Average customer rating:
- The Other Reviews Are Not About The Book
- People should really learn Yosemite Native American history
- A thrilling excursion into the heart of the West
- Savage Dreams
- No romanticism here
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Savage Dreams: A Journey into the Landscape Wars of the American West
Rebecca Solnit
Manufacturer: University of California Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0520220668 |
Book Description
In 1851, a war began in what would become Yosemite National Park, a war against the indigenous inhabitants that has yet to come to a real conclusion. A century later--1951--and about a hundred and fifty miles away, another war began when the U. S. government started setting off nuclear bombs at the Nevada Test Site, in what was called a nuclear testing program but functioned as a war against the land and people of the Great Basin. Savage Dreams is an exploration of these two landscapes. Together they serve as our national Eden and Armageddon and offer up a lot of the history of the west, not only in terms of Indian and environmental wars, but in terms of the relationship between culture--the generation of beliefs and views--and its implementation as politics.
Customer Reviews:
The Other Reviews Are Not About The Book.......2007-03-02
Wow, take a moment to read the other reviews of this book.
I picked this book up off a bargain table, and months later happened to take it with me when I was visiting Yosemite without knowing 1/2 the book was about Yosemite. That was kind of a thrill.
Solnit's historical and writing skills, her ability to build a world stage of activity and its interconnectedness with her narrative are extraordinary.
As a landscape artist and photographer, I find this book to be a great resource. Understanding the history of Yosemite is frankly consciousness shifting.
As the other reviewer says, nuclear weapons are our oyster.
Indians, big bangs, Central Park, Fremont and the Heart of Darkness. How about that.
People should really learn Yosemite Native American history.......2007-01-10
If people would really read the TRUE history of Yosemite Indians they would find something interesting. First the Miwoks in the area were friends and workers for James Savage and Charles Webber, the founder of Stockton. The Miwoks had a working relationship with both white men and they dug gold for them. The real Indians of Yosemite were Mono Paiutes who tried to fight off the invasion, and not Miwoks. They were allied with the white invaders and they called James Savage "White father". I am a descendent of the original Indians of Yosemite and there is a problem. The defintion "Some of them are killers" for Yosemite was fabricated in 1978 and is not the original meaning of Yosemite. The real meaning was "The Killers" or "The Grizzlies" because the Miwoks were afraid of the Ahwahnees. It was Chief Bautista and Russio, who were helping the Mariposa Battalion, who coined that term "Yosemite" for the Indians in Yosemite Valley which they were afraid to enter. It is because the Miwoks were once enemies of Chief Tenaya and the Ahwahnees. 30 years Yosemite National Park Service hired a person named Craig Bates who was married to a Miwok woman and had a 1/2 Miwok son who created that new defintion. So it is increble that ONE person changed the meaning and defintion of one of the most important and well known parks in the whold world...and no one noticed. The Miwoks were actually the scouts and guides for James Savage and the Mariposa Battalion, but you would not know it because the information was controlled by the "Indian expert" at Yosemite, which causes wrong information to be written...like the actual defintion of Yosemite. For the real story read Lafayette H. Bunnell's Discovery of the Yosemite to find out the truth.
A thrilling excursion into the heart of the West.......2004-05-19
If you have an open and inquisitive mind, no matter what your political outlook, you will enjoy this exploration of western America and our relationship with this unique landscape. Solnit weaves discussions about the settlement of the west by Euro-Americans, native American rights, nuclear testing, and other critical issues, with ruminations about H.D. Thoreau, John Muir, country music, landscape painters, and other intriguing topics. This is an excellent book about an important subject that will delight you if you let it.
Savage Dreams.......2004-01-15
This book is classic eco paganistic 1/2 truths and full tripe. Solnit carries on a dreamy and irresponsible massive 'feel good' opinion piece about the handfull of people harmed by our successfull development of our deffensive nuclear weapons. The author fails to note that our development and limited use of our weapons saved millions of lives.
If you are currently a eco pagan, here is more for your religion. If you want a full account of the history of our deffensive development of nuecs, don't waste your time reading this novel. However, if you want further insight into the basis that drives our planet's new pagan eco religion, then this book will help you to understanding their factualy fictionist journey into politics.
No romanticism here.......2000-02-06
Solnit's juxtaposition of the insidious nuclear poisoning of Nevada to the making of Yosemite National Park (that she shows has been "loved to death" since it was first discovered by whites more than 150 years ago)makes this book a must for all environmentalists. Solnit deals directly with themes of conquest and redemption in historic efforts to both tame and use these lands. Readers gain specific understanding about two places that are, after all, national icons. However, the deeper themes so well-developed in this book are being played out no less dramtically all across the country.
Book Description
Bestselling author John T. Molloy delivers a groundbreaking book based on scientific research that shows women how they can improve their chances of getting married. John T. Molloy's research has helped women get ahead in the corporate world for years. In fact, his methods have worked so well that many women began asking how to apply these same techniques to get ahead in their personal lives-specifically to find and marry Mr.Right. This book is the result of over 2000 interviews with married couples and over 1,800 unmarried men and women. Molloy's remarkable study reveals:- exactly what women need to do to make their boyfriends pop the question - the top signs a relationship is bound for the altar-or bound for disaster - how to identify which men are the 'marrying kind' and which definitely are not - and much more. WHY MEN MARRY SOME WOMEN AND NOT OTHERS will turn frustrated bachelorettes everywhere into blushing brides!
