Blessed Unrest: How the Largest Movement in the World Came into Being and Why No One Saw It Coming

Book Description

One of the world's most influential environmentalists reveals a worldwide grassroots movement of hope and humanity

Blessed Unrest tells the story of a worldwide movement that is largely unseen by politicians or the media. Hawken, an environmentalist and author, has spent more than a decade researching organizations dedicated to restoring the environment and fostering social justice. From billion-dollar nonprofits to single-person causes, these organizations collectively comprise the largest movement on earth. This is a movement that has no name, leader, or location, but is in every city, town, and culture. It is organizing from the bottom up and is emerging as an extraordinary and creative expression of people's needs worldwide.

Blessed Unrest explores the diversity of this movement, its brilliant ideas, innovative strategies, and centuries-old history. The culmination of Hawken's many years of leadership in these fields, it will inspire, surprise, and delight anyone who is worried about the direction the modern world is headed. Blessed Unrest is a description of humanity's collective genius and the unstoppable movement to re-imagine our relationship to the environment and one another. Like Hawken's previous books, Blessed Unrest will become a classic in its field— a touchstone for anyone concerned about our future.

Customer Reviews:

Creating a base of solid ground for The Movement.......2007-10-04

This work by Paul Hawken is so affirming and awe inspiring it should be rated 10 stars. It creates a base of solid ground for the thousands of strands of The Movement to join hands and connect and move out from.

I would suggest reading the introduction to The Appendix first to get an understanding of what Hawken and all who contributed to the effort have accomplished. Browse through The Appendix, discover what it means and what it represents. Then read the last chapter. Then start over at the beginning of the book. As you are reading note Hawken's reminders of the importance of singing and dancing along with all the hard work.

Not only are organizations interwoven in this work, but authors, thinkers, poets whom I have loved through the years are referenced and quoted. Again tying strands together. This book is a blessed gift.

The Unconquered Underground.......2007-09-22

This book surely deserves its nearly universal praise, but I'm going to have to throw a wrench into the works by pointing out a few of its structural flaws. As a widely-read conservationist I can credit Paul Hawken as one of the best modern writers and thinkers on our movement, and his classic "Natural Capitalism" is my absolute all-time favorite from the genre. "Blessed Unrest" will surely be a groundbreaker and it could seriously be influential for millions of people for decades to come. But the proof is actually in the appendix (which takes up more than a third of the book), while the main text is faintly disappointing in a few structural ways. In a nutshell, the relatively short main text covers Hawken's research into the quietly rising social movement around the world of literally millions of small organizations that are combining environmentalism, civil rights, and social justice in ways that are revitalizing democracy, conservation, and the human spirit for volunteerism. Most importantly, this movement utilizes ideas and not ideologies, and is inclusive rather than exclusive.

This is a crucially important topic and Hawken is doing the world a great service by bringing this immense but little-respected mass movement into the light. However, only one chapter in the book's main text ("Immunity") and a few other passages really focus specifically on this great movement and how exemplary groups are creating real change. Instead, most of the main text functions as a lengthy introduction that accomplishes little more than a set-up for the appendix. Hawken fills these pages with a fairly standard history of the environmental movement and the latest developments in conservationist philosophy. Of course this material is informative and necessary, but similar information can be found in myriad other books, and here it becomes quite predictable and detracts from the specifics of the unique worldwide movement that this book is supposed to be about. Thus the book becomes a bit of a disappointment for those who have been attracted by its promotional materials, which promise coverage of the movement itself, not its less specific historical underpinnings.

With that being said, the book is saved by the immense appendix, which is built from the crucial and valuable database of small worldwide organizations at the WiserEarth website. Here we can see the movement in full flower, with a useful categorization of volunteer efforts into a mindboggling array of topics that combine conservation of the Earth's gifts and justice for humanity. This book will be vastly influential merely for drawing attention to this outstanding online resource. Overall, Hawken remains at the top of the heap for influential and inspirational conservationist writers, but just beware of this book's structural limitations. [~doomsdayer520~]

A thought provoking and revealing book, an absolute masterpiece by a genuis.......2007-09-14

After many years of reading, one book stands out, this is it, this is one of the best books that I have ever read, it reveals many truths not found in regular books, like where we are heading as human beings, and about how we are destroying the environment and upsetting the fragile ecological balance of mother earth etc. I've been book marking many pages and am amazed by the wisdom and inspiration of this book.

