Future Books

This is one of the best books I've read about prisons, and the one which goes farthest toward suggesting how they could be minimized (not eliminated).

My first encounter with the idea that prisons might be a bad idea was in reading Michel Foucault's Discipline and Punish (1975). He spoke of alternatives or substitutes for prison, and also for factories, schools, barracks, and hospitals, all of which he said resembled prisons. But he said not one word about what such alternatives might be, and his style struck me as pretentious. So I didn't pay much attention.

I believed, of course, that we ought to have been devoting much more time and money to alleviating poverty, educating children and adults, providing decent homes and medical care, training people for enjoyable jobs, treating the mentally ill and those addicted to drugs. I believed that we in America were wrong to allow people to live in horrible conditions, to supply everyone with guns, and then to address crime after it happened. But I didn't think much about the way in which we addressed it.

I did have some general, vague, and ill-informed complaints with our approach to punishment. I rejected the common demand for vengeance and the philosophical demand for justice (a.k.a. vengeance) as barbaric and counterproductive. I was disgusted by the fact that our government supported crime victims in believing that they could be helped by seeing criminals suffer. I opposed the death penalty because there was no evidence that it deterred crime, saved money, or helped to civilize anyone. The whole idea of vengeance seemed to conflict with reducing crime in many ways. Those "mentally incompetent" often couldn't be confined for society's protection, and couldn't be given the help they needed if they were confined. Restitution was never made to victims or communities, because those who ought to have been making it were locked away as monsters.

I didn't yet understand the degree to which prison trains those monsters to be monsters, and teaches people to see society as an enemy and themselves as wrongly treated. Nor was I aware how little evidence there is that prison (not just the death penalty) deters crime. I wasn't aware how unlikely recidivism is in many cases, or how small a percentage of prisoners had been convicted of violent crimes. I didn't know how large a percentage of prisoners are mentally ill or addicted to drugs. Nor did I have much idea what went on in prisons, how torturous imprisonment is, how solitary confinement produces insanity, how common rape and murder are in our prisons. Nor did I know anything about our recently developed private prison industry, an industry without the competition of the free-market, but also without the accountability or financial stability of the government. We now build unneeded prisons in the hopes that prisoners can be found to make them profitable. And there are alternatives.

Imprisonment is highest, and rising the fastest, in the United States. In Russia it is decreasing, and reliable numbers cannot be obtained for China. No other country is anywhere close to the U.S. in rate of imprisonment in proportion to population. Stern documents that most penal reform reports by governments around the world "begin by questioning the efficacy of the institution of prison itself." And she questions the idea that the recent increase in incarceration in the U.S. has reduced crime outside of prisons, either by deterrence or by temporarily removing potential recidivists from society. She goes on to suggest that mass incarceration will increase crime by the destruction it does to families and communities.

Stern also cites studies showing that Americans are less intent on massive incarceration than are their elected representatives. The cowardly appeals of "hard on crime" politicians to the basest instincts of the majority may actually be appealing to a minority. The parallel with the Republican Congress's recent impeachment of Bill Clinton, regardless of what the public might want, is striking.

In suggesting alternatives to prison, Stern cites examples from New Zealand, Vermont, Quebec, Africa, and India. The U.S. could drastically reduce its prison population by treating drug use as a medical, rather than a criminal, problem. It could go further by learning from some of the examples Stern cites in which greater use is made of probation and community service, greater emphasis is placed on restitution and answerability to victims. In New Zealand an offender and his or her family sit down with a victim and family and moderators to arrive at a punishment acceptable to all, including an apology. This is not the U.S. version of victim involvement in which restitution and apology play no part but the victim (who has no knowledge of the offender's psychology) recommends a length of prison sentence. As Stern puts it:

"With prison the victim is not healed. The victim is forgotten. The community breach is not healed - but widened - and society has become more dangerous."

Clearly there is something flawed in the idea that we can reduce crime by temporarily removing people from society, if while they are removed they are trained to be more serious criminals and in fact allowed to commit crimes against each other, and if nothing is done for the wellbeing of those damaged by the removal of these people. But there are two reasons why many Americans want to proceed in this way nonetheless. One is the desire for vengeance. Let more crime victims be produced, this thinking goes, as long as the current ones can be made to feel overwhelming hatred for those who abused them. The other reason, one which I think Stern may underestimate and which may be less in some countries, is a belief in the deterrent power of prison.

I had this book sent to a highly educated individual whom is currently in prison. He wrote " 'A Sin Against The Future' is EXTRAORDINARY! It is an exceptionally well written book. The U.S. and Russia stand far alone in per-capita incarceration. As the author points out, this has an historical genesis in Russia but is unprecedented in the history of the world for the U.S." He went on to write two whole pages about this book. He clearly thought it to be excellent and truthful reading.

This manual completes the original "five stars" text book of Neftci, a very clear and agreable introduction to the Mathematics of Finance.

Since you can download it from his website, I do not under why they still sell it here the spiral binded version which waste me $15.

This very readable new book is one of importance for active lay people as well as clergy. It honestly confronts the issues facing the church in our time and puts them in the context of the church's long history of reform and struggle to respond to the new reality presented to each generation. Although written by an Episcopalian, it is written for the whole church. Don't miss it! We will be discussing "The Songs of the Mothers" for years to come.

I have recently had the pleasure of reading Bishop Joe Morris Doss's book The Songs of the Mothers. Rarely have I had such an interesting and enlightening experience. Bishop Doss writes in the Southern style of a Faulkner or a Morris and has the flow of a novel. He presents a clear and concise view of theology without being tedious. A thoroughly enjoyable read, and destined to be required reading for all those studying for holy orders; I regret that The Songs of the Mothers wasn't available to me during my studies for the Episcopal priesthood.

