Making a Real Killing: Rocky Flats and the Nuclear West

Book Description

Just as huge nuclear explosions result from small spheres of plutonium, the story of the Rocky Flats nuclear weapons plant near Denver, Colorado is much larger than itself. It is about the Church family, who came West seeking gold in 1861, stayed to raise cattle, watched the federal government take a large piece of its land for the weapons plant in 1951--and now is busily developing real estate in the booming suburbs next to the contaminated plant site. It is about the government and private corporations that produced the deadliest devices in history for thirty-seven years, concealed problems behind the wall of national security secrecy, and came close to a Chernobyl-scale disaster during a 1969 fire. It is about plant managers who cut corners to maintain weapons production, workers who saw themselves as loyal Cold War soldiers, and citizen activists who challenged the plant's very existence. And it is about a community that profited from thousands of jobs and contracts but now faces long-term environmental and health risks.

Making a Real Killing examines the way Americans participated in building a nuclear weapons arsenal capable of destroying the human species. To read it is to learn some sobering lessons, including the fact that the democratic process lagged decades behind technological developments.

"As Americans reckon with the legacy of the Cold War, Making a Real Killing deserves a place at the center of our attention. Len Ackland's integrity and hard work remind us how crucial energetic journalism is for a successful democracy."—Patricia Nelson Limerick

A chilling, fast-moving study of the nuclear weapons plant in the Denver suburbs, told through the experiences of managers, workers, activists, and neighbors who were all so deeply affected by the hazardous plant.

Customer Reviews:

I worked there too........2006-07-01

I look forward to reading this book. I was a Nuclear Engineer at Rocky Flats in the 80's. I quit after less than a year on site because I feared for my health. The plant was a mess. Everyone should read about what the cold war did to our country.

I worked there for 12 years..........2005-04-09

One thing I learned while working at Rocky Flats: Usually the media doesn't lie to you straight out, they just tell the story in a way that will lead you to draw the conclusion they want you to.

I have not read this book - yet -, but am very familiar with the story line, inside workings and history. They don't call Boulder, Colorado "The Peoples Republic of Boulder" for nothing.

The worst thing Rocky Flats did was to sacrifice its Patriots - its workers - over the decades, especially when the politicians wanted to cash in the Peace Dividend. My experience was: Workers were pushed out the door to avoid paying severence pay, etc.

just keep these things in mind while you read.

My Review From Southwest BookViews Fall 2002.......2005-01-26

The specter of America's nuclear legacy hangs like a pall over the Western landscape. Nearly 15 years after the end of the Cold War, we are confronting the consequences of 50-year-old political decisions. From Fat Man and Little Boy of the Los Alamos National Laboratories to Nevada's Yucca Mountain which will someday become the repository of this nation's nuclear waste, the West has seen its share of America's atomic heritage. The perceived isolation and wide-open spaces of the post-war West were ideal sites for top-secret government nuclear installations. But it's the 21st century now and Westerners aren't nearly as captivated by the atomic age as they once were. The facilities we welcomed with open arms for economic growth are now damned for their environmental, ethical and health threats.

In this updated paperback edition of his 1999 hardcover, Ackland, Director of the Center for Environmental Journalism at the University of Colorado at Boulder, documents the complete history of Rocky Flats nuclear weapons plant near Denver. Starting from the very beginning of nuclear weapons production, he takes us through the formation of the Atomic Energy Commission, the building of the Rocky Flats plant and its administration by Dow Chemical and the Department of Energy, to present day and the efforts to clean up the plant site. This is not just a story about an infamous nuclear weapons assembly plant. This is also a story about assembly workers and middle managers who were more concerned with keeping their good jobs than what it was they were producing, as well as adjacent land owners, environmental activists, anti-nuclear protesters and, of course, the politicians.

The amount of research presented in this remarkable work is mind-boggling, and it is relayed in a clear, concise journalistic style. But one wouldn't call this an unbiased book. Ackland is sympathetic to the production workers of Rocky Flats, environmentalists, peace activists and neighboring land owners and extremely critical of the management by Dow Chemical and the Department of Energy.

