Brink's Modern Internal Auditing

Book Description

Brink's Modern Internal Auditing, Sixth Edition is a comprehensive resource and reference book on the changing world of internal auditing, including Sarbanes-Oxley compliance issues.
* Sixth edition of a very well respectede auditing resource.
* Provides an overview of the role and responsibilities of the internal auditor.
* Includes discussion of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the impact it has on auditing (particualry concerning controls).
* Provides expanded coverage of fraud and business ethics.
* Includes guidance on reporting results effectively.
* Provides in-depth discussion of internal audit and corporate governance.

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Customer Reviews:

Research book with enormous coverage.......2005-02-27

Scope of this book is enormous. It is like an encyclopedia - which is why I got the PDF version; cannot imagine carrying it around. It is not like a college book on Internal Audit, where for example, they take you through the business cycles (e.g., revenue cycle), but that be gotten elsewhere. The coverage is excellent on both the Financial and IT side for SOX - and for internal audit departments not following SOX.

The update for SOX is meaningful and through. If anyone wanted a history of internal audit, and the impact of SOX to the professional, great overview. While expensive, this is a reference manual and hard to imagine a subject where at worse, an excellent introduction is given to the topic at hand. I have not seen anything near as comprehensive, and well integrated so it is not just a bunch of chapters thrown together. Would seem to make the 5th edition obsolete because of so much new content.

The Remnant: On the brink of Armageddon (Left Behind)

Average customer rating:

Just one more book in the all-encompassing, enthralling, and utterly absorbing Left Behind Series
GREAT listening!
ANOTHER LAHAYE FIVE STAR
Read the first 9
Definitely a Page Turner

The Remnant: On the brink of Armageddon (Left Behind)
Tim F. LaHaye , and Jerry B. Jenkins
Manufacturer: Tyndale House Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0842332308
Release Date: 2003-02-04

Amazon.com

The success of Jerry B. Jenkins and Tim LaHaye's fast-paced apocalyptic Left Behind thrillers is built on a straightforward Christian message and a blend of dialogue and action; the 10th installment of the series, The Remnant: On the Brink of Armageddon, sticks to the same proven formula that has captivated legions of fans. It's one month into the Great Tribulation, and a million people gather in the ancient city of Petra to await the foretold "Glorious Appearing." The Global Community loses no time in bombing the city, which is completely engulfed in flames, guaranteeing certain doom for those assembled unless a miracle occurs. In other parts of the world, martyrdom continues for the remnant of believers as Global Community potentate Nicolae Carpathia's thirst for blood escalates. There are lots of slick escapes, plenty of intrigue, some genuinely gory moments, and enough gruesome plagues straight out of the biblical Book of Revelation to keep readers turning the pages. When the Chicago believers are forced to scatter and discord breaks out among those gathered at Petra, changes accelerate for the Tribulation Force and other series characters, leaving an ample number of loose ends to be picked up in the next episode. --Cindy Crosby

Book Description

The incredible tenth book in the international best-selling Left Behind series is now available in paperback. The Great Tribulation unfolds as the forces of evil and the armies of God prepare for mankind's ultimate battle. Millions of Christians are protected by God as the anger of the Antichrist, Nicolae Carpathia, burns against them. Over 2.5 million copies sold in hardcover.

Customer Reviews:

Just one more book in the all-encompassing, enthralling, and utterly absorbing Left Behind Series.......2007-09-14

From the very first letter of the alphabet that my eyes looked upon inside this series of books, until the very last period of the very last sentence, I was hooked. Each one of these books absorbed my attention like no other book has ever done in my life. Biblically sound, theatrically entertaining, and brilliantly written, the Left Behind books will inspire you to dig into God's word and take the pieces of news from your T.V. screen and match them right smack-dab up with the prophecies of the Bible. Your hair will stand up, your heart will race, and you will find yourself helplessly caught in the suspense. Once you finish one of these books, you will desperately race to your computer screen or your local library to pick up the next one!

Carrie Lynn Jones
Author of It All Began... When Jesus Gave Me Sneakers

GREAT listening!.......2007-08-26

My husband enjoyed reading all of the left behind books but I am not much of a reader so I bought them each on audio and listened in the car on the way to work and such. The readers keeps your attention with different voices and sound effects. GREAT TAPES!

ANOTHER LAHAYE FIVE STAR.......2007-03-09

THIS IS ONE OF THE MOST EXCITING IN THE SERIES. IT IS DIFFICULT TO
CONTINUE WRITING REVIEWS ON THE LEFT BEHIND SERIES WHICH IS BEYOND
WORDS. CAN'T PUT THEM DOWN FOR FOOD OR SLEEP.
I BUY 2 COPIES AND GIVE 1 AS A WITNESS.

Read the first 9 .......2007-02-01

This is #10 in the series, so make sure you read the first 9. If you try to read this without the other 9 you will be lost.
This book in itself is a great story of a group of friends trying to make it to the return of Jesus Christ to the world. I am not going to give away the story, read the series. It's a real awakening.

Definitely a Page Turner.......2007-01-26

To me this was like reading a science fiction story. I did not feel that any of it could happen. Of course, that is my perception. It was fast moving and unpredictible. I thought it was an overall good read. By the time you have gotten to the 10th book you care and wonder what is happening with the characters.

The Princess Diaries, Volume VIII: Princess on the Brink (Princess Diaries, Vol. 8)

Average customer rating:

At last! [spoiler alert]
upsetting
This volume is boring!
A Princess book with an actual conflict - too bad it goes unresolved...
As The Themes Get More Mature...Mia's Adulthood Seems To Delay Itself

The Princess Diaries, Volume VIII: Princess on the Brink (Princess Diaries, Vol. 8)
Meg Cabot
Manufacturer: HarperTeen
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0060724560
Release Date: 2006-12-26

Book Description

At last, Mia is a junior. An upperclassperson. Free of her responsibilities as student body president. So why is it that everything is going so terribly wrong? What is she doing in Intro to Creative Writing? When she has made it through Algebra and Geometry, why must she be faced with Precalculus? And for the love of all that is Genovian, why has Lilly nominated her for school prez again? All this is nothing compared to the news Michael springs on her, however. On top of all the mathematical strife, her beloved boyfriend is leaving for Japan for a year. Precalc has nothing on preparing for the worst separation ever!

Turns out there is one way she might convince Michael to stay. But will she? Or won't she? No matter what, Mia seems headed for disaster.

