An important read . . .
922046
I just finished this emotional book that is a must read for any woman, or for any one who works with children.  Ms. Rose, you are an amazing strong woman!  Best wishes to you.
3594317
An important book if you have been touched by the music of Bob Marley, especially those songs that you could feel arose not only from a spiritual well-spring, but from the ghettos of Jamaica and experiences that were authentically in solidarity with the Third World and those in poverty. The book goes into much detail into his life and work, and, if one has listened to all of Bob's albums and felt that different things were going on historically and musically, this read will help you truly sort them out. I read the book hoping to understand more of the social justice aspect of his work, and I feel that it helped me to do that, though it also helped me to revisit so much that I love about the art of Bob Marley and the Wailers. Much about Peter Tosh in the book as well, an artist who helped to shape my political consciousness at a young age like no other back in the 1980's. I found the evidence that the CIA sponsored the assassination attempt on Marley very important, and some other material of this sort was included, but I wish that there was more.

"...Bob's true rebel spirit lies in his devastatingly accurate depictions of ghetto life and official oppression and corruption. The pain of 'Slave Driver; the anger of 'Rebel Music (3 O'Clock Roadblock)', 'The Belly Full (But We Hungry)', and 'Rat Race'; the inspired vision of recording Haile Selassie's speech to the United Nation as 'War'; in his raising aloft the arms of Prime Minister Michael Manley and opposition leader Edward Seaga in an effort at unity; in his forming relationships with Kingston's gang leaders in an effort to cool them out; in his dispensing thousands of dollars at a time to penniless mothers; in his efforts to bestride the racial and economic barriers inherent in Jamaica and throughout Babylon; in his establishing the concept of 'Babylon' in our culture and souls. And isn't it curious that Bob Marley is seen as a rebel because he had a genuine belief in peace and an end to oppression?"
2229607
Kramer and Harris have written an important book which should be read by women and men alike.  This serious and scholarly work examines the nature of gender bias-- sometimes overt, often subtle but clearly insidious in the resulting headwinds to women's career paths.  Eye opening and thought provoking, Breaking Through Bias goes beyond simply raising awareness.  It offers pragmatic advice to women who are beginning their careers.  It enlists the aid of those who have broken through glass ceilings.  And it demonstrates that we are all responsible for leveling the playing field-- vitally important if we value our daughters' career success as much as we do our sons'.  Or if we believe that our companies, organizations and professions benefit from an environment which fosters talent, irrespective of gender.  This is a critical, thoughtful call to action.  I have given Breaking Through Bias to my daughter and son, both recent college graduates.
4913408
I very much consider this a very important book to read.  It may not be the easiest, because you will find promotion of a way of thinking which is significantly different from our own western philosophy. This way of thinking opens the way for the stories of many "miracle workers" who perform feats that defy western logic.  And these stories can be stumbling blocks to many readers.
These stories do, however, illustrate various points of the vedic philosophy.
I believe that any person interested in religious thought will find much of value here.  Many precepts of the Hindu religion are explored throughout this autobiography, and some of them shed light from a different perception upon the Christian and Judaic faiths.  If a person is open to looking at one's own beliefs through another person's eyes, understanding of all beliefs may be increased.  A person who does not wish to understand beliefs of another person's religion should, however, stay away from this book.
Along with the personal, spiritual autobiography and the open sharing of belief and faith are stories of many swamis and saints, and also of two of current culture and times.  One chapter is devoted to noted horticulturist Luther Burbank, and his friendship with Yogananda, giving a different view of the man and of his accomplishments than that generally learned in our schooling.  Another chapter is given to Mahatma Ghandi as Yogonanda briefly knew him.
This isn't the easiest book for the western mind to understand, much less accept.  However, it's worth the effort.
2184980
Primary sources are crucial to the study of history. In this work, Secretary Clinton provides a valuable insight into her experience during the 2016 Campaign for US President. She begins with a stark and heart breaking exposition on her experience as a woman in US politics and moves from phase to phase of her experience with a mixture of introspection and empirical analysis. As the person at the center of a historic moment, Clinton provides the reader anecdotes that were shared with others during the campaign and its aftermath, and goes beyond to provide an important gift to readers who look back at the election of 2016 and wonder....."What Happened".

