Understanding Terrorism: Challenges, Perspectives, and Issues

Average customer rating:

Gravely Inadequate

Terrorism and its history

An excellent purchase for both college-level reference holdings and for assigned reading for courses on social issues

Good and so-so information

Understanding Terrorism: Challenges, Perspectives, and Issues
Clarence Augustus Martin
Manufacturer: Sage Publications, Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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American National Security

Terrorism and Homeland Security: An Introduction

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Annual Editions: Violence and Terrorism 07/08 (Annual Editions Violence and Terrorism)

ASIN: 1412927226

Book Description

"Let me say that this book is one of the most comprehensive works on the matter that I have ever had the pleasure of reading."
—Timothy N. Cash, STG Safety & Security Institute

In the same dynamic spirit as the prior edition, the Second Edition of Understanding Terrorism: Challenges, Perspectives, and Issues continues to provide students with an interesting, accessible and comprehensive exploration of contemporary terrorism. This new edition is completely updated to offer the most recent theories and cases related to terrorist activity and efforts to combat terrorism over the last three years.

New to the Second Edition:

Offers a new chapter on religious terrorism: Because religious terrorism has become so prominent in the world today, it is important for readers to investigate the different manifestations of religious violence. This new chapter evaluates the historical and modern origins, as well as the quality of religious terrorism to help students develop a contextual perspective on the modern era of religious violence.
Includes coverage of cutting-edge issues: New material on gender-selective terrorism and the nexus between criminal enterprises and terrorist violence is provided to orient readers to these emerging topics and stimulate critical thinking. A consolidated chapter on ideological terrorism is also included, in which the causes of left-wing and right-wing terrorism are identified, as are the qualities of ideological violence.
Provides updated pedagogy: Opening Viewpoints begin each chapter to express in human terms the roots and responses to terrorism. All maps, tables, case studies, and Web exercises have been updated to help students better understand the concepts and issues presented within the text. In addition, more photos are used to help illustrate the violence caused by terrorist activity as well as provide visual context to other areas of the world and different time periods.

Accompanied by High-Quality Ancillaries!

Instructor's Resource CD-ROM: provides test questions, maps from the book, and guidance on using Discussion Boxes
Companion Web site at www.sagepub.com/Martin2Study containts research articles focusing on terrorism that are useful to instructors and students alike for review and further research

Intended Audience:

This text is ideal for advanced undergraduate and graduate courses on Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Political Conflict in the fields of Criminal Justice, Political Science, Administration of Justice, Sociology, Public Administration, and Peace Studies; as well as for professionals, such as law enforcement, corporate, or other agency employees.

Customer Reviews:

Gravely Inadequate.......2007-07-29

"Understanding Terrorism: Challenges, Perspectives, and Issues," Second Edition, by C. Augustus "Gus" Martin, over 14 Chapters, addresses terrorism from multiple perspectives: the political right and left, state and non-state, religious and secular, criminal and non-criminal. Each chapter is supported by end notes and the book contains an appendix for maps, one for historical examples, and a glossary/index. There is no bibliography.

Chapter 6, "Violence in the Name of Faith: Religious Terrorism," pages 182-217 devotes a section to "Understanding Jihad as a Primary Religious Motive: An Observation and Caveat" which is covered on pages 187-188. Martin makes the following observations:

(1) "One such misunderstanding is the common belief that the concept of "holy war" is an underlying principle of the Islamic Faith. Another misunderstanding is that Muslims are united in supporting jihad. This is simplistic and fundamentally incorrect. Although the term "jihad" is widely presumed in the West to refer exclusively to waging war against nonbelievers, an Islamic jihad is not the equivalent to a Christian Crusade" p. 187.

(2) "It is permissible - and even a duty - to wage war to defend the faith against aggressors. Under this type of jihad warfare is conceptually defensive in nature; in contrast the Christian Crusades were conceptually offensive in nature" p. 188.

