Book Description
In this, his first major book, Mark Steyn--probably the most widely read, and wittiest, columnist in the English-speaking world--takes on the great poison of the twenty-first century: the anti-Americanism that fuels both Old Europe and radical Islam. America, Steyn argues, will have to stand alone. The world will be divided between America and the rest; and for our sake America had better win.
Customer Reviews:
Excelent book. Really crunches the numbers like no other book........2007-10-05
This book really lays out the problems with hard numbers and facts in a way I have never seen and is easy to understand. I recomend this book to anyone who is worried about the muslim issue. People in Europe better read it asap!
America Alone is Excellent.......2007-10-04
This book gives a lot of attention to fertility rates in Europe, Scandanavia and the United States. Many other good observations and opinions are included as well. It will give you some insights into what may occur in various countries in the future vis-a-vis the Muslims and non Muslims.
What a sad worldview.......2007-10-01
I can't even begin to describe the serious flaws in this book...
But I gave it one star instead of zero because, if you want to study logic and how to detect subtly and not so subtly flawed arguments, buy this book.
What's sad is he's done actual research (but distorts everything to fit his way of thinking), and some muslims, like some christians, some jews, some whatever, really are dangerous and want to hurt America, but he makes his side of the controversy look like a bunch of, what's a nice word... 'baffoons'.
I think he seriously believes the things he writes in his book, which means he's stressing himselfand others out for nothing, and ultimately, pushing away the moderates that might listen to a more logical argument against religious extremism
Excellent.......2007-09-21
With the many positive reviews already posted, there isn't much more for me to say, so I will just say, "Read a few of the reviews, then, most definitely, read this book."
great wake up!!!!!!!.......2007-09-20
This a wake up to the world. Got to hang in through the beginning, but after that try to get all the details.
Book Description
Meet BLACKWATER USA, the world's most secretive and powerful mercenary firm. Based in the wilderness of North Carolina, it is the fastest-growing private army on the planet with forces capable of carrying out regime change throughout the world. Blackwater protects the top US officials in Iraq and yet we know almost nothing about the firm's quasi-military operations in Iraq, Afghanistan and inside the US. Blackwater was founded by an extreme right-wing fundamentalist Christian mega-millionaire ex- Navy Seal named Erik Prince, the scion of a wealthy conservative family that bankrolls far-right-wing causes.
Blackwater is the dark story of the rise of a powerful mercenary army, ranging from the blood-soaked streets of Fallujah to rooftop firefights in Najaf to the hurricane-ravaged US gulf to Washington DC, where Blackwater executives are hailed as new heroes in the war on terror. This is an extraordinary exposé by one of America's most exciting young radical journalists.
Customer Reviews:
Not worth it even if you despise the War.......2007-09-30
This book was such a letdown. I had no idea it was written with such an agenda. Even though I probably agree quite a bit with the author, I did not buy this book to read someone's column. I expected a history of Blackwater to better understand it. Instead this book ruins any interesting tidbits by always throwing in a biased opinion. It made reading the book very difficult even for someone who is anti-war. Really a shame since this could have been an important book. The only ones who will like it are those so close minded that they can only read books that share their viewpoint. Hence the 5 star reviews. Not for anyone with an open mind.
Thrilling!.......2007-09-25
Highly enjoyable book if you can overlook the preachy and somewhat hysterical tone. I can't decide if it's inadvertent, since this is ostensibly some sort of exposé, but the author gives Blackwater this highly appealing aura of danger and excitement and glamour.
Have you ever seen one of those lurid B-movies from the 50s, narrator lectures on the dangers of marijuana, fast women, go-go dancing and other sensational trash? Yet, at the same time, promoting it because it's hot? It's a bit in that tradition I think.
Rabid Anti-Americanism passing itself as "investigatory journalism".......2007-09-22
Blackwater
A vile and thoroughly despicable book wherein nothing an American does is for a good motive and nothing an American says is the truth unless, of course, they are speaking against the military or the leadership. In Mr. Scahill's view, there are no moderate Americans. They are all "extremists," "theoconservatives," and, most frightening of all, "Christian conservatives." In this book the only people telling the objective truth are the reporters from that paragon of honesty and objective reporting, Al Jazeera
This is not, as some reviewers here have commented, a book written from a "hard left viewpoint." This is a book written from a fanatical anti-American view point. Seen from that bias it matters not that the book is "thoroughly researched" for, how can we rely on the author to present us with an objective product of his research when his intention is so obviously to damage the reputation of both the private and government forces.
One would think that a more or less objective investigation would have found that in five years, in several provinces, in numerous battle fronts, our forces would have done something right in at least one single instance. One would think that the same objective review could clearly identify at least one occurrence where the Islamic fanatics are described as well, fanatics. The absence of any such incident in Mr. Scahill's book speaks volumes of his complete lack of objectivity and hatred of things American. Apparently he missed the news on the various beheadings, rapes, and torture that occurred on a more or less constant basis before we got there.
His bias is so intense that it leads to blatant inconsistencies as he tries to paint a dismal view of the Iraq situation. This is not to say the situation is all rosy but one would think some things are going right and yet Mr. Scahill finds none. Incongruence abounds in his writing but I will provide just one example. On page 134, the Marines preparing for Operation Vigilant Resolve "set up blockades with concertina wire, effectively locking people in..." and we later find in the very same paragraph that "Thousands of Fallujans fled the city..." So Americans are portrayed as imprisoning the town but at the same time, to make it seem even crueler we have the population taking flight across that so called effectively sealed city.
For Mr. Scahill, American leadership (military or otherwise) does not plan anything, they "plot," and American companies seeking to purchase petroleum rights do not invest, they "exploit." He repeatedly derides the "coalition of the willing" as a non-existent fantasy but then goes on to complain that there are mercenaries from a variety of countries where human rights abuses were frequent. This maybe true but the internationalization of the Iraq conflict is a fact that Mr. Scahill blithely ignores. Apparently, internationalization does not count unless it is done by people not being paid for their efforts (not that there aren't plenty of those for Mr. Scahill to ignore).
There are many things wrong with the Iraq war and with an unfettered private security force. A review of them can be enlightening but one will not find that enlightenment in Mr. Scahill's book. For the rabidly anti-American crowd this book will prove delightful. For the thoughtful, discerning person who reads it is a barely readable piece of biased trash. And yes, I read the whole book seeking that illusive "they must have done something right" item.
Death for hire.......2007-09-22
Blackwater is back in the news, killing with impunity in Iraq. This book gives all the information on how it got to where it is today. Those reviews that knock this book simply do not enjoy the idea that the mess in Iraq and the rise of all that is going wrong with the U.S. policies can be traced back to the lies that were told to get the religious/conservative element in the U.S. to buy into all these policies, which are about one thing: making money. Blackwater is a prime example of how even death and destruction can be marketed and result in huge amounts of money.
Frightening.......2007-09-22
This is the most frightening book I have ever read. It makes Stephen King look like a nursery book writer. But the most horrific thing about this book....is that it is not fiction.
Average customer rating:
- A good foundation
- PLEASE... Read the 1 star reviews BEFORE you buy this book!
