5 comments about The Official SAT Study Guide.

1. At first I honestly didn't want this book AT ALL! but my parents thought that I should use it to get me prepared for the SATs. I went through it and it really helped, it told me what the questions would be like and what to expect. It was pretty useful to me but what works for me doesn't neccessarily work for everyone else.



2. This book, obviously, is massive. I personally did not find almost anything in the whole of the book, very helpful. It is so wordy and vague at parts that it is very easy to lose interest. I highly suggest one of the test prep companies SAT books. I have ones from Kaplan and Barron's and they are much, much more helpful, and are more to the point.



3. I thought this is a straight forward book. It provides lots of examples but it is hard to sometimes learn from each questions (students I find keep making the same mistakes over and over).
   
   Also, from the test maker I would like to see some more free material since they are making lots of money off of each student that takes the exam. If you are going to pay for a book, check out rocket revolution or Gruber's book for great material.



4. This is an excellent guide for the SAT!
   The content is thorough and very helpful.



5. I bought this book for my daughter. It is easy to navigate, well laid-out, and fairly clear and precise in its presentation.

5 comments about The Forever War.

1. I happened to be in New York when Mr. Filkins was giving a reading from this book at the Strand so I stopped by to listen to him read as well as answer questions about his years in Iraq and Afghanistan. This book is probably one of the few written about the wars which does not get involved in making judgments about whether these wars are anything but "forever."
   Starting with his witnessing of Taliban "justice" in Kabul in 1998, nearly 20 years after Jimmy Carter decided to start the war in Afghanistan as a trap to lure the Soviets into invading the country and create a Soviet "Vietnam", Filkins shares with us the brutality of that war and the ravages it brought to Afghanistan over a couple of decades. He is able to capture the reasons that the Taliban were reluctantly viewed by the general population as a means to end the bloodshed and blackmail which had seen millions displaced, disfigured and dead over the years. Ironically, Filkins witnessed the amputations and executions in the former soccer stadium the same year that Zbigniew Brzezinski was giving his interview with a French magazine claiming that his advice to Carter to fund the mujahedeen and thus creating "a few stirred up Muslims" was worth the price if it meant the Soviets would end their occupation of his native Poland. Filkins witnessed firsthand just how "stirred up" they became, and how decades later, they are still "stirred up."
   Filkins does not get into the "who started what and when" trap in this book, but does show that decisions have consequences and "The Forever War" started long before W even thought about running for president.
   If you are looking for a book that points fingers and lays blame, this is not the book for you. If you are looking for a book that shows the day-to-day reality of war, the deaths, the damage, the decisions, that people have to make in winning or surviving them, this is as good as it gets.
   Filkins does devote a few pages of placing Iraq today into context with his observations in visiting the cemetery where Gertrude Bell is interred and her role in the creation of the country of Iraq after WWI, as well as his visit to the graveyard and memorial built to the memory of the 30,000 British soldiers who were members of the Mesopotamia Expeditionary Force who paid the ultimate price in liberating the country that would become Iraq from the Ottomans during WWI.
   As I told him after his reading, I am sure that Ernie Pyle is smiling down on him and his courageous return to unvarnished journalism without a political agenda.



2. Of the dozens of books written about the war in Iraq, along comes Dexter Filkins with a commentary on Iraq that blows the others away. Non-political and highly personal, Filkins goes after the day-to-day story that, through accumulation, delivers a report about the Iraqi citizenry over the years after the invasion. He captures it with style, wisdom and grace.
   
   Americans have largely known the Iraqi war through political slants with a small degree of knowledge of the street. The author adds so much to the discourse. Who knew the depth that kidnapping played or how even going to the bathroom played with both American troops and the Iraqi people, disrupted as it was. This is a book of color and passion. I was particularly moved by a paragraph in which he relates how one would know if an Iraqi was killed by a Sunni or a Shia. The exceptional side of "The Forever War" is not only the presentation of the story but the narrative in which it is told.
   
   Filkins has his own boots on the ground, grinding through Baghdad, Falluja and other hot spots. His book is one of remarkable courage under fire and serves to remind us of what our government simply didn't know about Iraq, or about which it didn't care. I highly recommend it.



3. This book utterly captures the humanity of a time and place at war with itself and the world. Mr. Filkins ability to portray the "ordinary" lives of Iraqi and Afghans alike amid all the turmoil that surrounds them is remarkable. His willingness to forego his own personal safety to meet those who are at the heart of his reporting bring a level of detail to this work that is lacking in many other books on this subject. It is a compelling read that you will not be able to put down until you are finished.



