I did this book for a college book review. Though hard to get into at first, the book is very informative and interesting, *if* you are interested in the whole Nazi medicine story.

Directing his book to the academic world, Proctor presented the medical and biomedical communities as the propelling forces behind Hitler's holocaust. After explaining the historical origins and context of Nazism, Proctor provided an illuminating examination of the obscure, complex role of Nazi medical science and "applied biology" in the development of Nazi public health policy and the implementation of Nazi atrocities. Proctor disclosed how the medical profession, motivated by politics and a lust for power and prestige, used science to produce knowledge to be used to the detriment and even the destruction of others. Proctor's comprehensive assessment also revealed international influences (normally erased from American history books!) and scientific "evidence" which contributed to the scientific and political views that helped shape Nazi medical culture, and political and racial policies of the Third Reich. Proctor detailed Nazi programs involving racial purification, sterilization, women's rights, euthanasia, and scientific experimentation as examples of how politics shaped the practice of science. Proctor also detailed the resistance to the onslaught of Nazism by the Association of Socialist Physicians, the most organized form of medical opposition and how German medicine might have evolved had history taken a different path. Proctor concluded with an epilogue on postwar legacies and detailed the events that occurred to those involved in the implementation of the Nazi public policies including the transition of prewar "racial hygiene" into postwar "human genetics". ("amedard" aka "djondjon")

I read this book after Peter Sichrovsky's 'Schuldig Geboren' (Born Guilty) about the offspring of noted Nazis. The connection? A whole lot of the latter were descended from Nazi doctors. Many of them were themselves in or studying medicine, and the claim was made repeatedly of the huge following of the whole medical profession for Naziism. And why not?, the Nazi doctrine itself can be rendered by the phrase 'racial hygiene'! Imagine having a whole political movement willing to empower physicians, give them their heart's delight for social prestige and influence (in funded public health measures) and eliminate a huge fraction of their competitors/rivals (Jewish doctors) to boot? But did you know that the inspiration for a lot of Hitler's measures (from anti-alcohol measures to restricted immigration, to sterilization of 'undesirables') came from the USA? Frightening how close our two systems could be.

This is book three in the Swords of Raemllyn series ... and although the story continues in further volumes, the first three books stand nicely together, with various plot threads settling into a nice cadence by the end of this volume (whereas the previous two books, "To Demons Bound" and "A Yoke of Magic" kept building up unresolved plot strands...) Now we have some of the various problems being resolved in a satisfying wrap-up for part one of this entertaining swords and sorcery series. I have to admit that the first third of this book had some problems; besides my minor complaints with the second book applying here, I could not at all accept the Narain scenario as credible, once its nature was revealed. However, once that segment of the book passes, a momentum is again built up well, and although the gullibility of some characters can be vexing, this is an entertaining fantasy series. By the end of this book I was satisfied that it was delivering on its promises from the first book! My reviews of this series continue with book 4 "Death's Acolyte". ...

Since Amazon didn't post an editorial review, here's the description from the back of the book to help you decide if this book is for you: ""With the giant changeling Goran One-Eye once more by his side, the freebooter Davin Anane has entered the realm of the sorcerer Lorennion ... there to steal from him the enchanted sheath of Kwerin Bloodhawk. But Anane and Goran are not alone in challenging Lorennion's terrible magicks. The seductive sorceress Valora, escorted by the dread Faceless Ones, also seeks his stronghold. And the beautiful Lijena, escaped from the palace of the golden-winged demons, is now a prisoner in Lorennion's very citadel ... at the mercy of his horrifying Blood Fountain ..."

In fairness, this book is simply the midsection of an extended story. Starting with the superior "To Demons Bound" this is the second of the Swords of Raemllyn series. I was tempted to rate this 3 stars because of its episodic nature, but it wouldn't really be fair to rate it, in isolation, lower than the surrounding two books. The amusing adventures continue from the first book; and the nature of the heroes' quest(s) becomes clearer. There is a noteworthy surprise midway through as a character named Glylina appears! Some shortcomings of this volume are that some of the episodes feel superfluous to advancing the plot, one or two gags have gotten a bit repetitive, and the fact that in the U.S. this book was published as a separate volume rather than combined with surrounding ones in the series (a fault corrected in the U.K.). But I have finished re-reading this book AND book 3 at the time of writing this review, and feel that the first 3 books of the series should be judged as a unit (as they were published in the U.K., possibly found through amazon.uk) and they earn the 4-star, superior, rating. Despite some flaws, they are page-turners! (In my youth when first reading this book 17 years ago, I had no such misgivings as listed above, and thus my former self gives a full 4 stars.) 6.3hrs.

