Editorial Review

The dramatic story behind the most audacious power grab in American history
 
The financial crisis that exploded in 2008 isn’t past but prologue. The stunning rise, fall, and rescue of Wall Street in the bubble-and-bailout era was the coming-out party for the network of looters who sit at the nexus of American political and economic power. The grifter class—made up of the largest players in the financial industry and the politicians who do their bidding—has been growing in power for a generation, transferring wealth upward through increasingly complex financial mechanisms and political maneuvers. The crisis was only one terrifying manifestation of how they’ve hijacked America’s political and economic life.

Rolling Stone’s Matt Taibbi here unravels the whole fiendish story, digging beyond the headlines to get into the deeper roots and wider implications of the rise of the grifters. He traces the movement’s origins to the cult of Ayn Rand and her most influential—and possibly weirdest—acolyte, Alan Greenspan, and offers fresh reporting on the backroom deals that decided the winners and losers in the government bailouts. He uncovers the hidden commodities bubble that transferred billions of dollars to Wall Street while creating food shortages around the world, and he shows how finance dominates politics, from the story of investment bankers auctioning off America’s infrastructure to an inside account of the high-stakes battle for health-care reform—a battle the true reformers lost. Finally, he tells the story of Goldman Sachs, the “vampire squid wrapped around the face of humanity.”

Taibbi has combined deep sources, trailblazing reportage, and provocative analysis to create the most lucid, emotionally galvanizing, and scathingly funny account yet written of the ongoing political and financial crisis in America. This is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the labyrinthine inner workings of politics and finance in this country, and the profound consequences for us all. ... Read more

Reviews

Wonderfully written and biting
I've been reading all kinds of books since I was 8-9 and have always been able to absorb the information without getting too emotional or involved in the story. I can't count the # of times I shook my head in disbelief or cursed or hoped it was a joke while reading this one. Although I've read all of Matt's books and pretty much read all his blogs/essays that I can find online, this book has left a different mark on me. Is it the seriousness of the tone in this book that's different from the funny/sarcastic humor & petty name calling that's prevalent in his other works(btw there is no shortage of funny one liners and comparisons-the best one being the answer you get for asking why you like pepsi)? I don't know, but I wish, and I certainly plan to do my homework, someone or a lot of folks would prove these assumptions, allegations and accusations to be wrong. Not in the way it was presented (as was the case in all the responses I saw after the squid RS article) but factually! I need someone to prove he's wrong about everything in this book and prove that Matt doesn't know what the hell he's talking about. If there aren't any factual rebuttals to the discussions in this book, I am afraid I'll regret reading this book in the first place. This is too corrupt and cruel to be true. I've never wished for author to be so wrong about so much. Not sure how this review appears to a stranger but as much as I want and need to commend Matt on his efforts, I am not able to. Because if the book is true, I guess he's done too good a job of exposing a lot of painful things that am not able to see past. Ultimately, may be that's the best review an author can get-doing such a wonderful job that the reader wishes he hadn't read it!
Great, just a great book.
Thanks Matt.
murugan ... Read more

Editorial Review

Unabridged CDs • 14 CDs, 16 hours

From the author of the #1 national bestseller Three Cups of Tea, the continuing story of this determined humanitarian and the schools he has established. ... Read more

Reviews

Stones Into Schools: Mortenson Summits Again, December 3, 2009
In his latest book, Greg Mortenson hosts the reader as a valuable and welcomed traveling companion as he retraces his steps through the most remote areas of Pakistan's Northwest Frontier areas and the formidable terrain of Afghanistan holding a mirror to our humanity. Mortenson introduces us to his trusted companions t...urned employees of Central Asia Institute, the so-called "Dirty Dozen", who truly embody the virtues of goodwill and perseverance in the name of literacy and, of course, God.

In short, Greg Mortenson's work makes Anthony Bordain's exotic travel look like a visit to Epcot Center.

Mortenson's committment to cross-cultural understanding beyond the borders of Pakistan and Afghanistan is rivaled only by his determination to educate the under-served girls in the most remote areas of these countries. Stones Into Schools is a suspenseful, heart-breaking as it is heart-warming, true account of a life well lived and a people well-served. Mortenson is an honor to the human race and diplomat for world peace. About now, Greg Mortenson would do well to take his own advice and sit for a month under a walnut tree to recuperate.

Inspirational - Should be a must read for high school graduates, December 4, 2009
I read Three Cups of Tea was was incredibly inspired by Greg Mortenson. His second book is even better in my opinion. Teaching people that they have the power to change themselves is so simple but sometimes takes incredibale amounts of work by other people. Greg and his team have performed incredible acts of bravery, endurance, and dedication to the noble cause of providing education to the girls of Pakistan and Afghanistan. You will not be able to put this book down. You also learn firsthand accounts of the success of many of the first girls to go through Greg's schools.
Read this book for an incredible account of an individual who has changed the world for so many people,

A Knotty Problem, December 3, 2009
I tend to collect mostly management books on my Kindle, so I have been looking forward to Greg Mortensen's latest report on his activities in his remote part of the world (also where my son works every day). I don't think the world has two more opposite places than Burnet County and Kunar Province. Since 2003, we've built a nice high school here in Burnet for our 1000+ kids, and later on a playground (stadium). Greg's outfit has built and staffed 129 schools, and innumerable civic improvements, such as bridges and water systems, to supply educational services to a previously unserved populace, at a cost of $1-3/student. I think their whole budget for the six years is less than the cost of one Tomahawk missile, with guidance and delivery (and spare parts). On the other hand General Motors, working in the most car consuming section of Planet Earth, with significant manufacturing infrastructure worldwide, has a hard time making ends meet. In short, Greg's book is now at the top of my list for 2009 management books.
Mother Teresa, in response to an interview question about the best way to go about changing the world, said 'Reach out to the nearest one.' Greg, in response to the same question, would probably say 'Go to the Last Best Place.' Both of these people have found a way to impact their world, and improve conditions more than a thousand-fold by their efforts.
Three cups of Tea has become required reading for the US Counterintelligence school at West point; I would hope this book gets added to the curriculum quickly.

STONES INTO SCHOOLS: PROMOTING PEACE WITH BOOKS, NOT BOMBS IN AFGHANISTAN AND PAKISTAN, December 7, 2009
Not a sequel to Mortenson's THREE CUPS OF TEA, STONES INTO SCHOOLS is a saga of Mortenson's ten year struggle to keep a promise to Commandhan Abdul Rashid Khan, chief of the Kirghiz, to build a school for his tribe at "the roof of the world" in the village of Bozai Gumbaz, 12,480 feet up in the Pamir Mountains of northern Afghanistan. It was this promise that caused Mortenson and the Central Asia Institute (CAI) to expand its operations beyond its original stomping grounds in the remoter villages of Pakistan.
During their struggle, jihad if you will, Greg Mortenson and his Afghan and Pakistani comrades, AKA "The Dirty Dozen," enjoy as, Safraz Khan, one of the many heroes in this story, describes it, "much success" as the Central Asia Institute build a chain of schools, scholarship programs, and literacy centers in war-torn Afghanistan and quake-stricken Pakistan.
Mortenson describes an Afghan people who are tired of and traumatized by thirty years of war. Still, they have not given up on life or a better future for their children. He details the slow, if enjoyable, process of building relationships with local leadership in countless villages in Afghanistan and Pakistan (AFPAK) during his many journeys. Important to note, Mortenson does not attempt to inflict American missionary culture and values on AFPAK villagers. I gather from reading Mortenson that every one of the 131 schools he and the CAI built in AFPAK was built at the request of local villagers and with the blessing of local leadership. He did not go village to village selling education as a good thing; villagers sought him out as word spread that he helped build schools.
Key to the success of CAI is local ownership of the schools it builds. In each case, CAI requires the local villagers to provide the land and supply unskilled labor to help build the school. CAI provides funds for raw materials and skilled labor to build the school as well as money for school supplies and to pay the teaching staff for up to five years. Mortenson writes of one village where the Taliban nailed a "night letter" to the door of a new CAI school and delivered another one to the home of one of the teachers. In these letters, the Taliban threatened to burn down the school if any girls attended it. They also promised violence to the families of any girls over the age of fourteen who attended school. The villagers responded by naming one of their three mullahs as headmaster for the school. He met with local Taliban and informed them that the actions they proposed in their letters were clearly wrong and against the teachings of the Koran. No more "night letters" were delivered in that village and girls were allowed to attend the school.
Along with "much success" there are setbacks. Mortenson writes of a Pakistani girl who was prevented from accepting a CAI scholarship by a jealous brother-in-law. He tells of an Afghan shepherd boy who is killed by a Soviet land mine while grazing his flocks close to a CAI school that is being built in his village. (The boy's father later trains to become a humanitarian de-miner and returns to his village to remove thirty land mines from the areas surrounding the school.) He describes the anguish (seen through Safraz Khan's eyes) of the hundreds of thousands of Pakistanis made homeless by an earthquake in 2005. He tells of weathering mob violence in Afghanistan after Newsweek printed false claims that American soldiers had attempted to flush a Koran down a toilet at the Guantanamo Bay detention facility.
Mortenson speaks at length about his relationship with the military. Like most non-governmental organizations (NGOs), CAI strives to maintain strict neutrality. CAI takes no money from the United States Department of Defense or the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and relies totally on donations and book sales (Buy this book!) to fund its operations. Mortenson notes that his initial support for Operation ENDURING FREEDOM quickly waned when he read of civilian casualties from the American bombing campaign against the Taliban. He recounts a lecture on Afghan tribal culture he gave a group of officers at the Pentagon in 2002. He explained that before one tribe made war on another tribe, "the warring parties hold a jirga before joining in battle to discuss how many losses each side is willing to accept in light of the fact that the victors will be willing to care for the widows and orphans of the rivals they have vanquished." He went on to tell the officers "the worst thing that you can do is what we're doing - ignoring the victims by calling them `collateral damage' and not even trying to count the numbers of the dead. . . For that, we will not be forgiven."
Mortenson began to see the United States military in a far different light later on. In 2003 he published an article about CAI in Parade Magazine. As a result of this article, CAI began to receive a flood of donations. One of his staffers informed him that a disproportionate number of donations came from military communities. Later that same year he received a letter from an officer who had fought in Afghanistan with the 82nd Airborne Division. The officer wrote "CAI's projects provide a good alternative to the education offered in many of the radicalized madrassas from where the Taliban sprung forth . . . The Central Asia Institute is now my charity of choice." Mortenson goes on to write of an e-mail he received from then lieutenant colonel Christopher Kolenda in September, 2007. Kolenda wrote:
I am the Commander of Task Force Saber which serves the 190,000 people in northern Kunar and eastern Nuristan Provinces in Afghanistan. Our primary goal in this counterinsurgency is to provide hope for the good people of Afghanistan, particularly the children. Building schools is one of my top development priorities . . . The conflict here will not be won with bombs but with books and ideas. . . We have delivered a wealth of school supplies, but there is never enough. . . Reading Three Cups of Tea has inspired me even further to pursue the development of Afghan schools and education. I am not sure if the CAI can help these schools in any way. . .
Kolenda had delivered an indirect challenge to the CAI to come to his "humanitarian space" and build schools that would help ensure the "next generation grows up to be educated patriots," not "illiterate fighters." Mortenson and "the Dirty Dozen" could not resist the challenge. In the end, CAI's AFPAK staff devises a plan to build a chain of girls' schools through Taliban territory, to include one in Mullah Omar's home town of De Rawod.
Many NGOs may feel at this point that Mortenson and CAI have forsaken neutrality for the sake of convenience, but that is not the case. CAI takes no "blood money" from the United States government and relies on the goodwill of local Afghans and Pakistanis for its security, not armed escorts by United States or coalition military. If CAI has forsaken its neutrality, it has done so not for the sake of convenience, but for the sake of conscience. CAI realizes that it cannot morally remain neutral in a world where "men with Kalashnikovs . . . help to sustain the grotesque lie that flinging battery acid into the face of a girl who longs to study arithmetic is somehow in keeping with the teachings of the Koran."

President Obama, please read this book, December 12, 2009
The last chapter of this book before the Epilogue is called "The Last Best School". Mortenson calls it that because, due to circumstances, he had to step away and leave Afghanistan, compelling the Kirghiz people in the remote Wakhan corridor to build the school themselves, which they did, in record time. There was some assistance of supplies and skilled labor from the Central Asian Institute, and supervision from Safraz Khan (Mortenson's substantial partner and guide), but the Kirghiz, a people who had essentially been abandoned by everyone including the central Afghan government, completed the school themselves. They had asked for assistance using US Military helicopters but due to the distance, altitude, and inability to re-fuel, it was not granted.

This was the most important message that I found in this book. This school was built ten years after a request was made to Mortenson by Kirghiz men who rode on horseback for a week or so to deliver it to him. I read his first book "Three Cups of Tea" last summer, and it seems as if Mortenson's message has changed a little to encorporate the following: 1) listen to the Afghan (Pakistani,Kashmir, fill in the blank) people, 2) let them tell you what they want to accomplish, 3) ask them what they need to accomplish it, 4) then say (in the words of Baba Ram Dass) "How can I Help?".

Another part of the book described how a conflict was solved via communication between a respected mullah who became the headmaster of a girls' school and the local Taliban fighters who were threatening the girls who were attending it. Without committing any violence, he was able to convince them to leave the girls alone. Violence (i.e.,war) should always be a last resort, after all other options have been exhausted. Education is the key to ensuring peace. Let's hope.

The Value of Education, December 9, 2009
In the follow up book to Three Cups of Tea, Greg Mortenson's story comes full circle from his original promise to build a school in Korphe, Pakistan, to the decade-long fulfillment of another promise to build a school for the Kirghiz horsemen of the Wakhan Corridor, Afghanistan. The first part of the book fills in some of the details of events from the latter part of Three Cups of Tea.

As the story continues, we meet earthquake survivors in Kashmir like headmistress Saida Shabir who became so frustrated with empty promises from her government, relief agencies, and NGOs that she nearly turned down an offer of help from Mortenson's right hand man, Sarfraz Khan. Khan led Central Asia Institute's effort to raise the bar by building earthquake-resistant schools only after listening to the concerns of the local people and taking their needs into account. Gundi Piran, Shabir's new school, was unique in that it was built around the grave of seven girls killed when their school collapsed during the earthquake. With an open-air classroom around them, the girls were laid to rest with their heads facing the blackboard so that their desire for education was honored.

We are also introduced to Faisal Mohammed and his family in Lalander, Afghanistan. As CAI began building a demonstration school there, Faisal's only living son, 14-year-old Gulmarjan, anxiously awaited the completion of the school so that he could attend. Unfortunately, while walking nearby to observe the progress of the construction, he stepped on a land mine and died in transit to a medical center hours away in Kabul. Although Gulmarjan never got to study in the school he was so excited to attend, his sister, Saida, is a top student with the dream of someday becoming the first woman doctor in Lalander, and his father also went to school to study demining.

Finally, the third part of the book details the challenges of building "the school on the roof of the world" that ultimately fulfilled Greg's promise to the Kirghiz horsemen. As the winter snows approached and delays mounted, the school was completed only when the Kirghiz banded together and literally took matters into their own hands.

As an American public school teacher, Mortenson's story inspires and humbles me. I am inspired to share with my own students how fortunate we are in America to have free, public education and how we must seize the opportunities we have been given. When I read of the sacrifices and even deaths of some who never fulfilled their dreams of being literate, I am grateful for my own education. I am also humbled by Greg Mortenson and CAI's relentless work and astounding progress at making a difference in an area of the world torn apart by wars, earthquakes, and poverty.

Rather than focusing on the news of fighting and terrorism in Afghanistan and Pakistan, read Mortenson's book to learn how education is changing the lives of the young generation and empowering them to choose peace.

Much praise and some criticism on Mortenson's new book, December 26, 2009
PRAISE:

I read this whole book in one sitting. A bit slow in some portions, but overall I couldn't put it down.

Having lived a portion of my childhood in Kashmir and then having spent time with other rural cultures and regions in the world, I can say with confidence that what these guys are doing out there is incredibly courageous and amazing. What really stands out about Greg's work is that he basically "taught them how to fish" rather than just "present them with fish". I like how the book captures the viral trend Greg has imparted in Afghanistan when it comes to schools for girls and especially, the woman's vocational centers. He even inspired a local women's NGO in Kabul. From reading this story one also gets a sense of the creative (quirky) and passionate ways of Greg and his team that get the job done in a manner that is not quite matched by others. Given the current chaotic state of affairs in that region, this Indiana Jones style is possibly the best approach since they need to change and flow as needed to meet the demands of their environment. I will look forward to Greg and the Dirty Dozen getting the Nobel peace prize sometime soon. I'll also look forward to part three as the story unfolds.

MINOR CRITICISMS:

1) This first edition is laden with numerous spelling errors, typos and is in need of some word-smithing. However, the story is so wonderful that it is not worth getting hung up on these points. I imagine they were in a hurry to get this out before Christmas.

2) There are errors on the maps in the front. For instance, just across the border from Lahore, in India, you don't have the "Rajasthan Desert" but rather Punjab. Another thing that might be helpful to an organization that promotes secularism and open-mindedess is to not present a politically biased map of Pakistan and India. For instance the disputed region of Kashmir is not labeled but is rather shown as a part of Pakistan. Any reader familiar with the complexities of the region cannot help by wonder if this has something to do with the politics of Greg Mortenson trying to stay on tab with the Pakistani government, which recently recognized Mr. Mortenson with their highest civilian honor. This may or maynot be the case of course. I think Greg's work and book would gain a wider audience and bridge more gaps if he presented this particular issue with a bit more sensitivity (as in Three Cups of Tea) and more matter-of-factly.

3) Pako-centricism: This is sort of a continuation of the previous point. Firstly, the book sort of makes it seem like Afghanistan and Pakistan are cultural islands. However the cultural "dial" turns very smoothly across Asia and the boundaries and national borders are only recent creations. For instance, although Delhi and Islamabad may have beef, the people of the Punjab and the Kashmir regions are quite sympathetic and welcoming of each other across the border. There in north-western India, just as in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and also in the other central Asian countries, the "three cups of tea" ritual has equal significance. Secondly, there are numerous people in the high Himalayas who are not Islamic (some of whom they do mention, such as the Kafirs of Nuristan... who by the way were there way before Alexander the Great, but MAY HAVE intermarried with his soldiers; these latest anthropological findings are incorrect in the book. Also some thousands still remain pagan). I kind of felt that though they were promoting a secular education, they were quite biased in wanting to focus only on the muslim communities, which are certainly the majority. Of course, this may simply be due to the fact that their relationship chain just worked out that way. However, there was a huge emphasis in the book on Islam... perhaps this is meant for the American audience, the majority of whom have some pretty negative preconceived notions about Islam.

I do feel that if some of these seeming biases are corrected in a third book, or other presentations by Greg Mortentson and the other writers, his cause would gain a wider audience and more sympathetic response globally. It could also be a financial gain and advocate peace if for instance they also gained the South Asian market with this book (i.e. India and so on). It may be a turn off for those markets in it's current form which will certainly be perceived as careless and thus loose some credibility. Perhaps the next edition of this book will take this into account.

All this said, I am still in admiration of their work, and fully support it by giving Mr. Mortenson's books as gifts and I am a financial supporter of CAI. You are doing an amazing job Dr. Greg and Khan Sahib and the rest of the Dozen!

Buy this Book!!!, December 24, 2009
I saw that Greg Mortensen had written Stone Into Schools when I traveled through the Salt Lake City airport. I could not wait to get home and order it through Amazon. After reading Three Cups of Tea, I wanted to know what happened afterwards. I wasn't disappointed.

Please Buy this book, and if you haven't read Three Cups of Tea, buy it and read it first Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time. Stones Into Schools begins where Three Cups of Tea leaves off. Mortensen has helped numerous villages in Himalayan Pakistan build schools.(See my review Three Cups of Tea). He is approached by tribesmen from a literal ends-of-the-earth place in Afghanistan to build them a school so their children can have hope for the future. As what Greg has done filters through the rural areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan, more and more tribal elders approach him and his colleagues to build secular schools throughout the tribal areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan where the central governments have all but forgotten the population. (The only education is through Taliban Madrassas.) The elders want their daughters as well as their sons to go to school and don't like the Taliban message. It is clear these people don't want a hand out; they want a hand up. ("Give me a fish, and I eat for a day; teach me to fish, and I eat for a lifetime.")

This exceptionally well written page turner follows Mortensen's adventures as he and his Afghani colleagues build schools in Pakistan, Afghanistan and in Pakistani Kashmir after the devastating earthquake; places in the world that are hot beds of fundamentalism, war and hatred. The work expands to forming women's centers where women learn skills. His approach points out a new, but very old way of making peace in the world. Listen to others, help them build what they think they need, not what we think they need to have. Live with them, honor them relate to them one person at a time on day at a time. Sit down and have tea. We too have much to learn from them.

Mortensen's work comes to the attention of the American military. They finally get the message and under Petraeus command long needed changes start to happen.

The lessons of these books are profound and simple. The book touches one's heart and soul. They are lessons we all need to learn. One man can make a difference one moment at a time, one person at a time; failure can bring success of immense proportions. And more.This book is also about Greg's imperfections and about being human.

We are living in difficult times where fear and anger and ignorance are causing us and our children to become depressed and disenfranchised. Gandhi said," My life is my message." Mortensen's life is his message. It is a message we sorely need to hear and our children need to learn.

Buy this book and after you buy this book buy Three Cups of Tea and the young adult's edition of Three Cups of Tea Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Journey to Change the World... One Child at a Time ( The Young Reader's Edition)8 and Listen to the Wind Listen to the Windfor your children. Talk to your children about their observations and understanding of these books. Help them find ways that they can help not only Greg and the peoples of Pakistan and Afghanistan, but in their own neighborhoods and cities. Then maybe, just maybe we can become better human beings and change then world.

Talk with your friends get them to buy the books and have a book club discussion. Better still go to the Three Cups of Tea website ([...]) and click the link that take you to Amazon.com so more contributions can be made and schools can be built. Then get your mothers, fathers, sisters, and brothers and their friends to buy this book. Just by buying this book each of us can make a difference and have a great reading experience.

As a postscript a year and 1/2 ago I was traveling alone in rural Kashmir on the highway that skirts the Pakistani Indian border . There were Indian troops stationed 50 yards apart on the hilltop that skirted the highway. As a photographer I frequently got out and walked and took photos. One that was particularly compelling was of 2 Kashmiri women walking. One had a bag on her head, and she showed me her book that she was reading with great happiness. It was the Koran which had previously been only the province of men to read. I learned first hand the thirst for learning of these women.

One person can make a difference, December 6, 2009
Greg Mortenson is one of the select very few who poses a combination of being human with capital H, finds right focus in helping people in great need and writes inspirational books from this. His mission began after failed K2 attempt in 1993 where his life was saved by villagers of Korphe and where he promised them something they missed the most: school. This was very well told in his Three Cups of Tea and this book starts where the first ends. If Korphe, in Baltistan region in northern Pakistan was remote, now schools are being built on even more unthinkable places: in war torn Afghanistan and in post-earthquake Azad Kashmir, that was off-limits for foreigners before earthquake in October 2005. Most surprising were his (and his Central Asia Institute organization) successes in two parts of Afghanistan: one is, where Taliban insurgency is quite high and the other is godforsaken Wakhan corridor. Key ingredients are listening to wishes of local population, ensuring their buy-in, later their participation in building (at least donation of land) and focus on girls' education.
If US and allies would implement something like this following military successes in 2001, plus curb corruption and stop opium trade, today Afghanistan would be much happier place (and for much less money).
What's interesting is that he and his NGO Central Asia Institute are so successful despite great odds: working in islam countries, in years after 9/11 and in time of great financial crisis. This shows that ordinary people are willing to donate money for just and passionately argued cause.
Title comes from the words of local security commander and former mujahadeen: " ... each rock and every boulder you see represents a mujahadeen who died fighting either the Russians or the Taliban. .. it's time .. to take up the stones and start turning them into schools."
Book is really pleasure to read because is so well written, in structure and style. Credit goes to two anonymous writers who spent many houres with Greg.

Splendid and Desperately Important, December 14, 2009
Anyone who looks carefully at a map of Afghanistan must wonder about that long narrow sliver of land that sticks out like a pointing finger from the country's eastern edge. What purpose can such a strange, seemingly absurd boundary serve? This is the Wakhan Corridor, home to a varied assortment of wandering nomadic peoples, farmers and villagers who are hemmed in on all sides by some of the world's most forbidding mountain ranges: the Pamir, the Hindu Kush and the Karakoram. There is no industry there or any roads in its eastern third.

