Social Sciences Books

I thoroughly enjoyed Letters to a Young Brother and will be passing it along! So many of Hill's theories can be applied to everyone's daily movement. Great Job!

That one of favorite ACTORS, was not only a Brown and Harvard graduate but an awesome writer as well. After reading such high reviews on here I decided to order the book. I have 2 boys, 9 and 7, that aren't quite to the age level of this book, but they well definately be reading it as they approach their tween years. After reading it there is advise and pearls of wisdom that should be applied to adulthood, male or female. I love the fact that he talks on a level that is very relatable to young boys and that he gathers insite from known entertainers, which imo draws the youth in that much more. As many are raised by the TV, movies, and mush so something that their favorite actor/actress (Anthony Anderson, Ray J Gabreille Union, Sanaa Lathan) sports figure (Venus Williams, Curtis Martin), or rapper (Nas, David Banner, Ice Cube) says may come across as cool and strike accord with them. Presidential nominee Barak Obama even contributes. I just ordered Letters To a Young Sister, DeFINE Your Destiny, cant wait to start reading it.

I brought this book as a gift for my twentysomthing brother. Who is a not an avid reader, but he enjoyed this book.

Hill's book truly gives you words to live by. Realism, faith and hope in the future are the key themes of this book. As a reader, you are looking into the world of a young person trying and seeking to find his path. Gladly, Hill picks up the baton that was thrown to him by his mentors of the past and follows through by showing this youth a new way of thinking and living. His advice is so pure and genuine that it crosses the boundaries of gender and race--this is something that all folks need to hear! This book is the ultimate self help guide for those who have lost their way, need to find their way or need an affirmation that they are well on their way. Harper's words are definitely needed and should be cherished.

Preach on Brother Harper! Preach on!

I have a 12 yr old son that has been going through some rough times at school with wanting to do well, but being teased for it. Junior High is/was/will always be a tough time. My son and I read this book together and then discussed anything we felt needed discussing. He started to feel "normal" knowing that a lot of people were experiencing the same things as him, even celebrities like Will Smith, someone he looks up to. I HIGHLY suggest this book to boys of any race. Thank you Hill Harper!!!!

I have recommended Launching the Imagination to all of my students. LTI points out the commonalities between disciplines in clear and concise language with a wide range of visuals. It truly is a comprehensive text with an eye toward the future of the creative process. Sections on critical thinking, time management and ways to "turn up the heat" on your projects are just a few of the unusual resources in LTI. If you are looking for assignment examples there is an instructor's manual that you can purchase with over 50 assignments from a number of faculty contributors from around the country. Be sure you get the latest version since it has a number of improvements over the previous editions.

This book is filled with good pictures and works of art. The text is a little bit dry. I did not particularly enjoy it, but it does convey many basic art principles especially in the area of sculpture. It is a good introductory book to art fundamentals.

I have been the Core Coordinator at a major public university for nearly 20 years. We have used many Foundation Art books over the years--books by David Lauer, Zelanski and Fisher, Ockvirk et al, Steven Bleicher, Betsy Keonig, and many others. The foundation books by each of these authors have much to recommend, but Mary Stewart's Launching the Imagination is by far the best comprehensive overview on the market. We use it for our classes in 2D, 3D, and 4D. While it would not be appropriate for a course focusing exclusively on Color Theory (for our Color course we currently use Betsy Koenig's "Color Workbook"), it is an excellent foundational reference for beginning art and design students. I am particularly impressed with the sections on 4D (time arts) and Critical Thinking. I have started recommending the section on 4D to upper division students in animation as it provides a broader understanding of time arts via film theory, narrative sequences of all kinds, and book arts. Along with the excellent CD designed by Bonnie Mitchell (a major force in her own right in contemporary computer graphics and animation and a professor at Bowling Green University), this is a great resource for students and faculty alike.

I don't assign a textbook in my Two-Dimensional Design class. Instead I have students compile their own reference guide or text in the form of a sketchbook over the course of the semster. That said, I do use Launching the Imagination as my primary supplemental text and draw many examples and definitions from it for the work we do in class. LTI has laid the foundation upon which many of my projects are structured. If students choose to purchase a book to compliment the course material we cover, I recommend LTI. It's an invaluable resource and I'm grateful for it.

I refer my students to Launching The Imagination as the text I feel gives the broadest, most comprehensive and comprehensible descriptions and definitions of three- dimensional design. From composition to concepts, architecture, sculpture, and a variety of design applications, this text points out major differences and commonalities by means of example and explanations in common sense terms. I absolutely recommend it.

