The Transparent Society: Will Technology Force Us to Choose Between Privacy and Freedom?

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David Brin takes some of our worst notions about threats to privacy and sets them on their ears. According to Brin, there is no turning back the growth of public observation and inevitable loss of privacy--at least outside of our own homes. Too many of our transactions are already monitored: Brin asserts that cameras used to observe and reduce crime in public areas have been successful and are on the rise. There's even talk of bringing in microphones to augment the cameras. Brin has no doubt that it's only a matter of time before they're installed in numbers to cover every urban area in every developed nation.

While this has the makings for an Orwellian nightmare, Brin argues that we can choose to make the same scenario a setting for even greater freedom. The determining factor is whether the power of observation and surveillance is held only by the police and the powerful or is shared by us all. In the latter case, Brin argues that people will have nothing to fear from the watchers because everyone will be watching each other. The cameras would become a public resource to assure that no mugger is hiding around the corner, our children are playing safely in the park, and police will not abuse their power.

No simplistic Utopian, Brin also acknowledges the many dangers on the way. He discusses how open access to information can either threaten or enhance freedom. It is one thing, for example, to make the entire outdoors public and another thing to allow the cameras and microphones to snoop into our homes. He therefore spends a lot of pages examining what steps are required to assure that a transparent society evolves in a manner that enhances rather than restricts freedom. This is a challenging view of tomorrow and an exhilarating read for those who don't mind challenges to even the most well-entrenched cultural assumptions. --Elizabeth Lewis

Book Description

A respected futurist advances an argument sure to cause debate-in a wired world, the best way to preserve our freedom will be to give up our privacy

In The Transparent Society, award-winning author David Brin details the startling argument that privacy, far from being a right, hampers the real foundation of a civil society: accountability. Using examples as disparate as security cameras in Scotland and Gay Pride events in Tucson, Brin shows that openness is far more liberating than secrecy and advocates for a society in which everyone (not just the government and not just the rich) could look over everyone else's shoulders. The biggest threat to our society, he warns, is that surveillance technology will be used by too few people not by too many.

Customer Reviews:

Do not be fooled.......2007-06-30

This author steeps his product with an endorsement of our loss of rights, privacy, and freedom. Read 'No Pleace to Hide' by Robert O'Harrow, Jr. if you want substance and details. O'Harrow's work gets a good review from William Safire.

Important perspective on the threat to privacy posed by our technology.......2007-05-17

The cameras are coming. The question is what we are going to do about it.

I bought this book because I had read some of Brin's science fiction and I was intrigued by the idea of a science fiction author taking a serious look at how our society might deal with the threat to privacy posed by coming technology. Brin demonstrates his knowledge of technological issues (videocameras, cryptography, copyright, etc.), but it was his sensitivity to social issues that impressed me.

This book really stimulated my interest in the relationship between privacy and freedom. Before reading "The Transparent Society" I had a simplistic sense that privacy was something we needed to preserve as much as possible in the face of whatever technology may come. Like many people, I've grown uncomfortable with the prevalence of surveillance as we go about our lives. I wouldn't say this book has led me to welcome the sacrifices we need to make regarding privacy--it just made me realize that we may not be able to go back to some mythical time when everybody was left alone. To use Isaiah Berlin's distinction, we may need to think more in terms of positive liberty (things we have the power to do) rather than simply negative liberty (restrictions on our actions). We need to be smart about how we navigate these waters. Brin adopts an intelligent position I have not seen put forth by anyone else. Instead of arguing that we need to shut down the flow of information gained through surveillance, Brin says we need to open up the flow of information to make it available to more people.

Brin asks which of the following two societies you would rather live in: A world where video camera surveillance is ubiquitous and all of the information is overseen by a secret elite who have the power to monitor the actions of anybody they choose. Or a "participatory panopticon" (not Brin's phrase) where everybody can watch everybody else, including regular people being able to watch the watchers? For Brin these are the two options. After all, the cameras are coming. When everybody can easily record every second of their lives, and surveillance cameras are ubiquitous (to say nothing of gnat-sized cameras), we will need to rethink what levels of privacy we are willing to accept. Right now, it seems we may be, to use Charlie Stross's phrase, "sleepwalking into a police state". It could be that what we need is not less surveillance but more "sousveillance" (watching the powerful from below).

Brin says we must answer the following questions:

"Can we stand living exposed to scrutiny, our secrets laid open if in return we get flashlights of our own that we can shine on anyone who might do us harm--even the arrogant and the strong?"

"Or is an illusion of privacy worth any price, even the cost of surrendering our own right to pierce the schemes of the powerful?"

For what it's worth, though, I can't help but think that Brin is too sanguine about opening up so much personal information from our daily lives. It is scary to think of the way things could go. Jeffrey Rosen in The Naked Crowd: Reclaiming Security and Freedom in an Anxious Age has a critique of Brin along these lines. Rosen also disputes Brin's claim that crime dropped precipitously in areas where surveillance cameras were installed.

Whatever happens, it is clear that sousveillance is something that should be pursued; we need to know more about how information about us is being used by the government, and, more importantly, by corporations. This is a position Brin advocates, and it is one in which I am agreement.

Good book a little outdated now.......2007-03-22

Reveals how transparent society is. Most of it we dont realize but is already in place.

Puts NSA Wiretapping in Context.......2006-07-08

It is helpful to return to this book, from 1998, and to a follow on book, "the digital person" published in 2004, as context for the recent bru-ha-ha over NSA wiretapping without a warrant, and the loss to theft of tens of thousands of social security number and other personal information of veterans. Oh yes, somewhere in there, the FBI was hacked and companies like First Data are making fortunes compiling actionable profiles of individuals from disparate sources that were never approved for sharing.

This book focuses on the value of transparency and considers the key issue to be the war between secrecy versus accountability. The author directly confronts the issue of "who controls" information about YOU.

The author draws a useful comparison between the Internet, which sacrificed security for robust sharing, and the intelligence community, which chose security over sharing as its primordal principal.

The author observes that the Internet is having one undesireable effect, that of fragmenting communities that become less amenable to compromise and consensus. He points out that reality and locationally based discussion can lead to more effective consensus and compromise.

There is a useful discussion of "tagging" and how citizen truth squads and public commentary can serve as a useful antidote to corporate messages. The idea of "culture jamming" is picked up and treated at length by another excellent book, "NO LOGO."

Overall this book remains a standard in providing a detailed revoew of the issues and the capabilities surrounding digitial information about individuals. It is the author's view that WHO controls information, rather than WHO is elected, will determine the future of democracy.

