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Crimes Against Liberty: An Indictment of President Barack Obama / SalesRank : 9

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Crimes Against Liberty: An Indictment of President Barack Obama
Author : David Limbaugh

Amazon Price : $16.47 45%($13.48) OFF
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Hardcover [ Regnery Press ] [ Release : 2010 / 08 / 23 ]
ISBN : 9781596986244 / ASIN(ISBN-10) : 1596986247
[ ListPrice : $29.95 ] [ Used Price:$14.99 ]

Average Customer Review :

3.5stars [ See more reviews ]
This book uses no real evidence to back up a single one of the ranting, raving claims. Uses the usual fear-mongering tactics. Garbage.

This book uses no real evidence to back up a single one of the ranting, raving claims. Uses the usual fear-mongering tactics. Garbage.

1stars - "Red Herring and Fear-Mongering" (B. Force)
Like his brother Rush, David Limbaugh is a hate-monger. He claims that he proves--beyond a reasonable--doubt that President Obama is guilty of crimes against liberty. If anything, these pages prove--beyond a reasonable doubt--that character besmirching runs in the family.

Like his brother Rush, David Limbaugh is a hate-monger. He claims that he proves--beyond a reasonable--doubt that President Obama is guilty of crimes against liberty. If anything, these pages prove--beyond a reasonable doubt--that character besmirching runs in the family.

1stars - "Mindless drivel from another conservative nutjob" (Tricky Nicky)

It is AMAZING how Liberals refuse to understand FACTs vs the Fiction Obama has told them. So easily led it is Pathetic.
David has nailed it on what obama is and what he has done to try to destroy America.
I can not wait to see obama and some of the Dems up on charges of Treason! Maybe some of his Marxist, Maoist, Communist, and Socialist Czars and terrorist Pals can join him in jail.
All in due time!

5stars - "Liberals are Afraid of the truth and FACTS." (momo)
This is just another far right conspiracy theory. This book is written for people who hate Obama and dont have an open mind. thats the only people who are gonna read this, people who just want to bash Obama. These people are just as bad as Bush bashers a few years ago.

This is just another far right conspiracy theory. This book is written for people who hate Obama and dont have an open mind. thats the only people who are gonna read this, people who just want to bash Obama. These people are just as bad as Bush bashers a few years ago.

1stars - "weak" (Robert Vanderstelt)

This is a GREAT book! Whether our President is a Muslim, or Christian, I guess you'd have to ask a higher source than David Limbaugh or this reviewer. But I do know that this President was high on promises, brilliant on the campaign trail but has come up woefully short on performance. This book reflects this fact in great detail and I am not quite done... Alot of the problem is that he chose idealogues and people from Academia USA and no one from the private sector or business. Not one of his appointee's has run a business or had to meet a payroll. He governs from the far left and he is President of a Country that is center right. We still live in a Republic, or at least we do THIS WEEK. That means that they work for us, not the other way around. Both Obama and the ruling elite (Pelosi&Reid) have largely ignored the people and rammed every radical agenda that can and will bankrupt this once great Republic! What we have all seen and what this books reveals is that for what could be the 1st time in our lives, we have a President whose whose word is no longer a message that can be trusted. In short, we can no longer believe him.

This book is sad because it just shows so many of us what we are afraid to face. Lastly, ignore all of the diatribe and nasty 1 star reviewers, they are the same people that go from conservative book to conservative book and trash it, They don't read these books, but they review them like they did. It's sad, I think Glenn Beck has a school for them...

5stars - "I'm a Believer!" (Daniel J. Kordik)

Outliers: The Story of Success / SalesRank : 18

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Outliers: The Story of Success
Author : Malcolm Gladwell

Amazon Price : $11.67 58%($16.32) OFF
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Hardcover [ Little, Brown and Company ] [ Release : 2008 / 11 / 18 ]
ISBN : 9780316017923 / ASIN(ISBN-10) : 0316017922
[ ListPrice : $27.99 ] [ Used Price:$8.63 ]

Average Customer Review :

4.0stars [ See more reviews ]

This was a required book for my college English Lit class. It was an easy read and doing a report on it was also easy. However, after the opening hook, it relies on anecdotes and junk science. Read it for fun, and its few thought provoking moments. But if you are a parent, don't use this as a gauge for Little Johnny or Jane's future because they weren't born in the right time or at the right place. It's good for an A in an English class, but that's about all.

3stars - "Got me an easy A in English Lit but otherwise, don't bother." (Armymom)

"Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell is an extremely well-written, insightful, and fascinating evaluation of what external factors in a person's life lead to success or failure. The book also examines the effects culture has on people and how those effects influence peoples' lives.

Gladwell writes: "The sense of possibility so necessary for success comes not just from inside us or from our parents. It comes from our time: from the particular opportunities that our particular place in history presents us with."

Gladwell writes about the microcomputer revolution and tells us most successful entrepreneurs during that revolution were born in the mid-1950s. This made them just old enough to take advantage of the microcomputer revolution that began in the mid-1970s.

Gladwell concludes: "I don't mean to suggest, of course, that every software tycoon in Silicon Valley was born in 1955. Some weren't .... But there are very clearly patterns here, and what's striking is how little we seem to want to acknowledge them. We pretend that success is exclusively a matter of individual merit. ... Their success was not just of their own making. It was a product of the world in which they grew up."

Not only is the year of birth important, but, surprisingly, the month of birth is sometimes crucial too. In his outstanding chapter, "The Matthew Effect," Gladwell examines the months of birth of star athletes and shows that when junior sports have eligibility cut-off dates, the effects of those cut-off date propagates all the way up to the professional level of play.

For example, in Canada, most professional hockey players are born in January. The next most popular birth months are February and March. Forty percent of professional Canadian hockey players are born in these months. Thirty percent are born in the next three months of April to June, and only 20 percent are born between October and December. Why is this?

Gladwell explains: "It's simply that in Canada the eligibility cutoff for age-class hockey is January 1. A boy who turns ten on January 2, then, could be playing alongside someone who doesn't turn ten until the end of the year--and, at that age, in preadolescence, a twelve-month gap in age represents an enormous difference in physical maturity."

The implications of this sort of "self-fulfilling prophecy" are important to parents. Gladwell says parents often contemplate holding children who are born at the end of the calendar year back from kindergarten until they are a bit more mature. Gladwell says many parents probably decide to enroll the kids anyway because they assume any disadvantage the child suffers will go away with time. "But it doesn't. It's just like hockey. The small initial advantage that the child born in the early part of the year has over the child born at the end of the year persists. It locks children into patterns of achievement and underachievement, encouragement and discouragement, that stretch on and on for years[,]" concludes Gladwell.