It mentions how civilizations, species, indigenous people and cultures are being destroyed by greed and materialism, by most of us, it talks about Columbus and colonialism and how it has destroyed entire cultures and civilizations, quote "Native people have remarked that, of the many promises made by white men, the only one that they kept was the vow to take their land"

Most popular books available today are about "How to succeed", "How to make more money" "How to open a franchise" " "How to market", "How to get an MBA" etc, there are very few books on morality, wisdom, truth, divinity, modesty, humbleness, respect, protection of the environment, protection of animals etc.

It reminds us that from our very first day at school, through high school and college, we are mostly taught about making money and materialism, getting and spending etc, we have thus become modern day slaves to banks and the wealthy in the form of mounting debt, we are debt ridden all our lives and it takes a lifetime to pay off this debt, part of the ultimate consumer society.

Today, markets and currencies are manipulated by wealthy nations, and poorer nations are at the mercy of industrialized nations, sadly poorer countries are exploited by trading their minerals, diamonds, gold, raw materials, forests etc. by wealthier nations and are paid for in kind by weapons and armaments, which are then used for committing genocide on their own people while wealthy nations enjoy all the material comforts and luxurious life at the expense of the poor.

Hawkens mentions that businesses talk about adding value and making higher profits to satisfy shareholders, but at what price, profit without consequence is what they are practicing, they do not think about the destruction to the environment and natural resources, the practice of a 'profits at any cost' will lead to a scorched earth, which threatens our very existence on planet earth.

Globalization only benefits wealthy and highly industrialized nations, it results in exploitation of resources in poorer nations, destroying their cultures, natural resources and the environment so that more profits can be made by the wealthy, i.e. profits without shame, the best example is China, which has the worst human right's record and worker abuses bordering on slavery, only a handful of wealthy Chinese folks and the Communist Party are benefiting from it, what a pity. Globalization is the modern day equivalent of imperialism and colonization, sadly the rich get richer and the poor suffer.

Paul Hawkens is a true visionary and a genius, this book has many spiritual insights. it should become a prescribed text book in high schools and colleges around the world.

Bharat V. P.
Ohio (Lenasia, SA)

A RAY OF HOPE IN THIS PROFIT-BEFORE -PEOPLE WORLD.......2007-09-13

I have just read and am happy to recommend Blessed Unrest: How the Largest Movement in the World Came into Being and Why No One Saw It Coming. " Blessed Unrest" is that restlessness and energy that humans of conscience and good will experience when they encounter such evils as injustice, poverty, and wanton damage to the environment.

Author Paul Hawken posits a worldwide coalescing (aided by the World Wide Web) of over a million grass-roots organizations, non-government organizations, relief agencies, and a few enlightened persons and organizations of wealth and influence (e.g., Warren Buffett, the Omidyar Network), each with its special focus, but all sharing a vision of a healed and equitable earth. He likens this unrest to the body's little understood but marvelously effective immune system

This book is partly about profits-before-people social injustice, and climate change, and it cites at length the many shocking global injustices and environmental catastrophes caused by governments (including ours), transnational corporations, the military, and so on. Although you may know of some such instances, Hawken details many examples you may not have known before, concerning Bechtel, The IMF, Exxon-Mobile and Conoco, the World Bank, The WTO, and many others. For example. he describes at length how the massive peaceful demonstrations at WTO's Third Ministerial in Seattle in 1999 were turned into "riots" by over-reactive police and sensationalist reporting by the media.

Another example: The World Bank forced Bolivia (the 5th poorest nation in the world) to privatize a water system to a company partially owned by multinational corporation Bechtel, resulting in water rates to Bolivia's poor becoming higher than for wealthy Bechtel executives living near San Francisco

Hawken holds up two bright red flags regarding our future. In 2005, the Millenium Ecoystem Assessment report, a consensus representing over 1,000 international scientists, concluded that the earth is rapidly losing its ability to support life as we know it due to pollution and environmental degradation and could soon enter a precipitous decline. The second red flag is the separate and rapidly increasing threat of climate change, a human-caused phenomenon recently emphasized in the media. His conclusion is that in order to preserve and heal the earth, and its climate, we must simultaneously address and heal social injustices, including of poverty, ignorance, biases of race, religion, nationality, and culture.

