This book is well written, and enjoyable to read. It presents a convincing, if not complete argument for the Air Force.

The work of the Air Force is well detailed and the author presents a huge amount of information about tactics that are not commonly known. All of this in a language that anyone can understand.

Even so, one can not help but feel that the book is presenting the Gulf War as the first war won by air power alone.

A strong read, if you accept the prejudices, and realize that the land forces, and sea forces, and special forces also have a legitimate claim to the Gulf War victory.

Richard Hallion has produced a book which provides one of the best overviews available on the evolution of US air power and strategy in general, and in the 1990-91 Gulf war in particular.

Previous reviewers' comments on the rather sterile text that Hallion uses are not without truth, although I didn't find this a particularly important shortcoming of the book.

One of the book's key strengths is that it places the 1990-91 Gulf war into a detailed, well-explained context. He fully describes how US air power and military strategy reached the position it was in in 1990, and how this affected the ability of the US to fight the Gulf war.

The main shortcoming of the book - and this is a serious problem, in my view - is when Hallion tries to talk about Middle East politics and the arguments for and against Operation Desert Shield and Desert Storm. These issues are peripheral to the subject of his book, and he displays a serious lack of knowledge about them (or an unwillingness to discuss and acknowledge them). Hallion talks about matters such as Iraqi aggression, its WMD program, its relations with its neighbours pre-August 1990, and the like, in simplistic terms. If he really thought that these subjects needed mention, he should have included some discussion of Iraq's claims against Kuwait, of Iraq's domestic political situation in the period 1988-1990 and how this may have influenced Saddam's decision to invade Kuwait, and of allied objectives in the region (ie: political economy factors other than oil - the US's desire to see and protect free markets, the UK's need to protect Kuwaiti investments in the UK lest the Pound plummet if Iraq 'cashed in' Kuwaiti assets abroad etc).

Worst of all, he seems to have fallen for the 'Sadddam as another Hitler' theory. If he wanted to look at the political phychology of Saddam, mention should also have been made of the 'Saddam as another Bismark', or 'Saddam as another Napoleon' or 'Saddam caught in a power vacuum' theories as well - these are all important explanations behind Saddam's political behaviour. Mr Hallion, stick to the subject of air power, strategy, theory, and history - for which you have an flair and knowledge.

Having said all of this, it is the role of a book reviewer to be critical of the work he or she is reviewing. Overall, this book is excellent, and highly recommended for readers looking for an introduction to the history, strategy, and tactics of air power.

Richard Hallion's work isn't a blow-by-blow account of the events of Desert Shield/Desert Storm. Rather, its a very well-documented study of the changes in U.S. military and political thinking since World War One with a particular focus on the period following the Vietnam War. The author chronicles the changes in leadership and policy as the veterans of Vietnam were promoted up through the ranks into command positions, how they changed the way the military is utilized in political crisis, and the decisions which affect military weapons procurement. For example, the workhorse of the Vietnam air campaign was the F4 Phantom II, a supersonic missile platform that wasn't particularly maneuverable, that was developed by the US Navy and thrust upon the US Air Force by a budget-conscious Robert McNamara, head of the Department of Defense at the time. The Phantom became the darling of the services over the skies of North Vietnam, succeeding in just about every role assigned to it. Buoyed by this success, McNamara tried to apply the converse theory - take a land-based US Air Force aircraft and apply it to the Navy - which resulted in the failure of the F-111A. It was this failure which prompted the Navy to develop its own jet fighter - the F-14 Tomcat. This touched off a long line of fighter aircraft which controlled the skies of Kuwait and Iraq some 20 years after their introduction into the US military: the F-15 Eagle, the F-16 Falcon, and the F-117 stealth strike fighter. The F-117, by its deployment in a single battle, managed to render 50 years of Soviet military technology development obsolete. It may have indirectly contributed to the fall of the Soviet regime. Until I read Mr. Hallion's book, I was not aware of the facts surrounding the development of these fine fighters. I think the reader will be just as much surprised and educated by the events described in the book as I was.

