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Celebrated as the home of the blues and the birthplace of rock and roll, Memphis, Tennessee, is where Elvis Presley, B. B. King, Johnny Cash, and other musical legends got their starts. It is also a place of conflict and tragedy--the site of Martin Luther King Jr.'s 1968 assassination--and a city typically marginalized by scholars and underestimated by its own residents. Using this iconic southern city as a case study, Wanda Rushing explores the significance of place in a globalizing age.

Challenging the view that globalization renders place generic or insignificant, Rushing argues that cultural and economic distinctiveness persists in part because of global processes, not in spite of them. Rushing weaves her analysis into stories about the history and global impact of blues music, the social and racial complexities of Cotton Carnival, and the global rise of FedEx, headquartered in Memphis. She portrays Memphis as a site of cultural creativity and global industry--a city whose traditions, complex past, and specific character have had an influence on culture worldwide. ... Read more

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The United States still faces no credible rival to challenge its supremacy, even after years of economic crisis and war. And yet, the very sources that give rise to its primacy—exceptionalism, the diffusion of power, and the involvement of civil society in the foreign policy process—also create vulnerabilities.

The new third edition of U.S. Foreign Policy provides students with a concise and accessible overview of this foreign policy paradox, and highlights the challenges facing policy makers.

Key updates include complete coverage of President Obama’s first year in office, the administration’s new emphasis on engagement, the ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, and the economic crisis. Students will also find a thorough review of the lessons of the Bush administration, including examinations of the rivalry between the State and Defense Departments, intelligence breakdowns, human rights controversies, and unilateralism.

Instructors will appreciate the chapter organization, crisp writing, pedagogical features, and overall brevity that they have come to expect from this bestseller.

Customer Reviews (2)

Is the paradox of power unidimensional?
Steven Hook's well written book on the US foreign policy is purposeful and incisive. He has dwelt on the historical perspective in a skillful manner while astutely pointing to the contemporary problems engulfing that country, at the same time. He is right in affirming that increasing openness and democratization on a global scale has injected diverse views and varied interests of so many nations that cross those of the United States. As a result, United States' policy makers are ever on the hunt for that elusive answer that would knit every other nation to Americanization.

Instead, America is beset with near insurmountable problems at home and abraod. In fact, the United States is running short of ideas and seem to have been approaching a dead end since most of the available options has been exhausted. My book, "Tracing the Eagle's Orbit", provides a concrete answer as to how the problems posed by Dr. Hook can be solved, with a particular reference and anlyses to a chapter on Politics of Domination.

Dr. Hook's book is very interesting and the readers would be glad to read it from start to finish.

Gautam Maitra
Author of 'Tracing the Eagle's Orbit: Illuminating Insights into Major US Foreign Policies Since Independence.'

A refreshing guide to U.S foreign policy
This detailed and enlightening overview of the U.S. power and hegemony in the modern world is supported by strong historical analysis and a list of the key problems facing the nation today. Professor Steven W. Hook outlines three major threats to U.S. Primacy, the first being cycles in the balance of power, concerns over economic globalization and the immediate threat of international terrorism (asymmetric warfare). Beginning with a historical overview, the American notion of "isolationism" is challenged by the westward expansion and influence in the Americas. Furthermore, we are given a fresh perspective on the Cold War and theories of International Relations. Professor Hook approaches this study largely from a liberalist perspective and stresses the importance of understanding the multiple facets within the "black box" of foreign policymaking. The complexity of this process is illustrated by the numerous actors involved in webs of issues networks and organizations representing a myriad of interests. Steven Hook's writing is consistently interesting from topic to topic and the issues well developed and strategically organized, which discourages fragmented or selective reading of just one chapter. I would encourage this for a collegiate or AP audience with knowledge of basic American Government and political process. Reading, however, is not excessively jargonistic and is presented logically with the terminology explained. I would recommend this to anybody inquisitive who wishes to learn more about America's important place in the world today. ... Read more

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The Power and Paradox of Physical Attractiveness is a scholarly look into physical attractiveness. It articulates the great importance placed on this dimension of a person’s appearance. Analysis of the dynamics and consequences reveals a powerful, pervasive, and frequently unrecognized or denied physical attractiveness phenomenon. This phenomenon transcends time, geography, and culture, regardless of demographics and socioeconomics of individuals and populations.

With penetrating vision, Dr. Patzer provides evidence that despite professed ideals, people do judge others by their looks. Physical attractiveness is a more powerful determinant of a person’s fortune and misfortune in life than people admit. No matter the words, thoughts, and ideals proclaimed by people, these same people judge, assume, infer, believe, act, treat, decide, accept, reject, and behave toward or against individuals, in patterns consistent with their own physical attractiveness and that of others. While many dimensions define appearance, physical attractiveness predominates.

The physical attractiveness of a person impacts every individual throughout every community, across the United States and around the world.All people inherit and alter their physical attractiveness, which is determined by complex, interdependent, physical and non-physical factors.Hidden and not-hidden values drive thoughts and actions with significant effects and realities whereby higher physical attractiveness is beneficial, lower physical attractiveness is detrimental, and associated pursuits are relentless.

Physical attractiveness may look skin-deep as a surface aspect of appearance, but looks can be deceiving. Researchers throughout the world collect empirical data complemented with anecdotal data to probe beyond the surfaces. Through investigations that meet meticulous scientific methodological procedures, acute observations reveal previously undetected dimensions that advance understanding about physical attractiveness. The Power and Paradox of Physical Attractiveness explores, discovers, and documents the theories, evidence, and circumstances in which physical attractiveness is a remarkable veneer with influences that extend considerably beyond what we call skin-deep.

The author, Dr. Patzer, formally cites more than 750 references as he identifies a complex phenomenon in which physical attractiveness serves as an informational cue that propels a multiple-stage process. Through this process, people knowingly and unknowingly infer extensive information based on this cue, which in-turn triggers assumptions, expectations, attitudes, and behaviors. It ultimately leads to powerful consequences with significant benefits and detriments for every person, accompanied by continuous pursuits toward these benefits and away from these detriments, caused by his or her level of physical attractiveness.

What the Experts are Saying

Gordon Patzer makes me think. This is a high compliment in a world of vapid sound bytes and meaningless clichés. Having written a cover story on the subject of beauty for Psychology Today, I feel qualified to say that Patzer’s work is interesting, fearless and even inspired. If a profound writer’s job is to comfort the afflicted while afflicting the comfortable, Patzer continues to pass this test.

