Amazon.com
Blink is about the first two seconds of looking--the decisive glance that knows in an instant. Gladwell, the best-selling author of The Tipping Point, campaigns for snap judgments and mind reading with a gift for translating research into splendid storytelling. Building his case with scenes from a marriage, heart attack triage, speed dating, choking on the golf course, selling cars, and military maneuvers, he persuades readers to think small and focus on the meaning of "thin slices" of behavior. The key is to rely on our "adaptive unconscious"--a 24/7 mental valet--that provides us with instant and sophisticated information to warn of danger, read a stranger, or react to a new idea.
Gladwell includes caveats about leaping to conclusions: marketers can manipulate our first impressions, high arousal moments make us "mind blind," focusing on the wrong cue leaves us vulnerable to "the Warren Harding Effect" (i.e., voting for a handsome but hapless president). In a provocative chapter that exposes the "dark side of blink," he illuminates the failure of rapid cognition in the tragic stakeout and murder of Amadou Diallo in the Bronx. He underlines studies about autism, facial reading and cardio uptick to urge training that enhances high-stakes decision-making. In this brilliant, cage-rattling book, one can only wish for a thicker slice of Gladwell's ideas about what Blink Camp might look like. --Barbara Mackoff
Book Description
Blink is about the first two seconds of looking--the decisive glance that knows in an instant. Gladwell, the best-selling author of The Tipping Point, campaigns for snap judgments and mind reading with a gift for translating research into splendid storytelling. Building his case with scenes from a marriage, heart attack triage, speed dating, choking on the golf course, selling cars, and military maneuvers, he persuades readers to think small and focus on the meaning of "thin slices" of behavior. The key is to rely on our "adaptive unconscious"--a 24/7 mental valet--that provides us with instant and sophisticated information to warn of danger, read a stranger, or react to a new idea. Gladwell includes caveats about leaping to conclusions: marketers can manipulate our first impressions, high arousal moments make us "mind blind," focusing on the wrong cue leaves us vulnerable to "the Warren Harding Effect" (i.e., voting for a handsome but hapless president). In a provocative chapter that exposes the "dark side of blink," he illuminates the failure of rapid cognition in the tragic stakeout and murder of Amadou Diallo in the Bronx. He underlines studies about autism, facial reading and cardio uptick to urge training that enhances high-stakes decision-making.In this brilliant, cage-rattling book, one can only wish for a thicker slice of Gladwell's ideas about what Blink Camp might look like.--Barbara Mackoff
Customer Reviews:
Impressions Do Count!.......2007-10-24
Blink and intuition go hand-in-hand. First impressions do count, and rarely are they off base. It's a fast read; just re-reading it reminded me that basics are always basic and that if I would pay attention to gut reactions and first impressions, I rarely go wrong.
Judith Briles, author
Stop Stabbing Yourself in the Back
The Confidence Factor
Zapping Conflict in the Health Care Workplace
Just short of 4 stars...........2007-10-22
I bought this on the back of reading Malcoms really interesting "The Tipping Point" book.
Blink is worth a read, however you are left with the feeling that its all a little padded out to compensate for what really could be a much shorter book. There are some good insights into the way people unconsciously make decisions about things.
Some of the more interesting studies quoted explain how a high percentage of corporate leaders are taller than the average person. And how every extra inch in height can equate to about an extra $1,000 in salary. The goal of this book is to try to explain why these kind of things happen. It seems we all subconsciously make decisions based on predefined perceptions.
Some ideas it this book really overlap with NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming). If you have read anything about NLP then I think you will see the overlap.
People really should rely a lot more on their gut feelings with things as this book proves. Even though you may not know why you have a gut feeling about something this gut feeling comes from your subconscious evaluating and making decisions. The most powerful thing you can do, I believe, is try to be a bit more aware of your first gut feeling about things, it is easy to not pick up on them.
Powerful, Interesting Read.......2007-10-17
Great read that explains in detail a phenomenon that most of us encounter on a daily basis - thin slicing - making split decisions based on limited or no analysis. The book has numerous practical applications and should be read by anyone in a decision making role - executives, marketers, traders, etc. Definitely liked Blink more than Tipping Point. Looking forward to Gladwell's next book.
Unabashed Fan for Good Reason.......2007-10-16
I am a huge fan of Gladwell's work. Both Blink and Tipping Point are fantastically entertaining yet highly informative - a combination that, as a writer, I aspire to and one Gladwell has clearly mastered.
Blink.......2007-10-14
Still reading the book but find it very interesting and informative. Explains many thoughts, behavors that I've had in the past.
Book Description
This book is a chapter-by-chapter analysis and documentation of the power of Israel via the Israeli, Jewish or Pro-Zionist Lobby on US Middle East policy. It raises serious questions as to the primary beneficiary of US policy, and its destructive results for the United States. The extraordinary extent of US political, economic, military and diplomatic support for the state of Israel is explored, along with the means whereby such support is generated and consolidated. Contending that Zionist power in America ensured unconditional US backing for Israeli colonization of Palestine and its massive uprooting of Palestinians, it views the interests of Israel rather than those of Big Oil as the primary cause of the disastrous US wars against Iraq and threats of war against Iran and Syria. It demonstrates and condemns US imitation of Israeli practice as it relates to conduct of the war on terrorism and torture. It sheds light on the AIPAC spying scandal and other Israeli espionage against America; the fraudulent and complicit role of America's academic "terrorist experts" in furthering criminal government policies, and the orchestration of the Danish cartoons to foment antipathy between Muslims and the West. It questions the inability in America to sustain or even formulate a discourse related to the subject of Israeli influence on the United States. It calls for a review of American Mideast policy with a view to reclaiming US independence of action based upon enlightened self-interest and progressive principles.