Whether the reader agrees or disagrees with Secretary Clinton's politics or views, this book will become a primary resource for casual and academic scholars interested in Hillary Rodham Clinton's role in the history of the United States.
2848299
Every word of this well researched and beautifully written book is important.  Important far beyond their roles in weaving a story and driving a plot.  This book has an important moral message that  almost swallows up its fictional base.  It more than once made me feel uncomfortable.  I think that was the plan.  Read it!
3002721
This is a great and important book, particularly useful if you're looking for a concise and accurate summation of why the NSA's out of control extralegal warrantless surveillance state is such an urgent and vitally important issue that every American *should* be actively engaged with. Edward's dissembly of this very complex issue is terse, factual, and provides the reader with an accurately grim portrait of just how far out of control America has become, and (imho) would be a great book to give to a friend or relative who doesn't see or understand the grave and truly unprecedented consequences of the policy decisions of the last 13 years. The unabridged audible book is right around 4 hours long, making it ideal for that kind of reader, who might be too busy with other aspects of life to have given the issue adequate attention. Without resorting to histrionic conspiritorial rantings or other digressions that so frequently derail attempts at rational discussions of the topic, Edwards' book is also valuable in that it brings together a lot of the information and moments those who have been paying attention to this issue over the years into a concise and accurate focus, providing what will hopefully be regarded as a grim and important historical account of this very dark time in our Nation's history. I highly recommend it, along with several of the other major titles from the last several years ("The Shadow Factory," "This Machine Kills Secrets," "Rise of the Warrior Cop," GReenwald's "No Place To Hide," etc.). Also contains an (appropriately brief due to the dire realism with which she writes confronts these issues) short coda that sketches out the most important and practical steps that the country can take in the esarnest hope of reversing us from the path towards totalitarianism while there is still time. Read it, pass it on to someone you care about, and keep the conversation going; don't let your silence be mistaken for your approval of these policies... fear, silence, complacency, secrecy, lies, and a failure to confront the seriousness of the situation shouldn't be allowed to rob us of our basic liberties and freedoms. Cheers!
4717299
This is an important story. Garrard Conley tells of his parent's decision and his own collusion in seeking a cure for his gay sexuality through Exodus Ministry's Love In Action. With portraits of other participants and the leaders, he provides a taste of the actual experience. Most poignant is the telling of his own inner life and his mother's ambivalence and hidden anguish in subjecting her son to something she is deeply unsure of. Conley's book is a courageous break to choose life over death. It is the story of one who has come through deep struggle to begin living the one life he can save... his own.
4150242
The greatest hallmark of political writing isn't found in its ability to win converts so much as in its ability to spur important discussion.

And...agree with him or not...this book does spur important discussion.

Using extensive references to empirical data, Buchanan builds several cases:

1)  That non homogenous societies have a historical tendency to fracture.  The balkanization of Yugoslavia is one example of this phenomenon.

2)  That when societies fracture along ethnic lines, the losers can suffer dearly.  Again, a look at what happened in Yugoslavia serves as a dramatic illustration where despot Slobadan Milosevich used his waning power as President of Serbia to attempt the ethnic cleansing of nearby Kosovo.

3)  That societies that court ethnic fracture court suicide.

Here's where the "agree with him or not" language figures in because it's here where Buchanan makes the point that the United States is an has been courting national suicide by liberal immigration policies and a failure to maintain cultural homogeneity.

For those who agree with Buchanan they will be easily persuaded by statistics advanced by him showing that as church and traditional Christian observance have waned, America's standing abroad has fallen along with it.

For those who disagree, however, the question of course will be why and just what evidence supports the possible logical contrary assertions: either that observance has declined but that the decline is irrelevant to broader questions of American standing or that history is not as simple of a matter as outlining a downward arrow, that periodic rises and falls have occured and do occur as a matter of the passage of history.

Agree with him or not I do think this book is food for thought.  In this way I think it's excellent political and current events material and great food for thought.

Speaking of food for thought...the hardest reviews here on amazon.com seem to be the political ones where people pepper each other with negative votes but -- all too often -- not the insight behind those selfsame negative votes.  If readers seeing this review are inclined to disagree, please kindly hold off on that negative vote at least until you've chimed in with your opinion.

