Book Description
In this new collection of thoughtful, hard-hitting essays, Walter E. Williams once again takes on the left wing's most sacred cows with provocative insights, brutal candor, and an uncompromising reverence for personal liberty and the principles laid out in our Declaration of Independence and Constitution. He challenges the assumptions of contemporary liberalism with ruthless honesty, presenting an impressive array of powerful ideas and substantive information to frame his perspectives on the issues facing America in such critical areas as race, sex, government, law, education, the environment, and international relations. Williams's often controversial views include commentary on
- Women in the Military. "At Parris Island, it was discovered that 45 percent of female Marines were unable to throw a hand grenade far enough to avoid blowing themselves up. If I were in a foxhole with a woman about to toss a hand grenade, I'd consider her the enemy."
- Racial and Gender Quotas. "The only reason the elite haven't mandated quotas for women, Japanese, and other underrepresented groups in the NBA and the NFL is because the folly and costs of their cosmic justice vision would be exposed."
- Affirmative Action. "Too many blacks receive twelve years of fraudulent primary and secondary education that cannot be overcome by four years of college. Unfortunately, liberals and civil rights organizations add to that disaster by giving unquestioned support to a corrupt education establishment that produces the fraud."
- The Americans with Disabilities Act. "In some quarters, the ADA is taken to stand for 'Attorney's Dream Answered.' And who pays? You and I, through higher prices or less convenience."
- The Minimum Wage. "Low wages are more a result of people being underproductive than being underpaid. They simply do not have the skills to produce and do things their fellow man highly values. The minimum wage law is evil legislation and deserving of repeal altogether."
Using the fundamentals of economics—and basic common sense—to prove his points, Williams offers wise, witty, and stimulating insights on these and other controversial subjects, including corporate welfare, gun control, environmental regulations, free trade, abortion, the public school system, tobacco industry regulation, and more.
Customer Reviews:
Williams for President.......2007-06-09
Amazing insight to what America is supposed to be. If only our politicians understood the issues like Walter Williams. Williams for President!!!!!!
Reviews prove the need for this book.......2006-10-18
Once again we are given an opportunity to experience the clarity of vision afforded to us by someone who not only knows economics, but by someone who has the ability to express complex economic concepts in ways all but the most stubborn or ill-informed can appreciate. Some folks complain that this book is just a collection of previously published articles and that it doesn't read like a regular book. So what? I like the fact that I can pick a topic of interest to me today and read it in just a few minutes. Then I can pick a different topic tomorrow if my mood so dictates. As for criticizing the book for being "basically not thought out very well," I must disagree. Each of the articles not only stands on its own in terms of crisp writing and brilliant insight, there is a consistent philosophical logic that ties the articles together.
Criticisms of this book seem to be based more on a philosophical difference of opinion more than on a sophisticated critique of Professor Williams' writing. For example, one person criticized the book in part based on Professor Williams' opposition to the minimum wage. This person seems to hold the philosophical view that it is better public policy for a person to be unemployed at a higher minimum wage rate than to be employed at a lower market wage rate that he is willing to work for. This person also fails to consider that a person whose productivity is so low that he cannot produce a good or service worth at least what it costs to produce the good or service will not stay employed for very long. Perhaps the folks who support higher minimum wages should set up businesses and go ahead and pay people wages that exceed their marginal productivity. Let's see just how quickly they go bankrupt. It has been stated before that working for $5.15 per hour puts more bread on the table than being unemployed at $7.00 per hour. If a higher minimum wage does not have the adverse employment affects suggested by Professor Williams, why not advocate for $20 per hour? Better yet, at $100 per hour everyone would be able to buy health insurance coverage and we could solve two problems at once. If only the real world worked in such a simplistic manner.
A careful and thoughtful reading of "More Liberty Means Less Government" will help to educate folks who, because of a lack of formal economics training, are often more inclined to use fuzzy logic to evaluate matters of public policy. It will also help people to understand that there really is no such thing as non-economic issues. All decisions we make, whether in our public lives or in our private lives, involve making choices from among limited options. That makes them all economic issues. This is perhaps one of the single best lessons that can be learned by reading this book.