The Venerable Charles G. McCarty, D.D.
Anglican Archdeacon of Louisiana

"Spend On Your Future" offered great tips for the novice investor. The authors did a superb job of explaining and presenting the information in a user friendly way. I felt more educated and confident in starting my own investment portfolio after reading this!

This book shows how to make money management for the beginner simple and fun. I've snoozed through many investment books in the past but found this one to be pleasant to read. The authors also do a good job of highlighting tips for the reader to remember for later. Well done Tim Collins and Jane Lehr!

I was born and lived in St.Petersburg for 23 years. I am and will always be in love with this strikingly beautiful, cultural capital of Russia. Arthur George's book is the best book about St.Petersburg I have ever read. The author shows a thorough knowledge of the Russian history, literature and politics, the history of the city and the most famous St.Petersburgers: writers and poets, musicians and artists, politicians.

Thank you, Arthur and Elena George. Vivat, St.Petersburg!!

I lived in St. Petersburg for seven years, and of all the books I have read about the City and Russia, this is the most fascinating and thorough. Arthur George is very smart; well educated in many areas: culture, history, law, politics, and philosophy; and has an excellent research colleague in Elena George. Because I lived there, I especially appreciate his historical descriptions of the city, often followed by subsequent and current names of places. I highly recommend this book for anyone who has visited the city, either once or frequently; and it would be a brilliant introduction to anyone planning to go to St. Petersburg for any reason. I definitely appreciate his placing of St. Petersburg into the history of Russia, and his hope that the current Russian Federation administration under Vladimir V. Putin--coming as it does largely from St. Petersburg--will lead Russia away from the two horrible eras dominated by Moscow. My only disappointment is that the book finally ended, although for anyone who has ever visited St. Petersburg there is hope that they will return and be part of its history again.

Having gone through some painful losses of family and dear friends, I have found this book by Rudolf Steiner to be the best. It is probably his easiest book to read and for those who find themselves around the death portal, Steiner really has the territory mapped out. The dead have much to teach us and Steiner gives detailed ways to develop our capacties to stay connected to the dead. Profound and helpful for those in grief.

What a book. Anyone who is serious about their life should read this book. A total masterpiece.

I was first drawn to the works of Peter Steidlmeyer in 1993 as a futures trader by a colleague who explained that the features that I noted about the frenzied interest rate futures markets, had been encapsulated by this author. Without reading the book I tried to monitor the market activities in the profile that had been explained to me. Strangely enough, there was a pattern apparent on the daily sheets of paper that I started to collect.

It was not until late 1999 that I revisited the phenonmenon when I started to trade on my own account from an office. I recalled the works and decided to pick up the book. It was an incredible revelation and revitalised my enthusiasm for day trading. Many people feel that they have a gut instinct in understanding where markets will trade, but Steidlmeyer's statistical approach formalises much of this. I was particularly interested in how his upbringing and his experiences as a child and the responsibilities he was given formed his approach to trading as a pro. From the writing you will learn the importance of watching rather than partaking in the opening hour of the market, which is often a money saver. it will teach you rules of discipline, because it makes sense.

What I failed to take away from the book in working practice was the application of options volume from the 'far-traders,' the people who were bothered about the long-term haul, and how this could be witnessed in practice. There is certainly a lot of truth in it, but I could not match this with my experience as a day trader. The statistical comprehension of Market Profile is skillfully explained and is profitable to those who adopt it. the book is well written, understandable to the novice and is sound advice.

For those who like to take profit or survive in the stock market, this is the most practical method. This is essential to decision making no matter what the market will be. In down turn, survival is the most important than all.Up, take the best profit. Non-trendy, do nothing.

a book which seems quite interesting

a book which seems quite interesting

Ullmann combines the ubsurdity and beauty of everyday life with a wicked sense of humor. Reading "Strategies" is like driving too fast up a winding, gravel coated, high country road. When you reach the top and draw a breath of thin air you feel grateful and giddy. This collection is a kaleidoscope of human emotions simply stated in a manor in which many of us don't bother to explore. The short story Seamus is astounding. It defies explanation and will encourage any aspiring writer to practice new yoga positions of the mind. How To Be New is a melodic tribute to the good things in life. Mr Ullmann approaches his subject matter with startling originality and direction. READ THIS BOOK!!

This book is the first step into the author's perceptive, cynical, and rather strange mind, and perhaps some readers may not want to take another step. Unfortunately, they are the people who need to read it most. Instead, they will most likely realise that they misjudged this book's title and so will return to reading "How to win friends and influence people".

The rest, however, will find this a more than satisfying mixture of humorous observations about life's odd intricacies, cleverly blended with the author's random wonderments about irrelevant and ambiguous subject matter. Genius!

I absolutely loved this book! Special delivery? You bet! Kevin has to deliver a message to Nicole's (his best friend) mom on Earth. But, poor Kevin finds himself stuck down until he can rekindle his relationship with his lawyer-father. I simply could not put this book down. Ms. Rosenbloom weaves an exciting tale from here to Nirvanaville.

Kevin's death would be a tragedy if he wasn't having so much fun in the afterlife; hanging out with a girlfriend, zooming on clouds and doing almost anything he wants. Still, he can't resist returning to Earth when he gets a chance to deliver a letter to his girlfriend's mother. So he hops on a motorcyle and roars back to Earth. Only things go wrong and he ends up in jail and accused of crimes in a courtroom with a prosecuting attorney he knows too well -- his own father!

This is a creative, exciting and intriguing book. It explores the concept of afterlife, while offering a thrilling adventure. The author's legal experience shines through and adds a sense of reality to this out-of-this-world story.

Don't miss out on this unique and wonderful book. Have fun reading!