- Everyone on this Planet should read this book, it should be a teaching material in Schools
- Critical information, so powerful it should be taught 7- 12 + college
- Easy to read, let's see how easy in practise
|
The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom (A Toltec Wisdom Book)
Don Miguel Ruiz
Manufacturer: Amber-Allen Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 General
| Self-Help
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
| Books
Happiness
| Self-Help
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
| Books
Motivational
| Self-Help
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
| Books
Personal Transformation
| Self-Help
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
| Books
Success
| Self-Help
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
| Books
Spiritual
| Self-Help
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Psychology & Counseling
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
| Books
Ethics & Morality
| Philosophy
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
General
| New Age
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
Personal Transformation
| Spirituality
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
Look Inside Health Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Look Inside Nonfiction Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Look Inside Religion & Spirituality Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
-
The Mastery of Love: A Practical Guide to the Art of Relationship: A Toltec Wisdom Book
-
The Four Agreements Companion Book : Using the Four Agreements to Master the Dream of Your Life
-
The Voice of Knowledge: A Practical Guide to Inner Peace
-
Beyond Fear: A Toltec Guide to Freedom and Joy - The Teachings of Don Miguel Ruiz
-
Four Agreements Cards
ASIN: 1878424319 |
Amazon.com
Sit at the foot of a native elder and listen as great wisdom of days long past is passed down. In The Four Agreements shamanic teacher and healer Don Miguel Ruiz exposes self-limiting beliefs and presents a simple yet effective code of personal conduct learned from his Toltec ancestors. Full of grace and simple truth, this handsomely designed book makes a lovely gift for anyone making an elementary change in life, and it reads in a voice that you would expect from an indigenous shaman. The four agreements are these: Be impeccable with your word. Don't take anything personally. Don't make assumptions. Always do your best. It's the how and why one should do these things that make The Four Agreements worth reading and remembering. --P. Randall Cohan
Book Description
In The Four Agreements, don Miguel Ruiz reveals the source of self-limiting agreements that rob people of joy and create needless suffering. Based on ancient Toltec wisdom, the Four Agreements offer a powerful code of conduct that can rapidly transform anyone's life to a new experience of freedom, true happiness, and love. These agreements are deceptively simple: Be impeccable with your word (speak with integrity; say only what you mean); Don't take anything personally (nothing others do is because of you); Don't make assumptions (find the courage to ask questions and express what you really want); Always do your best (and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse, and regret). Peter Coyote's resonant reading emphasizes the power in these remarkable tenets.
Customer Reviews:
A good foundation.......2007-10-01
This is a compelling book that provides a straightforward, easy-to-understand methodology for improving one's quality of life. In this work Ruiz first reveals the source of self-limiting beliefs that tend to rob people of joy and create needless suffering. He then recommends a technique for overcoming these beliefs: adopt four new agreements with respect to how they approach the world and conduct their lives.
Is this some new, revolutionary technology for self-improvement? No, the fact is in one way shape or form we've all heard these types of admonitions from other sources in our lives. What Ruiz does well is package them in a novel way and provide practical insights into how we can best apply them. Bottom line, even if you've heard something like this before it never hurts to be reminded about good advice you've received in the past.
PLEASE... Read the 1 star reviews BEFORE you buy this book!.......2007-09-27
I am shocked at all the 5 stars and positive press this book has received. PLEASE, read a few of the 1 star reviews before you purchase this book. Quite often people who rate something with just 1 star are grumpy individuals who just want to argue... not this time. Many writers of the single star reviews are extremely well spoken, very well read and positive minded individuals. They are worth reading! (More so than this book.)
Everyone on this Planet should read this book, it should be a teaching material in Schools.......2007-09-25
The four agreements is not only a book, it is a lifestyle. Most of the wisdom in self helping books i have read thruout the years has mostly washed away, vanished in to the sea of mind few weeks later after i read them. This one is different. It has somekind of power. And it forces you to do the doings not just read about them.This one stayes with you cause you wan't to pick it up over and over again.
Critical information, so powerful it should be taught 7- 12 + college.......2007-09-24
I did not receive any critical information about my role in relationships from any source including school, religious education, parents, or advisor's.
The Four Agreements and the Mastery of Love has now provided this knowledge and it is and will always be a reference source for living the rest of my life
It is so ingrained and with me every day as I work to improve on my relationships with my family, friends, and business relationships. After you listen to the message of the Four Agreements, you will see the need for this information to be made available to your family and friends.
My wish is for this to be a part of the curriculum for the public school systems.
Cecil Sterne
Pawnee County, Oklahoma
Easy to read, let's see how easy in practise.......2007-09-18
I think we've all seen this stuff before in various incarnations (e.g. Bible - "Do unto others...") but it is a very easy read and the agreements are plain and unambiguous. They are not cluttered with ceremony but come down to principles of values and self context. And like alot of similar readings, the battle or challenge lies in the effort to achieve and not only the achievement itself. I like that it advocates largely a position or development of an inner strength that is personal. All too often, I have noticed some of these personal freedom type writings from authors who present their writings in a stadium type environment and whip the crowd up in a frenzy to create a mob frenzy that attempts to portray the message. That's clearly the domain of some charlatans that we've all seen. I'm looking forward to the challenge involved in implementing these agreements. It won't be easy but most thnigs worthwhile aren't so they say.
Book Description
A sweeping narrative history of the events leading to 9/11, a groundbreaking look at the people and ideas, the terrorist plans and the Western intelligence failures that culminated in the assault on America. Lawrence Wright’s remarkable book is based on five years of research and hundreds of interviews that he conducted in Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Sudan, England, France, Germany, Spain, and the United States.
The Looming Tower achieves an unprecedented level of intimacy and insight by telling the story through the interweaving lives of four men: the two leaders of al-Qaeda, Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri; the FBI’s counterterrorism chief, John O’Neill; and the former head of Saudi intelligence, Prince Turki al-Faisal.
As these lives unfold, we see revealed: the crosscurrents of modern Islam that helped to radicalize Zawahiri and bin Laden . . . the birth of al-Qaeda and its unsteady development into an organization capable of the American embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania and the attack on the USS Cole . . . O’Neill’s heroic efforts to track al-Qaeda before 9/11, and his tragic death in the World Trade towers . . . Prince Turki’s transformation from bin Laden’s ally to his enemy . . . the failures of the FBI, CIA, and NSA to share intelligence that might have prevented the 9/11 attacks.
The Looming Tower broadens and deepens our knowledge of these signal events by taking us behind the scenes. Here is Sayyid Qutb, founder of the modern Islamist movement, lonely and despairing as he meets Western culture up close in 1940s America; the privileged childhoods of bin Laden and Zawahiri; family life in the al-Qaeda compounds of Sudan and Afghanistan; O’Neill’s high-wire act in balancing his all-consuming career with his equally entangling personal life—he was living with three women, each of them unaware of the others’ existence—and the nitty-gritty of turf battles among U.S. intelligence agencies.
Brilliantly conceived and written, The Looming Tower draws all elements of the story into a galvanizing narrative that adds immeasurably to our understanding of how we arrived at September 11, 2001. The richness of its new information, and the depth of its perceptions, can help us deal more wisely and effectively with the continuing terrorist threat.
Customer Reviews:
History of Al-Qaeda.......2007-10-02
Lawrence Wright traces Islamic fundamentalism from 1948 to the 2001 attack on America. The book highlights Al-Qaeda leaders Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri. His research asserts a historical lack of concern from intelligence agencies except for FBI agent John O'Neill and Saudi prince Turki al-Faisal. The book seems very well researched and laid out.
Even though it is filled with facts and dates, it is a book that you will find easy to read. But be aware the author goes into great detail in this writing in a successful effort to be objective. His work is also well researched and documented. This book contains violence and strong language but gives insight into this group of Islamic fundamentalist. So if you wish to have a look at the growth of this organization, this is a book you will want to read.