"Holy war" is not an underlying principle of Islam, but as a strategic theme within Islam, "jihad" is. Within the Koran, the Haddiths, and the Sunna, less than ten percent of the discussion is on the greater jihad (personal striving) while the remaining 90 percent is on the lesser jihad (warfighting). Martin fails to identify or discuss the combat, combat support and combat service support obligations of jihad contained in Islamic Law (the Koran, the Haddiths, and the Sunna) and clarified in Islamic legal texts such as "Reliance of the Traveller: A Classic Manual of Islamic Sacred Law" p. 599-605, "The Distinguished Jurist's Primer" (Vol 1 and 2) p. 454-487, and "Riyad-us-Saliheen" p. 976-1016.

Martin states that jihad is defensive while the Crusades were offensive. A reading of the above legal texts gives insight to the term "defensive." In war, unbelievers are offered three alternatives: Conversion, subjugation and payment of the jizya, or war. A refusal to submit is an offensive act and the resulting combat is, from the Islamic perspective, defensive. Martin fails to inform the reader of this key distinction and its implications.

With regard to the Crusades, Martin fails to tell the reader that the First Crusade was a delayed response to Islamic expansion and the capture by Islam of 1/3 of the Christian lands. Islam's strategic offense triggered Christianity's strategic defense: the First Crusade.

Martin states that "The Five Pillars are faith, prayer, zakat (alms or charity), fasting during the month of Ramadan, and the hajj (pilgrimage) to the holy city of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, for those who are able" p. 202. A check of the index fails to reveal a more substantive discussion on zakat that should have told the reader that there are eight categories of disbursement in zakat, three of which support jihad: Those fighting in the way of Allah; those whose hearts are to be reconciled, and travelers needing money. Of these three obligatory categories of disbursement, the most significant is "Those Fighting For Allah" which is defined by "Reliance of the Traveller", p.272, as "Those engaged in Islamic military operations for whom no salary has been allotted in the army roster; Given enough to suffice them for the operation even if affluent of: weapons, mounts, clothing, expenses, and for the duration of the journey, round trip, and the time they spend there. Current interpretation and practice has been to provide expenses in supporting such person's family during this period." Martin fails to explain to the reader that zakat (almsgiving in Islam) is an asymmetrical warfare funding mechanism.

The failure to more fully develop the discussion on jihad outlining the combat, combat support and combat service support obligations Islamic Law imposes on Muslims, the failure to carefully characterize and define the term "defensive" in the context of "defensive jihad", the failure to articulate the offensive expansion triggering the First Crusade, and the failure to fully explain the true nature of zakat (almsgiving) seriously undermine the value of "Understanding Terrorism" as a credible reference.

Terrorism and its history.......2007-07-07

This book is a terrific intro to terrorism and its history, but more than that it really depends on what you hope to achieve by reading this book. If this book has been assigned by a professor, you are on your way to a fundamental understanding of terrorism and its consequences, root causes, etc. If you are reading this book for leisure, with no lecture/seminar accompanying it, then it is a good read but not as worthwhile. I would recommend books by the pre-eminent scholars of terrorism like Bruce Hoffman, and his mentor Walter Lacquer.

An excellent purchase for both college-level reference holdings and for assigned reading for courses on social issues.......2006-05-21

The second updated edition of UNDERSTANDING TERRORISM: CHALLENGES, PERSPECTIVES, AND ISSUES is an excellent purchase for both college-level reference holdings and for assigned reading for college-level courses on social issues. Added here is a new chapter on religious terrorism, reviews of new material on gender terrorism and criminal businesses, updates on pedagogy, and a format which includes test questions, amps from the book, and more on both a CD-ROM and an accompanying web site. Plenty of examples from events around the world pepper surveys which cover the politics, economics, and social foundations of international terrorist experiences.

