Product Description
The traditional military-territorial model of the nation state defines international duties in terms of protecting citizens' property from foreign threats. In this book about the principles of the U.S. agricultural policy and foreign aid,Professor Thompson replaces this model with the notion of the trading state that sees its role in terms of the establishment of international institutions that stabilize and facilitate cultural and intellectual, as well as commercial exchanges between nations.The argument focuses on protectionist challenges to foreign aid and development assistance programs, and engages with the views of a variety of economists, commodity organizations, and philosophers on world hunger and development.What emerges is a new interpretation of social contract theory that can determine goals for international trade and development policy. ... Read more

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This digital document is an article from MedSurg Nursing, published by Jannetti Publications, Inc. on June 1, 2005. The length of the article is 2753 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Terri Schiavo and end-of-life decisions: can law help us out?(Ethics, Law, and Policy)
Author: Michele Mathes
Publication: MedSurg Nursing (Refereed)
Date: June 1, 2005
Publisher: Jannetti Publications, Inc.
Volume: 14Issue: 3Page: 200(3)

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This digital document is an article from Conscience, published by Thomson Gale on December 22, 2005. The length of the article is 3173 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Eden & ethics for a grown-up society: how the Song of Songs can give us a new sexual ethic for the 21st century.(cardinal rules)
Author: Arthur Waskow
Publication: Conscience (Magazine/Journal)
Date: December 22, 2005
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 26Issue: 4Page: 40(4)

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Product Description
Official Lies opens the curtain on our modern Wizard of Oz-the vast propaganda machine headquartered in Washington, D.C.-and exposes the ways in which the federal government manipulates opinion in order to increase its own powers. The scope of these official deceptions is breathtaking. From welfare to drugs to defense, Uncle Sam consistently misrepresents problems so that his muscles can grow ever larger. Poverty statistics are overblown in order to win greater spending on social programs. Agricultural aid, advertised as a balm to ailing all-American families right out of Norman Rockwell, has in fact showered millionaire farmers with a bounty of taxpayer's dollars. "Official Lies" takes the reader into a netherworld in which failure is success and honesty is scarce. It does so with a lively mixture of wit and fury and is sure to be one of the most hotly debated political books of the year. ... Read more

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This book is concerned with the government of “illegal” immigration since the passage of the U.S. Immigration Act of 1965, exploring how certain mentalities and intellectual machineries have rendered illegal immigrants as targets of government.

• Examines how various authorities have created knowledge about and constructed “illegal” immigration as an ethical problem.
  
• Analyzes the tactics that have been deployed to govern immigration, particularly at the US-Mexico border.
  
• Using an ethnographic approach, draws on primary source materials – including government publications, archival documents, newspapers, and popular magazines.
  
• Studies measures (e.g. Operation Gatekeeper and Operation Hold-the-Line) for reforming the conduct of “illegal” immigrants in order to forestall illicit border crossings.
  
• Frames the study of immigration within Foucauldian theories of governmentality.
  
• Highlights the role of numbers and statistics in constructing the “illegal” immigrant.

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The Lean Six Sigma ,How itDestroyed Private Industry,
Fostered the Collapse Of Government Standards & Regulations
And Implemented the Reduction of Quality. Ask yourself why the government has not trash canned this tool long ago, how much cost has this management tool already cost the American Tax payer, why does it have to be forced upon people to work? Like Hitler, if you do not agree with these processes, you are out, gone. Like a pod person or drone, there is no variety, it is thought to be evil. We as a Nation strive in the differences we each have, Lean Six Sigma destroys any differences and rules them out, robot like you follow the rules or your cancelled. This is not a game, Lean Six Sigma is the down fall of the US Government and suicide to the personnel of any organization that is forcing its implementation. Remember “Variance is Evil”, this is one of the first things you learn. The next thing you learn is that you play along or you are removed from the process. You can not disagree with a Lean Six Sigma drone, if you raise you hand to question their methods or processes, you’re soon shot down, silenced. You also play many games, tools used to learn Lean Six Sigma, one of them is the table game where you pass a piece of paper around a table,first with 12 people, and the paper stops at each person to be stamped. Then two people are removed, but the process must continue, then another 4 are removed and still your process can not slow down and those remaining must stamp each of the missing person’s tasks. Those left are so stressed to get the papers to the end of the table in the same amount of time as the original 12. Quality, processes, and work relationships go out of the window, you no longer have a team, you have a human conveyer built that has no accounting whatsoever for quality. Like robots you either go along with the process and conform or you’re removed.
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Customer Reviews (1)

Finally the truth
Finally the truth, Lean Six Sigma does not work, it is another government fad, a method of turning employees into slaves, raking away the unions, killing the workforce. Read carefully as lean six sigam is no less then mind control, you are either a part of it or they, are against you. The author hits it right on the head, be afraid, be very afraid, even Japan is now admitting that it was a huge mistake, the it damaged the human element and degraded the workforce. ... Read more

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As governments grow more and more hostile to biblical truth, Christians need to know how to respond in both thought and practice. This book provides believers with a biblical framework for viewing God, government, and politics.

Uncivil Society describes the origins and purposes of government and shows how those purposes are being twisted and distorted in today’s society. It will  help confused and frustrated Christians understand their duties to a hostile government and their proper role as Christian citizens.
Uncivil Society is a book that every Christian citizen should read if they want to understand the government's thinking behind its political and court decisions on such things as abortion and gay marriage.