You may read other reviews of this book by Googling the author and title. Hawken is also the author of Natural Capitalism, which former President Clinton has named one of the five most important books in the world today. In its exposition of the world-wide "underground" massing of forces of social change, Blessed Unrest is the only recent book of this kind I have read that gives me a shred of hope for the future.

One caution: as you read, have a good dictionary at your side, unless such words as eutrophication and fungible are part of your daily word bank. For sure, Hawken has not written Blessed Unrest for Dummies. But please consider reading this book; it is informative, hopeful, and important.

Important Book.......2007-09-08

Extremely well-written, insightful, brilliant analysis of what we're all doing to our planet. Grim, yet optimistic.

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Handbook on Urban Sustainability

Manufacturer: Springer
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1402053509

Product Description

Municipal authorities and agencies around the world are striving to place their cities on the road to sustainability. Cities, as very complex entities, offer a constant interaction between people, resources and the environment. This makes strategic planning demanding and difficult.

This book, written by worldwide specialists from Canada, India, Italy, Palestine, Peru, Spain and the Netherlands, is a guide to establishing a city on a sustainable path. It addresses sustainable urban planning issues by breaking the city down to its main components. The authors analyze and discuss such topics as:

urban social and economic factors, including immigration and cultural integration, the gender component, the formation of slums, and social indicators

the interaction of the city with the environment, including the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)

urban and regional economics, including specialization and dependency, asset management, and community facilities

the relationship of a city within its region

urban planning, including urban sprawl and core revitalization

housing and relocation, including such concepts as community participation

degradation and measures to reverse this situation

energy needs, transportation management, basic infrastructural services, the generation and disposal of waste, and water in the region

a citys preparedness, including risk analysis and contingency plans

urban reconstruction after disasters

The concluding chapters provide a what to do and how to do it practical roadmap for implementing a sustainability program.

Book Description

Go beyond the ordinary, with Bruce Jansson's groundbreaking look at the ins-and-outs of conducting policy-practice. BECOMING AN EFFECTIVE POLICY ADVOCATE gives you hands-on experience building the skills that will empower you to implement policy reform as an effective social work practitioner Jansson includes case studies and examples that illustrate how and why policy is important as well as a toolbox of strategies to help you implement policy reform over the course of your own career. And to enhance your course experience, this text features access to ThomsonNOW, an integrated online suite of services and resources that will help you save time, focus your study, and get the grade you want!

Customer Reviews:

Essential text on social policy and change.......2004-12-31

Although I am not a social worker, Jansson's text is proving very useful for finishing my legislative analysis paper--and completing field work. A hallmark of his writing is the desire to ensure the reader knows how close (and therefore permeable) government is to our daily lives.

Jansson's book is certainly well researched, but he does not use the long resource list as a justification for ailenating his readers (and potential colleagues). He specifically wants people to become and remain interested in this information. Throughout the book, the reader learns this information IS important and is completely different from academic filler and/or abstract theory which does not neccessarily work in their post-degree workplaces.

It is formally listed for social work, but this book would also be a great text for government/political science, public administration, and even some social science (women's studies, multicultural studies...etc) classes.

The BEST policy text........2002-01-05

I have adopted this text for my social policy course since the first edition.

The hallmark to Jansson text is that he offers the best framework for generalist practice. Other policy textbooks perceive policy-making as an enterprise dominated by great persons who direct great ideas on a macro level. Policy, in this sense, is the development and maintenance of programs like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security. Jansson makes it clear that policy encompasses all aspects of social work intervention. For example, Jansson offers students a framework to comprehend the lack of adequate parking spaces on campus and -- what to do about it. Thus, Jansson enables the student to understand that policies operate on the micro, mezzo and macro levels.

Jansson spends most of his energy on the application of micro policy issues. This is most appropriate for two reasons. First, I estimate that 90% of social work graduates who are required to read this text will face micro policy issues on a daily basis. Unless they reflect back on what they learn from Jansson, they won't realize it. Second, for those who actually obtain policy positions, it is unlikely that they will be involved in making grand decisions in the arena of what is thought to be classic policies (e.g. Social Security). They are most likely to be making policy decisions regarding the use of the copy machine, discharging staff, hiring (including issues like affirmation action for the agency staff) etc. No other text will assist the student in these areas as much as Jansson.