The continuing threat of an atomic catastrophe haunts the Denver area as the DOE attempts to clean up the mess it let grow out of hand while it turned its back on safety for the sake of production. Certainly the most shocking aspect of this exposé is discovering what those in power are capable of doing to keep the gravy train of nuclear production continuing even in the face of endangering their own workers, neighbors, and citizenry. Plant managers were involved in cover-ups, lies, and illegal dumping of toxic waste-all in the name of continuing production. It is appalling to realize what the DOE concealed behind a veil of secrecy they called National Security. The FBI finally raided Rocky Flats in 1989, temporarily shutting down operations.

As luck would have it, due to the end of the Cold War and various arms reduction treaties, 1989 was the last year of production for Rocky Flats; its only function now is as an EPA clean-up site. The irony of it all is that more Americans will probably die from the consequences of nuclear weapons production and testing than any real or imagined threat from the "Evil Empire" or any of its successors. And the threat of Rocky Flats, even without the production of nuclear bomb components, will probably never go away.

A case study of Cold War America.......2000-03-10

As a journalist, I'm proud of "Making a Real Killing." Its compelling attention to detail underscores its credibility. Without the detail, the book succumbs to a dull existence as an uninformed environmental screed.

As a reporter, I'm proud of the book's clear, concise explanations of highly complex nuclear technology. The workings of a nuclear bomb and the sources and effects of ionizing radiation are set forth in a clear and compelling manner.

As a storyteller, I'm proud of the fundamental organizing tools the book uses. Telling the history of Rocky Flats from the point of view of the participants in the story makes the book readable and adds a dramatic element that is effective without being cloying or sensationalistic. Also, telling the story of the land itself is a wonderful device.

As a professor of journalism, I'm reinvigorated by the book. It reflects an author in full command of his reporting and writing skills. Each semester I show one particular overhead transparency repeatedly in class: "Use more detail. Reveal more truth." I have read passages from the book to my students to demonstrate the power of carefully used detail.

As a copy editor, I'm particularly proud of the masterful editing. Believe me, I looked very, very hard for errors and even harder for ways to tighten wording or clarify organization. I found only two commas I might quibble with. The University of New Mexico Press did a superb job in designing, editing, and publishing this book.

As a person who practiced "duck and cover" in elementary school, I'm struck by the compelling arguments the book makes about the insane politics and economics of national weapons and defense policies. For this reason alone, the book should earn a Pulitzer prize.

Len Ackland produced a rich, valuable, compelling piece of book-length journalism. As a work of history, it should provide sound lessons for those who create public policy.

(Disclosure: Len Ackland served on my dissertation committee while I was a doctoral student at the University of Colorado-Boulder.)

Making a Killing: How and Why Corporations Use Armed Force to Do Business
Average customer rating:

An intriguing, eye-opening discussion

A pantheon of predators

A book about corporate and state power without responsiblity

Solid research and first-hand observations

Making a Killing: How and Why Corporations Use Armed Force to Do Business
Madelaine Drohan
Manufacturer: The Lyons Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Strategy & Competition | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | International | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
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Political Parties | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Murder & Mayhem | True Accounts | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
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The Market for Force: The Consequences of Privatizing Security

Corporate Warriors: The Rise of the Privatized Military Industry (Cornell Studies in Security Affairs)

Licensed to Kill: Hired Guns in the War on Terror

Contract Warriors

A Bloody Business: America's War Zone Contractors and the Occupation of Iraq

ASIN: 1592285775

Book Description

A dramatic and compelling journey into the dark heart of globalization.

Customer Reviews:

An intriguing, eye-opening discussion.......2005-02-07

What happens when multinational corporations decide that the use of armed force is really business? When companies line up with warlords and armies to make a profit? When corporate interests dictate war or peace? Madelaine Drohan's meticulously researched and impressively wrfitten expose, Making A Killing, shows just what happens in a world of multinational power, drawing important connections between corporate armed forces and history and providing food for thought for corporations, policy makers and national leaders alike -- the result is an intriguing, eye-opening discussion.

