Current Affairs: The Next American Economy by William Holstein Technology Clusters and Ecosystems

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The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported an unemployment rate of 9.2 percent in June 2011. That number remains frustratingly consistent each month as millions of Americans struggle to find work.

It's clear that many of the jobs lost over the last several decades, and during the Great Recession of 2008, are extinct. It's said that the definition of insanity is repeatedly doing the same thing, yet hoping for different results.

Government stimulus packages and extended unemployment benefits are Band-aids for what, William Holstein, author of the new book, "The Next American Economy-A Blueprint for a Real Recovery," identifies as structural challenges in America's economy. Holstein has traveled the United States writing about globalization and economics for major business publications.

How will our country reinvent its workforce for the 21st century, and in what industries? Holstein believes our economic rebirth lies in technology clusters and ecosystems.

Following is a cross-sectional synopsis of America and how it's revitalizing itself with technology clusters and ecosystems. Discussed too, are lessons for all Americans Holstein addresses regarding the country's current economic challenges.

Technology Clusters
Clusters promote knowledge-sharing and product innovation. They also champion technical and business processes by providing thick networks of formal and informal relationships across organizations. Clusters tend to happen by accident and are difficult to create.

Orlando's technology cluster is based on computer simulation and modeling; and is rooted in part by U.S. military and major defense contractors' decision in the 1950s to locate operations in the Orlando area. Disney's influence in computer gaming and entertainment is also influential. Every cluster needs an idea factory and Orlando has approximately 140 research and development companies located near universities. "Cross-pollination" of ideas is easily promoted. Simulation and modeling are being used in multiple industries. Healthcare is included, as it uses virtual reality to help rehabilitate stroke victims.

Pittsburgh is reinventing itself from a city of steel (the mills are non-existent today), to one of advanced robotics dominance. Making advanced robotics systems is complex and challenging. They surpass performing repetitive tasks in an auto factory, which is simple, closed loop automation. The nascent industry lacks a Google or Apple presence in the city. But, area universities, engineers and government are among its collaborating cluster, committed to seeing the industry thrive and create new jobs.

San Diego is home to over 600 life science companies and 700 wireless communication companies. In the 1970s, science and medicine seldom collaborated. Today, the blend of biotech know-how and massive computing power helps San Diego dominate in medical research and development, including Genomics. The opportunity is great for "creative collisions" among university students and faculty, business leaders and area government. San Diego boasts a high percentage of risk-taking entrepreneurs and venture capital funding, which is continually pursued to spark further technological advancements.

Ecosystems
Technology ecosystems are idea factories that embody different scientific and academic disciplines located in close proximity. They include a presence of large, established companies that often invest in start-ups, license their technology, and/or sit on their board of directors. CEOs mentor less experienced leaders of small companies. Government agencies are partners but companies don't depend on them solely. Angel investors and private sector investors are key players too. There are no guarantees in any ecosystem.

North Carolina has shed its furniture, textiles and tobacco industries. Today it's a state whose small and medium-sized companies are committed to exporting, which is key to creating economic growth, wealth, and jobs. Companies that export typically pay higher wages and stay in business longer. Holstein says exporting is a huge untapped economic potential. America's export promotion and finance system is fragmented and ineffectual. North Carolina triumphs, as agencies from the local, state and federal levels are collaborating to promote exporting. They provide information to small business CEOs about trade shows in foreign capitals. They also play matchmaker with potential distributors and customers, and help companies translate their sales materials into local languages, among other things.

Atlanta, like many U.S towns dependent on manufacturing for economic viability, in the past decades, relied heavily on offshoring and outsourcing to cut costs. Today, the city exemplifies companies that are returning operations to U.S. soil, a trend known, as "backshoring." It's especially true of high-end technology, telecommunications and healthcare organizations. Jetting around the world to tweak production and design changes is both costly and time-consuming. Shipping expenses, complicated logistics, political unrest and the threat of intellectual property theft are also motivators. Atlanta's ecosystem of regional government, universities and supplier and logistics experts is among those committed to revitalizing the area's job market.

Cleveland is at the forefront of America's twelve hundred community colleges for workforce retraining. Cleveland's strength is retraining displaced workers in their forties and fifties, a demographic hit hard by global employment trends. Current and future workers need a higher set of knowledge-based skills to be competitive; and Cleveland delivers. The city's community colleges treat education less as a business, and more as schooling, enabling the unemployed to quickly transition into new viable careers. Cleveland's educational ecosystem includes local business leaders, and government officials. Community colleges can often be more flexible than four-year academia. Funding flows from federal, state and local government, and private foundations too.

Lessons for All Americans
Holstein concludes that America is the center of a global economy and the competitive pressure is permanent. He believes we're a culture of creativity, innovation and freedom. Our comparative advantage is our ability to leapfrog over existing technologies by being disruptive. To maximize that advantage, future generations will need to master math and science-based skills. It's the only way to thrive in a knowledge-based economy. "This is a defining moment for America, similar to the Great Depression, when we had to summon forth a new vision of our future," he says. "I truly believe that we can recover the optimism many seem to have lost."

To stay abreast of America's next economy, visit, http://www.williamholstein.com.

Timothy Zaun is a blogger, speaker and freelance writer. Visit him online at http://timzaun.com/.

From News Gatherer To News Maker - A Mad World, My Masters - John Simpson

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In A Mad World, My Masters John Simpson presents a set of observations and anecdotes drawn from a near lifetime of reporting for television news. Over a career spanning decades, John Simpson has worked on many of the major stories of recent history. He has covered conflicts, such as the Gulf War and the Balkans, general interest stories, such as Hong Kong's transfer and the new millennium, and more general issues such as such as the drugs and arms trades. But it is John Simpson's contact with political leaders and heads of state that adds real spice to these memoirs, some of his contacts proving decidedly surreal, all of them offering unusual insight.

The book is organised around themes, such as journeys, villains, spies, bombing and absurdities. This allows the presentation of similar kinds of experience derived from different trips. It does also facilitate the reading of the book via casual dips. A consequence is that the whole experience becomes rather episodic. Apart from the sometimes tenuous theme, there is little attempt to create a consistent, general narrative. Again this facilitates the casual read, but it might antagonise a reader who wants a tad more reflection from the author.

The thematic arrangement also means that on several occasions the reader re-visits a trip, leading to some inevitable repetition of material. This, however, is kept to a minimum and does not detract from the overall experience if an occasional feeling of impatience is ignored.

Thus far this review has sounded like a lukewarm reception, but this would be far from the truth of the experience. The book's subject matter alone is thought-provoking, stimulating and enlightening. In addition, John Simpson's own observations are quite wonderful. And this mix is persuasive. The reader feels that the book "takes you there" rather than "tells us what it's like". It is the vividness of John Simpson's recollections and related experience that brings so much of the subject matter completely to life that we feel we might have smelled Gaddafi's flatulence, sensed a Peruvian mayor's danger or felt an Iraqi Kurd's bitterness.

Anyone familiar with John Simpson's exemplary reporting for the BBC will expect these anecdotes to contain more than trivia or merely personal experience, and, thus, will not be disappointed. But it is when the author deals with the mechanics and technicalities of news gathering that some of the more vivid experiences appear. We often forget that the process is dangerous, tiring and relentless if the product is to contain even a grain of interest. Throughout, John Simpson acknowledges the difficulties, but he also always recognises the contributions of others to the teamwork that is clearly essential to the process.

This book has much to offer to anyone interested in recent history or current affairs. Even those who are unfamiliar with the author's broadcasting work will discover engaging and arresting perspectives on many issues and, in some cases, there will be analyses that will question some generally accepted positions. The book may be a little too long, but its consistent high quality ensures that this is barely an issue.

