Very informative, and very timely...
592929
In light of recent events, this memoir is absolutely horrifying. It is so difficult to believe that such harsh realities exist for so many in the world today. It is also shameful that this familys reign continues in North Korea, despite the horrific living conditions Kim Il-sung and his descendants have produced in their communist nation thus far. It is surreal and shocking that they have brainwashed an entire population into believing that these men are direct descendants of God. That a rebel faction hasn't sprung from the ashes yet, is unfathomable. It was so disturbing to read what Kang Chol-hwan dealt with for so long. Most of the families that were moved from Japan during this period of repatriation, were under the assumption that they would be well-cared-for, that they were among the elite that were being summoned to North Korea to lead the nation to prosperity. When they heard about free housing and guaranteed jobs in Kim Il Sungs socialist state, most families were jumping through hoops to be chosen to head back to their home country. It was a terribly harsh reality for many when they realized that rather than be revered, they would be treated like animals the rest of their lives; sadly, for the great majority, there is no way out of this nightmare of an existence.

The valor and strength that Chol-hwan exhibited is so awe-inspiring, and I am so grateful to him for sharing his story, and shedding more light on the horrific realities of North Korea and this unrelenting family of dictators.
3827786
Very informative at such a time that we need to hear the message give.
4684853
This is a remarkable, vividly written, and comprehensive piece of research. And it is timely...the worst has not yet happened, and the citizenry has an opportunity to rise up against this sleazy mass theft of irreplaceable public property. Among the article's many strengths are its rigorous, full documented sources...the footnotes slightly outweigh the text, which is rarely to be found, and in unfortunately not the norm, among even our most "elite" of journalistic monoliths.

Mr. Byrne has given us a tremendous gift of actionable information; the rest is up to the activist community and the ordinary taxpayers and neighbors who are being assaulted by this nation-wide embezzlement.

On its own, sui generis terms, I would give it six stars.
504806
A thought provoking and timely book for the times we are living in and the dangers we might face.
4816709
This is such an important and timely subject, and Dr. Schwartz makes his case with great clarity. A vigorous and thorough  rebuttal to the shallow discussions on liberty that are ubiquitous in our current popular culture.
2930363
Very interesting and very timely. It helps one to understand sex abuse, especially from the perspective of the abused and those longing to be accepted and too concerned about rejection. At the same time, it's very frustrating to read about the priorities of these misguided youth. Thought provoking and definitely a page-turner.
1017989
This book made me look at life in a slightly new, out-of-the-box, manner--and provided ample reasons why doing so is both rational and necessary.  Given the severity of today's world-wide banking and economic problems, I consider the information contained in this book TIMELY and RELEVANT to your own & your family's ongoing prosperity.
4864678
This is a great book on an interesting, compelling and timely topic. And though the work is based on scholarship (with lots of footnotes, most of which are well worth reading, too), it is not at all written in that overly intellectual tone and heavy-handed style that scholars so often use. In other words: it's not work to read, it's a very enjoyable read.

Markovits highlights the historical background of Euro anti-Americanism, and explains how it has evolved into a universal feature of everyday discourse amongst all Europeans of all class backgrounds (not just, as in the past, elites). The presidency of George W. Bush provides some explanation for the more recent phenomena, but this goes well beyond and much deeper than Bush and is likely to remain long after he's gone.

The combination of "ill-will and ignorance" on the part of so many explains why (and how) Europeans can make the most outlandish statements and believe the most far-fetched conspriracy theories regarding Americans. (Now I understand why that pretty young blond woman I met on the train in Germany seemed so incredulous when I answered that I owned only one televison and no firearms!)

The author is clearly a man of the political Left, yet he deftly demonstrates how anti-Americanism has come to seriously distort intellectual debate among those who should know better (this could also be applied to the Left in the US, I think), while resentment, rejection and even hatred of the US is now key to the formation of a new "European Identity" (meaning identification with the EU, above and beyond individaul countries). The chapter on anti-semitism  (anti-Americanism's "twin") is quite excellent, and likely the book's most controversial. Again, it is the political and cultural Left that comes off looking the worst (since we already expect such ignorance and hatred from the Right).

