Product Description
The newest 28th edition Blue Book of Gun Values has been extensively revised to include all the new 2007 makes/models, in addition to updating the rising values on both modern guns and antiques. Expanded to 2080 pages, this newest edition also has an enlarged color Photo Percentage Grading System featuring 80 pages of all firearms condition factors commonly encountered. The 28th edition contains over 325,000 firearms prices and one million words of text no other book even comes close! With over one million copies in print, the Blue Book of Gun Values has earned its reputation as the most complete and up-to-date reference work on both modern and antique firearms. Why guess when you can be sure?
Customer Reviews:
Great book.......2007-09-29
Purchased this book for a friend who collects and restores hand guns. He was very impressed with the lay out and detailing of the prices. he recommends this book highly.
excellent.......2007-09-11
Better quantity and quality than I expected and should be very helpful in quantifying the value of my guns...
reference at its best.......2007-09-07
everything that one could ask for. grading scales, values of guns and all the manufacturers and cross-references in one book. what more could you ask for. order was placed and was received before date of expected delivery, great service. thanks
Guns.......2007-08-15
With the ad of the Blue Book of Gun Values I was able to sell off my gun collection at proper prices. I had no idea what any of my guns were worth. I was able to sell them all for a good price
Very helpful.......2007-08-04
This book has eveything you need to get started collecting or even buying and selling guns. It is helpful in learning a grading system and putting a value with it also.
Book Description
Winning the Battle in your Mind. There's a War Going On And Your Mind Is The Battlefield. If you're one of millions who suffer from worry, doubt, confusion, depression, anger or condemnation, you are experiencing an attack in your mind. Overcoming negative thoughts that come against your mind brings freedom and peace. Find out how to recognize damaging thought patterns and stop them from influencing your life. In this powerful book, best-selling author and conference host, Joyce Meyer, guides you through an honest self-appraisal by sharing the trials, tragedies and ultimate victories of her own marriage, family and ministry- including the truth she learned about what she was thinking and feeling every step of the way. You'll gain insight into how Joyce won the battle in her own mind- and how you can as well. You'll also discover how to: -Find peace and stop brain-storm of mental activity. -See the truth by thinking correctly. -Use spiritual weapons effectively. -Overcome the 10 wilderness mentalities that hold you in harmful circumstances. Don't surrender to misery another day. Find out today what you can do to ensure your victory in the Battlefield of the Mind!
Customer Reviews:
VERY good book!.......2007-09-21
This is a definite recommend! It really makes you aware of what's going through your head and holds you accountable.
Great for a new Christian, too...for those moments of "self-doubt" that are really demonic!
Everyone Should Read This!.......2007-07-27
This book by Joyce Meyer is excellent and provides the needed information that all people need. It is written in an "easy to understand" style and can be applied to one's life immediately. Hope and confidence are attributes of this writing. Thanks, Joyce.
Excellent.......2007-07-21
I just love how Joyce talks on a level I can understand and apply to my life. This is a great book for renewing the mind, breaking bondages and strongholds and finally getting free from the condemning talk in our heads. Highly recommended reading.
Joyce's Best Book.......2007-07-21
I have had this book for many many years, in my opinion it is the best book Joyce Meyers has ever written, as it is still as good today as when she first published it.
Review: Battlefield of the Mind: Winning the Battle in Your Mind.......2007-07-16
This has to be one of my FAVORITE books by Joyce Meyer. A truly life changing read... I have owned this book for several years and have reread it several times. I highly recommend picking this up.
Average customer rating:
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Jane's Fighting Ships 2006-2007 (Jane's Fighting Ships)
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Book Description
Option master David Caplan reveals how option volatility . . .- Accurately indicates market tops Ft bottoms- Signals which option strategy is best to use- Indicates whether options should be bought or sold- Can be used to increase your probability of profitPlus - discover high-powered strategies for...- Exploiting option market inefficiencies- Using neutral option strategies to trade like a "bookie"- Recognizing and increasing returns by selling overvalued options,- Using "special circumstances" and trading range markets to your advantage- Benefiting from reliable seasonal tendencies in volatility- Volatility charts of the futures' options markets, methods used most frequently by top options traders, common mistakes to avoid - and much more! "For the first time an "insider" has revealed the "secret" of the professional option traders who well "overvalued" options to unsuspecting public traders."-Ken Trester, author of The Complete Option Player"As a professional option trader, I found The Option Secret gave me new perspectives on using 'over and undervalued options.' I only hope others DON'T read it - and get too smart!"-Jon Najarian, option trader profiled in The Supertraders"This book is long overdue. It should not be missed by anyone who trades futures or stocks."-Chris Myers, president, Traders' Library
Customer Reviews:
I'm not fond of options....but this is a great book!.......2003-04-30
Mr.Caplan has put a great spin on option investing. If 90% of options expire worthless why buy them, just sell them. This is where this book shines. I have been involved with futures for 11 years. I have been a broker an investor ...
