Book Description
Five hundred years in the future, Captain Mal Reynolds, a hardened war veteran (on the losing side), ekes out a living pulling off small crimes and transport-for-hire aboard his ship, Serenity. He leads a small, eclectic crew who are the closest thing he has left to family -- squabbling, insubordinate, and undyingly loyal.
When Mal takes on two new passengers -- a young doctor named Simon and his unstable, telepathic sister, River -- he gets much more than he bargained for. The pair are fugitives from a coalition that dominates the universe with unlimited wealth and power -- and that will stop at nothing to control River and her abilities. The crew of mercenaries, used to skimming the outskirts of the galaxy unnoticed, soon find themselves caught between the unstoppable military force of the Universal Alliance and the cannibalistic fury of the Reavers, savages who roam the very edge of space. Caught up in the fight to stay alive, they don't yet realize that their greatest danger may be on board Serenity herself....
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"Five hundred years in the future, Captain Mal Reynolds, a hardened war veteran (on the losing side), ekes out a living pulling off small crimes and transport-for-hire aboard his ship, Serenity. He leads a small, eclectic crew who are the closest thing he has left to family -- squabbling, insubordinate, and undyingly loyal. When Mal takes on two new passengers -- a young doctor named Simon and his unstable, telepathic sister, River -- he gets much more than he bargained for. The pair are fugitives from a coalition that dominates the universe with unlimited wealth and power -- and that will stop at nothing to control River and her abilities. The crew of mercenaries, used to skimming the outskirts of the galaxy unnoticed, soon find themselves caught between the unstoppable military force of the Universal Alliance and the cannibalistic fury of the Reavers, savages who roam the very edge of space. Caught up in the fight to stay alive, they don't yet realize that their greatest danger may be on board Serenity herself.... "
Customer Reviews:
Not much insight beyond the movie.......2007-05-12
I bought this book hoping to get more than just a quick retelling of the script but more insight into the characters and plot. There are a few of these moments, but not really much beyond what you see in the movie (and the Firefly series - which is awesome by the way).Firefly - The Complete Series
Fantastic companion.......2007-04-29
Joss Whedon has called 'Serenity' Mal's story as told by River. In the novelization of the fantastic movie, DeCandido manages to capture that idea perfectly. As we, the readers, are presented with events almost exactly as they occur on screen, we are also given the opportunity to look inside the heads of the characters we love so much. DeCandido does a stunning job of showing us not only what is happening, but also how the characters react. This is specifically well done in the case of River who not only has her own thoughts, but knows those of the others even when they aren't so sure.
I bought the book so that I would have the story even on trips when I didn't have the movie or a TV available. It's everything I wanted and more.
Mediocre novelization of disappointing movie.......2007-04-13
My name is YT and I'm a Firefly fan. Most of what disappointed me about the movie was audio-visual so, I expected to like the novelization better. I did not. The best part about the story (indeed, the best part about most of the stories in the original series) is the characters. And apparently, the best part about the characters is the way the actors bring them alive, make them real, make us care.
Movie tie-in novelizations tend to be written in a hurry, to a hard deadline, so it is perhaps not reasonable to expect great language. But the addition of narration and visual description only served to slow down this story, without enrichening it in the slightest.
Not recommended.
Can't Help Myself.......2007-03-27
I love the whole Serenity phenomenon: the series, the movie, and now the book. Well written without being too well written, if you know what I mean; the gritty ambience of the characters was maintained perfectly. The best quotes were written without ado and the character insights stayed in character.
The "original" vision of the movie. .......2007-02-06
I call it that since the book is based off an earlier script of the movie before cuts had to be made due to budget restraints or special effects not working out just right (ie. the operatives "computer glasses"). You get deleted scenes, additional scenes from the Firefly TV show (proof that Keith is a fan), but other than that, doesn't really explore the movie any futher other than explaing what people are thinking in a tad more detail.
I feel movie novelizations are more statisfying to read after you see the movie so you have a clearer idea what things look like and you're not disappointed that things in the movie didn't turn out like the way you imagined had you read the book first. This is definitely a product for the Firefly/Serenity completist.
Customer Reviews:
Review for EDAD 9530 - Dave.......2002-04-16
In the book, What's Worth Fighting for in the Principalship, Michael Fullan outlines what he feels are the key guidelines for being a successful principal. The author's thoughts are presented in a concise, understandable format, and he clearly makes his point. That being, that change begins with the individual first examining themselves and then advocating for ways to empower other individuals in the organization. Furthermore, Fullan dismisses the notion that change is accomplished "through" a person or leader and instead puts forth the notion that effective, lasting change can only be accomplished through a combination of clear direction and collaboration. Fullan stakes this claim from a variety of angles throughout the book and in some cases becomes redundant in emphasizing his views. With that said, I should also note that Fullan does back up his arguments with documented research such as case studies and he credits the findings of other authors on numerous occasions as a means to support his comments. While I wouldn't exactly place this book on any "must read" lists for new principals, there are some good examples and certainly some meaningful lessons for new school leaders. In addition, I applaud the fact that the author chose to summarize his major points in each section in a "list" format which is easy to digest. Overall, I think Fullan accomplishes his goal of laying out some basic concepts for principals to be aware of, but I'm equally convinced that readers will appreciate the fact that the book only consumes an hour or so of their time.
What's Worth Fighting for in the Principalship?.......2001-06-24
The book was fairly easy to read. It had several excellent points, but seemed to be a bit redundant at times. It has easy to understand advice about the principalship. I enjoyed the quotes and would have liked for the book to elaborate more on some of them.
It has a great deal of information that would be good discussion material in a group setting. It is easy to understand why it might be a part of a graduate curriculum.