Customer Reviews:
80% on Target.......2007-09-03
This book is a perfect counter-point to They Dare to Speak Out: People and Institutions Confront Israel's Lobby. I review that book also, and recommend both books to every American, just as I recommend the books below that document how the Saudis have bought the Bush Family and the Republican and Democratic parties, neither of which represents We the People.
I would normally remmove one star because the author is a bit over the top in blaming everything on the Zionists and the Neo-Conservative servants, but I went with five stars to offset the mindless rapid Zionists (I hold moderate Jews in total respect). The same week that WIRED Magazine had a cover story on a new two way sustainable energy grid, Dick Cheney was meeting secretly with Enron and Exxon. Iraq happened because Dick Cheney wanted it to happen, the Zionists provided the lies, and the Congress and the media both were intimidated into ignoring General Tony Zinn, General Shinseki, and others including myself, who said quite clearly that this was an insanely bad thing to do with an incalculably high cost.
Over-all this is an extremely welll-researched, well-written presentation of fourteen chapters that are logical and thoughtful and absolutely meritorious of full consideration.
I was very surprised to read, very carefully, two chapters dissecting two of my personal heros, Sy Hersh and Noam Chomsky, and must confess that the author provoked in me thoughtful concern and reflection. I trust Sy and Noam, but the author is so well-organized that he causes me to realize that everybody has multiple levels of agenda, and that we must all take greater care in discriminating our sources of information.
Congressman Tom Moran, who represents my district, has personally said that Zionish have too much influence on Congress, and I agree. Tom Moran has been a very good representative, and he speaks the truth.
Here are some books and a DVD that can put the totally unacceptable Zionist influence on the USA in a larger context:
Hostile Takeover: How Big Money and Corruption Conquered Our Government--And How We Take It Back
The Marketing of Evil: How Radicals, Elitists, and Pseudo-Experts Sell Us Corruption Disguised As Freedom
The Global Class War: How America's Bipartisan Elite Lost Our Future - and What It Will Take to Win It Back
The Best Democracy Money Can Buy
Licensed to Kill: Hired Guns in the War on Terror
Why We Fight
Fog Facts : Searching for Truth in the Land of Spin (Nation Books)
Running on Empty: How the Democratic and Republican Parties Are Bankrupting Our Future and What Americans Can Do About It
The Broken Branch: How Congress Is Failing America and How to Get It Back on Track (Institutions of American Democracy)
Petras clearly has limited foreign policy experience.......2007-08-31
Petras is not very well read. It seems that anyone with a PhD can get published these days. I have an incredibly open mind, and Petras fails to convince. Many bash Noam Chomsky for his anti-imperialist views that are reprised by Petras, but Chomsky has a better grasp of the bigger picture. Israel is a puppet for the US - to advance US imperialistic foreign policy for control of the most important natural resource dating back to the last three millenia - not the other way around.
A tendentious rag-bag of bad research and sloppy argument .......2007-08-24
Having spent several years doing a thesis and a book on the role of domestic politics in American policy toward Israel, I'm always looking for more and better information. Unfortunately, that's not what you get in this book. It relies almost entirely on secondary sources, using quotes not to establish facts but to use a different voice for the author's opinions. There is almost no coherent argument at all. Petras conflates the lobby, which is a group of organizations formed to affect policy led by AIPAC, with the entire Jewish community, selected neocons, or Israel. All "facts" are selected to support the author's conclusion that the "Jewish lobby" is all-powerful, ignoring instances where AIPAC lost or was rebuffed by the government of Israel. Jews are treated as monolithic, when the fact is that they are not, even if the loudest voices in the public discourse makes it seem so. Petras does not address the reasons the American citizenry consistently supports Israel over Arabs or Muslims, or the mechanisms by which American beliefs have been fixed and enforced, or the conditions and limits on that support.
This is a deeply disappointing book, the more so because it is being pushed by Amazon as one to buy if you buy the Walt-Mearsheimer book coming out in September. Judging by the earlier articles written by Walt and Mearsheimer, that book will have its problems of evidence and logic as well, but nothing on the order of Petras's book. The shame is that our country really needs an informed debate about policy toward Israel. US policy has been badly flawed, and has done serious damage to US interests, over and above the damage it has done to people living in the region. But to fix it, Americans need to understand how it has gotten to be what it is, and Petras doesn't contribute to understanding.
If you can believe what's in this book, you can believe anything.......2007-08-10
This book is actually so far out of line that it is difficult to write a review of it. It appears to attack Noam Chomsky for being too pro-Israel. And it asks how we can confront Zionism. Well, Zionism is just one aspect of human rights, so I would think that those who can figure out how to confront human rights can figure out how to confront Zionism.
Petras does discuss suicide bombers. That's refreshing, given that some anti-Zionists would rather ignore them. And he says that the suicide bomber is driven by "an effort to redeem the Sacred from the Desecraters."
Well, that's actually interesting. But Petras ought to realize that what goes around can come around. It just might be that some people will regard those who oppose truth, justice, freedom, peace, and human rights as the "desecraters" rather than the "sacred."
