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Politics Government Books sorted by
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Comparative Politics Today: A World View (9th Edition) (MyPoliSciKit Series)
Published in Paperback by Longman (2007-07-28)
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Average review score: 
great condition
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 7 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-22
Review Date: 2008-02-22
it was in great condition when i received it in the mail, just like new.
How We Survived Communism & Even Laughed
Published in Paperback by Harper Perennial (1993-05-12)
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Good Feminist Primer for Study of the Eastern Bloc
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-01-15
Review Date: 2007-01-15
This collection of essays on life under Communism in Eastern Europe provides a unique perspective on the failure of the Communist system. Particularly memorable anecdotes include the author's misgivings over buying her daughter a Barbie doll and the actions and behaviors which became commonplace in a society in which (and this is emphasized) everyone lived in moderate to extreme poverty.
It is extremely difficult to find any personal narratives concerning Communism which are more or less politically unbiased. The author of this work seems to hold a sort of nOSTalgia for the days under Communism as a time of equality, even though this equality set the standards of living extremely low. The perspective of which this book comes from seems to be predominantly a feminist, as opposed to left or right wing, perspective, making for an enlightening read.
The bare bones downfalls of Communism are extrapolated and explored with an eye and mind which rarely condemns Communism, but rather identifies problems with an air of disappointment. The most striking shortcoming is the lack of tampons or alternatives, demonstrating the government's inability to deal with even the most basic needs of the female population.
I recommend this book as a valuable primary source for the study of the Eastern Bloc, the disinitigration of the European Communist regimes, and for a feminist perspective on some of the most glaring political issues of the 20th century.
It is extremely difficult to find any personal narratives concerning Communism which are more or less politically unbiased. The author of this work seems to hold a sort of nOSTalgia for the days under Communism as a time of equality, even though this equality set the standards of living extremely low. The perspective of which this book comes from seems to be predominantly a feminist, as opposed to left or right wing, perspective, making for an enlightening read.
The bare bones downfalls of Communism are extrapolated and explored with an eye and mind which rarely condemns Communism, but rather identifies problems with an air of disappointment. The most striking shortcoming is the lack of tampons or alternatives, demonstrating the government's inability to deal with even the most basic needs of the female population.
I recommend this book as a valuable primary source for the study of the Eastern Bloc, the disinitigration of the European Communist regimes, and for a feminist perspective on some of the most glaring political issues of the 20th century.
Reader, beware...
Helpful Votes: 19 out of 27 total.
Review Date: 2004-02-09
Review Date: 2004-02-09
I would have given this book three and a half stars if I had the option; but I don't, so I am giving it four, all on account of its good narrative and occasional wit.
I keep hearing and reading about what an "eye-opener" this book has been for readers in Western countries. That is all well and fine; many of the things she describes are valid information.
The problem is that this book, by empathizing (and rightly so) with the everday noodle-and-darning plight of "sisters" in other so-called Communist regimes (all of whom had a MUCH harder time than we in the former Yugoslavia ever did) tends to blur not only the HUGE political and social nuances and distinctions among the various "Communist" countries, but also inside ex-Yugoslavia itself. In short, the so-called Communist "block" was never really a "block" - it was a tapestry of many nuances and textures, depending on the country.
I keep hearing and reading about what an "eye-opener" this book has been for readers in Western countries. That is all well and fine; many of the things she describes are valid information.
The problem is that this book, by empathizing (and rightly so) with the everday noodle-and-darning plight of "sisters" in other so-called Communist regimes (all of whom had a MUCH harder time than we in the former Yugoslavia ever did) tends to blur not only the HUGE political and social nuances and distinctions among the various "Communist" countries, but also inside ex-Yugoslavia itself. In short, the so-called Communist "block" was never really a "block" - it was a tapestry of many nuances and textures, depending on the country.
Admittedly, I belong to a different generation than Ms. Drakuliæ. Furthermore, I was born and grew up in the northern part of the country, called Slovenia (now, an independent state), which was, incidentally, the "richest" part of Yugoslavia. (And BTW: I don't recall any of her interlocutors in the book being a Slovene... Why not? Maybe because the situation in Slovenia wouldn't fit in with the utterly dismal picture that she is painting?)
