This classic book by economist Joseph Schumpeter originally came out in three editions in 1942, 1945, and 1950. The current 1984 edition begins with a helpful introduction by Tom Bottomore. The entire book is well worth reading if you have the time for some substantial thinking about economics, politics, and history on a grand scale. However, Schumpeter's half-century old tome has recently come back into vogue as everyone is picking up his term "creative destruction". Schumpeter, coming from the Austrian school of economics, focused on processes rather than states, making his thinking different from that of other economists of his time and for decades after. His notion of creative destruction perfectly fits as a description of what is happening in the new economy, as new technologies and business models and architectures are simultaneously destroying old sources of value while creating new opportunities for profit.

it would be wise that you read this book before reading the lexus and the olive tree (thomas friedman). you will find both books very enjoyable, while providing a clear understanding of how people connect to governments, governments connect to countries and countries connect to countries... it is all about connexity!

Many summers ago while I was taking supplementary graduate courses in comparative literature, a classmate suggested that I read this book. I had not previously heard of it. It was somewhat tough going, in part because I lacked understanding of an appropriate frame-of-reference within which to absorb and digest Schumpeter's ideas. Recently, I re-read it. To paraphrase Mark Twain, it is amazing how much Schumpeter has learned over the years. I strongly recommend that Tom Bottemore's excellent Introduction be read and then re-read at least once more before anyone proceeds into the Schumpeter text. It certainly would have been very helpful to my first reading. The 28 chapters are organized as follows:

Part I: The Marxian Doctrine

Part II: Can Capitalism Survive?

Part III: Can Socialism Work

Part IV: Socialism and Democracy

Part V: A Historical Sketch of Socialist Parties

Obviously, the world which Schumpeter surveyed more than 50 years ago has undergone significant changes. (This book was first published in the US in 1942; a revised second edition appeared in 1957; and an expanded third edition appeared in 1950, the year in which he died.) Nonetheless, after a recent re-reading of the book, I am amazed at how stable its intellectual infrastructure remains. Bottomore explains the book's continuing appeal to readers "by the fact that it undertakes a serious and thorough examination of the great social transition of the present age, from capitalism to socialism, (and prefaces this with an illuminating critical appraisal of Marx's theory, as the only social analysis of the transition that merits attention) rather than by the kind of judgement that it makes about the consequences of this process of social transformation." Bottomore then quite correctly notes that, in this book, Schumpeter also examines "carefully and dispassionately" the difficulties and dangers presented by certain forms of socialism "which socialist thinkers themselves,,, after so many deceptions, can now more readily appreciate." Granted, at least some of Bottomore's discussion of Schumpeter is itself dated. Nonetheless, Schumpeter's ideas are carefully developed; moreover, he explores all manner of connections between and among those with other ideas, including those he rejects.

This book is excellent. It reads like a novel -- managers and executives are described in terms of their personalities and their accomplishments/failures. The "plot" progresses from the early 1980s when Honda entered the American automobile market to the mid-1990s when the Big Three finally got their stuff together and cameback from near failure to become true competitors again. I would recommend this book as a must-read to anyone interested in the automobile industry and a good read for anyone else.

This book was spectacular: the amount of detailed facts combined with unprecedented inside information never before gathered from the dungeons of the Big Three amount to a fascinating account of greed, complacency, and eventually recovery. Some of the information contained therein will make the hair on the back of one's neck stand in disgust or elation. Anyone who is interested in automobiles or American Industry or who just wants a good read should pick up this book.

This book was excellent. It examined the ins and out

Joseph Hansen was the second author to construct a series around a gay detective--George Baxt preceded him--and the first to make his gay detective absolutely "normal." And by "normal," I mean "average." Dave Brandstetter is a decent, reticent, often rather icy human being. No genius, he solves cases by patient sleuthing rather than Holmesian leaps of logic. And Brandstetter, who eventually ages in "real time," ultimately comes apart at the seams in realistic fashion: in the last novels, when he is close to 70, Brandstetter forgets things, needs reading glasses, and loses the stamina he needs to think straight. In this, the first novel, he is just beginning to emerge from profound, paralyzing mourning for his companion of twenty-two years; as the series progresses, he will acquire two more partners, one a misfire and the other more permanent. Hansen's characterizations are sharp throughout, and his prose style--short, snappy sentences, with the occasional quirky metaphor or simile thrown in--is deceptively simple. Both this novel and the series as a whole are worthwhile reading.

Hansen's first Dave Brandstetter mystery is a marvelous read. Fox Olson's car is found, but he isn't. Is he dead or just missing? With a healthy cast of suspects, Brandstetter has his work cut out for him in solving this case. It's almost timeless in its quality of writing and pacing. I only wish it wasn't so short, but there are more books in the series, so it does balance out some. Fans of gay men's mysteries will certainly love this classic tale!

