Governments

A specialist in Japanese politics and military affairs, Peter Woolley understands the current and growing importance of Japan's Navy, the most powerful navy, besides that of the US, operating in the Pacific. Woolley has in turn written a valuable study of Japan's Navy and the political processes that continue to refine its role. Woolley comments that while many in the US brush aside Japan as being economic competitors and little else, the Japanese Self Defense Forces "...are the greatest complement to the US force structure in the pacific," and he sees their role growing as Japan becomes more willing to participate in UN operations and humanitarian interventions throughout Asia. The US demonstrated during the crisis in E. Timor that it is not always willing to use its arms and treasure to resolve Asian troubles. Here Woolley sees Japan becoming the US' regional surrogate. Japan's Navy : Politics and Paradox is a valuable asset that belongs in the library of any student of Asian or international politics.

Peter Woolley's new book is brief,, accessible, packed with information, and provocative. It effectively corrects many of the all-too-common misconceptions about Japan's contribution to Western defenses during the Cold War, and after. It will be a valuable resource not only for those concerned with Japanese security questions, but also for the very large audience interested in the emerging power configuration in the increasingly vital Pacific Basin.

In the 1980's when Japan's economy was hot, it was fashionable for Americans to worry about Japan becoming the next superpower and, at the same time, critisize Japan for not spending enough on defense. What was the bizarre logic? Perhaps it was that Japan should spend generously on defense and thereby undermine its prosperity. More likely the idea was that Japan was getting a free ride in defense matters and should pony up. But who really WANTED Japan to spend more on its armed forces?

Woolley's book examines Japan's defense policies from the early 1970's through the present and puts Japan's defense policies in some reasonable perspective: that Japan contributed greatly to Western defense, to the Cold War, and to peace in the Pacific while laboring under extremely delicate political conditions at home. These constraints--legal, popular, and even international--forced defense to be a low-profile issue with low-profile policies. But that low-profile did not make Japan's defense any less important.

Japan's best defense investments went into the lowest profile of service: the navy. The warships went off to the vast expanse of the Pacific blue for ops and, what's more, could practice their trade in the shadow of the US Navy.

Today, the Soviet Navy has rusted and China's navy is at least 20 years behind in technology. But Japan's navy is still the highly useful, dependable and low-profile partner of the United States. (Ask anyone who is worried about the mysterious North Korean government or the unending spat between the PRC and Taiwan.)

And now, with the Cold War over and Japan's economy apparently much less threatening to the rest of the world (except if it goes in the tank), Japan has been able to raise its defense profile, beginning to contribute now to UN operations. While these contributions have not attracted much attention--or much praise, Japan has nonetheless been able to send troops abroad, using the navy, army, and airforce.

Of course, still no one refers to these organizations as army, airforce or navy. They are "self defense forces." So be it.

For the average reader, the first chapter, a "primer" on Japanese politics will be most useful. Japan is too often compared to the United States rather than to the whole range of modern democracies.

For the more attentive reader, chapters on sealane defense and UN operations will be informative and sometimes amusing. Woolley has a way of subtly mocking pop-critisism of Japan.

For the nitty-gritty naval buff, however, there might be little here. Woolley is much more focused on the political than on the nuts an bolts of naval ops.

It is certainly recommended for any library on Japan, recent international relations, or US military relations.

Part of the Jeffersonian fascination involves the many facets, ambiguities and paradoxes he presents: the libertarian who owned slaves; the budget-slashing, small-government advocate who was a personal spendthrift, perpetually teetering at the brink of financial ruin; the shy and ineffective public speaker who was one of the most ruthless and scheming of backroom political operatives; the reclusive scholar and intellectual who spent two hours a day on horseback, and apparently indulged surreptitious passions in the slave quarters. Professor Wallace gives us a little known side of Jefferson: the student of Native American culture, history and language, who took quite deliberate measures to destroy them. Jefferson, who apparently was sincerely fascinated with the Indians, and sympathetic to their plight as they vanished under the burdens of disease, debt, whiskey and the murderous encroachments of frontiersmen, did little to protect them and their way of life, which was incompatible with Jefferson's expansionist, egalitarian vision of a nation of white protestant yeoman farmers. At best, Jefferson hoped that the Indians could be assimilated into white society, as were the Cherokee before Jefferson's successors allowed them to be dispossessed. A fascinating book with some great sidelights (for example, I had no idea that Siouxian tribes at one time lived in Virginia).