Although originally published in 1992, the concepts described in this book are still very much current as we watch arguments unfold around the F-22 stealth air superiority fighter. Questions concerning the need for a new military aircraft and the expense of a single unit when more units of a lesser quality weapon could be purchased for the same money are reminiscent of the arguments which arose during the development of the F-14 at the end of the Phantom's career. Mr. Hallion's book lays the groundwork for readers to develop their own opinions concerning military spending - he avoids the trap of forcing his own opinions upon the reader - and he documents his sources liberally throughout the text. I found it necessary to keep two bookmarks: one for the main text and the second for the notes at the end of the book.

Accompanying the text are a series of brief essays which discuss particular elements of modern combat theory, such as air power, battlefield, and missile technologies. I truly enjoyed reading them following the education I received from the main text of the book. There is also a brief photo section which illustrates several points of the book, including radar screenshots of Iraqi troops fleeing from Kuwait along the Highway of Death, recon photos, the weapons used in the conflict, and the leaders of the forces involved in the fighting.

This is not a book to take on a trip to the beach and would probably not appeal to those seeking tales of aviation adventure. Rather, this is a book for enthusiasts and students of air power, strategy, history, and military technology. For this audience, this is an indispensable resource. I found the book easy enough to read and not as dry as most other books on this subject area tend to be. Overall, a good read and a good education.

Let me start by saying I love Richard Foster. His books "The Freedom of Simplicity" and "The Celebration of the Disciplines" have been live-changing for me. I expected the same things of this book, but was horrified by a lot of the content. I hadn't begun to read the book yet, but I saw a quote from it in an article I was reading about sex, and had to make sure it was accurate. It was. Some of Foster's views is this book are not Biblical at all. I was thoroughly appalled! Mind you, I'm 28 years old and I've been a Christian for 4 years. I'm not a prude who think people shouldn't hold hands or kiss before they're married, but Foster saying that purity is a impossible burden to place on Christian singles is over the top. God told us, "Be Holy, for I am Holy." I recognize that that is impossible, but God still tells us to try.

Stick with the other 2 books I mentioned, but please do not expect to get any Biblical guidance from "The Challenge of the Disciplined Life."

I think this is one of the best books on the difficulty of living in a society driven by money, power, consumerism, sex and continual change.

Foster has a compassionate, realistic view of what life is really like and how to deal with it. His opening chapter, Money, Sex and Power in Christian Perspective lays out the focus of the book - it is difficult to walk the walk. He isn't focusing on the external morality of ethical behavior, but on the social implications. He offers historical views of attitudes on money, sex and power, and divides the books into sections that focus on each issue.

In a small section titled "When Good Things Go Bad," he says, "There is, of course, a proper place in Christian life and experience for money, sex, and power. When properly placed and effectively functioning, they have the ability as nothing else does to enhance and bless life." He goes on to identify what the problem is in each area -the demon in money is greed; the demon in sex is lust; the demon in power is pride. And he tells us that these really are not matters we can be neutral about in hopes that they will disappear - if we ignore them, we will be dominated by them.

How do we avoid be controlled by our own desires, instead of controlling them to our own advantage? In the Power area, Foster suggests that we face the demons within, instead of projecting them on others. In addition, he suggests that we stop trying to manage and control others, and focus on our own spiritual powers.

Foster manages to be 'proper' without being unrealistically 'prim.' Whether read by fundamentalist Christians, small "c" christians, or Buddhists, this book gives food for thought. Agnostics, athiests and many free spirits will be turned off by references to the Bible and the focus on Jesus.

I used to think you had to agree with everything you read in a book, to find it of any use. There are parts of this book I don't agree with, but I took what was helpful, and left the rest. Those who keep an open mind will find that this is not a dogmatic, preaching book, but one that will make you think.

I first read this book in 1988 it has guided me often from then until now. Its clear ethics will give valueable insight to all who will apply its ageless principals regardless of their personal faith practice. Foster's blending of practical reality linked with bibical concepts leaves one thinking in new (old) ways that still make since in a world who's ethics seem to be changing daily; humanism like marxism will be soon forgotten, yet the insights exponded by Foster will continue to make a profound positive impact. Having taught Business ethics and philosophy I have found no better book to read.

