History: Fiction or Science? (Chronology, No. 1)

Book Description

Recorded history is a finely-woven magic fabric of intricate lies about events predating the sixteenth century. There is not a single piece of evidence that can be reliably and independently traced back earlier than the eleventh century. This book details events that are substantiated by hard facts and logic, and validated by new astronomical research and statistical analysis of ancient sources.

Customer Reviews:

Calculations are only as good as your numbers.......2007-08-03

Yes, we can all agree that mainstream history is nearly 100% BS due to politics, economics, ego, problems with dating techniques, and various conspiracies. Agreed. But, I've been researching the distinct possibility that human history (in terms of civilizations) are much more ancient than we've been told, so coming across this book was very interesting to me. I wondered how Fomenko could be wrong (if at all) because he is very persuasive in his presentations. Then it dawned on me. If at previous times in prehistory, due to the various catastrophies that are well documented (comets, asteroids, planetary disruptions, plasma discharge, pole reversals, etc) the Earth was in a different position in relation to the sun, different tilt on its axis, different orbit, different rotation (in terms of velocity and DIRECTION), and the continents were in different positions, then would this not cause the ancients to see the sky (constellations) differently? In other words, is Fomenko making erronious assumptions about the physics of the Earth in pre-history, which then corrupt his data with regards to dating the relevant astrology? The last event to seriously disrupt our planet occured roughly 3500 years ago, according to other good researchers, so is it possible Fomenko has been confused by this? The vastly different physics of our planet in the not so distant past may explain this confusion, which is not to say the "mainstream" version of history is correct; on the contrary. I am not an expert in these fields, but wanted to see if this idea could spark discussion.

Pants on fire?.......2007-07-19

Will people ever read before spamming? Yes, Jesuits could not rewrite world history alone, they had help. Anyway, Dr Prof Acad A.Fomenko does not point to jesuits as the driving force of world wide history manipulation in published volumes 1,2,3;, actually he barely mentions the poor devils. Check it with 'Search inside' feature, please. China is rarely mentioned either, in fact, Dr Fomenko is completely eurocentric. Right, his theory contradicts all mainstream schools of history, because in their actual state they are all built on blatantly erroneus chronology. You don't need a mysterious cabal (conspiracy) to falsify history, the falsification is its modus operandi. It is inherent to history(ians) to falsify (distort) events, as it is inherent to humans to boast as it is inherent to power (authority) to legimize itself by referrring to glorious past made to its own order. Dr Prof Fomenko and team have identified scores of instances of such manipulation in Russian, European, etc.. history, and delivered valid statistical proof thereof. His own 'reconstruction' is completely another story. Forget c14 as a valid method of dating. W.Libby has initially discovered a brilliant method of INDEPENDENT dating. Too bad, c14 method has become a joke after a forced marrige with dendrochronology with consensual chronological scale inbuilt. Radiocarbon method can't stand blind tests, but is so very productive as a rubberstamp.

Accepted History & Chronology Must Be Changed. .......2007-04-09

There is no doubt that history as most know it is a sham, & institution's version of History both University & Church is fradulent & inaccurate. Everything was established with an agenda, The real "Dark Ages" are now when we have access to incredible amounts of information past authorities & more important 'common folk' didn't have but our institutions & educators are slow to evolve because of what has ignorantly & arrogantly been taught for too long. This is on many subjects not just Chronology.

For anyone to question "Why would a Mathematician have anything credible to say of History?" The answer is from Dr. Fomenko's preface in the book: "It would be worthwhile to remind the reader that in the XVI-XVII century Chronology was considered to be a subdivision of Mathematics." These volumes could possibly be some of the most important works to date & should be read by everyone with an interest in History, especially professors & educators who have a duty to the public. I have read both books & must say that 'Chronology 1' has some very eye opening & revolutionary information. Even if these volumes are part true the implications are profound & opens the doors to further investigations & questions which must be done. I speak several different lanquages & must say the logic Dr. Fomenko uses with "inflection" of words & words being read from left to right in one region & right to left in another then written backwards, the removal of vowels & get down to basics of words, or different cities & locations having the same name etc. is correct. Vowel usage has always been optional & varied, actually complicating linquistics & study. The first thing one has to understand is that words never had a fixed spelling in history like we do now, the spelling of words was mutable & regional, as well as names & titles of people were vast, varied & changed, NOTHING WAS FIXED or understood linear. Matters of Life & Death as well as financial profiteering yesterday & today were & are made with ignorant, illogical & conspiratorial views of history & reality, it's time people get closer to the Truth & society collectively grow up.

Very Interesting.......2007-03-07

It is a good proposal and I believe it will mature into something even better in the future. I think it deserves to be read.

History as Science Fiction.......2007-01-10

Anatoly Fomenko has written a very intriguing book, full of pictures, charts, and computer 'proof' of his thesis: backwards of AD900 we don't really know what happened or when. Between AD900 and AD1600 there is more certainty, but there is still a lot of fuzzy ground, and things don't get reliable until we get past the 1600's where the printing press made it very difficult for the perpetrators of this timeline manipulation to change anything that had been committed to print. The Dark Ages did not happen. Books were burned for a reason. One organization has doubled the actual length of its existence by expanding the real chronology. Read why.

I had always wondered why Christ died about AD33 and yet men waited until the 11th century to form the Knights Templar, the Cathars, etc and go after the Holy Land by force. Why the 1000 year gap? Turns out there wasn't more than a 10-12 year gap and he proves it using astronomy. This also implies that the planet is not as old as we have been told, and current Christian and other creationist scientists are already championing that idea without being aware of Fomenko's book. The two groups, creationist scientists and the Russian mathematical analysts corroborate each other. Fascinating.