In each instance I have avoided options on futures. With Mr.Caplan's assessment on how volatitlity plays a key role to determining what options to sell and what price to sell them at. I was impressed at how he was able to take a complicated subject and make it easy to read.
His inclusion of articles from various other option traders was great as well.
If you write options ONLY!.......2003-01-26
This book was promoted heavily on different sites on the net, and I happened to be one of those who bought it!!!! To cut the story short, this book is not for amatuers! And not for ordinary regular option buyers (like me)!
This book covers only:
1. Futures trades (mainly).
2. Option writing and spreads.
But if you are not both of the above... forget this book!!! At the beginning of this book, you'll see how deeply the author discusses futures not stocks! And when you get to page number 47, you understand that this book is useless if you (like me) only buy options.
I am not saying this book is good or now, how am I to know?!! I can't even test his methodology... but in my situation this book is of no use!
Worth a Read.......2002-12-09
Though dated and focused on Futures, I found this book to be very helpful. The last 3rd of this book is a collection of articles written by other authors on the subject. Very useful!
Why not 5 stars? It is focused on Futures instead of Options in general.
This is only mildly annoying as most of the information is relevant to Options.
Again, very helpful book.
Book Description
On the eve of America’s greatest victory in the Pacific,
a catastrophic event disrupts the course of World War II, forever changing the rules of combat. . . .
The impossible has spawned the unthinkable. A military experiment in the year 2021
has thrust an American-led multinational armada back to 1942, right into the middle of the U.S. naval task force speeding toward Midway Atoll—and what was to be the most spectacular U.S. triumph of the entire war.
Thousands died in the chaos, but the ripples had only begun. For these veterans of Pearl Harbor—led by Admirals Nimitz, Halsey, and Spruance—have never seen a helicopter, or a satellite link, or a nuclear weapon. And they’ve never encountered an African American colonel or a British naval commander who was a woman and half-Pakistani. While they embrace the armada’s awesome firepower, they may find the twenty-first century sailors themselves far from acceptable.
Initial jubilation at news the Allies would win the war is quickly doused by the chilling realization that the time travelers themselves—by their very presence—have rendered history null and void. Celebration turns to dread when the possibility arises that other elements of the twenty-first century task force may have also made the trip—and might now be aiding Yamamoto and the Japanese.
What happens next is anybody’s guess—and everybody’s nightmare. . . .
From the Trade Paperback edition.
Download Description
On the eve of America's greatest victory in the Pacific, a catastrophic event disrupts the course of World War II, forever changing the rules of combat....
The impossible has spawned the unthinkable. A military experiment in the year 2021 has thrust an American-led multinational armada back to 1942, right into the middle of the U.S. naval task force speeding toward Midway Atoll—and what was to be the most spectacular U.S. triumph of the entire war.
Thousands died in the chaos, but the ripples had only begun. For these veterans of Pearl Harbor—led by Admirals Nimitz, Halsey, and Spruance—have never seen a helicopter, or a satellite link, or a nuclear weapon. And they've never encountered an African American colonel or a British naval commander who was a woman and half-Pakistani. While they embrace the armada's awesome firepower, they may find the twenty-first century sailors themselves far from acceptable.
Initial jubilation at news the Allies would win the war is quickly doused by the chilling realization that the time travelers themselves—by their very presence—have rendered history null and void. Celebration turns to dread when the possibility arises that other elements of the twenty-first century task force may have also made the trip—and might now be aiding Yamamoto and the Japanese.
What happens next is anybody's guess—and everybody's nightmare....
"This is an excellent combination of near future military SF and alternate history, and a riveting story to boot."
