General Books - Page 11

Capital: Volume 1: A Critique of Political Economy (Penguin Classics)

Karl Marx

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 39 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Doors of Perception 5 out of 5 stars.
16 of 17 people found this review helpful.

If :
- Your mum has taught you lots of valuable things (eat your vegetables, be nice to old people and little dogs, don't be late to school, keep a clean nose) but she was never really able to explain why you had to WORK for a living - instead of, you know, just living;
- Your teachers packed your head full with all kinds of useful knowledge (about prepositions and adverbs, mineralogy and astrophysics, the reproductive organs of plants, x+2-y=0) but they never told you how exactly PROFITS are made - and why anybody would want to make them anyway;
- Your friends and lovers can spend hours yakking about various interesting topics (the latest music machine, videogames, designer shoes, imitation leather sofas, blockbuster movies, pink underwear and cherry flavoured bubble-gum) but they call you a bore and a nitpick whenever you wonder why you're all surrounded by so many COMMODITIES and publicity ads promising you bigger, better and faster useless things.
- You often have the impression that some greater truth is lacking in your life (and you've tried all the legal/illegal drugs, exciting TV shows, gurus and psychoanalysts, help-yourself books and bestsellers about kid sorcerers)...

...Then the time may have come to have a long talk with good old Uncle Karl - the black sheep of the social sciences, the guy nobody likes to mention at social occasions (except in the form of a joke: "have you heard the one about Karl Marx in Las Vegas?"), the most misquoted and misinterpreted modern thinker.
In "Capital", he kindly invites you to break on through to the other side (that's how countercultural he was) and check out what's really happening behind the glitzy appearances of everyday life. You don't even have to be a genius to understand him (it will be enough if you can count to ten without choking). And you might be surprised about how obvious some things will seem after he explains to you about the cage you're sitting in.

Of course, mum will probably be broken-hearted and fear that you'll join the next anarcho-pinko-terrorist organization down the block. Your teachers might refer to a vast list of successful anti-Marx books and charity organizations. And your friends and lovers will find you an even greater bore than before.

Editorial Review:

One of the most notorious works of modern times, as well as one of the most influential, "Capital" is an incisive critique of private property and the social relations it generates. Living in exile in England, where this work was largely written, Marx drew on a wide-ranging knowledge of its society to support his analysis and generate fresh insights. Arguing that capitalism would create an ever-increasing division in wealth and welfare, he predicted its abolition and replacement by a system with common ownership of the means of production. "Capital" rapidly acquired readership among the leaders of social democratic parties, particularly in Russia and Germany, and ultimately throughout the world, to become a work described by Marx's friend and collaborator Friedrich Engels as 'the Bible of the Working Class'.

Leviathan (Oxford World's Classics)

Thomas Hobbes

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 38 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

DO NOT BUY THIS CLASSIC IN THIS EDITION!!!! 1 out of 5 stars.
16 of 22 people found this review helpful.

This is not a review of the work itself.

One comment only: surprisingly enough, the editor of this volume, the 'world renowned' Richard Tuck DOES NOT PROVIDE NOTES, please pay attention: the book was originally published in 1651 (or something) but nevertheless the so called Hobbes scholar does not provide scholarly notes... and this is supposed to be a 'student's edition'... ha ha

Shame on you, Mr. Tuck!

What to do with Modern World 5 out of 5 stars.
4 of 8 people found this review helpful.

This huge work is the foundation of classical liberalism; it is the basis for Locke, for Smith, and all economic neo-liberalists all the way up to the current period. Written during the English Reformation, Hobbes was confronted with the problem of absolute individualism; he begins this work of political theory with a demolishment of objective truth swift enough to impress any post-modernist. He then proceeds to demonstrate the logical conclusion of man in a state of nature, and compels the modern world to enter into his social contract, or Leviathan out of necessity and fear. It is tempting to write off Hobbes as a cynic, but who can deny that much of what motivates individuals in the modern world is simply a fear to maintain survival and acceptance. It is the driving force of modern societies in terms of economic competition, and inter-national conflicts. Hobbes was a thinker of true depth and insight, though his ideas are so commonly ingrained in modern society that it is difficult to see why they were revolutionary when they were composed.

