Book Description
The #1 national bestseller--an indispensable document for anyone interested in the Vietnam War. McNamara's controversial book tells the inside and personal story of America's descent into Vietnam from a unique point of view, and is one of the most enlightening books about government ever written. This new edition features a new Foreword by McNamara. of photos. (Military History)
Customer Reviews:
The Hobo Philosopher.......2007-10-11
I give this book five stars because the writing was good and the revelations of historical import and like they used to say on American Bandstand - It had a good beat and was easy to dance to.
In many ways I find Mr. McNamara's exposures rather unbelievable. Nothing that Mr. McNamara had to say brings me closer to democracy or my country. I believe that he is sincere - but that's the scary part.
Mr. McNamara in just speaking frankly, reveals the big problems with our executive class and it ruler ship of America. Some of his explanations (excuses) are scary. Not that there was something clandestine going on but that this is how our intelligentsia and ruling class actually think. I have always known as F. Scott Fitzgerald said that the wealthy aren't like the rest of us but wow! This is really something to read.
What Mark Twain could have done to this guy and his book. Oh brother!
Imperial Bureaucrat.......2007-10-06
We, my wife and I, listened to an abridged audio version discarded by our local public library. Vietnam seems to be ancient history.
We were relieved to learn from Mr. McNamara that killing and mutilating all those Americans and Vietnamese was due to shortcomings in the U.S. Imperial Standard Practice Handbook. That is, another memorandum with just the right distribution list or another meeting with the right agenda would have set everything straight.
We had become concerned over the last half century that our leaders had lost their ethical and moral compasses and had become two-bit chislers after reneging on elecions in Vietnam in the mid 1950s.
There are a couple of things that Mr. McNamara could help us understand. Where do we find a copy of the oil lease assignment maps for Vietnam's South China Sea coast of the early 1960s? The samizdat copies have become unusable. We would also like to know whether the flat earth conservatives gave warning before they struck John?
important.......2007-08-12
I gave this book 5 stars because I believe it is an important historical document. Robert McNamara explains some of his beliefs and reasoning that helped to shape our country's position in Vietnam in the 60's.
There is also information here that may be new to many people , for example, he gives convincing evidence that president Kennedy had decided to begin withdrawal of our personnel by the end of 1963, and have everyone out by 1965.
In chapter 11 , he gives a brief list of our failures in Vietnam and the lessons we can learn from them. I thought his advice in this chapter was excellent, but I fear it will fall on deaf ears. McNamara may well be considered a relic of a bygone age , with nothing to offer the decision makers of today. Too bad.
I also highly recommend the essays , reviews (pro and con) and excerpts in the substantial appendix to the Vintage edition. For example, a surprisingly plausible defense of our country's involvement in Vietnam is given in the article "The Case for War" by W.W. Rostow.
Anyone interested in the Vietnam war should own this book
A good lesson in decision making.......2006-12-04
This should be read by every person who has to make decisions, whether private decisions or those affecting the public.
McNamara illustrates how bad decisions were made, what questions were not asked and how consequences were not fully considered.
One can learn much from their mistakes.
Missed Opportunities.......2006-06-11
McNamara never got to the point his role in the Vietnam disaster. Instead we get to feel that his introduction of stastical control in Pentagon was a triumpth. McNamara to his credit did acknowledge some of his errors in questioning the decisions made, but he was not critical enough on himself not to have put his foot down firmer afterall he did openly agreed in more than once that there was no military solutions to Vietnam. If that was agreed why did he continued to pursue the military strategy? However McNamara continued to push the blame to the hardliners (conservatives faction) within the LBJ administration and the Bumbling generals in Saigon.
However the book did paint a picture how our leaders made decisions, major decisions that have great impacts on our lives without due debate and clear analysis. Its really scary if that is how supposely clever people make decsions!
Book Description
This is a history of economic thought from Adam Smith to John Maynard Keynes--but it is a history with a difference. Firstly, it is history of economic theory, not of economic doctrines. Secondly, it includes detailed Reader's Guides to nine of the major texts of economics in the effort to encourage students to become acquainted at first hand with the writings of all the great economists. This fifth edition adds new Reader's Guides to Walras' Elements of Pure Economics and Keynes' General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money as well as major additions to the chapters on marginal productivity theory, general equilibrium theory and welfare economics.