Adam G. Mersereau is a practicing attorney and former officer in the United States Marine Corps. He has written for The Wall Street Journal, National Review Online, The Human Life Review, Touchstone Magazine, Worldview Magazine, The American Thinker, Breakpoint, and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He is a Ruling Elder in the PCA, and he has taught Bible classes in various evangelical forums for more than ten years.
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Customer Reviews (3)

A well written book and solid tool to get engaged
I am probably no different from many Christians who struggle with living out one's principals in this post-modern age.Politics is just one arena where it can be challenging to maintain one's convictions and still "engage".I was hopeful that this book would be more than just a survey of God and government, but would actually give me some practical tools to put to use.

I found most useful the author's deep dive into two controversial subjects, abortion and gay marriage. After reading, I felt much more equipped and prepared to engage in the political debate on both topics.In fact, our church participates in a right to life support parade, and my convictions about participating were emboldened after reading the section on abortion.I was even moved to share the chapter with some of the church leadership, as I was aware of some of our fellow members discomfort with trying to explain and defend their own conviction about the subject.

I also really benefitted from the authors reminders of several fundamental truths about government.That it was established by God to restrain evil after the Fall. That authority was delegated to humans, but being a believer isn't a pre-requisite for leadership.That as Christians, we are not just to be compliant citizens, but are expected to submit to authority (the sign of a mature Christian).Given where our current administration is taking us, it was also reassuring to be reminded that government is not a substitute for the church. Jesus, not our government, will ultimately save us.All of these serve as great reminders of the bigger picture, especially in light of the 24 hour news treadmill that can sometimes lead to a state of despondency.

There were a few sections of the book that had me lost and skipping ahead, particularly some of the more complex legal cases like that of Lemon & Edwards.However, I was glad that I stayed with it, as the book finished quite strong.

In the end, my expectations were more than met as my compass is now pointed in the direction I should walk. I also am more aware of pitfalls to avoid and mirages that aren't real.I also appreciated the reminder that picking up our cross has consequences, and we should be prepared to deal with them.Fortunately, we are reassured that while Western culture may change, our responsibilities as Christians do not, and with this final charge, I was encouraged to up my own political involvement as this year's election season starts picking up steam.I highly recommend this read for anyone else who is looking for similar equipping and encouragement.

An excellent book that can change your mind and your heart.
Remember the old adage, "Never discuss religion and politics"? Well this book tackles both and poignantly reveals how the two are intertwined, yet separate. This is not a book that will rile you and leave you with a "Hell in a handbasket" mindset. Quite the opposite, in fact. It rises above the constant insanity and decay of our culture and makes the big picture, the important picture, clear to all who seek it. Not what I expected. I kept waiting for the "Bash Pelosi/Obama" chapter, as is common in many conservative oriented political books I have read. About half-way through the book I realized that is not what this book is about. It's much deeper. Very few books can challenge/change my thinking. This is one of those books. Mr. Mersereau has created a very thought-provoking piece of work. His biblical knowledge is obviously thorough and penetrating. I have read the Bible from cover to cover but failed to understand it the way he does. I especially liked the chapter "New Definitions for Life and Marriage". Absolutely outstanding. (Especially the comparison of abortion to slavery). By far the best analyses I have encountered on these topics. Definitely not the kind of tired rhetoric you will get from the media (left or right). My second favorite part was the part that talked about how God never promised us a Christian government. Absolutely brilliant. I never thought about the subject in that manner, but after reflecting on it I realized that I have allowed my own disgust with society and government to embitter my soul with angst and hatred. Reading this book gave me a means to find peace amongst the madness. The most memorable quote from the book is "Love your neighbor, not your neighborhood". That portion of the book made a light go on in my head and awakened something that I have known deep down for a long time. Reading it confirmed my gut feeling and freed me to openly embrace the concept. I can't help but believe that God wanted me to read this book. Thanks, Adam, for putting in the effort to write this gem.

Great book, great topic!
I just finished "Uncivil Society" and was impressed with the clarity and conciseness that the author used to express his points.As a Christian, I have been very disturbed by the turn of events in this world for the past 30 years (especially the 2008 elections), however the author points out that the Lord never became involved with politics or policies while on this earth, He was only involved with directing our minds, hearts, and spirit to Him.

The move by the government to push God out of everything here on earth , in our educational system, in our government, is just the way things are going to go until Jesus returns and there is a new world for those who believe in Him.

With satan the "prince of darkness" and the "ruler of this world," we can't expect this world to get better or more responsible.I especially liked the section where he says that we are to love our neighbor, not our neighborhood.The author was demonstrating how faith in the Lord is a personal, individual calling and not a calling to improve our towns or country.The great commission is given to take the gospel to the ends of the earth, but to take it to the individual for his conversion.

I would highly recommend this book to those who are looking for a way to come to grip with things that are happening in our Country, our world, education, and government.The author makes clear what we are seeing today is no accident.

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Product Description
Resistance to Civil Government is an essay by Henry David Thoreau that was first published in 1849. It argues that people should not permit governments to overrule or atrophy their consciences, and that people have a duty to avoid allowing such acquiescence to enable the government to make them the agents of injustice. Thoreau was motivated in part by his disgust with slavery and the Mexican-American War. ... Read more

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Ethical concerns are among the most common problems public administrators face, yet the issues are often complex, and the correct choices are not always clear. Living up to the public trust is much more than just an act of compliance. It also involves perceiving, preventing, avoiding, and resolving accusations of illegal or unethical behavior, including appearances of inappropriate behavior. Ethics Moments in Government: Cases and Controversies examines how to identify, assess, and resolve the ethical issues and dilemmas that often confront those who govern the cities, counties, states, and federal agencies throughout America.

