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John Spritzler's The People As Enemy: The Leaders' Hidden Agenda in World War II is a powerful,necessary, and inspiring book. Read it and you will never see World War II in the same way. More to the point, you will never see contemporary capitalist society in the same way. Spritzler explodes the myth of "the good war" by taking apart, piece by careful piece, much of the structure of lies and myths designed to buttress capitalist rule and exposes the system in its ugliness and ultimate weakness.

He shows too that there is a powerful counter-force to capitalism at work in society: working men and women fighting everywhere for a better world, a force so threatening that the most powerful elites on earth waged a world war to extinguish it. This counter-force, Spritzler shows, was not defeated on the field of battle in World War II so much as misled and betrayed by Communist leaders in a little-known history from which we have not yet recovered. The People as Enemy is a giant step in understanding and breaking free of that history.

The book has profound implications beyond World War II. Echoes of the past in the present and specifically a consciousness of the Iraq war never too distant in this book. It suggests that the real force driving the history of the twentieth century was working class struggle for a new world and ruling class efforts to contain it. The rhythm of the century was revolution and counterrevolution-a rhythm in which we, of course, are still caught. Seldom has a work of history been more acutely relevant to understanding our present and our possible futures.

It's not easy to believe a few people are so greedy and powerful that American soldiers can be sent to war without any real debate by either party, to make powerful and wealthy people even more powerful and wealthy. Can anyone really be that corrupt?

A few weeks ago, a 22-year old Marine Sgt. named Kirk Strasesskie jumped into a canal south of Baghdad when a helicopter hit the water. Kirk drowned trying to save his Marine friends. His friends back home in Beaver Dam, Wisconsin said he could barely swim. In high school, Strasesskie had played sports and spent much of his free time with kids who struggled with their learning disabilities. His dad, an Army veteran, questioned whether the Iraq War was just and why his son should have been there at all?

Kirk Strasesskie's always going to be a hero for me, just like my Army uncle who fought in WWII in New Guinea and those Marines at Iwo Jima and those paratroopers at Bastogne and Chosin. Heroes all, just like my auto worker friends who battle each day and night against their Vietnam experience. Their lives are such a contrast with those boundlessly powerful, elite, selfish few who so easily send them into our constant wars.

I lump them all together today, those heroic figures whose lives were risked or ended fighting for their friends in wars that all were so unnecessary except for WWII - the "good war" of course.

But, as it turns out, while WWII saw heroic soldiers dying on South Pacific beaches and in the frozen foxholes at the Bulge, the most powerful people in our country did business with the Nazis and Fascists making enormous profits on the deaths of 50 million people and laying the groundwork for post war elite control. It was not such a "good war" after all.

After reading John Spritzler's "The People as Enemy" I am as angry about the unjustness of WWII as I ever was about Vietnam or as I am about Iraq. Every library in every VFW and American Legion Hall should stock this book and make it required reading for members. Anyone interested or active in the Peace Movement should read this book to understand who really causes and profits from war.

Every American of conscience should read this book then stand up and demand that never again should our government be allowed to send our brothers and sisters and sons and daughters off to wars that are meant to defeat the values of democracy and solidarity and make the rich richer.

Browsing the bookstore, first, I just liked the cover and the title, "The People as Enemy"-- caught my attention!!

Then, expecting to be bored with WWII history, etc. etc. what I found out (couldn't put the book down!)..was all this hidden agenda stuff that went on, which we never knew about, were never directly told, but.. clearly from this author's extensive research and investigation... was beyond a shred of doubt,going on.

The book is easy to read, even for someone who is not a history buff per se-- but who has an active and inquiring mind.

Thank you, John Spritzler, for hugely shedding light on this misconception of the "good war," and for letting us know the real motives behind it. It's almost hard to believe, but with all your direct references and direct quotes, it's impossible to not believe. Ya mean, it wasn't so "good" after all!? Who woulda thunk it.....

And thank you for making such obvious, in the end, brilliant comparisons to the "good war" (Bush's) we just fought.

I urge everyone who can, to read this book!