Here are some facts: often, there were (usually short-term) shortages of different things: sugar, bananas, chocolate, detergent... I even remember a shortage of toilet paper, once. But never all at the same time, and never for very long. We never queued, like the unfortunate peoples of the Soviet satellite states. I for one DID have dolls, very pretty ones (no, NOT rag dolls) - 18 of them! If there ever was a shortage of tampons (I never use them), I certainly don't remember any shortage of sanitary towels. We were always nicely dressed and made-up; and if the clothes on offer in our own country didn't suit us, we'd make a 2 hour trip to nearby Italy, where we could buy more trendy attire. (Nobody in my family ever did that, BTW.)
No, I am not one of those short-memoried "nostalgics" who mourn the demise of the Titoist regime and the fallacy of the infamous "unity & fraternity" slogans of those days... In fact, I did every thing that I could to help erode it and bring it down.
I just resent history - ANY history - being "tailored" to suit the prefabricated expectations of foreign readers.
Had Ms. Drakuliæ decided to include a "girl talk" with a Slovene or two - who were even her "compatriots" in those times, after all - a picture slightly more complex would emerge. And maybe then people elsewhere wouldn't have been surprised by the news that Yugoslavia was falling apart... It already WAS - always had been - several different countries within one artificial structure.
In short: enjoy this book, for it tells the truth - and it tells it well! Just not the ENTIRE truth.
powerful and beautifully-written
Helpful Votes: 3 out of 5 total.
Review Date: 2002-07-05
Review Date: 2002-07-05
I will read this eye-opening book again and again. Historical accounts of communism can't paint the picture that this book has painted. This reads like poetry and is real.
Essays on life in Communist Eastern Europe from a woman
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 8 total.
Review Date: 2003-07-26
Review Date: 2003-07-26
I have read Drakulic's later book Balken Express, and thought this book far better. Drakulic's book is a series of essays about the difficulty of life in Eastern Europe from a woman's perspective. Communism collasped because it could not satisfy the demands of the population. Drakulic details many of those shortcomings in her book. Not only did Communism produce poor paint and bad toilet paper, it did not even produce tampons or other products for women. That is why Communism failed. Few history books will detail this perspective, but from a humanistic point of view, it is true.
The other perspective Drakulic tries to point out is that of a journalist pointing to the failures of both Communist and Western society. Drakulic portrays the homeless of NYC with the fact that in Communist society everybody is poor but not homeless. These perspectives are needed as well, because some aspects of Communism were indeed noble.
A good book about the failure of Communism. This book was a short informative read about a doomed political system.
The other perspective Drakulic tries to point out is that of a journalist pointing to the failures of both Communist and Western society. Drakulic portrays the homeless of NYC with the fact that in Communist society everybody is poor but not homeless. These perspectives are needed as well, because some aspects of Communism were indeed noble.
A good book about the failure of Communism. This book was a short informative read about a doomed political system.
A book for everyone ... would that it were read by everyone!
Helpful Votes: 6 out of 10 total.
Review Date: 1999-12-27
Review Date: 1999-12-27
A fascinating collection of poignant vignettes on being a woman in communist Yugoslavia (with stories of the author's friends and acquaintances in other Eastern European countries.) Ms. Drakulic shares with the West the reasons whereby 40-plus years of communist-engendered habits and viewpoints and tendencies cannot undergo an overnight "attitude adjustment". This book is a must for anyone who seeks to begin to sympathize and understand the thoughts and roots of people (especially women) who were born and raised in Eastern Europe. I bulldozed through it, and am now reading her "Cafe Europa". Eye-opening!
Keeping the Republic: Power And Citizenship in American Politics
Published in Paperback by CQ Press (2006-07-15)
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It's is as good as politics can get
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-25
Review Date: 2008-07-25
Not everything within the book is completely accurate it does have a biased opinion based on the authors own opinions, but hey it is a book about politics and I needed it for school.
Government in America: People, Politics, and Policy, Brief Edition (9th Edition)
Published in Paperback by Longman (2007-02-23)
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Average review score: 
average
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-31
Review Date: 2008-03-31
Nothing special. Just your average government book. The Appendix is fun to go through, though (electoral college numbers). Finding instances where the authors contradict themselves from page to page and chapter to chapter is also enjoyable.