Customer Reviews:

At last! [spoiler alert] .......2007-09-07

Okay, maybe I'm not the typical reader of this book, seeing that I have a child around Mia's age, but I am a high school librarian and I enjoy reading the books that I order for the students to read.

For seven books (and several novellas) we have listened to Mia blather on about Michael and school and Michael and her grandmother and Michael and ... well, you get the picture. With all of those adolescent hormones, she doesn't see that she needs to give Michael some space, as he is emotionally and intellectually several years ahead of her. She doesn't care to listen to the adult figures in her life (now THAT'S realistic!) on just about any serious matter, including this one.

Now she freaks out because she faces a year's separation (and despite what she believes, I am sure that her father would have flown her over at least once during that year) and plans to manipulate Michael with sex. (Not her finest plan. Can we all say "statutory rape"?) However, everything crashes around her feet when she discovers that Michael has a different viewpoint on intimacy. Not too surprising to adults, who realize that people reared with different cultural/religious beliefs are bound to have conflicts, some of which are un-work-out-able.

I remember someone telling me that her first husband was selected when infatuation was mistaken for love and the second (the one she stayed married to) was chosen when liking turned into love. We have seen J.P. from the very first book and he has gradually developed as a friend. It would be nice if this series developed to show that Mia chooses a relationship based upon a solid foundation, but I doubt that is Ms. Cabot's plan. Whatever she chooses, the next book can be an opportunity for Mia to mature without always wondering "what will Michael think about this?" My students (and I) eagerly await the next volume.

upsetting.......2007-08-04

i've loved the princess diaries series since book one. this book was very depressing. i'm just a hopeless romantic and this book spoiled everything.

This volume is boring!.......2007-07-09

I have been a fan of ALL the other Princess Diaries books. I have read many of them twice! This one was so boring! I should have listened to the negative reviews and passed on this one. Save your money and check this one out at the library if you must read it!

A Princess book with an actual conflict - too bad it goes unresolved..........2007-07-08

Finally, in the eighth book of a ten-book series, Mia Thermopolis again gets a honest-to-goodness conflict. It's been a long, long time. Mia's has dealt with plenty of anxieties, but most of them have been minor problems she's blown all out of proportion. Not since she learned she's a princess and had her whole future (and present) made over accordingly has she had to grapple with a real life-changing problem.

In Princess on the Brink Mia's boyfriend, Michael Moscovitz, tells her that he has the opportunity of a lifetime. He intends to go to Japan to produce a working model of the robotic arm he invented for a knife-free surgical procedure. Michael wants to prove - to the world and Mia's grandmother - that he's worthy of being a princess's intended. But that will require a long stay abroad. Mia panicks at the idea of being sans Michael for so long and comes up with the bright idea of tossing her virginity to him as an incentive to stay stateside.

The story takes place over a very short period, less than a week, from the time Michael tells Mia he's going to Japan to the time he actually leaves. During this period Mia also starts school so she's also worrying about her Chemisty and Pre-calculus classes and the pressure Lilly is again asserting on her to be in student government. She also has a creative writing teacher who fails to appreciate Mia's innate creativity and style (i.e., Mia's failure to follow assignment directions).

I LOVED this series when it first debuted, but the premise here is growing pretty thin. Mia's high-school worries and escapades simply cannot support the weight of so many books (8 so far and a number of shorter half-books). Her constant pop culture references, so cute and endearing at first, have also grown annoying. Or perhaps it's me - I've unplugged myself from cable and magazines and can't really relate to much of what Mia throws out there to explain her own worldview and perspective.

Also annoying is Mia's constant reference to her "Precious Gift" - that's her virginity to you and me. She gets this term from a True-Love-Waits-type book her friend Tina leant her. It's typical of Mia to over-romanticize anything, but she uses the term so frequently it deserves its own acronym - PG - if only to spare trees. Mia's willingness to set aside her previous sexual timeline in order to manipulate Michael tells a great deal about where she is in her personal development. What's best for Michael and the relationship in general is the last thing on her mind. This is typical teenage behavior, but Mia has never seemed so Machiavellian (albeit clumsily so) as she does here.

Many of the recurring characters are beginning to seem like cardboard cutouts of themselves marching around Mia. Lilly, in particular, seems less like a real person and more like a generic-but-cruel blowhard. Why Mia is still friends with her is beyond understanding. Of course, Mia is clueless as to the motivations of most of the people surrounding her. Watching both Kenny Showalter and J.P. zero in for the kill when they learn of Michael's departure is painful to read - Mia is so oblivious.

The book ends with everything about as unresolved as it can be. One of the series's underlying conflicts - how Mia will deal with the difference in maturity, particularly sexual maturity, between herself and Michael - finally comes to a head here, and Mia handles it in the most immature way possible, screwing up a number of her relationships in the process. Getting Michael out of the picture temporarily might have been a good idea a few books ago, but now it just seems ill-timed. The next book will no doubt be concerned with Mia's rebound, and then the last book with their reunion. That may be romantic in the final pages, but is Cabot going to shove two school years into two books? When it's taken 8 books to get to the beginning of Mia's junior year of high school? At this point, given Mia's shallow self-absorption, I think Michael would be within his rights to cut and run. And that's a painful thing for me to write about a series I once enjoyed so much.

As The Themes Get More Mature...Mia's Adulthood Seems To Delay Itself.......2007-06-26

