President Kennedy: Profile of Power
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • highly recommended
  • Jackie gave this book to her children
  • A very honest and informative account on President Kennedy
  • Engaging Perspective on JFK's Presidency
  • Revealing insight into presidential decision taking
President Kennedy: Profile of Power
Richard Reeves
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

GeneralGeneral | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
Presidents & Heads of StatePresidents & Heads of State | Leaders & Notable People | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
Kennedy, John F.Kennedy, John F. | ( K ) | People, A-Z | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
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  5. Conversations With Kennedy Conversations With Kennedy

ASIN: 0671892894

Book Description

President Kennedy is the compelling, dramatic history of JFK's thousand days in office. It illuminates the presidential center of power by providing an indepth look at the day-by-day decisions and dilemmas of the thirty-fifth president as he faced everything from the threat of nuclear war abroad to racial unrest at home.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars highly recommended.......2007-02-21

As the leading civilian authority on the U.S. Secret Service (and President Kennedy's interaction with the agency), I was much interested in this book by Richard Reeves. I am a big fan of Mr. Reeves---in addition to a great book on Richard Nixon, he is a great writer and speaker. You can't go wrong in purchasing this fine book. vince palamara

5 out of 5 stars Jackie gave this book to her children.......2006-08-06

Jackie Kennedy is said to have given copies of this book to her children with the advice, "If you want to know your father, he is in this book." Reeves was said to be surprised at her endorsement and commented. "I wasn't terribly flattering to Jackie in the book."
Well worth the read.

5 out of 5 stars A very honest and informative account on President Kennedy.......2006-02-27

After reading this book, I feel that I come out understanding the Kennedy presidency in better terms. While Sorenson and Schlesinger wrote impeccable accounts on the admininstration, they are somewhat distorted, and make Kennedy out to be a hero. This well-written and higly researched account, I feel to be the definintive account of the administration. It shows the flaws of President Kennedy, and the true personality of the man in the White House, his battle with Addison's disease. Kennedy was a very inexperienced leader at the beginning of his presidency, and I don't feel that it really dawned on him until the Bay of Pigs and the Cuban Missile Crisis.

This detailed account covers his meetings with Premier Krushchev, how he dealt with South Vietnam, and the apparent sickness that came upon him after learning of the death of Ngo Din Diem. You also see that Kennedy was very much a womanizer, almost to the point of obsession it seems. This book deserves much attention, and for anybody who has never read about President Kennedy, an excellent start.

5 out of 5 stars Engaging Perspective on JFK's Presidency.......2004-08-24

This book is a well-written chronological account of Kennedy's presidency. Minimized is the personal gossip and inuendo while highlighted is the decision-making style of JFK and his entourage as events unfold. You get a sense of what it's like being thrust into the vortex of events for which no president is totally prepared. The writer attempts to reveal President Kennedy as both more and less than the Camelot charisma would have you believe. Thoroughly enjoyable and informative must-read addition.

4 out of 5 stars Revealing insight into presidential decision taking.......2004-03-31

President Kennedy did not have the easiest presidency imaginable: big issues abroad including Cuba, Vietnam, Berlin, the nuclear arms race and test ban treaties with Russia and the highly contradictory issue of integration at home were all begging for his attention and often at the same time. This biography gives a good insight into the way decisions were taken and that there is a lot of on-the-job learning involved. It is in a sense shocking to read that the way a superpower is run is not that much different from the way an average manager runs his group of a few people.

I found it slightly disappointing that this biography deals exclusively with the presidency of Kennedy, not his formative years as a student, a soldier and a senator. But all in all a revealing insight into the presidency of a man who, after his assassination, become a posthumous hero.
Kennedy (Profiles in Power Series)
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • An insightful and through text
Kennedy (Profiles in Power Series)
Hugh Brogan
Manufacturer: Longman Pub Group
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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1945 - Present1945 - Present | 20th Century | United States | Americas | History | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0582028892

