The Grand Illusion: Love, Lies, and My Life With Styx

Book Description

They are still one of the biggest rock bands of the last three decades. With four consecutive triple-platinum albums and 54 million records sold, their tours continue to sell out and classic songs like "Lady," "Renegade," "Come Sail Away," and "The Grand Illusion" have earned them a whole new generation of fans. At the height of their fame, they were living the ultimate rock `n' roll fantasy -- an odyssey of groupies, drugs, and music that most musicians only dream of. As a band, Styx seemed invincible. But their founding member and bass player, Chuck Panozzo, was about to hit rock bottom. His seemingly debauched life as the ultimate rocker was a lie -- and the truth was about to catch up with him.

The Grand Illusion is a no-holds-barred, backstage pass to the journey of one of the world's most revered bands, and the true story of Chuck Panozzo's 50-year struggle to reconcile his public life as a rock star with his private life as a gay man. Beginning with the birth of Styx in Chicago and their meteoric rise, The Grand Illusion is a revealing look at the triumphs and tragedies that surrounded Panozzo's life. He chronicles life on the road, the break-up of the band, his struggle to help his twin brother and bandmate John Panozzo battle addiction, as well as his split with Dennis De Young, and finally coming to terms with his HIV positive status. Illuminating and unflinching, The Grand Illusion will captivate the band's legions of devoted fans, as well as music lovers everywhere.

Customer Reviews:

Not what I thought.......2007-09-06

I have reread this volume several times,the best chapter was,"Hey now youre a rockstar". The book is very informative about what it is like to be in the closet,so to speak.There is very little about how the songs were created,the hedonistic life of a rock star, or the ridiculous extravagances of superstardom.

I was looking for more about the music, but if you are looking for a motivational book to overcome HIV/AIDS, this is a great work. It will inspire all those suffering with this terrible disease.

Perfect for any library catering to rock music readers........2007-07-08

Fans of the rock group Styx won't want to miss GRAND ILLUSION: LOVE, LIES, AND MY LIFE WITH STYX. It can't get more authoritative than this: author Church Panozzo is also one of the group's founding members and provides a full view of the birth of the band in Chicago, their growth as a huge rock group, their experiences on the road, and more. All the highs and lows of the group are charted in a blend of memoir and rock chronicle essential for any fan of the group. Perfect for any library catering to rock music readers.

I highly recommend this!.......2007-06-01

There's enough Styx "stuff" to keep the casual fan interested, but this is much more the story of how a gay man survived being in a huge rock band. This is very well written, and almost feels like he is sitting there telling you this himself. He's honest and doesn't try to sugar coat anything, including the most painful moments. His insight on what it's like to hide your true self from the world is inspiring for anyone, gay or straight, who isn't comfortable in his or her own skin.

Anyone who has struggled with the role of religion in their life, particularly issues with the Catholic Church, will find themselves identifying with Chuck's struggles. And anyone dealing with an addict will recognize themselves and their loved ones in Chuck's ultimately unsuccessful attempts to be caretaker for his brother, John.

Chuck also deals with the far-too-common issue of people with HIV living in denial. The fact that he has made it back literally from the brink of death is a testament to his resiliency, as well as the efforts of doctors & medical researchers.

I found this to be an ultimately uplifting story of a man finally coming of age and finding his voice in the world.

Uncovering the person, not the band.......2007-05-27

The Grand Illusion takes the reader on a journey that starts in Chicago's south side in the 1960's. Chuck Panozzo tells his life story honestly about growing up, being a member of the rock band Styx, his struggle with being a homosexual, and his battle with HIV and AIDS. The book is an educational experience for hetrosexuals, and a wake-up call for homosexuals. For those readers wanting a lot of details about the inner workings of Styx, they're not here. This is a personal story about Chuck and his life. Styx is discussed, but much like anyone's job is discussed in any other autobiography. There are a few interesting facts about the band, and some resentment or anger displayed against cofounder Dennis DeYoung, but that's all you get.
The real story is about Chuck's struggles with depression, and the secret of being gay in an era that was much less tolerant of homosexuality than today. The Grand Illusion reveals Chuck Panozzo completely.

We lived happily forever... so that story goes..........2007-05-23

I've read the book over a couple of times. I was very moved by it. It's a wonderful story about Chuck and his struggle to "find himself". I was also at once happy and sad to read the stories about John. It is always sad and angering and frustrating when someone is in a downward spiral... and though you've given it your best efforts, there is nothing to do but sit helplessly and watch. And this book does give probably the best (if not ONLY) account of what happened to Chuck and John in those years that Styx was dormant.

I have to admit there was a small part of me that wanted to hear about his side of this drama known as Styx. However, I was about 2 chapters into the book when I realized that was not going to happen. The dirt just wasn't going to be there... and I was okay with that... and I actually cursed myself for limiting this book to a dirty tell-all.

It deserves so much better then that.

I was actually was pleasantly surprised at how little he talked about the band once they took off.

Although the title says: Chuck Panozzo. Love, Lies and my life with Styx. This is really about Chuck AND John Panozzo. That, for me, was the surprise twist in this book. And it was a welcomed one!

My only "flaw" with this book is that it's really a very brief "capture" of his life. There were some parts that I wish he'd taken the time and gone into more detail on. But considering that some people write autobiographies that are really boaring and take decades to read, I think "Hound Dog" did it right!!

Grand Illusion: The Untold Story of Rudy Giuliani and 9/11

Average customer rating:

A little dry, but important
Mirror, Mirror On The Wall...
The Emperor's Nakedness Finally Exposed
Mafia Transvestite Mayor Sir Rudy Knight of the British Empire
Well documented, fast read, distressing but not surprising

Grand Illusion: The Untold Story of Rudy Giuliani and 9/11
Wayne Barrett , and Dan Collins
Manufacturer: HarperCollins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Americas | History | Subjects | Books

Terrorism | Current Events | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

September 11 | Current Events | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Look Inside History Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Nonfiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0060536608
Release Date: 2006-08-22

Book Description

"Grand Illusion" is the definitive report on 9/11 in New York –– the true story of what happened that day and how the city fought to recover afterwards.

"Grand Illusion" is the definitive report on 9/11 in New York –– the true story of what happened that day and how the city fought to recover afterwards. It also traces the comeback trail of a city that has never faced a fiercer fire or stiffer wind, discovering survivors who rebuild neighborhoods, heroes who rescue economies.

Beyond the historical account, the book centers on the first clear–eyed evaluation of Mayor Rudolph Giuliani's role before, during, and after the disaster. While the pictures of a soot–covered Giuliani making his way through the streets became very much a part of his personal mythology, they were also a symbol of one of his greatest failures. A more sensibly located emergency command post would have kept him behind the scenes, but it would have given the city a functioning, state–of–the–art operations center that might have averted some of the calamitous decisions made that day. And the failures weren't limited to iconography. The mayor's performance, though marked by personal courage and grace under fire, followed two terms in office pursuing an utterly wrongheaded approach to the city's security against terrorism.

Grand Illusion will serve as an indispensible corrective to the rough draft of history rushed out in the wake of 9/11. Turning the mythology on its head, it reveals how Giuliani, far from being the savior of the day, was directly responsible for many of the city's inabilities to cope with the crisis. It also demonstrates how Giuliani has himself revised history, inaccurately casting himself as prescient terror hawk when in fact he ignored repeated warnings, too distracted by pet projects and turf wars to attend to vital precautions.

While this book provides an unflinching portrayal of what happened on and after September 11, it will not leave readers hopeless. Instead, it will serve as the first authoritive history – reassessing and recounting the victims, the villains, and the heroes – of the pivotal day in our recent history.