Diane C. Donovan, Editor
California Bookwatch

Good and so-so information.......2005-06-10

Martin's book is a very detailed review, with examples, of alternative motivations and ideological orientation of 20th and 21st century terrorists. The web links and details about terrorist organizations are very good but the later chapters are a bit redundant. It is a fine primer on terrorism but his attempt to create typologies for all manner of information is less-than-successful because categories in later chapters are either overlapping or describe fairly minor points.

Why Geography Matters: Three Challenges Facing America: Climate Change, the Rise of China, and Global Terrorism

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Occasionally insightful, but generally uninspired
Important book
What we should have learned in school about the world...
Very informative reading
Debunking the global warming myth!

Why Geography Matters: Three Challenges Facing America: Climate Change, the Rise of China, and Global Terrorism
Harm de Blij
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0195315820

Book Description

Over the next half century, the human population, divided by culture and economics and armed with weapons of mass destruction, will expand to nearly 9 billion people. Abrupt climate change may throw the global system into chaos; China will emerge as a superpower; and Islamic terrorism and insurgency will threaten vital American interests. How can we understand these and other global challenges? Harm de Blij has a simple answer: by improving our understanding of the world's geography. In Why Geography Matters, de Blij demonstrates how geography's perspectives yield unique and penetrating insights into the interconnections that mark our shrinking world. Preparing for climate change, averting a cold war with China, defeating terrorism: all of this requires geographic knowledge. De Blij also makes an urgent call to restore geography to America's educational curriculum. He shows how and why the U.S. has become the world's most geographically illiterate society of consequence, and demonstrates the great risk this poses to America's national security. Peppering his writing with anecdotes from his own professional travels, de Blij provides an original treatise that is as engaging as it is eye opening. Casual or professional readers in areas such as education, politics, or national security will find themselves with a stimulating new perspective on geography as it continues to affect our world.

Customer Reviews:

Occasionally insightful, but generally uninspired.......2007-08-29

I would describe this book as the rambling--but occasionally insightful--musings of a thoughtful scholar. Unfortunately, many, if not most, of Blij's arguments are not made from a geographic perspective. For instance, his chapter on the European Union rambles on for page after page about the history of the EU from the European Coal and Steel Community, to the European Economic Community, to the European Community, and, finally, to the European Union. That's not to say that's not and interesting and important history lesson for people who are unfamiliar with EU history, but its not geographic! I was hoping for a book of theories explaining human events using reasoning built on spatial orientations or location. Why Geography Matters had some of that, but Blij could have, in my view, omitted much of the voluminous background information. Doing some would have made his book more concise and allowing his genuine insights to be featured more prominently.

And for what its worth, the book could have used a better editor. For instance, on p.160 it refers to "South Ossetia" as a Russian Republic instead of North Ossetia. I noticed a couple errors like this.

Perhaps, I would be more positive about this book if its last chapter hadn't been the low point. The chapter on Africa had absolutely nothing original to say (AIDS is bad, we need to do more to stop it; colonization and slavery were bad too; Africa has been plagued by bad leadership; etc.).

Important book.......2007-08-28

This is an exceptional and needed introduction to Geography and how it relates to world problems.

What we should have learned in school about the world..........2007-05-27

This is essential reading for anyone who should have a sound foundation of knowledge to back up one's social commentary, but doesn't. Geography can be understood and used to understand our world with great clarity. Everyone who watched Al Gore's movie should read this book if only to know that Harm de Blij has been explaining geographic issues for decades better than nearly anyone.

The US Department of Education needs to buy and issue a copy of this book to every teacher in America.

Very informative reading.......2007-05-13

This is definitely a quality work in the field of Geography with an emphasis on Politics i.e. GeoPolitics. However, it is important to point out a couple of incorrect facts I found while reading this work.