Philip Spires

Author of Mission and A Fool's Knot, African novels set in Kenya

http://www.philipspires.co.uk/

Migwani is a small town in Kitui District, eastern Kenya. My books examine how social and economic change impact on the lives of ordinary people. They portray characters whose identity is bound up with their home area, but whose futures are determined by the globalized world in which they live.

Cyber War the Next Threat to National Security and What to Do About It

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Book Review: Cyber War - The next threat to national security and what to do about it by Richard A. Clarke

Two of the most talked about issues are probably China and the cyber war. When it comes to both these issues, there seems to be developing some kind of a strong connection between the two with China's fast development and progress in all areas. Richard Clarke, who served as a counterterrorism to Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, turned his attention to a new potential security catastrophe which is terrorism through computers.

In his book on cyber war, he provides an insight on the issue and will probably change the way people think about China. It is anyway very tough to understand all aspects of cyber war without studying the political angle to it. Clarke highlights three most terrifying concepts in his book. They are as follows:

US pioneered cyber war:

Cyber warfare technology is not something new. It was used by the US in their war against the Soviet Union in the 1980s. In collaboration with the Canadian government, they inserted a logic bomb into their software which sabotaged the Russian pipeline operations. It resulted in the biggest non-nuclear explosion ever. During the Gulf War, China paid very close attention to US's warfare marked by high and advanced technology. They changed their own military strategy and started investing more in the battlefield of computers.

Economic warfare:

Billions of dollars is spent on funding the research. But with advanced technology and a few mouse clicks, China can steal these and take the results to the market. Most of America's corporate world remains unsecured and unprotected against these threats.

When technology is disadvantaged:

Economic disadvantages can often be converted into military advantages as in the case of North Korea and other nations that have minimal computer based infrastructure. After the Gulf war, China came up with a book describing how such countries can have an upper hand in the case of cyber war. Hence, in the example of North Korea, it proves how it could have the upper hand because it doesn't have computer infrastructure that could be turned off.

Cyber War has started the debate about the "new threat to national security" this simple to understand book will appeal to all readers but political and tech junkies and also futurologists and war heads will receive a stimulating fix.

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How To Catch A Cheating Spouse - 3 Super Tips

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Catching a cheating spouse is going to be a complicated task because the truth will not come out easily. Any cheater will have thought of all the tricks listed in the book to avoid detection and the embarrassment of getting caught red handed. However, you don't have to wallow in fear and hopelessness. This is article gives a sneak preview of some of the best tips I have for catching a cheating spouse. Here are 3 quick ways on how you can discover the real deal behind a possible cheating spouse.

Quick Tip 1

A cheating spouse rarely makes it home in time for dinner because suddenly, there's an endless list of things to do in the office. A hectic work schedule is always a legitimate excuse but that doesn't rob you the right to check up on your spouse. If your spouse tells you that there is another late night session in the office, make it seem like you don't mind. An hour later, give him or her ring and check on their behavior. Ask them details about work. That will surely catch any cheater off-guard.

Quick Tip 2

For this one, you must move carefully with stealth. There will be instances when a cheater forgets to clear the call history of their cell phone. While your spouse is pre-occupied with something, you can check their cell phone and take a peek at the recently dialed numbers. Any unusual or suspicious number should catch your attention. You can sign up to a reverse cell phone directory, look up the number, and search for the owner of that suspicious number. There are links below that will take you to information to show you how to do this.

Quick Tip 3

This last advice will require you to be very observant with your spouse's lifestyle and the changes that have taken place since you started having suspicious thoughts. No matter how hard they try to conceal their extra-curricular activities, little signs will always give them away. This could come across as harsh to you, but cheating spouses usually have this unusually happy aura surrounding them. They smile more often and they make an effort to look good. This effort is probably for the new significant other. Look out for subtle changes. Look out for signs of restlessness to. That's an alarming hint.

These tips can help you uncover the truth behind your growing suspicions on your partner. Refer to the links listed below to find out more about how you can catch a cheating spouse.

Click Here to Discover More Great Ways to catch a cheating spouse!

Click Here to find out how to catch a cheat using reverse phone look up.

The Bridge by David Remnick

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In 2004, nobody outside Chicago had heard about the subject of the book The Bridge by David Remnick, Barack Hussein Obama, who was only a state legislator then and author of a memoir titled Dreams from My Father. Next he went on to win the Democratic primary for Illinois, a safe seat for the Democrats. It was about four months later when he delivered the famous keynote address to Democratic National Convention ("there is not a liberal America and a conservative America; there is a United States of America"). He announced his candidacy for presidency in January 2007, and came back to the Democratic convention as the nominee. In January 2009, he became the 44th president of United States of America, and it took him only 58 months to become the President.

Uneasy Childhood

The rise of Barack Obama, as chronicled by The Bridge by David Remnick, was not normal electoral politics, in which one waited normally for his or her turn in the sun. He erupted on the international scene like a revolutionary figure, in the league of Trotsky, Lenin and Hitler. Obama had an uneasy childhood due to absent father, and eyewitnesses describe the childhood as normal and different at the same time. It simply means as a child Obama realized he was meant for something important, and that he was part of something bigger.

Artistic Longings

The book The Bridge by David Remnick also notices that Obama used to write short stories earlier and he had dreams of becoming a novelist, just like other revolutionaries. He felt rootless in the world where he was and felt he did not belong. Although he was a sensitive and clever young man, he was still living on the fringes of a strong country. He then moved to a great cosmopolitan city Chicago in 1980s and plunged himself into the obscure surroundings where he began to discover himself and pursue a single minded ambition.

More Partisan than Those Born To It

The time when Barack Obama worked as a community organizer in Chicago closely follows the lives of other revolutionaries. He lived alone in a small apartment, and used to work very long hours. He barely socialized with other people in his vicinity, and he came across as a person who was determined to become a part of that culture, and was going to champion its cause with more fervor than those who were born to that very culture. A fellow social worker was surprised to see how quickly Obama became a Chicago partisan, though it was clear Obama was determined merge himself into the place so that he could call it home.

The Power of Oratory

The book The Bridge by David Remnick mentions the power of oratory that Obama discovered within himself attracted the people around him. The book written by Obama about his growing racial awareness served as campaign manifesto and autobiography at the same time. It was common to see someone writing his memoirs after their tenure was over, but here was a man who wrote a book when he was just 30 and had not even stood in an election. His book and fame benefitted from each other and he never had to worry about money again.

The author Prasoon Kumar works for http://www.uread.com/ which is the leading online bookstore that offers all the current and all time great titles at never before prices. The biracial background of Barack Obama helps him serve as the interpreter between two worlds. He understands the African American world and white world at the same time. Know more about him through the book The Bridge by David Remnick, available at huge discounts only at http://www.uread.com/book/bridge-david-remnick/9780330519984.

Torture Team: How the United States, Under Bush, Came to Abrogate the Geneva Conventions

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Torture Team by Philippe Sands 598 words
Palgrave Macmillan, 2008, hardcover, 254 pp, $26.95

If there were a literary casting agency and it was assigned the task of finding a writer to investigate and craft a book on just how the United States came to abrogate the Geneva Conventions and inaugurate torture at its prisons, it could not find a more qualified prospect than Philippe Sands. Sands is an attorney, a British barrister who has taught law in the United States, and an author in his own right. Moreover, he has been personally involved in high-profile international torture cases, those of Chile's General Pinochet, Liberia's Charles Taylor and the British detainees at Guantanamo. Plus, he is witty and very good with his pen.

As one would expect, Sands is a stickler for facts and exact definitions; Torture Team is researched and laid out as meticulously as evidence in a court case. And it may well be exactly that as Sands has kindly provided a copy to Judge Baltasar Garzon of Spain, the same judge who had General Pinochet arrested and extradited from England for crimes against humanity.