ERIC FLINT, AUTHOR OF 1632 AND 1634: THE GALILEO AFFAIR
"This book has everying: time travel, the British royalty, things that go boom, and unrelenting action. Read the opening at your own risk: you won't be doing anything else until you finish it."
SEAN WILLIAMS, CO-AUTHOR OF HEIRS OF EARTH AND STAR WARS: FORCE HERETIC: REUNION
Customer Reviews:
Leaves much to be desired..........2007-10-08
Having read through the entire trilogy (starting in the middle and working back and forth as I found the books) I was initially thrilled, but quickly grew to feel "meh".
A large part of the problem is the way the trilogy skips huge chunks of time; true, some of the information from that "missing time" is filled in later, but often as not it's vague and unrewarding, especially when it comes to prominent characters or events.
And the characters...this is where the book's appeal is lowest to me. The characters feel poorly fleshed out in many cases, or follow a single ideal--ie., all the woman are portrayed as hard-edged, ultra-feminist types without an ounce of warmth or compassion, for example, leading one to wonder how the author sees modern women. The men get a bit more variety--Brasch and Dan Black are good examples, at least. The problem is there seems little depth to anyone--they are little better than machines.
Also, the habit of introducing then forgetting or killing off characters after only a few pages or chapters, often as an afterthought (we don't often see their deaths, only hear about it after the fact) is a poor way to do things.
While the technology is interesting and seeing it applied against a more "primitive" time is fascinating it also feels very compartmentalized, as if each battle is a single separate story outside of the whole, with no real connection. Also much of it isn't explained well, so my inner geek who loves military hardware was left badly wanting.
Overall the trilogy is an interesting if not entirely entertaining read; it's not as dry as Harry Turtledove's works nor as talky (and the author--to his credit--avoids using big words when small ones will do) but it still feels lacking.
I'ts like the Curates Egg - Good in Parts.......2007-10-08
There is enough in the book to keep you interested, and turning the page. The idea is intriguing, but it is Science fiction after all. Without rehashing the content of other reviews here I found the Idea of the culture shock Ok but totally overblown. The concept of being able to accelerate the development of technology given information from the future is an intriguing one. Also the idea of the fact that by changing the past the strategic knowledge that you brought with you from the future would become useless pretty quickly. The political aspects of the novel are less satisfactory. But I will follo through on the trilogy to see how it pans out
Just plain bad.......2007-09-14
Its a sad commentary when Turtledove is less biased in his PC commentary than this book is. This book is misnamed it should be called "Politically Correct Super People VS The Dead White Males of The Past."
The book is so pc it reads like a joke the people from the future are all paragons of virtue. While the people from the past are all racist smelly homophobes. Trashing the generation that made it possible for you to write this book in order to preach pc rhetoric just doesnt cut it for me.
Australian SF Reader.......2007-08-01
Sort of a reverse Philadelphia experiment, girls allowed.
This is firmly in the military technothriller camp, with bunches of yank military types doing their thing, and details of ranks, weapons, all that sort of thing. People who don't like those likely won't like this. Throw in some time travel and a less biased outlook than say, Patrick Robinson's 'kill all the foreigners that disagree', you get something a bit more Dale Brown than that. A 2021 wormhole tech experiment screws up badly and sends a 21st century Multinational naval force back to 1942, where they proceed to mistakenly shoot the crap out of the US fleet heading to do the same to the Japanese at Midway (complete with Prince Harry and the odd Aussie on board). First of a couple more books, the plot sickens from there as history starts to change.
Wow. And again I say, Wow........2007-06-18
One of the finest alternative history books I've ever read, Weapons of Choice is a roller-coaster with depth. Birmingham convincingly shows what those in a world influenced by 20 years of continuous terrorism might be like, and what the interaction between them and people of the 1940's would be. It may seem surprising to talk about realism in a book of science fiction, but I feel like this book has the realism of a history text book. We see the enmeshing of both technology and values, and a double window on ourselves, as compared to our fathers in the 40s and our children in the 20s. Even though Birmingham deals with a plethera of characters, each of them comes alive, and each is unique. I kept on trying to predict what might happen, and was consistently surprised.
