Book Description
A genuine feminist politics always brings us from bondage to freedom, from lovelessness to loving....There can be no love without justice.-from the chapter "To Love Again: The Heart of Feminism"
In this engaging and provocative volume, bell hooks introduces a popular theory of feminism rooted in common sense and the wisdom of experience. Hers is a vision of a beloved community that appeals to all those committed to equality, mutual respect, and justice.
hooks applies her critical analysis to the most contentious and challenging issues facing feminists today, including reproductive rights, violence, race, class, and work. With her customary insight and unsparing honesty, hooks calls for a feminism free from divisive barriers but rich with rigorous debate. In language both eye-opening and optimistic, hooks encourages us to demand alternatives to patriarchal, racist, and homophobic culture, and to imagine a different future.
hooks speaks to all those in search of true liberation, asking readers to take look at feminism in a new light, to see that it touches all lives. Issuing an invitation to participate fully in feminist movement and to benefit fully from it, hooks shows that feminism-far from being an outdated concept or one limited to an intellectual elite--is indeed for everybody.
bell hooks is the author of numerous critically acclaimed books on the politics of race, gender, class, and culture. A frequent lecturer in the United States and abroad, she is Distinguished Professor of English at City College, City University of New York.
Customer Reviews:
Great idea, poor execution.......2007-10-03
When I read a synopsis of this book, I was optimistic. As Hooks states in the introduction, a book of this sort is exactly what feminists need:a basic and gentle primer for people who don't understand what feminism is all about and may have misguided perceptions. But from the beginning, the author goes astray of her goal. She opens with very strong (albeit accurate) language that will surely alienate people not yet even convinced that inequality is still a problem. For example, page 3 states, "Men as a group have and do benefit the most from patriarchy, from the assumption that they are superior to females and should rule over us." -Most men I know would read this and feel affirmed in the belief that feminists are extremists judging them simply for being men, and see little need to read further. In fact almost every section has viewpoints that are rather radical and would send newbies running. The Feminist Parenting section starts with, "Feminist movement was the first movement for social justice in this society to call attention to the fact that ours is a culture that does not love children, that continues to see children as property of parents to do with as they will."
If Hooks really wanted to write a book that was palatable for newcomers, she could have started by pointing out simple, unarguable examples of sexism in our everyday lives to show that it is still a problem and is more prevalent than people think. But the more the reader continues, the more one is confused about the goals of this book. Instead of educating readers as to what feminim is all about she fills the pages with her own gripes about the feminist movement and how it went astray from the beginning. Over and over she reiterates how "white power reformist feminism enabled the mainstream white supremacist patriarchy to bolster its power while simultaneousely undermining the radical politics of feminism"
Eventually one realizes that this book is more of a call for a new and improved feminist movement that is informed by the mistakes and misdirections of the past. She makes some excellent points, but her approach and language will only alienate the readers she says she is addressing.
Girls- I like the way they clean my room.......2007-09-27
It is well documented that from time immemorial Man has wished to find the perfect girl to settle down with him to make children and a family. This has always been quite difficult for the sole reason that all women are bat sh--t crazy.(see Britney Spears)
While it's been the standard belief by atheists that women were invented by a German scientist during WWII to provide a distraction for the invading Russians in order to vouchsafe Mecha-Hitler's retreat, it is the typical religous belief that women were given to Adam as a gift for naming all the animals.
When choosing your women be very careful to choose one that is already as tame as possible. Note, however, that they are never completely tamed. Even the most tamed woman will be able to win any possible argument by: crying, throwing plates, and withholding s e x.
The most important aspect to pay attention to when choosing your woman is her looks. Remember, all women naturally look worse as they get older, so if you pick an unattractive one now she will only get worse. Luckily, women that look horrible to begin with usually don't bother with men at all.(see Ellen Degenerate)
Women in sports- Whether women should be involved in sports activities has been the long source of debate. It was resolved however by the agreement that they could help out my wearing short skirts and baking the team cookies.
Women in movies- Women got off to a great start in films as there were no laws against porno-ography. A buncha Bible-thumpers ruined that though and women were not seen in movies again until the 1970s film, Deep Throat, brought them back.
Women in politics- Women should never EVER be allowed to enter the political arena. (see Hillary Clinton)
okay.......2007-04-15
This book is a nice short read covering the basics of feminist theories and detailing bell hooks's experience in becoming a feminist. She touches on a variety of subjects and how they relate to feminism in practice. Class, work, race, bodies, relationships, sexuality, and others are all touched upon. It's pretty good, especially for a beginning text.