Understanding International Conflicts: An Introduction to Theory and History (7th Edition) (MyPoliSciKit Series)
Published in Paperback by Longman (2008-07-21)
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Good Detail of Topics Relating to International Politics
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2006-03-01
Review Date: 2006-03-01
I had to purchase this book as a second book for a class I had taken. This book helped cover many of the topics I had to study and this book did a better job of describing several topics relating to nationalism, imperialism history of international politics, foreign policies, international law and organization and human factors in international politics. I would recommend this book to anyone who is trying to learn the basics or even get more indepth details on certain topics of international politics.
Excellent book :)
Helpful Votes: 28 out of 38 total.
Review Date: 2003-12-08
Review Date: 2003-12-08
The basis for "Understanding International Conflicts: An Introduction to Theory and History" is, as the author explains in the preface, a course on international conflicts in the modern world he taught for a long time in Harvard. Nye says that the aim of the book is "to introduce students to the complexities of international politics by giving them a good grounding in the traditional realist theory before turning to liberal and constructivist approaches that became more prominent after the Cold War". I believe he excels at doing exactly that...
I found the book very interesting, and full of examples taken from history that made the concepts easier to grasp. Moreover, it takes into account the three levels of causation: the individual, the state and the international system. It also includes suggested reading material, that allows the reader to delve deeper in those subjects she/he finds more interesting...
The book is very well organized. It was a foreword, a preface, 9 chapters and an index. Each chapter deals with a main theme, and some related topics. The themes of the chapters are:
chapter 1:"Is there an enduring logic of conflict in world politics?";
chapter 2: "Origins of the great 20th century conflicts";
chapter 3: "Balance of power and World War I";
chapter 4: "The failure of collective security and World War II";
chapter 5: "The Cold War";
chapter 6: "Intervention, institutions and regional and ethnic conflicts";
chapter 7: "Globalization and interdependence";
chapter 8: "The information revolution, transnational actors, and the diffusion of power";
chapter 9: "A new world order?".
All in all, I strongly recommend this book to those interested in international relations... I think the author was successful in doing what he set out to do: he didn't want to give all the answers, he merely tried to help the readers to look for them. In his own words: "provide our students with conceptual tools that will help them shape their own answers as the future unfolds".
On the whole, a keeper :) Enjoy it !!!
An interesting book indeed
Helpful Votes: 33 out of 44 total.
Review Date: 2003-12-22
Review Date: 2003-12-22
An interesting book indeed, written by an excellent writer who took me in a journey through history beginning with the Peloponnesian war and passing through world war one and two and the cold war after that, and ending with the new world order.
The book starts with the two views of the anarchic politics ( Realism & Liberalism ) and a very wise explanation for both of them, and I liked the way the writer analyzed the two world wars and their reasons and I agree with him about the inevitability part as I believe that the war wasn't inevitable but I quote him by saying "Ironically the belief that war is inevitable played a major role in causing it", and also the part about ethics and morality is very interesting and I liked what the French diplomat said when he was asked about what's moral and his answer was "what's moral is whatever is good for France", and also the part about counterfactuals was very exciting.
I don't agree with the writer about some points concerning the Arab-Israeli conflict but the book as a whole is a very good one.
I agree with the "back to the future" theory in some points as all I see now is "the strong do what they have the power to do and the weak accepts what they have to accept".
I'll quote him again to end my review by saying "Has global society made war socially and morally unthinkable? We have to hope so, because the next hegemonic war would probably be the last".
excellent intro book to International Affairs
Helpful Votes: 37 out of 44 total.
Review Date: 1999-11-11
Review Date: 1999-11-11
One of the few textbooks I truly enjoyed, Nye's Understanding International Conflicts was a clear, easy-to-read, and yet insightful book. Its focus is on the three levels of influence on a state's behavior: the interstate system, intrastate politics, and individual. It is one of the few entry-level IA books to discuss the effect of personality on the actions of a state. Even in my graduate-level seminars and papers, I found it to be useful.
Superb, Post 9-11 Update, Excellent Adult Foundation
Helpful Votes: 44 out of 59 total.