When Pima, California's local celebrity/singer/radio show host Fox Olson turns up missing and his T-Bird is found in the arroyo after a fierce storm, his wife, daughter, friends, and fans expect his body to wash up any time. It doesn't happen. Dave Brandstetter, claims investigator for Medallion Life Insurance Company comes to town. As he interviews family and friends, Dave discovers that all was not well in Fox Olson's charmed life after all. Did Fox commit suicide? Or kill himself? And if he's dead, where is the body? Dave thinks Fox disappeared on purpose, but in order to prove it, he'll have to find the man.

Detective Dave Brandstetter is not only an appealing, sympathetic character, he is also a rugged, hard-drinking, relentless investigator with his own secrets. He's just lost his lover of 20+ years to cancer, and he is well aware that he is not in good shape emotionally. Against the backdrop of his loss, Dave talks to the people of Pima, noses into old issues, and gets a possible lead on Fox's whereabouts. But there is more than one person in town with something to hide, and some of them may just be ready to kill to keep things quiet.

Author Joseph Hansen writes clear and delightful prose: 'the rust from the nailheads had written long, sad farewells down the salt-silver planks.' Alternating captivating description with classic hard-boiled narrative, the author brings Brandstetter's world alive, both inside and out. No wonder Hansen has been compared to classic mystery writers such as Raymond Chandler and Ross MacDonald.

Originally published in 1970, FADEOUT is remarkable in at least three ways: 1) the mystery features the first openly gay private detective, Dave Brandstetter, who is unapologetically homosexual and displays a solid strength and confidence that seems ahead of its time; 2) the writing is crisp, exciting, and exudes style beyond the level of the typical mystery; and 3) after over three decades, every aspect of the story and the writing holds up marvelously. Hansen's work is destined to be deemed classic. The fact that Alyson has reprinted this debut novel and, so far, two of the eleven subsequent installments of the Brandstetter series bodes well for Joseph Hansen's revival.

Lori L. Lake
Midwest Book Review

The authors present detailed and complex research very clearly and offer the reader a comprehensive study of one particular Manhattan project spy (Ted Hall). There are places, however, where history is turned into to sensationalism. Granted, this is meant to be a case study, but at times too much emphasis is placed on Hall's contribution to the spy network. One questions how important any individual person was in a secret operation so large. The authors fail to distance themselves from their subject and consequently do not write from a totally credible perspective.

Beyond Fuchs et al, there had always been suspicions of an extra spy. Now we know. This is the gripping account of Ted Hall,code name Mlad, a teenage whiz kid who suddenly found himself at Los Alamos, savy enough to be at the dead center of bomb calculations, and deciding for idealistic reasons, refusing all payment, to share the secret of the atomic weapon with the Russians. Soon the a virtually complete description of how to construct a weapon is in the hands of the Communists. It is interesting that the original communication was decoded in the late forties, and that he was almost caught, but simply slipped through, until the opening of the archives after 1989.

4/28/99: Almost all histories of the Manhattan Project mention the quiet German refugee scientist, Klaus Fuchs, code name Charlz, who gave the Soviet Union a good working blueprint of the Nagasaki bomb. But a couple of weeks before Harry Gold picked up Fuch's information, KGB courier Lona Cohen met Ted Hall, code name Mlad ('youth'), in Albuquerque, and got an equally revealing description. BOMBSHELL fills in one of the major missing pieces of the puzzle of Soviet Espionage against the Manhatten Project. Now, if we can just find out who code names Pers, Kvant and Nejtron were, and what information Oppenheimer passed... Highly Recommended.

I liked a few of the poems, but they don't quite capture the "essence" of cats for me. The haikus lack the discipline of followng the 5-7-5 syllables format. The illustrations are nice.

As a Massachusetts teacher, I found this
book excellent in introducing students to
the creative process. Unlike most poetry
it's non-intimidating and an inspiration for
students to explore their own creativity
and love of animals. Best part, though,
is the humor. Kids actually enjoy the poetry.
Not many poetry books can claim that. Recommend
it to other teachers starting creative
writing.

This book is a keeper! The author really gets inside the minds of cats

The "current" in the title is 1944. This is a re-issue of a book first published in 1930.
There are interesting stories - but this is not a history that takes into account the second half of the 20th cnetury.

This book explains all of the questions that I, as a public-school-educated cradle (i.e., ignorant) Catholic, had about my religion.

After re-discovering my Catholic faith, I have been trying to explore the depths of my Church and its teachings. This book has helped me to put people, places, and events in their proper perspective.

I recommend this book to anyone interested in finding the roots of their Catholic faith.