Perhaps the only drawback to the book is that Birmingham assumes the reader is well versed with various types of ships and engines of war. Conversely, the finest aspect of the book is that it doesn't make the same mistakes as other altnerate history works. Many others use some sort of deus ex machina to bring a population into the past, most famously in the 1632 series. Here Birmingham manages to very convincingly show how the group can travel into the past, at the same time making the process mysterious and rather unknowable.
Kudos to Birmingham, who has written an engaging, informative, and above all fun book.
Customer Reviews:
WOW.......2007-10-11
what can i say? if you are into AR15/M16's, this is the only book you need. very informative and interesting...get it!!!
Great book - but Amazon's price is outrageous.......2007-07-22
This is definitely a book to have if you own an AR15-type rifle, but why is Amazon's listed price almost forty dollars more than the list price direct from the publisher?
Top of the Pops.......2003-06-02
This is the bible of the AR-Phile. It is full of the minutiae that will make a tech geek babble with glee. If you love the AR and want to know all there is to know about its history and development buy this book. Buy it now before it gets more expensive.
Very technical book that tells the story.......2003-03-17
Mr. Steven's book tells the story of how this rifle was adopted and he goes into great detail. If you are uninterested in this level of detail perhaps this isn't the book for you. But for the enthusiast this is a four or five star book. It really depends on your level of interest.
What was the point of the book?.......2002-08-20
This book was incredibly difficult to read. Despite my interest in the subject matter it was just a difficult and rather cumbersome read.
I think having someone with a flair for storytelling instead of stapling together disjointed reports would be an improvement. Even the typesetting was difficult. At the end of each paragraph you had to decide where to continue reading.
It was almost as if you had to know the material to read the book.
Book Description
Definitive Smith & Wesson identification and pricing reference, includes 350+ full-color photos for improved identification
Smith & Wesson is one of the hottest manufacturers of handguns, offering more new models than any other maker - 39 new products in 2005 alone
Comprehensive coverage of Smith & Wesson firearm line including the only handgun in the world in continuous production since 1899
Smith & Wesson outfitted some of the biggest and boldest gunfighters, both actual and fictional - including Wild Bill Hickock, Buffalo Bill and Dirty Harry - whose exploits are still legendary. Today a renewed Smith & Wesson corporation is back in the front of the pack. Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson, 3rd Edition combines full color photos with details collectors need to identify and better appreciate all Smith & Wesson firearms. For fans of Smith & Wesson firearms this book is a must-have, with its: *Expert authors who have unique, exclusive access to Smith & Wesson archival material *Easy-to-locate listings organized by model and year of manufacture help to quickly and accurately identify firearms *Rarely seen production and historical notes useful in determining rarity and value
With more than 775 models of Smith & Wesson guns and variations, including many models not found in other firearm-pricing guides, this is the one book for any Smith & Wesson gun-toting fan.
Customer Reviews:
"Must have" book.......2007-07-13
This book has invaluable information for all gun enthusiasts, not only S & W collectors. Very well written and illustrated. A "must have" book.
Indispensible.......2007-07-02
This book is indispensible to the S&W collector. It is the S&W collector's Bible. Worth three times thecost, you need to buy it right now!
Excellent reference and not a clone.......2007-05-31
The Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson has proven to be a useful tool, offering better illustration of models and expanded listing of models and details over the more general guides. By comparison, the Standard Catalog provides 70 pages of Smith & Wesson listings, while the Standard Catalog of Smith & Wesson provides 432. The authors, Jim Supica and Richard Nahas are recognized as long standing experts in Smith and Wesson firearms, in both model identification and value.
The authors did an excellent job of identifying factors unique to S&W in value determination, including how S&W collectors might differ from others. Section One, as an example, covers S&W frame sizes and side plate screw counts, pinned and unpinned barrels and hand ejector models as they relate to model identification. Engraving is organized by artist, by time period and by source. NRA condition classifications are extended further into finish and factory refinish, modifications, serial number integrity and grips. I did not realize there was such a big market for S&W stocks. Not only are stocks addressed, but so are manuals and boxes.
