Book Description
In 1991, Chelsea Green published Beyond the Limits, the revision and updating of The Limits of Growth by Dennis and Donella Meadows, and Jorgen Randers. Their book helped greatly to popularize the phrase "sustainable living." Over time at Chelsea Green, our publishing program has sought new and delightful ways to apply the principles of sustainable living. This effort has seen new books published on subjects as diverse as flower farming and building houses from straw bales.
For the most part, however, sustainable living is not a valued concept in the business community, where "growth" is narrowly defined as synonymous with money, and is considered by many to be the sole indicator of success. This is the world in which Ray Anderson was reared. After graduating as an industrial engineer from Georgia Tech, where he also played on the football team, he followed a traditional and successful business path, until in 1973 he was bitten by the entrepreneurial bug and founded Interface, Inc., a carpet manufacturing company.
Over the next two decades, Interface grew and prospered, a success by most traditional business indicators of growth-revenues, profits, products, and territories. Ray Anderson, however, found himself growing increasingly uneasy, a discomfort that became focused when he read Paul Hawken's book The Ecology of Commerce. It became instantly clear to him that the processes of nature must be incorporated into every aspect of his life, including his company.
Mid-Course Correction is the personal story of Ray Anderson's realization that businesses need to embrace principles of sustainability, and of his efforts, often frustrating, to apply these principles within a billion dollar corporation that is still measured by the standard scorecards of the business world. While the path has proved to have many curves, Interface is demonstrating that the principles of sustainability and financial success can co-exist within a business, and can lead to a new prosperity that includes human dividends as well.
Customer Reviews:
A visionary and transformational company.......2006-07-04
This is the personal and eco-spiritual journey of Ray Anderson - the CEO of Interface, Inc., the world's largest producer of floor coverings. The book chronicals Ray Anderson's mid-life "change of heart" concerning the negative impact his business was having on the eco-systems of earth. Moved by this new awareness, Anderson sets off on an intensive study of the topic (much of which he writes about here) and sets the audacious goal of transforming his company into the first truly sustainable enterprise (which is a work in-progess of course).
Admittedly, much of what Mr. Anderson writes here is an amalgam of the writings of the major environmental proponents of the 80's & 90's, but told in a personalized way as it relates to Interface's carpeting business. He forms a framework and rationale of why sustainable business is essential and gives many useful stories of how Interface struggled to define and achieve continuous improvement in the quest for sustainability - a journey Anderson likens to "climbing Mt. Everest."
Some highlights I found useful include:
+ A vision of prototypical sustainable company of the 21st century
+ The case how technology must move from being part of the problem to being part of the solution to non-sustainability
+ Interface's seven-front plan for achieving sustainability (nice color charts)
+ A great example of how Interface is moving from selling consumable products to be discarded (floorcovering) to providing an ongoing service (replaceable floorcovering that is taken back and recycled using zero-waste, solar-energy processes).
While this book is now 10 years old, it is still relevant and useful - although some concepts are dated (eg: solar is now economically realizable in many places but not written as such). For readers who like books that tell a story, there should be much inspiration here in the author's memoirs. And for those who look for the "how-to" lists, there is a wonderful, comprehensive list of 200-some practices a company can implement to achieve greater sustainability. Those with responsibily to implement sustainable practices should find these highly practical actions invaluable (worth buying the book just for this).
In any societal movement, true visionaries are needed to set the bar and define ultimate goals. Interface is one such organization. However, no organization, business or community is anywhere near being truly sustainable so far. Interface is no where near it, and their recyclable carpet "leasing" program has not quite been a big success - so far - as they miscalculated some customer behaviors needed to change. But it is better than it was years ago which is the basic journey towards truly sustainable products and operations.
Mid-Course Correction: Towards a Sustainable Enterprise: The Interfase Model.......2006-03-17
Let us stop talking about the environment and the need to protect it and start DOING SOMETHING, ANYTHING to achieve a better path towards a more SUSTAINABLE SOCIETY AND WAY OF LIFE! THE TIME IS NOW! I do hope its not too late.
