Customer Reviews:
Another John Shaw Book - Excellent.......2003-02-04
This is another of John Shaw's excellent books on photography. Liberally illustrated with examples and interspersed with his commentary and notes I found tremendously useful.
Shaw covers almost all aspects of photography - from the rule of 16ths, exposure, film, tripods, lenses, closeups, depth of field, composition, backlit photography, etc... Reading this book before you start using that brand new SLR of yours will save you a lot of frustration and trial and error:) A lot of the tips in the book are also equally applicable to people using point-and-shoot cameras also.
A very useful feature in this book is that almost all photos have exposure details listed. Some of his other books do not have these details, which I miss.
This book is highly recommended if you are just beginning photography and are looking for a good introductory book.
a must read for beginners and advanced amateurs.......2003-02-04
It's usually difficult to write a nature photography book that's useful for the beginners and at the same time gives valuable advice to advanced amateurs, but Mr Shaw has just done that in this book.
This book contains very valuable advice for advanced ones especially on close-ups and flash photography and at the same time he covers the basic rules (thirds, sunny f/16) from an interesting perspective. I found his advice about filters and field gears invaluable.
Read this book if you want to take stunningly realistic nature photographs.
GREAT REFERENCE. WELL ORGANIZED.......2000-07-27
I doubt if this is the only book that you will ever need on this subject, but it is certainly one that you should not be without. I frequently use it as a quick reference/refresher before "going on a shoot." The topics are organized into 2-4 pages each that provide a lot of explanation without getting bogged down in chemistry and physics. Lots of great photos to illustrate the major points.
A great first book for the aspiring nature photographer........2000-03-02
John Shaw's books are highly recommended by many photography enthusiasts. I bought his "Closeups in Nature" last year, and thought it was one of the best instructional books on photography I've ever read. "Nature Photographer's Complete Guide..." is also a very good a book, I think, but I wouldn't buy it if you already have the "Closeups..." book. I think it is probably better suited to beginning photographers.
Good across most areas.......2000-02-25
This book touches on many relevant areas and facts about landscape and wild life photography. Good reference material. A little brief about composition in the area of landscape photography, though.
Customer Reviews:
Losing place.......2006-06-26
Don't get me wrong, I'm nowhere near the photographer Arthur Morris is, but the emerging world of digital photography has taken the bloom off this rose. This title needs updating for the new world. This book focuses mainly on work done with full-frame film cameras (where Morris earned his reputation), and much of what's here would apply to full-frame digital SLRs. Problem is, most of us can't afford them, and we're forced to using APS-C, smaller-frame cameras. The most significant thing there is that the images delivered to the sensors are the central portion of the full-frame sensor, so a lens connected to the camera "acts like" it has a longer focal length. This impacts things like composition and lens selection, and some detail from the master would have been insightful.
I would like to have seen a more thorough discussion of the use use of extension tubes in front of long lenses (Morris uses them). I am inclined to compare this book less favorably with anything by John Shaw, who very clearly and amusingly gets us into the nitty-gritty details of what AND why we do things a certain way.
I was also a little surprised at the quality of the photographs. Morris is a fine photographer, and the book is chock full of his finest work - but the reproduction of them leaves a lot to be desired. This is not a knock on Morris, but this title is a decided step down from Amphoto photography guides.
I Shoot A Lot More Birds That I Used To.......2006-05-02
I bought this book on a whim, thinking, well I kind of like taking pictures of birds, but they are so hard to get. Then I read this book and learned that with the right techniques and preparation I could take great bird pictures. Birds are now my second favorite subject right after flowers. The author is really an inspiration and his photos are wonderful. Even if you don't focus solely on bird photography, this is a great book and it is fun to read. Plus I learned of the hot-spots in North America for bird photography, which I will be visiting soon.