The organization is good. Not appearing strictly in model number order or date of production, S&W revolvers are broken into groups such as "Tip Up", "Top Break", "Single Shot", "Early Hand Ejector", "Modern Hand Ejector", "Semi-Auto....". It really isn't so difficult for even a novice to navigate and there is a good solid model number index at the back of the book. Covered firearms are all S&W handguns through the S&W 460 and S&W 500 chambers, long guns, boxes, cases, and even AR 15 types of current production. Individual model entries are not sketchy. As an example, just one line listings of Model 10 specials and variations went on for two full pages. Model descriptions are very full, unique characteristics in product or packaging indicated, dates of production and production counts are present in each case. To some extend, branded general merchandise is also covered; knives, belt buckles, etc.
The book is an excellent value.
The Smith & Wesson Legend.......2007-05-13
All the revolvers/automatics that made Smith & Wesson famous along with the boxes/accessories that made them "complete" are shown in excellent detail. Serial/model numbers are listed with amazing accuracy along with information about the engineering changes and reason for them. A "must have" for anyone interested in these legendary firearms.
Great Book.......2007-05-13
This guide is the essential book for Smith & Wesson collectors. Written by two fellows that are always willing to respond to questions from anyone about the topic. Must reading
Book Description
Don't Pay Too Much - Don't Sell for Too Little!
The Firearms Price Guide That Gives You MORE
· More Photos!
· More Detailed Descriptions!
· More Values!
Now in its 17th year and completely updated for 2007, this edition of the world-famous Standard Catalog of® Firearms is bigger and better than ever. With entries for virtually all of the world's commercial firearms from the percussion era to the present day, Standard Catalog of® Firearms is the only book you need to identify and price collectible rifles, handguns and shotguns.
For the collector, for the shooter, for the enthusiast, Standard Catalog of® Firearms is the most detailed firearms price guide on the market. If you buy, sell or trade collectible firearms, this is a must-have.
New for 2007:
· "Sleepers": Collectible firearms that are outperforming the market
· Value Trends: Real-Life auction reports showing value ranges
· How to buy and sell on the Internet
Customer Reviews:
A good reference but..........2007-09-08
Not as updated as it would have you believe but still a good reference if you don't already own an earlier version and it does have a lot of photos.
Great visual aid.......2007-05-18
While not the end all of reference guides, when used in combination with other reference guides the book is very useful. The pictures have proven to be invaluable for identifying a certain model or type of firearm.
Helpful & Useful.......2007-05-16
Very useful and full of information. We buy a new book every year to keep up with the pricing, but also to see how our investments have done!!
Good Book.......2007-05-13
I have purchased this book since they started publishing it. I collect guns and this is a great pricing guide. This issue is a little below the standards of previous years. They seem to have changed some subtle things that won't affect the first time buyer but for the perpetual purchaser are disappointing.
Excellent resource.......2007-05-13
Excellant resource however, you still need military gun resource to compliment this as it is deficient in this.
Book Description
Since their inception, nuclear weapons have multiplied at an alarming rate, leaving everyone from policymakers to concerned citizens wondering what it will take to slow, stop, or even reverse their spread. With clarity and expertise, Joseph Cirincione presents an even-handed look at the history of nuclear proliferation and an optimistic vision of its future, providing a comprehensive survey of the wide range of critical perspectives.
Cirincione begins with the first atomic discoveries of the 1930s and covers the history of their growth all the way to current crisis with Iran. He unravels the science, strategy, and politics that have fueled the development of nuclear stockpiles and increased the chance of a nuclear terrorist attack. He also explains why many nations choose not to pursue nuclear weapons and pulls from this the outlines of a solution to the world's proliferation problem: a balance of force and diplomacy, enforcement and engagement that yields a steady decrease in these deadly arsenals.
Though nuclear weapons have not been used in war since August 1945, there is no guarantee this good fortune will continue. A unique blend of history, theory, and security analysis, Bomb Scare is an engaging text that not only supplies the general reader and student with a clear understanding of this issue but also provides a set of tools policymakers and scholars can use to prevent the cataclysmic consequences of another nuclear attack.
Customer Reviews:
Outstanding!.......2007-07-10
"Bomb Scare" is full of credible and helpful data, as well as balanced in its assessments.
Early on readers learn that it takes about 80 generations of neutrons to fission a kilogram of material - this takes about 0.8 microseconds and creates a temperature of 10 billion Celsius. A gun design plug in an enriched uranium bomb has to travel at at least 1,000 ft./second to initiate a sustained chain reaction. The Hiroshima bomb gun barrel weighed about 1,000 lbs. and was 6 feet long; the bomb itself used 64 kilos of U-235. Today this could be accomplished with 25 kilos and put into a package about the size of a small melon. (Plutonium could not be used in a gun design - its neutrons are too fast.)