In passing the author makes two points that I find important:

1) A liberal education, rather than the current trends toward immediate specialization, is essential if the public is to be able to think critically.

2) Law enforcement under the current government model, does not work. The author gives the example of 100 felonies, of which only 33 are reported. Of the 33, 6 are caught, 3 are convicted, and 1 goes to prison.

The author ends with a reference to genius savant John Perry Barlow, one of America's more notable commentators, and suggests that we are entering an era of individual collective intelligence against organized government intelligence (and secrecy).

I recommend this book be read together with "the digital person" because the latter book focuses on the degree to which government and corporate mistakes--"careless unconcerned bureaucratic processes" can undermine privacy and good order.

I have been giving this book to my friends.......2006-03-25

This is a "Must Read" for anyone who treasures an open society. The technology is here, and the cost of implementing it is dropping exponentially. The debate about who controls it should begin. This book addresses the question of "Who will watch the watchers" with a level of thoroughness and imagination unavailable anywhere else.

Debating the degrees of freedom to be lost in exchange for security is a massive waste of time. Brin shows a practical way to have both much greater security, and increased freedom, through transparency.

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The Future of Human Rights
Upendra Baxi
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0195677064

Book Description

This monograph critically examines the contemporary discourses on the nature of 'human rights', their histories, the myths that are embedded in them, and contributes an alternative reading of those histories by placing the concerns and interests of the 'people in struggle and communities of
resistance' at centre stage. It examines the cold reality that despite the last century being justly described as the century of human rights, the 'rightless and suffering peoples' still remain; it analyzes the gulf between the actuality and possibilities for the future. It analyzes the
significance of the UN and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and goes on to study the more contemporary issues such as women's struggle to feminize the understanding and practice of human rights, the post-modernist critique of the universal idiom of human rights and, most pertinently for the
current world scene, it analyzes the impact of globalization on the human rights movement. The new edition includes a discussion of the proposed United Nations norms regarding the human rights responsiblities of multinational corporations and other business entities.

Environmental Justice and the Rights of Unborn and Future Generations: Law, Environmental Harm and the Right to Health

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Human Rights and Environmental Justice

Environmental Justice and the Rights of Unborn and Future Generations: Law, Environmental Harm and the Right to Health
Laura Westra
Manufacturer: Earthscan Publications Ltd.
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Binding: Hardcover

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Law in Times of Crisis: Emergency Powers in Theory and Practice (Cambridge Studies in International and Comparative Law)

ASIN: 1844073661

Book Description

* * In many countries a three-month-old foetus can be aborted--so what does the law say about the poisoning of an unborn child by a toxic spill, HIV infection or the future damage of climate change?

* * This ground-breaking work examines the right of the unborn to health; sure to send shockwaves through governments, polluting industries, NGOS and legal departments dealing with pollution, human health and the rights of the unborn

* * Comprehensive coverage of key international legal instruments, cases from Bhopal to Chernobyl, and arguments on environmental harm, justice and the rights of future generations to health

The traditional concept of social justice is increasingly being challenged by the notion of a humankind which spans current and future generations. This book is the first systematic examination of how the rights of the unborn and future generations are handled in common law and under international legal instruments. It provides comprehensive coverage of the arguments over international legal instruments, key legal cases and examples including the Convention on the Rights of the Child, industrial disasters, clean water provision, diet, HIV/AIDS, environmental racism and climate change. The result is the most controversial and thorough examination to date of the subject and the enormous ramifications and challenges it poses to every aspect of international and domestic environmental, human rights, trade and public health law and policy. Also covered are international agreements and objectives as diverse as the Kyoto Protocol, the Millennium Development Goals and international trade.

Customer Reviews:

Human Rights and Environmental Justice.......2007-03-16

Environmental Justice and the Rights of Unborn and Future Generations: Law, Environmental Harm and the Right to Health by Laura Westra (Earthscan) The traditional concept of social justice is increasingly being challenged by the notion of a humankind that spans current and future generations. This book, with a foreword by Roger Brownsword, is the first systematic examination of how the rights of the unborn and future generations are handled in common law and under international legal instruments. It provides comprehensive coverage of the arguments over international legal instruments, key legal cases and examples including the Convention on the Rights of the Child, industrial disasters, clean water provision, diet, HIV/AIDS, environmental racism and climate change. Also covered are international agreements and objectives as diverse as the Kyoto Protocol, the Millennium Development Goals and international trade. The result is the most controversial and thorough examination to date of the subject and the enormous ramifications and challenges it poses to every aspect of international and domestic environmental, human rights, trade and public health law and policy.
From Foreword: The globalization of human rights implies, too, the globalization of human responsibilities. For individual human rights holders, there is the responsibility to act in ways that show appropriate respect for the rights of fellow humans wherever they are located in the global community of rights. More significantly, for political and legal institutions -whether international, regional, national or sub-national - the responsibilities include promoting a culture of respect for human rights and exercising stewardship over those conditions that are essential for a flourishing community of rights.
In her latest book, Laura Westra proposes two important sets of responsibilities, one in relation to the next (and future) generations, the other in relation to the integrity of the environment. Yet, if the current generation of bearers of human rights have responsibilities only to one another, how can it be argued that their responsibilities extend to the unborn as well as to the environment? And, how can it be argued, as Westra suggests, that these are linked responsibilities?
First, if as fellow humans we must respect one another's rights, this means that we must not act in ways that threaten one another's freedom and well-being - or, at any rate, we must not so act without the authorization of the right-holder in question. If we take human rights seriously, so much is entirely straightforward.
Second, if (as surely is the case) the health of populations depends necessarily (if not sufficiently) on an adequate environmental infrastructure (clean air and water, and so on), then we threaten the well-being of human rights-holders if we damage that infrastructure. It follows that, even if the environment does not have rights, as fellow humans we owe it to one another to respect those environmental conditions that are essential for our well-being. In this sense, as members of a community of rights, we do have responsibilities in relation to the environment.
Third, even if (as the European Court of Human Rights has recently held in both Vo v. France and Evans v. UK) the unborn do not yet have human rights, it is arguable that once, as agents, we adopt reproductive purposes our responsibilities to embryonic rights holders are engaged. Even if we do no wrong by electing not to reproduce, it is arguable that the position changes once we elect to reproduce. Where we so elect, we must avoid damaging a future member of the community of rights.
Fourth, and quite simply, if we have responsibilities to future members of the com¬munity of rights and if we also have responsibilities to sustain the environment, then we must also owe those latter responsibilities to the former. In other words, our responsi¬bilities in relation to the environment are ones that we owe to both existing and future members of a community of rights.
In a context of rapid technological innovation and change, it is crucial that com¬munities of rights actively debate the nature and extent of their commitments - and, to this extent, it needs to be appreciated that the globalization of human rights is as much about process as about a finished product. Whether or not readers agree with the products of Laura Westra's arguments, it is a pleasure to introduce her book as a major contribution to the ongoing process of debate and discussion. --Roger Brownsword
Excerpt: The traditional concept of social justice is challenged by a new philosophical vision of reality, characterized by interrelatedness and interdependence. It is only such a 'gener¬ality of outlook, to use A. N. Whitehead's own words to describe the vision of an interrelated and interdependent reality, that leads us to a 'morality of outlook' with its implied notion of social justice broadened to encompass the community of humankind as a whole, extending beyond present space and time.'
The most relevant point here is the question of 'broadened' social justice, that is, a notion to include 'the community of humankind'. It is undeniable that, thus far, future generations' rights have been linked to environmental regulations, at best, and cited primarily in aspirational and soft law documents, as well as making appearances in the preambular portions of general human rights conventions and environmental treaties, and we will look at those details in Chapters 5-7.
Most often, to speak of future generations, indicates, at best, a diffuse concern for the natural systems that are increasingly failing, because they are impoverished and depleted around the world. But, unless an immediate and forceful connection can be made with visible harms to nature or to human health, most view language about future generations to be the expression of a laudable but remote concern, not something that requires our immediate involvement, our efforts and energies.
Their remoteness belies the interface between escalating ecological harms and humanity itself. Thus the erosion of global ecological integrity appears, at first glance, distant and even unrelated to social justice, in both its intragenerational and inter-generational aspects and, at times, it even appears to conflict with it. But both aspects of social justice, best captured in the concept of ecojustice, as I will argue below (Chapter 6), are neither distant nor remote, as they meet in the consideration of the rights of the first generation.
That generation is coming to be NOW, or it will come to be within our lifetime, without, however, losing its claim to be an integral part of the future of humanity as well. Perhaps then, from the point of 'ecological rights', the presence of grave harms to this first generation, demonstrate precisely the connection between environment and humankind. That is where we can see exactly the havoc our current industrial practices are wreaking on the most vulnerable of humanity. The example of those harms force upon us a consideration of justice that is far more than the neo-liberal conception of freedom to embrace preferences. Such justice in fact, brings home the result of elevating the 'freedom' of natural and corporate persons to the status of ultimate goal in society.
This problem will become clear in the first four chapters, where the conflict be¬tween individual freedoms and rights, and the 'rights' of the first generation will be shown to come into conflict in most foundational legal instruments, both domestic and international, and - most violently perhaps - in the courts. These violent clashes and the circumstances that create them, will serve to diminish the importance of arguments stating that future generations don't exist now and that, even if they will come to be, we cannot be expected to modify law and morality on their behalf, as we don't know exactly who they are, and what their choices will be.
But the child born with flippers rather than hands or feet, because of pre-birth thalidomide exposure, or the baby with one eye because of dioxin exposure (as in the Seveso disaster, see Chapter 7), both clearly demonstrate without the need for compli-cated philosophical arguments, that (a) we do know what the first generation needs to be protected from, what they need for their security and what will harm them; and (b) we know that they will exist, and bear witness to our heedless pursuit of choice, to our tolerance of corporate, often criminal negligence and to what might be termed complicity on our part.'
No longer 'remote', or unreal, therefore morally unconsiderable and unfit to claim human rights like the rest of humanity, the first generation demonstrates the commo¬nality of humankind, where neither time, nor age, nor geographical location should suffice to remove anyone from full consideration. At the same time as the plight of future generations comes 'alive' in the present and clear harms affecting the first gen¬eration, so too their own 'unreality', their lack of presence hence of considerability are no longer obvious. Their cause is linked with that of future generations who, para¬doxically, appear to have more rights - at least in theory - than the first generation possesses.
Both future and first generations are far from being front and centre when human rights are at issue, even in the most prominent United Nations documents at present. I believe that viewing these two issues as one continuous aspect of justice for humanity, might help to shed light on both groups, so that neither will continue to remain invisible to either human conscience or international law. When both issues are studied side by side, we are struck by several points of similarity that are not considered as each issue is researched on its own.
The first point is that both are considered in law aside from their own intrinsic merits: as we shall see, for instance, future generations are considered in the context of environmental or trade issues, often against the background of conflicts arising between these two fields. When we turn to the child's rights to health, despite the presence of several international legal instruments devoted exclusively to child law, case law, for the most part views child law as derivative from family law. In the case of the preborn, this problem becomes acute, as the courts limit their consideration almost exclusively to the rights and the preferences of the pregnant woman: the situation is one where women's rights, based on proliferating instruments for their defence and protection, invariably trump whatever rights an unborn human might possess.
Thus we can observe that both issues are intrinsically hard to view objectively be¬cause they are significantly 'embedded', more or less literally, in other issues and con¬cerns. Their underlying unity is thus disguised, although they are both issues of grave concern to humanity. But when considered in the way here proposed, that is as a unitary concern, they shed the limited perspective under which they were viewed and their common problems can best be appreciated and perhaps resolved.
Emmanuel Agius offers two other arguments in support of future generations' rights that, I believe, may apply equally to the first generations first, the argument from 'social justice and the weaker members of the human species',' and second, the argument for the development of human rights, after 'first' and 'second' generations' rights: the 'emergence of "solidarity rights" or "the third generation" of human rights in international environmental law'.
These arguments will be defended below, in Chapter 8. For now, it may be sufficient to note that the description of both sets of circumstances, in support of evolving future generations' rights, fit as well the consideration of the first generation. The obligations generated by the acceptance of the former are equally significant for that of the latter:
In other words, social justice demands a sense of solidarity with the whole family of humankind. We have an obligation to regulate our current consumption: in order to share our resources with the poor and with unborn generations.'
Thus, when we come to consider the best approaches in law to achieve this ideal of justice and solidarity, it is likely that whatever strategies we design for one issue, will ameliorate the situation for the other.
For now, we must start by showing clearly what is not there yet in the law: respect for either first or future generations is not embodied in the legal instruments that might be protective, either in domestic or international law. This fact needs to be demonstrated and in Part One we shall deal with the first generation in some detail, through the examination of both instruments and case law, before turning in Part Two, to future generations proper. We will then be in a better position to canvas existing regimes and jurisprudence, for the best available remedies presently existing, although perhaps not as well applied as they might be; but we will also consider all other possible options to bring about the necessary changes.