Gladwell writes about the academic and career advantages children born to richer parents have over children born to less affluent parents. Richer parents and financially poor parents have markedly different parenting styles. Richer parents tend to cultivate their kids, shuttle them between different activities, encourage them to interact with the adult world, and advocate strongly for them. Gladwell says poorer parents often believe children will just grow up and develop on their own. They also view the child's world as relatively inconsequential and separate from their adult world. Impoverished parents are often intimidated by authority, so they don't seek special privileges for their children. Children from more affluent homes learn social skills that help them succeed in life. On the downside, children from more affluent homes are often more self-centered and, literally, spoiled.

What about the role of public or private education in determining how well children do? Gladwell addresses this in detail in a well-woven chapter titled "Marita's Bargain." He tells us the story of a young girl named Marita who attends an intensive school in the Bronx called KIPP Academy. The students put in massive amounts of time, and they do exceptionally well, especially in math. It reminded me of the film "Sand and Deliver." Come to school early, stay late, come in on Saturday, and work through the summer. Yep, that'll do it.

While many politicians talk about the need to improve schools in impoverished areas, Gladwell tells us the achievement gap between poorer and richer students actually occurs during summer vacation, when poorer students lose ground academically. Gladwell concludes: "Virtually all of the advantage that wealthy students have over poor students is the result of the differences in the way privileged kids learn while they are not in school. ... For its poorest students, America doesn't have a school problem. It has a summer vacation problem..." It becomes clear the majority of American students would benefit from much shorter summer vacations.

To be good in math requires effort. And, the cultures of many countries encourages students to work hard and instills the belief that if they work hard, they will learn. All students are expected to succeed. In America, by contrast, there is more of a false belief that talent in math is innate. Gladwell shows us that cultural differences can affect learning. Drawing upon the book "The Number Sense" by Stanislas Dehaene, we learn that Asians may have a built-in cultural advantage in learning math. In particular, the Chinese have shorter words for numbers, which allows them to remember more numbers.

For example, Gladwell tells us that only about half of Americans can remember the sequence of 4,8,5,3,9,7,6 after 20 seconds of study. Yet, nearly all Chinese can remember the sequence, because the Chinese language allows all those numbers to be said in a two-second period.

I highly recommend "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell. The book is very well written and packed with insight.

5stars - "Interesting Read About Factors Contributing To Success" (Peter Hupalo)

Although the factors author Malcolm Gladwell puts forth as coming into play and the data he uses to support his claims about outliers, which he describes as, (p 17), "men and women who do things that are out of the ordinary," are generally interesting, most are unsurprising. He contends that, (p 18) "there is something profoundly wrong with the way we make sense of success," and (p 19) "People don't rise from nothing...they are invariably the beneficiaries of hidden advantages and extraordinary opportunities and cultural legacies that allow them to learn and work hard and make sense of the world in ways that others cannot." One wouldn't need much more than a little common sense to conclude that a person needs more than just a high IQ to achieve success (the other required component he calls, "practical intelligence"). The same is true for such things as the fact that athletes (and students) with birth dates placing them on the elder end of the spectrum of those making up a pool of potential standouts in academics and athletics do better than their youngest peers. Having a special talent (low supply) at the right time in history (high demand) is also likely to yield benefits. That children of parents who teach them special skills; kids who place the value of hard work over that of innate intelligence; and those who spend a significant time practicing their craft (independent of their initial aptitude for it) have a higher chance of success is also no surprise.

My biggest gripe about the data, of which most of us know can often be framed with a little effort to support opposing views, is that about education. Specifically, Gladwell contends that (p 259) "[between] September and June...Schools work," in support of his claim that (p 258), "when it comes to reading skills, poor kids learn nothing when school is not in session." I agree that one of the reasons that other countries' students perform better than American kids academically is that their students' schools are in session longer, but I disagree wholeheartedly that kids from poor families do comparably well as those from middle and high income families during the school year. In my state, Washington, low-income students (those who qualify for free or reduced price lunch) overwhelmingly perform significantly worse on state tests (WASL/MSP) than those who don't by a wide margin in every tested subject and in every tested grade.

In summary, while Outliers provides food for thought (and plenty of facts and figures), Gladwell's primary contention, that several fortuitous circumstances combined trump one single significant factor when it comes to predicting a person's success, is simply sensible. Better: The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Steven Covey, Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder, and On the Ridge Between Life and Death by David Roberts.

3stars - "That multiple factors contribute to an individual's likelihood of achieving success is clearly common sense." (Julee Rudolf)

Outliers is a fantastic read. If Gladwell started out this book with the intention of changing one's perspective on how success is achieved, he has without a doubt succeeded.

He breaks down success with the 10,000 hour rule and the legacy of culture, all of which make perfect sense. If you have not realized yet, Gladwell has the uncanny ability to point out things that we overlook. He does it flawlessly here with stories of successful software billionaires, lawyers and doctors.

An interesting bit in this book is as personal as it gets, Gladwell's breakdown of his mother as an outlier. A set of perfectly timed events centuries ago that result in her ending up in Canada.

The word Interesting does not do justice to this book. I highly recommend it.

5stars - "Malcom Gladwell does it again" (A. Samtani)
I was very intrigued by the first half of the book. Great ideas regarding the influence birthday cutoffs have on our future development path. However, the second half seemed to wander and I didn't feel there was a connection to the concepts presented in the first half.

I would recommend this book, but it didn't quite live up to the hype for me.

Rami

I was very intrigued by the first half of the book. Great ideas regarding the influence birthday cutoffs have on our future development path. However, the second half seemed to wander and I didn't feel there was a connection to the concepts presented in the first half.

I would recommend this book, but it didn't quite live up to the hype for me.

Rami

4stars - "Intriguing book" (Rami Shultz)

Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time / SalesRank : 29

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Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time
Author : Greg Mortenson David Oliver Relin

Amazon Price : $8.49 47%($7.51) OFF
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Paperback [ Penguin Books ] [ Release : 2007 / 01 / 30 ]
ISBN : 9780143038252 / ASIN(ISBN-10) : 0143038257
[ ListPrice : $16.00 ] [ Used Price:$3.30 ]

Average Customer Review :

4.5stars [ See more reviews ]

Sadly, there are a small percentage of people reviewing this book who are simply cynical and mean-spirited. The message of this book is not about Greg Mortenson, it is about what one person can do when they put their mind to it. I've never been so hopeful and inpsired by one person's persistence. What he is doing is selfless and amazing and you cannot help but want to get involved. I will recommend this book to ALL my friends and family! I think everyone should be informed of this story and the work that's being done to help so many children. This book is also an excellent page-turner! It read like a movie and kept me on my toes of what was to come next.
At the very least, you will get an up-close and personal look at what life is really like in Pakistan and at the most you will be inspired to commit some works of kindness yourself!