I picked it up because I thought I could use a little brushing up on some feminist theory, and I always prefer the basic theory stuff as opposed to the thick theory stuff. While I don't find some of hooks' stuff about the battles in Academia all interesting, I do like the points she makes about how many reformist feminists have stopped fighting for the rights of women after they got some money as high level managers, or how many white feminists used white supremacy in achieving gains. Instead, feminist organizers should make alliances with other intertwining causes like race, class, sexuality, since ultimately they all are related.
She also points out that patriarchy, which feeds into capitalism and other forms of oppression, is a system, and not an individual action, and men acting as allies are needed for any real change to happen (though men shouldn't lead it.) If you want a good primer on why feminism is truly a philosophy of liberation, and isn't anti-male or anti-sex or just limited to educated white academics, I would recommend you check this out.
A Work of Brilliance.......2006-12-12
bell hooks's works are nothing like (all too) many feminist writers. Instead of constantly ranting about our oppressive patriarchal society, hooks writes in a voice that shows how men too have been (and are) disadvantaged by a male-dominated society. Unlike Mary Daly, Susan Brownmiller, or Inga Muscio, she recognizes that male voices are needed in the fight against sexism, in improving the conditions of women and transgendered people, and in ending sexual violence. This is why feminism is for everybody - it is not limited to solipsistic over-privileged hedonistic white women in academia.
A joyful introduction to the feminist politics of bell hooks.......2006-04-21
For anyone new to radical feminism and/or the work of cultural critic and black feminist activist bell hooks, "Feminism Is for Everybody: Passionate Politics" is a wonderful introduction. Like all of her books, it is clear, concise and rich with wisdom. Like Audre Lorde, Cherrie Moraga, Barbara Smith and Gloria Anzaldua, bell hooks has helped to revolutionize feminist theory by insisting on its alliance with socialism and national liberation movements. Begin with this book, then read her others. They will change your life and transform our world.
Book Description
After his famous visit to the Galápagos Islands, Darwin speculated that "one might fancy that, from an original paucity of birds in this archipelago, one species had been taken and modified for different ends." This book is the classic account of how much we have since learned about the evolution of these remarkable birds. Based upon over a decade's research, Grant shows how interspecific competition and natural selection act strongly enough on contemporary populations to produce observable and measurable evolutionary change. In this new edition, Grant outlines new discoveries made in the thirteen years since the book's publication. Ecology and Evolution of Darwin's Finches is an extraordinary account of evolution in action.
Customer Reviews:
Disappointing edition...but a classic nonetheless!.......2000-04-04
As this book illustrates, there is no doubting the significance of Peter and Rosemary Grant's contributions to the field of evolutionary biology. The new edition is an instant "must have" for all current students of evolutionary biology by virtue of being a reprint of a genuine classic in the field. However, I was extremely disappointed to find the Grant's research of the intervening years between editions to be only briefly and incompletely addressed in the afterward. The more recent research of Peter Grant and colleagues is as interesting and significant as the earlier work covered in the first edition and deserved to be either fully incorporated into the original chapters or addressed as an entirely new series of chapters. One can only hope that the insufficient treatment of the last 14 years of research is a consequence of the Grants being hard at work on Ecology and Evolution of Darwin's Finches Volume 2!
Book Description
When Charles Darwin, then age 22, first saw the HMS Beagle, he thought it looked "more like a wreck than a vessel commissioned to go round the world." But travel around the world it did, taking Darwin to South America, Australia, New Zealand, Tahiti, and of course the Galapagos Islands, in a journey of discovery that lasted almost five years. Now, in Fossils, Finches and Fuegians, Richard Keynes, Darwin's great grandson, offers the first modern full-length account of Darwin's epoch-making expedition. This was the great adventure of Charles Darwin's life. Indeed, it would have been a great adventure for anyone--tracking condor in Chile, surviving the great earthquake of 1835, riding across country on horseback in the company of gauchos, watching whales leaping skyward off Tierra del Fuego, hunting ostriches with a bolo, discovering prehistoric fossils and previously unknown species, and meeting primitive peoples such as the Fuegians. Keynes captures many of the natural wonders that Darwin witnessed, including an incredible swarm of butterflies a mile wide and ten miles long. Keynes also illuminates Darwin's scientific work--his important findings in geology and biology--and traces the slow revolution in Darwin's thought about species and how they might evolve. Numerous illustrations--mostly by artists who traveled with Darwin on the Beagle--grace the pages, including finely rendered drawings of many points of interest discussed in the book. There has probably been no greater or more important scientific expedition than Darwin's voyage on the Beagle. Packed with colorful details of life aboard ship and in the wild, here is a fascinating portrait of Charles Darwin and of 19th century science.
