economics-schools Books

Use as one of the college business writing books. Small and good enough to carry as a travel reference.

The Prof.

Each of Laura Kalman's preceding books to some extent has dealt with Yale Law School: the incisive "Legal Realism at Yale"; her definitive biography of Abe Fortas; and the awesome "Strange Career of Legal Liberalism." This new and very long volume focuses upon the turbulence that descended upon Yale in the late 1960's and early 1970's. For readers whose interest in the topic does not extend to reading a 474 page, highly detailed analysis, Kalman has written an essay with the book's major themes in the volume of essays edited by Dean Kronman, "History of the Yale Law School" (also reviewed by myself on Amazon).

The typical (and welcome) Kalman thoroughness is well in evidence here. As is usual, much of the value of her analysis is found in the footnotes, here covering some 80 pages. As the "Legal Liberalism" volume demonstrated, there is nobody who can trace the evolution of professorial legal analysis with greater skill and cogency than Kalman. Kalman sets the stage by first discussing legal education in the 1960's at YLS, and develops quite a nice and concise history going back to the New Deal period as background. Particular attention is paid to individuals such as Dean Rostow, Kingman Brewster, and Charles Reich. Particularly welcome, and quite an additional bonus, is the fact that the author devotes substantial attention to Alexander Bickel, a figure too often forgotten today due to his premature death at 49.

Having set the background, Kalman then goes into a very detailed reconstruction of how highly activist students clashed with the YLS institutional structure. When one considers that this was the era of the Vietnam war, affirmative action, Kent State, Hippies, Black Panthers, and the Women's movement, it is no wonder that disruption became extreme, including at least one fire. YLS obviously survived and prospered in the post-disruption period, and Kalman addresses that as well. These later chapters I found to be the more interesting. For example, her discussion of the failure of critical legal studies, "law and society", and "law and economics" to take root in the legal realism foundation of YLS is extremenly interesting. By contrast, YLS becomes the home to a new version of the "legal process" approach to limiting judicial discretion as disappointment grew in the 1970's and 1980's with the exercise of judicial power, including even the record of the Warren Court. More prominent actors appear in this later section, to the reader's benefit: Dworking, Ely, Calabresi, Ackerman, Cover and Fiss. Interdisciplinary approaches to law flower and clinical education becomes well established and supported. In the end, the protestors brought about substantial change at YLS.

The one area that Kalman does not discuss fully enough is why should anyone with no ties to YLS take the time to digest this mighty tome. It does recapture the spirit of the period and the protests that dominated higher education in America. It does illuminated how substantial changes in the legal academy came about as a result of this period. It does afford some insight into the backgrounds of some prominent recent actors such as Justice Thomas, Anita Hill, Judge Alito, and most of all, both Clintons who were YLS students. Most importantly, it explains the impact that YLS professors had on legal scholarship in this country with a stream of articles and books arguing for new and incisive ways to confront the phenomenon of American law and the exercise of judicial power. By any measure, a timely volume to be sure.

This book is a well-organized reference for children from 1stthrough 12th grade, but targeted at those under 12. The book is not adry page by page drool of words. The quick reference information is displayed pictorally. Each job is given a single page, and divided into several components. Each page has a short paragraph explaining day to day responsibilities, and a quick reference section that delineates education required, earnings and job outlook. Younger readers will be interested in the `subjects to study' paragraph which gives the reader a good basis for what academic areas they need to be strong in. Each job description has a `discover more' paragraph that takes the younger reader through a hands on example of what the job entails. The `something extra' section for each job adds interesting facts about the job that are not readily apparent. This book is a must for guidance counselors at all levels and parents should strongly consider adding it to their library.