What's Worth Fighting for in the Principalship?.......2000-06-14
Book assists princpals on identifying the problems in the school community and how to decide if they are worth fighing for. Basically, it tells you to pick your battles because not all can be won. The book is easy to read and understand. The author cites examples and gives various solutions.
Book Description
In 1999, John McCain wrote one of the most acclaimed and bestselling memoirs of the decade, Faith of My Fathers. That book ended in 1972, with McCain’s release from imprisonment in Vietnam. This is the rest of his story, about his great American journey from the U.S. Navy to his electrifying run for the presidency, interwoven with heartfelt portraits of the mavericks who have inspired him through the years—Ted Williams, Theodore Roosevelt, visionary aviation proponent Billy Mitchell, Marlon Brando in Viva Zapata!, and, most indelibly, Robert Jordan. It was Jordan, Hemingway’s protagonist in For Whom the Bell Tolls, who showed McCain the ideals of heroism and sacrifice, stoicism and redemption, and why certain causes, despite the costs, are . . .
Worth the Fighting For
After five and a half years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam, naval aviator John McCain returned home a changed man. Regaining his health and flight-eligibility status, he resumed his military career, commanding carrier pilots and serving as the navy’s liaison to what is sometimes ironically called the world’s most exclusive club, the United States Senate. Accompanying Senators John Tower and Henry “Scoop” Jackson on international trips, McCain began his political education in the company of two masters, leaders whose standards he would strive to maintain upon his election to the U.S. Congress. There, he learned valuable lessons in cooperation from a good-humored congressman from the other party, Morris Udall. In 1986, McCain was elected to the U.S. Senate, inheriting the seat of another role model, Barry Goldwater.
During his time in public office, McCain has seen acts of principle and acts of craven self-interest. He describes both ex-tremes in these pages, with his characteristic straight talk and humor. He writes honestly of the lowest point in his career, the Keating Five savings and loan debacle, as well as his triumphant moments—his return to Vietnam and his efforts to normalize relations between the U.S. and Vietnamese governments; his fight for campaign finance reform; and his galvanizing bid for the presidency in 2000.
Writes McCain: “A rebel without a cause is just a punk. Whatever you’re called—rebel, unorthodox, nonconformist, radical—it’s all self-indulgence without a good cause to give your life meaning.” This is the story of McCain’s causes, the people who made him do it, and the meaning he found. Worth the Fighting For reminds us of what’s best in America, and in ourselves.
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In 1999, John McCain wrote one of the most acclaimed and bestselling memoirs of the decade, Faith of My Fathers. That book ended in 1972, with McCain's release from imprisonment in Vietnam. This is the rest of his story, about his great American journey from the U.S. Navy to his electrifying run for the presidency, interwoven with heartfelt portraits of the mavericks who have inspired him through the years -- Ted Williams, Theodore Roosevelt, visionary aviation proponent Billy Mitchell, Marlon Brando in Viva Zapata!, and, most indelibly, Robert Jordan. It was Jordan, Hemingway's protagonist in For Whom the Bell Tolls, who showed McCain the ideals of heroism and sacrifice, stoicism and redemption, and why certain causes, despite the costs, are... Worth the Fighting For.
After five and a half years as a prisoner of war in Vietnam, naval aviator John McCain returned home a changed man. Regaining his health and flight-eligibility status, he resumed his military career, commanding carrier pilots and serving as the navy's liaison to what is sometimes ironically called the world's most exclusive club, the United States Senate. Accompanying Senators John Tower and Henry "Scoop" Jackson on international trips, McCain began his political education in the company of two masters, leaders whose standards he would strive to maintain upon his election to the U.S. Congress. There, he learned valuable lessons in cooperation from a good-humored congressman from the other party, Morris Udall. In 1986, McCain was elected to the U.S. Senate, inheriting the seat of another role model, Barry Goldwater.
During his time in public office, McCain has seen acts of principle and acts of craven self-interest. He describes both extremes in these pages, with his characteristic straight talk and humor. He writes honestly of the lowest point in his career, the Keating Five savings and loan debacle, as well as his triumphant moments his return to Vietnam and his efforts to normalize relations between the U.S. and Vietnamese governments; his fight for campaign finance reform; and his galvanizing bid for the presidency in 2000.
Writes McCain: "A rebel without a cause is just a punk. Whatever you're called -- rebel, unorthodox, nonconformist, radical -- it's all self-indulgence without a good cause to give your life meaning." This is the story of McCain's causes, the people who made him do it, and the meaning he found. Worth the Fighting For reminds us of what's best in America, and in ourselves.
"Poignant, harrowing, and sometimes hilarious."
THE WASHINGTON POST
"Hard to top and impossible to read without being moved."
USA TODAY
"Compelling, even inspiring."
TIME
"Not only moving but wise."
LOS ANGELES TIMES
Customer Reviews:
Worth the Reading.......2005-08-25
As a long time admirer of John McCain, I wanted to read further about his life after having read "Faith of My Fathers". His first memoir chronicled the military experiences of both his father and grandfather, and the time that McCain spent in Vietnam as a prisoner of war. While that status has helped him in his political career, McCain has never used the term 'hero' to define who he is. In "Worth the Fighting For" he chronicles his career in politics, interspersing his recollections with portraits of men he has admired and whom he considers heroes.
After ending his Navy career, John McCain moved to Arizona and began his assent in the political arena. He moved up the ranks to state senator and has served in that capacity for twenty plus years. His writing is candid and often almost too honest for a man still practicing politics as he recounts fights over legislation and his run for the presidential nomination. But John McCain is about laying every card on the table. He doesn't hide anything and he never shirks from anything - even if it means fighting for an issue that goes against the Republican party politics. McCain seems to be one of the rare politicians who can put partisianship aside and truly work for what is best for America and the American people. He acknowledges his triumphs, as well as his failures, painting a portrait of a man who has spent his life in service to the country he loves.
