Kicking the Sacred Cow: Heresy and Impermissible Thoughts in Science

Book Description

Galileo may have been forced to deny that the Earth moves around the Sun; but in the end, science triumphed. Nowadays science fearlessly pursues truth, shining the pure light of reason on the mysteries of the universe. Or does it? As best-selling author James P. Hogan demonstrates in this fact-filled and thoroughly documented study, science has its own roster of hidebound pronouncements which are Not to be Questioned. And those who question them may face a modern-day Inquisition. Among the dogma-laden subjects he examines are Darwinism, global warming, the big bang, problems with relativity, radon and radiation, holes in the ozone layer, the cause of AIDS, and the controversy over Velikovsky. Hogan explains the basics of each controversy with his clear, informative style, in a book that will be fascinating for anyone with an interest in the frontiers of modern science.

Customer Reviews:

A new "Lo!".......2007-08-26

Charles Fort (1874-1932) was one of America's more entertaining eccentrics. For thirty years he pored and pondered over newspaper reports of the unusual, the anomalous, the unexplained and the downright hinky. From time to time, he would gather up his clippings for book publication: "The Book of the Damned" (1919), "New Lands" (1923) and "Lo!" (1931). The title of the last derived from Fort's notion that scientists were forever pointing up at the skies and exclaiming "Lo!"

In the 1930s, the pulp magazine industry opened up a new niche by publishing what would come to be called science fiction. The Street and Smith entry into this new market was called "Astounding Stories of Super Science." (It would evolve into "Astounding Stories," "Astounding Science Fiction" and finally "Analog.") Shortly after Fort's death, Astounding discovered him and the magazine loved what it saw. The new science fiction fans, a virtually all-male demographic ranging from age 10 to 25, loved the unusual, the anomalous, the unexplained and they were themselves, often as not, downright hinky. Month after month, the magazine ran hefty chunks of the books sandwiched between tales of time travel, scantily-clad space women and tentacled invaders. The fans ate it up.

Fort's material was popular but finite in volume. Eventually it ran out, but the taste for the stuff was so firmly established among the readers that Astounding regularly ran "hard science" articles along with the fiction--and so did the other pulp SF mags. Contributors to the hard science sections included some of the most illustrious names in American science fiction: Willy Ley, Fletcher Pratt, L. Sprague de Camp, Robert S. Richardson, Hal Clement and, of course, Isaac Asimov. Many, indeed most of these articles were informative, well-researched and otherwise admirable examples of popular science reporting.

On the other hand, that Fortean hinky-factor never entirely disappeared. Magazine science fiction fans of a certain age will remember the ominous syllables of "The Dean Machine" with either a shudder or an uproarious laugh.

Jim Baen of Baen Books was once upon a time the editor of Analog. James P. Hogan is a science fiction writer. The whole tone and feel of "Kicking the Sacred Cow" is exactly the tone and feel of those old "hard science" articles.

Hogan clearly believes in a dichotomy in what the world calls "science." There are theorists and there are engineers. Here is his credo: "Science really doesn't exist. Scientific beliefs are either proved wrong, or else they quickly become engineering. Everything else is untested speculation." [Page 1 of the mass paperback edition]

Introductions and prefaces are really very useful things. It's a pity that more people do not read them. In the introduction to this one, Hogan very kindly tells us what the book is all about: "This book is not concerned with cranks or simple die-hards, who are entitled to their foibles and come as part of life's pattern, Rather, it looks at instances of present-day orthodoxies tenaciously defending beliefs in the face of what would appear to be verified fact and plain logic, or doggedly closing eyes and minds to ideas whose time has surely come. In short, where scientific authority seems to be functioning more in the role of religion protecting doctrine and putting down heresy than championing the spirit of free inquiry that science should be." [Page 8]

From that, it is plain to see that Hogan has donned his armor and has settled himself on his destrier in preparation for a joust with all manner of scientific dragons. Among those dragons are mathematical and observational cosmology, the theories of relativity, the astronomical catastrophism and historical revisionism of Velikovsky, global warming, DDT, AIDS and Darwinism.