This book is a lightweight introduction to the Slow movement, which strives to make people abandon their fast lifestyle in exchange for harmony, deeper enjoyment and a greater connectedness with oneself and the environment.

The book itself is a fast read and could have been even shorter. I touches on various subjects (food, health, sex, children, etc.) and the main contributions for me was to be pointed in the right direction for further study. However, ironically, in this fast age, many of the web links pointed to from the book are already dead.

Even if I have my doubts, I believe I will keep the book's message with me for a long time; it is a very attractive message which has the potential of altering your life.

Honore should stick to Journalism. This book is a shallow treatment of the topic. Reads like a series of magazine articles that gloss over the topic but provide little detailed information or insight. Try Tom Hodgkinson's "Freedom Manifesto" instead.

My Crazy Type-A Fellow Americans:

We all need to take a cue from the Italians and S-L-O-W D-O-W-N! There is no need to rush everything. Things are more enjoyable when you are fully engaged. Live life, don't just rush through it.

This book started out strong, but then as the chapters on specific aspects of slowness progressed, I couldn't help but think that the author was devoid of any real ideas on the subject and was just using cheap anecdotes about modern fads. I really did want to like this book. The concept is great, the execution is lazy. Maybe the author should have slowed down and taken the time to think more deeply on his subject. I suppose my search goes on for a meaningful book about this topic.

This book is quite simply changing my life - the way I live, eat, move, work, drive, interact with people; well, the list goes on and on. My life is so much richer now. It is one of the most important books I have ever read.

It's completely believable. (did someone say it isn't totally believable?) It was the first experience I'd had reading any first-hand telling by someone as he in his teens kills his worst bully. His cold disposing of that body and getting away with it. Horrific. But what was meaner than his own father? The ice-man was hit, bashed for reasons that weren't clear to him at the moments his father came down on him. Out of the blue. Bad enough, child battery, when daddy states his reasoning. The iceman even believes that this daddy beat over and over his older brother until that child died. Hello? Mom? where was Mom? Right there! The beatings and other humane neglects formed warm pulsating heart into permafrost in he who became Ice. Ok. Life tells us there are no sufficient provocations for violence. but there are things done to soft and cuddly humans while they are dependent and trusting of the big humans who are in charge of such tenderness that screw their wee minds and there you go. What the Iceman did to his victims is unreadable. You lay (throw?) the book down and gasp and take days to recover and reluctantly give it your time yet again. A horrific read or did I say that? Yet Mr Carlo, you did good. Why did you not have to stop over and over to vomit as you related what are facts of such vile magnitude I'll never figure. maybe you did. Utterly unforgettable, and I tentatively thank you for reporting/writing it.

i am no book reviewer but at first i thought this is one crazy dude.several times i stopped to try to find out how many people wererolled up into this one guy.the photos and discription of him didn't seem to jibe with the dates.it'sfun to read but itt can't all be fact.

Great book about one of the most notoriously unknown killers of all time!

Richard Kuklinski was a very interesting man to say the least, his family life, his secret life of murder and his long list of petty crimes and schemes!

When you finish "The Ice Man", you'll feel as if you know the guy. The book starts off talking about Richard's horrible childhood and how/when he committed his first murder and takes you through his early days of crime and his association with the Mafia!

"Big Rich" as he was known to his friends killed over 100 men, possibly as many as 200. He killed using almost every means possible. Kuklinski claims to have killed the infamous Jimmy Hoffa and ruthless mobster Roy DeMeo. He not only killed for money, he killed without a reason. Strangers, punks, thugs and the homeless all felt the wrath of the Ice Man, but never women or children according to Richard.

Many people, including Richard Kuklinski believe he was poisoned while in prison, which ulitmately led to his death. Richard was going to testify against Sammy (the Bull) Gravano, he died in prison days before!

You can buy the dvd's here at Amazon of Richard's HBO interviews, they can also be found on Youtube! The interviews are excellent, they give a real life perspective of Big Rich!

Great read, very interesting stuff, truly a natural born killer!

This is a reprint of the review I wrote for my book review website Letters On Pages (www.lettersonpages.com)
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Horrifying.

That is really the only good way to describe The Ice Man: Confessions of a Mafia Contract Killer by Philip Carlo. The book itself isn't horrifying...in fact it is fantastically written. What is horrifying is Richard Kuklinski and the things the did during his lifetime.