Implosion-type designs are used for plutonium bombs. About 6 kilos was used for the Trinity test and at Nagasaki. Modern weapons use about 5 kilograms - about the size of a plum. (So much for the debate on whether "suitcase" bombs are feasible.)
The first U.S. H-bomb had a yield of 10.4 megatons.
The U.S. total stockpile of nuclear and thermonuclear weapons reached around 20,000 by 1960, vs. 1,600 for the Russians. (So much for Kennedy's argument that the U.S. had a "bomb gap.") We recently learned that during the Cuban missile crisis the Russians had already positioned about 100 nuclear weapons in Cuba.
There are five main reasons states acquire nuclear weapons: Security, prestige, domestic politics, technology, and economics. Different sides of the same reasons are also why many nations choose not to acquire such weapons.
Cirincione sees Russia as the #1 potential source of nuclear weapons/material for terrorists. It has thousands of nuclear weapons at 150-210 sites and hundreds of nuclear materials at about 49 sites. Experts believe that it would be difficult for terrorists to acquire a completed bomb - they are well guarded and utilize complex security locks. On the other hand, experts also believe that terrorists could construct a bomb from enriched material with only 3-4 technically people.
Pakistan is seen as a close #2 potential source. USA Today reported in November of 2001 that at least 10 Taliban had contacted Pakistani scientists in the prior two years. Pakistan has enough highly enriched uranium to make 50-100 bombs.
There are also about 40 nations with civilian stockpiles for power reactors. While not sufficiently enriched for nuclear weapons, it would be a simple matter to extend the enrichment process to create such.
Potential nuclear powder-kegs involve U.S. and Russian weapons being on 15-minute alert, and situations involving Taiwan, or India-Pakistan. Adverse recent events include the U.S. invasion of Iraq (increased terrorist and nervous state motivation to acquire nuclear weapons), our support for increased Indian development of nuclear weapons, U.S. promulgation of new logic for nuclear weapon use ("bunker-busters," use against non-nuclear states), and a slowdown/stop in reduction programs involving Russia.
The good news is that the number of nuclear weapons in the world has been cut in half over the past 15 years, those seriously considering their acquisition or having them have declined from 23 to 10, there has been a two-thirds reduction in ICBMs, and both the U.S. and Russia have destroyed their chemical weapons.
Author's Bottom Line: Cirincione believes that efforts must not only be directed at reducing nuclear weapons and proliferation, but eliminating the underlying sources of conflict as well.
History, security analysis and theory blends in a general text for any student of world politics.......2007-06-09
BOMB SCARE: THE HISTORY & FUTURE OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS begins with the first atomic discoveries of the 1930s and covers the history of the growth of nuclear weapons through the decades, right up to the current crisis with Iran and the threat of worldwide proliferation. History, security analysis and theory blends in a general text for any student of world politics and military history, particularly at the college level.
USAF Vet Recommends Five Stars.......2007-06-08
Those of us with a Top Secret "Q" Clearance during the Cold War are intimately familiar with the horrific realities of what a nuclear confrontation would mean for civilization. The author provides a concise, accurate, and up-to-date history of the nuclear threat. He also advances the best thinking related to diminishing the threats posed by nuclear arms in the 21st century, and putting the materials of decommissioned warheads to peaceful uses as fuel for nuclear reactors.
Overly Optimistic.......2007-04-09
This book deals with something that most of us don't spend much time thinking about. We should think about it more.
Cirincione, the former director of the Nonproliferation Project at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, takes the reader through the history of the development of nuclear weapons and the arms control agreements that have somewhat curtailed their spread. He presents a rational analysis of the drivers that cause states to seek to acquire nuclear weapons as well as the barriers that motivate some to turn away from the quest, or abandon it altogether.
And in the light of reasoned consideration he concludes, "The good news is that the nonproliferation regime has worked. The nuclear threat is less severe today than it was in 1970 when the Non-Proliferation Treaty entered into force". He bases this assessment on the fact that "the number of nuclear weapons in the world has declined from a peak of 65,000 in 1986, to roughly 27,000 today". But does this necessarily make the world a safer place?