Review Date: 2003-01-11
Review Date: 2003-01-11
First, it is vital for prospective buyers to understand that the existing reviews are three years out of date--this is a five-star tutorial on international relations that has been most recently updated after 9-11. If I were to recommend only two books on international relations, for any adult including nominally sophisticated world travelers, this would be the first book; the second would be Shultz, Godson, & Quester's wonderful edited work, "Security Studies for the 21st Century."
I really want to stress the utility of this work to adults, including those like myself who earned a couple of graduate degrees in the last century (smile). I was surprised to find no mention of the author's stellar service as Chairman of the National Intelligence Council--not only has he had full access to everything that can be known by secret as well as non-secret means, but he has kept current, and this undergraduate and affordable paperback was a great way for me--despite the 400+ books I've read (most of them reviewed on Amazon.com) in the past four plus years--to come up to speed on the rigorous methodical scholarly understanding of both historical and current theories and practices in international relations. This book is worth anyone's time, no matter how experienced or educated.
Each chapter has a very satisfactory mix of figures, maps, chronologies, and photos--a special value is a block chart showing the causes for major wars or periods of conflict at the three levels of analysis--international system, national, and key individual personalities, and I found these quite original and helpful.
Excellent reference and orientation work. Took five hours to read, with annotation--this is not a mind-glazer, it's a mind-exerciser.
Comparative Politics
Published in Paperback by McGraw-Hill Humanities/Social Sciences/Languages (2007-05-03)
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Great learning tool
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 3 total.
Review Date: 2007-03-11
Review Date: 2007-03-11
This is one of the best textbooks I have read for a while. It's informative, but easy to understand and to study from.
Affluenza: The All-Consuming Epidemic (Bk Currents)
Published in Paperback by Berrett-Koehler Publishers (2005-09-01)
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Average review score:
Afflu-Repetitive
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-08-06
Review Date: 2008-08-06
I had to read this book for summer reading for an AP Gov course. It was a dreadful experience. It was very difficult to force myself to read more than one chapter per sitting because of the book's repetitiveness and dullness. If you actually want to read it, let me save you the time while I summarize it:
-Spend more time hiking than working.
-Don't get a well paying job, because it will make you miserable and you will undoubtedly go into dept.
-take a low paying job, because life will be great. As long as you dont want to buy anything.
-Don't buy material goods that make you happy.
-Only nature and people make you happy.
-Rich people, 90% of the time are littering, stuck-up, scumbags.
pack that into 250 pages, and there you go.
-Spend more time hiking than working.
-Don't get a well paying job, because it will make you miserable and you will undoubtedly go into dept.
-take a low paying job, because life will be great. As long as you dont want to buy anything.
-Don't buy material goods that make you happy.
-Only nature and people make you happy.
-Rich people, 90% of the time are littering, stuck-up, scumbags.
pack that into 250 pages, and there you go.
Earlier edition a bit dated now
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-04-20
Review Date: 2008-04-20
I read a first edition (2001) from the library and while the book is good it is very dated. Newer edition may improve the suggestions part as that was where i feel the book was weakest. Excellent history of consumption in the US.
A failure of a book.
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 6 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-31
Review Date: 2008-07-31
I bought this book after deciding it had a cool cover and reading a couple reviews promising to provide me insight. Maybe it would have, but I simply cannot read this because within the first few paragraphs I've noticed the following:
1. The common video rental store Blockbuster has been called "Blockbuster's" by the author. Not only is this just incorrect, but it doesn't even make sense.
2. A reference to a "Nintendo Play Station" has been made.
This perturbs me in all manner of ways because I feel like if I'm to submit myself to a few authors' collective views on our culture and society, they should AT LEAST know more about it than me. That is, they should know how to use apostrophes, what the name of Blockbuster is, and what a Sony PlayStation is.
Additionally, as I flipped through the book to decide if I wanted to read any more, I noticed that the writing is overtly pretentious and not really interesting, and also that the book is filled with these "witty" little cartoons reminiscent of the political garbage you see in newspapers.
Not recommended.
1. The common video rental store Blockbuster has been called "Blockbuster's" by the author. Not only is this just incorrect, but it doesn't even make sense.
2. A reference to a "Nintendo Play Station" has been made.
This perturbs me in all manner of ways because I feel like if I'm to submit myself to a few authors' collective views on our culture and society, they should AT LEAST know more about it than me. That is, they should know how to use apostrophes, what the name of Blockbuster is, and what a Sony PlayStation is.
