The Ideology of Life: The Foundation of Political Revolution and 21st Century Sustainability By Dr Joseph Palmer Roberts ISBN: 1-890456-02-0 In The Ideology of Life, Joseph Roberts defines two broad groups of people, the Maladaptors and the Adaptors. The former are the Systematized types who are the spoilers and the latter, those who are seeking something entirely new. Joseph Roberts sees that the underlying cultural ideology is primal in coercing the former behavior and way of thinking and insists that this factor is not generally appreciated. Thus, people continue plugging away at mis-aligned policies and ways of life detrimental even to themselves. While familiar in a general manner with most of Joseph Robert's positions, certainly the support material and concepts he holds are more detailed and further reaching than I usually see expounded. I see the value of this book, not only in educational terms - as it is targeted at those in the Maladaptor sector - who will be reluctant to read it - but for those activists and thinkers who are trying to do something about the mis-directed circumstance of the human being today. Here is a lot of information and a comprehension of processes. The most receptive audience of course is the already converted, but isn't this always the case! Here, those on the brink of a universal change, likely because of personal suffering which causes them to begin a rethink for the matter is coming from a place beyond their own immediate control - the System reverting to default. In this way The Idealogy of Life will help turn the tide in the favour of the Adaptors. Beyond that it appears Joseph Roberts writing has all the elements of a world-wide manifesto for a political entity that takes as its focus the entirety of the problems which, implicating all people's on their own doorstep, originate elsewhere. This points at the multi-national corporation, the supporting industrial and military complex and the power holders of today who refuse to give an inch or assist in the furthering of real democracy. They only want a style of formal democracy where they retain control. Because of a fixed market - the Maladaptors would say free market' - the stance of the developing nations is negatively affecting economically distant countries as seen in the North America-South America fiascos of market domination and the suppression of home industries, which in turn - as detailed in the Ideology of Life - is breaking families everywhere. Quote: "Make no mistake about it, it is the negative economic impact that the globalization and centralization of the economy is having on families and communities, not the lack of family values' as the ruling elite want us to believe, that is the primary cause of family and community disintegration.". Ignoring what is plainly stated in the book may result in a general collapse where humanity has to start again. This means terrible world-wide suffering. So we had better use such as this writing as a basis for change in a linked grouping of political parties - or create them if they don't exist as Joseph Roberts assumes - across the world to begin affecting the kind of root changes delineated in The Ideology of Life. A worthy read that is more than timely; that is almost too late... Tony Henderson, Chairman, Humanist Association of Hong Kong, and Asia Zone Representative of the Humanist International.

The revealed truth becomes obvious to the reader only after one has had time to digest all that the author is saying. Even though the ideas presented are controversial, it is the controversial nature of those ideas that make the book very interesting reading. Dr. Roberts is obviously a leading thinker on the subject of 21st century sustainability. His vision of a sustainable future is compelling. His suggested path to that future (a political-ideological revolution) is both compelling and controversial. I embrace that vision, if not the entire path, and urge others to fully understand and think about what he is saying. This book should be mandatory reading for all students, politicians and environmentalists. In fact, it should be mandatory reading for any person who is interested in using the democratic process to create a better world. -- M. Jones.

"The Ideology of Life" is unique in its field at simultaneously incoorporating a deep look at the causes of the Western world's accumulating crises, with a rational and detailed outline of solutions to our crises. He accomplishes his goal of instigating cultural change by presenting this information in a style that allows an average reader to fully and easily grasp the implications of the processes. His formula for cultural change remains within the framework of the capitalist infrastructure, a goal usually overlooked by writers of this calibur in the field of political revolution. Few writers present criticism this extensive and answer it with this level of detail in novel and practical solutions capable of being understood by the majority of people. This book presents a balanced paradigm shift.

I love this book. We see a snake in the woods, and take note of as many characteristics as we can, then look it up later to learn more about it. Same with frogs, toads, lizards, skinks! The actual information provided for each reptile is slim but very interesting. This is a great book to have if you spend any time in the wild in Virginia.

