Comparative Government Books

Silent Warfare: Understanding the World of Intelligence, 3d Edition

Abram N. Shulsky, Gary J. Schmitt

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Subjects -> History -> Military -> General
Subjects -> History -> Military -> Intelligence & Espionage
Subjects -> History -> Military -> Weapons & Warfare -> Biological & Chemical

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 17 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Very Accurate Depiction of the Intelligence Arena 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

After finishing this book I immediately lent it to a good friend of mine that was looking at getting into the intelligence community and he said the knowledge he gained from the book proved priceless when it came down to picking a career in an industry that can be very diverse and confusing. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in how the intelligence process comes together, and I would insist on someone reading it if they were thinking about getting into it!

Editorial Review:

A thoroughly updated revision of the first comprehensive overview of intelligence designed for both the student and the general reader, Silent Warfare is an insider’s guide to a shadowy, often misunderstood world. Leading intelligence scholars Abram N. Shulsky and Gary J. Schmitt clearly explain such topics as the principles of collection, analysis, counterintelligence, and covert action, and their interrelationship with policymakers and democratic values. This new edition takes account of the expanding literature in the field of intelligence and deals with the consequences for intelligence of vast recent changes in telecommunication and computer technology—the new “information age.” It also reflects the world’s strategic changes since the end of the Cold War. This landmark book provides a valuable framework for understanding today’s headlines, as well as the many developments likely to come in the real world of the spy.

Social Origins of Dictatorship and Democracy: Lord and Peasant in the Making of the Modern World

Barrington Moore

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Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Politics -> Ideologies

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 10 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Examing Modernization 5 out of 5 stars.
5 of 5 people found this review helpful.

Moore seeks to examine the paths to modernity adopted by various countries and the subsequent political outcomes. Principally, more concentrates on the emergence of democracy, fascism, and communism. Moore argues that each path to modernization is characterized by a certain level of revolution. The driving factor to the development of the political path is at which level in society does the revolution begin; the aristocracy (above), the bourgeoisie (middle), or the peasant (below)? As such, the dependent variable can be summed up as political systems, while the independent variables stem from class interactions (landed aristocracy, the state, bourgeoisie, and peasant). Of particular importance for Moore is the relationship between the landed aristocracy and the state. In situations where the aristocracy is weak, the potential for peasant revolution is great. In situations where the state is strong, it retains the coercive force to repress potential uprisings. These relationships, coupled with the relationship between agriculture and commerce - particularly whether or not the landed aristocracy has made a move towards the commercialization of agriculture.

Moore begins his work in discussing the capitalistic, democratic path to modernity as characterized by England, France, and the United States. In the case of England, the landed aristocracy moved towards the commercialization of agriculture. This essentially eliminated the wide peasant base from the equation, thus removing a potentially revolutionary class. Additionally, the move towards commercialized agriculture decreased the power of the absolutist Crown. Furthermore, the commercialization of agriculture leads to the development of towns and a trading class (bourgeoisie). Once combining forces, the landed aristocracy and the bourgeoisie were able to rebel against the Crown and demanded political recognition. Following a long civil war, a parliamentary (democratic) system of government was established. In this case, the emergence of the bourgeoisie was imperative for the democratic transition. This illustrates Moore's classic line "no bourgeoisies, no democracy."

In order to explain the path towards communism, Moore examines the case of Russia and China. In the case of Russia and China, the landed aristocracy failed to make the transition to commercialized agriculture. This failure led to the continued existence of massive peasant population. This massive peasant population created a tremendous barrier for the transition to democracy, and subsequently possessed a high revolutionary potential. With a weak state unable to function repressively, the environment was ripe for a revolution from below; a peasant revolution led to a communist government.

Moore's last path of modernization, fascism, is illustrated by case studies of Germany and Japan. Although Germany and Japan undertook a capitalist path to modernity, the outcome was drastically different from those nations achieving a democratic outcome. In Germany and Japan, the landed aristocracy formed a ready alliance with the burgeoning commercial and industrial classes. This allowed for the transition to commercial agriculture as well as an expansion in the industrial sphere. This transition, coupled with capacity of the state to repress rebellion and dissension allowed for the emergence of a fascist form of government.

In short, Moore seeks to explain the various paths to modernity; democracy, fascism, and communism. These paths to modernity are primarily driven by relations between class groups, and the type of transition to commercial agriculture.