Additionally, as I flipped through the book to decide if I wanted to read any more, I noticed that the writing is overtly pretentious and not really interesting, and also that the book is filled with these "witty" little cartoons reminiscent of the political garbage you see in newspapers.
Not recommended.
Are You Infected!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2008-06-24
Review Date: 2008-06-24
Odds are you're infected with affluenza but, don't worry, there is a cure. You'll just need to take the medicine. This book is both entertaining and thought provoking.
Take an honest look at the degree of your illness, make some changes to how you think and the results could amaze you. They say the best things in life are free but some of us had to buy this book (the book's not free) to really appreciate that.
Take an honest look at the degree of your illness, make some changes to how you think and the results could amaze you. They say the best things in life are free but some of us had to buy this book (the book's not free) to really appreciate that.
Changed my life for the better (through simplication)
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 4 total.
Review Date: 2008-02-14
Review Date: 2008-02-14
This book quite literally changed my life in a great way. Upon reading the introductory chapters, it was clear to me that I surely had Affluenza. Continuing through the book, I realized how dire it was that our whole country was "infected" and how deeply. Finally, it offered real solutions to combating the disease.
I know the analogy of Affluenza as a disease seems a little cheesy, but it was effective in getting the point across. After reading the book, it became so clear to me that my time is so valuable and that careers that don't allow you to have your personal time (to explore your hobbies) in lieu of a fat paycheck just aren't worth it. I have made so many adjustments in my life to create less waste. But more than anything learning to "want less" is such an important lesson that so very many people in our materialistic culture just will never understand. And they aren't fully to blame because our culture promotes it and its essentially brainwashed into us.
If you're already thinking that you you spend too much, that you always want more and new things, that you're in a job that you don't feel in any way is your calling, that you waste too much, and ultimately that you want to be a better person, READ THIS BOOK. It will inspire you in ways you never imagined....
I know the analogy of Affluenza as a disease seems a little cheesy, but it was effective in getting the point across. After reading the book, it became so clear to me that my time is so valuable and that careers that don't allow you to have your personal time (to explore your hobbies) in lieu of a fat paycheck just aren't worth it. I have made so many adjustments in my life to create less waste. But more than anything learning to "want less" is such an important lesson that so very many people in our materialistic culture just will never understand. And they aren't fully to blame because our culture promotes it and its essentially brainwashed into us.
If you're already thinking that you you spend too much, that you always want more and new things, that you're in a job that you don't feel in any way is your calling, that you waste too much, and ultimately that you want to be a better person, READ THIS BOOK. It will inspire you in ways you never imagined....
The Radicalism of the American Revolution
Published in Paperback by Vintage (1993-03-02)
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Average review score:
The Best Book on the American Revolution - Ever
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-03-21
Review Date: 2008-03-21
Not a book about battles & generals. This is a book about the Revolution of Ideas that sparked the war. Every student of history should have this on his/her bookshelf.
perfect book
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 9 total.
Review Date: 2007-10-06
Review Date: 2007-10-06
the book was in great shape. however, i hated reading it =) it's extremely long and drawn out. the guy uses way too many pages to convey ONE thought. it's quite excessive.
An outstanding work!
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-10-04
Review Date: 2007-10-04
Wodd, as evidenced here never fails to explain subtle ideas and actions in a way that is coherent and understandable. This is a book of great insight but one gets the feeling that Wood is writing it for you, not to impress his peers. No small thing! I always get the feeling when I read any of his work that if I could have only one book on the subject this would be the one. This work is no exception!
A seminal work
Helpful Votes: 2 out of 2 total.
Review Date: 2007-11-16
Review Date: 2007-11-16
It seems the trend among historians is to diminsh the importance of the American Revolution by describing it as a tax revolt unleased, or worse yet, as not a true revolution at all. Gordon S. Wood's book describes in eloquent depth the true radicalism of the American Revolution. He describes the complete political, social, and philosophical restructuring of a society, in a clear, readable, and straighforward style. I am a history teacher and this enlightened book has become part of my curriculum. I believe that this book is invaluable in understanding why we are where we are, as a nation today.
Please!!!!
Helpful Votes: 4 out of 14 total.
