Why Does He Do That?: Inside the Minds of Angry and Controlling Men

Book Description

"He doesn't mean to hurt me-he just loses control."
"He can be sweet and gentle."
"He's scared me a few times, but he never hurts the children-he's a great father."
"He's had a really hard life..."

Women in abusive relationships tell themselves these things every day. Now they can see inside the minds of angry and controlling men-and change their own lives. In this groundbreaking book, a counselor shows how to improve, survive, or leave an abusive relationship, with:

Â€ The early warning signs
Â€ Nine abusive personality types
Â€ How to tell if an abuser can change, is changing, or ever will
Â€ The role of drugs and alcohol
Â€ What can be fixed, and what can't
Â€ How to leave a relationship safely

Customer Reviews:

Highly recommend it.......2007-10-13

I highly recommend this book, because the author makes it easy to understand the complex and painful dynamics of abusive relationships. Whether you personally have experienced one or more styles of abuse or are just curious about the subject, this book is the most informative and the best written one I have read.

I found this book by chance and the outcome makes me feel lucky.

great information.......2007-10-12

If this information sounds even a little familiar, run as far & as fast as you can. It has nothing to do with you & he will never change. There is nothing you can do that will ever be "good enough". I wasted 24 years trying. There are great suggestions in this book to help you plan. Save your energy for you. The best information of the many, many books I have read on this topic.

This Book Explained SO MUCH about abusive relationships.......2007-10-05

There were two messages that impacted me the most. First, that many things abusive men do to their partners are practically invisible due to the pervasive chauvinism and misogyny that is considered acceptable in our society. Second, the abusive and controling male needs to present himself as a puzzle that needs to be solved: it's a trick that keeps their partner occupied with guessing about what he'll do next instead of just leaving.

It was the hiding of their true agenda that kept me in a relationship with a couple of abusive males much longer than I should have stayed. I thought I could uncover what "really made them tick" by sticking it out with them. Then I figured that once I resolved the mystery of his disturbing, hostile and angry behavior we could live happily ever after.

This is the first book that helped me through my fantasy of believing I could "rescue" this kind of person from himself. I'd give it the highest rating for that alone. But there is so much more helpful information here that confirmed what I'd feared about them that I'd say this is a must-read for any woman confused about why she's not happy with her partner but feeling it's all her fault. Great as a gift!

I don't understand why he treats me this way. He say he loves me........2007-09-23

If you've ever asked that question, then this is a book for you. It is very comprehensive in covering the multitude of reasons and justifications employed by abusive, controlling men. These types of relationships are killers, and getting help is critical to your well being.

Emotional and verbal abuse were areas of great interest to me and includes degradation, humiliation, keeping in control in all situations, withholding information to maintain control, deliberately doing something to make the victim feel diminished or embarrassed, isolating the victim from friends and family, and employing great guilt to paralyze and immobilize the victim from acting in a healthy way.

The confusing and detrimental thing in my life was that the abuser worked in a capacity which protected the rights of victims. The hypocrisy of it had me in denial for sometime. Ultimately it took others to tell me I was living in a hell created by an animal who said he loved me several times everyday.

This book was a Godsend to me. If you even think you are in one of these relationships, read this book.

important information for victims and advocates.......2007-09-10

I work for a domestic violence provention and service program. I have given out hundreds of copies of this book. I refer to it often. One of the best books on the "why" that has been written

Redemption: The Last Battle of the Civil War

Average customer rating:

A Needed Corrective
Last Battle?
A needed corrective to the Reconstruction story
Mississippi Burning
America's Own Terrorists

Redemption: The Last Battle of the Civil War
Nicholas Lemann
Manufacturer: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

All Deals | Blowout Books | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0374248559
Release Date: 2006-09-05

Book Description

A century after Appomattox, the civil rights movement won full citizenship for black Americans in the South. It should not have been necessary: by 1870 those rights were set in the Constitution. This is the story of the terrorist campaign that took them away.

Nicholas Lemann opens his extraordinary new book with a riveting account of the horrific events of Easter 1873 in Colfax, Louisiana, where a white militia of Confederate veterans-turned-vigilantes attacked the black community there and massacred hundreds of people in a gruesome killing spree. This was the start of an insurgency that changed the course of American history: for the next few years white Southern Democrats waged a campaign of political terrorism aiming to overturn the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments and challenge President Grant’ssupport for the emergent structures of black political power. The remorseless strategy of well-financed “White Line” organizations was to create chaos and keep blacks from voting out of fear for their lives and livelihoods. Redemption is the first book to describe in uncompromising detail this organized racial violence, which reached its apogee in Mississippi in 1875.

Lemann bases his devastating account on a wealth of military records, congressional investigations, memoirs, press reports, and the invaluable papers of Adelbert Ames, the war hero from Maine who was Mississippi’s governor at the time. When Ames pleaded with Grant for federal troops who could thwart the white terrorists violently disrupting Republican political activities, Grant wavered, and the result was a bloody, corrupt election in which Mississippi was

“redeemed”—that is, returned to white control.

Redemption makes clear that this is what led to the death of Reconstruction—and of the rights encoded in the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments. We are still living with the consequences.

Customer Reviews:

A Needed Corrective.......2007-04-11

Nicholas Lemann's book "Redemption: The Last Battle of the Civil War," focuses on mostly forgotten and often sanitized versions of specific incidents that marked the end of Reconstruction and the regaining by White Southerns of state and local government institutions leading to Jim Crow and Segregation that continued for another 90 years or so. The book, relatively brief, examines in detail several incidents, one in Lousiana, the others in Mississippi where local vigalante groups seized control from local black officials through intimidation and massacres. It is perhaps not coincidential that the worst offenses took place in Mississippi, and perhaps some sort of rough justice that in exchange Mississippi remained for decades afterwards on the lowest rung of the ladder among the states in nearly every social and economic ranking.

Much of the book is through the eyes of one Adelbert Ames, a Union general, senator and governor of Mississippi, as revealed in the copius correspondence with his wife, Blanche Butler, who most of the time remained at home in the North. Because of weariness of the part of the North, insufficient troops, deliberate foot-dragging by US officials sympathetic to the South, and indecisiveness on the part of President Grant, these events from 1874-76 were allowed to precede with little intervention and protection of Black citizens. In effect, the withdrawal of Northern troops in 1877, the result of a compromise that ended the electoral stalemate in the Hayes/Tilden presidential election of 1876, overturned a major achievement of the Civil War, namely full citizenship and voting privileges for former African slaves. The result was another dark stain on American history and our pretenses of a just and equitable society where everyone has the chance to be president.

Because of its brevity, the book suffers from a lack of context of how overall Reconstruction had proceeded in the South, it's weaknesses and its victories. The book also would have been improved through a map, particularly Mississippi and the various places where the rampages of the vigantes took place. Another improvement would have been photographs of the several colorful characters portrayed. But all in all, for a brief look at an important moment in American history, the book is highly recommended.