A pantheon of predators.......2004-01-20

Resource control is the core of Madelaine Drohan's book. Where the image of empire was once faceless armies, religious zealots or expanding trade, modern conditions have changed this view. Instead of governments launching empires, suit-clad businessmen now decide where the action lies. Decisions to exploit resource areas are not made in ministry offices, but in corporate boardrooms. Businessmen, "and they are almost always men", choose locations, make investments, recruit workers and begin operations. Until there is unrest. Then they call in governments to support their enterprise. If governments cannot or will not respond, the entrepreneur's answer is the "private army". Mercenary professional military men act as "security" teams, policemen or replacement armies. And they are accountable to no-one but the firm that has hired them.

Drohan's account begins with the rule of Cecil Rhodes "who stands head and shoulders above" the ranks of those applying military solutions to "corporate problems". Rhodes built an immense resource empire in Southern Africa. He also set the standard for controlling workers as firmly as he did markets. By the expedient of raising a battalion of "pioneers" to deal with reluctant African peoples and recalcitrant workers, Rhodes expanded his holdings to an unprecedented degree. Attributing his goals to the furtherance of the British Empire, he also ensured the continuation of profits to his own pocket. Belgium's king Leopold followed Rhodes' example by keeping the Congo as a personal fief. The Belgian government was simply shunted aside on imperial affairs for decades. The rape of the Congo is a glaring example of imperialism run rampant, yet it set the stage for what followed.

Drohan's narrative is dominated by personalities. Like a gaggle of rapacious ravens, men prominent in resource enterprise descended on Africa after Rhodes. Some of these were British, some Canadian, but others arose from among Africa's own peoples. These last were flexing political and economic muscle as former colonies became independent. These new nations, with their artificial boundaries laid down irrespective of tribal or ethnic limits, became caught up in internal regional disputes. Resource firms played off these rivalries to their advantage where possible. If contests for power became too heated, the companies had the option to withdraw or find ways of protecting their investments. Protection was provided by "security forces" available for hire. Among the most notorious of these was the South African firm, Executive Outcomes. Staffed by disaffected South African soldiers, it offered services directly or through hidden subsidiaries. Executive Outcomes emerges frequently, if often vaguely, as Drohan valiantly tries to unravel the machinations the firm and its customers perpetrated as gold, diamonds and other resources were sought and exploited. Legality is an elusive term in these activities.

These are not distant and unrelated events. We tend to cling to the image of investment benefiting all - the theme of "globalisation". Drohan demonstrates how firms, pursuing resource wealth in Africa, have followed the Rhodes formula for success. Whether hiring private armies or simply requesting local government forces to act in their interests, resource firms are steadfastly ignoring the impact on local people and their economy. Of all Drohan's examples, the most glaring is the Talisman Energy story. Her chapter on this operation is at once the worst and the best example in the book. Talisman, a latecomer to Africa, seems to have learned nothing from previous resource history in the region. As Drohan describes it, Jim Buckee, Talisman's head, followed a sinuous path trying to keep his firm active in the resource field. With one eye open to profits and the other closed to government activities done in the name of "security" for his operations, Buckee brought his firm close to disaster. On the other hand, the case demonstrated the power of the public in bringing such firms to judgment. Various large stockholders, chastened at the thought of supporting a firm blind to the impact of its operations, withdrew investment. It's a fine example of what individuals can achieve in acting collectively.

Drohan's book is a much needed exposure of business morals left unscrutinised. In her final chapter, "Perfectly Legal, Perfectly Immoral", she shows the path to justice for people under oppressive regimes shored up by rapacious businesses is long and difficult. Yet, if readers pay attention, she shows how they can be effective in making change. With a federal election looming, it would benefit electors to read this book and reflect on its message. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

A book about corporate and state power without responsiblity.......2003-12-29

This is an excellent book about how specific corporations, individuals and both European and African rulers have plundered Africa for profit and the accumulation of private fortunes on the backs of millions of Africans who have been slaughtered over the centuries. Some of the individuals have passed into the history books, but some of the corporations and individuals are still very much in the news today and the world still waits for their atonement. Madelaine Drohan has provided a very courageous addition to the literature in the area by in-the-field research in some of the most dangerous places in Africa and written in most detailed and compelling manner.