Every Catholic at some time in his life has undoubtedly felt a desire to know the history of the Catholic Church. But where to begin the study of nearly 2,000 years? Probably no book was better concieved or better executed to fulfill this need than Church History by Fr.John Laux. Written expressly both for students and adults; anyone who becomes familar with this book will find that he has aquired an excellent background in Church history. The author intersperses the history with many brief, interesting biographies of famous people, and at the end of each chapter, he quotes briefly from a famous writing of the era, blending a medly of elements into a comprehensive historical composition that is at once brilliant and fascinating. Church History by Fr. Laux is a story of the Church unparalled in its scope, depth, variety, interest, and impact, and a book all Catholics should read, that they might understand in what manner the "mustard seed" planted by Our Lord has grown to be the greatest institution in the entire world!

Much if not most of this book is helpful and provides a much needed historical review and provides a context for today's events. Mr. Tragert's handling of ancient history is adequate, but nothing a good ten minutes in an encyclopedia could not equal. His treatment of the Epic of Gilgamesh is mercifully short and he touches lightly upon the similarities between it and the Bible without falling into the trap of claiming this as proof that the Old Testament redactors borrowed this legendary material to include in their own cosmology.

I would have rated his book higher except for one glaring mistake which set my teeth on edge which is the reaction I get when someone scratches a chalkboard with their fingernails over and over again. On page 44 he says, "Like the Greeks who followed them, the Sumerian religions were pantheistic and their gods were anthropomorphic." Feeling like an idiot, I consulted another annoying feature of this book which are the little boxes that appear throughout the text with little "nuggets" of information. This one was "Desert Diction" and defined pantheism as, "...{The} belief in a group of gods where each represents a specific human action, or emotion, or a physical element, such as one for the sun, and one for the moon." Let me guess, a group of gods would be a pantheon (Greek pan means all; theos means god or gods), thus pantheon would mean all of the gods. I may be an idiot, but I am not in kindergarten. What this informational "nugget" has done is define polytheism (poly=many + theoi=gods) not pantheism. Pantheism means all is god; it equates god with the cosmos.

I do have to give Tragert credit in that he misdefines pantheism consistently throughout the book. But if his defintion is correct, then all of my dictionaries are wrong, not to mention most if not all of the authors who have written on the subject like C.S. Lewis, G.K. Chesterton, Dorothy Sayers, Aldous Huxley, etc...or I am really a Complete Idiot.

While this may seem to be a small thing, it is disconcerting nonetheless,and raises the possibility of other not quite so obvious errors and misdefintions that might slip by unnoticed. Despite these caveats and the annoying way it is set up, this Complete Idiot's Guide to Understanding Iraq is worth reading and is a useful tool.

This book contains all the essential information on Iraq. What makes it really special is that it is easy and actually enjoyable to read. I've never bought any of the Idiot's Guides before, but this one tempts me to try a few others.

I read this book, and I think it's an excellent primer on Iraq, from Churchill's mistake at its creation to the present day. It's indipensable for putting the current conflict into perspective.

My comment refers to the third edition of this book, but I don't think the fourth could be much better.

First of all, this title shouldn't be included in the "Graduate Texts in Mathematics" series because the material it covers is covered in introductory undergraduate courses. Second, eventhough the author made a great effort to include as much topics as he could, the treatment of most of them is highly old-fashioned. I mean, he pays no attention to the most recent and elegant refinements of the basic theory, so the student is not immediately able to understand the real important ideas behind the subject. For example, nowadays the proof of the Cauchy integral formula is presented as a more ar less easy corollary of the general Stokes theorem. The Cauchy integral theorem is also obtained easily following the same fashion. Incredibly, the author explores this line in one appendix, but not well done, and apparently he doesn't realize that there is the key idea.

Also, keeping in mind that holomorphic functions are harmonic, most of the important results for holomorphic functions should follow at once from the corresponding ones for harmonic functions, but this old-fashioned texts don't take this remarkable important feature of complex analysis into account, making the treatment innecessarily complicated and leading the student to misunderstand both complex and harmonic analysis. Eventhough the book includes a whole chapter on harmonic functions, the author doesn't use their power as he should.

I'm afraid there are few famous introductory texts that I would suggest for first-timers. The best of them is Markushevitch, unfortunately out of print.

There is also another serious drawback: The author pays no attention at all to boundary value problems and therefore to the Cauchy-type integral, maybe the most important tool of complex analysis. The Hilbert transform is also not present.

If you have the opportunity take a look at Muskhelishvili's "Singular Integral Equations" and Gakhov's "Boundary Value Problems" and then you will understand my point.

Lang's book could be used as a companion text and as a reference for introductory courses. It's got some interestig excercises.