Last Battle?.......2007-03-14

The subtitle is a little bit of a cheat, for the Civil War was long over by the time the massacres of 1875 began, but after reading Nicholas Lemann's book on the failure of Reconstruction and the life of Civil War General Adelbert Ames, I can see why he decided to bend the truth and capture the huge Civil War market.

he shows how JFK was a patsy to the Southern Conservative myth of Reconstruction and how, in PROFILES IN COURAGE (1956) Kennedy included Lucius Lamar of Mississippi as an avatar of courage, when in actuality he was a liar and a bigot and was personally responsible for the deaths of thousands of Mississippi freedmen. What was JFK thinking? Well, as Lemann points out, this was not an anomaly in Kennedy's otherwise antiracist public profile. Indeed it was part and parcel of his curiously suspect voting record and public stand towards the race question. It was as though, in the polarized 1950s, he had to keep the Southern Democrats happy in order to win their support for the campaign he saw coming his way. PROFILES IN COURAGE dismisses Adelbert Ames, Lemann's (admittedly flawed) hero, as a mere carpetbagger, not worthy of living in Mississippi, a `foreigner' and an Abolitionist. The strange thing is that, he lived so long (at age 98, he was the oldest surviving Civil War officer) his daughter Blanche was on hand to shame Kennedy into agreeing to change future editions of PROFILES. Then her years of disappointment began, for even though Senator, and then President Kennedy, had agreed to re-research Reconstruction, he never did, and when she kept bugging him he enlisted the help of her grandson, "Paper Lion" George Plimpton, to call his honorable kinswoman off his back. Of course all of these people had incredible privilege and wealth.

A needed corrective to the Reconstruction story.......2007-02-24

Having lived in the South for the first 21 years of my life, I can attest to the staying power of the myths of Reconstruction and the succeeding era which I was taught to call Redemption.

The central motif of these myths is that of courageous, heroic whites finally standing up to a brutal Northern occupation, but turning to violence only when physically threatened.

Some prominent historians -- Eric Foner in particular -- have been forthright and comprehensive in setting out the true facts. In my readings, there have been two aspects still missing from such large-scale works. First of all, a visceral, detailed accounting of the intensity of white-on-black violence has been needed. Second, we have lacked a nuanced, detailed biography of Adelbert Ames, perhaps the best exemplar of the promise interracial cooperation held for the South.

In "Redemption", journalist Nicholas Lemann makes an attempt to remedy both these insufficiencies in a narrative aimed at the non-specialist reader. Instead of giving us a comprehensive study of how integrated southern state governments were driven from power, Lemann chooses instead to focus primarily on the single example of Mississippi, with some inclusion of parallel events in neighboring Louisiana. And the story of Reconstruction Mississippi cannot successfully be understood without considering the career of New Englander Adelbert Ames, a Union veteran who became first the state's senator and then governor during this period.

Lemann recounts instance upon instance of politically-inspired and deadly violence that steadily drove Republican voters, especially blacks, from the polls. While many leading white Democrats maintained deniability and claimed that such attacks were rare and always provoked by the other side, and while President Grant's commitment to federal protection decisively waned, Governor Ames cast off his naivete and tried to counter with what forces he could muster. But without timely federal intervention, this proved an impossible task. Ames was finally forced to face facts, and he resigned the governorship and left the state for good. The Solid South was born with violence as midwife.

Lemann's choices mean that he needs to do three things well. First, with respect to bringing home the intensity, pervasiveness, and comprehensive effects of the violence, Lemann is especially convincing, at least within Mississippi (and to a less significant extent Louisiana). Second, his incorporation of an Ames biography is in itself valuable and multi-faceted. But it doesn't serve as a full-fledged biography due to the author's chronological boundaries. We do learn of Ames' background and his significant relationships with others, most notably his wife and father-in-law; these are important in understanding Ames' behavior in Mississippi. But for Ames' life after Mississippi, Lemann takes only a cursory wrap-up approach.

Finally, we should expect Lemann to do a convincing job of integrating these two intersecting narratives. In this he is largely successful. But there are moments when his attention to the details of Ames' life, while welcome to this reader, may yet seem only remotely relevant to the larger story of the Redemption era.

In 1933 Adelbert Ames became the last Civil War officer to die. The myths of Redemption have lived on long after, and Lemann's book is a significant contribution to puncturing those myths and establishing the truth.

Mississippi Burning.......2007-02-09

This is a story on how government failed, how the civil rights of freed slaves and blacks became a political playground of hate and deceit and how victory on the battlefield was lost to thugs & cowards. It clearly shows how history can be manipulated by the criminals who ushered in a sordid era of Jim Crow laws while others looked away.

Author Nicholas Lemann does a magnificent job in detailing the death of Reconstruction through white terrorism in Mississippi in the 1870s, which emboldened the white racists throughout the south to institute what became known as the "Mississippi Plan" of intimidation and murder to seize power in every government institution and to kick blacks back into servitude.

The heroes are the victims - the blacks and some white Republicans - who boldly stood alone while the mobs seized control in a revolution of aversion, and then afterwards wrote the articles and books, whose key lies are still being taught as factual history today.

You will be angered as Lemann explains as a reporter how Reconstruction was lost. But then look around, and realize that the subtitle, The Last Battle of the Civil War, may be incorrect. Unless this country confronts the harsh realities of the past, the last battle of the Civil War has yet to be fought, or won.

America's Own Terrorists.......2007-02-04

In this short historical account, Nicholas Lemann tells the disturbing story of how ex-confederates in Mississippi brought about the end of Reconstruction in 1875 through an orchestrated campaign of savagery and deception.

The "Mississippi Plan" employed an ugly and brutal pattern: when freed slaves attempted to exercise their political rights--by convening political rallies, becoming candidates for office or simply trying to vote--southern whites responded with hellish violence, not merely fighting the freed slaves, but coldly murdering them in front of friends or family or, worse, hunting them down if they fled.

To justify their heinous conduct, the whites invented an emotionally laden cover story that, to this very day, resonates among the American public. In their view, the violence was necessary to forestall imminent "Negro uprisings," prevent rape and pillage by brutish and bestial blacks, and redeem the honor of the south from the depredation of northern carpetbaggers who seized control of the political system by duping or bribing the newly freed slaves.

The key to the Mississippi Plan was the public relations tactic of presenting the organized slaughter of blacks as random local incidents, a tactic that discouraged President Grant from sending federal troops to secure the rights of the newly enfranchised citizens. Absent this safeguard, the intimidation worked, and the Democrats won control of key offices, despite significant Republican majorities among registered or potential voters. With the outcome of the presidential election of 1876 in dispute, the nation embraced the "Compromise of 1877" in which the Democrats agreed to let Rutherford Hayes become president and the Republicans agreed to the removal of the remaining federal troops from the South. Reconstruction was over.

Much of this tale is told through the eyes of Adelbert Ames, a Northerner and celebrated Union Army general who was elected Governor of Mississippi by the multitude of new black voters. Sometimes the book reads like a biography of Ames. Only at the end does Lemann step back from the detailed account and provide the larger picture of how the "Mississippi Plan" became the blueprint for the entire Southern strategy to end Reconstruction and how the nation shamefully abandoned its commitment to true citizenship for blacks.

As I read "Redemption," a profound sense of disgust and outrage rose within me. So horrific, repulsive, and needless was the conduct of the Southern Democrats that, at times, I felt Lemann must have been omitting facts that would have balanced the story. But this is precisely Lemann's point: when Southerners today celebrate the honor and courage of Dixie, they are endorsing a fiction that was invented in 1875. There was no honor, only terror of helpless black victims.

Average customer rating:

Guilty until proven innocent
A book of monstrous creativity
Guilty or Innocent?
Monster Critique
So-so

Monster
Walter Dean Myers
Manufacturer: Amistad
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Issues | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Violence | Social Issues | Teens | Subjects | Books

General | Literature & Fiction | Teens | Subjects | Books

Popular Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Book Clubs | Specialty Stores | Books

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0064407314
Release Date: 2004-12-14

Amazon.com

"Monster" is what the prosecutor called 16-year-old Steve Harmon for his supposed role in the fatal shooting of a convenience-store owner. But was Steve really the lookout who gave the "all clear" to the murderer, or was he just in the wrong place at the wrong time? In this innovative novel by Walter Dean Myers, the reader becomes both juror and witness during the trial of Steve's life. To calm his nerves as he sits in the courtroom, aspiring filmmaker Steve chronicles the proceedings in movie script format. Interspersed throughout his screenplay are journal writings that provide insight into Steve's life before the murder and his feelings about being held in prison during the trial. "They take away your shoelaces and your belt so you can't kill yourself no matter how bad it is. I guess making you live is part of the punishment."