Real information about Al Qaeda.......2007-10-01
Too much of what we have heard about Al Qaeda has been little more than pep-talk and wishful thinking: I still remember how our president called the 9-11 hijackers "cowards"--evil, certainly, but cowards, no. It has been hard to find real information about these people, until Lawrence Wright's book. Like an ethnographer, he has been able to suspend judgment sufficiently to get inside the heads of Salafist, takfirist terrorists. I found myself learning something on every page: everything from the importance of kin relations in Saudi Arabia, to the nature of Osama bin Laden's business interests, to the role of the Arab Mujahideen in the Soviet-Afghan war, and much, much more. There is a great deal here, too, on the U.S.'s inadequate response to Al Qaeda, with quite a bit of detail on the dysfunctional CIA-FBI rivalry. He points no fingers at elected officials, but rather at institutional arrangements, a choice that, I think, makes the book more valuable.
The Looming Tower.......2007-09-26
This is an excellent account of the rise of al-Qaeda, based on very extensive interviews in both the Arab and Western worlds. But the book is also curiously one-sided when it comes to U.S. involvement. It supplies a detailed account of the Afghan jihad against the Soviet Union in which Saudi intelligence chief Prince Turki al-Faisal is mentioned about two dozen times, but William Casey of the CIA, the principal architect, is not mentioned even once. Nor does he mention Prince Turki's frank public account of how his jihad activities were guided by his own and other intelligence agencies grouped in something called the Safari Club, which took this initiative in response to the establishment of congressional oversight over the CIA. (As Prince Turki revealed, the group "included France, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, and Iran.") With Casey's personal connivance and oversight, the Safari Club financed and administered the Afghan resistance through the Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI), also not mentioned by Wright. To get a more balanced view of America's role in the background of al Qaeda, I suggest that readers supplement The Looming Tower with Peter Dale Scott's The Road to 9/11, just out from the University of California Press.
What comes next?.......2007-09-24
While I was eager to read this book, I am finding it rough going. Mr. Wright has included way too much in my opinion. A lot of what he has included at length, could have been said in a fewer words and with more punch. Such as Qutb's visit to the USA or Ayman al-Zawahiri's childhood and background. While Qutb's visit is much more pertinent to the story line, al-Zawahiri's isn't all that much help in understanding what happened and continues to this day.
The info is good, one just has to plow through too many weeds to get to it.
THE LOOMING TOWER.......2007-09-19
Anyone who wishes to KNOW the BEGINNING and CONTINUING truth under-pinning our vicious, seemingly endless battle with ORGANIZED TERRORISTS, not just in IRAQ and AFGHANISTAN, but literally across the civilized world MUST READ THIS BOOK! It reveals clearly and unmistakably, the common threads which bind the very fabric of the terrifying spread of terrorism and literally, a continuing WAR between Western Civilization and the TYRANNICAL terrorists who will stop at nothing. One should read this after the "LONE SURVIVOR" best-seller. It brings together what appear as countless loose ends of this monumental struggle which promises to be a veritable 'FIGHT TO THE VERY LAST SURVIVOR' of what is, unmistakably. a WAR like NO OTHER WE HAVE EVER FACED. This conflict will test every conceivable sinew of the 'muscle of resolve and potency' of not only the United States but of the Free World as we now know it!
You owe nothing less to yourself than the knowledge you will gain from this truly thorough, remarkable book on the subject, which astoundingly, yet, has commanded the attention of all too few Countries and plain citizens!
Book Description
With its outrageous brand of conservative talk, The Neal Boortz Show has been one of talk radio's hottest commodities for more than twenty–five years. Known as the Talkmaster and the High Priest of the Church of the Painful Truth, Boortz has been entertaining his rabid followers with his commentary on everything from corruption in Washington to the troops overseas.
Now, with Somebody's Gotta Say It, Neal gives us his biggest book yet–a hilarious but serious–as–taxes screed covering all the issues that get Neal and his millions of listeners hot under the collar on a daily basis. Among his subjects:
•The Tyranny of the Children: How we've ceded control to our bratty little runts . . . and how to take it back
•They're Government Schools, Not "Public" Schools . . . and they're killing us.
•The Dumb Masses: Say that really fast–and then have a look in the mirror!
•Socialized Medicine: Get ready for free crappy health care for all–Now, with Extra Taxes!
•Soccer Moms: The leaders of a culture where every precaution has been taken to make sure your son may never actually get hit! The wussification of America continues...
Full of irresistible wisecracks and irrefutable libertarian wisdom, Somebody's Gotta Say It is the next big conservative talk–radio bestseller.
Customer Reviews:
A great political book.......2007-10-05
This book was incredible. I found myself both in strong agreement and strong disagreement with Neal Boortz, but it was always entertaining and thought provoking. I strongly recommend it to everyone.
Boorish!.......2007-09-26
I could hardly get past the first chapter. I found this to be almost "tabloid" in nature and ordered it originally thinking I would be reading some intellectual quips, quotes, etc. I found instead that it is more basic and elementary than I wish to spend time on. Couldn't get through the entire book - sorry!
Great Ideas Presented In An Entertaining Style.......2007-09-09
This is a thought provoking and highly interesting book.
Neal Boortz does a superb job of outlining many of the numerous problems our nation faces. He also presents great suggestions which, if enacted, would make life much better for all Americans (except career politicians) and their children and grandchildren.
The author does not beat around the bush. He gets right to the heart of issues. It is sure to infuriate many readers. Those who are open minded will be challenged with some things that they would probably prefer to ignore.
Some of the issues that he addresses are as follows:
Education - "There is no greater long-term threat to our continued prosperity, economic liberty, freedom, and quality of life in the United States than that presented by teachers' unions. And that includes Islamic terrorists." Although I suspect he will not be invited to the NEA convention, he makes a great case for the tremendous problems we have in education. Of course anyone who has watched a clerk trying to make change (with the cash register's calculator not working) or watched Jay Leno's 'Jaywalking' is well aware of the scary level of ignorance being cranked out by the government school system. Fortunately, Boortz not only points out the problems, he gives workable solutions. He also provides an awesome list of things that should be taught in the public schools.
Voting - 'Instead of trying to increase that stock of knowledge, why not decrease the number of ignorant voters! Private businesses don't let ignorant employees decide company policy. Why should we allow ignorant voters to set public policy?' Not only would he limit who votes (the ignorant and tax consumers), but Boortz also presents a very radical proposal to change presidential selection. It is a revolutionary concept.
Boortz combines the best parts of libertarianism (liberty) with reality (terrorism, borders) to present a comprehensive plan for improving life in the United States. I highly recommend this book and also another book by Boorz, 'The Fair Tax Book' for anyone who desires to return America to its best.
Talk show style of writing.......2007-09-01
Neal Boortz is a libertarian, not a conservative, talk show host. He's in agreement with the economic conservatives on issues such as education, taxes and the minimum wage, but generally disagrees with the moral conservatives on concerns such as abortion, homosexuality, creationism and school prayer. (However, he's against totally removing religious symbolism from public life....) He uses a lot of energy bashing public education, calling schools "government indoctrination centers" and recounting horror stories of kids being required to pool their own school supplies.
He is very pro-individual, and generally against government regulation of business. Some of his positions are a little strange. For example, he is in favor of legalizing drugs, but then goes nuts over people smoking tobacco. The last chapter "No Way In Hell", is a synopsis of his political positions, some workable, some probably not, some kind of silly....