Review Date: 2007-12-24
Review Date: 2007-12-24
"Hamilton's Dream of making the United States a great fiscal-military state dissipated in the face of America's emerging democratic society. It failed not simply because it was overwhelmed by the Jeffersonian Republicans and their waves of new entrepreneurs and venture capitalists, but, more important, because it was ultimately undone by the Federalists themselves" ...pg 264
Perhaps, just perhaps, Mr. Wood could explain to the unenlightened reader how venture capitalists could succeed in America without the "Lax Mercatoria" or Law Merchant? Now, I am no historian, nor an economist, and so I do not expect a perspective buyer to take my word for it, but, when the "common law" on transactions was the rule of the States outside of a few seaboard ports, then how, or why, would venture capitalists be willing to invest? Perhaps Mr. Wood might want to explain the difference between the motives used for the creation of the Bank of England and Hamilton's fiscal visionary approach to set the rules leading to a strong, industrial, self-reliant country?
I would ask the serious student to read Forrest Macdonald's, "Novus Ordo Seclorum", and then compare it to Wood's, "Radicalism of the American Revolution". A curious researcher might come up with some serious doubts upon Mr Wood;s conclusions with the Federalist. I also find it strange how any author who can criticize both intellectually and subjectively on Alexander Hamilton fails to mention both Vattel and Neckers and their role on Hamilton's thought and actions. If I am going to believe Mr. Woods theories and speculations I certainly would hope he would do his expertise fully to the table.
In my opinion this book is worth spending the money only if the reader wishes to see an historian with an agenda.
Perhaps, just perhaps, Mr. Wood could explain to the unenlightened reader how venture capitalists could succeed in America without the "Lax Mercatoria" or Law Merchant? Now, I am no historian, nor an economist, and so I do not expect a perspective buyer to take my word for it, but, when the "common law" on transactions was the rule of the States outside of a few seaboard ports, then how, or why, would venture capitalists be willing to invest? Perhaps Mr. Wood might want to explain the difference between the motives used for the creation of the Bank of England and Hamilton's fiscal visionary approach to set the rules leading to a strong, industrial, self-reliant country?
I would ask the serious student to read Forrest Macdonald's, "Novus Ordo Seclorum", and then compare it to Wood's, "Radicalism of the American Revolution". A curious researcher might come up with some serious doubts upon Mr Wood;s conclusions with the Federalist. I also find it strange how any author who can criticize both intellectually and subjectively on Alexander Hamilton fails to mention both Vattel and Neckers and their role on Hamilton's thought and actions. If I am going to believe Mr. Woods theories and speculations I certainly would hope he would do his expertise fully to the table.
In my opinion this book is worth spending the money only if the reader wishes to see an historian with an agenda.
Homage to Catalonia
Published in Paperback by Harvest Books (1980-10-22)
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Average review score:
Orwell re-visited
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-08-29
Review Date: 2008-08-29
Homage to Catalonia is Orwell at the zenith of his journalistic style--brutally candid in its description of the battlefield and the politics of the Spanish Civil War in which he participated as a volunteer foot soldier against the military insurgency. The Civil War was, of course, a prelude to WWII and while this is clearly adumbrated in Orwell's vivd descriptions of the antagonists, he could not have anticipated the future conflagration. It is a "must read" not only for those interested in the politics of the conflict but also for anyone desiring a candid insight into the plight of the combatants.
Might be his best work
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-06-18
Review Date: 2008-06-18
he's realy got an amazing way of turning a phrase. if you are at all interested in the Spanish Civil War this book is a great introduction.
War, famine, Comedy
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2008-05-17
Review Date: 2008-05-17
Homage to Catalonia This book is a great read for anyone out there who likes to read. I normally don't read nonfiction books but this one kept my interest throughout the entire book. Orwell describes things in a way that kept my attention the entire time. He even added some selected humour throughout which seemed to lighten the mood. Overall this is a great book that's worth every penny. I'd say go and read it right now if you're looking for a great read.
A Supplement and an Obituary
Helpful Votes: 18 out of 18 total.