Real Situations, Real Advice

Providing a one-stop resource for all those who must contend with thorny ethical issues, this volume presents case studies that vary in complexity and context and are based on real situations. Each case scenario is followed by discussion questions and case assessments by expert practitioners who describe how they would handle the situation. Using a "total immersion" technique, the book encourages readers to be reflexive and analytical in addressing the problems presented and arriving at appropriate solutions. A supplemental CD is included which contains PowerPoint^® slide presentations, articles, workshop programs, tests, and links to organizations.

For many of the scenarios presented in this volume, there are no easy answers. Practical guidance on reasoning through difficult decision-making situations enables public administrators to acquire the ethical knowledge, skills, abilities, and instincts that will ultimately help them gain the trust of their citizens and advance in their careers.

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A Copublication of Seven Stories Press and Akashic Books

The Five Biggest Lies Bush Told Us About Iraq is the first book to hold the president and his team accountable for the government's campaign of disinformation leading up to the war in Iraq. The administration repeatedly attested that Saddam Hussein had developed weapons of mass destruction and was close to using them; downplayed the cost and risk of the proposed invasion and occupation; shamelessly evoked the atrocious abuse of power of Hussein and his family while brooking no commitment to rebuild the country after the terrifying "shock and awe" campaign, or to do anything to improve the lot of the Iraqi people; and, most outrageously, provided substanceless theory linking Saddam Hussein to the attacks of September 11, thereby cynically manipulating the anger and sorrow of the American citizenry. The charade has culminated in the slow bloodletting of U.S. forces still stationed in Iraq, held there because it would not be politically expedient to admit the failure of "democratization."

While Bush II appears intent on conducting an unending global war against "evildoers," little public debate has gone into assessing the aims and strategies of such a broad campaign. In The Five Biggest Lies Bush Told Us About Iraq, coauthors Christopher and Robert Scheer and Lakshmi Chaudhry of the influential web magazine AlterNet.org have aggregated the hard questions that the purported leadership of the U.S. must answer.

Christopher Scheer is managing editor of AlterNet.org, the popular news and commentary website. Scheer has written screenplays for Oliver Stone and previously worked for the San Francisco Examiner. Robert Scheer is the author of six books, the host of NPR affiliate KCRW's "Left, Right, and Center," and a contributing editor to both the Los Angeles Times and The Nation. Lakshmi Chaudhry is an editor at Alternet.org.

Customer Reviews (21)

An Early Source Of Inquiry During A Time Of Confusion
I will admit that I was for the war in Iraq until I read this book. There was always a haze of confusion about what was really going on but I couldn't break through it myself. The Five Biggest Lies is more than an attack manual against a political figure, the authors took a stand at a time when NO ONE was challenging the invasion. By collecting information from a variety of credible sources and then printing the book themselves so as to circumvent the publishing industry's cowardice, the Five Biggest Lies leaked just enough of the truth to get people asking questions. They should at least be credited with helping to start the turn in public opinion even if the turn was a long bend that was slow to happen.

Bush Lies
Depresing but interesting book. Confirms what I already believed and then some. Outlook for the future of our country is uncertain and the new administration has what appears to be a herculan task.

Informative Read
I found the book to be informative. Being able to read it 4 years after it was published adds a strong current of correctness to the book as some of the things that the authors write about have come true - billions of dollars spent, US lives lost, Iraq still a mess etc.

This book is valuable reading and should create some important questions about the Iraq situation. It is a worthy complement to Bob Woodward's trilogy on the Bush Administration.

Very Interesting
This is an interesting book. Anyone who is interested in an alternative to the right wing talk radio and tv news should seriously consider checking out the Thom Hartmann radio show opposite Rush Limbaugh weekdays at: thomhartmann dot com / showlisten.shtml

Whether democrat, republican, or indepedent, so many of the facts out there are completely ignored by the mainstream media and talk shows. This show is one strong example of an examination of the facts regardless of your political affiliation. I am not affiliated with the show in any way, just struck by the facts so many seem to ignore.

The BushLegend Continues
The Five Biggest Lies was not the first book I've read on George W. Bush and or his misadventure and it probably won't be the last. Obviously, from the title, one can deduct that this is not a book that praises the forty-third president. The book is well written and planned and is generally about what the title describes - the five major fallacies that were given as the rationale for the unprovoked aggression of Iraq. It is basically set forth in an outline style, starting with an introduction, then a chapter on the reasoning and methodology behind the deception. The deceptions themselves follow, with a chapter allocated to each lie, followed by the conclusion.

The chapters outlining the five lies are titled by the lies:
1. Al Qaeda's ties to Iraq.
2. Iraq's Chemical and Biological Weapons
3. Iraq's Nuclear Weapons
4. The War Will Be a `Cakewalk'
5. Iraq as a Democratic Model
6. Conclusion

Al Qaeda's ties to Iraq

The authors methodically expose this deceit pointing to the fact that all of the prewar suppositions regarding an alleged tie between Al Qaeda and Saddam Hussein had previously been discredited. Yet, as in the pattern of other falsehoods, these lies mysteriously found their way back into the conversations and speeches of administration officials.

Iraq's Chemical and Biological Weapons

Another stretch by the administration that had been debunked previously, even as the administration members continued to talk about Chemical and Biological WMD. They shamelessly continued to use this discounted intelligence as a pretext for invasion. Even though the United States and the UN had Hussein in a box, in control of only a third of his country and was unable to reconstitute chemical and biological programs; the administration pointed to this phantom program as a grave world threat.