Editorial Review:

Lord and Peasant in the Making of the Modern World

New Foreword by Edward Friedman and James C. Scott

"A landmark in comparative history and a challenge to scholars of all lands who are trying to learn how we arrived at where we are now."
-The New York Times Book Review

Falling Behind: Explaining the Development Gap Between Latin America and the United States

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Subjects -> Business & Investing -> Popular Economics -> Policy & Current Events
Subjects -> Business & Investing -> Economics -> Development & Growth
Subjects -> Business & Investing -> Economics -> Economic Policy & Development

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

In 1700, Latin America and British North America were roughly equal in economic terms. Yet over the next three centuries, the United States gradually pulled away, and today the gap is huge. Why did this happen? Was it culture? Geography? Economic policies? Natural resources? Differences in political development? The question has occupied policymakers and scholars for decades, and the debate remains intense.
In Falling Behind, Francis Fukuyama, acclaimed author of The End of History and America at the Crossroads, gathers together some of the world's leading scholars on the subject to explain the nature of the gap and how it came to be. Tracing the histories of development over the past four hundred years and focusing in particular on the policies of the last fifty years, the contributors conclude that while many factors are important, economic policies and weak institutions are at the root of the divide. Interestingly, while the gap is deeply rooted in history, they show that there have been times when it narrowed as a consequence of policy choices in nations such as Chile, Mexico, and Brazil, and that there has been genuine institutional reform across the region. Bringing to light these policy success stories, Fukuyama and the contributors lay out a path for Latin American nations so that they can improve their prospects for economic growth and stable political development.
Given that so many attribute the gap to either vast cultural differences or the consequences of U.S. economic domination, Falling Behind is sure to stir debate. And, given the importance of the subject in light of economic globalization and the immigration debate, its expansive, in-depth portrait of the hemisphere's development will be a welcome addition to the conversation.

The Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure, 4th Edition

Alice Sturgis

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 9 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

We don't wear wigs and robes! We're a casual, social club. 5 out of 5 stars.
22 of 23 people found this review helpful.

If you've always feared having to pull out the ol' Robert's Rules of Order because it was too detailed and complex for the casual social organizations in which you participated, help is here. Someone has realized that, because a group might need parliamentary procedures, it does not need the granularity required by The Parliament of England.

The Standard Code of Parliamentary Procedure is understandable, comprehensive, logical, refined, and efficient. As it should, it covers all the formal business of holding a productive and respectful meeting. But it also includes procedures that facilitate business for the less formal organization or club.

Necessary jargon is defined in a glossary. The "Often-Asked Questions" section covers many common situations and eliminates the need to look through the chapters for most answers. The book is up-to-date, addressing contemporary and often-encountered situations such as holding meetings and elections via the telephone or Internet.

As a bonus, it serves as a resource to those trying to form an organization. There are chapters to help you prepare documents (like bylaws and financial records) that won't be in conflict with legal and parliamentary procedures down the line. It explains the hierarchy of documents that govern an organization. There's even a section that helps explain some of the arcane procedures in Robert's Rules!

I'm grateful to have found this gem. It deals with all the situations that my clubs have encountered.

Editorial Review:

Already the acclaimed choice of thousands of successful organizations including the American Library Association, the Fourth Edition features an all-new chapter that considers the ways the Internet and other state-of-the-art technologies have rewritten the rules of today’s meetings and conventions. This easy-to-use, paperback volume—the popular alternative to Robert’s Rules—is the most comprehensive, understandable, and logical guide to smooth-running, professional meetings. Alice Sturgis was a practicing parliamentarian and consultant to national and international professional and business organizations. She taught at Stanford University and the University of California.

Public Personnel Management: Contexts and Strategies (5th Edition)

Donald E. Klingner, John Nalbandian

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Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Government -> Public Affairs & Administration
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Politics -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 2.0 of 5

Way too expensive 2 out of 5 stars.
3 of 4 people found this review helpful.

This book is OK, but considering how many books are out there on this subject, I'm amazed at its high cost. Unfortunately, my professor chose this book for our class, so I need to get it. On the positive side, the book is available at our library so I will just photocopy the needed articles without having to actually purchase the book. Professors, please think about the cost of the books you require your students to buy. This kind of price gouging in the textbook market has to stop.

Editorial Review:

Reflecting contemporary political and managerial realities, this book provides a comprehensive exploration of the values, conflicts, political processes, and management techniques which provide the context for personnel administration in the public sector. A five-part organization covers an introduction to the world of public personnel management, planning, acquisition, development, and sanctions. For human resources personnel—especially managers.

Are We Rome?: The Fall of an Empire and the Fate of America

Cullen Murphy

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Subjects -> History -> Americas -> United States -> General
Subjects -> History -> Ancient -> Early Civilization
Subjects -> History -> Ancient -> Rome

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

Editorial Review:

The rise and fall of ancient Rome has been on American minds from the beginning of our republic. Today we focus less on the Roman Republic than on the empire that took its place. Depending on who's doing the talking, the history of Rome serves as either a triumphal call to action or a dire warming of imminent collapse.