A great book with a great storyline, something you can get stuck into and have a good laugh about, but it still retains the basic storyline and doesn't deviate from it. It managed to continue the first story(To Demons Bound) really well and I only have two complaints. 1. The writers, in the second chapter of this story, repeated the second last chapter of the last story which got a touch boring. 2.Sometimes, in this book, the speech style of Davin changes, and I'm wondering if that's on purpose(high style because he's of the nobility) or if that's just a place where the writers' styles haven't mingled well.

Other than those two points I thought the book was great and would recommend it to anyone who wants to try a light hearted sci-fi fantasy novel.

This is the fifth book in a superior fantasy series called "The Swords of Raemllyn" but it can probably be enjoyed alone. This is a very fast-moving adventure story focusing on Davin Anane and Goran One-Eye, and thus (in contrast to book 4 of the series, "Death's Acolyte") tends toward the comical and lighthearted side of the genre. This book is a real page-turner! It is primarily a sea adventure, with our two heroic adventurers facing a variety of challenges as they attempt to journey across the land of Raemllyn for purposes of their ongoing quests. It is one of the most entertaining entries in this superior fantasy series. 6.5hrs.

This is the 6th book in the "Swords of Raemllyn" series. Like previous books in the series, it combines humor with epic adventure. This was the last of the series to be published in the U.S., but 3 additional entries were published in a single volume in the U.K. (these can be ordered through amazon.uk). This book was pretty hard to put down! Many plot elements that had been developing throughout the series are tied together by the ending, and there are some spectacular sequences dealing with large-scale conflicts in the land of Raemllyn. When I learned that further books were published in '95 in this series, I ordered them without delay from the U.K.!! My reviews of them will be found on the U.K. web site. See also my reviews on the first 5 books for more information about the series (To Demons Bound, A Yoke of Magic, Blood Fountain, Death's Acolyte, and Beasts of the Mist). 6.5hrs.

HERBS IN POTS by Rob Proctor and David Macke is a sweet little book filled with all sorts of "neat" ideas. If you don't have much experience growing plants in containers or otherwise, pots of herbs are a good place to begin. Even if you have limited space, as long as you have plenty of sunlight (a balcony in the blazing sun?) you can grow herbs in pots. If you end up buying your herbs at Whole Foods, you can use the recipes the authors share and put your herbs in the cooking pot.

This is a beautiful glossy book with lots of color photos. The authors are folksy and fun to read and they provide text and pictures that explain how you too can grow beautiful pots of herbs and use them in tasty dishes.

Chapter one discusses 'Herbal Care' where practical hints are provided for the new herb grower. Take watering for example. Even drought tolerent herbs require watering. On the other hand, depending on the pot of choice, overwatering can cause problems. The authors note the most likely cause of death is not Mother Nature, but Mother Hen overwatering her pots.

The second chapter is entitled 'The Cook's Patio' and contains photos of handome lettuces, lacy kale, and Italian parsley, as well as many interesting recipes. One can grow herbs singly or in groups in a single pot. Herbs provide accents for the cooking pot as well as the patio. Gazpacho or Pesto anyone?

The later half of the book provides the reader with examples of pot containers, planting designs, and eclectic notions. For example, one might plant herbs in used Twining tea tins or enhance plant containers with odd paraphanalia such as shells and small rocks. The book is visually appealing, and contains some of the most original ideas I've come across in a while. This is a nice gift item for a new homemaker.