4. Mr. Filkins' experiences are filled with insight about the effects of war on the common person in both Afghanistan and Iraq. Those common people range from a Marine private in the Marine Corps dodging RPGs to the Iraqi child in the street returning from school who dies due to being at the wrong place at the wrong time when a car bomb explodes.
   
   He is both an excellent writer and story teller. Many of the stories are stark and filled with dread. One such story is about a Humvee on patrol with Filkins inside as vehicle enters an intersection, the people in the street quietly vanish, and one solider says, "They are going to hit us." But the attack never comes.
   Some of the stories he tells are very personal such as the one where he is running in the hot sun and a car bomb explodes within a mile. Filkins stops to tighten his shoes, reflects on the explosion for a moment, and continues to run toward his destination.
   
   War changes people and countries for both good and ill. This story is a diary of change both to individuals and to nations. This book is the best I have read about the Iraq war from someone who has run beside American soldiers under fire and talked quietly to civilian leaders in a very hostile environment.



5. One of the best books I have ever read. Gives how both sides feel regarding the War in Iraq. Really conveys the sad reality of what went on and in some regards, continues to go on over there. You will really feel for the victims (the troops and their families and the Iraqi people). Very in depth and after reading it, you will almost feel like you were over there and experienced it.

5 comments about A Bold Fresh Piece of Humanity.

1. The attempts at humor hit a real sour note for me and I just couldn't get into this. I'm from the era, but it didn't/doesn't look like this to me.
   
   Not worth reading. I couldn't finish it. A bit biased.



2. I guess you had to live the 50's, 60's and 70's to fully appreciate the references given, as well as the well-honed sense of (dry) humor... All in all, I was really looking forward to reading this book, and it did not disappoint me! A strikingly relevant window into a world that no longer exists in America, with lots of cultural references to set the stage (as it were). A great read that goes fast if you are not so biased when you pick the book up that all you see is negative. In that case, don't even bother. But for the rest of us who grew up with working-class "Depression Survivor" parents, this book is a MUST read!! Well worth the time and price!



3. This is a very informative book based on Bill's life. It helps to understand where he comes from and why he thinks the way he does. I highly recommend this book.
   
   All these left wing loons attack Bill but never notice that he is trying to look out for the working Americans. He has the American people's interest at heart. The liberal commentators do nothing more then disgrace the image of American journalism and abuse their right to free speech.



4. In his latest book Bill pretty much keeps politics in the background. Front and center is his childhood and young adulthood and how the things he learned back then have made him into the man he is today. His biggest piece of advice is - fear holds you back from success. Baby Boomers will enjoy this book with his humorous tales about growing up in Levittown, New York in the fifties and his escapades in Catholic School. The book is full of plain talk and wisdom directed to 'the folks'. Not as thought-provoking as 'Culture Warrior', but an entertaining read.



5. Great read. Bill O'Reilly is just a great person and you will enjoy this funny, thought provoking book.

5 comments about The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism.

1. The best thing about this book is that neither the book nor its author will ever be dismissed as another case of conspiracy-mania - it is so well built, researched and argumented. In my mind, it obviously follows in the steps of "The Prince" by Machiavelli, since it says not what men should do but what they are actually doing (I am paraphrasing somebody else's praise of Machiavelli's work). For this reason, I believe that this book is a must read for anyone interested in serious understanding of modern politics.
   I was tempted though to rate the book not with five but with four stars. I admired the exposure - sometimes even painful to read - of the latest techniques developed by the richest interests in modern powerplays. But I did not find any clear recognition of the fact that society at both national and international levels has to have a rightful place for these interests, since they are an integral part of it. Nor did I see any ideas about a reasonable way forward and a means for other parts of society to engage these rich and powerful interests - in a truly democratic way; that is, ways and means which will allow us to prevent all the worst effects of, and to keep in check greed-driven disaster-capitalistic policies, while at the same time respecting all the democratically legitimate rights of the super-rich who are and, I am convinced, will always be an indispensable and useful part of any modern society - if it is to be free.
   How does modern free and democratic society develop media, think tanks, etc, that would be on a par with those put in place by the super-rich?
   How does it organise a political action that would be as well staffed and run - and as efficient?
   These - and many others - are the very tough questions to be answered. Without answers to them, books like this one hurt us - as they should - but don't provide much help.