Now that is a wide range. I certainly haven't the knowledge to comment with any expertise on all those subjects. Off hand, I can't think of anybody that I would regard as equally authoritative on cosmology, the effects of DDT on ecology and "intelligent design." After reading this book, I am depressingly positive that James P. Hogan is not.

I should make it clear that some of Hogan's ideas sound reasonable to me. I think that his screed against the banning of DDT, for instance, is pretty convincing. On the other hand, his defense of Velikovsky is hilariously wrong-headed. (An attitude, I am sure, Hogan would toss right back at me--in spades!) In between those extremes is his attack on "orthodox" cosmology in which he advances a number of theories that smite it root and branch without ever managing to take note of the fact that each of those theories contradicts all the others as firmly as they do the Big Bang.

So far, so good. There are unquestionably a few grains of gold among the dross. Many books in this general category of writing can't offer even as much as that.

Read this book not as a declaration of war but as an amusing set of notions ranging from "could be" to "not a chance".

Three stars.

Excellent overview of current "Sacred Cows".......2007-06-13

By some of the other reviews it's obvious Mr. Hogan has rattled some cages. Similarly to other books challenging current orthodox dogma, especially in the area of evolution, this one causes fits in those whose world-view is threatened by its claims.
From other sources I am familiar with most of the issues Hogan reviews in this book. He gives a good overview. He's probably not right about everything, but I suspect he's right about some of it. My only complaint was the sections are too short; I would have liked to see more depth, especially in some areas.
Overall a good, thought-provoking read for those who aren't afraid of a look at "out of the box" ideas.

cowtipping at it's finest?.......2007-05-17

if you don't have enough spare thoughts, this will generate a few. the topics covered are large, and his discussion is generally thorough, coherent, and convincing, although i feel much is left out of his entire argument on ecology.

if you are not careful, you may find your paradigm shifting gears before you are ready. you certainly will be more well-versed in your understanding of the issues. whether you are cognizant of the red-shift and it's pertinence to the theories of origins of the universe, or looking at non-darwinian evolution, you will surprise yourself in here.

it didn't sound like it would be fun, but it is. have fun.

This cow has the staggers.......2007-02-04

Staggers is another name for a condition similar to Mad Cow disease and I suspect the author may have a passing contact with some tainted meat. It would take another book to point out all the flaws in this book but I'll make just a few observations.

1) For most, if not all, of Hogan's suppositions to be true it would be necessary for not just one or two or even a hundred scientists to be in on the fix, but tens of thousands of scientists, technicians,graduate students in dozens of countries to be working in concert.
Nobel prize winning biologists (James Watson for example) engage in bare knuckle brawls(of an intellectual nature, but with all the profanity of any sailor) over points of biology and theory.
No matter how big the scientists reputation there's always a graduate student or colleague ready to take him or her on. Science isn't static or even polite. It's dynamic and competitive. For Hogan, science seems to be composed of sheep and particularly docile and stupid ones at that.

2) Chemistry, Physics, Biology and all of the myriad sciences are interconnected. In order for Hogan's book to hold water, rather than sinking like the Titanic, all of science would have to be completely rewritten to account for his "facts".

3) I'll mention one of the names mentioned in the dedication, Peter Duesberg. Duesberg appears to doubt the HIV/AIDS connection.

According to "Prism Online May 1995" Peter Duesberg is quoted as saying: "If you get infected by an infectious disease, you will get sick within weeksÑmonths at the latest," Duesberg says. The latency period, according to Duesberg's theory, is much better explained by a build up of toxins in the bodyÑspecifically drugs.

There's just one problem with this. Duesberg is wrong. Several diseases leap to mind quite readily that don't fit this simplistic profile. Tuberculosis, Leprosy and Presumed
Ocular Histoplasmosis.

People can be infected with tuberculosis for may years, yet remain symptom free. After infection with the mycobacteria that causes leprosy the incubation period can range from six months to forty years.