The corridor was originally created as a geopolitical artifice so that Russia and China would not have a common border in that part of the world. Yet this primitive wilderness is a main theater of operations for Greg Mortenson and his brainchild, the Central Asia Institute, whose mission is to bring education to this area by building schoolhouses. All residents are welcome, but the main thrust is the education of women, which Mortenson sees as the best means of rescuing the area from destitution and eventually defeating the Taliban, to whom the idea of educating women is, of course, anathema.

The Wakhan is central to Mortenson's story because it took him a full decade to fulfill a promise he made to a delegation from a small village at the extreme end of the corridor. They sought him out in Pakistan and asked him to build them a school. He agreed, knowing full well that nothing in war-torn, politically unstable and largely primitive Afghanistan is simple. The book ends with the construction of that school in the village of Bozai Gumbaz, and you can almost hear the cheers and trumpet fanfares sounding from inside the book's final pages.

Mortenson's story, however, ranges well beyond the Wakhan, embracing many other towns and provinces in both Afghanistan and Pakistan. He outmaneuvers insensitive government bureaucrats in Kabul, uncooperative family members who actually do not want their daughters educated, murderous Taliban goon squads, a horrendous earthquake, snows that render whole regions isolated for months, shipping delays, financial constraints, his own bouts of exhaustion, and all sorts of other impediments. But the schools get built --- 131 of them --- and all without a dime of U.S. government funding.

This region where Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, China and Tajikistan collide in a sort of geographical, ethnic and religious stew will be as unfamiliar to most American readers as the landscape of Uranus. Fortunately, the book includes excellent maps and a kind of cast listing up front, plus a useful glossary at the back to help one keep nations, languages, religions and peoples sorted out. Mortenson gives due credit to his on-scene staffers and brings them engagingly to life --- notably his chief lieutenant, Sarfraz Khan, a Pakistani who seems to be everywhere at once, performing miracles of organization and logistics. Mortenson admits that he himself had to spend long periods back in the U.S. making book-tour appearances, raising money and shuffling papers. You get the impression that those grueling lecture tours were more of a trial for him than anything he did in the Asian mountains.

In THREE CUPS OF TEA, Mortenson had dismissed the U.S. military as unsympathetic and obstructive, but in this book he completely reverses himself, lavishing praise on uniformed officers, many of whom had made his earlier title required reading for their troops. He taught them his main lesson: listen to the local people, get to know them, find out what they want, and build up trust with them; do not simply march in and start issuing orders that do not take their lives into account. It is a lesson that military minds very often ignore, but to their credit they seem to have listened to this quiet and unassuming fellow from Montana.

STONES INTO SCHOOLS is an unashamed promotional tract for the Central Asia Institute. It comes fully equipped with talking points, suggestions for promoting the book, website listings, e-mail addresses, and even telephone numbers and postal mail addresses. Ordinarily, this kind of baggage might seem tacky, but Mortenson's cause is so obviously right and his pursuit of it so well organized that those objections seen churlish. This man has accomplished something splendid and desperately important.

--- Reviewed by Robert Finn ... Read more

Editorial Review

National Bestseller 

A New York Times Notable Book
An O, The Oprah Magazine Terrific Read of the Year
A Huffington Post Best Book of the Year
A New Yorker Favorite Book of the Year
A Chicago Tribune Favorite Nonfiction Book of the Year
A Kansas City Star Best Book of the Year
A San Francisco Chronicle Best Book of the Year
An Entertainment Weekly Best Book of the Decade

The true story of one family, caught between America’s two biggest policy disasters: the war on terror and the response to Hurricane Katrina.
 
Abdulrahman and Kathy Zeitoun run a house-painting business in New Orleans. In August of 2005, as Hurricane Katrina approaches, Kathy evacuates with their four young children, leaving Zeitoun to watch over the business. In the days following the storm he travels the city by canoe, feeding abandoned animals and helping elderly neighbors. Then, on September 6th, police officers armed with M-16s arrest Zeitoun in his home. Told with eloquence and compassion, Zeitoun is a riveting account of one family’s unthinkable struggle with forces beyond wind and water. ... Read more

Reviews

Simple Story, Simply Told, Simply Horrifying, August 11, 2009
First off, Zeitoun painted my house about 8 years ago so maybe I'm a little bit biased. I also think Dave Eggers is a great writer (doubly biased, perhaps). This story needs to be told to a large audience and Mr. Eggers is just the person to tell it. Maybe we can knock Eggers for the simplistic style he chose to write this book. On the other hand, this story frankly didn't need much artistic enhancement. It is shocking on its own accord and told in a very straightforward manner. Appropriate for the material, I believe.

Every American NEEDS to read this book. What we find in it is an America that lost its core. It is truly shocking that no matter how bad things were in New Orleans immediately following Katrina (most reporting was inaccurate and sensationalized), we are still Americans with common beliefs in our system of rights. That these rights were tossed out the window is appalling.

Mr. Zeitoun is a kind and gentle man. His signs are ubiquitous in New Orleans and he is a stranger to no one and well liked by all who have met him. That he could be mistreated is a crime and an outrage. That others were rounded up and treated even worse is one of the worst black eyes on our country. As I read this book I just kept saying out loud over and over again, "This cannot be America."

Riveting, July 26, 2009
I had never read anything by Dave Eggers before, but his reputation set some pretty high expectations. I am a fan of narrative non-fiction and non-fiction, and enjoy books like "In Thin Air" or "The Colony." I picked up the book yesterday, and finished it this morning. It was spectacular.

The writing style is perfect. It is not over the top with descriptions, but still makes you feel as if you are there, canoeing along in the streets of New Orleans. The subject matter is interesting, not just in a "can't stop watching this train wreck" sort of way, but because it ties together Hurricane Katrina and 9/11, two of the largest national events of the last decade. I never thought or knew about much beyond what I saw on TV regarding Katrina. This book thoroughly explores one story of one family, but manages tell it from a perspective that everyone can understand.

Much like the book Three Cups of Tea brought attention to the plight of women in Pakistan, I hope that Zeitoun will bring to light the problems and issues that still need attention in the US and in New Orleans.

Eggers took the main event, Katrina, and by telling the Zietouns' story, made it of human scale.

I'm rambling--all I can say is, I think this book is worth a read for everyone. It isn't preachy-it is interesting. I learned a lot about many different subjects. I hope it ends up on the best seller list and stays there for a long time. Unlike some books that end up on the best seller lists, this one really deserves to be there.

beauty and horror, August 1, 2009
Zeitoun is a creampuff to read and then there is a huge lump in your stomach where the content boils. I finished it in a couple of days, finishing on a cross-country plane flight and got off in a furious mood that didn't wear off until the end of a hot bath and a tall cold rum drink. Massive injustice has been done in New Orleans and this book follows it right down to the foundations. You won't read another word about Katrina without finding your thoughts completely reoriented. Let's hear it for the truth.

The rule of law, suspended, September 1, 2009
Dave Eggers's account of Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath, the first story in "Zeitoun," is immensely readable. However, there has been a lot of well-written reportage on the storm and the Bush administration's botched handling of the rescue efforts. What's extraordinary about "Zeitoun" is the second, intersecting story, Eggers's narrative of the arrest and imprisonment---without charge, without representation, without even the ability to make a phone call--of Abdulrahman Zeitoun, Syrian immigrant, successful businessman, and American citizen. Incredibly, in "Zeitoun," the War on Terror merges with the Katrina disaster to produce a truly stunning example of what happens to xenophobia in the hands of petty officialdom. I've read several novels in which writers as diverse as Andres Dubus II, Claire Messud, and, most recently, Lorrie Moore, attempt to incorporate the events of September 11, 2001. None of these writers is, to my mind, particularly convincing with this material. (Don DeLillo, in "Falling Man," comes closest, I think.) Eggers, on the other hand, a master of narrative nonfiction, simply (artfully) gets out of the way of his material, letting it speak for itself. And his depiction of the weeks after the storm, a period when Zeitoun's wife, Kathy, at first does not know whether he is dead or alive and then struggles with callous officials to free her unjustly detained husband, is powerful indeed. So too is the narrative thread that traces Zeitoun's family history. Most painful and revolting, however, are the scenes in the jail-cages of "Camp Greyhound," the temporary prison constructed outside the New Orleans bus station. As with the photos of Abu Ghraib, the emotion a reading of "Zeitoun" is mostly likely to evoke is shame.

Zeitoun: A Reflection On New Orleans and America, August 23, 2009
"Zeitoun" is an inspiring, tragic and powerful book that will endure decades from now about how America failed at helping New Orleans and the residents of the city during and after Hurricane Katrina. In a nonjudgmental and factual manner, the book recounts failed expectations and lack of accountability by FEMA and the Department of Homeland Security in response to the devastation brought to the city by Katrina.

Author Dave Eggers, one of the important storytellers of our time, chronicles the true story of one man - Abdulrahman Zeitoun - a prosperous Syrian-American and father of four who chose to stay through the storm to protect his house and contracting business.

Zeitoun risks his own life daily by paddling through the city in a canoe in his attempt to save lives and help provide food and water to others, only to endure shameful, unjust and unaccountable torture at the hands of police and the military. The lasting harm done to Zeitoun, his American wife Kathy and their children continues even today, four years after the storm.

Eggers documents that Homeland Security, FEMA and the military sent troops to New Orleans not necessarily to assist in rescues but rather because of an unfounded and paranoid belief that terrorists might take advantage of the hurricane situation to cause further disruption. In the perverted and racist government process, Zeitoun is viewed not as a savior of the city but as the enemy.

While I suspect that the story of Zeitoun will further enhance Dave Eggers' well-deserved destiny as a meaningful voice in American nonfiction writing, I am most struck by the fact that all proceeds and royalties are going to the not-for-profit Zeitoun Foundation in New Orleans.

[...]

This is a page turner with substance!, August 7, 2009
I struggle all the time with "must" when it comes to giving advice to other people. Who am I to tell you what to do? Will you forgive me this one time? Because if you do, you will learn some important things by reading this book.

You MUST read Zeitoun. Especially if you live in one of those areas -- like I do -- that can be struck by a natural disaster. Most of us do now, don't you think? With global warming, there are more fierce hurricanes, more tornados. And just the other day I looked at an old National Geographic magazine's map of where earthquake areas are in the world -- there's a lot of them! And I live in the San Francisco Bay Area ... so we think about them all the time -- that is, when we're not in a state of denial.

You better hope hope hope and pray (if so inclined) that you are never in a natural disaster of huge proportions like the poor folks in New Orleans were! The natural disaster parts are bad enough ... but what is far worse is the army of "helpers" who come in later: National Guard, FEMA, law enforcement from other areas. That's when the real tragedy will happen. These people don't know you. They've been told to watch for looters. And like one of the quotes says in the front matter of this important book: To a man with a hammer, everything looks like a nail. Every person looks like a looter. Or a terrorist if you've got a Middle Eastern-sounding name.

That's what happened to Abdulrahman Zeitoun. At the time of Katrina, he was (and still is) a citizen and successful businessman in New Orleans. Think of it: you're well-known by your community and a successful businessman -- yet, after Katrina, you are thought of as a looter and terrorist. Without any proof. No evidence whatsoever. No hearing for weeks. No phone call. The phone call. It's that special part of the U.S. judicial system: the phone call. We're taught about this all the time as children: if you're arrested, you get a phone call. The worst serial killer gets a phone call.

Don't count on it after a disaster. In a disaster with our friends from FEMA in control you become one of the Disappeared -- and yes, they are the ones in control -- and now that they are a part of Homeland Security they have even more control and an even worse attitude -- to an employee from FEMA, everyone looks like a looter and a terrorist.

And what about you, woman in your 70s -- do you really think your safe? Read about the tale of Merlene Maten. She was 73 and a diabetic. She and her husband had fled their home before the hurricane and checked into a downtown hotel thinking they would be safer there. After three days, Maten went down to their car in the parking lot next door to get some food they had in the car. She was arrested for looting. It made no sense! Yet she was arrested anyway. Folks, this is what is so striking when you read this book: the "helpers" -- law enforcement, National Guards or whatever -- do not listen to you if you are just regular folks. Remember, you're a nobody. They don't listen to your story ... they don't look at the real facts: you're 73 and diabetic and you're at *your* car getting food. They don't take the time to see if you really are checked into that hotel next door. They just arrest you.

You better hope hope hope and pray that a disaster doesn't head your way.

I want to thank Dave Eggers for writing this book -- and for all the important things he does with his abundant energy. Good stuff. Thanks. From deep down. I hadn't read any of his books before, glad I started with this one.

The writing is so very good too. The book is a page-turner. It's not depressing at all. The book has a main story -- the story about the Zeitouns -- plus lots of other very interesting stories. Although watch out! If you were mad about how folks in New Orleans were treated before -- WATCH OUT -- you're gonna be furious by the time you finish this book.

History on the personal level..., July 24, 2009
Disclaimer: I am a big Dave Eggers. I don't think he is infallible, but I'm a fan.

I found this work of non-fiction to be riveting, honest, and gripping. When Katrina hit New Orleans, I was studying abroad, traveling through Italy and seeing the hurricane's aftermath called "Bush's Folly" on a number of Italian newspapers and periodicals. Zeitoun and Kathy's story is tragic and heart-wrenching, while proving, ultimately, hopeful.

To think of what the Zeitoun family, and countless other residents of the New Orleans area, went through in 2005 and in the months following is unfathomable. But Dave Eggers has written a frank, quite readable retelling of what happened a few short years ago.

I admire Eggers for his 826 literacy programs and social awareness, among other things, and for his commitment to help get the Zeitouns' story out there, so as to put a unique face to natural disaster of Katrina, and to the human disaster and American failures that followed, and in many ways continue to the present day.

Life, Faith and Dangerous Waters, July 31, 2009
As a writer, Dave Eggers has the ability to find the small story within the larger one, as exemplified by his "Voice of Witness" series, out of which arose this book. But no one else could have written this book -- his extraordinary skill as a writer coupled with his deep seated humanity and puckish humor have woven a story of courage and loyalty and love far beyond any other I've read, save for his own "What is the What," my favorite book of 2006. His befriending of his subjects results in epic volumes, that have effects far beyond the selling of books -- Foundations in this case, a School in the case of WITW. I don't say this often, but everyone should read this book.

Dave Eggers is unique. He is also supernatural -- how can so many hats be worn on just one head? And when does he have the time to accomplish all he does? At what was supposed to only be a book signing for
"Zeitoun" recently, he gave an impromptu speech about the family at its core and the events they endured during the horror of Katrina, before and after the Storm. He was generous with his time and information, without giving too much away about the story. He never gave the impression he had somewhere else to be, but as it was a noon signing, seemed more concerned about the attendees' need to return to work.

Zeitoun - A Teacher's Review, October 6, 2010
With the recent controversy over the Ground Zero Mosque, it is crucial that teachers incorporate literature into the curriculum that highlights the fact the Muslim religion is not equated with terrorism; terrorism is not a religion.

Eggers successfully documents the trauma of the Zeitoun family following the devastation of Hurricane Katrina. The novel is based on a series of in depth interviews of the Zeitoun family, friends, and relatives, as well as, other central figures who share Zeitoun's fate. About two thirds of the book is spent focusing on the bond between Zeitoun and his family, which extends to his community at large; a community that Zeitoun, even after Katrina, finds value in, from the disabled to the able-bodied, to the animals left behind. It is within this post-Katrina community, however, that Zeitoun is falsely accused, tortured, and degraded by the U.S. government because he is thought to be associated with terrorist activity. Although Zeitoun's imprisonment is one of the defining characteristics of the book, Eggers also touches upon what it means to be a Muslim woman in America today. Through Kathy, Zeitoun's wife who is an American woman that converted because she felt the religion gave her power and control over her own life, we learn that the hijab, which is often seen as a sign of suppression by a patriarchal culture, actually becomes one of liberation.

It is within the pages of Eggers narrative that educators will find the opportunity to teach students how to embrace and understand other cultures beyond what is reported by media outlets. By not including this book in our curriculum, or a work that confronts the same issue, we are doing our students a disservice, which will eventually become extensions of further ignorance and intolerance. Making students aware of how 9/11 has changed what it means to be American will only foster the knowledge of real situations, situations like Zeitouns that forever altered a man and his family; a situation that forever altered Americans.

An interesting aspect about this book is the title because Zeitoun represents the man, the family, as well as, the extended network of friends and relatives of Zeitoun's (the man) around the world. It may be an interesting aspect to bring up in class discussion after reading the book.

This book also contains a comprehensive list resources on rebuilding New Orleans, support for, and education about the Muslim community. Utilizing these sources in the classroom would be excellent an way to get students involved in the reality of the text they have just read.

Amazing to Read, August 6, 2009
I don't know much about Katrina and only a bit about its aftermath. This book was a wake-up call. I admit I picked up the book because of its Arabic title, and was intrigued to see Egger's name as the author. As an Arab-American, I have to say, Egger captured the nuances of Arabs in America seamlessly. I felt at home with Abdulrahman and Kathy- many of my relatives, including myself, have married non-Arabs. I read Abdulrahman's account of paddling around New Orleans in awe and wonder. Then, the arrest. I am enraged and angry over his treatment, not only as an Arab, but as an attorney. I am disheartened to see the America I loved so much as a child sink to such a dark, unfair place. This is an important and indispensable piece of nonfiction that I hope is widely read. ... Read more

Editorial Review

A brilliant new reading of the economic crisis—and a plan for dealing with the challenge of its aftermath—by one of our most trenchant and informed experts.

When the nation’s economy foundered in 2008, blame was directed almost universally at Wall Street. But Robert B. Reich suggests a different reason for the meltdown, and for a perilous road ahead. He argues that the real problem is structural: it lies in the increasing concentration of income and wealth at the top, and in a middle class that has had to go deeply into debt to maintain a decent standard of living.

Persuasively and straightforwardly, Reich reveals how precarious our situation still is. The last time in American history when wealth was so highly concentrated at the top—indeed, when the top 1 percent of the population was paid 23 percent of the nation’s income—was in 1928, just before the Great Depression. Such a disparity leads to ever greater booms followed by ever deeper busts.

Reich’s thoughtful and detailed account of where we are headed over the next decades reveals the essential truth about our economy that is driving our politics and shaping our future. With keen insight, he shows us how the middle class lacks enough purchasing power to buy what the economy can produce and has adopted coping mechanisms that have a negative impact on their quality of life; how the rich use their increasing wealth to speculate; and how an angrier politics emerges as more Americans conclude that the game is rigged for the benefit of a few. Unless this trend is reversed, the Great Recession will only be repeated.

Reich’s assessment of what must be done to reverse course and ensure that prosperity is widely shared represents the path to a necessary and long-overdue transformation. Aftershock is a practical, humane, and much-needed blueprint for both restoring America’s economy and rebuilding our society. ... Read more

Reviews

An important book offering critical insight into the true cause of the economic crisis
AFTERSHOCK may well be the most important book written on the current economic crisis. I say this because it offers a critical insight that I have seen in very few other places: The fundamental cause of our problems is the relentless drive toward income concentration. The problem with concentrating income into the hands of a few people is that you take money from millions of people who would spend nearly all of it, and give it to a tiny number of people who can't and won't spend it -- but will instead save it, gamble with it, or invest it offshore. The end result is simply too few viable consumers to drive the economy.

Reich points out that income for American middle class families has been essentially stagnant or declining for over three decades. The middle class has coped with this in three basic ways: (1) Women have entered the workforce, (2) People worked longer hours, and, of course, (3) We all relied on debt (credit cards and home equity loans) rather than income to support our consumption. Those coping methods are now exhausted, and we are left in a position where average Americans simply do not have sufficient discretionary income to support a sustainable recovery. The great American consumer class -- which was the driving force behind our prosperity in the 1950s and 1960s -- has been largely decimated.

To his credit, Reich correctly identifies globalization and, especially, automation technology as primary forces behind declining middle class wages. At the same time, rather than enacting countervailing policies, the United States (beginning with Reagan) has gone in the exact opposite direction and adopted a conservative agenda that has actually accelerated the trend toward income concentration.

The one shortcoming of the book is that Reich -- not being a technologist -- fails to anticipate how advancing technology is likely to dramatically worsen the situation in the relatively near future. As someone who works in this area, I can tell you that the degree of progress we are soon likely to see in automation technologies is historically unprecedented.

To get a sense of what we may face in the future, I would strongly recommend that this book be read in conjunction with Aftershock: The Lights in the Tunnel: Automation, Accelerating Technology and the Economy of the Future. Both books offer an eerily similar analysis of the crisis -- both concluding that the problem is a dearth of viable consumers. Both books also propose very similar solutions: direct income supplementation. Reich proposes a negative income tax (which was supported by free-market icon Milton Friedman).

Anyone who wants to understand the current crisis and the danger we face in the future should read both "Aftershock" (for its emphasis on political and social implications) and "The Lights in the Tunnel" (for insight into how technology and globalization will continue to transform the economy -- and lead to an even more severe crisis, if we do not act ).

"History does not repeat itself, but it sometimes rhymes" Mark Twain
Every middle class American should read this book. Many observations about income disparities have been written up lately but Reich pulls the important points together in a powerful and accessible way.

Reich's main thesis is that the current transition the US economy is under is misunderstood. Many of the policy elite (Geithner, Volcker) have repeated the familiar claim that Americans are living beyond their means. Personally I don't discount that completely but Reich's insight goes much deeper and rings truer: "The problem was not that American spent beyond their means but that their means had not kept up with what the larger economy could and should have been able to provide them."

"We cannot have a sustained recovery until we address it. ... Until this transformation is made, our economy will continue to experience phantom recoveries and speculative bubbles, each more distressing than the one before."

Anyone looking at the unemployment data since WWII has to wonder why the unemployment component of the last three recessions is so prolonged. Instead of a sharp trend up, there are long slopes of delayed returns to peak employment. (Google "calculated risk blog" and look at Dec. 2010 articles.) I believe Reich has demonstrated the main culprit this. To be clear, he is not describing the detailed mechanics of what triggered the Great Recession. (Nouriel Roubini has a good book that I would recommend for more on the financial fraud, leverage and credit risks involved - Crisis Economics: A Crash Course in the Future of Finance. ) But Reich is taking a long term view and exposes a dysfunctional trait of the US economy that no one can afford to ignore. It is this weakness that will delay the current recovery and continue to create greater risks in the future.

Reich draws the parallels between the Great Depression and the Great Recession, particularly the imbalance of wealth concentrated in fewer hands and middle class workers with less income to convert into consumer demand. One of the fascinating devices he found to do this was the writings of Marriner Eccles (Fed chair between '34 to '48):

"As mass production has to be accompanied by mass consumption, mass consumption, in turn, implies a distribution of wealth - not of existing wealth, but of wealth as it is currently produced - to provide men with buying power equal to the amount of goods and services offered by the nation's economic machinery. Instead of achieving that kind of distribution, a giant suction pump had by 1929-1930 drawn into a few hands an increasing portion of currently produced wealth. This served them as capital accumulations. But by taking purchasing power out of the hands of mass consumers, the savers denied to themselves the kind of effective demand for their products that would justify a reinvestment of their capital accumulations in new plants. In consequence as in a poker game where the chips were concentrated in fewer and fewer hands, the other fellows could stay in the game only by borrowing. When their credit ran out, the game stopped."

Reich also shares a couple of powerful and disturbing graphs that show how the middle class has been squeezed and also how since the late 70s, hourly wages have not only not kept up with the rise in productivity but have remained essentially flat.

Another driving theme Reich presents is the "basic bargain" and he evokes Henry Ford, the man that took mass production to new heights and paid his workers well:

"[Henry] Ford understood the basic enconomic bargain that lay at the heart of a modern, highly productive economy. Workers are also consumers. Their earnings are continuously recycled to buy the goods and services other workers produce. But if earnings are inadequate and this basic bargain is broken, an economy produces more goods and services than its people are capable of purchasing."

I was concerned early in the book that Reich would leave out some of the important complexities of the topic but he covered related finances, politics and even consumer/voter psychology in a succinct yet informative way. His summary of changes to the labor market in the last 30+ years was very good.

His ideas for correcting this were interesting if perhaps difficult to implement politically. My take away however was that this is a strong indicator of how bad he thinks the situation really is. Many Americans may be yearning to return to "normal". Reich is the first to thoroughly convince me that it is not going to happen.

This is a very quick read of 144 pages and is well worth the time.