Walter Williams: Champion.......2005-03-19
Walter E. Williams should be a true champion for the African American population who resides in the United States. He has made a great living for himself, via teaching economic courses at George Mason and publishing two books. He is a true champion of capitalism and for the black people as a whole. Unfortunately, demagogues like Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton - men with little or nothing of value to add to society except to more and more racism to the fire pander to black Americans shamelessly. Thankfully, Professor Williams makes light of this and other problems our country faces in his work "More Liberty Means Less Government". This was a fantastic, easy-to-read book. It's a collection of Williams' many articles/essays on Law, Society, Government, the Environment and many other interesting and fun topics. Many liberals claim Williams is just "another stuffed shirt conservative". This is not even close to being the case. Williams is a conservative/liberterian mix, always siding with what the Constitution has to say. Thankfully, in Williams' mind the Constitution is still "The Supreme Law of the Land". Unfortunately, others don't realize that.
Walter Williams Views on Economics and Politics.......2004-07-19
Williams assembled this book using some of his favorite previously published columns. An economics professor and outspoken on political and social issues, Williams? views take on a libertarian/conservative flavor. And the columns he selected for this book are consistent in their analysis, with Williams always taking the pro- liberty position, regardless of topic.
This book includes sections titled 1. Race & Sex, 2. Government, 3. Education, 4. Environment and Health,
5. International, 6. Law and Society, and 7. Potpourri, which is a miscellaneous category that includes columns that do not fit into one of the other six. Each of these seven sections includes articles relating to that particular topic, with titles and dates of original publication.
Williams talks at length about economic issues, which should be expected given his background and his profession. But he is just as effective (many even more so) when he tackles personal issues in this book, like racism, sex equality, the failed war on drugs, and other non- economic topics. His greatest skill comes in the way he takes complicated topics and explains them using examples that anyone can relate to and understand.
If I had to make a few criticisms of this book, it would first be the fact that the book doesn?t flow very well. Since it is comprised of a collection of previously published material, it doesn?t read like a normal book. Also, I did notice a few typos and awkward sentences that are not always easy to follow. Williams writes this book using a style that attempts to use as few words as possible to get a point across. This is nice, for the sake of saving space. But it can sometimes prove to be inadequate for reading and effective communication.
Williams is considered a conservative, even though he is obviously not a social conservative, based on the views he stresses in this writing. He is often politically incorrect, which I admire and enjoy. Still, the fact that he is considered conservative will cause many to disagree with many of his opinions and forego giving this book a chance. However, I think the book is still worth a look regardless of political persuasion. Williams may not change your mind about a particular political or economic topic, but he will succeed at making you reconsider some of your positions or at least looking at them from a different perspective. His style is persuasive and convincing, even if you don?t agree with him one- hundred percent.
This book deserves 6 stars........2002-06-14
Mr. Williams says things I've always believed, but was afraid to say aloud for fear of being thought of as intolerant, uncompassionate, or politically incorrect. Mr. Williams knows how people work and what they do to further their best interests (which is the study of economics) and explains it in a jovial and colloquial manner. READ it.
Customer Reviews:
All the right components.......2006-11-29
I have to disagree with most of the reviews written below. I believe this book was great. I'm also a big Diana Palmer fan and ive read my share of her stories. I think this one was sweet and both characters were strong, unlike other stories where the woman is incredibly fragile and weak.
Meredith lives a life who could break anyone if they werent strong enough, yet she is able to hold herself up without help. She even hides her real education as a nurse and accepts to live out in a tiny city. This time, the reader wasnt always being reminded of how innocent she was, how fragile, etc. This time she actually had a strong personality.
Rey is just like the other men in Palmer's stories...hes stubborn, "sexy", has his mind set on thinking the female is a "tramp", and does not want to get married. There wasnt really a change in the male character, so no big thing there. But, a good character overall.
Overall i think this story is great for so many reasons. If you want a different story, with strong characters, this one is the one.
