Book Description
Written in 1936 and published the following year, this brilliant and profound evaluation of Stalinism from the Marxist standpoint prophesied the collapse of the Soviet Union. Trotsky employs facts, figures, and statistics to show how Stalinist policies rejected the enormous productive potential of the nationalized planned economy engendered by the October Revolution.
Customer Reviews:
Trotsky and E.H. Carr.......2007-01-29
If one wants to understand contemporary world politics then one ought to read this book.The Russian Revolution WAS and IS the most important event of the 20th century. Trotsky, the consumate Marxist, explains to us the whole story from the inside ---looking out. I might add that as a companion to Trotsky's works one should read the British historian E.H. Carr's History of the Russian Revolution. Carr was no Marxist but gives us as a view of the revolution from the outside--- looking in.
ET Seattle
A revolutionary retrospective .......2006-06-28
A reader of 'The Revolution Betrayed' will find invaluable insight into the 'intellectual response' of a leading Soviet politician. Trotsky was a very important contributor to the theoretical idiom which frames the 'conceptual creation' of the USSR. He had a part to play in many critical phases of the October Revolution and Civil War, organizing and propagandizing, enforcing harsh discipline and imposing his theoretical brand of Marxism on the Soviet State. His distinguished position in Lenin's party is beyond debate. Reading this text gives the reader a deeper analytical impression into the changes and transformations that occurred in the highest echelons of the Soviet bureaucracy, as Stalin began to accrue power. Indispensable reading for anybody with an interest in Russia history.
Revolutions revisited.......2006-02-01
In my humble opinion, Trotsky's "Revolution Betrayed" is the best analysis of not only the Russian revolution, but revolutions in general. I have studied revolutions in the modern world quite extensively, and re-reading this book at this particular time in history was a true eye-opener - again. To be simplistic, revolutions do not provide lasting success when nothing is to be gained. Those who rise against existing power expect to be rewarded, not with poverty, but with a certain degree of wealth and privilege. If there is nothing to be distributed, then what is the use in fighting? Stalin unfortunately stepped in at the right place, at the right time. Not good for the outcome of that revolution, not good for socialism, but good for Stalin's kind of power.
A few years ago I visited Komsomolsk, Stalin's "Youth" city. It was decaying, a pitiful sight to behold. Buildings on ultra-wide neglected avenues in need of repair, high weeds everywhere, crime uncontrolled. Power gone bad?
Stalin and his compulsive bureaucracy were feared all over Europe. Blessed with clear early childhood memories that include the conversation of adults, I vividly remember my grandmother's fear of Stalin discussed with friends and family members. They witnessed the rise of this awful bureaucracy next door, word of the killings and the horrible brutality didn't just dribble out, it flowed out. I want to say that the Stalinist bureaucracy is unique, but all bureaucracies are designed to increase continuously and feed of themselves, and exist everywhere in the world. And people flock to them for employment, protection, security, in great masses, because bureaucracies deliver security. And if people do not fly into bureaucratic arms directly, they deal with them on a daily basis. There is no getting away from that apparatus of suffocation, nowhere.
Bureaucracy does not have to be bad, and Trotsky dwells on the need for leadership from within the workers, the suppressed, creating a bureaucracy that is just and fair. Is that ever possible? I believe that capitalism and bureaucracy are a contradiction, and unless corruption reigns, they cannot coexist. What comes next?
Trotsky's book raises more questions than it answers, but I am sure it was written for that purpose as well as enlightening the scholar of his interpretation of a betrayed revolution. And where do we go from here?
Trotsky: Mass Murderer and Liar.......2005-01-30
You know, I hate to burst the bubble of devoted Trotskyites across the globe, but Trotsky was just as responsible for Stalin's rule as anyone. For Leon to blame Stalin is the height of hypocrisy. Without Lenin's apparatus of social repression and Trotsky's apparatus of military dictatorship, Stalin would never have been.
