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Direct, blunt and confrontational. Chomsky has started me on a new search for truth, first fo myself, then hopefully for others.

Most commentators view globalization almost exclusively from an economic perspective. However, controversial iconoclast Noam Chomsky, a well-known left-wing (some would say far left) academic, famed also as an innovator in linguistics, discusses globalization's political impact as the modern driver of U.S. foreign policy. Political economics is a sensitive topic, but Chomsky doesn't hold back as he argues that U.S. foreign policy has been imperialist since World War I. He contends that in the invasion of Iraq, and earlier forays elsewhere, the U.S. disregarded the U.N. as well as public opinion at home and abroad. Chomsky makes important, though contentious, points, but he would have a wider audience if he developed a more comprehensible writing style, avoided torturously long sentences, and provided more background on some events he covers, particularly America's more esoteric political and military interventions. He is provocative, subjective and deeply negative about the U.S. (even referring to it as a "terrorist state") and its allies. getAbstract finds this book may intrigue those who want to know about political thinking at all ends of the spectrum. (As is true of every Abstract, the following views are those of the author and not of getAbstract.)

America needs Noam Chomsky (even with his faults) because America has an abundance of proles who hang out down in Plato's cave watching the shadows on the wall and building their belief systems based on those shadows. If it wasn't so sad, I would almost say it's amusing to observe these proles as they slowly and gradually receive information contrary to those shadows, like the revelations in Scott McClellan's book that just came out in June, 2008. But a much bigger punch gets delivered by Mr. Chomsky ever so often, as he writes book after book on the terroristic foreign policy of the US. People choose to dismiss Chomsky because his assertions are not repeated in the mainstream media (as if the government-controlled mainstream media would bite the hand that feeds it). Chomsky is undeterred. He cites country after country, in the Western Hemisphere and abroad, where US foreign policy has murdered thousands of innocent people, and he leaves no confusion in his wake about the US being a major state-sponsored terrorist nation. It's a sad realization that the virtuous constitutional republic we all learn about in the schools is just a big lie. But cold hard truth is always depressing, isn't it (have you stepped on the weight scales lately?)? For those of you who don't understand why the US gov't is this way, simply look no further than Mr. Chomsky's subtitle: "...America's Quest for Global Dominance". But while Mr. Chomsky is willing to villify the US in foreign matters, he won't touch American-sponsored DOMESTIC terrorism. Why? Can you say...book sales???

Chomsky is the Father of Lies; this is the derogatory brand with which he will be referred to throughout my scathing criticism of a review of his propaganda-book, Hegemony or Survival. Reading any anti-American--and variously pro-terror, pro-Palestinian, pro-communist, pro-radical Islam--screed from Chomsky subjects the reader to murderously extreme bias, one-sidedness and oftentimes manipulation of the facts. Before reading any propaganda work by Chomsky, the reader will do himself a huge service in realizing that Chomsky is 100% biased against the US, the War on Terror, capitalism...while concurrently exhibiting feral favoritism for terrorists, dictators, socialists/communists, government subsidies, and Arab extremists!!!! As such, Chomsky is an advocate of the hazardously radical far-left, and this in and of itself isn't a problem because Chomsky cannot help being afflicted with liberalism/secular progressive disease, etc.. However, he's intellectually dishonest as he never divulges that he has a clearly glaring agenda.

The Father of Lies' easily discreditable argument in Hegemony is summed up henceforth: the US is so blackened in its evil nature that it pursues foreign policy not to help people or for its national interests, but to subjugate people under its control via terrorism and enormities. This mendacious imitation of an argument by the Father of Lies is based on radicalized prejudice against the US; you'd already have to be indoctrinated with anti-American animosity to take anything he writes at face value. An additionally sinful weakness of the Father of Lies' presentation is that Hegemony--like virtually all his "books" (read: recruitment tools for terrorists)--fails to present arguments based on either logic or trust. He almost 100% bases his deceitful imitations of arguments on emotion--the emotionalism of irrational, America-hating ideologues!!!! This charge is 100% verified when we examine the woeful sources the Father of Lies uses. In his notes, he exclusively either uses only HIS OWN, previous books or the radicalized and unfair opinions of ideologues who share his same anti-Americanism, working at liberal papers like the NYT, LAT or Boston Globe, or anti-American ideologues in academia.