Mia enters her junior year of high school ready for a fresh start without the chaos of her sophomore year, ready to take on life with everything settled down for once. Unfortunately, Mia's life can never be easy and Michael breaks her the heart-breaking news that he's going to Japan to develop a robotic surgical invention that may be able to save the lives of others.
From this point on, SPOILER WARNING, and also a warning that I'm about to give this book a scathing review. I love most of the Princess Diaries series-especially the first three books where it was perfectly normal for Mia to be having chaotic breakdowns and insecurities, but now that she's supposed to be a junior in high school this is getting a BIT old, and by a bit, I mean at some points in this book I wanted to throw it out of my bedroom window. To begin with, how does Mia not notice that JP is hitting on her? How? It's so obvious Meg Cabot could only have made it better by writing it in giant pink letters across every page. The major problem I had with this though, was Mia's incredible stupidity when it came to Michael.
This series started its downward slope, in my opinion, as soon as Michael wanted to have sex with Mia. It's so hard to remember that she's sixteen, and by that I mean that she acts like she's twelve. I agree with Mia's decision to not have sex, because if she's not ready she doesn't have to, and there are just oh-so-many things she is not ready for. Like the truth, for instance, when Michael tells Mia about how he didn't save his "Precious Gift" for her at all, that it was randomly given to Judith, Mia's arch enemy until Michael chose her in the earlier books. I can't say that in the same situation most girls would freak out and get angry, but BREAKING UP WITH HIM? Someone seems to have forgotten that her boyfriend is in college, that he's older than her, that he has more experience, and though for a minute it was disturbing that he didn't seem to think much of it, I remember Michael's attitude towards Mia in the previous books and know that Mia and him becoming intimate would be entirely different and meaningful.
Which is exactly why I am sick of this spoiled-brat little girl, who hasn't developed in the eight books published about her one bit. She moans and complains about her Creative Writing grades when I can't exactly see anything special about her writing at all, she forms a childish plan to keep her boyfriend from going to Japan to do what he really loves, and if I have to read the phrase "doing it" or "precious gift" from the mouth of this pathetic high school student one more time, my eyes will start bleeding.
The writing is still classic Princess Diaries, the rest of the characters keep to their personalities (although I wish Lilly's would change), but the drama is a little too out of control, and personally, I hope Mia and Michael remain broken up because there is a promising hope of JP in the future, although, having read enough books like this, I'm sad to have to say:
"Like that will ever happen."

Average customer rating:

Adventure story.
Some Light History
Tom Sawyer for girls
An uplifting pioneer story for girls
Caddie Woodlawn

Caddie Woodlawn
Carol Ryrie Brink
Manufacturer: Aladdin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1416940286

Amazon.com

At age 11, Caddie Woodlawn is the despair of her mother and the pride of her father: a clock-fixing tomboy running wild in the woods of Wisconsin. In 1864, this is a bit much for her Boston-bred mother to bear, but Caddie and her brothers are happy with the status quo. Written in 1935 about Carol Ryrie Brink's grandmother's childhood, the adventures of Caddie and her brothers are still exciting over 60 years later. With each chapter comes another ever-more exciting adventure: a midnight gallop on her horse across a frozen river to warn her American Indian friends of the white men's plan to attack; a prairie fire approaching the school house; and a letter from England that may change the family's life forever. This Newbery Medal-winning book bursts at the seams with Caddie's irrepressible spirit. In spite of her mother's misgivings, Caddie is a perfect role model for any girl--or boy, for that matter. She's big-hearted, she's brave, and she's mechanically inclined! (Ages 9 to 12)

Book Description

Caddie Woodlawn is a real adventurer. She'd rather hunt than sew and plow than bake, and tries to beat her brother's dares every chance she gets. Caddie is friends with Indians, who scare most of the neighbors -- neighbors who, like her mother and sisters, don't understand her at all.

Caddie is brave, and her story is special because it's based on the life and memories of Carol Ryrie Brink's grandmother, the real Caddie Woodlawn. Her spirit and sense of fun have made this book a classic that readers have taken to their hearts for more than seventy years.

Customer Reviews:

Adventure story........2007-07-24

My 9 year old granddaughter loves it as I did when I was in the 3rd grade and she knows interesting, worthwhile books! So, buy it for your grandkids, too.

Some Light History.......2007-06-10

This is the somewhat true story of a real girl living in pioneer Wisconsin in the mid 1800s. The story starts when Caddie is eleven years old, and used to spending most of her time with her older brother Tom and her younger brother Warren. Caddie also has three sisters and another younger brother, but Tom and Warren are the most fun for her and the three of them often have adventures together.

Caddie's mother was brought up to be a polite lady in Boston and Caddie's sister Clara is a nice young lady like her mother. But when they first moved to Wisconsin when Caddie was very young, she was sickly and her father decided that it would be healthier for her to run free outside with her brothers instead of spending her days shut up inside learning how to be a proper lady. Therefore, Caddie at eleven is a tomboy.

Although Caddie's mother is exasperatd by her tomboyishness, Caddie enjoys her young life and has a wonderful time with her brothers, whether they are visiting the nearby Indian tribe, telling stories to each other near the fields or playing practical jokes on their snobbish cousin Annabelle.

This was an interesting book, providing some details about what life was like from the point of view of a likable girl. However, this book indicated that life was easy and things always went well for the Woodlawn family. Everything in their lives was too happy to be taken seriously.

Tom Sawyer for girls.......2007-01-21

I read this children's classic in my last year of elementary school, right before reading The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. All I could remember was how similar the two books are, and indeed looking back at both books now, they do seem quite similar in content. Both are about boisterous youngsters living in America during the mid-1800s. Both books deal with relations with family, other non-whites, school friends and school enemies, and of course, love. In this book's case, Caddie the tomboy is the joy of her father and woe of her mother. This is similar to Tom Sawyer, who constantly frustrates his aunt. This is a good book to read by both boys and girls and can easily occupy a weekend of time for most 10-year olds.

An uplifting pioneer story for girls.......2007-01-04

I read this book for the first time as an adult and found it delightful. Caddie Woodlawn is an excellent role model for girls -- daring and generous, thoughtful and independent. She tries to do what she knows is right, even if the whole town is against her. And she has the self-confidence to be herself and behave as a tomboy, no matter what society expects of her.

The book, written by the real Caddie Woodlawn's granddaughter, focuses on one year in her life. It tells of her adventures in the pioneer wilderness and shows her growing up and finding her place in the world. That theme is timeless, and I would recommend this book to anyone.

Caddie Woodlawn.......2006-12-22

"She was the despair of her mother and of her elder sister, Clara, but her father watched her with a little shine of pride in his eyes, and her brothers accepted her as one of their own without a question."
This book is about Caddie Woodlawn, a pioneer tomboy growing up in Wisconsin. When her family moved from Boston, she and her sister Mary were fatally sick. Mary died, and Caddie's father begged her mother to let Caddie grow up with her brothers, Tom and Warren, so she would be stronger and healthier. Caddie is a wild animal and isn't ready to give up being a tomboy. However, Caddie's mother wants Caddie to be a proper young lady. She wants Caddie to sew, bake, and cook instead of plowing, hunting, and visiting Indians. Caddie isn't ladylike, and her mother sometimes treats Caddie unfairly because of it.
This book is perfect for any girl who is a tomboy, or has ever been pushed to be something they're not.
You will believe every word Brink tells about Caddie is true, because it is. Based on the life of Carol Brink's grandmother, Caddie Woodhouse, the book is entertaining and keeps you drawn in while it tells about Caddie's life. From her crazy uncle, tattling sister, stuck-up cousin Annabelle, and adventurous brothers to her kind Indian friends, beloved dog, and important family decisions, you will savor every word.
Caddie Woodlawn is the winner of the Newbery Medal, and has a sequel, Caddie Woodlawn's Family.