Spying with Maps: Surveillance Technologies and the Future of Privacy

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Interesting but light reading on Surveillance technology
good overview of satalite technologies
An intriguing examination of the science of spying

Spying with Maps: Surveillance Technologies and the Future of Privacy
Mark Monmonier
Manufacturer: University Of Chicago Press
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Binding: Paperback

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Book Description

Maps, as we know, help us find our way around. But they're also powerful tools for someone hoping to find you. Widely available in electronic and paper formats, maps offer revealing insights into our movements and activities, even our likes and dislikes. In Spying with Maps, the "mapmatician" Mark Monmonier looks at the increased use of geographic data, satellite imagery, and location tracking across a wide range of fields such as military intelligence, law enforcement, market research, and traffic engineering. Could these diverse forms of geographic monitoring, he asks, lead to grave consequences for society? To assess this very real threat, he explains how geospatial technology works, what it can reveal, who uses it, and to what effect.

Despite our apprehension about surveillance technology, Spying with Maps is not a jeremiad, crammed with dire warnings about eyes in the sky and invasive tracking. Monmonier's approach encompasses both skepticism and the acknowledgment that geospatial technology brings with it unprecedented benefits to governments, institutions, and individuals, especially in an era of asymmetric warfare and bioterrorism. Monmonier frames his explanations of what this new technology is and how it works with the question of whether locational privacy is a fundamental right. Does the right to be left alone include not letting Big Brother (or a legion of Little Brothers) know where we are or where we've been? What sacrifices must we make for homeland security and open government?

With his usual wit and clarity, Monmonier offers readers an engaging, even-handed introduction to the dark side of the new technology that surrounds us—from traffic cameras and weather satellites to personal GPS devices and wireless communications.

Customer Reviews:

Interesting but light reading on Surveillance technology.......2006-06-11

This books addresses some topics on satellite imaging, and other technology fields applied to surveillance.
While an interesting reading, and providing very good detail (evolution of satellite resolution over the years) in some areas, it stays on the surface of others, giving the reader (me at least) the impression that there was a lot left outside. Some chapters do not deal with privacy of individuals, but communities.
The book is short and easy to read, and will provide with some good "food for thought".

good overview of satalite technologies.......2003-03-27

this is a great book. its easy to read and informative. it gives clear examples and even includes pictures to help the explain concepts its talking about. its a good sampling of what satelite technology can and cant do and what and how its used in our everyday lives. and about how satelites are used in making maps and mapping and what the maps are used for.

An intriguing examination of the science of spying.......2003-02-09

Spying With Maps: Surveillance Technologies And The Future Of Privacy blends an examination of surveillance technologies with a discussion of the nature and future of privacy in a world which is becoming increasingly open to spy apparatus. Spying With Maps could have been featured in our chapter on social issues, but is reviewed here for its intriguing examination of the science of spying, from using geographic data and satellite imagery to location tracking devices.

The Kurds In Iraq: The Past, Present and Future

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A GOOD, OBJECTIVE, AND WELL ORGANIZED OVERVIEW OF IRAQI KURDISH HISTORY AND PRESENT PROSPECTS
Valuable But Marred Guide
The Kurds In Iraq : The Past, Present and Future

The Kurds In Iraq: The Past, Present and Future
Kerim Yildiz , and Tom Blass
Manufacturer: Pluto Press
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Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 074532228X

Book Description

This book explores the issues facing the Kurdish population of Iraq in the aftermath of the war and the ongoing occupation. Written by a leading human rights campaigner and a journalist, it is the most clear and up-to-date account of what Iraqi Kurds want, and the problems that all political groups face in re-building the country, as well as exploring Kurdish links and international relations in the broader sense. It should be required reading for policy-makers and anyone interested in the current position of Kurds in Iraq.

Today there are an estimated 4.2 million Kurds in Iraq -- nearly a quarter of the country's population. The majority are Sunni Muslims. For a long time Iraqi Kurds have desired an independent Kurdistan -- a desire shared by Kurds in Turkey, Iran and Syria. However, for the moment, the most pressing issue is to maintain the autonomy afforded by Iraqi Kurdistan since the establishment of the no-fly zone. The book explores the rift in the UN and how it potentially affects the Kurds; the necessity of avoiding a humanitarian crisis; divisions between the two Iraqi Kurdish political parties; relations between Iraqi Kurds and Turkey; relations with Iran; US policy towards the Kurds; and the crucial role of the city of Kirkuk in the post-war settlement of Iraq.

Customer Reviews:

A GOOD, OBJECTIVE, AND WELL ORGANIZED OVERVIEW OF IRAQI KURDISH HISTORY AND PRESENT PROSPECTS.......2006-06-16

The author gives a readable and useful history of the Kurdish people. As always, an understanding of a people's past illuminates their present as, at some level, we are the sum total of our experience and how we choose/are able to deal with it. In the Kurdish case - that experience has been a history of repeated abuse at the hands of governments to whom they are somewhere between a nuisance and a threat. The problem presented by the Kurds is heightened by the fact that they sit astride some of the very best real estate of the nations in which their ancestral lands now find themselves (Iraq, Syria, Turkey and Iran). The responses of different countries to their own "Kurdish Problem" have been remarkably similar: some degree of ethnic cleansing. This was practiced in its most extreme form by Saddam Hussein during the Anfal Campaigns which included the use of chemical agents to kill thousands of Kurdish civilians.

In general the book was readable. No awards for eloquence or creative verbage, yet as a basic history - it worked. I would reservedly recommend the book to those with a specific interest in the subject matter. Of the books out there, it is one of the few to give an objective overview. Most of the others are subjective experiences of various western journalists or personal accounts written by those who suffered. In that respect, the book is worthwhile. For one stop shopping this book does put it all together in a well organized whole.

Valuable But Marred Guide.......2006-06-15

According to Michael Rubin, the liberation of Iraq propelled Iraqi Kurdistan into the international limelight. The Iraqi Kurdish militia plays an important role in Iraq; Iraq's president, Jalal Talabani, is a former Kurdish guerilla leader, and the Kurds have an important role in the new government's politics. The Iraqi Kurdish experience is now central to discussion over the fate of Baathist officials, and Kurdish demands remain at the heart of the debate over federalism.