The esteemed editor and author Cullen Murphy ventures past the pundits' rhetoric to draw nuanced lessons about how America might avoid Rome's demise. Working on a canvas that extends far beyond the issue of an overstretched military, Murphy reveals a wide array of similarities between the two empires: the blinkered, insular culture of our capitals; the debilitating effect of venality in public life; the paradoxical issue of borders; and the weakening of the body politic though various forms of privatization. He persuasively argues that we most resemble Rome in the burgeoning corruption of our government and in our arrogant ignorance of the world outside -- two things that are in our power to change.

In lively, richly detailed historical stories based on the latest scholarship, the ancient world leaps to life and casts our own contemporary world in a provocative new light.

The Failure of Presidential Democracy

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Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Politics -> General
Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Social Sciences -> Political Science -> General

Editorial Review:

"With a superb cast of contributors and a well-chosen sample of countries, The Failure of Presidential Democracy treats a central issue in the world today, as more and more countries try to construct durable democracies. It also reflects the new emphasis in political science on institutions, an area that has been sorely neglected in Latin American studies. Indeed, the book fills a huge informational and analytical gap on institutional arrangements in Latin American political systems. This is a stimulating, thoughtful, and relevant book -- well suited to classroom use in courses on comparative politics and Latin American politics." -- Paul W. Drake, University of California, San Diego.

Complete Edition.

The Craft Of Public Administration

John E. Rouse, George E Berkley

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Subjects -> Nonfiction -> Social Sciences -> Political Science -> General

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 1.5 of 5

Not the best! 2 out of 5 stars.
1 of 2 people found this review helpful.

I spent quite a bit of time with this book as it was required for a class I was taking. It tends not to go into enough depth or have specific enough examples.

Skewed. 1 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

This book is very skewed to the right. Superficial and disappointing, frankly. Had to read it for a class. It spent a dozen or so pages lamenting the Clinton/Lewinsky scandal and had nothing but praise for Reagan and Bush.

Editorial Review:

This concise, current, down-to-earth text introduces readers to the dynamics of the public sector. In the ninth edition, all new case studies link theory to the real-world practice of public administration.

Public Administration: An Action Orientation

Robert B. Denhardt, Joseph W. Grubbs

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 3.0 of 5

Decent 3 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Solid basic overview of public administration. Designed for an overview course, not much depth.

Editorial Review:

As its title implies, PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION: AN ACTION ORIENTATION encourages students to take action and to become active participants in public administration. Robert Denhardt and Joseph Grubbs instruct readers on how to influence the operations of public agencies--helping them learn to affect positive changes, regardless of whether they are working outside the agency as citizens or within the agency as managers. With a strong emphasis on ethics, PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION introduces the theories and scholarly literature of the field. In addition, it increases students' chances of being effective by developing such personal and interpersonal skills as personal management, communication, delegation, motivation, and decision making. This edition includes many new non-profit examples throughout--making it equally appropriate for courses in the management of profit or non-profit organizations.

Information Technology and Computer Applications in Public Administration: Issues and Trends

G. David Garson

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Subjects -> Business & Investing -> General
Subjects -> Business & Investing -> Industries & Professions -> MIS
Subjects -> Computers & Internet -> Business & Culture -> Manager's Guides to Computing

Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 2 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Selected this text for my graduate IT in PubAdmin class 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I teach a graduate class in Information Technology in the Public Sector, in the M.S. in Public Administration program at a major university in southern California. I selected this text for my class because there are so few that cover as much territory in a text appropriate for non-technical majors. This text does a very good job of describing for current and future public managers many of the issues related to implementing and enhancing IT in public agencies and non-profits organizations. While at times, some of the articles lean a bit too much toward statistical research, overall this is an excellent text for a graduate Public Administration course. It covers the political dimensions of IT implementation, strategic planning for IT, cases studies of cities that are leading edge technology adopters, some basics of WWW implications for agencies, and a nice article on GIS. Considering the somewhat high cost, my only big complaint is that I wish it had also discussed in depth IT ethics for public managers, so that I would not have had to make students buy a second text for the class.

Editorial Review:

Written by noted academics and public administration practitioners, this anthology covers the management of public information technology, focusing on its politics, organizational change, policy evolution, investment management, access, privacy and other administrative issues. Additional topics include technology diffusion, control systems, data analysis, geographic information systems, agency websites, online research and more. Information Technology and Computer Applications in Public Administration: Issues and Trends constitutes a survey of many of the most important dimensions of managing information technology in the public sector. In Part I, chapters address general policy and administrative issues. The chapters of Part II represent applied information technology skills needed by public managers. Together, the chapters of this book make a contribution toward the knowledge and competencies needed by researchers and practitioners in this field.