Of course, all this flies in the face of what we have been told traditionally is the 'proper' chronology of western civilization, and most readers will experience 'cognitive dissonance' in reading this book. It means that our history going backwards from AD1600 becomes progressively more incorrect and unreliable until it cannot be trusted at all... in the space of 700-800 years.

Naturally, the curious, open-minded reader will want to know WHO did this, WHY, and did any of the events we think of as really ancient ever happen?
Dr. Fomenko is a respected scientist/mathematician at Moscow State University who has already answered these questions to the satisfaction of his initially skeptical colleagues. Most of them are now believers, a few still refuse to believe (the usual diehards), and of course the western press has ignored Fomenko's work -- for obvious reasons when you read the book. The ones who perpetrated this chronology ruse have a lot to answer for. They are still with us. That's why this book is a well-kept secret.

I gave the book a 4-star rating because I was unable to check out some of his claims; those I checked were as he said. But if even 1/3 of his claims are true, this punches a big hole in what we think is our history, the meaning of western civilization, our educational process (for repeating the ruse as gospel), and the trustworthiness of the organization that perpetrated this ruse, well-intentioned or not.

This book relates to current research into a Young Earth paradigm, to John Keel's discoveries about our planet, and Fr Malachi Martin's insights (in his now out-of-print books). We are indeed sheep who are manipulated and kept ignorant -- for a reason. While knowing what these men have to say may be the "booby prize" (as in: 'what can you do with this knowledge?'), it will provide interesting reading. Didn't someone say: "...and the Truth will set you free."?? For you to judge if this book contains the truth.

New American Democracy, The (5th Edition) (MyPoliSciLab Series)

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interesting sidebars

New American Democracy, The (5th Edition) (MyPoliSciLab Series)
Morris P. Fiorina , Paul E. Peterson , Bertram Johnson , and William G Mayer
Manufacturer: Longman
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0321416147

Customer Reviews:

interesting sidebars.......2006-11-11

The book covers both history and the current political framework of the US. The history is covered briefly in the early chapters. In enough detail to explain key ideas and debates that shaped the nation. Federalism especially. We see how the early United States cobbled together an initially fragile federal government, that gained strength with the passing decades. Enough to prevail in the Civil War.

Most of the text describes many aspects of the contemporary scene. Including factors like the role of the media in effecting the political debate, by investigating issues. Here, the narrative delves into subtopics like a possible ideological bias by journalists.

The book also has sidebars that raise thought-provoking questions. These actually make the book distinctive, since the main narrative can be found in several other books on the subject. One interesting sidebar is why aren't Senators elected from subdivisions of their states, instead of state-wide? While this is commonly seen as immutable, it is actually not explicitly defined in the Constitution, and there were once Senatorial districts. What the sidebar omits, perhaps for space considerations, is that the establishment of these districts nowadays would open up an entirely new source of gerrymandering.

America's New Democracy, Election Update, Penguin Academics Series (3rd Edition) (Penguin Academics)

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America's New Democracy, Election Update, Penguin Academics Series (3rd Edition) (Penguin Academics)
Morris P. Fiorina , Paul E. Peterson , Stephen D. Voss , and Bertram Johnson
Manufacturer: Longman
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0321423623

The Open Space of Democracy (New Patriotism)

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The Open Space of Democracy
DEEPLY ENGAGING
A Masterpiece

The Open Space of Democracy (New Patriotism)
Terry Tempest Williams
Manufacturer: The Orion Society
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0913098639

Book Description

Terry Tempest Williams presents a sharp-edged perspective on the ethics and politics of place, spiritual democracy, and the responsibilities of citizen engagement. By turns elegiac, inspiring, and passionate, The Open Space of Democracy offers a fresh perspective on the critical questions of our time.

Customer Reviews:

The Open Space of Democracy.......2006-02-20

Terry Tempest Williams is amazingly articulate. This book while a short, easy read can be read over and over again as her messages can be applied to our everyday life. I bought five copies as this book makes a wonderful gift!

DEEPLY ENGAGING.......2004-09-27

After interviewing Terry on radio, I am convinced that this gentle soul's strong undercurrent provides us with a rich new model of citizen involvement in this, our participatory government. Too many of us dismiss a deeper involvement in democracy with crusty cynicism - we feel ground down by the backhanded tactics used by government officials to strip us of our civil liberties and rape the earth's environment.

What Terry Tempest Williams proposes not only facilitates transformation within our democratic system, but by the simple act of learning to listen with open minds and hearts, we may receive one another's views on a very human scale. If we endeavor to connect in this manner, not only will we have a more functional democracy, we will become better human beings.

Bela Johnson, Medical Intuitive
http://www.belajohnson.com

Host, Alternative Currents
http://www.weru.org

A Masterpiece.......2004-09-18

I have not read a book in the last ten years that I would give this description to, but The Open Space of Democracy will or at least should go down as an American masterpiece, and a seminal contribution to environmental and political writing. I pre-ordered my copy direct from the publisher and so received and read, or rather devoured, it right after it was published. The triptych of essays in this volume are woven together and inseparable from each other in the way that Aldo Leopold's "Land Ethic" is inseparable from the rest of A Sand County Almanac.

This book maps a future for America and Americans that is luminous, hopeful, fierce, and prophetic all in one. Anyone who truly cares about our democracy and about the health of the natural world NEEDS to read this, be inspired by it, and take action in honor of it.