Excellent guide to bird photography.......2006-03-09
I recently got interested in birding and photographing them to document my observations. This book provides you all the practical information you need to become an excellent bird photographer. The only thing missing is that there is nothing about using the digital camera because this was published before the digital revolution. Author also spends a lot of time discussing the shortcomings of some of the film cameras and lenses. These have pretty much been addressed by the more modern cameras and lenses. Photographs are outstanding. A book worth having.
The Best Bird Photo Book You Could Find!.......2006-03-04
Wow this book kept my attention. I read it in one sitting. I re-read it the next day. The photos are amazing and Mr. Morris is very generous with his descriptions, information, location advice and more.
It's a bit dated, doesn't cover digital and mentions equipment generally no longer available, but the instruction on exposure is as good as I have seen.
Mr. Morris also talks at length about exposure compensation which I found very helpful.
Mr. Morris has a well-deserved reputation as America's number one bird photographer and his background as a teacher comes in handy here. Even if you're not into bird photography, check this book out. Anyone can learn from The Art of Bird Photography.
Out of Date Information.......2005-11-14
This book points out such valuable information as: use a long lens (like the authors $9,000 glass,) and get close. Hey, I never would have thought of that! The book was written in 1997 and deals exclusively with 35mm film media. A large portion of the book is devoted to film types and uses, and exposure and development techniques. Virtually no one, including Authur Morris, uses film anymore. Additionally, the author makes many equipment recommendations for equipment that is no longer even produced. This might have been a valuable publication, when it was written, 10 years ago, but it is sadly out of date now.
Average customer rating:
- Beautiful and Enlightening
- Maximum Braincandy for the Dollar!
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Cosmos
ASIN: 1905204310 |
Customer Reviews:
Beautiful and Enlightening.......2007-02-24
This book has some beautiful images of every place on earth. I was specifically drawn to the images of the earth taken once a month. The difference in the seasons is dramatic and stunning. It would be a lovely centerpiece and a wonderful learning tool.
Maximum Braincandy for the Dollar!.......2006-12-27
The sheer size of this centerpiece drew me to open and view it. Once inside, I was inspired to take a new look at our "blue marble." The book has great satellite imagery of every piece of landmass in the world. It points out some specific pieces of terrain and discusses its evolution over the ages. Learn a little geology and history while enjoying great 2D and 3D visuals.
Kudos to Palmer and his crew for this work.
Sun Tzu, war strategist, taught the importance of understanding terrain and its effects on friend and foe. This book definitely fits within this realm of understanding.
Book Description
Clear, thorough account, without complicated mathematics, explains geometric and the zone plate holography and the different types of holograms, including transmission, reflection, phase, projection, rainbow, and multiplex. It also shows basic setups for making holograms and provides step-by-step instructions so readers can make their own. 116 black-and-white illustrations.
Customer Reviews:
I did not received it yet........2007-03-08
I am trying to complain about delaying of this book, but I cannot make anyone to answer my question.
Book Description
"Bill Maher has inherited the mantle of Mark Twain and Jonathan Swift and he wears it with aplomb. If he were living in any other time or in one of many other countries, he would truly be in danger of being put to death for his legendary ability to say the unthinkable and say it better (and before) anyone else. When You Ride Alone You Ride with bin Laden is destined to be the most talked about book of the year" - Larry King
Political provacateur Bill Maher tells it like it is in a useful and hilarious guide for the many Americans who want to do more here at home to help in the war effort, but are at a loss as to how.
33 dynamic new posters and several classics from our government's archive, accompanied by text from one of our leading pundits and cutting-edge comedians make this the perfect book for this time in our nation's history, the zeitgeist of one-year-past-9/11 America. This will help Americans make the connection between what we can do and how it will help our troops to victory.
Says Maher, "Traveling the country, I find that people want to do more here at home, but are at a loss as to what. Even when the government issues a Terrorism Advisory,it's maddeningly vague - 'Terrorist alert today! Code Burnt Orange!'
'And what?' I always want to ask. "Bring a sweater?'"