Presumed Ocular Histoplasmosis starts with mild flue like symptoms after exposure to Histoplasma Capsulatum and years (10-20) later can cause an auto-immune reaction
in the retina or lungs. The "Presumed" in the name comes from the fact that the exact connection is still not confirmed.

Messy, convoluted and complicated but that's how the world works.

Duseberg and Hogan appear to believe that A must always proceed directly to B and that any deviation or anomaly instantly overrides all preponderance of evidence.
Further, anyone who ignores the anomaly must be guilty of suppression or conspiracy. Certainly politics and dogma can override good science. Witness the communist
rejection of Darwin or Einstein's failure to accept quantum mechanics. However empiricism won out as it always does. Hogan seems not to understand this.

Amazing!.......2006-11-11

Hogan has a hit! This book exposes the great lengths to which science will go to hide what they KNOW to be the truth, and perpetuate the lies they hold onto in the name of pride. The issue of evolution, the truth of Velokovsky, the facts about aids...It is all here. I agree...this book should be made available to every middle school student as required reading in their schools.

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Thinking Optional?
I don't know what science is, but this book is not
Should be required reading
It is food for thought
Yes, please think -- really think -- about what this book says

Kicking the Sacred Cow
James P. Hogan
Manufacturer: Baen
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Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0743488288

Book Description

Galileo may have had to recant his opinion that the Earth moves around the Sun, but in the end, science carried the day. Nowadays capital-S Science fearlessly pursues truth, refusing to bow to dogma, shining the pure light of reason on the mysteries of the universe, and expanding our knowledge of the cosmos. Or does it? It makes a good public relations release, but as bestselling author James P. Hogan demonstrates in this fact-filled and thoroughly documented study, science has its own roster of hidebound dogmas and ex cathedra pronouncements which are Not to be Questioned. Acceptance of evolutionary theory is usually treated as a battle between enlightened Darwinists and ignorant fundamentalists, but Hogan shows that there are many problems with the standard theory of evolution that have nothing to do with religion. Other dogma-laden subjects he examines include: global warming, the big bang, problems with relativity, radon and radiation, holes in the ozone layer, the cause of AIDS, and the controversy over Velikovsky's cosmology. In each case, Hogan explains the basics of the controversy in his usual clear, informative style, making for a book that will be fascinating for any layperson with an interest in the frontiers of modern science.

Customer Reviews:

Thinking Optional?.......2007-06-28

As a long time reader of science fiction and a reader of Hogan's previous work, I approached this book with relish and I was not disappointed.

I find it interesting that many of the negative reviews that I read seemed to have been written by persons who made up their minds prior to reading the book. I could be wrong, but their comments tend to support the views that Mr. Hogan expressed in the book. -There are no sacred cows in science (or there should not be), and any substantive subject should be examined from all angles before any final pronouncements are made.

I will not attempt to defend or garble the arguments made in the book, but I am intrigued by the venom that they inspire. I can only ask the following question, make one observation, and give my thoughts on the book:

1) Has it ever been recorded that one instance where, "Everybody knows," was right?

2) James Hogan does not present any of his arguments as the last word in science, he does not pretend to have all of the facts; he only attempts to reopen the discussion and our minds.

3) The book is worthy of study, well written, presents countervailing opinions to scientific 'fact', and it chaps the backside of every person who lives in an immutable and dogmatic (spoon-fed) -world. I highly recommend it to anyone who really wants to think about the greatest issues that face humanity in our time. It is an argument for free thought and scientific rigor and it exposes the modern blacklisting of persons who dare to question conventional wisdom. It isn't easy and it challenges us to use our own minds. Read it and make up your mind AFTER you read it.

I don't know what science is, but this book is not.......2006-12-02

Hogan questions several "mainstream" scientific beliefs in this book -- global warming, evolution, AIDS and more -- all get blasted.

Unfortunately, while Hogan understands the critics' arguments very well and reports them in a convincing way, what he failed to do is to check what the mainstream has to say about those arguments and what the critics do in reply.