The Next Form of Democracy: How Expert Rule Is Giving Way to Shared Governance -- and Why Politics Will Never Be the Same

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Though provoking

The Next Form of Democracy: How Expert Rule Is Giving Way to Shared Governance -- and Why Politics Will Never Be the Same
Matt Leighninger
Manufacturer: Vanderbilt University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 082651541X

Book Description

Beneath the national radar, the relationship between citizens and government is undergoing a dramatic shift. More than ever before, citizens are educated, skeptical, and capable of bringing the decision-making process to a sudden halt. Public officials and other leaders are tired of confrontation and desperate for resources. In order to address persistent challenges like education, race relations, crime prevention, land use planning, and economic development, communities have been forced to find new ways for people and public servants to work together.
The stories of civic experiments in this book can show us the realpolitik of deliberative democracy, and illustrate how the evolution of democracy is already reshaping politics.

Customer Reviews:

Though provoking.......2007-03-29

The book examines the changing relationship between Americans and their government. Citizens want to participate in the nuts and bolts of providing government services. The smallest details of mundane programs have become subject of public debate.

Profit with Honor: The New Stage of Market Capitalism (The Future of American Democracy Series)

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Lots of Stimulating Thought in a Small Book
Must Reading For Any Current Or Future CEO And Business Leader
Should Be In Every Boardroom

Profit with Honor: The New Stage of Market Capitalism (The Future of American Democracy Series)
Daniel Yankelovich
Manufacturer: Yale University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0300108583

Book Description

This wise and optimistic book examines the rampant scandals that plague American corporations today and shows how companies can reverse the resulting climate of mistrust. By seizing the opportunity to address some of the nation’s—and the world’s—most serious problems, business can strengthen its reputation for integrity and service and advance to a new stage of ethical legitimacy. Daniel Yankelovich, a social scientist and an experienced member of the corporate boardroom, describes the toxic convergence of cultural and business trends that has led inexorably to corporate scandals. Yet he offers reassurance that opportunity exists for positive change. Creative business leaders can advance market capitalism to its next stage of evolution, building upon business norms that simultaneously emphasize the legitimacy of profit making and the importance of the care that companies give to employees, customers, and the larger society.

The book asserts that American culture has abandoned its old tradition of enlightened self-interest, of “doing well by doing good.” A narrow legalism has taken over (“I didn’t break the law; therefore I didn’t do anything wrong”). Yankelovich argues that attempts to deal with such flawed ethical norms by means of more laws and regulations cannot succeed. He offers a series of case histories to show how and why stewardship ethics can strengthen individuals, corporations, the nation, and the world economy.

Customer Reviews:

Lots of Stimulating Thought in a Small Book.......2007-08-09

Daniel Yankelovich is a social scientist who has also served on several corporate boards. That gives him a unique perspective on the ethical challenges that face board members.

Yankelovich, to use his term, is a "privileged witness," who sees business from the outside, but has seen its inner workings up close. Even more important in some ways is the fact that he and his company have been among the firms tracking changes in society over several decades.

Here is why he wrote this book: "The purpose of this short book is to suggest that the business community can turn the scandals of recent years to good use, both for business itself and for the larger society."

Yankelovich sees three causes for these scandals. They are: 1) deregulation; 2) linking the biggest part of CEO compensation to stock price; and, 3) the importing of wider social norms into business, resulting in what he calls "unenlightened self-interest."

In the first half of the book he outlines changes in social norms in both business in society over several decades. Business, according to Yankelovich is more likely establish the norms he desires than society as a whole. And, he thinks, if business does so it will "help dispel moral confusion in the culture at large."

He says: "My main argument in the book is that the time has come for market capitalism in the United States to advance to a new stage of enlightened self-interest."

To do that he advocates something he calls "Stewardship Ethics," which he defines as "commitment to care for one's institution and those it serves in a manner that responds to a higher level of expectations." He devotes the second half of the book to describing what a set of norms based on "stewardship ethics" might look like and how they might come about.

In one of the most helpful sections of the book, Yankelovich spends time outlining the difference between his Stewardship Ethics and the bundle of beliefs and positions that come under the heading of "Corporate Social Responsibility."

If you're like me, you'll find Yankelovich's position a refreshing change from the "profit is evil" approach of most CSR types. If you are someone who sees the pursuit of profit by companies as, at best, a necessary evil, you will be very uncomfortable with this book and its ideas.

This book has two key strengths. First, Yankelovich himself is both knowledgeable and logical. Second, the book is short, only around 170 pages of text. Those are also the book's weaknesses.

Because Yankelovich himself is knowledgeable, he often leaves terms undefined. I could not find a definition, for example, of one of his key terms, "market capitalism." It may be that everyone indeed defines that term the same way, but I doubt it.

The shortness of the book means that some arguments are made without adequate support. For example, on page 96, Yankelovich says, "How well a company conceives and executes stewardship ethics as a community has a direct bearing on its long term profitability." He then offers the example of Wegman's as proof. Alas, a single example without supporting evidence is not proof.

This brings us to the key question: "Should you buy and read this book?"

If you are a senior executive, a member of a corporate board, or a faculty member at a business school, this should be on your "must-read" list. Yankelovich has crammed a lot of good stuff and cogent analysis in here about the business climate and corporate responses.

This book is also a good read if you're interested in the ethical challenges of contemporary business, but you don't make it your primary focus. If you're a professional ethicist or philosopher, you'll find the book a little light on both reasoning and support, but that's exactly why it's a good read for the rest of us. The book is filled with provocative ideas and well written.

But if you're looking for a "how to" book, this would be a poor choice. It's a great book for stimulating thought and discussion, but the "how to" will be up to you.