This is the kind of book which would have some appeal to devotees of the typical 'feminist spirituality'. Unfortunately, her appeals to the 'ancient matriarchy' are ahistorical, and her analysis of the Ring itself simple. A book does not need to be intensely musical, but the opera itself is rather neglected. The story can be made to fit into the Jungian paradigm, but only by a very selective reading of the poetry, which neglects the richness of the Ring. If you have to go Jungian, go with Donington. Better yet, go with Deryck Cooke for an introduction.

I won't launch into an academic review or a precise of the story. Suffice to say that this is a wonderful book. For 30 - something women, particularly who identify with a patriarchal 'Wotan' figure and his defiant daughter (Brunnhilde) who forsakes wealth and power for love, this is a journey with which you will be familiar. And a wonderfully warm insight into what can be acheived by such women should they take some risks and act from their hearts! Many books have been written on the suppression of the feminine in society but this multi faceted gem allows a glimpse of so many layers of understanding in such an accessible way that it is irresistible. A peek at Carl Jung, an introduction to the genius of Wagner, the insights of the mythologies and the interpretation and storytelling genius of Jean Shinoda Bolen. If nothing else, this book is good value! So much in one package - a rare find these days indeed!

Certainly one of Bolen's most essential works. Ring Of Power provides a valuable guide to Wagner's classic Ring Cycle, yet it is Bolen's grasp of the archetypal basis for the mythology that gives the book its power.

All creation comes from an archetypal base, and in The Ring, it is the symbolic sacrificing of the Sacred Feminine that drives the entire story. This principle is fundamental to many pieces, including Faust, the Grail legends and even Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home.

In each case, only the restoration of that which has been sacrificed in a Faustian pact can make healing occur. Bolen's genius is never clearer than in this book, and it was pivotal to the concluding sections of my own book, Sirius Moonlight: The Origins Of The Suppression Of The Feminine.

I would strongly recommend Ring Of Power, and indeed all of Bolen's works - especially her autobiographical Crossing To Avalon. People who doubt the importance of Thinking Person's Feminism might consider this... 84 years ago Jean Shinoda Bolen would not have been able to vote, own her own house or inherit property from her father. Like every other woman in the highly civilized English-speaking world.

My own book is dedicated to the nine million women who were murdered by the Church during the Inquisition, for such heinous crimes as being midwives and healers. Lest we forget. If the patriarchal Valhalla is now burning, all I can say is pass the gasoline. Good job, Jean.

Want to know where the real seat of control lies in the US government? Then this book about some of the most powerful men in the history of the House of Representatives is an excellent (although short) resource. I now have a much better appreciation of the need to ensure control of that body is in the hands of truthful, focused and principled people.

The book needs a re-write, though. It stops (was published) before the full impact of Newt Gingrich's term could be evaluated.

Read this book and you'll have a new respect for the workings of the House of Representatives and, by extension, the federal government - something like controlling chaos!

I thouroughly enjoyed this book. It covered each topic just enough with a good balance of political, social, and personal aspects and how the three inter-related and affected the subjects. For someone just beginning to understand the history of the House, it is a great book to read.

Ever wonder how 435 egomaniacs get even a few bills done in
Congress?

The Cheneys supply the answer in this book of excellent
vignettes on several masters of the US House of Representatives. Meet
Clay, Polk, Stevens, Blaine, Reed, Cannon, Longworth, Rayburn and
Gingrich as they work their will on their members to controll the
legislative process.

By examining the role of congressional
leadership through history and historic personalities, this book both
illustrates how the House has changed and how the nature of power
hasn't. These men relied on personal relationships, codes of honor
that won respect and a willingness to exercise power (ie, risk tough
battles, reward friends and punish enemies) to run the House.

Both
the history buff and those interested in leadership studies will find
this book interesting. Though well written, the book is short. I
think that it could have delved into more detail of some of the
political battles these men faced and still been fascinating. Maybe
Dick Cheney will have the time to expand upon this theme as Vice
President -- there is a lot of opportunity for writing while jetting
to and from foreign funerals (as John Nance Garner -- FDR's 1st VP --
said "the job's not worth a bucket of warm spit!).

it was ok, but i am not very sure on how to cast the spells. it has a good, but confusing, background. the spells are good, but I am not sure if all i say is the words given or if there is something i should knwo, not given in the book. i expected different.