Myers, known for the inner-city classic Motown and Didi (first published in 1984), proves with Monster that he has kept up with both the struggles and the lingo of today's teens. Steve is an adolescent caught up in the violent circumstances of an adult world--a situation most teens can relate to on some level. Readers will no doubt be attracted to the novel's handwriting-style typeface, emphasis on dialogue, and fast-paced courtroom action. By weaving together Steve's journal entries and his script, Myers has given the first-person voice a new twist and added yet another worthy volume to his already admirable body of work. (Ages 12 and older) --Jennifer Hubert

Book Description

FADE IN: INTERIOR: Early morning in CELL BLOCK D, MANHATTAN DETENTION CENTER.

Steve (Voice-Over)
Sometimes I feel like I have walked into the middle of a movie. Maybe I can make my own movie. The film will be the story of my life. No, not my life, but of this experience. I'll call it what the lady prosecutor called me ... Monster.

Customer Reviews:

Guilty until proven innocent.......2007-10-17

I had the pleasure of reading this book for my literature class for the past couple of weeks. The plot was believable because there are so many situations where the innocent are punished for the crimes of others. Steve is a young boy who just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
During the trial you have a chance to get into his head. He is just a scared little boy who was forced to grow up because he knew someone involved in a crime. His lawyer doesn't believe that he is innocent but she tries the case as if she does. It's amazing what people will do to win.
The irony of his xwhole situation is that had he dnot been standing trial for felony murder, she would never have been allowed into the prison. The novel is written as a screenplay with little journal entries added along the way. It does a great job of placing you right in the middle of the court room. You feel what Steve feels throughout the entire story. His fear of being convicted and spending the rest of his life in prison is very real.
The pain that his parents experience when the have to visit their sixteen year old son in jail is something that I would not wish on my worst enemy. Monster is a scary look at a very real problem in our justice system. Sometime people fall through the cracks.

A book of monstrous creativity.......2007-10-17

Monster, By Walter Dean Myers is a well thought out and well planned novel demonstrating the struggles of a colored teen boy in Harlem. The novels plot is one that is easy to follow as well as clear and realistic; however, in a way it is a slow plot made to be simple.
This novel tells the story of a sixteen year old boy named Steven Harmon who is on trial for murdering a store owner when a robbery went bad. Stevens story progresses with the trial and it moves at a slow pace, making it hard for the reader to stay intrigued at times. Subplots are used to contribute well to the overall theme of the novel and encourage the reader to continue. The slow moving atmosphere of the story makes it difficult to maintain the reader's attention but the pacing does match the genre of the novel. It is not an adventure novel, it is a story written to be dramatic and realistically depict the stereotypes and struggles of today's people with the law.
Myers did not include many details in this novel and this fact can either be detrimental to its impact, or it can amplify it by unspeakable measures. The reader must have an independent imagination in order to comprehend and have true interest in this novel. Although there is a lack of details, the dialogue contributes to successfully developing realistic and believable characters that the reader can relate to as well as creating some sort of setting which the reader can expand upon when reading.
The dialogue and the rhythm of the words changes as the scenes change along with the people speaking. This helps the reader to distinguish between the characters and to find the story more convincing as well as realistic. In today's society people speak in many different ways with many different accents, Myers includes these speech diversities and therefore allows us -the readers- to distinguish the characters personality and a sort of relationship with them which will then help to deliver his overall theme in the end.

Guilty or Innocent?.......2007-10-16

Guilty or Innocent? Imagine having to spend the rest of his life in jail. But for what you ask. Maybe it was something as simple as trying to fit in, trying to prove that you are tougher or stronger then someone else. Or, maybe your getting accused or murdering an important person in someone's community. Or maybe you're getting accused of robbery. Or maybe it's both. In Walter Dean Myers' Monster, this is just what happens to Steve Harmon in this fast moving novel, which is actually written like a movie script.
The court room is filled with drama, and so is Steve's life, and because Steve is made out to be a "real character" our lives to, seems to be filled with drama. We go through Steve's struggles with him, and we want him to be proven innocent, as much as he wants to be proven innocent. But really, do we want to know who he truly is? Do we want to know if Steve is truly a monster? This story is filled with so much suspense and as the reader, we just want to keep the pages flipping. The reader finds about Steve's struggles with his family, and learns about his fears in jail. The reader also learns the truth about Steve's past, from insight directly to his past, and through that we learn that and the crime that he really committed. We watch the relationship between Steve and his Father as it disintegrates into nothing, and we relate to Steve as he gets ripped apart. We relate to Steve's fears of being in jail, of being alone, and of being hurt, and we as the reader feel hurt also. Steve is such a real person, it makes him so easy to relate to, and want to relate to.
The way that Myers wrote this book really makes the reader feel for Steve as he searches within himself to try to prove to himself that he is not a monster, even though he is presented as one so many times through the novel. The story line builds with no definite answers to weather or not Steven is a monster, or weather or not he is guilty. This story is chock-full of emotions that readers will, once again find the book hard to put down.