"I've met funny guys but none as smart. I've met smart guys but none as funny. Bill Maher has single-handely raised the quality of political debate in America and with When You Ride Alone You Ride with bin Laden he will make the ultimate statement of his remarkable career. This is a most important - and most necessary - book." - Arianna Huffington
Customer Reviews:
A Great Book!.......2006-02-03
I admire the guts it took to say these things in modern America, a land where political correctness stifles free expression as surely as McCarthyism ever did. And how soon Americans are forgetting September 11, 2001! It floors me how so many people think it is now just a sad day from a history book. More and worse is probably coming, folks, and Bill Maher is honest enough to say so in a message that caters to neither the right nor the left, simply dishes up (in a loud voice) pragmatic commentary on how we are messing up and what we should be doing to fix it. In this semi-survival manual, a collection of topical essays combined with WWII-style political posters updated for our times, some things get said that desperately needed saying. Yes, we Americans can do more to make ourselves safer. Yes, we Americans have a partially-deserved PR problem on the world stage, and yes, our enemies overseas are waiting patiently in a state of extreme motivation, to strike us again. I recommend this book to anyone, but especially those who are too timid to wake up to the reality that we are in a watershed moment in world history, a time in which the culture of enlightenment and freedom is under direct attack by a Medieval-minded foe who would have us descend into repression and totalitarianism. Actually, wait. I'll correct that. Our foe wants the repression and totalitarianism for himself. For us he wants an irradiated wasteland from sea to shining sea. So read this book. It's frequently funny, it's thought-provoking, and it says a lot that stands in contrast to the patriotic but empty drivel that passes for our national dialogue in 2006.
Loose Hooks Sink Book.......2006-01-04
If only Bill Maher could turn his perceptive political insights into useful prescriptions for change, rather than cranky rants. Or in other words – great ideas, poor execution. Maher's basic concept in this book is that he wishes to compare the real sacrifices that Americans were proud to make in the World Wars with the completely empty gestures and false jingoism which are all Americans are willing to do in the current war on terror. For example, in the old days people actually tried to conserve food and fuel for the war effort. Nowadays, "patriots" continue our dependence on Middle Eastern dictators by buying gas-guzzling SUVs, then slap a cheap fake magnetic ribbon on the bumper and actually think they're helping win the war. Instead of a strong president who encourages us to make personal sacrifices and serve the nation, we have one who tells us to keep shopping and consuming, thus strengthening nobody but the corporations that make campaign contributions.
Bill Maher is great at finding ironies and disconnections like these in modern American politics. But after making such excellent insights, Maher doesn't know how to make his ideas useful at more than a basic oppositional level. It's not really necessary to review this book based on one's agreement with Maher's political stance. I happen to agree with much of it and disagree with some of it. But the main problem here is that Maher first addresses a problem usefully, but then goes on a tirade of self-righteous complaining, while writing as if he has the answers to all those problems. This is a real concern given his attitudes toward Islam, and his know-it-all prescriptions for military strategies. Maher's philosophy can also be very inconsistent and contradictory, especially when it comes to cultural tolerance and political correctness. Bill Maher's insightful mind finds some real breakthroughs here, but then his cynicism takes control and brings us back to regular old finger-pointing and condescending American politics. [~doomsdayer520~]
The Proboscis Monkey Is A Scornful Pharisee Who Contradicts!.......2005-11-04
Maher's antagonistic!!!! He's suspicious, ever since his P.I. days to inordinate Larry King appearances, where he's imposing his intolerant viewpoints bent exclusively to his bigoted agenda. All these 80+ reviewers who don't sentence Maher's shortcoming drivel to below-average ratings are either traitors, steeped in self-hate OR are willfully subservient to unfounded innuendo, with emphasis on being easily mistaught! In this perpetration copying yellow journalism, Maher commits SO MANY believability contraventions, it's one half-truth or embellishment repetitively.