As signatory to the international Convention Against Torture, since 1988 under Reagan, the U.S. is obliged to prosecute torturers found in its own territory or extradite them to other countries for prosecution. In early 2010, after a ten-month inquiry into the facts, Judge Garzon determined that a full criminal investigation is warranted. Barrister Sands' helpfulness could bear fruit.

Because his interest is the law, Sands interviewed key legal players in the Bush administration and the U.S. military, something an American journalist could not have done between 2001 and 2008. "I've got a particular bugbear about lawyers," he told the New Yorker. "If not for lawyers, none of these abuses would have occurred."

Torture Team was published in 2008, prior to the horrific reports released in April 2009 on the repeated waterboarding and other tortures of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed (KSM) and Abu Zubaydah. So Sands could not address them or the revelation that their relentless, cruel interrogation was allegedly directed by the White House to coerce "proof" of a connection between Saddam Hussein and the terror attacks of 9/11 -- to justify the invasion of Iraq.

Sands' focus is on Detainee 063, Mohammed al-Qahtani, whose 53-day interrogation log was published by TIME Magazine March 3, 2006. In retrospect, he got off relatively easy compared to the agonies of KSM and Zubaydah. In any event, according to Sands, the six U.S. attorneys comprising the torture team, Bybee, Yoo, Haynes, et al, could well face prison time for their role in counseling the Pentagon and the White House to dismiss long-established international law.

During his two years of interviews, Sands asks whether the torture actually elicited any militarily useful information. His analysis of the answers he received: no. Sadly, because of the U.S. use of torture, anti-American fanatics now have a perfect terrorist recruiting tool. Does the fact that the U.S. no longer tortures captured detainees eliminate that tool? No. We did it and the all-too-graphic photos have been seared permanently into the brains of three generations of the Islamic population. The blowback from this dark era will endure for decades.

Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson, former chief of staff to Secretary of State Colin Powell, recommends this book: "... read it to learn how, under George W. Bush and Richard B. Cheney, America abandoned its strongest pillar of power - its own integrity."

Reviewed by John Stickler. What was it like in the years after Hiroshima, for a student in the United States growing up in the shadow of the mushroom cloud? One young man, who graduated from high school in 1955, captured those youthful fears eloquently in a series of poems collected now in a 50-page volume. Growing Up Afraid: Poems of the Atomic Age 1953-1963 by John C. Stickler is available here: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=John+Stickler&x=21&y=26

The Ruling Class - How They Corrupted America and What We Can Do About It

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Book Review - The Ruling Class, how they corrupted America and what we can do about it by Angelo M. Codevilla

For decades experts have been discussing and debating about how important or vital it is to understand "power elite analysis" in order to fully comprehend the working of the American society. The events that make up the parts of history are not random or unconnected but have a political and economic aspect to them which can be sought out using one's intellect.

The American founding fathers realized this and they knew it well enough to see that it was the truth.

From all the books I have consulted that deals with this issue, I have not come across any other work that states this with more clarity and eloquence than this new book. It is vital that all who feel the need to join hands in the making of America's future should read it and share it with family, friends and acquaintances.

The grounds on which this book is based upon is the original article that was written in the American Spectator. This is one of the most concrete and vital essays written on the subject, which he then later expanded upon in this book.

After reading the book, I began to finally grasp the significance of the communist manifesto to inspire like minded individuals.

This great work of Codevilla has to be one of the books of our time. It is a brilliant piece of academic work which will be inspiring and a motivating factor for generations of Americans to come and draw their attention to the society in which they live and the country they need to make proud. This book is not only for Americans but also for the us who need to go back into their past and strive to better the future of our respective nations.

Angelo's book, The ruling class is a very fluent, intellectual and refreshing analysis of America. This eye opening book truly epitomizes the phrase "Its not what you know, but who you know".

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Book Review "Imperfect Justice" by Jeff Ashton

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Sometimes, truth is a lot stranger than fiction. Do you remember where you were at 10 AM on October 3, 1995? I remember riding around with a co-worker awaiting the verdict of what was hailed as the "trial of the century"-the O.J. Simpson double-homicide murder trial. Had one been orbiting the planet when OJ was declared "not guilty," I am quite sure he would have seen the earth tremble a bit.

In spite of what seemed like obvious motive and plenty of culpable evidence - ultimately, OJ was acquitted of any criminality in the death of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and Ron Goldman, an aspiring model who happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. [As an aside, justice caught up to OJ Simpson in December 2008 when he was sentenced to 33 years in prison for armed robbery when he attempted to "reclaim" sports memorabilia at gunpoint.]

Jeff Ashton, who served as lead prosecutor against another famous murder suspect-Casey Anthony-has written a no-holds-barred account of the trial that shocked Florida in Imperfect Justice. In 2008, Casey Anthony was charged with the murder of her two-year-old daughter, Caylee. Although she had reported Caylee missing, Casey's lies and malfeasance depicted her as a mother who had grown tired of the responsibilities of raising a child. Instead, it appeared as if Casey Anthony wanted to be the consummate party girl...even emblazoning a tattoo on her back indicating "Bella Vita" (meaning "Beautiful Life") that she got weeks after Caylee died.

Ashton shares the prosecution's case in what should have been a slam-dunk conviction against Casey. In just under 24 hours of deliberation, however, the jury acquitted Casey of any criminal involvement in her daughter's death. The shock and outrage felt by the public was the fodder of all the news agencies covering the case. As Casey Anthony was whisked away under cover of darkness to a new life, there seemed to be very little justice for Caylee. Maybe the earth trembled once again as the verdict was announced in July 2011.

Imperfect Justice reminds the reader, in spite of not getting a guilty verdict, the greatest injustice was that a child was killed and discarded like common garbage. Ashton shares the journey made by investigators into the tremendous amounts of lies Casey told; the changing nature of Casey's parents, George and Cindy Anthony, and the problems their inconsistencies caused the prosecution; and his dissatisfaction of Jose Baez, lead defense attorney for Casey Anthony. A full color-spread in the middle of the book includes pictures of Casey partying, the car that smelled of death, and various shots of the Anthony's home.

Since Ashton postponed retirement for six months to finish this case, you have to put up with a little grandstanding and self-aggrandizement. Apparently, Ashton was one of the first attorneys to be involved with DNA forensics; and he styles himself as the quintessential science nerd. In spite of a little peacock press, after reading the details of the prosecution you will be shocked that Casey Anthony was found not guilty.

Rest in peace, Caylee Anthony, perhaps some day the balance of justice will ultimately vindicate your untimely death.

Review by Steven King, MBA, MEd

The Omnivores Dilemma

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Professor Hugh White Discusses Australia's Future Between Washington and Beijing

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The Quarterly Essays published by Black Inc. tend to vary in quality from the woeful to the brilliant. Mostly the writers of these essays are of a left-wing, progressive bent. The essays land themselves in trouble when they're written by authors who are opinionated but have little of real worth to say, or if the essayist is basically an intellectual lightweight. The best essays are informative and intellectually stimulating. My favourites have been Waleed Aly's What's Right? and Peter Hartcher's Bipolar Nation. I won't go into which ones which I think were the worst.

The 39th essay in the series is by Professor Hugh White, who specialises in defence and security issues. He's not a hot head, but rather a mild mannered analyst not motivated by political ideology. This makes his work refreshingly candid and devoid of dogma. You can trust his judgments to be based on a solid core of common sense.

Australia Caught Between China and the United States

Power Shift: Australia's Future Between Washington and Beijing examines where Australia stands in the Asian region with China nudging the United States for the position of global superpower. The Chinese economy has made massive leaps and bounds over the past decade. If it can keep up its current pace of economic growth, then it's only a matter of time before China overtakes the US as the world's largest economy. As White notes, once a nation becomes the richest in the world, they automatically have the money and command of resources to become the most powerful too. But where does this leave Australia?