Customer Reviews:

A little dry, but important.......2007-09-03

I've been following Rudy for some time now, especially since talking with New Yorkers who despise the guy (some of whom voted for him once or more!) I read little bits of "America's Mayor," here and there, saw "Guiliani Time" when it was still at the theatres, etc. One thing I realized about Rudy is that, face it, 9/11 made him as much as it made bin Laden (of whom few would have known if he hadn't been responsible for that terrible crime).

To be perfectly honest, though, the book is a little dry. It covers important material, i.e., what Rudy--whose presidential race depends completely on the perception of Rudy's "leadership" after the 9/11 disaster--really did related to that event.

It covers the 1993 "warning" of the World Trade Center disaster, and what Rudy DIDN'T learn from, or respond to that; Rudy's relationships with companies that could have improved the communication between New York's police and fire departments; Rudy's cronyism; Rudy's ruling by intimidation. There's a lot there, and it's all quite well documented, unfortunately for Rudy.

For some bizarre reason, it seems to get more interesting as you proceed into the text. So if you start, get tired and wonder, Can I keep going with this detail?, you'll find yourself being more fascinated in the second half of the book. I did anyway.

Then, in the final chapter, the authors essentially ask questions. They do give Rudy some credit for degrees of "leadership" after 9/11. But they suggest that, based on all the information compiled throughout the book, he could have done much, much more, and many lives could have been saved.

If you're mesmerized by Rudy's alleged leadership capacity, and think he might therefore make a great president, you should read this really. It may bust your bubble, but it'll challenge you as to your admiration for a politician of limited moral capacity in addition to all those despicable traits I've already mentioned.

Mirror, Mirror On The Wall..........2007-08-21

Grand Illusion is a biographical sketch of a man who would be President of the United States.

What additionally complicates the work is that the man is Rudy Giuliani, Mayor of New York City on September 11, 2001. As such, he will forever be remembered by television viewers as 'the man who walked the world through the immediate aftermath of 9/11.'

Had he been mayor somewhere else, or if there had been no terrorist attack, or even if television had not yet been invented, the fact that he is presently running for President of the United States would be the story.

Wayne Barrett and Dan Collins, the journalists that fielded the information gathered, with the help of a host of volunteers, paid, freelance and the committed, into the report of the person of Mr. Giuliani are to be commended for their work.

Should they make money from the endeavor, as some have suggested was their primary goal, they will have earned it. Lest they become famous for their efforts, such notoriety will bestow on them as much tragedy as triumph.

Approbation is deserving because they willingly submitted themselves to the labrynthian wastes known as modern American politics extrapolated through the horror of monstrosity terrorized and brought near in the genius that is television.

Merely a few chapters into 'Grand Illusion' this reader was already counting the pages till the end, because he knew the story was going to get worse, and he didn't want to discover the degree.

Interpretation is honed by individual constraints. Perspective appears according to one's position. And from outside the loop, no that is misleading, from another galaxy unacquainted with the loop, from the other side of the outer rings of Narnia, the book begins to read like another report of insanity come to order.

Giuliani is indeed, like most of us on the planet, laboring under many illusions, not all of them Grand. Sadness at the tale, however, is exponentially increased as one begins to perceive that Giuliani is only a host among peers. And then the cloud darkens as the reader inescapably begins to realize the disease goes outward not inward.

The unfortunate 19 were proclaiming that 'God is Great' {Allah Akbar} as they plunged their magnificent missiles into history.

The President of the United States has been castigated because he didn't stand up and scream in a room filled with children upon being told the World Trade Centers had been attacked. Had it been a Hollywood movie, he would have done.

In fact, if some unemployed someone had a camera, they would have made a movie about 9/ll showing how stupid Americans are, and missed Giuliani's uncoached march around the devastation that beautiful autumn morning turned nightmare.

In a Nightline report in the early spring of 2001 many leaders in America were noted suggesting that a terrorist attack in this country was not a matter of 'if' but 'when.'

That is also the present line of thought for the future as this review is being entered. What can be seen in the mirror, besides one's own reflection.

So the work of Mr. Barrett and Mr. Collins, et al, is invaluable. Not for historical purposes only. While there is yet time, perhaps Americans can begin to come together.

And the manual sits before us. Read and learn. Do the good and avoid the other.

Giuliani is reported in the book to even have taken a stab at linking with Jesus. Now that's not a bad idea from any direction. Jesus always reveals not only hypocrisy, but also truth.

This book goes beyone the study of one man's life. It is a slice of the meanderings of American society as it sifts for reality.

Before 9/11, no one could have imagined it, and couldn't believe anyone who suggested it, though there were many. Giuliani's efforts at mustering a preparedness plan fell short because there was no reality to fall back on.

Giuliani's consideration of Jesus bridges the troubled waters. Unlike the rest of us and Mr. Giuliani, Jesus truly can and shall handle the future.

And that is no grand illusion.

TL Farley,
author,

When Now Becomes Too Late {prophecy}

Distant Reaches {adventure}

The Emperor's Nakedness Finally Exposed.......2007-05-06

This book does an excellent job of examining how Giuliani, now running as the President of 9/11, and an expert on Homeland Security, dealt with the challenge of preparing New York City to cope with another terrorist attack, after the bombing of the World Trade Center in 1993. The authors' conclusion, heavily sourced and thoroughly argued, is that Giuliani failed to do much of anything to make the city safer. Despite all that was learned about the city's inadequate response in '93, Giuliani failed to get the firefighters new walkie-talkies, so they could communicate with the police, failed to establish a chain of command in the event of an emergency, and, most inexplicably, built, at great expense, his Emergency Command Post at the Trade Center itself, across the street from the '93 attack, rendering it useless on 9/11. These and a host of other mistakes almost certainly led to significant loss of life on 9/11, and seriously undermine Giuliani's claim to be the man we should trust with the nation's security. This is surely a must-read for journalists, and for anyone who wants to understand the events of that horrible day, and the character of this man who is running for President.

Mafia Transvestite Mayor Sir Rudy Knight of the British Empire.......2007-03-17

Good book. Gets some of the basic facts out to the public, which is essential to writing history. Buy this book for your library. Sandbagged more than a little on the 9/11scam, but that's okay, since others have done that job very well.

The radio repeaters at WTC were intentionally switched off, which was no accident. The 9/11 911 tapes were not censored for anyone's "privacy", but to conceal evidence of pre-planted bombs, especially WTC 7, and to reduce the chance of lynching Queen Rudy and Queen Bush. Destroying the evidence of Thermate by shipping the steel to Communist China, and burying the bodyparts in Fresh Kills Landfill, can only be explained by the fact that Giuliani, Silverstein and Bush are the terrorist bombers. Giuliani was not a bumbling opportunist on 9/11, but a willing perpetraitor, who has been rewarded by knighthood with Bush's trillionaire 19th cousin, the German Queen of England and Babylon.

Rudy is a stalking horse Manchurian candidate, to distract the media mafia from reporting on Congressman Dr Ron Paul MD.

Collins of course is one of the top 13 Illuminati crime families, so perhaps there's a little controlled opposition going on with publication and co-writing of this book. Judging his bio, he should know all about Rudy's mob ties and 9/11 Truth, since his corporations let the Truth slip out.