Petras does not mention the fact that Israel has been a great success story in many ways. It won its independence from a wicked colonial regime. It defended itself against eliminationist aggressors. It settled for a small amount of land: if every nation were as "greedy" for land as Israel, there would never be any wars over land. It showed respect for the environment: it is the only nation to have more trees on its land in the year 2000 than were there in 1900. And it has been a reasonably tolerant democracy, in spite of the nearly constant assaults on it.
I think that if we consider the truth about how well Israel has done, it is easier to see why many Americans oppose gratuitous aggression against it, and why many Americans feel that it is in America's interest to give it some support. That could be a reason why many American members of Congress show some support for Israel. Yes, there is a pro-Israeli lobby: AIPAC. But it has a very easy product to sell. You won't see much of this in Petras' book either.
There isn't much more that's worth saying about this book.
Pro-American, Pro-Jewish, Anti-Zionist.......2007-07-23
POWER paints an accurate picture of the reality of Israel's control of America from within. It explains how this power isn't only exerted from Israel, but specifically from Americans themselves - Zionist American traitors. For those unfamiliar with this issue, a simple search for AIPAC or "Zionists of America," Amdocs, AEI will be an introduction. It's important to remember that Christians can be Zionists. 'Zionist' is not a euphemism for Jewish. The term 'anti-Semitism' cannot possibly apply. There are many Jewish Americans whose loyalty is to the United States. Zionists try to hijack Judaism so they can smear such truthful books such as this one.
I recommend this book for its truth.
Average customer rating:
- A top-notch guide
- A powerfully different way of looking at influencing others
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UP: Influence, Power and the U Perspective- The Art of Getting What You Want
Lee E. Miller
Manufacturer: Your Career Doctors Press
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Book Description
What would you give to be able to get anyone to do whatever you wanted them to do? How different would your life be if you knew the secret for getting your boss, your co-workers, your employees, your children and your spouse to help you with anything you need? What if you knew how to make your customers buy more and not argue about the price? Harnessing the power of the
U Perspective will make all that and more possible.
Getting what you want, in every aspect of your life, requires knowing how to gain the cooperation and support of others. The most successful people, the ones that seem to be able to gain support from people no matter what their background or culture, exert a special type of influence-- the
U Perspective. Their secret is to uncover and address what others care about, enabling them to build lasting agreements while achieving their own goals.
Lee E. Miller's unique 3Cs- Convince, Collaborate and Create- Approach to Influencing will enable you motivate people to want to help you. Together with Barbara Jackson. Lee will teach you how to harness the power of the
U Perspective. Whether you are seeking a promotion, better assignments, additional resources from your boss, help from your co-workers, lower prices from your vendors, more sales from your customers or even greater understanding from your spouse or more cooperation from your children, Lee and Barbara will show you how.
Customer Reviews:
A top-notch guide.......2007-08-07
Written by experienced businessman and winner of the 2005 Seton Hall University Business School's Award for Teaching Excellence Lee E. Miller with consultant and entrepreneur Barbara Jackson, UP: Influence, Power and the U Perspective - The Art of Getting What You Want is a self-help guide to cultivating one's ability to influence people and build lasting agreements that advance mutual goals. Chapters discuss the "three C's" method of influencing others (Convince, Collaborate and Create), and the importance of understanding others' perspectives. "Since our beliefs and values are developed over time, on a subconscious level, most people simply assume that everyone sees the world the way they do. Even when we recognize that someone else sees a situation differently than we do, our first instinct usually is to try to persuade them to see things our way. The U Perspective takes the opposite approach. Its effectiveness is not rooted in the ability to convince others to change their views or adopt different values. Instead, its power comes from recognizing what others already believe and want and providing solutions based on that information." A top-notch guide, especially ideal for greasing social wheels in business circles but packed cover to cover with tips for more effective negotiation and team-building in personal circles as well.
A powerfully different way of looking at influencing others.......2007-05-12
I picked up this book because I read and loved the author's last book A Woman's Guide to Successful Negotiating. I wasn't disappointed. I started using his U Perspective approach at work and at home. I find I can get more help from my boss and my coworkers. It even works with my kids. All I can say is this book is terrific. You have to read it.
Book Description
The Harvard Business Essentials series is designed to provide comprehensive advice, personal coaching, background information, and guidance on the most relevant topics in business. Whether you are a new manager seeking to expand your skills or a seasoned professional looking to broaden your knowledge base, these solution-oriented books put reliable answers at your fingertips. To be effective, managers have to be skilled at acquiring power—and using that power to persuade others to get things done. This guide offers must-know methods for commanding attention, changing minds, and influencing decision-makers up and down the organizational ladder.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent, very readable.......2007-06-27
Excellent for new & existing managers or anyone else in the corporate world who wants to pitch an idea to an individual or a group. It is an easy read touching on all areas of selling your idea. This even discusses the unethical use of influence.
Insightful, Eloquent, Practical,...and Convincing.......2005-07-09
This is one of the volumes in the new Harvard Business Essentials Series. Each offers authoritative answers to the most important questions concerning its specific subject. The material in this book is drawn from a variety of sources which include the Harvard Business School Press and the Harvard Business Review as well as Harvard ManageMentor®, an online service. I strongly recommend the official Harvard Business Essentials Web site (www.elearning.hbsp.org/businesstools) which offers free interactive versions of tools, checklists, and worksheets cited in this book and other books in the Essentials series. Each volume is indeed "a highly practical resource for readers with all levels of experience." And each is by intent and in execution solution-oriented. Although I think those who have only recently embarked on a business career will derive the greatest benefit, the material is well-worth a periodic review by senior-level executives.