This is a definitive book on the subject that not only provides a useful explication, it also explains why it matters, why we should care. And because this really is a very important issue for both the present and future, I hope to soon see the author discussing this topic on all those news network talk shows.

I say: Check it out!
765839
I finished this book just prior to 9/11. I thought the subject was about as on target regarding where we are in America (and where we should be heading) as one could get. Then after the terriorist attacks, I thought how timely the book is when we in America are now examining our values and what is really important in light of the tragedy. The difference is before I was pessimistic we could even begin to move away from affluenza, but afterward I felt perhaps this country could, indeed, see that a simpler, less materialistic lifestyle fits very well with patriotism and standing together against our enemies. The book presents us with a practical approach to curing affluenza and backs it up with more than enough statistics and recommendations. I am far from a "tree hugger," but I think the authors are onto something at exactly the right time.
3224537
I found this book to be a very compelling source of information about our Global water crisis.  It presented information in formats that are very clear and to the point.  It illustrates quite well the tug-of-war going on today between corporations that sell bottled water and/or soft drinks and the people of countries who desperately need that water at low prices.  This book defines water's critical role in the network of the earth's resources and how clean water should be the right of all human beings, not a commodity purchased by corporations and sold at huge profits.  A must read!
3683665
This is a very well done summary of the current situation in a country of tremendous importance to the United States. Mr. Lippmann brings an insider's view of the the many forces that are currently at play, and the pressures to change in a system that has been resistant to cultural change.  The topics covered range from economics, religion, the role of women, history of the current leadership, and the effect of an influx of large numbers of temporary workers. It is apparent the the future of this part of the Middle East is about to undergo a major shift, and the book provides considerable insight to what we might expect in the next few years.
2691259
David Siegel's new book provides timely and importantinformation regarding the web site creation process and both thedesigner's and client's role in all of this. As a publishing/book designer of twenty years I am now beginning to apply some of my skills to this new medium. The third generation concept should make this possible. I wish I had had this information/David's thoughts a year ago. David offers a lot of things to think about, some pitfalls to avoid, and some concrete ways of helping the process.
1687851
As for many others, this was a really timely book for me.  I've become increasingly disappointed in our current capitalist system, but have never been entirely comfortable with historical/real-world examples of socialism or communism.  In showing how most socialist/communist countries are really state capitalist systems, Wolfe really clarified what's wrong with them.  More importantly, he provides a very compelling model for how to address the issues of both state and private capitalist systems - through workers self-directed enterprises.  I've always wanted my own workplace to be more democratic (not to mention wanting this for my schools) and this book helps show what that can look like.  I'd be interested to read some real world case studies of companies putting this into practice, but this book is a critically important one in our current economic and political environment.
1182122
This is a really timely follow-up to his previous book about the epidemic of fear in our society. In this book he zeroes in on a subject that is already a hot topic and will remain so for a while. 24-7 media coverage of the bird flu story is escalating, and this book will vaccinate the reader against the natural tendency to panic when the talking heads on the news shows present the worst-case scenarios. Marc Siegel draws upon his skill as a writer and his first-hand knowledge of media and medicine to present a balanced analysis of the situation. His advice on what you should and should not be doing is very clear, so besides providing intellectual stimulation this book gives very practical advice from an expert clinician.
1451547
This is an amazingly great book on huge environmental issues going on right here, right now. It could not be more timely. Dick Russell and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. are THE 2 people we should be listening to right now re: the environment -- not the clowns in Washington!!
1946895
This is a terrific and timely book. It has a huge amount of really interesting info on both countries and the author analyses the complexities clearly. Definitely worth reading!
3443338
very current,thoughtful,varied  industry information,projections into the future