Review Date: 2008-07-11
Review Date: 2008-07-11
"Homage to Catalonia" has long passed from the shelf for current events to the shelf of primary historical sources. No one can study the Spanish Civil War without encountering it. On that basis, it's a five-star book; all primary sources should get five stars. As a reading experience, it's not without weaknesses, which the earlier review by H. Schneider examines cogently. I refer you to that review.
Today's newspapers (7-11-08) carried extended obituaries for David Smith, who died in Berkeley, CA, at age 95. Mr. Smith was one of the only 30-some veterans of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade, the volunteer contingent of Americans who joined the republican cause in Spain to stop fascism before World War II. The defeat of the republican forces, due at least partly to their own turmoils as described by Orwell, allowed the dictator Franco to suppress the 20th Century in Spain until his welcome death in 1975. David Smith was wounded in Spain in 1938. He returned to America, settled in New York, and married Sophie Kaplan, a marriage that lasted 59 years. Smith worked as a machinist, a union organizer, and for 18 years as a public school biology teacher in New Rochelle, where he campaigned for school integration.
David Smith and his wife were active Communist Party members in the 1940s and 1950s, but left the party in disillusionment in the early 1960s. He was one of the victims of blacklisting in the McCarthy era. He retired to Vermont in 1977, and then to California two decades later. During his long retirement, Smith was a dedicated campaigner for peace, a familiar personage at anti-war demonstrations, and an active raiser of relief funds for Central American countries hit by civil strife.
I knew David Smith reasonably well. He was a man of sincerity and integrity; I doubt that he ever did anything in his life that failed to meet his standards of conscientious humanity. He meant to do well, and he did what he believed was right. His support for the welfare of working people and for oppressed people everywhere was unwavering. He had no lust for power or fame. Like several other grass-root American Communists I've known, he was above all a decent guy. That he was naive about Stalinist Russia is clear; that he wasn't always right about his positions seems clear also, but who is? But to portray such a person as a menace to free society, an unscrupulous plotter, a pawn in the game of Kremlin masterminds is libel and foolishness, and a self-deception honorable people in America cannot afford.
Today's newspapers (7-11-08) carried extended obituaries for David Smith, who died in Berkeley, CA, at age 95. Mr. Smith was one of the only 30-some veterans of the Abraham Lincoln Brigade, the volunteer contingent of Americans who joined the republican cause in Spain to stop fascism before World War II. The defeat of the republican forces, due at least partly to their own turmoils as described by Orwell, allowed the dictator Franco to suppress the 20th Century in Spain until his welcome death in 1975. David Smith was wounded in Spain in 1938. He returned to America, settled in New York, and married Sophie Kaplan, a marriage that lasted 59 years. Smith worked as a machinist, a union organizer, and for 18 years as a public school biology teacher in New Rochelle, where he campaigned for school integration.
David Smith and his wife were active Communist Party members in the 1940s and 1950s, but left the party in disillusionment in the early 1960s. He was one of the victims of blacklisting in the McCarthy era. He retired to Vermont in 1977, and then to California two decades later. During his long retirement, Smith was a dedicated campaigner for peace, a familiar personage at anti-war demonstrations, and an active raiser of relief funds for Central American countries hit by civil strife.
I knew David Smith reasonably well. He was a man of sincerity and integrity; I doubt that he ever did anything in his life that failed to meet his standards of conscientious humanity. He meant to do well, and he did what he believed was right. His support for the welfare of working people and for oppressed people everywhere was unwavering. He had no lust for power or fame. Like several other grass-root American Communists I've known, he was above all a decent guy. That he was naive about Stalinist Russia is clear; that he wasn't always right about his positions seems clear also, but who is? But to portray such a person as a menace to free society, an unscrupulous plotter, a pawn in the game of Kremlin masterminds is libel and foolishness, and a self-deception honorable people in America cannot afford.
Homage, Take 2: what about Aragon?
Helpful Votes: 46 out of 50 total.
Review Date: 2008-06-21
Review Date: 2008-06-21
After re-reading Catalonia, some 20 years after my first encounter, I am disappointed. I do not think that this is Orwell's best work. It has many of his strengths, mainly the elegant, efficient and straightforward prose that he developed so impressively, but there are some flaws. Main flaw in my view is the fact that the main political theme has become dead and irrelevant. Stalin died some decades ago, the Soviet Empire collapsed, we don't need to dig in the little details of their abominable strategies any longer. Of course we can't blame Orwell for the fact that his concerns are not ours any more. But it shows that the book was not timeless in the sense of surviving its immediate subject, as his other non-fiction did.