Credit Richard Luecke with pulling together a wealth of information and counsel from various sources. He is also the author of several other books in the Essentials series. In this instance, he was assisted by a subject advisor, Kathleen K. Reardon, a professor of management and organization at the University of Southern California Marshall School of Business, who is a leading authority on persuasion, negotiation, and workplace politics.
Together, they have carefully organized the material as follows. First, they explain why power is necessary in organizations "even though our society distrusts power and those who seek it." Next, they examine the sources of power. Then they explain why power is realized only through some form of expression. In Chapter 4, they examine influence in sharper focus, illustrating three specific tactics which any manager can use. Then in the next two chapters, Luecke and Reardon shift their attention to the concept of persuasion. They identify the four elements of persuasion and discuss how various audiences and people with diverse decision-making styles are receptive ("susceptible") to different forms of persuasion. Then in Chapter 6, they explain how to appeal both to the mind (with logic and/or evidence) and the to heart (by anchoring the given proposition in a human context). Hence the importance of compelling details, vivid images, similes, metaphors, analogies, and especially stories achieve resonance with an audience.
In Chapter 7, Luecke and Reardon provide some excellent suggestions to increase and enhance the impact of a formal presentation. "It suggests a presentation structure and a number of rhetorical devices perfected by the ancient Greeks. It also explains the various learning styles used by people and explains the importance of adapting each formal presentation to the needs, interests, and temperament of the given audience.
I also appreciate the three appendices provided. "In Leading When You're Not the Boss," Luecke and Reardon offer useful tips on how to be productive and effective in situations in which (usually lower-level managers) are expected to lead but have no formal power or authority to do so. Appendix B includes two forms by which to assess an audience and to assess one's own ability to persuade others. (Please check out Figures B-1 and B-2 on pages 135-139.) In the the third appendix, Luecke and Reardon offer seven "Rules" to follow when preparing visuals for presentations which will have maximum impact.
Those who share my high regard for this volume are urged to check out Robert B. Miller and Gary A. Williams' The 5 Paths to Persuasion and Annette Simmons' The Story Factor as well as Doug Lipman's Improving Your Storytelling (he wrote the Foreword to The Story Factor), Stephen Denning's The Leader's Guide to Storytelling, and Storytelling in Organizations co-authored by John Seely Brown, Denning, Katarina Groh, and Laurence Prusak.
Book Description
Is everything that goes on in your mind really you? Really your thoughts and desires? Perhaps not, says Australian psychic researcher Robert Bruce, author of the highly popular and groundbreaking Astral Dynamics. Based on more than two decades of firsthand research and experience, Bruce reports that our minds are subject to influences from many unseen spiritual sources. Some of these influences and can influence how we think, feel, act, even how our bodies function. They can make us unhappy, irritable, confused, sick, unstable, even crazy. They can interfere with us, disturb our lives, even attack us psychically. This is why we need practical tools and countermeasures for psychic self-defense, all of which Bruce provides. Think of this book as a supernatural expose for the beginner, a survival guide for those living the nightmare of being influenced by unfriendly spirit beings and forces of darkness, says Bruce. "I have lived through everything I describe and have spent decades searching for ways to survive and create spiritual peace and quiet for myself."
Customer Reviews:
EXCELLENT BOOK TO HAVE HANDY.......2007-10-18
A friend of mine recommened this book and I'm glad I bought it.. It has opened my eyes spiritually...
It is a good book to have handy in case of psychic attack or just to help someone in need..... You will not be disappointed with this book!
Best!!!!.......2007-10-06
Robert really done great job explaining the problem of the unseen,and more information of kind of entities that lot of psychics never knew about. Even though there is other good methods that he may not know about,he did give best wisdom that a lot of mediums lack.
This should be your #1 book to buy!
Great book that can help certain people.......2007-09-08
This book is great to explain to anywone how to protect themself from unseen negative influence. I think that this a must for anyone serious about his self-developement. Even if you are not experiencing major sign of psychic attack, you can be dealing with a small/weak neg, or you can just use some of the technique presented on a preventive approach. Some techniques are good for general cleansing of negative energy on our body and environment.
Any serious health professional should be aware of this reality. This is sometimes hard to differentiate mental/emotional internal problem and mental/emotional external induced problem. If some symptoms are present, the best is to test some cleansing/depossessing techniques and see if there is result. If yes, deepen this approach, if no, pass to other thing.
Good book for those that understand.....................2007-03-16
Lots of good information. Some of the processes work well. Others do not...for me. Not a casual read. If you have had experiences with being attacked by negative energy, spirits etc.....this is a interesting read. Best advice the Author gives is to seek professional help if at all in doubt.
Excellent resource.......2007-01-30
It is only because of our Western societies lack of willingness to accept the realities underlying the materialistic manifestation we create, that most people are blind to the true causes behind many problems.
My third eye opened unaware to me as a side effect of a spiritual awakening. Suddenly I was made aware of discarnate entities within my environment. I gradually realised, through direct observation over the following few months, that they were feeding off energies within me. It took months of researching and many anguished moments before I began discovering pertinent information relating to my manifestations. During this time I was spending between 10 -18 hours per day in direct contact with these 'invisible creatures' and as a result learnt more as time progressed.