The Russian Revolution was never a win for workers. It destroyed them, some 4 million at Lenin's hands, 30 million by Stalin, and 65 million by Mao Tse-tung.
No policy or ideology that denies the soul can ever succeed. And communism does just that. By denying that which makes humans humans, it can bring only suffering.
why workers state is stronger than the bureaucracy.......2003-03-25
First published over 60 years ago, this definitely is a book for today. Leon Trotsky, a central leader of Russian revolution and commander of the Red Army offers an insightful analysis of what led to the rise of the Stalinist Bureaucracy in the former Soviet Union.
War weariness, scarcity of the necessities of life, and the retreat of the world revolution created conditions for career seekers, faint hearts, dogmatists and bullies to thrive, and slowly but surely drive the Russian workers and peasants out of politics.
The idea that the fall of the Stalinist regimes in the late 1980's and early 90's would usher in a new prolonged period of prosperity for capitalism has proven to be wishful thinking at best. As Trotsky painstakingly details in the book, the workers states is stronger than the Bureaucracy that sits and feeds upon it.
The present US led invasion of Iraq is partly due to the failure to save it's declining empire through the Moscow route.
Customer Reviews:
Too close to the subject matter.......2007-03-27
This is in some ways a good and necessary book. It spotlights a nation and a set of problems that most of the world doesn't pay much attention to. But there is a problem. Michela Wrong is too close to the subject and her emotional attachment at times results in the book not being as objective or as good as it might have been. In particular, she seems to have been far too close to Eritrean rebel groups and their leaders.
Eritrea's history isn't about "betrayal". Its about the same problems that most African nations have faced. Rather than face the fact that the problems of Eritrea today are largely self-inflicted wounds, she falls back into blaming colonialism and cold-war politics in really unconvincing ways.
In her coverage of Italian colonial rule, she confuses events in Eritrea with those in Ethiopia. She is also willing to judge Italy to a far higher standard than she applies to the pre or post-independence governments of both countries. She is also more than a little unwilling to understand the role that Italy played in creating Eritrea.
The lowest point in the book is her coverage of Britain's wartime rule of Eritrea. She advances a theory that the british were racist than the italians because their rule produced fewer multiracial children. Somehow she sees superior morality in men who promoted widespread prostitution and produced children which they abandoned. It makes no sense to me. Her logic is also full of wrong assumptions about the number of British in the country and the nature of the occupation.
She also isn't very good about the details of the war. The war in East Africa and in particular the victory at Keren was not a British victory, but a victory of the British Indian Army. Somehow she misses the basic fact that much of the army that conquered and occupied East Africa was Inidian.
The British wanted out of Eritrea and got out of it seven years after the war ended (1952). As they got out, the issue of Ethiopia's historic and economic claims to Eritrea came to the surface. Wrong wishes to blame the united nations for betraying the people of Eritrea. But its not that simple. Eritrea's national identity has no particular good historical basis and arises mostly from the period of Italian rule and the money Italy spent on their colony. Furthermore, its independence results in two weak states in East Africa rather than one. Eritrea and Ethiopia need each other. Economically, independence is a disaster for both.
The war for Eritrea's independence was a pointless waste of lives for everyone involved. Wrong wishes to see it as a justified noble struggle for "freedom", but as events since independence have proved, it was anything but that.
After the overthrow of the Ethiopian government in 1976, horrible things were done in Eritrea and the author gets that part of the story right. Then she goes on to show the bright future Eritrea had before it in 1993 at independence and how everything went so terribly wrong.
But she can't bring herself to hold the right people accountable. She can't bring herself to admit that the rebels she had admired so much once in power turned to be little better than a criminal gang. A gang that destroyed the economy of the country, introduced a dictatorship and then threw the country into a disasterous war with Ethiopia. The world didn't do these things. The world's "betrayal" didn't make these decisions. It was the rebel "freedom fighters" who are responsible.
And thats the fatal flaw in the book. The author wants to give critiques of colonialism and the UN from on high. But the truth is that the country's problems are not a matter of "I didn't do it for you", they are "we did it to ourselves".