As China grows, and as its economic power threatens the United States, it is Australia that stands to get bruised in the charge for global preeminence. Australia, Hugh White notes, has had an easy run security wise for a long time, depending on the US and not having to think too deeply about defence strategy. If, as a nation, Australia doesn't keep its eye on this slowly but surely shifting balance of power, Australians could find themselves in an uncomfortable position.

White outlines various scenarios, all which demand careful study and attention, and all of which will cost Australia one way or another - whether it be by spending more on defence, exposing ourselves to a greater chance of war, or simply having to reduce our international standing. None of this makes for cheery reading, highlighting as it does the need for Australia to think carefully and make some very serious decisions. With the rise of China, Australia's hey days of easy security will be over.

This is fairly ironic, as China's rise has been a godsend for Australia's economy. China doing well and buying our resources has been great for the nation's coffers, but while we enjoy the money, it will mean making tough decisions in the future.

Hugh White wrote this essay in the hope of focusing the minds of politicians on this looming problem, but as the nation grapples with pressing and of the moment issues like the carbon tax and refugees, it seems that it's too easy for us to put this problem on the backburner. Reading Hugh White's brilliant essay focuses the mind wonderfully on these issues of defence and security. Anyone interested in serious public discussion should read this essay.

Power Shift: Australia's Future Between Washington and Beijing, by Hugh White. Published by Black Inc. ISBN: 9781863954884

Chris Saliba is a book reviewer from Melbourne, Australia.

More of his book reviews can be read at: http://chrissalibabookreviews.blogspot.com/

The Hidden Brain by Shankar Vedantam Part 1

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This book is subtitled: How Our Unconscious Minds Elect Presidents, Control Markets, Wages Wars and Save Our Lives.

Unfortunately, the book's subtitle is far from describing its actual contents, which are more along the lines of "Why a Journalist Thinks Psychology Supports the Democratic Party."

That we have unconscious (or subconscious) minds that influence our behavior in ways we often don't recognize or acknowledge is nothing new. Freud wrote about it explicitly in modern times. Artists and marketers have long known how to push our internal buttons without us understanding how.

The first sections tell some interesting stories which help to make the author's case that we're far more influenced by our unconscious than we wish to believe. Again, nothing really new.

Then he moves into tests showing that North American preschoolers are unconsciously prejudiced against blacks and for whites, despite all efforts by parents and teachers to eliminate such bias. And the author makes the case that their hidden minds, despite everything adults tell them, pick up on the fact that in their communities white people are the majority.

This raises lots of questions. Is it true of black children growing up in black neighborhoods where nearly everybody they meet is black?

And how about some cross-cultural studies? The author comes from India which, as he knows better than he admits, has far more diversity and cultural, racial, ethnic, caste and religious divisions -- and corresponding bias -- than the United States.

And then he moves into really dangerous ground -- asserting that science shows that political conservatism is positively correlated with unconscious racial bias. And he goes into depth on this issue as it related to the presidential race of 2008.

He tries to be careful, but he doesn't consider all the factors. Perhaps he has his own unconscious biases?

For example, he claims that white male union members supported Ronald Reagan in 1980 and 1984 because of innate racism. After all, he was against their economic interests.

Therefore, he assumes that the class warfare rhetoric of the Democratic Party is correct. He does not consider that Americans may prefer -- for rational reasons -- free enterprise to socialism.

While spending many pages on the racism of white people toward Barack Obama, he takes only one long paragraph to dismiss the argument that black people showed more racial bias in 2008 than whites, because they voted overwhelmingly for Obama, while whites split their votes between Obama and McCain. If millions of whites hadn't been willing -- despite what the author claims is their manifest unconscious racism -- to vote for Obama, he would have lost. The truth is, they considered the issues, and some decided Obama was the better candidate, not because or in spite of being black, but because of his stands.

Next: Improve your overall health, have better bones and joints, strengthen your inner muscles and recover from injuries using a Pilates rebounder and Pilates fitness.

Landmark - The Inside Story of America's New Health Care Law and What It Means for Us All

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Book Review: Landmark - The inside story of America's new health care law and what it means for us all

Landmark is a collection of essays written by various reporters, editors and national staff of 'Washington Post' followed by the actual text of the bill. It provides a comprehensible summary of the legislation and examines its impacts on Americans on various categories and on health care system as a whole. In addition to this, it gives a very rich historical background and perspective. Such as how the legislation came together, the events and negotiations, the political challenges and obstacles, etc etc

The book has a systematic structure and is divided into three sections. The first section provides behind the scene reporting about the way the law came up. The second section highlights the effects and impacts of the new law whereas the third section is a summary of the legislation.

For a lot of people, the presence of the historical background makes it a worthwhile read as it also covers a lot about the national healthcare coverage. People also find it a worthwhile read because it gives a proper and detailed coverage as compared to the fragmented and sensational media coverage.

Although the bill seems to be corrupted in a few places, the authors still manage to convince you that the law will change the way doctors make business and also mark a change in the patients experiences.

This book will increase your knowledge on the issues related to this bill and your ability to discuss and debate on the issue will also be enhanced. This book provides a very balanced perspective and should be read by all.

Landmark is a well written analysis of the new health care reform bill, all of the contributors clarify specific areas of the bill, recommended.

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Review - Eaarth: Making a Life on a Tough New Planet

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Eaarth: Making a Life on a Tough New Planet, Bill McKibben, 2010, ISBN 9780805090567

Mankind has irreparably changed the Earth's climate and weather conditions. This book gives the details, and tells how to survive on this new world.

The Earth that mankind knew, and grew up on, is gone. A new planet needs a new name; hence Eaarth. It is a place of poles where the ice caps are severely reduced, or gone. It is a place where the oceans are becoming more acid, because of excess carbon absorbed into the water, not to mention the toxic chemicals and other pollutants being dumped into it. It is a place of more extreme weather patterns.

The average person might not care if an entire glacier completely melts away, like the Chacaltaya Glacier in Bolivia. Those living downstream, dependent on that glacier for their water supply, will certainly care. Since 1980, the tropics have expanded worldwide by 2 degrees north and south. Over 8 million more square miles of land are now tropical, with dry subtropics pushing ahead of them. The chances of Lake Mead, which is behind Hoover Dam, running dry in the next 10 years, have reached 50 percent. The residents of an oceanside town in North Carolina are spending up to $30,000 each to place large sandbags in front of their homes to keep the ocean at bay.

The times when America, or the world, can simply grow its way out of its financial problems are gone forever. Building enough nuclear power plants to get rid of even a tenth of the climate change problem will cost at least $8 trillion. According to one estimate, America needs to spend over $200 billion a year for decades, just on infrastructure, to avoid the kind of gridlock that will collapse the economy. A small village in Alaska is being evacuated, because of rising sea levels, at a cost of $400,000 per person. There is not enough money on Earth to evacuate everyone threatened by rising sea levels.

What to do? Some people are taking another look at small-scale agriculture, getting away from a dependence on artificial chemicals and fertilizer. Eliminate the middlemen, like advertising and transport, and put more money in the farmer's pocket. Along with local agriculture, consider local power generation.

This is a really eye-opening book. The first half is pretty bleak, showing just how bad things have gotten. But, there is plenty of hope in the second half of the book. It is very much recommended.

Paul Lappen is a freelance book reviewer whose website, http://www.deadtreesreview.com/, has over 800 reviews on all subjects, with an emphasis on small press books.