Iraq's Nuclear Weapons

This may have been the largest and most damaging of the fabrications. Everything that the administration put forward to justify their mushroom cloud scenario had already been discredited numerous times and in many ways, yet the people in Rumsfeld's personal intelligence gatherers, whose only purpose was to dig up intelligence that would support the administration position, wouldn't let it die. This despite the fact that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said there was no evidence of any kind of WMD in Iraq and weapon inspectors had come up empty. Vice President Cheney in no uncertain terms said they were "Flat wrong." Well, the head of IAEA ended up with a Nobel Peace Prize and we ended up with a quagmire.

The War Will be a `Cakewalk'

Here again the administration's leading Hawk, VP Cheney was head cheerleader for invasion by going on TV and saying the war would be a "cakewalk." Others treated the invasion in a cavalier manner as well. The administration planned on reducing troop levels to 30,000 troops within three months.

The authors point out that this may be the only inadvertent lie, with administration officials truly believing their own hyperbole in this case.

Iraq as a Democratic Model

This is, of course, the back up rationale for the invasion of Iraq, but it was the primary policy on a position of expansion and policing, which authors put forth in the conclusion.
The authors don't disagree with the idea of a model democracy in the Middle East but it is generally conceived that if such an event were to occur it would have to be nurtured, not imposed from the end of a gun.

Conclusion

The authors postulate that the invasion of Iraq was the first salvo in a new grandiose, radical foreign policy of deterrence by aggression. In doing this the administration made numerous assumptions, all of which turned out to be fallacious. Instead the results of the invasion had the opposite effect, bogging us down in Iraq, helpless to confront other developing mischief in the globe, ie. Iran and North Korea.

My Thoughts

This book only deals with the lead up to the war and the very beginnings, having being published in October, 2003, yet the authors seem quite prescient, having correctly predicting the present situation in Iraq.

Like the other similar books I have devoured, it is meant to be informative and factual. It is probably directed at the average Bush supporter who seem to shun being confused with facts and therefore would not be caught within a mile of such `dreck.'

Therefore this book and others like it serve as kindling, inflaming the passions of those of us that believe Dubya is, at best, a study in mediocrity. It reinforces our incredulity that this man was re-elected. I don't know about others, but it makes be mad at the voters that voted, with whatever stupid reason in mind, for Bush. I can truthfully say, not a day goes by that I haven't marveled at the fact that this man is our President. ... Read more

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Discusses strategy, ethics, and the global economy. Examines the strategic decisions managers have to make and illustrates them with numerous cases and real-world examples. DLC: Business ethics. ... Read more

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THE WORTHLESS AGREEMENT: The Truth behind the First Amendment of the United States Constitution and the Separation of Religion & Government This book examines some of the legal cases interpreted by the Supreme Court when dealing with the issues of the Separation of religion and government to its sad conclusion.

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Today, at a time when the nation is becoming more and more divided, when anger and antagonism are percolating everywhere, plenty of exploitative politicians, writers, and media personalities are cheerfully stirring people up with sarcasm, calls to arms, and simplistic, half-baked 'solutions' to America's problems.

That is not the purpose of this book.

"The American Psyche in Search of its Soul" is written for people who are not willing to be swayed by either the fundamentalist ultra-right or the atheistic ultra-left, but are searching for thoughtful analyses of contemporary problems and thoughtful solutions that respect both the rational mind of humanity and the religious spirit of humanity.

"The American Psyche in Search of its Soul" is aimed at readers who are educated, politically savvy, concerned about their families, concerned about their local communities as well as the international community, and are looking for deeper levels of meaning in their lives. ... Read more

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The book that unmasks the sneaky and widespread methods industry uses to influence opinion through bogus experts, doctored data, and manufactured facts.

"Finally a long-overdue exposé of the shenanigans and subterfuge that lie behind the making of experts in America." (Jeremy Rifkin)

"If you want to know how the world wags, and who's wagging it, here's your answer." (Bill Moyers)

"Meticulously researched . . . Rampton and Stauber's documentation of PR campaigns proves that they are the real 'experts.' " (Brill's Content)Amazon.com Review
Fearless investigative journalists Sheldon Rampton and John Stauber (Toxic Sludge Is Good for You! and Mad Cow U.S.A.) are back with a gripping exposé of the public relations industry and the scientists who back their business-funded, anti-consumer-safety agendas. There are two kinds of "experts" in question--the PR spin doctors behind the scenes and the "independent" experts paraded before the public, scientists who have been hand-selected, cultivated, and paid handsomely to promote the views of corporations involved in controversial actions. Lively writing on controversial topics such as dioxin, bovine growth hormone, and genetically modified food makes this a real page-turner, shocking in its portrayal of the real and potential dangers in each of these technological innovations and of the "media pseudo-environment" created to obfuscate the risks. By financing and publicizing views that support the goals of corporate sponsors, PR campaigns have, over the course of the century, managed to suppress the dangers of lead poisoning for decades, silence the scientist who discovered that rats fed on genetically modified corn had significant organ abnormalities, squelch television and newspaper stories about the risks of bovine growth hormone, and place enough confusion and doubt in the public's mind about global warming to suppress any mobilization for action.