I am currently at the point where I have read practically everything relating to Entity Manifestations and Psychic Self Defence, additionally researching these subjects from different religious perspectives. Personally I have discovered much to add to the current expanse of knowledge already gleaned. But I must say that Robert Bruce's book would have to the most concise, useful and pertinent information on the subject available. And not just from my own encounters but also in relation to my ex girlfriends possession.
Robert's common sense approaches can be adapted to individual circumstances and methods and symbology's modified or amended to fit more appropriately with religious beliefs or domestic situations.
Highly recommended for many different levels of entity incursions: anything from light negative influences through to full blown "virtual puppetry" possession.
Book Description
The ultimate guide to achieving one's personal and professional goals. Includes how to develop charisma, nurture a sense of humor, build credibility, create an obligation bond with people, and develop likability.
Customer Reviews:
Roger Dawson at his best ! Keep reading about MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE.......2006-01-19
You can't go wrong with ANY of his book. Don't look further, don't settle for less.
Unbelievable thing has happened to me -- I followed the advise in the book and received the promotion I wanted. Funny thing is that Roger warned that this method DOES work, and I didn't think it would work, but decided to give it a try.
Have YOU ever dreamt of getting a promotion shortly after starting a new job ??? I haven't, but it happened to me.
Thank you Mr. Dawson!!!!!!!
A psychological masterpiece.......2005-10-24
Wow. That's all I have to say. I'm halfway through this book, looking to finish it today (lol dreaming to), and I'm absolutely amazed. I have a hobby of studying books on psychology and sociology, and I've came across some good ones and some absolute rip-offs. Some of the bad ones go over some persuasion techniques that are very cliche and you have probably already heard of, and also don't offer much in the realm of content. In this book, however, every page has something to offer, and and it's all unique. What I expected out of this book was either a complete rip-off or that only a small bit of it would be useful, but I was very surprised at how satisfied I was with it. Among all the techniques in there I've found a lot that can be used in every day life, and I can actually imagine them working. It explains a lot about persuasion techniques you've came across but didn't recognize as such, and opens your eyes to an entirely new world of persuasion altogether. I'm actually planning on reading this book two or three times, and I think after that I might actually be a better persuader than I was before I bought it. All in all, this book is very professional and offers tons and tons of content. The authors life, which he uses ocassionally for examples in his techniques, shows how amazingly successful he is without it seeming like he's bragging. He has rented yaghts, probably went to every country in the world, has hundreds of thousands, if not millions of dollars, climbs mountains, crazy. Anyway, if you're into persusasion I highly recommend this book. You will not be disappointed.
Informative and Entertaining to Read.......2004-11-06
Some of the topics in this book are just common-sense, some have been widely covered elsewhere and at much greater length (e.g. Cialdini's books on Influence), but all in all this is a lovely selection of the principles of persuasion and some case stories are very entertaining to read.
This book is information-rich, but there is still more you may want to learn to enhance your persuasive skills, such as Neuro-Linguistic Programming and Hypnotic Language Patterns.
One of the best business books I've read.......2002-07-10
Wow! I'm impressed! This is one of the best-researched, most thorough books on persuasion that I've had the pleasure of reading. Best of all - it's not just theory. The author, Roger Dawson adds tons of practical examples and applications for each technique. That means you can use this stuff immediately. By far one the best business books I've read in some time.
Secrets of Power Persuasion: Everything You'll Ever Need to.......2002-07-09
Great book. Extremely insightful. This book brings together lessons from many other disciplines and supplies new perspectives that are easy to apply. The book is easy to read and a diversified literary and historical background allow you to appreciate the subtle points that really demonstrate expertise in persuasion.
Amazon.com
At its peak in the nineteenth century, the British Empire was the largest empire ever known, governing roughly a quarter of the world's population. In Empire, Niall Ferguson explains how "an archipelago of rainy islands... came to rule the world," and examines the costs and consequences, both good and bad, of British imperialism. Though the book's breadth is impressive, it is not intended to be a comprehensive history of the British Empire; rather, Ferguson seeks to glean lessons from this history for future, or present, empires--namely America. Pointing out that the U.S. is both a product of the British Empire as well as an heir to it, he asks whether America--an "empire in denial"--should "seek to shed or to shoulder the imperial load it has inherited." As he points out in this fascinating book, there is compelling evidence for both.
Observing that "the difficulty with the achievements of empire is that they are much more likely to be taken for granted than the sins of empire," Ferguson stresses that the British did do much good for humanity in their quest for domination: promotion of the free movement of goods, capital, and labor and a common rule of law and governance chief among them. "The question is not whether British imperialism was without blemish. It was not. The question is whether there could have been a less bloody path to modernity," he writes. The challenge for the U.S., he argues, is for it to use its undisputed power as a force for positive change in the world and not to fall into some of the same traps as the British before them.
Covering a wide range of topics, including the rise of consumerism (initially fueled by a desire for coffee, tea, tobacco, and sugar), the biggest mass migration in history (20 million emigrants between the early 1600s and the 1950s), the impact of missionaries, the triumph of capitalism, the spread of the English language, and globalization, this is a brilliant synthesis of various topics and an extremely entertaining read. --Shawn Carkonen
Book Description
A grand narrative history of the world's first experiment in globalization, with lessons for an ever-expanding American Empire--from England's most talented young historian.