Average customer rating:

Fast and fun read
The best in the series so far!!
BRINKMANSHIP!
Excellent book from the Bodyguard series!
Good, but ...

To the Brink (The Bodyguards, Book 3)
Cindy Gerard
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0312990936
Release Date: 2005-12-27

Book Description

Working on highly sensitive diplomatic affairs, Darcy Prescott is a natural target for terrorist kidnappers. But when she's mysteriously plucked off a street in Manila one sultry night, Darcy's disappearance isn't what it seems...The moment Special Forces soldier Ethan Garrett laid eyes on Darcy, he knew she was the woman he would marry-and he did. But when their marriage fell apart, Ethan never really recovered. Now a highly paid bodyguard, Ethan quickly slips back into combat mode when he learns of Darcy's disappearance and calls in old favors to assemble a rogue rescue team....Tracking Darcy all the way to the jungles of the Philippines, Ethan knows every move he makes could mean the difference between life and death. His love for Darcy burns stronger than ever. But when he learns the true reason for her abduction, it may be too late to save her-or himself...

Customer Reviews:

Fast and fun read.......2007-01-28

I enjoyed this book. I really liked how Gerard told the story of Ethan and Darcy in flashback style. You knew they were still in love with each other, and little by little you learned why it did not work out between them. It was a lot of fun to see how they reconciled their feelings and worked together to see Darcy out of her situation.

The best in the series so far!!.......2007-01-04

To The Brink is the third book in the Bodyguards series and it has been the best book for me so far. This has made up for all the shortcomings of the past two books. Ethan is such a hot and passionate hero and Rachel seems perfect for him. This story has a lot of gripping moments during their rescue operation and the intermittent flashbacks into Ethan and Rachel's past was also very well done. This love story is full of passion, romance and intrigue and I higly recommend it. I also hope that this series keeps getting better with the next one being Over The Line!

BRINKMANSHIP!.......2006-09-26

This is a first for me of Cindy Gerard. Fast paced, fairly good thriller and hot romance. I give it an 8 out of 10 for sensuality.

Darcy and Ethan have been divorced for 5 years, yet cannot forget each other. He is special forces. Darcy gets into a jam and leaves a cryptic message begging him to rescue her. The chapters waffle from the present to five years ago. Both scenerios are interesting and exciting. The ending of each chapter makes you frustrated that you are going back 5 years, but it is well worth it.

Quick read. I shall look for others by Ms. Gerard.

Excellent book from the Bodyguard series!.......2006-08-27

I've read all the other Bodyguard books by Cindy Gerard and this one is by far the best! It is about Ethan Garrett (the oldest Garrett) and his ex-wife Darcy. She works in diplomatic affairs and needs help when she is kidnapped. Ethan goes to great lengths to find her and rescue her. Ms. Gerard's writing is terrific. She slowly reveals Ethan and Darcy's past (their short marriage) while the rescue is occurring. This ropes the reader in and you want to find out exactly why they broke up several years before. There is also a side romance for brother Dallas and a lady named Amy. That relationship is left hanging but will be told in a Dallas book next year.

Good, but ... .......2006-05-17

Cindy Gerard is, in my opinion, a very good writer and for the most part, this is a good book. However, about 80% of the way into it, the heroine clams up and refuses to tell the hero her problem, which in the context, is insane. The rationale is that she is "protecting" him, but it's such a stupid idea that this reader felt like grabbing her and asking her where she had misplaced her brains.

I know Ms. Gerard is usually smart and creative enough to come up with better ways to keep the tension high. Much of what she writes is outstanding, so I hope this strange detour was only temporary.

In the Footsteps of Mr. Kurtz: Living on the Brink of Disaster in Mobutu's Congo

Average customer rating:

A great description of Zaire under Mobutu but poor investigative reporting
A good introduction but nothing more...
Well written,fascinating
Somewhat interesting, but poorly written
not as good as King Leopold's ghost, but still worth the read...

In the Footsteps of Mr. Kurtz: Living on the Brink of Disaster in Mobutu's Congo
Michela Wrong
Manufacturer: Harper Perennial
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0060934433
Release Date: 2002-05-28

Amazon.com's Best of 2001

During Mobutu Sese Seko's 30 years as president of Zaire (now the Congo), he managed to plunder his nation's economy and live a life of excess unparalleled in modern history. A foreign correspondent in Zaire for six years, Michela Wrong has plenty of titillating stories to tell about Mobutu's excesses, such as the Versailles-like palace he built in the jungle, or his insistence that he needed $10 million a month to live on. However, these are not the stories that most interest Wrong. Her aim is to understand all of the reasons behind the economic disintegration of the most mineral-rich country on the African continent; in so doing, she turns over the mammoth rock that was Mobutu and finds a seething underworld of parasites with names like the CIA, the World Bank and the IMF, the French and Belgian governments, mercenaries, and a host of fat cats who benefited from Mobutu's largesse and even exceeded his rapaciousness.

Wrong turns first to Belgian's King Leopold II, who instituted a brutal colonial regime in the Congo in order to extract the natural and mineral wealth for his personal gain. Mobutu, with the aid of a U.S. government determined to sabotage Soviet expansion, stepped easily into Leopold's footsteps, continuing a culture built on government-sanctioned sleaze and theft. Under the circumstances, it's hard not to feel some sympathy for the people who survived in the only ways they could--teachers trading passing grades for groceries, hospitals refusing to let patients leave until they paid up, cassava patches cultivated next to the frighteningly unsafe nuclear reactor. What is less comprehensible--and rightly due for an airing--are Wrong's revelations about foreign interventions. Why, for example, did the World Bank and IMF give Mobutu $9.3 billion in aid, knowing full well that he was pocketing most of it?