An interesting blend of memoir and political science, McCain has crafted a read that extends beyond party lines. Whatever your political preference, you can admire John McCain for what he has achieved throughout his life. The title "Worth the Fighting For" is an apt description of McCain's naval and political career, but it more importantly applies to what is at stake in American politics today. For the government to truly serve the nation, there needs to be less fighting between the two main parties. And for Americans not in government to make a difference, they need to be active citizens who realize that democracy and freedom are things that are worth fighting for, (even when they come at a high price).
Well Written, Informative & Entertaining.......2005-03-05
John McCain is a Republican Senator of Arizona - he is currently serving his third term as Senator. This book was written in 2002. It documents his life: during the Vietnam war, after the war, and during his terms as Senator, also his 2000 bid for the Presidency. McCain offers a lot of introspect into his life and his decisions. I sometimes get upset when I see the decisions Senators and other politicians make but after reading this book I see that there are so many different types of people and special interests that politicians have to please. They are constantly walking on a thin line.
McCain's father and grandfather were both members of the military. His ancestors also fought in the civil war. McCain's family has a rich history. After reading this book, I can see McCain has a deep love for this country. I liked how McCain takes accountability for his decisions and tries his best to be honest.
I liked McCain's feelings about how he feels poor people fought in the Vietnam war while rich privileged kids got to stay home safe. McCain feels that this country belongs to the poor people - because they have fought all of our wars.
I'm by no stretch a Republican (I am conservative though), however, if McCain was President right now - I would feel this country has an honest, patriotic American as the President. This is an inspiring book and is also well written.
Aptly titled...Powerful, Inspirational Messages.......2003-09-19
After reading his other memoir "Faith of my Fathers," I was given "Worth the Fighting For" as a gift. And what a gift it turned out to be! Senator John McCain proves that he is truly one of the great All-American heroes of our time.
This memoir is honest, entertaining, and enlightening. By including the biographies of individuals McCain admired, we gain even better insight into the way John McCain's mind works. We begin to understand his motivations, his aspirations, and above all, his values. I am almost startled by how TRUTHFUL he is in approaching the challenges and obstacles in his life (running the gamut from his first bid for congress, the Keating Five Scandal, the run for President, and his Campaign Finance Reform movement.)What a life he's led!
I could not have come up with a better title for his work ("Worth the Fighting For"). Senator McCain very clearly demonstrates what he believes are the most important values integral to being a public servant and an American. I read this memoir with a pencil, because I found myself underlining so many moving and inspirational passages in his work.
Although I don't share the same political views as McCain, I can't help but feel an awesome sense of admiration for this man and his accomplishments. His memoir moves past political debates and dialogue...to examining and understanding our deeper core beliefs.
My absolute favorite chapters were the ones describing his bid for the Presidency and his efforts in Campaign Finance reform. However, all his biographical sketches were informative and fascinating. Another perk of reading his work, is getting a more personal opinion of the many "famous" elected officials running our nation--it's interesting to think why he either likes/dislikes these individuals.
An excellent work. Definitely pick this one up!
Candid memoir that increased my opinion of McCain.......2003-07-21
Enjoyed hearing the audio version of WORTH THE FIGHTING
FOR: A MEMOIR by John McCain with Mark Salter (his
administrative assistant) . . . McCain did the narration, and that
had a lot to do with why I liked it so much . . . it felt that he was
speaking to me directly . . . I also got to know much more about
McCain's career after his Vietnam captivity . . . he pulls no
punches, talking about his friendship with John Tower and the
subsequent babble over Tower's nomination for defense
secretary . . . similarly, he revisits the "Keating Five" affair that
nearly wrecked his career in the early 1990s . . . yet both most
amazing and refreshing was his candid admission that he lied
during his 2000 run for the presidency . . . when asked about
the Confederate flag, he first did not tell the truth about his
background . . . he then compounded this mistake by not
divulging how he really felt about the subject.
Yet that said, I think the following quote from the book provides insight into
what John McCain is all about: "A rebel without a cause is just a
punk. Whatever you're called--rebel, unorthodox, nonconformist,
radical--it's all self-indulgence without a good cause to give you
meaning."
It got me thinking that I'd give serious consideration to voting for
him should he ever decide to run again. . . however, it is unlikely
that he will be given the opportunity--much to my loss but
to Arizona's continued gain.
A great American hero.......2003-05-21
While there are many politicians who profess to be uncontrollable mavericks who vote strictly based upon their conscience, there are few who do so in actuality. John McCain is one of these few rare creatures that are slowly growing extinct in a political climate that readily denounces instead of encouraging political reform and true representation of one's constituency. As the noble McCain-Feingold Campaign Finance Reform is pondered by the Supreme Court for its supposed unconstitutionality and concurrently eviscerated by machine politicians such as Mitch McConnell, John McCain continues his admirably idealistic and iconoclastic approach to political reform: It's worth the fighting for.
As the vast multitude of Senators surreptitiously sneak in pork barrel earmarks that waste taxpayers billions of dollars per year, McCain espouses a line item veto - where the President can eliminate such wasteful expenditures while still signing the bill into law. McCain is loath to the inherent corruption and undue influence that soft money has effected upon the election process under the auspices of ostensibly independent ads on the eve of elections. Corruption, pork barrel politics, dishonesty, apathy, and anti-Americanism are all anathema to the most distinguished and honorable Senator in our great country - John McCain. I highly recommend this memoir. Just as McCain does so commendably with his politics, he has put his heart into it as only he can.