I think the only thing that i agree on with the previous reviews is that you dont do CPR on someone who is alive....but you kind of overlook that since its not a medical text. However, correct information would have been nice.
LOVE Diana Palmer.......2003-04-01
Top notch book by Diana Palmer. I always enjoy her books and this one was long awaited. You can't go wrong with one of her titles.
Could have had a better ending.......2002-04-28
I like to start off by saying I am a big "Diana Palmer"fan too.But during this book it seemed like she wasnt putting her all into it.I would have expected a much better ending than the one she gave.I agree with the others,it did seem like she just wanted to hurry up and finish it.
Need to learn CPR.......2002-04-27
Diana, Please learn basic CPR. It is not done on individuals with a pulse and who are breathing.
This is just one of the flaws with this book. The caracters are standard for Diana's, the men tend to be hard, and the women are fragile. But in this book, she goes from fragile to spunky without reason. Perhaps part of Meredith's caracter change was left out of the book to keep it smaller for the Silhouette printing.
Getting a bit tired.......2002-04-23
I have to agree with the other reviewers. I did like the first few pages with their introduction of D.P.'s typical characters, like the hero who misjudges and hurts the already wounded heroine, and then has to do some serious grovelling before the happy ending. It sort of was there, and it wasn't. I had the impression Ms. Palmer got bored herself after the first chapters and just hurriedly threw together a few clichés - minor misunderstandings, dream wedding, passionate wedding night, all in too much of a rush - in order to finish off the book. The main characters appeared rather more shallow towards the end, not fulfilling the promise shown in the beginning.
This is now about the third or fourth new Palmer novel I have read which left me rather unsatisfied. Couldn't publishers be persuaded to give us some of her older (and better) ones instead?
Book Description
We live in a culture—especially at work—that prefers harmony over discord, agreement over dissent, speed over deliberation. We often smile and nod to each other even though deep down we could not disagree more. Whether with colleagues, friends, or family members, the tendency to paper over differences rather than confront them is extremely common. We believe that the best thing to do to preserve our relationships and to ensure that our work gets done as expeditiously as possible is to silence conflict.
Let’s face it, most bosses don’t encourage us to share our differences. Indeed, many people are taught that
loyal employees accept corporate values, policies, and decisions—never challenging or questioning them. If we want to hold on to our jobs and move up in our organizations, stifling conflict is the safest way to do it—or so we believe.
And it is not just with our bosses that we fear raising a dissenting opinion. We worry about what our peers and even our subordinates may think of us. We don’t want to embarrass ourselves or create a bad impression. We don’t want to lose others’ respect or risk rejection.
We often associate conflict with its negative form—petty bickering, heated arguing, a bloody fight. But conflict can also be a source of creative energy; when handled constructively by both parties, differences can lead to a healthy and fruitful collaboration, creation, or construction of new knowledge or solutions. When we silence conflict, we avoid the possibility of negative conflict, but we also miss the potential for constructive conflict.
Worse yet, as Leslie Perlow documents, the act of silencing conflict may create the consequences we most dread. Tasks frequently take longer or never get done successfully, and silencing conflict over important issues with people for whom we care deeply can result in disrespect for, and devaluing of, those same people.
Each time we silence conflict, we create an environment in which we’re all the more likely to be silent next time. We get caught in a vicious “silent spiral,” making the relationship progressively less safe, less satisfying, and less productive. Differences get glossed over, patched over, and suppressed . . . until disaster happens.
“Saying yes when you really mean no” is a problem that haunts organizations from start-ups to multi-
nationals. It exists across industries, levels, and functions. And it’s exacerbated by a down economy, when the fear of losing one’s job is on everybody’s mind and the idea of allowing conflict to surface or disagreeing with others seems particularly risky. All too often, the conversation at work bespeaks harmony and togetherness, even though passionate disagreements exist beneath the surface.