Customer Reviews:
This book is RIGHT. I'm sure it works. .......2007-01-03
I bought this book, determined to follow the advice and get my own husband. As I read it though, I realized that I didn't want a husband bad enough to do the simple, normal things required to get one. I follow the recipe for staying single, almost to the letter. That's why I have been single from the time I was 18 until now and I am 53, almost 54. You get that book and then after you read it, either do what it says to do and get married, or keep on doing what you're doing now and quit griping cause you're single - just like I had to.
An old ex friend of mine followed the advice without fail. She was married within one year. Two years later, they're still sparkling with pleasure in their relationship. :))
I am AMAZED at the negative feedback. They're shooting the messenger because they don't like the message. Their feedback tells a lot more about them, than it does about the book.
Good Book.......2006-11-30
I thought this book was really good. It puts a lot into perspective for single women in their late 20's and early 30's who truly want to get married. I do NOT think this book is for the ones who want to RE-marry. I'm sure finding "another" husband is a little different the second time around because you're divorced, not "never married." The book helped me identify a string of men who I have dated in the past and helped me to understand the stringers, etc. I think the stages of a relationship is very important as well. It provides a blue print for relationships. I do believe that women who have a nice appearance and are attractive do have better luck because they have a wider pool of potentials. I also believe that you have to be committed to the idea and really put yourself in a place to meet eligible men. I also think this book provides reasons that most men do not reveal. As in "why didn't they call?" Most women wonder why and begin calling the guy and making fools of themselves as opposed to chalking it up as "you didn't live up to his expectations." And there's nothing wrong with that because women do it all of the time. It's about reaching mutual expectations.
I'm 31, successful, highly educated, beautiful (or so I'm constantly told) and have finally decided and committed to the idea that I want to get married. Based on the books advice, I have identified some potentials and discarded the rest (the ones I would have normally kept) and I will let you know how it goes.
Statistically Speaking.......2006-09-25
John Malloy teaches women how to find the right man using valid stats and information. A very good tool, not that much fun to read, however.
Catering to the Man?.......2006-07-28
I found this book a bit old-fashioned. I just turned 40, was married once, and have been in the dating scene for 5 yrs now-- still single with no long-term (more than a year) dating companion. However I'm discouraged that if one of the only ways a single over 40 woman has a chance of finding a mate is being THIN, then I probably dont want to get married ANYWAY. (I'm still attractive, but on the plumper side- 5'10, 219) I want to find a book, instead that focuses on how to help "older" women find love by loving themselves and focusing on their INNER beauty. Look at all those gorgeous BBW's and BBW dating sites out there. The movement is growing because so many more Americans are having problems. There are men who will love you for who you are-- if not, then someone needs to work on re-socializing them in the early stages to assure better partnerships for everyone in the future. Sorry, but after 40, we women start to fade a bit...its GREAT to stay as healthy as possible, but this book is unrealstic.
Read it, understand it and then judge it.......2006-06-08
It seems nobody has reviewed this book for a couple of years with a basic understanding of what it's about.
It's a guide to help get a man to marry you. It's based on research of the "market research" variety, which is good enough for selling Coke and Ford and should work for selling relationships (which most people want more than they want a car - most people seem to want cars to get a relationship). It's written in an informative but light-hearted way.
A lot of people in these reviews don't like the book (some who've only read a few pages). My contributions to the war:
Firstly, the book is for women who want to get married - if you don't want to get married (or at least not any time in the next 5 years) don't read it.
Second - it's qualitative research. That means you don't need big numbers you just need the right people - and he has both the right people and the numbers.
Third - weight takes up less than 1 of the 200 pages. Another is dedicated to why 20% of never-married women in their 40s would do it the same all over again. There's actually more space spent on how to maximise your chances with good-looking men than there is on weight. And that doesn't include looking good yourself.
Is the advice obvious? Well, a lot of it is straightforward. But some isn't. The reviewer who said they needed to be 26 before getting married missed the point - the majority of men need to be that age (or older if they've been to college) before they seriously think about marriage. Do their spouses? No - so if you're a 20-year-old-woman planning on finding a spouse not a boyfriend, check out the 25+ crew.
And to those good-looking women who thought the book had nothing to say to them - please read the other 199 pages. To the plump, sassy crowd - please read the other 199 pages. The biggest drawcard isn't looks.
In summary - it's good advice with sound research behind it. It's not for everyone 'cause not everyone wants to get married in the near future. But if that's you, you probably couldn't do better than this as a guide to hooking him.
Book Description
Praise for Make The Right Career Move
"Make the Right Career Move is a wonderful guide for the new age professional. This book will help you execute one of the most important decisions in your life and includes practical tips that you will use for the rest of your career."
