disappointed in his Country's actions and lack of recognition regarding ...
922460
This non-fiction book was advertised as a page-turning thriller and I think that was a mistake.  There is much technical information that is important to the reader who wants to dive deeply into the subject that slows down the read.  That's not a criticism.  Just know, if you're looking for Grisham, you'll not find him here.

What you will find is a very well written and documented book that pits nature (whales and related species) against life's hard realities (protecting the US from foreign threats -- especially submarine-launched attacks).  It is told from the perspective of self-trained naturalist who has given up his personal life and financial rewards to monitor and protect these huge mammals.  This loyal American with a military background, often finds  himself in  bitter conflict with the US military establishment.  Though conflicted and eventually vilified, he pursues all avenues to safeguard the whales against the affects of weapons technology testing.

The military side of the argument is told in detail but that includes the results of testing that is kept secret from public view until mass whale deaths and related events lead to disclosure.

The book details the David and Goliath aspects of the conflict.  It leaves the reader, even one with healthy respect for national security needs, disappointed in his Country's actions and lack of recognition regarding the importance whales' survival to the world at large.  But it also gives one hope to see one person accomplish so much against such overwhelming odds, armed with little but the help of like-minded individuals and supportive but under-funded environmental organizations..
1584431
Vulliamy does a wonderful job of showing not simply the horrors of the war and the camps in Bosnia, but more importantly the lack of healing and reconciliation between the various ethnicities some 20 years later. The real horror perpetrated on Bosnia and its people is that done by its leaders in the name of personal power. It is a reminder that "never again" is a lie if we do not act decisively in the name of peace instead of standing by passively hoping the worst doesn't happen.
2487730
This is an ok account of what happened during the Egyptian revolution. The issue is Ashraf was not fully involved in the process and was not a true part of the crowd so his account is spotty and lacking. The real books about the Egyptian Revolution are not out yet as the revolution is still unfolding. I also found accounts of events that are completely false or inaccurate. Most of these books are not reviewed yet. SO I would hold off until a peer-reviwed book surfaces. Ashraf was also not a true participant in the revolution and not a known figure from inside, so some issues he raised were completely out in touch with reality.
525080
It was a very sad and touching story. I thought it was going to be more of an informational book regarding what really happened over there. I take no enjoyment out reading about such gut wrenching  tradgedy. My heart and prayers for the family and everyone who serves this country.
2368247
After reading Mr. Shapiro's "I Choose China", I have had much mixed feelings.
In the book, Mr. Shapiro's tone about Mao is almost identical as the "People's Daily" - the official Chinese newspaper of propaganda nature.  He is positive about Deng XiaoPing and his successors as well.
In reality, Deng abolished Mao's policies and created a capitalistic society in 1979. It makes me wonder why Mr. Shapiro wrote about Mao according to the Chinese official guidelines while most Chinese people know very well that Mao was a man who committed unpardonable crimes to the Chinese people.
To many Chinese, Mao was a devil while Deng was a "kind of" saint. How can the devil and the saint be praised in the same time?
Mr. Shapiro narrated that his money was tight due to the Chinese currency being low in terms of the exchange rates. The cost of foreign travel was astronomical to the Chinese citizens. Yet he was able to travel to the US and Europe for many times including the pre-Deng years. How were his trips funded? The Chinese government gave him special treatment? I would think so. His grand daughter could even attend an expensive private school in Minnesota. Who paid for it? Alas, politics, connections, privileges etc... Were the readers informed? Nah...
To sum up,  like they have done to many other westerners who live in China in the past and present, I think the Chinese government for political reasons has used Mr. Shapiro. These westerners were sheltered, were provided comfortable living, and were used for propaganda.
While I admire the great classical translation works by Mr. Shapiro (like Shui Hu and Family by Ba Jin), with much regret, I have to say that Sidney Shapiro only painted the bright side of the Chinese society in his book. The many years of darkness were simply buried. To state it unkindly, the author was a product of brainwash, Chinese style.
1833309
I wanted to know why some countries sat on the sidelines during the war. They were not neutrals. A better term is non-combatants. They were interested in making money off both sides. As simple as that. If you read this you may feel the same level of disgust that I feel for Swiss and,Sswedes. The hapless Spaniards can be excused, I think.
3932399
The stories here are undoubtedly true as perceived by the author (and do concur with other accounts), and the book is well-crafted and easy to follow.  The author has been victimized by his family, community, and country.  He writes quite a bit about the purity of his heart and determination to be a hardworking, selfless provider.  However, I had the feeling all throughout the book that it was written with the same CYA mentality he learned living in N Korea.

After reading the epilogue, I confess I am disappointed, if not angry, that I fell for it all.

How can he claim such immunity from responsibility of his failures in the end? His immediate family sacrificed their meager resources to help him, and even strangers worked miracles to rescue him.  He saved himself but continued to blame the rest of the world for abandoning his family.