Fatal Choice Written By Charles E Rickard

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AppId is over the quota

"Fatal Choice" is an excellent awakening of The United States as seen through the eyes of the author. It is frightening, alarming, eye awakening, thought provoking, and a look into your possible future life in The United States. Charles Rickard takes no prisoners nor does he hold back his punches. I read Fatal Choice with an open mind not knowing how bad, or good, things would get as the story unfolded in the near past, the present, and mostly the future. As you read from the first page on I guarantee you will shake your head as to how our nation is now playing into the hands of some of the actions Mr. Rickard described. Some of the authors thoughts might be stretched but how do we, the citizens of The United States, know what lies ahead seeing so many laws of our nation being, or attempting to be changed drastically? We don't, which makes the authors descriptive actions so worrisome. Liberals and Conservatives and anyone in between need to read this book with an open mind and then make up your mind as to how possible the scenarios might be in Fatal Choice.

The prologue gives us a good read on what to expect when a bizarre incident in Dallas just after a wedding where many important officials attended. As the wedding party left the church there was killing galore until all were killed. This leads into what goes on in the book. President Madison was a president that acted like he was a dictator, not a president of the world's largest republic. What he said or thought just had to be, and those that opposed would find themselves isolated from the government or possibly even six-feet under. He had been easing the nation into his ways over some time. He had those he considered close to him, those that he wasn't sure of, and those that had to be eliminated who still wanted our nation as it was meant to be. I am not going to fill this review with names. I choose to give the story of what is going on instead of giving you more names to distinguish.

There were those that recognized what Madison was doing and they were attempting local, area, and national organizations to try to combat the government takeover that was taking freedom from citizens constantly, even from elected officials if they didn't agree with Madison. Cabinet members meant nothing except for their rubber stamp of Madison's orders. Madison also controlled Law enforcement or, in some cases they had no power. Madison hired private agencies to enforce his ways. News media was reduced to several newspapers and several radio and television networks and even these were reduced farther until only Madison's word was placed out there for people to hear. No government was effective for freedom loving citizens, only Madison's government rule. His goons were there to control everything and everyone. Eyes and ears were everywhere. Privacy was gone as were the actions of people.

Some who were fighting Madison were slowly getting organized with much secrecy and with some methods that were used in past years because all new communications were blocked. Some areas of the United States were better able to organize mainly because of the ability of people in that area to come up with ideas of how to organize safely or, as safely as possible. Several nations assisted those opposing Madison in every possible way. Canada and Mexico were of the utmost importance with their adjoining locations. This still didn't mean the "underground" was safe. Many times they were discovered one way or another and were eliminated. One well known man, George Barnes, who had been so well known and liked with his news broadcasting, went to work broadcasting messages and news through a very secret communications setup. The network was almost impossible to stop due to its many areas in and out of the nation.

Don't get too connected with your heroes as you read. They might not be there in the next chapter. I think by now you have the gist of this powerful book. The irony of it is that much of the subject matter mentioned has been occurring or appears set up to happen. Our nation is a great place to grow up in and raise a family. We have freedoms that many people over the earth can only dream of having. They have never known what the word means. If we don't fight for what we have people like President Madison could take over our nation and take our freedoms away before we realized it. Don't let your government control you their way.

Thank you Charles Rickard for this book of warning. I look forward to the next book and can only hope this first book will awaken us all.

Reader review by Cy Hilterman of a book supplied by the author.

Review - Why Do You Kill? The Untold Story of the Iraqi Resistance

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AppId is over the quota

Why Do You Kill? The Untold Story of the Iraqi Resistance, Jurgen Todenhofer, 2009, ISBN 9781934708149

This book looks inside the Iraqi resistance and shows how it is not only fighting the American occupiers, but also Al-Qaeda terrorists and the various private militias.

A person can argue about the conduct of the war in Iraq, how well or how badly it was executed, and whether or not waterboarding is torture, etc. The central premise, that we are guided by noble desires, to help Iraqis enjoy the fruits of democracy, can not be questioned. Supposedly, Arabs are not ready for Western-style democracy. Opinion poll after opinion poll, including those done by US officials in Iraq, show that large majorities of Iraqis want US troops to leave, fully and immediately.

If a US ally was invaded and occupied by another country under false premises, and the invaders were unwanted by the local population, don't they have the right to resist that occupation? Unquestionably, the answer is Yes; such a person would be hailed as a freedom fighter. But, when America or an ally does the occupying, there is no legitimate resistance. Freedom Fighter automatically equals Terrorist.

The author entered Iraq through Syria in 2007, intentionally without the knowledge or consent of American authorities. He wanted to avoid the Green Zone in Baghdad, Potemkin (fake) villages set up by the American military and talking to "approved" Iraqis. He was able to meet with, and stay with, many Iraqis who told him exactly why they joined the resistance.

A central principle of Islam is to never kill innocent people. That is the difference between resistance fighters and terrorists. Every family has lost someone during the occupation, some arrested and never to be heard from again. To the assertion that civil war will erupt if American troops leave; like that is so much worse than what is going on when this book was written (2007). If the American troops left, the Iraqi resistance could easily get rid of Al-Qaeda on its own. Early in the occupation, American troops in Fallujah fired on a peaceful demonstration of Iraqis upset that the troops had taken over a local school, killing 15 and injuring 65. American General Geoffrey Miller has been quoted as saying that Iraqi prisoners should never be allowed to think that they are anything "more than a dog." After a bomb blast in Baghdad, an imam asked for blood donations over the mosque's loudspeaker. The American response was to bomb the mosque, and shoot the imam. The reason given was that that district supported the resistance.

This is an excellent piece of journalism of the type rarely seen in America these days. It easily reaches the level of Wow.

Paul Lappen is a freelance book reviewer whose website, http://www.deadtreesreview.com/, has over 800 reviews on all subjects, with an emphasis on small press books.

Do NOT Text While Driving!

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AppId is over the quota

Do you have a teenager who texts while she is driving? If so, then this book is a must read for every parent! When asked if I would do a book review on "Protecting your teen from the dangers of texting" I was curious about that exact topic as I have a teenager myself. Being a parent in the 21st century is not like being a parent in the 1960's! The information age and technology has advanced enough that all parents really need to educate themselves with all the new gadgets on the market. I am not a phone person nor do I text, ever. On the other hand I have a teenager that the phone is attached to her body!

What I did learn after I read this educational book is about how teens are texting (partially or all nude) photo's to their boyfriends and those photo's can be forwarded to other people. The statistics are alarming in this book as well as the personal stories from teens and parents about the texting and dangers and the texting for the purpose of "sexting." I have never heard of that term before now!

This book gives wonderful resources including the "National Teen dating Abuse Helpline" (NTDAH) which every parent needs on their list of Important Contacts. At Lawyers.com it shows of the sexting laws and how the parent is responsible for the actions of their teens (sexting) if they get in any sort of trouble. She also lists all the current laws for each State on Texting.

As one teen expressed as she watched her family member drive and text, she noticed that they were looking downward a lot. This is a major distraction to driving. The accidents that occur and the deaths are increasing in numbers Nationally. Another teen is asked by their driver to text back a message to so and so, thus possibly eliminating an accident and also showing by their actions what is safe while driving.

In the end the author has a wonderful FAMILY CELL PHONE USE AGREEMENT that the teen signs and agrees to. It is the most up to date and positive step a parent can take in this century! I have taken the step to have my own teenager sign the family cell phone agreement and now I feel safer for the both of us.

This book in PDF came to me by Janis Friesler from Assisting Authors Online, "the place where authors can get help promoting their works."

About Jackie Paulson (Author)
You love to help others solve problems You are Intuitive; YOU SEE THINGS OTHERS CANNOT SEE. You are great at picking up on peoples moods and predicting the future. You know what others are THINKING before they speak a word. Your Purpose in life is to SHOW LOVE TO OTHERS~Lead Others People turn to you for Direction and Hope and New Ideas YOUR PASSION is learning You bring inspiration into people's lives. YOUR DESIRE: TO find yourself You are able to remove your EMOTIONS and see the Big Picture. You have a GIFT for reading people "human Lie Detector."