Book Description

Kennedy.....A portrait of the man, not the myth

Every aspect of the life, achievement and (especially) the death of John F. Kennedy has been the subject of intense controversy, and the arguments will go on. Nevertheless, more than thirty-five years after his assassination, it is now beginning to be possible for readers and historians to take an objective view, away from the distortions of the Kennedy Myth. This invaluable account provides an excellent introduction to the Presidency of John F. Kennedy. It looks at Kennedy the man and, while not a full blown biography, the author necessarily outlines Kennedy's background. Kennedy assesses the influence of his background on his early career and outlook, as well as on his presidency, shows how Kennedy grew as a statesman in the job, and considers what he might have done had he been allowed to complete his term as president. Hugh Brogan examines Kennedy's successful candidacy, assesses his foreign policy, his agenda as a reformer, his part in the civil rights revolution and his handling of economic affairs. There is also focus on Kennedy as a Cold War president who was forced to interrupt his domestic agenda of Civil Rights reform in order to concentrate on international events such as tensions with the USSR and Cuba and the Vietnam War. This is a penetrating look at the Kennedy presidency which offers a detached study of John F. Kennedy and the realities of his American Camelot.

Hugh Brogan is the author of the best selling Longman/Penguin History of the USA.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars An insightful and through text.......1998-02-24

This book goes beyond the contemporary stereotypes that go with the legacy of JFK. The author deals with the subject of the life and times of President Kennedy in a way that is sure to interest both the academic and casual reader.
PRESIDENT KENNEDY : Profile of Power (LIBRARY OF THE PRESIDENTS)
Average customer rating: Not rated
    PRESIDENT KENNEDY : Profile of Power (LIBRARY OF THE PRESIDENTS)

    Manufacturer: Easton Press
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Leather Bound
    ASIN: B000F3K4D0
    President Kennedy Profile of Power
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      President Kennedy Profile of Power

      ProductGroup: Book
      Binding: Paperback

      GeneralGeneral | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
      Federal GovernmentFederal Government | Government | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
      ASIN: 033361951X
      President Kennedy Profile of Power
      Average customer rating: Not rated
        President Kennedy Profile of Power
        Reeves Richard
        Manufacturer: The Easton Press
        ProductGroup: Book
        Binding: Leather Bound
        ASIN: B000UIRJYM
        President Kennedy: Profile of Power - Library of the Presidents
        Average customer rating: Not rated
          President Kennedy: Profile of Power - Library of the Presidents

          Manufacturer: Easton Press
          ProductGroup: Book
          Binding: Leather Bound
          ASIN: B000HRMSB0

          Product Description

          Brand new LEATHER BOUND book accented in 22kt gold.
          President Kennedy : profile of power
          Average customer rating: Not rated
            President Kennedy : profile of power
            Richard Reeves
            Manufacturer: SIMON & SCHUSTER
            ProductGroup: Book
            Binding: Hardcover
            ASIN: B000WD69C8
            President Kennedy, Profile of Power
            Average customer rating: Not rated
              President Kennedy, Profile of Power
              Richard Reeves
              Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
              ProductGroup: Book
              Binding: Hardcover
              ASIN: B000OLRW4C
              President Kennedy, Profile of Power
              Average customer rating: Not rated
                President Kennedy, Profile of Power
                Richard REEVES
                Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
                ProductGroup: Book
                Binding: Hardcover
                ASIN: B000OFST2W

                Cassell Military Classics: Secret Soldiers: Special Forces in the War Against Terrorism
                Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
                • A great read!
                • In today's lesson: counterterrorism
                • In today's lesson: counterterrorism
                Cassell Military Classics: Secret Soldiers: Special Forces in the War Against Terrorism
                Peter Harclerode
                Manufacturer: Cassell
                ProductGroup: Book
                Binding: Paperback

                GeneralGeneral | Military | History | Subjects | Books
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                ASIN: 0304363790

                Book Description

                As everyone realizes all too well after September 11th, even a small band of fanatics can bring tragedy to an entire nation. Whether it involves kidnapping, hijacking, bombing, or other threats, civilized countries respond the same way: with Special Forces. Find out how these elite soldiers are organized, armed, trained, and deployed, as well as their weapons and intelligence methods. Their spectacular, sometimes very covert, operations make for fascinating reading, with controversial incidents examined in detail.

                "This book chronicles modern-era terrorist activities from the 1960s through the 1990s and the government responses to hostage crises and attempts to apprehend various terrorists."--Army. "The main hypothetical argument for a U.S. missile shield's deployment is terrorism. As one of the most thorough overviews of conventional counterterrorism techniques and engagements, this book may draw those trying to think through their positions..."--Publishers Weekly.