Customer Reviews:
A perfect compliment to Voyage of the Beagle.......2007-04-23
This book was an incredibly fast and easy read for its 400 pages. For those who have read Darwin's Voyage of the Beagle, this may seem a bit redundant at times, but I actually found it to be a great compliment. Richard Darwin Keynes (Charles Darwin's great grand-son) does a beautiful job weaving together a narrative of Darwin's long journey aboard the HMS Beagle between 1832 and 1836. Bits and pieces of Darwin's commonplace journal, his field notes, and letters home are very well incorporated into the overall narrative, adding authenticity to Keynes' interpretation of his great-grandfather's time aboard the Beagle. There are also several very nice watercolor plates and many gorgeous maps and engravings that really add to the reader's experience.
The chapters are very short (8-12 pages) and each one deals with a specific region visited along the journey (except maybe the first and last two). This style is very effective, and keeps the reader interested and on track. Keynes' also adds important and relevant historical background that is not present in Voyage of the Beagle and provides the reader with a great deal of insight into Darwin's life and his relationships with other people, such as Captain Robert FitzRoy. I would recommend this book highly to anyone interested in Darwin, evolution, the history of science, or Latin America.
DONT MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE I FIRST MADE.......2006-08-07
I never gave this book a good chance when I started reading it the first time and so I put it back on my shelf for a few months.
I started out reading it very slowly, each word, trying to savor the images of a bygone time and of the words and adventures of an incredible man. After a while I noticed I was trying to skip through as fast as possible just to finish it. Then when I left it on the shelf a few months it dawned on me... this book should be treated respectfully, and read for enjoyment, not just to be finished but to feel and be enveloped by, and so I picked it up a second time and my impression of it is what lead me to give it 5 stars.
The incredible abundance of drawings by those very artists that were there with Darwin, seeing what he saw, eating with him, journeying with him, and Darwin himself, his words, what his thoughts were, what he saw and touched... the descriptions coupled with the drawings of the places visited made me want to step back in time and visit each place the way it used to be... sadly those jewels are now replaced with superhighways as Keynes points out... man has a natural inclination and penchant to change usually irreversibly by destroying beauty... and what has been lost is truly sad...
What has been left is this wonderful, moving account of Charles Darwin as so wonderfully presented by Keynes. So don't do as I first did, try to plough your way through this book just to finish it, but even worse, don't just put it down to never read it because you will have truly lost out on reading a fascinating journey, an adventure of people, places, names, faces and life you just don't find these days in todays reading...
The pictures of the Feugians, unbelievable! These were the actual people that Darwin met along the journey and to see these pictures and see what these people looked like, what they wore, their face painting, everything is truly remarkable. A book like this, with this much value, pictures, detailed descriptions and accounts should be worth much much more than it sells for compared to some of the garbage churned out by lesser authors.
And you know what... I plan on reading it all over again, slowly, deliberately, and with wonder and amazement filling my mind and heart.
Map making and evolution.......2004-05-07
An enjoyable recount of Darwin's voyage around the world in the early 1830s. Rather than argue for or against any version of Darwins theories, Keynes describes the adventure of 2 English gentlemen setting out to create a better map of the world. Aside from providing an enjoyable and picturesque travel guide, we get to know the way each inspired the other.
The reader will be surprised to read about the daring young Darwin's adventures. He ends up dodging warriors prowling the Argentinian praries, trusting his life to murderous Fuegian cowboys, getting drunk with Chilean gold miners, intervening in a Brazilian civil war and tasting potentially halucenogenic South American plants.
Keynes seems particularly interested in showing Darwin as Captain FitzRoy's agent and artist. In some ways, Keynes makes a case that Darwin was hired to write the story FitzRoy dictated. Like the artists brought along by Captain FitzRoy, Darwin was invited to embellishFitzRoy's maps. FitzRoy, a flawed character of exceptional energy and intuition, knew well his limitations: depression and a violent temper. To achieve what he knows is possible he drags young English gentlemen off to the ends of the world and sets them on their path to celebrity and fame.
Left to itself, this action story and tragedy (FitzRoy commits suicide in the last narrative chapter) could have stood alone. The author feels compelled to trouble us with a search for the exact moment that Darwin's diary records the inspiration for 'evolutionary theory'. It detracts a bit, but only in a minor way. Unexplored is the relationship between map making and evolutionary trees, an obvious paradigm which would have fit the story better.
