Book Description
Although neo-conservatism isn't new, the term is widely misapplied, and neo-conservative foreign and domestic policies are little understood. In this anthology of essays written by today's leading neocons, columnists, politicians, and other prominent thinkers give a comprehensive overview of neo-conservative ideology in a bold collection of classic and original essays written especially for this book. Contributors include Max Boot, Lady Margaret Thatcher, George Will, and Condoleezza Rice, among others. Editor Irwin Stelzer attempts to dispel many of the myths built up by foreign and some domestic media that have led many Americans to view neo-conservatism as a radical and cohesive movement. Rather, Stelzer seeks to prove neocons are an eclectic group of intellectuals and politicians who agree on some major policy issues but who pride themselves on their individuality. The Neocon Reader provides a collection of the ideas that are exerting enormous influence on American foreign and defense policy, and serves as an important reminder of how a loose-knit band of intellectuals and politicians thought, wrote, and preached their way into the halls of power.
Customer Reviews:
Disappointing.......2007-04-24
After reading Irving Kristol's books, this was a big disappointment. With the exception of the essays by Irving Kristol, this book is a waste of your time. If you are interested in learning about neoconservatism, grab a book by Irving Kristol. This "reader" is junk.
Neocons' self-selection.......2006-11-10
They are, thankfully, on the way out. But for an overview of what they think on a range of issues, this is an effective showcase selected by one of their own. It is a political cul de sac that leads nowhere and one has to ask: what do the necons have against democracy? Because that is, despite the closet full of disguises, essentially what they are railing against.
From the horse's mouth........2006-03-18
Even if you're a bleeding heart liberal, you should read this book. Actually if you're a bleeding heart liberal, you should definitely read this book. I'm fairly left leaning myself, and I found this book pretty interesting. It's easy and simplistic to regurgitate Michael Moore when debating someone; it's a lot more effective to actually understand where your opponent is coming from.
The quality of essays in this book is extremely uneven. The introduction by Irwin Stelzer is masturbatory crap. If you can get by his drivel, the quality of the book improves markedly. There are some essays written by real neocon heavy hitters. If they can't sell their beliefs, then I doubt that any ditto heads will be able to either.
I think that a lot of the essays in the book have become dated, and some are available for free elsewhere. Any of the essays regarding the motivations for the Iraq War are now embarrassingly wrong.
Despite all the problems with this book, I think that it is still worth reading. The opportunity to read the "best" of what influential neocons have to say is well worth the price.
Obnoxious 'Persuasion'.......2005-11-01
If nothing else the neo-conservatives talk a good game and can lay out some fairly compelling arguments. The problem is that when you delve beyond the surface rhetoric things fall apart pretty quickly. Neo-cons argue that they were the ones who stood most resolute against Communism and now they are the ones promoting the strongest possible response to Islamic Fundamentalists who threaten our borders. Problem is the centerpiece of their stance against Islamic terrorism is against a country that was secularist, presented no credible threat to U.S. security and wasn't even on the lengthy list of countries harboring Al-Qaeda. Writers in the `Neocon Reader' try to differentiate themselves from the Left by claiming to have abandoned `Leftist utopian dreams' but all you need to do is listen to neo-cons like Paul Wolfowitz to hear fantasies spill forth of Iraqi's showering our troops in flowers and a domino effect sweeping across the Middle East. The predictions of Wolfowitz and Rumsfeld were so removed from reality that it takes some serious brass for the author, Irwin Stelzer, to put out a book proclaiming the wisdom of the neo-con movement. Now that the war has turned into a complete debacle the neo-cons take the low road by shifting the blame onto the administration and in Adam Wolson's section of the book hedge their bets by claiming, " [neo-conservativism] has never produced a single approach to foreign policy. It [neo-conservativism] is... not an ideology with party-like planks on every issue of the day but an intellectual disposition.". The insistence that neo-conservativism is a persuasion rather than an ideology in order to deflect criticism is growing tiresome and cowardly.
On the domestic side the neo-cons puff out their collective chests for being pro-growth. Whoop de doo. Who isn't? The problem with the neo-cons is that they are often pathologically pro-growth. Reducing fuel efficiency standards on automobiles may sell more cars in Detroit but the long term effects could be devastating. If increasing the GDP requires damaging the environment, driving the country deep into debt and reducing worker benefits was it all worth it? The neo-con view seems to be that raising the GDP will be the panacea for all social ills despite the fact that the wealth of the nation is often moving into fewer and fewer hands. Bill Clinton used to use the metaphor of a rising tide raising all the boats. The truth is that many boats rise up by pushing others down. Just look at the Walton family with 5 members having assets in the top ten worldwide thanks to cheap labor.