Customer Reviews:
A poor aproach for economic understanding.......2005-03-29
What can I say about this book? First of all it's very boring ( that's not a bad thing if you're reading Wealth of Nations, but this book it's not worth the try ). Second, it turned out to be a compendium of major economic schools and a poorly "guide to" major economic topics. This book seem more like the personal Blaug's survey on Smith, Ricardo, some of the Austrian School, Marx and company.
Not recomendable although it can provide some insights on the things one should know about economics ( anyway books alike will give you that at least ).
Reader can try Rothbard's "History of Economic Thought" or Schumpeter's "History of Economic Analysis".
Good synopsis but poor analysis.......2002-11-29
I have always felt uneasy with this book since I was an under graduated student, 30 years ago. This is undoubtedly a quiet useful book for anyone who needs a bird's-eye view of the classics in economics. If you don't have time to read Smith's Wealth of Nations or Marshall's Principles, here you have the book you need. However, it is not here that you can look for a good analysis of the meaning and implications of the main schools of economic thought, as well as the relevance of the work of its most distinguished authors and their social and intellectual environment. That is reason why I always preferred Schumpeter's History of Economic Analysis. Today, that I am lecturing this course my dissatisfaction has increased, among other reasons because you have more and better textbooks, such as Lionel Robbins' History of Economic Thought, Mark Skoussen's Making of Modern Economics, or Jürg Niehams' History of Economic Theory, which I really enjoyed reading because they try to make a portrayal of the intellectual and human stature of the most important economists of all times and their background.
Good synopsis but poor analysis.......2002-11-29
I have always felt uneasy with this book since I was an under graduated student, 30 years ago. This is undoubtedly a quiet useful book for anyone who needs a bird's-eye view of the classics in economics. If you don't have time to read Smith's Wealth of Nations or Marshall's Principles, here you have the book you need. However, it is not here that you can look for a good analysis of the meaning and implications of the main schools of economic thought, as well as the relevance of the work of its most distinguished authors and their social and intellectual environment. That is reason why I always preferred Schumpeter's History of Economic Analysis. Today, that I am lecturing this course my dissatisfaction has increased, among other reasons because you have more and better textbooks, such as Lionel Robbins' History of Economic Thought, Mark Skoussen's Making of Modern Economics, or Jürg Niehams' History of Economic Theory, which I really enjoyed reading because they try to make a portrayal of the intellectual and human stature of the most important economists of all times and their background.
good for econ dudes.......2001-08-30
as an econ major i found this book highly informative and interesting. however, if you are not mathematically inclined you might find some of the models and graphs difficult to follow, especially the ones involving differential equations.
but if you are an econ dude, this book is great. lots of insight about how commonly used theories and models came about. well written for the most part, but somewhat wordy at times.
Too much lopsided for my taste........2001-01-15
The problem with this book is that it offers an astounding bibliography, being therefore a mandatory list to further readings, but unfortunately it is entirely teleological, as it considers neoclessic economics of the most conservative kind to represent the acme of all economic thinking.
Book Description
Continuing developments in strategic thinking, econometric methods, technology and competition make it necessary to revisit the ideals and achievements of the Profit Impact of Marketing Strategy (PIMS) project to explore unresolved issues and discover new potential. This book assesses PIMS' contribution to research and practice. New ways of thinking about, and working with, the strategy are offered, and the effectiveness of the original project is explored.
Book Description
Take one dead lothario; add his jealous wife accused of his murder; toss in a devoted daughter who wants to clear her mother's name, and you get one of the greatest challenges of Hercule Poirot's career.
Customer Reviews:
I found this fun; not everyone is so enthusiastic.......2007-01-04
A great book for Agatha fans. Not a place to start for newbies. But good work.
Agatha Christie gets me every time.......2006-03-26
Even in a book such as this, when I was sure that I was figuring out the solution on my own, Agatha Christie turns it around and fools me again. What I find incredible about her writing is that even at this point, when she had written almost twenty Poirot novels, the quality, characterization, and suspense is not diminished at all. I was as surprised after this book as I have been with any other Poirot (excepting a few of the truly remarkable ones). Don't hesitate to read this book and every book both before and after it.