Many works on early United States history tend to give Indian affairs less attention than it deserves. There are two recent books with which I am familiar that help correct this situation. The first is Robert Remini's study of Jacksonian American, "Andrew Jackson and his Indian Wars". The second is Professor Wallace's book on Jefferson's relationship to the Indians, which I am discussing here.

Remini's and Wallace's book can be read together because both tell parts of the same sad story. Expansionist pressures from settlers and the fear of the United States of Indian attacks, particularly when incited by hostile European nations led to a policy of land cessions, wars, and forced removal westward of the Indian tribes. The process culminated with Andrew Jackson's Indian wars and presidency, the subject of Remini's book, but it was effectively put in place by Thomas Jefferson, as shown by Wallace.

Jefferson and his Indian policy, however, seem to me to present a more complex case than Jackson. As Wallace's book shows, Jefferson was indeed a polymath, a scholar and intellectual as well as a, paradoxically, man of power and position. Jefferson took a genuine interest in Indian archaeology, culture and language and made himself or encouraged others to make, scholarly and enthnological contributions that are still important towards understanding the Indians.

Jefferson, even on Professor Wallace's account, had compassion for the Indian tribes and an interest in their well-being, even if this interest was overshadowed, as it was, by his desire to obtain Indian land for the new nation and even though his view of Indian interests was misguided and partial.

Wallace's book traces Jefferson's early relationship with Indians beginning before the revolution when Jefferson was a land speculator in the then Western United States. He explores in detail Jefferson's writing on Indians, particularly his writing on the Indian chief Logan in his "Notes on the State of Virginia." Jefferson's partial reading of the fate of this "Noble Savage", according to Wallace, shows the ambivalent character of Jefferson's approach to the Indians.

Wallace describes in detail Jefferson the politician approaching Indian affairs in the original United States territory and in the Louisiana purchase, which doubled the size of the United States. The announced goals of the policy were peace, land cessions and civilization for the Indians. Too often, these policies became simply the means for tribal destruction and deprivation and for the removal policy, for both the southern and the northern tribes, that culminated in the administration of Andrew Jackson. (again, see the Remini book.)

There are some fascinating quotations in the book that illustrate Wallace's points that are set aside and emphasized in blocked-type and quotes. It is a good way of gaining focus. The book has a wealth of documentation and is not simply a political history. As I indicated Jefferson was a complex individual and this book shows him, focusing on Indian affairs, in all his personal and political variety.

Wallace has a clear feeling for the tragedy of the American Indian. Yet his book is balanced in tone and does not degenerate into ideological or special pleading. His opinions are stated clearly and eloquently in his introduction and conclusion and in his discussions of the events described in the text. The book has the measure of a scholar and encourages the reader to reflect for him or herself on the record.

There are those who are skeptical of the public's recent interest in American History, as shown by the success of McCollough's John Adams as well as other popular historical works, on grounds that it is a new attempt to promote American exceptionalism and to avoid considering the tragedies of our past. I disagree. I think, this interest in history shows a renewed love and interest in our country with no desire to minimize its failings. Wallace's book to me shows both love of our country and a sense of one of its major tragedies.

I felt that this was an excellent book on Thomas Jefferson's views toward the native people of North America. It illuminated many parts of his feelings toward native people and their place in the "American Republic." I felt that it also raised many questions about his participation in early land speculation with Henry, Washington, and Franklin as well as his role in the eventual displacement of native people. Anyone interested in early colonial policy toward natives will surely love this book.