This is a life-altering book. That expression has become cliche', but here are a few things that this book changed in my life: unplugged television 2 years ago and don't miss it a bit; drastically improved my relationship with my wife and parents; fear no longer controls my life; I never get angry at other drivers; cultivation of love for even the "bad" events in life; and many others. Whether you are looking for simple but powerful meditation techniques, how to appreciate the simple pleasures of life, make sense of the war and violence in our world, or just simply want to increase your everyday mood from slightly-below-content to smiling most of the time, this is the book for you. I can't say enough good about this one.

Along with Seth's material, Bartholomew's wonderful insights echo memories of things all of us know. The gist is that somehow humanity has chosen to forget what and how we are, while we were busying ourselves in our dreamworld.

The Bartholomew books provide an easy access to materials, nowadays also found elsewhere. What makes these books so outstanding though is their caring simplicity, ease of terms and words. I have found the Bartholomew guidance wonderfully complementing what I have already learned through Seth and others.

There are really no teachers, we are all students learning from each other. No-one takes precedence, but each and everyone communicates in a different voice. That not only makes each of us here on earth individual and different, it also unifies our living, common heritage in aware consciousness.

All the Bartholomew books are life-changing texts. The message is basically the same as the Emmanuel series, albeit somewhat more complex. All in all, a satisfying read that I have given as a gift many, many times and recommended to friends and clients alike. Try this series if your mind and spirit need to expand a bit.

Priscilla Valentine has written a masterpiece on training of the potbellied pig. Besides the fun of seeing your pet do tricks, this book is great for the new owner or the experienced owner with a problem pig-child. Through training your pig and giving him something to work for, much better all-around behavior can be attained. If you are considering this book, buy it! Priscilla has included info on selection and care of the pet pig as well.

This book is a perfect guide for the first time pig owner, or even the seasoned owner who has potbellied pigs, or miniatures.I must say. This book has almost every answer to any question. Plus great, and easy ways to teach your pot bellied pig tricks. I found this book very easy to follow. For teaching tricks, and behavior !

Pigs are not your average pet. They're smarter and more demanding than any dog or cat. But too often we hear that a pig owner can't meet the challenge of ownership. What should be a 15 year (or so) commitment is too often terminated with the pig abandoned. Many of these failed relationships between a petpig and their owner could be saved with a little pre-education and patience. I think this is where Potbellied Pig Behavior and Training reveals it's greatest potential. Ms. Valentine is a professional pig owner, trainer, performer and educator. Her love of pigs comes shining through her book. She brings her hard earned lessons to this easy to read and entertaining book about pet pigs. She covers everything from how to select a pig and what to feed it to how to train it and keep it (and you) happy with the relationship. This is must pre-reading for anyone considering adopting a pig who wants to get the most from their existing long term commitment.

If you have any questions about any type of turtle or tortoise this book will answer them. Very informative. Worth the money.

I own many turtle books, but this one is truly outstanding and is in my "most used" category..... a cornucopia of practical information that is well-written, well-presented and well-researched. There is stuff here that you'd have to combe through an entire library to find otherwise. I commend this text to all keepers, from beginner to professional. It has been called the "bible of turtle keeping" for good reason - there is no better single volume source of accurate information available. The author is founder of the Tortoise Trust, one of the world's leading turtle conservation and education organizations, and is known for numerous contributions to our knowledge on this topic. Without doubt, this is the most useful, practical turtle book I own, and I urge other keepers not to pass it by! There are some awful books on turtles out there, and they can get your animal's killed... this one is quite the opposite, and it has certainly saved many of my own animals. Excellent.

If you own a turtle or tortoise, buy this book and keep it handy. The Practical Encyclopedia of Keeping and Breeding Tortoises and Freshwater Turtles has information for everyone; yes, even for advanced keepers. This is not just another reptile book with lots of photos and little substance. It is a pet owner's manual that appeals to a wide audience. Beginners to turtlekeeping will find all they need to know (without being intimidated) about nutrition, housing, medicine and maintenance of all of the common (and some not-so-common) pet species. Highfield presents a great deal of information in a logical, readable manner. The book includes many color photographs which are helpful in species identification. The chapters on nutrition and medical care are outstanding. Many of the species presented in the book have photos to go along with the detailed descriptions of their habits, habitats and life-cycles. The Practical Encyclopedia of Keeping and Breeding Tortoises and Freshwater Turtles is loaded with information that is pertinent, concise and accurate. I highly recommend this book.

