Book Description
"This was true mystical vision. This I could never have anticipated. But I knew that we were both on the same galactic journey into the great void that contains us all. I was standing before a boundlessness that could swallow the stars in a heartbeat."--from Breakfast at the Victory
Customer Reviews:
Breakfast at the Victory.......2005-08-10
This book is insightful and inspiring. James Carse is a poetic and Talented writer with great ideas.
Poised and thoughtful. Mystic without dogma or preaching........1998-09-27
A short and perfect connection between spirituality and everyday life. Perfect for people who need help finding a spiritual side and can't stand to take leaps of faith. If this book was widely read, we would live in a better world.
A "bible" for today - and tomorrow........1997-11-28
My uncle had given me a copy last Christmas. We discussed the book, and its impact upon our lives, fairly often. When he was hospitalized late this year with what turned out to be fatal colon cancer, he insisted upon having his copy with him in the hospital. When you read Breakfast at the Victory, you'll understand why. Its one of those once-in-a-decade books that affect you for the rest of your life.
One of the finest books I have ever read........1997-10-29
You know the old parlour game, "If you could take only one X with you to a desert island, what would it be?" Well, if I could have only one book for the rest of my life, _Breakfast at the Victory_ would be the one. I gave copies to everyone I care about.
One of the ten best books I have ever read!.......1997-06-17
This is truly one of the ten best books I have ever read! It draws us into thinking about the fact that there are no ordinary experiences, and to reflect on the magic in everyday life. The essays are memorable, but you will want to read them more than once, and share them with your friends. This is a great gift book, but you will also want to keep your own copy
Average customer rating:
- Still one of the best books on the battle of Atlanta
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Last Train from Atlanta
A. A. Hoehling
Manufacturer: Stackpole Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 General
| United States
| Americas
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Civil War
| United States
| Americas
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Campaigns
| Civil War
| United States
| Americas
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Americas
| History
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Military
| History
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0811725871 |
Customer Reviews:
Still one of the best books on the battle of Atlanta.......2004-09-30
Although this was first published in 1958 it remains one of the best one volume books about the battle of atlanta. Many excellent books have been written about the military campaign but this book is more about the people of Atlanta & how they lived on a daily basis. Men, women, & children had to dodge Gen. Sherman's cannon shells while they walked through the city. Thousands of wounded Confederate soldiers filled Atlanta's buildings, & the stench of death was everywhere. Yet the people of Atlanta kept hoping for a Confederate victory. In their eyes Gen. Sherman was the devil himself. This book tells the story of the battle for Atlanta through the words of those who lived it. It's packed with eyewitness accounts from both soldiers & civilians as well as newspaper accounts (although these are not very reliable). For Civil War buffs or for someone who just watched "Gone With the Wind" & wants to learn more this book is a must have!
Average customer rating:
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Last Train from Atlanta
Manufacturer: Bonanza Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000GM144S |
Product Description
Bound in black cloth. Bibliography. 52 b/w photos, diagrams, facsimiles, small maps. US Civil War. Recounts five-month siege of Atlanta, Georgia, 1864.
Book Description
The Four Faces of Nuclear Terrorism, a new book from the Center for Nonproliferation Studies, assesses the motivations and capabilities of terrorist organizations to acquire and use nuclear weapons, to fabricate and detonate crude nuclear explosives, to strike nuclear power plants and other nuclear facilities, and to build and employ radiological weapons or "dirty bombs." The authors maintain that there is a greater likelihood today than at any time in the past three decades that nuclear weapons will actually be used.
The authors recommend immediate steps to prevent the most catastrophic forms of nuclear terrorism and to reduce the consequences of the most likely nuclear terror attacks including: securing and reducing tactical nuclear weapons in Russia; securing, consolidating, and eliminating highly enriched uranium globally; and providing for secure storage and disposal of radioactive materials used in medicine, scientific research, and industry. The authors also stress the need to educate the public on the real risks of radiation exposure and radioactive contamination to help psychologically immunize citizens against fear of radiological attacks, which they conclude are all but inevitable in the coming years.
Customer Reviews:
Thinking About the Unthinkable .......2007-02-19
Ferguson and Potter, writing on behalf of the Center for Non Proliferation Studies, have written an easy to read primer on the faces of Nuclear Terrorism. The authors lead the reader through the most likely threats one small step at a time with great patience.