You see...Richard Kuklinski was a Mafia hitman. He killed people for money. He also killed people because they upset him in some manner, like flipping him the bird while driving. The middle finger was a particularly terrible affront to Kuklinski...one that would likely earn you the death penalty. But those killings aren't where he made his mark on the world. Richard "The Ice Man" Kuklinski is known as one of the most dangerous mob related people ever. I say mob related because he was Polish, and you can't officially join the Mafia unless you are Italian. You can still work as a hired killer though apparently.

Kuklinski was a giant (literally at 6'5" 280lbs) psychopathic, sociopathic, anti-social, paranoid person. He had the classic serial killer upbringing: hyper-abusive parents, picked on by local bullies, enjoyed torturing animals...etc. His home life was so abusive that his father actually killed Richard's brother by beating him. So obviously there was no love in his house, or anywhere throughout his childhood. This, combined with his genetic disposition for violence and personality flaws, turned him into one of the most prolific killers ever. Kuklinski killed over 200 people during his life, most of them mob/organized crime related. His lack of conscience and inability to feel remorse meant that he was a perfect killer. He could "go see somebody", torture (if that's what the client wanted), kill, and dispose of the body with no second thoughts.

In fact, he had a family and loved them dearly. Actually, I don't know that he had the capacity to love. But he cared for them quite a bit. His home life was like Jekyll & Hyde though: sometimes he would be the most caring, thoughtful person around. Other times he would go on a rampage, destroying furniture and beating his wife. He never harmed his children, however. In fact, he would kill people for abusing children. He was a regular vigilante.

This book is amazingly interesting and I couldn't put it down. To read the stories that this man told were shocking. Carlo does a pretty good job of not being too explicit though. There are a few stories that are especially bad...but otherwise it's OK.

I (like a lot of other people) am interested in serial killers and why they do what they do. For some reason they are really interesting to people. I'm sure there are plenty of psyche people who could explain why. Kuklinski is one of the ultimate serial killers, and therefore, garners a lot of attention. That he did all of this while leading a relatively normal family life only futhers the intrigue.

Three HBO documentaries of Kuklinski were filed while he was in prison. I have seen one of them and it's pretty riveting stuff. It's actually frightening to watch him cavalierly describe taking another man's life. Sometimes he gets mad and glares at the interviewer...which is a haunting view for that person I'm sure.

I very highly recommend this book to anyone interested in True Crime, serial killers, or the Mafia. Be prepared though.

Rating: 5 out of 5

This book was an intense read. It's definitely filled with everything you might expect from reading the Amazon description. The one flaw is its lack of credibility, but I guess if a killer is as good as this, he wouldn't leave a trail of evidence to prove his stories are true later on.

When I heard that Morley had co-authored a new book I wondered what he was up to. I was part of the reinventing government team that Morley headed and respect him for his political insight and as a decent human being.

The book is a mile stone that shows where we are now. where we came from and where we are going. Not to often do you find a book on society and politics that is as informative and easy to read.

The the final chapters Rebuilding America's Civic Infrastructure and
Public Policy in a Millennial Era are jnspiring and are a great addition to public dialog. The comparison to our time and 1860 and 1932 is on the mark.

Now living in northern Arizona after 47 years in the DC area I can see a factor that I could not find in the book the relationship with the rapidly expanding world of nonprofits partcularly in the area of natural resource sustainability

Just as newspapers have shifted their primary emphasis from print to the Internet, so too has politics. The bottom-up dynamic, emblemized by user-generated content, is taking over in many spheres, and those who cling to old authoritarian top-down structures will become irrelevant.

There's more power in a user-generated video on youtube, produced at almost zero cost and gone viral, than in any traditional prepackaged million dollar TV ad campaign. Indeed, often the packaged claims are mercilessly pulled apart to great detriment to their makers by online hordes (witness Hillary's "3 AM" ad, or her claims of sniper fire) - and increasingly, the online hordes are the ones who are having the final word. (This also raises the specter of the digital divide, where only the plugged-in will recognize and understand the various waves of public opinion.)

A great move of democratization is well under way, and its pace is almost frightening. Print media can't keep up with the new newsflow. Even online news sites that do not encourage reader interactivity will wither. (These Amazon reviews were a trailblazer in creating the new interactive environment.)

This book argues two main points: that the upcoming generation has more in common with Democratic Party ideals than Republican, and that on top of that the Republicans have been late to recognize the seismic generationally- and technologically-driven shift beneath our feet.

This book will by no means be the final word on the subject. Both authors are committed Democrats, and though they strive to write without bias, it's a sure bet their theses will be answered by those on the other side of the fence. In the answering will develop a more circumspect, accurate picture - in a process mimicking the online refinement of opinion that the authors write about. Nonetheless this work lays an important foundation that the politically- and civic-minded of all persuasions would do very well to digest.