I'm glad this book wasn't printed upside down and backwards, like Professor Barrett's previous book, which was still excellent, if you can find a copy. That book is what permanently removed Mob Queen Rudia from the political process, resulting in his potential choice as Bush Jr's top spook at CIA secret police in charge of kidnapping, torture, planting WMDs (as Barrett points on in his latest book, since Rudy now works for Saddam's WMD law firm), and of course terror bombings:

"The father he celebrated so often was a pathological predator. His extended family harbored a junkie, a crooked cop and a murky mob wing. He dissolved his first marriage with a lie so he could appear Catholic when he remarried. The very personal jewelry his first wife found in her bedroom wasn't hers...."
-Wayne Barrett, "Rudy!: An Investigative Biography of Rudolph Guiliani", chapter: "All in the Family: Crooks, Cops and a Junkie"

And in related news:

"Mayor Giuliani -- a former federal prosecutor who won notice for 'pursuing' the Mafia -- had relatives linked to organized crime, including a mobbed-up cousin who was gunned down by FBI agents in 1977, a new book says. Lewis D'Avanzo, a son of the mayor's uncle and a guest at Giuliani's first wedding in 1968, was a 'ruthless and widely feared mob associate' who headed a massive stolen car ring, according to FBI documents and interviews detailed in Rudy! An Investigative Biography of Rudolph Giuliani, by Village Voice senior editor Wayne Barrett. Due in stores next week, the book sketches a largely unflattering portrait of the clan, depicting his father, Harold, as a hothead and the 'muscle' behind a brother-in-law's loansharking operation, run out of a Brooklyn bar. Along with cracking heads, it says the mayor's father served time in state prison for a stickup, rarely held an on-the-books job and once was a gunman in a mob shootout in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn. According to the book, Giuliani's cousin Lewis D'Avanzo was known as "Steve the Blond" and listed as armed and dangerous in FBI bulletins. His criminal record included a 10-year federal sentence for the armed hijacking of a truck loaded with $240,000 worth of mercury. The book alleges that he was suspected of taking part in several murders. D'Avanzo was gunned down by the FBI in October 1977, when he tried to run down an agent after being stopped on a warrant that accused him and two associates of transporting 100 stolen luxury cars. Quoting an unnamed friend of D'Avanzo, the book describes a 1962 shootout pitting a local mobster against the mayor's father and Leo D'Avanzo, Lewis D'Avanzo's father. The book says Leo was later sanctioned by mob bosses for shooting at a Mafia member. Leo D'Avanzo, who was known in family circles as a black sheep, ran loansharking and gambling operations out of a Brooklyn bar where Giuliani's father worked as a bartender. In his role as debt collector, his father 'broke legs, smashed kneecaps, crunched noses.' Joan Ellen D'Avanzo, a cousin who at one time lived with Giuliani when he was a youngster, became a drug addict who was beaten to death in 1973 at age 34. Her cause of death was listed as undetermined, but several family members said she was murdered."
-Michael R. Blood, New York Daily News, "Rudy's Kin Tied to Mob", July 06, 2000

"America's Mayor' Rudy Giuliani will lead the day with his presentation 'Leadership in Difficult Times', followed by the amazing story of Captain Dennis Fitch and the crew of United Airlines Flight 232. Mike Zafirovski of Motorola, Inc. speaks about Personal Security & Public Safety Technology.' John Fulton's 25 years in the intelligence community has contributed to his recognition as an expert in risk & threat response analysis, scenario gaming, and strategic planning. He is on staff for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), currently serving as Chief of the Strategic War Gaming Division of the National Reconnaissance Office, and as a member of U.S. Joint Forces Command's Project Alpha - a prestigious "think tank" for advanced concepts related to such issues as homeland security. He formerly served as the mission director for our nation's satellite imagery program as well as replacing Army Astronaut Same Gemar as the Director of the National Security Space Master Plan for the U.S. Department of Defense and Intelligence Space Communities under the auspices of the Deputy UnderSecretary of Defense (Space). His counter-terrorism and homeland security responsibilities include advising the Director Central Intelligence Staff for Homeland Security, the U.S. Marshall's Office, and collaboration with the National Security Council."
-National Law Enforcement and Security Institute, Homeland Security: America's Leadership Challenge, September 2002

Well documented, fast read, distressing but not surprising.......2007-03-11

There are so many lessons to be drawn from the events of September 11th. This book does a good job of outlining some of them. The "heckuva job Brownie" school of leadership was not limited to FEMA. Hacks, political supporters and hangers-on were rewarded with appointments to positions of power in emergency services. This might have gone unnoticed except for a disaster which called for competence at the time and begged scrutiny after the fact. The failure to play by the rules throughout the history of the WTC, intersecting with greed and politics as usual - in skirting safety regulations and rewarding hapless coat-holders - is the story here. Rudy is a pedestrian leader and a consumate huckster. Shame on us for being fooled.

The authors do a good job of presenting technical info regarding radio communications snafus that were avoidable and centered in sweetheart deals. They also do a good job of capturing the essence of many of the players in this tragedy who were just not up to the tasks thrust upon them. Little in their histories suggest that they would have been.

Now that Rudy wants to be president, partisans will cry that this is an ad hominem attack...but the truth is an absolute defense and Rudy simply can't mount it. Read this for the facts. The ample footnotes give the reader an opportunity to test skepticism.

The Simplest Path to Personal and Planetary Awakening, Step One: FREE YOUR MIND: 10 Keys for Unlocking Your Personal Potential, Achieving Spiritual Awakening, ... of Humanity's Ultimate Cosmic Destiny

Average customer rating:

Way Beyond "Socrates Revisited"
True, but gimmicky
A Unique and Inspiring Wake-up Call
Challenge Consensus Reality!
A Simple Cure For What's "Eating Us"

The Simplest Path to Personal and Planetary Awakening, Step One: FREE YOUR MIND: 10 Keys for Unlocking Your Personal Potential, Achieving Spiritual Awakening, ... of Humanity's Ultimate Cosmic Destiny
Vincent Casspriano Jr.
Manufacturer: Lulu.com
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Buddha | Buddhism | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Nonfiction Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

Look Inside Religion & Spirituality Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 1847285783

Book Description

The Simplest Path, Step One: Free Your Mind delineates, in one slim volume, a complete system for achieving personal spiritual awakening, along with a straightforward, no-nonsense plan individuals and groups so enlightened can follow to awaken Humanity en masse and positively transform the world. This book contains keys to awakening. Awakening from our personal dream shatters the solid "box" of limitation memes have built around our lives, and frees us to fluidly craft our personalities, environments, relationships, careers, etc. as an artist paints a landscape or a sculptor teases form from formless clay. All of us awakening together from the shared dream of the planet will mark the birth of our species out of our current global nightmare of decline into a limitless future literally beyond our present ability to imagine, even in our "wildest dreams," indeed.

Customer Reviews:

Way Beyond "Socrates Revisited".......2007-08-22

After reading the commentary attached to the one star rating given by the young man from Texas, I feel compelled to step forward in defense of this very fine book. With only one exception, every point made in that negative review is simply wrong. Just not factually correct. The reviewer identifies himself as a young man (... "to my young mind"), and since all of his other Amazon reviews are of TV episodes on DVD, video games and rock music CDs I take him at his word. Well, I am an "old man," closing in on my sixty-third birthday, and I came to Mr. Casspriano's book after six decades of life experience, the last three of those decades a zealous practitioner of Zen Buddhism. I say this not to "brag," but simply to qualify myself as a reviewer before beginning.

I'll start where the one star reviewer closed his argument, with his statement that the simplest path reduces to two Socratic concepts: "Admit that you don't know anything" and "know yourself."