Yildiz, executive director of the London-based Kurdish Human Rights Project, has compiled a guide better than many other surveys of Iraqi Kurdish history, society, and politics. The Kurds in Iraq is a valuable guide not only for the policy practitioner but also for the general reader who wants a clear, concise study to aid understanding of a people and a region increasingly in the news. Unlike many other authors on this subject, he neither indulges his emotions nor does he artificially extend backwards Kurdish nationalism. He is precise, noting that while the term "Kurd" first appeared in the seventh century C.E., it would be almost a millennium before the term "Kurdistan" entered common usage and even then with a lack of precision as to its boundaries. His narrative is exact. Yildiz details not only Washington's 1975 decision to withdraw support for the Kurdish uprising but also the often ignored 1974 Kurdish decision to turn down Baghdad's autonomy offer. He also gives context to Saddam Hussein's 1987-88 Anfal campaign and does not limit its discussion to its most famous episode, the March 1988 use of chemical weapons against civilians in Halabja.

While Yildiz emphasizes human rights and international legal responsibilities, he glosses over intra-Kurdish human rights abuses. There is no mention, for example, of the 2-3,000 Kurds executed during the 1994-97 Kurdish civil war, nor does he discuss Kurdistan Democratic Party leader Masud Barzani's appropriation of land and property from rival tribes, nor is there coverage of Iraqi Kurdistan's corruption problem. Small errors of fact mar the account. The Iran-Iraq war, for example, began in 1980, not 1983. Likewise, despite the nickname, the "Swiss dinar" currency used in Iraqi Kurdistan between 1991 and 2003 was printed in the United Kingdom and not in Switzerland.

Looking toward the future, Yildiz highlights conflicts over the death penalty likely to occur between the European states and the Iraqi Special Tribunal trying Saddam Hussein and other former top regime officials. He also questions the extent to which American and European civilians serving in the Coalition Provisional Authority and its successor organizations conform to international law. His background in humanitarian law contributes to some bias. He states that many "have called for the U.N. to take over administration of Iraq," something perhaps true among his human rights colleagues in London but certainly not among Iraqis, the vast majority of whom wish for a return to full sovereignty.

The Kurds In Iraq : The Past, Present and Future.......2006-03-08

The liberation of Iraq propelled Iraqi Kurdistan into the international limelight. The Iraqi Kurdish militia plays an important role in Iraq; Iraq's president, Jalal Talabani, is a former Kurdish guerilla leader, and the Kurds have an important role in the new government's politics. The Iraqi Kurdish experience is now central to discussion over the fate of Baathist officials, and Kurdish demands remain at the heart of the debate over federalism.

Yildiz, executive director of the London-based Kurdish Human Rights Project, has compiled a guide better than many other surveys of Iraqi Kurdish history, society, and politics. The Kurds in Iraq is a valuable guide not only for the policy practitioner but also for the general reader who wants a clear, concise study to aid understanding of a people and a region increasingly in the news. Unlike many other authors on this subject, he neither indulges his emotions nor does he artificially extend backwards Kurdish nationalism. He is precise, noting that while the term "Kurd" first appeared in the seventh century C.E., it would be almost a millennium before the term "Kurdistan" entered common usage and even then with a lack of precision as to its boundaries. His narrative is exact. Yildiz details not only Washington's 1975 decision to withdraw support for the Kurdish uprising but also the often ignored 1974 Kurdish decision to turn down Baghdad's autonomy offer. He also gives context to Saddam Hussein's 1987-88 Anfal campaign and does not limit its discussion to its most famous episode, the March 1988 use of chemical weapons against civilians in Halabja.

While Yildiz emphasizes human rights and international legal responsibilities, he glosses over intra-Kurdish human rights abuses. There is no mention, for example, of the 2-3,000 Kurds executed during the 1994-97 Kurdish civil war, nor does he discuss Kurdistan Democratic Party leader Masud Barzani's appropriation of land and property from rival tribes, nor is there coverage of Iraqi Kurdistan's corruption problem. Small errors of fact mar the account. The Iran-Iraq war, for example, began in 1980, not 1983. Likewise, despite the nickname, the "Swiss dinar" currency used in Iraqi Kurdistan between 1991 and 2003 was printed in the United Kingdom and not in Switzerland.

Looking toward the future, Yildiz highlights conflicts over the death penalty likely to occur between the European states and the Iraqi Special Tribunal trying Saddam Hussein and other former top regime officials. He also questions the extent to which American and European civilians serving in the Coalition Provisional Authority and its successor organizations conform to international law. His background in humanitarian law contributes to some bias. He states that many "have called for the U.N. to take over administration of Iraq," something perhaps true among his human rights colleagues in London but certainly not among Iraqis, the vast majority of whom wish for a return to full sovereignty.

Middle East Quarterly, Winter 2006

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Forgiveness as the Road Less Traveled
Healing for the Nations
I love Archbishop Desmond Tutu!!
"One Courageous Man"
Beyond retributive justice.

No Future Without Forgiveness
Desmond Tutu
Manufacturer: Doubleday
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Reconciliation: The Ubuntu Theology of Desmond Tutu

ASIN: 0385496893
Release Date: 1999-10-05

Amazon.com

Archbishop Desmond Tutu stands alongside Nelson Mandela as one of the most iconic figures of the struggle to end apartheid in South Africa. As archbishop of Cape Town throughout the 1980s, Tutu came to symbolize dignified, rational opposition to the iniquities of the apartheid regime, a faithful irreverence for unjust authority that led to his being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1984. In 1995 he took up his greatest challenge, as chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the remarkable yet harrowing attempt by South Africans to come to terms with the gross violations of human rights committed throughout the apartheid era by offering amnesty and forgiveness rather than punishment and dismissal.

No Future Without Forgiveness is Tutu's remarkable personal memoir of his time as chair of the commission. It records his insistence of the need to discover a "third way" in the healing of the national psyche and his powerful belief that "we can indeed transcend the conflicts of the past, we can hold hands as we realize our common humanity." Tutu's characteristic humor, resilience, and compassion are evoked in a way that demonstrates how essential they have been to his unique political style--and his ability to get results where all others failed. He recalls the darkest days of apartheid's "vicious awfulness" when, preaching about God's authority, he was "frequently tempted to whisper in God's ear, 'For goodness sake, why don't You make it more obvious that You are in charge?"'

No Future Without Forgiveness could be profitably read alongside Antjie Krog's equally compelling Country of My Skull, as it considers the emotional toll that such a process of national soul-searching has had upon its participants. As Tutu himself points out, "It is a costly business to try to heal a wounded and traumatized people, and those engaging in that crucial task will perhaps bear the brunt themselves ... we were, in Henri Nouwen's celebrated phrase, 'wounded healers.'" --Rachel Holmes, Amazon.co.uk

Book Description

"The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of South Africa has put the spotlight on all of us...In its hearings Desmond Tutu has conveyed our common pain and sorrow, our hope and confidence in the future."
--Nelson Mandela

The establishment of South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission was a pioneering international event. Never had any country sought to move forward from despotism to democracy both by exposing the atrocities committed in the past and achieving reconciliation with its former oppressors. At the center of this unprecedented attempt at healing a nation has been Archbishop Desmond Tutu, whom President Nelson Mandela named as Chairman of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. With the final report of the Commission just published, Archbishop Tutu offers his reflections on the profound wisdom he has gained by helping usher South Africa through this painful experience.