Must Reading For Any Current Or Future CEO And Business Leader.......2007-07-09

This is a book I wish I had written. I have talked at length over the past few years about what is wrong with today's capitalist economy and particularly so since the Enron, Tyco, WorldCom, and other corporate scandals. However, I am and always have been a committed supporter of a free-market economy with minimal government interference. In the late 1950s (while very young!) I embraced Ayn Rand's "laissez-faire" theory of business, only to be later disturbed by some of the unwarranted and seriously problematic assumptions one had to make in order to completely buy into her "doctrine" of extreme individualism and "caveat emptor" economics. While I recognized that neither Communism (ala Marx) nor state socialism could bring about a dynamic market economy combined with political liberty, there was, I thought, definitely something missing in the theory and practice of a free-market economy as Rand and her coterie envisioned and promoted it. Moreover, the so-called "mixed economy" (which is what the U.S. pretty much has now -- a mixture of free-market and "socialist" elements) has not prevented the scandals recently experienced.

Enter Daniel Yankelovich with his new book "Profit With Honor: The New Stage of Market Capitalism." In my opinion, on the Aristotelian scale of ethical virtue, his book represents the "mean" between the extremes of a dog-eat-dog capitalism with profit as the "only" consideration and the position that profit is evil, private enterprise is antisocial and, therefore, a centrally-planned government-run economy is the only acceptable solution. Economic activity is, of course, not fundamentally different from any other human activity, whether it be individual, social, political, or whatever. There has to be some moral foundation, some ethical framework, which justifies and provides a rational structure for the activity. Neither of the aforementioned extremes can provide the necessary theoretical support nor the practical guidelines for an economic system which must take into consideration human nature and the human condition.

In his book, Yankelovich states that his "main argument . . . is that the time has come for market capitalism . . . to advance to a new stage of enlightened self-interest. American business needs to develop a new ethic -- a coherent set of social norms -- both to counteract the forces leading to the scandals and to meet the challenges of the global economy that call upon business to take on many new responsibilities." He calls his program (if that is the appropriate term) a "stewardship ethics," a set of cultural norms for business which involves social responsibility without rejecting the concepts of profit and self-interest. This is, for the most part, my position on the issue. The philosophical enemies of market capitalism have had plenty of ammunition provided to them in recent years by some of those -- dare I say "crooks"? -- who are involved in market capitalism itself. Without a solid and rational moral foundation, market capitalism becomes its own worst enemy. Yankelovich appears to be confronting this challenge and, I think, points the way to a good resolution of the problem.

There is no question now, in my view, that capitalism as it has been practiced in the past is just that -- a thing of the past. Capitalism must now advance to the "next stage of evolution," as Yankelovich envisions it. While it is vital that profit-making remain a central concern and goal of any economic enterprise, companies must also give due consideration to customers, employees, and society at large. There is really no essential conflict between making a profit (which any business must do to survive) and social responsibility. This notion of conflicting objectives was, I suspect, a matter of philosophical immaturity during the developmental growth of the capitalist system. It should be recalled that many of the so-called "robber barons" of the past did participate in philanthropic activities and contribute generously to the "social good." (Think Carnegie libraries, Ford and Rockefeller foundations.)

But, of course, the problem remains regarding the future of market capitalism, especially amid all the recent scandals. This is where I think Yankelovich makes his most noteworthy contribution. Abstract principles of ethics -- which is what many of us were primarily concerned with when I taught classes in ethical theory in years past -- is one thing. Important as that is, however, the application of ethical principles to practical situations, institutions, and social realities is, after all, of immediate concern. What Yankelovich provides is an extension of rational ethical principles into the marketplace, that is, where the action is and where they are most useful. There is no justification now for schools of business and departments of economics to ignore the moral and social ramifications of market activities; courses in business ethics, and I suggest maybe the "stewardship ethics" recommended in this book, ought to be a core part of the curriculum -- not just an elective, but a requirement.

"Profit With Honor" is, of course, not a full-blown treatise on business ethics. It is a short book, a mere 169 pages of actual text. It is, however, concise and to the point. Yankelovich's suggestion that market capitalism should adopt the idea of "doing well by doing good" comes across throughout the book and this idea needs to be internalized by anyone considering a future in business leadership. He concludes: "In our culture . . . the transformation to stewardship ethics may take place without even being widely noticed. But its effects will register in enhanced trust in the business sector, in improved long-term profitability, and in significant advances in global well-being." One can only hope what he says proves prophetic. This book is an excellent introduction to the problem at hand and, for many of us I suspect, a framework within which the practical solution to the problem can be realized. Must reading for any contemporary or future CEO. Highly recommended.

Should Be In Every Boardroom.......2007-07-07

This book is about ethics and integrity in corporate America. The author discusses the various scandals of the past decade or so, looks at root causes, and proposes a solution.

This book could easily have been a statist prescription for yet more regulation by that whacko entity we call the federal government (which doesn't actually govern), but fortunately it was not. Just as easily, it could have been yet another book used by the author to push the leftist agenda in the rosiest of terms, despite the fact that agenda has always failed and always will. Fortunately, we were spared that reality-challenged view as well. Nor is it another effort to push the "conservative" agenda (basically, a way of diverting money to special interests). In fact, Yankelovich stresses the need to move beyond political "solutions" to problems.

People change careers, and I am one of those people. In my former life as an engineer (in a galaxy far, far away or something to that effect), one of the skills I learned was root cause analysis. This kind of analysis is demonstrably absent in public policy, as is evident from the demonstrable failure of federal policies, federal agencies, federal programs, and just about anything else spewing forth from Washington, DC. I notice that most "experts" have pretty logical-sounding solutions to what ails us, but almost none of them first determines what problem needs solving. They have a hammer (their area of expertise), and the whole world is their nail.