In an environment where 'what we do is religion and what they do is magic' attitude, these compilers prefer to speak of 'ritual' as a less value-ridden word and since the spells relate to that sphere of life we call 'religion' the sub-title may be a more appropriate description. There are 135, dating from the first 1000 years of Christianity, in English, with notes and written originally on papyrus, parchment, rag paper, pottery or bone. There are love spells, healing spells, sexual spells, protective spells, spells to drive out demons, spells for a good singing voice or to silence a dog, and curses. A book for specialists.

With so much interest in things magical (from card games to Harry Potter) and mystical (from Celtic chants to Zen monastic biographies) I have been surprised that this book is not better known, and yet it remains, despite a prestigious university press pedigree (Princeton University Press) and marketing by one of the powerhouses of publishing (HarperCollins, their HarperSanFrancisco division here) a relatively unknown text. Not perhaps coincidentally, many of the texts contained herein were, for most of Christian history, relatively unknown. Indeed, it is virtually unknown that, in many parts of Christendom, magic was not only tolerated, but expected of the priestly class; miracles, after all, often seem magical events, much to the chagrin of rational theologians who try to explain them metaphorically, symbolically, or any way other than as Houdini-esque happenings.

In particular, the Coptic Christians, who were concentrated mostly in Egypt, spreading (as all Christians were wont to do) throughout the Roman and non-Roman world from a centre not too far from Alexandria, one of the major cities of the world of the time. The Coptics never really died out, but always remained a strange Christian aberration from orthodoxy on the fringes of East and West. The texts contained in 'Ancient Christian Magic: Coptic Texts of Ritual Power', by Marvin Meyer and Richard Smith, come from these people.

These texts contain the whole slate of magical utterances -- rites, spells, amulets, curses, recipes. The magical practices contained herein include a spell for protection against headless powers, an invocation to a thundering power to perform every wish (shades of the 'Prayer of Jabez' here), an amulet to protect against the mischief of evil spirits, and even an erotic spell for a ma to obtain a male lover (lest we think that modern controversies in the church have no historical bases or parallels).

Lest we think that the magical period of Christianity was only in the remotest of history, this collection includes texts as early as the first century after the time of Jesus to the twelfth century -- more than half the span of Christian history. Almost all texts are from Egypt, centre of the Coptic and Gnostic communities.

The users of these texts, the authors contend, had the same disdain for 'magic' as traditional Christians have for 'magic' today -- magic is usually assumed to be alien, evil, something dark and probably demonic. Yet, these texts were used in much the same way, with an intention rooted in Christianity that somehow would serve to make the practice acceptable, even holy.

Within this text are 135 Coptic texts. They originated in Old Coptic, Greek, and Gnotic texts. This volume combines them in three sections.

Ritual Power in Egypt
These texts come from various sources, manuscripts held in museums all over the world, including the Great Magical Papyrus of Paris, texts from Cairo, Berlin, Cologne, Amsterdam, Florence, and Oslo, and of course, the Nag Hammadi collection.

Other interesting texts in this section spells for seeking vengeance, spells for ascending through the heavens, spells to drive out demons and various amulets and prayers.

Coptic Texts of Ritual Power
Most of these texts are individual constructs; i.e., spells or curses from a particular person to a particular person or need. However, many are templates, with placeholders or blanks to be filled in later. Often these (perhaps a precursor to indulgences later) were for sale. There are spells to help a woman conceive, and spells to help a woman avoid pregnancy. There are several spells and charms to woo a woman; there are several curses directed at barreness and impotence. Life was harsh!

Coptic Handbooks of Ritual Power
This section consists of masters and collections, like the cookbook from Cairo, and the hoards, portfolios and books of spells held at other major museums. 'In a world where ritual dominated the resolution of most crises in life, these handbooks seem to have been a prized component of private collections and the mainstay of temple libraries ' Many of these collections were loose-leaf collections, and sometimes short on Christian imagery. 'While this neglect of Christian traditions might suggest that the handbooks' owners worked independently from the monasteries, it may also reflect the type of language and symbolism that worked in the villages beyond the monasteries.'