In No Future Without Forgiveness, Tutu argues that true reconciliation cannot be achieved by denying the past. But nor is it easy to reconcile when a nation "looks the beast in the eye." Rather than repeat platitudes about forgiveness, he presents a bold spirituality that recognizes the horrors people can inflict upon one another, and yet retains a sense of idealism about reconciliation. With a clarity of pitch born out of decades of experience, Tutu shows readers how to move forward with honesty and compassion to build a newer and more humane world.

Customer Reviews:

Forgiveness as the Road Less Traveled.......2007-01-10

I was fascinated by the courage and foresight of the South African people regarding the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Archbishop Tutu's account was very readable yet profound in the truth he was trying to explicate: revenge and retaliation do not heal; they create bigger divisions between the victim and the perpetrator. I think he clearing illustrates how forgiveness is the harder, but ultimately saner, route.

Healing for the Nations.......2006-04-03

This book is not only about the evils of apartheid, but also about how a nation was able to move toward healing and forgiveness through the formation of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Desmond Tutu was appointed to head up this commission that would offer amnesty to all of those who had been involved in political acts of torture and violence during the period of apartheid in South Africa, but only if those that perpetrated the violence came forward, applied for amnesty, and told the truth about what they had done. The victims of the crimes were also allowed to come and tell their stories and ask their questions. Within these stories are remarkable tales of how people who had been tormented or had their loved ones tormented or even killed were able to reach out and find healing themselves by forgiving those who had done this to them.
Archbishop Tutu tells his story and the story of his nation and how that South African has been and is being healed through the power of truth and forgiveness. He speaks about many of the trials and tribulations that the commission went through, such as Winnie Mandela's part in the atrocities that she allegedly had a part in. The details of some of the torture stories are hard to take, but necessary to tell and to hear so that we know that evil exists in appalling ways in the world, but that evil can be overcome through forgiveness.
The trees that were sacrificed to make this book were well worth the sacrifice, because within its pages are the leaves for the healing of the nations. When Jesus hung on the cross, evil having done its best to him, he cried "Father forgive them for they know not what they do." He could have called twelve legions of angels and destroyed the whole lot of them, but he answers evil of the worst kind with forgiveness and reconciliation. This message and the message of the book is what is needed in all of places today were we are causing one another pain and suffering and can see no way around or out of the dilemma. I believe that this kind of move is what is necessary to heal the Middle East conflict and all of the other feuds and racist hatred that has gone on in the world. The only way forward to any type of life giving future is through forgiveness. I recommend this book to everyone who cares.

Questions or comments contact me at darrengjohnson38@yahoo.com

I love Archbishop Desmond Tutu!!.......2005-12-01

What a beautiful and graceful man he is!!!!!! It is important to note that humility is above all the most precious characteristic of a man. This man is the most humble that lives. The struggles that is described in No Future Without Forgiveness is transforming. It is such a simple thing to say, "forgive." It is a very advance technique to live it, use it, and practice it. Archbishop Tutu is the tool of forgiveness. We should all learn from him and use the gift he gives.

"One Courageous Man".......2005-08-07

Nothing fancy, often repetitve but extremely inspiring. Archbishop TuTu chaired The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of South Africa from 1994 to 1996. He along with many other brave people pulled off a miracle. I am not aware of anything like this happening in our modern world. It gives us all hope. Apartheid came to an end and there was no bloodbath. This is the story of that time and the healing work of the Commission in Archbishop TuTu's words. Worth reading.

Beyond retributive justice........2005-01-01

". . . to go beyond retributive justice to restorative justice, to move on to forgiveness, because without it there was nor future."

This is a beautiful book, the work of a beautiful mind. Tutu, retired Anglican archbishop and Noble laureate, presents his reflections on the work of South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission and on his personal insights and problems as the Chair of the TRC. The Commission was conceived as a tool in South Africa's transition from an oppressive apartheid regime to an open constitutional democracy. The lessons are important ones to learn in a world where human abuses continue in many forms and in many parts of the world.
Mans capacity for cynical self-obsession, paranoiac blindness to that which he perceives as being outside himself, and for the kind of abuse that arises between himself and his external world -- including his fellow beings, is difficult to come to grips with. Tutu discuses this with as much compassion and dignity as anyone likely can. Something dark lurks near the will of man, manifesting opportunistically, often unacknowledged, in fact unnoticed. Yet, in perceiving it clearly, wisdom informs us that we must resist too easily becoming holier-than-thou; we're not all that pure ourselves. As Tutu reminds us, many times, "there, but for the grace of God, go I." The temptation is to respond in kind, injustice for injustice, violence for violence, and obviously, many do respond in this way. There is a better way.
Justice, charity, and finally forgiveness, speak to us too, and wisdom will not turn a deaf ear. The TRC was established to, among other things, bring to light the hidden abuses of South Africa's recent history. Many of the violent crimes in question were sadistic, deeply disturbing, and of course, covert. The evidence and details of these atrocities would not be feasible, in most cases, for prosecutors to obtain, meaning that violent crimes and conspiracies would remain untreated. Resentment and suspicion would fester, probably resulting in still more violence. Another result would be that a sound basis for reparation could not be developed. By offering amnesty to perpetrators, many shrouded truths were brought to light, apologies were offered (in many cases sincere no doubt), in the African way of "ubuntu" forgiveness was often gifted (which is amazing), and the wronged found a measure of healing. It simply could not have happened in a setting significantly different than the TRC. "After all, forgiveness, reconciliation, reparation were not the normal currency in political discourse." Here is certainly a model for a conflict-riddled world.

"As related in the Old Testament, the prophet Elisha and his servant were surrounded by a host of enemies. But the prophet remained strangely calm and somewhat unconcerned while his servant grew ever more agitated. The prophet asked God to open the servant's eyes and the servant then saw that those who were on their side were many times more than those against them. We South Africans have experienced this in our lives -- that the forces of good turn out to be many times more than the forces of evil." p202.

Tutu writes with great care, qualifying and clarifying his thoughts, such that he is often given to writing Dostoevsky-sized sentences (50-60+ words). I do not have a problem with this, but it may be distracting to some readers who are used to reading lighter fare. Without reservation, I highly recommend this volume to anyone with an interest in human relations and justice, psychological well-being, conflict resolution, and/or spiritual growth.

