General Books - Page 3

Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed

Jared Diamond

By: Viking Amazon Marketplace: 1 new & used starting at $12.78

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 402 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Even Diamond Can Write Compost 2 out of 5 stars.
2 of 5 people found this review helpful.

The esteemed Jared Diamond, author of one of the most insightful and profound books of the previous decade: Guns Germs and Steel, tried to break the wave of his success on Collapse, a book about the failure of societies due to a laundry-list of (mostly environmental) issues.

It's too soon to render a verdict on the bearded Professor (unlike Paul Ehrlich and Rachel Carson) since he wisely chose topics which cannot be gauged within a human lifetime but the book itself was a real steaming pile of environmental compost. I can't resist quoting Fred L. Smith Jr. of the Competitive Enterprise Institute: "[a] jumble of jigsaw puzzle pieces laid out on the table - no structure, no serious organization." Indeed, I was so angry after reading this book that I wanted to rip out the 592 pages and use every single one to give the author paper cuts between his toes. Then set him out barefoot on the New Guinea lowlands about which he can't seem to shut the flock up. But this is a book review and I digress because I'm getting all worked up again so I'm going to end this paragraph prema

The Rise of the Fourth Reich: The Secret Societies That Threaten to Take Over America

Jim Marrs

Amazon Price: $30.39 List Price: $39.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Tantor Media Amazon Marketplace: 29 new & used starting at $23.91

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 43 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Absolutely true or a giant lie? 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

You cannot say if this is absolute true, or a giant lie.

In any case, the world would be a better place should everyone read it. Still, if you decide to do so, it will change your life.

Things we wish we didn't believe 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Follow the money. Jim Marrs uses this tried and true method of journalism to disect the relationship between corporate America and our federal government. While focusing on the NAZI(National Socialism) ties that are wrapped into our everyday lives, the most disturbing point this book makes to me is the ultimate control of everthing we consider personal freedoms by very small groups and individuals, NAZI or not.

We have all seen the degridation of our education, healthcare, labor, and moral systems in a post WWII America. This book does a phenominal job of answering the root question in most American minds; Why? The answer very simply is power and the ultimate measurable by-product, wealth. Mr. Marrs goes into great depth describing and explaining the personal, political and financial ties among the worlds elite through the course of modern history in a way that should disturb any reader.

The book does an excellent job, in my opinion, of providing strong arguments that ultimately lead the reader to the question, "If this isn't true, what else could it be?".

Very disturbing and informative. The wonderful outcome of this work is, whether you believe all the scenarios put forth or not, the reader will definately come away with some form of; "I knew it!"

Editorial Review:

New York Times bestselling conspiracy theorist Jim Marrs offers startling new evidence that the Nazis have been secretly planning a return to power---in the United States.

Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation

Joseph J. Ellis

Amazon Price: $19.11 List Price: $28.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Knopf Amazon Marketplace: 151 new & used starting at $2.99

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Total reviews: 387 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

An illuminating study of the intertwined lives of the founders of the American republic--John Adams, Aaron Burr, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and George Washington.

During the 1790s, which Ellis calls the most decisive decade in our nation's history, the greatest statesmen of their generation--and perhaps any--came together to define the new republic and direct its course for the coming centuries. Ellis focuses on six discrete moments that exemplify the most crucial issues facing the fragile new nation: Burr and Hamilton's deadly duel, and what may have really happened; Hamilton, Jefferson, and Madison's secret dinner, during which the seat of the permanent capital was determined in exchange for passage of Hamilton's financial plan; Franklin's petition to end the "peculiar institution" of slavery--his last public act--and Madison's efforts to quash it; Washington's precedent-setting Farewell Address, announcing his retirement from public office and offering his country some final advice; Adams's difficult term as Washington's successor and his alleged scheme to pass the presidency on to his son; and finally, Adams and Jefferson's renewed correspondence at the end of their lives, in which they compared their different views of the Revolution and its legacy.

In a lively and engaging narrative, Ellis recounts the sometimes collaborative, sometimes archly antagonistic interactions between these men, and shows us the private characters behind the public personas: Adams, the ever-combative iconoclast, whose closest political collaborator was his wife, Abigail; Burr, crafty, smooth, and one of the most despised public figures of his time; Hamilton, whose audacious manner and deep economic savvy masked his humble origins; Jefferson, renowned for his eloquence, but so reclusive and taciturn that he rarely spoke more than a few sentences in public; Madison, small, sickly, and paralyzingly shy, yet one of the most effective debaters of his generation; and the stiffly formal Washington, the ultimate realist, larger-than-life, and America's only truly indispensable figure.