I've had and used this book since it came out in 1980. I always recommend it to all of the classes and seminars I give on reptiles and amphibians and to all of the people who ask for a good field guide because, for the size and cost, there are none better for this part of the country. Well worth the money if a handy, accurate, well-done field guide with great photos and range maps is what you want.

"Stalin's War" is a strange yet in the end charming book about the Soviet Union during WW2. This book is an easy read and there aren't any pesky notes to bog down the reader. Its kind of like if your crazy war-buff neighbor down the street told you his version of what Stalin was thinking during WW2. As the book goes on you can see the conflict between hero-worship and demonization coming to life in the pages. In the end I think this book is actually fairer than most current popular history because try as he might to avoid it the triumph and might of Stalin and the Red Army can't help but show through. Stalin bravely stayed in Moscow when the Germans were 30 miles away- we're reminded over and over. Stalin outfoxed the "naive" Americans and the conniving Churchill over and over again. We learn what the dead John Reed would have thought of Stalin from his crypt in the Kremlin wall. In the end this book can't help itself and the logic of Stalin's war is revealed- anyone who thinks that the Americans were going to enter Berlin first is delusional; does anyone really think we would have gone up against the Red Army with its blood up? Does anyone really think Stalin or any other Russian leader could have allowed a "free" eastern Europe after the impotence of Poland and the Czechs and the collaborationist hijinks of the Hungarians, Rumanians and Bulgarians? Thankfully in this whole book there is but one reference to R. Conquest the propagandist refering to Stalin's "dark and deadly" nature. In a way the nature of the Cold War and its beginnings are impressionistically sketched but the feel of those times seems to come through better than in many mainstream "histories" out there. Strange and maybe even true!

Stalin's War: Tragedy And Triumph 1941-1945 by military historian and author Edwin P. Hoyt is a resolute examination of Communist dictator Josef Stalin's role in World War II, ranging from his ill-advised nonaggression pact with Hitler; to the deadly cost of the war itself; to the postwar creation of Communist puppet governments in Eastern Europe. An inset section of black-and-white photographs enhances this profoundly informative and highly recommended history of Stalin's influence in the World War II European Theatre and Post-War European political developments.

I currently am reading this book, and find it very difficult. The author skips around from one idea to another and its all on the same page. I do not understand his thinking in transforming all the Austrian names into an English version. This loses the historic context of the story and country. Had I know this I probably would not have bought the book. At this point I do not know if I am reading about an Austrian Emperor or an English king since Franz has become Francis. The author did a great harm to the history in doing this. I do regret buying this book and will advise others against it. When you write about history you need to present all the facts, and he did not do this. The names are the first example, skipping around and glossing over events without exploring them deeper is another.

The book is full of information about a very interesting time in history. I didn't mind the jumping around that another reviewer mentioned, but I am COMPLETELY distracted by the author's need to change the names. If you can't handle "Franz Joseph," you should try a little harder. Who is Archduke John? We are lucky he didn't change "Maria Anna" to Maryanne. Dear Author, please give your readers some credit.

This is a very good book. The only reason that I did not give it 5 stars is due to the fact that I am waiting to read several other Palmer titles and then rank against them. My interest in Franz Joesph originated in the start of WWI and how Franz Joseph played into Austia being the main country to instigate the Great War. I was also interested to find out more about the Austrain-Hungary royalty that was famous to intermarry with other nation's royalty. Palmer answer my questions and succeeded in providing a different viewpoint of Franz Joeseph. History books portrayed him as an aged man who was interested in nothing but war and out of touch with the modernizing world. I learned this to be unfounded rhetoric. This book gave an excellent overview of Franz Joesph and his Empire and the inevitable decline and fall of his empire. If you were curious about Franz Joesph or Austrian history, this book is an excellent read.