This book is very useful for students who want to improve their fluency in American English. The usage of sounds in contrast is a powerful tool for those that have some difficult for distinguishing English sounds. The authors go depth on American pitch and intonation, driving the student towards the achievement of true American accent, just like a native has!

I discovered this book in the library, and have since used it to teach classes as well as individuals. Some of my students have even used this book as a self-teaching guide. It is an absolutely wonderful pronunciation guide for any level of ESL student! THE GOOD: The book employs a wonderful system for helping students learn the sounds of English. It has lists that differ by only one sound (ex. Sip & Zip) to illustrate the differences between similar sounds. It then tests the learners' hearing by having them choose which word they hear in a sentence where either word would fit! It goes on to provide practice with many words, sentences and dialogues. Then, after an activity, it summarizes all the ways that the sound can be spelled. THE BAD: There really isn't much! If anything, I would say that the mouth illustrations at the beginning of each chapter aren't really that helpful. And sometimes my students question me about the phonetic spelling that is used to introduce a sound. OVERALL: This is an absolutely wonderful book that can be used with anyone - from true beginners to advanced students! I would recommend it to anyone teaching or learning pronunciation. If you are going to use it to learn on your own I would recommend getting the cassette tapes.

I would like to know this book.Only the cassettes

Aspiring authors who dream of quitting a day job for the life of a professional write will find Jim Denney's Quit Your Day Job! to be a candid assessment plan for building a paying career as a full-time writer. Quit Your Day Job! covers both the positives and negatives of a writer's careers, from keeping multiple projects in the pipelines to setting goals -- and attaining them.

More Stars Please!! This is a 10 star book! Extremely educational and inspiring! It's a must read for anyone dreaming of a writer's career. If you want a precise and direct map from idea to publication -- this is it!

I thank the tree who gave its life for this book! I couldn't read fast enough to soak in all the information. And this book is loaded with plenty. It lays out the truth about the life of a writer. At the same time I was inspired and motivated. The author should have charged double for this gold mine.
Thanks for the boost I needed to start taking my writing career serious. I am loving every mintue I spend in front of the keyboard. See you at the top!

A Revolution of Compassion is a fair and objective look at the relationship between the faith-based community and government. I found the interviews with government, corporate, social and faith-based leaders to be insightful, while representing both sides of the issue of seperation of church and state. The reader will gain a helpful historical perspective of the history of this current hot-button along with where we stand today on this unresolved issue. More specific ideas as to what initiatives might be taken in local communities would add a necessary component to the book. However, the insight gained is more than useful

This is a very good book and definately worth reading. David Donaldson's personal account of his early life is an inspiring account that leads to an obvious logical conclusion; We must encourage and support the church to continue one of its prime directives, to feed the hungry, give to the poor, etc.. The current effort of acknowledging and encouraging the church to not abandon its efforts to the "professionals" is laudible.

The authors of this book have done an excellent job giving vision and information to any corporation, nonprofit, public agency or faith-based ministry who wants to make a difference in their community. The best way, the authors argue, is to work together.

Filled with interviews with top leaders in all sectors, this book both inspires a new way of thinking and provides a road map for accomplishing it. Highly recommended for all those who want encouragement for their existing efforts, who wish that they could do more, or for anyone who would like to see our communities renewed.

This book is excellant! The text is thorough, and the illustrations are phenomenal. There is virtually no stone left unturned. Every question concerning the husbandry and natural history of rhacodactylus is explored and explained. The authors attention to detail is unmatched. This book is a must have for any person whom wants to own, or already owns any species of rhacodactylus, novice and expert alike.

This book is a MUST HAVE for anyone interested in this amazing group of geckos. Rhacodactylus are a small group of geckos that are found only on the island of New Caledonia, that lies roughly between Australia, New Guinea and New Zealand. For such a small group, these geckos occur in a diverse array of beautiful and often bizarre forms. One member of this genus, Rhacodactylus leachianus, holds the distinction of being the largest living species of gecko in the world, reaching a total length of up to 17 inches and weighing nearly a pound!