Ellis argues that the checks and balances that permitted the infant American republic to endure were not primarily legal, constitutional, or institutional, but intensely personal, rooted in the dynamic interaction of leaders with quite different visions and values. Revisiting the old-fashioned idea that character matters, Founding Brothers informs our understanding of American politics--then and now--and gives us a new perspective on the unpredictable forces that shape history.

Black Belt Patriotism: How to Reawaken America

Chuck Norris

Amazon Price: $17.79 List Price: $26.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Regnery Publishing Amazon Marketplace: 52 new & used starting at $8.14

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 29 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Black Belt Patriotism by Chuck Norris 4 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Great book by a great Patriot. I bought it for my grandson who is in first year high school. I know he won't learn anything true about America in the federally funded schools who get their orders from the ungodly United Nations. America's only hope is a divine intervention.

Cheers for Chuck 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This is mostly a superb book which should be read by everyone who can read English. I was especially appreciative of the inclusion of The Declaration of Independance and the Constitution in their entirety.
Two things kept me from rating the book 5 stars:
1. The chapters on health and nutrition are inadequate. Both are extremely complex subjects which require separate books each as a minimum. The result is a vanilla treatment of the subjects which detract from the power of the rest of the book.
2.His idea of one Representative per state undermines the foundation of the United States. The House of Representative is the seat of Democracy and the Senate is the seat of a Republic. Our country is neither a Democracy nor a Republic: it is both and that is the true Genius of our Constitution along with the Separation of Powers. However I do agree that the House is too big and unwieldy: maybe 250 mermbers?

Editorial Review:

Martial arts master, actor, and political activist--there is no job Chuck Norris can't do. Now the original tough guy is at it again, stepping back into the role of bestselling author with his new book, Black Belt Patriotism. In Black Belt Patriotism Norris gives a no-holds-barred assessment of American culture, tackling everything from family values to national security. More than a cultural critique of what's wrong with our nation, Black Belt Patriotism provides real solutions for solving our problems, moving our country forward, and changing our nation's course for the better. Chuck Norris--the hero, icon, and legend--is back, packing a political and cultural punch, as only he can deliver.

The Federalist Papers (Signet Classics)

Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, John Jay, Clinton Rossiter

Amazon Price: $7.95 List Price: $7.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Signet Classics Amazon Marketplace: 114 new & used starting at $3.96

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 37 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Why we are who we are. 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

You will not know American History without reading these papers. I am a history major and forget or never realized the importance of these papers. I know I never read them in college.

For all fredom lovers 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Must read for those who wish to understand the US Constitution in it basic understanding from the writers of the USC

The Federalist Papers 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

The Federalist Papers need no review. They are classics in American History and were the basis for convincing the Colonials that the Constitution was a sound structure for the new Government.

Required reading 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Every American high schooler should be required to read and understand this book and the importance of our founding fathers' principals, so important, yet so misunderstood today.

federalist papers 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

THE FEDERALISTS PAPERS is a must read for those who wish to know how a Republic works.

Editorial Review:

The documents thatshaped a nation.

Three of the founding fathers brilliantly defend their revolutionary charter: the Constitution of the United States, a milestone in political science and a classic of American history.

The Plan: Big Ideas for America

Rahm Emanuel, Bruce Reed

Amazon Price: $15.96 List Price: $19.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: PublicAffairs Amazon Marketplace: 40 new & used starting at $5.49

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Total reviews: 22 Average rating: 2.5 of 5

Scary Bolshevik Socialist...You Name It 1 out of 5 stars.
8 of 11 people found this review helpful.

This guy is now Obama's Chief of Staff. The two together want to implement a "Civilian Defense Force" that's "just as big, just as powerful, and just as well funded as the US military." Hello, America. This is the land where individual liberty is cherished and safeguarded by the Constitution...a land where we purposely limited the powers of the federal government. Communists/socialists have fellowship on collectivism and elevating the worker to icon status...Americans have fellowship on their liberty and defending themselves from tyrrany...which is just what they are proposing, tyrrany

Editorial Review:

The Plan offers a bold vision of what America can be. It shows the way for both parties to move beyond the old political arguments and make progress for the American people. And it offers an innovative agenda for America – with ideas that address the nation's most pressing challenges by doing more for Americans and asking Americans to do more for their country in return. Each of these ideas offers a clean break with the status quo, yet all are positive, practical, and can be put into action right away. Built on the authors' firm beliefs that politicians owe the people real answers, that citizenship is a responsibility, not an entitlement program, and that the Democratic Party succeeds when America succeeds, the highly anticipated Plan delivers, challenges, and inspires.

