This books offers a sound and harsh look at the ...
593600
This books offers a sound and harsh look at the reality of people all over the world that many people do not survive from. However, through her many trials that was designed to destroy her and her family, she found the grace, mercy, and strength of God in her life. The overcoming wealth of information and wisdom shared shows you that a hard life does not necessarily mean a death sentences in opportunities and success. This book should be shared and read all over the world for men and women. For women, Anika relates to the struggles women face everyday and how to overcome them. For men, she gives insight to what many women go through to understand their plight. Not only that, but men who struggle with addiction, molestation, or just failed at life can found light in this book as well. It is refreshing to know and understand that there is someone out there fighting for those who society has thrown away!! Cant wait for the next one!!
564043
Reading the reviews on this book is as inflammatory as the partisan groups that rail on the subject.  Instead of reading a review, read the book.  The critics have a point when they rant about the book not being just about neuroscience- it's not. It uses the backdrop of a neuroscientist world to explore the search of existence to the soul. Not the same thing. And to properly attack the subject, the author first carves out the philosophical groundwork for what problem he is tackling, why he is doing so, what the current (in his opinion) errant views are, and how is viewpoint is different.  Expecting there to be NO larger questions pursued than just biological ones is a childish assertion in many of these critical reviews. The author moves across a vast array of subjects, probably too numerous for such a short book.  I think a 3 or 4 edition series would have been a better tact. This leaves the book open to attacks about detailed support. The truth of the science of the book is clear, and claims to contrary are by people who are only trying to dissuade the basic information from being presented in a correlated fashion by a respected scientist.

Again, the bottom line is this- read the book. Not these reviews.
1685961
Of all the countries in the world, North Korea must be among the worst places to be born. In terms of GDP, North Korea is as poor as Ghana. But the worst part of being born in North Korea is without doubt the brutal leadership. Kim jong un and Kim jong il before him, are prepared to do anything to save themselves from the pressures they are facing, from within their own nation as well as from the outside. They are not, as one might think, naive. Rather they know exactly what they need to do in order to stay in power. Unfortunately for the common people in North Korea, this entails a ruthless big brother society where the smallest signs of disobedience or doubt in the North Korean leadership, are severely punished.

The author, Andrei Lankov, has the right profile to tell the story of North Korea. He is a Russian citizen who has visited North Korea many times over the past 3-4 decades. He does not seem to biased in favor of any particular view, and he demolishes a number of myths and exaggerations that are popular in the west. For example, I have always thought that there was no private market in North Korea, but this is false. While North Korea, officially do not have a private market, in practice they do have a growing private market, and the people running them tends to be rich compared to other North Korean citizens. As long as these people behave according to a set of informal rules, the government, realizing their utility, leaves them and their businesses alone.

Even though Lankov exposes western exaggerations, he also describes the atrocities of the North Korean leadership and the resulting suffering that the North Korean people must consequently endure. All in all, the book provides a nuanced and multifaceted account of North Korea, from a historical and a contemporary perspective. If you want to understand this mysterious country better, this book is for you.
3854077
Professor Yamamoto's treatment of the events that have become to be known  as the "Rape of Nanking," will likely be regarded as a  "revisionist viewpoint."  His Japanese background will likely  cited as contributing to his apologist arguement,for how can an ethnic  Japanese be anything but defensive. However, this book coming in the wake  of Iris Chang's Rape of Nanking, presents another viewpoint which must be  considered, i.e., those of the Japanese carrying out the massacre.  Yamamoto notes that executions were part of the JIA's policy and there were  several factors which aggrevated an already horrible situation. Iris  Chang's book is a passionate diatribe which contains several notable errors  (e.g., she would have done well to look more closely at Rabe's dairy and  her attempt at assembling statistical data always leans toward the  sensational);however, it does point out the brutality and dehumanizing of  both the Chinese victims and the Japanese raping, stealing and murdering.  Yamamoto does not soft pedal this, albeit he does question many of the  claims of numbers of people slaughtered. The bitter truth is, even one  person slaughtered is too many.  And, even if genocide were not a primary  motive, the inhumanity of the Japanese soldiers must not be forgotten.  In  these days when nuts are trying to deny the holocaust, we need these  reminders of human abuses, unless we forget.
3030974
Not only a thought-provoking argument against reparations, but an alarming chronicle of the dire state of free speech on American college campuses. Concerning the issue of reparations, Horowitz dispassionately dissects the issue from a variety of angles, applying principles of fairness, casuistry, and appeals to common good. I found his arguments clear and compelling, and the supporting material provided some interesting historical and economic discussion of slavery. Most importantly, I understood his motivations to be based not on hate, but on true compassion and a desire for what is best for all Americans and for black Americans in particular. The real story of this book is not reparations, however, but the reactions to the publication of (and attempts to publish) his opinion in a variety of American college campus newspapers. The responses ranged from irrational, highly-charged emotional outbursts to outright censorship and suppression. His well-documented account paints an alarming picture of the stranglehold of "politically correct" ideology in our universities, and the seeming lost art of rational debate (as opposed to ad hominem attacks and binary categorizations) in our culture today.
3896689
Hubert Selby's first book, "Last Exit to Brooklyn" was published in the 1964. It was subject to an obscenity trial in England although it escaped U.S. censors unscathed. The book was reissued in 1988, coinciding with the release of a movie loosely based upon it. The book's dark vision remains with the passage of time. It is not a book for the squeamish, faint-hearted, or for the conventional.