I have been keeping reptiles for 30+ years. I can remember back when the only readily available books on reptile or amphibian care had lots of pretty (or sometimes not so pretty and often mislabeled) pictures, but little useful information on the natural history or husbandry of these animals. Worse yet, what little information was there was frequently just plain wrong! Those of us who were really dedicated to the hobby had to go to university libraries and search out obscure zoo and animal care journals to gain insight on how to keep our animals healthy, happy and reproducing.

That all changed when Philippe de Vosjoli introduced his Advanced Vivarium Systems "Care and Maintenence" series of books that emphasized good, solid husbandry information, based on years of research by the top experts in the field. Many of these he authored or co-authored himself along with some of the other top reptile and amphibian keepers in the world. The goal of these books was to make good, solid information on proper care of reptiles and amphibians readily available, both to long time keepers and people just starting out in the hobby.

This latest work by he and his co-authors, Frank Fast and Allen Repashy, is one of his best and most ambitious works yet. In addition to the main authors, the information in this book has been compiled from many of the other top gecko keepers/breeders in the the U.S. and Europe. The book covers all six species and 2 subspecies of Rhacodactylus, giving descriptions of each, and excellent information on all aspects of their husbandry and breeding. Everything from nutrition, caging, breeding and much more are covered in great detail. In addition, the book contains some of the latest information on the habitat and ecology of these animals, along with numerous beautiful pictures of the different forms and color morphs of the geckos and their habitats.

This book is also an excellent companion volume for anyone lucky enough to own the now out of print Rhacodactylus - Biology, Natural History and Husbandry by Robert Seipp and Friedrich Wilhelm Henkel. The new book updates and greatly expands on much of the information presented in the earlier book.

I would highly recommend Rhacodactylus: The Complete Guide to their Selection and Care to not only those of us that work with, or want to work with these animals, but also to anyone who just wants to know more about these beautiful and amazing creatures.

I don't have this book yet, but I will as soon as it becomes available here at amazon. I've heard nothing but good things about it from fellow gecko enthusiasts. Just this past week, at a reptile show, I was able to look at a copy that a gecko breeder had brought. It looked great! I wasn't able to spend too much time looking at it, but from what I did see, it definitely looks like the definitive guide for anyone who wants info on the Rhacodactylus geckos.

Safe as Houses was a very enjoyable read for me. I was very touched by the love that two homosexual men have for their "family". In fact, this "alternative" family seemed to be more normal than the regular man-woman unit.

Alex Jeffers' wonderful book is an idyll, perhaps a fantasy, certainly a 'blast of the trumpet' against the family values folks who cling to the stale notion that only mixed-gender households can know love or raise well-adjusted kids.

A fantasy, perhaps, because how many families are as happy and communicative as this one? How many sixteen-year-old boys remain affectionate friends of their dads? But it's not impossible, I suppose, and even the possibility that somewhere such families may exist is something to celebrate.

An idyll, because as Allen battles AIDS (we learn that he's got KS on page two), he chooses for the sporadic journal entries that comprise the book only the good memories.

A blast against the conservatives, because with writing this good, how could anyone deny the truth of the portrait?

Is it a sad book? For his two sons, especially the younger, his eventual death will be a terrible loss. But should we grieve for Allen himself? That's a much tougher question that the book asks. Does it get any better, any happpier, than the life Allen describes for us? We'll all die someday, as Allen's father reminds him. And if we've lived in bliss, do we call it a tragedy because our bliss isn't eternal?

Or do we consider by way of contrast that many of the gay men born in the late 40's and during the 50's who are still alive survived because they spent the 70's and 80's in the closet. And with their cohort so diminished by the epidemic, many will never find the happiness that Allen tells us of. These men bought their lives at the expense of love.

So we have an old, old conundrum, the modern form of the choice Achilles is forced to make in The Iliad: a brief, glorious life or a long, dull one. I don't know the answer. But Jeffers gives us a hero for our times and shows us how we can celebrate a life rather than mourn a death.

This is an achingly beautiful book. Read it.