Although I've never listened to Boortz' show (to my knowledge, it is not played in Southern California). I do listen to a lot of talk shows, and this book seems to be written in an in-your-face, loud talk show host style. While that might be fun while sitting in traffic, when I'm actually reading, I prefer the more academic style of writing, with citations, a bibliography, etc.
Mildly Amusing from a pea brain with a big mouth.......2007-08-29
If your a thinking person - intellectual, academic, progressive, you will probably look at this book as if were written by a highly opinionated eight grader. Boortz thinks he "drives liberals crazy" as his trademark jingle says, however he leaves me thinking that I just bought a book consisting of nothing but opinion without reason, logic, or rationale. This book is not analytical, coherent, convincing, discerning, inferential, perceptive, relevant, or even sensible. However IT IS entertaining.
Book Description
The long-awaited final volume of Chalmers Johnson’s bestselling
Blowback trilogy confronts the overreaching of the American empire and the threat it poses to the republic
In his prophetic book Blowback, Chalmers Johnson linked the CIA’s clandestine activities abroad to disaster at home. In The Sorrows of Empire, he explored the ways in which the growth of American militarism and the garrisoning of the planet have jeopardized our stability. Now, in Nemesis, he shows how imperial overstretch is undermining the republic itself, both economically and politically.
Delving into new areas—from plans to militarize outer space to Constitution-breaking presidential activities at home and the devastating corruption of a toothless Congress—Nemesis offers a striking description of the trap into which the dreams of America’s leaders have taken us. Drawing comparisons to empires past, Johnson explores in vivid detail just what the unintended consequences of our dependence on a permanent war economy are likely to be. What does it mean when a nation’s main intelligence organization becomes the president’s secret army? Or when the globe’s sole “hyperpower,” no longer capable of paying for the vaulting ambitions of its leaders, becomes the greatest hyper-debtor of all times?
In his stunning conclusion, Johnson suggests that financial bankruptcy could herald the breakdown of constitutional government in America—a crisis that may ultimately prove to be the only path to a renewed nation.
Customer Reviews:
Crossing the Rubicon.......2007-09-08
This book answers Michael Moore's question, "Where's my country?" The author's scholarly and carefully reasoned answer is that the constitutional republic we once had has evolved into an empire. Johnson traces the rise of militarism, the hidden and often ill-conceived interventions of the CIA and the devastating "blowback" from them, and the enormous power the United States projects through its hundreds of overseas military bases, as well as our plans to militarize space.
I found that the book explained many events that are extremely puzzling if one continues to believe that the United States is a high-minded democracy, but make perfect sense from the point of view of empire.
Johnson's conlusion, that we are on the cusp of a choice between the path taken by Rome into empire and dictatorship vs. that chosen by Great Britain to dissolve its empire but preserve its democracy, was compelling and sobering.
I would recommend Nemesis to anyone, regardless of political slant, who seriously wants to make sense of the role the United States plays in the world today, and the world's reaction to it.
On the brink of a military dictatorship.......2007-08-12
Chalmers Johnson is deeply pessimistic about the future of the US and its citizens. He sees at the horizon `a collapse of constitutional government, perpetual war, endemic official lying and disinformation and finally bankruptcy. We are at the cusp of losing our democracy for the sake of keeping our empire.'
For him, the heart of the matter is `military Keynesianism' (the US economy is mightily based on weapon manufacturing) and the goal of the military-intelligence community (full spectrum dominance over the world and in space).
But this imperial adventure is far too costly. The US spends more on armed forces than all other nations on earth combined, for more than 737 military bases in more than 130 countries. Also, space weapons are pure waste. A space shield doesn't work, because weapons cannot make a distinction between warheads and free floating space debris. `The neoconservative lobbyists are only interested in the staggering sums required.'
The US enormous military budget (of which 40 % is secret) is not paid by US taxpayers, but by foreign investors in US debt.
In the meantime, democracy is undermined. Chalmers Johnson doesn't see `any president or Congress standing up to the powerful vested interests of the Pentagon, the secret intelligence agencies and the military-industrial complex.' The separation of powers is becoming a dead letter. The legislative and the judicial branches have lost their independence.
The author is extremely hard for the current government, calling members of the Administration `desk-murderers'. For him, `putting the ruler above the law is the very definition of dictatorship.' Its TIA (Total Information Awareness) program `is the perfect US computer version of Gestapo and KGB files.' He is extremely angry with the US media, calling them `Pravda-like mouthpieces of the powerful.'
For him, what Congress really should do is abolish the CIA and remove all purely military functions from the Pentagon.
This hard-hitting book is more than a very solid warning. It is a must read for all those interested in the future of mankind.
For a view from the South, I highly recommend `Dilemmas of Domination' by Walden Bello.
Mandatory Foreign Policy Reading.......2007-07-28
If you want to read an unvarnished assessment of America's foreign policy by a scholar and former insider this book will more than suffice. Johnson evaluates the military-industrial complex, foreign policy tactics, and the imperialistic tendencies of contemporary America and how they are all contributing to our very real ongoing downfall. Johnson is not afraid to prove how our own covert and overt policies have contributed to the war and terror that plague our nation.
Nemesis by Chalmers Johnson.......2007-07-18
All who are interested in the Bush-inspired quagmire that we are in today should read this to understand the psychology and sociology that historically has led to the end of a society. There are some implications and assumptions that are made to compare past "empires" and some political and economic sections are a bit esoteric, but overall it's quite intriguing. If you think this is for you make sure you read "Blowback" before "Nemesis" which was the first of Johnson's trilogy.
Nemesis--an indispensible education.......2007-07-12
Nemesis is the last book in a trilogy. I have read them all and believe I am much more aware of what is really going on in our country. The negative way the world sees us finally makes sense. Chalmers Johnson has done an enormous amount of research and explains the issues in a clear and interesting manner. I've had trouble putting the books down.
Book Description
Brigitte Gabriel lost her childhood to militant Islam. In 1975 she was ten years old and living in Southern Lebanon when militant Muslims from throughout the Middle East poured into her country and declared jihad against the Lebanese Christians. Lebanon was the only Christian influenced country in the Middle East, and the Lebanese Civil War was the first front in what has become the worldwide jihad of fundamentalist Islam against non-Muslim peoples. For seven years, Brigitte and her parents lived in an underground bomb shelter. They had no running water or electricity and very little food; at times they were reduced to boiling grass to survive.
Because They Hate is a political wake-up call told through a very personal memoir frame. Brigitte warns that the US is threatened by fundamentalist Islamic theology in the same way Lebanon was— radical Islam will stop at nothing short of domination of all non-Muslim countries. Gabriel saw this mission start in Lebanon, and she refuses to stand silently by while it happens here. Gabriel sees in the West a lack of understanding and a blatant ignorance of the ways and thinking of the Middle East. She also points out mistakes the West has made in consistently underestimating the single-mindedness with which fundamentalist Islam has pursued its goals over the past thirty years.
Fiercely articulate and passionately committed, Gabriel tells her own story as well as outlines the history, social movements, and religious divisions that have led to this critical historical conflict.
Customer Reviews:
Incredibly Riveting and Informative.......2007-10-04
A must read for every American. For the first time, someone is brave enough to stand up and tell it like it is concerning the threat against our nation from Islamic extremists. She puts her very life on the line to get the message out to her adopted country, which she loves with all her heart. Every naturally born American citizen should be ashamed that they don't have the same devotion for this great country in which we live.