The Widening Income Gap and the Beleaguered Consumer
The defining statistic of this book is the fact that by 2007 the top 1 percent of America's earners garnered 23 percent of the nation's income. It hasn't been that high since 1928 which of course was right before the Great Depression. Robert Reich thinks that this is one of the reasons we are now in the Great Recession. The recovery, if and when it starts, will be very weak since the middle class has not gained any real buying power for the last 30 years.

Consumers constitute 70 percent of all economic activity in the United States, and if they are no longer employed or overburdened with debt they can no longer be the engine of growth that drives the economy. Many say that this figure is too high and that consumers should learn to live within their means. Reich, on the other hand, thinks their means should be increased.

There was time in American history that Reich refers to as the Great Prosperity, the years 1947-1975. (Read also Reich's book Supercapitalism: The Transformation of Business, Democracy, and Everyday Life (Vintage) for more on this period.) This was a time when income was more equally distributed. The top 1 percent received about 9 percent of the nation's income. The top marginal tax rate ranged from 70 to 90 percent.

During the Great Prosperity a single earner - usually male - could provide a middle class lifestyle for an average family. Since then wages have stagnated and families have found other ways to increase cashflow. Over the years women entered the workforce, people worked two or three jobs, and finally, during the last decade, they lived on credit cards and home equity to maintain middle class lifestyles. Now they have run out of sources of income.

Reich makes some suggestions that will have his critics up in arms. One of his proposals is a more progressive tax rate. In his plan the top 1 percent - those making over $400K anually - would pay a 55 percent marginal rate. This would be a relatively mild increase compared to the era of Great Prosperity. The top 2 percent would pay a 50 percent marginal rate and the top 5 percent would pay about 40 percent.

On the other end of the spectrum, those earning less than $20k would be supplemented and the large middle class - those with incomes ranging from $50k to $160k would be paying anywhere from a 10 to 20 percent rate. He believes something of this magnitude needs to be done to get the economy growing again. But it won't happen in the current political climate.

Many say progressive taxation and redistributive income is unfair, or worse yet, confiscatory. The fact of the matter is all taxation is redistributive. Taxation is the price of civilized society - to borrow from Oliver Wendell Holmes.

The current Tea Party movement is doing the bidding of the super rich. They are terrified of the poor and, in their view, the undeserving ending up with some of their money. Unbeknownst to them, the better off the poor and the middle class are, the better off the super rich will also be. Reich's modest proposal will not only strengthen the economy, it will also strengthen our democracy.

It's the ridiculous income gap, stupid!
We are slowing becoming more and more like third-world countries: a few ridiculously rich people; too many poor people; and what used to be the middle class joining the later. If anyone tries to point this out or do something about it the apologists for the rich (i.e., G.B. & R.L.) immediately cry "CLASS WARFARE".

Robert Reich's Aftershock rationally and succinctly explains the mess we're in and offers solutions that should be adopted by the Obama administration ASAP. Unfortunately, if they try, Republicans and Tea Partiers will scream "SOCIALIST" but offer no alternative.

Excellent source of solutions than mere theories
Okay so I actually bought this book through Audible but it still is his book. I found it to be very practical and relevant given the situation we are in. The remarks regarding ' The Independent ' party didn't surprise or shock me. R.R is known for his acumen, intelligence and his ability to bundle complex theories into simple text and understanding context. While explaining the current economic situation, he didnt get into what is a CDO, M&As, MBRM, ETFs and all the Wall street terms. Rather he focused on the core issues and provided explicit and specific solutions to back his ideas. That's what made this book different than others where we only hear what happened and what would've happened instead of solutions.

I would highly recommend this book if you want some insights into how we got here and how we get out of this mess. I liked it

Beautiful, relevant but fatally flawed



Fascinating, but fatally flawed; although Reich is probably the most knowledgeable, candid and relevant observer of the Washington Insider Establishment, he is flawed in expecting any sudden major change.

In America, where a two-cent rise in postage stamps is cause for major outrage, "change" comes on little cat feet. It's the fatal flaw of Obamania with its brilliant rescues of Wall Street and Detroit auto makers plus reforms of health care and the financial industry; it's these revolutionary successes that have infuriated voters.

Gratitude? "Wail Street" cried all the way to the Treasury; then, like pigs with their snouts in the trough of public money, stampeded the farmer who just filled their feed bowl. In his final 'How It Could Get Done' chapter of five and one-half pages, Reich offers a rational but revolutionary plan to rescue the Middle Class from 30 years of stagnation.

It took 30 years for the "vested interests" with their Greed Is Enough mantra to vastly increase their share of American earnings and wealth. However, in America, revolution won't work; this is a society that trusts gradualism instead of upheaval. President Barack Obama failed this test of the American character; he expected a miracle from "Change" and instead got doubt, suspicion and fear.

So much for Reich's conclusion. The other 134 pages are a cogent analysis of America from the Great Depression to the Great Prosperity and downward into the current Great Recession. Only the Super Rich are liable to disagree, primarily because Reich explains how they are usually the problem and never part of the solution.

It's this analysis that makes this book so worthwhile. Granted, Reich cites more than the Super Rich -- even they aren't astute enough to cause all problems -- but the first step toward a solution is understanding the origins of the problem. Instead of rants and raves about the current mess, Reich offers a succinct and practical analysis.

But then,who listens to intelligence instead of emotion in politics?

Our economy, a clear and concise explanation
A very readable and interesting review of our economy, and what brought the US economy to the point it is today. This book helps to clarify what really has happened to our economy and why. Reich makes a good Rx of what could be done to help our economic future to be more equitable, by restoring the "basic bargain". I would highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to cut through all of the chatter on the "news" and have a better sense of what needs to be done to make a brighter future for us in the "middle class". ... Read more

Editorial Review

In this age of an open Internet, it is easy to forget that every American information industry, beginning with the telephone, has eventually been taken captive by some ruthless monopoly or cartel. With all our media now traveling a single network, an unprecedented potential is building for centralized control over what Americans see and hear. Could history repeat itself with the next industrial consolidation? Could the Internet—the entire flow of American information—come to be ruled by one corporate leviathan in possession of “the master switch”? That is the big question of Tim Wu’s pathbreaking book.

As Wu’s sweeping history shows, each of the new media of the twentieth century—radio, telephone, television, and film—was born free and open. Each invited unrestricted use and enterprising experiment until some would-be mogul battled his way to total domination. Here are stories of an uncommon will to power, the power over information: Adolph Zukor, who took a technology once used as commonly as YouTube is today and made it the exclusive prerogative of a kingdom called Hollywood . . . NBC’s founder, David Sarnoff, who, to save his broadcast empire from disruptive visionaries, bullied one inventor (of electronic television) into alcoholic despair and another (this one of FM radio, and his boyhood friend) into suicide . . . And foremost, Theodore Vail, founder of the Bell System, the greatest information empire of all time, and a capitalist whose faith in Soviet-style central planning set the course of every information industry thereafter.

Explaining how invention begets industry and industry begets empire—a progress often blessed by government, typically with stifling consequences for free expression and technical innovation alike—Wu identifies a time-honored pattern in the maneuvers of today’s great information powers: Apple, Google, and an eerily resurgent AT&T. A battle royal looms for the Internet’s future, and with almost every aspect of our lives now dependent on that network, this is one war we dare not tune out.

Part industrial exposé, part meditation on what freedom requires in the information age, The Master Switch is a stirring illumination of a drama that has played out over decades in the shadows of our national life and now culminates with terrifying implications for our future. ... Read more

Reviews

Brilliant and Informative

A complex, complete and compelling story of business

The Incredible History of Information Technology

The Rise and Fall and Rise of Closed Media

The Master Switch by Tim Wu book review 5+ stars

Profound insights for the Internet economy

Information history worth reading

The Internet Community Will NOT Accept A Master.

the cycle of every communications technology

Editorial Review

Reviews

"Nelson Mandela Declares He Is No Saint".
This is a rather very interesting & personal book, composed of Nelson Mandela's vast archive material in the form of letters, papers, conversations, interviews & speeches/recordings he made/written while in Robben Island as a prisoner, after his release from prison & when he was the first democratic elected President of South Africa and the book is titled "Conversations With Myself". It has been put together by the Nelson Mandela Foundation, dedicated to his grand-daughter who died in a car accident in June this year during Fifa Soccer World Cup 2010 & is foreworded by President Barack Obama.

The book outlines Nelson Mandela's views among others on leadership & as well as his fallability as a human being : he was quite 'anxious/uncomfortable' while in Robben Island that he was being regarded/portrayed as a Saint by some followers/quarters. He does not however regard himself as a Saint even though his definition of a "Saint is a sinner who keeps on trying/repenting"!

This book is an excellent read because of a diversity of material contained : it's not like a story with a plot or narrative thread. Thus this book can be studied in bits/chunks as you wish with ease without loosing 'the flow' of the book. Some of his letters/speeches reflected/presented in this book are in Nelson Mandela's own handwriting, making this book rather very personal & special (collectable). This book, "Nelson Mandela : Conversations With Myself", is a highly recommended reading from one of the most famous prisoners in the world, known for his fight for human rights (Nobel Peace Prize Winner), reconciliation & a humble personality (and hence his declaration as no Saint).

Different but well put together
I have never read an autobiography before but is not one.It is put together by notes he made,letters he wrote and interviews.From all these bits and pieces there is a great flow and easy to read.It brings to the reader his great thoughts and views on specific events that happened to him during his life.

If you cant meet the man,see the man or get close to the man this is an alternative to get a chance to reach out to him though this book of personal letters and notes.

I recommend this to anyone to sit back and change from the trash that is pumped out from authors every day and think and feel what this great man is feeling. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Reviews

An Essential Book
Family of Secrets: The Bush Dynasty, the Powerful Forces That Put It in the White House, and What Their Influence Means for America

French philosopher Jean Paul Sartre said that "words are loaded pistols." In the hands of Russ Baker, they are hydrogen bombs. On each and every page of his masterpiece, "Family of Secrets," he exploses the myths and lies that powerful forces have perpetratred on the American consciousness. He digs beneath the surface in a form of journalistic archeology to reveal the hidden history of one of America's most powerful families, leaving no stone unturned. Moreover, he names all of his sources and documents the materials he relies on to unmask the hypocrisy behind the myth. From Prescott Bush's ties to Nazi Germany to Poppy Bush's secret role in the Watergate scandal that ousted Richard Nixon, which was, in fact, a "silent coup," to George W. Bush's deceit in launching the war in Iraq, Russ Baker unmasks the truth with a relentless brilliance unmatched by his peers. His publisher, Bloomsberry, is to be congratulated for its confidence in Russ Baker at a time when most publishers are hedging their bets and looking over their shoulders in acts of self-censorship. Baker's revelations about George W. Bush's private life is worth the price of the book alone. Here is Bush, forcing himself on a Danish beauty, stripping to the nude, while getting another girl friend he knocks up an abortion, and then later, as president, opposing abortion and cutting funding for organizations that provide information about birth control. How he managed to get the Danish beauty to go on record, as he does with other key players in Watergate and the Kennedy assassination, is nothing short of astonishing. He traces the true history of Poppy Bush's career, from his early ties to the CIA he pretended never existed while declaring himself "out of the loop," to his strange phone call from Dallas to the FBI on the day of Kennedy's assassination, pointing a finger at a suspect who was in fact totally innocent, to his manipulation of Watergate to get rid of Nixon, is a secret story forced out of the shadows by the powerful documentation by Baker in this tour de force that keeps you turning the pages in asonishment. What he discloses is America's War of the Roses, as powerful families fight to the death for ultimate power. The history of Lee Harvey Osward in the world of wealth, power and intelligence that was Dallas, Texas at the time, is amazing. The anodyne courses in political science and history at American colleges and universities need very much to inject Family of Secrets into the curriculum so that young Americans can be more able to understand what America is truly about as a new president strives to change and reform it. It puts the dots together in a way that makes any further naivety amongst Americans impossible. What he tells us simply cannot be ignored. One can fully expect the Establishment media to go after this book in typical fashion, as they make their usual attempt to cover up what can no longer be denied. Family of Secrets takes to what Cyril Connolly so aptly descibed as the "blood crossroads of literature and politics." After Family of Secrets, neither will ever be the same.

Right is still right, even when nobody's doing it. Wrong is still wrong, even when everybody's doing it.

"All great accomplishments are the products of discipline and the force of will. To write a lasting and important book, a journalist must be relentless in pursuing detail that others have misunderstood or even ignored. The commitment to discerning the facts can never waver, regardless of the obstacles placed before the reporter. We see such non-fiction narratives too infrequently in American publishing but we have a great one before us now in Russ Baker's phenomenal `Family of Secrets.' As an investigator and as a writer of compelling narrative, Baker has created, in my estimation, an almost unequalled standard in political reportage. He has refused to accept conventional wisdom regarding the Bush family and the failed son they made president. There is no way any reasonable person can reject what Baker reports and the conclusions are profoundly disturbing. The reader becomes convinced, page after page, footnote after footnote, quote after quote, that everything we thought we knew about American history in the past 50 years was wrong. I confess that I was prepared to be dismissive. When Baker first approached me about an interview and to offer what little insight I had on years of covering the Bushes in Texas, my reaction was that he was too late and that the public had been worn out by the publishing deluge prompted by George W's incompetence and lying. Why did we need another book on the Bushes? After reading `Family of Secrets' that answer is abundantly obvious: we did not know the truth. I think we do now and Russ Baker has given it to us in a brilliant book that that will be impossible for any sensible American to ignore. I considered myself well informed on both Presidents Bush but Baker has proved that even those of us close to the subject need to reconsider the facts and to do otherwise is to jeopardize the value and purpose of our democracy. As Karl Rove, Joe Allbaugh, Karen Hughes, Mark McKinnon, Dan Bartlett, Condoleeza Rice and the rest of the outgoing administration go about their immoral task of trying to spin a more positive Bush legacy, let them confront the truths as revealed in `Family of Secrets." History will not abide any further distortions of the Bush record and when researchers seek to understand what happened to our country under the Bush family regime, let's hope they find their way to the epic work of Russ Baker. `Family of Secrets' is much more than a non-fiction narrative of political history; Baker has created an historical document that is an act of patriotism for a nation in need of self-examination and the truth."



James C. Moore - Author: "Bush's Brain," "Bush's War for Reelection," and "The Architect."

treasure trove of conspiracies
Russ Baker has done a marvelous job of tracking the connections. The connections - CIA - big money - oil money - with the Bushes sitting on one big fat strand of the web. He leaves little doubt that Bush the Elder was CIA all the way, from the fifties on. He goes far to unraveling the mystery of Little Bush's business failures, and how he could move from failure to failure and continue to profit.
If you have doubts about the Kennedy Assassination or the "real story" of Watergate, Baker has tracked down all the facts and the anomalies and lays them out for you.
For anyone seriously interested in alternative narratives to the official version of recent American history, this book is a must.

The Librarian: A Novel
Wag the Dog: A Novel
Salvation Boulevard: A Novel

A courageous book
Russ Baker is one of America's finest investigative journalists. In Family of Secrets, Baker tackles the complex story surrounding the rise of the Bush family in American politics. The result is nothing less than a complete and disturbing re-evaluation of American history during the last half-century.

Family of Secrets is a must read for anyone who cares about modern American history or politics. The sections on the Watergate and the assassination of President Kennedy are especially startling and intriguing. This is the work of a bona fide independent journalist, and it puts to shame so much of what passes as journalism these days.

No doubt, the Bush family will strive to discredit this book. But it will be hard to do, because Family of Secrets is so richly documented, with more than 1,000 footnotes.

Family of Secrets is a compelling read, and remarkably so given the complicated story it tells. The plot has so many fascinating twists and turns that some sections read like "The Count of Monte Cristo." Baker also has lively senses of irony and humor that add a touch of levity to the book.

Inevitably, Family of Secrets asks many more questions than it can possibly answer. Many of them are quite troubling. Readers will be left wondering what really has happened to our democracy, and our country, during the last fifty years, and what we ought to do about it.

From the Dashboard to the Engine-- of Power.
We are living in a time when there is so very little exploration of worlds between nominal power-- the three branches, lobbyists-- and structural power as in corporations and intelligence causalities. The words conspiracy theory are everywhere because there is no mediated "between" world that connects the dashboard and the engine of real power.

In other words journalists are worse than ever, and we are living in a time of propaganda that is arguabley worse than that experienced during the Soviet Union. Unmediated trash is a more efficient brainwash than a party line ever was.

This book is so great because it is about just that "between" world-- between the H.W. Bush the pol, and the sub rosa Bush that was the divng board onto the Bay of Pigs, between the Senate Candidate, and an organizer of The Faceless behind the crime of the century. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. It along with
James W. Douglass JFK and the Unspeakable are far and away the two most important publications of 2008.JFK and the Unspeakable: Why He Died and Why It Matters. Case Closed>CIA just dont look for a review on the cover of Newsweek. Its up to us to let citizens know, if we want citizens to still exist.

Outstanding journalism - A MUST READ
Russ Baker's writing is corageous and on point. As one of many of the sources for this thoroughly documented and exhastively researched book, I can attest to the accuracy and veracity of the material relating to covert Saudi funding of the Bush family's political and business ventures. If anything, Baker is guilty of UNDERSTATING the malfeasance of the Bushes and their tag-team lawyer proxies.

When I became a threat to expose these illegal and traitorous secret "business" dealings orchestrated through the BinLaden Family and my former business partner James R. Bath, I was completely wiped out including the loss of my income, savings, business interests, home, medical insurance, personal property, and military retirement. The Houston courts and the "justice system" were literally turned on end in an attempt to compel an innocent person to commit a felony crime! Bush political operatives squashed law enforcement agency investigations of the matter by invoking "national security" as a rationale.

My squadron mates and I risked our lives flying off our nation's aircraft carriers during time of war in defense of the Constituion and the rights bestowed on "we the people" by it. The Bush family displayed its utter disregard and contempt for both the Constitution and my right to due process under law by orchestrating the frivilous litigation campaign that wiped out me and my family. Dubya followed up by bankrupting the middle class and most of the Nation. His tenure as President is characterized by the largest single transfer of wealth in the history of our Country; the beneficiaries of which are his patrons - the Saudis, Wall Street and its revolving door intelligence operatives, oil industry insiders, and the Mob [working for decades now in concert with U.S. intelligence operatives]. Don't believe it - all you have to do is follow the money. Kudos to Russ Baker for his tenacity, literary integrity and dogged determination. The Country needs to read, digest and act upon the information provided in Family of Secrets if our Country is to survives as a Constitutional Republic.

Nail in the Coffin!
Where to begin to assess the bludgeoning effect of the Bush years on our society? There's the deregulatory maelstorm that set the stage for the current economic downturn; the environmental rollbacks that have opened precious protected lands for oil and gas exploration; the chipping away of our privacy rights and - oh, let's not forget - the state sponsoring of torture. But as a woman, who grew up standing on the shoulders of feminist giants who paved the way for so many rights I thought were here to stay, it has been particularly distressing to witness the erosion under Bush/Cheney of Roe vs Wade.

That is why it was so shocking to read the story of Robin Lowman in Baker's book, a book that deconstructs the complex political machinations that led to the Bush family reign and painstakingly traces the web of oil and CIA alliances generations back.

Ultimate hypocrisy is revealed in this account of the apparently secreted abortion performed upon this woman who was dating George W. It is not the most important part of this book, just one of many stunning revelations Baker unearths. In this "family of secrets" and dark behind-the-scenes maneuvers and entanglements, this is the one episode that most sickened and disturbed me. That the man who would work so doggedly to reverse our rights would have himself sanctioned and approved of and participated in a woman having an abortion (and in this strange and spooky scenario)-- well, it just hammers the nail in the coffin of his reputation for me as I imagine it will so many of my sisters.


If you even wondered, as I have, how we came to have a president like George W. Bush -- here is the back story. Read it and weep.
Baker's book provides the connective tissue to understand this family's associations and strategies, and I would hope, to help us prevent the rise to political power of another one of their clan again.

Meet the New Boss, Same as the Old Boss
Essential reading in order to understand that the Bush Family has been basically used as a CIA front for the shadow government that over the past 60 years has slowly strangled the American Democratic Republic. From the creation of the National Security State in 1947, to the assassination of JFK in 1963, to the coups and overthrow of democratically elected leaders in foreign nations, this shadow government has destroyed the core of our Federal Government. Russ Baker makes clear that the Bushes have been deeply involved in these deceptions and manipulations every step of the way. Prescott Bush paved the way with his business dealings with the Nazis and George HW Bush has been CIA since day one and was directly involved behind the scenes from JFK to Nixon to Iran-Contra. When the Supreme Court stole the 2000 presidential election for "the decider", the wheels were put in motion for the 9/11 New Pearl Harbor, the illegal invasion of Iraq, and the creation of the Global Terror State. 60 years of lies and defamation of the Constitution have brought us to the threshold of Fascism and the New World Order. The creation of the bumbling self-effacing Bushes from Yale and the self-made Bush oil family from Texas was the greatest con ever played on the American People.

Devastating. Devastating. Like Harlot's Ghost come to life.
Hard to imagine a direct hit of this magnitude coming at a more appropriate time. Nothing left to do but contemplate the smoldering crater. Mind bending.

There is so much to consider, and the consequences of revisting the closed chapters of American postwar history so potentially threatening to various power bases within the American system, that one boggles at the connections and codependencies, subornings, manipulations, and creative distortions that constitute the modus operandi where true power and massive wealth intersect.

One could open any part of this book at random and find oneself muttering, oh that, do you mean it was connected to a larger, more ornate process after all ?

Among the many dramae that Baker writes of, which concerns us in the present era, is the rise of radical Islam and Muhammad ibn 'Abd al-Wahhab an-Najdi's (hence Wahhabism) brand of extremist thought, which took root in what was to become Saudi Arabia when Arabia was finally consolidated under the aegis of the Saud clan in 1922. This bit of background, BTW, is not included in the book and only offered by way of clarification.

Wahhabism might have remained a background element in Arabian culture save for its' "discovery" in the 1970s as a covert foreign policy tool for destabilizing the former Soviet Union at its Islamic periphery (where, unsurprisingly, there are significant petroleum resources).

Here Baker helps us put matters into perspective. According to his account, The CIA, Saudia (which isn't exactly Arabia), and the Bush family hit on the idea of having the Saud family covertly finance a global Wahhabist movement in return from providing the Saudis with the training and materiel for an internal security force that could keep those same Wahhabis in check locally while they ran amok globally.

In other words, to put not too fine a point on it, American interests fomented worldwide Islamic extremism as a sort of paramilitary proxy organ, and the next-in-sequence rise of Al Qaeda, via a covert security agreement between the Saudi family and the CIA and CIA related entities, and brokered by the Bush family and Bush related banking operations...

At least, that is Baker's line of reasoning, and should it be shown true on close investigation, America would have to totally rethink the nature of it's culpability in the rise of religio-military extremism worldwide.

Given Baker's understanding of the nuances of misdirection in the world of covert operations, it would also appear that the book's early focus on the Kennedy assassination serves as a kind of slight of hand device.

He must realize that any unorthodox discussion of the assassination is inevitable flypaper for a certain psychological type, primarily those who use the term "liberal" as an expletive...

The Kennedy issue appears to have served its' purpose, as every criticism of this book that one encounters remains fixated, almost mesemerized by the need to latch on to Kennedy conspiracy with blood engorged anti-conspiracies.

Giving them a meaty bone to gnaw allows Baker to proceed with his real business, the financial structures that knit together the CIA, the energy industry, third world dicatorial governments, bizarre crackpot organizations like the World Anti-Communist League, media talking heads,
Sun Myung Moon and his Unification Church, and who knows what else bubbling up in the fetid swill that was finally to overflow its septic tank with the Iraq project.. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Jesse Ventura tells it like it is, and this time he tackles our government’s biggest secrets.In this explosive account of wrongful acts and on-going cover-ups, Jesse Ventura takes a systematic look at the wide gap between what the American government knows and what it reveals to the American people. For too long, we the people have sat by and let politicians and bureaucrats from both parties obfuscate and lie. And according to this former Navy SEAL, former pro wrestler, and former Minnesota governor, the media is complicit in these acts of deception. For too long, the mainstream press has refused to consider alternate possibilities and to ask the tough questions. Here, Ventura looks closely at the theories that have been presented over the years and separates the fact from the fiction.