                Customer Reviews:

                4 out of 5 stars A great read!.......2002-06-14

                My only complaint about this book is it should have been written as a series of 3 or 4 books. There's is a ton of info in the book, though sometimes it gets a bit overwhelming (especially in the first few chapters).

                Lots of information that I never knew, even though this is a subject I love to read up on. The author is able to keep all the info interesting and exciting to read. Lost a lot of sleep by staying up too lake on worknights reading this darned book. :)

                A great read for those just getting into terrorism / counterterrorism research, or for the old pros.

                4 out of 5 stars In today's lesson: counterterrorism.......2001-07-18

                To dive right into it: this is a must-have space filling object in the already-read-and-want-to-read-again-department of your bookcase when you're the slightest bit interested in counterterrorism. This book provides a excellent overview of 30 years of terrorism and counterterrorism, worldwide. Although in my opinion too concise in certain points, and the chapters 1 to 3 are 'guilty' of this because of their dry summary of (practically) every terrorist act in these past 30 years (my advice: don't read these chapters consecutively in one day), the overview is detailed, extensive and complete. Especially the chapters regarding to some of the most important counterterrorist operations (for example the raid on Entebbe, and the assault of the Iranian Embassy in London, as well as thirty years of activities in Northern Ireland) are very interesting and may give some new information to the relative layman. These chapters also puts the motives for the terrorists and their acts in a historical point of view, which provides a better comprehension of these acts. And to top it all, I've learned about counterterrorist units I didn't know existed (for example the American ISA or the French 29SA)....... and I have read quite a few books on the subject.

                Beside chapters 1-3, the last minor downside in this book is the overextensive attention drawn to the invasion of Grenada by the US military in 1983. Although the counterterrorist units Delta Force and SEAL Team 6 were involved, this operation can not be considered a counterterrorist operation; the use of the word 'invasion' was deliberate. Even the author points this out after the story about the operation. These cost the book its fifth point, but just marginally so.

                Again, for any one interested in the suject: you must have this book as a referncebook, but better to read it; once you have started in this very good read, it's difficult to close it..... and you just get motivated to know more. The world feels just a bitter saver just for knowing the contents of this book.

                4 out of 5 stars In today's lesson: counterterrorism.......2001-07-18

                To dive right into it: this is a must-have space filling object in the already-read-and-want-to-read-again-department of your bookcase when you're the slightest bit interested in counterterrorism. This book provides a excellent overview of 30 years of terrorism and counterterrorism, worldwide. Although in my opinion too concise in certain points, and the chapters 1 to 3 are 'guilty' of this because of their dry summary of (practically) every terrorist act in these past 30 years (my advice: don't read these chapters consecutively in one day), the overview is detailed, extensive and complete. Especially the chapters regarding to some of the most important counterterrorist operations (for example the raid on Entebbe, and the assault of the Iranian Embassy in London, as well as thirty years of activities in Northern Ireland) are very interesting and may give some new information to the relative layman. These chapters also puts the motives for the terrorists and their acts in a historical point of view, which provides a better comprehension of these acts. And to top it all, I've learned about counterterrorist units I didn't know existed (for example the American ISA or the French 29SA)....... and I have read quite a few books on the subject.

                Beside chapters 1-3, the last minor downside in this book is the overextensive attention drawn to the invasion of Grenada by the US military in 1983. Although the counterterrorist units Delta Force and SEAL Team 6 were involved, this operation can not be considered a counterterrorist operation; the use of the word 'invasion' was deliberate. Even the writer points this out after the story about the operation. These cost the book its fifth point, but just marginally so.

                Again, for any one interested in the suject: you must have this book as a referncebook, but better to read it; once you have started in this very good read, it's difficult to close it..... and you just get motivated to know more. The world feels just a bitter saver just for knowing the contents of this book.