THIS BOOK IS BRILLIANT! IT IS CLEAR AND CONCISE. FROM THE VERY FIRST PAGE THE READER FEELS WELCOMED BY THE AUTHOR. ALL THE BASES ARE COVERED. THE GRAPHICS ARE EASY TO ABSORB. THE AUTHOR ALSO LETS YOU IN ON THE "SECRETS" OF THE FIELD AND SO YOU KNOW SHE IS NOT PAINTING AN UNREALISTICALLY BRIGHT PICTURE OF THE OPPORTUNITIES AVAILABLE. THE READER IS ABLE TO ASSESS HIS OR HER INTERESTS REALISTICALLY. THERE ARE JUST A FEW CAREERS THAT GET DUPLICATIVE ATTENTION; OTHERWISE THE AUTHOR COVERS A WIDE VARIETY OF CHOICES. SHE ALSO ATTENDS TO PRACTICAL MATTERS, SUCH AS EARNING POWER AND THE COST OF GETTING TRAINED.

An excellent reference for beginning teachers about setting up your classroom, discipline, parental communication, planning, plus much more. I used it my first year teaching first grade and refer to it often.

This was a tedious read. I could not get into it at all.

I would only recommend it to people who are interested in the minutiae of events.

Not to detract from the honest goodness of this man and his family, but truly this read was hard work.

L.Albert

Talk about current events and the on-going concerns about terrorism, Islam and the Middle East! This book filled in so many unanswered questions for me and brought to light once again the essential oneness and sameness that all humanity shares and how necessarily vital it is to approach the attainment of peace at the grass root level.

To say that Dr.Greg Mortenson is an extraordinary man is an understatement. His passion to promote peace through education of the impoverished Pakistani and Afghanistani children, especially the girls, is reminiscent of the same humanitarian spirit that motivated Mother Theresa's dedication.

Focused on the years since 1993, this story is a true account of his life: mountain climbing in the Karakoram mountains of Pakistan, fundraising for his vision, building schools under the harshest of conditions, bonding with the local tribesmen, enduring life-threatening situations, and total commitment to the the burning cause that ignited action to accomplish his goal. I believe he is succeeding.

I also believe, if you read this book thoroughly and digest its contents, you will be reminded of this adventurous account every time you hear the news of events concerning that part of the world. You will understand more deeply what is needed within the hearts of men to achieve peace. You will begin to lend your conscious support to the peoples of these regions. You will be uplifted to know about Dr. Greg Mortenson, his journey, and his accomplishments. You will be inspired.

Above all this inspirational story tells of one mans obedience to his HeartSong;- the unique path one must travel to allow ones heart to sing fully and freely and follow wherever it may take you. Paulo Coelho described it as one's 'Personal Legend.'
This is the story of Greg Mortenson's amazing journey to build schools in remote areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Also have to admire the courageous and generous spirit of Greg's wife, Tara Bishop, whose Heart Song may also be heard loud and clear in this remarkable story. Extraordinary!!!!
Loved this book and strongly recommend it, especially as I am a teacher and also believe education is the best way to promote peace in this world and acknowledge that we are all brothers and sisters in this big human family.

A great story and a must read for most anyone desiring a closer look at this part of our world, its people and their lives, and particularly the education system. It puts things in such a remarkable perspective compared to what we as Americans have and often under appreciate, but this is not a sermon, it is the heroic journey of a man who gave up almost everything along the way to break down barriers for women and kids.

This is the first review I have ever written on Amazon; though I am a voracious reader and have many books that I love, this is the first that has inspired me to such a degree. Three Cups of Tea was a remarkable book....though the beginning was slow for me, with the technical aspects of climbing, the book as a whole was a gift and should be read far and wide. With small children myself, I am extremely interested in education and the impact it can have on a child's life. Greg Mortensen's commitment to bringing education to children that are so very deserving motivates me to do more for not just my children and our community, but for those of communities in far and distant lands. If the stories herein of helping someone else's child do not move you (which I would be surprised if they did not), think about how Mortensen's work may very well make the world a safer and better place for your own children. READ THIS BOOK and let's all support Mortensen and his family in their tireless and selfless commitment to education.

As a self-professed foodie, I love to read about foods, cuisines and cooking. So it is only fitting that I read Eric Schlosser's "Fast Food Nation". I enjoyed this book because it is highly educational and enlightening. Schlosser looks at the fast food culture from its humble beginnings in the early 20th century to its present day form. He also took us step by step through the fast food processing chain, which can be quite unappetizing and off-putting.