The end result of the great "struggle" for Eritrean independence has been an economic disaster for both Ethiopia and Eritrea. The political result is a government running Eritrea that is as bad (or worse) than what the author claims were the "repressive" Ethiopian governments of the 1950s and 1960s. Eritrea's government budget is wasted in preparations for more war with Ethiopia. The country is trapped in a situation where things will never get better. Its not a situation that outsiders should be credited or blamed for.
When the author says things like: "the national character traits forged during a century of colonial and superpower exploitation were about to blow up in Eritrea's face.", she in engaging in massive political self-deception. Her (dated) anti-colonial/anti-imperialism rhetoric leads her to excuse every bad decision made by an African as someone elses fault.
She also goes out of her way to make the American soldiers stationed in Ethiopia in the past look like they were exceptionally bad. Having worked and travelled in Africa, she must know how soldiers behave in most countries. Go to the area around any military base (including those on American soil) and you will find all sorts of unpleasent things going on. I'm not trying to excuse the behavior of anyone, but the selective moral outrage in the book is of little value to anyone.
I wanted to like this book and I want to see the author write more books about Africa. But she needs to put her political ideology to the side and report on Africa as it is. She did a far better job in "In the footsteps of Mr. Kurtz" than she did in this book.
The Truth, The Whole Truth, Nothing but the Truth..........2007-01-03
If you are an Eritrean and you are often at loss for words ( like me) to explain where, why, who, where and what of this small nation,
say no more! Buy and give each of your audiences a copy of this book.
Michela Wrong plainly expounds the intricacies of one of the longest wars in Africa, making this book to be exceptionally one of the best books ever written that comprehensibly states the Truth, The Whole Truth, Nothing but the Truth about the smallest nation in the world.
Fascinating.......2006-12-27
I read this book because one of my colleagues knows the writer. I wanted to know more about different countries throughout Africa and he suggested I read this and vouched the information was very accurate. I found the book to be 100% fascinating. I was intrigued by the way the Ethiopians and the rest of the world treated Eritrea. The terrible things the Eritreans had to endure not only from the Ethiopians but the British and the Italians. It so sad that all this went one with mere mentions of it throughout the world because no one cared enough. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in history on Africa.
Well-researched and well-written spotlight on an overlooked land.......2006-09-09
I was directed to Michela Wrong's "I Didn't Do It For You" via my recent reading of Adrian Hartley's outstanding memoir "The Zanzibar Chest" (he dedicates the book to Ms. Wrong with a brief "Now it's my turn"). As the offspring of an Italian mother and a British father, Wong is uniquely qualified by heritage (in addition to her obvious journalistic talents) to tell Eritrea's story. We get an expert and detailed (and downright fascinating at times) accounting of this small country's sinuous path through two colonial masters, the rules of Haile Selassie and Mengistu, its machinations with the superpowers during the Cold War (mind-boggling complex because US-funded Ethiopia and Soviet-funded Somalia actually 'dance past each other' and switch sides), the long battle for Independence and - almost incredulously - another war after independence had already been won. If even there was a country that 'punches above its weight', Eritrea is it.
The title of the book is really a great choice. I don't want to give it away, but I'll note that it's a derisive quote uttered by a British soldier and it's not the entire quote. One key word has been left off the end, and it's that word that encapsulates the attitudes that have delivered the short end of the stick to this beleagured country time and time again.
Also worth noting: the 'P.S.' section in this paperback edition is outstanding. There's a great interview with Ms. Wrong and some excellent book selections recommended by both the author and the publisher.
Easy Reading.......2006-08-07
Great book that puts the reader into Africa and the events that transpired in Zaire/Congo. The author does a great job of explaining the background and key events that led up to the present situation in this African country.
Book Description
In this call to embrace the worldwide democratic revolution, this book argues that global democracy should be the centerpiece of U.S. strategy.