                Losing Matt Shepard
                Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
                • Still relevant almost ten years later
                • A lot of things found...
                • Reclaiming Laramie
                • Prissy, scolding tone
                • Author Missed Matthew Shepard
                Losing Matt Shepard
                Beth Loffreda
                Manufacturer: Columbia University Press
                ProductGroup: Book
                Binding: Hardcover

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                Similar Items:
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                ASIN: 0231118589

                Amazon.com

                Laramie, Wyoming, is a complicated town that has only become more so since the infamous murder of a gay University of Wyoming student named Matt Shepard on a lonely dirt road in October 1998. A university town in the middle of one of the country's most rural, poor, and conservative states, it was unwittingly thrown into the middle of the nation's debates over homosexuality and hate crimes. While "Laramie didn't kill Matt," as University of Wyoming professor Beth Loffreda writes, "It might let us see how the politics of sexuality--perhaps now the most divisive issue in America's 'culture wars'--plays out in a forgotten corner of the country." As an insider and an outsider (she is the straight advisor to the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Association and a state newcomer clearly in love with her surroundings), Loffreda approaches the complex questions the media, with their pack mentality, overlooked or shied away from using her own local but not provincial perspective. Why did Matt's death, which was one of 33 anti-gay murders that year, grip the nation? Why did none of the seven bias crimes bills proposed in Wyoming after the murder pass? What is the experience of being homosexual in a state with not a single gay gathering place to speak of and most people too afraid to be out? What happens when emotion--rather than action--is the only response to a hate crime? And how should Matt be remembered?

                Leaving the media assumptions about the "hate state" in the dust, Loffreda deftly portrays a people deeply affected by what has happened in their midst, replete with the daily contradictions, political clashes, and halting transformations that defy sound bites. She introduces us to those the media never thought to interview--a jaded gay American Indian as well as Mexican American university students with their own stories of bigotry--and those making the real change in Laramie: people like Mike, who came out after Matt's death and has found the courage to become an activist, and the gays and lesbians who dressed as angels during the murderers' trials, blocking defrocked minister Fred Phelps and his virulent anti-gay messages with their enormous wings. Loffreda's nuanced, perceptive, and graceful discussion reminds us that the inheritance of Matt's death is far from settled for any of us. --Lesley Reed

                Book Description

                The infamous murder in October 1998 of a twenty-one-year-old gay University of Wyoming student ignited a media frenzy. The crime resonated deeply with America's bitter history of violence against minorities, and something about Matt Shepard himself struck a chord with people across the nation. Although the details of the tragedy are familiar to most people, the complex and ever-shifting context of the killing is not. Losing Matt Shepard explores why the murder still haunts us -- and why it should.

                Beth Loffreda is uniquely qualified to write this account. As a professor new to the state and a straight faculty advisor to the campus Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Association, she is both an insider and outsider to the events. She draws upon her own penetrating observations as well as dozens of interviews with students, townspeople, police officers, journalists, state politicians, activists, and gay and lesbian residents to make visible the knot of forces tied together by the fate of this young man.

                This book shows how the politics of sexuality -- perhaps now the most divisive issue in America's culture wars -- unfolds in a remote and sparsely populated area of the country. Loffreda brilliantly captures daily life since October 1998 in Laramie, Wyoming -- a community in a rural, poor, conservative, and breathtakingly beautiful state without a single gay bar or bookstore. Rather than focus only on Matt Shepard, she presents a full range of characters, including a panoply of locals (both gay and straight), the national gay activists who quickly descended on Laramie, the indefatigable homicide investigators, the often unreflective journalists of the national media, and even a cameo appearance by Peter, Paul, and Mary.

                Loffreda courses through a wide ambit of events: from the attempts by students and townspeople to rise above the anti-gay theatrics of defrocked minister Fred Phelps to the spontaneous, grassroots support for Matt at the university's homecoming parade, from the emotionally charged town council discussions about bias crimes legislation to the tireless efforts of the investigators to trace that grim night's trail of evidence. Charting these and many other events, Losing Matt Shepard not only recounts the typical responses to Matt's death but also the surprising stories of those whose lives were transformed but ignored in the media frenzy.

                Download Description

                The murder in October 1998 of a twenty-one-year-old gay University of Wyoming student ignited a media frenzy. The crime resonated deeply with America's bitter history of violence against minorities. While the details of the tragedy are familiar to most people, the complex content is not. This book explores why the murder still haunts us and why it should.

                Beth Loffreda is uniquely qualified to write this account. As a professor new to the state and the straight faculty advisor to the campus Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Association, she is both an insider and outsider to the events. She draws upon her own observations as well as dozens of interviews with students, townspeople, journalists, state politicians, activists, and gay and lesbian residents.