Cirincione takes satisfaction that "the threat of a global thermonuclear war is now near zero". He goes on to state, "The dangers we face today are very serious, but they are orders of magnitude less severe than those we confronted just two decades ago from the overkill potential of U.S. and Russian arsenals. We no longer worry about the fate of the earth, but we still worry about the fate of our cities". It is in the ensuing discussion of nuclear terrorism that the upbeat tenor of the author's faith in the potential of negotiations and agreements to manage the imminent threat increasingly seems disconnected from reality.
While it is true that the threat of global thermonuclear war has diminished, the probability all out nuclear war was always very low as a result of the Strangelovian logic of mutually assured destruction. On the other hand, the likelihood of the detonation of a nuclear weapon smuggled into an American city by terrorists in the next decade is clearly significant. While such an event would not be the end of life on this planet, its societal, economic and political consequences would almost certainly be the end of life as we have come to know it. And, millions of people would die. This being the case, how can the author argue that the world is safer now than it was twenty years ago?
Cirincione also contends that the reduction in ballistic missiles is an indicator of a reduction of risk in the present day. What he neglects to consider is that weapons dispatched through alternate means - say in shipping containers with GPS activation - do not leave a return address, and as a result would not invite immediate retaliation. It would seem that a country hostile to the United States could launch such an attack with an impunity that would be inconceivable were the method of delivery a ballistic missile.
In this context it's hard to buy into the author's upbeat assessment of the future. As he would have it, securing existing weapons and stocks of fissile materials, new rounds of negotiations employing various carrots and sticks, and the good example of further disarmament by the US and Russia hold the promise of a better and a safer world. The problem is that while these actions are indeed necessary they are certainly not sufficient to produce the intended outcome. This is particularly the case given that some future nuclear adversaries may hold to apocalyptic world views.
Towards the end of the book Cirincione writes, "After wading through the history, theory, dangers, challenges and failures of proliferation policy, most readers could be excused for feeling a bit depressed. Don't be".
I guess I just can't help it. I am.
Sleeper Awake!.......2007-03-05
Perhaps the most significant issue in this century is not AIDS, the energy crisis, the environment or the Middle East but is the issue of universal nuclear disarmament. Joseph Cirincione has given us a clear solution to this problem in his book, BOMB SCARE: THE HISTORY AND FUTURE OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS.
The first recorded war between nation states occurred in 2700 BC. From that time to the present man has devised a plethora of clever devices to kill and maim his fellows.
Since the fall of the Soviet Union near the end of the last century (1991), the United States has funded the Russian government in the "cleanup" of warheads, bombs and other nuclear components scattered throughout the various nuclear facilities in the former Soviet Republic in an attempt to prevent terrorists and other non-nuclear nations from obtaining the same. Cirincione believes that "with additional funding, this threat reduction program could be accelerated to secure or eliminate the vast majority of nuclear weapons and materials by 2010."
The issue, of course, is that the "have-nots" want what the "haves" have: NUCLEAR ENERGY. Here the author proposes that a new system controlled by the International Atomic Energy Agency would provide a supply of nuclear material to countries that need it for civilian use in exchange for an agreement that those same countries not seek to build facilities to create their own "nuclear resources".
Cirincione understands that it is impossible to convince the "have-nots" to give up their nuclear weapons ambitions and to adhere to nonproliferation norms while the "haves" assert the importance of these weapons for their own safety and security (read that Pakistan and Iran). As one state goes nuclear, another state is forced to do the same thing ad infinitum: "in short, proliferation begets proliferation." Cirincione whimsically wonders if the obverse is possible.
188 countries are signatories to the Non-Proliferation Treaty that became effective in 1970. The only countries that have not signed are: Israel, Pakistan, and India. North Korea has withdrawn. These are the countries the treaty has unsuccessfully prevented from obtaining nuclear resources. The original signatories, the United States, Russia, Great Britain, France and China all agreed to ultimately dismantle their arsenals under a future agreement: to date that "future accord" has not happened. In fact, advances in this area have continued. Without compliance with this treaty, Cirincione posits the world faces a nuclear disaster.