—Marshall Goldsmith, bestselling author of The Leader of the Future and What Got You Here Won't Get You There
"This great new book will help thousands of businesspeople find not only a new job, but a satisfying career. This book is filled with practical tools and exercises that will help the reader identify what they really want from their career, write a winning resume, and, most important of all, position themselves for the job."
—Victoria Husted Medvec, Adeline Barry Davee Professor of Management and Organizations Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University Executive Director of the Center for Executive Women
"This is the book that all busy executives need—an indispensable guide to finding your ideal job and getting it—all in a short, action-oriented package. I highly recommend this book."
—Les Guliasi, Director, Governmental Relations, Pacific Gas & Electric Company
"I have been waiting for a comprehensive and relevant guide to careers that I can recommend to my clients, candidates, and colleagues. Make the Right Career Move provides an up-to-date approach to navigating careers in our ever-changing and challenging workplace."
—Eunice Azzani, Senior Client Partner, Korn/Ferry International
"In my many years working in the career field, here is the first book that guides attorneys and executives on making the right move to their next job, career, or board position. It's action-oriented, quick-to-read, and it's not bogged down with theory. It provides tested, practical tools to help readers get their dream job."
—Martha Fay Africa, Managing Director and cofounder, Major, Lindsey & Africa
Customer Reviews:
Great for Professionals in All Sectors.......2007-10-07
This is a great book for job-seekers making a career move in all sectors. While I have a non-profit background, this book proved to be a great resource to re-vamp my resume and strengthen my job search techniques.
The book was much more helpful than guides I have used that were geared specifically to those who work in private non-profits.
Practical, valuable, and a quick read.......2007-08-24
The author has distilled into this very accessible text a trove of practical advice about how to find and land a good job. "Make the Right Career Move" is like having a career counselor on your bookshelf. It serves both as a handbook about developing a job search strategy and as a reference guide about how to implement the plan. All job applicants would be well-advised to read the chapters on interviews (they are short) before every job interview. It will help them avoid making mistakes that would otherwise take them out of the running.
Solid, reasonable guidance for a career change.......2007-06-18
This book is a superb guide for making a career change. There are worksheets, guide lists for what to do (and what not to do), and the advice is solid and understandable.
Written in clear language, this book helped me enormously in a recent change. I found it especially helpful, as I am at the executive level, not at the bottom level. It provides web search assistance (where to look; what to look for), specific guidance on resume building, and even a glossary of words that are more direct and action-oriented than what I might have used otherwise.
No book is going to get a job for you; but this one helps you understand that a search well thought out is a search well done.
Fantastic.......2007-06-08
This book is a must read for anyone who is looking to find their calling. If you follow Shelley's steps, you'll be amazed what you learn about yourself. A whole new world will open up for you. Highly recommend it!!!
Insightful and Innovative Career Tips.......2007-05-15
I recently found myself forced to make a career change. There were a lot of things I didn't want to do -- one of which was read a 100+ page book about what to do next. I just wanted things to work out without having to make important, thoughtful, and introspective decisions. Thankfully, I lifted myself out of self-pity after a few days (read: weeks/months) and invested the time to read Dr. Canter's book.
In my unexpectedly unemployed state, I read "Make the Right Career Move" over three days while drinking coffee and eating cinnamon crunch bagels at Panera. The book was the perfect road map to get me back on track. The structure of the book is well laid out and begins with the intangile - teaching the reader about herself. Once the reader establishes a professional self-awareness, the book goes on to help the reader tackle tangible challenges like resume drafting, skill building, and interview preparation.
Since reading the book, I have received positive feedback on my (2-page) resume and have significantly improved my interview prowess. Although I have yet to find the perfect next job, Dr. Canter's book has helped me to recognize what "perfect job" means to me.
Book Description
Medical and Pharmaceutical Sales: How to Land the Job of Your Dreams is the only comprehensive manual on how to land a lucrative, challenging and satifying job in medical device, surgical supply, and pharmaceutical sales. This manual provides the insider's secrets on topics such as: *in-depth information on the industry from successful sales representatives *tips on resumes that get noticed by hiring managers *secrets to networking your way to the interview *how to successfully work with a recruiter *inside information on what the hiring manager is really looking for *the best answers to the most common interview questions *information on the packages typically offered, including salaries, bonuses, benefits, and perks *in-depth company research on the hottest companies in the industries including information on how to reach these companies *and so much more!
Any candidate serious about landing a job in medical or pharmaceutical sales must have this manual to avoid making the all too common mistakes that will keep them from the job of their dreams.
Customer Reviews:
If you have an interview buy this book.......2005-07-31
If you have an interview or are looking to get into the industry, buy this book. Great info on the the F2F questions and good information all around. While I do believe there are some things in this book that should be intuitive, many college grads and younger people I talk to that want to get into the industry don't know half of them. Five years ago I purchased this book to assist me and it was some of the best money I ever spent.