1. On page 190 we have the statement, "On an aircraft carrier off the coast of California, President Bush declared "mission accomplished.", regarding the war in Iraq. If you read the speech that President Bush gave, you will find that he never uttered the words "mission accomplished." The author just regurgitated this line from the biased print media i.e. The NYTimes, Time, Newsweek, etc... Intuitively, if you think about it, George Bush, assigns the mission to the military and after assigning the mission to the military he is not going to turn around and say good "mission accomplished. That is what the military's response, will be, to the President, after they have completed the mission. This is reflected by the fact that the military hung a banner up on the aircraft carrier that said "Mission Accomplished."

2. On pages 193-194 The author states. "The American invasion severly damaged the city, which was for months afterward, and remains as of this writing, without a reliable water supply, power, medical facilities, or schools." It is very true that much of the infrastructure in Iraq is severly damaged, but the author has tried to blame this on American firepower and it is simply not true. The precision guided weapons our U.S. forces utilized were excellent at avoiding collateral damage. The truth is more damning for the Saddam regime. THE INFRASTUCTURE DAMAGE WAS CAUSED BY 30 PLUS YEARS OF NEGLECT ON THE PART OF THE BAATH PARTY AND NOT AMERICAN MILITARY MIGHT. Also, the military planners who provided for getting the infrastructure back online, after the war, grossly underestimated the level of the existing infrastructure of Iraq, before the U.S. military even set foot inside the country.

Overall I recommend this work, but it cannot be given five stars due to these errors.

Debunking the global warming myth!.......2007-03-08

This is an excellent book based on scientific fact debunking the "global warming" myth.

I highly recommend this book.

Terror on the Internet: The New Arena, the New Challenges

Average customer rating:

Thinking about Terror
Hezbollah has 500 sites, 250 originating in the US
Fear mongering and calls for government intervention
Terror on the Internet
Scary, well-written study, very important

Terror on the Internet: The New Arena, the New Challenges
Gabriel Weimann
Manufacturer: The United States Institute of Peace
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1929223714

Book Description

Terrorists fight their wars in cyberspace as well as on the ground. However, while politicians and the media have hotly debated the dangers of terrorists sabotaging the Internet, surprisingly little is known about terrorists’ actual use of the Internet.

In this timely and eye-opening volume, Gabriel Weimann reveals that terrorist organizations and their supporters maintain hundreds of websites, taking advantage of the unregulated, anonymous, and accessible nature of the Internet to target an array of messages to diverse audiences. Drawing on a seven-year study of the World Wide Web, the author examines how modern terrorist organizations exploit the Internet to raise funds, recruit members, plan and launch attacks, and publicize their chilling results. Weimann also investigates the effectiveness of counterterrorism measures and warns that this cyberwar may cost us dearly in terms of civil rights.

Illustrated with numerous examples taken from terrorist websites, Terror on the Internet offers the definitive introduction to this emerging and dynamic arena. Weimann lays bare the challenges we collectively face in confronting the growing and increasingly sophisticated terrorist presence on the Net. A publication of the United States Institute of Peace, distributed by Potomac Books, Inc.

Customer Reviews:

Thinking about Terror.......2007-01-09

This is a comprehensive study of the Internet, how it is used by terrorist group--not just Islamic terrorists or al-Qaeda, but also the IRA, and South American terrorist groups as well--and what measures are being taken to combat the growing use of the Internet by terrorists. Perhaps the most valuable portion of the book is the discussion of civil liberties and tracking/surveillance of the Internet. Mr. Weimann does an excellent job of pointing out the problems inherent on both sides of the issue, but does more than that--he offers solutions to the questions he raises. A bit outdated, the Patriot Act update was not yet passed by Congress when this book went to press. Many of the concerns of Internet surveillance were addressed in the Patriot Act update of 2006. Still, a great resource for the average thinking person who wants to be reasonably informed on the dangers facing our country. Politically neutral.

Hezbollah has 500 sites, 250 originating in the US.......2006-08-23

Terrorist websites have increased from several hundred a few years ago to over 5,000 at this time - and that only counts those documented by strict criteria. Hezbollah has cartoon websites targeting children that depict beheadings and advocate all the atrocities committed by adult terrorists. Al Queda and others have websites targeting women. Throughout the web, messages from various organizations glorify suicide attacks.