Yankelovich takes a humbler and more rational approach. This book talks about what CEOs and other leaders should do to restore integrity in our corporations, yet in the preface he says he's neither a celebrated CEO nor an expert on the subject. Upon reading the book, I found this worked to his advantage. He's not an armchair general type, either, though. He was on many boards over many years and has seen the workings of the inner sanctum firsthand. His background as a social scientist and researcher is also a critical qualification, because he has an excellent lens through which to observe and analyze.

At 169 pages in paperback format, this book is short. It's not a highly detailed academic treatise on case histories. Yankelovich is certainly capable of producing such an opus. But it would be read by academics rather than CEOs. This book is the perfect size for its primary target audience--the high level corporate executive. It can fit into a briefcase for reading during a return flight or two.

Profit with Honor has ten chapters. The first two give us a clear picture of the problem. In those chapters, Yankelovich also discusses why legal remedies don't work. For example, if you have a law barring a certain behavior, people who believe it's OK to game the system will find and exploit a loophole. To see how this pans out, look no further than our insane, and counterproductive, federal income tax code. He also talks about what happens when a company promises to play nice and then doesn't.

The next two chapters explain why "What's good for GM is good for America" isn't so (not to pick on GM--that was the actual statement, but the sentiment was quickly adopted by other companies). Yankelovich also provides comparisons between the ethics of today (or lack thereof) to the ethics of previous times. This isn't a "sure was great in the good old days" fantasy. Yankelovich bases his analysis on actual research, including a study of the Harvard Business School Class of 1949.

What he has to say about "civil society" in Chapter Five is right on target, and should be required reading for everyone over the age of six. Unfortunately, we have too few adults with the proper training in civility, and we gag on that aftertaste of that every day.

Chapter Six and Chapter Seven provide a good discussion of stewardship ethics, which Yankelovich proposes as the means of getting our corporations back on track.

In Chapter Eight, Yankelovich exposes the fallacy of the "Shareholder Value" philosophy, leaving no doubt for the reader that it has proven to be costly and destructive. Chapter Nine explores the concept of gatekeeper integrity. Our gatekeepers include institutional investors, auditors, business lawyers, investment bankers, business journalists, and educators--and they have profoundly failed us.

The final chapter, Titled "Hummer vs. Hybrid" nicely ties the book's concepts together. What better way to make things clear than to use a common example and figuratively turn it over in your hand so that each edge, nook, and cranny is exposed to sunlight? This example concerns the attitudes of two companies. The first one is GM, which I loathe. The second is Toyota, of which I am a customer and a huge fan.

GM chased short-term profits by producing gas-guzzling Hummers. Thanks to GM lobbyists, the CONgress (which sells legislation to the highest bidder) introduced more distortions into that abomination called "the federal income tax code" to make it advantageous for people to own Hummers rather than a vehicle that makes sense. Hummers tear up our roads (causing us to pay higher road taxes) and consume four times the fuel that a sensible vehicle does (causing gas prices to be higher). So, we all pay for some insecure person to drive around in a Hummer dominating the road while GM managers soak up their bonuses for short-term profits and Middle East terrorists enjoy the funding provided by the additional oil revenue. All perfectly legal.

Toyota, on the other hand, behaved responsibly by producing the fuel-efficient Prius hybrid. It's important to note that this isn't their only fuel-efficient vehicle. My Camry gets nearly 40 MPG on the highway (5-speed manual transmission, good driving habits, synthetic oil, and other things boost its fuel economy past the EPA rating). Some other models of conventially-powered Toyotas, such as the Corolla, do even better.

If we replaced every GM vehicle with a Toyota Camry, America would no longer have an energy problem.

Toyota's venture into the hybrid market came at the cost of short-term losses. This car isn't a cash cow for them, and it isn't causing their executives to go home with multi-million dollar bonuses. It's part of the their long-term strategy to build cars that serve people and society. It's the result of their "continual improvement" ethic.

Yankelovich follows this same ethic in his writing. He isn't proposing a quick fix. He's proposing a change in underlying attitudes and beliefs, and it takes time for those things to produce effects. It's like eating right vs. taking medications. Eating right won't instantly make you healthy, if you are presently not eating right. But it's the only way to be healthy and correcting the effects of wrong behavior takes time.

It's also a monumental task to get all the players on board with such a change. If this book makes its way into boardrooms and executive suites across the country, and if individuals in those boardrooms and executive suites decide to make personal integrity a top priority ala the Class of 1949, that change can and will happen.

If you like the idea of a nation in which corporations are run in an ethical fashion (providing a model the federal "government" might learn from), read this book and then recommend it to others.

Breaking The News: How the Media Undermine American Democracy

Average customer rating:

Interesting New Take on Something We Already Know
good book but not his best work
Liberal vs. Conservative? No Contest
media wanting power
Superb book on our most important national issue!

Breaking The News: How the Media Undermine American Democracy
James Fallows
Manufacturer: Vintage
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Elections | Government | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Media Studies | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0679758569
Release Date: 1997-01-14

Amazon.com

A lot of big-shot journalists didn't like this book, a systematic jeremiad about the current sad state of American political journalism. For instance, both the New York Times op-ed page and the New Yorker took pains to excoriate the book and its author--pretty good hints that Fallows is onto something. His point is that greed and intellectual sloth have fostered a political media elite that increasingly focuses on spin and ignores substance at the very time when solving the country's real problems requires all possible nuance.

Book Description

Why do Americans mistrust the news media? It may be because show like "The McLaughlin Group" reduce participating journalists to so many shouting heads. Or because, increasingly, the profession treats issues as complex as health-care reform and foreign policy as exercises in political gamesmanship. These are just a few of the arguments that have made Breaking the News so controversial and so widely acclaimed. Drawing on his own experience as a National Book Award-winning journalist--and on the gaffes of colleagues from George Will to Cokie Roberts--Fallows shows why the media have not only lost our respect but alienated us from our public life.