What seriously outrages me is Maher imitating borderline psychosis, angrily overdoing critical over-ANALysis of petty matters-painful examples being schizophrenically furious fixation on what he, tyrannically, calls rightful reasons to join the military, namely people who reject comfortable lives of wealth for service, and scorching contempt for persons using medication to achieve goals, meaning dieting. Maher's next fault: psychotic pride, assuming he's qualified to lead people in all topics, overstepping into the A-B-N-O-R-M-A-L. The oppressive persecution with which he forms his unstable ideas resembles dictatorialness in Rome. His sneering spite for everyone not sharing his twisted misguidance is palpable in how absolutely he dictates his beliefs.
His book reeks in literacy, aesthetic and adeptness. Maher spitefully attempts humor, but can't redeem his sorrowful face there either!!!! When one's trying to absorb his content, it's usually destroyed by underhanded infiltrations of exerting jokes, which are ALWAYS coarse or awkward!!!! Maher's an incompetently R-E-D-U-N-D-A-N-T jackal, squandering 33 bogus mini-chapters for discussion that would've fit in two, since his fleeting thought-processes are condensed as: 1) "Where's better security in airports????!!!!", or 2) "Why can't Americans get their priorities straight????!!!!"
The worst objectionability is Maher's self-righteous pretexting. Unacceptable, is his insinuation to mishandle aspects of foreign policy in ways resembling rebukable socialism. Maher's short-sighted failure imposes a refusal of isolationism. Fine-except it's distorted to his hinderingly unqualified views. Maher discloses how shoddily unestablished he's business-wise, demonstrated in his continuous sighing over people nowadays taking things for granted, although that's the manifestation of technological and economical advancement, as people's productivity increases at performance. Maher refuses to practically rationalize Bush's suggestion to help the country after 9/11, which was shopping. Instead of understanding consumerism's the backbone of economies, Maher usurps more "fundamental" advice should've been given!!!!
Despite amassments of heinousness, I'm overjoyed at buying this crappiness. Maher's a LIBERAL, despite others' ill-versed fabrications. His maltreated excess of self-loathing is quite convincing. The only reason that I bother these days with noticing liberal-sensationalist tripe is to examine its content to discover the incurably many, ruthless schisms in truth. I'll dissect lie-after-half-truth-after-exaggeration, to expose Maher's ulterior motive of bending facts to the subjection of his plot: Ridicule Americans as "ignorant" or "gluttonous".
Sinfulness #1: p.24, paragraph 1, L.3-4. Maher justifies terrorists' actions and 3rd-World's envy of America. To plant something plotted to verify his slur, Maher blasphemes America inflates produce prices while others starve. Factually, inflated prices (which are enacted to reduce spoilage of produce) reduce domestic production, thereby allowing poor countries' farmers' goods to become competitive. His charges are illicit and ludicrous because he lets the 3rd-World evade blame reserved for it alone, from policies like mismanagement of aid to destitute, abuse of manufacturing workers paid next-to-nothing, and governments' cover-ups of AIDS.
Trespass #2: p.29, last paragraph, L.5. He perpetrates half-truths, damning America for having 2% of world's oil without expanding that America-like Russia-multiplies that subjugated figure to 9% in oil production. Thereby, America's not in such dire graveness as Maher inflates.
Breach #3: Chapters DOPE, CRAZY TALK. Maher demeans relationships between drugs and supporting terrorism, and defames America's drug war. Maher prevaricates that heroin's the "only drug" which benefits terrorism, when cocaine's predominant in South America's drug war. Maher subterfuges that the "only" connection's Afghanistan's Northern Alliance, trading opium. Yet Columbia's FARC annually receives payments of $600 million from wrathful coca farmers to fight Colombia's military, who're funded by U.S. government!!!! Iniquitously shocking Maher stoops to defending injury-sponsoring Colombian farmers, but decries America for spraying their vice-fields. This is an unprincipled plan from Maher to blame America's reaction, instead of the problem's cause: coca farmers.