In Ventura’s eyes, the murder of Abraham Lincoln and the assassinations of the Kennedys and Martin Luther King, all need to be re-examined. Was Watergate presented honestly, or was the CIA involved? Did the Republican Party set out to purposefully steal two elections on behalf of George W. Bush? Has all the evidence been presented about the 9/11 attacks or is there another angle that the media is afraid to explore? And finally, is the collapse of today’s financial order and the bailout plan by the Federal Reserve the widest-reaching conspiracy ever perpetrated?

“If you’re talking outspoken, unconventional, and no-holds-barred, you’re talking Jesse Ventura.”—Larry King
 
“I wouldn’t mind seeing Ventura run for president (or for senator, or dog-catcher, or whatever). In addition to talking conspiracy, he’s likely to raise all sorts of other trouble.”—Damon W. Root, Reason Magazine ... Read more

Editorial Review

Survival expert Cody Lundin's new book, When All Hell Breaks Loose: Stuff You Need To Survive When Disaster Strikes is what every family needs to prepare and educate themselves about survival psychology and the skills necessary to negotiate a disaster whether you are at home, in the office, or in your car. ... Read more

Reviews

Comparison of Disaster Preparedness Books, August 29, 2009
If you're like I was, you're looking through the various disaster preparedness books wondering which one is best. I have worked my way through many of the most popular books and offer a shared review of all of them here. I hope this comparison helps you make a decision. I should also point out that I researched nearly every disaster book out there and recently published the Handbook to Practical Disaster Preparedness for the Family. If interested, search Amazon for the title. Onward with the reviews!

Book 1: Crisis Preparedness by Jack A. Spigarelli
Like many of the disaster preparedness books, this one begins by answering the question, "Why bother being prepared?" It also outlines a framework for being prepared that includes accumulating supplies, getting mentally and physically prepared, and having your finances in order. One thing I particularly liked was the emphasis on the importance of knowledge. It wasn't just about what items you need, but also what skills and knowledge you should develop. But this book is mostly about food preparation for a major disaster, with emphasis on having a year's food storage, milling your own grain, growing sprouts, home canning, dehydrating, freeze-drying, etc. There are detailed tables showing the calories of various foods including their protein, fat, and carbs. The final third of the book offers advice on other topics, including weapons, hand tools, clothing, energy, medical, sanitation, transportation, communications, and home preparation. The book concludes with a list of recommended books and a brief listing of companies that sell disaster preparation items. Overall, this is a very good preparedness book. I probably should have given it 5 stars, but I thought it went a bit overboard on the food plan. That said, it is the most comprehensive of the preparedness books.

Book 2: Preparedness Now! By Aton Edwards
This is another thorough disaster preparedness book, one that focuses more on emergency situations (fire, chemical attack, etc.). It is organized into brief chapters (some only a few pages) on a variety of important topics, including: water, food, shelter, sanitation, communication, transportation, and protection. It is also filled with many packing lists detailing what you should get in preparation. It introduces the e-kit (a very lightweight kit to keep with you) and grab-n-go bag with more extensive items. Final chapters of the book discuss various possible disasters, including earthquakes, tsunami, infectious diseases, chemical and bio warfare, crime, fire, and extreme weather. Some of the commentary is a bit questionable, but the technical content is good. Note the deficiency with this book is that it does not offer any detail on food storage.

Book 3: Disaster Preparedness for Dummies
First of all, this isn't a book. It's a DVD video. I wasn't paying attention when I bought it, and was a bit surprised when it arrived. I generally like the Dummies series. They are well researched and serve as a good summary. This DVD offers a lengthy video discussing many disasters (hurricanes, earthquakes, tornados, etc.), briefly outlining how you might prepare for them. It also has an overview of how you should react in case of a terrorist attack (nuclear, chemical, and biological). But the advice is all very general, and is more like what you'd expect to hear from your local weather station. For example, the video repeatedly advises you to "stay calm" and "evaucate in an orderly fashion." The videos are high quality, but don't expect detailed outdoor survival tips or food storage suggestions. Everything presented is relevant and useful, but it feels more like a FEMA public service announcement.

Book 4: Emergency Food Storage and Survival Handbook by Peggy Layton
This book is broken into six main sections. The first section offers decent but very incomplete summaries on preparing for short-term emergencies. The second section discusses how to store and purify water. The third part talks about the logistics of setting up a food-storage program, and has some suggestions on how to store food. The fourth section details what types of foods you should store. The fifth section has blank inventory planning pages. And finally the last section has some recipes. About half of the 285 page book is either blank planning pages or simple recipes. The first half of the book is pretty good stuff, but I found this book to be incomplete. It does however offer some good advice on food storage.

Book 5: Organize for Disaster by Judith Kolberg
This book goes an entirely different direction than the other preparedness books. Emphasis is on understanding the federal resources (i.e. FEMA, Red Cross, etc.) available, creating a personal intelligence network, organizing essential documents, maintaining insurance coverage, listing a home inventory, preparing your house for disaster, basic first aid, and having a good family communication plan. There is also a good list of necessary items to have on hand that would suit many common disaster. I recommend this book for its common-sense look at disaster preparedness. However, it is not the only book you would need, because it doesn't detail food storage, water purification, heating, etc.. That said, it covers some topics that the other books overlook.

Book 6: Making the Best of Basics, Family Preparedness Handbook by James Talmage Stevens
This book is almost completely about in-home food storage and preparation. There is little discussion outside that (except for basic water issues). Many chapters discuss food in significant detail, to include things like grains, recipes, preparing sourdough breads/biscuits, dairy products, honey, sprouting, drying of fruits/vegetables. At the end of this book is a huge compendium of preparedness resources, telling where things can be purchased in every US state.

Book 7: No Such Thing as Doomsday, by Philip L. Hoag, revised in 2001
This book offers well-researched insights into disaster preparedness. Topics include water, food, heating/cooking, light, power, communications, medical, sanitation, and security. Those subjects are well done. However, much of the book reads like a bit of doomsday prediction, with many pages devoted to scaring the heck out of the reader... focusing on missile attacks, chemical dangers, nuclear war, radiation, decontamination, communist threat, etc. For me personally, I would have like to see more pages devoted to likely threats (e.g. hurricanes, floods, earthquake, blackout, fire, etc.). Also note that Amazon may not carry the latest version (updated in 2001), so you may want to buy directly from the author.

Book 8: When All Hell Breaks Loose, by Cody Lundin
This book falls somewhere between doomsday survivalism and practical disaster preparedness. It is a high quality publication, filled with illustrations and a color insert. My prediction is that you will either love this book or hate it. It does cover many of the basic topics (food, shelter, water, sanitation, light, first aid, self-defense, communications, and transportation). But the material is presented in such a way that it is very chaotic and difficult to read. There are distracting quotes and cartoons, as well as advice that is targeted more towards the end of civilization scenario. For example, he discusses how to wipe your bottom with a stick or other foreign object, how to cook up a rat, how to compost your poop, etc. It's all very interesting, but not particularly useful for say preparing for a harsh winter storm.

Overall, if you can only purchase three books, I would recommend Book 5, Book 6, and either Book 1, 2, 7 or 8. With those three, you should have a balanced look at common sense organizing, food storage, and emergency items to have on hand. If you can buy only one book, I recommend Book 1.

Written by Arthur Bradley, author of "Handbook to Practical Disaster Preparedness for the Family" - just coming available on Amazon (July 2010).

Please be kind enough to indicate if reviews are helpful.

Good beginners book, March 8, 2008
This book is focuses on urban survival. I would recommend this for any person initially looking into the subject matter, but not to anyone that is primed already. Although well written, you will have to further your knowledge on certain topics with supplemental reading. I feel like I got a huge start with this book with a lot of direction on where I need to study further.

Written in an easy to read format, Lundin does a good job at grabbing you and keeping your attention throught the book. There are lots of silly figres with helpful tips, drawings and blocked out page sections further detailing subject matter.

The first 60 pages are dedicated to the psychological effects of a disaster and trying to mentally prep for survival. He then lays out a nice piority pyramid and starts getting into the meat of the matter, including transportation, lighting, first aid, communications, cooking, shelter, food, clothing, water, and sanitation.

Topics I feel I dont need to research further after reading this book include body temp regulation (he has another book more dedicated to this) and clothing, nutrition, water storage and sanitation, solar cooking, a preparadness "bug-out" kit, general hygiene and sanitation, lighting, and communications.

Topics I do feel I need to read more on are specific food storage, fire starting, more detailed first aid, shelter building, alternate energy sources, indoor shelter temp control, homestead and food storage defense, edible wild foods, trapping, skinning, tanning, meat curing and storing etc... In Lundins defense a lot of these topics are more for wilderness survival, and this was not really the focus of this book.

Some Good Stuff But Needs Editing, June 24, 2008
I had high expectations for this book and perhaps that's why I am a little disappointed. I thought it lacked organization and editing and perhaps was a little heavy on the funky side.

* Replace some of the cartoons with more specific sketches

* Rate measures as to their effectiveness and difficulty

* Serve as a foundation

There were a lot of nuggets and reminders. One was that a .22LR is a lightweight rifle suitable for most small game and certainly effective in stopping another human that wants to cause harm if properly used. Ammunition is cheap and lightweight. It is all useless without practice.

The section on hygiene was great.

More guidance on threat assessment would be helpful as what's needed depends on the prospective challenges, goals and characteristics of the area. What are the worst case scenarios, would you need to leave the place where you normally live or live in-place without outside support and stuff like utilities. Are the natives friendly? What's the prevailing weather? What are the reader's goals - personal survival, family survival, help neighbors and family.

Perhaps the real answer is a bundle of smaller books including a pocket guide to handling medical problems and a survival guide to pack with the gear.

Fun reading but time invested is not adequately rewarded.

Good deal..., June 13, 2008
Having read Cody's "98.6" book, I was eagerly looking forward to this book. I'll say up front that this book's writing style isn't as good as 98.6 but it's a great value that I recommend.

Cody's strength is his experience and blunt comments that really try to get the message through. The book is vast in its coverage (450 pages) so you really get a great value for your dollar. I really like how the book covers non-obvious topics and gives you historical examples/studies where people learned the hard way to help reinforce the point.

Cody's weaknesses are that he comes across as more condescending than in 98.6 and often seems to repeat himself far too much. I sometimes think that Cody believes we are all scared little creatures psychologically incapable of surviving without his 80 page "yes-you-can" lecture. I don't mind some encouragement here, but it should definitely be scaled back as it isn't one of his strengths and shouldn't require so much text. And as for the repetitiveness, for example, by to 20th time you read about how worthless our government is, you feel like saying "I get it, Cody, preaching to the choir." There are indeed too many political, personal, and off-topic concepts in this book. Stick the meat of what the title advertises. Cut off the fat from this book and you'd probably arrive at about 300 pages of solid and wonderful content.

Enjoyed the coverage about water, food, sanitation, body temperature, etc. Well done and informative. The self defensive chapter was hugely disappointing. It seemed more suited for daily urban survival at the local bar and not for catastrophe survival. I agree with Cody that food and water are often greatly overlooked by the Gold/Guns crowd, but to have hardly any advice about firearms seems bizarre. I am not recommending to have guns out of fear but out of reality. Imagine if someone with a gun comes for your supplies or loved ones and the only thing you know how to do is close combat fighting. Guess who will control the situation? And know that guns were confiscated illegally by law enforcement during Hurricane Katrina from law abiding people.

Yes, there are times where it seems Cody may not have listened to his editors or earlier reviewers based on my comments above and a lack of 'polish' on the text. And yes, the cutesy drawings are out of place. However, despite my minor complaints, for a very low price you get such a wide range of very useful information. At minimum the book will make you think in more depth about the subject at large. Most likely though you will learn a amazing amount of survival information. Either way Cody may have helped saved your life someday.

A solid book, December 5, 2007
If you get any preparedness book, get this one. Cody Lundin, a wilderness survival expert, gives us urbanites a solid course in what you really need to survive a disaster, step by step. Where many books (and TV shows) promote a fearful attitude, I found this book calming, because he explained so clearly what you might face in the days after a disaster and how to handle each as they came.

He uses short bites of information and lists along with extended explanations so this book can be actually be used in an emergency without having to wade through pages of data to find what you need, but you get a thorough knowledge of the reasoning behind what you'll be doing.

I've read quite a few of these books and this is the best one I've found by far.

Video Demonstration of Codys Work, January 16, 2008
Ive known Cody for a long time. This book is not only a manual on how to survive an urban catastrophe its timely message for us to examine or spiritual connection to the earth and the reason where on the planet. Heres a great video with Cody catching,cooking and eating a rat. Its hard to imagine having to do such a thing but just imagine that this is already taking place in many countries where water,famine,war are at the doorstep.

When All Hell Breaks Loose, August 11, 2008
The author, Cody Lundin, is a professional survival instructor in Prescott, Arizona. He lives "off the grid in a passive solar earth home in which he catches rain, composts wastes, and pays nothing for heating or cooling."

This book on urban survival can help you prepare for such emergencies as a natural disaster in your area, a debilitating or deadly viral epidemic, or extreme and violent "civil unrest" propagating from one cause or another. Any of these emergencies can put you in a situation where no one can help you but yourself: water and food, medicine and first-aid, hygiene and sanitation, warmth, comfort and light will only be available if you've prepared and made provision for them beforehand.

Lundin surveys home-based survival needs. Topics covered are psychological preparation and mental health, shelter, cooling and heating, water, food, sanitation, hygiene, lighting, cooking, first-aid, self-defense, communications, transportation, and the bugout bag. If you don't know the survival value of household chlorine bleach, you will by the end of this book.

While the coverage is not exhaustive (it would be naive to expect it to be), each topic is given enough attention to take you from blissful ignorance to a solid foundational understanding of what it takes to survive when society breaks down, and how to prepare yourself and equip your home for (at least temporary) self-reliance during very bad times.

This book does not cover wilderness survival: it won't teach you how to construct a debris shelter, make cordage, set-up a Paiute deadfall trap, or how to create fire by friction. Nor does it cover long-term self-reliance topics such as goats and chickens, gardens, food preservation and storage, baking, leather making, or how to set up your home to live permanently and comfortably off the grid. But what it does cover, it covers well and with a real understanding of what living under such conditions entails.

No Hype, Just Richly Informative..., January 28, 2008
Unlike so many other survival manuals attempting to prepare us for Ragnorak (Armageddon), Mr. Lundin avoids the scary hype and simply provides us with honest, clear perspective aided with genuinely valuable information, all of which is valid, reliable and credible.

It's a real-deal guide about how to create the necessary: planning, preparation, practice, psychology and personal responsibility for realistically surviving serious crises.

When All Hell Breaks Loose, June 4, 2008
When All Hell Breaks Loose

"If you are going through Hell, keep going."--Winston Churchill

Once upon a summer day, a Grasshopper hopped and danced and sung to his heart's content. An Ant passed, dragging a huge sack of powdered milk, beef jerky, and salt.
"Why not come and sing karaoke and do a Jell-O(tm) shot with me," chirped the grasshopper, "Instead of breaking your back, working all day?"
"I am preparing for hard times ahead," said the Ant, "and I recommend you do the same."
"Why worry about winter?" said the Grasshopper. "There's plenty of food right now."
But the ant continued his hard toil. When winter came, the shivering grasshopper had no food and found himself slowly dying of hunger. So, he kicked down the Ant's door only to find out that the Ant had completed a comprehensive martial art training regimen that focused on close-quarters combat and self-defense, and that food was not the only thing the Ant had packed away. Only then did the Grasshopper realize that...

It is best to be prepared for the days of necessity. Haven't you ever stayed awake late at night running through "what if" scenarios? Hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, tornados, zombies, asteroid strikes -- you didn't build that bomb shelter in the backyard just for the kids to use as a playhouse. Well, grab your gasmask and a copy of When All Hell Breaks Loose: Stuff You Need To Survive When Disaster Strikes by Cody Lundin.

He is not another paranoid survivalist huddled in a cave spouting Bible verses and lovingly stroking his guns. Cody Lundin and his Aboriginal Living Skills School have been featured in dozens of national and international media sources, including Dateline NBC, CBS News, USA Today, The Donny and Marie Show, and CBC Radio One in Canada, as well as on the cover of Backpacker magazine. When not teaching for his own school, he is an adjunct faculty member at Yavapai College and a faculty member at the Ecosa Institute. His expertise in practical self-reliance skills comes from a lifetime of personal experience, including designing his own off the grid, passive solar earth home.

This book is not going to teach you how to wrestle an alligator, or try to convince you that all you have to do is gaze into your backyard to find endless amounts of wild edible plants, or that wild game is there for the taking. Hunting and trapping are true arts and require practice, the right equipment, and the proper environment to be successful. What this book will do is provide the knowledge to help you survive the standard survival scenario, which lasts about seventy-two hours, in the most practical, affordable, simple and realistic way possible.

The book is divided into two parts. Part one deals with the psychological aspect of surviving. According to the author "surviving a life-threatening scenario is largely psychological on the part of the survivor(s). Get this fact into your head now that living through a survival scenario is 90 percent psychology, and 10 percent methodology and gear." He covers how to define your survival priorities with his "Pyramid of Needs" and great checklists for preparing you physically, mentally and emotionally, as well as spirituality and the equipment you are going to need. This section will give you the common-sense foundation upon which to base your survival plan.

The second part of this basic survival guide contains the information to keep your physical body alive. Specific chapters on emergency sanitation, water, food, first aid, communication, and more are presented in the most practical detail as possible. Entire books have been devoted to each of the above subjects. So, don't expect this book to cover every possible aspect of these skills, but appreciate the excellent overview..

Perhaps the greatest survival skill of all is being able to keep calm in the face of chaos. This is accomplished by being sensibly prepared and not scared. It may sound romantic to live off the fat of the land. You may have a great yearning to live wild and free. I sometimes get the urge to grow a beard, live in a cave, and become a combination of Grizzly Adams and Daniel Boone, and then I realize that many indigenous peoples died young and died hard. No one plans to find himself in a survival situation. That's part of what makes those situations so terrifying when they happen. This book can be a useful for keeping you and your family alive, or you can pray and wait for FEMA...

Are you an Ant, or a Grasshopper? [...] Hurry, before the world ends: get"Hobo Finds A Home", a children's book about a cat that didn't wait to inherit the earth. Grab your popcorn and get ready for "Hobo: The Motion Picture", coming in 3D and Dolby surround sound.

Everyone in America should read this book., November 15, 2007
This book is great. It places a lot of emphasis on the survival mentality. A lot of people skip this step and go for the gadgets or hard core survival/anti terrorism type books. For the value, your money is better spent on this book because of its contents, not it's coverage. Cody Lundin shows exactly how a lay-person must think to survive anything from catastrophic events to a collapse of the stock market. Provides insight on self reliance and many tips along the way. I would recommend this book to everyone except Chuck Norris. He doesn't need it. :0) ... Read more

Editorial Review

Reviews

This book will disturb most Christians...in the best way possible, November 19, 2009
When Helping Hurts is a compelling book that will be a significant help to the Church for years to come. The first chapter alone is worth the cost of the book and ought to be read by every church leader in every ministry category. This is not just a book for the missions committee (although it ought to be required for everyone involved in missions) or the Outreach Director, or the pastor. I think every Christian in America would benefit. Most evangelicals would be rattled.

There are several benefits from this book. Since most people read book reviews to try and determine whether they want to buy and read the book, let me mention those benefits.
It doesn't just pick on the Church or her leaders. This book is personal; it will pick on you. It was deeply convicting to me as I read it. I realized that as many times as I have been moved by stories about the fatherless and the widow, the poor and the sick, I am not purposefully living for my life, and leading that of my family, to intersect with these members of society. I have forsaken the needy by my enslavement to convenience and stuff. My house is conveniently situated away from poverty. I hardly see the needy. And then there is my busyness. All my important tasks that keep me far away spending myself on "behalf of the hungry" (Is. 58:10) are often where I find my own significance and worth. I am convicted that although I hold to the position that all humans are created in the image of God, I don't live as such. And I realize that I do have a god-complex (although every time I read that phrase in the book, my first reaction was, "No I don.....okay, I do. I do.").

The authors are not writing from lofty chairs in academia. They pen their own confessions. One of my favorites is, "I confess to you that part of what motivates me to help the poor is my felt need to accomplish something worthwhile with my life, to be a person of significance, to feel like II have pursued a noble cause...to be a bit like God...I sometimes unintentionally reduce poor people to objects that I use to fulfill my own need to accomplish something. it is a very ugly truth, and it pains me to admit it, but `when I want to do good, evil is right there with me' (Rom. 7:21)." [p. 65] They also give a number of examples that show where they blew it. This communicates not only humility, but also a sense that there's a bit of a journey involved. Helping the needy will never become neat, clean and orderly.

This book is highly biblical, both in its use of Scripture for application as well as in developing a theory of poverty that serves as the framework. You won't be able to get past a few pages at any point in the book without being confronted by biblical truth (and a helpful reference). And it does not do what many books on this subject do, namely, present steps and practices for alleviating poverty dissected from the Bible as the source of these truths or from the Holy Spirit as the source of divine power. Rather, the authors continually remind you of the authority of Scripture and our dependency on the Holy Spirit for power and guidance in the journey. One good example is early in the book, as the authors lay the groundwork for the importance of relationships in assisting the poor and sick. They take the reader back to the relationship in the Godhead, the Trinity. And from there they expand and explain how ministry flows through relationships. The poor are not going to be helped, without hurting them, if we just conduct drive-by ministry.

This book is also highly practical. The authors not only explain best practices and steps to take, but they give examples of what they might look like. And they also offer gracious critiques of benevolent practices that many of us have followed. The strange thing is that while reading many of the critiques, the thought ran through my head, "That always seemed a little unwise to me." You'll finish with not just new techniques, but will actually have an understanding of why some things work and some don't.

Many in the church will want to read this because of their local outreach. But this book is just as important for global outreach. In my job, I am continually laboring to help churches understand the importance of their short-term trips not becoming drive-by (or fly-by) ministries. Feeding the poor is wonderful. Caring for the orphan is beautiful. Both are biblical. But to be the best these ministries can be, both need to be in the context (connected to) a sustainable ministry. Biblically, you can't escape the fact that this is the church. Ministries that are conducted apart from the church die when their leadership dies (or moves, or changes strategies, or gets new vision, etc...). They are simply not sustainable. But when ministry is conducted in and through the church, there is lasting fruit. New believers are folded into that work. And when the US worker (or partnering church) leaves, the church will continue the ministry.

I don't get to read a ton of books, but this is one that has so impacted my thinking and stirred my heart, that I am encouraging everyone to read it. It's one of those books. I've got a stack of copies with me for my next journey to share with folks. I think it will disturb you too, in the best way possible.

Provocative, much-needed analysis of where our attempts to help have gone wrong, July 13, 2009
Thank you, Brian and Steve, for this tremendous book. So often we miss the unintended consequences of our wonderful intentions. For anyone who has been on a mission trip, plans on going on a mission trip, or is thinking about supporting missions, please pick up a copy of this book. Its thorough analysis and helpful guide to thinking through long-term issues will dramatically refine your understanding of the world and of missions.

Chris Horst
HOPE International
www.hopeinternational.org

Lives Changing, July 9, 2009
Yep, I know. "Lives changing" is not grammatically correct.

Nevertheless, I use this play on words to indicate that this book is not just life changing for you, me, and other readers, but, for the millions who we can and must serve. This is about THEM and their lives, even though it starts with you, me, and our churches.

As we learn and put into practice the authors' supremely wise counsel, we will see enormous increases in the effectiveness of our ministries to a hurting world. I dare say as well that as we see these profound qualitative improvements, the quantity of our efforts will skyrocket as well - we'll want to do far more as we discover the joy of doing far better.

Thus, This Is Big. To say this is the best book ever on the subject would be, believe it or not, an UNDERstatement. That's partly because it's not only a book - it also has fabulous accompanying materials (website learning and discussion aids, courses, speakers, trainers, etc.) that will significantly help readers and churches put these "lives changing" ideas into practice.

All this is literally an unbelievable Gift from God - for the church and the world.

Dave Larson
Economic Development Consultant
Portland, Oregon

Good but not Great, May 15, 2010
Good but not great is how I would describe the book When Helping Hurts: Alleviating Poverty Without Hurting the Poor...and Yourself. I would argue that Christians can and should learn from the insightful way that these authors look at poverty and its alleviation. I would also say, however, that the book can grow tedious and the ideas do not appear to be transferable to all contexts.

What I Liked

The authors of this book have a clear love for the poor, but not the sort of adopt-a-stray-puppy love that many wealthy folks have toward those less fortunate. The truth is, sometimes adopting a poor person or people group as your pet project might harm them and you, and Christians need to know this truth for themselves.