If there is one lesson from the past two decades of post cold war terrorism ( it has been 10 years since Bin Laden declared war) it is that Bin Laden and other terrorists are highly adaptable, patient, resourceful, capable of planning and executing complex operations and rentless.
Perhaps the most worrysome aspect of the current ( spring 07) situation is that they seem too comfortable in Pakistan, a nation with nuclear weapons. Although they have missed on several attempts to kill Pakistan's leader his run of bad luck may end. If the US is unable to invervene we may have a situation far worse than N Korea or Iran in that Pakistan has a sizable inventory of proven nuclear weapons, a nuclear India with whom they have fought for decades and one of the more sophisticated air forces in the region.
They have looked into the future abyss and come back with some much needed information, stripped of the usual agendas and dramatics. Of course the prospect of nuclear terrorism comes with enough drama for any sane person. There are of course no simple answers.
The threats are, as the authors describe only too real. How we deal with them may determine the world which our children and grandchildren inherit, assuming that they survive. Clear thinking about the unthinkable.
As a people we suffer from a narrowed view of the challenges which face us over the next decade. Perhaps it is due to our fixation on the war in Iraq, a mere sideshow of the global conflict and perhaps it is that the reality is simply too much to face. As "The Great Reckoning" anticipated 20 years ago, emerging technologies have shifted the balance of power or terror from the large superpowers to the small stateless groups.
Probably the best general interest book on the subject.
Highly recommended.
Product Description
The Four Faces of Nuclear Terrorism is the result of a two-year study by the Monterey Institute's Center for Nonproliferation Studies of the motivations and capabilities of terrorist organizations to carry out devastating attacks using stolen nuclear weapons, to construct and detonate crude nuclear weapons known as improvised nuclear devices (INDs), to release radiation by attacking or sabotaging nuclear facilities, and to build and use radiological weapons or "dirty bombs." These "four faces" of nuclear terrorism are real threats that current U.S. policy fails to take into account. Because Washington has no guidelines for directing scarce resources to where they would have the greatest impact, this book merits the earnest attention of policy makers and the public. As Senator Richard G. Lugar, Chair of the Foreign Relations Committee, and former Senator Sam Nunn of the Nuclear Threat Initiative, write in the foreword to the book, "This thought-provoking and well-researched book...should be read by policy makers and anyone interested in a better understanding of the threats we face today." Dr. Ferguson and Dr. Potter maintain that there is a greater likelihood today than any time in the past three decades that citizens will experience one of the four types of nuclear terrorism. They urge the United States and its international partners to take immediate steps to prevent the most catastrophic form of nuclear terrorism, detonation of nuclear weapons, and to reduce the consequences of the most likely, dispersal of radiation with dirty bombs. The book outlines the priority tasks necessary for the U.S. and other governments, and stresses the need to educate the public on the risks of radiation exposure and to help psychologically immunize citizens against fear of radiological attacks.
Customer Reviews:
Wow, What a Find.......2006-10-22
Richly researched and clearly written, this book is a find! Has just the right amount of detail to provide the reader with the degrees of difficulty in conducting nuclear terrorism but does not overwhelm.
The "four faces" of nuclear terrorism described in the book are (1) theft of a nuclear weapon, (2) construction of a nuclear weapon (3) damage to a nuclear reactor or facility, and (4) construction of a radiological dispersal device. The authors succintly analyze each of these scenarios and clearly present the challenges involved by terrorists attempting each task. Devoid of hype, absent political rhetoric, the book is superb at providing the general reader with an appreciation for the actual risks America faces from this area. Particularly recommended for those engaged in the profession of CBRN defense.
Apparently out of print which is a shame, try to get your hands on a copy and read it.
Thorough, Insightful, Readable.......2004-09-23
This book possesses two advantages over other accounts: 1) as a product of the Center for Nonproliferation Studies of the Monterey Institute, which has the leading archive of information on the subject, it offers rich, precisely documented detail; and 2) besides discussing how terrorists might acquire an existing nuclear weapon or fashion their own (Faces #1 and 2), it offers in-depth treatments of terrorist threats to nuclear plants (#3) and the use of radiological weapons (#4). A more comprehensive approach than one focussed just on the bomb, this leads to superior analysis and recommendations regarding ranking of priority issues and solutions. I found of special value the authors' many imaginative proposals, e.g., encourage Japan to build a strategic reserve of low-enriched uranium from Russia rather than to proceed with its plutonium separation plant. The authors' discussion of the gaping holes in the approaches of the U.S. Government and other governments should cause us to treat with skepticism our leaders' avowals of how seriously they take these threats.