Anselmo De Portu, Environmental Planner
Inspiring.......2003-07-24
I would highly recommend this book for those of you who are convinced big business will eventually destroy our earth.
I was impressed that a non-scientist/engineer would even attempt to write a book like this. His excitement about the potential for saving the environment came through in his text. He laid out the goals his company had set for achieving a state beyond zero waste, returning to the earth as much as was taken from it. I believe it takes a visionary to apply such abstract ideas and commit to making them real. And the fact that he was able to make a business arguement for sustainable development was reassuring because, realistically, if businesses can be convinced that this will help them make money, it is much more likely to happen. That's clearly what I saw with the pollution prevention movement and it just might happen here.
Better Ecology Focus Brings More Profits and a Better World.......2000-11-10
This book deserves more than five stars.
Mr. Anderson has taken an important step forward in leading Interface Corporation towards becoming ecologically neutral. By that phrase, ecologically neutral, I mean taking nothing from and adding nothing to the environment. This concept has become a popular one in Europe beginning in Sweden, in the form of The Natural Step, but has been much more slowly adopted in the United States. Those who are interested in understanding the processes by which a company can pursue improved environmental performance will find many helpful examples in Mid-Course Correction.
What if you don't care about your company's impact on the environment? Mr. Anderson makes a powerful argument based on his experiences at Interface that you should. First, it is much cheaper to produce goods and services if you use less materials and waste less. This means higher profits. Do you care about profits? Second, the pursuit of sustainability attracts many new customers and better supplier relationships. That also means higher profits. Third, people feel better about themselves. Do you like to feel better about yourself? Fourth, perhaps you should rethink your position about the environment. Even if we have enough for now, if we waste it, we are robbing our own descendents at some point of a good quality life. Mr. Anderson describes many cases of where despoilage of nature from overuse has been very expensive and undesirable by anyone's standard.
He also cites many of the leading books on the benefits of an ecologically sustainable business world. In fact, this movement will become a disruptive technology by making those who waste unable to compete with those who do not. Think about it.
To me, the value in the book is in Mr. Anderson's fine example of how to lead towards becoming environmentally sustainable as a company. I have been aware of most of the arguments in favor of this (including The Natural Step), but could not imagine how an American company would go about pursuing this goal. I also could not imagine how it could be reconciled with public ownership of stock. So much for my tiny imagination. Now, with Mr. Anderson's book, I can understand (and so can you) that becoming a sustainable enterprise is simply good business as well as being a good citizen. That will make sense to almost anyone.
After you read this wonderful book, I encourage you to share you copy with another person and ask them to do the same. This message needs to be spread if our companies are to fulfill their potential, and we are to have a world that we can all be proud of and enjoy living in. Then, I urge you to take this one step further, and think about how your family could become an ecologically sustainable unit.
Do good and do well!
Powerful Transformation by Changing Minds.......2000-10-13
Ray Anderson is the CEO of Interface Corporation, a manufacturer of carpet tiles for businesses and hotel chains. After reading Paul Hawken's The Ecology of Commerce and Daniel Quinn's Ishmael, Anderson revolutionized his beliefs and how his company does business. He is now striving for 100-percent sustainability by having zero waste, reusing materials, not using non-renewable resources, such as petroleum, and by leasing his carpet rather than selling it. Why this is important: 1) The obvious reasons such as not being wasteful and polluting, 2) Interface is now a model for all industry, 3) Anderson shows how sustainability is more profitable, and 4) Anderson's model shows that it only takes changing minds to be a successfully revolutionary--not street protests, letters to the editor, petitions, meditation, spiritual consciousness, believing in God, lobbying Congress, protesting governments and/or corporations, and all the typically tried and often painfully slow ways to enact positive change. Brilliant.