The British Empire was the largest in all history, its reach the nearest thing to world domination ever achieved. By the eve of the Second World War, over a fifth of the world's land surface and nearly a quarter of the world's population were under some form of British rule. Yet for today's generation, the British Empire has come to stand for nothing more than a lost Victorian past--one so remote that it has ceased even to be a target for satire. The time is ripe for a reappraisal.
In this major new work of synthesis and revision, Niall Ferguson argues that the British Empire should be regarded not merely as vanished Victoriana but as the very cradle of modernity. Nearly all the key features of the twenty-first-century world can be traced back to the extraordinary expansion of Britain's economy, population, and culture from the seventeenth century until the mid-twentieth--economic globalization, the communications revolution, the racial make-up of North America, the notion of humanitarianism, the nature of democracy. Displaying the originality and rigor that have made him the brightest light among British historians, Ferguson shows that far from being a subject for nostalgia, the story of the Empire is pregnant with lessons for the world today--in particular for the United States as it stands on the brink of a new kind of imperial power based once again on economic and military supremacy.
Customer Reviews:
A good place to start, but not end.......2007-09-27
Ferguson's EMPIRE is well-written, like all of his work. It is not a comprehensive look at the details of expansion and conquest--there are other books readily available for that--but instead looks at the empire as a process. Thus, he focuses on key figures and locations, primarily India and Africa. One gets a good sense of who was behind the imperial drive, and what the drive for empire was all about. It is, however, a little bit too "pro-Empire." To be sure, Ferguson acknowledges that imperialism had its nasty side (especially against the Boers). However, we don't get much of the violence and cruelty that characterized British expansion and conquest, which very much should have been included. Also, New Zealand, Canada and Ireland are barely touched on. Its still worth the read for sure, but must be used as a framework around which much else should be read.
A History of the Lion's Den.......2007-08-18
Niall Ferguson, author of other non-fiction hits as "Pity of War", "The Cash Nexus" and 2006's "War of the World" offers a modern analysis of one of the most influential empires in history. An Englishman, Ferguson tackles the history of the British Empire in this layman's volume of 370 pages, rich with illustrations, maps, and photos stretching from empire's reluctant beginnings in the 17th century to the final collapse following WWII. The hardback edition of the book which I read had a textbook quality to it physically, more of a squared geometry, with glossy paper and text layout resemling a history textbook. However, the writing style was definitely not of a textbook. Niall has two great qualities for a history writer that endears him to this layperson - the ability to write history in a witty, conversational fashion, and a penchant for promoting alternative conclusions for historical events, often diametrically opposed to the standard ideas. For example, he rates the British leadership over India as an overall positive thing, without which India would not have quickly risen to the heights it has obtained today, in fact, it may have easily fallen victim to the Japanese empire of WWII. This contrasts with the mainstream view of the freedom movement promoted by Gandhi which eventually ended a repressive, exploitive British rule.
Before reading this book, I had scant knowledge of the history of the British Empire, besides the typical stories of American colonial resistance to British rule, and the dysfunctional relationship of ruler and ruled in Burma detailed by George Orwell in his essay "Shooting an Elephant". I came away from this book with a much more thorough understanding. At its height, it governed about 25% of the world's population and covered about 25% of the world's habitable land. All this was accomplished with a relatively small number of administrators and soldiers. Indeed, the colonial areas supplied large percentages of the Empire's soldiers for small regional conflicts and large wars with other European powers. Niall argues that this was accomplished by the relatively benign rule of the English and an increasingly loosened authoritarian grip, ending in a Commonwealth of states that survives in small form today. Whereas other modern empires, such as Stalin's Soviet Union, Hitler's Reich and Tojo's Japan were ruled by a heavy hand and often brutal tactics, the British were more "hands off", their empire having more of a commercial orientation with occasional digressions into missionary movements and cultural assimilation.
Perhaps the most poignant point of the book was Ferguson's reasoning for the end of the British Empire - after being sapped of money and resources from the first world war, Britain was faced with a stark choice when Hitler began his campaign across Europe - agree to a peace deal with Hitler or lose the empire in a draining fight to the finish. By agreeing to keep out of Hitler's conquest of the European continent, Britain most likely could have kept her vast empire, ironically at it's largest size right when Britain was least capable of protecting it. Ferguson argues that Churchill led England on the more noble path of imperial self-sacrifice for the good of the rest of the world.
Not only did Great Britain pay perhaps the highest price for the defeat of the Axis powers in World War II, she also failed to benefit substantially from the Marshall Plan and IMF/World Bank loans following the war to the extent that those same Axis powers were able to use to their benefit. Another surprise for me was Niall's argument that Britain continued to lose imperial possessions after the war due to the sometimes predatory policies of the US. While the 20th century relationship between the US and Great Britain is often portrayed as one of friendship, Ferguson paints a picture of a US more interested in containing communist expansion at the expense of the British Empire during the Cold War. Through a series of humbling military blunders (such as the Suez military campaign in 1956) and numerous Independence movements among the colonies, British colonial administrators often found themselves presiding over poignant transfer-of-power ceremonies, the British empire steadily disintegrating after the 1940s to today's Commonwealth of a few scattered islands around the world.
Why should we feel sorry for the demise of an empire? Traditionally, empires are seen as evil accumulations of power, enslaving masses of subjects for the benefit of a ruthless ruling people. Niall argues that while this has happened in the long history of civilization, empires are not all evil, and in fact the British empire was in the end a positive presence in the world. Ferguson says that without it, the spread of democracy, capitalism, even the predominance of the English language as the world's business lingua franca would not have happened, or to a much smaller degree.