Solid research and first-hand observations.......2003-12-06

Drohan cover a number of specifc cases of corporations using violence to further their interests - dedicating a chapter to each case. She makes no effort to be a comprehensive compendium of all the ills perpetrated by corporations, instead choosing to focus on a few prime examples in detail where her experiences as a journalist can bring some perspective to each case.

My own particular interest is around the role of Calgary-based Talisman Energy Inc. in Sudan. The chapter on Talisman was solid and insightful, with Drohan drawing from her own experiences in Sudan and interviews with key players, as well as the volumes of research and reports available.

The book is a telling study of the irresponsible extremes corporations can go to in their simple-minded focus on profit as the only goal.

Average customer rating:

Good War Story plus useful critique of US Hubris
Good Book on Modern Combat
If you want to know what it's like in Iraq...
Making a Killing - MUST READ
Good on You, Mate!

Making a Killing
James Ashcroft
Manufacturer: Virgin Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Asia | History | Subjects | Books

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Iraq | Middle East | History | Subjects | Books

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Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army
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WAR DOG: Fighting Other People's Wars -The Modern Mercenary in Combat

ASIN: 1852273119
Release Date: 2007-04-03

Book Description

Between coalition troops and the Iraqi security forces lies an unnamed and uncounted third column: soldiers of fortune. In September 2003, James Ashcroft, a former British Infantry captain who served in West Belfast and Bosnia, landed in Iraq as a 'gun for hire'. It was the beginning of an 18-month journey into chaos. Ashcroft provides a first-hand view of the secret world of private security where ex-soldiers employed to protect US and British interests can make up to $1,000 a day. But he also reveals a new kind of warfare where the rules - if you can call them that - are still being written.

Customer Reviews:

Good War Story plus useful critique of US Hubris.......2007-08-22

A good airplane book for those who like Black Hawk Down and Bravo Two Zero. The book is also useful to observe how the US forces are perceived by both the Iraqis and their Coalition partners. Some US forces are doing an excellent job while others are creating more irhabi's with their unrestrained use of firepower. The US Forces manage to score a lot of own goals with both PMC's, their allies not to mention other US forces.

For the serious researcher of the PMC phenomena I recommend reading the following:

A Bloody Business: America's War Zone Contractors and the Occupation of Iraq

WAR DOG: Fighting Other People's Wars -The Modern Mercenary in CombatCorporate Warriors: The Rise of the Privatized Military Industry (Cornell Studies in Security Affairs)

Licensed to Kill: Hired Guns in the War on Terror

Good Book on Modern Combat.......2007-07-27

This is a well written book on modern combat in the middle east. In addition to telling a riveting story, Mr. Ashcroft provides some unique (though often clearly biased) perspectives on the actions of the Coalition Forces in Iraq. Overall, it is a fun and exciting read. I'm only giving it four stars for two reasons: 1) the author struggles to make clear his view of the U.S. military in Iraq. Some passages in the book shower praise on them, while others offer nothing but harsh criticism. He says "I now had the utmost respect for all of them," then turns around and accuses them of being overly anxious killers. 2) The book feels like it was written in a hurry. The writing is high quality and intelligent, but the story feels rushed. Its almost as if the publisher tried to repackage an honest and in depth telling of one man's powerful experiences into a fast-paced, shoot 'em up, action thriller. This may account for #1. Anyway, I would recommend this book to anyone interested in military history, current events, or just plain fun.

If you want to know what it's like in Iraq..........2007-06-29

I bought this book because I wanted to know what it was really like over in Iraq. I didn't want a 'Everything is great' right wing book or an 'America is evil' left wing book.
I really enjoyed Ashcroft's story. It's full of a great many details about the current situation in Iraq. Since he is a British civilian, (and not a soldier or lefty journalist) he was able to freely critique the American military. I found all of his observations pertinent and unbiased. He tells you very plainly what is and is not working in Iraq.
The main thing I took from this book is the amount of 'tribalism' in Iraq. EVERY single neighborhood EVERYWHERE in Iraq is it's own little tribe. Ashcroft explains how they distrust ALL outsiders, both the USA and al Qaida.