2. I suggest that everyone interested in this book listen to or read the analysis of this work at Reason magazine. It goes into more detail than I can here.
   
   Let's get a few facts straight before I move on to my major criticism of this book: First, Friedman was opposed to the Iraq invasion. She completely neglects to mention this. Second, the students at Tiananmen Square were not protesting against the free market---they published a list of demands and turning back free market reforms was not on that list. If they had wanted what Klein claims they wanted, wouldn't they have said as much? Klein simply lies about the goals of the Tiananmen Square protests: She desecrates the memory of that glorious incident and those beautiful martyrs of freedom.
   
   Sadly, there is nowhere nearly enough room to deal with every fallacy in this book. I strongly suggest that you track down each quote she uses and see for yourself whether her use of quotations (and facts) is at all accurate. You will see it is, for the most part, not. So I will focus on her main thesis, if it can be called that, since it isn`t much of a thesis and it really isn`t hers.
   
   Naomi Klein's book is little more than a plagiarism of Leninist rhetoric. Lenin to railed on about the "imperial" nature of capitalism---even though the nation he founded would soon become the most "imperial" power in history. Her work is actually little more than a dumbed down version of Lenin's thesis regarding "excess production." It is a shoddy work of scholarship unworthy of a bachelors thesis. There are no facts supporting her ideas beyond a few misinterpreted remarks by Friedman.
   
   There is no shock doctrine of free markets. Libertarians are, for the most part, a pacifistic bunch who only believe in using force when others use force first. Trying to draw a tie between the policies of the Bush administration and the views of economists like Friedman and Hayek is patently absurd---the Bush administration is not pro-markets: We can see that from the massive nationalization and socialization of the banking industry that is happening right now. The purpose of the "Forward Strategy of Freedom" (the quotes are ironic) was to establish unlimited republican democracy---not free markets. It leaves open the possibility of voting the free market down. Indeed, it allows women to vote in the very sharia law that oppresses them.
   
   The real reason that catastrophes sometimes proceed the emergence of a free market is that free markets are able to adapt to changing conditions more quickly than socialized economies. Indeed, free and unregulated exchange is the natural condition of men when their is no interference from the state. Disasters disturb the operations of the state (and are frequently caused by the state) and so---when the big bully of government is gone---people resort to doing what is natural. Furthermore, many of the shocks Klein talks about occur because of the failures of socialism. Once socialism fails of its own accord (as Friedman, Mises, and Hayek all thought they would), people try "the other guy"---namely freedom.
   
   If socialism were so awesome and correct, how could it be so easily disturbed or shocked by conspiratorial Cobdenites? The only answer---and the correct one---is that the failures intrinsic to socialism cause socialism to fail, not the conspiracies of free marketeers.
   
   Any and all opposition to freedom should be suspect (and this work of shoddy scholarship is no exception). That is a sentiment that should ring true in the heart of every American---indeed, in every human heart. The great bullies of the world have all been fascists, communists, and religious communalists: And it should never been forgotten that two of these groups were unrepentant socialists: the fascists (both German and Italian) [Nazi means National Socialist Workers Party] and the communists were socialists.
   
   One can only hope that Naomi Klein will next turn her thesis to an analysis WWII and claim that Churchill decided to attack the Nazis because he wanted to make way for free markets.
   
   [And if some idiot comes on here telling you how free the German economy was, he can shove it. Confiscating the holding of large parts of your population is not freedom. In Germany the government had final say on how everyone used his property---that is not private ownership.]



3. Considering the global political climate and the way policy decisions are created these days (witness the latest "crisis" of the economic variety in the US, for one), this book ought to be required reading for pretty much anyone who can or will at some point cast a vote, think about joining the political process, or breathe some amount of oxygen in the next 40 years. Understanding the underlying principles of who wields and forces agendas and power across the continents seems to be something that everyone ought to be interested in. Klein does a great job of tying some pretty wildly disparate ideas together and makes it not only relevant but essential to comprehending the world that we have wrought before us.



4. This book is an essential read considering the current economic situation. The vast majority of people including me have no idea of the details of how harmful some economic policies been. This book brings many of those details to light in a way that is both understandable and enthralling. The direct role that the American government and University of Chicago economists have played in both Chile and Russia's disastrous attempts at capitalism are shocking. In fact there are so many things that are shocking, I am somewhat surprised that the book was allowed to be published. (If more Americans read books, it probably would not have been.) Probably the most shocking to me was learning of Dr. Jeffery Sach'sThe End of Poverty: Economic Possibilities for Our Time role in Russia during its rule by Yeltsin. It seems that he has dramatically altered his views on what is a good economic system for a society to thrive.
   