The Great Disruption: Human Nature and the Reconstitution of Social Order

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Very interesting, but a little lacking in coherence
Party ideologue on an off-day.
It's Hard to Know What to Think!
Good food for thought
Are we naturally social people?

The Great Disruption: Human Nature and the Reconstitution of Social Order
Francis Fukuyama
Manufacturer: Free Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0684865777

Amazon.com

Francis Fukuyama cements his reputation as a wide-ranging public intellectual with this big-think book on social order and human nature. Following his earlier successes (The End of History and the Last Man and Trust), Fukuyama argues that civilization is in the midst of a revolution on a par with hunter-gatherers learning how to farm or agricultural societies turning industrial. He finds much to celebrate in this cultural, economic, and technological transformation, but "with all the blessings that flow from a more complex, information-based economy, certain bad things also happened to our social and moral life." Individualism, for example, fuels innovation and prosperity, but has also "corroded virtually all forms of authority and weakened the bonds holding families, neighborhoods, and nations together." Yet this is not a pessimistic book: "Social order, once disrupted, tends to get remade again" because humans are built for life in a civil society governed by moral rules.

We're on the tail end of the "great disruption," says Fukuyama, and signs suggest a coming era of much-needed social reordering. He handles complex ideas from diverse fields with ease (this is certainly the first book whose acknowledgments thank both science fiction novelist Neal Stephenson and social critic James Q. Wilson), and he writes with laser-sharp clarity. Fans of Jared Diamond's Guns, Germs, and Steel and David Landes's The Wealth and Poverty of Nations will appreciate The Great Disruption, as will just about any reader curious about what the new millennium may bring. This is simply one of the best nonfiction books of 1999. --John J. Miller

Book Description

In the past thirty years, the United States has undergone a profound transformation in its social structure: Crime has increased, trust has declined, families have broken down, and individualism has triumphed over community. Has the Great Disruption of recent decades rent the fabric of American society irreparably? In this brilliant and sweeping work of social, economic, and moral analysis, Francis Fukuyama shows that even as the old order has broken apart, a new social order is already taking its place. The Great Disruption forges a new model for understanding the Great Reconstruction that is under way.

Customer Reviews:

Very interesting, but a little lacking in coherence.......2006-11-20

The subject matter is really quite interesting and his thesis is convincing. The big problem I have with this book is in its structure. It starts out with a big section of statistics, then a big section of interpretation of the statistics, with "the big picture" never really materializing.

Party ideologue on an off-day. .......2005-05-02

When the End of History appeared, one did not know exactly what to think of it, nowadays we know who Fukuyama is: the US Republican party ideologue. While the end of history tried to prove the US Republican ideology as the philosophical nec plus ultra, the goal of history, in an Hegelian way, the great disruption tries to prove it as a biological-sociological necessity, to be human is to be a Republican.
Although it is a flawed book, it makes interesting reading to discern fact and fiction in this book, the places where the conclusions and facts just disconnect, it is like unravelling the Da Vinci code. The danger of the book is the indiscriminate use of academic bits and pieces, it gives a veneer of credibility to the whole were it is not always warranted.
The basic premise of the book, namely the importance of social capital and the decline thereof since the mid 60's, is something I take as credible, although even Fukuyama admits he cannot really prove it very well. From the dip in social capital, Fukuyama delves into the fundamentals of human nature to prove that we are moral and will ultimately reconstitute some moral order along conservative party lines, the invisible hand of morality will cause an upward cycle after every downward cycle, hardly a convincing story line.
What is, however funny about the book is that the academic material presented can just as easily be construed to disprove the republican dogmas. E.g. accepting the importance of social capital in healthy economies makes mince-meat of the Bush-bubble economic policy of indiscriminate deficit spending. I do think social capital deserves its own capital letter in the Cobb-Douglass function, it would probably de-emphasize the worship of productivity a little bit in economic thought and make economic theory a bit more relevant to the economy.
Other blind spots for Fukuyama include the role of inequality in the break-down of social capital (e;g; in the false statement that it is pride, not injustice, why test persons reject unequal outcomes in 2-player distribution games). Another blind spot for Fukuyama is that he sees only a causal relation one-way between the loss of social capital and demographic decline, not the other way around, from demographic decline to loss of social capital.
Fukuyama writes with ideological blinders but still puts the main social problem of the 90's and early 21st century on the table, that is why I grant a 2 star to the book.

It's Hard to Know What to Think!.......2004-08-25

It is quite difficult to me to feel anything but a benign "that's interesting" type of indifference to this book. On some things, Fukuyama does rather well. On others, I could not resist the urge to rhetorically ask myself: "Did he really get this published?"

First, the good stuff. As others have noted, Fukuyama provides decent factual documentation and analysis to support part 1 of his argument - that the social bonds common to the days of yore have dissipated through time (aside from a few contradictions that I'll get to later). He also provides a quite lively, if a tad oversimplified and/or overeager, section on the life sciences' recent findings that we are social creatures after all.

So that accounts for the two extant stars. What accounts for the three I decided to withhold? First, and most devestatingly, Fukuyama never makes it clear how this dissipation of 'social capital' can be attributed to the 'information revolution' - the transition from an industrial-based to information-based economy or culture. It seems his only strategy is to rule out, curtly and unconvincingly, other variables only to tell us: "Well it couldn't be those, and since the timing is right, so it must be the information revolution." I don't buy it (yet), and don't see how Fukuyama expects me to.

Second, there are an embarassing number of out-and-out contradictions in this book. First, there is the biggie: Fukuyama spends a lot of time telling us that via human nature, the rebuilding of social bonds is endemic and inevitable to humankind. Then, in the next section, he tells us that we must work dilligently to bring about what he just told us was endemic and inevitable. (This is reminiscent of Marx telling us that the revolution was inevitable and that therefore, the workers must be dillegent in ensuring that it comes about).

There are other contradictions: Fukuyama tells us in the book that crime is and has been on the rise for some time. A bit later, though, he tells us that the vast majority of American neighborhoods are safe and that it is only people's perception of rising crime via the media tht seems to be the problem. He also tells us that marriages dissolving in their first few years is a new frightening trend, while later in the book teling us that it is "not uncommon" for marriages to dissipate only after the kids are raised. I just don't understand!

Anyhow, I could go on, but I'd rather get to my main point: although this book may have a few eye opening moments (generally those moments where Fukuyama is reinforcing things we already know), all in all, it is not worth your time. If you want to explore the weakening of the 'social fabric' try Etzionni's "The Spirit of Community" or Callahan's "The Cheating Culture." If you are interested in the life sciences' research on the sociality of humans, try Ridley's "The Origin of Virtue," or Axelrod's 'Evolution of Cooperation.' Both do a better job than this book.