Customer Reviews:
Part of my Summer Education.......2007-01-06
Despite all of the detractors on the left. The Reagan revolution helped the world overcome the final vestiges of the cold war and began to come together. In spite of this, ALL of his sucessors have neglected to capitalize and continue a realistic and steady march toward the center and a liberalization of thier governments and economies. Countries that are larger more entrenched and there fore a harder sell are now coherent democracies, where those that should have been easy to achieve are quickly coming to the lists of failing or failed states. Bill Clinton did much good to help world peace, however him and his predecessor George and sucessor George Jr seemed to have forgotten the need to develop in the third world, in order to continue keep the world peaceful. Contentment brings peace, education brings peace. This book brought me education. More liberals and conservatives should read this book and then write thier congress people.
Bill Clinton's and John Kerry's Beach Vacation from History.......2004-10-05
Michael Ledeen's analysis of how the USA defeated the evil communist regime of the Soviet Union is maybe the most valuable around for several reasons:
1. the democratic revolution of the 1970s and 1980s was a RIGHTIST movement, which destroyed the Intelligentsia's myth that revolutions are inevitably Leftist.
2. You get a clear picture of the difference between the USA's foreign policy and that of Left-wing tyrannical, totalitarian regimes.
3. Find out what most historians won't discuss: America's assistance in helping rescue Portugal from a communist takeover, which help turn the tide against Euro-communism.
4. Find out why Spain's transition from Franco to Juan Carlos, the Phillipines transition away from Marcos, Chile's purging of Pinochet SHOW THAT DEMOCRATIC REVOLUTIONS CAME FROM THE RIGHT and were, by and large, PEACEFUL.
5. LEFTIST REVOLUTIONS ARE BY NATURE VIOLENT.
6. You will learn about behind-the-scenes activities during the Reagan years that SYSTEMATICALLY WEAKENED SOVIET TOTALITARIANISM AND ROLLED BACK THE SOVIETS.
7. You learn why the modern American Democratic Party is, with a few exceptions, not equipped to manage American supremacy in the post-cold war world. The liberals signalled a full retreat to the extremes of neo-isolationism or humanitarian crusades. THE LIBERALS NEVER DEFEND AMERICA WHEN AMERICA FIGHTS FOR ITS INTERESTS.
8. You will learn how Bill Clinton, and, sad to say, George H.W. Bush, did not learn and apply the leadership of Ronald Reagan. Bush's leadership in the first Gulf War was good but an outgrowth of the Reagan buildup. BUT CLINTON WAS MUCH WORSE AND EVEN SIGNALLED WEAKNESS TO THE ENEMIES OF THE WORLDWIDE MOVEMENT TOWARD LIBERAL DEMOCRACY.
9. Ledeen offers answers, his "Contract with the World." Unlike so many writers, Ledeen offers this short, well-written strategy for the USA.
Ledeen's plan is an excellent anti-dote to the neo-isolationism of John Kerry, the meals-on-wheels dog-and pony foreign policy of Bill Clinton, and eternal State Department mush.
Customer Reviews:
Slightly Heavy Handed, but a great read.......2007-06-03
I enjoyed this book. It concerns the socialist revolution in Germany at the end of World War I. Doblin mixes historical characters such as Rosa Luxembourg and Karl Liebknecht with his own fictional characters. The historical parts of the book are great. Doblin is vivid in his descriptions, and he also makes fun of a lot of the historical characters which brings a refreshing humor to the story. Of course, if you're not familiar with World War I era German history (and let's face it, who is?) then there are a lot of strange names to keep track of. I was a history nerd, so I don't mind keeping track of strange names, but be forewarned.
Unfortunately the fictional characters are not as intriguing as the historical characters. They seem a bit flat, unrealistic, and Doblin's portrayal of his fictional female characters is somewhat dated (to put it nicely). Doblin was a Christian Anarchist, and he primarily uses the fictional sections of his book to flesh out both themes. And he tends to get heavy handed and preachy with both the Christianity and the anarchism.