Its contents are: Complex Nubers and Functions; Power Series; Cauchy's Theorem, First Part; Winding Numbers and Cauchy's Theorem; Applications of Cauchy's Integral Formula; Calculus of Residues; Conformal Mappings; Harmonic Functions; Schwartz Reflection; The Riemann Mapping Theorem; Analytic Continuation Along Curves; Applications of the Maximum Principle and jensen's Formula; Entire and Meromorphic Functions; Elliptic Fuctions; The Gamma and Zeta Functions; The Prime number Theorem; Appendices.

Please take a look to the rest of my reviews (just click on my name above).

This is the book that really made me understand basic complex analysis. It doesn't try to give the most sophisticated or slickest presentation for experts. Instead, it gives a beautiful, concrete, down to earth explanations. The best feature is the applications. D. J. Newman is one of the world's great problem solvers, and this book includes numerous examples of how to use complex analysis to solve problems in surprising ways. Even in the more standard applications, such as summing series, the book gives many unusual examples. It concludes with Newman's proof of the prime number theorem, which is substantially shorter and clearer than many other proofs.

This is a brief text on complex analysis aimed at the traditional junior-senior course. As a text it may be a little too succinct for the average undergraduate. For example, I have no intention of teaching out of it. However, its clarity and presentation is absolutely refreshing. I think it is one of the best books written on complex analysis in the last twenty years. I recommend this book to any student of complex analysis.

You don't always want to take your whole library to your son's little league game! This is a compact book that packs a lot of information in it. I am really enjoying it for a review book.

I am a Podiatry Medical student in Cleveland and I just took part one of the boards last week. I passed. Hallelujah!! I didn't even need to do any extra testlets. I was pleasantly surprised, but nonetheless surprised because i only studied for 10 days and the only book i used was Crashing The Boards (and my own Lower Anatomy notes). All, and I mean all, of my other classmates used "USMLE First Aid". I began to worry that maybe i should have used First Aid also because it had a lot more pages and info than Crashing does...But, when all was said and done Crashing was more than adequate for the Boards. Crashing gives you the essential info needed in about 1/3 of the pages compared to First Aid, which translates to less time needed to study. Many reviews state that Crashing is just a good "supplemental" book to use, i would argue that Crashing is THE book to use.

One of my study partners bought this book and it was the most popular book to use among our group of four. We all had First Aid but fought to use this book. There is a lot of basic informaiton in the book that is well presented in a way to remember, but there is also a lot of information that will help with specific questions on the boards. I think this book was one of the reasons I did much better than just passing.

Good, engrossing read on the events surrounding the capture of Leonard Lake and Charles Ng, and the discovery of the house of horrors of the Wilseyville Ranch. The book is well laid out and easy to follow and for that I give it high marks. However, I found it lacking in any true background information on Lake and Ng. There's no insight as to who they were, just what they did. Part of the reason I read such novels as this is to find out what happened to shape people into the beasts they become. There was none of that here. Also, the character of Tomasina Boyd Clancy, the reporter and the only fictional character in the book, just rubbed me the wrong way. Maybe it was because I knew she didn't exist, and knowing that the authors discription of her being a knock out red head, and the unusual name made it all so obvious. She completely unnecessary and her thoughts during the hearings at the end just got in the way of the otherwise riviting speech of the lawyers. Finally, I was somewhat surprised in the Author's Note at the end the calls for the retirement of the Death Penalty not because it was inhumane, but because the fight to avoid it by the accused usually ends up in a long and costly trial. While the points certainly have their validity, reading them at the end of such a tale is almost unbelieveable. I had to reread the last paragraph several times to make sure I had read what I had read. And for those final points I had to mark down this book.

My sympathies go out to Mr. Bond and his family. I hope they can rest a little easier knowing that Ng has finally gone to trial.

Just as David Bond explained, I was also very surprised on the amount of information the authors had since even family members were "left in the dark". We found out that in 1995 the State of California had 95% identified the remains of my sister Sheryl Lynn Okoro but did not receive that news or her remains until after the trial started in November of 1999. And only then did we find out from a reporter who had been sitting in on the trial! She was finally brought home and laid to rest in December 1999, 14 years after her death. The book answered alot of the questions our family had and it shed some light on the monsters who took the lives of our loved ones. Once I started reading I could not put it down. Very engrossing. My heart extends to all families who have yet to endure our nightmare.

The jury just found Ng guilty on 11 counts of murder and are now hearing evidence for the penalty phase -- death or life without parole -- this is in response to prior reviewer's request for more current info. I prepared transcripts for the court reporter during four years Ng was in Calaveras County, and it is chilling to read the case in this format -- adds the drama that is not always evident from a transcript. Publisher needs to reprint, especially since it is back as front-page news and the saga of the appeals is about to start.