Customer Reviews:
Sufficiently Kink-y.......2007-06-27
The album with that may have the longest name in rock history, The Kinks are the Village Green Preservation Society, is now a book. It is part of the "33 1/3" series, now comprising over 40 volumes, with more on the way. Each volume is about an album, with musical acts far ranging from The Band to The Beastie Boys.
This particular volume, about the Ray Davies-led 1968 effort The Kinks are the Village Green Preservation Society, is written by Andy Miller (many different authors have contributed to the series thus far). Seeing is how there wasn't one about Rush, I immediately picked up the one about The Kinks, one of the most underrated bands of the British Invasion.
TKATVGPS is a wonderful album, and being born almost 20 years after its initial release I was completely unaware is was a flop upon release. Miller's volume sheds light on the creation of the album, the recording sessions, and the relationship of the band to the album's material.
It tops out at 150 pages, and it's about six inches high, so it's a nice little volume. It doesn't, however, go into the meaning of the lyrics as much as I'd like, but I think that's a point of personal preference.
Overall, this volume of the 33 1/3 series is pretty well written, and a great gateway to understanding a great album. My only reservation is that the cover price on these is about $10. A couple dollars off of that and I'd be quick to buy several more.
If they have one about an album you're especially fond of, pick t up. This is a very cool series of books, and I hope it continues long into the future.
quick, but insightful reading.......2007-03-09
this book offers track-by-track commentary about the album. i kinda wished there was more information about the begginigs of the band, as there is on other books of this collection. still worth reading though.
A Must Have Book.......2007-02-07
I won't go into specifics, as John Murphy's review did an admirable job already. Miller's book is the best I have read so far in the 33 1/3 series, and is a must own for anyone who loves this album. I'm currently on my 7th time around reading through it.
One thing I want to point out, that I think John Murphy misunderstood, is that at the time this book was written and published (2003), the 3-CD reissue of Village Green had not yet been released (it would come out the following year). The reissue Miller mentions is actually the 1998 CD on Castle, as stated in the Notes at the end of the book.
Erudition without pretension.......2007-02-05
Erudition without pretension, Andy Miller's book eschews the fawning quality of many tributes to classic rock in his thoughtful and well-written study. Not only does he examine the actual tracks that appeared on the original 1968 LP, but he sifts through the many tracks also made around this time by the Kinks, or more specifically it seems nearly all of the time, Ray Davies. Ray definitely is the prime mover here over brother Dave and Mick Avory and Pete Quaife, and the shift by this time from a band to more of a backing band for Ray's ambitious vision and undeniable talent does make for honest if rather sad reading. For, it foreshadows the 70s permutation and the subsequent relegation of musicians to back Ray D. under the Kinks name-- rather than as the earlier band of four musicians working together.
The pressures that Ray was under, the frustration of the band with their own stagnation, the neglect by this time of 1968 to the Kinks' already dated impact, and the semi-obscurity within which the band labored: all make for illuminating background. It's an album that seems an anomaly at first, but Miller carefully shows in convincing fashion the satirical and ironic elements that Davies and mates used to embed trenchant commentary on the foibles both of hidebound eccentric villagers in Little Britain and the hip cognoscenti and acid casualties of the Summer of Love and its aftermath.
Miller does not skim over the album's lesser tracks, nor does he inflate the passable songs into undeniable triumphs. He notes each song and how it strengthens, supports, or merely adds to the layers of observation on a musical and social level of modernity and nostalgia. It, like the LP, makes its points in much more appealing manner than it sounds like on the page! Rather than unmitigated bombast common to so many authors on pop music, Miller takes himself out of the scene. He steps aside. He gives a straightforward account of what works best and so-so and not so well on the album and its complicated history, when practically a whole "lost" Kinks album haunts the tracks officially released.