   Disaster Capitalism has been experienced around the world. How much longer will it be before the US gets our shock? If people read this book, hopefully they will be informed and motivated to insist that we have a sound economic system in place.



5. I would describe myself as reasonably well informed, economically literate, a Wall Street investor and Democrat. I found this book eye-opening, although I believe Klein is pushing a point of view which is frequently incorrect; e.g. privatization is not always bad, and Great Britain under Thatcher did achieve prosperity, while the Chinese middle class is vastly expanding. It is not so clear as Klein seems to imply that if the US had done the right things, the Iraqi invasion would have resulted in a democratic country.
   
   What Klein does is draw lots of things together, and show the extent to which the extreme free market ideology of Milton Friedman and his many disciples dominated US foreign policy in so many countries, the World Bank and International Monetary Fund, and also the conduct of government under George W. Bush. Once again ideology, untempered by evidence and practicality, when given free reign, leads to disaster. Many of the practitioners of this ideology were self serving and corrupt, or at least blinded by vanity, but clearly a man like Jeffery Sachs, who is currently doing his best as he sees it for the very poor countries, was genuine in his profession of his goals.
   
   Here are a few of the things which are important and which I hadn't fully known, or known at all: the use of torture to terrorize rather than extract information, and the early CIA interest in it; what happened in Chile to the Allende regime and the Chilean people, with US participation, was not a singular event but was replicated in several other Latin American countries; the pattern of foreign aid which relies on starting from scratch instead of taking advantage of local skills and resources, and the extent to which this occurred in Iraq and also in Sri Lanka and Lebanon; the extent of the waste and corruption in Iraq; how undemocratic Yeltsin was.

5 comments about Bad Money: Reckless Finance, Failed Politics, and the Global Crisis of American Capitalism.

1. This book is very well researched and much of the financial market is playing out in the ways predicted by the book. I found it informative and very useful for a group discussion that my coworkers had on the topic as part of a Staff Ride.
   
   My only critique of the book is that it is big on problems but short on solutions. He tries to express the silver lining and talk about the ways out at the end of the book but it is a little late after a largely depressing look at where our country and economy are.
   
   I would recommend "The Post American World" if you are looking for a good complimentary book.



2. This book is prophetic esepcially in light of the events of the last couple of weeks and earlier this year (Bear Stearns and the rest) though I did find it sometimes a bit repetitive.
   
   Also with the rather rapid changing events in the financial market some of the information is a bit outdated, but that it endemic with any book that really is trying to capture a moving target - as of the writing of the book it was more on point in terms of timeliness, but regardless of that fact it does offer insights as to the factors which were/are causing issues - oil, mortgages and the rest that we have become all too familiar with.
   
   Despite the shortcomings the book is still very worthwhile in providing an overview of the situation and is a springboard for you to learn more about the issues facing the U.S. economy.



3. A well researched view of how the United States has come to be a seriously indebted, precariously troubled economy which could lead to the end of our role as the world's dominant nation. Everyone should read this book to understand our present situation and what the future will likely be for the U.S. Unless we begin to deal with the issues Phillips details, our children and grandchildren will face a far different world than the one we have enjoyed and they will wonder why we allowed this to happen to them.



4. If you haven't studied (or educated yourself on) things like GNP, GDP and securitization this book isn't for you as the author implicitly assumes some knowledge of these things. I majored in economics in college and have worked in securitization and I enjoyed this book a great deal. It ties together some trends like massive increases in private debt levels, the mechanisms that allowed this increase, and how a lot of new and unregulated products like credit default swaps, plus massive debt levels, set up our country for the financial game of dominos we are in today.
   
   I've already purchased "The Trillion Dollar Meltdown" and will read it next.



5. I admire this author, very much, and consider him to be one of the more thoughtful public intelligence minutemen--sadly, the media has failed us, as have the think tanks, and we who wish to know the truth of any matter are left very much on our own.
   