It is especially important that Schlosser explored the human element of the fast food chain, ranging from the farmers and slaughterhouse workers to the servers we encounter when we patronize a fast food restaurant. Sometimes it becomes rather disheartening when reading about how an initially quality food business has descended to a greedy, 100% profit-based, inhumane industry. However, as the author mentions in the book, change starts from within and the individual has the power of the purchasing decision.

I enjoyed this book very much and the only shortcoming of this book is the constant blaming of the Republicans and conservatives for the current state of the fast food industry. A first-rate investigative reporter/journalist should know better than to simplify the the evolution of the fast food insdustry to pure Republican greed.

In the book Fast Food Nation, Eric Schlosser goes in to harsh detail discussing the problems that the American fast food chains are causing to the health of America. Schlosser states that the chains have been chemically enahancing their foods and points out the issues such chemicals pose to human health. Also according to Schlosser, the chain have been using "cheap" agricultural practices in competition to provide more product at a cheaper price. The book reveals the hidden secret of why fast food is so fast, so good, and so cheap. It really gets real to the reader when schlosser begins metioning the long term effects that foods like Mc Donalds and Burger King will evenutally have on the human body. Schlosser has a valid arguement in his book and it is must read for any who lives in America. It will definitely will change any readers view of fast food.

Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser is an awesome book that covers a lot of true stories in conjunction with the fast food industry. Readers go behind the scene of the hard but unskilled workers and learn about the unhealthy and gruesome conditions at the slaughter houses. This book will help you understand why it is so important to carefully choose what you eat. As good as that double-double may taste, you get what you paid for in the long run, as you read to uncover some of the tragic stories of people that have been victims of tainted food. As Schlosser states in Fast Food Nation, "the real price never appears on the menu" (9). To better educate yourself about what you're eating when you hear that voice say "may I take your order?" pick up this book! You will be surprised to learn how dangerous one meal can really be.

An excellent view on history of the fast food industry and how it is processed and eventually end up on places like McDonald's. When I first read the book I didn't make care so much as many others did. However, as I saw more and more people getting sick every year and not being able to afford their health care bills, I started waking up to this warning.
No matter how much money or resources the government or private corporations put into health care services, drug and therapy research, it wouldn't make much difference if people decide to continue their fast food eating life style. It is time for them to act up, learn how fast food culture is destroying not just our economy, but our health and children's future. So if you do not care about the issues that I have raised above, continue to do so and be ready to face dire consequences.

This book gives the good, the bad, and the ugly side of the fast food industry. Once they reach a certain critical mass in size, the bad and the ugly then it seems, begin to far outweigh the good. Giant food franchises like McDonald's have not only literally changed the national landscape, but have also changed and seriously distorted our way of life: to wit, made us unhealthy individually and as a nation, undermined labor and pollution laws, further corrupted our politicians, our tax system and system of government subsidies, killed the family farm running single farmers off their land and into the cities, etc. In short, for whatever good giants like McDonald's have done, the bad and the ugly has long since far outweighed this good.

Thus, at its deepest level, "Fast Food Nation" points to the many prototypical unintended consequences of unbridled capitalism, which when left unattended and under regulated, tend to seek its own level: the outer limits of governmental economic controls. When it does this, it always goes well beyond its established mandate of serving the public good and the national interest. At this point of no return, it then, inexorably, becomes a national nightmare: a virtual cultural mime that has metastasized like a cancer in the cultural bloodstream of our nation.

On the good side, franchise capitalism, when properly regulated and carefully restrained can be a national good and can serve many useful purposes within our culture, as it did for many decades, not the least of which is to make many an industrious entrepreneur rich beyond anyone's imagination. Under these conditions, they then represented the ultimate capitalist "rags-to-riches" dream.

But when franchise capitalism is coupled with unrestrained greed, the corruption of political graft, lobbying and payoffs or unfair government subsidies, insider trading, lax tax laws and business regulations, anti-trust violations, and improper sweetheart side deals, it can acquire an unwarranted power that turns it into an ambiguous cultural monster. When this happens, that power becomes a form of vampire capitalism. In short it becomes a very negative tool that can seriously alter, injure, undermine and even take over an entire culture.