Michael LevineBest selling author of 16 books and public relations consultant for some of Hollywood's biggest names. Clients represented by his public relations campaigns include the most well known persons and companies accompanied by endorsements listed on his firm’s website that range from the highest positions in government that include a recent USA president, current and recent USA senators, New York and Los Angeles mayors, to corporate CEOs, to authors and professional speakers, to super stars in television, movies and music, to humanitarians of the greatest reputations.

Gordon Patzer has been the "bottom-line" expert on the subject of physical attractiveness for decades. His pioneering research in the field has been well tested and respected in the world of academia, and now, through The Power and Paradox of Physical Attractiveness, his knowledge and expertise are revealed to the much larger world. Despite ignorant platitudes regularly offered up by the politically correct brigade, our society continues to be captivated by supermodels, complete makeovers, and beautiful celebrities. Dr. Patzer explains exactly how and why we all react in a predictable way to certain quantifiable visual criteria. As someone who has lived on both sides of the equation, I have personally experienced the very power and paradox of which he writes. This book is essential reading for everyone who wishes to gain a truer and more comprehensive understanding of human nature and the world in which we live.

Cindy JacksonAuthor of Cosmetic Surgery Secrets and her autobiography Living Doll, founder of the Cosmetic Surgery Network, and frequently sought for her related experiences and expertise. Born in the United States, long-time London resident, and known worldwide for her many cosmetic surgeries to look more like the feminine ideal represented by the celebrated Barbie doll.Gordon Patzer is the right person at the right time to author the right book. I have a library on books concerning physical appearance but none has captured the magnitude and importance of this subject as author Patzer has in this monumental contribution to the literature. He has dissected the subject as no one before him, which makes this new work all the more valuable to academicians, the media, and the general public. Coming from an academic background, Patzer addresses the subject in a logical, but informative, and highly interesting manner. Gordon Patzer draws from his previous and most informative work and includes virtually all the vast research that has been done over the past several decades. Author, lecturer, dean, television personality, world-traveller and expert on the appearance phenomenon, Gordon Patzer has lived it all and has become one of the world’s leading experts on physical appearance. If you are as fascinated as I am on the subject of self-esteem, beauty, and physical appearance, The Power and Paradox of Physical Attractiveness has to be on the top of your list to purchase, read, and reference.Ronald E. Goldstein, D.D.S.Dentist practitioner world renown for his esthetic dentistry and author of Change Your Smile that has been translated into six languages and read by more than one million people.

In The Power and Paradox of Physical Attractiveness, Dr. Gordon Patzer reveals why beauty is more than skin deep. A leading expert and pioneer researcher on the physical appearance phenomenon, Dr. Patzer employs empirical data and powerful anecdotes to provide a fascinating reading experience. If you have any questions about physical attractiveness, self-esteem or beauty, you must read this first-rate book. Rosalene Glickman, Ph.D.Best-selling author of Optimal Thinking: How to Be Your Best Self, serves as president of The World Academy of Personal Development Inc. in Beverly Hills, and endorsements of her latest book include Stephan Covey (The 7 Habits of Highly Successful People) and Tom Peters (In Search of Excellence).

Professor Patzer has raised to a new level our understanding of the importance that our culture places on physical appearance. The Power and Paradox of Physical Attractiveness is by far the most comprehensive and rigorously researched work on this subject I have found. There will be many opportunities for both the professional and the layman to apply its insights.

Anna Soo Wildermuth, AICI, CIMCertified Image Master and past president of the Association of Image Consultants, International, Ms. Wildermuth is CEO of Personal Images, Inc: Image and Communication Skills for Individuals and Corporations, past president of the Association of Image Consultants, International, and co-author of Unlocking the Secrets of Successful Women in Business.

I am pleased to see the research in which the author of this groundbreaking book, Dr. Patzer, delved into the motivations for the medical industry to be influenced by the Physical Attractiveness Phenomenon. This is good material.Allen SteadhamDirector of the International Size Acceptance Association (ISAA), with branches across the United States, in Canada, Brazil, United Kingdom, France, Australia and the Arab Nations. ISAA’s formal mission is to promote size acceptance and to fight size discrimination throughout the world by means of advocacy and visible, lawful actions.

Whenever Dr. Patzer speaks, whether it be in a book, an article, a letter or TV appearance, it never fails to impact me in a way that I find somewhat of an 'Aha!' experience, a kind of 'That's sooooo true!' feeling that gets deep to the core of human behavior. Often times, I read his findings with a deep disappointment of the human race. How superficial people are, how empty and misguided their views are! And, while I sit and digest what Dr. Patzer is so boldly stating, I feel uneasy because I realize that as a marketer and a mother, I am oftentimes guilty of these stereotypes and perceptions. Dr. Patzer has a way of breaking through the clutter of physical and non-physical perceptions and behaviors, leaving you with a clear understanding of the psychological and social implications of this truly fascinating phenomenon. In many ways, Dr. Patzer provides us with the world's ultimate mirror to human behavior. Dare to look, you will sure to be shocked and inspired. Julie Kaneshiro-SweeneyFormer Director of Brand Marketing for GUESS?, Inc., Walt Disney Studios consumer products division, Universal Studios home video, and Nissin Foods USA, as well as former positions with Hakuhodo Advertising and Chiat/Day Advertising. Ms. Sweeney earned an MBA early in her career from The University of Chicago, and lives in Los Angeles with her husband and their two young children.

As a physician with a medical specialty focused toward appearance, I experience daily the role and impact physical attractiveness has in the lives of men as well as women. Many factors influence or determine the physical attractiveness of a person, and both separately and collectively they cause significant psychological and sociological consequences. The thoroughness and precision with which Dr. Patzer has researched, analyzed, and articulated these matters make his scholarly book, The Power and Paradox of Physical Attractiveness, a "must read" for every person. Craig L. Ziering, DO, FAOCDDoctor of Osteopathic Medicine, Fellow of the American Osteopathic College of Dermatology, and a qualified medical doctor board certified by the American Board of Hair Restoration Surgery and the American Osteopathic Board of Dermatology. Dr. Ziering is regularly featured on the ABC Television Network program, Extreme Makeover.