Editorial Review:

Leviathan is both a magnificent literary achievement and the greatest work of political philosophy in the English language. Permanently challenging, it has found new applications and new refutations in every generation. This new edition reproduces the first printed text, retaining the original punctuation but modernizing the spelling. It offers exceptionally thorough and useful annotation, an introduction that guides the reader through the complexities of Hobbes's arguments, and a substantial index.

The New Cold War: How the Kremlin Menaces Both Russia and the West

Edward Lucas

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 15 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

An entertaining read, but take it with a grain of salt 3 out of 5 stars.
18 of 23 people found this review helpful.

I read this book because I would like to add a Russian component to the masters thesis I am working on, and thought it would give me good background. Alas, while the book was an entertaining read, it is practically useless academically. Mr Lucas' prose drips with outrage and disdain toward Russia's leaders--and I sometimes got the feeling that his attitude extends toward all Russian people. Although I don't have a deep background in this field, it was pretty obvious that Mr Lucas glosses over very complicated events in order to substantiate his own rather simplistic argument. The book quotes very few sources and mostly regurgitates events that have already been widely reported on. The author's lack of nuance is the most troubling--everything boils down to Putin/Russia = power/control/corruption/bad--which left me with very little I could use in a serious paper. By the end of the book, I had the impression that I had read a polemic summary of everything bad the mainstream Western media has had to say about Russia over the past couple of years, which might explain why it appears to have gotten so many good reviews from major news outlets.

Mr Lucas may be right, and he certainly has a valid opinion on Russia's politics and the direction the country is going. However, I hope that anyone who would like to read this book understands what it is--the strongly written personal opinion of a journalist who has been covering Russia for a few years. It is certainly not an objective or meticulous study of any aspect of contemporary Russia.

Empire (Penguin Celebrations)

Niall Ferguson

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 76 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

I only finished it because I started it 1 out of 5 stars.
3 of 5 people found this review helpful.

Niall Ferguson is a decent writer but a lousy historian. There are some interesting and colorful bits... British agents disguised as Buddhist monks, "measuring the distances between places with the aid of worry beads... and concealing the maps they surreptitiously drew in their prayer wheels." However, Ferguson has a dogmatic attachment to the notion that anything that happened in British colonies was, if not good and ultimately beneficial, then at the very least better than the alternative in the form of Spanish, Japanese, German, Italian or Belgian occupation. Where the British Empire has been abusive, Ferguson acknowledges and apologizes but with the understanding that the British was the best empire and the least cruel. Indians for example, needed "only to look at the way the Japanese conducted themselves in China, Singapore and Thailand to see how much worse the alternative before them was." The British Empire it seems, "had some conception of human rights," compared to other empires. Ferguson does not question that India should have expected to be colonized and as such would have chosen the best of the colonizing lot.

Ferguson further dismisses any accusations of the negative impact of British colonization and especially eschews the idea that the abject poverty faced today in former colonies, particularly in Africa is in any way related to the legacy of British colonialism. Using the example of Zambia, Ferguson asserts that "the British empire encouraged investors to put their money in developing economies" thereby making such investment less risky than it is today. Further, in the period immediately following colonization "the differential between British and Zambian incomes was [much] less." Since the end of British colonization however, "the gap between colonizer and the ex-colony has become a gulf." Therefore, Ferguson concludes, "there is good evidence that the imposition of British-style institutions has tended to enhance a country's economic prospects." Whaaa????

Ferguson's Empire ends abruptly in a wake-up call for the U.S. to assume its destiny as the inheritor of British-style imperial greatness. The United States must unabashedly take the reigns, as Ferguson implies the British Empire did, and govern the world. Ferguson worries that the U.S. is not ready for this important responsibility, describing the U.S. as "an empire that lacks the drive to export its capital, its people and its culture to those backward regions which need them most urgently and which if they are neglected, will breed the greatest threats to its security. It is an empire, in short, that dare not speak its name. It is in empire in denial.

There may yet be a thesis that clearly articulates how British Empire is single-handedly responsible for the creation of the modern world. Niall Ferguson's Empire is not it. This is instead a call for a return to unabashed empire building - a justification essentially for the post September 11th global war on terror. But if Ferguson is right, if the British Empire is responsible for the making the modern world, a world that Ferguson describes as breeding threats to security in its neglected and backwards parts, why does Ferguson suggest a solution that is more of the same?