Jefferson Davis remains a dark, remote Civil War figure, hardly as romantic as Lincoln or as inspiring as Lee.

What William C. Davis has done is to make both the man and the forces that gave him fire and light more immediate and tangible.

Weaving through the myriad controversies and struggles of the pre-Civil War, Civil War and post war years, the author somehow manages to explain endless geographical, political and societal issues without ever losing sight of Davis' central role in them.

A dense but vastly entertaining book that even readers who are not interested in the Civil War would find fascinating.

Really enjoyed listening to this book, especially the themes in which Jeff Davis' strengths and flaws were carry on throughout his entire adult life. The last few tapes are outstanding on how the confederacy got reduced to a well guarded 3 mile wagon train.

William C. Davis has written THE biography of Jefferson Davis. The book not only reads as easily as a novel, it also has been meticulously researched. Keep your eye on this Davis. He is fast becoming one of America's best popular historian.

Sadly, Arthur Hertzberg is nearing the end of a distinguished career. There are few like him anymore. Jews: The Essence and Character of a People helps us understand why people react to Hertzberg in the way they do. This eye-opening books is his magnum opus. An understanding of Jews and the Jewish people that comes from a lifetime's work is presented here in a way that cannot help but get people to think and, most important, to react.

Thanks also to Aron Hirt-Manheimer, whose skillful editing and probing questions brought out the best in Arthur Hertzberg. Bravo to both of them!

In a talk I gave after my conversion to Judaism, I said I feel like I am a Jew born in a goy's body. Beyond that, it was difficult for me to understand exactly why I converted from Christian fundamentalism to Judaism, much less try to explain it to someone else. "Jews" has helped me to understand my own journey because it gets into the very essence of Judaism. It points out clearly how and why Jews are different. This difference goes all the way back to Abraham. It continues today. I'm sure all Jews won't agree with the aspects of being chosen, factious, and other, but it sums up my own Jewishness. I'm glad the authors took the time to write this important book.

An extremely enjoyable thought provoking book. Once I started reading it, I couldn't put it down until I was finished. This book acts as a "Forschpice", an appetiser to futher learning. It let's you in the door. It introduces the reader to ideas and concepts, people and heroes throughout Jewish history.

No book can condense Jewish history, ideas and culture into a mere 300 pages, and this book does not pretend to do so. What "Jews, the essence and character of a people", does do is introduce the reader to the Jewish concepts of: "choseness", "outsider" and "factionalism" and how various persona in the Jewish history have played their role within these concepts.

For instance, no one can condense Spinoza to a mere 3-5 pages and think that they've told you all there is to know about Spinoza. What "Jews" does do is introduce the reader to Spinoza, makes one think about Spinoza, where did he fit in th! ! e "Jewish Character". And others. It is the reader's responsibility to continue the journey through further readings and study.

After years of study, whether in Yeshiva or the University, or lifelong readings of Jewish history, philosophy and religion this book has shown me in a wonderful way that there is still much more to learn and much more to do.

Gordon Lafer shows us clearly the etiology of the federally-funded job training programs such as JTPA and today WIA. He shows us clearly why these programs are political responses and not actually based in "the truth" of unemployment at all. There are too few jobs available to help poor people with a band-aid approach. Although he does not come out and say it, Lafer's implication is that the CETA program, public funding of jobs, was more to the point for poor people. The government then acts as the employer of last resort. He probably feels, and I agree, that it will come to that again soon, because corporate America is out to make a profit, not help the workers, and unions? Well, they're shrinking and losing even the little say-so they did have, witness the grocery strike right now in Southern California. So, eventually, probably sooner than later, there will be many idle people lingering and you know what the devil does with idle lingering people. The only redeeming element of politics that we can find in Lafer's scathing analysis of Ronald Reagan and his ilk, is that what goes around comes around. Politics goes in cycles. CETA had its day, just as the New Deal did, and the War on Poverty. Now we're in the thick of a backlash period, but it can't last. That is, if it does last, it won't be the same old U.S. anymore, will it? More like Unbrave New World? Diximus.