...this story is in the lighthearted tradition of Fritz Leiber and L. Sprague de Camp: while providing a good fantasy adventure, it also seeks to entertain with large amounts of humor and jovial characterizations. I laughed aloud in a number of parts. The two main characters are great fun, while a third adds extra drama and long-term character conflict elements, and the book nicely sets up a large scale storyline for the books that follow. Far better than most fantasy quests (ones that are routine and humorless) since the scenario goes well beyond the cliche of simply finding a ring or sword. Also, rather than bombard the reader with innumerable names and places, the book takes care to present each new character in a memorable and distinct way. The direction of the overall quest only begins to take shape toward the end, and appears complex enough to sustain an entire series. Definitely recommended for genre fans, and especially for those who haven't yet enjoyed the lighter side of fantasy (a style that entertains broadly WITHOUT stooping to ridiculous parody). A careful balance of the humorous, epic, lighthearted, horrific and even dramatic sustains this book well and leaves readers immediately yearning for the second book, "A Yoke of Magic".

... but in general this story is in the traditional of Fritz Leiber and L. Sprague de Camp; while providing a fantasy adventure, it also seeks to entertain with ample amounts of humor. I laughed aloud in several parts. The two main characters are great fun, a third adds extra drama and long-term character conflict elements, and the book nicely sets up a large scale storyline for the books that follow. Far better than most fantasy quests (ones that are routine and humorless) since the scenario goes well beyond the cliche of simply finding a ring or sword. Also, rather than bombard the reader with innumerable names and places, the book takes care to present each new character in a memorable and distinct way. The direction of the overall quest only begins to take shape toward the end, and appears complex enough to sustain an entire series. Definitely recommended for genre fans, and especially for those who haven't yet enjoyed the lighter side of fantasy (a style that entertains broadly WITHOUT stooping to ridiculous parody). A careful balance of the humorous, epic, lighthearted, horrific and even dramatic sustains this book well and leaves readers immediately yearning for the second book, "A Yoke of Magic".

This is the first book in the Swords of Raemllyn fantasy series. Its style of fantasy follows in the tradition of L. Sprague de Camp and Fritz Leiber, in what can be termed "Swords, Sorcery, and Sex." (NOTE: Those who hate ALL fantasy books will probably not make an exception for this one.) The tale primarily concerns the adventures of the thief Davin Anane (who wrestles with feelings of honor and guilt), his brawling companion Goran One-Eye (a non-human trapped in a human's body), and Lijena (a woman who is ensnared in unfortunate chains of events). This book is notable in its handling (juggling?) of diverse moods and plot threads, effectively inviting readers gradually from at first just following two adventurers, but then toward a grand web of large-scale historical events in the land of Raemllyn. While such a scenario may be seen as standard for the genre, this book is always interesting and avoids many of the shortcomings of other fantasy genre books. For one thing, the book is not merely a humorless exercise in "achieving the goals of the quest," as so many other books are. (Such other books presume that their characters are inherently interesting merely because we're reading about them as protagonists.) Rather, there were numerous times when I laughed aloud at jokes and antics that occurred. Secondly, readers won't immediately be swamped with a million names of flat characters, lands and events. Rather, step are deliberately taken to present and then develop all pertinent characters in a way that makes them memorable. Third, the authors take steps to present scenes of sex and violence in a context that actually contributes to the characters and story, rather than only being presented to capture readers' prurient interests. Many fantasy stories are made even more unreal by the sexless nature of their characters and settings, with portrayals that are implicitly and habitually puritan (or childlike?). By contrast, here is a scenario that is much more in-line with the social realities of known historical settings (although obviously in a purely fictional environment). For example, a sequence of rape and torture is actually useful because of the internal and interpersonal conflicts that the main characters then must wrestle with long afterward. Finally, it is not made immediately clear what the "quest" of the characters will be. It is only by the end of this first book that we start to get some intriguing indications of where "the fates" will take them. Thus, the "quest" is not a simpleminded one in which they must merely retrieve a ring or sword. Many fantasy stories still sell merely on the basis of achieving the simple adventure quest. This series offers a more complicated scenario and a more sophisticated set-up than most. Definitely recommended for genre fans, and for those who wish to check out the bawdier but also more humorous and entertaining subgenre of fantasy to which this belongs. The technical aspects of the writing style are good: not the sort of thing that one can read absent-mindedly without any effort, yet at the same time always keeping in touch with the goal of providing ENTERTAINMENT. A balancing act, one might say, that for me is pulled off quite well! (NOTE: I also enjoyed the book as a much younger reader when it first came out. This review is based on a re-reading in Nov. 2002). 6.5hrs.