In his continuing effort to research and explain the phenomenon of physical attractiveness, Gordon Patzer now offers The Power and Paradox of Physical Attractiveness, a profound work that takes great pains to explain how the world looks at this issue. Having followed his work for 15 years, I can say that he has been influential in the dental profession at helping it understand the value of its part in enhancing physical attractiveness. Every medical/dental professional needs to understand the implications that Dr. Patzer relates in this book to better support their patients concerns, needs, and wants related to physical attractiveness.Joseph Whitehouse, MS, DDSDentist practitioner in the San Francisco Bay area, President, World Congress of Minimally Invasive Dentistry, and Founding member, World Congress of Micro Dentistry.

I have been involved in related study since 1983 and I applaud Dr. Patzer as the globally recognized authority on physical attractiveness. He has accumulated vast experience and esteem as an analyst, expert, and proponent about this most specialized science and its pervasive presence. His accomplishments include formulating the systems for this potent psychological and sociological phenomenon. His latest scholarly summation communicated in The Power and Paradox of Physical Attractiveness is destined to become another cornerstone of knowledge and understanding.Robert "Bobby" RamirezAuthor, Independent Scientific Researcher concerning Phenology, Alpha-Numerical Phenometrics, and the Primordial Defensive System

The only broad-based multi-disciplinary summary of research on the meaning, measurement and impact of beauty in contemporary society. Covering psychological, sociological, political, medical and economic research, this volume [The Power and Paradox of Physical Attractiveness] is must-reading for anyone interested on how our looks affect our lives.Daniel S. Hamermesh, Ph.D.Edward Everett Hale Centennial (Distinguished) Professor of Economics at the University of Texas at Austin, Dr. Hamermesh holds his Ph.D. from Yale University, has published more than 80 refereed articles in scholarly journals, and lectured at universities in 43 states and 23 foreign countries.

A person’s physical attractiveness is an extremely important aspect in our society, often with unexpected, as well as expected, consequences. Within the pages of The Power and Paradox of Physical Attractiveness, Gordon Patzer reveals great insight into these consequences, their power, and their complicated dimensions. He also reveals that physical beauty is much more than the surface looks of a person. This book is truly a page-turner for everyone, ranging from academics to professionals to parents to people throughout the general public.James and Judy ClingmanDirectors of The Pageant Agency focused on state-level Miss USA and Miss Teen USA Pageants, which are part of the Miss Universe Pageant that is an NBC-TV and Donald J. Trump partnership. Under the Clingmans’ directorship of Iowa USA Pageants and Wisconsin USA Pageants, their representatives have included one national winner and numerous Top 10 national finalists. James and Judy have five children including 10-year-old triplets. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

Content is supreme, reading level is difficult
On content I would rate this book a solid 5, but I found the readibility of this book to detract from its message. The book is filled with scientific evidience in masse when it comes to proving that beauty reigns when it comes to popularity, picking out a mate, professional success, and just about anything else in life.This book is more of an academic book than it is for general pleasure reading.In fact this book would be an excellent choice for research, as experiments are solid, and come in such large quanity it would be of value to many.

The major distraction of this book is the complex language was written in.Constant complex-compound sentences with a post college level vocabulary makes Patzer's book a slow read.If this would have been easier to read, I would have given this book a solid five.

Content in this book is solid, ever wondered what impact attractiveness has in intimate relationships, work relationships, and relationships with strangers?What characteristics of physical attractiveness does each gender find the most important?It may surprise you that each gender cares for different qualities than we tend to normaly think of.This book would an excellent resource for anyone wanting to quantify how attractiveness plays a part in daily lives.

Blah, blah and more blah
Dr Patzer is clearly an expert on this interesting topic. Unfortunately, his writing style is ponderously academic. He manages to make physical attractiveness seem dull and surprisingly uninteresting. ... Read more

Product Description

The book contains a collection of essays by scholars and artists from a range of different fields including art, art history, architectural theory and philosophy. The essays are based on papers given at a symposium in Copenhagen in June 2008 and refer to the following considerations: When spectators confront and designers invent works of art and architecture, vital questions regarding their appearance arise. These are not simply questions about what appears, also what does not, i.e. what withdraws when works are experienced and created. How do we cope with this withdrawal, with latencies that escape concretization? What are the productive paradoxes associated hereto and how do they influence the processes of making? Based on multiple discourses on these subjects, contemporary positions in art, architecture and philosophy draw up new challenges, especially with regard to the creative practices. Within and between these positions emerge potentials for modes of thinking and doing with a new sensitivity.

With contributions by Michael Asgaard Andersen and Henrik Oxvig, Renaud Barbaras, Andrew Benjamin, Olafur Eliasson, Sanford Kwinter, David Leatherbarrow, Martin Seel, David Summers, and Sven-Olov Wallenstein.

Customer Reviews (2)

Condemned to Repeat
Fiona Terry provide a practical aspect of Humanitarian aid through her experince in the field. Humanitarian aid involves working with goverments and rebels sometimes it is hard to avoid workig with people who has blood in their hands to help the innocents or victims. Further she talks about the negative consequences of humanitarian intervention. Great book from an author who has hands on experience on Humanitrian aid.

Great read- but the elites will not listen
Excellent book- well documented. The author's arguments are furthered bolstered by other writers that have exposed the corrupt, hypocritical, self-serving "aid" industry and their cynical collaboration with the kleptocrats and dictators of the world's vampire states. These other authors include:
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Road to Hell: The Ravaging Effects of Foreign Aid and International Charity by Michael Maren
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Famine Crimes: Politics & the Disaster Relief Industry in Africa (African Issues) by Alex de Waal
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Africa in Chaos : A Comparative History by George B.N. Ayittey ---
A Bed for the Night: Humanitarianism in Crisis by David Rieff
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The data is clear, but self-serving elites will continue to prosper and gullible Western taxpayers will continue to vote them into power. They will both continue prop up the kleptocrats and dicators of the world. ... Read more

Product Description
This is an OCR edition without illustrations or index. It may have numerous typos or missing text. However, purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original rare book from GeneralBooksClub.com. You can also preview excerpts from the book there. Purchasers are also entitled to a free trial membership in the General Books Club where they can select from more than a million books without charge. Original Published by: Chatto & Windus in 1883 in 147 pages; Subjects: Actors; Acting; Biography & Autobiography / Entertainment & Performing Arts; Performing Arts / Acting & Auditioning; Performing Arts / Theater / General; Performing Arts / Theater / History & Criticism; ... Read more

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Mr Pond was a small, neat civil servant. There was nothing remarkable about him at all - except a pointed beard. However, he tells the most fascinating stories and has the most unorthodox way of solving crimes and mysteries. These eight short stories include the extraordinary 'The Three Horsemen of the Apocalypse' about a Marshal's plans which go tragically wrong because, paradoxically, his soldiers obey him. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

The Paradoxes of Mr. Pond
An endearing if imperfect collection of mysteries from G. K. Chesterton.This was the last work of fiction he ever wrote.Certainly all of his trademarks are still here: clever plot twists, seemingly impossible paradoxes, philosophical discussion mixed in with the story, and endearing comedy mixed in with the philosophy.But with that said, this particular set of stories is a mixed bag.