All too often, the mainstream says "interesting theory, but what about [several problems with the critics' theory]", and the critics respond to that with ... silence.

The low point of this book was, for me, his view of the AIDS (non)controversy. To recapitulate: the critics say that there's no virus, just malnutrition and/or drug use, so antiviral therapies don't work -- and neither do condoms or needle exchange programs. This, IMHO, might have been a viable alternate theory in the 1980, but these days there's ample evidence from all over the place (including genetics, epidemology and statistics) which says that this idea does not make sense any more.

Or, put differently: if you're a policymaker and you don't believe the mainstream virus theory to be correct, you kill people. Unfortunately, Hogan (along with all the other AIDS critics) ignores the mainstream evidence. Worse: he seems to think that standing firm in your belief, opposed to mainstream science, is more important than peoples' lives.

While I applaud Hogan's principles, I think that applying them to real-world situations requires a hard look at the facts and a willingness to admit that you're wrong if confronted with contradictory evidence. Mainstream science does that all the time, and if Hogan had looked a bit more closely he'd have found ample evidence of it. The people espousing "alternate" theories, on the other hand, mostly don't.

I'm not going to go through a detailed examination of the other arguments Hogan exposes in this book. However, WRT those where I do have detailed knowledge. I say:

Sorry, Mr. Hogan -- your book's intent is laudable, but your critical look should have extended to the critics' PoV. As it is, your book just replaces one set of dogmas with another.

Sometimes, the sacred cow kicks back.

Should be required reading.......2006-11-03

This book is amazing, although I have not completed it yet. Many commonly understood ideas are countered with unbelievable evidence and presented in such a way as to encourage further research. Although, Hogan sites an amazing list of sources for his facts and comments that counter what is commonly thought of as fact. Years of media, political, and educational bias has locked many of us into believing things that are simply theories, with no evidence of them being correct.

The book really tackles items very thoroughly. His descriptions are great, even though several of the items are very advanced. I would like this to be a must read by all teachers, politicians and people in the media. If not, then all students should read this so they can not grow up with the bias that many of us grew up with.

It is food for thought.......2006-10-24

In re the "ozone hole", I was subjected to the indoctrination required for AC service. My BS detector blew up! It read like a very poor grade of propaganda. Not knowing what actual science was involved, I later researched it to find that it was all about Dupont profits. No real science involved. Hogan confirmed this thoroughly, with references.
in re AIDS, if they haven't actually isolated the virus, as Hogan states, it can't be assigned responsibility for AIDS, placing the whole AIDS establishment as outright liars that should be prosecuted. If the side effects of the no. one drug is breakdown of the immune system, someone should hang. Talk about the tail wagging the dog!
In re Evolution, I am not religious. I can see natural selection still at work around us. But he does give me pause for thought, as I always wondered how something as elaborate as DNA could "just happen". No one has explained that to my satisfaction. To ascribe it to Evolution and not look harder is scientific laziness. There is more to learn.
In re global warming, In fact if there is global warming, it is more likely to be from the huge amounts of waste heat humans dump from every thing we do. Nearly all energy use ends up as heat, so the air should warm up! The fact that the actual measured rise of sea level is so small as to be insignificant says look elsewhere, something is actually cooling the planet off! As he spells out, global warming as represented is politics, not science.

Yes, please think -- really think -- about what this book says.......2006-07-30

The book says, among other things, that HIV probably doesn't really cause AIDS, and that AIDS probably isn't really infectious at all -- it's just a collection of diseases that high-risk populations have anyway. Do you really think that's true? This same belief by the leader of South Africa allowed AIDS to run unchecked there for years, with devastating results.

The discussion of 'Intelligent Design' essentially says "Stop thinking! Accept that life is just so complex we can never understand how it could have come about!" Just the opposite of the stated purpose of the book. "Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic" (Arthur C. Clark, another science fiction writer.) We should absolutely question Darwin, but simply replacing serious investigation with "God works in mysterious ways" is a bit of a leap -- don't you think?