5stars - "Life-changing inspiration" (Amanda K. Lyons)

Greg Mortenson's love for the people surrounding K2 mountain is what drove him to the depth of care and concern that he could muster up to keep going back to a country at war, to provide schools for children who didn't have anything left but this. How sweet the story is of Greg's determination to reach out to a people, who from no fault of their own, at war with the world since the dawn of time, to enable their girls to feel a part of the human race and not subserviants to it. Thanks to the great people working with Greg to keep the fires burning and for luck on his side. If it weren't for luck, sometimes I wonder if Greg wouldn't have had the success he did. Or maybe it was the sheer fact of dumb luck that got him going. Sometimes you just have to believe that the stars aline, that something larger than yourself is listening in and guiding the way. And so you, too, can read this book and feel the intensity of the trip Greg took to make this happen. I highly recommend you to read Three Cups of Tea, one sip at a time.

5stars - "What the world needs now, is love sweet love" (Joy Smith)

Amazing Story. As inspiring and adventurous as this book is, it also leaves a lasting impression of the determination of human spirit. The concept of pluralism is well captured by the deeds and words of people involved....My personal connection to story came when I realized that I was hiking around Skardu in August 1995 while Greg Mortenson was planting the initial seeds of his good deeds by building a bridge several miles north. From my personal experience I can validate Mortenson journey and it remained real from start till end.

5stars - "The determination of human spirit" (Mehrab Momin)
Amazing story of one man's mission to bring peace to the world, starting with one of the most difficult areas on the planet. I've never felt so inspired by a true story. He is so right, this is the way out of all the hatred and fear in the middle East. I think this is a MUST READ for every human being.

Amazing story of one man's mission to bring peace to the world, starting with one of the most difficult areas on the planet. I've never felt so inspired by a true story. He is so right, this is the way out of all the hatred and fear in the middle East. I think this is a MUST READ for every human being.

5stars - "Incredibly inspiring story of faith and courage" (K. Skillern)
This well written documentary about the Muslim world helps to dispell the anxiety, suspicion and fear we may have toward Islam. It warmed my heart and I couldn't put it down.

This well written documentary about the Muslim world helps to dispell the anxiety, suspicion and fear we may have toward Islam. It warmed my heart and I couldn't put it down.

5stars - "Three Cups of Tea." (Sandra J. Schulze)

The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals / SalesRank : 39

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The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals
Author : Michael Pollan

Amazon Price : $7.71 52%($8.29) OFF
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Paperback [ Penguin ] [ Release : 2007 / 08 / 28 ]
ISBN : 9780143038580 / ASIN(ISBN-10) : 0143038583
[ ListPrice : $16.00 ] [ Used Price:$6.50 ]

Average Customer Review :

4.5stars [ See more reviews ]
There are no words to describe how much I enjoyed this book! Pollan makes learning about our many food systems fun and interesting. I never thought I would enjoy reading about the origins of meat, giving that I have been a vegetarian for most of my life. Now I know what to tell people when they ask me why I don't eat at McDonald's or why I choose to be a vegetarian. Bravo Michael!

There are no words to describe how much I enjoyed this book! Pollan makes learning about our many food systems fun and interesting. I never thought I would enjoy reading about the origins of meat, giving that I have been a vegetarian for most of my life. Now I know what to tell people when they ask me why I don't eat at McDonald's or why I choose to be a vegetarian. Bravo Michael!

5stars - "Loved, loved, LOVED this book!" (Jenny Clark)
Michael Pollan has put together a fantastic view of the industrial food complex. His experiences in the Iowa corn fields, contrasted by his time spent on an organic farm, make for a very thought-provoking story. After reading The Omnivore's Dilemma, grocery shopping will never be the same. Engaging from the get-go, this eye opening book is a must read.

Michael Pollan has put together a fantastic view of the industrial food complex. His experiences in the Iowa corn fields, contrasted by his time spent on an organic farm, make for a very thought-provoking story. After reading The Omnivore's Dilemma, grocery shopping will never be the same. Engaging from the get-go, this eye opening book is a must read.

5stars - "Fantastic insight into industrial food" (J. Clouse)
This is shipped to my college so quick. it takes about two days from my ordering date till I actually got it.

This is shipped to my college so quick. it takes about two days from my ordering date till I actually got it.

5stars - "shipping was quick, book is new & good!" (sofie79)

This is a truly marvellous book - a must read for anybody interested in knowing more about what they eat, where it originally came from and how it got to their plates. The sheer breadth of topics discussed is mind-boggling. The perils of modern industrial food production. The smokescreens behind which these dangers are hidden and those which we choose not to see. Until, of course, a salmonella infection hits us. The wastages involved in this process. Are big organic companies truly organic? How food "grown" on a small scale, in harmony with nature, is probably the best solution. On the scalability of these methods. What it takes to prepare a meal from scratch - yes, really really scratch. And, much more.

There is no ranting, no speculation. Just cold, incisive analysis. Pollan's clarity of thought, elegant writing style and above all, his drive to keep asking questions until he gets to the root of the matter makes this book special.

5stars - "An eye-opener" (Sriram)

Before I read this book, I thought I was eating smart...but this well researched, fascinating look at the food industry really opened my eyes in a big way. I will never eat or look at food the same way again. What's more, because you know so much about the food you put in your mouth, it is MUCH easier to make healthy choices. You will have a laundry list of incentives behind why you should avoid processed or fast food that is much more convincing than the issue of "dieting" or "calorie counting." If you are a parent, I especially believe you have a responsibility to educate yourself so you can help your kids avoid the obesity epidemic that has gripped their generation.

5stars - "Life changing, must read!" (J. King)

A Journey: My Political Life / SalesRank : 8

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A Journey: My Political Life
Author : Tony Blair

Amazon Price : $19.25 45%($15.75) OFF
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Hardcover [ Knopf ] [ Release : 2010 / 09 / 02 ]
ISBN : 9780307269836 / ASIN(ISBN-10) : 0307269833
[ ListPrice : $35.00 ] [ Used Price:$17.99 ]

Average Customer Review :

4.5stars [ See more reviews ]

5stars - "A series of worrying admissions from a once very powerful man." (Ned Middleton)

First my objective analysis: Blair was Labor leader in 1994, and rode that position to become Prime minister in 1997 with the biggest victory in Labor's history. The book contains 22 chapters covering the period 1997 to 2007. There is a chapter dealing with 2007 - 2010 which are issues that are current and subsequent to his service as Prime Minister. As you know all biography is subjective and selective, and this book is no less so than others. The book's most interesting chapters are:

3) New Labor

5) Princess Diane

6) Peace in Northern Ireland

8) Kosovo

12) 9/11 "Shoulder to Shoulder"

My Subjective Analysis": Tony Blair can write, no ifs, ands, or buts about it. You know an author is at the very top of his form when he can put together sentences in such a way that you say to yourself, if I had a month to think about it, I don't think I could have put it any better.