There is no doubt in my mind that Jansson offers the BEST text for a social policy course. However, he has one serious limitation. His writing is terrible. He can't seem to write in an economical manner. In a discussion in an open forum, I made this observation. Other professors thanked me. Everyone in the room knew it was true, but no one wanted to say it aloud - except perhaps me.

The bottom line is, Jansson offers the best text for a social policy course. However, his writing is overly sophisticated, students must be spoon-fed this framework. Once students comprehend his essential points, they have a clear understanding of policy development and maintenance. Some of them, because of Jansson, decide to pursue a career in policy rather than clinical social work.

Understanding Social Welfare: A Search for Social Justice (7th Edition)
Average customer rating:

School Book

Understanding Social Welfare: A Search for Social Justice (7th Edition)
Ralph Dolgoff , and Donald Feldstein
Manufacturer: Allyn & Bacon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Social Services & Welfare | Poverty | Current Events | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
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Similar Items:

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Short-Term Treatment and Social Work Practice: An Integrative Perspective

ASIN: 0205478069

Book Description

Understanding Social Welfare introduces readers to the issues, historical influences, trends, methods of operation, and unresolved conflicts of American social welfare. This well-organized, comprehensive, and scholarly book is accessible to social workers and helps them acquire the basic tools for understanding, analyzing, and evaluating social welfare policies and programs. The book focuses on the impact of social structure on people's lives, emphasizing the current concerns of a diverse client population, and incorporating the latest social welfare legislation. For those involved with social welfare and policy.

Customer Reviews:

School Book.......2007-04-02

Arrived really quickly, just in time for school.
As to the content -- its very informative, gives an overall history and perspective of the evolution of social work in the U.S.

From the Ground Up: Environmental Racism and the Rise of the Environmental Justice Movement (Critical America Series)

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Enviromental justice and grassroots advocacy
Environmental Justice
Understanding Environmental Justice

From the Ground Up: Environmental Racism and the Rise of the Environmental Justice Movement (Critical America Series)
Luke Cole , and Sheila Foster
Manufacturer: NYU Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0814715370
Release Date: 2000-11-01

Book Description

"They assess the effectiveness of the organizing tactics employed, casting particular scrutiny on the courts as agents of social change...The authors have presented concrete examples, all the while making clear that there are no road maps for successful organizing."
— New York Law Journal

"This is an important and unusual book….It is an academic book on an important issue
—the environmental justice movement
—that is timely and relevant."
—Argumentation and Advocacy

When Bill Clinton signed an Executive Order on Environmental Justice in 1994, the phenomenon of environmental racism--the disproportionate impact of environmental hazards, particularly toxic waste dumps and polluting factories, on people of color and low-income communities--gained unprecedented recognition. Behind the President's signature, however, lies a remarkable tale of grassroots activism and political mobilization. Today, thousands of activists in hundreds of locales are fighting for their children, their communities, their quality of life, and their health.

From the Ground Up critically examines one of the fastest growing social movements in the United States, the movement for environmental justice. Tracing the movement's roots, Luke Cole and Sheila Foster combine long-time activism with powerful storytelling to provide gripping case studies of communities across the U.S--towns like Kettleman City, California; Chester, Pennsylvania; and Dilkon, Arizona--and their struggles against corporate polluters. The authors effectively use social, economic and legal analysis to illustrate the historical and contemporary causes for environmental racism. Environmental justice struggles, they demonstrate, transform individuals, communities, institutions and even the nation as a whole.

Customer Reviews:

Enviromental justice and grassroots advocacy.......2001-05-26

Anyone interested in community organizing, legal advocacy on behalf of community groups, and environmental justice work will benefit from this book's in-depth analysis of the struggles and achievements of neighborhood groups battling environmental injustice, and its valuable insights into community organizing strategies and the role of lawyers and the legal system in promoting social change. Although the authors fully acknowledge the prevalence of racism in our society and the lack of easy fixes to the problems faced by disadvantaged communities, they nevertheless convey an inspiring sense of idealism and optimism about the future possibilities for "the movement".