Capitalism: The Unknown Ideal

Ayn Rand, Nathaniel Branden, Alan Greenspan, Robert Hessen

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 114 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

An Excellent Collection of Essays on Ayn Rand's Political Views 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

This book contains an excellent collection of essays on the political branch of Ayn Rand's philosophy of Objectivism and is appropriate for anyone seeking to obtain a deeper understanding of her political philosophy beyond reading her novels. A few of my favorite essays contained within include:

* What is Capitalism? -- Ayn Rand's delineation of Capitalism as a political system where individuals live according to the Trader Principle and have a minimal, but central government to prevent the initiation of physical force and fraud.

* Antitrust -- Alan Greenspan's excellent essay that attacks Antitrust legislation as subjective, harmful and immoral.

* Gold and Economic Freedom -- Alan Greenspan's essay on the need for objective currency. In particular, he suggests a return to a 100% gold standard.

* Patents and Copyrights -- Ayn Rand's views on the necessity and morality of intellectual property rights.

* Theory and Practice -- Ayn Rand's views on the invalidity of the "Mind-Body Dichotomy", which is also known as the "Theory-Practice Dichotomy" or the "Thought-Action Dichotomy".

* The Wreckage of the Consensus -- Ayn Rand's views on the debacle that was the war in Vietnam. In my opinion, reading this essay really suggests how she would view the current war in Iraq.

* Man's Rights -- in this essay, Ayn Rand discusses what individual rights are and where they come from. Specifically, she argues that rights come from the nature of man (not from divine origin, society or law) and what they mean in practice.

* The Nature of Government -- this essay contains Ayn Rand's view on government's as an agency of force, how the only proper purpose for a government is to safeguard the rights of men, how the only legitimate functions of government are those necessary to preserve individual rights (i.e., police force, army and a court system) and the necessity for a strong, central government to serve as a final arbiter on the use of retaliatory force. This last point is in stark contrast to various anarcho-capitalists such as David Friedman and Murray Rothbard.

Outrage: How Illegal Immigration, the United Nations, Congressional Ripoffs, Student Loan Overcharges, Tobacco Companies, Trade Protection, and Drug Companies Are Ripping Us Off . . . and

Dick Morris, Eileen Mcgann

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Total reviews: 80 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Dick Morris and Eileen McGann are outrage—and you should be, too!

• Half of all illegal immigrants came into this country legally—and we have no way of knowing they're still here!
• Congressmen are putting their wives on their campaign payrolls!
• The UN is a cover for massive corruption!
• Drug companies pay off doctors to write scrips—whether we need them or not!
• Teachers unions block the firing of bad teachers—and battle against higher education standards!
• Katrina victims are being stiffed by their insurance companies!
• Special interests cost our consumers $45 billion through trade quotas that save only a handful of jobs!

Unaware of these abuses? It's not surprising since the mainstream media don't talk about them. Too many powerful people are working very hard to cover them up. But in Outrage, New York Times bestselling authors Dick Morris and Eileen McGann give you the cold, hard facts you won't read about anywhere else—and offer tough, common-sense proposals on how to fight the special interests of the left and right . . . so we can start making these outrageous inequities things of the past!

The Conservative's Handbook: Defining the Right Position on Issues from A to Z

Phil Valentine

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Total reviews: 20 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

If, as some have said, conservatives are ruled by facts and liberals by emotions, one would be hard-put to find a better illustration of the aphorism than popular radio talk-show host Phil Valentine's The Conservative's Handbook: Defining the Right Positions on Issues from A to Z. Initially his A-to-Z issues were developed as a primer to be posted on his Web site to bring his audience up to speed with today's events. When they proved so popular and informative with his audience, he realized he had struck a responsive chord, that the realities he had outlined spoke to a great number of people.

The Conservative's Handbook provides a conservative viewpoint on a wide range of ideas. Among them are guns, global warming, drugs, partial birth abortion, education, political correctness, entrepreneurs, and the wisdom of Ronald Reagan. In doing so, it covers the hot issues of today as well as perennial topics of interest. The knowledge he imparts is more than just information. It's ammunition for conservatives when they are caught up in discussions with friends and arguments with those on the Left.

Many arguments between liberals and conservatives degenerate into name-calling and unsubstantiated claims. The Conservative's Handbook distills those raw emotions and extraneous thoughts into a cohesive argument for conservative principles and values, covering the full array of today's fiscal and social issues in a manner that is comprehensive without being overwhelming.

This book may inform you, humor you, or enrage you. But if you approach it with an open mind, it will make you think and may cause you to change some of your opinions.