Of course, you must have heard the album many times to appreciate the comments Miller makes. One difficulty I had was that the newest 3-CD British reissue was mentioned, but not scrutinized in sufficient depth. Since this version of the mono and studio recordings as well as ancillary tracks and discarded and alternate songs is for now the most (if not THE) definitive version fans will have the chance to hear, the lack of in-depth analysis given it remains surprising. The lack of coverage given the choices made for better and worse by the compilers of the 3-CD reissue does make this book less useful than it should have been. Since the long-awaited remastering and reissue of this album filled--if still incompletely--a crucial gap in definitive versions of 60s classic albums in rock and pop, I argue that this (imperfect but the best we will have for awhile if ever) reissue should have been made the standard source upon which Miller based his critique. While the new 3-CD set has many shortcomings, it is the most complete picture to date of how the Kinks sounded at the time around this, their landmark recording.
Although this little volume also suffers since key song lyrics seem to have been quoted only sparingly, perhaps for copyright reasons, if one is familiar with the album already, the encounter with print that enriches the recordings will be more rewarding than not. I do wish much more of the verses Ray D. penned could have been appended; the book suffers severely from its limited quotes of the actual song lyrics. Apposite allusions to Orwell, Goldsmith, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and the English poetic pastoral tradition of renewable pessimism in the guise of nostalgia make this book an intelligent and welcome entry in the Crossroads series.
My wife was reading the Crossroads volume on the Replacements' "Let it Be" by the Decemberists' Colin Meloy at the same time I read Miller on TKATVGPS, and my choice certainly shone all the brighter by comparison with the rather puerile gush and self-conscious autobiographical take Meloy did for his album choice. Miller keeps away from such potential pitfalls. He gives us a reading of the album that brings primary research, archival investigation, and carefully nuanced criticism together for an efficient, worthwhile, and satisfying read.
A Perfect Compliment to the Album.......2006-06-05
Though the 3 cd reissue of Village Green Preservation Society is excellent, it lacks extensive liner notes that shed more light on it. This book details everything about the album, the band during that period, the recording sessions and how it translated live. The analysis is crucial. While the Kinks after their sound matured were masters at social commentary what they were expressing in their songs was not always obvious if you weren't there at the time. For example the song on Village Green "Last of the Steam Powered Trains" is referring (at least according to the book) about a blues rave up by Howlin' Wolf "Smokestack Lightning" that was a live staple of all the bands at that time until psychadelia encroached which made the music instantly nostalgic. The book expertly picks through the threads that that the album is woven from. I find all the books in this series to be enlightening but the ones that are the notable discuss albums that haven't been already picked apart by rock critics (e.g. Neutral Milk Hotel) and while the Kinks have been around for a while this book offers a fresh perspective on an album that not only has not dated but with its then unique mix of nostalgia and cynicism become ripe for discussion.
Average customer rating:
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Sustainable Architecture: The Green Buildings of Nikken Sekkei
Manufacturer: Academy Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 General
| Architecture
| Professional & Technical
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Reference
| Architecture
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General
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| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
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| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
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Professional
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
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ASIN: 0471864579 |
Book Description
The concept of sustainable architecture has a high profile at present, as we are become increasingly aware of our responsibilities towards the preservation of our planet. Nikken Sekkei is an architectural firm known for its consideration of the environmental consequences of its buildings, and this will be the first book to give a comprehensive coverage of this aspect of their work to date.
Book Description
When the Morning Post writes about the legendary Green Ray's elevating effects on the mind and soul, Helena Campbell vows to experience it for herself, postponing the wedding being forced upon her against her will. Together with her uncles, Sam and Sib Melville, she sets off on what becomes a near-epic quest. Joining them in the search are two would-be suitors for Helena, one an artist, the other an amateur scientist. Together, they will voyage to a distant shore--and beyond--braving hurricanes, testing their patience and resolve, and ultimately finding their own true selves. A Wildside Fiction Classic, long unavailable in any form.