These websites are used for recruitment, distribution of literature, manuals, instructions, fund-raising, car-bombs, use of missiles - any needs of the organization. A jihad on-line encyclopedia is available, and participants may come and go with anonymity.

Chat rooms contain debates between members of different organizations - which certainly open the door for counterterrorism efforts. These sites are monitored by government agencies from many countries.

All methods of censoring these sites run the risk of damaging our civil liberties, although this is not a problem for some countries.

The author covers the material well and ends with a caveat and a recommendation. Caveat - that this is a psychological war over minds and hearts. Recommendation - that we be proactive by producing anti-terrorism websites. Most young people participating on terrorism websites never see another version of life and truth.

Fear mongering and calls for government intervention.......2006-08-21

Mr. Weimann from Israel wants American government control over access to certain Internet websites so that terrorists won't be able to communicate; or perhaps the real reason is to block Moslem news and propaganda so that we will be exposed only to Israeli slanted news and propaganda. That way the US can continue to support Israeli efforts at ethnic cleansing from all the land which they say God promised them.

Terror on the Internet.......2006-08-05

Good book to get a clear picture of how terrorists now use the Internet as a central part of their operations. Weimann is a well-respected scholar who cleary has his finger on the pulse of modern terrorism.

Scary, well-written study, very important.......2006-05-03

This is a scary book about the ways terrorists are using the Internet. It is very interesting, well documented, well-written (easy for people like me who are not sophisticated Internet users) and very alarming. The author knows well the dark sides of the Net and guides the readers to the darkest virtual streets modern terrorists take when using the cyberspace. The book is loaded with examples from various terrorist groups (all are now on the Net) and relates the findings to the framework of communication studies and psychological warfare. What to do about it? Well, read the book's last chapters...
I highly recommend this book though it left me troubled and scared.
Michael Wise

Intervention, Terrorism, and Torture: Contemporary Challenges to Just War Theory (AMINTAPHIL: The Philosophical Foundations of Law and Justice)

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Intervention, Terrorism, and Torture: Contemporary Challenges to Just War Theory (AMINTAPHIL: The Philosophical Foundations of Law and Justice)

Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1402046774

Book Description

Just war theory is the traditional approach taken to questions of the morality of war, but war today is far from traditional. War has been deeply affected in recent years by a variety of social and technological developments in areas such as international terrorism, campaigns of genocide and ethnic cleansing, the global human rights movement, economic globalization, and military technology. This book asks whether just war theory is adequate to the challenges these developments pose. Just war theory provides rules for determining when it is justified to fight a war. But some have argued that the nature of contemporary war makes these rules obsolete. For example, genocidal and aggressive regimes may require the use of military force that is not strictly in self-defense, as just war theory requires. In addition, the theory provides rules for determining what the limits are on justified conduct in war. But the random violence of terrorism and the deliberately inflicted violence of torture seem endemic to our age, yet take us beyond the limits set by these rules of conduct in war. By carefully examining the phenomena of intervention, terrorism, and torture from a number of different perspectives, the essays in this book explore this set of issues with insight and clarity.

Why Terrorism Works: Understanding the Threat, Responding to the Challenge

Average customer rating:

This book is great!
It works alright...
Torture is Good for the Commonweal
Unfortunately more true today than when the book was published
Very well thought out

Why Terrorism Works: Understanding the Threat, Responding to the Challenge
Alan M. Dershowitz
Manufacturer: Yale University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0300101538

Book Description

The greatest danger facing the world today, says Alan M. Dershowitz, comes from religiously inspired, state sponsored terrorist groups that seek to develop weapons of mass destruction for use against civilian targets. In his newest book, Dershowitz argues passionately and persuasively that global terrorism is a phenomenon largely of our own making and that we must and can take steps to reduce the frequency and severity of terrorist acts.