In the Footsteps of Mr. Kurtz is a brilliantly conceived and written work, sharply observant and richly described with a necessary sense of the absurd. Wrong paints a far more nuanced picture of the wily autocrat than we've seen before, and of the blatant greed and paranoia of the many players involved in the country's self-destruction. --Lesley Reed

Book Description

Known as "the Leopard," the president of Zaire for thirty-two years, Mobutu Sese Seko, showed all the cunning of his namesake -- seducing Western powers, buying up the opposition, and dominating his people with a devastating combination of brutality and charm. While the population was pauperized, he plundered the country's copper and diamond resources, downing pink champagne in his jungle palace like some modern-day reincarnation of Joseph Conrad's crazed station manager.

Michela Wrong, a correspondent who witnessed Mobutu's last days, traces the rise and fall of the idealistic young journalist who became the stereotype of an African despot. Engrossing, highly readable, and as funny as it is tragic, In the Footsteps of Mr. Kurtz assesses the acts of the villains and the heroes in this fascinating story of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Customer Reviews:

A great description of Zaire under Mobutu but poor investigative reporting.......2007-07-16

Few nations have had as sad a history as Zaire, currently known as the Congo. Michela Wrong, a journalist for the New Statesman, has taken the time to write a book about the Congo's history particularly under Mobutu, and her experiences in the Congo during his kleptocratic rule.

Her stories are well-researched, and it's clear she's talked with many of those who influenced the history of the time. The sterile recounting of Congo's continuous deterioriation under Mobutu is quite well done. What I found infuriating about this book is that Wrong never seems to ask why things happened, or were allowed to happen.

When Zaire, for instance, became independent, it boasted all of 17 university graduates in a country the size of Western Europe, and years of Belgian investment. Surely the Belgians, who left, realized that the country would be dependent on Western knowhow for many years. Why did they not leave advisers behind, perhaps advisers with a brief to make the president offers he couldn't refuse, as happened in other francophone colonies? One of the cataclysms under Mobutu's rule was his expelling of many non-Zairians, who left their capital behind, but not their connections and understanding of their business. The economy duly crashed. Why did neither the Belgians nor the French nor the Americans dissuade him from a policy that all but destroyed Zaire's prosperity? One reason why the above mentioned powers were loath to antagonize Mobutu were the many services he performed for them during the Cold War. Why does Wrong only allude to them, and not mention them? One could continue in this vein, but I felt as if what could have become a fascinating book focusing on the crunch times when astoundingly disastrous decisions were made, instead focuses on the misery that these ill-begotten decisions wreaked, which is not as nearly interesting.

If you need to need a source for academic work on Zaire under Mobutu, you may enjoy this book, but I wouldn't recommend it as pleasure reading.

A good introduction but nothing more..........2006-12-03

`In the Footsteps of Mr Kurtz' is a nice introduction to the intriguing life and times of infamous dictator Mobutu, from his rise to power to his less than glorious downfall. I advise it to anyone who is unfamiliar with Zaire-Congo. Very good reading is her account of the final collapse of the Zairian army. This book was originally conceived as a radio-program on BBC. It is however just that: an introduction. The author is so kind to refer to further reading in the last pages of the book. There the interested reader can find very good resources on the history of the Belgian Congo.

Michela Wrong does suffer from some prejudice towards Belgium and the Belgians not uncommon in the UK. Apart from King Leopold II, the role of the Belgian monarchy and the Belgian governments, especially while supporting the brutal Mobutu dictatorship is hardly present and when mentioned it is downplayed. Not a word on the part that King Baudouin and Prime Minister Gaston Eyskens played in 1959-1960, especially concerning the assassination of Patrice Lumumba. I strongly suggest The Assassination of Lumumba by Belgian journalist Ludo De Witte for a good background on that period.

The author points out that it took an American historian to dig up the facts about King Leopold II's barbarity. While the author is absolutely right in pointing out that Belgium has still not come to terms with its own colonial past, and while King Leopold's Ghost by Adam Hochschild is a must read, it is NOT the first published account of that period. That honour goes to the Belgian former diplomat Jules Marchal. But even so, in 1985 he still had to use the pseudonym of A. M. Delathuy and go to the small leftwing publisher EPO (Education Prolétarienne - Proletarische Opvoeding) to get the first ever book published of a ruthless campaign that would nowadays be labelled as genocide. All big Belgian, French and Dutch publishers flatly refused it. Unfortunately this book is only available in Dutch and French, not in English.

Michela Wrong does give credit to this book, stating that it is only available in French (and Flemish if you can read it) ...Two small remarks here, there is no such thing as a Flemish language. I know that even recently a quality newspaper like The Guardian still claims that `the Flemish Belgians speak Flemish, a language related to Dutch'. The author does not have to take my word for it, she can go check any library and ask for an Flemish-English dictionary, there is no such thing. She can also come check the curriculum in any Flemish school, where she will find that students learn mathematics, geography and `Dutch' at school. While her apparently not so well informed ears may find it odd to hear that the Flemish speak Dutch while not being Dutch, maybe it will help to point out that also the Austrians speak German, that the Brazilians speak Portuguese etc ... Do the Flemish have a different accent than the Dutch? Yes; certainly, but so do Texans, Jamaicans, Australians, yet they all speak English. I also do not understand why Michela Wrong finds it necessary to give a demeaning remark ... if you can read it ... Dutch is the native language of 16 million Dutch and 6 million Flemish, that is more than all Scandinavian languages combined. Another detail that reveals her prejudice towards Belgians and Flemish is that the only Belgian politician she mentions by name is Leo Tindemans who she misspells with a typical `German' double `nn'. Of all Belgian Prime Ministers that ever played a role in Zaire-Congo, he was the least active on Zaire. Every Belgian knows about Tindemans' personal distaste for Mobutu (the feeling was mutual).

A good introduction to Mobutu indeed, a translation into French and Dutch (I can read it!) is more than welcome.

Lode Vanoost (Belgian native Dutch speaker, 7 years old in 1960, no strings attached to Congo), Brussels, 26 November 2006

Well written,fascinating.......2006-11-10

An excellent look at what has brouoght the DRC to where it is today, extremely readable.

Somewhat interesting, but poorly written.......2006-07-17

A number of the reviewers sum this up quite adequately. The is not at all scholarly and is a jumbled mess of vignettes. I give it 3 because there are so few books written on the subject and because she tried to be balanced in her reporting. This seems to be a very long winded news article with little depth and real insight. Just a mass of reporting on insignificant experiences she encountered rather than a serious recount of the history. Dissappointed and trying to slog through for any nuggets of insight. Even the brief recount of Congo/Belgium in "The Scramble for Africa" was a much better treatment of the subject, albeit solely focused on Belium's colonial period.

not as good as King Leopold's ghost, but still worth the read..........2006-01-03

After reading King Leopold's Ghost, I was looking for a good synopsis of what happened in the post-colonial era. After a few weeks of searching, I settled on In the Footsteps of Mr. Kurtz. Both were fascinating books that give great insight on the problems with the Congo. Both are written in a style that is highly readable, entrhalling and at the same time informative.