Leslie A. Perlow is a corporate ethnographer, an anthropologist of corporate culture. Anthropologists like Margaret Mead spend years in the field studying exotic cultures. Perlow does the same, although the field for her is the office and the exotic people are us—those who work in the world of organizations. But the end result is no less surprising or rich in insight. Whether it’s a Fortune 500 firm, small business, or government bureaucracy, Perlow provides a keen understanding of the hidden issues behind what people say (and don’t say). And more important, she shows how to create relationships where individuals feel empowered to express their genuine thoughts and feelings and to harness the power of positive conflict.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent Read.......2003-06-21
Picture the scene. Your leadership team is sitting in all day meeting discussing the vision of the future for your company or a new initiative. By the end of the day, everybody is in agreement and consensus about the direction or plan. Everybody nods his or her head and expresses how valuable the day has been. And then you all go home, and think what a waste of time that day really was. Sound familiar? In When You Say Yes But Mean No Leslie Perlow, in her role of corporate culture anthropologist, examines the reasons behind this and other similar situations when the true source of differences in opinion is never expressed. This lack of understanding is highly detrimental to both the company and its employees.
Perlow's empirical research for the book is focused on companies that were born in the high growth, high stakes games of the dot com era, where corporate culture formation and working relationships are accelerated, and is reminiscent of the way a scientist uses fruit flies to study lifecycles. Her findings are directly applicable to larger, mature corporations, and ManyWorlds, in its work with large clients has often seen the scenarios presented.
The `Silent Spiral' is the term given to the systematic silencing of differences that people feel is appropriate. Voicing differences is often felt to be wrong, not being a `teamplayer' or not playing by the rules of the game. Not speaking up, though Perlow argues, sends us on a spiral of destructive emotions, making employees feel their opinions are not valued, killing their creativity and not giving feedback that is direly needed for the good of the company.
In part, this spiraling is due to the sense of urgency that pervades today's society and corporations. The author says we often bite our tongue, thinking to ourselves, `we just need to get on with it. We don't have time to worry about it now.' A `lack of input and hasty deliberations that can lead to an inferior decision-making process and to less potential for creativity and learning.'
So how to escape the silent spiral? Perlow suggests the approach of `seeking mutual understanding' and illustrates this through copious scenarios to demonstrate the nuances to what might seem an easily dismissable technique. By seeking the reasons why another person may have a different opinion, it is possible to uncover `the core issues in important relationships.' In the words of Steven Covey, `seek first to understand and then to be understood.' If you can fully appreciate the gravitas and implications of these words, then you have the knowledge to stop the spiral. But the best way to defeat the silent spiral is to understand why, how and where it occurs, which Leslie Perlow deftly demonstrates in this articulate and clear work. Recommended reading for all managers and executives who recognize the importance of subtext in meetings and cultures, and this book would be an excellent starting and talking point on the journey to establishing mutual understanding.
A Management Must-Read.......2003-06-03
Leslie Perlow s When You Say Yes but Mean No is that rarest of breeds: a business book that not only sheds light on a critical management problem, but proposes concrete and workable solutions while being engaging and readable to boot.
She loads her text with sharp anecdotes perfectly illustrating her thesis on the value of constructive conflict and the importance of dissenting opinion. Her examination of the rise and eventual downfall of a startup provides a clear and comprehensive illustration of the problem of silenced conversation which, in the next section, she lays out a plan for fixing. Regardless of industry or function, every businessperson will find themselves and their own experiences in these pages and nod enthusiastically in agreement with its conclusions.
A first-rate examination of a problem all managers experience but few have the insight much less the tools to go about solving. A must-read for anyone willing to create effective communications within their organization once and for all and move From Good to Great .
Average customer rating:
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No Mean City
Alexander McArthur , and
H.Kingsley Long
Manufacturer: Corgi Adult
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 Contemporary
| General
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Look Inside Fiction Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
ASIN: 0552075833 |
Product Description
Johnson and Street describe a technology of instruction, based on scientific research, that has improved the academic performance of children, adolescents, and adults at 86 schools and agencies throughout the United States and Canada. The Morningside Model of Generative Instruction combines well-designed instructional materials, fast-paced classroom presentation, and focused practice to fluency. The result is expert and confident learners who apply skills and strategies to think about the world around them, continue to learn on their own, and solve problems of daily living.