An example is in the introduction, where Blair states the American burden is that it wants to be loved, but knows it can't be. Love is given to nations with which we sympathize...powerful nations aren't loved...they have to be feared by their enemies.

Blair also seems to be excellent at understanding the world leaders that he developed extensive personal and long relationships with. This includes Vladimir Putin, Clinton, Bush, and now Obama. Listen in just a few words at what awaits you:

Bill Clinton - The Prime Minister found Clinton to be, "The most formidable politician I ever met, actually a brilliant President. He made it at times look easy."

George W. Bush - Blair thought Bush was straight forward and direct. He says about Bush, "The stupidest misconception was that he was stupid" - great intuition, less about politics, more about he thought was right and wrong.

Barack Obama - This was a very interesting observation. "This is a man with steel in every part of him."

You will love his candid analysis of all the major players in the world. However as is true in most autobiographic materials, Blair is less candid about himself and his shortcomings. There is very little about his upbringing or what brought him to his political beliefs. Regarding Iraq he is unapologetic about leading his country to war when there were no weapons of mass destruction. It seems he is trying to sway history here, more than the current reader.

Blair also states that his interest in religion was greater than his interest in politics, but then tells us nothing about how his religious beliefs have impacted and shaped his political beliefs. All in all this is a GREAT READ, and I urge you to do so, if only to get a wonderful understanding of how a foreign leader who had an understanding of America in this time viewed our country through his own informed lens.

Blair will always be remembered as the man who brought the Labor Party into the 21st century by getting rid of the concept of nationalization, and let's disarm by ourselves. He also was quite eloquent in explaining our President's position on Iraq better than our President was. Small failing's aside, I think you will love reading this book, and thank you for reading this review.

Richard C. Stoyeck

5stars - "Fabulous Read of the Life of a Charismatic Prime Minister !!!" (Richard Stoyeck)

A real slog getting through all those pages but eminently informative and entertaining if you stick with it. Blair was, in my view,one of the few competent, honest, and courageous politicians I've ever experienced or read of. There is far too much ground covered in the book to offer any true 'review'. I feel poorly to see people (such as Mr. Assim, who has also reviewed this text)be so profoundly influenced by left wing media or ideology. They just don't seem to get it. Hussein did his level best to convince his enemies (and, in the process, the rest of the world was also convinced), that he had high levels of WMD. In fact much WMD was discovered, albeit not nuclear. In my view,most responsible people in the free world would have reacted the same way as Blair and Bush. Has Assim considered where Iraq would be today had Hussein not been toppled? Likley it would be on the same short list with Iran and North Korea. This book, in my view, offers enough insight to Blair to reinforce the views expressed above.

5stars - "Enightening and Refreshing" (T. Conom)

When you already know so much about the Author, such as the taking a country to war based on lies, it's difficult not to ask the question: how do we know what he says is true? after all there is more scrutiny in government then at the publishers.

He states: "I feel desperately sorry for them, sorry for the lives cut short, sorry for the families whose bereavement is made worse by the controversy over why their loved ones died, sorry for the utterly unfair selection that the loss should be theirs."

That's not an apology, he says he feels sorry for them not that he is sorry - he even chooses his words carefully.

Here is one example: Post-war: "we did not anticipate the role of Al-Qaeda or Iran"
Making political points whenever possible! I expected to find out why he invaded a country for an oil agenda even though based on everything he said Iran or North Korea seemed the obvious targets to invade considering the humanitarian position of Iraq, but wait, despite the world knowing the Iraq has that tasty crude oil, instead we are again fed lies and our intelligence is insulted vis-a-vis wmd's.

Well done Blair, you proved to the world colonialism and exploitation still exists and woke many people like me up in the process. The book is about a journey that culminates in mass murder. For these reasons this book scores ZERO, this a politicians book, and would suit nicely the fiction section

1stars - "The only truth is what we already know" (M. Assim)

Mr. Blair has fascinating insights into our times and especially into the leaders who have been on the world stage during his years in politics. He speaks as if he is chatting to you over a cup of coffee...yet his thoughts and conclusions show deep thinking and understanding. Much more than simply reviewing the events he has been part of, he evaluates, assesses, and judges the importance and substance of these recent years. A great book...

5stars - "Great insights...great read..." (Lewis Codington)

A People's History of the United States: 1492 to Present / SalesRank : 49

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A People's History of the United States: 1492 to Present
Author : Howard Zinn

Amazon Price : $11.10 42%($7.89) OFF
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Paperback [ Harper Perennial Modern Classics ] [ Release : 2005 / 08 / 01 ]
ISBN : 9780060838652 / ASIN(ISBN-10) : 0060838655
[ ListPrice : $18.99 ] [ Used Price:$8.15 ]

Average Customer Review :

4.0stars [ See more reviews ]
Howard Zinn captures the history of America that is left out of classrooms. A People's History of the United States could be used as a textbook or a "start to finish", either way it is very informative and entertaining.

Howard Zinn captures the history of America that is left out of classrooms. A People's History of the United States could be used as a textbook or a "start to finish", either way it is very informative and entertaining.

5stars - "A People's History of the United States, 1492 to Present" (Josh Schulman)

Howard Zinn writes from a left liberal view. He comes from a fading generation of workers, educated after WW2 via the GI bill.He is also the son of immigrants.
His writing is not the best,nor is it impeccably researched.
US history has a dark side. Benefits always come with some hidden costs.
Do the good points outweigh the bad? That is a judgment for the individual to make. I think this book does make one question some of the common mantras about our country.
I guess communism as an alternative to capitalism has been disproved. Global capitalism ,as we know, will have some tremendous costs to our nation. Will the average American benefit in the long run? Judging by the unemployment rate and dicky finances of today,I doubt it.

5stars - "Ramblings" (liberty man)
Howard Zinn lays it on the line, and tells us the history that our teachers did not (would not, or could not) teach us. Its a long read, but its not meant to be entertaining. This is NOT WRITTEN FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE WINNERS, so be prepared. What else can I say? Buy it and keep it on your shelf.

Howard Zinn lays it on the line, and tells us the history that our teachers did not (would not, or could not) teach us. Its a long read, but its not meant to be entertaining. This is NOT WRITTEN FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF THE WINNERS, so be prepared. What else can I say? Buy it and keep it on your shelf.