"Important and lucid...It moves smartly beyond the usual attacks on sensationalism and bias to the more profound problems in modern American journalism...dead-on."--Newsweek

Customer Reviews:

Interesting New Take on Something We Already Know.......2006-11-24

The author has done a superb job of researching this treatise on a media out of control. Many we illustrative examples are given to prove the author's point and the writing style is good as well.

Between what is presented here and listening to the pundits who spout at the mouth along their own agendas in the radio, it is difficult for anybody to ever figure out what is fact and what is what someone wants things to be. Very thought provoking!

good book but not his best work.......2006-03-09

Fallows is very smart and an excellent writer. This book is very good but I do not believe it to be his best work. However, this is an important part of any survey or recent books on the large problems within the US media.

Liberal vs. Conservative? No Contest.......2004-10-19

I first met James Fallows online in the early '90s, and then in person several times. For a Rhodes Scholar and Harvard grad, he was surprisingly in touch with the realities I knew as a moderate Westerner living in the East. He was kind enough to give me a copy of Breaking the News, and I found it to be a great read. It offered new perspectives and excellent explanations on the sorry state of today's journalism, far beyond the traditional but simplistic explanation of "liberal bias." Jim's perspective truly transcends the partisan and raises issues above the divisive fray that almost tragically seems to divide our great country. Although critics may contend that Jim offers a liberal apologist's view that liberal bias is not the primary problem (or even much of a problem at all), even my friends who are staunch conservatives should find little to disagree with and much to learn in "Breaking the News."

media wanting power.......2004-03-26

The book Breaking The News:How the Media Undermine American Democracy by James Fallows is a well written book. It tells about issues that we should hear and it may change how the people view the media and how the media have control and why we shouldn't always believe what we hear on the news. The author tells about how the media controls how we see our goverment. It's not so much about how important issues should be resolved like health care, education, etc.,but more on what is controversial about it. It has also affects the political system. The media and journalist only show or write about issues that will get people's attention so that they could get the money that they want, not so much to find a soulution. They don't care so much about the issues, all they just want is the attention and the money. This affects how people view the polical system.

Superb book on our most important national issue!.......2004-01-14

Appalled at the biases, distortions and omissions in the media, which have been worsening since 9-11, I recently launched on a campaign of study in regard to learning about the deterioration of the media and the influence of corporate control - and what we can do to counter it. This is one of the best, most informative and most readable of the six books on the subject I've read. I can't emphasize enough how important it is, how much our corporate-run media influence political thinking, decisionmaking and voting and influence not only the outcome of elections but the agenda and actions of politicians - and how motivated we need to become in order to counter it, to become informed about political realities rather than propaganda and myth, and as a country, to become more of a democracy and less of a plutocracy. The biggest difficult we face is that the media itself is not likely to publicize its own corruption, and is actively blocking attempts of people concerned with these issues inform the public. I also highly recommend the books on media disinformation and reform by Robert McChesney, including his mini-books Corporate Media and the Threat to Democracy and Our Media, Not Theirs.

Beyond the Founders: New Approaches to the Political History of the Early American Republic

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Not for general public, alas

Beyond the Founders: New Approaches to the Political History of the Early American Republic
Jeffrey L. Pasley
Manufacturer: The University of North Carolina Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Americas | History | Subjects | Books

Essays | Historical Study | History | Subjects | Books

General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0807855588
Release Date: 2003-10-31

Book Description

In pursuit of a more sophisticated and inclusive American history, the contributors to Beyond the Founders propose new directions for the study of the political history of the republic before 1830. In ways formal and informal, symbolic and tactile, this political world encompassed blacks, women, entrepreneurs, and Native Americans, as well as the Adamses, Jeffersons, and Jacksons, all struggling in their own ways to shape the new nation and express their ideas of American democracy.

Taking inspiration from the new cultural and social histories, these political historians show that the early history of the United States was not just the product of a few "founding fathers," but was also marked by widespread and passionate popular involvement; print media more politically potent than that of later eras; and political conflicts and influences that crossed lines of race, gender, and class.

Customer Reviews:

Not for general public, alas.......2005-03-14

SOme good concepts, but essay by Waldstreicher (author of the flat-prosed, over-argued In the Midst of Perpetual Fetes) is typical of his work--dense, poorly written, obfuscatory.

Real Democracy: The New England Town Meeting and How It Works (American Politics and Political Economy Series)

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Real Democracy: The New England Town Meeting and How It Works (American Politics and Political Economy Series)
Frank M. Bryan
Manufacturer: University Of Chicago Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Democracy | Government | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Practical Politics | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0226077977

Book Description

Relying on an astounding collection of more than three decades of firsthand research, Frank M. Bryan examines one of the purest forms of American democracy, the New England town meeting. At these meetings, usually held once a year, all eligible citizens of the town may become legislators; they meet in face-to-face assemblies, debate the issues on the agenda, and vote on them. And although these meetings are natural laboratories for democracy, very few scholars have systematically investigated them.

A nationally recognized expert on this topic, Bryan has now done just that. Studying 1,500 town meetings in his home state of Vermont, he and his students recorded a staggering amount of data about them—238,603 acts of participation by 63,140 citizens in 210 different towns. Drawing on this evidence as well as on evocative "witness" accounts—from casual observers to no lesser a light than Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn—Bryan paints a vivid picture of how real democracy works. Among the many fascinating questions he explores: why attendance varies sharply with town size, how citizens resolve conflicts in open forums, and how men and women behave differently in town meetings. In the end, Bryan interprets this brand of local government to find evidence for its considerable staying power as the most authentic and meaningful form of direct democracy.