Book Review.......2005-10-31
Sixteen long years ago, Amyas Crayle was cruelly poisoned at his country home while painting a portrait. The convicted criminal, his wife Caroline, died two years later in prison and now their daughter Carla is on the search for the true murderer to set the record straight. So whom does she go to? The best of the best, of course: Hercule Poirot.
After weeks of research and interviewing, the detective gathers the individuals involved with the Crayle murder: Philip and Meredith Blake, Ms. Williams, Angela Warren, and Lady Dittsham, then a young Elsa Greer. At their meeting, Poirot revisits the day in question, combining all of the written accounts given to him by the five acquaintances. Amyas had been painting Elsa's portrait by the water drinking his beloved beer while on the other side of the estate, Meredith had just rowed across the lake to join his brother on a search for a toxic chemical that had gone missing from his laboratory. Mrs. Crayle, ignoring the fact her husband was about to leave her and Carla for Elsa, walked with Ms. Williams to the cellar to fetch Amyas another bottle of beer. They discover her half sister Angela tampering with a bottle, the very same one Amyas claimed was foul before he died. Who could have killed the brilliant artist? This marvelous conclusion will leave readers in awe.
Agatha Christie sets the crime in the perfect country getaway where no one would every think of such a cold murder. The manor is by a small lake, with a small dusty road as it's only connection to the rest of the world. Meredith Blake is the Crayles' only remaining neighbor who has been their only company all of these years.
The characters in the story are the most untypical people to be friends. Along with Amyas the moody artist, Philip Blake is a London banker and drinker who is used to the finer things. Angela is Mrs. Crayle's half sister who she scarred for life early on when Caroline threw a paperweight at her. She doesn't like Amyas, but enjoys pulling practical jokes on her brother in law. Finally there is Ms. Williams, the very conservative governess who disapproves of Mr. Crayle's behavior towards his wife in the situation at hand.
In the end, Poirot explains who had really murdered Amyas Crayle so long ago. Caroline had sent letters to Angela and Carla, thought when you'd think she'd comfort her young daughter, she repeatedly reassures her sister. Why? Unless, Caroline thinks Carla had poisoned Amyas and went to jail for her to repay her injuring Angela. But the beer bottle taken from Angela and given to Amyas didn't have the poison the beer glass did. So who really killed Amyas? The only person who overheard him confess his love to his wife earlier on, the one who took the poison from Meredith's lab on a previous visit who claimed Caroline took it: Elsa Greer.
This brilliant novel is just another example of the fascinating mind of Agatha Christie. "Five Little Pigs" is a true classic sure to survive generations of mystery fans
R. Turner
The Best.......2005-08-07
Being a great Agatha Christie fan, and having read all of the Poirot series, as well as many many others, I have to say that "Five Little Pigs" is truly one of the greatest, and happens to be my personal favorite. The effect of the ending is one of goosebumps. Truly an incredible book.
Dame Agatha and her twisted nursery rhymes!.......2005-06-26
This 1941 novel opens with a young woman asking Poirot to solve a crime that occurred 16 years before. She, understandably enough, would like to know if her mother really had killed her father. Sympathetic and intrigued, Poirot agrees to look into the matter. He finds that there were five suspects, the little piggy who went to market, the one who stayed home, the one who had roast beef, the one who had none and the one who cried all the way home. One of these had killed but which one? All the stories conflicted some insisting that the wife had committed the murder, others equally certain that she had not.
In the end of course Poirot is triumphant but not until he has followed a long cold twisting tale of marital relations, infidelities, unrequited love, misguided loyalties, guilt and stormy adolescence.
As always Christie has left the clues available for the reader to follow but has plotted such a tight and clever mystery that it would be a challenge to arrive at the solution before Poirot. It is also a statement to the era the novel was written (the '40's) and Christie's skill and style that a story about adultery has absolutely no overt sex scenes.
This novel was also previously released in the US as MURDER IN RETROSPECT.
Average customer rating:
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A retrospect
James Hudson Taylor
Manufacturer: Review and Herald Pub. Association
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
 Missions & Missionary Work
| Evangelism
| Christianity
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
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ASIN: B00087K84S |
Book Description
The first retrospective of the work of Ray Ellis, a celebrated American artist acclaimed for his paintings of Martha's Vineyard and the Lowcountry of Georgia and South Carolina.