5stars - "Should join the Gideon Bible in the other hotel room drawer" (aj medina)

Peopls's History of the United States is an excellent narration of the marginal movements and peoples in the formation of the United States. If we hold that history is written (and distorted) by the winners, then the formal historical narrative of this country, starting with Columbus's discovery, the Indian wars, Manifest Destiny, Slavery, Civil War, Civil rights, and so on, requires a reading that is less involved with how these events have been traditionally presented, and more with how they were shaped and perceived by ordinary people people at the time. It is this comprehensive revision that Zinn attempts. Zinn ignores the traditional narrative of the building of America as a social experiment founded on Lockean ideas, a just and moral nation, which held the rights of man as an absolute, and which self corrected the various existential flaws with a long internal struggle, the height of which was the Civil war, ostensibly fought to end slavery. He attacks this mainstream view with a blinding zeal, focusing on the iniquities of the slave trade, the hypocrisy and deception of Manifest destiny and what it meant for the existing Mexican and Indian nations, the hypocrisy of the American political system and how the rich have always managed to usurp it for their benefits, the empty victory of Lincoln's war and how Jim Crow laws were the reality instead of the promises of the Emancipation Proclamation and the 13th amendment, the poverty in the cities and the cornering of the resources by the rich, abject sub-human working conditions, the struggles of the suffragette movements, the countless worker/trade union/socialist movements who fought for the ordinary worker at the turn of the last century, the shaping of political thought leading to the building of the American Empire and the popular revolt against the establishment in the 60s.

This work becomes a required reading not only because of the different paradigm it uses to approach the history of an essentially revolutionary nation - chronicling incidents from the lives of ordinary people, focusing on small revolts, strikes, personal letters and memoirs, than on national leaders and their wars and treaties, but also because it fulfills a real gap that exists in the self awareness of this country. It is easy enough to be blinded by glory of the Declaration of Independence, the constitution and the myth of the American dream, and forget that the reality of this republic is not a passive system of just rights and laws, but a continuous dialectic, often with violent participation by the politically and economically oppressed. Racial and ethnic assimilation, rights for all men, and women, safety regulations at workplaces, are all privileges that were won by hard struggles, often violent revolts and strikes. The system, influenced by the strong special interests, did everything to oppose these movements, and it is in painting a realistic picture of this tussle that Zinn shines.

One can't be neutral on a moving train, Zinn is reputed to have said. And it's important to keep this in mind while reading this text. Zinn has an obvious and unabashed left of center ideological slant, and one is left with a work that shouldn't be read in isolation, but as a counterweight to the eulogies of flag and freedom that abound not only on the right, but in a simpler form, comprise the bulwark of American nationalism. Zinn's complaints are mostly moral, and they express a yearning for a Political idealism that has never existed. To the extent that this is interpreted as the progressive's dissatisfaction with the amoral realpolitik, it's understandable. But Zinn seems to hit at the fundamentals of a participatory system itself. He consistently accuses the democratic system of sapping the exuberant energy of mass movements, by chaneling it into the party system, though this can be seen as an act of incorporating the movement's goals, with a compromise, and making them mainstream. Anyone who has lived through major legislative changes, like the recent passage of universal Health care, is privy to the pangs of democracy, and how inducing changes in such a setup is no easy task, especially when the changes are ambitious and people's fears are easily exploitable. Zinn does not spend much time on such fundamentals, and how this might reflect a beautifully crafted system, that checks itself from leaning towards a tyranny of the right or the left. Zinn appears to be a leaning towards a dictatorship of the people, boldly implementing his progressive morality. This is probably the weakest point of Zinn's political expression, and his critique of the Americal electoral system.

5stars - "Caveat Emptor" (Nippun)
A fantastic book! This is the history we should have had in school. It tells the story of our country from the viewpoint of the common man.

A fantastic book! This is the history we should have had in school. It tells the story of our country from the viewpoint of the common man.

5stars - "A real eye opener!" (Chicago Admirer)

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down / SalesRank : 84

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The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down
Author : Anne Fadiman

Amazon Price : $9.00 40%($6.00) OFF
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Paperback [ Farrar, Straus and Giroux ] [ Release : 1998 / 09 / 28 ]
ISBN : 9780374525644 / ASIN(ISBN-10) : 0374525641
[ ListPrice : $15.00 ] [ Used Price:$4.00 ]

Average Customer Review :

4.5stars [ See more reviews ]
THE BOOK WAS IN EXCELLENT CONDITION, AS DESCRIBED BY THE SELLER. SHIPPING WAS VERY QUICK!

5stars - "GREAT!" (kristymp87)
So far I'm about 2/3 of the way through the book. Excellent representation of the clash of cultures. I would recommend this to any patient or health care provider. Product shipped fast and in great condition.

So far I'm about 2/3 of the way through the book. Excellent representation of the clash of cultures. I would recommend this to any patient or health care provider. Product shipped fast and in great condition.

4stars - "great book" (Amy L.)
This book is a page turner! The author illustrates very well the perspectives of both the Hmong immigrants and their American medical providers, helping the reader to understand and relate to a variety of issues related to immigration, healthcare, the Hmongs, and other contemporary concerns. I read this book for a college class, it is great for students and casual reading as well.

This book is a page turner! The author illustrates very well the perspectives of both the Hmong immigrants and their American medical providers, helping the reader to understand and relate to a variety of issues related to immigration, healthcare, the Hmongs, and other contemporary concerns. I read this book for a college class, it is great for students and casual reading as well.

5stars - "Fantastic book!! Interesting and Informative"

This books gives great insight into the hmong people, modern medical practices, and cultural clash. I am glad I read the book, but not sure I would call it a great read. It's kind of like reading a research paper. There is a ton of very detailed documentation of events that became monotonous and slightly predictable. While I enjoyed the underlying story a great deal, the minutia often seemed distracting from what could have been a good read.

3stars - "great insight but..." (PS)

This true story about a Central California Hmong family recounts the recent history of the Hmong people, and enlightens the reader about a culture vastly different than our own. The author describes the nomadic lifestyle of the Hmong, who have lived throughout the Southeast Asian mountaintops, settling until the land is exhausted and then moving on. They aligned with the United States during the VietNam conflict only to be abandoned to hostile local governments once it was over. Their survival stories are stunning, unimaginable, and unforgettable.

The immigrant family that settled in Central California includes a beloved young daughter with severe epilepsy. Heartbreaking events culminate in Western medicine's failure to be able to treat her despite the best- intended treatment and efforts by devoted physicians, and her parents' efforts to do all that they can to care for their most precious daughter. The challenge of bridging cultures is brought home in painful detail.