The first part is nominally true (the exception). Like Zen Buddhism, a central tenet of the simplest path is working to release the false notion we all hold that we know ourselves, other people, the world around us. But identifying and releasing our attachments to our illusions is a life's work, not some brash "I don't know nothin'!" as the young Texan seems to imply. Under normal circumstances, we go about our daily lives with no idea we are deluded about anything, as Maya (the illusion of the phenomenal world around and even inside us) is so convincing that most of us never even think to question its validity. Casspriano did not invent the notion of human beings being trapped in illusion, as this truth was known to the timeless authors of the Hindu Vedas and is central to all schools of Buddhism (not just Zen). But his scientific/spiritual exploration of the mechanism by which Maya ensnares our minds and can, with effort, be overcome is among the best "plain English" explanations of this process I have read. There is no "inscrutable mystery" in the simplest path (a criticism that has been accurately leveled toward Zen Buddhism, as a lot of Eastern thought truly does come off as "inscrutable" when translated into English and/or the metaphors of Western culture). Casspriano lays out in no-nonsense American English exactly what our brains are doing when they create the illusion we mistake for reality, then shows the reader in the same clear terms how to train his or her brain to break free of illusion and taste reality as-it-is. In just 216 pages, that is no mean feat. After thirty years of Zen practice and numerous kensho experiences (of varying depths and intensities), I can say from personal experience that Casspriano is correct. Enlightenment comes as the fruit of a long, incremental process of retraining the mind to touch reality in a new way, and the process described in the simplest path is the same as that followed in Zen practice, especially Rienzi Zen koan study (I'll have more to say about this in a later paragraph). Casspriano's approach and language is very different from traditional Zen (more "scientific," and no sitting meditation is required), which I think would appeal to Americans and other Westerners seeking to experience "awakening" without necessarily committing themselves to a religion like Buddhism, but the internal mental/spiritual process and final destination are the same.

"Know yourself," on the other hand, is not in this book at all, at least not in the way the young reviewer, or Socrates for that matter, uses the phrase. As in Buddhism, Casspriano takes pains to demonstrate that "self" is as much of an illusion as our misapprehension of the phenomenal world, and is a byproduct of exactly the same mind process that creates outer Maya. A core teaching of Buddhism is that our "self," our personality/ego, is nothing more than an aggregation of outside influences that cluster together in our minds like shiny stones gathered into a pile, and which we mistake not only for something "real," but tragically, for our essential selves. Yet this "pile" has nothing really to do with who we are at all. Buddhism teaches "no-self." Belief in the illusion of a unique and independent "self" is our greatest obstacle to enlightenment. Wasting time and energy getting to "know yourself" in the Western sense is foreign to Eastern thought. Casspriano again does a great job of translating the Buddhist concept of "no-self" into Western scientific/spiritual terminology. He shows the process by which our ego/personality aggregate "piles up," as well as how to take the pile down, stone by stone. Enlightenment is what the pile was covering up, and so it naturally appears as soon as the pile is removed - but oh how we cling to our personal pile of stones! "Self" is what we must trade for enlightenment, what must be surrendered, and Casspriano returns to this truth many times in the simplest path. My point is that the one star reviewer's reduction of the simplest path to "know yourself" has no basis at all in the actual book.

As to the book being "gimmicky": Yes, the words "The Simplest Path" recur frequently throughout the book, but not in reference to the book itself (at least that's not how I took it), but rather to the system of understanding the mind and working toward "awakening" Casspriano is describing - and it is a complete system that deserves to be considered as a whole, on its own. At times the repetition does have a feel of "branding" in the commercial sense, so I understand where the reviewer may have taken his impression. But the simplest path, while resonant with Zen Buddhism (and apparently, according to Casspriano, with the Toltec philosophy espoused by Carlos Castaneda, of which I have no personal knowledge, so I'll have to take the author's word for that) is far enough different that it needs its own "name" to set it apart from other schools of similar but not identical thought. The reviewer's criticism is like saying that every use of the term "Zen" in a book called "Zen Buddhism" should be taken as a reference to the book, and not to the larger practice of Zen Buddhism as a spiritual discipline that the book is describing. Casspriano's point in repeatedly linking The Simplest Path, Zen Buddhism and Toltec Shamanism throughout the book, at least as I understood it, is to highlight these three spiritual practices as related reliable paths through a dark forest of illusion, a forest in which many apparent (and more popular) paths, including most (all?) religious beliefs, actively vie to mislead travelers toward deeper ensnarement in the dream, rather than leading them toward "awakening."

I want to say a word about koan study in Rienzi Zen and how it relates to the simplest path. Koans are those quirky Zen sayings and stories like "what is the sound of one hand clapping?" or "what was your original face before you (or your parents) were born?" that have no rational answer, and which Zen students turn and turn in their minds like the tumblers of a combination lock until their imprisoned psyches "explode" in a "super-rational" experience of reality beyond the illusion ("irrational" would be the wrong term, as that implies "nonsense"). That "super-rational" vision of reality is called "kensho." I have experienced it myself, more than once in my lifetime. I have come to think of Casspriano's "Key Questions" in the second half of the simplest path, especially the later seven of the ten, as "cultural koans" designed to trigger "collective kensho" for the whole human race at once. Like "what is the sound of one hand clapping?", unflinching consideration of the value of human life, of how our beliefs about the future shape the present, of the true origin and destiny of life on Earth, etc., especially as seen through the lens of Casspriano's "Key Question Technique," reveals that none of these questions have rational answers, yet all require our active and immediate response. Successful resolution of these larger riddles that impact everyone will require us all to eventually "explode" into reality, together, in a "super-rational" way. We'll have to break through the illusion and wake up together, as one (which has been the goal of Mahayana Buddhism, of which Zen is a sect, since around 200 BCE). That is the "Planetary Awakening" addressed in this book, and I believe Casspriano's "Key Questions" are a concrete step in that direction. I'm glad I spent my fifteen dollars.

This is my "old man" take on the simplest path, having encountered it after 30 years of Zen Buddhist practice (I'm not veering off my chosen path here, just bowing respectfully in passing toward Casspriano's). From a Buddhist perspective, the simplest path is true Dharma, though I do not get the impression from reading his book that Vincent Casspriano is himself a Buddhist or a follower of any religion. That to my mind makes his book all the more interesting.

True, but gimmicky.......2007-08-09

Casspriano's book is scientifically and philosophically sound as best as my young mind can tell, but I don't recommend this book. Its scattered with numerous pages of advertising about how his "program" works and how it compares to other religions and spiritual movements. Why must this author physically write out "The Simplest Path" in reference to his book every other page, and talk about his second volume? Perhaps because he's not out for pure truth, but for our money.

All this book comes down to after you strip away the nonsense is two things. First, admit that you don't truly know anything. Second, know yourself. Do those two things (they essentially both mean to question EVERYTHING), and you'll have Casspriano's "Planetary Awakening," with 15 bucks still in your pocket. And you'll be following the fundamental truths already said by Socrates.. so do yourself a favor and pick up Plato's "Apology" and read up on the Socratic dialogue on how to live a good life. And don't stop there, because you can't be sure he's right.

And I have 10 bucks that says these other couple of reviews were written by the book publisher. In any case, ignore the hype.