Download Description
When the Morning Post writes about the legendary Green Ray's elevating effects on the mind and soul, Helena Campbell vows to experience it for herself, postponing the wedding being forced upon her against her will. Together with her uncles, Sam and Sib Melville, she sets off on what becomes a near-epic quest. Joining them in the search for the Green Ray are two would-be suitors for Helena, one an artist, the other an amateur scientist. Together, this little band will voyage to a distant shore--and beyond--braving hurricanes, testing their patience and resolve, and ultimately finding their own true selves. A Wildside Fiction Classic, long unavailable in any form.
Customer Reviews:
Difficult Heroines Soak Summer's Last Rays . . ........2003-12-25
Verne's Helena hears of the Green Ray from a newspaper article. Delphine of French director Eric Rohmer's "Summer" hears friends discussing Verne's book. And so the book cannot help but be of interest to fans of Rohmer's eccenetric talkies. It is worth the read, but a few warnings might be in order.
Rohmer writes and directs in a post feminist age in which love is universally viewed as the perogative of the lovers, but in which its expression is so free and expected that nothing is clear to the lovers.
Verne writes to a rationalist age in which the attitudes of science and business are ascendant, romance is presumed to follow suit, and so love is not clear to anyone except the lovers.
Those expecting Verne to be writing about the lovers will be disappointed. Rohmer writes about lovers, and in retrospect it is easy to see how Rohmer got his idea from Verne. But Verne writes about social expectations and matchmaking. The irony is all the higher in realizing that Rohmer dwelt on the insights of the matchmakers in other movies, notably Autumn's Tale, but not in Summer.
Both heroines are annoying. Verne's is psychotically so. When compared with, say, a Jane Austen heroine, she is impulsive and one dimensional. But perhaps she is all that is required in a short moral tale. Because I expected more, and because the book is so dated in its context and references, I gave it only three stars, but fans of Rohmer's movie should add back one star. And students of romantic history, because of a rare reference to an old Gaelic tradition, St. Olla's Fair, apparently resembling the Roman festival of Lupercalia (pre-Valentine's), should add back another star.
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Embracing Cyprus: The Path to Unity in the New Europe
Pauline Green , and
Ray Collins
Manufacturer: I. B. Tauris
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
| Europe
| History
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| Freedom & Security
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Systems Of Government
| Political Science
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| Islamic Government
| Monarchy
| Representative Government
ASIN: 1860648401 |
Book Description
When Archbishop Makarios was toppled as President of Cyprus in a 1974 coup, and Turkish forces invaded the island, few saw Cyprus as part of the incipient drive to create a new Europe. Yet, as the authors reveal here, behind the rhetoric of the politicians there is a growing view among Greek and Turkish Cypriots that the solution to Cyprus's problems lies within the gift of Europe. They argue that the intercommunal stand-off can only be diffused and ultimately resolved by firmly embedding Cyprus within Europe.
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- The finest tribute to a great man
- A wonderful insight into the philosophy of Walt Disney
- The "real" Walt Disney
- A GOOFY VALENTINE TO THE MAN WHO WOULD BE KING
- Excellent Book
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Remembering Walt
Amy Boothe Green ,
Howard E. Green , and
Ray Bradbury
Manufacturer: Disney Editions
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Entertainers
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Disney, Walt
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Similar Items:
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WALT DISNEY: AN AMERICAN ORIGINAL
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Quotable Walt Disney
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Walt Disney: The Triumph of the American Imagination
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BUILDING A COMPANY: ROY O. DISNEY AND THE CREATION OF AN ENTERTAINMENT EMPIRE
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Inside the Dream
ASIN: 078686348X |
Book Description
Larger than life, Disney has become synonymous with brilliant animation and magnificent theme parks. But what about the man himself? In this collection of remembrances, more than one hundred people recall the ways their lives were touched by this complex, remarkable man: animators who trained under him; directors inspired by his vision; actors who sought him out for advice and support; and family members who knew him best of all. There are many revealing insights about a man whose energy and imagination sparked a million ideas.