Evildoing #4: p. 69, paragraph 6, L.1-infests whole chapter. Maher's imperfectness professes America should mother the 3rd-World. Uneducated-in-the-slightest Pharisees everywhere will persist loathsomely equating non-military aid with the "right kind of 3rd-World assistance". B-A-L-O-N-E-Y!!!! Maher's boycotted from calmly examining facts. Cato Institute's extensively studied, since WWII to the present, countries who've received non-military foreign-aid-results are sup-par!!!! By Cato's study, foreign-aid DOESN'T help countries whose economic policies are so constraining they need economic reform. I.E., out of 100 countries from 1980-1995, ones with A/B ratings attained real GDP growth, while countries with F-policy ratings endured shrinking, because countries receiving foreign-aid are encouraged to misallocate aid into primarily the opposite of its intent: economic stagnation. Maher also scandalizes Congress subsidizing farmers-yet it's foreign farmers who're the aggressor: 3rd-World countries injure American farmers by imposing cheap labor on their peoples, facilitating their farmers to sell their products affrontingly undervalued.
Slight #5: p. 118, paragraph 5, L.5-7. Maher fails with Muslim boys entering madrassas to become terrorists. That's not madrassas' preeminent goal-it's radical Islam's teaching's costly side-effect. Most enrollees don't emerge ACTING on their teachings. Besides not being directly answerable, S.A. doesn't sponsor madrassas singularly. There're also Arabs from many countries across the Middle East funding them. It's double-dealing to segregate S.A., because Pakistan is also threateningly active in developing madrassas.
Maher's two not-too-shabby propositions, tighter airport security and less sensitivity. These inadequacies are still harshly shortcoming a mean to the hampering extreme of unsavory misjudgments that are solicited. Maher's impenitently bigotedly unqualified regarding ability to discuss religion, and is an unprincipled double-speaker. Regarding Iraq's war, Maher prostituted himself on talk shows where he inconsiderately invites ingloriousness on America, cursing, "Iraq's a `disaster'." Yet he perpetrates entries where he's responsibly gloating being for, "hard U.S. military a$$-kickings to ANY `gangsta-government', be it Hussein...," and accepts that Hussein could "go biological"!!!! This is the arraignment of two-faced liberals who're overflowing the entertainment "community".
makes you think - that's good.......2005-07-26
Maher is a comedian and a social critic. So why is he criticised for being critical and funny?
Two issues initially drew me to this book: First, the book is endorsed by extremists on both sides, including arch-enemies Al Franken and Ann Coulter.
Second, the critics often bring out absurd attacks against the author himself (his friendships with Hugh Hefner or Michael Moore, or personal dislikes of the author). This is often the mark of a good book, as critics can't take him so well on specific issues, so they just use personal attacks.
Maher probably has personal issues. But this is to review his book, not his existence. His libertarian ideas are refreshing.
One piece of advice: books by comedians like Franken and Maher gain a lot with delivery. Consider getting the audio.
CAFE means crazy.......2005-03-07
Ignorance is interesting...thus an extra star.
While you are all busy attempting to find some kernel of truth with one another, Bill Maher is probably off cavorting with Hugh Hefner and his little bunnies. Maher's association with Hefner is telling on many levels. Among them are: his affinity for the 'cool' and dedication to the depthless; his lack of meaningful personal relationships, the seed from which sprouts his warped view of society; and the maniacal influence that seems to pervade so many of his thoughts. All of that said I think that people should view Maher(and read him so that his comments can be considered naked, without the veil of cuteness). He is an example to behold. Of what? The case for ignorance is strong here. People like Maher love to ignore facts, the U.S. purchases only a small fraction of its oil from the middle east...the overwhelming majority comes from our neighbors and allies: North American nations, South American nations, European, Asian, and African nations. And, yes a solid portion does come from the middle east, but certainly not as much as the activists would like you to believe. Check the import numbers for yourself and see.
Book Description
Political provocateur Bill Maher updates his useful and hilarious guide for the many Americans who want to do more here at home to help the war effort, but are at a loss as to what. One of our leading pundits and cutting-edge comedians has created the perfect book for this time in our nation's history, the zeitgeist of post-9/11 America. This is the book that will help Americans make connections between what we do and how it can help (or hurt) our troops and us.