At the top of the heap (and the top of the order) is "The Three Horsemen of the Apocalypse".This tale takes us to Poland, where a headstrong German general fails because he has two loyal Prussian servants.If he'd had only one, he would have succeeded.How can this be?Mr. Pond narrates out of the apparent contradiction in fine fashion, complete with unforgettable characters, creepy setting, and a titanic clash of wills.

On the other hand, other stories in the collection are definitely lacking some real Chestertonian zing.Some of them are frankly predictable, others seem arbitrarily constructed just to build up to a clever punch line.One hesitates to suggest that Chesterton's talents were failing at the end of his life.After all, he wrote some of his best books in the 1930's, including his towering autobiography.Nevertheless, he certainly let some substandard material slip through here.

Even so, "The Paradoxes of Mr. Pond" is well worth reading for anyone who appreciates a good mystery or just a little fun.Further, all the stories are still packed with the unflagging spirit that is G. K. Chesterton.Even when his literally skills slipped a notch, he remained committed to principles, and determined to fit important statements into all his works.In particular, both the first and last story in this collection contain echoes of the horrors of the Nazi regime.With the Holocaust beginning in earnest shortly after this book was written, it's worth considering how much a seemingly innocent collection of tales could tell us about the human condition.Perhaps we should pay a bit more attention to the messages in our popular writings today.

Still waters run deep
"Paradox has been defined as 'Truth standing on her head to attract attention.' Paradox has been defended; on the ground that so many fashionable fallacies still stand firmly on their feet, because they have no heads to stand on."
- "When Doctors Agree"

As Chesterton's fellow members of the Detection Club, Sayers and Christie, could tell you, his chief tool in the gentle art of misdirection - getting the reader running the wrong way - was the paradox. The Pond stories are only a few of the many examples of Chesterton's tricks in that line. Several have opening statements about paradoxes in general that are worth reading, over and above the cleverness of the mysteries or Chesterton's lyrical touch with language. (Like Lord Dunsany, Chesterton likes to illuminate the romance and poetry of quite ordinary settings and prosaic-seeming people.)

Mr. Pond is a bureaucrat who, wanting to cut his stories short, often produces odd paradoxical statements, which defeat the purpose as everyone then badgers him into telling the whole story. His closest friends are a pair of extremes. Sir Hubert Wotton, a colleague in Pond's nameless department, has no nonsense about him. Gahagan, on the other hand, has a robust '18th century' turn of phrase, and plays up to the image of a colorful Irish wit as definitely Wotton plays to that of English stolidity.

"The Three Horsemen of the Apocalypse" The Prussian marshal had both feet firmly on the ground, espousing the principle that the world is affected not by what people believe or say, but by what is *done*. Observing the practical effect of a great poet and musician upon the conquered citizenry, the Marshal paid his greatest compliment to the arts in sending a courier with a sentence of death. His plan might have worked just fine, if he hadn't had not one, but *two* soldiers who obeyed orders.

"The Crime of Captain Gahagan" Gahagan is popularly supposed in love with Joan Varney, but he's been spending an awful lot of time hanging around Olivia Malone Feversham, the actress. Her husband is 'something worse than an unsuccessful actor; he was one who had been successful'. In sort, Feversham doesn't bother with his career anymore, but only cares about suing people in the law courts for spoiling his chances. Not a good man to cross - and someone fatally stabbed him in his own garden. What looks worst for Gahagan is that 3 young ladies - among them the Varney sisters - have reported 3 different stories he told them of where he was bound that night.

"When Doctors Agree" Talking shop - international politics - with his friends, after Gahagan chaffs Wotton, saying he thinks everyone who isn't English is as alike as Tweedledum and Tweedledee, Pond steps in, saying that how lucky it is that people generally go on disagreeing, and how he once knew two men who came to agree so completely that one murdered the other.

"Pond the Pantaloon" The background of this story is very cool: a conspiracy aiming at a coup d'etat, which was so widespread that Pond and company had to smuggle important documents from a northern port to a government department in London, while on the surface life was just as usual. In an unusual turn, Gahagan, after becoming entangled in Pond's talk of red pencils leaving black marks, goes to Wotton for the story. Pond, in charge of seeing that the documents arrived safely, said he shouldn't show any particular care in this case.

"The Unmentionable Man" Mr. Pond recollects a visit to one of those little monarchies that, when it became a republic, didn't magically solve all its problems. In fact, they acquired a lot of Marxist revolutionary types that the government tried to suppress, including some almost professional agitators. One of the government's most troubling problems was that they couldn't deport a desirable alien. 'You mean an *un*desirable alien.' Here we go again...

"Ring of Lovers" Gahagan tells of an incident at a stag party he attended the previous night, where the distinguished guests appeared to have nothing in common, involving the disappearance a valuable ring bearing a romantic inscription. The incident would be enough for a story, but here it is wielded beautifully to make Gahagan realize that he's taken a wrong turning in his life. (He doesn't lose his sense of humor, thank God.)

"The Terrible Troubadour" This, the third time Gahagan is mixed up in a mess, shows Chesterton's talent for dealing with continuing characters: talk is beginning to spread about Gahagan's suspicious previous history. :) The incident happened some years back, when Gahagan was on leave from the Great War - a holiday from hell, as he puts it - and flamboyantly competing with a rival to impress a vicar's daughter, climbing balconies and so on. The rival disappeared...

The biologist Paul Green, an expert on natural selection, is a recurring type in Chesterton's stories - G.K., speaking through Pond, disagreed with the science on religious principles.