The Hmong culture is replete with beliefs in spirits and magical aspects that are fascinating. The title itself is the literal translation for the Hmong term for epilepsy. When the Spirit Catches you, you fall Down is not a quick read, yet it is an essential and gratifying reading for anyone who is practicing in health care, anyone who is visiting Southeast Asia, or anyone who wants to learn about far different human ways to perceive and live life.

5stars - "Excellence in a story about another culture" (Connie)

Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen / SalesRank : 83

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Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen
Author : Christopher McDougall

Amazon Price : $14.58 42%($10.37) OFF
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Hardcover [ Knopf ] [ Release : 2009 / 05 / 05 ]
ISBN : 9780307266309 / ASIN(ISBN-10) : 0307266303
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Average Customer Review :

4.5stars [ See more reviews ]
Super book!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!You'll see how easy it is to buy into marketing if nothing else! Author is a riot to read as well!

5stars - "Wow!!!" (Anita Hazeltine)

Once upon a workout dreary, while I trotted, weak and weary,
over many quaint and furious heel-strike, feet now throbbing sore,
while I stumbled, nearly bumbled, suddenly there came a stabbing,
as of someone cruelly stabbing, stabbing at my insole's door.
"Tis an odd pebble," I muttered, "stabbing at my insole's door-
only this, and nothing more."

Ah, distinctly t'was but likely, from the dark pits of my psyche
as each separate worn out Nike, wrought its mark on arches sore.
Lo, though I felt idiotic; - vainly I implored my new orthotic-
mend my arches, end my sorrow- sorrow for my poor foot's core
For the rare and radiant arch once named within this biped's core-
nameless here for evermore.

And with painful step uncertain, pulled aside my mental curtain
Thrilled me - filled me with fantastic terrors never felt before;
So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating,
"'Tis some pebble entreating entrance at my poor foot's core-
Some odd pebble entreating entrance at my poor foot's core; -
This it is, and nothing more."

Presently the pain grew stronger; hesitating then no longer,
"oww," said I, "You pebble, though small have made running such a chore
And as I run my strength sapping, and so quickly you came rapping,
And so forcefully you came tapping, tapping at my poor foot's core,
That I scarce was sure I felt you"- here I un-shod the poor core,
empty there, and nothing more.

Deep into that Nike peering, long I stood there wondering, fearing,
Doubting, dreaming dreams no runner ever dared to dream before;
But the silence was unbroken, and the emptiness gave no token
The only word there spoken was to this biped's unshod core
This I whispered, and an echo murmured back, "ouch- foot is sore"
merely this, and nothing more.

Back into the Nike turning, all my joints within me burning,
Soon again I felt a tapping somewhat harder than before.
"Surely," said I, "surely that is something in my orthotics:
Let me see, then what therat is, and this mystery explore -
Let my heart be still a moment and this mystery explore; -
'Tis a poor fit and nothing more."

Now I stood and flung the shod, though not far, it landed whence I trod,
Now stood I, bare and stately, looking on pale feet once sore
Not the least pain in my feet; they smiled back as to entreat
Now set freed and perched below me was my pale white core
Perched in dust and now unshod there was my pale white core
Perched and bare, sore no more

Then this bony foot beguiling my sad frowning into smiling
By the grave and stern decorum of the countenance it wore.
"Though thy form art shaped and true, thou," I said, "art sure no shoe,
Ghastly grim and ancient foot wandering from the Nike shore -
Shouldn't I shod you to protect you and your fallen core
Quoth my foot, "Nevermore."

Much I marveled this ungainly foot to hear discourse so plainly,
Though its answer little meaning- little relevancy bore;
For we cannot help agreeing that no living human being
Ever yet was blest with seeing naked foot in dust to adore -
Foot or toe upon the dirty brown dust now below me, that I now adore,
And now to shod "Nevermore."

Now my foot, standing lonely in the dirty dust, spoke only
That one word, as if its soul in that one word it did outpour.
Nothing further then it uttered- no step had it stuttered-
Till I scarcely more than muttered, "other shoes I've tried before-
On the morrow you will pain me, same as shoes have left me sore."
Then my foot said, "Nevermore."

Startled at the stillness broken by reply so aptly spoken,
"Doubtless," said I, "what foot utters is its only stock and store,
Caught from some cruel Nike master whom unmerciful Disaster
Followed fast and followed faster till its steps turned arches sore-
Till the dirges of its Hope when shoes turned arches sore-
Cried' Never - nevermore'."

But the bare foot still beguiling all my sad soul into smiling,
Hastily found I seat next to my dear feet, looked at arches once held sore;
Then upon the dirt road sinking, I betook my feet though stinking
Fancy unto fancy, thinking what this fallen arch often sore
What this grim, ungainly, ghastly, gaunt and fallen arch often sore
Meant in croaking "Nevermore."

This I sat engaged in guessing, but no syllable expressing
To the foot whose fiery soles now burned into my bosom's core;
This and more I sat divining, with my head at ease reclining
On the dirt road dusty lining that the bright sunlight gloated o'er
But whose dusty dirty lining with the sunlight gloating o'er,
shoes shall wear, ah, nevermore!

Then me thought my stride grew lighter, like footwork of a prize fighter
Stride like Seraphim whose footfalls tinkled on the dusted floor,
"Doh!," I cried, "thy God hath lent thee - by these angels he hath sent thee
Respite - respite, delight, from thy memories of foot once sore
Quaff, oh quaff this kind respite, but won't the foot again become sore?"
Quoth my foot, "Nevermore."

"Barefoot!" said I, "how very odd! - better still than shoes of devil! -
Whether Nike sent, or over-pronation caused thee foot to sore,
Desolate yet all undaunted, on this dusty path enchanted -
On this sole by horror haunted- tell me truly, I implore -
Is there - is there relief by shoe to be had? - tell me - tell me, I implore!"
Quoth my foot, "Nevermore."

"Barefoot!" said I, "how very odd! - better still than shoes of devil! -
Whether Nike sent, or over-pronation caused thee foot to sore,
Tell this soul with fit orthotic, makes me run as though robotic,
Shall mine foot have pain thought chronic and remain ever sore?
Clasp arch fallen and broken, which has been forever sore?
Quoth my foot, "Nevermore."

"To you oh shoe this word in parting, shoe or fiend," I shrieked, upstarting -
"Get thee back into the tempest and the Night's Plutonian shore!
Leave no black swoosh as a token of that lie thy soul hath spoken!
Leave arches to be unbroken!- quit the pain that makes me sore!
Take thy print from out my heart, and take thy form from off my floor!"
Quoth my foot, "Nevermore."

And the shoe, never fitting, still is sitting, still is sitting
In the pallid dust of the trail just where my once shod feet were sore;
And the Nikes have all the seeming of a demon that is dreaming,
And the moonlight o'er them streaming throws its shadow on the floor;
And my sole from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor
Shall be lifted - Evermore!