Customer Reviews:

This book is great!.......2007-05-19

This book is insightful and well written. Obviously anything written by Alan Dershowitz is going to be amazing, but I found that I share a lot of his views. Before reading this book I felt that terrorism works because our global community rewards it. I continue to feel that way, but I now know of historical instances to back it up.
The depth of story he tells about the reign of terror the Palestinians have led makes me so much more aware. All I hear about today is the war in Iraq, but this book shows that Iraq is not the beginning. It also shows that terrorists get ideas from fellow terrorist organizations.
I feel that this is an important book to read because of the vivid explanations of some of the world's most heinous acts of terror. The book explains how you can prevent terror, how it started, and how to be more aware even if it is not in the news. If you are someone who likes politics, world history, or would just like a general understanding of the intentions of terrorists, this is the book for you.

It works alright..........2007-03-31

Terrorism (the use of fear to persuade and manipulate the masses) works due to the efforts of people like Dershowitz.

When ordered to guard the oil pipelines being aimed in Israel's direction one doesn't need a man who makes his living protecting murderers to explain the ways in which terror works.

- J

Torture is Good for the Commonweal.......2005-11-23

Noted civil libertarian Alan Dershowitz joins forces with noted civil libertarian Dick Cheney in "Why Terrorism Works" and calls for the "judicious" use of torture when dealing with our enemies. According to the Dershowitz/Cheyney school of interrogation, if a foe's testicles are crushed in a vice- a "sterile" vice-then he will tell all. What he will tell is whatever the testicle mashers want to hear so that they will stop mashing his testicles. The good professor has evidently forgotten the hoary old legal chestnut about one drop of ink polluting the whole bottle of milk, usually cited by the trial lawyer asking for a mistrial because a witness has blurted out inadmissable evidence in front of a jury. Torture is wrong, morally and constitutionally. A wee bit of it applied to really bad people is still wrong.

Unfortunately more true today than when the book was published .......2005-09-15

The main thesis of this work is that the international community rewards Terrorism. A good part of the examples presented relate to the tremendous success Palestinian terrorism has had in moving the international community to applaud and reward terror. Today Terrorism is thriving on many different fronts, most of which have some connection with a discontented Islamic group of one kind or another.
Since this book was written we have not seen the international community forcefully take a stand in support of the US in its effort to move Iraq to a democratic future. Instead the Sunni terrorists who are daily murdering their fellow Muslims are rewarded by the support, clandestine or otherwise, of Arab countries.
The Palestinians, who have done more for international terror than any other people, have just been given the prize of having Jews removed from Gaza. Their reaction was the burning of synagogues and promises that they will war against Israel until they have destroyed it completely. For these kind actions they were treated as usual with kid gloves by the Western Media, which has an ambivalent attitude towards terror.
Dershowitz in this book makes recommedations for American policies including the introduction of identity- cards, which he hopes will stem future acts of terror.
Most experts however believe that the cat is already out of the bag, and that the US is filled with sleeper cells , ready to produce the next great mass horror. Let's pray this is not true, and the terrorists have been trying, and have not succeeded to this point.
One more point in this rambling review. The US war on terror is compromised by its support of the Saudi Regime. The Saudi Regime has cultivated Wahhabi Islam which is the main source not only of the Osama Bin- Laden way of thought but of most of the radical Islamic terror in the world. The US has not known how to deal with the Saudi problem. And now has a great threat in terror coming from Iran, the threat of nuclear terror.
Dershowitz does not outline the full range of problems confronting the West in confronting Terror. But he does show how Terror has paid, and has not been stopped.
Unfortunately, if the Western world does not learn to do better against this scourge, all of human civilization , and the worlds of freedom which so many of us have been fortunate to have known all our adult lives, will be severely threatened in the future.