Environmental Justice.......2001-03-17

The story tells about history and environment racism. It has a very good idea of racism. It also talks about environmental justice. People would like this book. Two thumbs and eight fingers up!

Understanding Environmental Justice.......2001-03-17

For those people who want a wide-ranging introduction to the environmental justice movement and its legal arm, this is the place to turn. Written by a movement lawyer activist and a legal academic, this book captures the social and legal evolution of the environmental justice movement in a way that highlights the work of the communities themselves. Vigorously written, the book would be worth the price just for the chapter on transformative politics and its comprehensive annotated bibliography. A must have.

The Rich Get Richer and the Poor Get Prison: Ideology, Class, and Criminal Justice, Seventh Edition

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More Complex than Poverty = Crime
Gnius
Here we go again.
Knock-Knock! Time to Wake Up!
"But 6 rings and I rise, wipe the sleep out from my eyes"

The Rich Get Richer and the Poor Get Prison: Ideology, Class, and Criminal Justice, Seventh Edition
Jeffrey Reiman
Manufacturer: Allyn & Bacon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Crime and the American Dream (Wadsworth Series in Criminological Theory)
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The Color of Justice: Race, Ethnicity, and Crime in America
Theories of Crime (2nd Edition)

ASIN: 0205386644

Book Description

What if our criminal justice system is biased against the poor from start to finish - from the definition of what constitutes a crime through the process of arrest, trial, and sentencing? The author argues that actions of well-off people - refusal to make workplaces safe, refusal to curtail deadly pollution, promotion of unnecessary surgery, prescription of unnecessary drugs, etc. - cause occupational and environmental hazards to innocent members of the public and produce as much death, destruction, and financial loss as so-called crimes of the poor. However, these crimes of the well-off are rarely treated as severely as those of the poor. Reiman documents the extent of anti-poor bias in arrest, conviction, and sentencing practices and shows that the bias is conjoined with a general refusal to remedy the causes of crime - poverty, poor education, and discrimination. As a result, the criminal justice system fails to reduce crime. The author uses numerous studies and examples to illustrate his points, and difficult concepts are explained in a non-technical manner. The book is a useful counter to the uproar about crime. It provokes thought and discussion, even among people who disagree with its content. For anyone interested in issues of class, social deviance, ethics, or criminal justice.

Customer Reviews:

More Complex than Poverty = Crime.......2002-12-20

Professor Reiman's book goes beyond what is perceived as the usual worn out academic argument of blaming crime on poverty. The book is very clear that the problem of crime is much more complex than a simple correlation of "poverty causes crime." The main point of the book is that capitalism causes crime. Capitalism also causes poverty, but further, capitalism causes greed and power. Reiman makes an important move (though not the first one to do so) by looking into white-collar crime and how the rich are getting richer by breaking serious laws that have a huge impact on our economy and our society's general quality of life; while the poor are getting prison for committing crimes with far less macro ramifications for society. White-collar crime is linked to poverty only in the since that without poverty, white-collar crime would not be possible. This takes us back to the position that capitalism causes crime. However, Reiman is careful not to be a believer in utopian ideals. There is no suggestion in his book that crime would disappear if our society were to move toward, or become, a just society. The point is that crime would be less necessary if poverty and greed were not social norms.

Professor Reiman constructs a well researched argument to show why our prisons are overflowing with people who were under-represented (if at all) in court because their economic status caused them to have an incompetent or over-worked court appointed attorney; while people like Kenneth Lay are still free and endangering our society. This book is an important tool for understanding current social relations and what we have to do before we can be safe and free.

Gnius.......2002-11-27

I found Reiman's work to be of high scholarly value to any critical thinker regardless of field. He willingly unravels myths that have long banded our eyes to the deeper anomalies and injustices of this 'criminal' 'justice' SYSTEM. Hopefully, others in related fields will follow his example, not readily accepting the obvious impression as a true impression, but to test what is a real image and what is distorted.

Here we go again........2002-08-27

This book contains the usual worn out far left liberal drivel that college profesors have been trying to shove down the throats of uninformed students since the 60's. In particular, the author's attempt to blame crime on poverty, etc. etc. leaves me nauseous. Has he ever considered that our culture's failure to teach its young about moral absolutes might be a contributing factor? He is entitled to his opinions, however misinformed they may be, but the book should come jacketed with a warning label.