                The book shows how the politics of sexuality perhaps now the most divisive issue in America's culture wars unfolds in a forgotten corner of the country. Loffreda succeeds brilliantly in capturing daily life since October 1998 in Laramie, Wyoming a community in a rural, poor, conservative, and breathtakingly beautiful state without a single gay bar or bookstore. Rather than focusing on one person Matt Shepard she presents a full range of characters, including the locals (both gay and straight), the national gay activists who quickly descended on Laramie, the homocide investigators, and even a cameo appearance by Peter, Paul, and Mary. Her book recounts not only the typical responses to Matt's death but also the surprising stories of ordinary people whose lives were transformed individual voices ignored in the media frenzy.

                Customer Reviews:

                5 out of 5 stars Still relevant almost ten years later.......2007-08-01

                Having been a student in Laramie and enjoying Dr. Loffreda as a favorite professor, I knew I might struggle to look at this book with an objective, critical eye. I think that I was successful, and still I couldn't put it down. Though people talk about Matt Shepard's murder around here regularly, I learned a great deal from this piece, besides being quite moved as well. One reviewer on here says she doesn't tackle the "hard questions." Well, to do so would probably have been rather presumptuous and ultimately impossible. The community and even the nation still struggles to answer, or even articulate, those hard questions. So Loffreda is wise to stick to the facts, yet infused with genuine emotion and testimony from those involved directly and peripherally. Her discussions of the political repercussions is incredibly illuminating and thought-provoking, and I think this is (and should be) the book's primary aim. Sometimes it is difficult to read, but only emotionally. Loffreda's eloquent but never flowery prose makes it otherwise a great reading experience.

                5 out of 5 stars A lot of things found..........2005-11-22

                Like "The Laramie Project", this book is about Laramie, and the larger society of the prairie and mountain West of Noorth America. It is not a biography of Matthew Shepard, nor is it remotely intended to be. That reflects a deliberate decision to respect not only his privacy, but also that of a lot of his friends and relatives who have wanted to keep their memories of Matt to themselves. This can be debated: in the end Romaine patterson and Judy Shepard have thought they do him a better service by trying to tell what he was like as a man, so that he doesn't get lost in various agendas requiring him to be either a plaster saint, or a irresponsible adventurer if not worse).

                Either approach will attract its critics. However, as a biographical matter, there is something which must be faced. Matt Shepard was a Westerner of Wyoming, and it was home to him. He wasn't the one out of place in Laramie. Without some understanding of that community and region, you will not understand him.

                As a Westerner, although from a very different part of it, I very much appreciated this book. Beth Loffreda is a newcomer, but, unlike many, has spent the time to know and understand the Prairie/Mountain West, without losing a proper objectivity. Its nuances and currents can be easily lost in the presence of stereotyping (something gays would know about), some f which is certainly designed to adavnce agendas of any all varieties. It is easy to idealize; it is easy to denounce. It is much more difficult to describe and understand. She does it very well.

                I have seen it written elsewhere that the only two questions which matter are: 1) what happened to Matthew, and 2) what were the motives for his death? I suggest that this book gets us a lot further along towards answers to those questions than some critics might imagine.

                If, indeed, it is to be argued that Matthew's fate arose because of some peuliarity of the place where he was killed, then that peculiarity should be assessed. Under examination, it's not an easy question to answer. Simple denunciations of "the usual suspects" doesn't work., and the ones which might matter lie more deeply than that. As far as I have been able to trace it, the answer seems to me to cut either way, It can be argued that there are things about the society which leave young men with no way to express themselves emotionally except in anger, esepcially where other males are concerned. Against this, there is a greater day-to-day tolerance for individuals who are recognized as contributing to the community, whatever unpopular thing they may be or think. That community mya have the habit of overestimating its tolerance (and I think that's a fair criticism of the place), but it has its own reality. Matthew himself, a son of that area, had attained his own position there before going to Switzerland, and showed eveery sign of resuming it when his life was cut short.

                As to the motivations of his killers, it has to be said that neither of them posess enough insight or understanding of themselves ever to give us a proper explanation. That doesn't lie within their limited abilities. If we are going to find anythinh more than our own suppositions and yes) prejudices, we'll have to try and find it in their communities.

                This book is well worth whatever you need to do to read it.