An Examination of Media Mythmakers

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AppId is over the quota

With its broad scope, Benjamin Radford's Media Mythmakers: How Journalists, Activists and Advertisers Mislead Us explores the ways in which the media misleads the American public. It is a multifaceted study, drawing examples from advertising and activism as well as mainstream media activities. The book's fascinating information is buried in redundant text and circular organization. Is Radford's scope too broad? Is a book written in 2003 still relevant? These are just a couple questions that arise from Media Mythmakers, and only the author can truly answer them. The information the book contains may hint at the answers.

The first step in answering these questions is determining what information is well presented. Radford succeeds in detailing the mainstream media's exploitation of emotion. He explains common logical fallacies committed by martyrmakers. With that, examples of groups profiting from tragic events illustrate some of the most deplorable aspects of the media and ordinary people working together to manipulate public opinion. This book is one of the few instances where anyone pins responsibility for declining media quality on the American populace. Another concept Radford examines with particular care is bias, be it the inherently subjective nature of journalism or his own bias in writing the book. He also discusses the value of critical thinking in a variety of situations from causes du jour to the effect of media-induced hype on the legislative process. At its best, Mythmakers dissects the consequences of emotion-clouded judgment and its effects on people being accurately informed of the most complex issues of the day.

While the book provides useful information, the organization of data and analysis feels frenetic, as information gets lost in ill-formed transitions. Radford's examples jump around, and he relies heavily on three news stories for examples of substandard journalism practices: Princess Diana's death, the Columbine shootings, and 9/11. This repetition in the book becomes tiring; perhaps Radford should have treated them as case studies so errors in media could be noted in one or two chapters instead of several. Likewise, the chapters on advertising are incongruent in tone and content when compared to the rest of the book. While reading later chapters, I wondered if advertising would be further addressed. Given its brief appearance in the beginning, the information on advertising may be better examined as part of other media manipulation tactics. The book's overall format also feels cluttered. While part of it stems from the numerous sources cited, the layout is more akin to a string of extended essays combined into a hardcover book with no thoughtful transitions between them. Dedicating individual chapters to the most prominent cases of media misbehavior would have facilitated more thorough and easy to follow discussion of the exact tactics used to sway public opinion and information.

Media Mythmakers also falters in properly identifying its audience. The language used shifts between formal and colloquial. This bipolarity suggests Radford attempted to write this book to appeal to two very different groups: the intellectually ambitious and mainstream media consumers. Finding a middle ground for these groups is difficult at best, and such fluctuation in diction is not a constructive way to achieve that goal. The intellectually ambitious crowd of this decade, meanwhile, will regard much of the information presented as old news. The statistics for white collar crime are a prime example of such information; this information is now taught in introductory social science courses at various higher education institutions. If this book is intended for the more cerebral audience, expanded discussion on the less obvious topics (e.g. activist manipulation of the media and the humanitarian aid paradox) would be a more sensible approach. Meanwhile, a more mainstream audience may need to be alerted of the white collar crime statistics. No matter the audience, new information needs to be presented to reflect the changes in the media environment since 2003. The audience and its various subsections have changed significantly since that time.

Radford's book provides some useful information regarding the state of contemporary media. Finding that information is a test of reading skill and perseverance. Valuable information hides in redundancy and outdated statistics. Media Mythmakers covers a subject that deserves more careful examination than what is currently given. Radford should consider rewriting this book for the new decade, which has not only a new crop of stories bungled by the media but also a transformed audience.

Elisa Dvorak currently works for an appraisal management company reviewing reports for errors. When not at work, she studies media practices and the manipulation of the written word. She is an author on Writing.Com which is a site for Creative Writing. You can view her portfolio here.

Emergency by Neil Strauss

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AppId is over the quota

Emergency is a surprisingly impressive book. Having read The Game, his book about becoming a pickup artist, I'd expected good writing, humor, sharp observations and a wry outlook on life. I wasn't expecting this book to be so profound.

First of all, I have to admire Strauss for being hardheaded, for following his impulses come what may and for having the guts to tell us all about the consequences, including the interesting but negative stuff.

I think his political views are off-base, but that's incidental.

This is the story of his journey to learn how to survive - just in case.

He starts out as a self-confessed wuss who wants to survive no matter what, but had precious little experience at it. He grew up in a forty-second apartment in Chicago. He's been a writer and a pickup artist.

So he attends a seminar of The Sovereign Society in Panama, where nobody trusts each other. He hangs out on survivalist boards.

But he doesn't just talk the talk, he walks the walks as far as it takes him, which is very far. He winds up with a second citizenship from the island of St Kitts, an island in the Caribbean, after paying a big chunk of money he says he couldn't afford.

(Perhaps the money he got for selling his seduction program, plus his bestsellers, helped.)

He finds and then takes all kinds of courses on how to survive in the woods, how to survive in the city, how to handle guns, how to drive motorcycles, how to identify edible plants, how to make and handle knives and use one to butcher a goat, and much more.

Each step of the way, he identifies a gap in his knowledge about what could happen, and takes another step toward self-reliance.

He entertains us along the way, and includes his observations on the age-old question of whether human beings are innately good or bad. In a disaster will they help each other or fight each other? Most survivalists are betting on the latter.

There were indeed points where I wanted to tell him that small rural communities would probably pull together and help each other, though they may also become hostile to outsiders, so it's not a simple either/or question.

His quest to learn all leads him to take classes and get certified as a Certified Emergency Response Technician (CERT), then as an EMT, and then becomes a member of the California Emergency Mobile Patrol. Soon after, he helps out victims of the worst rail disaster in California history.

He realizes he no longer wants to be the lone wolf survivor, but enjoys helping out his community. He keeps his second home in St Kitts, just in case, but wants to help them as well.

Where did the pickup artist and seduction guru go to?

Next: learn how to survive no matter what on freeze dried foods and survival foods.

Listening Tour

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AppId is over the quota

The first widely observed national moment of silence occurred in Britain in 1919, in commemoration of the nation's inaugural Armistice Day. For two minutes, switchboard operators declined to connect telephone calls, subway cars and factory wheels ground to a halt, and ordinary citizens held their tongues. Within 10 years, the somber annual tradition had grown so popular that the BBC began to air the sound of the silence. One broadcaster mused that the communal silence served as a "solvent which destroys personalities and gives us leave to be great and universal."

While state-sanctioned silence was novel, the sentiment of the broadcaster was not. Silence has long acted as a leveler of ego. From the communal meditation that opens Quaker meetings to the lulling quiet that defines the lives of Buddhist monks, silence is central to various religious traditions. "For many people, silence is the way God speaks to us, and when we ourselves are in silence, we are speaking the language of the soul," observes George Prochnik, author of a previous book about Sigmund Freud and the American psychologist James Jackson Putnam. In his fascinating new book, In Pursuit of Silence, Prochnik sets out to understand the complicated reasons for silence's power.

Silence enriches the mental life of humans, but, as Prochnik shows, it ensures the very survival of some in the animal kingdom. By being silent, animals avoid detection by predators, and sharpen their wits. Prochnik highlights the intriguing case of the red-eyed tree frog, whose embryos are capable of distinguishing the vibrations of a raindrop from the movement of a hungry snake. When the vibrations are caused by a snake, the embryos prematurely launch themselves from their jellied clutch and attempt to survive in their underdeveloped state.

The inability to hear (or sense vibrations, a related skill) spells doom for some animals. But the biologically imposed silence of deafness, at least in humans, often results in an acute appreciation of the remaining senses. Prochnik points out that at Gallaudet University, the premier American institution of higher education for the deaf, faculty and staff cultivate Deaf Space, an appealing philosophy of architecture that emphasizes natural light, soft shapes, and colonnades and porches-"space that helps people remain in each other's visual embrace."