Lafer's analysis is first rate. All the numbers are there, but what makes this book exceptional is the clear and accessible writing Lafer uses to present the material. Anyone who wants to know the politics and the economics behind job training efforts in the United States will LOVE this book. For anyone interested in the ever growing influence of corporate America into matters of national economic and educational policy, Lafer's _The Job Training Charade_ is essential reading.

You need to read this book.
It shows clearly the motivations employers
use to make hiring decisions.

Dr. Lafer shows the true reasons hire/not hire
decisions are made.
It fits perfectly with an economic model: cost.
He shows, through government statistics and interviews
with employers, the true motivations for hiring.
It's all about cost (obviously).
But i'm not summarizing! The book gives a much
better description of this huge trend, affecting
each of our lives.
It starts out with an analysis of the job training
program for lesser educated persons. The chapter
that affects me, the 2nd one, "Does education really matter"
is 20+ pages of information (not opinion) of why
people hire. It's so easy to say "there is a skills mismatch".
Yet, i've seen organized people rise to prominent positions
based solely on their abilities to listen to their boss, and be
organized. Learning more and more from universities won't
save you.
You need to understand what the reasons are.

The writing style is very clear. You're not confused
with arcane economic jargon. The facts are laid out,
and the supporting details are put in footnotes.

I read a lot of books on employment, advancement,
the job trends of the future. This book explains
so many of the true reasons. And when you understand the general premise, it fits perfectly with the low cost
economic model sweeping the world.

This book leaves the reader forever changed. It tells the story of the Kwangju uprising--one of the most important events in the history of the struggle for freedom in the latter part of the 20th century. Beyond a history of Korea, this book and its story is of utmost importance to all human beings.

This is an important book for anyone interested in Korea, human rights, or political movements. An excellent introduction by Bruce Cumings establishes the context; an equally excellent afterward by Tim Shorrock addresses the incident from the viewpoint of US foreign policy. But it is the diary itself that is truly unforgettable.

This detailed, almost moment-by-moment account of the Kwangju rebellion is a fascinating read. A student protest leads to a vicious government crackdown so extreme - using elite paratroop forces against simple protesters - that the people of the city give up their lives and eventually take up arms to take their city back. The introduction provides a capsule history of South Korea, and the afterward an account of the American government's cowardly behavior before, during and after the rebellion. It's a fast read but will leave a lasting impression.

This is a chilling book and an excellent read. We've known about the government's research into biological weapons for a long time, but Lab 257 just makes it more real. For an excellent account of human experimentation involving biological agents and much much more, I recommend In The Name of Science: A History of Secret Programs, Medical Research and Human Experimentation by Andrew Goliszek.

Having fished off Plum Island 20 years ago, the the straight between Orient Point and Plum Island known as Plum Gut, I can say that Mr. Carroll's book is clearly accurate. Had I known the information provided, I'm not sure I ever would have taken the Orient Point Ferry or fished anywhere on Long Island's east end. Since the east coast of the US is so populated, Mr. Carroll does a great job describing the dangers and potential fixes of this island. Carroll does a great service to the country by bringing this issue to the attention of the world.

Michael Carroll's brave and compelling book raises questions that must be answered. The depth of research becomes clear quite quickly, but Carroll's a master of taking a LOT of information and delivering it in a very readable fashion. If The Hot Zone and the Omega Code raised the hairs on your neck, this book will deliver, but much scarier, because you can't just walk away and say "It's only a movie"....
Anyone who dismisses this book as an unlikely scenario is just naive. Bravo to Carroll, whose 7 years of writing shows up on every page.
This is a book that you should read, and then send to your Congressperson and Senator immediately. Though Carroll discusses the threat to the eastern seabord, I'm here to tell you that the same thing that happens to the guard in the first chapter happened to me in the Hollywood Hills in one of LA's most exclusive neighborhoods.....that means it can happen to you. Read this book, and wise up.