Very well thought out.......2005-02-15

This was an extremely interesting book for me. Although, there are some minor contentions I have with some of the points raised in this book, I believe that torture warrants can have its place. One reviewer shocked me by saying even if the fingernail torture would work, she wouldn't care because it is simply 'wrong' for this country to ever do such a thing. The worst wrong is to know some terrorists have crucial information that can save many innocent American lives, but refuse to talk. If it means saving many American lives from hell and murder, it would be more evil to ignore possibly millions of innocents who have a right to live but may not, as oppossed to worrying about the extreme non-lethal pain under a terrorists fingernails who by confessing important information may help the United States to protect its own. Admittily, this country has soul searching to do regarding why the unbelievable has happened and can happen again which may perhaps be as painful as torture itself. But under the criteria outlined in Dershowitz's book, the controlled torture warrants in very extreme cases is the lesser of the two evils by far.

Beyond the Spectacle of Terrorism: Global Uncertainty and the Challenge of the New Media (The Radical Imagination)

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Beyond the Spectacle of Terrorism: Global Uncertainty and the Challenge of the New Media (The Radical Imagination)
Henry A. Giroux
Manufacturer: Paradigm Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 159451240X

Book Description

Prominent social critic Henry Giroux explores how new forms of media are challenging the very nature of politics in his most poignant and striking book to date.

The emergence of the spectacle of terror as a new form of politics raises important questions about how fear and anxiety can be marketed, how terrorism can be used to recruit people in support of authoritarian causes, and how the spectacle of terrorism works in an age of injustices, deep insecurities, disembodied social relations, fragmented communities, and a growing militarization of everyday life. At the same time, the new media such as the Internet, digital camcorders, and cell phones can be used to energize sites of resistance, provide alternative public spheres, pluralize political struggles, and expand rather than close down democratic relations. Giroux considers what conditions and changes are necessary to reinvigorate democracy in light of these new challenges.

Terrorism and Peacekeeping: New Security Challenges Instructor's Manual

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Terrorism and Peacekeeping: New Security Challenges Instructor's Manual

Manufacturer: Praeger Paperback
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0275985598

Book Description

Over the last decade, asymmetric warfare and terrorism have become prevalent threats to the United States. National security, today more than at any other time, demands decision-making under uncertainty. The issues presented in this book demonstrate that the value of planning lies in how well the United States can prepare for a perpetually unpredictable future. Each chapter examines pertinent management, leadership, and accountability issues related to U.S. national security and places readers at the center of difficult decisions. Although the cases collected in this volume revolve around national security related policy questions, they also illustrate more general policy dilemmas and are designed to stimulate new ideas.

Street Fighter Marketing Solutions: How One-On-One Marketing Will Help You Overcome the Sales Challenges of Modern-Day Business

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Street Fighter Marketing Solutions: How One-On-One Marketing Will Help You Overcome the Sales Challenges of Modern-Day Business
Jeff Slutsky
Manufacturer: Free Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0743299140

Book Description

For any business owner, franchise operator, or marketing executive who seeks to increase sales while lowering marketing costs, Jeff Slutsky offers a new way of thinking. In this indispensable guide to getting more bang for your buck, the well-known marketing consultant tells business managers to think tactically and locally -- using nontraditional, highly targeted forms of marketing and advertising.

The tactics, ideas, approaches, and strategies in Street Fighter Marketing Solutions are geared for the bewildering new challenges that confront business- people in the new hypercompetitive, advertising-polluted environment in which they must seek profits.

With pressures from "big box" retailers, internet competition, and a glut of other immediate competitors, businessmen and businesswomen need a war chest of proven ideas and strategies to help them thrive. Additionally, local businesses suffer from advertising price increases despite eroding audiences from the local media, especially newspapers, radio, and TV. This book could be the answer to your current and future marketing problems.

You'll learn how to mold and manipulate traditional advertising methods while supplementing or supplanting them with alternative, novel techniques for lower cost and higher reward.