Book Description
With typical brio and boldness, Slavoj Zizek argues in The Fragile Absolute that the subversive core of the Christian legacy is much too precious to be left to the fundamentalists. Here is a fitting contribution from a Marxist to the 2000th anniversary of one who was well aware that to practice love in our world is to bring in the sword and fire.
Customer Reviews:
Christianism-Leninism (Spanish).......2006-03-21
En 1940, Walter Benjamin ilustraba la historia como una partida de ajedrez entre las fuerzas dominantes y un títere llamado "Materialismo Histórico" que era manejado por "Teología": una enana que se escondía por ser tan fea. Ahora es lo contrario: el "giro teológico" posmoderno es enseñar a la teología y esconder el materialismo histórico por asqueroso e intocable. Restos de un pasado paria. Si Marx aparece en Newsweek es por su crítica sofisticada del fetichismo. Lenin, en cambio, es impresentable: un fanático oriental, como Mao. Esta es la tesis de Slavoj Zizek quien retoma el cristianismo paulino como una versión pre-leninista de la revolución. Zizek arguye por una ética incondicional, consciente hasta las últimas, como en San Pablo y Lenin. El compromiso "revolucionario" no es solamente con el Nuevo Comienzo sino con el Terror que trae: la tarea de Lo Peor con sus mártires y purgas. Cuando vemos que todos los pueblos atrasados "aspiran" a la democracia, olvidamos que ésta sueña perversamente con paredones. El terrorismo fue lo mejor que pudo pasarle a la democracia: no la puso sobreaviso sino que le regaló más control migratorio, menos derechos civiles y más racismo. Pero la anestesia de la filosofía democrática prolifera con éticas y políticas cursis que ni se diferencian de un catálogo de perfumes. Espejos de un aristotelismo siempre mediocre: de liberales a socialistas. Por dichas taras, segun Zizek, cualquier autenticidad o radicalismo es fundamentalista y ortodoxa. La falta de pasión se complementa con la guerra global. El acto de guerra del 11-S todavía se considera impensable y la ausencia bélica se compensa con el más grande gasto militar de la historia. El consenso (u oportunismo trascendental) se ayuda con éticas "profesionales" e ideologías dormilonas: acción comunicativa, indecibilidad, autorrealización personal, los hombres son de Marte, las mujeres de Venus, etc. Es la evidencia borrega de la falta pública de evidencia. Por eso, para Zizek, la huida contemporánea a la "teología" es lo propio de las tendencias privatizantes en la sociedad cosmopolita. En la "hospitalidad" cosmopolita, la empatía se combina con la náusea: Se desinfectan las otras culturas de sus excrementos como se fumigan las religiones de su fe. Sus tradiciones son de un paraíso perdido y al mismo tiempo, estúpidas y sexistas. Como en el desapego budista, el otro encanta y al mismo tiempo apesta. Las "minorías" sexuales demandan derechos del Estado y al mismo tiempo quieren ser "contraculturales". En las Universidades occidentales, está bien ser anarquista pero con un puesto en propiedad. Para Zizek, en la sexualidad actual, donde lo normal es ser sadomasoquista; el Capital nos demanda perversiones sin subversiones. La Ley no sería la Represión, sino el imperativo del Goce, por lo que nos sumimos en una pulsión indiferente. El núcleo "perverso" del cristianismo, en Zizek, está en la muerte de Cristo como evento que encuentra su fidelidad posterior en el goce de la Ley. Cuando se quiere la Ley, ya no existe su Prohibición. Todo se le permite al cristiano porque "Dios es Amor". Por eso, la Iglesia nunca ha reprimido la perversión, sino que en nombre de lo Universal, -lo cual es histeria- hubo Cruzadas y violaciones, la confesión favorita de la lujuria laica y el que escoge ser cura puede gozar con todos los monaguillos que quiera. La diferencia con el Capital es que ahora, el Universal ni siquiera está regido por algo contingente, sino por la ambigüedad fría y vacía del oportunismo ideológico donde no hay ni democracia ni terror.
SOS.......2005-11-19
This writing is what brings out the positivist in the best of us. Nonsense from beginning to end. What would Wittgenstein not say?
Theology for Marxists, Atheists and Agnostics.......2003-06-02
A self-described "fighting atheist," though not a very conventional one, and an avowed Marxist, though not a very typical or orthodox one, iek writes rooted deeply within Lacanian psychoanalysis in order to produce some of the most intriguing, bewildering, and relevant philosophy concerned with post-modern conundrums such as relativism, agency, and subjecthood.
iek in this work embraces the shared Marxist and Christian messianic visions of history as an alternative to both the post-modern, New Age-Gnostic moral sludge dominating PC culture and the excesses of capital. The true heart of the work-and its most convincing parts as well-occur mid-way through in iek `s treatment of Pauline agape vs. the Law/Sin dialectic as it relates to modern human rights. More or less, this is a desperate attempt to revive Marxism as an alternative to Liberalism. Good Luck.
iek writes in a frenetic, gregarious style that is endearing but not necessarily rigorous. His penchant for citing movies, novels and popular culture besides the likes of Schelling, Lacan, Hegel and Heidegger lightens the atmosphere, but the problem is that many things that he says, many conclusions he arrives at from overly generalized instances of cultural practice are just blatantly false. Also, it can be annoying when he rambles on for five pages about a movie you've never seen, thus, making any attempt to understand his point tedious. [Recommendation: definitely make sure you've watched Hitchcock's VERTIGO before reading this book].
For me, iek is one of the authors with whom I part ways with on the big questions but with whom I often side with on the smaller questions. His acuity in the realm of cultural interpretation and his applications of Lacanian psychoanalysis to politics are both haunting and memorable long after you've finished the books. Re-reading this book, I came across this passage in footnote #12 that sent shivers down my spine with it's accuracy.