Straight forward and honest.......2003-10-22
I found this book very helpful! I am a recent college grad and the creative networking techniques helped me to get several interviews in pharmaceutical sales. And to the reviewer from Colorado - get over yourself! There are several people that do make simple mistakes in the interview process and this book just points them out to help everyone. For someone like me with no experience in the industry, I found this book to be incredibly helpful and covered all of the bases. I have recommended it to several friends looking for jobs.
Insulting and Worthless.......2003-09-08
A pharmaceutical representative recommended this book to me as I'm pursuing a job in this industry. The author indicates that she worked first as a representative and later as a recruiter. Her writing maintains the condescending attitude so prevalant among the people that work for these companies. Ms. Kerzic actually suggests that I should buy a good pair of shoes and a nice suit to interview in. Is she kidding? In my industry you either wear the best suit and shoes that you can afford or you'll quickly be out of a job. Does she honestly believe a reader would show up wearing shorts and a tanktop? Other useful tidbits include phrases like, "don't waste my time". Sorry Ms. Kerzic, but if I decide to show up for an interview, apply for a job, or send you a resume', it is OUR time. Mine is just as important as yours. She throws in a few hints on resume' building, but I've found much better formats that have resulted in interviews by consulting my local library. On the other hand, I will utilize some of her advice in writing my review of her book. If you're considering buying this book, don't waste your time OR your money!
Nothing really new........2003-06-29
I bought this book in hopes to getting real inside information. All of this information could easily be obtained at any library. Also, there was really not a lot of actual information in the book. The font was so large, that it could have been written in about 35 pages. The rest of the book had addresses to pharmaceutical companies. What a rip off.
To top it all off she tries to sell you more literature and services she should have included in this book.
Don't waste your money.......2003-04-24
The information contained in this book can be found in any job search book- her claim to "insiders knowledge" is basic and could be devined from anyone in the industry.
Customer Reviews:
Fantastic Read.......2007-06-13
As a new resident of Florida, I wanted to "get up to speed" on the history of Florida, specifically since 1950. This book covers modern Florida's history very well. I liked the book so much, I am half-way through my second read of it. Very highly recommended.
Reviews from the Florida Humanities Council Website.......2005-11-23
"...a fascinating, original, and lucid history of the nation's fourth largest state...essential reading for anyone interested in past and present Florida." - Merle Black, co-author of The Rise of Southern Republicans
"...the first comprehensive social history of Florida in any of its epochs...the standard against which all future such efforts in Florida will be measured." - Michael Gannon, professor emeritus, University of Florida
Waking in the Land of Dreams.......2005-10-01
Gary Mormino's ambitious book Land of Sunshine... is an artful contribution to the thin historiography of modern Florida. Picking up after the end of World War II, Mormino shows how new technology and cultural trends shaped the history, population, and land of Florida.
Unlike most academic writers, he employs an eloquent but casual style free of jargon and mind-numbing analysis. Thankfully, this important book is written for laymen, but provides just as many insights for academics and officials. Equally welcome is a focus upon the "people" over the "politicians." It could easily be argued, even today, that developers, businessmen, visitors, and citizens play a more important role in the life and mythmaking of the Sunshine State than political operatives, especially when one takes into account the Florida Legislature. The research itself is superb, and I am in a position to know-I sometimes helped him in his sustained effort.
If the U.S. is relatively uninterested in scrutinizing its own history, Florida hardly seems to have a history at all. In a state full of unconcerned Snow Birds, oblivious tourists, and new immigrants, Florida's history seems to have started when Disney World opened in 1971. Thanks to Mormino's work, the last sixty years of Florida's amazing history are illuminated.
And what a last sixty years! Although a comprehensive review would take too much space here, the subjects of the book's chapters tell a story in themselves. The first, "Look away Dixieland," provides a fine introduction to the places that make Florida unique.
The next tackles the "new land boom" of the 1950s and beyond (did it ever really end?), when common folks from the northeast and Midwest could afford to move to and/or retire in Florida. Of course, there are also the developers, whose sometimes-good intentions were often outweighed by their desire for quick profit. Logically, a chapter about tourism follows, documenting Florida's funky roadside showcases as well as the more elaborate and contrived tourist empires such as Disney World.
Another chapter covers retirement in Florida, from Miami Jews to the active residents of Sun City Center, who were "too busy to retire." Of course, St. Petersburg's green benches make an appearance as well. In "Sunbelt Hues," Mormino makes sense of the impact of international politics (Cold War, Space Race, etc.) and Florida's overheated financial marketplace, all the time acknowledging the unforeseen consequences of government spending, corporate developments, and low-paying service jobs.
Agriculture in the state has had similarly mixed results, bringing nationally known agricultural products to market while saturating the land and water with pollutants and poisons. His chapter on technological change, highlighting such misguided projects such as the barge canal, further demonstrates that there is no free lunch: every development, from A/C to DDT, can cast an ugly shadow. The rising tide of immigration presents other complications, from Mariel to the wet foot/dry foot policies for Cuban escapees.