There were four books originally. The first one for some reason was never translated into English, so you have to jump into the middle of the story (which isn't too hard to do, although it does give the series a feeling of incompleteness). The second two books have been translated together into one volume, "A People Betrayed" and the last one is "Karl and Rosa"
Book Description
Acclaim for The French War Against America
"A very readable and provocative tale of early Franco-American relations that will please some and infuriate others."
—John Buchanan, author of The Road to Valley Forge: How Washington Built the Army That Won the Revolution
"Harlow Unger has written an amazing tour de force revealing France's two-faced role in the American Revolution and the early Republic. The book also has enormous relevance for contemporary politics. Don't miss it."
—Thomas Fleming, author of Liberty!: The American Revolution
Praise for Lafayette
"Harlow Unger has cornered the market on muses to emerge as America's most readable historian. His new biography of the Marquis de Lafayette combines a thoroughgoing account of the age of revolution, a probing psychological study of a complex man, and a literary style that goes down like cream."
—Florence King, Contributing Editor, National Review
Customer Reviews:
What they did not teach in high school history.......2006-01-25
Unger reveals and documents France's design for "New France" in supporting the colonies and explains the whys of France's current anymosity towards the USA. It is a history book that captivates like a novel.
The French War Against America: How a Trusted Ally Betrayed Washington and the Founding Fathers.......2005-09-20
I have read this book by Unger as well as his book "Lafayette". Both are written with a great deal of detail and insight with out being dry or boring. Mr. Unger has a great ability to keep the story flowing. You will not loose interest in ether of the books.
Read this book, not the Publisher's Weekly review of it........2005-05-13
I heartily recommend this book and couldn't disagree more with the tendentious review from Publishers Weekly. Unger's documentation is available in his book with endnotes for anyone truly interested to investigate. The Publisher's Weekly review lacks any such counter attempt to actually provide references of Unger's supposed errors. The review takes certain of Unger's adjectives out of context in an attempt to suggest that Unger
is just name-calling. This is an unworthy ploy designed to seduce the casual reader.
Unger uses hard data in making his case against the French but the Publisher's Weekly review would have one believe he relies on adjectives alone. This is an inaccurate and incomplete description of what Unger actually does, but the charge of "argument by adjective" is exactly what is done by the reviewer in criticizing Unger. The Publisher's Weekly review relies primarily on adjectives or conclusory statements such as: "provocative but flawed," "not-startling," "exaggerates,"and "shrill," which serve as a feeble substitutes for any reliably significant commentary on the book.
Unger details, with more than adequate documentation, French efforts to topple George Washington, French efforts to invade Louisiana, French efforts to betray the American peace negotiators after the Revolutionary War, as well as other examples of French treachery. What the book details is a string of French actions designed specifically to harm the United States. Intentionally and deceptively taking steps to harm an "ally" is accepted by the Publisher's Weekly review as France simply basing "its diplomacy on its perceived self-interests." The Publisher's Weekly review is fraudulent and I am confident that in any debate, Unger would shred the reviewer. Of course, that debate won't happen as "bologna fears the grinder."
I have no problem with critical reviews, and when they are well-done, they enhance what I get out of a book. Neither the Publisher's Weekly reviewer's adjectives nor conclusory comments serve to advance the discussion of a very interesting topic for both the historian and political observer. I stand by my recommendation of the book and welcome hard evidence of any errors that the book might contain - adjectives will not suffice.
While the bulk of the book focuses on the period just before, during and after the Revolutionary War, Unger also gives some attention to more modern events. He discusses the phenomenon of current French leaders all being ENARCHS or graduates of the Ecole Nationale d'Administration (ENA plus the Latin/Greek suffix "arch" meaning "chief,")
Here are some examples of insights he shares:
"... enarchs have badly undermined the French economy by discouraging free enterprise, limiting investments in creative genius and modern invention, stunting expansion of the arts and sciences, and discouraging individual initiative. Harvard University's endowment alone, for example, is more than double the combined annual budgets of all universities in France. " p. 251
"Impotent or not, France and the French continue to plot against
America. As de Villepin boasts, "France is obsessed with power . . . galvanized by conquest. It is a national disease passed down through the ages . . . we have never learned to live in partnership . . . France is still aflame with the passions of a great nation, fervently defending her rightful place in history." p. 252.