I found the authors' description of different kinds of poverty very helpful. Not all people who we think of as poor are impoverished in the same ways. The poor could have extra need for healing in their relationship to God, self, others, or the rest of creation. This book addresses all these categories.

The authors also do very well when pointing Christians toward more than one kind of aid that a poor person might need. While our gut reflex is to give immediate relief in the form of food, money, or service to someone in need, the authors wisely attempt to guide readers to a bigger-picture approach. Sometimes immediate relief is needed. Sometimes rehabilitation or skill-development is more appropriate. The authors show us how wise decision-making in this category can be a life-saver for the needy and the helper alike.

What I Did Not Like

While much of the book is very solid, I have to confess that this book simply grew hard to read after a while. The authors obviously had even more information, volumes worth of information, that they wish they could have packed into this little book. Unfortunately, the broadness of scope that they work toward in later chapters makes the reading far more tiresome than it is in the beginning of the text where readers are just becoming acquainted with this new view of poverty and help.

Recommendations

This book would be an excellent resource for church deacons or benevolence committees who need to think very clearly about how to help the needy in their area. It is a good work for pastors to ponder as they consider mission trips and giving for the congregation. Even county ministerial groups might want to take a look at this work for guidelines for how a larger group of churches might think differently about the poor. But, do not think many should pick this up for pleasure-reading. It get's thicker as you go.

How can poverty be alleviated?, November 23, 2009
Fikkert and Corbett have provided a critical analysis of why so many development and relief efforts in the Majority World do not succeed and, more importantly, what might be done to truly alleviate poverty. What are the causes of poverty? What does the bible tell us about these causes? What might be done to alleviate this poverty in such a way that it is sustainable, that the impoverished conditions don't return when the aid worker or program ends. The book is extremely well written and grabs the readers attention through colorful examples drawn from Fikkert's and Corbett's own experiences in development work in Africa and in the US. While written from a carefully thought out Christian perspective, the analysis would be helpful to those of other faith's as well. It is a terrific book.

Read this before you try to help the poor, April 22, 2010
When well-meaning Christians attempt to alleviate poverty, they often unintentionally do more harm than good, according to Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert in this book. It is an important message for Christians from Western countries to hear before they march boldly onwards with their poverty relief efforts. Poverty is not solved simply by splashing cash around.

Poverty is not just an absence of money; it is also about broken relationships, and people living in poverty have often been acculturated into a poverty mindset. Materially wealthy people have poverty in their lives, just as do materially poor people, and if you want to serve the poor in a non-arrogant way you need to acknowledge your own struggle with brokenness. Helping people out of poverty is more about people and processes than about projects and products.

This is an important book which needs to be read by any church groups involved in poverty relief, and I am therefore reluctant to offer criticism. However, I think that, in the context of today's African poverty, the authors' ideas of relief, rehabilitation and development do not fully take into account the economic conditions driving people into poverty. When war, disease, famine, corruption and many other forces prevent people from improving their conditions, successful development is almost impossible. If people are living in conditions which Western Christians consider unacceptable, then the option of refusing to provide ongoing relief on the ground that it creates dependency is not in my opinion morally justifiable.

A Fresh Look at Social Ministry, February 24, 2010
As the pastor of a rural church in the heart of Appalachia, I am confronted with the harsh realities of material poverty on a daily basis. Generational poverty is not a pretty sight, but neither is the attempt of many to alleviate that poverty. Most people are emotionally moved by images of poverty. Then, after the initial emotional response, the question becomes how can the materially poor best be helped? Unfortunately, most attempts at helping are futile at best and can even be destructive. Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert do a very good job of addressing that question in their book, When Helping Hurts: Alleviating Poverty Without Hurting the Poor...and Ourselves.

This book is far from a typical, tired, social gospel guilt trip. The authors begin by building a theologically sound foundation by defining the true nature and mission of Jesus, His church and the Gospel. It is only out of that correct understanding of the Gospel that truly beneficial social ministry can occur. From there, they lay out their case that much of what is done in the name of Christian charity is not beneficial. They do not shy from their belief that, "when North American Christians do attempt to alleviate poverty, the methods used often do considerable harm to both the materially poor and the materially non-poor." They further state that their concern, "is not just that these methods are wasting human, spiritual, financial, and organizational resources but that these methods are actually exacerbating the very problems they are trying to solve."

The authors did not just take the opportunity of this book to rant against what they see as wrong. In addition to accurately depicting what is wrong, they do an outstanding job of pointing out a better way. Once the problem is clearly understood in the reality of the fall, material poverty can be addressed in the right way. "The goal is not to make the materially poor all over the world into middle-to-upper-class North Americans, a group characterized by high rates of divorce, sexual addiction, substance abuse, and mental illness.... Rather, the goal is to restore people to a full expression of humanness, to being what God created us all to be, people who glorify God by living in right relationship with God, with self, with others, and with the rest of creation."

This book does not attempt to be a step-by-step guide for how to develop an effective ministry to the poor. It is not a "how-to" book, despite the fact that it gives good examples and suggestions. Instead, its strength is in the way it challenges paternalistic mindsets about the poor and realigns social ministry with the Gospel. The premise is sound and the theological foundation is solid. Because of that, any ministry that is developed from it will help without hurting.

A must read for anyone has ever given to charity!, October 15, 2009
When Helping Hurts is an important book for anyone that has or is giving to a development or relief organization. It digs deep to get to the root of the problem with giving money and resources away. The authors continually describe how we can undercut the development of those in need with our giving. Steve Corbett & Brian Fikkert provide alternative solutions to giving money away to efficiently help those in need.

This book helped to raise questions in my life and has served as a great yardstick to measure if I have been actually hurting those I thought I was helping. When Helping Hurts is a great book to go through with a group because the authors spur discussions throughout the text.

A fantastic resource for understanding helping the poor, July 21, 2009
When Helping Hurts should be in everyone's top 5 list of books to read & keep on hand for wisdom in planning & evaluating efforts to truly help the poor (whether in the US or internationally).

This book is a quick read, engaging, and jam-packed with wisdom: including practical ways to understand & evaluate the real, holistic effects of a program on the people it's designed to help.

Because of insights gained, I am making plans to add/change parts of programs I oversee to make them more holistically helpful not hurtful.

This book is a wake up call for the American messiah-complex, October 19, 2009
Buy this book. Borrow a copy and don't give it back! If you have a heart for the poor or are thinking of entering into a ministry that serves the poor don't start without reading this book. If you are already in the ministry to the poor you will find this book an invaluable resource. Any person considering going on a short term mission trip should not leave the country without reading this book. At least one gifted person from every church in America should read this book and teach it's principles passionately to their adults and youth. ... Read more

Editorial Review

It’s not an exaggeration to say that middle-class Americans are an endangered species and that the American Dream of a secure, comfortable standard of living has become as outdated as an Edsel with an eight-track player.  That the United States of America is in danger of becoming a third world nation.
 
The evidence is all around us:
 
Our industrial base is vanishing, taking with it the kind of jobs that have formed the backbone of our economy for more than a century; our education system is in shambles, making it harder for tomorrow’s workforce to acquire the information and training it needs to land good twenty-first century jobs; our infrastructure—our roads, our bridges, our sewage and water, our transportation and electrical systems—is crumbling; our economic system has been reduced to recurring episodes of Corporations Gone Wild; our political system is broken, in thrall to a small financial elite using the power of the checkbook to control both parties.
 
And America’s middle class, the driver of so much of our economic success and political stability, is rapidly disappearing, forcing us to confront the fear that we are slipping as a nation – that our children and grandchildren will enjoy fewer opportunities and face a lower standard of living than we did.
 
It’s the dark flipside of the American Dream – an American Nightmare of our own making.
 
Arianna Huffington, who, with the must-read Huffington Post, has her finger on the pulse of America, unflinchingly tracks the gradual demise of America as an industrial, political, and economic leader.  In the vein of her fiery bestseller Pigs at the Trough, Third World America points fingers, names names, and details who’s killing the American Dream.
 
Finally, calling on the can-do attitude that is part of America’s DNA, Huffington shows precisely what we need to do to stop our freefall and keep America from turning into a third world nation.
 
Third World America is a must-read for anyone disturbed by our country’s steady descent from 20th century superpower to backwater banana republic. ... Read more

Reviews

How to Thwart the Assassins of the American Dream
Arianna Huffington paints a grim picture of the State of the Union: "Every day, Americans, faced with layoffs and tough economic times, are forced to use their credit cards to pay for essentials such as food, housing, and medical care--the costs of which continue to escalate." P. 77.

Our mediocre grammar school and high school educational system continues its downward slide. The Great Recession is squeezing school budgets.

Meanwhile, multi-national corporations avoid taxes, while enjoying bailout loans and fat government contracts.

The over-hyped American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 earmarked only $72 billion of the $787 billion appropriation of taxpayer dollars to projects to improve the country's infrastructure.

Top subprime lenders included Wells Fargo; Countrywide, purchased by Bank of America, Washington Mutual, now part of JPMorgan Chase; CitiMortgage, part of Citigroup; First Franklin (now closed), purchased by Merrill Lynch, which was purchased by Bank of America; ChaseHome Finance, part of JPMorgan Chase; Ownit, partly owned by Merrill Lynch, which was later purchased by Bank of America; and EMC, part of Bear Stearns, which was purchased by JPMorgan Chase. Most of the rest depended on massive loans from Wall Street. Many of these lenders were sued by states for fraud and paid billions in settlements.

According to trade publication "Inside Mortgage Finance," top mortgage backed securities underwriters included now defunct Lehman Brothers, Bank of America's Countrywide Securities, Morgan Stanley, Bank of America's Merrill Lynch, JPMorgan's Bear Stearns, and Goldman Sachs.

This doesn't even include collateralized debt obligations (CDOs), and structured investment vehicles (SIVs) and credit derivatives, all of which amplified losses.

Fannie and Freddie do not make loans. They purchase mortgage loans and earn fees for guaranteeing payments on the loans. In 2006, Fannie and Freddie accounted for 33% of total mortgage backed securities issuance. In the first half of 2010, they accounted for around 64% of new issuance. They were forced to pick up the slack and buy more when Wall Street's private label securitization Ponzi scheme blew up. Fannie and Freddie did not create the housing bubble, and they are now Wall Street's dumping ground.

At the start of the meltdown, the IMF and the U.S. administration estimated losses of $2 to $2.5 trillion. Unemployment and the losses are now shockingly worse. What was merely a recession escalated into the Great Recession.

According to William K Black, after the much tinier S&L crisis, there were over 1,000 successful felony prosecutions, several thousand successful enforcement actions, and roughly 1,000 successful civil actions. This time Congress gave us the Great Cover-up. Bank officers dodged jail time and collected billions in bonuses.

Third World America: How Our Politicians Are Abandoning the Middle Class and Betraying the American Dream names the culprits and gives a roadmap for solutions. Congress must start over on financial reform, regulate derivatives, commodities trading, break-up the Too Big to Fail financial institutions (update Glass-Steagall), and more. We deserve better than a third world economy divided by ultra-rich on one side and debt-ridden middle class and dirt poor citizens on the other.

We'll need a Constitutional amendment requiring full public financing for political campaigns (for starters). Our politicians have shown us how willing they are to be owned by special interest groups that will buy votes, buy a campaign, or just buy them off. As Arianna Huffington explains: "If someone's going to own the politicians, it might as well be the American people." (P. 172)

Blood On Our Hands
The current chapter being written about the American man of 2010 is haunting. Huffington shows us how the very political system our Founders created has been hijacked and used to fill the pockets of those soulless enough to steal from their own (see the Right Wing). The system no longer works for the middle class. Our politicians simply do patchwork, reacting to what the media says--putting their fingers on a different leak everyday. It has become apparent-- and Huffington points this out--that running for, and taking office, is nothing more than a way to protect one's financial interests--or better yet--to line one's own pockets. Huffington articulates this pervasive corruption quite poignantly. We see how the media has become the fourth branch of government--often setting the political agenda by creating the very stories they report on (i.e. CNN poll question: is Obama a Muslim?/results covered on a 24 hr. loop). And many of those news-created stories perpetuate the Right's agenda of delaying any legislation designed to benefit the middle and working classes. In fact, an eye-popping inditement of this 21st Century media is on full display in the book: 71 Days: The Media Assault On Obama. Huffington gives us a gift by unveiling an America that is drowning in propaganda, tabloid-news-programming, racism, capitalistic greed, and an ever-growing imperialistic philosophy regarding our role in the world. It's an America whose politicians are destroying the middle class at warp speed. The middle and working classes cannot afford for Sarah Palin to set the political agenda. But all she has to do is tweet something irrelevant and the media will run with it--ignoring any meaningful economic legislation that needs attention. Who suffers as a result? We do.

No One is Lobbying for the American Dream
"No One is Lobbying for the American Dream" is a phrase that resonates in Arianna Huffington's powerful and provocative new book, Third World America: How Our Politicians Are Abandoning the Middle Class and Betraying the American Dream.

Embedded in one of the most powerful chapters in this short, concise, and mighty wallop of a book, Huffington calls out the culture of corruption and greed that has taken over our government. Money from corporate lobbyists has filled the halls of Congress, influences vote, and despite public outrage over bank bailouts, BP oil rig disasters, and an economy still on shaky ground, real reform that would make a difference in the lives of the dwindling American Middle Class has no chance of succeeding. The facts are not new, and are not unknown, but terrifying none-the-less.

Huffington's book is filled with stories of what Palin calls "real Americans", people who paid the price of becoming middle class by attending college, working hard, owning a home, and living comfortably. However, due to circumstances beyond their control, (having jobs shipped overseas, health crises, et. al), these people are living off retirement savings and credit cards, just to make ends meet. These aren't people living the high life off a government buck; these are our fellow citizens who played by the rules, but somewhere down the road, the rules changed to favor corporate profits beyond anything else, and when it comes time to pay the piper, the middle class gets stuck with the bill.

This is one of the most accessible books on the current crisis. Huffington writes with such precision that her points and information resonates powerfully. This book could easily be read in one night. Warning: have post it notes, sticky arrows, or a notepad nearby. There are facts, phrases and statistics you are going to want to remember. My book is covered with them.

Finishing the book, I wondered if anyone who has anything to do with this mess is going to listen? Is corporate money so pervasive in our system that it's made our policy makers, both Democratic and Republican, deaf to the concerns of the citizens they purport to represent? Are our children going to look at books such as this and Rebooting the American Dream: 11 Ways to Rebuild Our Country and ask why didn't people read and heed these lessons as we live in a truly corporate run America?

This book should not only be read by everyone, but paid attention to. Huffington has sounded the alarm brilliantly, but will anyone listen?

Capitalism Without Conscience.
In this book Arianna Huffington drives home the fact that this economic crisis is generalized by the media rather than showing the personal side of it-particularly the unemployed.
Statistics and numbers are safer because there is little emotion attached to those figures.

This book provides personal experiences from unemployed citizens at the end of the first four chapters. This makes their suffering more personal and easy to identify with.

Among the complaints that the author shares with the reader is the tax haven ripoffs by such corporations as Halliburton, Goldman Sachs, and Citigroup. Those two banks received bailout money while they evade taxes!

She observes, quite accurately, that outsourced manufacturing jobs are eroding the middle class. Upward mobility has been replaced with downward mobility. Often the unemployed accept less pay in their desperate search for employment.

On page 55 Ms. Huffington writes;
"The two-tier economy comes with two sets of rules-one for the corporate class and another for the middle class."
For an example look at the treatment of Wall Street versus Main Street during this economical crisis.

The author focuses the reader's attention to other problem areas in America. The crumbling infrastructure and education.
She references Davis Guggenheim's documentary "Waiting for Superman" regarding problems in the education system. The system has not changed to meet the post-graduate needs of students in a world where a majority of those graduates will no longer find employment in factories.

She also furnishes examples of the "revolving doors" and cronyism in Washington where corporations now basically write their own regulations and "police" themselves.
On page 129 Ms. Huffington also provides a related quote on that subject:
"Some people look at laws and ask 'why?' or 'why not?'.I look at laws and ask 'who paid for them?'"

This book is well-written and current. It educates the reader while being entertaining with the authors style of writing.
The solutions are sensible and while not easy to implement, participation is what will ultimately decide whether "We the People" make ourselves relevant in American politics. She provides some useful internet links toward that purpose.
The author is honest and doesn't give preferential treatment to either party. She has plenty of criticism for the current administration. I recommend this book.
Two more books that I favor on the subject of class stratification in America are :

Class War in America: How Economic and Political Conservatives Are Exploiting Low- And Middle-Income American Families

Screwed: The Undeclared War Against the Middle Class - And What We Can Do about It (BK Currents (Paperback))

Disturbing & Thought Provoking
This publication consolidates many pertinent data points, enhanced by writer's opinions, to create a publication that stirred my emotions. As a child of the 50's and an adult of the 70's, I have seen America through many changes. I entered the work force at a time when you could work hard, keep your nose clean, and succeed, with some money in your pocket. During my generation's (boomers) time, we have taken our eyes off the ball and allowed the rich and powerful to dazzle us with shiny objects and steal our future from our collective pockets and deposit it in an offshore account, so they don't pay taxes - but we still do or our houses are taken away and we go to jail. Our pension plans have been gutted/eliminated, replaced with sub-standard 401K's that fit perfectly into the master design of the financial robbers and masters of industry, so that if you should actually retire, you will be living in poverty until you die. Our health system is disgusting - again, the elite get the best and make huge profits from the robbing the working class, and providing lousy healthcare. Wake up America, you think Haiti is a sad place, we are marching down the same road.... ... Read more

Editorial Review

WARNING SIRENS ARE BLARING.
YOU HAVE 15 MINUTES TO EVACUATE.
WHAT WILL YOU DO?

Cataclysmic events strike sleepy towns and major cities every year. Residents face escaping quickly or perishing in rising waters, raging fires or other life-threatening conditions. By the time the evacuation starts, it's already too late. Being prepared makes the difference between survival and disaster. Guiding you step by step, Bug Out shows you how to be ready at a second's notice.

• Create an escape plan for where to go and how to get there.
• Pack the perfect bug-out bag for the first 72 hours.
• Find food, water and other necessities outside of civilization.

Floods. Hurricanes. Pandemics. Earthquakes.
Blizzards. Tsunamis. Wildfires. Riots.

Bug Out includes detailed information on the best escape locations everywhere in the U.S.:

• The Pacific Coast
• The Rocky Mountains
• The Desert Southwest
• The Heartland
• The Lakes and Big Woods of the North
• The Gulf Coast
• The Appalachians
• The Atlantic Coast

About the Author

Scott B. Williams is a sea kayaker, sailor, boat builder, and writer with a passion for exploring and outdoor adventures on land and sea. He has written five books and continues to write for magazines in addition to maintaining various blogs on boat building, sailing, and outdoor survival. ... Read more

Editorial Review

Never before has a journalist penetrated the wall of secrecy that surrounds theU.S. Secret Service. After conducting exclusive interviews with more than onehundred current and former Secret Service agents, bestselling author andaward-winning reporter Ronald Kessler reveals their secrets for the first time.

•    George W. Bush’s daughters would try to lose their agents.
•   Based on a psychic’s vision that a sniper would assassinate President GeorgeH. W. Bush, the Secret Service changed his motorcade route.
•    To make thepress think he came to work early, Jimmy Carter would walk into the Oval Officeat 5 a.m., then nod off to sleep.
•    Lyndon Johnson gave dangerousinstructions to his Secret Service agents and ­engaged in extensive philanderingat the White House.  ... Read more

Editorial Review

This primers tells the "have-nots" how they can organize to achieve real political power for the practice of true democracy. ... Read more

Editorial Review

With new material from the author

"Economic hit men," John Perkins writes," are highly paid professionals who cheat countries around the globe out of trillions of dollars. Their tools include fraudulent financial reports, rigged elections, payoffs, extortion, sex, and murder. They play a game as old as Empire but one that has taken on terrifying dimensions during this time of globalization." John Perkins should know-he was an economic hit man for an international consulting firm that worked to convince developing countries to accept enormous loans and to funnel that money to U.S. corporations. Once these countries were saddled with huge debts, the American government and international aid agencies were able to request their "pound of flesh" in favors, including access to natural resources, military cooperation, and political support. Confessions of an Economic Hit Man is the story of one man's experiences inside the intrigue, greed, corruption and little-known government and corporate activities that America has been involved in since World War II, and which have dire consequences for the future of democracy and the world. ... Read more

Reviews

No proof required
Many of the reviews here refute the truthfulness of this book because Perkins does not provide evidence for every one of his claims. But, this is precisely what makes the book an exciting and fast read. How can Perkins be expected to provide evidence for influencing events in other countries? Where should we expect to find documentation of these nefarious deeds? The inner workings of organizations like MAIN, Halliburtion, and Brown & Root are only ever known when a dissenter arises.

From my perspective, it all seems to add up. I lived in Ecuador in the 80s. I was young (18), and I didn't know much about politics at the time. I personally saw many of the projects that Perkins speaks of in this book. I heard the complaints from my Ecuadorian friends about how the U.S. was bankrupting their economy by "loaning" money for extensive construction projects. I saw the jungle along Rio Napo being deforested by unknown (to me) companies. I spent time in oil towns in the jungle -- like Shell. I saw the dam that Perkins speaks of in his book.

The only way to gather proof about the truthfulness of his claims is to see it first hand. Though I seriously doubt that most of us have the guts to travel to the places where these things happen. Denial, regarding these issues, seems terribly naive.

For History look elsewhere, for a sound, engaging critique read it.
John Perkins was interviewed by Leonard Lopate on WNYC Radio in New York. You can listen to the interview and make your own decision about John's book.

http://www.wnyc.org/shows/lopate/episodes/11082004

Note: Although many other books have been written about how U.S. aid policy has been used as a means of manipulating foreign countries, the fact remains that John Perkin's book is from an insiders perspective. It exposes the truth behind how corporate greed has hijacked U.S. Foreign Policy. You can find many more books on the facts and history but for a sound, engaging critique read it.

The personal illuminates the global
It is often the personal stories that tell the bigger truths. As with Barbara Ehrenreich's intensely personal Nickel and Dimed, Perkins' story illuminates a larger picture in a way that more scholarly treatises cannot match. I value the perspective I get from Noam Chomsky and Chalmers Johnson and many others who have written about our modern empire. None of these works, though, explains it from the ground up. Perkins does that.

In this book, written in spurts since the early 1980s, Perkins really does tell it like it is. This is the book I have been waiting for, the book that fills in the blanks left behind by the writers of global theories, the book that tells us how it really happens. It is one thing to read that the United States engineered ousters of democratically-elected leaders who did not do the bidding of our corporations. It is another to read of the actual steps that led to these actions. As one who likes to be able to visualize all the steps, I found great comfort in reading a well-written personal story that allows me to do this.

In this rightly-named confession, Perkins puts on his hair shirt and chastises himself as he explains how he gave in to temptation again and again over several decades, while he worked to build an American corporation's profits at the expense of third-world countries. He does not describe in detail the benefits he accrued from being Satan's handyman. We do not hear stories of his exploits with women, of his flaunting his power, the meat of a LifeTime movie. These fruits of his labor are glossed over in favor of greater descriptions of the occasional pangs of conscience.

Take it as a given, then, that Perkins was right for the job of economic hit man because he was so easily tempted by material wealth, power, and adulation. There was, in his character, though, a little hint of conscience. He was interested in the world's people, happy to learn other languages and ways of living, open to old as well as new ideas. Thus he was able to make a more honest comparison of the world according to global corporations and the world as seen and lived by indigenous people. And he was able to see that his work only benefitted the few. There was in him, as well, the radical view that a benefit to the few was not much of a benefit.

I can see this story translated successfully to the big screen; either as a documentary or as the story of one man. Two very different films; either would be dramatic and informative. There are scenes in this book that could have come from a Graham Greene novel (and let's not forget that Greene tells the truth through fiction): clandestine meetings, sudden flights to escape uprisings, epiphanies on the beach. By its nature, a memoir of this type cannot fully be documented. To the extent that it could be, it is, with many pages of notes and references. These private memories, though, may never be proven to be either true or false.

It is my greatest wish that Perkins is telling the whole truth all the way through. Even the smallest of fibs could tarnish a work of great importance, given our media's inability to see bigger pictures.

The real message, though, is clearly written and inescapable: this is not the story of "they", a "they" that can simply be removed from power. It is the story of us.