With an insightful text by a noted American art specialist and vibrant, color-infused images, this dazzlingly beautiful book reveals the full breadth of Ray Ellis's remarkable career. While Ellis is often described as an Impressionist because of his loose brushwork, bright color, and interest in light and atmosphere, his work is naturalistic and closer to realism. Equally talented in oils and watercolors, he interprets the many sights and locales he has seen. In addition to marine subjects and coastal landscapes for which he is best known, this volume also presents his finest still lifes and paintings of cityscapes and travels. The works span several decades from the early 1960s through his most recent paintings. Ray Ellis In Retrospect: A Painter's Journey also includes an illustrated, autobiographical essay by Ray Ellis and a chronology. Now in his eighth decade, Ellis continues to be passionate about painting. Still studying and experimenting, his greatest pleasure is to begin his next work striving to "do the best painting" he has ever done.
Other Details: 135 illustrations, 125 in full-color
Book Description
Was the U.S. doomed to lose the exasperating struggle in Vietnam--or was it a war that could, and should , have been won?
Book Description
Ever since Brevard Childs's 1970 declaration of the crisis in biblical theology, the discipline has faced rumors of its imminent demise. But the patient refuses to die. The doctors continue to argue over how to proceed with treatment and even over whether treatment is worth pursuing, but the patient hangs on.The turn of the millennium appears to be a good time for a fresh assessment of the discipline, where it has been, the status of various questions within it and its future prospects. Scott Hafemann pulls together a crack team of practitioners, scholars from the disciplines of both Old and New Testament studies, to give us a status report.After an introductory essay by Hafemann looking back on recent history, John H. Sailhammer (Southeastern Baptist), Brian G. Toews (Philadelphia College of the Bible), William J. Dumbrell (Presbyterian Theological Centre, Australia), Stephen G. Dempster (Atlantic Baptist), Richard Schults (Wheaton College), Gerald H. Wilson (Asuza Pacific) and M. Jay Wells chart the current state of Old Testament questions. James M. Scott (Trinity Western), Andreas J. K and ouml;stenberger (Southeaster Baptist), G. K. Beale (Wheaton College) and Peter Stuhlmacher (T and uuml;bingen) examine the state of New Testament studies. Questions surrounding the unity of the Bible are explored by Christopher R. Seitz (St. Andrew's, Scotland), Nicholas Perrin (Westminster Abbey), Stephen E. Fowl (Loyola-Baltimore), Daniel Pl Fuller (Fuller Theological Seminary) and Ted M. Dornan (Taylor University). The prognosis for biblical theology is then suggested by Paul R. House (Wheaton College) and Graeme Goldsworthy (Moore Theological College, Australia).
Customer Reviews:
The Good, the Okay, and the Unorthodox.......2005-04-20
Once in a while you stumble upon a theological book that enlightens you, edifies you, and confuses you all at the same time. This book is one of those books that does that to the reader. I will first say the positive things about the book before discussing the negatives. The book is divided into four sections dealing with the OT, the NT, the unity of the Bible, and the prospect of biblical theology in that order (so the reader will get a clear idea what the writer is discussing about).
Positives:
This book does contain some pretty good essays. OT essays by John Sailhamer and William Dumbrell were well written (Richard Schultz essay on the various modern OT theology methods might be valuable to those doing research on the OT). James M. Scott, Andreas Kostenberger, and G. K. Beale also wrote good essays from a NT perspective. Paul House's essay will make many people rethink their methods on how to do biblical theology. Graeme Goldsworthy's short essay is a nice way to top it all off by linking the importance of (correct) biblical theology with theological formation, education, and ministry.