A Unique and Inspiring Wake-up Call.......2007-05-15

This is one of the most clear-headed books I've read in years on the subject of real, nitty gritty, get your hands dirty spiritual development (as opposed to the fru fru New Age variety). So much of what passes for "spirituality" in our time amounts to some author, celebrity, priest, philosopher or self-appointed guru telling us what to "believe," sight unseen, if we want to reach heaven, attain enlightenment, achieve "ascension," etc. Casspriano takes an at times startling opposite approach. For Casspriano, such unquestioned/unquestionable beliefs are not only NOT the path to spiritual awakening, they represent the chief obstacle blocking our realization of higher consciousness. And it's not just religious beliefs ("faith") he's talking about, but all our beliefs about reality, especially those that enclose our thinking in "boxes" that limit our freedom to find solutions to real-world threats like Peak Oil, overpopulation, Global Warming, etc. Though much of the book focuses on individual enlightenment, for Casspriano, these larger planetary issues are "spiritual," as well. Whether the issue is our personal inability to find happiness or Humanity's collective rush toward physical extinction, the cause is the same - our wrong-headed beliefs about what's real. The solution is the same, as well - continuous, deep questioning. Using Richard Dawkins' concept of "memes" as a central metaphor, Casspriano first breaks down the basic process of belief, showing the mechanism in our brains by which beliefs misdirect and control our psyches, then he walks the reader through an exploration of a series of ten "anti-meme questions" aimed at breaking down the walls of our mental "boxes" and setting our minds free. With each question, he supplies an exercise designed to allow the reader to attain a personal taste of reality "beyond the box," especially as flavored by that chapter's "Key Question." For the most part, this formula works very well (with a few rare moments of over-exuberance on the author's part, as already described in other reviews, though as a card carrying vegan environmentalist, I can't say I particularly minded), delivering a cumulative series of death-blows to some of the most basic "pillars" of our present human consensus reality. Beyond the walls those pillars supported lies real reality, where we are all interconnected and interdependent, and, in Casspriano's view, mutually destined for greatness, if we can just wake up and grab the reins of our runaway culture in time. This is not a book for spiritual "feel gooders" seeking soft assurances that they're perfect just they way they are and everything's going to be all right, no matter what. This is a wake up call, a tool kit and a concrete action plan for becoming individually enlightened and collectively saving the world, all rolled up into one. That, I think, is a cause well-worthy of exuberance.

Challenge Consensus Reality!.......2007-05-10

This is a thoughtful book that addresses how we may go about developing a process to question our everyday consensus reality. I suppose if I have learned anything in 49 years of life, it is that all personal and social problems stem from our fundamental views on the nature of reality itself. Vincent Casspriano uses the concept of a "meme" as a fundamental unit of ideas, assumptions, etc. that often block our understanding of reality itself. One such meme, for example, may be that we have to "fight for our freedom" or the world's a "fearful" place and hence, we have to be ready to kill to protect ourselves. I suppose you could also use the word "paradigm" here as well, but the essential point of this book is that we "unconsciously" function in our life with many limited points of view that block our ability to solve problems on both a personal and a social basis.

While Vince Casspriano is to be congradulated for producing a book that presents both a methodology and a motivation for personal transformation, there are a few pitfalls here that the potential reader should be aware of before tackling this material. The author has some rather strong views on fossil fuel consumption, meet consumption, and the role of humans in the cycle of procreation. While I generally agree with his analysis on fossil fuel consumtion and meat consumption (as I have viewed large tracks of deforrested grazing land in developing countries), these viewpoints can distract the reader from the essential point here which is to rigourously question consensus reality. Since I am single, and have no motivation to have children, I definitely disagree with his views on the necessity of human procreation on this planet, but here again, it is important to extract the essential meaning rather than get caught in the specific political/social debates that these issues may spawn.

If you are serious about personal transformation with the potential for changing our global consciousness, than this book can be an invaluable tool. I do agree with the Author that a world population of "high functioning" people can resolve every planetary problem we face today. As we systematically question our consensus reality, we will see our problems in new ways, and with this new perspective, problems can often be quickly resolved or transcended.

A Simple Cure For What's "Eating Us".......2006-11-13

I considered titling this review, "Stop Whining, Wake Up and Get Busy Saving the World," but decided "Eating Us" would be more attention-grabbing - which matters because I believe Vincent Casspriano, Jr.'s "The Simplest Path, Step One: FREE YOUR MIND" is an important book, and I want to do whatever I can to draw your attention to it. Pick the title you like best. Both very fittingly describe what you will find within the pages of this remarkable new release from New Paradigm Press.

I have selected three short quotations to explore in this review that I think best summarize Casspriano's overall message:

From Chapter One, "The Boxes We Dream In":

"Right now, this very moment, you are asleep... Even if you are reading these words in broad daylight - sitting at your desk or beside the kitchen table, your feet firmly planted on the floor, eyes open, senses alert, feeling the weight of this book in your hands as sounds of life rise and fall rhythmically around you - you are deeply asleep, and dreaming furiously"

Now, the idea that Humans are sleeping, and must therefore "awaken," is by no means unique to Casspriano's "Simplest Path" spiritual system, being the root observation underlying pretty much all Eastern religion, and a lot of Western Occultism and New Age metaphysics, as well. In fairness, Casspriano makes no claim to this as an original insight, openly supporting his assessment of the human predicament with quotations taken from Animism, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism and Islam. He then flows seamlessly into a list of complementary illustrations from the secular realms of Quantum Physics, brain/consciousness research, and most to-the-point, the study of memes and memetics, ala Evolutionary Biologist and world's best-known cheerleader for scientific atheism, Richard Dawkins.

If you've never heard of memes or memetics, a quick Google of those terms will reveal hundreds of serious, information-rich websites devoted to this now thirty-year old science. In a nutshell, a "meme" is a sort of contagious thought-form that spreads between people by way of imitation. Obvious memes in our environment include advertising jingles, fads and fashions, etc. Casspriano somewhat radically extends the concept to include just about everything that makes up the contents of our individual brains and shared human culture. While he resists redefining the word "meme" wholesale, he decidedly expands its definition to make memes and "memeplexes" (what you get when a number of memes band together into an organic, relational unit, like a religion or cultural or political movement) the basic, fundamental building blocks of everything we habitually label "real..."

And then he demonstrates, in at times excruciating detail, the complete emptiness of the "apparent-reality" that is a byproduct of memetic activity in our brains. What we call "real" is not real at all. It's an illusion spun up by our memes. And our memes are not original to us. They are "viral invaders" assailing our minds from without. Worse - and, while even this thought is not wholly unique to Casspriano, he certainly gives it his own very effective spin - memes are by no means mere passive beliefs or simple "harmless ideas." They are, Casspriano believes, actively predatory psychic parasites whose survival depends on our buying into the illusions they create in our minds. Think of illusion (Samsara, Maya, etc.) as a web we're caught in. Memes are the spider. We are the fly. Gotcha.

One thing I like very much about Casspriano's book is that he never asks us to take anything on faith, least of all this rather ugly depiction of the human psychic/spiritual condition. He not only challenges readers to test his hypothesis firsthand in order to experience what is real and true for ourselves, he spends a large chunk of the book outlining specific exercises anyone can do to escape memetic interference and personally experience reality as-it-is. The exercises in Part II of the book are powerful medicine... But this is a digression, so let me return to the point.

Memes are the spider, and we are the fly. A better metaphor might be that memes are the farmer, and we are the cow. Domesticated and docile, we allow memes to milk us daily, to extract from our minds the potent human psychic energy which, if reclaimed by us and put to proper human use, would quickly and positively transform our lives and our world. This transformation is awakening, ascension, enlightenment, metanoia, the Buddha-like change of consciousness most religions and spiritual systems on Earth hint at, but few ever actually deliver to followers. In this analysis, Casspriano's "Simplest Path" is very much in line with Gurdjieff's "Fourth Way," Carlos Castaneda's Toltec sorcery, and a few other well known spiritual practices inhabiting a somewhat darker, though perhaps more realistic corner of the New Age. But unlike most of those other systems, Casspriano's prescription for escaping illusion and awakening to reality is remarkably, well... simple.

From Chapter Three, "Waking Up":

"The simple truth is that we are sleeping because we lack sufficient energy to wake up."

And later in the same chapter:

"The real work that brings about awakening, rather than merely granting the external appearance of "being spiritual," while actually embroiling us ever more deeply in the dream, is a rigorous, daily commitment to the identification and elimination of every self-serving belief from which our personal dream-lives are constructed."