This book combines great historical research with fascinating insights into modern day events. A great read for those with an interest in these areas.
Average customer rating:
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The Revolution Betrayed
Manufacturer: DOUBLEDAY ,DORAN
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000CRON2M |
Product Description
WHAT IS THE SOVIET UNION & WHERE IS IT GOING
Average customer rating:
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Nineteen-seventeen: the Russian Revolution betrayed,
Vsevolod Mikhaīlovich Eichenbaum
Manufacturer: Libertarian Book Club
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
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Book Description
Highlights the unique character and behavior of the nation. Frank, irreverent, funny--almost guaranteed to cure Xenophobia.
Customer Reviews:
Good book, worth reading.......2005-08-21
This guide made some interesting points, such as the idea Scots like being noted for both fiery tempers and dour dispositions. I would gladly read the author's book of Scottish insults, since those were some of the best things about the book.
Illuminating, entertaining look at what makes the Scots tick.......2002-03-30
As a Scot myself I can vouch for the uncanny accuracy of this book. A sympathetic (but not unquestioning), highly entertaining, accurate, and short book which explains what makes the Scots tick and also explains some the qualities that have helped them make a contribution to so many other countries where they have settled.
Book Description
Highlights the unique character and behavior of the nation. Frank, irreverent, funny--almost guaranteed to cure Xenophobia.
Customer Reviews:
So true!.......2005-05-10
I am British myself (and only came on the American Amazon site to view how you Americans saw the book). This book is wonderfully true. If anyone dares to disagree they must not know the English! I would strongly advise anyone visiting England to read this book first! Its tells you all you need to know about us in a hilarious and true fashion. I recently visited America and realised what a huge culture difference there is between us both. I plan on buying the American version soon. Hopefully it will live up to the English version.
The only criticism I have for the book was that it wasn't very long, only about a hundred and something pages. Although, that said, it's ideal for a plane flight. I read the whole book in about an hour. It's very addictive.
Anyway, if you want to be in the know about us English then buy the book. You wont regret it!
P.S
A little note to anyone who plans to visit England...AVOID A RESTRANT (if you can call it that) CALLED 'LITTLE CHEF' AT ALL COSTS. I see many tourists come to England and go to a little chef thinking that English food is just bad and that's why the food is like that. Truth is its not. They also charge a fortune and serve you up something that makes cat sick look appetising. Avoid if you can!
Too lenient!.......2003-02-28
I think that most of these guides were written by British people. Coincidentally, they are pretty objective until you get to this one. Since the Brits consider themselves to be brutally honest, I was hoping that the authors would mention ALCOHOL under the 'Obsessions' chapter. Hardly. 'The Pub' is described as a social setting when it should be described as a social ill. The 'Character' chapter starts off with, "Moderation means a lot to the English". That in itself is laughable. This book is obviously about England before dark. After dark, it's a whole different country, and the authors are truly in denial.
Do you know someone from England??!! Prepare yourself!!!!.......1998-12-04
I'm taking a trip to England in a couple weeks and I was going through the travel section where they have the travel guides and I came across this book and I thumbed through it...And since I correspond with people in England it was very interesting to me...and as reading it I found myself smiling cause of some of the things mentioned were true, and I couldn't help but buy it and read it completely. Despite the fact that I found it focusing on the negative aspects, I think that that is to prepare you for some facts that you will find true in the English...(The good side will always cheer us, and the person I deal with is full of beauty and life, but the bad I rather not be surprised with). Overall a great insite to the mentality in a comical way.