What this book tells us is that such has been the case with the giants of the fast food industry in the U.S and across most of the world where they operate. They have become the dogs that no longer serve their master: the public and the common good. They have become too large to "heel" to the national interest. As a result, franchise fast food capitalism has become just another clear case of the tail wagging the dog. Like Bernard Madoff and Haliburton, it is just another fine example of what can happen when important matters of public policy are abandoned by government and left to the whims of the self-interest of corporations and greedy individuals.

Four Stars

I was excited to read this book to learn insight on how to communicate with others but was disappointed by how challenging it was to follow as it was missing commas, periods, colons, and other punctuation throughout! This is ridiculous! That definitely shows me how important punctuation is in writing!! It's hard to read a work fluidly when you have to stop and go back to put together fragments and break up run-ons in someone's train of thought.

If your looking for a book you will reference for the rest of your life, look no further. This is a great book if your looking to expand your interpersonal understanding. It won't help you be a social butterfly overnight, but is a necessary step in order to see the social effectiveness.

I read this book in college and loved it so much then and wanted to read it now again in my 'old age' (63) and find it is just as wonderful! I recommend it to everyone!

This book has been recommended to me by numerous people and was even an optional reading for my social psychology class. However, the title always turned me away because it sounds so manipulative and disingenuous. That's just not the kind of person I want to be.

After seeing more and more recommendations I finally decided to give it a try and am very glad I did. Despite the title, the book is actually the opposite of what I imagined it would be. It's basic principle is universal and timeless, change the way people react to you by changing the way you react to them. Do to others what you would like to be done to you. It's the golden rule that has been repeated countless times by many different cultures. Carnegie goes into the nuances of how to apply this rule and talks about the difference between genuine appreciation and flattery, etc.

Don't let the title turn you away. This book really is a gem in how to treat others better and be treated better in return.

After I graduated college, my father gave me this book to read so I wouldn't be so reticent. Wow, I read it one time and started implementing Dale Carnegie's ideas at work and became very friendly with everyone. I wish I had read this when I was much younger. It would be a great book to read in school for English class.

Dale Carnegie really teaches you that basic communication skills are all you need to win friends and influence people:

* Ask people what they are interested in and
* listen to their response

Very Shakespeare meets Jane Austen meets...`Mama Mia', `Much Ado About Nothing' is in the very least an interesting feat. It has elements that work and elements that don't, and while certain parts (or at least one part) of this film are spellbinding, as a whole I don't really feel I can agree with the consensus (who seem to really, really love this movie).

The film is a hodgepodge of matchmaking, lover's quarrels and deceitful jealousies, and while Shakespearian legend Kenneth Branagh tries to give the film enough sparkle and enough darkness he fails to really give the film a solid flow. Add to this the fact that barely any of the actors are suitable for their parts (which in some areas is rather shocking) and you have a film that fails to live up to the hype for me. I will admit that I am not the hugest follower of this type of film, so many of you may feel that has hindered me in my approach to rating this film, but I must say that I was genuinely excited for and longing to see this and that I have enjoyed very much other films of this sort.

This one is just missing so much.

The few who have actually given this a negative review have balked at the plot, which I think is one of the few things that cannot be balked at. I actually found the story being told to be an interesting and amiable one. Young Claudio is in love with Leonato's daughter Hero and so Don Pedro takes it upon himself to get the two acquainted while struggling to draw out feuding Beatrice and Benedick's true feelings for one another. Don John own evil jealousies have caused him to seek ruination of Claudio's love at any means necessary. It's actually quite absorbing.

But alas, the temperamental shifts in the film don't sit well with me. The handling of the flighty quirkiness of the characters and the dastardly subplot involving Don John are uneven to me, and the random musical numbers come off rather unnecessary to me.

And then there is the acting.