5stars - "Inspiring! Would make Edgar Allen Poe run barefoot!" (Earwax Candles)
This review pertains to the audio book. I was looking forward to this book as read some great reviews, but the narrator made listening difficult. At times overly dramatic and at times unconvincing, I couldn't even get through the first disc.

This review pertains to the audio book. I was looking forward to this book as read some great reviews, but the narrator made listening difficult. At times overly dramatic and at times unconvincing, I couldn't even get through the first disc.

2stars - "Narrator makes listening difficult" (A. Rosen)
This book changed the way I look at running. It is a little dramatic at times but can be great if you go with it and look for deeper meaning. Anyone that has ever enjoyed running, or especially anyone that has tried and failed to enjoy running, should read this book.

This book changed the way I look at running. It is a little dramatic at times but can be great if you go with it and look for deeper meaning. Anyone that has ever enjoyed running, or especially anyone that has tried and failed to enjoy running, should read this book.

5stars - "Game changing read" (Patrick Stinson)

I had read articles about the Tarahumara Indians, so I was very interested in reading this book. The author does a great job of touching on the entire running industry from ultrarunners, to the evolution of running shoes, to nutrition, to running injuries, to an anthropological discussion of our running ancestors.

Initially, I had a little trouble keeping on the path, as the author followed different topics. But, after a few chapters, I understood his writing style and thoroughly enjoyed the book.

Now that I've read this book, I'll never by $130 running shoes again. And, I'm eager to seek out resources for barefoot running.

4stars - "Broad discussion of the running "industry" wrapped in a great story." (Kevin M. Walter)

The Communist Manifesto / SalesRank : 0

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The Communist Manifesto
Author : Karl Marx Friedrich Engels

amazon.com availability ： Not availabile.

Kindle Edition [ Public Domain Books ] [ Release : 2005 / 01 / 25 ]
ISBN : - / ASIN : B000JQUHLC
[ ListPrice : $0.00 ]

Average Customer Review :

3.5stars [ See more reviews ]
This product arrived two days after it was purchased and in the exact condition promised. I am very happy with the seller and would definitely buy from them again!

This product arrived two days after it was purchased and in the exact condition promised. I am very happy with the seller and would definitely buy from them again!

5stars - "very pleased" (Rebekah)

This is a review for the free kindle edition. Given that it is a free edition, it has no table of contents or hyperlinks, but given that this is basically a pamphlet, it is not really that important. I was easy to use the `search this book' option to find the 4 different sections the start with the roman numerals I through IV. I also like the `popular highlights' feature on the kindle, of which 3 or 4 sentences were highlighted that people thought were interesting. They were quotes that we worth noting.

Marx' pamphlet was clearly written and did a good job of presenting his ideas. I summarize the main sections below.

The first section is a summary of the class struggles between the proletariats and the bourgeois, or the oppressed and the oppressors. He actually does a good job pointing out many actual problems.

The second section describes the relationship between proletarians and communists. He makes it clear that the aim of communists is to overthrow the bourgeois class to be replaced with the proletariat class.

The third section describes the socialist and communist literature and describes each type of socialism. He clearly dislikes socialists almost as much as he does capitalists.

The fourth section was a summary of the differences between communism and various other opposition parties, mostly socialists. He dislikes most of them because they do not go far enough in overthrowing the existing systems of government.

I was struck by his belief that swapping the two classes would result in a permanent fix to the problem. History has born out that empowering the oppressed class just turns them eventually into oppressors. Communists eventually become an elite class and there still becomes a less privileged class. The incentive to excel becomes stifled and overall prosperity suffers.

This was worth reading and is a good reminder to all of us to do everything we can to prevent a class of people from feeling oppressed. Many ideas of communism were very bad, but some of their solutions were good, including universal free education. I'm still convinced that the US system of government is the best there is, though it is not perfect.

4stars - "Free Kindle Edition" (Jeffrey Van Wagoner)

The reason I wanted to read The Communist Manifesto now is that I don't remember reading it in school and this current financial mess, called the Great Recession, seems at its core the result of greed gone wild, underpinned with our system of capitalism which seems to have in it the very incentives to bring on this excessive greed. So, I was hoping this book would give me some meaningful thoughts with which to further have clues to the way things might play out during this financial mess including the political ramifications. And, from what I do know about Marx, I suspect what happened here is something he had thought out, in a general way, many years before. The Manifesto and the book's foreword cover things like......

1. 1847, Marx and Engels joined the League of the Just (renamed the Communist Party) with its object to overthrow the bourgeoisie with rule by the proletariat and a new society without classes or private property.

2. 1871, Civil war in France - Marx defended it and it then gave him notoriety as a dangerous leader of international subversion and feared by governments.

3. Over the next 40 years the Manifesto conquered the world and carried forward a rise of new (socialist) labor parties. None were called Communist until the Russian Bolsheviks. Mostly in central Europe to Russia. Small in SW Europe.

4. When a major state (Russia) represented Marxist ideology, the Manifesto became a text in political science and still remains so.

5. It was written for a particular time in history

6. Marx and Engel's Communist Party was not an organization - more of a historical document.

7. Two things which gave the Manifesto its force - a) the vision that capitalism was not permanent/stable, b) The revolutionary potential of a capitalist economy.

8. We live in a world where this transformation has largely taken place.

9. Capitalism can't provide a livelihood for most of the working class.

10. There will always be the oppressors (capitalists - bourgeoisie) versus the workers

11 The Bourgeoisie has stripped all occupations down to paid workers.

12. The need for constantly expanding market for its products means ultimately global.- effecting even a world literature, cheap prices - will make all nations bourgeoisie.Eventually overproduction leading to barbarism because of too much civilization. The proletariat/workers become mere appendages and lose all character. Brings more collisions between societies and trade unions will flourish. The worker groups get bigger and more powerful through education provided by the bourgeoisie. Other classes except the proletariat will decay.

13. Wage labor rests on the competition between laborers. Communists flourish independently of national borders.

14.Communism abolishes bourgeoisie property, no big deal since 90% of private property belongs to the bourgeoisie. Small peasant property is destroyed daily by industry. Average wage of laborers is the minimum wage, just for subsistence. Education is rescued from the influence of the ruling class. Since family is a bourgeoisie thing affirmed by property, family is destroyed - children are transformed into simple articles of commerce and instruments of labor. Working men will have no country. Communism's desire is to abolish countries and nationality. National differences and antagonisms will vanish. External truths like freedom and justice will be common to all states. But, communism will abolish eternal truths like religion and morality - a new basis. Communism will raise the working class to the ruling class.