Unlike our sense of magic as being something devious or sneaky, in fact magic has more often intended to be useful and practical. Thus, these rituals were meant to invoke power and meaning into the lives of those using it .

Addendum
A joy of a book will have a bibliography, an index, and appendices that give further guidance. This book magically has much here to commend it. It does lack an index, which is less critical here than in many texts, but one would hope that a future edition would have one.

The appendix contains previously unpublished Coptic texts from the Beinecke Library at Yale. These are annotated but not translated, so brush up your ancient languages for this one. Thirty pages of textual notes expand the translations in the earlier sections. A good glossary is provided, which is useful for this and other Coptic and Gnostic texts. The bibliography is a gem, and one could devote years to follow-up research based on the hundreds of items contained herein.

The book is not lavishly illustrated, but it does have original drawings, a few photographic representations, and original language sections that enhance the readability. This is a book which is both scholarly and fun, interesting and educational. Mysterious combination, indeed!

I started this book with much anticipation and for the first couple of hundred pages or so it did not disappoint. The discussion of and facts concerning the interaction of Johnson and Nixon with the people around them was extremely interesting, and revealed much about their "hubris" (i.e. how each of them treated their families and associates was very interesting). Then... well the author began an ethics lesson with painfully long discussions at the beginning of each chapter regarding the various levels of hubris without really, in my opinion, applying them clearly to Johnson or Nixon. In second half of the book, he continually referenced to their respective actions regarding Vietnam and Watergate (in Nixon's case), as examples of hubris. Clearly Johnson and Nixon displayed hubris in how each acted during and in response to such events and clearly such events were huge during that time, but how often can you reference to the same events as examples of hubris. In addition, I'd be surprised if the author missed any historical quote regarding hubris, even remotely, from any recognizable historical figure.. there were, it seemed, hundreds of quotes, which slowed me down considerably. Finally, there were some glaring incorrect statments in the book such as, for example, toward the end there is a passage about a possible Nixon impeachment trial in the Senate before Chief Justice Rehnquist!!!!! Warren Burger would have presided.

Again, not bad, but too long and bogged down with repetition, ethical sermonizing and needless and endless quotes.

I've just put down Richard Curtis' book, "Hubris and the Presidency," and it has left me with a great sadness. It leaves one with a sense of shame, almost,that such a glorious conception as democracy has become so subverted, and perverted, as to have become a battle between two almost indistinguishable groups of politicians intent on maintaining their positions of power, and access to the money derived thereby. What makes me the saddest, however, is the realization, through the examples Curtis has chosen, that it might be said that any president (or other politician) will pay the price of overwhelming hubris eventually even if he was not born with traits that encouraged the development of that hubris in the extreme in the presidency.

The quote on page 613 by David Frost, in trying to pin Nixon down on how he justified the illegalities he (Nixon) had resorted to, tells a great deal about my hypothesis: "Nixon's answer will probably resonate throughout history as the epitome of an hubristic president: 'Well, when the president does it, that means it is not illegal.'"

Since I was teethed on the age of FDR, and have lived through many and varying types of presidencies since then, we feel most acutely the risk that any mere man must run if he is to persuade his party he can persuade the electorate to make him president. Although few presidents have reached the horrifying levels of pure criminality permitted by that hubris as LBJ and RMN with Vietnam and Watergate, if the lives and deeds of others before and after them were examined as closely as Curtis does these two, the similarities, I am sure, would be even more striking than appears to us through limited memory alone.

I am also mightily impressed by the sheer volume of research, from details of their lives to the quotes of those who "knew them when." More significantly, I am impressed with Richard Curtis' ability to pull it all together in such a masterly way that one can read through the whole thing and find a sense of continuity, a nice flow, as it were, to the narration in support of his thesis, that one can indeed finish such a lengthy book, and one of such intensity, without flinging one's hands up in despair at the sheer volume of the material. I am really impressed!

Hubris and the Presidency: The Abuse of Power by Johnson and Nixon is an intriguing and well-balanced book about the modern American presidency.

The central thesis of Hubris is that excessive pride and self-confidence (what the Ancient Greeks called "hubris") intoxicates American presidents and eventually is the cause of their eventual downfall and self-destruction.

