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Book reviews for "Abernethy,_Virginia" sorted by average review score:

Notes on the State of Virginia
Published in Hardcover by Peter Smith Pub (January, 1990)
Authors: Thomas Jefferson and T. P. Abernethy
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Jefferson's Brilliance
Thomas Jefferson's " Notes on the State of Virginia" is a brilliant piece of history, sociology, law, geology, government,and science. This work, Jefferson's only book, shows his powerful, brilliant mind at it's best. Jefferson shows the depth of his knowledge, not just on his own beautiful state, but on human nature itself. Some of the gems in this work are his views on education, advocating free public education for all, free government, advocating a revisal of the defective original Virginia Constitution. His knowledge of slavery, and the Indian races before his eyes are from personal experience and observation. Although painted by the deconstuctionist left as a "racist" Jefferson was a dangerous radical to the Virginia gentry due to his advocacy of emacipation and deportation of slaves. His views on black inferiority are exaggerated since he placed them forth as a scientific hypothesis based on personal observation. Jefferson could not see a "multicultural" society in America made up of former masters and slaves with resentment and prejudice still in the hearts of both. Many of his predictions about race relations have come true: hate, resentment, power struggles, and a continuing obsession which he forsaw would destroy the America Republic.

The best edited version of the is Koch and Peden's edited on in "The Life and Selected Writings of Thomas Jefferson", but the full Notes is very good, but the reader must be prepared for numerous charts and tables. Overall a great book, and buy!

Highly recommended for H.S and college students & others
The book is written much like an epic poem- with lists of river, towns, economic conditions etc in 1780s. But also much more: His feeling on race. He obviously did not hate blacks, proposed a theory that they were less intelligent, had an aesthetic view of man akin to Gulliver's Travels and the horses. Theory of education is much akin to European model of today, much better than current theories in use. He opposed multiculturalism and opposed teaching children religion in schools or anyplace else, preferring Greek, Roman and European histories and philosophy for guidance of children. The difference between the America he wanted and the reality of today is striking. Which is better? Each must judge, but this is a must read book.

This is the only book Thomas Jefferson published
I recomend The book which was edited with an introduction and notes by William Peden. I have an orginal copy of "Notes on the State of Virginia" Second Amarican edition Printed in 1797, on loan to the Monticello, (of which I am welling to part with at the right price). This was a hard book to understand, once I read the one edited by William Peden, I had a much better understanding of what Mr. Jefferson wrote, as well as the history of Mr. Jefferson's efforts in acheaving it's final contents.


Population Politics: The Choices That Shape Our Future
Published in Hardcover by Perseus Publishing (April, 1993)
Authors: Virginia D. Abernethy and Garrett Hardin
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Family subsidies only cause more poverty
This book supports the arguments economic conservatives have intuitively had against altruistic national and international welfare schemes - they only encourage more irresponsibility, even larger families in already impoverished lands, and only encourage immigration to welfare states such as the United States and Western Europe -- spreading the misery of low wages due to oversupply of farm and blue collar labor and increasingly white collar and even high technology degreed job categories. This is in addition to the fundamentally immoral and monstrous nature of such redistributionist schemes.

Most important book written in my life-time.
Quoting from Abernethy's book: "Americans are too careless in protecting their own heritage and too ready to impose western culture on others." "Organization is one of the linchpins of prosperity, and it depends on stability and security. But maintenance of order within a democratic framework ultimately depends on the consent and consensus of the governed. Without a core of common values, order depends upon coercion and the criminal justice system. Public safety in today's American cities comes at the cost of erosion in treasured liberties such as freedom from unreasonable search and seizure -- the Fourth Amendment to the Constitution. And the shift toward state coerciveness will probably be irreversible so long as the numbers outside the law, or in disagreement with fundamental values, keep growing."


Population Politics
Published in Paperback by Transaction Pub (January, 2000)
Authors: Virginia D. Abernethy and Garrett Hardin
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Missing the Point?
Virginia Abernethy's attempt to form an understanding of problems felt in the US regarding population growth misses the point on several levels. Her continual blame of immigration and putting forth of Buchanistic ideas revolving around an "us versus them" mentality border on racist.

The book has its place, but the reader must be aware that it concentrates much emphasis on negativity towards those with different skin and cultural background. Also, she states clearly that there is no global population problem. The problem only exists in the US. Open your eyes Mrs. Abernethy, take a look around the world, do some traveling!

But where she really misses the boat is in her fear that US emphasis on multi-culturalism may lead to Kosovo like problems. Quite the contrary, multi-culturalism is all about living together as one nation/one-world, not separatism as she appears to be preaching.

Empiric Data Inconsistant with Demographic Transition Model
The essential point of this work is the Demographic Transition Model (DTM) is false and worse is contributing to above reasonable fertility rates in many countries and an over all rate of positive population growth world wide. The author does an excellent job of putting forward both the strong case for the DTM (education and affluence => zero growth) and the weak case for the DTM (education and affluence => some reduction in growth). She then shows that niether contingency is supported by various important sources of empirical data. Even worse, policies based on the DTM may even increase fertility. The arguments put forward are coherent,cogent, and reasonably sound. If the DTM is false then this has very far ranging implications for all sorts of ecconomic and aid policies . But more importantly,if the DTM is false there are extremely dire consequences for the health of humanity and the environment. This will mean that the much vuanted "logistic curve" of the DTM will not come to pass and population may easily over shoot ten billion (e.g. will not level off via birth prevention). The issues and arguments put forward in this work are really the essential bench mark for future discussion.


Population and Environment
Published in Hardcover by Human Sciences Pr (September, 1994)
Author: Virginia Abernethy
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Population Pressure and Cultural Adjustment
Published in Hardcover by Human Sciences Pr (March, 1979)
Author: Virginia Abernethy
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Three Virginia Frontiers
Published in Hardcover by Peter Smith Pub (June, 1962)
Author: Thomas Perkins Abernethy
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