Knock-Knock! Time to Wake Up!.......2001-08-06

Professor Reiman's latest work is on point. The citizens of this country who read, who vote, who have some degree of influence over politicians must start to work now. Work as if you were marching to the railroad siding and the cattle cars and the eventual Final Solution. The US Constitution and the body of laws in the USA are perverted and only you can help. Jeff Reiman's clear and exciting words spell out the problem and the solution. After reading this book you will want to take one of Professor Reiman's CJ Courses ... I was one of his students in the 1970's at American University and his was the only class I really wanted to be in!

"But 6 rings and I rise, wipe the sleep out from my eyes".......2001-02-10

This is a wake-up call. Jeffrey Reiman presents us an impeccably researched, very forceful argument against the criminal justice system as it is. He makes some claims that initially seem incredibly shocking and wild, but by the time you finish you'll at least understand if not fully agree.

Basically, Reiman lays out how the criminal justice system has, over time and unintentionally, become the center of a class struggle. He argues that those in power receive the benefits, and the poorest suffer for their gain. He focuses on the ignorance of the fact that the upper classes are causing the most harm much of the time, yet still receive much lighter sentences than the relatively minor crimes of the poor. He touches on the idiocy of the wildly unsuccessful War on Drugs; the need for effective gun control; and the solutions lying within the alleviation of the harsh realities of poor, inner-city life.

His politics are far left; in fact, a little left of far left. This book is not for the faint of heart (he proposes the legalization of heroin at one point) or Republicans (probably most Democrats will find themselves a bit uncomfortable, too.) It's a fascinating, tight argument though that will at the very least create realization of some strong feelings regarding the criminal justice process.

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(RAW Rating: 4.5) - What is happening to black men?

Why Are So Many Black Men In Prison? A Comprehensive Account Of How And Why The Prison Industry Has Become A Predatory Entity In

A Must Read

Why are so many Black Men in Prison?

Why are so many blacks in prison?

Why Are So Many Black Men in Prison?
Demico Boothe
Manufacturer: Xlibris Corporation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1425713971

Customer Reviews:

(RAW Rating: 4.5) - What is happening to black men?.......2007-08-04

Demico Boothe has explored the reasons so many black men are indeed in prison in, WHY ARE SO MANY BLACK MEN IN PRISON? He begins with his own story of a shaky upbringing and his subsequent dabbling in drug dealing. He was caught with a few grams of crack cocaine but because it was the dreaded crack, he was given 10 years in prison. When he left prison after serving his time, he was actually railroaded back into prison by a crooked justice system. He delves deeply into our justice system and the motives behind all the new prisons that are being built. He gives succinct and reasonable views of exactly what is happening now in the United States and how the past has played a role in the present. He uses persuasive statistics regarding the number of black men in prison as compared to the number of white men who are incarcerated.

Demico Boothe has done an excellent job of researching his subject and it is a plus, if unfortunate for him, that he has actually experienced first hand what he's talking about. I knew I was hearing the real story rather than just statistics from an intellectual who had no real idea of what the prison system is really like. I would have liked for Boothe to search a little deeper into the Haiti, Aristide and USA question, maybe even reading Randall Robinson's take on the situation, and then he might see it a bit differently. Otherwise, it is a good book and one every one in America should read. We indeed, have a crisis going on.

Reviewed by Alice Holman
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

Why Are So Many Black Men In Prison? A Comprehensive Account Of How And Why The Prison Industry Has Become A Predatory Entity In.......2007-06-09

The book was very interesting. I learned soooo much about the government and the prison industry. I did some searching independantly to check on the things reported in the book and they are very true. Great Read!! Buy the book.

A Must Read.......2007-05-25

Mr. Demico's book is a must-read for anyone concerned about young African American men. Although I did not agree with every conclusion he reached, Demico's main premises are convincing. As a white woman who teaches mainly students of color, I am always impressed, and often in awe, of those young men who reach college with so much going against them. Demico's books lays bare not only the horrible inequalities of our society, but also the racist attitudes of our political system - - Democrats, Republicans, and most everyone in between.

Why are so many Black Men in Prison?.......2007-05-13

I is a well put together book. He really goes into a lot of detail of how our society is really set up.