In the end the author asks the reader to think beyond the old paradigms and to dare to explore ways to prevent what certainly, in the world's present state, is a sure slide into nuclear oblivion. This is more than a thoughtful book, it is a book every American should read and take to heart.
Average customer rating:
- rudy against the empire
- hey jude great job!
- Five Stars
- Cliff Hangers as usual, mild spoilers possible
- Best of the best!!
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Secret Weapon (Star Wars: Last of the Jedi, Book 7)
Jude Watson
Manufacturer: Scholastic Paperbacks
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Binding: Paperback
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Return of the Dark Side (Star Wars: Last of the Jedi, Book 6)
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Underworld (Star Wars: The Last of the Jedi, Book 3)
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ASIN: 0439681405 |
Customer Reviews:
rudy against the empire.......2007-09-30
i know myself that i'm almost finished w/ the novel but haven't read it through... but it's very good, i can't wait what will happen to ferus olin and see ben kenobi along w/ him. i love the front and back cover of the book
over in Coruscant. I will hoping to read all through 10 novels of TLOTJ series.
hey jude great job!.......2007-08-14
i disagree with that other reviewer who said timothy zahn is the best with jude watson.i hate the timothy zahn books.and that was when us star wars fans were starving for something new to read about star wars and heir to the empire came out,i bought it like many others wanting something new to read.and i was greatly dissapointed and his 2nd and 3rd book of that trilogy didnt get any better so i stopped buying his books.i guess i been spoiled by the star wars books i read growing up by writers like the great brian daley may he rest in peace,and the great alan dean foster.and i have been dissapointed by most of the new books and the different new authors to star wars books that have come out.finally a writer that is worthy of star wars has come along.a great writer and im happy that jude gets to write more books for star wars.i also enjoyed jude's first book star wars journal princess leia's diary of episode 4.captive to evil.
Five Stars.......2007-08-07
Ferus is still working as a double agent struggling the thin line of going along with Palpatine to keep from being killed and trying to he's position to help out his resistance friends. This becomes very difficult in this book when the Empire wants Ferus to return to his homeplanet as a poster boy for former resistance leader turned Empire. The Empire taking control of the factories which looks as if their helping the planet by providing jobs. This naturally will make it appear to the resistance that Ferus is completely with the Empire. Naturally the Empire's plans are not that nice with Vader on his tail Ferus finds it even more difficult to contact his friends to convince them their still on his side and attempting to undo the Empire's plan without Vader or the Empire finding out. The way this turns out was surprises as was then when Palpatine has yet another offer for Ferus. With Palpatine...its so hard to say no.
Cliff Hangers as usual, mild spoilers possible.......2007-06-14
One always questions the validity and entertainment value in a spin-off of a spin-off series, but The Last of the Jedi is shaping up to be exciting. Ferus Olin's in full blown double agent mode and that's got him and his friends worried. Friendship and loyalty are certainly tested when it comes down to the question of "who do you serve?" or "How much hurt can one inflict while doing something necessary?"
Jude Watson's got a nice narrative style and a good sense for where to stick in humor. I can't wait until the next one comes out. (Yes, I'm an adult; yes, I know this is a kid's book; yes, this book is totally worth the $6.00)
Best of the best!!.......2007-04-03
I've been a reader from day one and by far this is the most intense part of the series. I loved that there was a list of characters. I almost forgot some of the ones from the beginning and it was good to get familiar with them again. As I was reading, I felt the momentum of the story pick up towards the middle and then it just sky rocketed!! So much so, I left imprints of my fingers on the front and back cover! I don't want to give any of the storyline away but, I'll just say that I had to read some parts over again because of their emotional intensity and depth (I know, I know....I take these stories too seriously) It's such a great story. You'll definitely love it.
Without saying too much here's a little outline....
Ferus is still with the Empire working as a double agent. He gets sent on a mission back to his homeworld of Bellassa to "help" settle any resistance from the people. He is seen by his people as a traitor but his closest friends of course know the truth. Vader keeps Ferus out of "the know" and it's hard for him to find out the real reasons for the Empire's stay on his home planet. As soon as Ferus gets close to the truth, Vader tears into his soul with hatred from the dark side. In the end, Ferus's will to go on is waning and he finds an offer from Emperor Palpatine extremely appealing.
Ok, now go and buy the book! :)
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