Too much psycho-analysis.......2002-12-02
Okay, I know Zizek is a Lacanian, but I was hoping that he'd get beyond his neo-Freudianism in this book--considering that its billed as an intersection between Marx and Christianity. Indeed, the topic is very intriguing and Zizek's fundamental thesis--that Christianity should be saved and joined with Marxism--is compelling. I especially liked his treatment of "agape"...
The problem, however, is that Zizek's Lacanianism blinds him to the history of Marxist criticism. He mentions Adorno and Horkheimer at several points, but it is evident that he has not read Lukacs or Debord. This fact is obvious in his chapter entitled "The Spectre of Capitalism" where he writes, as if he has some profound insight, "this reduction of heavenly chimeras to brutal economic reality generates a spectrality of its own". if he had read Lukacs--who preceded Adorno and Horkheimer--he would realize that he's speaking about the concept "reification" which even A & H understood, having read "History and Class Consciousness". And Debord's concept of spectacular society rounds out Lukacs' take on "reification" and basically nullifies Zizek's next chapter. aside from reiterating Lukacs and Debord in his own convoluted language (and appearing to sound original), Zizek also rips of Deleuze and Guattari at numerous points without giving credit. Funny thing this, since D & G would have had nothing but derision for Zizek's Lacanianiasm--psycho-analytic criticism, grounded in Freud, is nothing but Statist and pro-Capitalist since it reinforces the Oedipal triangle. You would think that even Zizek would notice this fact.
Aside from these theoretical problems, "The Fragile Absolute" is still a very compelling read. One has to wonder, however, why Zizek thinks the merging of Marxism and Christianity is some kind of "new" strategy; wasn't this the fundamental thesis of Liberation Theology in the 1960s?
Zizek again!.......2002-05-23
Zizek at his all time high (takes Lacan with him)!
Book Description
'From now on, even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way; everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!' Saint Paul's militant declaration from Corinthians asserts for the first time in human history the revolutionary logic of a radical break with the past--with it, the age of Cosmic Balance and similar pagan babble is over. What does it mean to return to this stance today? One of the most deplorable aspects of our postmodern era is the re-emergence of the "sacred" in all its different guises, from New Age paganism to the emerging religious sensitivity within deconstructionism itself. How is a Marxist to counter this massive onslaught of obscurantism? The wager of Zizek's The Fragile Absolute is that Christianity and Marxism should fight together against the onslaught of new spiritualism. The subversive core of the Christian legacy is much too precious to be left to the fundamentalists. Here is a fitting contribution from a Marxist to the 2000th anniversary of one who was well aware that to practice love in our world is to bring in the sword and fire.
Customer Reviews:
Zizek's clearest exposition yet........2000-06-20
Slovenia's most prolific theorist's newest offering may be the clearest statement of his radical blend of Lacanian psychoanalysis and Marxist social critique. Don't let the title scare you...Zizek has not become a militant fundamentalist. The book argues a shared impetus for change within Christianity (especially vis-a-vis St. Paul) and Marxism and proposes this "kernel" be used to bring these camps together for social good. Peppered with his trademark pop culture illustrations, this book is immensely readable and cogently argued. A great introduction to Zizek's thought.
Customer Reviews:
What's Worth Fighting for in Your School?.......2000-04-06
As a teacher studying to be an administrator this book was very eye opening! It gives great insight regarding people on both sides of the principal's desk. What's Worth Fighting for in Your School defines the Total School and the Total Teacher and gives great advice on bringing teacher and administrator together to lead reform and make positive changes. It is a practical book with real, not lofty theoretical, suggestions for making a difference.
An inspirational read for reform-minded teachers........2000-04-06
I found this book to be full of wonderful ideas about how one person can begin to make changes in a school. I work at a school that has had a change in administration during the past year and faculty morale is at an all time low. I can't wait to give this book to my new principal and colleagues to give them a jumpstart for the next school year. This book is realistic and points out the strengths and flaws in different models of collaboration and collegiality in schools. The authors make many excellent points about the balance we must strive to keep between respecting individualism and inspiring collaboration in our schools.
Customer Reviews:
It tells us what school should pay attention to !.......2006-07-29
This book is good. It tells us that school should not remain closed system. Things happen outside schools affect school's operation.
There are things worth fighting for!.......2004-05-29
I found this book to be uplifting and hopeful. The authors encourage educators to "go deeper" in our purpose, passion, emotion, and hope. I believe our moral purpose as educators is especially important. Hargreaves and Fullan put forth four "purposes of schooling" for educators to consider as their moral purpose - to love and care, to serve, to empower, and to learn. Not surprisingly, these four purposes are the same important elements used by educators to raise self-esteem in their students.
The authors encourage educators to "go wider." Instead of being wary of "what's out there" we are encouraged to move towards the danger. Many teachers espouse collaborative relationships within the walls of the schools. Hargreaves and Fullan push us to move beyond the walls into the world "out there." Collaboration with other organizations and with other individuals in the community will help us as educators. The array of issues students bring with them to school makes it necessary for us to reach out for assistance and resources. Collaboration with outside entities will take us beyond our "comfort zones" as we develop skills, knowledge, and capacities more suited to the working demands of the information age.
Finally, the authors tell us - "refuse to mind our own business." This means taking political action against wrong-headed reform. This certainly means resisting "getting better at a bad game." We must redefine the business we're in. If we don't redefine it for ourselves, there are plenty of people out there who will do it for us - many with disastrous results.
I think educators will find this an easy read with an inspiring message that encourages us to take action.