Monster Critique.......2007-10-16

Monster written by Walter Dean Myers is a novel about a young man who finds himself in a precarious situation. Steve Harmon's entire life lays balanced on the tip of a knife; that knife is the jury that will ultimately decide if his accused crime of felony murder is punishable by life in prison or worse death, or if he may walk free among the living people.
Steve Harmon is a kid who fell in with the wrong crowd growing up, living in Harlem, New York doesn't help maters much. His story unfolds in such a believable way that it is obvious the Myers was intending to connect with the youth, or open some far more sheltered eyes. The swiftness of the text gives the reader nothing to go on, it is like we are jurors ourselves and must examine each part of the story, except we get the added bonus of notes from the defendant as he sits in the court room or in jail. While we are able to understand what is happening because it is all spelled out for us in either words or setting, there isn't much from a readers view to go on other than the words of the attorneys and witnesses. This may be seen as an initial hindrance because most authors want the reader to sympathize with the protagonist right off; however Myers shakes up the cores of literature by giving us only enough that we can vaguely see it all with a semi-unbiased attitude. In this way he keeps us guessing right up to the very end and beyond.
Towards the end of the novel we must ask ourselves if Steve has truly reformed or learned anything from his ordeal. Is there something that he took out of it all and will make himself better for it. The truth is I am unable to guess. Ms O'Brien seems to think that there was something wrong with Steve at the end. What is probably the question on every readers lips as with Steve as he closes his book, "What did she see?" (281)
The tempo of the peace moves fast enough that it is obviously a young adult novel and entices the young readers with each page turn, perhaps promising a glimpse as to what actually happened that day, but Myers knows better than to give that all away. He keeps the reader guessing, I seriously thought that he would end the book without giving the reader the verdict. If he had done that I have no doubt that there would be blog upon blog about Monster and its re-written endings. But even now I have no doubt that out there somewhere there is a blog or chat in which people are moaning about the ending of the book and how they saw it leading in another direction, maybe a few will even take a stab at FanFiction writing and just tell the story as they think it should have ended.
Thought we are not given much by way of describing a court room, or jail for that matter, it is not hard for any of the youth of America to imagine a court room or jail. Though the majority of us have never been to either place in person, the modern day media does all the describing for you. When you look at day time television, what is it, news, soap operas, talk shows, and Court shows. Judge Judy has become a classic parody of modern culture. Movies from the Green Mile to My Cousin Vinnie show completely different images of a jail and yet we still get the same kind of stories we are getting from Steve just on a visual way. In this way modern media is basically writing all the description for Steve, because if it were a film, you can parody the stuff that's already out there and you're all set.
Each character is portrayed beautifully for the time and place. Steve isn't worried about gangrene in Jail, nor is the stenograph typing on a type writer one letter at a time. The "props" and setting fit in perfectly with the modern feel of the book and there for correspond with the overall flow of the book. Consistent through out is the events. They all fall when they should on the timeline of things, both in the legal terms and guidelines, and in reality. Steve Harmon's character is so much easier to believe because his trial is going as it should and he is trying his best to be a good boy and do what he has to do to get out, without ever actually breaking the law or lying flat out.
Characters, whether protagonist or antagonist, are important to a piece of literature and Myers obviously thinks so too. He doesn't confuse the reader by switching protagonists back and forth in piece of literature, He also allows the reader to swallow any little bits of background information before moving on to the next segment. He doesn't give a whole story of Steve's life leading up to the trial then the trial, nor by any means is it all a memory, he's not looking back on something with a biased point of view. It seems almost crucial to Myers that he tells his story so that readers will understand but not become too enveloped in Steve Harmon's story.
While spoken language may cause problems in other stories Myers doesn't let it ruin his tale. Yes, his characters all have a particular way of speaking, but it is not so heavy and thick that we cannot understand it, and by no means is it really simple as to insult the young reader. Myers finds the right balance in which he gives his characters different voices but doesn't let these voices digress from the real story. It is obvious from some of Steve's notes that he is an educated young man and has the power to use the English language well, but when we speak outside a classroom or boardroom, our language discipline tends to relax and the same holds true the Steve Harmon and his cohorts. Each man or woman has ways of speaking, like the lawyers talk in riddles with all their double talking and saying a lot without saying anything, the street men of Harlem have slang, and innuendos for everything they do, they have to or will get in trouble with the law. But even with these language differences, they really do nothing more than distinguish one person from another and help to move the story along with some interest.
It's hard to tell, the book seems to shift between a camera's point of view which I think would be a veiled third person, meaning we don't really get to see or hear the feelings of all those involved but we still are not viewing the scene from the eyes of Steve. The other view is Steve's own thoughts or notes he scribbles down on paper, these are totally first person and are just trying to get down on paper that which is going on around him and possibly lighten the load that is undoubtedly weighing down on Steve's shoulders.
All I can say is Brava Mr. Myers, Brava.

So-so.......2007-10-16

I think the book was really well written. The style was very original and interesting, but I don't feel the book was very challenging. The format kept you wondering what the outcome would be and I found myself constantly changing my mind. The charcters were very realiztic and the story had a good consistant pace where I didn't find myself bored or overwhelmed. All in all I'd say it was a good quick read.

The Bully, the Bullied, and the Bystander: From Preschool to High School--How Parents and Teachers Can Help Break the Cycle of Violence

Average customer rating:

Outstanding
Bullies Times Three
The BEST book on bullying
Excellent Incite
The Bully, the bullied and the Bystander

The Bully, the Bullied, and the Bystander: From Preschool to High School--How Parents and Teachers Can Help Break the Cycle of Violence
Barbara Coloroso
Manufacturer: Collins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Education | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Family Health | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books

Child Care | Parenting | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books

General | Parenting | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books

School-Age Children | Parenting | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books

Conflict Management | Relationships | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Behavioral Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 006001430X
Release Date: 2004-02-03

Book Description

Practical solutions to a problem that may affect 80% of school children.

Drawing on her decades of work with troubled youth and her wide experience with conflict resolution and reconciliatory justice, bestselling parenting educator Barbara Coloroso offers a practical and compassionate book destined to become a groundbreaking guide to this escalating problem.

Coloroso helps readers recognize the characteristic triad of bullying: the bully who perpetrates the harm; the bullied who is the target (and who may become a bully); and the bystander––peers, siblings, or adults who don't act to defuse the situation. Readers learn:

o What bullying is and what it isn't; the three kinds of bullying; and the differences and similarities between boy and girl bullies

o How to read the subtle clues that a child is being bullied

o Seven steps to take if your child is a bully

o Four abilities that protect your child from succumbing to a bully

o Why zero tolerance policies can equal zero thinking

o Why contempt, not anger, drives bullying, and how to confront this in bullies.

o o Bullying is a widespread problem. In a 2001 study by the Kaiser Foundation in conjunction with Nickelodeon TV network and Children Now, 86% of children ages 12–15 interviewed said they get teased or bullied at school––making bullying more prevalent than smoking, alcohol, drugs, or sex among the same age group. Barbara Coloroso is an award wining author. Parenting Through Crisis and Kids Are Worth It! each won a Parent's Guide Award 2001 from Parent's Guide to Children's Media.

Customer Reviews:

Outstanding.......2007-08-01

This book is a fantastic resource for anyone who works with children. The author gives great insight into bullying and it is an area where parents and teachers really need to take action.

Bullies Times Three.......2006-11-10

This is a wonderfully written book. It presents parents, teachers and proffessionals with all three sides of the triangle created by the ever growing epidemic of "bullying". It calls for social change in it's remedy to this deadly disruption of the lives of so many. The format is easy to read and insightful. It is well worth the time it takes to read and then some. Bravo Barbara Coloroso, the information in this book is informative and inspiring.

The BEST book on bullying.......2006-10-01

This is a must have book for anyone that deals with kids. Our schools have a problem with bullying that the district is presently denying. I hope to start a support group soon - and this will be the one book I highly recommend reading.
I've already purchased multiple copies and have given them to staff at my child's school.

Excellent Incite.......2006-07-31

Excellent Book on the actual personalities of Bullies, their victims and the people who don't step in to help the victim.

The Bully, the bullied and the Bystander.......2006-03-23

It is a book that should be owned definitely by every parent, and also by everyone. It helps with understanding of how and why we came here, why we are who we are, and how to make it better for our kids and actually for every one around us. It describes how a family should treat our kids with respect and freedom. It is one book which I think is a must read. It gives insight into how we can change despite of bad experiences while we grew up. I would recommend it to be bought before buying a crib when you expect a baby! It is like a bible for a christan, Geeta for an Indian, Koran for a Muslim. It tells the three kinds of families, two dysfucntional and how they make long lasting deficiencies in kid's psyche. Then it explains how a backbone family gives freedom and respect to a child and makes him independent and loving. It takes a while to read as it has painful stories of kids who killed themselves because of bullying. This book should be talked about in parent teacher's organizations, at churches, temples , Sunday schools and so on. It is one book that will make a difference in our society. It describes the importance of difference between teasing and taunting and how taunting can lead to suicides, hurts not only the bullied but also instills fear in the bystanders. It weaves the relation of parental upbringing into making a kid a passive bystander as opposed to helper for the bullied. It tells signs to be seen in your child to detect if he is bullied, questions to be asked. It tells the life destroying long lasting effects on his own life if a bully is not stopped! It gives non humiliating strategies how to stop a bully and how to empower a bullied and the critical role of bystander and how to make him help the bullied. A fantastically written book. A life changing book!

A Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide

Average customer rating:

The problem of International Liberalism
Simply put: One of the books one must read in one's lifetime.
Well researched, not so well argued
Omission awarded?
a must-read

A Problem from Hell: America and the Age of Genocide
Samantha Power
Manufacturer: Harper Perennial
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0060541644
Release Date: 2003-05-06

Amazon.com

During the three years (1993-1996) Samantha Power spent covering the grisly events in Bosnia and Srebrenica, she became increasingly frustrated with how little the United States was willing to do to counteract the genocide occurring there. After much research, she discovered a pattern: "The United States had never in its history intervened to stop genocide and had in fact rarely even made a point of condemning it as it occurred," she writes in this impressive book. Debunking the notion that U.S. leaders were unaware of the horrors as they were occurring against Armenians, Jews, Cambodians, Iraqi Kurds, Rwandan Tutsis, and Bosnians during the past century, Power discusses how much was known and when, and argues that much human suffering could have been alleviated through a greater effort by the U.S. She does not claim that the U.S. alone could have prevented such horrors, but does make a convincing case that even a modest effort would have had significant impact. Based on declassified information, private papers, and interviews with more than 300 American policymakers, Power makes it clear that a lack of political will was the most significant factor for this failure to intervene. Some courageous U.S. leaders did work to combat and call attention to ethnic cleansing as it occurred, but the vast majority of politicians and diplomats ignored the issue, as did the American public, leading Power to note that "no U.S. president has ever suffered politically for his indifference to its occurrence. It is thus no coincidence that genocide rages on." This powerful book is a call to make such indifference a thing of the past. --Shawn Carkonen

Book Description

Winner of the 2003 Pulitzer Prize For General Nonfiction National Book Critics Circle Award Winner

In her award-winning interrogation of the last century of American history, Samantha Power -- a former Balkan war correspondent and founding executive director of Harvard's Carr Center for Human Rights Policy -- asks the haunting question: Why do American leaders who vow "never again" repeatedly fail to stop genocide? Drawing upon exclusive interviews with Washington's top policy makers, access to newly declassified documents, and her own reporting from the modern killing fields, Power provides the answer in "A Problem from Hell" -- a groundbreaking work that tells the stories of the courageous Americans who risked their careers and lives in an effort to get the United States to act.

Customer Reviews:

The problem of International Liberalism.......2007-09-24

Samantha Power's 'A Problem from Hell' is a broad attempt to document the major acts of genocide/human rights violations of the 20th century paired with the international community's subsequent negligence in each case. She reports on the Holocaust, the Armenian genocide, and especially her major areas of research- Rwanda and Serbia.

However, Powers is content to simply recount major instances of crimes against humanity that the U.S. and other major Western powers simply ignored (a worthy historical task), rather than to document the major atrocities the U.S. supported/participated in (the far more morally serious and honest task). While she is scrupulous in her documentation of the horrors of Rwanda and Iraq, her sections on Indo-China fail miserably. She provides a lengthy and conventional chapter on the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia, without mentioning to inform us about the U.S.'s massive contribution to such atrocities (only side references are provided). Additionally, she mentions in a rather depraved manner, that "In 1975, when its ally, the oil-producing, anti-Communist Indonesia, invaded Timor, killing between 100,000 and 200,000 civilians, the United States looked away" (147). In actuality, the U.S. did not look away: it funded the genocide, and President Carter deliberately escalated the intensity of the atrocities. This is the essence of Power's political backwardness. Pointing to the atrocities of official enemies is easy, it is far more difficult and necessary to point to the atrocities of the U.S. and its allies. Nowhere does Powers discuss Israel and the Palestinians, nowhere does she discuss the Pinochet, or the Contras, or Kissinger for that matter. So long as the the liberal intelligentsia refuses to stare in the mirror, the world will continue to be an arena of exploitation, injustice, and crimes against humanity.

Simply put: One of the books one must read in one's lifetime........2007-05-10

Simply put: One of the books one must read in one's lifetime.

Well researched, not so well argued.......2007-04-06

A 500+ page polemic against American non-interventionism in other people's wars. This book won the Pulitzer Prize, and it deserved to for the sheer amount of research that went into it. Unfortunately, the author's zealotry too frequently leads her to making sweeping, overly simplistic declarations, or even to contradicting her own arguments. For example, she stresses the importance of applying the term "genocide" to mass killings because of its emotional impact, yet she wants it applied so broadly that the inevitable result would be a diminution of that impact. She also applies a remarkable double standard to the Serbs: while (quite justifiably) condemning the (many) occasions in which they were the perpetrators of ethnic violence, she either excuses, tries to undermine the credibility of, or simply ignores the cases in which they were the victims. There are a number of examples of this, but the most staggering one is her depiction of their expulsion from the Croatian Krajina. The single largest episode of ethnic cleansing in the Serb-Croat-Bosnian wars, and what does she give to it? Less than one paragraph - and portrayed as a positive development! I almost threw the book across the room when I read that.

She makes it clear that in all the cases she describes, she thinks the US should have done whatever it took, up to and including sending ground troops, to stop the carnage. But she fails to really think through the logical consequences of her thesis. If genocide really is defined as broadly as she suggests, then there must have been dozens if not hundreds of episodes of it over the past century. Should the US have intervened in all of them, and how exactly - from a practical perspective if nothing else - could it have been expected to do so? Is it really advisable for a country with such a history of imperialism (and with its own record of genocide, certainly by her definition, against the native peoples of its own land) to become the world's cop? If General Dallaire was correct that he could have stopped the killings in Rwanda with just 5,000 more UN peacekeeping troops, then isn't the logical solution to reform the UN so that in future it can and will actually provide those troops? And why just America, what about all the other countries in the world that didn't intervene, either? None of these questions are really answered, at all.

Omission awarded?.......2007-04-03

Despite the Israeli policy towards the Palestinians fits the definition of genocide given in the book, Power ignores the Palestinian case. I wonder if this book was awarded for its contents or its omission. It could be a good book if complete! If you want to know about genocide, read Charny , Finkelstein and others, authors with a wider vision.

a must-read.......2007-03-12

flew through this book...its written with a great style and pace. power goes over quite a few crucial conflicts that still have aftershocks today. i read the section on rwanda in grad school, and it still makes my blood boil. also, power documents the efforts of republicans to block any actions or sanctions on iraq after hussein gassed the kurds and iranians in the 80's - of course now, they reference those crimes as reasons we were right to invade in 2003.

Average customer rating:

GREAT for earliteen to adult
Touching spirit bear school assignment
Excellent Story for at-risk students
Excellent!
Jesse's Awesome Book Review

Touching Spirit Bear
Ben Mikaelsen
Manufacturer: HarperTrophy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Violence | Social Issues | Teens | Subjects | Books

All 4-for-3 Deals | 4-for-3 Books Store | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 038080560X
Release Date: 2002-04-30

Amazon.com

Cole Matthews is angry. Angry, defiant, smug--in short, a bully. His anger has taken him too far this time, though. After beating up a ninth-grade classmate to the point of brain damage, Cole is facing a prison sentence. But then a Tlingit Indian parole officer named Garvey enters his life, offering an alternative called Circle Justice, based on Native American traditions, in which victim, offender, and community all work together to find a healing solution. Privately, Cole sneers at the concept, but he's no fool--if it gets him out of prison, he'll do anything. Ultimately, Cole ends up banished for one year to a remote Alaskan island, where his arrogance sets him directly in the path of a mysterious, legendary white bear. Mauled almost to death, Cole awaits his fate and begins the transition from anger to humility.

Ben Mikaelsen's depiction of a juvenile delinquent's metamorphosis into a caring, thinking individual is exciting and fascinating, if at times heavy-handed. Cole's nastiness and the vivid depictions of the lengths he must go to survive after the (equally vivid) attack by the bear are excruciating at times, but the concept of finding a way to heal a whole community when one individual wrongs another is compelling. The jacket cover photo of the author in a bear hug with the 700-pound black bear that he and his wife adopted and raised is definitely worth seeing! (Ages 12 and older) --Emilie Coulter

Book Description

Within Cole Matthews lie anger, rage and hate. Cole has been stealing and fighting for years. This time he caught Alex Driscal in the, parking lot and smashed his head against the sidewalk. Now, Alex may have permanent brain damage'and Cole is in the Biggest trouble of his life.