Giving us a rare glimpse into how democracy works in the real world, Bryan presents here an unorthodox and definitive book on this most cherished of American institutions.

Off Center: The Republican Revolution and the Erosion of American Democracy; With a new Afterword

Average customer rating:

Interesting but I can't unreservedly recommend...
The True Science of Extremism
Excellent Description of the Problem, Miss the Solution
the new party in power
Must read guide for protecting Democracy

Off Center: The Republican Revolution and the Erosion of American Democracy; With a new Afterword
Jacob S. Hacker , and Paul Pierson
Manufacturer: Yale University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Arms Control | Current Events | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0300119755

Book Description

While most Americans remain politically moderate, American politics has careened to the right over the last two decades. Why? What can be done? This book helps make sense of recent political changes and explains how popular will is deliberately being subverted. The authors propose important reforms to strengthen our democracy and return American politics to the center.

"The most illuminating book on contemporary American politics to be published in over a decade. Every political journalist in America needs to read and heed this brilliant book."—Eric Alterman, author of When Presidents Lie and What Liberal Media?

"Closely argued and very readable. . . . This book should become required reading for anyone interested in the triumph of the neocons or worried about where they are leading America."—Publishers Weekly

“Hacker and Pierson shrewdly assess the new structures of political power in our country and the success of conservative Republicans in mobilizing resources and framing political choices. This book is innovative, it’s important, and it will open many eyes. It is the book Karl Rove would wish he had written–if he were on the other side.”—E. J. Dionne, Jr., author of Stand Up, Fight Back and Why Americans Hate Politics

Customer Reviews:

Interesting but I can't unreservedly recommend..........2006-08-14

...purchase...if you're unfamiliar with the mechanics of politics this book will enlighten you as to how it all works...but basically this book does little more than describe how Republicans have managed their political activities more adroitly than Democrats in recent years...good writing but nothing particularly exciting or enlightening.

The True Science of Extremism.......2006-06-25

You can ignore some of the more vitriolic reviews of this political science treatise, ranting either for or against, just because it criticizes the Republicans. Such reviews are from pundits who read a lot of popular commentary, and think they understand real politics. There is a very large difference between political commentary, which is the sloganeering of popular observers ranging from Michael Moore to Ann Coulter, and political science, which is backed up by solid academic theory and scientific evidence. Those of us familiar with academic dissertations in this field will be pleasantly surprised by the readability of this one. If you're also exasperated by the continually lowest-common-denominator jingoism of today's political discourse, then you'll also be surprised by the strength of this book's positions.

Hacker and Pierson explain, from a true political science perspective, the inordinate power of the ultraconservatives in today's political environment, and how this is possible when they espouse policies that are so far from the ideological "center." The authors provide convincing evidence that the Republicans' true success has arisen not from connecting with voters on real issues, but by consolidating power from within the party, and by manipulating governmental rules and procedures. The far-Right Republicans have also bullied their more moderate colleagues into taking more extreme stances, thus leaving ultra-Rightists as the only choice for more moderate voters who lean naturally toward the Republicans or don't wish to vote for the Democrats. Therefore, the far-Right has succeeded in advancing an extreme economic and military ideology that is far from the Centrist view of the vast majority of Americans. The political science evidence is solid, and goes very far in realistically explaining what's wrong with modern American politics, without stooping to slogans and epithets. Another advantage of this book is its very plausible ideas for solutions (except for a rosy request for the re-empowerment of labor unions), which deal in real political tactics and making change from within the existing political structure, and these are far beyond the utopian idealism of the popular commentators. Those with a real understanding of real politics will appreciate the scientific strength of this book.

However, there are a few rather large gaps in Hacker and Pierson's methodology, especially with their neglect of American voter behavior. They dabble occasionally in issues of low voter turnout and lack of effective media information. However, they avoid the severe modern problem of American voters choosing candidates based on thin and hyperbolic moral issues, and actually believing that such candidates will deliver comparable economic and sociopolitical policies. When a citizen votes for a politician who is likely to export his job overseas and wreck his local economy, just because that candidate is against gay marriage, this is a destructive trend that Hacker and Pierson overlook (they also miss the related issue of the complete aimlessness of the Democrats in recent years). Also, Hacker and Pierson base their fundamental arguments on the sanctity of "the center" in American political history, and how prior trends of extremism have been reined in by natural moderation in the electorate and the constitutional political structure. Unfortunately, the authors pretty much take this concept as a given, and this beloved "center" may actually be an overly wishful view of the past. [~doomsdayer520~]

Excellent Description of the Problem, Miss the Solution.......2006-05-02

This is a tremendous book. It joins "The Cultural Creatives," "The Radical Center" and "Breach of Trust" (by Tom Coburn, about how the "Party" turns elected representatives into slaves to the party line and against their constituencies). When combined with the latter books and Ralph Nader's long-standing complaints about "the system," these authors can take credit for adding useful new insights as to how extremist Republicans (who can indeed be likened to Hitler's movement in the efficacy of their take-over of a Nation with limited numbers--and I say this as a moderate Republican furious over the loss of MY party's reason) have pulled off the theft of a Nation and the looting of the middle class through the working poor.

I am especially taken with the authors' examination of how the extremist Republicans have been able to systematically lie to the public and get away with it. Their discussion of "backlash insurance" and how they have managed to coerce the moderate Republicans (such as my favorite moderate Republican, Congressman Rob Simmons, R-CT-02) into going along is a very helpful contribution to public understanding of how we got so far off center.

The authors conclude with a fine review of the four major obstacles to political reform.