Grass Roots Educational Reform--It's Worth Fighting For!.......2003-05-01
Andy Hargreaves and Michael Fullan have constructed a great book identifying many key topics educators need to keep in focus as we continue our quest each day to meet the needs of student learners across our great Nation. "What's Worth Fighting for Out There?" is an outstanding book that allows the reader to re-connect with the important things in Education. I would propose this to be a grass roots campaign to get back to the basics and address the basic needs of students, staff, parents, and community as they relate to a quality education. Hargreaves and Fullan propose that we need to Go Wider (Chapter #3) to develop new and more solid relationships with the stakeholders of each School Districts' educational movement. Going Deeper (Chapter #2) focuses the script to the actual teaching processes and refinement to include deep passion and emotion. This passion and emotion I believe are represented well in Chapter #2 as the narrative explains the importance of one adult caring for a child each day and that impact of keeping students from dropping out of school. As an educator of several years, I have found that building solid relationships with students, parents, and community are very important to your mission of teaching and learning and ultimately directly impact students in a positive manner. Building these relationships takes time and energy-all of which is worth the output.
I am sure many readers would argue that this book is one in which the basic concepts are already known by educators and of no importance. I would counter that with the fact that I believe this is a very strong statement by Hargreaves and Fullan to re-introduce these key concepts as the basics for future educational advancements. The continued identification of these key concepts to me reinforce the fact that we need to take control of the situations identified to create teaching and learning environments for all of our student learners. Dryden (1995) notes that: "so much is going on in each kid's life, every story is so complicated". Students are often disengaged from their own learning, and it is enormously difficult for teachers to enter their world. I would like to challenge all educators to read this book and use the advice of Dryden. Eliminate the complicated stories in your classrooms and your schools and get back to the basics of creating award winning educational systems for teaching and learning from a grass roots movement that we ALL can have an impact on.
"What's Worth Fighting for Out There?" is a must read-if you want to change education in your school and community! A good school is the price of peace in the community (Ursula Franklin, 1997).
FULLAN and HARGREAVES KEEP HOPE ALIVE.......2003-03-17
WHAT'S WORTH FIGHTING for OUT THERE is a must read for anyone and everyone who wants to understand the plight of education in today's schools. The book is not just limited to U.S. schools, it also examines schools around the world such as England and Canada. These schools and their teachers share similiar issues and concerns. The book focuses more on process but does give specific reasons why the various publics: teachers, principals, parents and the community must come together and form a collaborative coalition when approaching policymakers who decide the legislation that guides or in many cases mandates a certain educational practice. In recent years the overriding consensus is that these "mandates" are passed down to schools with little or no funding to implement them.This in turn leads to high levels of frustration and disconnect between education and the public.
WHAT'S WORTH FIGHTING for OUT THERE addresses these frustrations and explores how each group can develop and nurture positive relationships, to not only clear up misconceptions but also to be on the same page. The ultimate goal is to provide effective instruction to our nation's and world's most valuable resources-our children.
The book is filled with practical information that is based in research from a vast collection of educators and practitioners.Page 6 of the book outlines the problems that we face in education. They contend that these issues are the reasons why schools need to connect more effectively with the wider world beyond them.
Emotional intelligence is mentioned throughout the book. Fullan and Hargreaves argue that schools do not pay enough attention to to this concept. It is not an option in schooling to neglect this. They go on to say that emotional intelligence adds value to cognitive achievement and subsequent success in adult life.
What drew me to this book was the title "WHAT'S WORTH FIGHTING for OUT THERE." It appealed to me because as an educator I feel that we have to continously stand up and fight to communicate to the public our daily tasks. A great example is on page 82. The authors discuss the changing profession of teaching. They say that teaching as a profession has not come of age. It is not simply the view of the 1960's when teaching was seen as a demanding but not technically difficult. You prepared for class, taught it and marked papers afterwards. It didn't take long to learn to teach and once you'd prepared for it, you knew how to do it the rest of your career.You relied on experience and intuition to do it well. This is an outdated image of teaching, yet it is still widespread and influential among the wider public.This misconception is based upon the kind of teaching they( public members) remember when they were in school. This notion leads to questions such as:"if teaching is not that difficult, why not cut back on teacher's resources, levels of support and time away from the classroom? Everybody else has cut back-perhaps teachers should take their turn as well." This myth is one of the things worth fighting for in order to build a collaborative environment that is knowledgeable of teacher issues.
Perhaps one of the most poignant chapters in the book addresses "Hope". The authors write that "it is easy to be hopeful when things are rosy. It is essential to be hopeful when they are not."They go on to add that "hope's real value is when the conditions are not hopeful. Fullan and Hargreaves urge principals to fight for lost causes and be hopeful when it counts. The example given was the 1930 Frank Capra movie MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON. James Stewart plays Mr Smith a newly elected senator. He recieves some advice from his father that seems absurd at first his father said "Lost causes are the only things worth fighting for." A significant step towards liberation and for teachers is to realize that a hopeful stance in the face of seemingly intractable problems is the most healthy, constructive thing they can do. A quote from Harvel, 1993 says that:
"Hope is definitely not the same as optimism. It
is not the conviction that something will turn
out well, but the certainty that something makes
sense, regardless of how it turns out. It is hope,
above all, that gives us strength to live and to
continually try new things, even in conditions that
seem hopeless."
I would recommend this book for all teachers, parents, school leaders and community members as required reading. I am going to read the other books that have made up this series. It definitely is a book that will create dialogue regarding the state of teaching.The essence of the book in my opinion is stated in Chapter 3-GOING WIDER. The authors discuss the importance of reframing relationships to the outside. Relationships are critical to success in many things, for example,in marriages, in working with students and parents and even in the business sector, which sometimes tends to focus on products and neglecting their human resources. R.M. Kanter sums this up in his book "WORLD-CLASS LEADERS:THE POWER OF THE PAST" which the authors make reference to. Kanter states that:
Leaders of the past often erected walls. Now
they must destroy these walls and replace them
with bridges.