Ozone in Water Treatment: Application and Engineering

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Ozone in Water Treatment: Application and Engineering
Am Water Works Res F , Bruno Langlais , David A. Reckhow , and Deborah R Brink
Manufacturer: CRC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Engineering | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

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

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ASIN: 0873714741

Book Description

With the advent of the Safe Drinking Water Act Amendments of 1986, many water utilities are reexamining their water treatment practices. Upcoming new regulations on disinfection and on disinfection by-products, in particular, are the primary driving forces for the big interest in ozone. It appears that ozone, with its strong disinfection capabilities, and apparently lower levels of disinfection by-products (compared to other disinfectants), may be the oxidant/disinfectant of choice. Many utilities currently using chlorine for oxidation may need to switch due to chlorine by-product concerns. Utilities using chloramines may need to use ozone to meet CT requirements. This book, prepared by 35 international experts, includes current technology on the design, operation, and control of the ozone process within a drinking water plant. It combines almost 100 years of European ozone design and operating experience with North American design/operations experience and the North American regulatory and utility operational environment. Topics covered include ozone chemistry, toxicology, design consideration, engineering aspects, design of retrofit systems, and the operation and economics of ozone technology. The book contains a "how to" section on ozone treatability studies, which explains what information can be learned using treatability studies, at what scale (bench, pilot, or demonstration plant), and how this information can be used to design full-scale systems. It also includes valuable tips regarding important operating practices, as well as guidance on retrofits and the unique issues involved with retrofitting the ozone process. With ozone being one of the hottest areas of interest in drinking water, this book will prove essential to all water utilities, design engineers, regulators, and plant managers and supervisors.

A Vast Amount of Trouble: A History of the Spring Creek Raid

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Highly recommended for rural law dawgs and attorneys
Burnedblack Mountain

A Vast Amount of Trouble: A History of the Spring Creek Raid
John W. Davis
Manufacturer: Univ Pr of Colorado
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Americas | History | Subjects | Books

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Goodbye, Judge Lynch: The End of a Lawless Era in Wyoming's Big Horn Basin

ASIN: 0870813102

Customer Reviews:

Highly recommended for rural law dawgs and attorneys.......2007-02-07

As a former deputy sheriff in the nowood valley, Ten Sleep, Wyoming, I found Mr. Davis' research and presentation outstanding. His descriptions and evaluations were right on the money. As a critical history buff, I was pleasantly surprised to find no faults or criticisms of Mr. Davis' work. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to anyone with an interest in historical jurisprudence. Things might have changed in "crime detection/investigation" but in the courtroom? not so much.

Burnedblack Mountain.......2006-02-01

Wyoming looms large for me, and I've alluded to a recent film about Wyoming "cowboys" in other reviews. Attorney John Davis, from somewhere in the Big Horn Basin, discusses events of 2 April 1909 that put the cowboy canard in its place. Those movie cowboys aren't cowboys because they're all hat and no cattle. They're sheepherders. So were Joe Allemand, shot to death on 2 April 1909, and Joe Enge, murdered and burned in his sheep wagon on Spring Creek.

Spring Creek was the last big battle of the western sheep wars, writes Mr. Davis, and was the first (only) Wyoming raid in which killers of sheepherders were convicted of murder. The murderers of Allemand, Emge, and another herder, burned to death with Emge in his wagon, were real cowboys acting out a drama that was a tragedy of the commons. Much of Wyoming even in 1909 was unfenced open range to which cattlemen claimed rights of preemption. Sheep and their crazy herders (cowboys debated overwhelming questions: Were men already crazy before they herded sheep, or were they made crazy by the sheep they herded?) were latecomers who competed for grass and water in a dry state. Sheep wrecked the range for cattle, eating grass down to the ground and then eating the ground. Then they'd bleat and excrete, wrecking water holes. In the Big Horn Basin commons, cattlemen and cowboys tolerated sheep and sheepherders as long as they knew their place. Where there were no fences, cattlemen helpfully drew deadlines, invisible lines in the sand beyond which sheep were not allowed to cross. Allemand and Emge crossed the line.

Allemand was foreign. Some accounts say he was Baszue; Davis writes that he was French. Allemand was an alien in an occupation dominated by Mexicans and Basques whose lives had been cheap. Mr. Allemand, though, was liked and respected by his neighbors despite being from somewhere else and despite sheep. Nobody wrote that he was crazy. Emge was foreign, but had been respected because he had been a cattleman before going to the dark side, sheep. He did not know his place. He kept his bovine arrogance despite turning to a disreputable occupation, sheep, and he openly disrespected his old cowboy cronies and their deadline. Emge, of course, represented something new under the hot Wyoming sun: old certitudes were dying. Wyoming, as territory and state, had run cattle and had been run by cattle. But Wyoming in the new 20th Century was born again; by 1909 Wyoming sheep were worth more than Wyoming cattle, and even founding fathers like cattle kings F.E. Warren & J.M. Carey were changing with the times. By 1909 cattle kings were running sheep.

That's the context of the story Mr. Davis tells. It's the story of an insular area, almost inbred, that was almost ripped apart by the aftermath of an atavistic raid. Davis excerpts Grand Jury transcripts that show communities and neighbors being pushed and pulled by the old and the new. He tells a story far more interesting than the fey fable that was nominated today for eight Academy Awards.