Customer Reviews:
Morningside Model - Essential for Educators & Parents.......2004-08-17
The Morningside Model of Generative Instruction has been evolving for over 20 years, driven by Dr. Kent Johnson, Founder of the Morningside Academy in Seattle. The model itself is an integration of numerous research-based teaching and learning methodologies that Dr. Johnson has identified and then integrated first into practice at the Morningside Academy, then in dissemination to schools around North America. The results of this systematic, science-based approach have been remarkable, surpassing most results in the educational improvement literature. The book provides an overview and links together the components of of the model so that the reader can understand the whole as greater than the sum of the parts. The references to additional sources of empirically validated curriculum and teaching methods alone make this book worth far more than its price. In a sea of trend-based, anxiety-ridden, and generally unvalidated efforts to "improve education" in America, this book and the methodology it describes represent a needed foundation for systematic improvements in how we teach our children. It is truly a direction to follow if we actually hope not to leave any child behind. As a last, hopefully interest-provoking comment, it's worth noting that Morningside Academy has for over 20 years given the parents of its learning-challenged students a money-back guarantee concerning students' progress per year. These are children who, before attending Morningside, have typically achieved far less than a year's progress per year in conventional schools. Morningside's results are striking: students average 2 - 4 grade levels of improvement per year, depending on the curriculum area, year after year. That alone should encourage you to read the book -- to find out what is not a "secret sauce" but rather a systematic, data-based methodology grounded in the Learning Sciences.
Carl Binder, Ph.D.
Santa Rosa, CA
Book Description
Absolutely incredible, and brutally honest, this amazing story recounts the adventures of a British SAS soldier turned mercenary. McAleese fought in some of the world's most dangerous places, from Aden to Rhodesia (against the guerrillas of Zanla), and he nearly lost his life trying to assassinate Colombian drug baron Pablo Escobar. Always in search of the "intense high" of battle, for 25 years he saw almost constant combat...putting him in a unique position to reveal the harsh realities of modern warfare.
Customer Reviews:
McAleese is a great soldier, and writes a great book.......2001-07-13
This is a great read for someone interested in the special forces operations. Such as the SAS, 1 Para, Rhodesian SAS, and mercenary work. The book is an action packed, yet informative read that has a lot of humanity and insight to it. McAleese has led a great life, and an adventurous one at that. If you are interested in learning more about life as an elite soldier or mercenary read NO MEAN SOLDIER.
McAleese is indeed No Mean Soldier.......2001-04-18
This book is an interesting account of a soldier who has been involved in actual combat for almost 20 years of his life.
This career has spanned the British Airborne and Special Forces, Rhodesian and South African Special Forces and as a Mercernary in Africa and South America.
The book itself is a very good read, and conveys much of the reality of modern battle, and also much of it's humour. It's the tragedy that comes through most strongly though, especially in the breakup of Rhodesia, which is still troubled now, over 20 years later, and Callan's massacure of his own troops.
It's certainly a page turner, and I finished the book wondering, "What will he do next?"
Bryn
Customer Reviews:
The Perfect guy (not).......2007-02-09
jessica thinks her new guy is perfect. he says he loves he's grgeous and popular but he may want more than jessica is willing to give, when jessica is in trouble with will Elizabeth save her.
Jessica meets the perfect guy[so she thinks].......2005-03-27
Jessica[freshly divorced] from Mike,meets James Montgomery,a football star,He's sweet,smart and best of all,he adores her,but looks can be decieving. One night at The Valley Inn,he drinks too many brandies,Jessica said she didn't want one,when James offered her one. He almost rapes her on a date. Lila Fowler and Bruce Patman are still stranded in the woods after a plane crash,and they learn to cope with each other.
Great!.......2002-10-13
It was great but it was a little to nerve racking. I couldn't put it down I even got in trouble for reading it to much in class.