A wonderful book that shows how radicals work........2007-10-03
This book is a wonderful account by Brigitte Gabriel, of what happened to her beloved homeland. She shows the way she remembered Lebanon before it became a bed of turmoil and death. She allows the reader to not only understand how radical Muslims and groups like the PLO, Islamic Brotherhood and Hamas operate but why they do so. She explains the tactics used by Muslims groups to use the freedoms of a society to begin a take over. She shows how they used the political system and the horrific tactics used to cause distrust and dislike among the Christians in Lebanon and the Jewish people. This is a wonderful book and a wise word of warning about the deception and lies that some will tell in order to gain control. All to force Islamic laws, and their way of life on a once free people. I think everyone should read this woman's story of courage, and understand why she fears that one day the same thing could happen here in America. This is one book that will teach you, entertain you, and even show you how the Muslims work through lies and murder and even a nations own legal system to gain sole power and control. I wish every American would read this book, there is some very useful knowledge that can be gained from this book.
An important perspective.......2007-10-03
I knew nothing of the destruction of Lebanon before I read Ms. Gabriel's book, after years of seeing news reports that were so "balanced" that they glossed over the widespread Arab (and Palestinian, and perhaps Persian) desire for the eradication of Israel. Call me an ignoramus, but mainstream media was the cause, not the cure, of my ignorance.
The so very human scenes in the hospital I think point to the core of the issue with radical Islam: compassion and cultural evolution, versus centuries-old resentment and inferiority and hate.
An important book, if a bit strident for well-fed suburban Americans (a category in which I include myself). That said, a truly moving and informative read.
Real, clear and without fear analysis of the historical, current and future directions of the effect of the Islamic religion .......2007-09-29
It is a "Must to read" book for everyone (all religions). This books not only tells the story of a young Christian girl that survived Lebanon civil war, but also layout a real, clear and without fear analysis of the historical, current and future directions of the effect of the Islamic religion on the world.
Further more, Brigitte Gabriel (the author) lists preventive and recovery actions that we, the western world can take and start doing to stand against this madness.
I personally share many of the ideas in the book and I see how some western courtiers in Europe, as France, already all into the Islamic spin and I hope that USA will take the right actions to stand against the Islamic evil and tactics and win this war.
Furthermore, it become clear to me that the current foundations of every democracy must be based on one religion (which can be separated from the state), but a democratic state must characterize itself by one religion by law.
It will prevent situations of takeover of France or England by the Muslims and set the expectations of new immigrants that do not share the major fate.
A Must Read!.......2007-09-26
A disturbing, but well documented, personal account of the danger facing Americans. It was well worth taking the time to read.
Book Description
Twenty-five years ago, when Pat Robertson and other radio and televangelists first spoke of the United States becoming a Christian nation that would build a global Christian empire, it was hard to take such hyperbolic rhetoric seriously. Today, such language no longer sounds like hyperbole but poses, instead, a very real threat to our freedom and our way of life. In American Fascists, Chris Hedges, veteran journalist and author of the National Book Award finalist War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning, challenges the Christian Right's religious legitimacy and argues that at its core it is a mass movement fueled by unbridled nationalism and a hatred for the open society.
Hedges, who grew up in rural parishes in upstate New York where his father was a Presbyterian pastor, attacks the movement as someone steeped in the Bible and Christian tradition. He points to the hundreds of senators and members of Congress who have earned between 80 and 100 percent approval ratings from the three most influential Christian Right advocacy groups as one of many signs that the movement is burrowing deep inside the American government to subvert it. The movement's call to dismantle the wall between church and state and the intolerance it preaches against all who do not conform to its warped vision of a Christian America are pumped into tens of millions of American homes through Christian television and radio stations, as well as reinforced through the curriculum in Christian schools. The movement's yearning for apocalyptic violence and its assault on dispassionate, intellectual inquiry are laying the foundation for a new, frightening America.
American Fascists, which includes interviews and coverage of events such as pro-life rallies and weeklong classes on conversion techniques, examines the movement's origins, its driving motivations and its dark ideological underpinnings. Hedges argues that the movement currently resembles the young fascist movements in Italy and Germany in the 1920s and '30s, movements that often masked the full extent of their drive for totalitarianism and were willing to make concessions until they achieved unrivaled power. The Christian Right, like these early fascist movements, does not openly call for dictatorship, nor does it use
physical violence to suppress opposition. In short, the movement is not yet revolutionary. But the ideological architecture of a Christian fascism is being cemented in place. The movement has roused its followers to a fever pitch of despair and fury. All it will take, Hedges writes, is one more national crisis on the order of September 11 for the Christian Right to make a concerted drive to destroy American democracy. The movement awaits a crisis. At that moment they will reveal themselves for what they truly are -- the American heirs to fascism. Hedges issues a potent, impassioned warning. We face an imminent threat. His book reminds us of the dangers liberal, democratic societies face when they tolerate the intolerant.
Customer Reviews:
RAISES QUESTIONS AND SHEDS LIGHT.......2007-10-03
This rather incredible piece of scholarship raised some interesting questions:
What created the Fundamentalist Movement, and from where did it derive it followers?
What created the NRA, and to what Christian sects do its members belong?
Why did a government "by the people and for the people" give itself a Constitutional Right to Bear Arms"? And who will decide when and where those arms will be used?
Can now extinct religious strife be incited among the American Christian sects, or will they turn on those who are inciting them to religious strife?
To what ideological categories do those who have progressively secularlized the laws and schools belong?
Did the Christian God ever give His followers the right to practice Human sacrifice?
Did this author deliberately confuse his fantasies with reality?
Why is an excellent education so often not a cure for ingraind ideological prejudices?
Why is the Human the only species that is religious?
Who is afraid of Christian cultures?
Why do scare mongering books sell more copies?
What finally turns cultural wars into civil wars?
For thoughtful Americans who are unfamiliarity with this kind of fascist-baiting by elements in some of the popular press and schools, that has been going for at least 40 years, it sheds light on the fascist-baiting mentality. Historically, fascist-baiting is much older than this: it goes on everytime there is a new Christian revivalist movement.
Corporate Christo-Fascism's minds (and able-bodies) snatching.......2007-10-02
Upon finishing authoritative Chris Hedges's book (it's true: his credentials are impeccable), I think of a vision: arson fire set to a huge cinema theatre crowded with people distraught with sitcoms and "American Idol" and the like. Someone cries "Fire! Get out of here! but nobody seem to move, or grasp the full significance of the words, or the menace that now is full real. I sincerely hope the audience wakes up in time, that they render this a mere fantasy of the WASP Fundamentalists, and the American Christian right is not snatching minds and wills to such an alarming extent through false prophets and a false warrior Christ.
I knew W. Bush was their born-again Christian. I didn't know he had created by decree... (well, you'll see in the notes). From the innards Hedges exposes the connivance between corporate America and the powerful Dominionist leaders who in turn have their people's hands into the US Constitution to accommodate it to their own ends. For decades they've had the Economic and Political means. Now they're bent on really winning the hearts and minds of an intellectually challenged population so they'll be useful in the war against nonbelievers, who are us all who do not, and will not, share their distorted views or approve their robbing reality from under the feet of so many unwitting people.