READ THIS BOOK!
What's Worth Fighting for Out There.......2002-04-10
A book of this length is necessarily restricted to presenting only a limited amount of information, but each chapter makes a contribution to stimulating ideas, practices, and principles of education. The author included discussions on diversity, technology, changing forces, communication, cooperation, new interactive relationships, effective teaching and learning, etc. Overall, the book is well organized and attractive. The book talked a lot about hope and also about creating conditions to promote positive emotional relationships to teaching, learning, and improvement. The author claimed, ¡§we need educational leaders who will push for change, but who also recognize that multiple options of connecting with what¡¦s ¡§out there¡¨ must be explored and that new pathways must be beaten as they do so¡¨ (p. 107). I agree with the future teaching is in the hands of those who turn hope into an active virtue. Schools today need significant improvements in responding to the rapidly changing society and better educate the students. In the face of complexity in restructuring the educational system, the school leaders must enlist teachers, parents, policy makers, and the community in support of fundamental changes. This book would be a valuable addition to the resources of educational practitioners.
Book Description
The collected articles and columns of Michael Kelly, award-winning reporter, war correspondent, columnist, and editor, whose passion for the good story and whose candor and wit made him one of the foremost journalists of our time.
Michael Kelly called himself a "colored lights" sort of person-a regular guy, not a member of the elite "white light" crowd-when it came to his holiday decorations, his writing, and his zest for life. His career reflected myriad colors: he wrote for a large variety of publications, covering a multitude of topics-political, international, and personal-with singular insight, passion, and wit. This collection of his most memorable magazine and newspaper stories and columns-drawn from the Washington Post, New York Times, The New Yorker, The New Republic, and other publications-puts on full display the dazzling panoply of his gifts: for physical description and scene setting; for telling detail, brilliant simile, and satirical insight; for prose that is at once mathematically precise and lyrical.
Here are the searing portraits of Ted Kennedy, Jesse Jackson, H. Ross Perot, and other seminal political figures of our time that won Kelly national attention. Here are the stunning dispatches from the first Gulf War that earned him the National Magazine Award for reporting and burnished his journalistic legend. Here are the fierce columns and landmark cover stories that raised disturbing questions about Bill Clinton, Hillary Rodham Clinton, and the deeply incestuous relationship between Washington, D.C.'s political and media cultures. And here are the loving family portraits and hilarious social commentaries.
Colored Lights represents the body of work of a journalist who demonstrated time and again a surpassing talent for penetrating to the heart of the matter, for advancing far beyond the headlines and surface appearances of people and events to find their true meanings, for getting the story other writers missed and telling it with a verve few other writers could match.
Customer Reviews:
poetry.......2006-01-04
A remarkable assemblage of some of the best writing and reporting of the last few deccades by a journalist par excellence.
A Book Worth Reading .......2005-05-16
I bought this book in order to read the authors columns on the Iraqi wars. I heard about the author too late to read much of his work in real time so this book was a nice review of his work. The book offers so much more then just the war columns. In fact some of his better writing might be in his coverage of politics in the 90's. Lastly, I bought the book because a heard some of it read on CSPAN and if you enjoy solid, quality writing then this author has to be on your list. The more I read the book the more I enjoyed the writing. The author is a master at low key yet biting humor and he makes you feel good not being one of the hip in crowd.
Although I picked up the book for the coverage of the war, and I enjoyed that a great deal, what I really liked was his brutally honest columns on some political figures. I will never be able to look at Jesse Jackson again the same way. The view that the author paints of Jackson is so unflattering that you have to think Jackson probably hated no man more. What was so great about the reporting was that the author brought out some of the more low key traits of Jackson that lead to bigger issues. Only knowing a bit about Jackson, I saw the traits and started to see where the author was going. I also loved his view of Perot, the picture he paints is of a small little man that has let his ego and paranoia take over in equal parts. I would not be surprised if the man has a food taster at the ready.
The coverage of Clinton was also fair I felt. This is to say that it would make a Clinton fan a bit uncomfortable. Overall the author does seem to take to task Democrats more then Republicans, but his targets of choice are so deserving of his attention that it is hard to make a case for bias. Overall this is a wonderful book. The author was a gem, a true master with the language. He could make the most dull topics sing off the page. If you are a fan of the author then this is a nice book to keep his memory alive. If you are new to him then you will be excited to read each page and will only be disappointed when the book comes to an end.
Quite Possibly the Best Writer I Have Ever Read.......2005-02-16
The horrible thing about reading this book is that if you were a fan of Michael Kelly before his death, you will start missing his work again all over. If you come to this book unfamiliar with his writing, you will curse yourself for having missed him during his lifetime. He is that good of a writer - witty, inquisative, insightful and with an ever changing voice that perfectly fits the mood of the piece. It is hard to open a single page of this book and not find prose worthy of being placed on the back cover. His writing is that phenomenal.
The book is a compilation of many of his earlier writings from throughout his career. There are many of his Washington Post columns, and longer pieces that he wrote for the New Yorker, The Atlantic Monthly, GQ, and various other publications. The book is divided into several distinctive parts, each filled with both short and long essays. "Visions of America" gives us Kelly's observations on the country. "The Game" concentrates chiefly on politics in the US. "The Age of Clinton" is self explanitory. "The Gulf War" includes his essays from the First Gulf War and the aftermath of the reopening of Kuwait and the Kurdish uprising in Iraq. "Front Lines" includes a lot about Bosnia from the early `90s. In the "Last War" Kelly concentrates on terrorism and the 9/11 fall out. And the book concludes with "Family Wealth" which you may correctly surmise is about the family.