The Father of Lies is exaggeratedly and indefensibly rumored to be a master at linguistics. However, when we analyze the definition of linguistics, we see the Father of Lies is 100% overrated and in reality only a low-minded thug who manipulates the semantics of the quotes of public figures he despises!!!! Linguistics is defined as the study of the nature, structure and variation of language including semantics, phonetics and phonology. In Hegemony--as he furiously does with his other "books" of anti-American recruitment--the Father of Lies seemingly does this by excruciatingly quoting people at length. Yet, what the intellectually honest reader (not a laughingstock, indoctrinated liberal with anti-American ideology) will notice is that he doesn't fairly analyze the quotes of people he targets. Instead, the Father of Lies manipulates, takes out of context, or generally forges the true meaning of what those quoted figures have said!!!! Additionally, another black eye for the Father of Lies is that he's not much of a legitimate author: half his "books" are overflowing with context-less quotes he pilfered from other sources.

For example, in Chapter 8, the Father of Lies charges the US with falsifying the certainty they needed in order to justify war with Afghanistan post 911. He quotes FBI director Mueller as saying, during Senate testimony, that the US government merely believes that the idea to plan the 911 attacks originated from Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan. The Father of Lies dishonestly stresses the word "believe" to insinuate that the US government wasn't sure about where the 911 planning emerged. However, the verb "believe" also can be defined as having confidence in the truth or value of something. Through that definition, it irrefutably sounds like Mueller's Senate testimony was in fact credible and not just mere opinion!!!! However, the Father of Lies totally distorts Mueller's use of the word "believe"; that's how devious he is.

Furthermore, Hegemony earns lots of demerits due to factual corruption. For instance, regarding the liberation of Iraq by Bush, the Father of Lies has the nervy audacity to misbehave as the late Hussein's apologist by crediting Hussein for directing oil profits to internal development!!!! This is the only part of the sanctions program the Father of Lies applauds, yet we now know that Hussein was taking massive kickbacks to the tune of several billions from an unwary UN, totally destroying Chomsky's whitewashing of Hussein!!!!

Another egregious evildoing by the Father of Lies is through his overwhelming partisanship against the Israelis. Chomsky fanatically believes the Israelis are the terrorists, and he berates them for the accidental killings of Pali civilians, building of the wall to constrict suicide-bombing Arabs, and the annexation of purportedly Pali lands. However, Chomsky AGAIN conceals the terrorist misconduct from Palis which necessitate Israel's reaction of self-defense: the Pali-instigated terrorism of cowardly targeting Israeli women and children and NEVER abiding by peace agreements.

Noam Chomsky's books are not bedside reads. He is tough, writes like a cat in water, throws facts at you from every direction, and expands your mind with his erudition.
Although this book is one of his most readable, it still has all of his trademarks; his laconic style, dry wit, strident tone.

There is a shift in emphasis in Hegemony Or Survival, from strictly domestic and foreign policy issues, to issues of human survival. In our over-heated, globalized world, Chomsky thinks it a very likely possibility that humanity will destroy itself. This could happen due to environmental catastrophe or nuclear annihilation.

It is to Chomsky's great credit that as the sociopolitical milieu changes, his lens changes. Don't get me wrong, Chomsky spews plenty of venom on our foreign policy. It is just that Chomsky has broadened his focus. No longer can we look at these issues in isolation. Our policy choices in the next 20 years could determine the fate of humanity. Now a skeptic might think this concern to be a bit over the top, but Chomsky- ever the rationalist- is not known for hyperbole. This suggests that we seriously consider his analysis.

Anyone who is concerned with the state of the world would help themselves a great deal by reading this book. Even if you are very conservative, it would not hurt to expand your horizons. Chomsky is a serious academic- unlike Hannity et el.- and as such, he is a force to be reckoned with.

I must mention the one thing that Chomsky seems to do in all of his books that rubs me the wrong way: splice up other peoples' quotes.

A typical example (though made up by me):

"At the far left you have Walzer who states that the U.S. has to spread "its humanity" to other nations, so that they can see our "benevolence" and our "good intentions."

This is irksome. Walzer's original quote may have read:

"The U.S. would be advised to spread its humanity to other nations. Unfortuantely however benevolent our citizens, and no matter our good intentions, we are an imperial power. Only the emperor cannot see this."

I am not accusing Chomsky of misrepresentation. I just wish he would use a narrative style. There is no need to parse pundits' quotes like he does. It really serves no purpose. In fact, it gets in the way.

The above aside, there is no doubt that Chomsky is the best and the brightest on the left.