Rampton and Stauber introduce the movers and shakers of the PR industry, from the "risk communicators" (whose job is to downplay all risks) and "outrage managers" (with their four strategies--deflect, defer, dismiss, or defeat) to those who specialize in "public policy intelligence" (spying on opponents). Evidently, these elaborate PR campaigns are created for our own good. According to public relations philosophers, the public reacts emotionally to topics related to health and safety and is incapable of holding rational discourse. Needless to say, Rampton and Stauber find these views rather antidemocratic and intend to pull back the curtain to reveal the real wizard in Oz. This is one wake-up call that's hard to resist. --Lesley Reed ... Read more

Customer Reviews (44)

An important book that is well worth reading !
Regardless of your politics I recommend that everyone reads this book, and I hope the authors continue to write more of this kind of book.

Basically this book shows how the general public are being mislead and manipulated by a cornucopia of supposedly independent experts, think tanks, research centers and other organizations when the reality is that their opinions are bought and paid for. Of course the usual suspects seem to be the worst such as the Tobacco Companies, Big Oil, Pharmaceutical companies, Agri-chemical companies and the like.

Even though you might not agree with everything the authors say, I think the key message of the book is that you need to look very carefully at how the so called experts are funded, and dig deep to find the truth behind the public relations spin.

Whenever I read a good book, I make a point to read the 1 star reviews just to get an idea of what exactly they disliked about the book. Some of the 1 star reviews are hilarious. Especially the one from Jeff Stier who takes issues with the attacks on the American Council on Science and Health. Although he actually admits the book is well researched he still gives it 1 star. It is worth noting as well that Jeff Stier is actually mentioned in the book on p303, as he believes that corporate funding of research should not be disclosed, which obviously the authors of the book take issue with. Furthermore Jeff Stier refused to provide the authors of the book with a list of ACSH's corporate and foundation donors. To quote from the book 'Jeff Stier is the associate director of the ACSH ... Stier goes as far as to claim that "today's conventional wisdom in favor of disclosing corporate funding of research is a 'new McCarthyism'"'

"Experts" are shills more often than not
This book applies critical thinking in a world that has been indoctrinated by industry and "experts"for hire. The book clearly shows how the masses can be manipulated by junk science.

"Science is becoming our enemy instead of our friend" (Dr. Robert Becker)
Robert Proctor understood the situation perfectly well when he stated : "Science has a face, a house, and a price; it is important to ask who is doing science, in what institutional context, and at what cost."

In 1960 we had 63 scientific reports on asbestosis.The 11 studies founded by the asbestos industry found no link whatsoever between asbestos and lung cancer.The other 52 independently financed studies did observe a clear link.

Nowadays, well into the 21st century, genetically modified food, regarded as "safe" by the FDA, are everywhere in our supermarkets.However, the only study we know of, from Dr. Arpad Pusztai, discovered that Monsanto-potatoes produced deformations when fed to rats.Since this study was financed by Monsanto, he got fired.

Science has been privatised and it is with nostalgia that we recall the situation in 1960, when industry was only able to finance 17 % of all studies, and could not obscure the truth.Nowadays, big corporations finance nearly all scientific investigation, obliging scientists to remain silent if the study doesn't produce the desired outcome, thereby undermining the spirit of neutrality and objectivity that should prevail in science.Who doesn't play by those rules is fired, like occurred not only to Dr. Pusztai, but also to Dr. Nancy Olivieri, Dr. David Kern, Dr. Robert Becker, etc. It's a pity that the public doesn't know, let even support those heroes, those honest persons, putting the interest of the general public to know the truth before private profits.They went as far as putting our interests before their own careers and salaries.Dr. Becker summarizes the current state of scientific investigation in the following words : "... science is becoming our enemy instead of our friend."He was nominated twice for the Nobel prize, but in Stockholm they are possibly not very interested in such a strong statement during the official ceremony.

The corruption of science began when government agencies began to rely on "experts" from the industry to "evaluate" drugs and foods.It continued in the same bad direction when university researchers were being paid by industry to produce papers with "honoraria of $ 1.000 to $ 1.500 to edit the drafts and lend their names to the final work", as the authors say.

Read this book to understand how science got so corrupted.

Fascinating in light of current revelations
This book helped me, when I was working on my Masters, to formulate a pattern that exists with polluters: deny there's a problem; deny the problem is important; deny they had anything to do with the problem; blame the victim; seek government immunity from prosecution.

Given the current crop of scientific, corporate and government blunders -- bad pharmaceuticals, fatal side effects, toxic toys, tainted food and more -- this book should be read again now, as a new book.It's completely relevant.

Good on PR, Less So on Science
Clearly written, easy to read fast, adequately indexed, and academically referenced, this book is a mixture of excellent investigative reporting when the subject is chicanery, good general advice on not being fooled, but appalling lapses on a few technical subjects. When the authors explain how much of what we see or read is composed by public relations (PR) firms, even pointing out that as much of 40% of what is in newspapers is supplied by PR firms, they are at their best. Many excellent examples are given. The common techniques of faking "impartial" experts (who are actually paid consultants), and dummy NGOs that are industry fronts are explained in detail. One "impartial expert" case that surprised me was that of former Surgeon General C. Everett Koop who was said to have taken money from industry for favorable testimony. One case was that of his denying allergies from latex gloves (p257). PR for politicians is given some airing as well. PR techniques of admitting past guilt, promising to reform, and showing concern are all there. The authors wrote that organizations that can pay the most to PR firms are the ones that can cause the most damage. Their bias is shown by neglecting exaggeration and junk science from environmental groups. They wrote that "junk science" is an undefined term used by industry apologists. They give examples of how easy it is to fool typical American citizens, including ones with college degrees (p290), yet they have faith that providing accurate information, most of which may have to be sought out as opposed to broadcast on TV, will somehow inform enough citizens to make a difference to their preferences and votes. Well I, for one, wish it were true. IMHO their last chapter "Questioning Authority" is the best, with examples of propaganda, such as name-calling, testimonials, bandwagon, fear, etc. But they themselves resort to this on some issues. There are some recommended resources of which their own periodical PR Watch and www.prwatch.org should be valuable so long as they stick to the tricks of the PR trade and avoid actual technical issues they do not understand, as shown in examples below.