I will say this first; Emma Thompson is utterly brilliant here and deserved an Oscar, and Kenneth Branagh is, unsurprisingly, right at home and very, very good. Sadly, they are the only saving graces here. Denzel Washington seems so uncomfortable here and actually comes off like a young child in an adult production. Michael Keaton does nothing but his Beetlejuice shtick, and he does it poorly. Keanu Reeves is, in my opinion, the worst actor working today or maybe even ever, and his Razzie nomination for this very film is not unjustified. The forgettable Robert Sean Leonard (I mean, really, can you remember his performance in any of his movies? He's always outshone by everyone else) is once again, forgettable (and very amateurish) and the beautiful Kate Beckinsale is nothing but pure eye candy with no real talent to back it up. Like I said, some of this is shocking (ok, Washington is the only one that is really shocking) but that's how the cards fell.

I'll take a minute to just bask in the glory of Emma Thompson though, since she is an utter delight. This is one of those rare occasions when a performance is leagues better than the film that owns it. She completely captures the free spirited wit of this young woman with the perfect mixture of sarcasm and determination. She is a woman in love yet she is stubborn in her own ideals. She is tender yet not weak and she is her own woman, complete with a fiery life growing within her. All of this boisterous nature and yet her most compelling and startling scene comes when she bares her darkest emotions (that whole "kill Claudio" scene is FLAWLESS). She knows how to make this character work in her entirety, even if the film attempts the same and comes off uneven.

So, see it for Thompson, because it is one of the best supporting performances of the 90's, but know in advance that there are far better films of this nature to be seen.

This is a mostly light-hearted romp. Boy meets girl, boy looses girl and finally boy gets girl back. The story is timeless, The whole cast was amazing. Recommend it highly.
There is a reason why Master Shakespeare endures - he speaks to everyone.

This movie is way too much fun. Great lines spoken with great flair. Crazy lines spoken with just the right amount of wit to make them reasonable. Even the extras on the disk help make the play more fun and more sensible too. Is it a play about who should marry who? Sigh no more ladies.

I purchased this film for a Shakespeare class and I enjoyed it so much I decided to keep it. Its a classic and true to the novel. Did not realized all these great actors are in the film. Its a keeper!

This adaptation of the classic is perfectly understandable, humorous, beautiful and a joy to behold. Even those who are bored or daunted by Shakespeare's work will enjoy this bountiful, star studded film.

I found this book very interesting. It opened my mind to whats really behind a chocolate bar and the futile war behind these treats. It was very different from any book I've ever read and I loved how in depth the author was in her covering of the chocolate world

Few consumer brands are more iconic than the Hershey Bar or M&Ms. Most Americans are introduced to the products of Mars and Hershey as toddlers and develop a life long relationship with a favorite candy or two. My confectionary life partner is the Reese's Peanut Butter Cup.

But there is much more to the multi-billion dollar candy industry than brightly colored wrappers, snappy jingles, and mouth watering treats. As Joel Glenn Brenner's best selling "The Emperors of Chocolate" makes abundantly evident candy is a market every bit as competitive, often ruthlessly so, as the automotive, computer chip, or soft drink industries. Moreover, in the United States at least, the market is dominated by two behemoths that happen to be diametrically opposed in their history and corporate culture.

It is this combination of familiar and appealing products along with sensational personal storylines that make this book so intriguing and satisfying on multiple levels. Although Brenner never comes out and says it the competition between Hershey and Mars is good versus evil - or perhaps more appropriately, sweet versus sour. And Milton Hershey is the embodiment of all that is good and sweet. The driven, entrepreneurial son of an unhappy Pennsylvanian Mennonite family, Brenner describes Hershey as a man sweeter and more pure than his confectionary creations. A real-life Willie Wonka, the childless Hershey sought to build a better world, not a corporate giant. His model working town - the eponymous Hershey, Pennsylvania - succeeded in a manner and on a scale that previous industrial utopian projects, such as Robert Owen's New Harmony, Indiana, never approached. And far from being the stereo-typical rapacious industrial titan, Hershey kept a modest lifestyle and essentially died penniless after having donated his vast fortune to an innovative orphanage for underprivileged children that still exists today - and from whose halls came a Hershey CEO, William Dearden, who Brenner credits with saving the company in the 1970s and 80s.