For "belief" in the quotation above, read "meme/memeplex." Casspriano certainly does, treating the terms as largely interchangeable. In the end, this genuinely simple - at least in the sense of being uncomplicated and pragmatic - spiritual practice amounts to discovering reality as-it-actually-is less by searching for a glimpse beyond the illusion, than by systematically withdrawing our participation in, and identification with, the dream. When we disentangle our psyches from memetic illusion, only reality remains. We don't have to chase it; to a meme-free mind, reality just appears. This is "Satori" in Zen Buddhism. This is "stopping the world" in the Toltec sorcery of Castaneda and others. Casspriano's genius lies in his talent for exposing the core mechanism behind such complex and often inscrutable spiritual systems, and for putting into plain language clear instructions for unraveling the dream and achieving personal awakening. The virus-like process by which memes take over and control our human minds, as described by Casspriano is, to my mind, very complicated (but well worth struggling through). What is genuinely simple about "The Simplest Path," however, is Casspriano's prescription for breaking those bonds, once you've made the effort to understand how they are created and maintained. For Casspriano, remaining a victim of spiritual sleep and energetic exploitation by memes is a complex activity in which we unconsciously invest enormous amounts of psychic energy every day of our lives. Awakening is the product of a simple act of withdrawing that investment, which automatically re-energizes of our minds and lives. Or as Casspriano cleverly phrases it when closing Chapter Three, "Waking Up":

"Unweave the tapestry of the dream, and awakening happens."

Anyone can do this. Spiritual awakening, in Casspriano's view, may be hard work, but it is not complicated work. The path to enlightenment is really rather shockingly simple. Fall out of love with the dream. Reclaim your psychic energy. Wake up to reality.

The ten "Key Questions" Casspriano explores in the second section of the book are designed to put the theory laid out in Part I to practical and immediate use. Essentially, I think Casspriano sees these ten issues - why we treat enlightenment as an "airy-fairy" ideal instead of a measurable transformation of brain functioning, the excuses we make for avoiding personal responsibility and integrity along the lines of Castaneda's "impeccability," the fallacy of belief in a "separate self," etc. - as pillars of both our personal and collective human dreams. They are by no means an exhaustive listing of the memes twisting our minds. But they are primary keystones on which layers upon layers of the grand illusion are built. Topple these ten baseline pillars and the larger structure crumbles.

Casspriano explores some "Keys" more successfully than others. One downside to the book is that, especially in the "Keys," Casspriano's own memetic prejudices shine at times rather glaringly through, as when, in his discussion of the American "What Would Jesus Do?" religious fad, he characterizes the Evangelical Christian purveyors of WWJD as, "ultra-conservative, right wing ideologues." Even should the reader personally agree with such pronouncements, its hard to resist thinking, "Hey Vince! Your memes are showing!" But where he nails his point, Casspriano's prose can be downright inspiring, as with the "Key" cosmological study "Is Earth the Center of the Universe?," which explores the gap between what we know, scientifically, about the Universe and what our daily choices and behavior says we really believe, about the cosmos and about ourselves. His closing "Key" "Are We Alone?" so poetically frames the true stakes of our global human predicament - species survival VS extinction - that its hard to imagine anyone keeping their gaze glued squarely to their own self-involved navel in the wake of reading it. Of course we are not alone. There are six and a half billion of us on Planet Earth, and whether we awaken to what's best in us or follow our darkest drives over History's cliff into oblivion, we do so as one. One planet, one fate.

This notion of "oneness" and of a common, intertwined human spiritual and biological destiny is a core theme in The Simplest Path, Step One: FREE YOUR MIND that sets it apart from any spiritual book in recent memory. My final quotation from the book returns us to the opening lines of Chapter One, "The Boxes We Dream In":

"We are all aware of the challenges facing us as we enter together into the 21st Century:

· World oil supplies are running out.

· Global warming is transforming the Earth into a steamy greenhouse.

· Even as our technology connects the world, ideological extremism, terrorism and militarism divide us as never before.

· Headlines bombard us with news of war, famine, pestilence and death until we feel overwhelmed and unable to respond.

· Time is running out..."

Vincent Casspriano, Jr.'s "The Simplest Path to Personal and Planetary Transformation, Step One: FREE YOUR MIND" does not offer easy escape from these very pressing real-world human ills, but rather, a down to Earth, workable prescription for their cure. Yes, we must awaken as individuals, and, rest assured, "The Simplest Path" shows spiritual seekers exactly how to do that. But a prime message of "The Simplest Path" is that, for personal awakening to have meaning, it must occur within the context of a complete re-visioning of global culture, and a mass wrenching away of the wheel of History from the control of viral memes, that we might create a common cosmic human destiny worthy of our highest potential as a species.

Now that's a meme worth feeding.

The Peace of Illusions: American Grand Strategy from 1940 to the Present (Cornell Studies in Security Affairs)

Average customer rating:

A Brilliant Analysis
Creating a Foreign Policy for America
In this mastepiece Layne says America must change its strategy of expansion

The Peace of Illusions: American Grand Strategy from 1940 to the Present (Cornell Studies in Security Affairs)
Christopher Layne
Manufacturer: Cornell University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Americas | History | Subjects | Books

Look Inside History Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Nonfiction | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 080143713X

Book Description

In a provocative book about American hegemony, Christopher Layne outlines his belief that U.S. foreign policy has been consistent in its aims for more than sixty years and that the current Bush administration clings to mid-twentieth-century tactics--to no good effect. What should the nation's grand strategy look like for the next several decades? The end of the cold war profoundly and permanently altered the international landscape, yet we have seen no parallel change in the aims and shape of U.S. foreign policy.

The Peace of Illusions intervenes in the ongoing debate about American grand strategy and the costs and benefits of "American empire." Layne urges the desirability of a strategy he calls "offshore balancing": rather than wield power to dominate other states, the U.S. government should engage in diplomacy to balance large states against one another. The United States should intervene, Layne asserts, only when another state threatens, regionally or locally, to destroy the established balance.

Drawing on extensive archival research, Layne traces the form and aims of U.S. foreign policy since 1940, examining alternatives foregone and identifying the strategic aims of different administrations. His offshore-balancing notion, if put into practice with the goal of extending the "American Century," would be a sea change in current strategy. Layne has much to say about present-day governmental decision making, which he examines from the perspectives of both international relations theory and American diplomatic history.

Customer Reviews:

A Brilliant Analysis.......2006-10-08

The Peace of Illusions may be the most important book on America's security strategy published in the last decade. Layne accomplishes three difficult feats, when achieving even one would have been impressive. He provides a controversial yet well-documented interpetation of U.S. grand strategy since the end of the 1930s. At the same time, he shows convincingly that Washington's current approach to world affairs does not serve the best interests of the American people and is ultimately doomed to failure. Finally, he articulates an alternative grand strategy--"offshore balancing"--that would reduce America's costs and risks and prove to be far more sustainable.

In his historical analysis, Layne argues that the United States has consistently pursued global dominance since the early days of World War II. Probably the most controversial thesis in the Peace of Illusions is the argument that Washington would have embraced such a strategy during the Cold War era even if the Soviet Union had not existed. Layne attributes much of the U.S. drive for global hegemony to the goal of maintaining a liberal world economic order--the "open door." In advancing that thesis, he builds on the work of a number of "revisionist" historians and economists, most notably William Appleman Williams. Critics may contend, with some justification, that Layne overstates the open door thesis and does not give sufficient weight to other factors, including the impact of crusading idealism on U.S. policymakers. Nevertheless, it is hard to rebut his case that the United States, instead of adopting a more sober and restrained foreign policy following the demise of the USSR, has expanded both the definition of its interests and the aggressivness of its pursuit of those interests. Washington's conduct since 1989 tracks perfectly with a strategy of global hegemony.