"A Tall Story" This begins with an echo of the oncoming Holocaust; the story itself is set in a major seaport, like Brighton, during the WWI rather than WWII. Mr. Pond had an office there, and kept track of secret plans and possible spies. The paradoxes here are that a man too tall to be seen murdered one of Pond's colleagues, and that a tiresome woman, seeing spies under every bed, provides the key clue. The German governess in the story is contrasted with a certain type of Latin; the other half of the comparison can be found in the beautiful young Italian actress in "The Actor and the Alibi", in _The Secret of Father Brown_.

Another Enjoyable Mystery Collection by Chesterton
G. K. Chesterton, a contemporary of Sir Conan Doyle, is known today for his delightful short stories, especially those involving Father Brown, a priest with a penchant for solving crimes.

Like myself, most readers of Father Brown stories are less aware of Chesterton's other collections of mystery tales. Following the advice of previous reviewers, I recently introduced myself to Mr. Pond and his friends, Captain Gahagan and Sir Hubert Wotton, in "The Paradoxes of Mr. Pond".

Once again Chesterton pleasantly surprised me. Mr. Pond, a quiet, mild mannered, obscure English bureaucrat relates an odd mix of adventures. All stories are initiated by some paradoxical comment that he unwittingly utters. After some confusion, Mr. Pond is persuaded to explain himself. The tales are usually a little convoluted, but in the end we have a solution that is logically possible, but not necessarily probable. (Many Sherlock Holmes cases share this characteristic.)

In "The Three Horsemen of the Apocalypse" Mr. Pond mentions that a Prussian Marshall Van Grock failed his mission "because the discipline was too good". His plan failed "because his soldiers obeyed him. Of course, if only one of his soldiers had obeyed him, it wouldn't have been so bad." Failure couldn't be avoided "when two of his soldiers obeyed him".

Mr. Pond's statements were equally incongruous in "When Doctors Agree". "Funny things agreements. Fortunately people generally go on disagreeing, till they die peacefully in their beds. Men very seldom do fully and finally agree. I did know two men who came to agree so completely that one of them naturally had to murder the other."

Chesterton's stories move at a more leisurely pace than many readers are now accustom, often involve improbable events and unusual characters, and occasionally digress to consider a moral issue.

If you are already an admirer of Chesterton, definitely acquire this inexpensive Dover edition. If you are new to Chesterton, consider also acquiring Chesterton's famed Father Brown detective stories.

A must for all Chesterton fans
Each story in this collection is the gradual and entertaining explanation of some paradox stated by Mr. Pond, such as this one from "When Doctors Agree:" 'I once knew two men who came to agree with each otherso completely that one of them, naturally, murdered the other, but as ageneral rule...." The story that follows is convoluted, thanks toPond's digressions on society hostesses and what he calls 'the sanctity ofreally futile conversation,' but more than lives up to the high promise ofthat opening paradox. "The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse" isnearly as good and just as clever; the rest of the stories are good andclever, and would shine in nearly any other collection, but those two areso outstanding that they make the merely good look ordinary. Buy it! Readit! Read parts of it out loud to your helpless friends and convert them!

As good as the best Father Brown's
It should be quoted more often among the greatest Chesterton's books. Mr. Pond is no less likable as a character than Father Brown (most other characters are charming as well). Each short story revolves around aparadox stated in earnest by Mr. Pond, such as "naturally, he was sotall that no one saw him" and things like that. (All is wonderfullyexplained later). Great crime stories (with no serious crimes involved) forthose who consider "whodunits" too gory. ... Read more

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`Gathering together essays by leading commentators, Professor Willem Grosheide's timely book offers an excellent overview of the many significant questions of social and legal policy that emerge at interface between intellectual property and human rights. . . Providing a range of views on the human rights implications of intellectual property law and policy, this collection makes a valuable contribution to current debates on these critically important issues.'
- Graeme Austin, University of Arizona, US

In the modern era where the rise of the knowledge economy is accompanied, if not facilitated, by an ever-expanding use of intellectual property rights, this timely book provides a much needed explanation to the relationship between intellectual property law and human rights law.

The contributors promote the view that this relationship should be central to the analysis of many of the profound problems that nation states and the international community encounter today, be they scientific, technological or cultural. The book is divided into sections covering the law and its trends, IP rights as human rights and human rights as restrictions to IP rights.

This stimulating book will appeal to academics, postgraduate students, national and international public authorities and those involved with international organisations in the fields of intellectual property law and human rights law. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (2)

The Paradox of Power
I saw the speaker at the Religious Education Congress and tried to buy his book there, but it was sold out.Powerful book!

What the world needs now
What the world needs now is Michael Crosby's latest book!THE PARADOX OF POWER: FROM CONTROL TO COMPASSION is a powerful reminder that we are called to be peacemakers - within ourselves, in our relationships and in the world.I'm posting this review on 9/11 - a day that makes it difficult for many to hear the message that God requires of us unconditional love and forgiveness, that it's not enough just to try and keep the peace, that we must go out and make peace.

I personally need to take to heart Crosby's lesson that making peace more often than not begins with giving up the need to be in control, and that making peace with others often begins with making peace with yourself.Reading about Crosby's journey from control to relationship, from confrontation to peacemaking, is an inspiring roadmap for creating both inner and outer peace.

THE PARADOX OF POWER is a wonderful complement to GOD AND EMPIRE: JESUS AGAINST ROME, THEN AND NOW by John Dominic Crossan.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

A Seminal Book on IT Portfolio Management
"The Information Paradox" is a terrifically interesting and important book that outlines the importance of using IT Porfolio Management and Program Management to govern IT investments.Thorp's book was really the first book on those topics, and it is still quite relevant today.It has strongly influenced current thinking on those topics, especially in the development of the Val IT framework.There are more recent books on IT Portfolio Management, such as Weill and Ross's "IT Governance" or Maizlish & Handler's "IT Portfolio Management Step-by-Step", but Thorp's book really introduced the subject.

The Information Paradox:Realizing the Business Benefits of Information Technology, Revised Edition, 2003
My comments on this excellent book are based on my 35 years working as a public servant within the Government of Canada and on its applicability to a government context.The Government of Canada invests in its employees and programs and is committed to demonstrating and evaluating in a transparent manner the benefits and results, whether expected or not, of its programs.This book focuses on information technology (IT) investments and explains why they often do not realize their promised benefits or results.Although IT leads to more and often better information, the paradox is that having more and better information does not automatically lead to realizing the expected benefits for the business or government program that made the investment.Going from our expectations of information technology to `better information' to better programs that realize the benefits and results is not always a straight line.This book by John Thorp helps us to better understand the complexity involved in linking information, how information is transforming the way employees think and act, and the strategy for realizing the expected and desired benefits.But more importantly, this book provides us with useful models (especially the Results Chain model), tools and techniques to address the complexity and make the linkages work so as to increase the likelihood of realizing the benefits.The Information Paradox should be compulsory reading for government (and business) managers and consultants who are concerned with planning new programs intended to realize expected benefits or with evaluating existing programs to determine if benefits are being realized.The models, tools and techniques described in the book will contribute to best practices in government evaluation and performance measurement.