My impression is that Hogan is subtly playing to conspiracy theorists and fundamentalists. Yes, question everything -- including him.

Sacred Cows and Golden Geese: The Human Cost of Experiments on Animals

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Who is conning who?
eperimenting on animals is not only futile, it verges on being criminal
Solid expose of the money-based medical research machine
The Greeks should hit the Lab!
best book on the subject--clear, cold-blooded logic

Sacred Cows and Golden Geese: The Human Cost of Experiments on Animals
C. Ray Greek
Manufacturer: Continuum International Publishing Group
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ASIN: 0826414028

Customer Reviews:

Who is conning who?.......2007-05-24

This is a well written and very readable book. It is, however, based on a seriously flawed premise which will become obvious to the discerning reader.

Their premise is that all medical research and testing that utilizes animals is totally useless as applied to humans, is immoral as it mistreats the animals, and wastes incredible sums of taxpayer funds that could be used for "real" research.

Since I have neither a medical nor scientific background I am not qualified to evaluate claims made by the Greeks as to the inappropriateness of specific tests or procedures. I will leave the scientific exposure of their statements and conclusions to those qualified in these fields. It is my understanding that just such a scholarly rebuttal is currently in the works.

I am, however, reasonably qualified, as are many millions of readers, in recognizing a "con" wherein we are supposed to believe that there is a huge conspiracy consisting of many thousands of professionals, doctors, scientists, graduate students and suppliers to the research industry, our neighbors, friends and relatives, that is lying to us about the effectiveness of animal research just to make a quick buck.

If we follow the principle of "Occam's Razor", paraphrased as "All things being equal, the simplest solution tends to be the best one", it is far more likely that the spinning of the facts here for a quick buck is by the authors.

eperimenting on animals is not only futile, it verges on being criminal.......2005-09-09

This book is an excellent overview of the history of (the failures of) animal expiriments. I would recommend it to lawmakers, politicians, teachers and students, and ... well everyone in general. It gives concrete examples and all in terms that do not require medical or biological background yet well documented for those who wish to verify the sources.

It does not appeal to our emotions (no horrifying pictures, nor stories of the suffering inflicted on animals) but rationally clarifies and exposes the uselessness of experiments on animals (unless we are trying to find a cure for cancer for rats).

I would summarize their concept thus: "Experimenting on animals to understand humans is like having race car technicians study bicycles to understand race cars."

Solid expose of the money-based medical research machine.......2004-12-26

I worked for a biotech company for several years and can attest that what the Greeks are saying is true - it's all about the money, not the medicine. This book is not the easiest read, but it does methodically reveal both the faulty logic in play as well as the very powerful economic motives that really drive medical research. I recommend this to anyone considering donating money to any charity or organization for the purposes of "finding a cure" for any disease. Our tax dollars are mostly funding useless ego-enhancing science projects for which many animals are being tortured and killed. Whether you care about animal suffering or care more about where your tax dollar go, you will find reason to question the status quo in this book. Lazy science, easy money, none of it advances the cause of relieving human suffering via medical treatment.

The Greeks should hit the Lab!.......2003-10-18

The Greeks believe computer models and in-vitro work with isolated cells can solve our health problems. Perhaps they are right. But then, I suggest they hit the Lab and show this line of research is feasible. If they can do so, GREAT! I am pretty sure they will then get the attention of Washington to shift funding to such models. Until then, let Science work of us and wait patiently for the Greeks to cure cancer on their PC, or by drawing on the back of their napkin.

Regarding their qualifications: I quick search on www.pubmed.gov shows that "Anesthesiologist Ray Greek and veterinarian Jean Swingle Greek" (as they present their credentials) have produced a total of 0 (yes, that's a ZERO) pieces of research and 8 opinion letters sent to various scientific journals arguing against animal research.

It seems weird that someone without any research experience can write such a book...

best book on the subject--clear, cold-blooded logic.......2003-07-14

This book stands virtually alone as a well-reasoned defense against vivisection (a.k.a. animal research). The authors make no appeals to emotion. They do not deny that animal research is sometimes cruel. However, compassion and cruelty have nothing to do with their argument.