If you can vote no, you can certainly say why.
488823
While some heavy reading for sure, this is an important book to se how we as a country have gotten into the mess we are in today. Progressives are on both sides of the isle have and still exist, and both sides have contributed to our current situation. One thing is clear Progressives are not the road map to solving any of the problems we face today.......in short Progressives are the problem.
2841966
First off, I must say that this is an important book. There are some reviewers who claim that Khaled Hosseini must have written this with the western reader in mind. This may be true, but in my opinion it is a good thing. He has brought the plight of Afghanistan into the living rooms of those who live in the free world. Some of us may not have ever known or bothered to learn about the horrors that have taken place there; this book makes it personal. I cared about, cried with and for Mariam, Laila, Tariq and their families. I was outraged on their behalf. I wept many times while reading about Mariam's strength of endurance and what it cost her. I wanted to kill Rasheed, Mariam and Laila's sadistic husband. The depiction of the Taliban's sadistic regime left me feeling shell-shocked and harrowed. I honestly don't know how anyone survives such things as these.
There are other reviewers who claim that the "fairy-tale happy ending" ruined the story for them, that it was unrealistic. Well, I did a little research on Kabul. It seems a western reporter went there and remarked to a survivor in Kabul that everyone must be in terrible sorrow. "Are you kidding?" responded the survivor. "We are happy! After all this to finally have some peace, it is a happy thing!" Out of the horse's mouth. So it seems Mr. Hosseini's ending was not so far off the mark of reality after all.
This is an important book because of all that it made me feel, and I am thankful to live in a country where Afghani expatriates are free to write books like this. My life is richer for the experience and privelege of reading A Thousand Splendid Suns.
4808587
We should pay attention to Kate O'Beirne.  While the title is incendiary, [...] it is an important topic. The book is not just a thoughtful review of where we've come in the last 40 years but offers an intelligent estimate of where this chaos will lead.  This is not a philosophical text.  The arguments for both sides of the issues are presented.  Many of the the facts and figures are surprising.  Does it benefit women in the long run to marginalize all the men?  Should we deny all women the option of being full-time mothers for the benefit of those who wish to work?  Is it really in our best interests to put women on the front lines?  Do yourself a favor and read the unvarnished research.
4025843
This novel is a challenging read, but one that is important to help us understand the plight of those who were most vulnerable.  This reality that this is an autobiography sheds a more realistic light on the realities of racism in the north.
3624698
Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them is one book that I wish all registered voters and high school students were required to read.  I don't believe that all who read this book will agree with all Franken has to say, however, I think that what he is saying in this work is so important, it must be read.  It can open up a meaningful dialogue among the various right and left factions of the US.  Franken (and his team of Harvard graduate students) has put together a thoughtful look at media coverage of the US political scene and then goes on to critique the Bush administration.  Is there a media bias towards liberals in this country, as so many conservatives claim?  Franken comes up with an answer (I won't give it away).  Franken does an excellent job of dissecting various right wing mouthpieces, such as Ann Coulter and Bill O'Reilly, and exposing them for what they truly are.  I cannot urge people strongly enough to read this book.  If you care about the US, I must warn you that this book will probably upset you a bit because the truths Franken uncovers are, well, pretty depressing at times.  Franken has put together a very readable, very informative look at contemporary media and the Bush administration that is not to be missed.
3923917
This book is a moving and important read!  While the first 3rd of the book moves slow, with no real compeling story line, it provides incredible insight into the minutia of everyday life in China and the social, political, and cultural forces that influenced recent history there.  Government control of property, freedom of speech, government deportations to work camps, and other humiliations, are stark reminders of the freedoms we need to protect in this country.  In this country, with 100's of people currently being held, after 9/11, with no charges and no due process, and with the press being challenged in the courts, and propaganda routinely being spewed by our government, this book is a must read, and an important reminder of what is good in this country and what we must continually be vigilant to protect against.
1389949
This is an important book. It is a personal memoir, but it is also more than that. Stevenss well-written narrative clearly relates to anyone who has ever worn a uniform, but it is presented in such a way that civilians can greatly appreciate and understand it as well. As good writing often does, it asks important big-picture questions without stating them outright. Questions regarding military leadership, vague and dangerous mission orders, and conflicts of interest between Special and Conventional military forces. If decision-makers, planners, and even historians ever seek to glean lessons from the Afghanistan Campaign to apply in future conflicts, I would point to Combat Bureaucrat to show just how dynamic our modern conflicts are, and that there is no one-size fits all mandate for endeavors such as Afghanistan.
3226584
I love this book. I wish the tone had been more scholarly and less editorial but I think this a highly important and timely work that should be read by any serious person involved in setting policy for police and law enforcement.