Where they fall short is in failing to develop a solution. A number of us in the Greater Democracy movement have in fact developed a solution, and in the next three lines I hope you will see our solution as a fitting epilogue to this five-star book:

1) Accept that the Democrats cannot beat the Republicans base on base, issue on issue, or even on leadership, nor do we want them to. Instead, we need to create a Citizens Party that is a non-rival (this is important--NON-RIVAL) "second home" or "dual membership" party with wings for each of the existing parties--Democratic, Republican, Green, Reform, Libertarian, etcetera. This coalition of moderate Republicans, conservative Democrats, and all others can indeed beat the extremist Republican base if it aligns with the left of center but at least not lunatic Democratic base.

2) Accept that there is one issue and one issue ONLY where we can all agree: that the government is out of control and we need to restore representative democracy through a National Electoral Reform Act of 2007.

3) Finally, focus in 2006 on getting every incumbent and every challenger to join the Citizens Party and testify in writing that they will support the National Election Act of 2007 or face recall. Agree, or retire.

This is not rocket science. With the Internet where it is now, and the ground-breaking work of Joe Trippi (see also my review of his book, of Bill Moyer's "Doing Democracy, and of "Crashing the Gate"), we can do this.

The authors help make the case for WHY we have to go for broke this time around--it's all for one and one for all time. We stick together on this one, this time, or we surely will go nuclear, fascist, and broke.

the new party in power.......2006-03-21

Very informative. i don't necessarily agree with every point made, but it certainly makes you think about the whole picture and how are government is really being run, as opposed to what we are allowed to see.

Hacker and Pierson argue that Politics has become seriously `off center' and more so in the direction of the Republican Party. "The transformations of the Republican Party...the increasingly conservative (and increasingly Southern) leadership of the GOP has reflected and refracted the growing power of the base in its successful quest to reshape the party it heads." (H&P, 2005, p.111). The Republican Party have reorganized their whole organization, starting from the Base, going back to grass roots, and focusing on a whole new type of game plan included with insurance policies if all else should fail (backlash insurance). The new Republican Party, to this point, has been successful because of its strong alliance to the Base, the enforcement and commitment of all of its members, and especially the discipline and coordination that is constantly displayed among them. The Republican Party has come to thrive on the "...increased inequality of resources and organization between the rich, the radical, and the rest." (H&P, 2005, p.111).

Must read guide for protecting Democracy.......2006-03-18

Democracy has generally had a leveling effect that pushes most politicians to the center. Historically extremists in politics are squeezed out as their values and agendas diverge from the general public. So how is it that the Republican Party has managed to increasingly move further away from the center and continue to be elected? How do you sell snow to Eskimos? It seems that there is a growing disconnect between the desires of the electorate and their voting.

I look back fondly on the days when I only disagreed with the Republican Party on general policy issues. The truth is that the current Republican Party is literally tearing Democracy apart at the seams. It starts with the primaries where the GOP consistently throws its support behind right leaning ideologues creating a swarm of like minded sycophants willing to tow the party line. Candidates are controlled by their purse strings thanks to the ballooning cost of elections. They find themselves indebted to those with the biggest pockets and to the GOP itself thanks to a dramatic increase in campaign funds coming from the party itself. Lower and middle class voters are left with almost no voice in Washington. After being elected, Republican politicians are constantly monitored for ideological purity by groups like Americans for Tax Reform and the Club for Growth. Stray too far and next election you'll find yourself with a strong challenger from the GOP itself. The increasingly irrelevant `moderate' Republican's seem to have taken their position in stride voting against party lines only when the votes are irrelevant. It creates a lock step mentality following the lead of the increasingly powerful Executive Branch. "In 2003, [voting along party lines] reached the highest levels in the five decades in which they have been tallied" There is a breakdown in the separation of powers and marginalization of the opposition party as debate is stifled by a Republican Party that seems uninterested in hearing opposing ideas.

Meanwhile the GOP has worked to become the puppet master over lobbyists with Congressman like Tom DeLay DEMANDING support and cash from lobbyists for congressional bills that have yet to be presented like the Social Security reform bill. Companies have to pay for a seat at the table and in the case of the pharmaceutical industry the authors write that it, "now contributes 80 percent of its money to Republicans. PhRMA has essentially become an extension of the GOP."

The authors write, "voters have proved no match for a mobilized and coordinated conservative movements capable of managing the agenda and shaping and distorting the flow of information to citizens." Perhaps nothing is more important to the Bush administration than controlling the flow of information and their mendacity is legendary. From Cheney's blatant lie saying the energy bill contains, "...no new financial subsidies of any kind for the oil and gas industries" to the monumental $135 billion dollar lie about the cost of Bush's Medicare `reform'. The authors quote despicable GOP pollster Frank Luntz who advises that, "A compelling story, even if factually inaccurate, can be more emotionally compelling than a dry recitation of the truth" There is such an endless laundry list of egregiousness committed on the American public from government sponsored propaganda to selective leaks to press intimidation.

The authors close with some insight from James Madison who said that "parchment barriers" were not sufficient to protect democratic freedoms. Rules can be rewritten, un-enforced or re-interpreted to their breaking point. The Bush administration has shown even American democracy can be a very brittle thing when those in charge have the desire to usurp it and it's up to the electorate to right the wrongs that have been committed.

Perhaps nothing sums up the current GOP like this quote from Tom DeLay to reporter Elizabeth Drew, "You've got to understand, we are ideologues. We have an agenda. We have a philosophy. I want to repeal the Clean Air Act. No one came to me and said, `Please repeal the Clean Air Act.' We say to the lobbyists, `Help us.' We know what we want to do and we find people to help us."

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