If you are looking for a reliable, comprehensive, understandable, and thoughtful guide to nuclear terrorism, I recommend this book.
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, published by Educational Foundation for Nuclear Science, Inc. on March 1, 2005. The length of the article is 1531 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: Avoiding the nuclear nightmare.(Nuclear Terrorism: The Ultimate Preventable Catastrophe)(The Four Faces of Nuclear Terrorism)(Book Review)
Author: Bennett Ramberg
Publication:
Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists (Refereed)
Date: March 1, 2005
Publisher: Educational Foundation for Nuclear Science, Inc.
Volume: 61
Issue: 2
Page: 67(2)
Article Type: Book Review
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Naval War College Review, published by U.S. Naval War College on March 22, 2005. The length of the article is 810 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: Ferguson, Charles D., William C. Potter, et al. The Four Faces of Nuclear Terrorism.(Book Review)
Author: Jeffrey H. Norwitz
Publication:
Naval War College Review (Refereed)
Date: March 22, 2005
Publisher: U.S. Naval War College
Volume: 58
Issue: 2
Page: 146(3)
Article Type: Book Review
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Amazon.com
In an exploration of the grasslands of North America that is both sweeping and intimate, Manning makes interesting connections between economics, botany, farming, and democracy. His discussion of the impact of romantic ideals of landscapes upon this biome is insightful, and his travels with botanists, biologists, buffalo and a visit to Ted Turner's ranch put faces and feet on the story. The message: by a careful reading of nature's design, we can more successfully inhabit this and all landscapes. Recommended.
Customer Reviews:
Audacious, Quirky Proposal - Warrants Serious Consideration.......2005-09-10
I have encountered few books like Richard Manning's Grassland. Manning's manifesto - reserved for the final chapters - is audacious, even quirky. Grassland's subtitle, The History, Biology, Politics, and Promise of the American Prairie, suggests a reasoned, broad-based analysis, and that is what Richard Manning provides. Nonetheless, his conclusions are breath-taking in their originality. My initial skepticism remains, but Manning does have me thinking about his proposal. Maybe, just maybe, he is on the right track.
The mountain wildernesses with their "charismatic megafauna", deserts, wild rivers, forests, seashores, and wetlands have little difficulty attracting environmental advocates, but how do the grasslands, the largest single biome in North America, fit into this picture?
Manning is slow to unfold his unorthodox proposals, preferring first to educate his readers. Thankfully, Manning's style is more narrative and anecdotal than pedagogical. His topics are wide ranging: Indian cultures, exotic weeds, Pleistocene extinctions, Jefferson's agrarian theory, disappearing aquifers, buffalo hunting, and industrialized farming.
Manning has definite opinions, but he is surprisingly fair; he clearly outlines and explains contrary ideas. I questioned some of his interpretations and occasionally even his facts, but all in all Manning's thesis appears credible.
I had some qualms about revealing Manning's manifesto in absence of his preparatory discussions. Even in context, his proposals are unexpectedly original. With caution, I proceed:
Richard Manning advocates eliminating large scale, industrialized farming and cattle ranching on America's extensive arid and semi-arid grasslands. Intensive single crop farming, largely wheat and corn production, is replaced by lower impact, multi-crop farming restricted to areas requiring less irrigation. Extensive irrigation stops. Intense fertilization stops. Land management concepts change. Free roaming bison replace cattle in the food chain. Non-native grasses that have largely displaced native species are eliminated.
Grassland is an exceptionally interesting book. As an earlier reviewer noted, Grassland will change the way we think.
Absolutely incredible piece of work.......2005-07-10
This is just a wonderful book on a part of our country that is "foreign" to many.I have recently been preparing a program on photograghy of the Great Plains and it"s as though the information in Grasslands is an answer to my prayer.It is literally packed with so much material so well presented that it should be required reading for all of our children and POLICY MAKERS IN GOVERNMENTS {particularly our current administration!!}.