If silence has so many benefits, why are head-splitting rock concerts popular and iPods ubiquitous? In part because loud sounds have their pleasures. As explained by one partisan of boom cars-which sport subwoofers capable of producing more noise than is audible 30 feet away from a jet at takeoff-the sound he experiences is "sensual." Yet people also crowd their lives with noise, Prochnik incisively argues, because they are resistant to the virtues that silence exemplifies: contemplation, attention, prudence, and restraint.

Garret Keizer, a contributing editor at Harper's, tackles essentially the same subject, but from the opposite end, in The Unwanted Sound of Everything We Want. Perceptions of noise vary, he notes-Swedish and Dutch scientists have found that people lodge fewer noise complaints about wind turbines when they financially profit from their use. Yet he points out that "noise took a quantum leap with industrialization," and the racket was compounded with the advent of the automobile and the airplane.

The volume in many places around the world is now objectively dangerous (one child in eight in the United States suffers from hearing loss), and Keizer argues that, saddled with poor infrastructure and fewer resources, people on the social margins are disproportionately affected. He acknowledges that when compared to poverty, violence, and disease, noise is a minor environmental issue. But with noise as his cause, he seizes the opportunity to decry America's "loud" political discourse and climate change stoked by noisy factories.

Both Prochnik and Keizer end their books with policy prescriptions. Prochnik would like to see more pocket parks in cities, while Keizer thinks that we should live closer together to reduce our support of the carbon-spewing automobile industry. These ideas aren't off the mark, but given how subjective noise is, the idea that we possess the power to shape our own auditory space is strangely missing. One can find internal calm in the cacophony of rush hour, after all, or be plagued with racing thoughts in a tranquil park. A quieter life is not just a matter of listening to our physical environments, but also to ourselves.

Originally published in The Wilson Quarterly (http://www.wilsonquarterly.com/)

A Disagreement In Idaho Written By Holt E Glenn

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AppId is over the quota

I can compare this book with the circumstances that have occurred in Arizona mostly during the past year regarding illegal immigration even though the bulk of "A Disagreement In Idaho" took place in the future. The story begins describing The late Governor Seabon Wilson of Idaho who, when in office, was faced with the ever growing problem of far too many illegal immigrants, along with many others in Idaho and elsewhere throughout the United States fighting or backing the illegals. An old time girlfriend of the governors brother, Josey Lawson, was running to escape those trying to find and destroy all records of the late governor so as to make that period in Idaho's history disappear. Josey was a very experienced backwoods person and that expertise is what allowed her to escape those tracking her down.

After a very descriptive beginning we move ahead to the time when Seabon Wilson was the governor of Idaho. He was a staunch believer in governing the way our forefathers had laid out in the constitution, including immigration. Seabon was well aware of the deepening problems created by so many illegal immigrants living in Idaho, working hard and sending much of their earnings back to their families in Mexico. Many employers, mostly farm owners, knew their help was illegal but since the labor was cheap they felt they were only helping the employees families in Mexico to survive. The constant battle between those that supported and those against illegal immigrants working in Idaho spread throughout the state and adjoining states also.

Juan Horanto was one of the hard working illegals that had been working as a laborer in Texas until the local authorities started a severe crackdown to find those that did not belong. This drove many either back to Mexico or to another state where pressure was not as strong. Juan was earning $15.00 an hour in Texas where in Mexico he would have been paid only about $2.00 per hour for the same work. He moved to other areas but eventually ended up in Idaho thanks to a friend. Realize that Juan was only one of many illegal immigrants working in the United States. As long as they could get away with it they would. The citizens and many organizations in Idaho started rebelling against losing employment of their own residents and the push was on to legislate and enforce laws to eliminate the illegals.

The book is intensely and extremely well written. There is so much discussion in the United States today on the subject of illegal immigrants. Most oppose the millions working in our nation, freely taking advantage of our own welfare system, medical facilities, Social Security, while hurting all of those that do pay for and provide all of these government programs. "A Disagreement In Idaho" gives a great perspective where a governor and some in his state leadership agree with controlling the illegals but the few that fought for the illegals caused a huge conflict that became dangerous and deadly. The incidents brought the President of the United States along with the Attorney General into the action whether they wanted to be a part or not.

I think that much of what occurred in Mr. Glenn's book is still ahead for the United States. The battle to give or not give amnesty has been an onward strife and will no doubt continue well into the future with much clashing between many citizens and government bodies. I have given you plenty of incentive to read this book and get engrossed as a participant on either side or down the middle.

Reader review by Cy Hilterman of a book supplied by the author

Nuclear Proliferation - Who Is to Blame? The Perpetually Debated Topic-Book Review

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AppId is over the quota

This is apparently one of the biggest topics of our time and indeed it has been for the last 50 years. Even today we see President Obama trying to negotiate and work out with the Russians a new nuclear proliferation Treaty, while each nation might reduce the number of Nuclear Weapons, Warheads, and delivery platforms in their arsenals. Obviously, it would only make sense for both nations if they did reduce the number, yet, any linear or one-sided agreement is sure to fail. So, will the new SALT Treaty go through?

Recently, there was an article in the Wall Street Journal titled; "Obama Launches Treaty Blitz" by Jonathan Weisman, in November of 2010. After reading this article, and thinking on the topic, it reminded me of a very good book I have on my bookshelf - that explains all sides to this debate. It explains the Cold War, the thinking behind it, and the massive buildup on both sides. It is a book I own, and remains on my shelf to this day. The name of the book is "The Spread of Nuclear Weapons - A Debate Renewed" by Scott D Sagan and Kenneth N Waltz, published by WW Norton and Company Incorporated, New York, New York, (2003), 222 pages, ISBN: zero - 393 - 97747 - one paperback.

Why is this book important you ask? Well, this latest version has new sections on India and Pakistan, the possibility of a terrorist getting a nuke, and the development of missile defense systems in Europe to protect the NATO nations. Not much has changed since this book was written in 2003, it contains all the same, and current topics, points of contention, common enemies, and the reality of the situation.

There are chapters on the challenges between India and Pakistan who both have nuclear weapons pointed at each other. And in this book both authors debate, one - that more nuclear weapons with more countries might prevent wars, due to similar strategies considered by the RAND Corporation of mutual destruction. The other authors suggest that more weapons only lead to more potential chances of one nation firing upon another, and a reciprocal response. I doubt anybody wants to see that.

Not long ago, I talked to an interesting person who was in the one of the military war colleges, and of course it is a big topic there, especially considering that any exchange of Nuclear Weapons will involve the United States, even if we are not in that war, we will be called upon to draw down the crisis, clean up the mess, and try to get those nations, whatever is left of them, to renegotiate with the world. This is a serious topic, and therefore this is a good book to help you understand the thinking behind it.

Lance Winslow is the Founder of the Online Think Tank, a diverse group of achievers, experts, innovators, entrepreneurs, thinkers, futurists, academics, dreamers, leaders, and general all around brilliant minds. Lance Winslow hopes you've enjoyed today's discussion and topic. http://www.worldthinktank.net/ - Have an important subject to discuss, contact Lance Winslow.

The Economical Guide to Self-Publishing - How to Produce and Market Your Book on a Budget

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AppId is over the quota

Linda F. Radke, owner of Five Star Publishing, has written a book that will enlighten and assist authors on a journey down the road to publication with ease and understanding. I was so surprised to open this book and find so many secrets revealed. Not only will readers get helpful tips on formatting, typesetting, grammar and working with an independent contractor but they will also get examples and first hand experiences laid out to help the reader better understand the process. With the help of other writers Radke provides detailed insight on the parts of the book, which if you are planning to do any sort of Print On Demand the order of these pages are key.