Layne does an even better job of demonstrating how Washington's current security strategy is needlessly costly in blood and treasure. His analysis of the Iraq debacle is especially devastating, but he shows that Iraq is not an aberration. The current imperial overstretch is now, and promises to be in the future, a bipartisan folly. Layne builds a compelling case that a hegemonic strategy has invariably led to the demise of previous great powers, and that a similar fate awaits the United States unless there is a change in course.

And Layne has an appealing alternative security strategy--America as offshore balancer. Other scholars have used different terms, such as strategic independence and balancer of last resort, to describe such a strategy, but the principles remain the same. Instead of trying to be the global policeman (or even worse, the global armed social worker), the United States needs to adopt a more selective and restrained foreign policy. Contrary to proponents of the current policy, this alternative is not "isolationism"--a vacuous slur designed to stifle intelligent debate. It is, however, a policy that focuses on defending America's vital interests instead of trying to remake the entire planet in America's image at the point of bayonets or cruise missiles. Layne does an extremely good job of building the case for an alternative grand strategy.

The Peace of Illusions is one of those rare books that anyone who is interested in America's future in the international system needs to read. It is a book that should spark a badly overdue debate on the direction of U.S. foreign policy.

Creating a Foreign Policy for America.......2006-08-31

Many of the problems stemming from George W. Bush's grand
neoconservative crusade are practical, resulting from the sort of
mistakes to be expected from a gaggle of arrogant incompetents.
Iraq, of course, is the most obvious example, but by no means the
only one.

Also fundamentally flawed, however, are the principles
behind the Bush program. At these the redoubtable Chris Layne
takes aim.

Layne is a professor at Texas A&M University. He has long
been writing trenchant articles and studies attacking the
imperialist temptation, and especially the idea that the end of
the Cold War allows--no, mandates--that Washington manage the
rest of the globe down to the most insignificant civil war and
local disturbance.

The culmination of Layne's work is The Peace of Illusions,
which focuses on matters of American grand strategy. The book is
a serious read, but a necessary one if you want to understand why
current policy would still have been a disaster even if Bush &
Company hadn't been guided by fantasies when attempting to
implement their vision. It is the imperialist vision itself that
is flawed.

Layne's analysis is thoroughly substantive, a sharp contrast
especially with so much of the junk pouring forth from alleged
"conservative thinkers." And the work is historical, recognizing
that what happened yesterday still matters today. Layne explores
the relationship between current controversies, past events,
current players, and past strategies.

It is a modern cliche to term books a "must read," but The
Peace of Illusions surely is a must read for anyone who wants to
understand and especially to change U.S. foreign policy.

In this mastepiece Layne says America must change its strategy of expansion.......2006-08-20

Christopher Layne's work The Peace of Illusions is a book published on the onset of a new millennium. It is a book about hegemony and preponderance and equally a book about grand strategies. More precisely, it is about US hegemony and US grand strategy. Layne argues that in order for the US to preserve its preponderant role in the world affairs a strategy of off-shore balancing is required. America could remain the main player in international affairs without necessarily engaging in costly and dangerous wars of expansion.
In order to convince the reader that he is right, Layne wrote a book whose intellectual foundation is three-fold. First, at the theoretical level Layne offers probably the best taxonomy of realist theories. In the present academic world in which notions such as defensive or offensive realism are often open to debate and more often not clearly understood or, by the same token, not clearly defined, Layne's book brings precious theoretical clarifications. The author does not seek to find out what the foundation of a certain theoretical approach is or may have promised to be. Layne already knows all that. He shares his theoretical knowledge with the reader in a clear and direct language which makes his sophisticated analysis of theories of international politics accesible to the intellectual reader, regardless of his background. Layne's theoretical analysis is at the same time a taxonomy and a superb in-depth analysis of realism.
Second, for those readers out there, political scientists, as well as, historians who believe that America's grand strategy since 1940s until the present was driven only by the noble purpose of saving the world from all sorts of -isms such as communism, totalitarianism. authoritarianism, or terrorism, Layne's interpretation of historical accounts would seem at the least bizarre. Some of the readers, possible, will be left with a bitter taste in their mouth. Layne's historical accounts are mostly drawn from primary sources. By doing so Layne comes to the conclusion that open door policy considerations ans liberal ideologies have pushed the US on a dangerous way of expansion. Those two factors have become the driving engine behind America's strategy of expansion. Certainly, those who believe that the US joined NATO solely for the noble purpose of defending Western Europe, or got involved in Iraq for the purpose of defending its citizens and the whole "free" world from terrorists who were not there to begin with before the US invasion, Layne's argument may seem outrageous. However, for those readers who are willing to pose and think twice, Layne's argument makes perfect sense.
Third, in order to preserve American preponderance in the world for a longer period of time, Layne proposes a strategy of off-shore balancing. Layne's claim is based on the propositions that the US has the best military in the world and, at the same time, a sheltered geographical position. Therefore America can defend itself at any time from any kind of massive invasion, or to use a new security studies' jargon, from any kind of existential threat. That is to say that the US is two oceans away from any possible serious competitor, which can make a bid for hegemony. And in a metaphorical sense, the US is "two oceans way" from WWI Europe whose appetite for war could be very well explained by offensive realism. Bringing theory and history together in a masterful way, Layne's concludes his work with a plea for a strategy of off-shore balancing aimed at preserving US preponderance in the world. Let me be clear. Layne does not believe that US primacy will last forever. He certainly heard about the law of entropy and read Paul Kennedy's work. However, Layne believes that by following an off-shore balancing strategy America can maintain its preponderance in the world for a longer period of time, and, very importantly could be much safer.
Layne's book is a masterpiece: a work of intelligence and creativity - based on impressive research - that must be applauded; however, before all that it must be read.

Average customer rating:

Grand Illusions New Country
Nick Ronald , David Roberts , and Ronald
Manufacturer: Trafalgar Square Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Decorating | Interior Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

General | Interior Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Home & Garden Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
ASIN: 1570761582

Book Description

The Grand Illusions team are back with a reinterpretation of country style for the way we live today, with an emphasis on comfort, color, and elegance. Featuring 200 color photos and a wealth of ideas and projects for furniture, fabric, walls, accessories, and more.

Average customer rating:

Ecellent book
Features Trompe L'oeil and Mural Painting...Great Resource!
Great For Decorating, But Not For Painting

Grand Illusions
Caroline Cass
Manufacturer: Phaidon Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

Decorative Arts | Design & Decorative Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Painting | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

General | Interior Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Style | Interior Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Home & Garden Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0714829471

Customer Reviews:

Ecellent book.......2005-10-27

I had borrowed this book from the library prior to buying this copy from Amazon, so I already knew the content of the book was of a high standard.

If you are interested in looking at the work of mural artists and seeing some excellent examples of trompe l'oeil this is the book to get.

Features Trompe L'oeil and Mural Painting...Great Resource!.......2004-07-29

The mural examples contained in this book are, for the most part, ones not contained in other books on the subject. In other words it has fresh material. There is much diversity in subject matter, ranging from classical pieces to modern abstract paintings. I believe what the other reviewer was referring to when they stated it has "sculptures" is the trompe l'oeil architectural elements that are featured throughout the book. I disagree that is is not for those of us interested in mural painting. This is not a how-to book, but a pictoral journey in mural painting. It is a nice addition to any art related personal or professional library.

Great For Decorating, But Not For Painting.......1999-04-11

There was not much to do with the painting of murals included in this book at all. The title is rather misleading. If, however, you are interested in beautiful illusions in sculpture and decorating, this would be the perfect place.