Making a Killing - MUST READ.......2007-06-13

Capt. Ashcroft's telling of his accounts are amazing. It is fantastically written and packed with action. Also, it gives a different percpetive on events. A must read if you have loved ones in the contracting world. I give it 5+ stars!

Good on You, Mate!.......2007-06-01

I read a lot of military books and this is one of the best. Capt. Ashcroft has managed to weld action, suspense, humor and political insight into one great tale of modern military conflict. The gruesomeness and tension of life and combat in Iraq is compellingly told. In addition, there are extremely humerous portions that will have you laughing to the point of tears. One caution however: if you're a "Hank the Yank" that hasn't spent time in Great Britain, Australia, or Canada, beware of the "C" word. To me, it just added to the authenticity of the story. What do you think guys are saying to each other in combat situations - Aw shucks?

I would rate this book on par with Mark Bowden's "Black Hawk Down" - one of the best I've read.

Average customer rating:

Making a Killing: The Business of War
The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists
Manufacturer: Center for Public Integrity
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Why We Fight

ASIN: 1882583159

Book Description

Winner of the 2002 Sigma Delta Chi Book Award, "Making a Killing: The Business of War" investigates the economics of conflict in the post-Cold War era and the groups who profit from the business of war. The book drew on classified intelligence files, government reports, court records and public documents and identified the individuals and companies involved in the privatization of various conflicts, and explained how they often influence the turn of world events.

Must-Win Battles: Creating the Focus You Need to Achieve Your Key Business Goals

Average customer rating:

The journey that will save your company
Unilever's real life MWB journey is a terrific read
Insight on MWB and How to Appy It
Winning business battles that achieve your organization's key goals
Ignorance, arrogance, and confusion are weapons of organizational self-destruction

Must-Win Battles: Creating the Focus You Need to Achieve Your Key Business Goals
Peter Killing , Thomas Malnight , and Tracey Keys
Manufacturer: Trans-Atlantic Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Management | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
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Manage for Profit, Not for Market Share: A Guide to Greater Profits in Highly Contested Markets
Peripheral Vision: Detecting the Weak Signals That Will Make or Break Your Company

ASIN: 0273704575

Customer Reviews:

The journey that will save your company.......2006-12-03

"Must-Win Battles" appeals to me as a book that gives readers (most typically managers) the tools to lead their teams through a journey that can save their very own jobs in the long run. With a style not too distant from Lencioni's, where the authors show a fictional case in action, the book presents the path in a journey to help teams win those battles they cannot afford to loose, what they call Must-Win Battles (MWB). While offering tactics to deal with the expected bumps along the road, the book remains very strategic all the way through, focused on the strategic goals of aligning steering teams around the same agenda and eventually getting the entire organization to buy it in and embrace it.

The book wraps up with lessons from won and lost MWB journeys and a real-life case from the Unilever Ice Cream Frozen Foods business group to illustrate the entire process in action. While the fictional case presented belongs to the executive team leading the entire European organization of a company, the learnings in it could easily be extrapolated to smaller settings: a production facility, a university, etc. Highly recommendable like all Wharton School Publishing books I've had a chance of reading.

Unilever's real life MWB journey is a terrific read.......2006-10-02

Unilever's 19-page MWB journey described by Kees van der Graaf is a fantastic read. It not only illustrates the stages and steps aligned with the authors' belief of leadership principles, I find it most valuable is Kees van der Graaf sharing with us with his personal lessons learned from the processes such as "trust my gut more than ever before" and "We have great values; they come from the heart". This reminds me of another book titled "Head, Heart & Guts" by Dotlich/Cario & Rhinesmith. Indeed Kess van der Graaf brings these to life.