Read the book for a heart wrenching story of struggle under extreme circumstances. Just stop before you read the epilogue.
3547679
The fact that top-down development methods are great on paper but have not produced benefits ("so far") is a point Easterly has made before, heavily influencing yours truly in the formation his own argument against naive interventionism and the collection of "humanitarians" fulfilling their personal growth and shielding themselves from their conscience... This is more powerful: the West has been putting development ahead of moral issues, patronizingly setting aside the right of the people to decide their own fate, including whether they want these "improvements", hence compounding failure and turning much of development into an agenda that benefits the careers (and angst) of "humanitarians", imperial policies, and, not least, local autocrats *without* any moral contribution. Talking about a sucker problem.
***
To put it in an aphorism, they didn't ask the people if they would rather get respect and no aid rather than aid and no respect.
4613742
Jordan is a gift.  He doesn't get the success and recognition he deserves.
4045613
Thank-you SHARYL ATTKISSON for stepping up and speaking the truth!  GOOD ON YOU FOR GETTING THE WORD OUT THERE!  In my research I have noticed that the majority of Americans feel the same way, frustrated they don't have a voice or visibly anyone standing up for America's core belief structure, much less obeying the laws that have long been in place.  Unfortunate for the early corruption in the primaries, followed by lies, that got this president elected!  The lies and corruption...Familiarity continues to breed contempt...
2498499
I really had high hopes for this documentary film, but came away disappointed.  I know some of the people involved in the whole sordid incident.  I was left feeling empty at the end.  There seemed to be something missing...it seemed like it pulled some punches. On the positive side it is a great tribute to a man who had many values we should all aspire to.
235288
This poor man suffered enough for many life-times.  I was so disappointed at a couple of the people mentioned.  It shows how self-righteous a corrupt city system can be!  And still is.  Blessings to Tim and his future!
1016120
An amazing man and a great pilot. A perfect gentleman who did his best for his country. What a pity such talent was largely wasted.
4700971
It was to a degree of what I would expect from the mosyt isolated nation in the world.  The fact that it's leader would kill his own relative because he disagreed with him is bizarre.

I was a little surprised to  read that if you knew who  to bribe,  then life could  be a little better for your family than a lot of other families living in the DPRK.

It pained a g rim picture of  the country and that is not a  good t hing to read about int he end.  I was curious to r ead in greater detail from people living there actually wha t is taking place today.

A good read if you want to appreciate how all the rest of the world's population is doing compared to the masses that make up PDRK.
838476
It is shameful that my nation was born by exterminating part of its own citizens based on religion.  The decisions, as documented by Mr. Akcam, were made before even the start of the war that the new nation was to be "pure" with only very limited allowance for those not having the correct religion.

Here we are 90 years later still in the same mindset sending anyone who even questions religious fairly tales and superstitions to prisons.  Our government still supports the cannibals in Syria and arms and supports them on behalf of the US and the EU while these consumers of human flesh are housed, harbored, taken care of inside our borders so they can attack more and eat more raw human flesh for their religion!  As these terrorists attack the Turkish and Kurdish villages with impunity inside Turkey because (still the same argument that killed millions of Armenians 90 years ago) now they believe this time the Alevites or Kurds or Shiites do not have the correct religion, the Turkish state turns a blind eye.

Once you are on the slippery slope of bigotry events never stop there.  First they came for the Greeks, then they exterminated the Armenians, then it was the communists, then the time came for the Kurds and the poor and the Alevites, now it is the Gezi Park Capulcu Turkish/Muslim people demanding democracy and justice being targeted. As long as you have the imperialist, Saudi and Israeli money and support behind you the tradition continues.  Isn't it strange that those who started this genocide against their own citizens all for the fear of imperialism and internal opposition and fear of an Armenian nation have now become the very puppets of the same imperialism in attacking the peoples of the region.  I guess once you are a murderer, once you tasted the blood, it is hard to leave old habits.

Thank you Mr. Akcam for a very informative research.
583646
Prof Amy Chua's 'World on Fire' is an alarming and depressing read. She lists the intra-ethnic barbarisms that have arisen over the past century or so, from the Holocaust to Rwanda to Serbia, taking in Indonesia's anti-Chinese riots and the Los Angeles anti-Korean riots, and highlighting the common features they share: an aggrieved majority, stirred up to hatred by demogagues against a market-dominant minority. In many countries, some of the minority (Jews in Russia, Chinese in SE Asia, Asians in Kenya, Lebanese in Sierra Leone) have disproportionately benefited from crony capitalism, supporting corrupt political leaders who enable them to become rich while the majority of the populace remains in poverty - until there is a violent explosion. Prof Chua points out that the US' enthusiasm for encouraging unfettered 19th century capitalism in these evolving and unstable countries with no social safety-nets while simultaneously promoting democracy is a recipe for instability. (Her thesis helps to explain the current argument in Iraq between the majority Shia who seek immediate direct elections, and the market-dominant Iraqi exiles and Kurds, who prefer a more gradual transition to raw democracy.)
More alarmingly, she encourages us to see the USA as the market-dominant minority in the world, infinitely richer than most of its citizens, and increasingly seen by many as the reason for their poverty and humiliation. Her prescription for the market-dominent majority in unstable nations is that they should make conspicuous contributions to the well-being of the majority in order to stave-off violence. Considering the current US administration's tendency to unilateralism, protectionism, and its low level of international humanitarian aid, advice to apply the same prescription to the US may be timely.
2003785
I was disappointed to learn that most of the book was about social hacking and very little technical programming expertise.

It was disappointing to have a first hand accounting of the excessive abuse of power by the government in their treatment of Mr. Mitnick.  The win at all cost actions by the government demonstrated quite a litany of abuse rather than the pursuit of law and justice.  By the spirit of the law his actions were illegal but mostly non-criminal.  Somehow we citizen must insist that criminal activities by our government are punished to the full extent of the law.  I don't know if justice will ever prevail, but at the very least Mr. Mitnick is making an honest living following his irresistible passions to understand the workings of automated systems, an addiction that he probably will never recover from.