15. Specifically, communism will:
a) Abolish property in land and application of all rents to public purposes.
b) Abolish inheritance.
c) Confiscate property of emigrants and rebels.
d) Have a national bank.
e) Centralization of communication and transportation by the state.
f) Factories and instruments of production to be owned by the state.
g) Combine agriculture and manufacturing so there will be no distinction between town and country.
h) Free education.

So, I would say the Communist Manifesto, though really just applied to a time in history and times have surely changed quite a bit since then, but I would also say what it was concerned about also shouldn't be ignored when trying to understand the current economic stress we are in. Our capitalism, though obviously very successful especially in many respects, does show strain in the following areas, as Marx could have likely anticipated like a) the gap between the well-off and the poor and even middle-class has dangerously widened such that our political divisions reflect that and has turned more heated and split, making compromise among our politicians very difficult - hard to govern the country efficiently. b) He warned that the bourgeoisie (today's well-off) has been unable to effect the tools to elevate everyone enough, judging by our failing infrastructure, healthcare costs the highest in the world, etc. c) He anticipated the global impact, ever searching for the least cost workers, such that our manufacturing workers are left without jobs. We can even see this global force in our illegal immigration problems - workers from Mexico, etc coming here, somehow even breaking down our borders - something Marx apparently could see. I did leave off some other things in how the Manifesto was relevant now, in this short paragraph, but from the points, above, it can be seen there are others.

In conclusion, I give the book 5 out of 5 stars. It is a short enough book and just its impact has been monumental in history, it is worthwhile to keep in mind as one tries to figure out what might come next from this Great Recession.

5stars - "Worthwhile even now" (Joseph Oppenheim)

i have read this many times i also have it on my ipod. i have study it for about a month so as to understand every bite so as to be sound in my opinion of this work. my end result is that i side with the nsdap this spector is the worst evil ever put forth to the world as a from of government and is nothing more then a way for the take over of land and wealth by the people(look up what race marx and engles were) that came up with this vile document and using the working man as thier pown and history will back me but on that.

1stars - "working man as powns take overs of lands and murder is the result of this dumdass idea" (Mark W. Sandstrom)

With the things going on in our coutry today everyone should read the Manifesto. No one can deny its influence on centuries of political and econonmic thought and everyone should be familiar with its precepts. With that said, as I read it the thought that kept coming to my mind was what happens after the revolution? It's very general and is meant to be so as even in the 1800's there were many Socialist sects with their own individual needs which communism was attempting to unite. However, a lot of the logic didn't follow for me. For example,

"When, therefore, capital is converted into common property, into the property of all members of society, personal property is not thereby transformed into social property. It is only the social character of the property that is changed. It loses its class character."

These ideas and many others along this same line make me question how viable communist ideas are in the real world. And the most telling of all was the introduction to this edition and the notes from Friedrich Engels. The preface to this edition was written in 1888 and Engels admits that some of his suppositions about history are wrong and that some applications of his principles have been unsucessful. However, the excuse as always is they (whatever socialist group) didn't do it right.

4stars - "Just What I Expected" (David)

The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference / SalesRank : 78

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The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference
Author : Malcolm Gladwell

Amazon Price : $8.99 44%($7.00) OFF
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Paperback [ Back Bay Books ] [ Release : 2002 / 01 / 07 ]
ISBN : 9780316346627 / ASIN(ISBN-10) : 0316346624
[ ListPrice : $15.99 ] [ Used Price:$2.25 ]

Average Customer Review :

4.0stars [ See more reviews ]
I've read all three Gladwell books now, in reverse order no less. Hands down, this way my favorite. Outliers was a strong contender, but the overall implications of his theory of ideas of epidemics in our world seems limitless. Buy this book and you'll read it in record time.

I've read all three Gladwell books now, in reverse order no less. Hands down, this way my favorite. Outliers was a strong contender, but the overall implications of his theory of ideas of epidemics in our world seems limitless. Buy this book and you'll read it in record time.

4stars - "Riveting" (El Duderino)
This is a really neat book. The author uses the paradigm of little changes that prompt gigantic change to discuss sociology, environmental aesthetics and more. I purchased on Kindle, and have enjoyed very much.

This is a really neat book. The author uses the paradigm of little changes that prompt gigantic change to discuss sociology, environmental aesthetics and more. I purchased on Kindle, and have enjoyed very much.

5stars - "Really cool paradigm to help understand change" (R. K. King)
Thought provoking, mind altering book. It is a must read for all types of people.

5stars - "Awesome Book" (Jeremy)

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R1JNJLB4H99TCD Normally I stick to recommending books that help the reader live and experience the tenets of positive psychology. In this case, I am recommending a book that does that...yet it might have taken 10 years for it to get to that point. I will admit I admire everything Malcolm writes, I heard him speak and he speaks about his ideas every bit as well as he writes about them, so my recommendation does have to take that into consideration. However, positive tipping points are all around us. I did this review to help you see why I feel that way. Thank you, Andrea T. Goeglein, PhD, [...] [...]

5stars - "This Weeks Great Tipping Points Aug 8 2010" (Andrea T. Goeglein)

This is an interesting book with some thought-provoking assertions, but don't expect more than a light read and a lot of unresolved ideas.

The chapters follow a similar pattern throughout the book, with the author introducing a scenario and then presenting several likely influences that seem to have contributed to the final tipping point that pushed the example scenario into its final explosive proliferation. Although several contributing factors are presented, he always champions to one particular influencing factor over all of the others. However, he does this without offering any concrete argument as to why the other factors have suddenly been discarded. And, of course, there are always far more potential influences that he overlooks entirely. So you get to think, "Hmm. That's interesting. I wonder what else might have played a part?". It's always good to have something to think about, but don't expect any real resolution.

I could have done without the rather blatant tobacco commercial in the last quarter of the book. According to Malcolm Gladwell and his quoted study, which was most likely funded by a tobacco company, smokers are intrinsically cooler, sexier, more fun, and less likely to be conformists than non-smokers. It's so ridiculously and blatantly promotional that it's almost funny. But it keeps him going for quite a large portion of the book, as he increasingly pushes his opinion that people smoke because they are cool and are individuals who like to make their own choices. He basically says those exact things outright. Not only does he spend pages and pages promoting smoking, but he doesn't offer any glimpse of any alternate viewpoint or research at all. Some years ago I actually wrote a major end-of-year paper on smoking for my psych course at university and I can tell you that all of his smoking-related points are almost diametrically opposed to the vast majority of peer-reviewed research. I wasn't super-sold on his other scenarios, but this certainly makes me wonder even more about the accuracy of rest of the book.

Malcolm is a long-time writer of magazine articles and this book feels like a lengthy magazine column, complete with advertising.

3stars - "For Entertainment Use Only" (Mark Pawlyszyn)

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