   Here is the short version of this book (ending with NO on the bail-out) courtesy of and with permission of Sterling Seagraves, co-author of GOLD WARRIORS:
   
   Many Continental European banks ARE stronger than USA banks, because they have more experience with disaster in past centuries. As do some current EU governments like France, Spain and Germany. But they are exposed for 2 reasons: 1, they found it easy to borrow money from USA banks, so they became somewhat addicted to easy money, and are now having to adjust to that source of money drying up. 2, most big banks not long ago set up divisions in Paris (for example, SocGen, CredAgri, Paribas) that were to play the investment game of derivatives and short-selling. In the case of SocGen, this was exposed recently but blamed on only one man, a trick to protect many others. With CredAgri, all their regional commercial banks are very solid, but their newer Paris investment division is in deep shit because of emulating New York and London corrupt practices.
   
   The basic problem is that citizens must have a secure place to put their savings. Conservative banks initially use this money to make conservative investments, but as time passes the young and ambitious "upstarts" (arrivists) begin to make crazier investments to advance their careers and enlarge their private wealth -- but still speculating only with the savings of citizens who trusted their bank. Eventually, these upstarts went crazy. But they were encouraged to do so by their bosses, and then by the Reagan, Bush Sr and Bush Jr administrations. During the first year of the Bush Jr administration, it had such a terrible reputation and the US economy was in such terrible condition, that it was decided to increase "housing starts" (home construction) by giving mortgages to everyone (even if they could not pay-back) because the statistics would look good on paper. This soon became a "feeding-frenzy" by the Piranha, creating a global feeding-frenzy by almost all big banks, including UBS and CreditSuisse.
   
   The reason none of the "authorities" sounded the alarm is because they, and the politicians, and journalists, and professors, are all tied together like black slaves on a slave ship. If one goes overboard, they ALL go overboard. So they protect themselves by protecting "the system". The proposed 700-billion US$ bail-out was simply the final robbery by the Bush admin, shared with all the big bank owners. In fact, the ECB has given that much to banks in the last two weeks to "increase liquidity" (put money in the pockets of the malefactors), so the Bush/Paulson bail-out was just a way of feeding their personal friends.
   
   The people who are cheated are the citizens who trusted the banks with their savings. It is better to have the criminal banks crash, because only that will provoke a serious reform. I hope we are getting closer to the time when citizens will rise up and get violent. It is very healthy for governments and politicians (and bankers) to get their asses kicked, to be put in the tumbril and sent to the guillotine. This must be done every several generations to keep them afraid, because nothing on earth will keep them honest except fear. The Bush regime postponed the guillotine by mis-directing the fear of citizens toward Muslims, and avoided a quick military coup at home by sending most soldiers to Iraq and Afghanistan where they are no danger to Washington. I may have put this very simply, but there are times when things need to be put simply.
   
   END SHARED INFORMATION
   
   Here are books that are easier to read and make the same case, but please note that all of this can be traced back to Senator Phil Gramm (R-TX) and his deregulation of the financial industry with a 200+ page amendment that none of the other Senators read. Clinton "went along" because "easy money" was a popularity enhancer.
   
   The Battle for the Soul of Capitalism
   The Soul of Capitalism: Opening Paths to a Moral Economy
   The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism
   Confessions of an Economic Hit Man
   The Manufacture of Evil: Ethics, Evolution and the Industrial System
   Running on Empty: How the Democratic and Republican Parties Are Bankrupting Our Future and What Americans Can Do About It
   Breach of Trust: How Washington Turns Outsiders Into Insiders
   The Global Class War: How America's Bipartisan Elite Lost Our Future - and What It Will Take to Win It Back
   Screwed: The Undeclared War Against the Middle Class - And What We Can Do about It (BK Currents (Paperback))
   Election 2008: Lipstick on the Pig (Substance of Governance; Legitimate Grievances; Candidates on the Issues; Balanced Budget 101; Call to Arms: Fund We Not Them; Annotated Bibliography)

5 comments about Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association.

1. This book was slightly used, but you cant even tell. And it came here in 3 days.



2. This product is in perfect condition and is easy to use! the fact that it is spiral bound makes it easier to find and locate the various contents within the book without creasing the cover or other pages.



3. I bought the hardcover of this 5th edition for about USD 27. Excellent price. Massive amount of info, but the neat thing about this hardcover is that it is a proper sewn-in-signatures book that stays pretty well flat when it is opened. No brick required. Far better than my ppbk 4th edition, with its so-called 'perfect' (glued) binding. This is one of those books that I gotta have, and this suits me fine.