The final chapter on the beach is a brilliant example of what makes Mormino's work so compelling. He evokes the wonders and horrors of nature and man's insistent attempts to ignore or control it. Throughout the book, he showcases the things that make Florida great and dangerous. Think of the Sunshine State as the U.S. on steroids: it is an invitation to and a warning against the enthusiasm and short-sightedness of modern humanity.
This book does not just educate and entertain, but challenges the reader to consider more carefully the costs and benefits of the Floridian-and therefore the American-dream. Like most dreams, the story Mormino tells here can be frustrating, shocking, confusing, fantastic, and delightful. But it is all written beautifully, carefully documented, and presented with vivid illustrations and helpful maps. For those living in Florida and far beyond, this book offers valuable insights into our enigmatic modern world.
Book Description
A re-titled, repackaged edition of a modern classic in career-buildingWith business bestsellers like How to Become CEO, Jeffrey Fox is unsurpassed when it comes to empowering readers to gain the edge on the competition. But before you can run the company, you have to get your foot in the door -- and in How to Land Your Dream Job, a repackaged, re-titled edition of Don't Send a Resume, Fox shows how to do exactly that, with invaluable, often counterintuitive advice like:-Why resumes don't sell;-Skip the personnel department; -How to research a target company;-Be a fish out of water; -No one cares what you like;-Ask to do a demonstration; -Don't talk in an interview;-"I" is a bad word.
Customer Reviews:
Gift to all your job searching friends.......2007-08-15
Fantastic! Jeffrey Fox has done it again. All of the right moves for all the right reasons distilled into a concise manual that you can take just about anywhere.
A Skeptic Admits it Worked Beyond Her Wildest Dreams.......2007-04-13
I stared at this book on three different occasions before I shelled out the money and bought it in mid-February of 2007. I was convinced it would be useless, but I read it and applied some of the tips to my interview process for a senior level position with one of the toughest companies with which to land a job.
On March 29th, I was offered my dream job and nearly triple my salary at this company in the top ten of the Fortune 500.
It's not rocket science, but Fox touts the value of marketing oneself as you would a company or product. It requires a lot of hard work, but in my case, the results were almost immediate. The chapters are short and to the point, but rich with little nuggets of information from suggested questions to ask during an interview to checklists during the interview process. Following his recommendations, I walked into interviews knowing as much about the company as the people interviewing me and capable of branding myself as the best candidate for the position.
If I could give the man a hug, I most certainly would, because he just helped change my life.
HELP WANTED !.......2007-03-26
When looking for a job we sometimes feel like we need all the help we can get. Jeffrey J. Fox, named "Outstanding Marketer" by Sales & Marketing Management magazine to the rescue. For those either job searching or job changing "How To Land Your Dream Job" may be a helpful resource.
Author Fox who founded a premier marketing firm and has penned bestsellers such as "How to Become CEO" and "How To Become A Rainmaker" knows the actions and interactions of the workforce well. With "How To Land Your Dream Job" he urges all to be creative and offers suggestions on devising a strategy that is not only winning but yours alone.
Among the topics touched on are :
-Why resumes don't sell;
-Skip the personnel department;
-How to research a target company;
-Be a fish out of water;
-No one cares what you like;
-Ask to do a demonstration;
-Don't talk in an interview; -"I" is a bad word.
Some of the information in this book has been offered before but we can all use reminders, can't we?
Author Fox does a capable job of reading his text in an encouraging, positive voice.
- Gail Cooke
Highly recommended!.......2007-02-02
For a book that tells you not to send a resume, the author spends an awful lot of time telling the reader how to write resumes (or "resu-letters") and what to do with them next. Don't be fooled by the clever title. Jeffrey J. Fox hasn't banned resumes, he simply wants you to understand how to write versions that will work for you. He explains what to do - and not do - to land a terrific job. In bite-sized chapters that get right to the point (in a book so small you could fit it into a leprechaun's briefcase), he guides you through job-hunting research, planning and marketing the product of you. Some of what he offers is innovative; some is standard, common-business sense. Even if you only dig out a few gems, we note that this is a fine place to begin your job search - and a very fine place for job search beginners.
Customer Reviews:
A Sad, but True Tale.......2007-10-03
After watching a documentary about the Chambers' Brothers, additional reading about this family was mandatory. This family, from a small rural town in Arkansas, garnered national attention from non other than fellow Arkansan, Bill Clinton, at the 1988 National Democratic Convention. William Adler documents details that while in no way excuses the deplorable and destructive choices and behavior of the Chambers' brothers, lend plausible insight into social factors that make certain, immediate gratification and fast money, seem the only option available in the eyes of some misguided individuals. For anyone interested in one family's tale that sadly mimicks and represents the story of so many others, this book provides a well-rounded view of what can happen when an uncertain family foundation dangerously mixes with negative socio-economic issues.