Throughout the book, comparisons were made between the past British empire with the current "empire" of the United States. This is indeed an intriguing comparison, and in fact is the subject of another of his books- "Colossus - The Rise and Fall of the American Empire".
For those whose interests point in this direction, I can recommend this book as a thoughtful, if at times controversial story of a deceased Empire that left an indelible stamp on the modern world.
What Started out as Survival Mode, Turned into Empire.......2007-07-16
Based on Ferguson's analysis, the growth of British Empire was in many ways serendipity. Starting by building a large private navy, based on privateers (read Pirates) and then expanding it into the British Navy, England originally got into the "Empire Business" as an offshoot of it's plundering of the Spanish and Portuguese New World Empires. Once they got good at attacking the Spanish 'Treasure Fleets' it was just one stop further to taking over some of the territory for 'security' reasons (sound familiar).
They became so good at it that at one point the British Empire ruled over 25% of the total land surface of the earth and the sun never set on the British Empire. At the same time, no other country contained a Navy that could compete with their's or their merchant fleet. For the British the Empire was a money making proposition up until the 20th century. Each of the colonies paid it's own way from trade or investment. It was only after almost bankrupting themselves during the two world wars, that the Empire became a millstone around their neck.
In Ferguson's conclusion, he discusses (rather jingoistically) how in the final analysis, the British brought more to the people of the 'colonies' than they even took from them; even taking into account the death and destruction that was wrought in the name of 'civilization'.
Ferguson seems to have missed three interesting and important points: 1) the British created and then ended the slave trade (though much after it stopped being economically viable), 2) they created the first major drug cartel (forcing China to open itself up to the importation of Opium from India) and, 3) that by bailing out of Africa in the 1960s, they left most of those colonies unready for independence or democracy.
As to the slave trade, many a British (and American) fortune can trace themselves back to a relative who made their money as part of either the trade in slaves or the use of them on the West Indian sugar plantations. Only at the beginning of the nineteenth century did they decide that it was an "unChristian" institution. Planters were fast to learn that it was cheaper to hire slaves as 'seasonal' workers than to take care of them from cradle to grave; because those on these islands had no choice except to go back to Africa.
The Opium War was fought in the middle Eighteenth Century to force China to allow the continued importation of Opium (through Hong Kong) into their country. It was the beginning of the long spiral of Chinese subjugation and the blueprint for how to make money by exporting large amounts of drugs into another country. Today's narco-traffickers learned their lessons well.
Lastly, one of the major problems with the African continent (and this includes the French and Portuguese) was that the colonies that were created were done so on an ad-hoc basis. Except for in a few instances (such as Egypt and Ethiopia), nations and tribes that had been adversaries for generations were lumped together in Colonies. No where did any of the colonial powers prepare for democracy, most were run by the British Colonial Office (with mostly white managers) who left little government structure behind them when they pulled out. In many cases they had raised a small tribe to prominence (because they were Christians, think the Ibo's in Nigeria) which were left with the stigma of collaborators after the British left.
For some reason, the United Nations bought the idea that none of the colonies in Africa should be allowed to break up and seek their own level of comfort in size and composition. It's as if the example of nationalism for the last hundred years in Europe never happened. Almost every country in Europe (except Belgium) is now ethnically homogenized. No one complained when Czechoslavakia had their velvet divorce; and the ethnic cleansing in Yugoslavia differs little from what happened in Poland and East Prussia after WW2.
It's a good read and my only real complaint is about the structure of the book. It's printed like a textbook so that the pages have lots of room for footnotes on the inside columns, but the size of the type is quite small and gets smaller when in quotation so that it can be very tiring to read for long periods. Oh well.
Imperialist who is not completely wrong.......2007-07-11
Good writer. It would be obvious to the reader that the author has a more positive view on British Colonism than most people who grew up in a British colony. That said, being one who came from a British colony myself, I personally think that the writer is not completely biased and I agree with some of his views. I am curious how many people in Britian shares the authors view. In the least, this will be a feel-good book for British to read. For those full of resentment on past colonial history, reading this at least will present a different point of view to you.
Like Imperialism itself, this book is Fun...but Wrong.......2007-07-06
As a professional historian who specializes in European imperialism, I can easily explain why the book was panned by professionals, but popular with amateurs.
Ferguson is, quite simply, a great writer. His anecdotes are apt, his comments witty, and his stories are either dashing or tragic. Great stuff.
But the book is so flawed historically as to be basically useless.
I taught with it once. My students loved it for the first few chapters... but after I pointed out to them the many factual errors and especially, the MAJOR errors of omission that riddle every single chapter.... and then showed how Ferguson's re-enchantment of "empire" not only saturates but slants every single argument in the book...hey quickly lost interest in it. (And understandably so: if you can't trust the author, why waste your time reading the book, no matter how entertaining?)
For an example, read closely his section "Black and White" in the chapter "White Plague". At first glance, it seems to say that British slavery was indeed quite awful, gosh darnit bad, etc. etc. etc. But pore over it more closely, and you'll recognize that he is, in fact, working quite hard to equate the slavery (of Africans) to indentured servitude (of Europeans), both practically and (by extension) morally. (!)