Customer Reviews:
The finest tribute to a great man.......2003-11-18
I was very happy while reading this book. I found all the things Walt's aquaintances had to say about him very interesting and credible. Very little seemed sugar coated (as Disney personel seem to be sometimes). I would make the assumption that Walt's personality was portrayed correctly by the many people that knew him. Throughout the course of reading this book I kept thinking about the quote that one amazon reviewer said that made me buy this book in the first place, "makes me wish I knew that man."
A wonderful insight into the philosophy of Walt Disney.......2003-10-26
This book is exactly as one would expect by reading the title. It's just quote after quote from people who knew Walt Disney best. I liked that many of his former employees were interviewed. Since I was familiar with some of the animators, imagineers, and actors it made it a more personal thing for me when reading this book. There are also many pictures that show Walt during all the different periods of his life, though the majority of them are during his successful years heading the Disney corporation. I share the sympathy of another reviewer who said that after reading this book they wished they had known Walt Disney. I think a person who really admires the Disney empire will share the same sentiments about the man who dared to dream.
The "real" Walt Disney.......2003-03-17
The heart of Walt Disney is perfectly captured in this landmark remembrance. Represented through vintage studio and family photographs, combined with personal, first-hand memories from those who knew and worked with Walt, this book is the perfect cornerstone to any Walt Disney library.
Take your time. You'll want to enjoy this book forever.
A GOOFY VALENTINE TO THE MAN WHO WOULD BE KING.......2003-02-10
This lavishly illustrated tribute --- first published in 1999 and now released as an oversized trade paperback --- is a must for diehard Disneyites. (Dig the vintage, time-worn color
cover photo of Uncle Walt, with Cousin Oscar clearly in view.) Amy Boothe Green and Howard Green's text is nothing more than quote after quote from Walt's pals, peers, co-stars, family and friends, all of whom (surprise!) praise The Man Who Would Be King. But it's the vast array of black-and-white and color photographs --- many rare and many never-before-seen, all of which are stuffed into the pages --- that make this a winner. Walt as a young boy. Walt as a young man. Walt at play. Walt at work. Walt with family. Walt with friends. Walt with Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke. Walt with Hayley Mills. Walt with Shirley Temple. Walt with Annette Funicello, who provides the book's most poignant quote: "When I was first diagnosed with multiple sclerosis ... I thought,. "If Mr. Disney were here, I could ask him what I should do. He would know." And, of course, Walt with the Mouse and the Mouseketeers. Noting goofy here. Except Goofy.
Excellent Book.......2002-09-30
This is definately a winner! Great little gems from Walt Disney's family, closest friends and colleagues. The pictures are equally wonderful. Great candid shots and personal family photos. This man had more character than Mickey Mouse himself!
Book Description
Based on his vast experience working with green wood--fresh, unseasoned wood harvested from local woodlands--Ray Tabor' has brought woodworkers a great sourcebook for creating items of beauty while using natural, unadulterated material. Each of the more than 300 patterns for traditional craft designs is fully annotated with a brief description, historical information, and details about which tools and materials are needed. The collection covers a range of objects, from fences and gates to door stops, furniture, even walking sticks and wooden spoons. Simple instructions and diagrams make every project easy, and woodworkers of all levels will have fun exercising their skills while crafting a beautiful--and organic--keepsake.
Book Description
In 1953, the brilliant but terrifying titan of cinema John Huston summons the young writer Ray Bradbury to Ireland. The apprehensive scribe's quest is to capture on paper the fiercest of all literary beasts -- Moby Dick -- in the form of a workable screenplay so the great director can begin filming.
But from the moment he sets foot on Irish soil, the author embarks on an unexpected odyssey. Meet congenial IRA terrorists, tippling men of the cloth impish playwrights, and the boyos at Heeber Finn's pub. In a land where myth is reality, poetry is plentiful, and life's misfortunes are always cause for celebration, Green Shadows, White Whale is the grandest tour of Ireland you'll ever experience -- with the irrepressible Ray Bradbury as your enthusiastic guide.