The book is exceptional. Caro's central thesis with LBJ is that power not only corrupts, it reveals. LBJ's lust for power and his determination to run over any and all in his way is never more evident than his stealing of the 1948 Democratic nomination for senator from Coke Stevenson. Caro parallels LBJ and Stevenson as a contrast between the modern vs. the primitive, the unprincipled/corrupt vs. the principled/honest. And, yet, Caro is not entirely unsympathetic to LBJ. He gets to the heart of LBJ's genius in manipulating people and the political system to his advantage.

The second in Caro's amazingly detailed, trenchant, fascinating, truthful, insightful and heartless multi-volume portrait of Johnson. What did anyone -- even Lyndon Johnson -- ever do to deserve a biographer like this? Not that I fault Caro: His tenacious and scrupulously accurate determination that the truth be told is journalistic history at its highest level of professionalism. But under, or alongside, the chicanery, the narcissism, the shameless expediency of his subject's persona there also was a charisma, a thoroughly human drive to assert himself and make an imprint on an indifferent universe that also is breathtaking, and the sheer wonder and humanity of Johnson is not given enough due. But enough of the cavil, because this book is a supreme accomplishment, of research, writing and psychological insight. It is fascinating to see Johnson's vast inflation of his military "career," and the way he continued to lie about it to people who knew he was lying, and who he knew knew he was lying. And the account of the stealing of the 1948 Senate race is so gripping, so suspenseful even though one knows the outcome before the book is opened, that it defies the effort to put the book down. I had read the book in fits and starts until about page 210, then picked it up at about 9:30 p.m., and could not stop until I finished, at 2:15 a.m. This book will be richly rewarding for anyone interested in the 1940s, and/or in contemporary American politics.

Means of Ascent traces Johnson's career from a rather lackluster legislator (i.e. in passing national legislation) in the U.S. House of Representatives, to his all or nothing gamble on the 1948 Texas U.S. Senate race. In between these years, we learn of Johnson's "war service", his wife's role in her husband's congressional office, their business dealings with a radio station in Austin, and other events. All of this is integral to Johnson's story and his political ambitions. As Caro discussed, these were not Johnson's happiest years as he seemed unsatisfied with his position in Congress and his perceived lack of power.

Caro introduces us to another key political figure in this book, Coke R. Stevenson. This was the man referred to as "Mr. Texas". Caro's portrayal of Stevenson offers a stunning contrast to the portrayal of Johnson. Coke Stevenson's life journey seemed to be the stuff of legends. He was a self-educated man who lived the outdoors. He reluctantly joined the world of Texas politics to get what he saw as a job that needed to be done done. He served as a state legislator, speaker of the house, lieutenant governor and governor. Stevenson seemed to represent what Texans liked most about their state and themselves. His popularity was perhaps unrivaled by any other state political figure. Perhaps Caro's portrayal of Stevenson is a bit too laudatory, but if Caro's task is to set the differences between Johnson and Stevenson in terms of their character traits, their personalities, their politics, etc., then he has succeeded brilliantly.

Once again, the Johnson that emerges in the heat of another major campaign is the same tireless, unstoppable man who will go to any and all lengths to win, as seen in Caro's other books. During the 1948 Democratic Primary, Johnson even utilized a new mode of transportation, the helicopter, for his campaign stops. Stevenson, in contrast, simply drove to different towns and county courthouse squares to meet and greet people, with little press attention. Stevenson, according to Caro, trusted that Texans already knew his record and where he stood and therefore he didn't have to respond to Johnson's attacks.

But once again, the nasty side of politics evinced itself. Large amounts of special interest money were used in the campaign, especially on Johnson's behalf. Votes were bought, especially from ethnic voting blocs from border counties where political bosses like George Parr reigned supreme. Additional voter fraud issues like stuffing of ballot boxes and the likes would come to light as well.

Many people, even in Johnson's inner circle, knew the hurdles they faced in defeating the popular Stevenson, a man regarded as unbeatable. In the end, Johnson would win by 87 votes, made possible no doubt by the hundreds if not more than hundreds of votes added to ballot boxes such as in the infamous Precinct 13 of Jim Wells County, and probably from other counties too. Parr's right hand man Luis Salas confessed this later and even said that Stevenson votes had been counted as Johnson votes.

Stevenson didn't give in without a fight. A Federal District Court judge took up the case and things began to appear bleak for Johnson's electoral "victory". Johnson's men, however, proved skillful in their legal maneuvering to halt the judge's order to open the disputed ballot boxes from Precinct 13 and possibly from other areas. With the assistance of Abe Fortas, they secured a hearing in front of U.S. Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black, who decided in favor of the Johnson team to stop the opening of ballot boxes. This decision ended the dispute and Johnson became the Democratic nominee and eventual winner in the fall election.