This is, quite simply, wrong and wrong-headed. I can't go into all the reasons here, but trust me: if you are ever reincarnated in the 18th century, and you have the choice of coming back as a black slave or as a white indentured servant, do yourself a big favor: choose indentured servitude.
It is an "apology" of Empire in every sense of the word.
And as a historian, I find it just a bit unethical.
Book Description
In today's complex work world, things no longer get done simply because someone issues an order and someone else follows it.
Most of us work in socially intricate organizations where we need the help not only of subordinates but of colleagues, superiors, and outsiders to accomplish our goals. This often leaves us in a "power gap" because we must depend on people over whom we have little or no explicit control.
This is a book about how to bridge that gap: how to exercise the power and influence you need to get things done through others when your responsibilities exceed your formal authority.
Full of original ideas and expert insights about how organizations—and the people in them—function, Power and Influence goes further, demonstrating that lower-level personnel also need strong leadership skills and interpersonal know-how to perform well.
Kotter shows how you can develop sufficient resources of "unofficial" power and influence to achieve goals, steer clear of conflicts, foster creative team behavior, and gain the cooperation and support you need from subordinates, coworkers, superiors—even people outside your department or organization.
He also shows how you can avoid the twin traps of naivete and cynicism when dealing with power relationships, and how to use your power without abusing it.
Power and Influence is essential for top managers who need to overcome the infighting, foot-dragging, and politicking that can destroy both morale and profits; for middle managers who don't want their careers sidetracked by unproductive power struggles; for professionals hindered by bureaucratic obstacles and deadline delays; and for staff workers who have to "manage the boss."
This is not a book for those who want to "grab" power for their own ends. But if you'd like to create smooth, responsive working relationships and increase your personal effectiveness on the job, Kotter can show you how—and make the dynamics of power work for you instead of against you.
Customer Reviews:
The leadership challenge in complex organizations.......2005-03-10
John Kotter is a well-known Professor of Organizational Behavior at Harvard Business School. He has written numerous management books and articles. This book was originally published in 1985 and is split up in four parts.
The first part - The Changing Nature of Managerial and Professional Work - discusses the fact that most managerial, technical, and professional jobs have become significantly more complex due to a number of very fundamental economic and social trends over several decades. In order to emphasize the impact o the complex social milieu, Kotter uses a perspective which empoys two basis concepts: (1) Diversity, which "refers to the differences among people with respect to goals, values, stakes, assumptions, and perceptions." (2) Interdependence which "refers to a state in which two or more parties have power over each other because they are, to some degree, dependent on each other." Excellent companies are successful in managing these two concepts, which, according to Kotter, needs strong leadership throughout organizations. He continues to discuss the requirements at personal, organizational, and societal level.
Parts two and three are closely related and detail the leadership challenge for high-level executive positions and lower-level professional and technical jobs. Part II - The Relational Context of Work describes the day-to-day issues associated with the three basic kinds of organizational relationships: (1) Relations outside the chain of command, (2) relations with subordinates, and (3) relations with superiors.
The third part - The Life Cycle of Leadership - describes the leadership challenge at the various stages in a career inside a typical complex organization.
The final part of the book - Implications - summarizes recommendations on improving one's personal effectiveness at work. It also discusses the requirements to increase the supply of people who are capable of handling difficult leadership jobs. In addition, there is an acknowledgement which describes the roots of this book - it is based on seven different projects conducted during the 1970s and 1980s at Harvard Business School.
Yes, this is certainly a good book on this subject. It is based on strong academic research from one of the best business schools in the world. Main criticism that I have is that the books feels somewhat outdates since it was published in 1985. However, I feel that a little revision from the author would do wonders. There are some great checklists in this book, which are very realistic and can be used in real life. It is written in a very well organized manner and can be used as a handbook. I especially recommended it to all people new to management.
Excellent reading on the realities of being a leader today.......1998-11-25
Leadership in today's corporate environment is by and large not the command and control style of yesterday's corporate monoliths. Today's enlighted managers and employees have to understand that leadership means guiding and influencing without being able to direct and order. Readers who do not understand the difference will want to read this book. Readers who want to understand how to be better influencers and guiders will want to read this book.
Book Description
Women and Politics: Paths to Power and Political Influence, 1/e, tells the stories behind not only women as participators in public affairs, but women as political movers and shakers, policy makers at all levels of government; federal, states, cities, counties, and towns, as well as the media and judiciary. It provides a balanced account of both liberal and conservative political women and incorporates the immense wealth in new scholarly work in women and political studies available over the last 10 years.
Books:
- Buffettology: The Previously Unexplained Techniques That Have Made Warren Buffett The Worlds
- Business and Its Environment (5th Edition)
- Business: Its Legal, Ethical, and Global Environment
- Business Law Today, Standard Edition: Text and Summarized Cases--E-Commerce, Legal, Ethical and International Environment (with Online Research Guide)
- Business Law Today, Standard Edition: Text and Summarized Cases--E-Commerce, Legal, Ethical and International Environment (with Online Research Guide)
- Business Law Today, Standard Edition: Text and Summarized Cases--E-Commerce, Legal, Ethical and International Environment (with Online Research Guide)
- Career Counseling: A Holistic Approach
- Case Analysis and Fundamentals of Legal Writing
- Childhood Language Disorders in Context: Infancy through Adolescence (2nd Edition)
- Classroom Instruction That Works: Research-Based Strategies for Increasing Student Achievement
Books Index
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