Cole is offered Circle Justice: a system based on Native American traditions that attempts to provide healing for the criminal offender, the victim and the, community. With prison as his only alternative, Cole plays along. He says he wants to repent, but in his heart Cole blames his alcoholic mom his, abusive dad, wimpy Alex -- everyone but himself -- for his situation.

Cole receives a one-year banishment to a remote Alaskan island. There, he is mauled by Mysterious white bear of Native American legend. Hideously injured, Cole waits for his death His thoughts shift from from Anger to humility. To survive, he must stop blaming others and take responsibility for his life. Rescuers arrive to save Cole's but it is the attack of the Spirit Bear that may save his soul.

Ben Mikaelsen paints a vivid picture of a juvenile offender, examining the roots without absolving solving him of responsibility for his actions, and questioning a society in which angry people make victims of their peers and communities. Touching Spirit Bear is a poignant testimonial to the power of a pain that can destroy, or lead to healing

Customer Reviews:

GREAT for earliteen to adult.......2007-10-10

Initially picked up this book on a Inland Passage Alaska cruise - got it for my almost 12 year old - I read it and was impressed and shared it with my MD 86 year old brother and he wanted the book so I ordered it from you for him. GREAT lessons for all of us but particularly struggling teens who might be facing some tough problems. GREAT excitement!

Touching spirit bear school assignment.......2007-10-09

Touching Spirit Bear
Touching Spirit Bear is an interesting book. Imagine a 15 year old kid with anger problems whose parents are alcoholics. Sounds like a typical story, well it isn't. In fact it's probably as far away from that as you can get.
The story starts out with him being rowed out to a deserted island off the coast off Alaska and about three pages in he has a flashback. That is the format of the book. It gives the book a jumpy feeling because every few pages it changes the time and the place kind of unnoticabley.
The story mainly takes place in Minneapolis, Minnesota Where he severely hurt a kid by bashing his head against a sidewalk because he had told the Police about a robbery that Cole (the boy) had committed. After the fight he was forced into a detention center where all he thought about was the fight. Throughout that time he decided he would blame it on Cole because he hadn't fought back.
During his stay at the detention center he learned about circle justice. Circle justice is an old indian tradition about curing the soul. It is a unique approach to resolving conflicts between victims and victimizers.
Throughout the book he acts like a typical teenager until he gets mauled by a bear, except the bear who mauled him was not just any bear. It was a special kind of white furred black bear called a spirit bear. After that experience he changes a lot and stops being angry. It was a a turning point. After he gets out of the hospital he starts acting more composed and quiet. He doesn't care what people think of him anymore so he does odd things on the island, like doing "the whale dance" and carving a Totem Pole. In the end he decides that the only way to help the boy who he hurt is to bring him to the island.

Excellent Story for at-risk students.......2007-09-27

I am currently using this book as a literature unit for special education students at the high school level. They are all involved and eager to read. We listen to the story on tape as well as follow along with the book. It's so interesting how quiet they become when the character describes his troubled homelife and abusive father. Although they don't say so, I feel that many of these at-risk students come from a similar background. This is just a wonderful story for them to learn about life and change in peoples' lives.

Excellent!.......2007-07-04

Touching Spirit Bear is the story of Cole Matthews - a young man who is angry and totally lacking in compassion. The story begins as Cole Matthews is being punished for brutally beating a young boy. Following the Native American tradition of Circle Justice, Cole is being abandoned on a remote island in Alaska and must survive for a year. During that year, he is alone to contemplate his life.

This novel is not just an adventure story, but is a book of wisdom based on Native American beliefs. Once you begin to read it, you won't be able to put it down.

I have taught this book to my 8th grade students for several years now. The students love the book and learn a great deal from it. To read the book is to become part of the Circle of Justice.

Jesse's Awesome Book Review .......2007-06-13

Picture your self alone on an small island, you're the only person that lives on this island. You have to survive on this island by yourself, and even worse you don't think you belong there. That is exactly what Cole Mathews is going through.
My first reaction to this book was that it wasn't going to be very good. I was very wrong, I really enjoyed reading this book and was rather upset when it ended.

Whether through a weird twist of fate, good friends, or bad friends, or just luck, Cole finds himself having to survive alone on a small island for a year. He has to learn to control his anger, and to be a better person before he has to leave the island, or it will be too late.

There was a part in this book where Cole is trying to escape from the island, and he tries and tries and in the end finds that he hasn't gotten any where. And it makes him so angry because he's used to being in control, he's used to being able to scare people into doing what he wants, and it starts at this point where he realizes that he isn't in control of every thing.
The theme of this book is something like; you aren't in control of every thing, you can't always get your way.

Fish: A Memoir of a Boy in a Man's Prison

Average customer rating:

GREAT BOOK
Honest & Touching
You will be touched
The story of a boy in a man's prison
One fast read is plenty!

Fish: A Memoir of a Boy in a Man's Prison
T. J. Parsell
Manufacturer: Carroll & Graf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Criminals | Specific Groups | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Memoirs | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Penology | Crime & Criminals | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Human Rights | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0786717939

Book Description

When seventeen-year-old T.J. Parsell held up the local Photo Mat with a toy gun, he was sentenced to four and a half to fifteen years in prison. The first night of his term, four older inmates drugged Parsell and took turns raping him. When they were through, they flipped a coin to decide who would “own” him. Forced to remain silent about his rape by a convict code among inmates (one in which informers are murdered), Parsell’s experience that first night haunted him throughout the rest of his sentence.

In an effort to silence the guilt and pain of its victims, the issue of prisoner rape is a story that has not been told. For the first time Parsell, one of America’s leading spokespeople for prison reform, shares the story of his coming of age behind bars. He gives voice to countless others who have been exposed to an incarceration system that turns a blind eye to the abuse of the prisoners in its charge. Since life behind bars is so often exploited by television and movie re-enactments, the real story has yet to be told. Fish is the first breakout story to do that.

Customer Reviews:

GREAT BOOK.......2007-10-04

This book was one of my Favorite's for this year. I read about 4 books a month and this one is right at the top. I even brought this one to my book club to have all the other mothers read it and they all loved it!

Honest & Touching.......2007-09-28

Fish is an honest and touching account of a teenager coming to terms with his sexuality while dealing with the horrors of prison. The story is told without pity or blame and the reader is immersed in the horrifying brutality of prison, yet the story is told with compassion and tempered with humor and glimmers of kindness. You will pick this book up and won't put it down until you've turned the final page and then you'll want to know more about the author, his life, and the cause he champions.

You will be touched.......2007-09-27

Fish is an incredibly intimate portrayal of a boy's journey into the penal system. His vivid description of the daily realities 'inside' gives the reader a personal introduction into a world many of us have no prior contact with.

TJ Parsell lets you feel for the people in this story both inside and out of prison -- there are no open and closed cases. Every person makes choices, good and bad. Beyond the daily goings on, he shows us accounts of his own upbringing, glimpses into the history of his fellow inmates, the reactions of his friends and family, and the sympathy - and most often the lack there of - which he received from the prison officials: clearly no one is purely innocent. Yet the sheer immensity of the horrors that are allowed to take place is astonishing. It is this complete-story telling which I find so gripping about this book. I was left consumed with curiosity about what happens next... these are real people after all! And after reading the book I felt as if I'd known them personally.

TJ is to be applauded for opening his life so honestly, so completely, in order to try and effect change in the way prisons are run. And effect change he undeniably will - for he provides us a view that is convincing far beyond the statistics and headlines one more frequently comes across.