Second main weakness of the book: the narration of the Barcelona street fighting and the attempts at understanding them are rather boring.
On the strong side: the tales from the Aragon front are much more interesting. Orwell saw less fighting than he was keen to experience, but he describes the trench routine with the same livelyness that he brought to Wigan coalmines and Paris restaurants previously.
He did see enough fighting to get dangerously injured. People said to him that few men survive a shot through the neck, so he was lucky. He thinks he would have been luckier if he had not been shot at all.
Orwell published the book a few months after his adventure, and before the Spanish Civil War was over. Surprisingly the book was a commercial failure then, and equally surprisingly it has later been named as one of the best non-fiction books of the century.
Why was it ignored in the early time? Possibly because he told the world things that the world didn't want to know. He busted the myth that there was a confrontation of the good and the bad in Spain, that democracy fought fashism. Orwell shows us that there were at least 3 camps, not 2. The most vicious fighting that he experienced was among the 'good guys'. The government side was influenced strongly by the communist party who had secured the support from Russia. Since no other country provided weapons to the government side, that secured a lot of mileage.
Orwell was a hopeless romantic, who loved the feeling of working class rule that he got when he first arrived in Barcelona. That must be the reason for the otherwise incomprehensible book title. That basically socialist attitude must also have put quite a few potential readers off at the time of publication.
Orwell later saw the few months in Spain as his political training period. It put him off communism and Stalin for good, but confirmed his socialist attitude, which however never found a political home in a party, though he did support Labor in his remaining years, from the outside.
Second main weakness of the book: the narration of the Barcelona street fighting and the attempts at understanding them are rather boring.
On the strong side: the tales from the Aragon front are much more interesting. Orwell saw less fighting than he was keen to experience, but he describes the trench routine with the same livelyness that he brought to Wigan coalmines and Paris restaurants previously.
He did see enough fighting to get dangerously injured. People said to him that few men survive a shot through the neck, so he was lucky. He thinks he would have been luckier if he had not been shot at all.
Orwell published the book a few months after his adventure, and before the Spanish Civil War was over. Surprisingly the book was a commercial failure then, and equally surprisingly it has later been named as one of the best non-fiction books of the century.
Why was it ignored in the early time? Possibly because he told the world things that the world didn't want to know. He busted the myth that there was a confrontation of the good and the bad in Spain, that democracy fought fashism. Orwell shows us that there were at least 3 camps, not 2. The most vicious fighting that he experienced was among the 'good guys'. The government side was influenced strongly by the communist party who had secured the support from Russia. Since no other country provided weapons to the government side, that secured a lot of mileage.
Orwell was a hopeless romantic, who loved the feeling of working class rule that he got when he first arrived in Barcelona. That must be the reason for the otherwise incomprehensible book title. That basically socialist attitude must also have put quite a few potential readers off at the time of publication.
Orwell later saw the few months in Spain as his political training period. It put him off communism and Stalin for good, but confirmed his socialist attitude, which however never found a political home in a party, though he did support Labor in his remaining years, from the outside.
Introducing Public Administration (6th Edition)
Published in Hardcover by Longman (2008-03-22)
List price: $99.60
New price: $79.68
Used price: $89.58
Used price: $89.58
Average review score:
All inclusive
Helpful Votes: 0 out of 0 total.
Review Date: 2007-03-24
Review Date: 2007-03-24
This book has it all. Great stories, great information, and a great layout. Good for grad school and undergrads the same.
Great Introductory Text
Helpful Votes: 1 out of 1 total.
Review Date: 2007-10-05
Review Date: 2007-10-05
If you are interested in the broad spectrum of public administration, this is a great book to start with. It covers what public administration is, politics and public policy, government management and reinvention, intergovernmental relations, ethics, org theory and OB, leadership, finance and HR, and program evaluation, among others. It also has case studies and review questions for each chapter and other helful resources. Yet, probably the best thing is that it is written in a very readable way. This text would be good for Bachelors or Masters students, especially with its key concepts, bibliography, recommended books and related websites. I enjoyed it in a Masters class,and can recommend it.
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