The book consists of a series of loosely related stories of varying length taking place in the tenements of Brooklyn. Many of the incidents center around an odious local bar known as "the Greeks" and its patrons. The longest story, "Strike" is about a long and ugly labor dispute and its effect on Harry, a worker and the strike organizer, on his marriage and on his sense of sexual identity. The story is detailed, sordid, violent, and fascinating. Other stories explore the world of cheap hookers, transvestites, drug users, petty crooks and drunks. The stories are raw told in a crude language of the streets appropriate to their subject matter.

The book reminded me of the early work of probably my favorite novelist, the Victorian writer George Gissing, in its concentration of the underlife in our cities. There is little of the express vulgarity and sexual crudity in the Victorian writer, but I think Gissing and Selby would have understood each other nonetheless.

This book is a disturbing picture of low life, partly written in the language and mores of its times but transcending that. There is little in the way of hope or love in the book and I think that the author wants to show us the consequences of a lack or hope and love. It is a book that in a materialist age can teach compassion in a language and style that pulls for attention. It is very sad, but the book invites and demands reflection. It shows us what is missing. This is probably a book that will be remembered in the literary history of America.

Robin Friedman
4008958
I always had a loathing hatred of public schools (especially attending them in earlier years) and in particular disliked history class but could never really put my finger on why I hated it so badly. This book perfectly solidified all the observations and opinions I had collected over the years on the subject. It's jarring, it's eye-opening, it's bleak, and it's depressing! It's HONEST.

Does the author have a message, perhaps an opinionated agenda? Sure. Is that a bad thing? In this case I don't think it is. He brings up legitimate points and ways that they could be fixed. He shows you not only what's wrong in the textbooks but what's wrong with the entire system and WHY. That's important to know.

I really hope someone sits up and pays attention to this book. I'm championing it as a book of blunt truth.
3464129
Here is an exceptional and hard hitting look at modern British culture with many implications for the U.S. As a psychiatrist and prison doctor, he argues that the current progressive views minimize the responsitilities for their own actions and leads to an almost encapsulated underclass of criminality and welfare dependence. I found his analysis of the British Police service simply jaw-dropping, and, as a side note, filled in the back drop for the comedy movie "Hot Fuzz" for me. I found his searing analysis refreshing, because, like medical professionals do, he gets to the root causes of our cultural decline. I highly recommend this book and I will be reading more of his works myself.
3039774
I read about this this book in another book and went ahead and bought this one.  I would recommend it.  The author shows the relationships among the military, corporations and academia.  I found much of the situation described by the author, disturbing and at its heart, certainly not conducive to academic freedom. Essentially the author contends that the military and corporations through the use of money and pressure, are taking advantage of the education funding crisis to bend academia to purposes other than a traditional liberal education and open research.  In addition, he covered some of the latest attacks on academia and academic freedom of the Christian Nationalist, religious right or what ever you want to call it. To be sure this is written from a left/liberal perspective but the points made should be seriously considered by anyone interested in the place of the university in society.
2765367
The two perspectives of the Mid-East conflict are provided distinctly, clearly, and with compassion. The clash of cultures told with the framework of two people who lived in the same house under different circumstances is a powerful metaphor. The history is "harsh" and sometimes took the spotlight from the two families I wanted to read about in depth; yet that disappointment serves the impact of the narrative. The book changed my view the Arab - Israeli borders (and the years of conflicts about them). The lines are more blurred, and the conflict more poignant than before.
2765182
This book makes a lot of people cringe.  General Aussaresses is labeled a Nazi and a Fascist by some on here (as if they were the masters of torture and murder, never mind the Marxist murders who made such matters into an artform and killed far more people than Fascism ever did).  Especially considering how much of a hero Che Guevara is; both Che and Assaresses used similar methods to get their results and yet we see the Red and black Che T-shirts all over colleges and at various left-wing protests.