Among the impressive images there is the gathering in a desert resort of the New Class, the rich who will be raptured into Heaven (the poor are condemned, they're nonbelievers), and how they consort with the Catholic right and especially with Israeli representatives. Of course they have a racist hatred of Arabs, who they count as the main nonbelievers to righteously destroy. Really, if they read their Bibles literally, they would see that Arabs are descended from Ishmael, son of Abraham and Hagar, both of them thrown into the desert by Sarah's hurt pride so Isaac will be the heir. They will read also that God talks to Hagar, pledges protection for them and Ishmael's descendants. Therefore per the Bible and other sources, both peoples -Jews and Arabs- are semitic, having Abraham as their ultimate father, and anyone hating Arabs is also being anti-semitic. It woudl seem that Jews -who've had their huge portion of suffering themselves, especially poor Jews- have appropriated the name "semite" for themselves. Especially in "The New Class" is evident the upside down reality the American Fascists have created for their followers to live in, as compared to what the authentic Jesus Christ really taught as His doctrine. Never mind that the true Jesus, though a rabbi by right, made Himself one of the poorest in his homeland, and never had the refinement to pronounce "thou" or "thine", surely speaking in Aramaic as the language of the fishermen and peasants in Judea. Never mind that what Jesus taught in Judea was "A new commandment I give unto thee, that thou lovest..." (aw shucks). Again: "A new commandment I give unto you, that you love your neighbor just as you love yourselves." Christ never qualified what kind of neighbor, whether they should be white Anglo-Saxon Protestant, Black, yellow, brown, whatever. He just said the word translated into Latin and Spanish as "the one right next to you", i.e., "próximo" or "prójimo".
Using the tactics of a refined Scientology (I know, I lost a friend to that greedy "church" here in Mexico), only now taking advantage of deeper religious roots, the American Christian Right aspire to resurrect Lord God of Hosts in the mind of anyone having the disgrace to be approached in a moment of despair, and aspire to prepare them to aide in the ultimate Apocalypse, which they will have one way or the other. Unlike Scientology, darker and more evil goals are at play. They masterly bide their time in accordance to US's rulers' bellicous schemes, say an attack on the Middle East, and uncannily coordinate it with the race toward nuclear war. For this purpose they use every resource, even "museums" that, lacking sound scientific bases, are more like childish theme parks so that followers can feel they've had a spiritual "coming-of-age".
As for Mr. D. James Kenndy totally false notion (which I doubt even he believes) that Catholicism is no more than a "cult", please note that the true Christ taught first to the Jews to fulfill the prophecies, then to the Gentiles so that salvation could reach the most hidden corners of the Earth. Upon the creation of Christianity the Catholic church became its visible representative, it is from Catholicism's mother lode that Protestantism was born, and it is both faiths' teachings that now Messrs. Kennedy, Dobson, Robertson and the like take unashamed advantage of to create their lying, lucrative dogmas. Then they seek total war on unbelievers to boot. Having never witnessed war, I think how stupidly glib must be comments on war from people who've never been in a battlefield or a massacre, never have seen or touched dead bodies, felt or smelled fresh blood, or witnessed the authentic despair of the survivors, who for the rest of their lives will be encroached by the most extreme post-traumatic stress which will go untreated for as long as Empire-minded Christian right persists in their dreams of Rapture and Political and Religious supremacy. Has anyone reader even have a war nightmare? Being under sniper fire in Oaxaca? Being in the middle of the nastiest massacre in a hospital-school in a field in a Central-American impoverished country? May God wake up decent Americans that they may join forces of reason to revive the true prestige of the United States of America, that is, not being the Ultimate Imperialist Force, but the Philosophical and Ethical Beacon the US was once considered to be. Keep in mind that the authentic Christ came as a watershed separating Israeli primitive tribes' Lord God of Hosts from the Authentic Superior God of Love; love to your neighbor: the one right next to you, anyplace, anytime.
What's my vested interest in this as a Mexican and an American (as I live in the American continent)? With Benedict XVI as Pope, Catholicism is grossly regressing into the right with all the resulting injustice. The American Christian Right use Catholics as allies and despise them. As a semi-preserved Catholic who read her Bible since she was ten, I knew of the massacres that the people of Israel justified as mandated by the God Lord of Hosts, I witnessed how Christ sent His Apostles to go and teach; he didn't specify who to teach or not. He just said Go and Teach. Poor (nonbelievers) in my country are poorer than ever in large part due to US-advocated policies; foreign priests are sent our way to urge the poor to accept their plight and wait for Heaven. I'm sure they'll go right into Heaven as they have lived for so long in Hell. Even the richer classes should see the convenience of not letting the lower classes (in their own country or otherwise) fall lower. The former slave Frederick Douglass once said, " Where justice is denied, where poverty is enforced, where ignorance prevails, and where any one class is made to feel that society is an organized conspiracy to oppress, rob and degrade them, neither persons nor property will be safe." I doubt Bush know who Douglass was, but any USAmerican who dares go out of his/her bubble will see this is a reality wherever the American supremacists have trodden on justice on this Earth.
I for one would argue that religions divide; if the true Christ is one with God, then only the authentic God unites. And that is precisely what Fascists do not want.
Very interesting reading........2007-09-27
I heard Mr. Hedges on C-Span the first time I ever heard of him. I cannot remember if it was a review or reading of the book. But what he said made me interested enough to read the book. I found it was very interesting and solid writing.
STORM WARNING RED.......2007-09-22
Everyone concerned with the rising tide of fascism in America under the guise of Christian religious fervor should read this book. People who kill in the name of Jesus Christ are beyond the pale -- devoid of truth and reason. Hedges nails them to the cross they burden others with. The only caveat is that Hedges seems to be as befuddled about Christianity as the ersatz Christians he excoriates. Perhaps he spent too much time in theological cemeteries. Nonetheless, his warning is timely and should be well heeded.
Scary.......2007-09-12
The connection between the far religious right and the spector of authoritarian rule is made very clear in this book. The possibility of a "Christian" takeover in the name of God should be on everyone's list of worries, and yet it seems hard to imagine. At least before you read this book.
Mr. Hedges paints a picture of congregations that are well meaning, but manipulated politically by preachers and pastors who have a very strong committment to destroying any plurality of culture in America. By using their own words and appearances, the author presents us with the very real possibility that these people could take over the government and, by extention, our lives. Many of his examples of calls for a more authoratarian, Christian rule are from direct contacts at meetings and rallies.
Strident and seemingly angry, Hedges can be repetitive in places. But the theme of the book is too important to worry about these minor stylistic issues. They certainly didn't get in the way of my reading of the book.
If you believe the conservative movement could be taken over by the religious right or not, this is an important book to read. It presents a truely scary image of what might be and what we might do to protect our liberties, Christian or otherwise.