A book re-visiting Darwin's steps........2003-06-08
Mr. Keynes (great-grandson of Charles Darwin) re-plays the voyage of the Beagle, with some interesting back-up material. We read of Darwin's early life and his family connections, and the Beagle's Capt. FitzRoy's interest in returning to Tierra del Fuego. Included are plenty of extracts from others' letters and logs, plus many original drawings & paintings. And there is a nice touch; at the top of each page is the month and year, so you are continually reminded of just how much time has passed.
Having read and enjoyed Darwin's 'Voyage of the Beagle', I was not expecting much in the way of startling new evidence re his discoveries & theories. And there is not; but what IS there, is more focus on his time in Patagonia, which surprisingly covered 2 years - nearly half the 5 year trip ... which is not apparent in the 'Voyage' (in my faulty memory) ... And the Beagle only spent 5 weeks in the Galapagos, but that short stay provided most of the hard evidence which fuelled Darwin's later theorising.
Further visits to N.Z., Australia and Tasmania showed the devastation to the indiginous wildlife caused by introduced species, which prompted more thoughts on survival. Had more time been available in Mauritius or Madagascar, his theorising might have been more concentrated and conclusions derived earlier (but of course, 20/20 hindsight always provides the best view!).
Mr. Keynes provides a modern perspective on the scientific method of the young (23) Darwin, especially in his noting exactly which strata fossils were found, and his meticulously accurate un-biased descriptions of specimens (not a predominant trait in the scientific community at that time!). Particular focus is placed on his geological and fossil studies - largely glossed over by Darwin himself - revealing some deep background thinking which was formative in constructing his Theory of Evolution. The penultimste chapter reveals how Darwin spent the 20-odd years leading up to the publication of 'Origin'; how his Father and reading Malthus simulated his imagination; how his friendship with Lyell and Wallace proved crucial in the book's publication. It also underlines the idea that luck, having independant means (something denied to Wallace), and being in the right place at the right time (like Capt. Cook) probably had more to do with his success than his brilliance did.
In a touching final chapter we feel the love and friendship that grew between FitzRoy and Darwin during those 5 years on board, FitzRoy's subsequent jobs, then his final descent into depression and suicide..
Not an easy read; Mr. Keynes' writing style is not as fluid or easy on the eye as some other writers in the popular science arena, and some of the attached letters are hard going. I found myself frequently re-reading passages to ensure that I had the correct gist of the text.
However, that apart, this is an illuminating, fresh look at what was probably the most important voyage - ever - for philosophical science.****
A book re-visiting Darwin's steps........2003-06-08
Mr. Keynes (great-grandson of Charles Darwin) re-plays the voyage of the Beagle, with some interesting back-up material. We read of Darwin's early life and his family connections, and the Beagle's Capt. FitzRoy's interest in returning to Tierra del Fuego. Included are plenty of extracts from others' letters and logs, plus many original drawings & paintings. And there is a nice touch; at the top of each page is the month and year, so you are continually reminded of just how much time has passed.
Having read and enjoyed Darwin's 'Voyage of the Beagle', I was not expecting much in the way of startling new evidence re his discoveries & theories. And there is not; but what IS there, is more focus on his time in Patagonia, which surprisingly covered 2 years - nearly half the 5 year trip ... which is not apparent in the 'Voyage' (in my faulty memory) ... And the Beagle only spent 5 weeks in the Galapagos, but that short stay provided most of the hard evidence which fuelled Darwin's later theorising.
Further visits to N.Z., Australia and Tasmania showed the devastation to the indiginous wildlife caused by introduced species, which prompted more thoughts on survival. Had more time been available in Mauritius or Madagascar, his theorising might have been more concentrated and conclusions derived earlier (but of course, 20/20 hindsight always provides the best view!).
Mr. Keynes provides a modern perspective on the scientific method of the young (23) Darwin, especially in his noting exactly which strata fossils were found, and his meticulously accurate un-biased descriptions of specimens (not a predominant trait in the scientific community at that time!). Particular focus is placed on his geological and fossil studies - largely glossed over by Darwin himself - revealing some deep background thinking which was formative in constructing his Theory of Evolution. The penultimste chapter reveals how Darwin spent the 20-odd years leading up to the publication of 'Origin'; how his Father and reading Malthus simulated his imagination; how his friendship with Lyell and Wallace proved crucial in the book's publication. It also underlines the idea that luck, having independant means (something denied to Wallace), and being in the right place at the right time (like Capt. Cook) probably had more to do with his success than his brilliance did.
In a touching final chapter we feel the love and friendship that grew between FitzRoy and Darwin during those 5 years on board, FitzRoy's subsequent jobs, then his final descent into depression and suicide..
Not an easy read; Mr. Keynes' writing style is not as fluid or easy on the eye as some other writers in the popular science arena, and some of the attached letters are hard going. I found myself frequently re-reading passages to ensure that I had the correct gist of the text.