Read it. You will come away touched as probably never before. I did.

The story of a boy in a man's prison.......2007-09-27

TJ Parsell was 17 when he was raped in prison. He is currently a leading activist against prison rape, and is president of Stop Prisoner Rape. He has lectured to prison officials, law schools, law enforcement groups, and "anyone who will listen."

This memoir should be high on the lists of senior high school classes. It's timely, important, and relevant. It's a punch to the gut; any kid who thinks it's cool to go to prison should be forced to read this account of a teen ager who was raped and brutalized often with prison guards in shouting distance.

Adults will be shocked at the reality of prison life as told by the man who was the 17 year old, and who experienced what most kids that age can only imagine.

Parsell writes from the depths of a nightmare which will shock the reader. At the same time he allows for a bizarre humor that crops up within prison walls. You'll cry, you'll laugh, but mostly you'll be enraged at the hell that young inmates endure in prisons.

This is an important book; read it and prepare to be stunned.

One fast read is plenty!.......2007-09-26

One fast read is plenty for this book.

I completed it in one weekend easily, and wondered if I could have used my time better raking leaves or cleaning gutters.

The story, apparently true, is not that compelling and if I hadn't purchased the book already and had begun it at Borders or another book store; I'd most likely not bought it.

We all have our opinions of everything-I wanted more graphic sex. That's why I buy those types of books.

RC

Civil War II: The Coming Breakup of America

Average customer rating:

Chittums predictions are coming true
Very Good Book
Buy This Book. Your Life May Depend Upon It.
A glimpse of the present and the future
Dont buy this book unless you are ready for some startleing revelation's

Civil War II: The Coming Breakup of America
Thomas W. Chittum
Manufacturer: American Eagle Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Futurology | Technology | Science | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0929408179

Customer Reviews:

Chittums predictions are coming true.......2007-03-26

One look at what's happening with our porous southwestern border, the throng of illegals streaming across it, and our ineffectual government's refusal to seal and protect it makes this important analysis a must read for those who know the score concerning the looming national disaster that the evening news refuses to cover.

Very Good Book.......2007-02-26

Chittum talks about phases of Civil War II: 1. Tribalization, or the undermining of the concept of citizenship. 2. The creeping loss of democracy to private, governmental institutions and international bodies. 3. Gradually falling wages. 4. The slow decay of infrastructure in our cities and the abandonment by Americans and their replacement by minorities wedded to welfare and affirmative action. 5. Growing legal and illegal immigration to transform America into a typical Third World country. 6. Massive drive for gun control to cripple military potential from the working class. 7. Cooperation of the mass media to dumb down the population.

Near the end of the book he makes projections that you can see happening right now:

1.Shrinking hourly wage. 2. More immigrants than Americans. 3. Foreigners hold most Federal Debt. 4. Twenty million Third World slums on our borders known as `colonias'. 5. Manufacturing jobs moved out of the USA making it impossible for us to make or sell anything to the world. 6. Republican and Democratic politicians refusing to deal with the immigration crisis. Worse, both parties aid and abet it. 7. Growing power of advocates of Aztlan or the reconquest of California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas by Mexico.

Buy This Book. Your Life May Depend Upon It........2007-02-01

I moved cross country because of this book. I spent months doing my own research, trying to refute the claims by this author and couldn't. Multicultural nations are filled with animosity, fear, distrust and ultimately do not survive. Even the liberal Harvard researcher Robert Putnam (author of "Bowling Alone") reluctantly admitted that people "hunker down" in diverse neighborhoods and don't trust either people who look like them and amazingly, people who do look like them. According to Putnam, Los Angeles had the lowest levels of trust of any city, while Chittum stated that Los Angeles would be ground zero for the coming civil war. Putnam was so distressed by his findings that he said "we must create a new us." Only an intellectual could come up with something so foolish.

The best part of the book is that he provides a geographical map of where the new nations are likely to be. He even maps out the white enclave areas in Texas, Georgia etc. and shows you the lack of viability and logistical problems of remaining in these spots.

The checklist will make a believer out of you. Some of these trends were somewhat apparent in 1996, but the vast majority were not. This man either had a crystal ball, or he knows what he's talking about. I gladly paid over $50 for this book, but now you can buy it for much less, so what are you waiting for? I literally have hundreds of books in my personal library, but if I were only allowed to keep one, it would be Civil War II.

A glimpse of the present and the future.......2007-01-30

Great book!! The chapter titled Civil War Checklist is especially disturbing because many things he mentions have already come to pass.

The breakup of America is inevitable. The chaos and bloodshed will make the Balkans and our first civil war look like some sort of game.

Dont buy this book unless you are ready for some startleing revelation's.......2007-01-10

This book written about ten year's ago is unfolding like the daily newspaper.SO many truths that are being shown so many lies being unvealed for people who are ready for a life changeing reality check here it is if this dont get you you motivated nothing will.

Violence: Patterns, Causes, and Public Policy

Average customer rating:

Violence: Patterns, Causes, and Public Policy
Susan A. Weiner , Margaret A. Zahn , Rita J. Sagi , and Robert K. Merton
Manufacturer: Wadsworth Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Criminology | Crime & Criminals | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Nonfiction | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Professional | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0155949152

Book Description

A collection of supplementary readings on violence and violent crime, this book brings together a wide array of writings on various manifestations of violence in American life. It is broad based, not only in the kinds of violence covered (from street crime to family violence and political and corporate malfeasance), but also in the way it describes and explains implications for public policy.

Terror in the Mind of God: The Global Rise of Religious Violence (Comparative Studies in Religion and Society)

Average customer rating:

Religion and violence are not linked always
Survey of Religious terrorism
Juergensmeyer has done his research!
Religion and Violence in a postmodern context
Comprehending the nearly incomprehensible

Terror in the Mind of God: The Global Rise of Religious Violence (Comparative Studies in Religion and Society)
Mark Juergensmeyer
Manufacturer: University of California Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Emotions | Mental Health | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Church & State | Religious Studies | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Comparative Religion | Religious Studies | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Nonfiction | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Religion & Spirituality | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0520223012

Book Description

Beneath the histories of religious traditions--from biblical wars to crusading ventures and great acts of martyrdom--violence has lurked as a shadowy presence. Images of death have never been far from the heart of religion's power to stir the imagination. In this wide-ranging and erudite book, Mark Juergensmeyer asks one of the most important and perplexing questions of our age: Why do religious people commit violent acts in the name of their god, taking the lives of innocent victims and terrorizing entire populations?
This, the first comparative study of religious terrorism, explores incidents such as the World Trade Center explosion, Hamas suicide bombings, the Tokyo subway nerve gas attack, and the killing of abortion clinic doctors in the United States. Incorporating personal interviews with World Trade Center bomber Mahmud Abouhalima, Christian Right activist Mike Bray, Hamas leaders Sheik Yassin and Abdul Azis Rantisi, and Sikh political leader Simranjit Singh Mann, among others, Juergensmeyer takes us into the mindset of those who perpetrate and support violent acts. In the process, he helps us understand why these acts are often associated with religious causes and why they occur with such frequency at this moment in history.
Terror in the Mind of God places these acts of violence in the context of global political and social changes, and posits them as attempts to empower the cultures of violence that support them. Juergensmeyer analyzes the economic, ideological, and gender-related dimensions of cultures that embrace a central sacred concept--cosmic war--and that employ religion to demonize their enemies.
Juergensmeyer's narrative is engaging, incisive, and sweeping in scope. He convincingly shows that while, in many cases, religion supplies not only the ideology but also the motivation and organizational structure for the perpetrators of violent acts, it also carries with it the possibilities for peace.
Los Angeles Times Best Nonfiction Book of 2000