Johnson had indeed staked everything on this senate race and had won. But though he won the battle, it seems almost irrefutable that his victory was tainted by real voter fraud. Caro's treatment of both Johnson and Stevenson has earned some criticism. The portrait of Johnson that emerges is not flattering. Johnson certainly had some undesirable traits, but the nature of the politics and corruption seen at that time also contributed to the unflattering picture that is presented here, though they were often connected to his campaign. Stevenson is portrayed as a rock solid character who seemingly possessed very few flaws, though Caro did briefly touch on part of his record as governor of Texas, especially concerning the lynching of a black man during his tenure, as well as other elements of Stevenson's very conservative philosophy. Whether the character portrayals of either one of or of both is totally fair and accurate, is not for me to say, but I think Caro has done his homework and his evaluations seem solid in many ways.

Caro excels in presenting the human dimensions to his narrative, especially in the quest for power. The thrill of the campaign also comes to life. If you're a political junkie, you'll love this book. Overall, a great reading experience and great insights into Lyndon Johnson's life and times.

I recently read the second volume of Robert A. Caro's magisterial biography of LBJ, entitled MEANS OF ASCENT, and from that book I learned to loathe one man, Lyndon Johnson, whose signal accomplishments in civil rights and social justice are difficult to reconcile with his profound character flaws; to admire another, Coke Stephenson, who, for all the baggage of racism and reactionary ideology that came along with his frontier conservatism was, by all accounts, an outstanding, even heroic human being; and to hold in the very warmest regard one woman, Lady Bird Johnson, who, in spite of her paralyzing shyness and the outrageous abuse heaped upon her by her husband, was not only steadfast in her love and loyalty, but also took infinite pains to remake herself, agonizingly, into a successful businesswoman, canny politician, eloquent speaker, pioneering conservationist, important philanthropist, and accomplished public figure of the very first rank.

This book begins where Path to Power left off. It does give a quick recap so you can pick up here if you did not want to read the first one (although I recommend reading it as it is spectacular). The lies of Johnson's military service are almost too much to believe. His desire to retain elected office and achieve his goals remain unmatched as ever before. This book yet again shows how Johnson would lie and cheat his way to power. The Texas politics are truly among the most disturbing that you can see anywhere. The corruption is rampant and with an election where Johnson wins by only 87 votes the corruption was rampant. The race for the senate seat against governor Coke Stevenson who was one of the more principled Texas politicians is famous in Texas history. This book is wonderful at recounting that event as well as giving further insight into Johnson. Caro's writing is superb and the desire to find out what happens next is unmatched in other biographies. This is a must read for anyone interested in political history, biographies, or politics.

Refreshing! Like a cool summer breeze. It's not only fun to read but also informative. It's about Reid's journey to the East with his very western background and family. Be careful! One will experience bursts of laughter and smiles while reading this book. Its also about Confucius and its contagious - I could not stop reading it. So, grab a copy! And enjoy it with a cup of Coffee or Tea!

Many books on Japan or Asia deal in the military or the schools or the business point of view when dealing with that region of the world. The author decided to deal with the ethics, the ideals and codes of behavior passed down from Confucius. The ideals of respect, group unity and just plain manners. He uses it to try to explain why, for example, when there are problems with the economy there are no links to crime or unemployment. Why? In America and Europe one is always linked to the other.
This book is a must for anybody interested in Asian history, Japanese culture or how Confucius works on a daily level.

I haven't read the book yet, but it seems as though the author is making conclusions and assumptions about all East Asian countries based on living only in Japan. Yes, statistics will show that most Asian countries have low crime and divorce rates, etc. But, Confucian values haven't been as friendly in places such as South Korea. Sure, they have low crime rates, but strong conservative Confucian values there have cost people their freedom as well as their happiness. They do as they are told because they feel there is no other way. The schools are considered "great" because students do nothing but memorize to pass tests and get high scores. What they actually learn is a different story. Also, the education system in Korea is extremely controlled and they do not encourage free thinking. I know this is just a book that some guy wrote about his personal experience, and we're lucky to have the freedom to write as we choose in the West. But I believe if you are going to try to educate people about an entire area such as all of East Asia, I think one should be a little more "experienced" in each of the countries within that location.

This is one of the best books I have ever read. It taught me so much about the East Asian culture and how it differs from how I live in America. I would greatly recommend this book to anybody that simply loves to learn.

This book is a fabulous read for those of you that are hardcore Japanophiles or for people that enjoy taking things a cut deeper when learning about a culture.