A new approach to IT investment and business results
This book helps to understand why some of IT projects don't bring the expected business results. The book lays a new approach to help mapping between Information Technology investments and achieving business values.

A refreshing view ofIT investment and business results
This book helps to understand why some of IT projects don't bring the expected business results. The book lays a new approach to help mapping between Information Technology investments and achieving business values.

Highly Recommended!
John Thorp's book recalls Mark Twain's definition of a classic as "a book you want to have read but don't want to read." If you're an executive with control over your company's information technology purse stings, you probably don't want to read a book this detailed in the intricacies of IT, which is exactly the reason that you should. Thorp's initial premise is that many IT investments never pan out in part because the people that are signing off on them have absolutely no idea what to expect. This book will give you a clue, but don't expect to enjoy it. It's dense with IT terminology, change and program management strategies and valuation techniques. We [...] recommend this book to all of you professionals who know that you need a better understanding of information technology, even if you won't admit it. Don't put off reading this book, no matter how much you'd like to.
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Product Description
For centuries the pursuit of happiness was the preserve of either the philosopher or the voluptuary and took second place to the basic need to survive on the one hand, and the pressure to conform to social conventions and morality on the other. More recently there is a burgeoning interest in the study of happiness, in the social sciences and in the media. Can we really answer the question what makes people happy? Is it really grounded in credible methods and data? Is there consistency in the determinants of happiness across countries and cultures? Are happiness levels innate to individuals or can policy and the environment make a difference? How is happiness affected by poverty? By economic progress? Is happiness a viable objective for policy? This book is an attempt to answer these questions, based on research on the determinants of happiness in countries around the world, ranging from Peru and Russia to the U.S. and Afghanistan.

The book reviews the theory and concepts of happiness, explaining how these concepts underpin a line of research which is both an attempt to understand the determinants of happiness and a tool for understanding the effects of a host of phenomena on human well being. The research finds surprising consistency in the determinants of happiness across levels of development. Yet there is still much debate over the relationship between happiness and income. The book explores the effects of many mediating factors in that relationship, ranging from macroeconomic trends and democracy to inequality and crime. It also reviews what we know about happiness and health and how that relationship varies according to income levels and health status. It concludes by discussing the potential--and the potential pitfalls--of using happiness surveys to contribute to better public policy. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

An objective analysis of a subjective sentiment
Money can't buy happiness, or so your parents used to say. But if money doesn't make you joyful, what does? In her astute, rigorously researched book, public policy scholar Carol Graham evaluates the components of happiness across countries, socioeconomic groups and cultures to tease out what "well-being" means, at least statistically speaking. Using extensive surveys in Latin America, Central Asia and Afghanistan, and existing data on happiness in the developed world, Graham posits that, despite varying levels of wealth, people and nations share fundamentally similar characteristics when it comes to being content. She examines how happiness measures can guide policy makers and notes the pitfalls involved. Be prepared, though, to brush up on your statistics and get reacquainted with z-scores and Gini coefficients. The book relies heavily on statistical analysis and calculations, but Graham manages to surface from the data occasionally to provide conclusions in lay language. getAbstract finds her work of value to economists, psychologists, policy makers and all those who just want to get happy.

Not for the layperson
This book is a giant econometrics paper.If you're an academic looking for research data on happiness, it could be just the thing for you.

If you're a layperson wondering how to be happier, you won't get much here.It is extremely academic.Do you understand how to interpret a Pseudo R-squared statistic?Remember your chi-square distribution?

My favorite book on the topic of happiness is The How of Happiness: A Scientific Approach to Getting the Life You Want.It too is backed by research, but the focus is on actionable results, rather than data analysis.

I'm happy I read this book!!
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Consider these eight questions:

(1) What makes people happy?
(2) Does more money make you happy?
(3) If money does not make people happy, what does?
(4) Where and how does the average person find happiness?
(5) Is there consistency in the determinants of happiness across countries and cultures?
(6) Are happiness levels innate to individuals or can policy and the environment people live in make a difference?
(7) How is happiness affected by poverty or progress?
(8) Is happiness a viable objective for public policy?

These are some of the questions answered in this book by Carol Graham.Graham is Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution (a public policy think tank located in Washington that conducts research in the social sciences) and professor at the University of Maryland.She also is the author of many books and articles on poverty, inequality, and novel measures of well-being.

The first chapter reviews the theory and concepts of happiness and how they have evolved historically.The next chapter looks into the relationship between happiness and income while the third chapter reviews the correlates of happiness in large population samples around the world (in countries such as Chile, Kazakhstan, Peru,, Russia, the United States, and Afghanistan).

The fourth chapter examines how happiness matters to outcomes that we care about (such as health and employment).Chapter five is devoted to health (said to be one of the most important variables in the happiness equation).The sixth chapter presents what we know about the effects of macroeconomics trends (such as economic growth, inequality, inflation, and unemployment) on happiness while chapter seven explores the role of different institutional arrangements (such as political regimes, social networks, crime) on happiness.

The final chapter of this book discusses the potential of happiness surveys to contribute to better public policy.

This is the first in-depth study of happiness which crosses many countries and regions, including developed and developing countries.

Many of the chapters have a "conclusions" or summary section.I found these most beneficial.

Note that this is a very scholarly book that examines the concept of happiness seriously.Thus, it is filled with graphs and tables.

Finally, I particularly enjoyed the quotations that headed many of the chapters.For example:

(1) "Will increasing the incomes of all increase the happiness of all?" (Richard Easterlin)
(2) "When I sell liquor, it's called bootlegging; when my patrons serve it on Lake Shore Drive, it's called hospitality."(Al Capone)

In conclusion, I found that I learned surprisingly much about happiness "around the world" after reading this book.Like me, you'll probably be happy that you read this book (and perhaps even more happy that you read my review of it)!!!