Good food for thought.......2004-06-06

The one thing with Francis Fukuyama is that he can't be faulted for not speaking his mind. From his essential "End of History" he has drawn further conclusions on the demise of Western society. On the one hand, it is an interesting read, while, on the other hand it is a bit weak in many ways. Fukuyama uses broad statistics and generalisations to make stunning conculsions about society in general, and people in particular. While I don't personally agree with much of what he writes, it provides an excellent forum for discussion and a welcome point of view to some narrow assumptions in sociology. I wouldn't recommend it for an introduction, but rather for a good supplement if you're already interested.

Are we naturally social people?.......2003-06-23

As a third world citizen this book impressed me with one of its main idea that says that no matter the storms of selfishness and individualism, sooner or later, we will come back to be social and reliable to each other again. That trend to be social to other people would be, under Fukuyama's point of view, based on physiological features of our human constitution. The references Mr. Fukuyama cites, for instance, to relate the human brain's functioning and language to our "natural" trend to be social should be reviewed by the readers interested in deeper understanding.

Mr. Fukuyama would not be the first scholar who believes that is human culture what makes more intensive our "hidden" trends to be social (or, the reverse, what makes us violent to each other and intolerant). Reading "Trust", another book of him, oneself realizes how important is the society's culture towards the role of family and work and school to build up social capital. The very essential difference between one society and the rest, in the race for competitiveness, under the ideas from "Trust" would be human created: culture, related to social capital and his formation. But now, in "The Great Disruption" appears our physiology as an important source of explanations of our collective and cultural creations (like language, attitudes towards work,and our social capital too).

What i can comment from my knowledge of peruvian history is that the social capital is a cultural product, made by people in history, with all our rational and non-rational choices, made individually and colectively. Being together in the same territory, under the same national state, and tolerate each other group, even though among different groups of peruvians we don't trust, could be explained by some physiologicals fundamentals. But this is not the same of building up social capital.Our biology,probably, makes harder having some behaviors along the time, but nothing else. So, was our human physiology an important explanation of what made less harder troublesome times in peruvian history, making us at least "just a little" tolerant to each other groupe, despite of all our differences?. May be. But the solutions of our pending challenge, of building up more social capital, will come from choices, determined by culture and social motives, not from physiology.

Book Description

This collection is based on a lecture series organized jointly by Matrix Chambers and the Wiener Library in London between April and June 2002. Leading experts present papers examining the evolution of international criminal justice from its origins at Nuremberg through to the proliferation of international courts and tribunals based at The Hague today. The lectures will provide various perspectives on the subject for anyone interested in international criminal law--from specialists to non-specialists.

Customer Reviews:

Minor Contribution to the Literature.......2005-03-27

The five essays in this short book dip into various aspects of post-World War II international criminal law. Although clearly written, the essays are only loosely linked, and it's hard to imagine what their audience was intended to be. Lawyers will be put off by the lack of a comprehensive legal overview of the new International Criminal Court; historians and political scientists will be disappointed by the short shrift given to the Yugoslavia and Rwanda war crimes tribunals; and the general reader probably won't have enough background to appreciate the occasional esoteric legal point. Frankly, almost any reader -- professional or layman -- would be better off with William Schabas' An Introduction to the International Criminal Court, which gives a lucid overview of the law and fills in the historical details.

Hunters, Herders, and Hamburgers: The Past and Future of Human-Animal Relationships

Average customer rating:

A remarkable text from academia's renaissance man

Hunters, Herders, and Hamburgers: The Past and Future of Human-Animal Relationships
Richard W. Bulliet
Manufacturer: Columbia University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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The Animal Estate: The English and Other Creatures in the Victorian Age
Experimenting with Humans and Animals: From Galen to Animal Rights (Johns Hopkins Introductory Studies in the History of Science)
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The Destruction of the Bison: An Environmental History, 17501920 (Studies in Environment and History)
Watching Wildlife

ASIN: 0231130767

Book Description

Richard W. Bulliet has long been a leading figure in the study of human-animal relations, and in his newest work, Hunters, Herders, and Hamburgers, he offers a sweeping and engaging perspective on this dynamic relationship from prehistory to the present. By considering the shifting roles of donkeys, camels, cows, and other domesticated animals in human society, as well as their place in the social imagination, Bulliet reveals the different ways various cultures have reinforced, symbolized, and rationalized their relations with animals.

Bulliet identifies and explores four stages in the history of the human-animal relationship-separation, predomesticity, domesticity, and postdomesticity. He begins with the question of when and why humans began to consider themselves distinct from other species and continues with a fresh look at how a few species became domesticated. He demonstrates that during the domestic era many species fell from being admired and even worshipped to being little more than raw materials for various animal-product industries. Throughout the work, Bulliet discusses how social and technological developments and changing philosophical, religious, and aesthetic viewpoints have shaped attitudes toward animals.

Our relationship to animals continues to evolve in the twenty-first century. Bulliet writes, "We are today living through a new watershed in human-animal relations, one that appears likely to affect our material, social, and imaginative lives as profoundly as did the original emergence of domestic species." The United States, Britain, and a few other countries are leading a move from domesticity, marked by nearly universal familiarity with domestic species, to an era of postdomesticity, in which dependence on animal products continues but most people have no contact with producing animals. Elective vegetarianism and the animal-liberation movement have combined with new attitudes toward animal science, pets, and the presentation of animals in popular culture to impart a distinctive moral, psychological, and spiritual tone to postdomestic life.

Customer Reviews:

A remarkable text from academia's renaissance man.......2005-12-05

I have had the good fortune to take Richard Bulliet's class at Columbia University on the past, present and future of human-animal relations. Suffice it to say that Bulliet is the truest of academic renaissance individuals - I have taken classes of his on medieval Iranian history and "America and the Muslim World," and found each more entertaining than the next.

Bulliet has broken new ground here and provided us with a text that is accessible far and wide, a book that on its surface may appear to appeal only to a niche of Peter Singer-ites and, perhaps, that professor's intellectual sparring partners, but in fact offers lessons and eye-opening narratives on topics many of us have never stopped to consider.

"Hunters, Herders and Hamburgers" is the perfect book for anyone who is intellectually curious, and I heartily recommend it, especially to those who rarely stop to consider our relations with the "lesser species."

Average customer rating:

The Future of Memory
Andres Jaroslavsky
Manufacturer: Latin America Bureau
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Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1899365559

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