4. This text has every possible option for citing in APA. Can get overwhelming, but very useful for my thesis.



5. This is a required textbook. It really is needed for anyone in college. I would also recommend getting the MLA publication.

5 comments about The War Within: A Secret White House History 2006-2008.

1. Bob Woodward's unrivaled access to the Bush White House, and to the President, together with his careful recall of dates and interviews, gives the reader a full and complete insight into this last chapter of the Bush presidency. And, for the first time, the author pulls the curtain aside of his reporting to reveal his judgment. And what is revealed is not flattering. Woodward writes that this is a president who is driven by his "gut", "God" and a "vision" that starts out as "victory" but over the course of the years is watered down to a "win", and finally merely to "succeed". Bush finds it easier to concentrate on "body count" rather than strategy. Woodward shows the President as perhaps the least Socratic man to hold the office although not the first president to surround himself with those who feed his ego. In that context the President appears to permit Stephen Hadley to run the war while Condoleezza Rice engages in flattery. Woodward points out that the President did not feel able to "level" with the nation and reverted to politics as usual when the war was spinning out of control before the mid-term election. The White House relied more on a retired general, General Jack Keane, who appears to have had more influence than the Joint Chiefs of Staff on promotions and policies, and, thanks to the Vice President, is permitted back-door access to the White House which undermined the morale and advice of those senior officers active in the Armed Forces. It is a book that reveals a president cocooned and protected by a small coterie of admirers. Readers and history will thank Woodward for this book, which is his fourth and best of this presidency. It paints a clear picture of a president who disregards views other than those that he wants to hear; the only people who speak truth to power in this book make a quick exit or are ignored. In the years to come, historians will find this an essential text even if it does reveal "the nation's most divisive figure".



2. I have read all four books in this series and many others about Bush and the Iraq war that have been published over the last few years. This is one of the best. It is beyond belief how screwed up this administration is. No one has a clue about how to win in Iraq. Bush allows no debate on the war, and clearly misunderstands the mess he is in. If you disgree with Bush, you are out the door. Bush has a sinister, almost creepy interest in body counts. The only conclusion one can reach about our president is that he is a megalomaniac.



3. When I read a new book by Bob Woodward, two questions normally come to my mind: (1) Why in the world would people let him interview them on the record or on background, knowing that he will report their statements in some publication? (2) Once these statements end up in print, why do so few attack him as distorting what they said or of making up quotations? Each question is fascinating in itself. And the answers may well tie together. If one wants his or her views on the record, it will happen with Woodward. And my sense is that he is normally very accurate (why else would there be so few complaints, relatively speaking?). Anyhow, here we go again--"The War Within."
   
   This is a book about the Bush Administration's change of policy with respect to Iraq. It begins before the elections of 2006, when things were falling apart in Iraq. Even stalwart Republican Senators began to question the war and the Administration's policy regarding it. Even while the President was telling the country that progress was being made, several evaluations of policy were occurring simultaneously (and not always informing one another): the military evaluation, centered on a platoon of colonels assessing matters; Stephen Hadley's examination (he was National Security Advisor); the Iraq Study Group, led by James Baker and Lee Hamilton; a group headed by Meghan O'Sullivan. One thing that is clear from all the groups' examination of the status of the Iraq war--things were not working. Generals and Administration figures were speaking positively of the war, and these various groups were telling a far different story. In fact, the President, saying one thing in public, had come to embrace the perspective of Hadley and others. Things began to happen--Donald Rumsfeld was replaced by Robert Gates at Defense; the concept of the "surge" began to gain some degree of support.
   
   Some of the high points: discussions of the President's own thinking (based on interviews with Woodward), inside accounts of meetings among military leaders and war critics, within the Iraq Study Group, and so on. At the end of the book, Woodward notes how this book builds on his third in a series on the Bush presidency, "State of Denial." He notes how, in that work, how the President was not openly acknowledging problems in Iraq and the deterioration of conditions on the ground. As Woodward said in the final passages in that book (Page 433 in "The War Within"): "With all Bush's upbeat talk and optimism. . .he had not told the American public the truth about what Iraq had become." He goes on to say "My reporting for this book showed that to be even more the case than I could have imagined."
   
   His final evaluation (Page 437): "There was no deadline, no hurry [in the President's leadership on Iraq]. The president was engaged in the war rhetorically but maintained an odd detachment from its management. He never got a handle on it, and over these years of war, too often he failed to lead." Fairly bracing language from Woodward. Does he make the case? I think that that judgment should be left to each reader. Whatever one might think of Woodward and the president, this book does spark thinking about the subject.