Customer Reviews:
Not his best.......2006-08-29
Ray Bradbury was a science fiction icon, but there's a reason he didn't write "The Playboy of the Western World" or "Finnegan's Wake." The dialogue is all you get from this book. The rest of the book is a thin vehicle to get you from one conversation to the next. There are few descriptions and few insights. The dialogue itself is very humorous at parts, and in others it's obvious that this is Bradbury writing how the conversations should have gone, not how they really went. I've thoroughly enjoyed other works by Bradbury, but this wasn't one of them.
The best of both worlds, fact and fiction.......2003-05-31
Ray Bradbury wrote the screenplay for John Huston's Moby Dick. It is a hysterical account of his exploits in Ireland where he wrote the piece. It is also a work of fiction because he combined some of his previous short story writings about Ireland into the book. Bradubury masterly weaves both fact and fiction into a enjoyable tour-de-force. If you are an avid Bradbury fan, you will remember some of his earlier work and recognize the stories. If not, then I envy you because you will not be able to distinguish fact from fiction. Bradbury does both a wonderfull job of catching Irelands essence and terrible poverty of which he covers lightly. He also hints at the terrible genious of John Huston without going into the gory details. This book is a very fast read and is wonderfull. It is certainly deserving of the national book award it recieved.
Not the best Bradbury, but still worth while........2001-02-18
This didn't grip the same way Fahrenheit 451 or The Martian Chronicles or Something Wicked This Way Comes did. There are many entertaining and quite often fun stories and of course it is beautifully written. Bradbury is one of the best prose stylists and short story writers in American Lit, after all. It's not one of his classics but it's worth a consideration.
Great prose........2000-01-05
Green Shadows, White Whale is a tale about Ray Bradbury's travels in Ireland while helping John Huston write the screenplay for Moby Dick. The writing is absolutely wonderful. I have read many books in my life but I have rarely read one so beautifully written and well composed. There were paragraphs and passages that I read over two and three times simply because they were so tasty. The story is broken up into chapters which comprise little subplots of their own. This makes for easy reading because you can read a chapter or two at a time and still enjoy the entire book. Read this book.
Excellent Read. Funny, entertaining, though provoking........1999-03-03
Ray Bradbury has done it again. Green Shadows, White Wales is the! best book i've read this year, or two years for that matter. From Finegan's pub and it's guild of drink lovers to a crazy fox-hunting director the book is neverending humor and good sprit. The book isn't that hard to read at all (maybe highschool level) good humor, interesting plot, historicaly teaching and a wonderful exploration of Ireland's funny side. Odd'ly enough though, the main character does resemble Ray Bradbury slightly, but I think Bradbury uses his own life to create fantastic tales and stories. A little bit of profanity but not much that would offend anyone (in other words, nothing on and on or harsh). I would definately recomend this book to teachers (of high school) and anyone who wants a good laugh and intriguing read.
Customer Reviews:
Pretty close to the truth...sorry to say.......2007-10-09
I was working at the CPA during the time the author covers in his book. I think I may have been at some of the meetings he describes. He captures the sense of the CPA, a bunch of well-intentioned, hard-working people without much of a clue about how to run an occupation in an Arab country. These were heady times and we believed we were birthing a new democracy. Few of us were equipped to pull it off and the split between DoD and the rest of the US and coalition governments doomed us from the start.
I was there!.......2007-10-06
I did a tour at the American Embassy in 2006, after the events recorded in "Imperial Life." It was fun being able to read about details of the Republican Palace, then go to that particular feature and see it for myself. More importantly, I could put what I read into context, both in the Embassy and in Iraq itself. Even though the CPA no longer occupies the Green Zone, the isolation of the military and state department staff from events occurring around us was similar to what happened to the CPA in "Imperial Life." Most staff (military included) rarely leave the the Green Zone making the average non-Iraqi resident unaware of what goes on beyond the walls. If you want to understand what living in the Green Zone is like, and why progress is slow in Iraq read this book.