Customer Reviews:
Great Audiobook.......2007-07-17
I purchased the hardcover first and found it to be pretty slim on actual content for the price--the posters really didn't add a whole lot to Maher's commentary. The audio book, narrated by Maher, is delivered in his dry comedic style and as such is much funnier. Maher is, first and foremost, a comedian, and this book has to be heard to be enjoyed.
Chock Full of Sensible Arguments.......2007-03-08
I got introduced to Bill Maher through his HBO show. That is a mixture of no-nonsense political spiel with comedy mixed in. I then purchased his book "New Rules" which basically expands on the portion of the show where Bill says some really funny things about stupid things (both mundane and political). I really loved that book. This book is very different in that it only gives Bill's spin on how the current administration has "butchered" everything post 09/11 (minus the comedy). If you are an ultra conservative you will be put off by everything Bill says. Being in the middle I find that what Bill says in this book seems to be supported more by logic or common sense rather than digging up supposed "facts" that many of the political pundits seem to load in their books.
What always bothers me about what they claim in those books as "fact" can never really be verified as the sources can be tainted too. Though I agree with Bill on many of his subjects, many others I don't. I appreciate a good argument though (I loved being on the debating team in school).
Whether you agree with Bill or not he has an amazing presentation style that makes me enjoy his TV program even more.
An oblique apology for his post-9/11 piquing of the administration.......2006-02-22
I will preface this review with the fact that I come from a perspective extremely critical of U.S. foreign policy and of its constant wars ("low-intensity" conflict, the "war on drugs," the wars on oil-containing nations, and the War o[f] Terrorism). Now you know where I'm coming from. That said:
It appears Mr. Maher was stung quite painfully when Ari Fleischer, Bush's then-press-secretary, singled him out for denunciation after Maher said on his talk show, Politically Incorrect, that, whatever the 9/11 hijackers were, they were not cowards. As a result, the stricken Mr. Maher lost his show.
He appears to have decided to respond to this downturn with a frothing-at-the-mouth, wrapped-in-the-flag nationalist rant, curiously intermingled with a platterful of liberal (and sometimes even radical) argumentation in regard to the injustices and inanities in U.S. foreign and domestic policy. Inbetween his rants, he makes excellent points in terms of "why they hate us," and in our (the people's) complicity with the crimes of empire. But, without fail, he returns to anti-enemies-of-the-state and anti-Islam polemics, eerily reminiscent of the "Hate Week" histrionics against Goldstein, Orwell's official enemy of the state in _1984_.
It is apparent that he is trying to vindicate himself by criticizing the "war on terrorism" from an ardent pro-war and pro-empire position.
But Maher, in this book, did not just fall into line in response to his chastening. He decided to attempt to be one of the ideological drill instructors of the punditry, calling for his critics (and, of course, the rest of us) to fall into line as well -- but be nicer about it. In essence, it seems as if he is trying to bark as loudly as his avowedly-right-wing counterparts as he co-opts their position.
It's an extremely ambivalent book -- he makes many excellent points and raises many important issues not raised by mainstream pundits (as other reviewers here have indicated). I recognize this, and it is indeed good. But, the problem is that the overall message undermines these arguments and smothers them in soothing generalities that, in turn, smother critical thought.
In his conclusion, he denounces all critics of American foreign policy and empire, self-righteously reaffirming the conservative line that America's is the gentlest bloody-handed empire (my not-so-complimentary interpretation) in history, and therefore is praiseworthy. Of course, Chileans, Nicaraguans, Salvadorans, Vietnamese, Haitians, Iraqis, Venezuelans, Grenadans, Cubans, the Timorese, and so on, would disagree. His quasi-historical concluding polemic, naturally, fails to substantiate itself, but rather speaks in sweeping, comfortable generalizations that pamper our traditional self-image and, in effect, reaffirm the conservative line. In the end, he becomes one of the best assets the neoconservatives could ask for -- an impassioned "liberal" who, in effect, argues their case but merely whines about methodology. A splendid example of false consciousness in action.