Aussaresses provides his perspective.  One that is lost on a lot of people who proudly proclaim they could never condone such actions.  These proclimation are most likely said from a nice comfortable living room or study in a nice peaceful neighborhood somewhere.  People's sense of the righteous tends to fade pretty quickly when they are faced with the brutality that the FLN displayed.

I am not saying torture and executions are the right thing to do but I find it interesting so many are quick to judge.  The FLN was not the Red Cross; they were one of the most brutal terrorist organizations in the 20th century.  The Algerian War was an ugly war, plain and simple.  You cannot condemn one side without condemning the other.  If the Algerians had adopted peaceful protests istead of the violent radical measures they adopted, then there would have been no need for torture.

That said, the book is quite blunt.  The General does talk casually of killing and torture just as a brutal warlord in the Dark Ages might have.

Aussaresses provides a good concise narrative of the events during that war.  Some people want objectivity, which is important but you most also get perspective.  So many history books discuss bland facts and figures without delving into the actual people.  Narratives and memoirs like this give you that perspective.

Another good product to have or at least rent is "The Battle of Algiers" which provides a more FLN-slant.
3640753
Stealing Paul Harvey's immortal words, John Lott presents the 'rest of the story' in this frankly disturbing analysis of the sad state of affairs that is the political environment today in these not-so United States.

Today's mainstream media parses data and spews sound bites for better digestion by the under-informed.  John has extensively researched the topics of Obamacare, the Stimulus and unemployment, gun issues, the 'War on Business' and tax policies.  One fourth of the book is comprised of references to support his conclusions.

Conservatives will lap this book up; liberals will howl and use emotional counterarguments; moderates would do well to read this and consider carefully the information presented.  Truly, the case that John has presented is compelling.
786990
Sontag's little book contains deep reflections on the effects of violent and brutal image on the audience. It raises a lot of critical issues. It's a must read for people who are interested in photography, journalism, and trauma.
1017226
The great polemicist Christopher Hitchens turns his attention to Agnes Bojaxhiu, aka Mother Teresa, in this searing look into her work that is universally accepted as humanitarian and above reproach. Hitchens presents an image of Teresa that is highly critical of her reputation in this brilliantly argued book on her life's work.

Hitchens recounts Teresa's relationships with known dictators such as the Haitian dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier and his wife Michele who all but bankrupted their country and fled to France. Teresa, despite supposedly caring for the poor, does little for them - she demands that they accept their lot and live with poverty rather than try to help them escape it. This is a woman whose fame rests upon her help with the poor, and yet she failed to use her power and influence to alleviate their suffering by encouraging the many world leaders she met to work on this issue.

But she's not political! you say, as she claimed many times herself. And yet she often involved herself in politics, especially when it came to the subject of abortion. She travelled to Spain to protest when post-Franco legislation was to be passed regarding the legalisation of divorce, abortion, and birth control, and even spoke to Margaret Thatcher about passing a bill that was in the House of Commons that wanted to limit the availability of abortions.

Teresa was a fond one for abortion (despite being a virgin and not knowing anything about what it's like to give birth, and sex, besides the end product) and made it the subject of her speech when she won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 (a win that remains questionable as to what she actually contributed to world peace or peace in any single country), claiming that abortion was the biggest threat to mankind.

Maybe the biggest criticism of Mother Teresa above all is the way she and her order withheld painkillers from the very sick and dying. In a filmed interview, she recounted an exchange she had with a cancer patient who was dying, who she refused to give painkillers to, where she said "You are suffering like Christ on the cross. So Jesus must be kissing you", to which the person replied "Then please tell him to stop kissing me". Teresa, it seems, was unaware of the irony of that comment. Also, her Homes for the Dying are run by nuns who aren't medically trained or know anything about palliative care, or even basic hygiene as they wash medical equipment in cold tapwater rather than sterilise them!