Timely information.......2007-09-23
"Imperial Life" is honest, first hand, information. The author has a good grasp of the subject, of the surroundings and above all, of reality. He is able to pick up the essentials and deal with them without exaggerating his importance or his role. He is a well informed man, as he should be. The book is very well put together, and a pleasure to read. It is above all, timely. This means, regretably, that its importance shall pass, as the events he decribe will give in time place to "new improved" versions. The importance for historians to come and to serious readers will not be diminished.
Worse than a civil war; because most civil wars include some ethics........2007-09-18
I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in learning about the reasons we are involved in Iraq. It is a personal account from a journalist who travels out of the green zone to get an inside look. The critical message I got from this book is that we shouldn't dictate how the people of Iraq should run their government. Rajiv Chandrasekaran with the Washington Post reports on the life of people involved with the CPA and their attempts to rebuild Iraq's infrastructure. His book outlines a critical perspective and helps to answer many questions. "Iraqi's needed help (good advice and ample resources) from a support of corps of well meaning foreigners, not a full scale occupation with imperial Americans cloistered in a palace of the tyrant, eating bacon and drinking beer, surrounded by Gurkhas and blast walls." Why should Americans be so concerned about Iraq being a democracy? Where the officials are debating over western ideas to propegate the policies of modernizing Iraq; In the shadow of a war torn country without the bare necessities for survival. The CPA who (couldn't produce anything) poisoned Iraq's politics and had big ideas of rebuilding Iraq, but couldn't provide essentials like: Safety for the Iraqi people, electricity, water, and adequate health care. You could argue both sides of this issue, but I think this book paints a very good portrait of life in the green zone.
POV from up close and personal on war.......2007-09-14
Chandrasekaran was Baghdad bureau chief for the Washington Post when the American troops invaded Iraq. Imperial Life in the Emerald City chronicles life in the Green Zone based on his experiences and what he gleaned from his countless interviews. The time period covered is roughly from the first days of the U.S. invasion to Bremer's departure in 2004.
It is a tale of cronyism, hubris, myopia, incompetence, and well-intentioned people not having the appropriate resources (training, information, human or material resources) to perform their duties. It is about inter-governmental in-fighting, and about how political loyalty trumped experience (often with disastrous results). It is a story of how disconnected those leading the rebuilding effort in Iraq were with the Iraqi people and how imposing their ideals in Iraq resulted in greater unrest. It is a paradigm example of how failing to plan resulted in planning to fail.
The book would have been hilarious, except that the stories - as incredible as they are - are true! Knowing that this work is non-fiction makes it sad. Rick (Fiasco), Stewart (The Prince of the Marshes), Packer (Assassin's Gate), Woodward (State of Denial) and others seem to concur that the U.S. government has grossly mishandled the efforts in Iraq. Unfortunately, the price has been lives (both American and Iraqi, both civilian and military) as well as Iraqi and U.S. national resources.
Chandrasekran writes in the first person, and his writing style is easy, straight forward and engaging. Interspersed between chapters are vignettes on life within the Emerald City (a.k.a. Green Zone, "Imperial Life" refers to life under Bremer's rule). Chandrasekaran does not pass judgment; he merely reports what he saw and learned from his interviews.
Examples of ignorance, ineptitude, and denial litter the pages that at times I could not bear to read any more. It was difficult for me not to get appalled and angry at the egregious decisions that were made. After reading this book, most readers would agree with the Iraqi leader Chandrasekran quotes as saying "The biggest mistake of the occupation was the occupation itself, pg. 290."
Armchair Interviews says: First-hand reporting well done in this book.
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Community Recreation for People With Disabilities: Strategies for Inclusion
Stuart J. Schleien ,
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