Download Description

Since September 11, 2001, we all need tools to help us understand what motivates religious terrorism. In this wide-ranging and erudite book, Mark Juergensmeyer asks one of the most important and perplexing questions of our age: Why do religious people commit violent acts in the name of their god, taking the lives of innocent victims and terrorizing entire populations? This, the first comparative study of religious terrorism, explores incidents such as the World Trade Center explosion, Hamas suicide bombings, the Tokyo subway nerve gas attack, and the killing of abortion clinic doctors in the United States. Updated with a new preface addressing the events of September 11, the book incorporates personal interviews with World Trade Center bomber Mahmud Abouhalima, Christian Right activist Mike Bray, Hamas leaders Sheik Yassin and Abdul Azis Rantisi, and Sikh political leader Simranjit Singh Mann, among others, Juergensmeyer takes us into the mindset of those who perpetrate and support violent acts. In the process, he helps us understand why these acts are often associated with religious causes and why they occur with such frequency at this moment in history. Terror in the Mind of God places these acts of violence in the context of global political and social changes, and posits them as attempts to empower the cultures of violence that support them. Juergensmeyer analyzes the economic, ideological, and gender-related dimensions of cultures that embrace a central sacred concept--cosmic war--and that employ religion to demonize their enemies. Juergensmeyer's narrative is engaging, incisive, and sweeping in scope. He convincingly shows that while, in many cases, religion supplies not only the ideology but also the motivation and organizational structure for the perpetrators of violent acts, it also carries with it the possibilities for peace. Los Angeles Times Best Nonfiction Book of 2000

Customer Reviews:

Religion and violence are not linked always.......2006-12-21

The thesis of this book is that religion and violence are always linked and that all religions are the same in having a violent strain and that all religions have violence in them naturally because religion is violent.

This is blatently and historically untrue. In attempting, like so many works, to not single out Islam as violent this book wants the reader to beleive that Buddhism, Sikhism, Hinduism, Christianity, Judaism and all religions are equally violent and a study of each reveals a strain of hate. Timothy Mcveigh is the Christian, the Sikh Kalistan fighters are the Sikhs, The Tamils are the Hindus, Osama is the Muslims, The strange terror cell in Japan is the Buddhist. This is easy. Rather tahn doing a comprehensive study this book found one murderer from each religion that led a sect and said "see this religion has a strain of violence". However Timothy Mcveigh was one man as were the Buddhist extremists in Japan. The Tamils are not religious, there ware is based on ethnicity. Where are the Jewish terrorists, well there must be Baruch Goldstien and recall those Jewish Zealots 2000 years ago.

This is sheer lunacy. Different religions did indeed engage is certain levels of violence throughout history. THat is true. THere are also different forms of religions and religions change. Religions that were once violent or state controlled like Christianity and Buddhism, have become peaceful. Religions like Sikhism are naturally warrior based religions, but not neccesarily violent. Hinduism has never manifested itself violently, and Judaism hasnt been violent since the time of the revolt and that was a national revolt. This is just a gigantic scam. Islam has violent passages in the Koran. But this doesnt mean Bin Laden is timothy Mcveigh.

It is also not true that religion is 'more' violent than secular societies. Hitler and Stalin killed more people in 5 years than any religion has ever done. If anything religion may work as a hand holding violence back but helping unify it when it takes place.

Seth J. Frantzman

Survey of Religious terrorism.......2006-02-28

Excellent book covering all the major religions and their terrorists. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a scholarly survey or someone looking to make more sense of the world.

Many of the cases explored are chilling in their cold bloodedness, but the author makes all of them eminently understandable.

Juergensmeyer has done his research!.......2005-10-12

This book is being used in a Terrorism seminar class that I am taking and for good reason. Juergensmeyer does not rely wholly on second hand information but has actually visited and spoken with those accused and some even convicted of terror and gives a perspective that only a first hand knowledge would provide. This is an excellent insight into the minds of true idealists with a bent on death and destruction.

Religion and Violence in a postmodern context.......2005-06-10

As a comparative cultural study of religious terrorism, Mark Juergensmeyer attempts to explain how and why religion and violence are linked. Juergensmeyer analyzes recent incidents of global religious terrorism in order to illumine overarching patterns that heighten the risk of religious violence. Splitting his book into two parts, Juergensmeyer, first, highlights examples of religious terrorism within the Christian, Jewish, Muslim, Sikh, and Buddhist traditions. The author interviews religious leaders and activists within cultures of violence present in each of these traditions. In the second part of the book, Juergensmeyer identifies those characteristics that enhance the likelihood of religion becoming violent.

Juergensmeyer believes the first common denominator in religious extremism is the act of violence itself: terrorism is a theatrical display of violence. According to the author, these acts are performance events, inasmuch that they make symbolic, not strategic, statements. They are performative acts, insofar as they attempt to create change. The location and the time of the violent act, also, have symbolic purpose. Terrorism needs an audience, somebody to terrify, in order to be effective, and with the technological advancements of the twentieth century, the audience of this theatre is virtually global.

If religious terrorism is violent theatre, the image of a cosmic war provides the script. Violent activists view their terrorist acts as part of a larger spiritual confrontation, a battle between good and evil, between God and God's enemies. With the notion of warfare, compromise is not possible and violence, naturally, is morally justified. Religious symbols also undergird religious terrorism: all religions have symbols to overcome the images of death, disorder, and disarray. Religion asserts the primacy of meaning and order in the face of chaos, in this case, a world gone awry. Juergensmeyer identifies when these symbols can become deadly and when confrontation is likely to be characterized as a cosmic war.

The processes of satanization and empowerment are a result of viewing the world as engulfed in a cosmic war. Juergensmeyer believes that terrorists believe that they are victims, and this justifies their violent actions. If they die in their cause they are martyrs - again, religious symbolism overcoming disorder - sacrificed for their community and religion. With every war, enemies must be created, and as such the process of demonizing the enemy is important. Terrorists must deny the personhood of the enemy and create stereotypes so that the enemy can be seen as individuals. Juergensmeyer explains the process of satanization, the creation of a cosmic foe, and the process of empowerment, to create the hope that history can be changed, are integral parts of the mentalities caused by the image of cosmic warfare.

Religious violence provides a sense of empowerment to religious activists and their communities. According to the author, all terrorists fear social marginalization. In general terrorism is a male occupation, and women have minor ancillary roles, if at all. This gender specificity implies that sexuality is a factor in militant movements: sexual control needs to be established in a world gone awry, seen in active subjugation of women and homosexuality. Juergensmeyer finds commonality in terrorist groups: they are "anti-institutional, religio-nationalist, racist, sexist, male-bonding, bomb-throwing young guys," (210). Their marginality is experienced through sexual despair, which leads to violent acts of empowerment. Religious terrorists recognize they are in a struggle that cannot be won, but by dismantling the state's monopoly on power, the group demonstrates their power on behalf of the powerless.

In his concluding chapter, Juergensmeyer believes that terrorists would do anything if they believed it sanctioned by God. Because of the increasing secularism and liberalism prevalent in the world, religious terrorists seek to vault their religious views, perceived as both marginalized and traditional, into the mainstream. Secular governments are by nature enemies of these terrorist organizations, and violence is an attempt to reclaim this public sphere. Juergensmeyer, extrapolating from current trends, concludes with five ways in which religious terrorism can be resolved: terrorist organizations can be literally destroyed; terrorists can be frightened into submission by the threat of violent reprisals or imprisonment; the goals of the terrorists can be accommodated; the religious aspects are separated from politics; or religion and