Hitchens also raises the question of what Teresa did with the millions she received in donations. There will never be an audit because it's the Catholic Church but given the basic requirements of her homes, it seems likely that a lot of it didn't go into helping the poor. And a lot of the donations came from questionable sources like Charles Keating, a fraud who was imprisoned for 10 years for his part in the Savings and Loans scandal in the early 90s. He donated $1.25 million to Mother Teresa who wrote a character reference to the judge when he was on trial. It had no effect but the co-prosecutor of the case, Paul Turley, wrote back explaining to her why he was on trial, informing her that the money she had received was stolen from ordinary, hard working people who're now poor people like the ones she tries to help, and that she should return it on basic principle. He never received a reply to his letter and the money was not refunded.

Teresa comes across as a PR tool for the Catholic Church and a political pawn, willingly used for the Church's own dogmatic ideas and as a fundraising figure. Hitchens has written a fascinating book in "The Missionary Position" which rightly questions a person long held to be untouchable because of her work and yet whose actions remain highly dubious and contradictory. "The Missionary Position" is a highly recommended and thought-provoking read.

Also worth checking out is Hitchen's documentary on Mother Teresa, Hell's Angel. The first half of this book is basically a retelling of the documentary. It's available for free on Youtube.
1443442
A brutal firsthand study of eviction, emphasizing both its high frequency and the devastating toll it takes on families. Matthew Desmond, an ethnographer who spent years living in low-income neighborhoods and trailer parks to research this book, shows how precarious the living situation is for people in poverty, and how easily they can be abused by the housing system. Sudden upsets like job loss or hospital bills can lead to eviction when families fall behind on their rent, but even renters who are up-to-date can be kicked out of their home for the flimsiest of reasons when they cannot afford to contest the order in court.

(For instance, Desmond writes of women who have been evicted after calling the police to report domestic violence, because their landlords don't want to have their properties in the system as nuisance addresses -- which also leads to a severe under-reporting of abuse among renters who don't want to risk eviction over it. Despite such factors making eviction a common occurrence, landlords can lawfully discriminate against potential renters on the basis of previous evictions, and many government assistance programs explicitly rule out candidates who have been evicted in the past.)

Property-owners are not all conniving slumlords -- just as evicted people are not all blameless innocents -- and Desmond spends some time showing eviction from the landlords' perspective as they seek to pay their own bills and hold tenants responsible for rent and damages to their property. But his primary focus is on the evicted people themselves, on how their lives are completely disrupted by every forced move, and on the policies we might put in place to mitigate these circumstances and lower the overall rate of eviction. It's an important message that I hope spreads far and wide.
2221177
Any thinking man has long known that our government is populated with the most vile and depraved types of characters at the highest echelons. This book reveals in stark detail how this is not a new phenomena, but one that has long festered within the corridors of power.  Be you an "Obomney" follower, or a "Rombama" acolyte, this book just may open your eyes to the truth of the stench that emanates from those in control of our society.
877430
History, despite the series of great, often socially cataclysmic, events taught in school or emphasized by civic commemorizations, is composed of increments and a nexus of myriad causes and effects. Author Richard Archer focuses on the background of the occupation of Boston by regiments of British soliders that led to the famous Boston Massacre. It is a story of economics. Straddled with huge debts from the Seven Years War with France and a home populace intolerant of increased taxes, England sought to place the financial burden onto the colonies in America, which as we all know had no representation in Parliament. The story unfolds on how Boston merchants abetted by newspapers and the rabble attempted to remedy the situation over the ensuing years and how the many missteps in policy, in factional disputes, and in later massive military presence slowly radicalized the populace. We also learn of the racism within New England, where slavery existed, and how the free Afro-Caribbean drummers of the British troops were regarded with disdain. The rich details of this scholarly book are like brush strokes in a developing painting. While the action moves slowly until the crescendo of the Massacre itself, the picture is of cautious skirmishes, fear and protest, taunts and simmering anger, blunders, and layer upon layer of political ploys. As we read, the rising tension of the populace is perceived. This is a valuable book that offers a historical microcosm. [Indeed, I recall a time when my university city was under occupation by state, regional, and local police and also by the military. I understand exactly what those Bostonian citizens felt. I saw similar fear in the eyes of isolated but armed police, one with gun drawn, when confronting a taunting crowd and I witnessed many abuses by police on innocent citizens. That situation, too, was a series of larger political and local societal errors.]  Thus, the book warns us, in this age of sound bites and knee-jerk emotional appeals, to be very cautious before reaching conclusions and initiating actions. "As If an Enemy's Country" is a fine addition to the history of the American Revolution, and it leaves the reader with much to ponder.