Amazon.com
Personal-finance author and lecturer Robert Kiyosaki developed his unique economic perspective through exposure to a pair of disparate influences: his own highly educated but fiscally unstable father, and the multimillionaire eighth-grade dropout father of his closest friend. The lifelong monetary problems experienced by his "poor dad" (whose weekly paychecks, while respectable, were never quite sufficient to meet family needs) pounded home the counterpoint communicated by his "rich dad" (that "the poor and the middle class work for money," but "the rich have money work for them"). Taking that message to heart, Kiyosaki was able to retire at 47. Rich Dad, Poor Dad, written with consultant and CPA Sharon L. Lechter, lays out his the philosophy behind his relationship with money. Although Kiyosaki can take a frustratingly long time to make his points, his book nonetheless compellingly advocates for the type of "financial literacy" that's never taught in schools. Based on the principle that income-generating assets always provide healthier bottom-line results than even the best of traditional jobs, it explains how those assets might be acquired so that the jobs can eventually be shed. --Howard Rothman
Book Description
Personal-finance author and lecturer Robert Kiyosaki developed his unique economic perspective through exposure to a pair of disparate influences: his own highly educated but fiscally unstable father, and the multimillionaire eighth-grade dropout father of his closest friend. The lifelong monetary problems experienced by his "poor dad" (whose weekly paychecks, while respectable, were never quite sufficient to meet family needs) pounded home the counterpoint communicated by his "rich dad" (that "the poor and the middle class work for money," but "the rich have money work for them"). Taking that message to heart, Kiyosaki was able to retire at 47. Rich Dad, Poor Dad, written with consultant and CPA Sharon L. Lechter, lays out his the philosophy behind his relationship with money. Although Kiyosaki can take a frustratingly long time to make his points, his book nonetheless compellingly advocates for the type of "financial literacy" that's never taught in schools. Based on the principle that income-generating assets always provide healthier bottom-line results than even the best of traditional jobs, it explains how those assets might be acquired so that the jobs can eventually be shed. --Howard Rothman
Download Description
A #1 New York Times bestseller, 'Rich Dad, Poor Dad' is a true story on the lessons about money that Robert Kiyosaki learned from his two "dads." One dad, a Ph.D. and superintendent of education, never had enough money at the end of the month and died broke. His other dad dropped out of school at age 13 and went on to become one of the wealthiest men in Hawaii. 'Rich Dad, Poor Dad' will . . .· Explode the myth that you need to earn a high income to become rich · Challenge the belief that your house is an asset · Show parents why they can't rely on the school system to teach their kids about money
· Define once and for all an asset and a liability · Teach you what to teach your kids about money for their future financial success. In 'Rich Dad, Poor Dad', Robert Kiyosaki explains how to make your money work hard for you instead of you working hard for money.
Customer Reviews:
Great Information.......2007-10-03
This book was everything that I heard it was. Great for anyone trying to become rich!
Shameless in its Amorality .......2007-09-25
A book whose philosophy is near perfect in its amorality. In this self-help business book, Kiyosaki (a Japanese American who grew up in Hawaii) talks about his poor dad (his biological father, a public school teacher who tried to teach the values of honesty and hard work to his son during his life and who never became wealthy) and his rich dad (a local businessman who became his mentor and is probably something of a fictional figure). Kiyosaki admires his amoral rich dad: he even boasts how he paid less taxes than his biological father even though he was far richer. Many of this sort of pop business books end up claiming that personal greed ends up in a bigger public benefit, but this book doesn't even try to make this claim (because of this honesty, I rate this book two stars instead of a single one). As if that wasn't enough, Kiyosaki's business "advice" (mainly dealing with real estate) is vague and run of the mill (no one will get rich by following this book, but he did get rich rich from writing it, much more than from his business deals).
Great book to change the way you think about making money!!!.......2007-09-23
I was told to buy this book from someone whom I skate with who has a house that looks like a hotel. Ok enough said on that.
This book is for the person who's lived their life believing that they have to work for someone else and get a salary and be productive their whole life. The average working way to think about making money. This book tells you how to think differently about whole the idea of making money. This book won't tell you how to make a single cent, but rather how to notice opportunities and strike when the average person would stand back and say "you're crazy for doing this". Notice a trend in thinking here, the crazy people who did stuff when no one else did are the ones who are usually wealthy in a short period of time compared to the one who's tied to their office hoping for a raise of some kind or recognition.
Excellent philosophy and ideas and pretty good reading.......2007-09-19
I had to start this book 3 times because I wasn't too impressed with the beginning and kept putting it aside, but once I got to about page 34 I had gotten a couple of good ideas and by page 100 I was hooked. The beginning was a lesson that made sense later. I don't necessarily agree with everything in the book, but I think it has thought provoking ideas how different people think and gives excellent information and philosophy.
Good for motivation, BAD for instruction.......2007-09-19
This book really opened my eyes to the fact that you can't be a wage slave all your life, so thanks for that. BUT, and this is a big but, Kiosaki is at heart a huckster. Research it online and you find "Rich Dad" doesn't exist. Kiosaki made him up. Once you realize this you realize that there's no lessons from a genius entrepreneur/investor but rather the whimsical musings of one man who made his fortune giving speeches and taking people's money in seminars. In interview after interview, he refuses to cite a single real-estate deal or concrete comapny he invested in - it's all nebulous and contradictory, just like his life story. So go ahead, buy a used copy for a buck or two, be inspired, but don't be sucked in. And whatever you do, don't pay for his "Rich Dad Coaching" scam through his website. I would, however, recommend getting the Cashflow 101 game, but NOT 202.
Average customer rating:
- Harris dares to imagine no religion
- About the same as fellow atheists Dawkins and Hitchens but a tad more reasonable
- The End of Bad Arguments? Unfortunately Not
- Magnum opus
- The most immediate of the atheist books.
|
The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason
Sam Harris
Manufacturer: W. W. Norton
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Current Events
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Terrorism
| Current Events
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Philosophy
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Rationalism
| Movements
| Philosophy
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Politics
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Relations
| International
| Politics
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Freedom & Security
| Politics
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
International Security
| Freedom & Security
| Politics
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
Comparative Religion
| Religious Studies
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
Psychology
| Religious Studies
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
Sociology
| Religious Studies
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
Look Inside Nonfiction Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Look Inside Religion & Spirituality Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Letter to a Christian Nation
-
The God Delusion
-
God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything
-
Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon
-
Atheist Universe: The Thinking Person's Answer to Christian Fundamentalism
ASIN: 0393327655 |
Amazon.com
Sam Harris cranks out blunt, hard-hitting chapters to make his case for why faith itself is the most dangerous element of modern life. And if the devil's in the details, then you'll find Satan waiting at the back of the book in the very substantial notes section where Harris saves his more esoteric discussions to avoid sidetracking the urgency of his message.
Interestingly, Harris is not just focused on debunking religious faith, though he makes his compelling arguments with verve and intellectual clarity. The End of Faith is also a bit of a philosophical Swiss Army knife. Once he has presented his arguments on why, in an age of Weapons of Mass Destruction, belief is now a hazard of great proportions, he focuses on proposing alternate approaches to the mysteries of life. Harris recognizes the truth of the human condition, that we fear death, and we often crave "something more" we cannot easily define, and which is not met by accumulating more material possessions. But by attempting to provide the cure for the ills it defines, the book bites off a bit more than it can comfortably chew in its modest page count (however the rich Bibliography provides more than enough background for an intrigued reader to follow up for months on any particular strand of the author' musings.)
Harris' heart is not as much in the latter chapters, though, but in presenting his main premise. Simply stated, any belief system that speaks with assurance about the hereafter has the potential to place far less value on the here and now. And thus the corollary -- when death is simply a door translating us from one existence to another, it loses its sting and finality. Harris pointedly asks us to consider that those who do not fear death for themselves, and who also revere ancient scriptures instructing them to mete it out generously to others, may soon have these weapons in their own hands. If thoughts along the same line haunt you, this is your book.--Ed Dobeas
Book Description
An impassioned plea for reason in a world divided by faith.
This important and timely book delivers a startling analysis of the clash of faith and reason in today's world. Harris offers a vivid historical tour of mankind's willingness to suspend reason in favor of religious beliefs, even when those beliefs are used to justify harmful behavior and sometimes-heinous crimes. He asserts that in the shadow of weapons of mass destruction, we can no longer tolerate views that pit one true god against another. Most controversially, he argues that we cannot afford moderate lip service to religion—an accommodation that only blinds us to the real perils of fundamentalism. While warning against the encroachment of organized religion into world politics, Harris also draws on new evidence from neuroscience and insights from philosophy to explore spirituality as a biological, brain-based need. He calls on us to invoke that need in taking a secular humanistic approach to solving the problems of this world.