Greek and Greek-a medical doctor/ veterinary team-argue that animal research hurts people. They point out the countless ways in which animals differ from humans. Veterinarians know that, although the same drugs are used in multiple species, these drugs behave differently and achieve different results in different kinds of animals. Mammals are alike only on the level of gross anatomy. Biochemically, even rats and mice differ enormously, to say nothing of humans and mice.

Tracing the history of western medicine, Greek and Greek show how animal models for disease became part of the expected protocol. They show how these models have hindered doctors and scientists far more than they have helped. They point out that nearly all major breakthroughs in medicine have been initiated not by study in animal models, but by autopsy and clinical studies. Careful observation of human beings by doctors and caretakers has, time and again, led to medical breakthroughs which are later "confirmed" or "substantiated" by animals research. The vivisectionists then claim the laurels for these discoveries when the animals were, in fact, superfluous. Greek and Greek also point out the tremendous harm that animal models have caused. Such models lead to a sense of false confidence that drugs will not be harmful or that the risk is low. In fact, the recall rate for drugs is 50%. Fifty percent have adverse, unexpected side affects after they are loosed on a population that has trusted in animal models. 50% is the toss of a coin! Millions upon millions of dollars are poured into animal tests yearly.

In addition, animal models have slowed the recall of harmful drugs. Thalidomide is one of many examples. This drug causes hideous birth defects in humans, but no birth defects in rats, mice, most rabbits, guinea pigs, and other animals. Doctors realized that the drug was causing birth defects and warned the company, but thalidomide could not be recalled until an animal model was found in which the drug caused birth defects! So thalidomide remained on the market, causing children to be born with flippers, until an obscure species of rabbit was found who also produced deformed kits when given the drug. Only then could thalidomide be recalled!

Greek and Greek show how the idea of the animal model is based on greed and bureaucracy, not good science. They explain that, while scientists of the past were primarily wealthy people doing a hobby they enjoyed, today's scientists are required to continually produce statistically significant results in order to keep their jobs. Just to graduate with a PhD requires a candidate to perform meaningful research. Under these conditions, the temptation to reach for something quick, easy, and difficult-to-disprove are enormous. Rats and mice fit the bill. They breed rapidly, are easy to house, and it takes a long time to show that the result of research in rats does not actually have any useful application for human beings. Clinical students in human beings, on the other hand, can take decades. In addition, human beings are far less corporative than rats, and there are limits to what you can legally do to them and what they will allow you to do. The catch, of course, is that clinical studies in human beings actually produce useful results, whereas animal models very often lead nowhere. Yet university professors anxious to keep their jobs and young students desperate to get their degrees continue to reach again and again for cheap and easy research models. In addition, huge companies manufacture expensive equipment for miniature surgeries on rats, dogs, cats, birds, mice, monkeys, goats, guinea pigs, rats, and all manner of other beasts. These creatures require all manner of housing, some of it vary expensive, and human-type surgeries on them require very specialized and expensive instruments. Animal models are a multimillion dollar industry.

With today's technology, even many clinical studies could be circumvented by using invetro methods. Human cells can be cultivated on a Petri dish or in a test tube and then exposed to various drugs. There is no reason to keep using the clumsy and inaccurate barometer of four-legged creatures.

Greek and Greek fill much of their book with one example after another. Their research is superb. I began the book as a skeptic and ended it as a believer. I have a degree in biology, and I could find nothing wrong with their research. I passed the book on to one of my college biology professors. He was impressed and decided to start including the material in his ethics course.

Book Description

Contemporary concerns about food such as those stemming from mad cow disease, salmonella, and other potential food-related dangers are hardly new-humans have long been wary of what they eat. Beyond the fundamental fear of hunger, societies have sought to protect themselves from rotten, impure, or unhealthy food. From the markets of medieval Europe to the slaughterhouses of twentieth-century Chicago, Madeleine FerriÃ¨res traces the origins of present-day behavior toward what we eat as she explores the panics, myths, and ever-shifting attitudes regarding food and its safety. She demonstrates that food fears have been inspired not only by safety concerns but also by cultural, political, and religious prejudices.