Ain't Nothin' Changed..........2007-09-03
A thorough, well-written, engaging story of siblings from a large family facing oppressive racism and few economic options in rural Arkansas, who built a multi-million dollar drug empire in Detroit. Twelve years on, Alder's book is as relevant as ever. Illegal drugs and the collective harm they cause society are oddly absent from the national debate. The new boogeypeople now, of course, are immigrant workers. But drugs continue to ravage urban and rural communities, and middle-class voters become ever more disenchanted, politicians feed the the red herring of jobs lost to border jumpers to keep us all from focusing on the core issues. Those issues, of course, are money and access to it. Though few will discuss as much openly, especially in America, those born into the "lower" classes have nearly no real chance at comfort and success, and those in power have no interest in upsetting the status quo. For the vast majority stuck in the middle, the daily grind of work, school, and child care leaves little time for pushing for significant change. And this all, of course, suits the average politician just fine. Middle class voters aren't losing their jobs to immigrant workers -- but they're having trouble making ends meet in increasingly expensive suburbs. Likewise, the average drug dealer isn't ruining lives that wouldn't be ruined in some other manner (think about it: how many junkies started as truly productive members of society?). But it's much easier to send SWAT teams into crack houses than to address the motivating issues of bad schools and weak local economies.
Alder makes the reader confront these questions. He spares no one -- the Chambers brothers are not, by any stretch, sympathetic characters. They are, however, very practical characters. Throughout Alder's narrative, I was reminded of Ed Harris's quote from "Apollo 13": "let's work the problem, people." For the Chambers family, the problem was a lack of any sort of opportunity whatsoever in a South that remained as segregated and stratified as ever. For them the solution was simple and market-oriented: supply an in-demand product at a competitive price, with unsurpassed customer support. The problems facing the poor today are much the same, and the solutions are still missing.
Great Investigative Reporting.......2007-06-27
Land of Opportunity is an intriguing book that steps away from the simple glorification of drug dealing and "hood living". William Adler did a superb job of investigative reporting. This book not only chronicles the rise and fall of the Chamber Brothers, it details the socioeconomic conditions that help create them. Although their actions should never be accepted, this book adequately explains why such a horrible decision was feasible to someone in that situation. Adler investigates not only the Chambers, but the economies of the Mississippi Delta and Detroit during Reagonomics. In one of the most enlightening moments in the book, the true nature of the war on drugs is established when he discusses the sentencing of Chambers and associates, including their suppliers. This book is a must read for all who believe the war on drugs will be won with tougher sentencing and mandatory minimums.
Marianna Class of 1986.......2005-03-08
The book doesn't tell it all, but it's close. I would recommend it to all.
Marianna, at one time, carried the nickname of 'Little Detroit'.
I graduated with Otis in the Lee Senior High School class of 1986 so I lived this story firsthand.
There is no exaggeration that he received a standing ovation during the graduation ceremonies. He was considered a hero among many of my classmates (very unfortunately.)
Otis was always soft spoken (at least around me) yet I never saw anyone try to provoke him.
In Marianna you either work on a farm, work for the city or county gov't, work for the (only one) local industry or you're unemployed.
I have since departed from Marianna, but I'm not far away - I still visit family and friends there on a regular basis.
I've always thought all social services workers should be interned in small rural areas such as that of Marianna - maybe they would have a better perspective on what I call 'the REAL world'.
YOU should have a visit sometime!
Entertaining and a very realistic portrayal of the Dee........2003-02-18
I lived through this period (late teens) in Detroit and can attest to the influence of the Detroit Drug organizations. In fact, they are probably understated in this book. It was an invigorating, exciting, yet somewhat frightening time to be alive.
But enough about that, it's an excellent read, perhaps a little on the "academic" side with the sociological profile of Arkansas.
But rest assured, Billy Joe, White Boy Rick, Larry, and some of the others were definitely celebrities. As a high school student, we knew who they all were.
Book Description
SuperNetworking offers explicit directives on how to construct a network designed to achieve specific goals by selecting the targets first and then creating the best links to get there. Salmon explains how to choose the right candidates for a network, extract promises from contacts, establish a mechanism to track progress, and set the standards that will facilitate finding a new job in less time. SuperNetworking shows network-builders how to: Articulate their value proposition and talents to their target audience; Target the right people and companies; Conduct research and due diligence; Determine the value they bring to an organization; Properly prepare for interviews; Negotiate the best deal possible for themselves; Develop and maintain a customized program that monitors their progress until they find their next job opportunity; Maintain a network for life.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent Book on Networking.......2005-08-03
We all hear about how networking is the most important way to get a job, but this book tells actually tells you how to do it! Just what I needed, and I plan to use it from now on.
Find out what NETWORKING really is.......2005-07-01
It changed my view of NETWORKING. I regret that I have not read this book before, while I was working, when I started looking for a change.
And I am applying this ot may daily activities, even outside job searching.
Easy read, easy material. Also, interesting tips to explore yourself about your interests.
Jointly with Winning Job Interviews and Everything Job Interview (read my review there) make a 3 pieces of work that every job seeker must read.
Supernetworking is well.....super!.......2004-09-26
Michael has written a book that can help everyone. You don't have to be in business to get something out of this book. This book gives you, questionnaires, checklists and exercises that will help everyone. Really easy to read, and a lot of fun too.