It's refreshing and a quick read. I'd say it would be important to make notes in the book and possibly highlight. There are great points to which you can refer later.

Do yourself the favor and get this book.

iKnow

Boortz provides a fine explanation of mainly traditional conservative talking points filled with amusing and meaningful anecdotes. Included in this book are also some of his thoughts outside the realm of normal political agenda such as teenage smoking and his dollar bill savings concept.

Boortz provides a superlative explanation of economic principles as exemplified by his clear understanding of many issues. If there is a weakness among this topic it is his tendency to fall prey to cherry picking some statistics to illustrate his point; however, as a well known radio talk show host this mindset is perhaps grown from necessity of ratings as oppose to deliberate bias. Certainly there is enough positive and accurate depictions to make this book amply qualified.

I believe this book's best asset is its call action at the local political level, where Boortz encourages those who truly want to affect change to not only find out who their local representatives are, but to become involved. Overall, Boortz's approach is refreshing and his writing style is as enjoyable as a radio show with wit, humor, and a tone of patriotism. Whether one agrees with all the points of view in this book or not, the presentation of the material will leave all at least pondering some of the most well known political concepts as well as topics not typically discussed in public.

Wonderful book...says what many think but are afraid to say. It contains something to offend just about everyone!

2 June 2008 - I first heard of Boortz because of the Fair Tax. He does not neatly fall into either major political party. I thought I was a conservative to the core but he made me realize the virtues of individual liberty. I would like to think of myself as a libertarian my views on evolution, abortion and gay rights do not line up with Boortz. I agree that flag burning is a granted by the constitution and I believe it show how strong America is that we allow our flag to be burned in our street...it is the complete opposite of tyranny. It shows me my views of gay rights are from my religious beliefs and do not align with individual liberty. I do think abortion is simply murder and therefore is not an individual liberty and while I do not think the earth is only a few thousand years old I do think the church of Darwinism is preaching in our schools and it must be separated from the state...but then the state needs to get out of our schools as well.

Great book. Not a lot of fluff. Says a lot of things that many people think but don't say because of the craze of political correctness in American society. Serious, smart, and funny all in one book. Highly recommended!

Anyone who has the privilage of listening to Neal on the radio will know what I'm talking about. This book is exactly what America needs. Neal's tough love for our country is necessary to keep the American Machine on top. If you'd like to see America slide to Mediocre status, or if you have a case of Obamacitis, you may not be interested (and please move to Europe, or China). I shared this with friends who could have cared less about politics and it is opening their eyes. You may want to buy THE FAIRTAX BOOK as well, while you're on a roll!

Go on, take the red pill, you made it this far!

"Remember, all I'm offering is the truth. Nothing more." -Morpheus (The Matrix)

As a companion reader to Ideals and Ideologies, this reader is an excellent compostion of essays and writings that will challenge and encourage political thought. It is good for anyone wanting a broad overview of many different ideologies, rather than focusing on one in particular. It is historical so I recommend it for non-political readers as well. This work gives a good overview of the diverse ways in which men see government working and ruling in the affairs of men.

This book is woefully over-rated. Having read it in a political science class, this book was full of oversimplifications, sweeping generalizations, liberal indoctrination, and a-historical information. The breadth was terrible, as was the depth. The authors left numerous critical points out of the book. The fact that they didn't include a chapter on Zionism is proof of this. They also made sweeping generalizations about 9/11 and events which led to the Oklahoma City bombing. These authors are either completely inept historians, or they're blatantly taking sides. Either way, there's no excuse for the poor writing here. It's not necessarily what's written in the book, but what's left out! History cannot be "politically correct". If these authors really practiced ethics in their writing they would have presented ALL the information in a straight-forward unbiased manner, allowing the reader to come to his or her own conclusion. Truly dissapointing. Not recommended at all.

I reread this wonderful collection of seminal works of political philosophy often. I used it in my course on ideology. Students will find it challenging to work through, if you assign selections indescriminantly. That is why this reader is meant to complement an equally wonderful textbook written by the same authors. The scope here is awe-inspiring. We begin with Euripides and Pericles in the ancient Greece and end with the latest crypto ideological movements, such as feminism, animal rights activism, green politics, and the end of history thesis. I think that all selections are enlightening. This should be a must book for anyone specializing in political theory, intellectual history, or anyone who wants to understand or effectively employ ideological rhetoric. Great book.