The Stranger Beside Me: The Twentieth Anniversary Edition

Ann Rule

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 179 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Great, fascinating book 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I am 28 and so was only a young girl when Bundy was executed. I had heard of him, but was not familiar with the extent of his crimes. Working in the forensic field, I am fascinated with the stories of true crime and serial killers. I am an avid reader but sometimes it is hard for me to find non-fiction books that really hold my attention. Not the case with this book. I received this book for my birthday and started it as soon as I finished the book I was reading at the time. I couldn't put it down!

The original book ended before Bundy was executed but there are several follow-ups at the end that really carry the story through to today. Because Rule knew Bundy, she is able to provide much insight and goes above and beyond just the facts.

I highly recommend this book if you are at all interesting in knowing more about one of the most notorious serial killers of all time.

Editorial Review:

Ted Bundy was handsome, charming, a brilliant law student, and on the verge of a dazzling career. On January 24, 1989, he was executed for the murders of three young women, having confessed to taking the lives of at least thirty-five more. This is the story of one of the most fascinating killers in American history--of his magnetic power, his bleak compulsion, his double life, his string of helpless victims. It is also the story of Ann Rule, a writer working on the biggest story of her life, tracking down a brutal mass murderer. Little did she realize that the "Ted" the police were seeking was the same Ted who worked with her at a Seattle crisis clinic, a man who had become her close friend and confidant. As she began to put the evidence together, a terrifying picture emerged of the man she thought she knew. Twenty years after it was first published, The Stranger Beside Me remains a gripping, explosive true-crime classic. 8 pages of photographs.

The Interpersonal Communication Book

Joseph A. Devito

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Total reviews: 11 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Offering the perfect balance of theory and practical skills, this market-leading text equips students to make reasoned and effective communication decisions. Recognized for its ability to help students understand the crucial connection between theory and practice, the Ninth Edition includes a new feature called "Ask the Researcher" in which renowned researchers provide practical, and sometimes provocative, answers to questions often raised by students in the course. An entirely new chapter--Unit 22 "Interpersonal Communication and Relationships in the Workplace"--extends DeVito's trademark coverage of interpersonal relationships into the workplace. Further supporting the text's mission to provide students with an interactive and engaging introduction to interpersonal communication, the Ninth Edition features an exciting new integrated text and technology learning system. Contextually-placed web icons in the text's margins direct students to the book's Companion Website where they engage in interactive exercises or simulations that help them gain a better understanding of concepts presented in the text. Superior coverage of cultural diversity, expanded coverage of ethics, and new discussions of the effects of technology make The Interpersonal Communication Book, Ninth Edition, the best choice for preparing students to communicate successfully in today's world.

The Political Brain: The Role of Emotion in Deciding the Fate of the Nation

Drew Westen

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 9 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

couldn't finish it 2 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

This is a very narrow book. I got it thinking it would lend some real light on what makes one person a conservative and another a liberal, what personality traits might make one person favor one party over another, what neuroses and what healthy traits might be at play when voters pull certain levers.

Instead, it's really just one more partisan take on the world of late 20th and early 21st century American politics. In particular, the author seems really only interested in how the Democrats can do better by borrowing a page from the Republicans' playbook - in particular, in using emotion in political advertising.

There's very little here that is really of any interest beyond such a narrow partisan agenda. The author's typical strategy is to hammer away at some very basic construct from cognitive psychology (neural networks, say), discuss some ad (typically in a rhetorical, not a psychological, fashion), then state - once again - that emotion plays a role in politics. Doh! I guess you have to be a Democratic strategist for this last bit to be really anything more than a no-brainer.

There is very little discussion of research beyond a study here and a study there (including the author's own). I thought for sure that a psychology professor at a fine institution such as Emory might have quite a bit to say. Surely there's more out there than this. This is, however, very much a political book, not a psychological one.

Editorial Review:

Through a bravura tour of American political leaders and their appeals to the electorate, Drew Westen shows that Americans don't vote with their heads but with their hearts--and that Democratic politicians had better wise up in their approach. The Political Brain is a serious and groundbreaking investigation into the role of emotion in deciding the outcome of elections. It looks at data across several presidential elections from the 1950s through 2000, examines the evidence for the role of emotion in driving voting behavior, and provides a "clinical" view of a number of campaign ads, debate lines, and personal profiles of the candidates who have sought to win our hearts.