I recommend this book- it will help you. Rick Frishman Pres. Planned TV Arts www.plannedtvarts.com Co author NETWORKING MAGIC and GUERRILLA PUBLICITY www.rickfrishman.com
Packed with Knowledge!.......2004-03-02
This is an excellent book. Author Michael Salmon wastes no words, but provides a series of tips, questionnaires, checklists and exercises that will help everyone, even the most introverted, build a network productively and use it effectively. There is no fluff here, and minimal self-promotion. The book is mostly meat. The author is extraordinarily well organized and to the point. His advice on how to categorize relatives, friends and acquaintances may seem cold, but it is indispensable. Similarly, he recommends becoming a resource to others so that they may someday become a resource to you - a utilitarian and self-serving approach to human relations, but if you have no other reason to help people, this is not a bad one. One quibble: the book is repetitious and illustrates the hard truth with soft little imaginary anecdotes. That's more a fault of the genre than of the author. If you are in job search mode, We highly recommends this book to you. As the folks back home might say, write when you get work.
Need a job? This is how you'll get it.......2004-02-15
if you found "What color is your parachute?" badly organized and abstruse, if "How to get a job in 30 days or less" struck you as taking too long, you'll be able to use this. Focusses almost not at all on the questions "So what do you want to do with your life?" but gives you exactly how to go about meeting the people who know where the jobs are, what to say when you meet them (important if you're shy like me), and how to keep track of it all.
Book Description
On a fateful day in 1889, the Oklahoma land rush begins, and for thousands of settlers the future is up for grabs. One of those people is Creed McReynolds, fresh from the East with a lawyer's education and a head full of aspirations. The mixed-blood son of a Kiowa mother and a U.S. Cavalry doctor, Creed lands in Guthrie station, the designated Territorial Capital, where he must prove that he is more than the half-blood kid once driven from his own land.
In recounting the precipitous rise and catastrophic fall of the jerrybuilt city of Guthrie, author Sheldon Russell immerses us in the lives of Creed and other memorable characters whose ambitions echo the taming of the frontier--and whose fates hold lessons as important today as they were more than a hundred years ago.
Among the people McReynolds must contend with is Abaddon Damon. A ruthless newspaper publisher, Abaddon is quick to strike any bargain that will bring him the power he craves, and like many others, Creed McReynolds is swept into his whirlwind of greed and deception. Creed becomes the wealthiest man in the Territory--but at an unbearable cost to himself, the dreams of others, and the dignity of his mother's people.
Dreams to Dust takes readers back to the early days of Oklahoma Territory--a sometimes dangerous place filled with nefarious dealings, where violence lurks behind even casual encounters--to tell the story of frontier men and women gambling everything to find their fortune on the windswept southern plains.
Customer Reviews:
Sheldon Russell's best book yet........2007-09-11
Hard to believe the same guy who wrote "Empire" wrote "Dreams to Dust" what a vast improvement on story telling. Dreams to Dust is a great historical fiction that centers around the founding of Guthrie Station, OK. The characters are diverse and well developed. This was a fun book to read.
great book on the history of oklahoma.......2006-07-13
this is a great book, it is very interesting and seems to be fairly accurate to what might have happened in the life just after the land run.
Puts the reader in real events.......2006-03-15
This story is sooo close to fact one feels like they are part of the land run.
Exciting day in the Oklahoma Land Rush!.......2006-02-18
DREAMS TO DUST
A tale of the Oklahoma Land Rush
By Sheldon Russell
University of Oklahoma Press: Norman
ISBN 0-8061-3721-5
Copyright 2006 by University of Oklahoma Press
BOOK REVIEW BY CAROLYN BRANCH LEONARD 2/10/2006
Standing at the foot of Mavis's grave, Jerome held his hat in his hands.
"You danced your dance," he whispered, "and left your memory burned in my soul. Now, I will dance mine, and leave my mark upon this land."
This quote from Dreams to Dust, by Sheldon Russell, represents the author's profound understanding of the birth of Oklahoma by land run in 1889, and his brilliant gift for capturing the dramatic events and violent conflict that shaped the legends of our epic West. Dreams to Dust is a rip-roaring tale of the history, land and people of a city born grown in one day - a day of chaos, unique adventure, risk and total confusion. The author knows his subject well, researched it thoroughly and told his story faithfully in a writing style unique to him ...and what an exciting story he has to tell. Dreams to Dust presents many facts revealed in fictional format, such as the station that becomes Guthrie - the first state capitol, abandoned as result of one frontier newspaperman's greed, with the capitol seal stolen away in the dark of night.
Not since James Michener's Centennial has history been told in such a spellbinding way. From the opening line when Creed McReynolds locks his legs against the inside of a rail car, I felt relentlessly carried along on his journey and unable to get off the train until turning the final pages in the wee small hours of morning.
McReynolds, half-breed son of a U.S. Cavalry doctor, becomes just one of an assortment of powerful, unforgettable characters; like the girl with sapphire eyes, or the French architect who designed beautiful buildings of stone, the dog they called Flea Bag, hard-scrabble entrepreneurs who became tycoons, and an orphan boy forced to grow up too soon.