Unlike most books, this one more than lives up to the hype on its jacket. Morley Winograd and Michael Hais go well beyond generational theory to help us understand not only past critical turning points in American history, but also the crucial one we're about to live through.

This is not the political punditry of "talking heads" who merely spout trendy theories without analytical substance. Rather, it is a well researched and well written review of the factors that have helped shape the Millennial Generation (1983-2003) now coming of age, together with some insightful commentary on the impact this generation is likely to have on our country and our world. In its pages the authors present both the "whys" and the "hows" in a well organized and easy-to-read discourse.

"Millennial Makeover" is not just for political junkies. If you are a concerned citizen trying to wade through the political and social cross-currents of our country, particularly in this important presidential election year, you should read this book. It left this aging Baby Boomer surprised, enlightened, fearful, smiling and cautiously optimistic about our future.

"A republic, if you can keep it." That's what Benjamin Franklin reportedly said when asked at the close of the Constitutional Convention what type of government the Framers had fashioned. "Millennial Makeover" offers a fascinating look at how this emerging tech-savvy "civic" generation might do just that.

Winograd and Hais theorize that American political constituencies cycle and recycle every 40-years with each cycle fueled by new technologies that empower new constituencies. Ostensibly, the millennial "civic purpose" generation, by some astrological virtue, is poised to assume a mantle of power. If the authors are correct, then the Greatest Generation was great because of its place in a 40-year cycle and not because of the harsh reality of having to fight Adolph Hitler or die.

To support their theory, the authors would have us believe that "long periods of great stability in electoral outcomes" can be deduced from a pattern like Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon, Ford, Carter, Reagan, Bush, Clinton, Bush (D, R, D, D, R, R, D, R, R, D, R).

Often, in place of real historical events, the authors cite contemporary fiction -- video philosophy from Star Wars' Yoda or fictional facts from J. K. Rowling's "Harry Potter" that match their worldview. Potter may demonstrate fictional millennial virtues, but the authors avoid Dolores Umbrage, the teacher whose politically correct teaching ignores actual useful defenses against the dark arts. A champion of central authority, as the authors suggest millennials are, she and the Ministry of Magic avoid at all costs facing the "reality" of evil. Life seems so much easier when history begins at dawn.

The authors presume that Democrats alone can pull this generation's technological sword from the stone. Never mind that technology is a tool for whoever cares to learn enough to use it -- not just Democrats or Republicans, but fundamentalists, radicals, and reactionaries of all persuasions. The authors overlook the 60-year-old ideas of Marshall McLuhan, who warned of the importance of a medium's cognitive effects. Lose your content and you lose your bearings.

The book promotes now-ness, technological infatuation, and me-ness to suggest millennials deserve power because they are who they are -- which makes them ripe for picking by any chameleon-like leader. Look elsewhere for help understanding the past or planning a future because this book is a honey-pot of buzzwords for the convinced.

"Millennial Makeover" presents a very interesting but not wholly convincing analysis of how politics may be shaped by the rise of the Millennials, or those born between 1982 and 2003. Relying far too much on a questionable cyclical reading of American history, Morley Winograd and Michael D. Hais nonetheless demonstrate how the Millennial's embrace of new cultural attitudes and technologies will impact the political dialogue for decades to come. While the author's selective presentation of data tends to prompt far more questions than answers, the book succeeds in providing an interesting introduction to a subject that no doubt will be discussed and debated now and well into the future.

Mr. Winograd and Mr. Hais contend that American politics cycle through change about every forty years and experience a profound realignment about once every eighty years. The authors believe that these changes are typically spurred by the ideological exhaustion of prior generations and the introduction of new technologies that enable new political constituencies to form. In my view, this is problematic: critics such as David R Mayhew have pointed out that cyclical theorists are more often wrong than right; worse, as a theoretical construct, the methodology tends to close off lines of inquiry into the underlying reasons why voter preferences may be realigning, such as changes in economic or social conditions of the kind that one might suspect may be operative at the present time.

Fortunately, Mr. Winograd and Mr. Hais serve up plenty of raw meat and provide insight into the Millennials that might help us form our own opinions about what the future might hold. The authors explain how blogging and peer-to-peer technologies are empowering "netroots" activism and providing alternatives to broadcast media; they go on to argue that political parties must shift from prevailing money-and-media models to decentralized organizational structures. We are shown some interesting case studies where individuals have used YouTube and MySpace to win local contests against great odds and upset the conventional wisdom. These sections of the book succeed brilliantly as they draw upon the author's decades of experience in the political arena to shed new light on how profoundly the process is changing and how American democracy might be reinvigorated.

