks he has an answer.In his view, "the legend that inspired foreign aid in the 1950s is the same legend that inspires foreign aid today"---"that the poorest countries are in a poverty trap...from which they cannot emerge without an aid-financed Big Push."Western elitist balderdash, William Easterly, calls this notion; arguing that the economical and political complexity of any society "dooms any attempt to achieve the end of poverty through a plan," adding that "no rich society has ended poverty in this way."How then is the West supposed to wipe out hunger, malaria, AIDS, TB, illiteracy, etc. within upwards of a 3,4, or 5 dozen countries around the world, all within a ten or fifteen years, or within any specific time frame.Utopian social engineering has not, to say the least, been particularly successful in living up to its rhetoric.It ought not be a revelation, thus, that "a big problem with foreign aid has been its aspiration to a utopian blue-print to fix the world's complex problems."How many cycles of "idealism, high expectations, disappointing results, cynical backbash" ought it take for us to conclude that some things just cannot be accomplished by planning fiat.It doesn't help matters, either, that "in the typical utopian program, everything is done at once and it is impossible to learn what works and what doesn't."
Masterful combination of rigorous analysis and real-life experience
In The White Man's Burden: Why the West's Efforts to Aid the Rest Have Done So Much Ill and So Little Good, William Easterly does a masterful job of taking the complex topics of international development and aid and making them understandable and accessible to the uninitiated.He does this not through dumbing-down the subject, patronizing his reader, or oversimplification, but through effectively lifting the shrouds of jargon, pretentiousness and mystification that drape most academic and international organization publications.Easterly seems to take delight at poking fun at the reams of incomprehensible babble and acronyms that spew out of most official documents.
This should be required reading, along with Collision and Collusion, the Strange Case of Western Aid for Eastern Europe
I spent 5 years doing a private development project. What I learned is exactly what Easterly says and more.
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Subjects:  1. Developing countries    2. Economic assistance    3. International Relations - General    4. Nonprofit Organizations & Charities    5. Politics / Current Events    6. Poverty    7. Prevention    8. Social Science    9. Sociology    10. Third World Development    11. Social Science / Poverty   

Reviews (38)

The horrible effects of cancer
I used to admire this woman.She was smart.She inspired me when I was young.It is a shame, however, to see her intellectual decline in her last years.Was this the effect cancer had on her brain?First, I can't understand how a book written with more heart and passion than brain and analysis can be called "The Force of Reason." She appeals to our feelings and fears more to our rationality.Second, she conviniently chooses historical events that only prove her point sometimes ignoring undeniable facts.For instance, she quietly forgot the role of Christianity in the Conquest of the Americas and the slaughter of the Indian races.Or the role religion played to justify the worst atrocities of the European powers.And what about the survival of Catholicism in Spain in spite of eight centuriesof Muslim domination?Yes, there were churches andsynagogues in Muslim Spain.This manifesto doesn't look very different from those fascists wrote about Jews in Europe in the 1930s. Poor woman.

God Bless the Christian Atheist, Oriana Fallaci
Oriana Fallaci is no longer among the living. We will have to do without her unrelenting opposition to Islamic nihilism.She died in the United States.Her fellow Europeans essentially expelled her from the continent.They made Fallaci's final years a living hell.As an ex-Catholic, I am more then a little irritated by the Roman Church's capitulation to the radical Muslims.Fallaci described herself as a Christian atheist and was more of a defender of the "true faith" than its own hierarchy!"This Catholic Church without which the Islamization of Europe, the degeneration of Europe into Eurabia, could have never have developed. This Catholic Church that remains silent even when the crucifix gets insulted," added the author.
A hero of our time
Oriana Fallaci, a famous journalist and former antifascist partisan, offers her fascinating views on Islam, its history, and the threats facing the Western civilization as well as her personal story that has become even more striking after the 9/11 attacks. For security reasons, Fallaci had to move to America, a country she views as the main hope of the Western civilization, and so do I, a citizen of the Czech Republic.
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Subjects:  1. International Journalism    2. International Relations - General    3. Philosophy    4. Political    5. Political Freedom & Security - General    6. Political Ideologies - General    7. Political Philosophy    8. Politics / Current Events    9. Sociology    10. Current Events / General    11. POLITICS & GOVERNMENT