Natalie Angier wrote in the New York Times: "The End of Faith articulates the dangers and absurdities of organized religion so fiercely and so fearlessly that I felt relieved as I read it, vindicated….Harris writes what a sizable number of us think, but few are willing to say."
Customer Reviews:
Harris dares to imagine no religion.......2007-09-26
This book is so much fun to read I read it twice. Harris writes with passion, erudition, and razor-sharp wit. His book has forced so-called religious moderates to begin taking responsibility for the zealots they unintentionally shelter, and he has demonstrated that a world with powerfully destructive technologies, such as ours, can no longer afford the luxury of basing policy on tribal superstitions and on supernatural claims that cannot possibly be substantiated with evidence. Highly recommended.
About the same as fellow atheists Dawkins and Hitchens but a tad more reasonable.......2007-09-22
Sam Harris like Hitchens and Dawkins is a master at setting up religious straw-men and then knocking them down. It is more fun and sells more books than taking on the real thing. Then it becomes balanced and boring. The author looks at the great evils in the world, the cause of which many others have attributed to nationalism, capitalism, lack of "lebensraum" etc. and claims that religion was the real cause. "Knowingly or not Nazis were agents of religion."... "Stalin and Mao killed millions because "communism was little more than a political religion." Why are the millions killed by Paul Pot not mentioned was he not trying to please God like Stalin, Mao and Hitler? Looking at Webster's definition of religion it is clear that these three ruthless dictators were not great religious leaders.
The author is using words incorrectly to make false accusations. A "political religion" is not religion if it does not profess a belief in an after life and God. But the author ignores that fact, because he is out to pin as many bad things on the word "religion" as possible..
Unlike Hitchens Sam Harris is an atheist who does see bigger differences among religions. He thinks Islam, for example, is especially bad ("cult of death").
I did not know that Noam Chomsky was any kind of religious thinker but the author takes a swipe at Noam by stating that Chomsky's view of moral equivalence is a big mistake." It is not clear how that fits in with his attacks on religion, but he gets the third star for that anyway.
The End of Bad Arguments? Unfortunately Not.......2007-09-19
Sam Harris's "The End of Faith" is an assault upon religion, blind faith, and fundamentalist violence. However, clear thinking Christians have little to fear from Harris's social critique.
The majority of the book is an exposition of the evils, real or imagined, produced by religion. Harris discusses current atrocities, including September 11 and suicide bombings in Israel, as well as past atrocities, including the Inquisition and the Salem Witch Trials. This leads to the natural question- if Harris (an atheist) is so critical of religious horrors, how can he explain the atheistic regimes of Hitler, Stalin, Mao, and Pol Pot, which collectively were responsible for millions of deaths? Harris claims that, while they may not have been explicitly religious, these evil regimes were the result of poor thinking. He states in his afterword-
"While some of the most despicable political movements in human history have been explicitly irreligious, they were not especially rational. The public pronouncements of these regimes have been mere litanies of delusion- about race, economics, national identity, the march of history, or the moral dangers of intellectualism." [231]
Thus, we see that The End of Faith does not really support atheism or oppose religion, it simply supports reason and opposes blind faith. Otherwise, his critique of religion is completely arbitrary, as he admits in this quoted passage that the real enemy is not simply religious faith, but irrationality itself. Thus, Harris needs to demonstrate that Christianity inherently necessitates irrational faith if he wishes to demonstrate that it should be rejected. Throughout the book, Harris merely assumes that so-called "fundamentalist" Christians can only exist through blind faith, but his assumption is both unproven and incorrect. Despite railing on about the supposed irrationality of religion, Harris never once deals with any of the arguments offered by Christians either historically or in the present day. There is no critique of the Cosmological Argument, no consideration of the evidence for the empty tomb, no critique of biblical passages or doctrines. Harris simply assumes that Christianity requires blind faith, argues that blind faith is both stupid and dangerous, and declares victory. The problem is that he has never shown that Christianity requires blind faith.
The other problem with Harris's approach is a common one- he assumes that the misdeeds of religious followers invalidates the religion itself.
Thus, the majority of Harris's book is simply not relevant for intelligent Christians. Surprisingly, however, there is some value in The End of Faith. For example, he discusses morality and makes a good case for charitable giving, and discusses politics and law, and makes a good case for the legalization of (some) drugs as a matter of public policy. However, as a critique of religion in general, and Christianity in particular, "The End of Faith" fails quite miserably.
Magnum opus.......2007-09-11
This is a skillfully written treatise on the danger of faith in a world where religious zealots with 14th century ideas have access to 21st century weapons. The most important lesson I took from this book was that the fundamentalists should not be the focus of our scrutiny so much as liberals and moderates who empower these extremists by complacency in their literal interpretation of the Bible/Koran. There are so many points of wisdom in this book; I cannot begin to list them. It is by far tops on my list of "must read". The audiobook was narrated by Brian Emerson whom I wish could narrate all the audiobooks I've listen to. He is clear and precise in his enunciations while thoroughly familiar with the material, revealed by his vocal inflections. This was a relief after listening to The God Delusion, a rapid British oration by the husband/wife duo that was hard to follow, or the God Is Not Great masterpiece by Christopher Hitchens. I couldn't make out half of the audiobook due to the poor oration and mumbling of Hitchens. I will be forced to actually break down and read the book. I patently await the next Harris book with childlike anticipation.
The most immediate of the atheist books........2007-09-10
A concentration of books about atheism has been published in recent years. Perhaps this rush of counter-cultural sentiment shares its impetus with Sam Harris's purported reason for writing this book: the brutal destruction of the World Trade Center which ended thousands of lives, and continues to impact the health of anyone around to breathe the splinters of asbestos scattered as the towers burned and fell. Some people view world events in purely secular terms, believing that there are socio-economic reasons for everything, neatly leaving what many people consider to be the core of their motivations out of the equation. It's this finessed dance around the topic of religion's darker impact on society that Sam Harris aims to end, in order to bring the taboo subject into "the conversation," as he often puts it.
Where Richard Dawkins's "The God Delusion" amiably makes the case for science and reason, and Christopher Hitchens's "God is Not Great" elaborates on the absurdity of faith with graceful sarcasm, "The End of Faith" seems the most socially pragmatic, in that it begins with the problems of religion, and closes with alternatives to it. Unlike the previous two books which could leave an a believer or agnostic feeling lost in the wilderness, Harris tosses us a bone in proposing that things like meditation may actually be helpful, and that he hopes for a future (from a neurologist's perspective) that includes a "mature science of the mind," which would aim to explore (and later utilize) the subjective experiences people have in a more systematic way.
I recommend this book anyone on the fence about the rationality of religion in public affairs.
Books:
- Ascended Masters Oracle Cards: 44-Card Deck and guidebook
- Betraying Spinoza: The Renegade Jew Who Gave Us Modernity
- Big Book of Cartooning
- Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army
- Book of the Dead (Kay Scarpetta, No. 15)
- Bridge For Dummies (For Dummies (Sports & Hobbies))
The Truth About Muhammad: Founder of the World's Most Intolerant Religion
Unstoppable Global Warming: Every 1,500 Years
While Europe Slept: How Radical Islam is Destroying the West from Within
The Politically Incorrect Guide(tm) to Islam (and the Crusades) (Politically Incorrect Guides)
Because They Hate: A Survivor of Islamic Terror Warns America