4. I was a college student in the mid-1970s, and Bob Woodward was my inspiration for becoming a journalist. He is all that is admirable in this profession, and I am so grateful for his dedication to painstaking fact-gathering and cogent writing and analysis.
   
   I found this book the most gripping in his Bush Administration series. A must-read for every American who cares about truth.
   
   And when you want some neurobiological explanations for the behaviors that Woodward so accurately details--instead of just scratching your head and puzzling over WHY WHY WHY -- consider reading Bush on the Couch Rev Ed: Inside the Mind of the President by Dr. Justin Frank.
   
   Gina Pera, author
   Is It You, Me, or Adult A.D.D.? Stopping the Roller Coaster When Someone You Love Has Attention Deficit Disorder



5. Bob Woodward is incredible, in that he somehow is able to get the key players in one of the worst political disasters since Watergate to open up to him, and lay their faults out there for all to see.
   
   The actions of the Bush administration are so hard to fathom , that were it not for Mr. Woodward's first person account, we would not believe it was possible, in this day and age.
   
   Woodward's style, as shown in his previous works, makes this book a page turner, with all the details to put the reader right there, and able to appreciate all the nuances that went into the decision making processes of the war obsessed Bush administration, warts and all.
   
   Don't be mistaken, this is not a novella, nor is it a history book. It is an unabashed detailed account of the running of a war that will go down in history as the worst foreign policy effort our nation has ever attempted.

5 comments about Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time.

1. Wish we had more people like Greg Mortenson in this world. I also hope it is mandatory reading for our current administration and presidential hopefuls.



2. Amazing story!! Has elements of surprise, suspense,
   
   sacrifice, love, unrequited love,honor, friendship and
   
   very entertaining.



3. This is a great book about promoting peace through education. I highly recommend this book if you wish to be inspired about the caring and sacrificing one person can make.



4. This was an excellent book. My only criticism is that the story gets repetitive about his quest to build schools.



5. Wow! What an awesome and inspiring person. For so many of us, it is easier to sit back and watch rather than participate in a thing called life. Greg Mortenson inspires us to put all of our hopes, dreams, and passions into motion whatever they may be. It goes to show that when we put negativity aside and embrace love for all people, our world becomes a much better place. As far as the writing style of this book, it keeps you on your toes following parts of it, however entertained. Though it took some reading to get a feel for the writing style, I feel it was well written. Let's remember not to shoot the messenger, but to embrace the message of the book and understand that a little compassion goes a long way.

5 comments about The Limits of Power: The End of American Exceptionalism.

1. Seriously, five stars is not enough. Col. Bacevich's new book is a stunning synthesis of a number of trends in American history since the late 1970s, and shows with alarming clarity exactly how we got in the mess we are in today. As Bill Moyers said in his August 15, 2008 interview with the author, "It's been a long time since I've read a book in which I highlighted practically every third sentence." I had the same reaction: nearly every page is filled with quotes worth pulling out and repeating.
   
   Bacevich is not a liberal, and any pinhead who labels him one because of his disagreement with the Bush Administration is unfortunately missing the point: that Bush43 (and Reagan and Bush41) aren't conservatives either, with their profligate spending, big government aid packages, extravagant social engineering and interventionist foreign policies. And not just the Republicans, but Clinton and Carter get their share of lashes from Bacevich too for continuing and in some cases initiating government actions which are counter to good foreign policy, good economic policy and especially high moral ground.
   
   Bacevich quotes Reagan in 1983 saying "The United States does not start fights. We will never be an aggressor." Yet a mere 20 years later the Bush Doctrine urges pre-emptive wars against sovereign nations having "a 1% chance of threatening the U.S." This precipitous fall from moral high ground explains why military strength alone cannot project American values onto the rest of the world, and why our desire to do so is exactly what the rest of the world fears.
   
   There is so much to this book, even hitting the high points would run to many pages! For instance: the lessons of Vietnam have not been absorbed by US leadership. Some of the same failed advisors on that war (Kissinger for one) are advising Bush on Iraq and Afghanistan and trying to rewrite history by replaying the game, somehow expecting a different outcome. Unfortunately, "shock and awe" tactics of rapid deployment and precision airstrikes are useless against an insurgency, useless against citizens in their own country and counter-productive in winning the hearts and minds of the non-insurgents.
   