Well Done expose on USA international subterfuge
I was intrigued by this book inasmuch as I worked in the international export field for several major American corporations. I had the benefit of traveling to most of the countries that were discussed in Perkin's book. Also, I was stationed in the Panama Canal Zone with the US Army in the early 1960's. In addition, I was born in Central America, and my father worked for the infamous United Fruit Company. To say the least, I agree with Mr. Perkins in most of his expose. Export products that I shipped overseas were often financed by USAID, WorldBank, or some other international lending agency. And of course, the USA was the prime funder of these organizations. Eventually, I was sent into some of these third world countries, and I was exposed to the working class as well as to the upper crust of these societies. If you had to get to the nitty-gritty of this tale, you would have to think about Darwin's theory of "Survival of the Fittest." Ultimately, the USA will throw its weight around as long as it has the military muscle to do so. Unfortunately, history tells us that all world empires collapse, and the USA will follow that trend lend. There are no exceptions to this as history has recorded thus far. Surely, there must be a better way for capitalism to thrive, and the USA even with good intentions is like an elephant in a china shop. In all my years of growing up in America, I found that most Americans know so very little about their external world outside of their own country. While most Americans think of themselves as the "good guys in the white hat," Perkins book will dispel that notion. And, rightfully so!

American Centurion comes clean; sets example for us all
I got Confessions of an Economic Hit Man yesterday and finished reading it today. It's a vital personal story that illuminates an entire global system. A system based on greed, power, and control. Others before Perkins have warned of this system, but usually not from an insider's perspective. If you're interested in more details David Korten has done the best job documenting how rich powerful corporations with the help of governments get richer at the expense of the poor who get poorer. This isn't a new idea. But in today's world, the major media refuse to report this story. Perkins understands the essence of the problem: empire, oppression, inequality, and greed can seem to bring benefits to some people in the short term ... but in the long term we all loose, even the rich. We are all spiritually harmed by the lies and rationalizations. We are all put at risk when the world becomes more polarized into haves and have-nots. Our humanity is undermined when we benefit from that which hurts others. Undoubtedly most perpetrators have convinced themselves that what they do is OK and even that they'll be able to avoid consequences. Their money and power will insulate them in their exclusive gated communities. John Perkins' real feat in this book is not exposing a corrupt system, but in providing an example of one person who was able to look into his life with a deep honesty and realize it was hurting him as well as prospects for the future of all people. All of us can learn from his awakening. Does driving a big SUV make us more secure? Happier? A better person? A better citizen?

Excellent balance between personal story and history
This book is at once an autobiography, a 20th century history of America and a call to action. These elements are balanced very well with a very readable narrative style.

The history in this book is somewhat controversial. It is the less-shiny aspects of history which may or may not be taught in US schools (I will not make assumptions here), but which is easily accessible if one only looks for it. It is also quite well-documented and supported by evidence. Perkins discusses American corporate and governmental involvement with Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Nicaragua, Panama, Ecuador and many other nations from a first hand perspective.

What is interesting is that we see this history as the setting for a very personal story, through the eyes of a participant. As the title suggests, it is in fact a confession. Perkins was an important player in some of the darker aspects of subtle non-governmental foreign policy, and he is not an apologist.

He shows a little bit of the psychology of people who commit evil acts on behalf of organizations to which they belong. For example, structures set up to do harm can generally find people with the personality characteristics that can be capitalized upon - greed, ambition, etc. What this means is, rather than simply provoking hate towards individuals who are perpetuating exploitation, Perkins reveals the underlying broader issues, such as the consequences of the misuse of power and profit. I think he very effectively places the specifics of historical facts (as well as his story) in context in a way that historical texts typically do not.

Although it is not a prescriptive book as such, Perkins does offer some ideas and suggestions at the end as to what individuals can do if they believe in trying to ameliorate the situation he has presented.

I found it to be both a compelling page turner and very factual at the same time. Highly recommended for the history buff, social activist, avid biography reader, news junkie, or really anyone who cares about the world we live in.

~a global transformation~
Confessions of An Economic Hit Man is one insiders view of how the global empire has successfully created itself to keep the cycle of U.S. wealth, self serving. John Perkins has found the courage to share this dark past in hopes that it is not too late for us to change our dreams and re-shape with immediacy the future of this planet.

Those who express disdain or lack of evidence of this greedy global game have clearly missed the point.

John Perkins offers the reader an informative and enticing journey through the shifty ways of economic and political manipulation. Caught within the web himself, this book clearly calls attention to our individual responsibilities in our daily actions, no matter what we do or where we live.

What I find so courageous about this book is John Perkins had clearly shape shifted himself away from the greedy world of EHMs into a life of helping indigenous peoples in the world: specifically the Shuar of the Amazon. In unveiling these hidden dark truths, he is now fully owning his past actions. It is with this level of accountability that we are able to create new openings for global transformation. Read his other books. You may understand what he speaks of in a different depth.

This book is about changing our dreams. It is a wake up call to change our intentions. It is deeply concerned for the future. Simply put...it is about caring for the world's children, every one of them, today.

Spell binding and insightful
If you care what happens to our world read this groundbreaking book. John Perkins tells, as only an insider can, the truths about our goverment system. His courage and insight is truely heroic. ... Read more

Editorial Review

THE ACCLAIMED BOOK, NOW IN PAPERBACK, with a reading group guide and a new afterword by the author.

At the height of the Cold War, JFK risked committing the greatest crime in human history: starting a nuclear war. Horrified by the specter of nuclear annihilation, Kennedy gradually turned away from his long-held Cold Warrior beliefs and toward a policy of lasting peace. But to the military and intelligence agencies in the United States, who were committed to winning the Cold War at any cost, Kennedy’s change of heart was a direct threat to their power and influence. Once these dark "Unspeakable" forces recognized that Kennedy’s interests were in direct opposition to their own, they tagged him as a dangerous traitor, plotted his assassination, and orchestrated the subsequent cover-up.

Douglass takes readers into the Oval Office during the tense days of the Cuban Missile Crisis, along on the strange journey of Lee Harvey Oswald and his shadowy handlers, and to the winding road in Dallas where an ambush awaited the President’s motorcade. As Douglass convincingly documents, at every step along the way these forces of the Unspeakable were present, moving people like pawns on a chessboard to promote a dangerous and deadly agenda. ... Read more

Reviews

And We Are All Mortal
In James W. Douglass' outstanding new book, "JFK and the Unspeakable," the author explains the title in his introduction. Coined by spiritual writer Thomas Merton, The Unspeakable refers to "an evil whose depth and deceit seemed to go beyond the capacity of words to describe." Regarding the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, the Unspeakable succeeded due to deniability by the nation's citizens of the horrifying truth of the event and to plausible deniability by the government agencies responsible for the murder. (Vincent Bugliosi's recent fictional paperweight is a perfect example of the plausible deniability that allows the Unspeakable to thrive.)

Many excellent books have proven that the assassination of JFK was the result of a conspiracy. Douglass verifies the certainty of the conspiracy and, as the subtitle of the book states, explains "Why He Died and Why It Matters." He scrutinizes the historical facts surrounding the assassination, from the creation of the CIA to the gradual obliteration of the freedoms upon which this nation was founded.

This book is primarily the story of John F. Kennedy who changes from a Cold Warrior to an altruistic leader willing to risk his life to ensure that the world's children will not become victims of a nuclear catastrophe. Equal time is spent on JFK's presidency as on the assassination but one of the many rewards of this book is the author's capacity to show the relationship between his policies and his death. And the book is a tragedy because it gradually becomes obvious that each step he makes toward peace steadily increases the hatred of his enemies who will eventually betray him.

It is also the story of the designated patsy, Lee Harvey Oswald. Moved around the country like a pawn by government agencies (as was the second "Oswald"), he was being set up as the scapegoat. Enter some despicable characters, including David Atlee Philips, James Hosty and, of course, Michael and Ruth Paine. Simultaneously, the Soviet Union was being set up as the evil empire behind the assassination, along with its satellite Cuba.

Douglass credibly illustrates the origin of the Crime of the Century. During President Truman's administration, the CIA was empowered to be a paramilitary organization with unlimited powers. Truman's successor, President Eisenhower, fell out of favor with the CIA when he planned a summit meeting with Soviet Premier Khrushchev. This was cancelled after a U.S. spy plane crashed in Russia. Eisenhower had reportedly ordered such flights cancelled and had his suspicions about who had ruined his peace plan. He subsequently issued his warning about the "military industrial complex" in his farewell address. But he didn't defy "this conjunction of an immense military establishment and a large arms industry." He left that task to his successor, JFK.

The Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba was planned by the CIA to regain control of the island and to re-open the casinos for organized crime. President Kennedy refused to provide air support for the Cuban brigade because he knew that he had been lied to by the Joint Chiefs of Staff and by the CIA; the invasion had been designed to fail without U.S. support but they hadn't told this to JFK who refused to fall into their trap. During the Cuban Missile Crisis, JFK once again enraged the CIA and the Joint Chiefs by resisting their tremendous pressure on him to take military action which would have led to nuclear war.

Following that crisis, JFK became intent on ending the Cold War by establishing a peaceful relationship with the Soviet Union. However, many CIA and Pentagon personnel believed that it was better to be "dead than red" and that it was preferable to destroy civilization rather than let the Communists rule. They also knew that war generated billions of dollars into the arms industry. As a result, they would repeatedly subvert the President's policies and isolate him within his own government. Enter some more despicable characters: Richard Bissell, Charles Cabell, Henry Cabot Lodge, Lyman Lemnitzer, Curtis LeMay and perhaps the most contemptible of all, Allen Dulles. Ironically, JFK learned to trust Khrushchev more than people within his own government.

At American University on June 10, 1963, JFK spoke about his desire for world peace. He communicated his resolve to form a new relationship with Khrushchev. He spoke about the necessity of a pursuit toward disarmament. He related his intentions to establish a Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. He acknowledged his country's past faults and recognized the Russian people as wanting peace as much as the American people. "And we are all mortal," he stated. Though this extremely important speech was ignored in the United States, it was disseminated throughout the Soviet Union, per order of Khrushchev, who was prepared to respond favorably to JFK's peace initiative. The speech also certified JFK's death warrant. With so many powerful enemies opposing his policies and hating him, JFK didn't have a chance as he was being maneuvered into the crossfire in Dallas.

President Kennedy was aware of the power of his enemies and he knew the dangers facing him. But he persevered and mandated that all U.S. personnel would be withdrawn from Vietnam; he was determined to never send in combat troops even if this meant defeat. He also refused to intervene militarily in Laos. He exchanged private letters with Khrushchev, which infuriated the CIA, and secretly initiated plans to attain rapproachement with Cuba, which further incensed the Agency. Cuba's Fidel Castro, whom the CIA hated as intensely as it hated Kennedy, was equally eager to begin an American-Cuba dialogue. In fact, Castro was meeting with a JFK representative when the President was murdered. JFK died a martyr and the forces of evil that killed him also killed his vision of peace.

Lyndon Johnson, the CIA's ally, assumed the presidency. He cancelled talks with Khrushchev and refused Castro's pleas to continue the dialogue. He reversed JFK's withdrawal plan from Vietnam as well as his plan to neutralize Laos. The military industrial complex took control of the country. The policy of plausible deniability led the way to assassinations of foreign leaders, the overthrowing of foreign governments and horrors committed all over the globe. If JFK had not been murdered, we would not have had the prolongation of the Cold War, the Vietnam War, Watergate, the purported War on Terror and the steady moral deterioration of America. Interestingly, one month after JFK's assassination, President Truman wrote an article for The Washington Post cautioning about the threat of the CIA taking over America.

The author meticulously examines the evidence and draws conclusions which ring with unassailable truth: (1) The CIA coordinated and implemented he assassination of President Kennedy, an act of treason which destroyed democracy in the U.S. (2) The Warren Commission was created to propagate lies to conceal the truth from the American people. (3)There has been a continued cover-up by successive administrations and their stooges in the mass media. (4)The murder of JFK is directly related to the current domination of the American people by powerful oppressors within a shadow government that will continue to insist that only sustained war can keep the country safe from its enemies, never admitting that they themselves are the supreme evil.

This is an exceptional book that will be used by future historians to determine the truth about the assassination and how it changed America. And it will also be used to honor John F. Kennedy as a courageous president who believed in doing God's work on earth. In doing so, he came into conflict with the Unspeakable and his life was extinguished.

AN ENGAGING, TRAGIC BUT FINALLY HOPEFUL ENCOUNTER WITH OUR HISTORY
Along with over ten years of meticulous research and one hundred pages of footnotes (worth reading), this book has soul. For those tempted to despair that our national leaders are not capable of turning our nation toward peace, this book tells us how it has already happened. John F. Kennedy was taking stands for peace that risked his life as well as his presidency and it seems that the nation hardly noticed. For those who are willing to engage in hard-headed thinking and research, this book will belie the ho-hum assumption that we will never know why Kennedy was killed nor who is responsible. We can know and we need to know as citizens. If you can read only one book on the life of JFK, this is it.

We are all jurors
We are all jurors in an ongoing trial to find the truth of John Kennedy's murder. Most of us have fallen asleep; some left the chamber, and others don't even care anymore. But a few, a very small few, have been paying attention for the last 45 years as arguments for the prosecution of Lee Harvey Oswald, headed up by government lawyers and their lackeys have been constantly countered by a volunteer and unpaid defense team for the truth made up of laymen, clergymen, historians, teachers, researchers, republicans, democrats, non-affiliates of all ages shapes and sizes. It has been a bewildering experience to have been patted on the head and told to go to sleep by the Warren Commission only to be rudely awakened by a garrulous DA from Louisiana, followed then by a government report which said, well, there might have been two, but go on back to sleep. Dazed and confused we began to leave the room but were called back in by Oliver Stone who told us to take a look at his evidence of Oswald's innocence. We were intrigued, but an impish Gerald Posner convinced Dick Cavett and other icons of American mainstream media that Stone's myth was just that and the case was indeed closed: Oswald did it. But Stone had garnered enough interest to cause Congress to form the ARRB- under George Bush Sr, no less. It took Bill Clinton half his presidency to get the thing going, but we watched with bated breath as the Assassinations Records Review Board began pulling from the FBI, CIA, and the rest of the alphabet bits and pieces of information that left gaping holes in the official story. Most of us didn't believe it anyway, but a few, a small few did notice that there seemed to have been two brains pulled from John Kennedy's head during the so-called autopsy. In fact so many moles began popping up it was difficult for the gatekeepers to bop them in the head fast enough. Distracted as we were by 911 and the war on terror, and the revelation that our government has the capacity to pull off an Operation Northwoods, as the ARRB found out, we continued to keep half an eyeball on the story, those of us who were paying attention. But then just as we were ready to reach a verdict of no true bill, Peter Jennings pops in to save the day for the prosecution. Disregarding all prior logic, evidence and common sense he lulled us back to comfortable numbness as he proved through computer generation, laser beams and some small degree of witch-craft that yes, indeed that was some magic bullet. Nevertheless, while almost dozing off again we heard rumblings of another defense witness about to enter the courtroom. He was David Talbot, an almost Main stream media type who was arguing that John and Robert Kennedy were possibly victims of powerful forces in our own government who wanted and needed them gone. But before he could present his full case a boisterous and bellicose advocate of Governmental Righteousness threw on to the floor, almost breaking it, an objection, claiming his stake in the case with a tome of such immense size and weight that no one, at first, dared to read it or question its obvious Buglisosian authority. When it was finally opened, the muse of Arlen Spector saundered forth speaking in only a language that he could understand. Talk shows raved about Vince's masterpiece; gatekeepers swooned, and the prosecution let out a huge and foul-smelling sigh of relief as they said, There! That ought to put this damn thing to rest finally! Everyone began to pack up and leave, most never having read briefs by Scott, Gerald McKnight, Larry Hancock, etc., defense advocates who had built their arguments on the works of Vince Salandria, Marrs, Howard Roffman, Sheim, Weisberg, etc., and the thousands of pages of released and obscure documents. But just as the courtroom almost emptied, looking like a Senate Chamber with a wobbling old man named Byrd trying to make a point, in comes a Jesuit priest. I'm no Catholic, I thought, as I was getting up to leave with the two or three other jurors who had sat through the whole case so far, trying to pay attention, but this guy seems to know his stuff. He's talking about everything we have already heard but putting it all into context. His summation is actually making sense- reason, logic, truth, honesty, footnotes, primary source interviews, follow-up questions, giving the benefit of the doubt to all sides. I sat back down. As James Douglass presented his case, scales fell from my eyes. Oswald was innocent. I look around. Is anybody there?

David Neal
Kitty Hawk, NC

This is the Only Book I Have Read that Could Change History...
if enough people read it. It shows that the dichotomy between ""Conspiracy Theory"" and structural analysis which looks at institutions as the source of historical change is a false dichotomy. It is documented like no other historical work that I have ever read. It is one third who done it while never forgetting the real issue is why done it. One can understand why it had such an impact on someone as well versed in Cold War foreign policy of the period as Daniel Ellsberg. One can also understand why -- in this age of censorship-- in spite of its outstanding recommendations by the most credentialed key figures imaginable, it cannot be found in any bookstore in NYC. Meanwhile suddenly Mafia done it books are being pimped by foremer Lone Nutters in a rush to convert to the right church. Hmmmm.

This is not merely a book about Kennedy. It is the most important new turn in Cold War historiography since
the publication of Gabriel Kolko's The Politics of War in 1968.

In addition, it should be mentioned that this book is nicely complemented with another recent book with incredibly importatant fresh insight into Dallas-- and in this case, its continuing implications for Watergate. Russ Baker, the author of Family Of SecretsFamily of Secrets: The Bush Dynasty, the Powerful Forces That Put It in the White House, and What Their Influence Means for America has written for NYT, WaPost, Vanity Fair, and many other reputable publications. He has also served as an editor of Columbia Journalism Review. His book has incredible new insights into the mysteries of why H.W. Bush was in Dallas on 11/22/63 and why did both he and Barbara make up false alibis to suggest otherwise? Why was H.W. Bush contacted by Oswald's #1 Dallas CIA handler George deMohrenschildt, when H.W. became CIA director in 1975? (This was less than two years before deMohrenshilds's suspicious death two days before he was scheduled to testify before the House Select Committee on Assassinations.) Were Bush's claims that he had never worked for the CIA before 1975 truthful or even truthy? The author's supply of documentation is so bountiful and well sourced, that one is led to conclude no to both of these questions. Then, wait till you get to Watergate. This is not your Woodward's version. This author has the journalistic resume, attention to detail, and caution regarding overstatement, that make his questions about the official version resonate long after one has put his book down.

Reintroducing JFK: Seeing our Slain President Through a New Lens
I had just turned 13 the month before the startling news was broadcast into my 8th grade classroom: President John F. Kennedy was shot in Dallas and had been rushed to the hospital. It was followed by the bulletin that the President was dead. Lorenzo, my fellow classmate, an Italian Catholic, burst into tears. I sat quietly thinking: at least we got that Papist out of the White House! The anti-Catholic indoctrination I received from my church and parents never allowed me to see JFK as a person, only a symbol of a false religion to reject. Oh, and he was a Democrat as well!


Had I known the JFK that Jim Douglass reveals in his new book, I would have had more reasons to dismiss him: a President engaging in peacemaking activities with the Premier of the godless Communists, Nikita Khrushchev, passing letters back and forth that even members of his Cabinet were unaware! A US President secretly arranging for face-to-face consultations with Fidel Castro to resume normal diplomatic relations with a communist Cuba! The man who issued the secret National Security Action Memorandum 263 ordering the removal of 1,000 US Military advisors from Vietnam by the end of 1963 and ALL US Troops by the end of 1965. Under the guise of "peacemaking" President John F. Kennedy was urging "capitulation" to the Soviets in the Cold War - at least from my junior high school analysis.

Jim Douglass describes JFK's "turning" - his movement toward peace rather than "victory" after the almost catastrophic "Cuban Missile Crisis" the year before in 1962. While the world was on the brink of nuclear devastation, I had practiced the "duck and cover" technique at school in the event the Ruskies dropped "the big one". My own personal "turning" toward peace began five years later when I had to register for the military draft when I turned 18 in the fall of 1968. Fortunately I was no longer dependent on getting political perspective from US News and World Report (The Commies are killing our missionaries in Vietnam!) nor my theology from my evangelical/fundamentalist church (Jesus' call to "Love your enemies" was trumped by St. Paul's admonition to the Christians in Rome: "Let every soul obey the governing authorities").

Having been issued a uniform and rifle for the compulsory ROTC class when I registered for my college freshman year, I had an epiphany on the rifle range when I realized that even though the targets were circular, they were, in reality, the bodies of the "Viet Cong". Under no reading of Jesus' teaching could I justify pulling the trigger so I registered as a conscientious objector. I had begun my own turning. Little did I know that one year later, I would be marching on the local Wheaton, IL draft board arm-in-arm with a Catholic priest! Another year later would find me taking some courses with that priest at the nearby Catholic Maryknoll Seminary. Soon I would discover Jim Douglass' The Non-Violent Cross after I had left behind my anti-Catholic upbringing and was open to hearing the "Gospel" through a new lens. My own turning toward peace.

Why would a legendary peace theologian get caught up in conspiracy theory? That was my first question when I received an invitation to attend a Pax Christi retreat 5 or 6 years ago led by Jim Douglass. I'd read virtually all his excellent books, followed his campaign against the Trident and the White Train delivering nuclear weapons to those submarines, and had met him at several conferences on peacemaking. When he and his wife Shelly moved to Birmingham to form a Catholic Worker House, I anticipated seeing more of him because I was only four or five hours away in southwest Georgia. However, soon after they arrived, our family moved to Minnesota. Now here was a chance to re-connect with this insightful theologian-activist. But his retreat topic was on the connections between the assassinations of the Kennedy brothers, Martin King and Malcolm X! He talked about how American deals with its prophets - in similar fashion to the way the Romans dealt with the notorious Galilean troublemaker during the administration of Pilate and Felix. At the time, Jim was only beginning the long research project that has led to this first of what promises to be a trilogy of books on the killings of prophets and peacemakers in the 60s in America.

Research indeed! JFK and the Unspeakable has close to 100 pages of small-print footnotes to document and explain his sources about the JFK most of us did not know. However, a small but powerful force within the government, namely the CIA, the FBI, the Joint Chiefs of the military, and even some of his own Cabinet and advisors, came to feel the need to remove him as a danger to an American strategy of global domination. Kennedy, recognizing that the use of nuclear weapons against the Soviets would leave an estimated 140 million dead, decided you could not "win" the Cold War. The others in that military-industrial-intelligence complex felt that with "only" a few million Americans killed if America struck with a first-strike, we could "win". The window for such an advantage in the nuclear arsenal and delivery systems would narrow and begin to close after 1964, leading some to conclude that the obstacle that the President embodied would have to be removed before the end of 1963.

The "unspeakable" in the title comes from Trappist monk/peacemaker Thomas Merton's book, Raids on the Unspeakable. It is a term he used to describe the confluence of evil within systems like governments, corporations, and other power centers. Walter Wink uses the term "the Domination System". St. Paul referred to "the Principalities and Powers". President Eisenhower coined the phrase "the Military Industrial Complex". Catholic Worker Dorothy Day talked about "this filthy, rotten system. The "unspeakable" that conspired (breathed together) against JFK (and later his brother as well) was the manifestation of the national security state that insisted on total allegiance to both its ideology and methodology. Kennedy ran for office as a Cold Warrior. Only his glimpse into the abyss that was the Cuban Missile Crisis allowed him to see how close that system pushed toward a nuclear holocaust.

Kennedy was truly saved by his enemy - Nikita Khrushchev. The irony this book discloses that all three antagonists, Castro, Kennedy, and Khrushchev, all had struggled for peaceful co-existence in opposition to their own advisors. Each leader was trapped within national systems that had a vested interest in keeping the conflict going rather than risking a negotiated resolution.

Through extensive interviews and research, Douglass paints a compelling portrait of the supposed assassin/"patsy", Lee Harvey Oswald. While the Warren Commission (conveniently controlled by ex-CIA Chief, Allen Dulles) failed to interview numerous witnesses that might challenge the "lone gunman" theory, Douglass sought out the stories that convincingly (to me) argued for at least one or more "Oswald" doubles. Douglass argues that the CIA hoped to pin blame for the assassination of the US President on both Cuba and the Soviets, urging the new President, Lyndon Johnson to "retaliate" with their desired preemptive nuclear strike.

It was the successful cover-up orchestrated by the Warren Commission Report that led to the subsequent assassinations of Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, followed by Kennedy's brother, Bobby is the argument Douglass puts forth. JFK and the Unspeakable is the first of a trilogy of books attempting to unmask or at least begin to demystify this force of evil that has so captivated our national soul.