The book is moderate in tone, although the shorter columns from the Washington Post are more conservative in nature. The longer issues are very well balanced and very fair, and I think that was a true trademark of his reporting - the constant vigilance to be even handed in his reporting. He also searches for, finds and explains the motives of his subjects better than almost anyone else I have ever read.
Regardless of your political leanings, you should read this book if only to take advantage of reading some of the best writing you will ever come across. And if you haven't read Kelly before, you may not forgive yourself for depriving yourself until now.
A true journalist.......2004-10-29
Michael Kelly embodied the very finest ideals of what a great journalist could and should be. A keen observer of world events and the human condition, a brilliant writer and artist with words, an objective reporter dedicated to the pursuit of truth...Kelly was all of these things. He was also apparently a heckuva friend to people who knew him; a decent, honest, likeable guy. All of these things shine through in his reports and essays. We grieved when we lost him in Iraq, and the grief is re-awakened when we realize afresh how profoundly his wisdom and reportage is missed now. A man of faith who dearly loved his family and his country, Michael Kelly was everything an aspiring journalist today should hope to be. May Kelly's legacy be one of inspiring a new generation that will restore integrity to journalism.
A Great Journalist-A Profound Loss !.......2004-07-12
I have been a fan of Michael Kelly since I first discovered him in the pages of the New Republic back in the early nineties. He was that rarest of pundit/journalists. He was a man profoundly interested in truth and profoundly disgusted by modern ?spin.? Although a moderate liberal by birthright and inclination, Kelly found himself moving further and further from the reservation as the Clinton years proceeded. Kelly eventually was fired as editor of the New Republic for being too harsh on the Clinton administration. He then found his way to a regular syndicated column in the Washington Post and a job as editor in chief of the Atlantic, which he turned around completely. He became an embedded reporter during the Iraq war and as most know was tragically killed when his jeep came under fire and crashed on the way to Bagdhad. He was forty seven and left a wife and two young sons.
We will never read the book he would have written about the war. I have no doubt it would have given us the real story, unvarnished and without an agenda. Because that?s what Kelly was about. His loss is not just a tragedy for his family, it is a national tragedy because a vital voice has been lost at a crucial time in American history. A reading of this brilliant collection of Kelly?s writings will attest to just how great the loss is. This book is a collection of Mike?s writings from 1990 through his death in 2003. The book is organized, not chronologically but by section. There is a section on ?Visions of America? in which Kelly?s columns and articles on American culture in the nineties is collected. These writings display the wit and satire for which he was well known. In sections on politics and the ?Age of Clinton? Kelly skewers the emptiness of ?spin? politics, when elections become nothing more than winning a game and where image and perception are more important than substance. His more lengthy personality profiles are brilliant examples of the genre and reading his profiles of Jesse Jackson in middle age, Ross Perot, Louis Farrakhan, Hillary Clinton and many others will bring back memories of a time that seems long distant now. His descriptions of the results of Sadaam?s tyranny against Kuwait will churn the stomach more than a decade later. His account of the first Gulf War brings home the reality of modern combat brilliantly. He also wrote bemusedly, in a section on family, about the world of his toddler and pre-school sons who he obviously loved dearly.
It is in his post 9/11/01 writings, however, that Mike really found his voice. As the stark reality of the struggle we face was brought home, Kelly remembered, less than fondly, the profound emptiness of the Clinton age, and looked forward to a time of newly found resolve. I am sure he would be horrified at the breakdown of the national consensus, along party lines. As the argument began for action against Iraq, Kelly?s most eloquent essay, ?Immorality on the March?, demonstrates the profound immorality of the protesters who would doom the Iraqi people and the World to a permanent Hussein tyranny. In ?Who Would Choose Tyranny? he reveals the absurdity of the argument that Iraqi?s would choose the jackboot of Sadaam to liberation by America.
The final section has some columns Mike filed during the early days of the war and personal E-Mails to his family and friends sent from Kuwait just before he left to meet his destiny with the Third Infantry Division. Even in these simple E-Mails, Mike?s profound skill with words is obvious. I know if Michael Kelly were alive today, no journalist would be better situated to write on the war?s justification and in eloquent support of the larger war on terror. No one would be better able to ridicule the fools on the left, the Michael Moore?s who spout absurdities and hurt our morale and resolve. Most importantly, no one would better shame the politicians and pundits who condemn the Bush administration without offering alternatives, who place electoral expediency over the national interest. Mike fought this his whole career. He would not refrain from criticism where such criticism is warranted but he would be believable, because he would place it in the context of the larger events that shape the direction of the world. No one did it better than him. Please buy this book, not only as a way of supporting Michael Kelly?s young family but because it represents the final legacy of a career cut tragically short. I am no fan of Maureen Dowd but she is absolutely correct in this assessment of Michael Kelly ?Michael died for two things he believed in: journalism and ridding the world of jackboots.? It will be small comfort to his beloved wife, children and parents but it may be of some consolation to fans of his writing.
Book Description
The many sides of Abraham Lincoln—war leader, humorist, commander in chief, politician, and emancipator—are vividly depicted in this concise and fresh look at his presidential years. Pivotal events, decisions, and issues in Lincoln’s private and public life are scrutinized and explained clearly by noted historian James A. Rawley. During an innovative yet bloody era marked by mass communication, unheard-of national recognition and media attention, and the increasingly destructive uses of technology to wage war, Lincoln did all that he could to preserve the nation as a whole. Principles underpinning Lincoln’s actions and motivations as administrator and war leader included an abiding spirit of nationalism, which contrasted with the forces driving his immediate predecessors, and the encompassing power conferred upon him as commander in chief in wartime. Accessible and informative, Abraham Lincoln and a Nation Worth Fighting For is an engaging and valuable introduction to the career of one of our most memorable presidents.
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