However, that apart, this is an illuminating, fresh look at what was probably the most important voyage - ever - for philosophical science.
Average customer rating:
- Sharp book but grammar and spelling errors abound
- Laughing all the way
- Darwin's Country
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Darwin Country: Or How the Finch Stole Christmas
Frank Atwill
Manufacturer: Writers Club Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 General
| Evolution
| Science
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Guidebooks
| Reference & Tips
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General
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| Latin America
| Travel
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| Specialty Travel
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ASIN: 0595263321 |
Book Description
“Today is New Year’s Day, the first day of the new millennium and I have a flight to catch. I have volunteered to spend a month in the Galapagos helping scientists study volcanoes. They flew on the same flight last year, the DAY of the great Y2K meltdown panic. To fly on a South American airline on that day would seem to tempt fate, even for a volcanologist...”
Darwin Country spans literary styles of adventure travel, nature and satire. In the grip of a mid-life crisis, the author voyages from a world where Hollywood stars live in “environmental black holes” on private beaches to one where endangered wildlife shows no fear of man.
The Galapagos once again become the epicenter for a clash of beliefs. Frank’s search catapults him from the cult religions of his California youth to the edge of science. Not for the faint of heart searching for a “page turner,” Darwin Country is full of biting commentary and humor, a physical and philosophical roller coaster.
Darwin sailed to the Galapagos in search of answers, and found a few, but left some niggling questions as well. Frank re-traces his steps to pick up the trail...
Customer Reviews:
Sharp book but grammar and spelling errors abound.......2004-06-17
I want to like this book, because the premise is humorous and so is the writing. However, I gave up on page 33. Maybe it's just me, but if the author doesn't care enough to check spelling, capitalization and punctuation, I feel like I'm being abused. It seems this book was dictated to a machine, because the spelling errors are due to homonyms: "are" for "our", "where" for "wear", "it's" for "its", "bazaar" for "bizarre". There is something wrong every couple of pages. If you can get past the defects, I think this might be worth reading, but I just kept getting annoyed.
Laughing all the way.......2003-04-06
Darwin Country is a provacative and hilarious midlife search for meaning. It probes some colorful nooks and crannies of the author's privileged Santa Barbara life-style, while examining philosophical and environmental isssues which affect Ecuadorian peasants a world away. Scientists, movie stars, environmentalists, New Age hipsters, bellydancers, wealthy Santa Barbara elite all make appearances in this thought-provoking tale, which prompts us to examine basic ethical assumptions - while laughing all the way.
Darwin's Country.......2003-03-23
Darwin's Country is a highly entertaining extreemly witty philosophical voyage through some of life's vexing questions; from true meaning to a captious look at the growth movements in California. The renowned Galapagos islands and the affluent-protected Santa Barbara provide a backdrop for incisive looks into the often muddled conservation movement and the search for meaning in a shifting universe. Personal, wry, witty and entertaining.
Average customer rating:
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Darwin's Finches (Cambridge Science Classics)
David Lack
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Biology
| Biological Sciences
| Science
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General
| Zoology
| Biological Sciences
| Science
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General
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| Science
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| Birdwatching
| Outdoors & Nature
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ASIN: 0521272424 |
Product Description
Text in Danish. Black and white illustrations.
Book Description
Charles Darwin's experiences in the Galápagos Islands in 1835 helped to guide his thoughts toward a revolutionary theory: that species were not fixed but diversified from their ancestors over many generations, and that the driving mechanism of evolutionary change was natural selection. In this concise, accessible book, Peter and Rosemary Grant explain what we have learned about the origin and evolution of new species through the study of the finches made famous by that great scientist: Darwin's finches.
Drawing upon their unique observations of finch evolution over a thirty-four-year period, the Grants trace the evolutionary history of fourteen different species from a shared ancestor three million years ago. They show how repeated cycles of speciation involved adaptive change through natural selection on beak size and shape, and divergence in songs. They explain other factors that drive finch evolution, including geographical isolation, which has kept the Galápagos relatively free of competitors and predators; climate change and an increase in the number of islands over the last three million years, which enhanced opportunities for speciation; and flexibility in the early learning of feeding skills, which helped species to exploit new food resources. Throughout, the Grants show how the laboratory tools of developmental biology and molecular genetics can be combined with observations and experiments on birds in the field to gain deeper insights into why the world is so biologically rich and diverse.
Written by two preeminent evolutionary biologists, How and Why Species Multiply helps to answer fundamental questions about evolution--in the Galápagos and throughout the world.
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