National and regional corporations who sell their products and services through a network of local retailers, franchisees, or dealers will also benefit greatly from this book. It will provide them with an easy-to-understand blueprint on how to develop, roll out, and maintain a practical, money-saving, sales-generating Street Fighter Marketing program throughout their organization.

In a book full of success stories, Slutsky discusses in a clear, practical, straightforward manner how Street Fighter Marketing techniques can work for you. The first step to growing your market share may well be to spend a few hours in the company of one of the nation's most savvy and engaging business tacticians.

For more information and a downloadable video, visit www.streetfightermarketing.com.

Customer Reviews:

Anti-stereotyping of Islam and Muslims.......2004-07-16

Concise and well written, with a deep understanding and strong background about many of the historical events and personalities in the Muslim, Arab and Middle Eastern cultures. The author hand used many of the authentic resources and translations for the Quran. The author has a great understanding of the background that is familiar to those who come from these cultures. His description of Muhammad's characters, family life, his wives, status of women in early Islamic era is close to perfection.
P87, 88: the author in an interesting analysis about Muhammad states "as a civilian, in Mecca, he was a respected businessman, beloved by his family and friends, a helpful personal counselor, a man centuries ahead of his time on the rights of women, whom he liked, admired and honored, a tolerant leader, who honored the other great faiths. In Medina, he becomes a statesman and diplomat, an innovative general, a tough Arab Chieftain who could have perhaps stopped the massacre of the Jewish men after the Battle of the Confederates, but a diplomat and negotiator with other Jewish communities. All things considered, if Muhammad were alive today, he might well be an American." Ed's connects many of the current events with their roots, and goes through historical stops with great ease and communicates a cohesive message about Bin Laden and his school of thought, and also explains many of the Islamic personalities, Islam, Christianity and Judaism, many historical balanced facts about the real impact of the Crusades. In addition, Ed had a great analysis to the "Why they Hate US?"statement. Ed's concluding chapter about responsibility of each of us today regarding all the new changes that are going on in the world are very timely.

fair minded, and better toward the end.......2004-06-11

This is not a perfect book -- sometimes the prose reflects the author's background in broadcast rather than printed media -- but Ed Hotaling delivers something very helpful if you are trying to understand Islam from a western point of view -- without trying to condemn or confirm one or another set of cultural values.
First of all, Hotaling provides some eye-opening insights into key cultural concepts that are simply hard to find without a religious or political agenda attached. Did you know that when Bin Laden sheltered in a cave, to Muslims he looked like he was emulating the Prophet, while in the West it was portrayed as "going to ground?"
This is not the most profound and important of Hotaling's insights, but it is one of many that illustrate the misunderstandings between our civilizations, and how they can be most cynically manipulated on both sides.
Hotalin's chapters of "Islam for Beginners" lay the groundwork for the critique of political approaches on both sides that ends the book. And it is a little frightening to put this volume down, and realize how little we understand each other.

The Philosophical Challenge of September 11

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The Philosophical Challenge of September 11
Armen T. Marsoobian
Manufacturer: Blackwell Publishing Limited
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Political | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Reference | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Criticism | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Terrorism | Current Events | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

September 11 | Current Events | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
ASIN: 1405108932

Book Description

While most people agree that September 11, 2001, witnessed a terribly important series of events, opinions about the meaning of these events diverge sharply. This book searches for sense in the wake of the terrorist attacks of 9/11. Consisting of fourteen essays written by leading philosophers, most of which have been specially commissioned for this volume, it offers a philosophical reflection on the implications of 9/11.The contributors engage with a broad range of issues associated with the causes and consequences of 9/11, including American imperialism, anti-Americanism, Bush 's 'War on Terror ', the idea of pre-emptive war, and the role of the media. They consider how 9/11 has altered the terms and categories of philosophical debate, looking at changes in the conception of moral and political reasoning, rationality and responsibility, and the repercussions for justice, human rights and international law.

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