Acid critic of the English way of life........1998-06-04
This book reviews the English way of life, with all its pecualiarities and also with its contradictions. You will enjoy it if: a) you know the English way and check that you weren't the only one to find those strange behaviours. b) You are an englishman/woman with good sense of humor that enjoy knowing how the people see you. I can't wait to read "Xenophobe's guide to the Spanish", just to check if I have the sense of humour I've always thought. It'll be funny to know which aspects of my daily life are strange to the others.
Book Description
Highlights the unique character and behavior of the nation. Frank, irreverent, funny--almost guaranteed to cure Xenophobia.
Customer Reviews:
So true!.......2003-10-09
This book is soooo true!! I am an Austrian myself, at the moment living in the United States, and came across this book via my boss, who is an Austria aficionado.
I think I rarely ever enjoyed a book that much; to everyone who ever spent some time in my country and got to love its many peculiarities, this will be a great souvenir / gift!!!
Short, readable, humorous.......1999-03-05
A good little book, providing a quick traveler's introduction to the Austrians. It is written with a pervasive sense of humor, and offers insights into local custom and character. It is not a substitue for either a true guide book or for a good history (both of which we would strongly urge one to have). Read this first, then consult the travel guide books and read The Austrians.
Book Description
Highlights the unique character and behavior of the state. Frank, irreverent, funny--almost guaranteed to cure Xenophobia.
Customer Reviews:
Dude! This book is awesome!.......2001-11-04
Wow!! California has been analyzed and humorized in this delightful book that will keep you laughing from beginning to end. Mr. Marais doesn't miss a beat as he rattles off one quip after another about this culture of characters that even Hollywood couldn't dream up! From pampered pooches to personal growth weekends, from smog alerts to freeway traffic jams, California has set itself up for this author's hilarious take on the "sunshine state". Enjoy!!
Factual, Witty and Very Funny!.......2001-11-04
I am a Californian, and I loved this little book that is filled with fact and wit that had me laughing out loud. The character differences between the Northern and Southern Californians were hilarious. All of the stereotypes of the golden state were well illustrated. This is a great gift for every Californian, those who visit California, or anyone who would just like a few laughs.
California Dreamin'.......2001-11-02
This 60+ page guide to the Californians is a delight! A unique combination of witty, tongue-in-cheek comments and factual information about California culture, history and geography makes for a very enjoyable read. I highly recommend it to natives and foreigners alike!
Laughed Out Loud.......2001-10-31
I began reading this book on my lunch break at work -- laughing out loud from the start! After work, I read it while walking to my car and while stopped at traffic lights on the drive home. Now, if that isn't a ringing endorsement! I've been to the Golden State a few times and I can vouch that the author describes Californians to a "T". This is a witty and insightful book that will be enjoyed even if you have no plans to visit. It's a lot of fun, give it a read!
A "Surf City" Native.......2001-10-27
As someone who was born in the section of Los Angeles known as Hollywood, and raised at the beach, south of Mr. Marais' so called "Tan Line", I found his guide to the Californians insightful and extremely humorous. For anyone who lives in, knows someone from, or just wants to visit California, this book is a must read. I really think it captures the true essence of the Californian collective psyche!
Book Description
Highlights the unique character and behavior of the nation. Frank, irreverent, funny--almost guaranteed to cure Xenophobia.
Customer Reviews:
pricey.......2007-06-09
For the outrageous price one gets a very succint introduction into the habits of the Japanese, one that disregards the internal differences that are bound to exist in the country.
It is very good for a two hours fun read for someone who does not really plan to visit the country. The amount of information given is more easily gathered through a TV documentary though, and anyone wishing real help should address oneself elsewhere.
To keep matters very light but do it more usefully, about 40 more pages would have sufficed, together with a more rational partition of topics.