Besides attempting to portray John Kennedy's courage in his "turning", Douglass also wants to steel his readers who are committed to peacemaking to be realistic about the challenges we face. If the "unspeakable" is willing to kill a sitting President, what should we expect if we attempt to follow Jesus down that same road? The Kennedy that Douglass portrays is less overtly religious than Martin King in his last days ("I only want to do God's will."). JFK "looked into the abyss" and chose his path of change or turning when he decided that the fate of the world's children were at stake if these nukes were ever used again. Kennedy realized that even just the atmospheric testing of these weapons imperiled the health of all humanity with the radioactive fallout.

But Kennedy's religious tradition also spoke to him clearly - especially through the powerful words of the initiator of Vatican II, Pope John XXIII with his final masterpiece, Pacem in Terris. The impact of this work so moved Nikita Khrushchev that he is reported to have kept a medallion given to him by this beloved pontiff on his desk in the Kremlin as a way to irritate some of his own Politburo advisors. Kennedy's own commencement speech given at American University five months before his death certainly owed some of its power and insight to the recently deceased pope who died two weeks prior to that June 1963 address. In that speech which ironically was carried more widely over the radio to Soviet citizens (and ignored by most US media), Kennedy cautioned Americans not to demonize the other side. His words, "... not to see only a distorted and desperate view of the other side, not to see conflict as inevitable, accommodation as impossible, and communication as nothing more than an exchange of threats. No government or social system is so evil that its people must be considered as lacking in virtue.", could (and should) be readily applied today to Ahmadinejad's Iran.

The book also raises a very disturbing portrait of how this National Security State imperils our democracy. The idea of a group of secretive men (although there are probably some women in the mix today) deciding who can be or remain President exposes the figure-head nature of the power of that office. The collusion of un-elected agents, military officers, wealthy business elites, "diplomats" and others plotting behind the scenes to replace the elected head-of-state is not just something that happens in Third World nations. Was what happened in November 1963 in Dallas really a coup-d'etat?

Back in the mid-70s, William Stringfellow raised questions about the compatibility between democracy and the apparatus of a National Security State. Stringfellow, drawing on the insights of Biblical prophets and the writings of Jewish theologian Abraham Joshua Heschel, called the allegiance demanded of citizens by this obsession with "security" during the Cold War by its Biblical name: idolatry. With the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the Soviet empire, cold warriors searched about for new adversaries so they could continue to justify our dependence on and subservience to the military industrial complex out of fear. Terrorism conveniently became the new whipping boy and the anticipated "peace dividend" disappeared.

While Douglass' JFK story harkens back to the Cold War, the idolatry of the National Security State is as strong as ever - and its practitioners stand ready to remove or marginalize any who stand in its way. How else could one explain the almost universal condemnation of former-President Jimmy Carter's sit-down with the leadership of Hamas and Syria this Spring? Or the annual rite of genuflecting before the power of AIPAC by both Democrats and Republicans - each vying to out-do the other in pandering to the Israeli state, ignoring and neglecting the cries for justice emanating from behind the 26' tall "security barrier", the new Berlin Wall that Carter has identified as apartheid?

This book is sobering, disturbing -but ultimately hopeful as well. If even such a stout Cold Warrior as John Fitzgerald Kennedy could decide to "turn toward peace" -albeit at a terrible price - can we too break the shackles of fear and greed and begin that same turning ourselves? As Jim Douglass reminded a friend of mine: who is the real "hero", the prime mover of this story? It is God - God working through JFK, Khrushchev, and others who had the courage to take risks for peace. "After all," Douglass reminded him, "the nuclear holocaust didn't happen!"

We must open ourselves to recognize the common humanity we share, as "we all inhabit this small planet. We all breathe the same air. We all cherish our children's futures. And we are all mortal." When we recognize and act on this, we join hands with the Creator and work together to build a world of peace. One place to start is exposing, unmasking, naming the truth behind this system. Exposing it to the light. It might put us in its target but only by escaping its clutches can we truly be free and healed of that primal urge to dominate.

Highly Recommended
Jim Douglass presents a credible, coherent, and convincing narrative for the events surrounding JFK's assassination. He uses resources from U.S. and Soviet archives, first hand accounts of people now willing to talk, dogged researchers over the years challenging the Warren Commission and others. 100 pages of fine print footnotes back up 400 pages of text.

Douglass establishes a clear motive and case for CIA involvement. He also paints a complimentary picture of Kennedy's courage and conviction in bucking the power and prestige of the CIA and the Joint Chiefs.

This book implicitly raises the question of whether today's politicians are willing to risk proposing far reaching changes in war/peace policies that challenge the "unspeakable."

LATER March 3, 2009
For a more extended comment, see my review of the book in Sojourners Magazine of March 2009, pages 40-44

Mystery Solved
Well, Does Douglass give us the name of the man whose finger was on the trigger? I think not. The beauty of the Oswald Theory was that it gave us a name. But by now the Oswald Theory is full of holes. Oswald would have to have been Mighty Mouse--here, there, and everywhere--for the Oswald Theory to hold up.

Douglass does not just point to those holes. He does two things that I have not seen done elsewhere in the literature. He gives us a coherent, persuasively well documented account of a change--an evolutionary process--that JFK underwent in the course of his thousand days as President. Secondly, he tracks Oswald's career from Marine to person-having-a- remarkable-complex-of-relationships-with-the-CIA-and-the-FBI. The details of this relationship are documented in mundane bits of data stretching over many years. These relationships have many reciprocal aspects: they display not simply Oswald's interest in these organizations, but these organizations' interest in Oswald. Because the network has many seemingly contradictory strands, the tendency of lay observers has been to accept official statements that the whole network is simply a sort of tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury--and signifying nothing. The reciprocity and mutuality in the relationships is, as Douglass shows, what gives the lie to the official theory.

"Theory" has, itself, a bad odor for many an American who has become discouraged and demoralized by seemingly irresolvable theoretical conflicts. So we find Americans dismissing evolution as "merely a theory." Likewise with global warming. But for those of us who believe theories can be confirmed, this book can provide a moment of discovery. In disconfirming the thesis "Oswald did it," James Douglass elaborates and confirms "the unspeakable"--a theory maybe no more than one American in a thousand is willing to consider: that our government killed Kennedy. To be sure, it's not all that global and fuzzy. It's not "the government did it," but specific agencies and named individuals within the government. Having read the book, and having long held a position on Kennedy's death that was incompatible with Douglass's, I am convinced that Douglass got it right. - T. B. O'Neill

There is room at the top of your shelf for this book.
There may be only five or six books dealing with John Kennedy's assassination which not only provide a complete review of the event or new insights, but are also extremely well written. This book belongs on the top shelf with them.
This brilliant history does not so much tell the reader which antagonists were against Kennedy, it allows a recognition by the reader of forces building independent of our democracy yet ostensibly within it.
While some familiar witness testimony is covered again, this narrative might even have been better had these not been included. The reader's knowledge of Kennedy's shooting provides the answer--the relationships within intelligence agencies, the State Department, and foreign governments provide a vivid equation which the reader himself creates. A remarkably unique book.

JFK and the Unspeakable
Ever since establishment of the CIA, that entity has carried on a foreign policy of it's own creation and, as Douglass meticulously documents, one that promotes conflict around the world in the interest of the military-industral-media establishment. Circumstanial as the evidence of conspiracy in the murder of Kennedy may be, its shere volume shatters the attempts made to cover-up the crime. Scholarship evidencing the reasons why "the powers that be" wanted Kenndy taken out is most convincing. This extreme act of betrayal and treason - and secrecy in government in general - is a cancer that will continue to haunt the nation and undermine its future, until such time it is properly addressed. This book is a critically important contribution to the history of our watch.

Kennedy Assassination & Beyond.....
It was no accident that on Friday, June 26, 2009, film director Oliver Stone (director of the film JFK) brought a copy of this book to his interview with Bill Maher on Maher's HBO show REAL TIME WITH BILL MAHER (episode 159).

JFK & The Unspeakable is perhaps the best book ever written about the life and presidency John F. Kennedy. The author James Douglass is an impeccable researcher. He takes us on a journey that indisputably defines why and how the "Military Industrial Intelligence Complex" decided to conspire to assassinate the leader of the free world and then conspire again to cover it up. To date, no author has ever put together all the pieces of factual evidence that clearly define and elaborate the conspiracy that Oliver Stone once defined as "the crime of the century."

The conspiracy to assassinate President Kennedy (and then cover it up) has recently been further amplified by Russ Baker's new book FAMILY OF SECRETS. Again, extremely well researched, author Baker's indictment of the Bush Family and its secret involvement with JFK's demise is yet one more nail in the coffin of how far reaching the Kennedy assassination permeated the ruling elites of America. Family of Secrets: The Bush Dynasty, the Powerful Forces That Put It in the White House, and What Their Influence Means for America

The Kennedy Assassination is still a festering cancer upon the soul of America. To understand the TRUTH of what really happened is the first and most important remedy for real healing to take place. James Douglass has given the world an extremely important tool to make this possible. Russ Baker (author of FAMILY OF SECRETS) takes us one step further by showing us how the Bush Family participated and why Nixon had to resign from office. Both of these books are a true educational experience! ... Read more

Editorial Review

Revised in 2006 for its twenty-fifth anniversary, this best-selling book is the "bible" for families caring for people with Alzheimer disease, offering comfort and support to millions worldwide. In addition to the practical and compassionate guidance that have made The 36-Hour Day invaluable to caregivers, the fourth edition is the only edition currently available that includes new information on medical research and the delivery of care.

The new edition includes:

-new information on diagnostic evaluation-resources for families and adult children who care for people with dementia-updated legal and financial information-the latest information on nursing homes and other communal living arrangements-new information on research, medications, and the biological causes and effects of dementia

Also available in a large print edition

Praise for The 36-Hour Day:

Reviews

An absolute must for caregivers, July 27, 2007
For those of us who are caregivers, this book is a lifesaver. Before reading this book I was certain that many of the behaviors that my family member exhibits were unique to her. While I often read about Alzheimer's, I never read anything that made me stop and realize that, first, I am not alone, and second, that there are ways that I can handle situations better. This book is full of great suggestions on how to deal with the many behavioral issues that are exhibited by those with Alzheimer's and dementia.

Whenever I have an especially difficult day, I go online to the Alzheimer's page and remind myself how difficult it is for my family member. This book drove home that message, yet more importantly provided me with some tools on how to deal with these issues. I cannot stress enough how much I thought our situation and the behaviors were unique; it is liberating to realize that they are not. As well, understanding why the person exhibits such behaviors makes it much easier to respond correctly.

I wish I could thank the authors personally for this book. I hope they both know that their wisdom, concern and awareness of the Alzheimer patient has made a difference for me, and I am certain has made a difference for many others.

Caregivers -- buy this book, you will find some stress greatly diminished.

Excellent for entire family system, especially the caregiver, September 15, 1999
The book is informative, explicit for people who know nothing about mental health and diseases of the mind. Good for the lay person, the afflicted person, all of the family. Gives insight and helps with understanding care of the patient, and the grief involved for those around the patient. Good reference--I will be using it in a church group setting also.

Dealing family member with Alzheimers, January 17, 2000
I found this book to be a life saver. I thought that I was losing my mind, until I read this book and now I know there is help out there. I have read this book a few times and each time it helps me understand a little more about Alzheimers patient. It is like a bible for people who are dealing with a family member with Alzherimers.

Excellent Guide, April 10, 2007
This is a excellent book and reference for those learning to deal with Alzheimer. Plenty of resources and ideas of what to look for when caring for someone with this disease. You can get a good idea of what to expect and how to help those suffering with this devastating disease. Easy to understand and read. Can't recommend this book enough.

THE 36-HOUR DAY continues to be the 'bible' of recommendation for any caregiver whose family member suffers from dementia., February 7, 2007
When THE 36-HOUR DAY appeared in its original edition it was unprecedented in its information for families struggling to care for people with Alzheimer Disease and other dementias: now this updated 4th edition in large print includes new details on diagnostic evaluation methods, new medications and research, and new social and legal issues involved, and will find a place not only on health and public library shelves, but in the home shelves of caregivers searching for information. From financial aid and nursing homes to alternatives to treatments and living arrangements, THE 36-HOUR DAY continues to be the 'bible' of recommendation for any caregiver whose family member suffers from dementia.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

The Answers I Have Been Searching For, July 5, 2004
It doesn't give medical advice, it doesn't give technical advice, although it provides resources for seeking such advice. What it does give are explanations and insights into the thinking of brain impaired persons, explanations for their behaviors, and advice on how to manage and cope with being their caregiver.

These are exactly the answers I have been searching for. So many of my father's actions, reactions and behaviors are profiled in this book, and it's becoming clear that his decline had started many years ago with smaller incidents that we as his family had dismissed. The path of progression can be tracked, and even predicted. It will be helpful to know what's coming next and be prepared. But most important to me is the understanding of why. Being able to understand the why of his behavior helps me a great deal in being able to let go of the anger and to cope better with the situation that has recently escalated to horrific.

In trying to manage the situation I have started taking anti-anxiety meds, as well as antidepressants and high blood pressure med. I have done all that I can to make changes within myself, yet things have gotten progressively worse. I am beginning to understand that these changes have been part of the problem in a sense in that I have become "unpredictable" to him in not reacting the way he expects me to.

The 36-Hour Day: A Family Guide to Caring for People with Alzheimer Disease, Other Dementias, and Memory Loss in Later Life, July 1, 2007
Well-written, easy to read, and comprehansive..excellent resource! I have already recommended it to others facing a future as a caregiver.

Succinct and Thorough, May 6, 2007
This is an exemplary book,thorough and well written re the information essential to dealing with a loved one with alzheimers. I couldn't put it down...not that I enjoyed what I read...but how appropriate it was to the situation at hand.

Help for the family, April 1, 2007
This book has been the single most helpful tool my family has been given to help us help my mother as she progresses with Alzheimer's Disease. While other books have touched on many of the topics in this book, no where else have we found as much practical information on how to avoid confrontations with her; ways to improve her daily living; ideas to keep her involved with us and to provide meaning to her life; questions to ask her doctors; types of resources that are available (depending on your area); what to expect as the disease progresses; and how to help each other as we take on the many different roles needed to provide care for her.

I highly recommend this book to others; in fact, I have purchased multiple copies to share with family members and donate to my local library - that's how helpful and important this book is!

Essential for families experiencing Alzheimer's, January 4, 2001
The small type notwithstanding, this book has been so helpful to us in understanding how to deal with our family member and her spouse. Each experience we have had seems to be covered; I wish we had bought this when we first noticed symptoms, long before she was diagnosed, and long before her spouse would admit there was a problem. However, we did find that when we gave it to the (elderly) spouse, he did not read it and found the large amount of material daunting. I don't think a smaller type face would have helped, as the other reviewers indicated, because it would have then been even a longer, larger book. What he finally *would* read was only a brochure from the doctor, which was very basic. ... Read more

Editorial Review

The author, former U.S. Naval Intelligence Briefing TeamMember, reveals information kept secret by our government since the1940s.UFOs, the J.F.K.. assassination, the Secret Government, the waron drugs and more by the world's leading expert on UFOs. ... Read more

Reviews

Knowledge is Power, April 24, 2002
Behold a Pale Horse is definitely not a book to curl up on the couch with on a Sunday afternoon. The topics William Cooper discusses will very likely keep you reading late into the night. There are two types of people in the world: those who want to know who exactly is controlling whom, and those who are more comfortable taking things at face value. I will say up front that I didn't believe everything I read in this book, such as some of the references about UFOs. What really disturbed me was the theory of the true intent of the government. Cooper's account of what the government is capable of in times of heightened alert is extremely relevant now. It is important to keep in mind that this book was published before the attack on the World Trade Center because the US is finding itself in exactly the position Cooper predicted. Whether or not you think you might agree with the information in this book, I recommend any book written by someone who was killed for the purpose of silencing him or her. Be an informed citizen and know what your government is capable of.

A Wild and Crazy Guy, November 1, 2005
First of all, I will date myself. I have been around the UFO/Conspiracy genre for over 30 years. I have close friends who knew "Wild" Bill. He was, in fact, a Viet Nam era intelligence officer. In fact, I have it on good source that he was what was known as a "uniform changer", meaning he could show up as a navy commander and later as an air force major. These folks had special priviledge and this should not be taken lightly.
I remember when his book came out and many felt that it took some guts to say the things that he did. The UFO issue aside, he had some good information on the other subjects in this book. The UFO information was pretty much the "vanilla version" of what was generally known in those days (the early 90's)
It is my understand that he did have license to kill and actually threatened one of my friends. He could be loud and belligerent, which another friend witnessed once when they ran into him at a bar. In some ways, I can see how he could have been killed by police if he got way to aggressive. He was known for that.
In his talks to groups he used to refer to the public as "sheeple" and I have come to agree with him. He was right on the money about what subsequently occurred in the late 90's and after the millenia. More than anything, the one thing that Bill Cooper hit right on was the prime agenda of those in power- population control by any means.
As a testamony to his guts, I highly recommend this book. But, I strongly suggest that you don't stop there. Research, research, research. In doing so you will get down in the dumps, but you will find things that will change the way that you view the world.

A must read!!!, November 30, 2003
Let me start this review with the truth about Bill's death. Milton William Cooper (58) was shot and killed by deputies of the Apache County (Arizona) Sheriff's Office while they were attempting to serve an arrest warrant for aggravated assault and endangerment on Nov. 5, 2001. I won't go into any further details, since the reader can find more information on the web - and some of it is even RIGHT!!!

His death on "unrelated" charges is most interesting to me. Were those charges just a way to shut him up and discredit him at the same time? Did the sheriff's office go to his home that evening with the intent of getting their man dead and not alive? While I don't have any proof about this, it does stir my imagination.

There are two things to keep in mind while reading this that will help you absorb the information inside his book.

1) This book was published in 1991. You'll understand the significance of that date as he accurately predicts events that have come to pass!

2) Disregard all of the instances where he talks about "alien" U.F.O.'s, moon bases, and other extraterrestrial issues. He later said that all such documents he saw while in Naval Intelligence on those issues were false information to mislead the reader.

Let's start the review!

INTRODUCTION

FOREWORD

1) SILENT WEAPONS FOR QUIET WARS

A reprint of a document found in a IBM copier bought at a surplus sale. In short this document is a blue print for controlling a population. Some have claimed that it's a fake. If it's a fake then someone went to great lengths to draft such a insightful document - but why?

2) SECRET SOCIETIES AND THE NEW WORLD ORDER

A good introduction to secret societies like the Freemasons, Jason Group, Trilateral Commission, CFR, and the Illuminati. On page 72 he accurately predicted that the Galileo spacecraft was going to crash into Jupiter in an attempt to ignite its atmosphere! (Anyone out there remember 2010 and what happened to Jupiter in that movie?)

3) OATH OF INITIATION OF AN UNIDENTIFIED SECRET ORDER

You'll have to decide for yourself if you want to believe this oath.

4) SECRET TREATY OF VERONA

A sample of how Monarchs use treaties to regain their crowns.

5) GOOD-BY USA, HELLO NEW WORLD ORDER

Plans for the suspension of the Constitution and the role of Mt. Weather in bringing it about.

6) H.R. 7049 & FEMA

After reading this chapter you won't doubt the real purpose of FEMA.

7) ANTI-DRUG ABUSE ACT OF 1988

An excellent example of how congress (which is the opposite of progress!) passes legislation which on the surface seems to be reasonable, but under the surface it's really an attempt to suspend due proses, trail by jury, and bring about a police state!

8) ARE THE SHEEP READY TO SHEER?

It covers an Oklahoma law that requires residents of that state to declare to the tax collector every piece of property that they own! A good way for the government to know what you own - especially guns!

9) ANATOMY OF AN ALLIANCE

A discussion about population control and various attempts to decrease the world's population. On page 168 he reveals the origins of AIDS (H.B. 15090) and how it was spread by vaccine. How international wars are created for population control.

10) LESSONS FROM LITHUANIA

A short (two page) but excellent article by Neal Knox on gun control.

11) COUP DE GRACE

A transcript of a conversation between Bill and Randall Terpstra, who was a radioman and crypto operator in the U.S. Navy. They discuss how Nixon was forced to resign by the U.S. military, U.F.O.'s, "Operation Majority," and so on.

12) THE SECRET GOVERNMENT

He discusses a lot about aliens and U.F.O.'s in this chapter. On page 215 he reveals the truth about the assassination of J.F.K. How Prozac is used along with hypnosis and mind control techniques to motivate people to commit mass shootings in order to disarm the public.

13) TREASON IN HIGH PLACES

An article on how treaties can be used to erode the sovereignty of the U.S.A.

14) A PROPOSED CONSTITUTIONAL MODEL FOR THE NEWSTATES OF AMERICA

A reprint of a proposed socialist constitution by the Center for Democratic Studies. It's hard to believe that $25,000,000 was spent on this trash.

15) PROTOCOLS OF THE WISE MEN OF ZION

Is this document really the protocols of the Illuminati? Read it and decide for yourself.

16) THE STORY OF JONATHAN MAY

A 26 page story about what happens when someone challenged the Fed money system.

17) DOCUMENTATION: U.S. ARMY INTELLIGENCE CONNECTION WITH SATANIC CHURCH

The title is self-explanatory.

APPENDIXES
A) WILLIAM COOPER'S MILITARY RECORD
B) UFOs AND AREA 51
C) ALIEN IMPLANTS
D) AIDS
E) NEW WORLD ORDER
F) U.S. GOVERNMENT DRUG INVOLVEMENT
G) KURZWEIL vs. HOPKINS

Brave man down..., July 8, 2005
Whatever criticisms can be levelled against this book, I believe it to be Bill's honest attempt to reveal the Truth as he knew it, at that time.

For those who are new to Conspiracy Theory, this is a mine of information, and for those who are more knowledgable, it still stands as a classic of the genre, and a very courageous book.

Bill's 'convenient' death in a questionable shootout came as no surprise to most Conspiracy buffs, as the guy threw down the gauntlet in a big way. He was fearless.

One fascinating addition to his Kennedy assassination info came in his video, Kennedy: The Sacrificed King, in which he examines the Zapruder film of Kennedy being hit, and by virtual frame advancing, the clip appears to show JFK's driver, William Greer, shooting JFK over his shoulder, delivering the second and probably ultimately fatal shot.

As for some of his Alien info, I know military intelligence hierarchies, and Bill was only operating at a relatively low level in his Naval Intel role (whatever his supposed Clearance), so he never had access to the big picture, and he himself was vulnerable to Disinformation, as he suspected himself. What he conveys is a mixture of Truth and DI.

On a technical note, the book is not a polished, edited finished product, and many of his strategies such as continuous capitalization for emphasis make it hard to read at times, but the content itself makes it well worth the effort to press on.

Like so many of his brothers and sisters, the guy served his Country with honor in Vietnam. There is much to respect about the man.

A Good Book to Read, September 14, 1999
After reading this book, I almost feel certain that this man ( William Bill Cooper )really did stumbled on some very important documents from the military. The proof is right in front of my eyes as I read his service record pages from the Navy on how he was absent from CINPACFLT base after learning the real truth about the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. But my overall interest is chapter 12, about the secret government ( FEMA )and the real purpose of MJ-12. To tell you the truth, when that television series " Dark Skies " made its debut in 1996, some of the material and information from that show was basically explained in Cooper's book. As they say the truth is out there. I hope you understand where I'm coming from. I'm still looking for more books on UFO's and the possibility of exterrestrail encounters. I must keep in mind that I cannot allow these publishers or editors take me on a joy ride of disinformation. However, "Behold a Pale Horse" is very interesting and enlightning for those who believe that a conspiracy really exist in our country. Thank you for reading my review.

A Must Read!, December 18, 1999
This is one of the only books I have ever bought two copies of at full price, just so I wouldn't lose my copy when loaning the book. And, I could only seem to get a copy by ordering it. Cooper had a radio show that was most always a shocker, so I had to check out his book. There is much discussion about UFO conspiracy, but not the usual rap, and not the true focus of the book. He ties the UFO phenomena with other info that is sure to change the way one looks at conspiracies, suggesting that, in the very least, the public is only being told the twisted truth. Most of it was not written by him, only compiled by him, much of it being photo duplicated from originals. He doesn't care if you think he's crazy or arrogant, as many do. He only asks the reader to review the material and come to his own conclusions. The most interesting thing is that in coming to accept the conspiracy theories, you will have to suspect Cooper as being part of one himself. This is a book you'll likely keep in your library. Recommended for those with a disdain for conspiracy theories.