Alex Jeffers has written a wonderful, lyrical tale of life, love, and family. The themes of the book -- deafness, gay parenthood, and illness -- are interwoven with a quiet, warm story about two men struggling to build a faimly in a world which does not acknowledge their right to parenthood. Through the eyes of Allen, we watch his father and mother, both deaf, struggle to survive in a world which does not wish to accomodate them. Once Allen has grown up and moved away from home, he meets Jeremy, a tall, handsome man who is raising his son alone. Together, Jeremy and Allen strive too raise and protect Jeremy's son.

This is an extremely educational and informative piece of work, especially regarding the details of the Nixon, Ford, Johnson and Carter administration, along with extensive information about the Vietnam War, WWI, WWII and the Watergate crisis. The literature section was fascinating. It was exciting to read the brilliant poetry of Adrienne Rich and John Ashbery. Rich's poetry touched my heart because it focused on the suffering of women who lacked a voice in their defense against discrimination. Rich emphasized what women desired socially and in the workplace. Her poem titled, "Sources," begs for women's freedom and democracy. It plans to break away from the silence and to end female discrimination. What was inspiring about poet Ashbery was that he instructed his students to write poems based on paintings. For example, Ashbery's poem titled, "Self-Portrait in a Convex Mirror," was very intriguing, due to the idea that one does not see one's reflection when looking in the mirror. The painting depicts how we long to change, yet we must accept ourselves as we are. Sometimes we feel trapped with ourselves and isolated from the exterior world. We are on a constant strive for acceptance to be in unison with the outside world. What impressed me a great deal was artist, Jasper John's crosshatching paintings. For example, his painting titled, Cicada, (1979), encouraged individuals to analyze a painting, uncover the mystery and meaning behind the drawing and to focus on the unseen. I especially enjoyed reading about the unique fashion of the 1970s, the beginnings of disco and punk music and popular films like: Carrie, Pulp Fiction, Taxi Driver, Jaws and Saturday Night Fever. The book grabs the attention of readers who have experienced the 1970's and those of a later generation who wished that they were there. I liked the idea behind Toni Morrison's book titled, The Bluest Sky, because it reeducates away from white ideals and beauty that imprison African Americans. Stephen Paul Miller's work help readers remember the early forms of self-expression in the 1970's and the courage of women on their road to freedom. The title of Stephen Miller's work, The Seventies Now: Culture as Surveillance, is appropriate because the 1970's was a time of renewal and change and an exchange of new ideas, freedoms and individualism. American culture was under surveillance because people wanted to be themselves by stressing their uniqueness. Alteration in people's speech, behavior, and in other forms of expression is the reason why our culture was under surveillance. Stephen Miller demonstrated a creative style of writing by gradually moving from one topic to another, which added variety to my reading. This is an excellent source of relevant information for students who want to relate to or explore the era of the 1970's. Stephen Paul Miller has displayed his imaginative side. His splendid choice of words describes the 1970's in full accuracy and makes this piece a true learning experience.

Dr. Miller has succeeded not merely in creating a wholly fresh analysis of America in the 1970's, but in developing a new set of critical aparati. Very impressive and useful work.

Miller elucidates his thesis brilliantly and concisely in the book's introduction. His "micro-periodizing" of American culture deconstructs and relocates the seventies decade with reference to the sixties cultural revolution and the Reaganomics of the eighties. Now that we have the hindsight of the nineties...this book was just waiting to be written! Miller micro-periodizes cultural phenomena within the political context of the Nixon Era. While Miller is indebted to Foucault's theory of periodization, he takes his departure from Foucault's grid to account for changes between epistemes. The first chapter defines the concept of "rippling epistemes" to account for the fact that epistemes are always in transition. This serves as a very coherent and insightful thesis for the book.

Specific strengths of the book are the critiques of literature, painting and cinema. The points of view regarding the works of John Ashbery, Andy Warhol and Jasper Johns are radical and creative. Miller's sophistication with poetry and painting is truly impressive. Also, the feminist critiques of the works of Toni Morrison, Adrienne Rich and Sam Shepard present new ways of looking at the texts which would benefit students and scholars alike.

It should be emphasized that the book will have value to the public at large (and not just scholars and students). The references to popular culture make the book quite appealing to the general public.

Miller knows his subject! Clearly, the book is the result of a lifetime of enthrallment with the subject matter. Highly recommendable! A tour de force!