Professor Proctor uses many words to talk about prevention, even mentions on page 145 quoting one Thomas Culliney of the USDA Forest Service, listing a number of fruits and vegetables "...are outstanding sources of vitamins A and C--both of which may play a role in reducing human cancers." Yet apparently no mention of Linus Pauling, Ph. D., or Max Gerson, M.D., the earlier researchers who vigorously stressed their importance in treatment and prevention of cancer. (1), (2). While "Genetic Hopes" (Chapter 10) are promoted, he omits any mention of the seminal discoveries of Otto Warburg, M.D., Ph.D., who has been described as "the greatest biochemist of the twentieth century", of cancer cell metabolism, as early as 1923. These discoveries have been discussed in articles in the journal "Science" about 1956 (which was a translated speech Dr. Warburg gave before the German Cancer Control Commission in 1955) and later articles by Dr. Warburg (3). He and his pupil Dean Burk stated "1000 papers" supported their conclusions, yet Proctor makes no reference to him in about 360 references. Max Gerson, M.D., referenced Otto Warburg as authoriity for his treatment (1). In a 1967 statement on "the prime cause of cancer", Dr. Warburg wrote regarding cancer prevention (3):
"To prevent cancer it is therefore proposed first to keep the speed of the bloodstream so high that the venous blood still contains sufficient oxygen; second, to keep high the concentration of haemoglobin in the blood; third, to add always to the food, even of healthy people, the active groups of the respiratory enzymes: and to increase the dose of these groups, if a pre-cancerous state has already developed. If at the same time exogenous carcinogens are rigorously excluded, then much more endogenous cancer might be prevented today." However, there is no mention of Dr. Warburg or this statement by him in this book! Otto Warburg, M.D. won the 1931 Nobel Prize and was nominated for two others, 1926 and 1944. Linus Pauling won the 1954 Nobel Prize for Chemistry and the 1962 Nobel Prize for Peace. The omission of these two giants of science is very puzzling.
(1) "A Cancer Therapy Results of Fifty Cases" by Max Gerson, M.D., The Gerson Institute, 1958, 5th Edition.
(2) "Cancer and Vitamin C", by Ewan Cameron and Linus Pauling, Camino Books, Philadelphia, 1993.
(3) "Otto Warburg Cell Physiologist Biochemist and Eccentric" by Hans Krebs and Roswitha Schmid, Clarendon Press-Oxford (1981).

I ardently wish that everyone- simply everyone- would read this book: it would save a great many lives. The author bulldozes through society's ideological rubbish and presents cancer in a fresh, new light. It is the responsibility of individual persons to uncover the true nature of the medical establishment, to see its goodness as well as its greed and gore, and to plan an escape route from this American epidemic. Prevention is almost everything, but preparation is also critical. This book will assist you in both endeavors. It is a magnificently informative, enjoyable, and eloquent book. Six stars.

American views of the causes of cancer are only partly the result of developing science. Proctor shows how our ideas about this disease were influenced by prominent spokespeople with special interests and by broader social trends. He wisely questions our prevailing policy of cure rather than prevention.

A most interesting subject, not least because of similarities between today's "health nazis" and the real nazis! But for the non-specialist reader (such as myself) there is a little too much mundane detail, and discussion of what paper was published in what year, who wrote it, how often it was cited ...

One nice aspect: Proctor has no time for "cultural relativism" applied to mass murder, and is free of the prolix heavy prose many academics favor.

Robert Proctor presents a great deal of evidence that the nazis' exerted massive control over most facets of ordinary citizen's lives. Yet somehow, he never reaches the obvious conclusion that such compulsive regulations,even if arguably well intentioned,ultimately lead to a large scale sacrifice of basic freedoms.