The editors have done a good job of including most of the major areas of western political thought of the last two thousand years. A bit skimpy on classical works, but well grounded in more contemporary times and the foundational thought of American and Western democratic ideals. The contents have been edited to ensure that the message is not lost in prose, and the average reader should be able to enjoy the readings, also getting a clear sense of what the original author intended to say. Aimed at the Higher Education market it is a little pricey, but a buy for the shelf of anyone interested in this subjecr area.

The ideas that Immanuel Kant wrote about are truly groundbreaking. The concept of a cosmopolitan existence can arguably be seen in the existense of the European Union. Really amazing stuff! Now you may ask "why then are there only four stars?". The reason that I have given this book four stars is that it captured Kant's words beautifully, but somehow forgot to dissect their meaning for the reader. The concept of rights can be very confusing and without a thorough explanation can leave the passive reader (and for that matter even an active reader at times)confused and frustrated. The price for the book itself is reasonable and I feel that it most definately will give you your money's worth.

This is the best affordable paperback collection of Kant's essays on politics and the philosophy of history. You get Perpetual Peace, Idea for a Universal History, Contest of the Faculties, The End of all Things, Theory and Practice, What is Enlightenment and several other essays. Hans Reiss' introduction is well written and illuminating as well. There is another, cheaper collection published by Hackett Publishing Co. (Perpetual Peace and Other Essays). However, it is smaller and less comprehensive than this edition.

I was pleased with the purchase. The item came fast and in the promised condition.

Weimer's "Policy Analysis -3rd edition" provides a well-organized, widely-covered, and easily-understandable introduction to policy analysis. Although we have to seek for other materials for an in-depth analysis of some topics, the book helps us start with Public Policy, Policy Analysis, and even economic policies. This is especially good for undergraduate level, since this provides how to study, investigate, and write policy paper.

This is 'the' book when it comes to public policy analysis. I have read the 3rd and 4th editions and both are great foundational books for anyone looking to do public policy analysis as a practitioner or academic researcher.

This is one of the very best textbooks in the study of policy analysis.

The first part of the book sets the context. It provides a neat case study of the Canadian salmon fishery to give an example of basic policy analysis. Following this are chapters on the nature of policy analysis and the professional ethics related to the endeavor.

One of the most important elements of this book is the next section--the economics of policy analysis. The text discusses the logic of economics, why government intervention through making policy can make economic sense under certain conditions, and the danger of "government failure" (when governmernt actions may work against good economic sense).

The following section focuses on the variety of policy options available to government to address problems. Some "solutions" are market-based; others include regulations and taxes. The volume goes on to explore techniques such as cost-benefit analysis. Two case studies of policy analysis round out the substantive chapters. The last chapter focuses on the responsibility of policy analysts to both "do well" and to "do good."

Not an easy read, but a book that provides the basic underpinnings for understanding policy analysis--and how to do policy analysis.

I read this book for a class and it gives a fantastic overview of the basics of policy analysis. It discusses the reasons for government intervention in markets, the analysis of policies and ways of going about doing a thorough policy analysis. Easy to read and very informative!

This book covers many scenarios of decline, examples and data showing us the rate of accelerating change and many arguments for increasing resilience personally, as a community, and nationally. The changes we shall face on our journey to 2012 we should consider moral and solvable. These issues are drastic, human, and not bound to political party. John's book creates a good introduction to this debate - we should have the debate and together develop a brighter future.

A must read by any accounting. Our leadership for the next decade must pay close attention to the myriad of events that will shape the very future of mankind and all living things on this planet. This is not a Right vs Left issue, its rather a set of understandings we all need to comprehend and take action through our elected representives at all levels.

Owen Wormser
Royal Oak, Maryland
A Vision for 2012: Planning for Extraordinary Change

John L. Petersen, the well regarded futurist and head of The Arlington Institute, has written A Vision for 2012, a must read timely essay-length call to action for citizens and governments. In Petersen's view, global warming, fossil fuel depletion, recent economic market disruptions and more, portend massive societal and planetary disruption in the next decade. For some, the year 2012 is a year of foretold doom. 2012 is Petersen's symbolic way of saying "Stop thinking about tomorrow" as the song goes, and start thinking about today. A self-proclaimed optimist, Petersen balances one set of trend lines with another that point to scientific and technological breakthroughs, from new medicines, to the Internet, as holding out the possibility for resolving the challenges we face. But there is no way around the need for government planning and action, and here Petersen is flying on a wing and a prayer. As the book also concedes, governments and society in general usually act conservatively and plan and deal in the less painful policy world of incremental, short term advance until the crisis occurs (think about our failure to address the ticking time bomb of entitlement obligations). We have a lot of political talk about Manhattan projects to develop alternatives to oil or reduce greenhouse emissions (called for in the book) but we know that governments and the citizenry usually act after the fact (e.g. Katrina). Global cooperation is even more difficult and the United States, which the author calls on to lead, has not exactly led over the last decade (think Kyoto) Petersen hopes it can be different if we work together---using technologies like the collaborative Internet---to think, plan, and advocate for change together. Read the book.