Nation Building

Rashid Ahmed

By: Allen Lane Amazon Marketplace: 5 new & used starting at $39.98

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 16 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Author has excellent access...read this after Ghost Wars 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I am headed over to Kabul in a couple weeks to work in NATO's security assistance force. I have been reading a ton about the region over the past several months. Ghost Wars stands alone as the best read out there, but its narrative ends abruptly on Sept 10, 2001. For me this book can serve as a worthy sequel since a great deal of it deals with events since 9/11. The author is extremely thorough and detailed, but he also manages to hold the reader's interest by addressing themes instead of providing a straight chronology, which would have been painful given everything he includes here. Be forewarned, the author is very critical of US policy in the region, and seems to frequently overstate the degree to which the US policymakers can drive reform around the world. But I will say he spreads his criticisms fairly to other quarters...such as Karzai's government, and ultimately his opinions are articulated well enough to actually add something to the book. A totally objective, unimpassioned text would have been very dry. The author is a Pakistani journalist with incredible access and sources in that part of the world, and his text includes extensive notation. It should also be said that the incoming commander of Central Command Gen David Patreaus is a fan of this book. He recently brought the author onto his 100-member strategy review team dealing with Central and South Asia. So if you want to quickly become 'well read' on the area, pick up this book. It's extremely relevant at this point and time. I'm going to bring this over with me because I'm expecting it to serve as an excelent reference for regional people and place names.

Capitalism and freedom

Milton Friedman

By: University Of Chicago Press Amazon Marketplace: 1 new & used starting at $19.95

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Total reviews: 124 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

In the classic bestseller, Capitalism and Freedom, Milton Friedman presents his view of the proper role of competitive capitalism—the organization of economic activity through private enterprise operating in a free market—as both a device for achieving economic freedom and a necessary condition for political freedom. Beginning with a discussion of principles of a liberal society, Friedman applies them to such constantly pressing problems as monetary policy, discrimination, education, income distribution, welfare, and poverty.

"Milton Friedman is one of the nation's outstanding economists, distinguished for remarkable analytical powers and technical virtuosity. He is unfailingly enlightening, independent, courageous, penetrating, and above all, stimulating."-Henry Hazlitt, Newsweek

"It is a rare professor who greatly alters the thinking of his professional colleagues. It's an even rarer one who helps transform the world. Friedman has done both."-Stephen Chapman, Chicago Tribune

America and the World: Conversations on the Future of American Foreign Policy

Zbigniew Brzezinski, Brent Scowcroft, David Ignatius

Amazon Price: $18.15 List Price: $27.50 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Basic Books Amazon Marketplace: 59 new & used starting at $13.15

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Total reviews: 15 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

The status of the United States as a world power, and the nature of power itself, are at a historic turning point. It is essential that we understand and adapt to the new security environment in which we find ourselves.

Two of the most respected figures in American foreign policy are Zbigniew Brzezinski and Brent Scowcroft—both former National Security Advisors under markedly different administrations. In America and the World they dissect, in spontaneous and unscripted conversations moderated by David Ignatius, the most significant foreign policy challenges facing the U.S.: the Middle East, Russia, China, Europe, the Developing World, the changing nature of power in a globalized world, and what Brzezinski has called the “global political awakening.” While one author is a Republican and the other a Democrat, they broadly agree on the need to adapt to a new international environment. Where they disagree, their exchanges are always both deeply informed and provocative.

America and the World will define the center of responsible opinion on American foreign policy at a time when the nation’s decisions could determine how long it remains a superpower.

Patriotic Grace: What It Is and Why We Need It Now

Peggy Noonan

Amazon Price: $13.57 List Price: $19.95 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Collins Amazon Marketplace: 52 new & used starting at $7.99

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Total reviews: 21 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

In this long season of searing political attacks and angry partisan passions, Peggy Noonan's Wall Street Journal column has been must reading for thoughtful liberals and conservatives alike.

Now she issues an urgent, heartfelt call for all Americans to see each other anew, realize what time it is, and come together to support the next President—whoever he is. Because it is not the threats and challenges we face, but how we face them that defines us as a nation.

The terrible events of 9/11 brought us together in a way not seen since World War II. But the stresses and divisions of the Bush years have driven us apart to a point that is unhealthy and destructive.

Today, Noonan argues, the national mood is for a change in our politics and it is well past time for politicians to catch up. Americans are tired of the old partisan divisions and the campaign tricks that seek to widen and exploit them. We long for leaders who can summon us to greatness and unity, as they did in the long struggles against fascism and communism.

In this timely little book, written in the pamphleteering tradition of Tom Paine's Common Sense, Noonan reminds us that we must face our common challenges together—not by rising above partisanship, but by reaffirming what it means to be American.