                5 out of 5 stars Reclaiming Laramie.......2003-09-04

                Those looking for a journalistic treatment of this subject, exposing sensational details and vivid personalities, will be disappointed in this book. It is an even-handed, somewhat reserved reflection on the events that swept the people of Laramie, Wyoming, into the national spotlight when Matt Shepard was murdered in October 1998. While there are several themes in the book, the chief one is the hysteria of the national media, which transformed the story of a young man's beating and death into a horrific hate crime, with all the over-simplification, instant analysis, and easy generalizations of highly competitive news organizations. Understanding the vast complexity of the social context that the murder emerged from and its meaning in terms of the people who make up the fabric of that community have been left for more thoughtful observers, writers and thinkers like the author, who can with greater knowledge, sensitivity, and analytical abilities address the central question, what REALLY happened?

                Given the polarizing issue of sexual orientation, it's easy for readers to fault Loffreda for her refusal to reduce the subject to a black-and-white matter of homophobia. She makes an interesting argument about hate crimes, using Matt's murder as a way to show that the notion of a crime motivated purely by hate is an abstraction, and what really motivated this murder was a whole tapestry of motives having to do with social class, intent to rob, upbringing, a macho culture, and a depressed social and economic environment. If you boil it down to anything, what seems to be at the root of the crime is a simple wish to bully, intimidate, and victimize someone perceived as weaker. Where is the hate and where is the bias in all this, she wonders. It's there, yes, but so is much else that can't be addressed by labeling it as a bias crime.

                Much of the book is also an attempt to represent the distinctive "lifestyle" of gay men and women living in a rural, thinly populated state, where being "out" is not an option, and there is a generally held belief that homosexuality does not exist there. Involved as she is with the gay community in Laramie, the author is familiar with many gay men and women who appear in the pages of her book, each expressing varying responses to the murder of one of their own. What's instructive is that "gay community" is a misnomer here, where there essentially is none. There is little organization and few resources to make a difference either socially or politically. Instead, national organizations and their celebrity representatives swoop in to capitalize on Matt's murder in the interest of their own agendas, both pro- and anti-gay. Matt gets "lost" in many ways, and this is only one of them.

                Loffreda does not set out to win back Matt Shepard, but she does a lot to recover Laramie itself. She reclaims a town in its own terms, not those of the media. While she struggles with residents' resistance to change and the inappropriateness of their responses (emphasizing emotion rather than action), she acknowledges a wide-spread decency, a feeling of remorse, and a genuine wish to overcome complacency. For the gay men and women of Laramie, not a lot changes. There is still fear and anger, to go along with invisibility. But there is also love of this place on the wind-swept prairie, and a belief that for all its drawbacks, this is home.

                I recommend this book for its attempt to undo the damage done by the occupying army of the national media. In that respect, it makes an interesting companion to the film "Bowling for Columbine."

                2 out of 5 stars Prissy, scolding tone.......2002-09-25

                I was disappointed. Having heard that the writer, an English professor, had approached her project like a reporter--that she had interviewed Laramie townspeople and M.S.'s fellow students and had quoted them extensively--I was hoping that the town and campus would come alive on the page, like they would in the hands of a good novelist. Doesn't happen. All the voices she quotes sound interchangeable (the quotes sound cleaned up), and the characterizations are watery, indistinct. She's no Janet Malcolm. The other weakness is the author's prissy, scolding tone, in which she appears, annoyingly, every few paragraphs, invariably announcing her appearance with "It seemed to me..." constructions, all of which end with her officiously correcting some misconception that has seized (a) the people of Laramie, or (b) the people outside of Laramie. All of which would be tolerable if she had anything genuinely original to say. But she didn't. It's the same tired postmodern, deconstructionist-era, gender/sexuality-is-a-social-construction rap you've heard a million times.

                4 out of 5 stars Author Missed Matthew Shepard.......2002-04-10

                The author lost Matthew Shepard; he doesn't appear in the book, and neither does his murder. He is a ghost. Which is a true shame. Most of the book is softly pitched post-modern pyrotechnics. Loffreda avoids the hard questions, and omits crucial information to understanding what happened that cold, cold night. Loffreda dodges the role religion played in Matt's murder. One of Matt's killers was an Eagle Scout and an elder in the Mormon church. Also Loffreda makes a great deal about the fact that the killers attacked two latinos after killing Matt, as if racism is tied to homophobia. We aren't told that the latinos were homophobic thugs themselves, out slashing tires and looking for trouble. This book isn't about Matthew or even his murder, but if you can get past the author's sideways approach to the subject of homophobia it is a worthwhile read.
                LOSING MATT SHEPARD
                Average customer rating: Not rated
                  LOSING MATT SHEPARD
                  Beth Loffreda
                  Manufacturer: Columbia University Press
                  ProductGroup: Book
                  Binding: Paperback
                  ASIN: B000OPM9IC
                  Losing Matt Shepard: Life and Politics in the Aftermath of Anti-Gay Murder
                  Average customer rating: Not rated
                    Losing Matt Shepard: Life and Politics in the Aftermath of Anti-Gay Murder
                    Beth Loffreda
                    Manufacturer: Columbia University Press
                    ProductGroup: Book
                    Binding: Paperback
                    ASIN: B000OPM91E