Not only does Radke give a step-by-step instruction on the process of self-publication you get insight on what it means to be short run, typesetting, scanning and formatting. She lists examples of all the publishing options such as standard, self and partnership publication opportunities. She even talks about how you can start your own self-publishing company like she did. You will learn about which pieces of office equipment will beneeded and why it is important in regards to starting a business. She also offers help with filing, shipping and freight information. These are also very important factors in getting your book to the public and being easily accessible by interested parties.

Every aspect of the publishing process is in this book. Readers learn how to market and promote as well as how to utilize media kits. The thing that impressed me the most is the information here can be used for writers who aren't considering self-publication. Radke gives tips on how to get your book on the radio, and television. Anywhere else this information would be sold. Each bit of information Each bit of information offered in this book is priceless.

Radke has everything you need to get your book published and out to the buyer in one easy to read place. You will not want to put this book down. Think of this book as a reference guide. In the back of the book Radke provides an A-Z glossary of words to help you better understand meanings of commonly used words in reference to self-publishing. You will use it often and it will be of great help to you. Thank you Linda for opening this door to self-publication. Any fears I had about this process have vanished.

A writers journey can be lonely if you don't know where to go for information or help. Visit my site at http://kristibernard.wordpress.com/. I share information on learning the craft of writing, author interviews, book reviews and many other resources.

Black Market Billions - How Organized Retail Crime Funds Global Terrorists by Hitha Prabhakar

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AppId is over the quota

I found "Black Market Billions: How Organized Retail Crime Funds Global Terrorists" by Hitha Prabhakar to be a fascinating and engaging read on a topic that, while I knew about, I didn't realize was as big and far reaching as it is. The book was quite engaging with the descriptions of the various links in the long organized retail crime (ORC) chain. And I didn't realize how much of the money made from these crime rings is shipped overseas and that some finds its way to terrorist groups.

The book is divided into three main sections. The first section, The Piracy Economy, looks at the crimes from a larger scope and has chapters on Organized Retail Crime Goes Global, When a Deal Isn't a Deal, and The Cost to the Stores. It is a good introduction on how ORC cheats retailers and costs them more money than I realized, and how governments lose taxes because of the huge ORC rings.

In part two, Follow the Money, the other profiles various links of the ORC chain. Chapters include The Money Trail and the Business of Cross-Border Trade, Profile of a Booster and a Fence, Family Ties, Money Laundering 2.0, The Political Agenda, and Strange Bedfellows. These chapters touch on those that are entering the stores and boosting the goods to terrorists and organized criminals on a global scale.

Part three, Putting a Band-Aid on a Broken Leg, is the shortest section of the book and contains chapters on The Failure of Preventative Measures and Letting the Bad Guy Get Away. This section has brief possible solutions to this global problem. I'd have liked to have had more on solutions, but maybe no one really knows what to do yet. (However, the story of the mall in California gives hope that simple solutions might be able to curb the problem.) I also hope that this book, by bringing awareness to the problem may curb some people from purchasing the illegal, but cheaper, products being sold through these organized retail crime rings.

There were parts of the book where I wish the author would have gone into more detail, but I understand that it is always a task determining how much or how little to include regarding depth of a subject. There were over 400 end notes, so the author definitely researched the topic, but I didn't check out all the sources, and some may not be as reliable as others. Some of the dots there were connected in this book may not have been accurately joined, but to be fair, there are A LOT of dots to connect.

Overall, I think this is an important book for people to read and understand how big a problem ORC really is, and with this awareness, start looking for ways to do something about it.

Alain Burrese, J.D. is a writer, speaker, and mediator. He has authored several books (including Lost Conscience and the Tough Guy Wisdom series) and a number of instructional DVDs (including Hapkido Cane and the Lock On Joint Locking Essentials series). He has also reviewed hundreds of books, DVDs, and products. His Warrior's Edge programs focus on safety, martial arts, self-defense, and living with The Warrior's Edge. His Black Belt Communicator programs focus on effective communication for conflict resolution, negotiation, leadership, and mediation. You can find out about Alain, read articles and reviews, see video clips of his DVDs, and more at http://www.burrese.com/blog.

Propaganda by Edward Bernays

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AppId is over the quota

Propaganda is a book by Edward Bernays who is also known as the "father of public relations". One of the most influential writers of the 20th century, Bernays had a distinct style of writing which many readers may find confusing. Many readers think that Bernays deliberately mixes up definitions so as to make them accept that propaganda is a better way of managing very large societies.

However, several people differ in opinion and believe that Bernays is very descriptive in his books and covers all the pros and cons without hiding any facts. This group of people compares Bernays' 'Propaganda' to the book 'Art of War' by Sun Tzu. According to them, it seems like Sun Tzu is trying to hide a lot of facts unlike Bernays who lays everything out in the open and explains everything in a very elaborate manner.

In the book 'Propaganda', Bernays tries to answer various questions related to philosophy and public opinion and tries to establish the fact that a society is ruled or governed by the consent of those being governed, be it for the good or bad. He also tries to throw light upon the political structure in a dictatorship or a democracy, starting from the bottom or the lowest level and going all the way to the top through intermediate hierarchies, trying to explain what makes those forms of governance different from propaganda.

Bernays gives the example of the American masses and argues that they had every reasonable opportunity to learn from the events that took place in 1990s but they did not and found war to be an acceptable solution. According to him, the public or a mob often makes such decisions emotionally rather than making it logically.

Bernays manages to establish the fact that propaganda is simply a tool for maintaining law and order. His book is very different from other books as it reveals all the techniques without any prejudice or hiding the truth. It shows a constant continuous dialect about what issues there are and how to proceed.

Propaganda the book has a philosophical angle to it, he tries to prove that those who participate in the process do so by their own choice and will.

Propaganda the book is probably more important in today's world: Middle eastern countries whose dictators are having to stand down because of people powered revolutions, the sometimes psychopathic spin doctors of the western world, media manipulations and political double-speak than when the book was originally published.

Propaganda is an eye opening read for anyone trying to learn how the ruling elite of the world use power and propaganda to try and rule our society.

If you would like to read a chapter of this important book click here.

For your chance to win a free iPad or Amazon Kindle do check out http://powerfulreviews.com/ thanks.

SHALOM (Peace in the World)

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AppId is over the quota

"Israel was not created in order to disappear. Israel will endure and flourish. It is the child of hope and the home of the brave. It can neither be broken by adversity nor demoralized by success. It carries the shield of democracy and it honors the sword of freedom" John F. Kennedy

Shalom is what we all want
God blessed Abraham and his family
Shalom is true authentic peace on Earth

It is the dream of every child in this world
It is the dream that God gave to Abraham
It is the dream that King David envisioned of everlasting Kingdom

Psalm 127

"Unless the LORD builds the house,
the builders labor in vain.
Unless the LORD watches over the city,
the guards stand watch in vain. In vain you rise early
and stay up late,
toiling for food to eat.
for he grants sleep to those he loves.

Children are a heritage from the LORD,
offspring a reward from him.
Like arrows in the hands of a warrior
are children born in one's youth.
Blessed is the man
whose quiver is full of them.
They will not be put to shame
when they contend with their opponents in court."

The State of Israel is to prosper the entire world.
The State of Israel is to be filled with the wisdom of King Solomon to have peace and prosperity for all 6 billion people on Earth.
The State of Israel was, is, and will be emerged blessed for eternity.
The State of Israel will be prosperous and last forever under God.

A poem dedicated to Mr. Isaac Shemesh, future Prime Minister of The State of Israel.

Jos? Angel Manaiza Jr. The New All-American Boy is an American contemporary author.