Insight on MWB and How to Appy It.......2006-08-04

MWB stands for "Must Win Battles," which is the title and a common acronym throughout this this book. Authors Peter Killing, Thomas Malnight and Tracey Keys use "battle" to refer to competitors and "must-win" to mean these battles must be won. There are a lot of circumstances applicable to the concept of 'battle.' Examples and case studies cover management style, team work, planning, shortlisting, and executing, are noted. One example is Unilever in Africa, Nestle China, and a two-year case study of the CFF business groups from the words of an executive.

Three sections and nine chapters.

Section I: Preparing the Journey

Section II: Engaging the Team

Section III: Making it Happen

The different types of managers listed are the commander, diplomat, thinker, and motivator, who are defined and described. This is followed by the role of Emotional Intelligence in the workplace. EI is just as, and oft-times more vital than IQ. There are questions regarding this that the reader can answer for themselves so they can apply this concept to their own situations in life and in the work place. This book helps the manager and employees as individuals and allows them to reflect on others and themselves.

Different dynamics of MWB, which often may include change. While strategically planning and implementing Must-Win Battles there are Resisters, Bystanders, and Supporters. A time-line is almost always necessary and matrices and diagrams are presented, when planning and executing.

A good reality check is in chapter 4, which lists "Typical Company-Related Myths." Those who've worked in medium or large organizations can identity with the company values and slogans. But they're usually only slogans, because they aren't practiced. :)

At the end of the book there are:

A) The MWB Journey and Road map
B) The Denison Survey: Questions
C) Using the External Assistance

This is helpful for all people who manage and work in organizations of all types and sizes.

Winning business battles that achieve your organization's key goals.......2006-06-27

In any organization, at any time, there are probably three to five key battles that must be won to achieve important goals, write authors Killing and Malnight. As you read this, you are probably thinking of the battles that are ongoing right now, the ones you need to win to get to your own goals. The first step, then is identifying what the key battles actually are and eliminating the sideshows that distract from the real issues. The authors advise that these battles are NOT internal, instead they are:

Market-focused
Something that makes a difference
Creates excitement
Are specific and tangible
Are winnable (!)

The example provided is one of Unilever, a large multinational company, working to gain market in Africa. But despite Unilever as an example, the strategy to pick your fight and win it is equally applicable to small business--if not more so.

One point I really admire is that the authors recommend that emotion be considered along with reason in how to win those battles. In other words, instead of steamrolling over emotion, which is a statement of condition, like the weather, the authors recommend dealing with it and generating excitement by directing emotion. There is also good advice on "not shooting the messenger" or how to take bad news. As one top CEO remarked to the press on how he achieved success "First, you have to deal with reality."

Excellent book and a must-read for business managers of any organization.

Ignorance, arrogance, and confusion are weapons of organizational self-destruction.......2006-06-07

Q: What must be managed effectively to improve an organization's performance?

A: "First, [managers must] identify and win the right battles....But to win the battles, many organizations need to create a more effective top team and build an organization that [is] .less silo-based and capable of focusing all of its energies and capabilities on the chosen battles."

Q: What is a "must-win battle" (MWB)?

A: "MWBs are the three to five key battles that your organization absolutely must win to achieve its key objectives."

Q: What are the characteristics of a well-chosen MWB?

A: It must "make a real difference, be market focused, create excitement, be specific and tangible [and measurable], and be winnable."

Q: What is an "MWB journey"?

A: It is simultaneously both an emotional and intellectual process which must be completed by everyone involved in order to transform their organization. Ultimate success will depend upon a "shared understanding of the challenges and options facing the organization, an agreed list of three to five MWBs, a committed [and competent] team for each MWB, a high-level action plan for each MWB, new [better] ways of working together, individual commitments, and an initiation assessment of the starting conditions for engaging the organization."

Granted, this is an unorthodox way by which to begin a review but I really could not think of a better one. (No doubt someone else has.) The authors of this volume share what they have learned about why some organizational transformation initiatives succeed while most others fail. What they propose is a three-phase process (a "journey") which begins with a rigorous and thorough assessment of the current situation, followed by an engagement of the Team and then of teams for the MWBs, and then an engagement of the given organization which involves embedding the Team agenda and aligning the organization while maintaining momentum of the MWB initiatives.