Consumers' Union, which really is funded from subscriptions, is held up as an ideal example. But during the 40 years I subscribed, I was appalled at the failure of Consumer Reports to warn about the tendency of several models rear-engined cars with swing axles to turn over; a mistaken report that one model spun out on hard braking; two tire scams since the 1970s ignored; a biased medical advisor from about 1980-2000 who dismissed all supplements; and CU's change from real consumer focus to promoting environmental stands ofdubious accuracy. There were so many errors in one of CR's articles on choosing a camera that one of the major photography magazines devoted an entire issue to them. But CU is honest!

What a shock to find that these worldly and cynical authors swallowed, hook, line and sinker, two of the biggest scams of the twentieth century! First they wrote that total fat and saturated fat are bad diet choices for diabetics (p15ff). This nonsense had been dispelled in at least 30 books, many old enough for these authors to have seen. You can e-mail me for a list: kauffman@bee.net. One recent clinical trial of many showing the benefits of low-carb high-fat diets is: Nielsen JV, Joensson EA, Low-carbohydrate diet in type 2 diabetes. Stable improvement of bodyweight and glycaemic control during 22 months follow-up, Nutrition & Metabolism 2006;3(22) doi:10.1186/1743-7075-3-22.

The other was on potentially "uncontrollable and unprecedented" global warming caused by human emissions of carbon dioxide. A sure sign of bias is the term "greenhouse gases" when only carbon dioxide is really meant. Authors wrote that "...concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere are currently at their highest level in 420,000 years." (p268)First, the main greenhouse gas by far is water vapor, and no one knows what its concentration in air was more than 200 years ago. See: Kauffman JM (2004), Water in the Atmosphere, Journal of Chemical Education, B81(8), 1229-30. Second, direct chemical assays of carbon dioxide found it at levels higher than now at least three times between 1812 to 1965, so there is no correlation between carbon dioxide and warming, and there was no runaway warming. See: Beck, E.-G. (2007), 180 Years of Atmospheric CO2 Gas Analysis by Chemical Methods, Energy & Environment, 18(2), 259-282. The value of carbon dioxide as a fertilizer is omitted, yet there are fears that not enough food can be grown in the future for an exaggerated population expansion (p269). The "bandwagon"ploy is used to dismiss 20,000 scientists and engineers who signed the petition from the Oregon Institute of Science and Medicine (www.oism.org & hit "petition project") stating that the current warming is not caused by carbon dioxide emissions. Authors claim that fake signatures sent by e-mail abound on the website. Actually, written signatures had to be mailed, and a check for the fake signatures listed in "Trust Us..." found none of them. Authors fearfully claim that 1998 was "...the hottest year ever..."(p285) when actually the 1930s were warmer than the 1990s, and the period from 1000-1450 AD was warmer still. See: Soon, W., Baliunas, S. (2003), Proxy climatic and environmental changes of the past 1000 years, Climate Research, 23, 89-110. And every year since 1998 has been cooler.

Of many minor questionable claims, the authors wrote that "lead" in gasoline is actually tetraethyllead, a poison. OK. But they did not know enough chemistry to realize that it does not exit the tailpipe of cars as "lead" but as lead bromide, which is so insoluble that it barely damaged plants near roads (p91). Nor did they realize that the end of leaded gasoline in the USA was the finding that it damaged catalytic converters (p95). Devra Lee Davis is their star witness on environmental cancer prevalence, but you might look at my review of her book "The Secret History of the War on Cancer". ... Read more

Product Description
The Two Treatises of Government (or "Two Treatises of Government: In the Former, The False Principles and Foundation of Sir Robert Filmer, And His Followers, are Detected and Overthrown. The Latter is an Essay concerning The True Original, Extent, and End of Civil-Government") is a work of political philosophy published anonymously in 1689 by John Locke. The First Treatise attacks patriarchalism in the form of sentence-by-sentence refutation of Robert Filmer's Patriarcha and the Second Treatise outlines a theory of political or civil society based on natural rights and contract theory. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (17)

Simply Perfect!
This came right on time, on a 2 day devilery!Now that's a seller one can trust!The book came in securely packaged, safe, clean, no missing pages, no markings, no bended pages, just as promised! The book was in new like, wonderfuly condition, this is a great seller!

Essential Reading
John Locke is clearly one of the greatest political philosophers ever and the Two Treatises show why.Natural Rights, Origin of Property, State of Nature, State of War, Law, Role of Good Government it is all here and described beautifully.There is no doubt the founders were clearly influenced by John Locke, Thomas Jefferson said the 3 greatest influences on him were Sir Isaac Newton, John Locke, and Francis Bacon.This book, The Declaration of Independence and the Federalist Papers are classics that are never out of date.

Modern Liberals spurn their heritage and have devolved into socialism and communism but once upon a time Liberalism wasn't a dirty word however it is now up to Conservatives to carry the mantle of Liberty since Modern Liberals have abandoned it.To do that though Conservatives need to read this work.The fight for Liberty is never over equality of outcomes, complacency, laziness, and tyranny all fight against it but they will all fail against an educated populous who do not fall prey to the siren song of nihilism, relativism, and despotism.