There are thirteen concepts that comprise hubris in Curtis's schema ranging from delegation and confrontation to paranoia, isolation and "immolation" (being consumed by the flames of political ambition and misdeeds.) Curtis devotes a chapter on each concept to both Johnson and Nixon. What results from this parallel, back-to-back presentation is a careful and examination of the characters and foilables of each man and how thier egos, inflexibility and faulty decisions consumed them.

Secondly, what emerges from the book is an interesting blend of history, psychology and political analysis, written in a lively story-telling style that appeals both to the scholarly, as well as the general reader. There are a lot of interesting facts about the Office of the President that are both revealing and illustrative of how the ever-increasing costs, complexity and power of the Office contribute to hubris. Patterns of presidential behavior, which at the time seemed unreasonable, with hindsight, fit the hubris model.

Finally, one clear conclusion of Hubris is how complicated the modern American presidency has become. It is no longer the stuff of great national myths. Instead, it has become a window for showcasing national character flaws and to pillory any individual who holds the office and dares to damage the American mystique.

The funny thing is that this might have been a passable men's rights book, if it were not for the insulting title and the author's Orwellian games with language.

That women use manipulative abilities and emotional ploys to counteract a physical strength advantage possessed by men in order to garner concessions from them is no secret, and this book adds to the understanding of the evolutionary perspective. That women, as a result, are less likely to withdraw from emotional confrontations with men than the other way around is also probably no real secret. It ties in with the first point, and again the author's academic studies of the phenomenon add some understanding to it.

This is all very well and good, but instead of merely arguing that the male view of the balance of power between the sexes should be taken into consideration, the author phrases this female ability in terms of genetic superiority.

Feminazi junk science has been dehumanizing men for years by suggesting that longevity of females and vulnerability of males to certain birth defects is proof of female superiority or female 'strength' (if longevity is an indicator of strength or superiority, is a tortoise who may live several hundreds of years therefore the highest form of life on earth?)

Driscoll runs on a slightly different track which leads to the same destination, and one anecdote that he uses is that of observing a group of rhesus monkeys amidst limited food rations. The male monkeys are larger than the female monkeys and often more violent. Well then, aren't the males stronger?

Apparently, it depends on whether you are using the conventional definition of the word or a nouveau definition chosen for the purpose of flattering female readers.

Because rather than the males as a group hogging the food for themselves, what happens is that the high status male rhesus monkeys elbow out the lower status males and share the food rations with the females in exchange for conjugal bliss. Yeah, it's a pattern that is often repeated in human society, but what a strange example to support the proposition that females are 'stronger'.

Driscoll certainly doesn't discuss the phenomenon from the standpoint of male altruism (or even the more values-neutral standpoint of male status-seeking) or female avarice, presumably because this would insult his female readers or his politically-correct peers at the academy. So he argues that women are 'stronger' because one may insult men without fear of reprisal.

Yet there are certainly male professionals who are adept at using emotional ploys, and one might as well argue that the con man who coaxes money from the one who earned it is 'stronger' than his mark. On the other hand, perhaps Driscoll would like to strengthen his case, to his own satisfaction, by arguing that the thief who steals money is stronger than his victim and that the woman who uses the court system to extract resources from men (either as tribute for a failed marriage or as compensation for some supposed employment wrong) is actually displaying superhuman strength.

Is it not more accurate to maintain, as Socrates might, judging from his Platonic dialogue with Ion, that the ability to coax or appropriate resources or concessions from others is a sort of 'knack'?

Driscoll ignores the fact that there are areas of the world where women aren't able to use their emotional means to inveigle favors from men with quite the same aplomb that they do in the chivalric West. In such places, men are presumably immune to the power of female histrionics or they use their will to prevent those histrionics from coming into play. And it's hard to imagine any academic alluding to those examples from other parts of the world as proof of male strength. When we hear of places like that, we always hear them described not in terms of male 'strength' but in terms of male malfeasance.

Specifically, what we hear is that 'men oppress women'. But if the focus shifts from justice to ability, why isn't the ability of men to impose their will on women, either by asserting their authority or their physical stature, proof that men are the stronger sex?