Why are so many blacks in prison?.......2007-05-12

I found this book very interesting. As a white devil myself, I had no idea that I was responsible for forcing blacks into committing crimes and then subsequently clogging up the whole "Prison Industrial Complex"(tm). I will try to stop causing this, as I am sure it is creating a LOT of trouble for everyone! Sorry!

It is probably also my fault that young black men dressed in XXXXL clothes overtly threaten me and my family members routinely. Can anyone tell me what I should do to make this not happen?

I imagine it's also my fault that black on white violent crime is WAY higher than white on black violent crime, even though blacks constitute about 12.5% of the population, and whites are about 70%. But since it is impossible for a black to commit a hate crime according to our criminal justice system (since blacks are not under any circumstances racist), statistically, there are more white on black hate crimes. Boothe notes a statistic regarding hate crimes, but he skips the one about interracial violence in general.

In sum, Boothe notes that just about everything blacks do is actually MY fault, because my skin is white. Boothe, I've got a word for you.

Introspection.

Albert Camus the Algerian: Colonialism, Terrorism, Justice

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Albert Camus the Algerian: Colonialism, Terrorism, Justice
David Carroll
Manufacturer: Columbia University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

French | World Literature | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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The Burden of Responsibility: Blum, Camus, Aron, and the French Twentieth Century
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Camus at "Combat": Writing 1944-1947
The First Man
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ASIN: 023114086X

Book Description

In this original reading of Albert Camus' novels, short stories, and political essays, David Carroll concentrates on Camus' conflicted relationship with his Algerian background and finds important critical insights into questions of justice, the effects of colonial oppression, and the deadly cycle of terrorism and counterterrorism that characterized the Algerian War and continues to surface in the devastation of postcolonial wars today.

During France's "dirty war" in Algeria, Camus called for an end to the violence perpetrated against civilians by both France and the Algerian National Liberation Front (FLN) and supported the creation of a postcolonial, multicultural, and democratic Algeria. His position was rejected by most of his contemporaries on the Left and has, ironically, earned him the title of colonialist sympathizer as well as the scorn of important postcolonial critics.

Carroll rescues Camus' work from such criticism by emphasizing the Algerian dimensions of his literary and philosophical texts and by highlighting in his novels and short stories his understanding of both the injustice of colonialism and the tragic nature of Algeria's struggle for independence. By refusing to accept that the sacrifice of innocent human lives can ever be justified, even in the pursuit of noble political goals, and by rejecting simple, ideological binaries (West vs. East, Christian vs. Muslim, "us" vs. "them," good vs. evil), Camus' work offers an alternative to the stark choices that characterized his troubled times and continue to define our own.

"What they didn't like, was the Algerian, in him," Camus wrote of his fictional double in The First Man. Not only should "the Algerian" in Camus be "liked," Carroll argues, but the Algerian dimensions of his literary and political texts constitute a crucial part of their continuing interest. Carroll's reading also shows why Camus' critical perspective has much to contribute to contemporary debates stemming from the global "war on terror."

Christian Justice and Public Policy (Cambridge Studies in Ideology and Religion)

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Christian Justice and Public Policy (Cambridge Studies in Ideology and Religion)
Duncan B. Forrester
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0521556112

Book Description

This book contributes to contemporary debates about justice from the perspective of Christian social ethics. Professor Forrester examines some secular theories from a theological viewpoint, and surveys the policies and practices these theories are supposed to support and justify. He argues that Christian theology, although it can no longer claim to provide a comprehensive theory of justice, can provide insights into justice that challenge some aspects of the conventional wisdom, and contribute to the building of just communities.

The Little Book Of Conflict Transformation (The Little Books of Justice and Peacebuilding Series)

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The Little Book Of Conflict Transformation (The Little Books of Justice and Peacebuilding Series)
John Paul Lederach
Manufacturer: Good Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Strategic Peacebuilding (Little Books of Justice & Peacebuilding)
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The Moral Imagination: The Art and Soul of Building Peace
The Little Book of Strategic Negotiation (The Little Books of Justice and Peacebuilding Series) (Little Books of Justice and Peacebuilding)

ASIN: 1561483907

Book Description

This clearly articulated statement offers a hopeful and workable apporach to conflict--that eternally beleaguering human situation.

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