The author speaks in language of the time, through the voices of homesteaders, sooners, cowboys, claim jumpers, soldiers, railroad bulls, mail-order wives, opportunists and common thieves, steadfast men, women and children who come to build their homes and seek their fortunes on former Indian lands. The three million acres of the `89ers are outside the authority of Indian government, and without civil law. Nothing is spared: danger, brutality, hunger, sudden death, the loss of youth and innocence, prejudice, natural disasters, promiscuous women, even the unselfish friendship and love that McReynolds unexpectedly finds in this barren land.
But what comes through strongest is the idea that each man and woman has an innate dream to possess land and prosper on it; a compulsion capable of redeeming a soul or destroying a life. We are subtly reminded that this land - which McReynolds fights so hard to claim - originally was given in peace treaties to his mother's people by the US government.
Even the closing graphs present a ripping good read with a hint of Hemingway:
"As he climbed from the meadow, the air smelled scrubbed and clean, and a soft breeze blew through the trees. At the dugout he stopped, laying his hand on the door, listening to the sounds of the mountain. It was here that he and Alida had been the happiest, had built traps and laughed about hoopers, had made love and planned their future."
.....But no matter what the future held, this much he knew: this land was where he belonged; this land was where he'd stay.
Book Description
In famine-ravaged Ireland, the revered poet-patriot Morgan Fitzgerald, himself brought down by a gunman's bullet, seeks to restore his ruined life and bring hope to the next generation. With the help of his mysterious West Indies companion, Sandemon, Morgan establishes a school at Nelson Hall and provides a home for the "fey Belfast orphan," Annie Delaney, and the beautiful, mute "Innocent," Finola. But when violence and tragedy strike, Morgan finds himself locked in battle with the powers of darkness for his own future and the future of those he loves.
On the other side of the ocean, Morgan's friends Michael and Nora discover that the Land of Opportunity teems with poverty, political corruption and racial tension. From the opulence of Fifth Avenue to the squalor of the slum at Five Points, the city of New York staggers under the injustice and degradation brought on by organized crime and the exploitation of the flood of immigrants pouring into the nation. Unaware that his own son Tierney has been lured into the nefarious schemes of Patrick Walsh, Michael vows to bring Walsh to ruin and may bring down Tierney in the process.
In Land of a Thousand Dreams, award-winning author B.J. Hoff continues to spin the unforgettable drama of Ireland's battle to survive both on the Emerald Isle and in the streets of the New World. Their faith is strong, but will the dreams of a better life prevail?
Customer Reviews:
The Third Installment.......2002-07-12
I had forgotten I wrote the other review on here. A long time ago, that was. It's so wordy and descriptive and sparkling with life and vitality, too. So I'm going to try to do this book more justice, now that I've had more practise writing reviews.
I believe this book is the fullest of tragedy and melodrama of the five in the series, and at the time I wrote that other review it was my favourite book of all. When I think of this book, I think primarily of Morgan, Finola, and the rest of the clan in Dublin, because most of the action really takes place there. Occasionally you cut back to New York City for a dose of Nora's, "When am I ever going to have a baby, sweetheart?" or "Sara, darling, you will take down your hair just for me!" It must be that I didn't read the New York episodes as often and they aren't implanted in my mind as the Dublin ones are.
In New York, Nora is married, Michael is engaged, and Tierney is working for a crime boss. In Dublin, Morgan is still trapped in the wheelchair. There is no miracle cure here, unfortunately. A Nun (capital N) named Sis. Louisa and a wolfhound named Fergus join the staff at Nelson Hall. Finola becomes the victim of unfortunate circumstances in the red light district and is brought to live at Morgan's house while she recovers, and her "wicked woman" friend Lucy comes along. I think somebody dies too, but I won't say who. Oh, and I think Nora finally was going to have a baby, too. Sandemon's deep, dark past is uncovered, Aine waits patiently to be adopted by Morgan, and so forth and so on. I love the part when there IS a miracle cure - not for Morgan, but for Finola - when she can suddenly talk again. It is a very incredible scene, perhaps a bit unrealistic, but perfect for fifteen or sixteen year old girls who dote on that kind of romantic dramatisation and swoon over it with their friends.
I shall say no more of the wonders between the front and back covers of this book. You must read it yourself and find out all about it.
This is the best.......2000-07-18
I love this book. A friend loaned it to me and once I started reading it I couldn't put it down. It is filled with excitement and inspiration. I was very encouraged to read this wonderful story.
Books:
- Shadowplay (Shadowmarch, Vol. 2)
- Sharon and My Mother-in-Law: Ramallah Diaries
- Spellbound
- Tarot Cafe, The Volume 5 (Tarot Cafe)
- Teller of Tales: The Life of Arthur Conan Doyle
- The Black Cauldron (The Chronicles of Prydain)
- The Case for a Creator: A Journalist Investigates Scientific Evidence That Points Toward God
- The Chaos Curse (Forgotten Realms: The Cleric Quintet, Book 5)
- The Children of Húrin
- The City of Falling Angels
Books Index
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