                    Defending Wild Washington: A Citizen's Action Guide
                    Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
                    • Informative book filled with inspiration
                    • Student Authors Challenge and Inspire an Aging Movement
                    Defending Wild Washington: A Citizen's Action Guide

                    Manufacturer: Mountaineers Books
                    ProductGroup: Book
                    Binding: Paperback

                    Practical PoliticsPractical Politics | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
                    Public PolicyPublic Policy | Political Science | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
                    ConservationConservation | Environment | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
                    GeneralGeneral | Conservation | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
                    EnvironmentalismEnvironmentalism | Conservation | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
                    ReferenceReference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
                    Similar Items:
                    1. The Enduring Wilderness: Protecting our National Heritage through the Wilderness Act (Speaker's Corner Series) The Enduring Wilderness: Protecting our National Heritage through the Wilderness Act (Speaker's Corner Series)

                    ASIN: 0898869706

                    Book Description

                    Inspiring the next generation: How to lead an effective, grassroots environmental campaign in Washington state.

                    *A clear picture of the many different environmental issues in Washington state: what needs to be done and what can be done by people like you *Success stories of citizens who have made a difference *Analysis of grass roots campaigns that work

                    Beyond giving money or answering "action alert" campaigns to write your local congressperson, you, as a citizen, can be at the table when decisions are made for specific wild places you care about. Defending Wild Washington documents how great accomplishments have been achieved by persons of modest means and, often, with no special past experience. One citizen activist reached out to community leaders and mill owners who rely on the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. Another led forest advocates to bid on a Washington state timber sale to stop the cut. The success stories of today are added to interviews with pioneers in the movement.

                    Customer Reviews:

                    4 out of 5 stars Informative book filled with inspiration.......2006-03-12

                    This book has a lot of information about how protecting wild areas works in WA and and an overview of the protections offered by the United States Government. It then provides the inspiration to get people started through true stories of grassroots projects. While the book doesn't list 1, 2, 3, what needs to be done to start a grassroots movement, that shouldn't be expected, because all people have different motivations, and this book should be used as a tool to help you understand the basics of how these sorts of movements work. A must for anyone who wants to further understand Washington state for all of its great wild places, or anyone for that matter, that is looking for inspiration on why wild areas should be protected. Plus all of the proceeds go to a great cause!

                    5 out of 5 stars Student Authors Challenge and Inspire an Aging Movement.......2004-05-10

                    I have to admit to a special interest in Defending Wild Washington. Not only have I been involved in the forest protection movement in this state since the mid 1980s, but as a current Graduate Student at The Evergreen State College in Olympia, I had the rare opportunity to get to know the undergraduate students and their instructors who together wrote this astonishing book.

                    Why make this claim? In early October of 2002, 20 plus students new to the issue began researching the history and current status of a movement of individuals and organizations working to protect Washington's Wildness. By June 2003 they had finished the research, interviewed key players and completed a draft manuscript, which was well written and gave a cogent analysis of this complex issue. Even after leaving the class, they continued to work with draft after draft, refining the words and the message to get it just right.

                    The final product is something well worth reading and is a sterling accomplishment for everyone who participated.

                    More than just a narrative of events, this book discusses and analyzes what is positive and what needs change within the current movement. The students, and their major faculty member and editor of this book, Ted Whitesell, offer seasoned activits advice we may find difficult to hear. They want us, and you, to stop thinking small during this time of political conservativism, but rather to think big and bold and begin rebuildng the movement--from the grassroots on up.

                    Good for them. They have the right message for this time and I only hope each and every one of them will join the movement and provide us with their great inspiration to stretch and grow.

                    I also hope they will inspire the readers of this book to get involved. Washington will not keep its wildness without the help of thousands of committed citizens. Defending Wild Washington points the way.

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