(Incidentally, this friendliness to the conservative worldview is confirmed by the praise received from self-avowed "conservatives" and rightists in these reviews, and from none other than Ann Coulter in her glowing comment quoted on the back cover of the book. If you ever hear conservatives call someone a "reasonable liberal," that should raise some flags.)
When it comes down to it, he is a privileged member of the upper echelons of the corporate media establishment, and he responded hysterically to an outright threat to his ability to stay there. Rather pathetic to observe, really. However, the neocons and "regular" cons can surely enjoy the thrust of his book.
Intelligent, witty social and political rantings.......2006-01-17
In World War II, there was a very famous poster of a man driving a car with a shadow of Adolph Hitler in the passenger seat. The caption was "When you ride ALONE you ride with Hitler! Join a Car-Sharing Club TODAY!" This was an appeal to save gasoline for the war effort and that every gallon of gasoline used was one less that could be used to fight the war. Maher makes the very valid point that it is just as true today as it was during World War II. The reason that American forces are fighting in the Middle East is because there is oil there and the Western nations need it to run their economies. If there was no oil or no need for it, hundreds of billions of dollars could be saved and we could care less what happens there. If even simple, relatively painless fuel economies were enacted, a large amount of that dependence could be eliminated. He also explains how the Bush administration has made very little effort to have the American people sacrifice things for the "war on terror."
Maher also makes other very valid points using posters, some of which had analogues created in World War II. Each poster also has an explanatory caption, where Maher is at his best in intelligent ranting combined with satire. One of my favorites is "Knowledge Wins" where he points out that to fight an enemy successfully, you must understand them. He quotes "The Art of War" and George C. Scott as General Patton when he notes that the only way to defeat the terrorist threat is to understand it. Groups such as bin-Laden's are largely Islamic in nature, well funded and have the support of hundreds of millions of people. Just as importantly, millions of those people own land floating on the oil that we cannot do without. Our national ignorance of other people is our greatest weakness, because knowledge is the ultimate power in our corner of the universe.
My partner Kathy Brogla and I are devoted fans of Bill Maher's HBO shows, his brand of intelligent wit and social insight is very fun to experience, even when we don't agree with him. I consider this his best work to date and strongly recommend it to everyone, independent of where they land on the political and social spectrums.
Funny and Insightful!.......2005-12-31
Maher is excellent at point out inconsistencies and hypocrisies. His basic platform in this book is following the format of WWII posters appealing to Americans to support the effort. One of these was "If You Ride Alone You Ride With Hitler," referring to the need to save gas. Maher points out that the need to conserve is just as great today because the monies ultimately go to OPEC tyrants who support terrorism. Unfortunately, we now act as though we have a god-given right to drive SUVs and waste gas.
Maher is also upset by the government's political correctness in refusing to use profiling at airport security points - thus, the little old lady in a wheelchair has a great an opportunity of being searched as an Osama look alike. True, the little old lady may be a fake, but that doesn't make me feel any better sitting on a plane behind three obvious Middle Eastern men who did not receive special screening.
Another topic of attention in the book is Maher's disgust that we don't want to see Islam as a problem - despite its prior record of trying to rid the world of "infidels" (everyone else), and the monopoly they have on today's terrorism. Again, political correctness bites America in the rear.
Throughout the book Maher makes clear that his patriotism for America is total - however, that does not mean that we should not question our leadership, or try to understand our enemy.
If only President Bush spent time listening to people like Maher, and not just neo-con crazies!
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- Practical Aspects of Knowledge Management
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- Rare Views
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Books Index
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John Shaw's Nature Photography Field Guide
John Shaw's Landscape Photography
Understanding Exposure: How to Shoot Great Photographs with a Film or Digital Camera (Updated Edition)