   Bacevich explains how the culture of rampant consumerism is intricately linked to the foreign policy of trade domination, globalization, rampant consumer debt and (as I write this) the apparent meltdown of the investment banking industry. Bush's advice to consumers to "go shopping" at the start of a generational War on Terror is one example of how American military actions have been taken over by the Executive Branch, running mercenary and rent-an-army troops under secret budgets so the general populace never sees what's being done "in our name." Bacevich rips into military leadership, civilian oversight, executive hubris and complacent legislators with equal glee, and hardly a word in his book is debatable.
   
   This book deserves to be taught in schools, handed out to every freshman Senator, debated by presidential candidates, serialized on the radio, discussed on the news, and read by every voter. Bacevich says that he wrote the book "in order to sort out my own thinking" but every reader will benefit from his crystal clear conclusions.



2. The Limits of Power: The End of American Exceptionalism
   This book is very detailed on the transgressions of the Bush administration. It is especially good and was written by a Conservative retired military man too.
   You will come away with very comprehensive knowledge of a complicated subject after digesting to contents.
   It is too bad that we elect Presidents in this country who do not have even a small amount of insight into the ways of this world of ours.



3. Continuity.
   
   That is the one word that sums up what America has lacked for decades in that America as a nation has not carefully observed and analyzed the series of historical events that leading the nation of America to ruin. Continuity however is not lacking in Andrew J. Bacevich's book "The Limits of Power". It draws all the major points of interest that have lead America down the path of self-indulgence and self-gratification which in this current day and age are leading America to self-destruction.
   
   If you really want to know what is going on around you, if you want to begin making a difference in America, then you will pick up this book and read it over and over then recommend it to everyone you know.



4. I have purchased and recieved this book last week. The author is very eloquent and convincing in his argument. Very objective and straight to the point. you can read other reviews about the contents. But my advise is get the book and read it, It is a must.



5. The author gives a concise if perhaps over simplified appraisal of what is wrong with America and how it came to be. I have to agree with him wholeheartedly. His appraisal of America's military is right on. We have mercenized our army. We give the job of defense to 1% of the population and we all feel good because we have a "Support Our Troops!" sticker on the back of our cars. The Greatest Generation this ain't!

5 comments about Hot, Flat, and Crowded: Why We Need a Green Revolution--and How It Can Renew America.

1. Hot, Flat, and Crowded is a well written and important book to read based on its subject matter and how being "green" is important from a positive economic position for the U.S.
   
   Global warming and the overall destruction of the environment are more than enough cause for concern, but the enviromental concerns tie into the economy amd the security of the United States. As we are hearing over and over during this election season the transfer of wealth from the U.S. is a concern for many reasons.
   
   His observations that things can be changed, however, are positive. Though it appears a daunting task, and one that has been talked about, if people took some time to address the issues and implemented changes to go "green" it could help reduce reliance on oil, help the enviornment and otherwise help the economy.
   
   This book is well written and puts all these issues together nicely in a way that is easy to follow even if you are not familiar with all the issues. It is not overhanded and the positions are laid out well. It is a primer and more with examples and studies.
   
   The subject is scary but there seems to be hope if there is effort.
   
   Highly recommended.



2. I have read every one of his books since From Beirut to Jerusalem and find his writing incisive and clear. He should win the Pulitzer Prize for this one. He traveled all over the world to substantiate his proof that we must take action to save our planet. He should be an advisor to our leaders because as he says,"The counry that leads the way to a green revolution will lead the world."



3. Thomas Friedman makes a compelling case for the rapidly changing world conditions and what we need to do in the USA to respond. Should be required reading for any politician or community leader.



4. I have yet to buy the book but I browsed it, including Friedman's website where he has indicated that Chapter 18 will be revised in a later edition. Great! However, I would encourage Mr Friedman not to appear on fascist and extremist shows, such as Glenn Beck. His participation on that evil CNN show has created hesitation for me to buy this book. Certainly, the environmental message appeals to me but I hate anything that promotes the neo-cons and their failed economic "Friedmanian" policies (get it, Tom? Milton? You gotta be careful, buddy!).



5. Friedman covers a lot of ground and also talks about Van Jones, an incredible hero and visionary who has a book coming out this week called The Green Collar Economy. I've linked to it here. For those who want to know more about what is happening at the grassroots, The Green Collar Economy is a must have.The Green Collar Economy: How One Solution Can Fix Our Two Biggest Problems