I think Perry's book entitled Western Civilization is very lear, articulate and comprehensive. I have been using it in My Humanities courses and it is the best book I have come across so far.

As an adult student, I feared having to take History 101. It was an online class, and the professor I had was not very good, but this book taught me a lot. The authors emphasize the relationship of ethics and morality with the development of western religions and governments from early Mesopotamia until 1789. For example, it helped me to understand the different viewpoints of the contemporary issues happening in the Middle East (why and how religion serves as a basis for many governments.)

If you are considering taking a History course that uses this textbook, or just want to learn more about how our world's societies have developed, I highly recommend this book. I didn't continue with History 102, but I did buy Volume II of this book series from Perry, et al., to continue my understanding world issues. Please join me!

If you are tired of spending your dollars on gasoline produced from oil from Saudi Arabia, Iran, Venezuela,and other OPEC countries, many of whom hate the U.S.,this book is a must read. Dr.Zubrin's argument is simple: to become independent of foreign oil, stop using gasoline made from oil and turn to alcohol based fuels; ethanol and methanol. Methanol is the fuel used by the Indy 500 drivers. It's cheap to make and can be made from coal, natural gas and almost any biomass (including the leftovers from the manufacture of ethanol.)One needs a flex fuel engine to use it, but that only costs $150-200 per car. Congress could subsidize this for $150 million per year, and mandate a flex fuel engine for every car sold here. In three years that would put 50 million cars on the roads, creating a market for entrepreneurs to provide the pumps to deliver methanol to the marketplace. It would also help farmers in poor countries as well as take the pressure off of food crops presently used for ethanol and presently driving up many food prices. It is the Saudi's, the farm lobby and the oil company's stranglehold on Congress which is preventing methanol from coming to market. "Energy Victory" sets forth the problems and provides details of the solution to weaning ourselves from foreign oil.

Wow this book is well written and an eye opener. It should be read by all americans. Big oil is using the government to cheat the people.

I felt the book was well documented and the point that the US is being held hostage by the foreign oil producers. The money made by the Islamic Oil producers is being used to destroy the United States through its economy. We have oil and alternate sources of energy and we should be using them.

The basic thesis that Mr. Zubrin presents is that the US government should immediately mandate that all cars sold in the USA be flex-fuel vehicles. These are vehicles equipped with fuel systems capable of handling gasoline, ethanol, or methanol, or any combination of the above. Modern computerized ignition and fuel injection systems make such a modification fairly cheap to implement. This change would open up the market for domestic ethanol and methanol production, which would rise to meet the demand and, because it is cheaper than gasoline, would finally liberate us from our dependence on Middle East oil.

The author is certainly enthusiastic but his book is deeply flawed. The author is an aerospace engineer with a doctorate in nuclear engineering, and he certainly understands the engineering angles clearly. But he has problems with just about everything else, such as politics, history, and economics. He wrote a chapter on the military history of oil -- a bad mistake. He's obviously not well versed in military history. He appears to have slapped together some quick research to support his thesis. Although there's nothing terribly mistaken in the chapter, it bristles with so many trivial errors that it undermines his credibility. He really didn't need this chapter anyway; it struck me as gratuitous material tossed in to demonstrate intellectual breadth -- when in fact it indicated the opposite to me.

I was particularly disturbed when I realized that he fails to back up his thesis with the crucial numbers that he needs. The book bristles with numbers and data, but there is one that is prominent by its absence: an estimate of the amount of farmland that would have to be dedicated to fuel production in order to provide enough fuel to permit us to stop importing oil. I have seen a few estimates, and they are staggering -- the most pessimistic estimates suggest that we'd have to dedicate much of our current farmland to fuel production to grow that much fuel. These estimates depend on a lot of assumptions: energy costs of fertilizer, transportation, processing, and so forth. Mr. Zubrin airily dismisses such concerns with the observation that the technology works. Yes, it works -- but how much will it cost to make that much fuel? How much will our food prices rise if we dedicate that much land to growing fuel? Mr. Zubrin makes no effort to answer these bottom-line questions.