Hershey was a creative genius who cared little for running businesses or improving operations. I was shocked to learn that Hershey, which introduced the Kiss in 1907, did not advertise or market its product until 1970. As Brenner describes it, Hershey literally created the market by bringing chocolate to America and making it a mass consumer product with his nickel bar, a feat that Harvard Business School professor Clay Christensen would label "new market disruption."

Hershey's market nemesis was also his personal polar opposite - Forrest Mars. Brenner claims that "where Milton Hershey saw utopia, Forrest Mars saw conquest." While Hershey maintained an aloof, avuncular role in his company, Mars ruled his confectionary empire with a chocolate-covered steel fist. His cult-like management style was codified in "The Five Principles of Mars" (Quality, Responsibility, Mutuality, Efficiency, and Freedom) that current executives still carry around like fanatical Chinese Communist students with Mao's Little Red Book during the Cultural Revolution. His insistence on quality required that executives personally taste test their Kal Kan dog food, which has to be where the contemporary business expression "we eat our own dog food" comes from. His reaction to any process or product imperfection, however slight or unavoidable, was volcanic, sustained, and intentionally hurtful. One wonders why anyone would want to work for Mars after reading "The Emperors of Chocolate."

Unlike Hershey, who loved experimenting with new treats, Brenner suggests that Mars had no personal affinity for the M&Ms or Snickers that his company created. He was quick to add Uncle Ben's instant rice when he saw a market and today nearly half of the Mars consumer empire is pet food.

Brenner makes much of the paradoxically ultra-secret, cut-throat nature of the sweets business. On several occasions she notes that Mars headquarters in McLean, VA is just down the road from the CIA. I am not sure if this angle is over-played or if the publication of her book has resulted in a considerable opening of the kimono by the industry. For instance, the Hershey website not only lists the executive management team, but also thirty-seven other vice presidents by name and title, a practice of openness unheard of in even generally transparent Silicon Valley. The still very privately held and family-owned Mars has less management information on their corporate website, but much more detail on their business than Brenner's book would lead one to expect.

You may want to run out a buy a Hershey Bar after reading "The Emperors of Chocolate" (I did) and you will never look at M&Ms the same way again

This book reminds me of a classic boys adventure story from the early 20th century. It shows a world of mystery and intrigue, all driven by a desire to be number 1. I know that this book caused a big stink with the two chocolate companies when it came out but I don't think it harmed either company - I suspect that the history of the rivalry of most big companies would be similar. Whatever view you take of the companies, and in particular of their leadership, as a result of reading this book, there is no denying the massive success they have had and the genuine love and affection felt towards their brands. Mars products, in particular, can be found almost everywhere around the globe. They must be doing something right!

About: Brenner focuses on the tale of the cutthroat competition between the Mars and Hershey candy companies (who control 75% of the U.S. candy market) as well as provides an overview of this delicious industry and the history of chocolate.

Pros: Fascinating, well-written and has lots of great information such as:

* 90% of candy purchases are unplanned
* Mars only has one peanut butter product, peanut butter M&Ms because the Mars brothers hate peanut butter.
* The chocolate in M&Ms is designed so you'll eat lots of them at a time
* 3 Musketeers used to consist of 3 bars, chocolate, strawberry and vanilla but was changed to one chocolate bar after strawberry prices rose
* Different cultures prefer different qualities in their chocolate. Britons think that Hersheys is gritty and awful compared to their smoother Cadbury brand.
* Dove solid dark chocolate bars are made from a secret type of cocoa bean that Mars won't divulge
* Hershey has pretty much zero international presence. Someone from another country probably would have no idea about the brand
* Fittingly, candy corn was once called chicken feed


Will create a trip down memory lane with all the old candies brought up, like my missed favorite PBMax. I had no clue the candy business was so competitive and secretive.

Cons: Unsatisfying conclusion. Those looking for a book on candy will probably be disappointed as it is really a book about business.

The Emperors of chocolate really shows the history and corporate side of Hershey and mars. Before I read this book i didnt know very much about mars at all. I knew Hershey's for there trademark Chocolate bar but mars was a mystery. this book showed me why I didnt know much about mars. they are a secretive company. A very good book if you are into the rise of corporations.