Negatives:
Unfortunately, there are a couple of essays that are sour disappointments. The first one is Daniel Fuller's essay "Progressive Dispensationalism and the Law/Gospel Contrast" (pp. 237-48). Fuller has found another theological paradigm to attack to further his anti-sola fide agenda. Like his previous critique on Reformed covenant theology and classical dispensationalism, he argues that progressive dispensationalism also dichotimizes the law and Gospel (you could also say he has no fondness for Lutheranism and New Covenant Theology). He refutes the law/gospel dichotomy of PD by examining six "corners" of the debate. In fact, he says some things that might make traditional Protestants wearisome: "Commandments that bring mercy to those obeying them--these are laws of faith" (p. 245). Is Fuller suggesting that grace-driven law-keeping is a means of obtaining God's salvific mercy? If so, Fuller's traditionalist critics are correct when they say that he has departed from justification by faith alone (those who don't recognize this are being dishonest and inconsistent). Another essay that should cause many to worry is Ted Dorman's "The Future of Biblical Theology" (pp. 250-63). Dorman's goal of ecumenical dialogue has made him slip outside the boundaries of orthodox Protestantism. His advocacy of the "works of the Law" as "legalism" is not supported by most commentators. Also, he likes the idea of fusing justification with sanctification (p. 262). He even candidly admits that "the Reformers introduced a 'notional distinction' between justification (imputed righteousness) and sanctification (infused righteousness) where none had previously existed" (Ibid). Dorman can claim to be semi-Catholic or semi-Protestant (more accurately, he follows the view of righteousness advocated by the German school), but he definitely does not fit the bill of an orthodox Protestant.
Overall, a good work. Scott Hafemann's inclusion of the essays by Fuller and Dorman pretty much reveals where he lies on the soteriological spectrum (Hafemann follows closely with Fuller's view of the Law). Having said that, the book should be read by those interested in learning more about biblical theology and how it relates to ministry and personal sanctification.
Average customer rating:
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Rural Development in China: Prospect and Retrospect
Hsiao-tung Fei
Manufacturer: University Of Chicago Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Economic Policy & Development
| Economics
| Business & Investing
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General
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| Nonfiction
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General
| Sociology
| Social Sciences
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Rural
| Sociology
| Social Sciences
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General
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All Titles
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
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Business & Investing
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
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Nonfiction
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
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ASIN: 0226239608 |
Book Description
This collection of essays written from 1947-1986 by Fei Hsiao-tung, China's most distinguished sociologist and anthropologist, presents a rich and representative sampling of the research that has characterized his long career. In 1936, Fei conducted field work in Kaixian'gong, a village in Jiangsu province in east China. This village became the subject of his now classic study Peasant Life in China, in which he argued that, because of China's huge population and the scarcity of cultivable land, household industries such as production of raw silk were vital to the peasants' economic survival. His conclusions, long rejected by China's policymakers, have recently been embraced by the government under the political leadership of Deng Xiaopeng.
Returning to Kaixian'gong in 1957 and again in the 1980s, Fei examined the changes that had occurred since his initial research. Three essays that resulted from these follow-up studies are included in this collection, providing a rare summary and analysis of developments in the village between 1936 and 1986. Also included here are four articles based on Fei's 1983-84 research in other areas of Jiangsu province. His explorations of the contrast between the wealth of southern Jiangsu and the long-standing poverty of the northern half of the province address key issues of public policy in China today. Useful to students of rural sociology as well as of Chinese history, politics, economics, and anthropology, this collection will provide an overview not only of developments in the small towns of China but also of Fei's thought.
Books:
- In Search of Memory: The Emergence of a New Science of Mind
- Japan Rising: The Resurgence of Japanese Power And Purpose
- Killing Grounds (Kate Shugak Mysteries)
- Kingdom Come: The Final Victory: The Final Victory (Left Behind #13)
- Knuffle Bunny (Bccb Blue Ribbon Picture Book Awards (Awards))
- Magic Tree House Boxed Set 1, Books 1-4: Dinosaurs Before Dark, The Knight at Dawn, Mummies in the Morning, and Pirates Past Noon
- Malicious Intent : A Writer's Guide to How Murderers, Robbers, Rapists and Other Criminals Think (The Howdunit)
- Management: Challenges for Tomorrow's Leaders (with InfoTrac® 1-Semester)
- Mapping the World of the Sorcerer's Apprentice (Harry Potter) (Smart Pop series)
- Marching to the Drums: Eyewitness Accounts of War from the Charge of the Light Brigade to the Siege of Ladysmith
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Argument Without End: In Search of Answers to the Vietnam Tragedy
Wilson's Ghost: Reducing the Risk of Conflict, Killing, and Catastrophe in the 21st Century
The Fog of War: Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara
Vietnam: A History
Dereliction of Duty: Johnson, McNamara, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the Lies That Led to Vietnam