There is also an ungraciousness to his writing. He has some strong things to say about those who have disagreed with him. I cannot recall any place where he acknowledged uncertainty or the possibility that other experts might reasonable disagree with him. To Mr. Zubrin, everything seems clear and simple -- and that scares me. The real world is a messier place than Mr. Zubrin seems to think.

But the most discrediting aspect of this book is its Islamoparanoia. Mr. Zubrin is convinced that Muslims are the spawn of the devil, subhuman monsters intent on rapine and bloodshed. His wild rants on this subject, which cover a goodly amount of space, are embarrassing, and they destroy any confidence a fair-minded reader would have in his judgement. What's sad is that his basic point -- that the USA must end its dependence on foreign oil -- is absolutely right. But he soils that point with his bigoted ravings.

My overall assessment: this is a seriously flawed book that has a bit of good information in it, but you have to put up with a lot of nonsense, ignore the minor bloopers, and follow up with your own research to get the full benefits of this book.

A serious book calls for a serious review and I will try to provide that. Zubrin covers a lot of ground so I will take this by chapter. First, the author has a PhD in nuclear engineering so he knows the science. The first two chapters provide the rationale for his campaign to replace petroleum with methanol, and to a lesser degree ethanol. The book was written a year ago and the effects of food crop diversion to ethanol have now emphasized the negatives of ethanol. Methanol is made from non-food, non-sugar, sources and is a better compound for fuel. The first five chapters provide his argument that Saudi Arabia is an enemy funding terrorism and the Wahhabi heresy of Islam. He makes good points but is a bit more excited than I would be. Another review makes the point that China will still be buying oil from the Saudis no matter what we do. Still, the price will fall as methanol, nuclear fission and fusion technology provide alternatives.

Chapter 6 tells the story of flex-fuel technology and the remarkable life story of Roberta Nichols, a woman engineer who succeeded in adapting alcohol to motor fuel and doing it cheaply. She was a great pioneer and died too young to see her accomplishments recognized. Chapter 7 tells the story of several politically supported alternatives and explains why they are not practical. One section of this chapter tells the story of a professor whose poorly done research survives as a major argument against ethanol as a practical alternative to petroleum. There is a good deal of technology in this chapter but it is well explained.

Chapter 8 discusses the potential for under-developed countries to benefit from a change to alcohol-based energy production. Methanol can be made from agricultural waste products and offers these societies a future that cannot occur if poor countries are beholden to the OPEC oil cartel. There is some economics and politics in this chapter but I agree with it all. Chapter 9 discusses the Brazilian experience, in which Brazil has freed itself from dependence on OPEC oil. An issue of Time magazine from this spring has a feature story that misrepresents the Brazilian experience so it would be good for those interested to read this as an antidote to the lies of what Zubrin calls the "Malthusians," those who do not want us to solve the problem. They prefer a smaller population, no matter how that goal is achieved. Al Gore is the most prominent member of this group.

Chapter 10 is almost the best part of the book as he describes the true role of CO2 and global warming. He shows the present levels of CO2 are actually rather low when compared to previous epochs, such as the Holocene Maximum, a warm period when humans emerged from Africa and spread across the globe. He does warn that CO2 will become a problem as other societies move to an economic model similar to ours. As they prosper, their CO2 production will rise and that does constitute a risk for the planet. That risk will be reduced and eliminated by the suggestions made in the book.

Chapter 11 goes on to discus other forms of energy, especially the promise of nuclear fusion which, once harnessed, will ensure the future of the human race for millions of years. This is his field and he knows it thoroughly.

Chapter 12 is a well-done discussion of the role of the petroleum engine in the history of the 20th century, from the "Miracle of the Marne" in 1914, when a French division was rushed into battle in a thousand Parisian taxicabs, to the origins of World War II. Chapter 13 finishes up with a summary of the history of Islam and the plans of the Wahhabis to conquer the world and establish a new caliphate to replace the Ottoman Empire.

This is a serious book with a lot of information, some of it rather technical for someone who never studied chemistry. His opinions on political issues are strong and, at times, a bit intemperate. The fusion program has been mishandled. The ethanol lobby has distorted the market, for example maintaining tariffs on Brazilian ethanol that would otherwise lower the price for American drivers.

He is absolutely right on the big issues. We need to get off our addiction to middle eastern oil. He does not get into the production of oil in our own territory and I want to know more about that. I have ordered another book to do so. Bacterial engineering to produce oil and other carbon compounds, as Craig Venter and others plan to do, is not covered. This is a big field and there is a lot of misinformation. This book is a big help and should be read by anyone seeking information on alternatives. I'm not sure methanol is the only answer but it is a big piece of it and this is the place to learn about it.