Not as advertised
I ordered this for my kindle, but didn't get the Cambridge edition advertised, but a different, simpler mobi edition.The text is riddled with typos, which makes it difficult to read in places.On the other hand, you do get the Two Treatises for .99 cents.

#11 The primer of natural law and private property!
This is the primer of natural law and private property. John Locke was read by almost everyone in America in the 1700s including all the founding fathers, which by the way was one of the most literate periods in history! Way more so than today with our public (Socialist) schooling system.

Review of Laslett's 'Two Treatises'
I'm a bit torn on this edition of Locke. On the one hand, it begins with an excellent and extensive introduction speaking to Locke's biography and political theory. There is even a theory that directly relates the works to Hobbes. Further, the text is supplemented by clear and copious footnotes.

However, because Laslett decided to keep faith with the original printing, the text is filled with awkward, archaic spelling, punctuation and patterns in capitalization. This only adds to an already difficult language of the 'Treatises.'

So, again, great introduction and footnotes, but a transparent presentation of the original writing detracts from this otherwise fantastic edition. ... Read more

Product Description
With formal ethics training programs being a rarity in most countries' armed forces, there is a growing importance for servicemen to undergo additional military ethics training, including lessons in 'core warrior values'.However, whilst it is one thing to say that soldiers will have to undergo ethics training, it is quite another to ensure that they learn the right lessons from it. Furthermore, it is clear from a survey of ethics training programs in place in various nations that there is no uniformity of approach, a lack of coherence even within programs, let alone between them, and even disagreement as to the degree to which such programs are necessary. Given the fact that few Western states now send their military forces on operations independently, the lack of uniformity about what constitutes ethical behavior and how troops should be educated in it, is potentially a cause for serious alarm.This book advances knowledge and understanding of the issues associated with this subject by bringing together experts from around the world to analyse the content, mode of instruction, theoretical underpinnings, and the effect of cultural and national differences within current ethics programmes.It also explores whether such programs are best run by military officers, chaplains or academic philosophers, and reflects whether it is feasible to develop common principles and approaches for the armed forces of all Western countries.This is an invaluable volume for military academies and staff colleges to enhance understanding of a matter which requires much further thought and which is becoming a vital force in influencing outcomes on the battlefields of the twenty-first century. This book will primarily be of interest to military officers and others directly involved in ethics education in the military, as well as to philosophers and students of military affairs. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Thanks for publishing my book review
Mr. Robinson, Mr. De Lee, and Mr. Carrick

First of all, thank you very much for using my very informal book review of Thomas Ricks' Fiasco for this book, Ethics Education in the Military. I am the Amazon reviewer referred to as "M Vigue". Actually, my name is William Vigue, and I was a Sergeant attached to the 4th Infantry Unit in 2003 and 2004 in Iraq. I have not read your entire book, butread the online excerpt on Colonel Sassaman and your belief that he represented failures in military ethics during the initial Iraq military campaign. While I am neither a military expert, nor ethics expert...my commentary on the Ricks' book (Fiasco) was that he was too quick to blame and make a scapegoat of Colonel Sassaman without really getting a solid background on the complexities of the Area of Operation for the 4th Infantry in 2003-2004. I had read Mr. Ricks' book - Making the Corps, and had admired the author's stance on how the post Vietnam and pre 9/11 military had created an exceptional volunteer force that was made up of poor and lower middle class young men and women in America. I also admired Ricks' contention that many of America's elites of the post WW2/Korea generation had failed to serve, and some had disdain for America's volunteer military in an increasingly dangerous, volatile, and complex pre-9/11 and post Bosnia/Haiti world. Looking back at Making the Corps, I felt that he predicted tensions between a civilian led department of defense that had leaders who hadn't served in combat or any military service for that matter using the fragile all volunteer military inappropriately and as an ultimately disposable tool if need be. Ricks' Making the Corps acknowledged that pre-9/11 American society would be unable to sacrifice to fight necessary and larger scale wars in the future. I think that his observation was dead on and admired his portrayal of the military and the Marine Corps of the time. His book Fiasco surprised me, because I believe that Colonel Nate Sassaman was cut from the same cloth as men that he admired in Making the Corps like future VASenator James Webb. He commends Webb for making difficult and upcompromising leadership decisions in Vietnam, and heaps praise on Webb's fictional but based on true experiences Fields of Fire.
I do commend your link of Colonel Sassaman to the US Army's "Warrior Ethos". I firmly agree that he was the living, breathing, real deal essence of what the Warrior Ethos was and is for the US Army. Instead of simply echoing Thomas Ricks assumptions about Sassaman. I never saw nor heard of Thomas Ricks even being in theatre during 2003-2004, much less the 4th Infantry's Area of Operation. I wish that Sassaman would have been judged more objectively on your part. I believe the failures in Iraq of that first year (OIF-1) began with the civilian leadership at the top of the DOD and especially at the department of state and their failures with the CPA in Baghdad. It is my opinion that Colonel Sassaman did not set out to become the "warrior king'' as the New York Times and Mr. Filkins would have you think. The 4th Infantry Division was undermanned and undertrained in very complex situational environment and constantly lacked support on from self serving higher military authorities, ie; Colonel Rudesheim, who was Sassaman's superior officer that rarely left the air conditioned confines of Saddam's Tikrit Palaces, and other commanders like Ricardo Sanchez in the Green Zone. No civilian DoD leadership dared venture trips to make suggestions on the ground, and for the first six months in that AO, all we did was continue a holding pattern while we waited for directives on what to do. All the while, the insurgency began to grow and civilians wondered how the powerful American military machine, which ran through their nation in just three weeks did not have a plan once the Baath Party fell. As more American soldiers died and no major assistance or form of help from the leadership at the very top. Colonel Sassaman and his officers had no choice but to fall back on the Warrior Ethos and its code of taking care of ones own soldiers. Very few high ranking officers of the post Vietnam Army were willing to risk their careers to do such a thing, especially without a clear plan for this war's post-Saddam Iraq objectives. However, Colonel Sassaman realized the most important thing was getting many of his men back home as could be possible, while trying to help the Iraqis that did not want to the cruelty of Saddam's regime. Ask the Iraqi civilians in predominately Shia city of Balad of their opinion of Colonel Sassaman, and you realize he would have been elected mayor for the way he protected them from the violent Sunni enclaves outside of their city. Until the civilian planners and "perfumed princes"(as the late great David Hackworth might say), the officers that never left Central Command in Qatar, or the Green Zone in Baghdad, or the palaces of Tikrit came up with a clear and attainable plan, Sassaman made the best choices that an impossible situation could provide. It is easy in hindsight to criticize him in War Colleges and Intellectual Ivy towers, without the complexity and ever changing dynamic of 21st century war on the ground. Going back to the "Warrior Ethos" was the right thing to do, not the wrong course of action.