Flour from human bones and pÃ¢tÃ© from dead cats are just two of the more unappetizing recipes that have scared consumers away from certain foods. FerriÃ¨res considers the roots of these and other rumors, illuminating how societies have assessed and attempted to regulate the risks of eating. She documents the bizarre and commonsensical attempts by European towns to ensure the quality of beef and pork, ranging from tighter controls on butchers to prohibiting Jews and menstruating women from handling meat. Examining the spread of Hungarian cattle disease, which ravaged the livestock of seventeenth-century Europe, FerriÃ¨res recounts the development of safety methods that became the Western model for fighting animal diseases.

FerriÃ¨res discusses a wealth of crucial and curious food-related incidents, trends, and beliefs, including European explorers' shocked responses to the foodways of the New World; how some foods deemed unsafe for the rich were seen as perfectly suitable for the poor; the potato's negative reputation; the fierce legal battles between seventeenth-century French bread bakers and innkeepers; the role of the medical profession in food regulation; and how modern consumerism changed the way we eat. Drawing on history, folklore, agriculture, and anthropology, FerriÃ¨res tells us how our decisions about what not to eat reflect who we are.

Science, sex, and sacred cows;: Spoofs on science from the Worm runner's digest

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Science, sex, and sacred cows;: Spoofs on science from the Worm runner's digest
James V McConnell
Manufacturer: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich
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SCIENCE IS A SACRED COW
Anthony Standen
Manufacturer: E. P. Dutton
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000JFRBU8

No Grazing for Sacred Cows: Tormenting Questions in a Bizarre World

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Author uses unique format to question everyday assumptions.
A first-rate analysis of typical American attitudes.
A deep and honest look at self in conjuntion with the world

No Grazing for Sacred Cows: Tormenting Questions in a Bizarre World
Noel Francisco
Manufacturer: CSS Publishing Company
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ASIN: 0788013297

Customer Reviews:

Author uses unique format to question everyday assumptions........1999-05-30

Author raises questions challenging (no grazing) our everyday assumptions (sacred cows) about how we should live in Western society (bizarre world). The questions are broad and widely relevant, but the format (i.e., a journal to the author's mythical, spiritual advisor) makes this a very intimate, personal, and compelling book to read. The author has a very easy to read writing style.

A first-rate analysis of typical American attitudes........1999-05-29

This book should be widely read because it speaks to human concerns that often are not clearly perceived. In an incisive and sensitive manner the author challenges the priorities that seem to dominate the lives of many Americans. These values, he contends, can be self-defeating and contribute to the de-humanization of life. An individual might deal with such conditions through candid communication with a trustworthy confidant who will listen to one's deepest concerns.

The author questions assumptions that nothing can be done about behavior problems because of inherited traits. He believes that while genetic patterns may precondition some forms of behavior, it remains for concrete life experiences to define and limit behavior. Humans possess potential for either good or evil. Those leaders who portray people as basically imperfect may make it easier for these leaders to control others, to "rescue" them from their flawed natures. Some leaders tend to discourage or forbid questioning and leave the field open to their own solutions, knowing that many people yearn for ready-made answers to the most crucial questions.

Many seek security in the accumulation of material things that "rot and rust" with time, leading to greater insecurity than ever. But the author does not despair: "I know there is a spark of divinity in all of us".

He cites the importance of empathy and commitment in human relations, stressing the relevance of these qualities for marriage and family life. Boys tend to be reared in our culture to repress displays of emotion. Males especially seem to operate on the theory that they will become more vulnerable if they express emotion.

Too many Americans are "preoccupied with success" in servitude to their own vanity. "Simple experiences," such as appreciation of the beauties of nature, can often result in more enduring satisfaction. But most of us are always "busy," too busy to hear the birds sing, "...too busy to die (and)...too busy to live".