Serious issues..........2000-06-13
The main reason why I enjoy the University series so much, is because it seems to allow the development of serious issues such as racism, date rape, sex, and so on. This particular book explores the notion of date rape and is developed particularly well with Jessica falling for handsome and athletic James Montegomery, a guy who seems too good to be true. Unfortunately, it seems that James is a guy with a few skeletons in his closet and it's up to Elizabeth to reveal the truth to Jessica before it's too late.
I would recomend this to every young woman out there!.......1999-10-22
It is a really good book and deals with some really importantissues, such as date rape, and the right to say no. I think that it'sbetter for older readers, 15-18 or less, depending on how mature you are. I can't really put what I want to say in words, but it is really important to me besides a good read. It helps remind me about my right to say "no" to sex.
Average customer rating:
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Yuma: The Marines' Mean Machines (Superbase, No 9)
George Hall
Manufacturer: Osprey Publishing (UK)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Aviation
| Military
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| World
| History
| Subjects
| Books
Military Science
| History
| Subjects
| Books
History of Technology
| Technology
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
Aerospace
| Engineering
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
| Advanced Mechanics
| Aerodynamics
| Aircraft Design & Construction
| Applied
| Avionics
| Gas Dynamics
| General
| Heat Transfer
| Propulsion Technology
| Structural Dynamics
ASIN: 085045946X |
Average customer rating:
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Toronto, No Mean City
Eric Arthur , and
Stephen Otto
Manufacturer: University of Toronto Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Criticism
| Architecture
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Architecture
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
Canadian
| International
| Architecture
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
General
| World
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Canada
| Americas
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Urban Planning & Development
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0802065872 |
Book Description
Eric Arthur fell in love with Toronto the first time he saw it. The year was 1923; he was twenty-five years old, newly arrived to teach architecture at the University of Toronto. For the next sixty years he dedicated himself to saving the great buildings of Toronto's past. Toronto, No Mean City sounded a clarion call in his crusade. First published in 1964, it sparked the preservation movement of the 1960s and 1970s and became its bible. This reprint of the third edition, prepared by Stephen Otto, updates Arthur's classic to include information and illustrations uncovered since the appearance of the first edition.
Four new essays were commissioned for this reprint. Christopher Hume, architecture critic and urban affairs columnist for the Toronto Star, addresses the changes to the city since the appearance of the third edition in 1986. Architect and heritage preservation activist Catherine Nasmith assesses the current status of the city's heritage preservation movement. Susan Crean, a freelance writer in Toronto, explores Toronto's vibrant arts scene. Mark Kingwell, professor and cultural commentator, reflects on the development of professional and amateur sports in and around town.
Readers will delight in these anecdotal accounts of the city's rich architectural heritage.
Books:
- Munchkin: Kill the Monsters, Steal the Treasure, Stab Your Buddy
- Nocturnal Witchcraft: Magick After Dark
- Nothing to Lose: A Guide to Sane Living in a Larger Body
- On Killing: The Psychological Cost of Learning to Kill in War and Society
- Peach Girl: Change of Heart, Vol. 1
- Professional ASP.NET.2.0, Special Edition w/ CD-ROM and Online (Wrox Professional Guides)
- Promise Me (Myron Bolitar Mysteries)
- Ready or Not: An All-American Girl Novel
- Same Kind of Different as Me: A Modern-Day Slave, an International Art Dealer, and the Unlikely Woman Who Bound Them Together
- Scavenger
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow
- Atlas of Clinical Ophthalmology
- Paper Before Print: The History and Impact of Paper in the Islamic world
- The 13th Juror
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- A Small Place in Italy
- United States Air Force Scrapbook
- Puzzles about Art: An Aesthetics Casebook
- Prohibited Sketchbook
- DEAR AND NOBLE BOY: The Life and Letters of Louis Stokes, 1897-1916
Do the Right Thing: The People's Economist Speaks (Hoover Institution Press Publication)
Ever Wonder Why? And Other Controversial Essays
Common Sense Economics: What Everyone Should Know About Wealth and Prosperity
Basic Economics: A Citizens Guide to the Economy, Revised and Expanded
The Vision of the Anointed: Self-Congratulation As a Basis for Social Policy