Type 1 Diabetes: A Guide for Children, Adolescents, Young Adults--and Their Caregivers, Third Edition

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Type 1 Diabetes: A Guide for Children, Adolescents, Young Adults--& Their Caregivers, 3rd Edition
So far, so good!
Must have
Really a guide for diabetes
Excellent source for health providers and patients

Type 1 Diabetes: A Guide for Children, Adolescents, Young Adults--and Their Caregivers, Third Edition
Ragnar Hanas
Manufacturer: Marlowe & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Family Health | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books

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Tanita BC533 Glass Innerscan Body Composition Monitor

ASIN: 1569243964

Book Description

Living with type 1 diabetes requires intensive, nonstop daily management, week after week, year after year. This means that young people with type 1 and their parents have to become experts on their own condition—even better informed than the average doctor—and able to self-manage its daily demands. The Type 1 Diabetes Book is the most authoritative book ever published on the condition and will become the one book that every young person with type 1 diabetes will need to own. “In this book,” writes author Dr. Ragnar Hanas, “I speak directly, all the time, to you, the person with diabetes. The topics covered range from how your body works to sweets, treats, and ice cream; from insulin injection technique to long-term complications; and any number of subjects in between. With this book at your side, you can easily and quickly get to know about diabetes and how to handle it with confidence in all the different situations that life has to offer.” With 40 chapters, 430 graphs and illustrations, 168 medical terms explained, and 813 references to articles and journals, no other book available on this subject comes remotely close to the quality or amount of comprehensive information offered here.

Customer Reviews:

Type 1 Diabetes: A Guide for Children, Adolescents, Young Adults--& Their Caregivers, 3rd Edition.......2007-09-21

I have found this book VERY helpful. From time to time we have questions/concerns that come up, we have found easy to understand answers/advise for real life issues.

So far, so good!.......2007-09-09

I have only received this book recently, so I have not read the whole thing. The author doesn't recommend reading it from cover to cover, but to use it more as a reference. I started reading it at the beginning and am now on page 46. It is so interesting, and easy to read, that I see no reason NOT to read it straight through! Even though a lot of the information is technical, it is written in such a way so as to make it fairly easy to understand. My 13-year-old son has only had Type 1 diabetes for three months now and I am hungry for this kind of information. I want to understand this disease as much as possible, and so far, this book is great!

Must have.......2007-06-02

This book is wonderful. I got it shortly after my son was diagnosed and read it cover to cover. I was so happy to have a book with so much information that didn't make me cry from the introduction. So many of the diabetes books begin with a very clinical review of the complications of diabetes. I continue to refer to this book and learn things as I gain more experience with diabetes care. This is a fantastic book loaded with information, but at the same time it is not intimidating like some of the others. Best book I have so far - great reference.

Really a guide for diabetes.......2007-03-29

It is very hard to hear that your son has juvenile diabetes.
I believe docs even don't know the problems you may have,when you 're trying to treat diabetes.After reading this guide now we're more comfortable and can manage diabetes well.

Excellent source for health providers and patients.......2006-12-21

This book is a very useful resource for health providers involved in the care of type 1 DM patients. The authors extensive personal experience is adequately distilled in a clear way. There are many tables and graphs that are useful in everyday practice as well as in patient education. I found the references to be impressive. This book will be a valuable addition to your medical reference library. A spanish version would be most helpful for non-english speaking patients and MD's.

Aurelio Rios-Vaca MD
Facultad de Medicina
Universidad Autonoma de Baja California
Mexicali, BC
Mexico

On the Brink: An Insider's Account of How the White House Compromised American Intelligence

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Raises more questions than it answers
No Way to do Business
All the meat is in the first 90 pages, and its mostly sour grapes
Tyler Drumheller Tells it Like it is
A Big Step in the Right Direction

On the Brink: An Insider's Account of How the White House Compromised American Intelligence
Tyler Drumheller , and Elaine Monaghan
Manufacturer: Carroll & Graf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

U.S. | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 078671915X

Book Description

Though much has been written about the machinations of the Bush Administration and the recent failures of the Central Intelligence Agency, there is still a great deal of information that remains unknown to the American public. In this eye-opening new book, former CIA division chief Tyler Drumheller explores the gradual erosion of the agency's independence over the past 30 years, witnessing its decline through the prism of his own experiences.
A dedicated intelligence professional, Drumheller worked for several administrations, from Ronald Reagan to George W. Bush, rising through the ranks to become head of the agency's European division. From that privileged position he watched with growing dismay as the CIA descended into bureaucratic inertia and later, with anger as ideological powerbrokers used the agency to achieve their own political goals.
At Langley, Drumheller had a front row seat alongside Dick Cheney, Condoleeza Rice, Colin Powell, and George Tenet. As only a few insiders can, he offers first-hand insight into the agency's relationship with the Bush Administration, sheds new light on how America propelled itself into war with Iraq, and explains how it has had a detrimental effect on our abilities to defend ourselves.

Customer Reviews:

Raises more questions than it answers.......2007-06-16

This is a rather rambling personal account by a former senior executive service member of the CIA. It also includes a fascinating "Episodes from the Life of a CIA Family" by co-author Elaine Monaghan as well as her Afterward which includes extensive excerpts from the Silberman-Robb report (with online URLs) which investigated the issues raised in this book. It's obvious that the author's operational division/group disagreed with its intelligence counterparts in CIA's WINPAC & other intel agencies. The tragedy was that the ops folks were right (this time). Of course, we have no idea how this one event fits into the overall scheme of things statistically. Apparently, the relatively lower level ops folks didn't have the credibility or juice needed on this issue. It's impossible to ascertain whether the fault lay with President & advisors or with CIA top executives (who voluntarily took the blame) since the text seems to disagree with the Silberman-Robb report in this regard. I think it was admirable that Monaghan included such extensive reporting on it. Still, one wonders at this fiasco--not that such a thing could happen, we're all human and this is after all human intelligence = humint, but at the apparent lack of creativity. For example, though the Germans initially denied US agents access to Curveball (they got access eventually--but too late), they could have asked to see him behind one-way glass (done all the time by police during questioning and for lineups) or at least provided the questions to the Germans to ask. It was the questions asked (after access was given) that provided the inconsistencies proving that Curveball was a fabricator. Most appalling, however, was the lack of any integration of intelligence data, even for a particular issue or source. Further, the data provided to users lacked context (i.e. the source WAS considered questionable by some CIA personnel--whether you agreed with them or not). Thus, they had a black & white, all-or-nothing approach to information & data--and they only provided those, NOT knowledge (which requires context). Only knowledge is actionable--not data or information (something out of context is valueless).

No Way to do Business.......2007-03-27

If one is a careful reader, this book provides a fascinating window on how CIA went about its business in the period prior to the tragic attacks of 9/11 and Operation Iraqi Freedom. This, one would suspect, was an unintended consequence of the book. The book is rather disjointed and episodic, but this is probably due to the fact that it is really the informal personal narrative of veteran CIA Officer Tyler Drumheller.