Most of us are "suckers" when confronted with the exaggerations of modern advertising. But the "American Dream," to possess all the goodies, brings only fleeting satisfaction until the next goody appears.

Most of us are in "bureaucratic prisons" resulting from the modern organizational revolution. The author longs to be free of entrapment by the power centers.

The tendency to categorize and classify people warps our perceptions of people as individuals. "Unrestrained and blind ethnocentrism" courts disaster. "It is almost unbelievable what some individuals, intoxicated with the tribalism of their religious fanaticism, ethnic loyalties or national zeal will do to those who are considered their enemies. Francisco points to events in Northern Ireland, the Balkans and the Near East, for example, as major threats to the future of humankind.

Humor can be a saving grace."...humor can reduce the gravity of a situation and enable us to clear our heads for more reasonable thought and action". Perhaps a lack of humor indicates "intoxication with oneself".

The leaders of institutions often compromise the original purposes of religious, educational, business and governmental institutions, acting as if their institutions exist exclusively for themselves. The author wonders what might happen if institutions were to function more in line with their original purposes. Might we then discover greater economic security for more people, more meaningful education, and so on? "I hunger," he writes, "for spiritual food, but it is a rare experience when I receive much spiritual nourishment in the services of organized religion," which is typically too ritualistic and dogmatic to serve the real spiritual needs of individuals.

"Novelty addiction" born of boredom may be potentially dangerous. Might gang leaders, glib religious and political leaders and "obsessed messiahs" take advantage of the discontent of bored people?

To be sure, the concerns presented by the author have often been expressed by others, but his book brings the pieces together into a compelling whole. Francisco observes that the world is still full of wonder and adventure. The sacred cows must still contend with the hopes and aspirations of mind and spirit. The author has issued a profound challenge: It takes courage to confront a confusing and often frightening world. Heed his words!

A deep and honest look at self in conjuntion with the world.......1999-05-22

No grazing is an intimate look at the author's life and times. He has taken the time to reflect and allows the reader the key to his innermost thoughts. It is a very honest and true book about life's choices and their effects.

The Pure State of Nature: Sacred Cows, Destructive Myths and the Environment

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More a political rant than a rational critique

The Pure State of Nature: Sacred Cows, Destructive Myths and the Environment
David Horton
Manufacturer: Allen & Unwin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Australia | Australia & Oceania | History | Subjects | Books

Human Geography | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Reference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1865081078

Customer Reviews:

More a political rant than a rational critique.......2001-06-06

In this spiteful book, David Horton attempts to critique many mainstream theories about Australian Aborigines and their relationship with the environment before the arrival of Europeans. Focussing on the theories of Tim Flannery and a few others, his criticisms are based more on their (perceived) political implications than on their substantive merits.

Horton comes close to being insulting in many places, where he insinuates that anyone who doesn't agree with his version of events is racist, and is only putting forward their arguments in order to justify environmental destruction and social injustice. Horton grossly oversimplifies the arguments of those he attacks, and where he does attempt to critique them on their merits, he does so sarcastically and clumsily, ignoring basic evidence. There are some interesting insights here, but they are few and far between, and are soured by the book's many faults.

The book naively paints Aborigines as a people who were completely in tune with the Australian environment from the very moment they arrived on the continent. In doing so, he denies an historical lesson that our species so sorely needs to learn- that the actions of one or a few generations can have profound effects on countless subsequent generations.

Book Description

Across the world cattle remain absolutely essential to civilization's survival as a source of food, clothing, and labor. Human beings eat beef and ice cream, drink milk, wear leather, and love hamburgers and hot dogs. This book describes the history of the domestication and deification of the cow and bull and their intimate relation to humans. Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) scares reveal its continued importance in daily life.

Sacred Cows and Common Sense: The Symbolic Statecraft and Political Culture of the British Labour Party

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Sacred Cows and Common Sense: The Symbolic Statecraft and Political Culture of the British Labour Party
Tim Bale
Manufacturer: Ashgate Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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