Yet somehow, the light that Mr. Winograd and Mr. Hais shines on the Millennial generation itself appears to be diffused. For example, one must wonder if the large numbers of Millennials who currently suffer from deficient healthcare and educational services might be represented disproportionately among those who favor greater government spending; might not this constitute a cry of desperation rather than one of enlightened civility, as the authors of this book seem to suggest? Unfortunately, the author's insistence on rolling up the Millennials into a single, undifferentiated mass makes it impossible for us to know. On this point, readers might do well to consider The Dumbest Generation by Mark Bauerlein who presents the Millennials as a generation whose critical thinking skills have been stupefied by an unprecedented abundance of mind-distracting media and technological gadgetry; contrary to Mr. Winograd and Mr. Hais, Mr. Bauerlein demonstrates that the Millennials possess a diminished knowledge of civics compared to prior generations and worse, generally lack the cognitive skills needed to distinguish between true and false claims of information.

Compounding the problem is that the authors seem determined to write a palliative for the Democratic Party faithful that proposes to show how its policy positions will align neatly with Millennial concerns. Although a reasonable person might well agree with the authors on the wisdom of their proposals, is it not also quite plausible that a repackaging of Republican Party-style 'ownership society' proposals might serve as a marketable (if not credible) response to our current social, economic and environmental crises? Indeed, the survey data presented about the Millennial's overly optimistic material expectations suggests that this generation has been conditioned by unprecedented levels of corporate messaging; presumably this could make Millennials susceptible to corporate greenwashing campaigns, corporate welfare state solutions, and the like. Indeed, to the extent that the Obama and McCain campaigns have championed national health care policies that feature prominent roles for private insurance companies, we may well be witnessing a realignment of voter preferences that merely determines the methods by which the corporate control of our democracy is intensified. Put another way, the evidence presented suggests that the pending realignment, if it materializes, will be political but far from radical.

In any case, the authors are to be congratulated for writing a stimulating book that helps us consider how major changes might well be in the offing. I recommend the book for everyone interested in political science and contemporary events.

I read the 2005 German edition of the 1999 US book. It is on the basics of lesbian sexuality and beyond. There are other books recommended for saving the bored done-it-all inner city sexpert from lesbian bed death. But let's face it: Most of us aren't that lucky. It depends on what book you are seeking. It is not the book's fault that a few already know most of its content. This book is also for those who lack imagination, knowledge and/or experience in lesbian sexuality. Meaning, you don't have to be a lesbian to find this book informative. Which can't really be said about many heterosexual sex books vice versa. In fact, one or the other information, many gay men should be aware of, as the author isn't squeamish about anal sexuality.

You will find not only virtually everything from masturbation to sex parties, but also on safer sex. Especially this section is important for heterosexuals as well, as most of the latter hardly engage in it, when it comes to oral sex on females. Lately, I went into a classic straight sex shop to buy some dental dams and the sales person didn't even know what I was talking about, even though they offered them in some corner. This expensive, that I am glad that this book gives instructions to the public on how to make them yourself from cheaper and more readily available items. Again, recommendable information for everybody else in the anilingus version.

I find it noteworthy that this book takes the pressure off political correctness, when it comes to sexual fantasies. And yes, there's a difference, when this lesbian sexpert does it or some creepy sexual release magazine.

Be aware that the traditional hanky code has many variations. The meanings to the colors provided here are mostly shared. However, some may lead to misunderstandings. For example, white is decoded here as seeking/being a newbie. I know it rather as: "Leave me alone, today I am here just for the beer." It should also be noted that some colors look very similar in the usually softly lit places, where you find them.

You may be interested in specialized topics, like Female Ejaculation and the G-Spot: Not Your Mother's Orgasm Book! (Positively Sexual).

There were a lot of insights I didn't know. There were many myths that were cleared up with this book. Just knowing the female anatomy is priceless in itself. Understanding your body and getting the most out of your sexuality is the best way to begin to enhance your life.

Wanting to be the best ""Lover"" I can be, I was expecting to read something that I did not know. Anything new happenning Ladies?? Anyway, I was slightly dissapointed but still a good read with good instructions and has vlaue.

If you want to be more open with your partner about sex, this book will help. Men will also find plenty here to help them pleasure a woman.

This was an excellent book. It was well researched, factual, more so than my anatomy class for nursing school. The book discusses all aspects of sexual pleasure with an open accepting point of view. This would be an excellent read for anyone wanting to achieve more pleasure and openness discussing sex with their partner.