Another domestic pathology is the belief that lowering taxes on the wealthy (neo-cons generally ignore mentioning that the linchpin of the theory is that the tax cuts target the wealthy) will spur a magical industrial renaissance. The theory is that the increase in private savings will spur an increase in corporate investment and that will cause a modernization bonanza and happy days for all. After three massive tax the indicator of corporate investment (the stock market) continues to languish. So where did all the money go? None of your business. The neo-cons are too busy and wise to actually reflect whether their theories match reality.
In a final act of cowardice the neo-cons try to downplay their political influence to imply it's negligible at best. It's true that the Bush Administration has few card carrying neo-cons (`Scooter' Libby is one) but they do have converts like Rumsfeld and Cheney. The Pentagon, on the other hand, is flush with neo-cons helping to shape policy. As much as the neo-cons would love to play the shrinking violet they seem unable to reign in their own ego's and constantly feel compelled to list their formidable ranks which flies right in the face of their `don't blame little old us' argument.
In the section written by Jeane Kirkpatrick she says that she moved away from the traditional left during the early to mid 70's thanks to the `anti-american' views expressed by leftists. Quoting Michael Novak she writes, "As matters stand, we are just a few short years from being a pariah nation". Ironically it wasn't the left that made the United States a pariah nation it was the very arrogant, bullying tactics advocated by the neo-cons who so loath international treaties, negotiations and multinational organizations. The United States is in the midst of the lowest worldwide approval ever. Thanks Neo-Cons.
Doh!!!.......2005-10-14
If you agree with them, the book is of course brilliant. If you disagree with them, the book is a waste of paper.
Since I do not agree with them, and wanted to learn their arguments, I thought it was a waste of paper. It seemed more like a collection of chatechismic provebs that social analysis, but then, much of the liberals, radicals, moderates essays suffer from the same ineffable quality.
The book is a waste of paper because readers might better read books such as Prestowitz's Three Billion New Capitalists, or Peterson's Running on Empty to encounter an intelligent and conservative critique of our nation today.
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Neocon Reader
Irwin Stelzer
Manufacturer: GROVE PRESS @ (NY)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000SHA3AW |
Product Description
The Sonoran Desert's Salton Sea is California's crown jewel of avian biodiversity. Second only to the Texas Gulf Coast in avian abundance, the Sea hosts more than 400 species of birds each year. This volume is the first full-length book to focus attention on the Sea's unique natural wonders and importance while providing a wealth of useful information for birders and naturalists. For readers wishing to visit the Salton Sea, this book provides detailed descriptions of 15 birding sites. Each site chapter has a brief description of the area and its vegetation, directions for getting there, a site map, a section on the birdlife, and a table listing birds seen, their abundance and seasonality. For those coming to the Salton Sea to see a specific bird, the book includes species accounts pinpointing where and when each species is most likely to be seen. Guide to Birds of the Salton Sea also includes chapters on nocturnal roosts, nesting, rare species, species of concern, as well as cumulative tables.
Customer Reviews:
Not worth the paper it's printed on.......2003-08-04
This book has many mistakes. It's worst than Massey's book on the Anza Borrego. It's got lots of people credited with helping with the book, but only a few names are recognized.
If you truly want info on the Salton Sea, then buy the Patten, McCaskie, Unitt book. These are the people who have spent the time out at the Salton Sea.
Book Description
The day of the Naming is an important one for young roadrunners. That's when roadrunner parents judge the speed, courage, and hunting skill of their offspring and choose fitting names for them.
One proud fledgling dreams of being named Muscles, or Dash, or even Hunter. If only he hadn't pursued those three juicy grasshoppers for a final snack. If only he'd remembered his parents' lesson: "Always look before you leap." If only he'd paid more attention to the mouse family that had lost two children to a nearby snake. If only the rattler had given some warning before it struck....
Miraculously, the young roadrunner survives the attack, but not without damage. With their son's feet swollen to such an enormous size, his parents have no choice but to give him the humiliating name of Thunderfoot.
It's enough to make a roadrunner wallow in self-pity and give up. But the only thing bigger than Thunderfoot's feet is his heart, and with some not always gentle goading from a wise old gopher tortoise named Berland, he finds the courage to go forward and seek his destiny -- and to become the stuff of legends.
Book Description
The deserts of the American Southwest boast a remarkable diversity of drought-tolerant plant life, including many species found nowhere else on earth. And no group says "desert" quite like cacti. Their prickly nature notwithstanding, cacti and the desert habitats in which they reside are especially fragile. Indeed, Saguaro National Park and Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument were established primarily to protect the largest concentrations of these respective species. Others, such as the Pima pineapple cactus, are less conspicuous but also more rare and in need of special protection and conservation. In Cacti of the Desert Southwest, botanist Meg Quinn describes eighty-six of the most significant cacti found in the Sonoran, Chihuahuan, and Mojave deserts. For ease of identification, all are depicted in color photographs and those that bloom are shown in full flower. 86 color photographs.