Mind Blowing Answers to Americas Decay, March 14, 2000
The New World Order, UFO's, JFK's assasination, why our military have become Global police and who the manipulators are is all in there. I read it in one sitting - dawn to dusk - and was deeply troubled. Our own government selling the U.S. to foreign powers, technology to China, panama canal to China, favored nation status for China in WTO, negative trade balance of $5 Billion/month to China all makes sense. I must wonder how much of the latest skyrocketing gasoline price increase was orchestrated by our own Government. This is a book that will open your eyes to what is really going on.

An amazing work that will, hopefully, start critical analysis, August 18, 2005
I was challenged by a friend in the very early 90's to read Mr. Cooper's "Behold A Pale Horse." What I read changed the way I approach life.

The reader's agreement with all the conclusions, facts, figures, stories, or anecdotes found in the book is immaterial. What matters is, and Mr. Cooper states this time and time again, that the reader is encouraged to do their own research! The author's claims are not bolstered or destroyed by belief, or the lack of it. Rather, Mr. Cooper wants you to remain skeptical and verify, validate or refute the facts yourself.

I can say that through my research, as far as the socio-economic-political landscape is concerned, Mr. Cooper was/is right on target. As for the UFO/Alien conspiracy, he recanted his statements in his book and sincerely apologized for providing what he found out to be dis-information.

It is well worth the read; however, do not rest on the copies of Executive Orders, laws and court cases found in the book; do your own research, come to your own conclusions and you will honor the person that wrote this book more than mere words are able to do.

R.I.P. BILL COOPER, October 17, 2005
[...] Everyone should read this book. His website is [...]You can learn more there. the stuff in this book is terrifying!

i wonder why amazon censored and edited my longer reviews. hmmm

It's 2007 and this book is relevant now more than ever:, February 25, 2007
If you are disgusted with reading (Left/Right) Gatekeeper propaganda then William Cooper is for you. Cooper accomplishes what most news analyst such as Chris Mathews, and Anne Coulter won't do, and that's naming names. In his book he elaborates on whose orchestrating the "New World Order."
We as Americans need to educate ourselves about this detrimental topic and Cooper gives us a great foundation to start our research.
And be prepared because you'll quickly discover that "History is the lie that they teach you in school." (Vernon Reid Living Colour)

And if you are distraught over the government's prevarications then get ready to swallow the red pill because what most Americans don't ascertain is that law H.R.4079 and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) are designed to marshal in the police state. Which if you haven't already guessed, means Martial Law.
Under H.R.4079 the Federal Government has the right to suspend the U.S. Constitution.
Moreover, Cooper brings to light that many of our elected officials are members of the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), the Trilateral Commission (TC), the Bilderberg Group (BG), and many other secret societies hell bent on global hegemony.
Cooper straightforwardly articulates that we are losing our country, our autonomy, and our lives.

This book also dissects the Illuminati subject in a coherent fashion. Cooper discusses how these secret societies BG, TC, CFR, and the Jason Society are really different denominations of the Illuminati.
So, if you don't become an expert on the "New World Order and how it works" after reading this then you have no business complaining about the isentropic issues that concern us today.
The Illuminati exist, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Our lives are depending on our perception of reality. What we think is real is really the fantasy the global elite conjured up, which equals Problem, Reaction, Solution!
We are being spoon-fed prevarication that Congress actually writes the laws in this country, but the reality is secret societies set the agenda behind closed doors. Plus, Congress no longer has the power to declare war! Surprised!!! You should be! At 3:30am Saturday, August 4,1990, the Senate passed the Senate Intelligence Authorization Act (S.B.2834). This bill transferred most governmental authority over to the President, which means, "The President was given the power to initiate war, appropriate public funds, define foreign policy goals, and decide what is important to our national security." So, in a nutshell, the President can declare war with any nation at anytime (with or without just cause)! And enact domestic policy as he or she deems fit.
Just take a glimpse at the Iraq situation? George W. Bush started the full scale Iraqi invasion in September 2002, which was one month before Congress voted on the measure and six month before the official invasion on March 20, 2003 (Operation Shock and Awe). So the President declared War without Congressional consent and they (Congress, the Supreme Court and the media) knew it was legal for him to do so, and they feigned otherwise, misleading the American people.

"Behold a Pale Horse" is a 500-page diatribe of information that no one should be without. Whether you agree or disagree with the info in this book isn't the point. The crux is do we have the right to be circumspect, or more accurately, paranoid over our civil liberties being eviscerated before our very eyes? I think we do.

The controversial subject of Area 51 and extraterrestrials is also discussed in this five star book of info. We have to ponder on the fact that our government hides information from us everyday. I personally don't believe in little bug-eyed gray men from planet Neutron 5, but what I do believe is that our government is running clandestine experiments in Area 51 that they don't want discovered. And we as a free society should have the right to inquire as to why they (the government) would deem this irrational behavior acceptable?

Also, Cooper discusses the Freemasons' role in the "New World Order." So for all you Freemason conspiracy buffs this is essential reading.
Oh and one more thing, for all the Freemason researchers out there who want to find out how Hiram Abif died, here's how, "Hiram Abif represents intelligence, liberty and truth, and was struck down by a blow to the neck with a rule, representing the suppression of speech by the church; then he was struck in the heart with the square, representing the suppression of belief by the State; and finally he was struck on the head by a maul, representing the suppression of intellect by the masses." I fail to construe why the Masons think keeping the secret of Hiram's death is so important. There ideology seems rather gauche in the end.

Anyway, I strongly recommend this book to anyone who is an Alex Jones listener, or is familiar with Anthony J. Hilder, Jordan Maxwell, Jim Marrs, or anyone who wants to truly understand how the world's smoke and mirrors methodology really works.

After reading this book I perfectly understand why Milton William Cooper was killed 2 months after 9/11.
Cooper is a hero that should be honored and respected! ... Read more

Editorial Review

Since he was a small boy, Mosab Hassan Yousef has had an inside view of the deadly terrorist group Hamas. The oldest son of Sheikh Hassan Yousef, a founding member of Hamas and its most popular leader, young Mosab assisted his father for years in his political activities while being groomed to assume his legacy, politics, status . . . and power. But everything changed when Mosab turned away from terror and violence, and embraced instead the teachings of another famous Middle East leader. In Son of Hamas, Mosab Yousef--now called "Joseph"--reveals new information about the world's most dangerous terrorist organization and unveils the truth about his own role, his agonizing separation from family and homeland, the dangerous decision to make his newfound faith public, and his belief that the Christian mandate to "love your enemies" is the only way to peace in the Middle East. ... Read more

Reviews

Love Your Enemies? How The Son Of The Founder Of Hamas Went From Jihad To Jesus, March 6, 2010
I first met Mosab Hassan Yousef, the oldest son of one of the founders of the Hamas, by phone in 2009. We spoke several times for several hours, getting to know one another and taking each other's measure. Later, we corresponded a bit by email and finally met for coffee. It was an unlikely encounter, to be sure. How often, after all, does a former aide to an Israeli Prime Minister and a former aide to the leader of a terrorist movement meet and become friends. But we have. And the reason is simple: we have both been transformed by the love of Jesus Christ.

Mosab was raised a Radical Muslim. He believed "Islam is the answer, and jihad is the way." He was poised to become the future leader of Hamas. As such, he would have become one of Israel's most dangerous and wanted enemies. But something happened along the way that changed everything. Mosab came to the stunning conclusion that Hamas was evil, that Islam was wrong, that suicide bombings and other terrorist attacks were abhorrent, that Israelis were his friends not his enemies, and that Jesus Christ was the Son of God and the Savior of the world. In short, Mosab has become a Revivalist. Today he believes "Islam is not the answer, jihad is not the way; Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life, and no one comes to the Father except through Jesus." What's more, he believes that the only way for Israelis and Palestinians to truly find peace with each other is to first find peace with God by embracing the Prince of Peace -- Jesus, who was born in Bethlehem; Jesus, who was raised in Nazareth; Jesus who died on the cross in Jerusalem, and rose again, and is coming back to the Holy Land soon.

How this transformation happened -- and the choices Mosab has made as a result -- is the subject of one of the most powerful books I have ever read. SON OF HAMAS, written by Mosab and journalist Ron Brackin, is part spy thriller, part spiritual testimony of a young man leaving terror for redemption. It is a must-read book and one can only hope it becomes the basis of a major Hollywood motion picture.

In just the first week since the book was released, Mosab has received enormous media coverage -- Haaretz, Ynet News, CNN, Fox, NBC, Wall Street Journal, Associated Press, and Forbes, among many others. Most of the reports and interviews have focused on the intelligence intrigue of how Mosab became a double agent for Israel's Shin Bet secret service agency against Hamas, helping to stop scores of terrorist attacks and saving countless Jewish and Arab lives as a result. Unfortunately, most of the reports have glossed over the spiritual side of Mosab's journey. The good news is the book covers both sides of Mosab's life in gripping details.

Here are a few tidbits worth considering:

* Mosab hated the Jews. He cheered when Saddam Hussein fired 39 Scud missiles at Israel during the 1991 Gulf War, and was disappointed when Israel wasn't destroyed. He wanted Hamas to seize back all the land of "Palestine" from the Jews. But in 1996, at the age of 18, he was arrested by the Israelis for buying automatic weapons to kill Jews. He was sent to an Israeli prison. There he was stunned at what he saw: Muslims torturing Muslims. "I had never heard a human being scream like that guy did. What could he have done to deserve that." (p.97)

* "Nearby, fellow Hamas members -- fellow Arabs, fellow Palestinians, fellow Muslims -- shoved needles under [his friend] Akel's fingernails." (p. 100)

* "Every day there was screaming; every night, torture. Hamas was torturing its own people! As much as I wanted to, I simply could not find a way to justify that." (p. 102)

* Months later, after being released from Israeli prison, Mosab was walking past the Damascus Gate in Jerusalem. Someone -- not knowing who he was -- invited him to a Bible study. Curious, he attended. They studied the New Testament, and gave Mosab a copy to read for himself. "I began at the beginning [in the Gospel According to Matthew], and when I got to the Sermon on the Mount, I thought, Wow, this guy Jesus is really impressive! Everything He says is beautiful! I couldn't put the book down. Every verse seemed to touch a deep wound in my life. It was a very simple message, but somehow it had the power to heal my soul and give me hope. Then I read this: `You have heard that it was said, Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.' (Matthew 5:43-45)....I was thunderstruck by these words. Never before had I heard anything like this, but I knew that this was the message I had been searching for all my life." (p.122)

* "For years I had struggled to know who my enemy was, and I had looked for enemies outside of Islam and Palestine. But I suddenly realized that the Israelis were not my enemies. Neither was Hamas nor my uncle Ibrahim [one of the torturers in prison] nor the kid who beat me with the butt of his M16....I understood that enemies were not defined by nationality, religion, or color. I understood that we all share the same common enemies: greed, pride, and all the bad ideas and the darkness of the devil that live inside us....Five years earlier, I would have read the words of Jesus and thought, What an idiot! and thrown the Bible away....But now, everything Jesus said on the pages of this book made perfect sense to me. Overwhelmed, I started to cry." (p.122-123)

** Joel C. Rosenberg is the New York Times best-selling author of Epicenter 2.0: Why the Current Rumblings in the Middle East Will Change Your Future and Inside the Revolution: How the Followers of Jihad, Jefferson & Jesus Are Battling to Dominate the Middle East and Transform

a must read, March 2, 2010
This book was very well written and gripping - i couldn't put it down! It was filled with details of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict, yet was easy to understand and follow. The story pulls you in so much that it 'feels' more like reading a fictional spy book than an autobiography. From a literary standpoint this book was an amazing work. Making a history lesson interesting is no easy task.

The story itself is also amazing. As a Christian, it was inspiring to see how one sentence from the Bible was able to transform Mosab's heart and change the course of his life. As a result, many lives were saved. It is also a work of peace, helping us see that there are no cut and dry answers to the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. All have done wrong, with Jesus all are capable of peace.

Amazing job, Mosab! Thanks for sharing your story.

Whatever your politics, this is a good read, March 4, 2010
I heard about this book and its author on NPR a few weeks ago and preorder it on my Kindle. While I was expecting a good story and some unique insight into the Arab side of the conflict my hopes were not high for the quality of writing and storytelling that I assumed a man with a military and religious background could produce. Boy, was I wrong about the quality!!! The book opened up the inner working or rather lack of inner workings within Hamas and loudly vindicated what Israel and the whole world knew about Arafat as a selfish global beggar, who was the main driver behind the second intifada with no regard for the well being of his people. The story is extremely well written and shares a writing style with Natan Sharansky's Fear no Evil. While the author's Christianity plays a large role in his life journey this book should be enjoyed by everyone. I am surprised at how good the actual writing style was and commend Masab on the lives he has saved through considerable risk to his own. Hopefully there are many more operatives like him operating in Gaza and will lead to the release of Gilad Shalit.

the real thing, March 4, 2010
if you are serious about understanding the MIddle East and the ideologies competing for dominance over there this is a must read. Joseph as we call him will be remembered in history as a great man of faith and courage. Take this book very seriously it comes at great cost.
-Pastor Matt Smith
[...]

A Rare Gem, March 4, 2010
My only regret in purchasing this book is that it was so riveting it made me late for work! It is a heart warming story of a man's journey from hate to love for all of humanity. After decades of studying the Middle East and thousands of hours spent studying Islam, I can verify that the author is clearly the real deal. While he characterizes and explains things in a different manner than I sometimes would and his view that "delivered from the oppression of Europe, Israel became the oppressor" is, although an understandable view from his prospective, not entirely fair, his overall understanding of what drives the Israeli-Islamic Conflict is far superior to 99.99999 percent of the views I see regarding the topic. The author is one of those rare souls that managed to figure out some of the most complex and difficult issues to understand in the World today given all of the disinformation and errant opinions, both inadvertent and intentional, promulgated about the conflict and Islam. I guarantee that you will not regret purchasing this book. The author also has great courage to speak out as he has. May God protect him. The author's view of Israel as an oppressor is no doubt a sincere view, but it is a view clouded by his proximity to the conflict. Sometimes when we look at something too closely we suffer from a bit of myopia. While Israel's conduct may seem oppressive at times to one who has suffered from Israel's attempts to defend itself, it is conduct driven by desperation and the need to protect its people. But for the enslavement of Arab Muslims by Islam and the cultural effect of Islam on the entire Arab culture - even non-Muslim Arabs - Arab and Jews could and would live in relative peace together and the Arabs would proper from the industriousness and economic vitality of Israel. The fact is that far from being an oppressor, Israel is the one hope that inhabitants in the area have of living under a relatively fair and just government. All the Arabs need to do is quit trying to destroy Israel and to indiscriminately kill Jews and they will reap the benefits of Israel's better attributes. But when you try to destroy a people, it is hardly a surprise that their natural, instinctive self-defense response will seem "oppressive."

This is a great read and you will have no buyer's remorse. I was only sorry that the story was not longer! The author is an exceptional man wise beyond his years.

Most incredible story I ever read..., March 14, 2010
...and I read a lot. I drive 2+ hours a day back and forth to work listening to Audio Books. This is a gripping story, I can't stop thinking about it. The risks he took, leading a double life at the top of the most violent group of killers in the world. Most books are interesting but I don't expect to ever shake this one. Mosab is still on a mission. We sit around fretting about the Middle East while civilization unravels. Mosab is perhaps the only man with a complete picture of the wretched travesty, and he's not sitting, he's carrying the world on his shoulders. Our leaders are lost, so Mosab is putting his life on the line to save as many as he can. My heart goes out to him. For those of you who pray, pray God will protect and sustain Mosab.

Completely changed my view of the Middle East, March 3, 2010
I am a sucker for spy novels, but have often been disappointed by nonfiction accounts of spies. Spycatcher was particularly disappointing. Son of Hamas is unlike any spy nonfiction I have ever read. It is gripping reading, and I could not put my kindle down until I had read it all.

Mossab Hassan Yousef has helped me understand the Middle East in a new and profound way; In the past I was strongly tempted to see Israel as the good guy and anybody else as the bad guys, but he helped me see many shades of gray in Palestine. Yousef's story is more than a compelling spy thriller or political geography. It is also the story of his repenting of his sins, and believing in Jesus Christ for his salvation. I can barely conceive of how difficult it must have been for him to break his family's heart, take up his cross, and follow Jesus. This book is an absolute must-read. I hope Mossab is adjusting well to life in the United States.

Fast-paced, Sensational, Heartbreaking, May 13, 2010
"Son of Hamas" is a fast-paced, sensational, heartbreaking read. Mosab Hassan Yousef's story is unique and important, and he tells his story with frankness, tears, and outrage. He is the son of a founder of the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas; he himself was a prisoner, an Israeli spy, and, eventually, a convert to Christianity. The book is an easy read; you can finish it in a couple of sittings. It's really more of a long magazine article than a book, though. Neither MHY nor his co-author, Ron Brackin, delves deeply into the many complexities of the story. Rather, the book's focus is on recounting of this or that spy activity. From this book, I didn't gain deep insight into what it's like to be an undercover agent, to betray one's beloved father's ideals, or to convert from Islam to Christianity.

MHY's description of Hamas is scathing. The most memorable passages in the book describe Hamas members torturing other Palestinians in Israeli prisons. MHY worked as the torturers' scribe. He wrote their fastidious accounts of what the tortured inmate confessed to. These files read like pornography. Inmates confessed to unbelievable acts, acts that included cows and cameras. It was clear to MHY that these victims were making up stories to satisfy their torturers' twisted appetites, and to, thereby, make the torture stop.

The Hamas torturers focused on men who did not have outside protectors to avenge their torture. One poor soul, Akel, was targeted for torture because his only living relative outside prison was a sister who would not harm anyone in revenge for Hamas shoving needles under Akel's fingernails. Too, Akel was a "simple farmer" "never accepted by the urban Hamas" who took advantage of him. MHY describes a Palestinian prisoner throwing himself against a boundary of razor wire. An Israeli guard was about to shoot him. The man explained that he was not trying to escape the Israeli prison, but, rather, his fellow Palestinian inmates.

The bulk of the book consists of journalistic accounts of this or that spy operation. Clever ways are devised for MHY to meet with his Israeli handlers. Other clever ways are devised for MHY to avoid being detected as a spy, even as he meets with top figures like the PLO's Yasser Arafat. MHY thwarts suicide bombings and tries to make sure that terrorists are imprisoned, rather than killed. Fans of espionage may find these passages intriguing.

By chance, MHY runs into some Christians and begins to discover Jesus in the pages of a gift Bible. MHY left Islam and became a Christian. This made life completely impossible for him among his beloved home and family. He had to leave Israel for the US. Even that departure had to be orchestrated by Israeli intelligence.

The intense heartbreak MHY has experienced in his life is suggested in this book, but never plumbed. I wonder if he'll ever write a more probing, confessional book that will explore what must have been a very tough life. MHY's love for his father and his family is obvious. His family has disowned him; they have to. Islam mandates the death penalty for apostates. MHY was born into an impossible situation for an ethical being. He loves his father; his father supports terror. He loves his family; his family must renounce him for leaving Islam. He loves his homeland and his people; too many of his people are committed to pointless violence and are rigid in their resistance to any alternative point of view. I suspect that many readers reading this book will be moved to pray for MHY and his family as well. Readers will pray for his safety, of course, but also for peace for the many heartbreaks he has experienced, heartbreaks not of his own making.

Review of Son of Hamas, March 8, 2010
The title of this book describes exactly what it is. It is a gripping, powerful, terrifying tale of unbelievable choices, political intrigue and betrayal of the most potent sort.

Mosab Hassan Yousef, known as the "Green Prince" to the Shin Bet (an Israeli intelligence service comparable to America's FBI), is the oldest song of Sheikh Hassan Yousef, a cofounder and leader of Hamas since 1986. What is Hamas? It is an Islamic resistance movement in the West Bank and Gaza, listed by several organizations and governments as a terrorist organization.

My Aunt bought this book and read it quickly and I couldn't resist the pull of it. I remembered reading about Mosab (Now Joseph) in an article a few months back and thought how fascinating his story must be. Fascinating doesn't even begin to describe this journey.

There are facts and facts laid bare in this book. I don't even know where to begin writing about it. The relationship Mosab has with his father is one that defies all typical American assumptions when it comes to terrorist relationships. Despite his father's heavy involvement in Hamas, he proves that the line is not always black and white and that there is a wide expanse of gray there in the middle. While his father does not participate first-hand in the terrorist acts nor actively condone them he does nothing to stop them which causes Mosab to have one of many second thoughts as to his place in the conflict.

Most of all, this is a story of salvation - although it begins to get a bit lost. This is not a book that preaches to you. It's a simple statement of fact from a man raised in a deeply religious, Muslim family and lifestyle and how he struggles with the differences between the God of the Bible and the God of the Qur'an. An example is this paragraph:

"Somehow, I seemed to always benefit from divine protection. I wasn't even a Christian yet, and al-Faransi certainly didn't know the Lord. My Christian friends were praying for me every day, however. And God, Jesus said in Matthew 5:45 "causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous." This was certainly a far cry from the cruel and vengeful god of the Qur'an."

One of the parts of the book that struck me the most was the following passage. In this section of the book Mosab is speaking of an Israeli man, a Jewish man (Amnon) who refuses to serve in the military despite it being a required 3 year term. The reason for Amnon's refusal? He cannot justify killing.

"When he still refused to serve, Amnon was arrested and imprisoned. What I didn't realize was that Amnon was living in the Jewish section of the prison the entire time I was at Ofer. He was there because he refused to work with the Israelis; I was there because I had agreed to work with them. I was trying to protect Jews; he was trying to protect Palestinians.

I didn't believe that everybody in Israel and the occupied territories needed to become a Christian in order to end the bloodshed. But I thought if we just had a thousand Amnons on one side and a thousand Mosabs on the other, it would make a big difference. And if we had more ... who knows?"

Mosab is now currently living in California. His father refuses to denounce him in order to protect him from death. His father denies that Mosab ever had any information about Hamas and was not a member of the organization. I don't know whether this is the truth or not, but I do know that what I have read in this novel shed a definite light on some things and made me think long and hard about a situation which, up until this point, was dark and mysterious.

I applaud Mosab's courage in telling his story and I am thrilled at the message that he conveys through it. If only we had a thousand people to listen and take up his way of thinking just think what we could do. And like he said in this book, "if we had more... who knows?"

A Horror House of Mirrors, March 7, 2010
The devout Muslim son of an Imam Palestinian leader, befriended by Jews and working for the Israeli "CIA", converts to Christianity while spying for Israel and still protecting the life of his Hamas father in the midst of vengeful incursions by Israel into the West Bank.

And that's just the easy part!

Moab Hassan Yousef, this SON OF HAMAS founding leader Sheikh Hassan Yousef, tells a compelling story. He takes the reader from his rock-throwing boyhood in the first Palestinian intifada, through his teenage years of imprisonment with its threats of torture by both his Israeli captors and his fellow Palestinian prison mates, to his heart felt desire to save his people, all people, from endless violence and death. While the author's writing style, in collaboration with Mr. Ron Brackin, may come off at first perhaps a bit adolescent, reading on, the reader is taken into experiences that are anything but childish.

From "true believer" as the son of an Imam to befriending the Jewish state, to encountering "the one true God" of neither of them, Moab Yousef takes the reader through all three camps. Yet, despite the author's earnest attempts to light the way to peace, the reader may be left, as I was, still holding a lamp of hope while wandering the geopolitical wilderness.
... Read more

Editorial Review

NATIONAL BESTSELLER

The three Great Premises of Idiot America:
� Any theory is valid if it sells books, soaks up ratings, or otherwise moves units
� Anything can be true if someone says it loudly enough
� Fact is that which enough people believe. Truth is determined by how fervently they believe it
�
With his trademark wit and insight, veteran journalist Charles Pierce delivers a gut-wrenching, side-splitting lament about the glorification of ignorance in the United States.
�
Pierce asks how a country founded on intellectual curiosity has somehow deteriorated into a nation of simpletons more apt to vote for an American Idol contestant than a presidential candidate. But his thunderous denunciation is also a secret call to action, as he hopes that somehow, being intelligent will stop being a stigma, and that pinheads will once again be pitied, not celebrated. Erudite and razor-sharp, Idiot America is at once an invigorating history lesson, a cutting cultural critique, and a bullish appeal to our smarter selves. ... Read more