In order to look into the window on CIA activities, one has to sort through the narrative for interesting pieces of information. For example, early on in the narrative the reader learns that prior to 9/11 Drumheller, as chief of the European Division of CIA's Directorate of Operations and his leaders had agreed to "press harder on counter-terrorism and counter-proliferation issues in Europe" and that he "wanted to be more aggressive" in this effort. We are then told that this was really hard because the European security services had a different approach than we did. As an example, Drumheller noted getting a telephone tap in Germany was much more difficult than in the U.S. because the German services had to get taps cleared through a committee of parliament. Yet if the Germans didn't routinely tap telephones there would scarcely have been a legal procedure for doing so in place. Nonetheless one is left with the impression that this was a show stopper for CIA. Also apparently only after his retirement in 2004, did it occur to Drumheller that CIA could have attempted to recruit informants from the large expatriate Muslim population then living in Europe. Country to Drumheller's contention, the risk to CIA relations with their European counterparts would have been minimal, if the recruitment was handled properly. Again this risk was apparently a show stopper for CIA. Finally it is clear from this book that, as late as 2004, CIA still had only a minimalist understanding of the structure and nature of the al Qaeda terrorist movement and, according to Drumheller, was unable to determine if the target should be worked by the geographic divisions or as transnational issue by the Counter-Terrorism Center. This is pitiful.

The issue of Iraqi Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) and the role of a dubious informant called Curveball are also enlightening. Apparently the CIA office for non-proliferation (WINPAC) chose to accept Curveball at his word that the Iraqis had mobile biological warfare laboratories and weapons. Since Curveball was a German asset, Drumheller's division got involved and a nasty fight developed over Curveball's reliability. It is astonishing that in this fight it apparently did not occur to anyone to use CIA's all source charter to look for actual evidence to support or refute Curveball. Indeed apparently no one even bothered to check with bio-warfare experts such as those at Fort Dietrich to see if what Curveball claimed made any sense. Is this what our inflated intelligence budget is buying us?

All the meat is in the first 90 pages, and its mostly sour grapes.......2007-02-22

I've read a few books by ex-CIA folks now and they all seem to have an overblown sense of arrogance and self-importance. Drumheller makes the case that the CIA was made the scape-goat in the lies that supported the Iraq invasion by providing faulty intelligence. The critical point being the Iraqi informant called "Curveball" that was being protected by German intelligence. Drumheller laments that Curball's self-serving claims where used without proper vetting out, that he (Curveball) had been long declared a "fabricator", and that no American intelligence professional had even been allowed to speak with him before Colin Powell used the unproven claims to construct his now famous "mobile biological labs" speech delivered to the UN as the 'foundation' of the WMD case. Drumheller makes this case within the first 90 pages of his book, but also convinces you that while he might be right, he could have been a little more proactive when it mattered. For example, after he reached his epiphany that the administration was molding the intelligence to fit the politics, he should have started talking to the press right then and there. Drumheller's entire mission in this book was to say "the CIA is a good organization, we did our job, but we where wronged". Maybe so, but you took an oath to protect and defend the constitution, you saw it being trashed, and you did nothing when you could have made a difference.

Tyler Drumheller Tells it Like it is.......2007-01-11

On The Brink, is a fascinating look at life inside the CIA, with many insights into the operation of the Bush administration and other presidencies. Drumheller makes a convincing case, about the subtle ways the CIA was led to favor pro war evidence and suppress contrary information. This book is an excellent read and well worth it; Drumheller is a very good writer: Subtle and Intelligent, and a true patriot.

A Big Step in the Right Direction.......2007-01-04

If you care at all about the politicization of intelligence in the runup to this war you must read this book. It's true that there are no blockbuster revelations but this is an insider's story of how the intelligence process was manipulated and abused and how good people got sucked into bad reporting.

The decision to go to war was a foreign policy disaster of still incalculable proportions. It is important that we try to learn what put us on this path. How did the CIA get it so wrong? Tyler Drumheller, the recently retired Chief of the European Division offers a first -hand account of the behind-the-scenes machinations that led to faulty and misleading intelligence reports. This is not a mea culpa for much of what went wrong was far beyond his purview. It is a story of human frailties in the face of power and the over zealous influence of the Cheneyites in the intelligence process

Drumheller reluctantly lays a lot of the blame on his friend George Tenet whose most grievous human failing was to love his job too much. He paid the price under the pressure of Cheney and Scooter Libby. He was the good soldier, but the "yes" men in good times are the villainous collaborators in bad times.

Much of the junk (sorry, no more appropriate word) that the Agency churned out in the runup to the war came from WINPAC, an arm of the Directorate of Intelligence of the CIA. Some of what WINPAC was using came from Curveball, an unreliable source in Germany run by the German Intelligence. Curveball was an alcoholic and his reporting was not corroborated by any other sources. Yet, this was the drunk who provided Secretary of State Powell with much of his dramatic information in his now infamous speech at the United Nations. Unfortunately, the Germans did not allow us direct contact to do our own vetting of this guy until it was too late

In the end Drumheller comes down on the side of those who believe that the Agency was used but he also makes it clear that analysts in the DDI were also responsible for not doing their homework and recognizing that Curveball was a single source, that Tenet was manipulated, that safeguards were missing that should have been there. Drumheller feels that Tenet "over-empowered" analysts at WINPAC by interrupting the chain of command. Analysts knew that their reporting was going through Tenet to the White House without any intermediate -level staff checking. This was a setup for disaster as relatively low level analysts could see the opportunity to make a splash for themselves. There was no firewall.

One sixth of this book was excised by the Agency This reviewer surmises, but has no proof, that all the passages pertaining to renditions and secret CIA prisons in Europe are on the cutting room floor in Langley. However, with the Democrats taking control of both the House and Senate, it is more than likely that Drumheller will have the opportunity to be heard on those subjects when asked to testify before a Senate or House committee in the coming months.

At its inception the CIA was envisioned as a truth teller to all the presidents, even when the truth is uncomfortable. However, on p.152 Drumheller observes that "Intelligence services react to the goals and prejudices of the political leadership". Nowhere in this book does Drumheller try to make the case that intelligence was deliberately distorted or omitted. What is clear is that there was a culture of intimidation and a pervasive sense that this Administration did not want to hear news that didn't fit into its agenda. In the end, the Agency failed in its mission and it is now paying the price. It must regain its credibility, its raison d'etre, or it will never be the same again. This book is a step in that direction.

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