Customer Reviews:
A decent field guide to southwestern cacti.......2003-07-25
While the style of this book is relatively light and informal, the book does a very good job of presenting all the species of cacti in the southwestern United States and the Sonoran and Chihuahuan Deserts of Mexico. The cacti are organized by scientific name, but common names are given as well. Identification information and short natural history information is presented for every cactus. The large, visually appealing color photos show enough of the plants to allow for easy identification. This book has only two major drawbacks. First, it only provides written descriptions of the cacti's ranges, whereas maps would have been more useful. Second, the regions covered by this book seem to be fairly nebulous; it is unclear as to exactly which parts of the United States and Mexico are fully represented. Nonetheless, this book serves as a very good field guide for anyone interested in cacti.
Average customer rating:
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Birds of Prey: Aircraft, Nose Art & Mission Markings of Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm
David F. Brown
Manufacturer: Schiffer Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 Middle Eastern
| Regional
| History & Criticism
| Arts & Photography
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Aviation
| Military
| History
| Subjects
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Aeronautics & Astronautics
| Astronomy
| Science
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Aerospace
| Engineering
| Professional & Technical
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| Advanced Mechanics
| Aerodynamics
| Aircraft Design & Construction
| Applied
| Avionics
| Gas Dynamics
| General
| Heat Transfer
| Propulsion Technology
| Structural Dynamics
ASIN: 0887404723 |
Book Description
This new book is the most complete photo study available of the air war in the Gulf, and covers every unit that participated including French, Italian, British, and Saudi. Dave Brown has collected from his vast archives, as well as from participants, photos of U.S. Air Force, ANG, Navy and Marine Corps, and SAC: F-15s, A-10s, B-52s, F-16s, F-14s, F-111s, F-117 Stealth, C-5s, KC-10s, C-141s, C-13s, Kc-135s, U-2/TR-1,and many other American, British, Italian, and French fighters, bombers, helicopters, cargo/transport, refeuling, and reconnaissance aircraft. David F. Brown is the author of TOMCATS FOREVER and F-16 FIGHTING FALCONS, and is U.S. correspondent for AIR FORCES MONTHLY. He lives in Spring Grove, PA. , over 750 color photographs, 9" x 12"
Book Description
This field guide takes you to the desert and grassland areas of Arizona, California, and New Mexico where the total number of bird species reaches a staggering 440.
Book Description
Southwestern Desert Birds, An Introduction to Familiar Species, is a must-have, reference guide for beginners and experts alike. Whether you're on a nature hike or in your own backyard, you'll want to take along a copy of this indispensable guide. The Pocket Naturalist(tm) series is an introduction to common plants and animals and natural phenomena. Each pocket-sized, folding guide highlights up to 150 species and most feature a map highlighting prominent sanctuaries and outstanding natural attractions. Each is laminated for durability.
Book Description
Desert Honkytonk tells the story of the Bird Cage Theatre---Tombstone, Arizona's infamous home of western-style vaudeville in the 1880s.
Customer Reviews:
Very light reading.......2002-04-05
This is a pleasant book that makes for mildly enjoyable light reading. It is short, and frequently digresses into the history of Tombstone and its more famous characters and events rather than sticking to the Bird Cage Theater itself. It has one GLARING FLAW. There are exactly two pictures of the Bird Cage Theater in the entire book. Both are very small. One picture of the outside is not even supposed to be a picture of the Bird Cage at all. The theater merely happens to be in the background of a photo of a burro pack train. The only other picture of the theater is a woefully inadequate one of the inside of the theater that is so dark you can see practically nothing. There is no diagram of the floor plan either. I have personally been inside this venerable old theater, so I could draw on that experience. Those readers who have not been there will have a difficult time grasping the ambience of the place, since the photos here are so poor. The author also confuses the reader by giving two dates the theater finally closed. On one page he says 1892, and a few pages later says 1889.
Average customer rating:
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Birds of the Southwestern Desert
Gusse Thomas Smith
Manufacturer: Gem Guides Book Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Birds
| Field Guides
| Outdoors & Nature
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Birdwatching
| Outdoors & Nature
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Reference
| Outdoors & Nature
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jp-unknown2
| Specialty Stores
| Books
ASIN: 0935182209 |
Book Description
Birds of the Southwestern Desert is a favorite among regional bird watchers who follow these desert trails. Includes fascinating and witty, intimate descriptions of various desert birds that engages the reader and avid bird watcher. Complete with beautifully detailed color drawings and illustrations throughout the book. Learn the taxonomic names of each bird and a detailed description. Read inviting text about the Phainopepla Cedar Waxwing or the Swainson Hawk. Whatever your preference, this handy book will engage any expert or novice birdwatcher to southwestern birds. The best southwestern bird book on the market.
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