I would have appreciated a section about easy blunders to avoid when visiting such a different country and more attention to the intercourse between foreigners and natives, not excluding the more friendly or even intimate point of view.
were we reading the same book?.......2003-07-14
I've been living in japan for about two years now, and while you can learn more by going through several longer, more extensive books, for a single guide that offers an irreverant explanation of a very difficult country to understand, the Xenophobes Guide to the Japanese is solid. Like the reviewer above, I read the Culture Shock guide to japan, and while I found it interesting too and learned more about culture shock, altogether for a short, funny book I don't consider it as informative or comprehensive.
If you want to read more of these kinds of books on japan, check out Hokkaido Highway Blues, by Will Ferguson, an former english teacher that hitchiked across the country during his stay. People that have already lived out here a while always find it a lot funnier than people that havent yet, but for what its worth it gives a really accurate depiction of what its like to be a westerner living out here.
this is such a disgrace for Japanese women!.......2003-02-26
Although this book gave a fair view of characteristic of Japanese in general, this book degraded Japanese women by depicting them almost like old stereotypic view of Japanese women being geisha. I was infuriated since I am Japanese and I can't believe that the author is Japanese as well (and also female)!! Skip the part about description of Japanese women near the beginning of the book. The description is totally incorrect and I have never heard of anyone who paints her chest to make it look attractive for men.
Get Culture Shock: Japan intstead........2002-04-22
Thsi book was disappointing. I've read others in the Xenophobes series, and they were informative and humorous, though not particularly practical as travel guides. However, the Japan guide was neither. Having already read Culture Shock: Japan, I was very disappointed in this book. It has less information -- and less humor -- than Culture Shock. In fact, the Xenophobes guide had exactly 2 facts not mentioned in Culture Shock. Whether you are interested in travelling to Japan, or just looking for multicultural humor, I do not recommend this particular Xenophobes Guide.
Average customer rating:
- Good on ya
- Not in the spirit of the XG
- The Xenophobe's Guide to the Kiwis
- Jo, you need to chill
|
The Xenophobe's Guide to the Kiwis
Christine Cole Catley
Manufacturer: Oval Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Humor
| Entertainment
| Subjects
| Books
New Zealand
| Australia & South Pacific
| Travel
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Australia & South Pacific
| Travel
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Travel
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 1902825373 |
Book Description
Highlights the unique character and behavior of the nation. Frank, irreverent, funny--almost guaranteed to cure Xenophobia.
Customer Reviews:
Good on ya.......2006-11-07
As a globe-trotting Kiwi who unfortunately left their copy behind when changing continents and came on here to replace it, I can only recommend the book. I loved it and only disagreed with one minor point. Other than that, it was spot on. It pokes fun at our national foibles while highlighting some of our national strengths in a balanced and clear way. The first time I read it I alternated wry grins with sheepish smiles and outright laughs.
Good stuff.
Not in the spirit of the XG.......2002-10-02
I have enjoyed the Xenophobe's Guides to three of the peoples that I've lived among (Danes, Swedes and English), and have felt them to be insightful and humorous. Consequently I was very disappointed by the Xenophobe's Guide to the Kiwis. It was neither insightful nor humorous. I felt that the light-hearted teasing applied in the other books was largely replaced by an air of base critical negativity. It concentrated on some very odd, and utterly redundant things that I feel the XG is hardly the forum for. The Kiwi author has taken the very real Kiwi trait of self-bashing to an unfortunate extreme in the completely wrong publication.
The Xenophobe's Guide to the Kiwis.......2002-04-21
Jo, you truly are the definition of a xenophobe. Assuming you have actually been to New Zealand, you must really have some issues if you came away with an attitude like that. Wherever you are from, at least the majority of all kiwis are broad-minded enough to realise that despite your apparent lack of intelligence and ability to make sweeping generalisations, these are probably not traits apparent in everyone from your country. Get a life.
Jo, you need to chill.......2002-04-17
Jo Chambers is a bitter and twisted individual, who is in great need of a holiday. Jo ¡°sweetie¡±, I suggest a wonderfully relaxing holiday in beautiful New Zealand.
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