(first published 2009;preface;lists of figures and tables;abbreviations;introduction;8 chapters;main narrative 230 pages;references;index)

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Excellent overview of the research and what it means
Graham does a great job summarizing both her own research and the related literature.She shows how the determinants of happiness -- age, family structure, employment, etc. -- are similar in countries as diverse as the United States and Afghanistan.We all know that GDP is not a great measure of the happiness of a society, but Graham provides one of the first comparative looks at how people really feel in various societies. ... Read more

Product Description
In a 1950 conversation at Los Alamos, four world-class scientists generally agreed, given the size of the Universe, that advanced extraterrestrial civilizations must be present. But one of the four, Enrico Fermi, asked, "If these civilizations do exist, where is everybody?" Given the fact that there are perhaps 400 million stars in our Galaxy alone, and perhaps 400 million galaxies in the Universe, it stands to reason that somewhere out there, in the 14 billion-year-old cosmos, there is or once was a civilization at least as advanced as our own. Webb discusses in detail the 50 most cogent and intriguing solutions to Fermi's famous paradox.
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Customer Reviews (47)

Interesting book, flawed logic
This book discusses the existence of Extraterrestrial Intelligence from a scientific perspective. Basically, it asks if there are ETs out there, why have not heard from them (this is known as Fermi's Paradox). The book is very well researched and it makes for a great read. However, I thought at times the reasoning was flawed. Most of the explanations for the paradox are so speculative that they barely hold any validity when you start to dissect them. Any explanation of how an ET civilization _might_ behave, act, or react, is a moot point and has no scientific and/or logical validity. Also, our knowledge of Planetary Science and our technology to detect planets is still in its infancy. I think the author of the book and perhaps most of the scientific community are too quick to come to a conclusion on the basis of 95% of totally unreliable proof and evidence. Other than this, this is a very interesting book and I enjoyed reading it. I recommend it to anyone who is interested in the speculative subject of ET civilizations. Just don't expect to find anything new in this book. After reading the book and making your own analysis, you come to the ONLY logical conclusion:

We simply do not know. We still don't have the scientific knowledge and/or the technology to find out for sure.

Don't Beam Me Down Scotty, There's No Intelligent Life Anywhere
I enjoy reading about a diverse number of science topics and this book visits some of my favorites: geology (plate tectonics), astronomy (Jupiter, asteroids, particle horizon, singularities), biochemistry (structure of DNA, RNA, proteins, etc.) and paleontology (mass extinctions, snowball earth).Webb is a good writer and explains things fairly well, but I was still thankful for a background in most of the subjects or I may have been a bit lost at times.Some readers might struggle with the lengthy section on biochemistry, but it was brave of Webb to even try to explain as much as he did.He might have explained some astronomy terms better.I would have liked him to have delved a bit more into the differences between star types, e.g., red dwarf, white dwarf, neutron stars, quasars, etc., but that's minor criticism.The Notes and Further Reading section is an organizational highlight of the book and it gave me many excellent ideas for further study because, unlike a simple bibliography, he sometimes enthusiastically recommended a book.More than 1/3 of the book, the entire 5th chapter, is devoted to summarizing and restating, in Webb's own words, the book Rare Earth, one of my favorite science books of all time.I couldn't have been more pleased with the discussion.The concluding chapter is interesting because Webb cranks some numbers through the Drake equation to show why he thinks we are alone in the whole universe, or at least alone on this side of the particle horizon.

My only gripe, which I extend to most popular science books, is that the index is poor and it is difficult to reference topics that one may want to revisit.But the number of drawings are more numerous than contained in most books--better than Rare Earth by far and I gave that book a 5 star review.

I don't really care that Webb inserted his own opinions for each of the solutions to the Fermi Paradox, because at this point in our primitive understanding of astronomy, chemistry and physics, most things having to do with cosmology are pure speculation.I know that Webb's opinions really bugged a lot of readers, but they didn't phase me at all.The science of this complex subject matter will change radically as new knowledge is obtained in the coming millenniums.

This was a fun book to read, a page turner.I highly recommended it for the science buff looking for eclectic subject matter and the state of current SETI research (as of 2002).

A mastery of many fields
Stephen Webb's book is truly a joy, and very thought provoking. He can discuss competently fields as varied as evolution, probability theory, the electromagnetic spectrum, cell structures, relativity, and many more.

I appreciated his reminders that each solution for why life is improbable cannot be the only solution to the Fermi paradox, as a seemingly infinite universe certainly does not have no other planets within a habitable orbit or with the right elements to make life work. But when you add each improbable step one after another, you begin to appreciate how truly amazing it is that life evolved on our planet at all.

Seven solutions to Fermi's paradox
1. The aliens were here in the past. Unfortunately, the good people of Sodom had some pretty original ideas about hospitality, so the aliens left, never to return. They wrote about Earth in "The Hitch-hikers REAL Guide to the Galaxy", available all through the Milky Way, warning other aliens about our planet. It says: "Avoid that place like the plague on Rigel 3".

2. The aliens were here in the past. Their kids just loved the woolly mammoths. They still haven't gotten over that Palaeolithic killing spree of ours, so they won't be back any time soon. Cloning a woolly mammoth might do the trick, though.

3. The aliens are already here! However, they are body snatchers and shape shifters. They can't be distinguished from humans, not even under microscope. Their DNA is identical to ours, too. They have MELDED. "They" control the government. "They" control the media. "They" control FEMA. You get the drift. They also build subterranean tunnels under the Pacific to invade California with Hong Kong police officers. Only people with THE GIFT can recognize the aliens. Here are some sure signs: they are hook-nosed, have last names like Cohen and Dershowitz, speak English with a strangely foreign accent, and avoid beef sandwiches. YOU KNOW WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT, CITIZEN. I have personally seen ADL operatives shape shift into pink-colored reptilians, vaguely resembling the lizard whose scientific name is Lacerta agilis. They had those yellow triangles, too. THEY ARE HERE.

4. The aliens are already here! However, we can't see them because they are spiritual beings. They have reached a higher level of existence than ourselves. If you meditate like crazy every day for 15 years, and open up your Third, Fourth and Fifth Eyes, you will eventually see them. Taking acid or LSD might help, too. Or reading George Adamski's books. You will then see the aliens of the fourth globe on the sixth round, the third globe on the second round, and the sixth globe on the fifth round. You might even get a glimps of Paul the Venetian! This is ESOTERIC KNOWLEDGE known only to REAL ADEPTS OF THE LIGHT.