He explains how the nazis greatly restricted tobacco advertising, banned smoking in most public buildings, increasingly restricted and regulated tobacco farmers growing abilities, and engaged in a sophisticated anti-smoking public relations campaign. (Suing tobacco companies for announced consequences was a stunt that mysteriously eluded Hitler's thugs.) Despite the frightening parallels to the current war on tobacco, Mr. Proctor never even hints at the analogy. Curiously, he seems to take an approach that such alleged concern for public health shows nazism to be a more complex dogma than commonly presumed. While nothing present in the book betokens even a trace of sympathy for the Third Reich, this viewpoint seems incredibly naive. It's easy to wonder if Hitler and company were truly concerned with promoting public health. The unquenchable lust for absolute control is a far more believable motive.

Incongruously some of the book's desultory details lend further certitude to its unpromulgated thesis. Hitler not only abstained from tobacco; he also never drank and was,for the most part--a vegetarian. Frighteningly he also was an animal rights activist. The book reruns a nazi-era cartoon depicting many liberated lab animals giving the nazi salute to Hermann Goring after he outlawed animal experimentation and promised to send violators to a concentration camp. Also included is a fitting quote -now too widely suppressed from Joseph Goebbles, `the fuhrer is deeply religious, though completely anti-Christian; he views Christianity as a symptom of decay." Controversial as it may be in some circles, such a quote proves that nazism viewed Christianity as hatefully as it did Judaism. Passing coverage is given to the Third Reich's forays into euthanasia and eugenics. Another striking morsel is the reporting of a widespread nazi-era whispered joke `What is the ideal German? Blond like Hitler. Slim like Goring. Masculine like Goebbles...' implying that Gautlier Goebble's homosexuality was common knowledge. Nazi linguistic restrictions seem to be the counterpart of modern day `hate speech.' Words such as `catastrophe,' sabotage,' and `assassination' were to be avoided, and in a portentous move, `cripple' was replaced by `handicapped. Proctor also suggests `the word `enlightenment' (was) probably used more in the nazi period than at any other time.'

Perhaps the ultimate overlooked point of this work is the suggestion that Adolph Hitler with his anti-tobacco, anti-religion, pro-animal rights, pro-government intrusion would find success as a modern day liberal.

There's a lot of interesting material in this book: Nazi ideas of the proper diet, indications that the Nazi Institute for Cancer Research may have been a cover for developing bioweapons, and, of course, the chapter that has garnered the most attention: "The Campaign Against Tobacco". Throughout the book Proctor uses the Nazi concern with cancer to show that Nazi science, while often motivated by bizarre or evil notions, wasn't always shoddy. He also shows that it's a mistake to think of Nazi Germany as a totalitarian monolith that always reflected Hitler's will.

For instance, while Hitler wanted to eventually ban smoking, he was ultimately defeated by cultural resistance to the notion and the desire to keep tobacco taxes coming in and tobacco exports leaving. Still, it was Nazi science that first indicated that smoking was harmful though its general emphasis on clinical studies with few patients caused it to be ignored by epidemiologists in other countries. However, the Anglo-American scientists who made their reputations by proving that smoking was a major cause of lung cancer were preceded more than 10 years by Franz H. Muller's dissertation on that link, the first "case-control epidemiologic" study to do so. And he did it in 1939 Germany.

Besides its material on Nazi scientific efforts to diagnose, cure, and prevent cancer, the book also has some very interesting illustrations of Nazi public health propaganda. My favorite illustration, though, is of various animals giving the "Heil" salute to Goering who banned vivisection in 1933.

My one quibble with the book is Proctor's insistence that his book provides no aid and comfort to those, like libertarian Jacob Sullum -- whose book FOR YOUR OWN GOOD: THE ANTI-SMOKING CRUSADE AND THE TYRANNY OF PUBLIC HEALTH is specifically mentioned in the final chapter -- who wish to link anti-smoking efforts with Nazis. I've never heard any anti-smoking activist propose euthanasia programs or putting people in concentration camps. However, the Nazi regime justified its coercive public health measures with the philosophy that your body was state property and "nutrition was not a private matter". And, as in modern America, economic rationales were given for the Nazi laws intended to make life difficult for smokers. Proctor also speculates, in the Prologue, that public health measures like the Nazi war on tobacco could have been one of the appealing tunes in the siren suite of Hitler's fascism. Not everyone became a Nazi to kill Jews. And not all the doctors who signed up with the Nazi Party were quacks. This book does provide some evidence that coercive public health measures that go beyond mere education can spring from a totalitarian impulse.