It is a rule of thumb that male advantages over females are almost always expressed in terms of injustice or oppression and that female advantages over males are virtually always expressed in terms of inherent ability. And Driscoll, who is purported to have written a male-friendly book, compounds these rhetorical crimes. And Warren Farrell is well aware of such double-standards, having written critically about them in his own books. Shame on him for blessing this one!

Women should open jars, move sofas, hit home runs into the San Francisco Bay and throw dead weight over their shoulders and climb down fire ladders with it with at least the same frequency that men do before being flattered with the appellation "stronger sex".

The Stronger Sex by Richard Driscoll is going to make some people mad. Driscoll argues that it is women, not men, who dominate intimate relationships. Women might be flattered to be told they are the stronger sex, but they are less likely to accept that they hold the upper hand in relationships with men. At the heart of Driscoll's argument is the observation that women are much more comfortable with conflict than men. Driscoll says women are biologically better equipped to express anger, sustain anger comfortably, and recover their composure after an angry exchange. Men, Driscoll says, are far less at ease with the whole process of anger and conflict between the sexes. In the face of female anger, he says, men often collapse into themselves, making any mutually negotiated settlement of the conflict at hand almost impossible. Driscoll backs his argument with a host of fascinating biological and psychological evidence. Whatever a reader's initial political reaction might be to Driscoll's larger conclusions, he or she would be wise to set aside preconceived notions and consider the writer's subtle, detailed, and, I think, enormously helpful insights into the ways men and women interact in daily life. Whether or not you think women are winning the war between the sexes, this book is chock full of perceptions and advice that make the possibility of a lasting peace-for individual couples if not for society at large-much more likely.

"Balanced and insightful... A triumph over illusion and misunderstanding." Warren Farrell, Ph.D., author of Why Men Are The Way They Are

"Compelling portraits, page after page. Come venture into the strange realities of sex, power, anger, confrontation, obligation, infidelities, and the real meaning of love." Ann Crytser, author of The Wife-in-Law Trap

"Unconventional but thoroughly fascinating... Astute, helpful, politically incorrect, and softly outrageous." Joel Block Ph.D., author of Secrets of Better Sex

The Fuhrer, by Konrad Heiden, is an intriguing analysis of Hitler's rise to power that was written by one of his contemporaries. Heiden, a Socialist, who nevertheless is more objective than one would expect, seeks to show the scheming, events, and popular sentiments that led to Hitler's rise to power while at the same time foreshadowing the danger of Hitler's rule. The only departures from objectivity are those places in which Hitler is called "the Antichrist" and is said to be the true follower of The Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion. The conventional belief is that it was "the Jewish enemy" that was carrying them out, in stark contrast to Heiden's views.
Although the book is an analysis of Hitler's rise to power, it is not a comprehensive biography. It starts with events that occured before his birth and ends during the Blood Purge of 1933, in which Hitler the chancellor, orders the systematic murder of his enemies. The book does not even go as far as the start of World War II or the Holocaust, as by then, Hitler had rose to power, and his achievements went downhill from there.
The book is written in ponderous scholarly language and takes effort to read. As a fulltime student, it took me about 20 days to finish the 600 odd pages. It is replete with reported anecdotes and excerpts from Hitler's speeches, correspondences, and correspondences relating to him, enhancing and lengthening the volume. If one can avoid falling asleep and really pay attention to what is being said, one will realize the clarity and relevance of the book.
I bought this book because it was the cheapest biography of Hitler I could find, and I was not disappointed. I recommend this book to all diligent readers who desire a greater understanding of how Hitler became the Fuhrer.

This book brings a good source for some process of electricity industry reforms around the world. It's based on several works from different authors who makes his contribution to a single case (country/region). The author gather together to brings to reader an excellent source for make comparisons.

This is a fascinating book which provides insight into Richard Helms and the CIA's activities from the end of WW II through the seventies, including revelations on Watergate, Chile, Iraq, Cuban Missile Crisis, Castro, Bay of Pigs, and the presidents of that time.
The book goes on at length discussing when, to whom in Congress, and about what, the CIA may lie.
The book's faults are that it assumes too much historical knowledge of the reader, and a bit too much flitting back and forth time-wise.