Sherman writes about true Latin America leaving out morals and biais. It is a very fast paced book. It is very easy to follow. I recommend this book to everybody, especailly to anyone whose major involves Latin America. I go to college where Sherman teaches and he class follows right along with the book.

This book is definitely one of a kind. A 'must-have' for every single Latin American living abroad or in his/her native country. This book should be of compulsory use in secondary schools in all Latin American countries. Truly, an eye opener to all senses!

This wonderfully writen book takes a look at the factors that have kept (and continue to keep) the Latin American masses in near-absolute poverty. This is an excellent book for anyone with an open mind who is trying to understand the present day politics and economics of the area.

Rarely does a work of history both capture a particular moment in time and resonate so deeply with issues alive in contemporary public culture. As the country debates the possibility of gay marriage and the possible meanings of these unions, David Johnson's The Lavender Scare reminds us that homosexuality has at least one other time been conjured up as the nation's "bugaboo" during a period of political shifts and broad cultural change. In an account that is as riveting as it is sobering, Johnson shows how "containment of sexuality was as central to 1950s America as containment of communism." The issue of homosexuality sat at the center of discussions about "national security" during the Cold War period, resulting in the persecution and ouster of hundreds of gay (and suspected gay) federal workers.
The book is written with marvelous grace and sensitivity. Johnson's brilliant skill at research and powers of analysis are in evidence on every page. Much to his credit, Johnson has used those skills to give voice to those from whom otherwise we might never have heard. The impressive narrative structure of The Lavender Scare makes it read like a fine novel. And the callous devastation, the lives lost and ruined by the tactics of a government in search of a moral center after WWII, makes one wish it were a work of fiction. But it is far from that.
The Lavender Scare, rather, is a work of consummate historical research and writing. The enduring contribution of the book is that it shows how the "McCarthy Era" had much less to do with "the Communist threat" and much more to do with homosexuality and "moral panic" than we could have possibly imagined. We will never again be able to think of the Cold War period in quite the same way. Johnson has complexified and clarified perhaps the most vital time in Post WWII American history. The book is certain take its place alongside George Chauncey's magisterial Gay New York.

Cold war and McCarthyism are familiar topics from historians as America's fear of Communists and its reaction to this fear are interpreted from every side of the political spectrum. David K. Johnson does something different and, in its special way, far more important. The author, in The Lavender Scare, looks at how the cold war fears were used to hound gay men and women out of the federal service and how this continued unabated long after the Communist hysteria died down. It is fascinating, and horrifying, to witness how politicians used their fear and ignorance of "the perverts" for their own political ends and used the fear of Communists as a cover for their attacks. The case presented in this book is well researched and the voices from both sides are used, even from those voices of the gay men and lesbians which had to be silent at the time. This books holds valuable lessons (and warnings) for our own fraught times. A valuable addition to the literature of the history of the Cold War.

Johnson does a great job of reporting on the horrible way gays and lesbians were treated by the federal government during the McCarthy era. He puts the action of the government in the context. And, by recounting the personal stories of many of the federal workers who lost their livelihoods during these purges, Johnson adds depth and feeling to what otherwise could have been a dry academic work.

We bought a copy for our project finance/infrastructure finance dept. at our bank. It's excellent, especially the due diligence checklist

This is the one project finance book I keep at my desk and take with me on business trips. It is invaluable. The book is filled with important information I need when working on a project finance deal (sample contract provisions; explanations of currency risks; financing sources; World Bank lending characteristics; political risk insurance; and on and on. The author manages to do the impossible--he combines legal and business aspects of project finance in an easy-to-use format, from a real life perspective. Each part of a project finance deal is addressed in separate chapters.

My only criicism is that the author uses the European-favored expansive table of contents, rather than a detailed index. Yet, the book is so well organized that the information is easy to find.

It's clearly the best legal and business book on project finance available. It gives me, as a business person, a real edge.

A well thought out treatise on project finance covering not just the legal issues, but also from a commercial perspective. One of the better books on the subject