Very interesting, a lot of information, can be slow reading.......2005-06-15
Part autobiographical (Manning writing about his travels around the nation learning about prarie restoration efforts), part biology textbook (telling about the types of flora & fauna that developed on the praries over time- and what has become of them),and part history ( the story of human involvement with the ecosystem).
Mr. Manning writes about the effects humans have had on the grasslands over the centuries, most of the really bad part coming since the railroad days and what is being done to remedy the effects of agricultural and other practices not really suited to the Plains. There is quite a bit of science in his writing, but it isn't too complicated, and a lot of opinion too. Manning does favor the use, in some cases, of chemicals to battle foreign plant species. He doesn't have much use for modern grain farming (not suited to the normal moisture patterns or maybe even the terrain) and considers beef cattle far too destructive for the land (he describes some of the effects the herds have had on the land- and what the buffalo(he favors hunting them but not to extinction) were like). He mentioned that while the old free range cattle ranching was harder on the environment that the buffalo herds (I think he advocated returning them) at least it was better than the current fenced in, likely to overgraze system.
I especially appreciated the details of how the buffalo herds were hunted down in the 19th century.
If the science is even half right (I feel that it probably is) something needs to be done to restore things in the Plains. I know that I've read in agricultural magazines that the west is experiencing a severe, and growing, groundwater shortage. You won't get the country to admit it ( he writes about the special interests) but so much of the land out there isn't suited for anything past what nature was doing with it we need to work with nature, not against it.
Anyone interested in the western grasslands and/ or the buffalo should consider getting a copy of this book.
Despite minor flaws, this book will change the way you think.......2005-03-17
First and most important, this book will change the way you think about the American prairie. I live here at the edge of the prairie near Indianapolis, and there are a few spots maintained as native prairie. Manning isn't talking about these little islands but about a huge, free ecosystem and the horrors that we have inflicted upon it and its fauna and flora. I confess that the image of grizzlies chasing elk calves across the grassland is beguiling, and illustrates what we are missing. He makes a persuasive case that we need lots and lots and lots of grassland, maintained as such. Manning has a good story-telling sense, and a good eye for explaining the grassland. You will not look at the prairie in the same way again.
There are some nicely provocative bits. His vision of the prairie rests on bison ranching, with the animals eating native grasses without irrigation, fertilizer, or other capitalist agriculture. As if that's not controversial enough, he makes a serious case that a meat-and-leather prairie economy rests easier on the land than food crops such as wheat or corn. These crops have destroyed the prairie and harm the broader environment because of the extensive irrigation and fertilization required. Obviously, this strategy of making our agriculture conform to the land instead of forcing the land to conform to our agriculture would be a major change for Americans and others around the world..
Manning is not afraid to take the next logical step, and he makes a principled argument against vegetarianism. Eating free-range bison raised on natural grasslands, he argues, would sit more lightly on the ground and would probably use less (petroleum-based) energy. This is not your conventional environmentalist, to say the least.
Despite those strengths, the book is weakened by a modest number of trivial errors of fact. These come in sidebar comments about irrelevant matters and have nothing to do with grassland, so I'd rather not list them here. They did make me question the accuracy of his reporting on grassland, though. I wouldn't rely on this book as your sole source of facts, but Manning's vision and wonderful writing make it an invaluable book nonetheless.
Excellent, unassuming, deftly woven.......2004-03-11
I picked up this book on a whim from The Book Thing of Baltimore, where I work as a volunteer shelving donated books so our patrons can find what they want (we give away books for free). Its cover caught my eye. I am so glad I did, because what I found was a fascinating and gripping book on something I never had really given two thoughts to: America's grasslands.
At first I wondered how on earth you could write an entire book about grassland. Now I wonder how he managed to fit so much information in such an easy to digest book. Manning is not just passionate about conservation (and the right kind of conservation), he's a tremendously writer as well, and he weaves the story of middle America's lands into an amazing tapestry. You can tell his point of view on all of the subjects, but he doesn't let it interfere with the quality of the work -- he does not demonize "the bad guys," but portrays them as normal humans struggling to survive. Somehow he starts off with very early ecological history, the beginnings of human civilizations in northern America, and ends up with modern day efforts to bring back the grasslands and all the while keeping the story lively and the reader interested.
I highly recommend this book. It will open your eyes.
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- Double Cross: The Explosive, Inside Story of the Mobster Who Controlled America
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Books Index
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