Thank you

fmr Sgt. William Vigue
411 Civil Affairs attached to 3rd Brigade of 4th Infantry - Oct 2003 to March 2004 ... Read more

Product Description
This revised edition of Ethics and Statecraft has been reorganized to better situate chapters that play to one another thematically, on peacemaking, the ethics and statecraft of war, and the statecraft of major international reform, and two new chapters, on Theodore Roosevelt and the Vietnam War, respectively, have been added to this classic work. The contributions remain centrally concerned with moral reasoning about important decisions taken by key statesmen in times of war, peace, and transformation, arguing that national leaders--including "realists"--have always concerned themselves with normative constraints on power, both their own and that of others. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The tough decisions leaders must make
First off I would suggest this book to anyone from the Baby boom generation or younger.The reason for this is because we have grown up with a relatively naive outlook on the world and the events that shaped our modern history.Prior to Johnson's handling of the Vietnam War, Nixon's collective scandals, and a media that is nearly instantaneous, leaders made decisions behind closed doors that would be scandalous today.

This book is a collection of well written essays by some of the leading thinkers in diplomacy.They examine a variety of leaders and the issues that changed the way people looked at the world around them.

The essays include:

"Bodyguard of Lies": Franklin D. Roosevelt and Defensible Deceit in World War II.Anyone that is aghast at what the Bush administration supposedly did to get us involved in Iraq should read this essay several times.FDR went beyond the bounds of any presidential powers he was granted through the constitution.He saw a threat that few other politicians saw and did what was necessary to get the U.S. involved.A case could be made that he manipulated events so much that he forced the Japanese to respond militarily.Also instead of going after Japan with the major thrust of U.S. forces he attacked Germany.No one at that time really questioned with much scrutiny why we were going after the Germans instead of the Japanese.Instead they trusted their elected leader to do what was in the best interest of the nation.

Political Leadership and "Dirty Hands": Winston Churchill and the City Bombing of Germany.Ok, W.Churchill's legacy will go down a notch by most people's standards after reading this.Tough times calls for drastic measures, this went a little overboard.

Power and Principle: The Statecraft of Theodore Roosevelt.Roosevelt, with his "big stick" diplomacy, led America to be a world power for the first time in history.This is a really well written chapter, perhaps the best of the book.It would be very easy to conclude the Teddy was America's foremost statesman when ranking American presidents on their diplomatic skills.He had the reputation from being a Rough Rider combined with a piercing intellect.Definitely a man to be studied.

Other chapters include:
No End of a Lesson: Vietnam and the Nature of Moral Choice

The Higher Realism of Woodrow Wilson (thanks for WWII and the Cold War by the way Woody)

The World Outlook of Dag Hammarskjold (2nd UN Secretary General)

Realism and Idealism in Historical Perspective: Otto Von Bismarck (another amazing statesman)

Konrad Adenauer, Arms, and the Redemption of Germany. (First Chancellor of West Germany)

Eduard Shevardnadze and the End of the Soviet System.(This guy and Reagan should have gotten the Nobel Peace Prize, not Gorbachev.Why is that after the collapse of the Soviet System the Russians and everyone from the former Soviet Satellites hates Gorbachev and praised Reagan?Well they gave the prize to the terrorist and murderer Arafat so I guess Ronnie was lucky not to get it.)

I am a little opinionated on a few points as you might well have guessed.This book however is not.It is very fact oriented and will let people decide for themselves how to interpret the events discussed.Read with pleasure, not at all boring or overly detailed.

... Read more

Product Description
This anthology will be appropriate for administrative ethics classes at both the masters and doctoral level in public administration, and will be useful for "introduction to the profession" classes often required in the MPA program. NASPAA accreditation guidelines require that "the common curriculum components shall enhance the students' values, knowledge, and skills to act ethically and effectively." Each program is required to address which classes accomplish this and how. The anthology will address the enduring issues in administrative ethics and provide students with the most valuable works on ethics in the discipline of public administration. The ASPA Classics Volumes serve to bridge the practice of public policy and administration with the empirical research base that has accrued and the models for practice that may be deduced from research. ... Read more