5. We are the aliens. No kidding. But, you see, there was this galactic emperor named Xenu who had a penchant for ice cubes on top of volcanoes, and...

6. The aliens did exist once, but have all died. It's our fault. A cheeseburger accidentally got onboard a long-distance comet. I mean, how do you think that plague on Rigel 3 got started???

7. They aren't here - yet. You have no idea how long it takes to organize a million-alien invasion space fleet. Or the logistical problems involved. Not to mention those cheeseburgers. BUT THEY WILL ARRIVE ONE DAY, MR. FERMI.

Where is everybody? Great question.
If your level of concsiousness is high and you posess a fair knowledge of science then you are going to enjoy this book. Are we the norm or the exception? Sure enough, both possibilities are thrilling. This book provides you with the most educated guesses that can be made, with the present knowledge of science, about this fascinating question. Furthermore, in this book you'll find arguments both in favor and against your favorite view, be it norm or exception. But what I enjoyed the most was the fact that the author, after so much time of entertaining the question himself, shares with you his own insight.
This is a great book, one of a kind. ... Read more

Product Description
This volumeexplores the consequences of the paradox for measure theory and its connections with group theory, geometry, and logic.It unifies the results of contemporary research on the paradox and presents several new results including some unusual paradoxes in hyperbolic space.It also provides up to date proofs and discusses many unsolved problems. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

The Banach-Tarski Paradox
If you're really interested in the Banach-Tarski Paradox this book is what you have to read. The straightness of thoughts of Stan Wagon and his beautiful ideas not only about the paradox but also set theorie in generalwere so impressing, that thi s book became one of my favourites. ... Read more

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In this provocative appraisal of desegregation in South Carolina, R. Scott Baker contends that half a century after the Brown decision we still know surprisingly little about the new system of public education that replaced segregated caste arrangements in the South. Much has been written about the most dramatic battles for black access to southern schools, but Baker examines the rational and durable evasions that authorities institutionalized in response to African American demands for educational opportunity.

A case study of southern evasions, Paradoxes of Desegregation: African American Struggles for Educational Equity in Charleston, South Carolina, 1926–1972 documents the new educational order that grew out of decades of conflict between African American civil rights activists and South Carolina’s political leadership. Baker expands the conventional scholarly perspective, which has focused almost exclusively on the NAACP, and explores activism on a local level to desegregate schools, colleges, and universities. During the 1940s, Baker shows, a combination of black activism and NAACP litigation forced state officials to increase funding for black education. This early phase of the struggle in turn accelerated the development of institutions that cultivated a new generation of grass roots leaders.

Challenging Michael J. Klarman’s backlash thesis, Baker demonstrates that white resistance to integration did not commence or crystallize after Brown. Instead, beginning in the 1940s, authorities in South Carolina institutionalized an exclusionary system of standardized testing that, according to Baker, exploited African Americans’ educational disadvantages, limited access to white schools, and confined black South Carolinians to separate institutions. As massive resistance to desegregation collapsed in the late 1950s, officials in other southern states followed South Carolina’s lead, adopting testing policies that continue to govern the region’s educational system.

Paradoxes of Desegregation brings much needed historical perspective to contemporary debates about the landmark federal education law, No Child Left Behind. Baker analyzes decades of historical evidence related to high-stakes testing and concludes that desegregation, while a triumph for advantaged blacks, has paradoxically been a tragedy for most African Americans. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Inspirational and deeply troubling
The title and seemingly narrow focus (and, indeed, the introduction) of this book might make it seem like a study suited only for academics. However, it most clearly is not.What is most remarkable about this book is how Baker paints portraits of the many, many ordinary (yet extraordinary) African-American individuals who were truly the prime movers in the struggle for educational opportunity in Charleston. The stories of these individuals and the durable obstacles they faced in gaining access to the most basic educational rights are both inspirational and deeply troubling.

In the course of the book, Baker also lays bare the way in which the white establishment of Charleston fought in every manner possible to insure that blacks would not be educated with whites and then, when it lost that battle, did everything in its power to insure that few blacks would "enjoy" that right. Baker rightly raises, but does not answer, the question of whether a strategy of dispensing with the hope for integration and instead creating well-funded black institutions might have, in the long run, better served the African-American community of Charleston.

Equally interesting and equally disturbing is the book's argument that the genesis and use of standardized testing--so much a part of the educational landscape today--was rooted in an a conscious attempt on the part of the white establishment to deny access to equal pay for black teachers and equal educational opportunity for African American students.

Anyone interested in issues related to the history of African-American education, equity in education, or testing--be it of teachers or students--would be wise to read this book. ... Read more

Product Description
As new federations take shape and old ones are revived around the world, a difficult challenge is to create incentives for fiscal discipline.A key question is whether a politically-motivated central government can credibly commit not to bail out subnational governments in times of crisis if it funds most of their expenditures. By combining theory, quantitative analysis, and historical and contemporary case studies, this book provides a new perspective on why different countries have had dramatically different experiences with subnational fiscal discipline. ... Read more

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Product Description
The conventional wisdom is that economic sanctions do not work in international affairs. If so, why do countries wield them so often? Daniel Drezner argues that, paradoxically,countries will be most eager to use sanctions under conditions where they will produce the feeblest results. States anticipate frequent conflicts with adversaries, and are therefore more willing to use sanctions. However, precisely because they anticipate more conflicts, sanctioned states will not concede, despite the cost. Economic sanctions are thus far less likely to be effective between adversaries than between allies. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A Compelling Read
Drezner does an outstanding job of making a relatively sound, lucid, and parsimonious argument that explains the use of economic sanctions by examining the conflict expectations between states.There is some game theory at the beginning of the work, but it is not absolutely necessary to grasp the main arguments. Simply put, the concessions that can be garnered from the use of economic sanctions are higher when the conflict expectations are smaller, though the likelihood of the use of sanctions is less.When conflict expectations go up, economic sanctions are more frequent, and less fruitful.Drezner uses a case study method to illustrate his simple and novel theory, and does a great job providing international relations context and relating it to his theory.The main shortcoming I spotted in his work is that he does not adequately address how the nature of a regime may lead it to alternately frame "relative gains." But this is to be expected from a work that takes a somewhat realist point of view of international relations in general (in other words, playing down "second-level" domestic explanations).This would make a great text for Master's level courses concerned with economic sanctions. ... Read more