Grand Illusions the Legacy of Planned Parenthood

Average customer rating:

Grand Illusions the Legacy of Planned Parenthood
George Grant
Manufacturer: Adroit Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000LJ25S0

Is the Visual World a Grand Illusion? (Journal of Consciousness Studies Controversies in Science & the Humanities)

Average customer rating:

Balanced Volume on a Radical New Breed of Scepticism

Is the Visual World a Grand Illusion? (Journal of Consciousness Studies Controversies in Science & the Humanities)

Manufacturer: Imprint Academic
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Consciousness & Thought | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Social Work | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Neuropsychology | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Cognitive Psychology | Behavioral Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books

General | Behavioral Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0907845231

Book Description

There is a traditional scepticism about whether the world "out there" really is as we perceive it. A new breed of hyper-sceptics now challenges whether we even have the perceptual experience we think we have. According to these writers, perceptual consciousness is a kind of false consciousness. This view grows out of the discovery of such phenomena as change blindness and inattentional blindness, which show that we can all be quite blind to changes taking place before our very eyes. Such radical scepticism has acute and widespread implications for the study of perception and consciousness. The writings collected in this volume explore these implications. The contributors are scientists and philosophers at the forefront of this research, and include well-known authors such as psychologists Susan Blackmore and Arien Mack, and philosophers Andy Clark and Daniel Dennett. They have an gift for bringing these paradoxical issues to life and sharing their excitement with the non-specialist.

Customer Reviews:

Balanced Volume on a Radical New Breed of Scepticism.......2005-04-21

IS THE VISUAL WORLD A GRAND ILLUSION?, edited by Alva Noë, tackles an interesting "new breed" of scepticism. Unlike traditional scepticism, which asks whether the world "as it really is out there" is as we perceive it to be, this new breed of sceptics ask whether "we have the perceptual experience we think we have." Given growing work in perceptual theory, including work on illusions, change blindness, and inattentional blindness, some philosophers and perceptual theorists claim that our experience of the world must be a "Grand Illusion" insofar as we fail to "perceive" objects and events that are located smack-dab in the middle of our visual field. On a personal note, I took an upper-level seminar on this new area of perceptual theory and we used this volume as one of our textbooks.

IS THE VISUAL WORLD A GRAND ILLUSION? is a balanced sampling, containing well-written articles from camps that answer the title question both positively and negatively. All of the articles are interesting and thought provoking. If you're looking for some of the most up-to-date work in perceptual theory that connects with broad issues of consciousness, you've come to the right place. In order to save you some time from looking at the list of contributors to this volume, I've provided a list:

Alva Noë - "Is the Visual World a Grand Illusion?"
Daniel C. Dennett - "How Could I Be Wrong? How Wrong Could I Be?
Susan Blackmore - "There Is No Stream of Consciousness"
Bruce Bridgeman - "The Grand Illusion and Petit Illusions: Interactions of Perception and Sensory Coding"
Eric Schwitzgebel - "How Well Do We Know Our Own Conscious Experience? The Case of Visual Imagery"
Dana H. Ballard - "Our Perception of the World Has To Be an Illusion"
Davies, Hoffman, & Rodriguez - "Visual Worlds: Construction or Reconstruction?"
Frank H. Durgin - "The Tinkerbell Effect: Motion Perception and Illusion"
Arien Mack - "Is the Visual World a Grand Illusion? A Response"
Daniel T. Levin - "Change Blindness Blindness As Visual Metacognition"
Charles Siewert - "Is Visual Experience Rich or Poor"
Jonathan Cohen - "The Grand Grand Illusion Illusion"
Mark Rowlands - "Two Dogmas of Consciousness"
Andy Clark - "Is Seeing All It Seems? Action, Reason, and the Grand Illusion"

As you can see, there are some real heavy-hitters in this bunch and the volume has proved very helpful. Even if you are approaching perceptual theory for the first time, this new area of scepticism will fascinate you and many of these articles will prove accessible.

Average customer rating:

the truth
Damned Lies
Flawed But Not Bad
Confusing the Issue
PPFA still under the same illusions

Grand Illusions: The Legacy of Planned Parenthood
George Grant
Manufacturer: Cumberland House Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Planning & Forecasting | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Social Policy | Government | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Demography | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Abortion & Birth Control | Women's Studies | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Parenting | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 1581820577

Customer Reviews:

the truth.......2006-05-17

s.t.g. whoever that is, who reviewed this book obviously overlooked the fact that all his referneces are documented page by page, accurately. and that person has also bought into the lie that planned barrenhood actually helps people. they kill them, if they arent born yet and want to eliminate all who are not rich and white. how evil can you get?? and then to find out the march of dimes works with them is even worse, i mean, when they say they prevent birth defects? how? by preventing the people, and i cannot wait until that evil organization self implodes and goes away. good for you telling the truth no one wants to hear, mr. grant. and dont stop!!

Damned Lies.......2005-04-27

This book is filled with inaccuracies, half truths, misinformation and an astounding number of outright lies. Its contorted logic is sometimes hard to follow. This work is best left for those fanatics who want a book that justifies their fear and their distorted us v. them moral values.

Flawed But Not Bad.......2005-04-19

Except for the flowery language, which makes one think the author wishes he were writing a 19th-Century novel, this is an accurate and disturbing book. If you don't mind a bunch of alliteration, nouns modified by half a dozen adjectives, etc., the book should hold your interest whether you agree with the author or not. I agree with the author's stance on abortion; I do not, however, completely agree with his tirade against birth control. Furthermore, I find some of his manufactured dialogue hard to believe.

Confusing the Issue.......2004-12-09

Though I understand the author's point in being blatantly Christian throughout his writing, the manner in which he does this inspires more distaste than openmindedness. I'm a Christian myself, so I sympathize with his point of view, but his technique in this book is the wrong approach.

In addition, the author's writing seems to show his desire to be a fiction writer. He uses language that is more appropriate in a fiction book than a piece of scholarly research. This is off-putting to the reader.

Finally, he would be better off sticking to the most controversial information about Planned Parenthood. Instead, he adds his own opinion about the inappropriateness of any birth control, which makes the rest of his opinions suspect.

PPFA still under the same illusions.......2004-11-25

I read this book some years ago and it made me an activist. Though family life has slowed that a bit, I got a sharp reminder today. Planned Parenthood sent me a solicitation. It was a big, expensive, personalized mailer in which they tout their 87 year history and association with Margaret Sanger with much pride.

They then procede to lable organizations such as Focus on the Family and the Christian Coalition as "religious political extremist groups." How's that for an "ad-hominem attack?"

Page after page they rail on about the cuts in funding and how I need to support them with my money. It was a loud and clear message, they were more concerned about their income sources than the health and safety of the women they claim to care so much about. They think we don't know about the financial shell game they use to back their bogus claim that "federally funded family planning programs do not, and never have, paid for abortions."

I don't think they know that I am one of the "anti-choice fanatics" they are so worried about. They even printed my name on a lovely card inside and on the front of the package showing me as a "supporting member" of their distasteful group.

I wonder how much this trash cost them to print and to mail? Aren't they supposed to be helping families with these donations?
Forgive my sarcasm. Even though George Grant unmasked their lies so long ago, THEY still BELIEVE them, and TEACH them to an unsuspecting public.

This book should still be required reading for anyone who cares about families, fiscally sound government, or the future.

A History of Film Design. Caligari's Cabinet and other Grand Illusions. Revised and Edited by Elliot Stein

Average customer rating:

A History of Film Design. Caligari's Cabinet and other Grand Illusions. Revised and Edited by Elliot Stein
Leon Barsacq
Manufacturer: New American Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000M4F2XY

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books