I especially appreciate the authors' provision of all manner of reader-friendly devices throughout their lively narrative. For example, check lists of key points, graphics (maps and figures) which illustrate step-by-step segments of the "journey," and - whenever appropriate - caveats and disclaimers which correctly remind the reader that no course of action (including the one which the authors recommend) "fits all."

In the final chapter, they share eight "Lessons" learned from their research: five from successful MWB "journeys" and three from those which failed. In Appendix A, readers are provided with a comprehensive "MWB Journey Roadmap" and then in Appendix B, the authors provide "The Denison Survey: Questions" (copyright © by Daniel R. Rosen), a culture survey which is discussed on pages 47-48.

Presumably the authors agree with me that it would be a fool's errand for anyone to read and re-read their book, then rush - or even stroll -- to implement everything in it. It would also be a fool's errand to cherry pick diverse (albeit sound) ideas from a variety of different sources and then attempt to consolidate them in a single plan of "attack." Rather, I urge each reader to read Must-Win Battles with great care and then, preferably in discussion with others, co-determine what would be most appropriate to the given organization. Killing, Malknight, and Keys can be very helpful to that process of aanalysis and, especially, to identifying the highest priorities and most important objectives. My guess is that, by following that procedure, the "must-win battles" will reveal themselves.

Those who share my high regard for this book are urged to check out Jason Jennings' THINK BIG, Act Small, Michael Hammer's The Agenda and Robert Mittelstaedt's Will Your Next Mistake Be Fatal?

Making a Killing: The Business of Guns in America

Average customer rating:

Save your money
Wrong from the start...
FALSE
The Enemy Speaks
Marxist Views

Making a Killing: The Business of Guns in America
Tom Diaz
Manufacturer: New Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Gun Control | Current Events | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Criminology | Crime & Criminals | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Violence in Society | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Industries & Professions | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1565845676

Amazon.com

Author Tom Diaz makes no bones about his animus toward guns: he wants to regulate the U.S. firearms industry to death--literally. Guns are responsible for about 36,000 deaths each year in the United States (more than half are suicides), and so Diaz views them as a public health hazard requiring a massive government intervention. Making a Killing is hardly a dispassionate treatment; Diaz himself is a political activist (and a former Congressional aide). He suggests adopting strategies used against cigarette makers and admires the success antismoking zealots have experienced in their crusade. Much of his treatment focuses on the business of gun making, especially its lightness of regulation and what he considers to be its obsessive secrecy ("The firearms industry is a business so secret that it makes the tobacco industry look like a model of transparency"). He is also appalled that manufacturers make profits from these products and mortified that several leading firearms producers are foreign-owned (is he equally alarmed about who makes most of America's VCRs?). Making a Killing probably won't bring any new soldiers into the antigun camp, but for those already there it is a ready source of information and outrage. --John J. Miller

Book Description

As gun-related law suits hit the headlines, a shattering expos of this secretive industry. The gun industry is the last unregulated manufacturer of a consumer product in America, with a level of secrecy that makes the tobacco industry look like a model of transparency. Making a Killing blows away the smoke and offers a provocative new analysis of gun violence in our society. The real story behind the steady rise in gun violence in America, argues Tom Diaz, is the systematic increase in lethality by manufacturers. Diaz shows how over the last two decades the gun industry has sought to reverse declining prots by dramatically increasing the killing power of its products; designed and distributed guns with more ammunition and greater concealability; and aggressively sought to build a wider market by collaborating with the "gun press" and by targeting women and minorities as vital new consumers. Making a Killing explores the fascinating but little known business side of this $1.4 billion-a-year industry, revealing the inner workings of what one gun executive described as "a little money-making machine." Finally, it outlines a series of practical regulations that would help clean up the mess.

Customer Reviews:

Save your money.......2005-08-23

Tom Diaz does the anti-gun-rights movement no favors with this shallow, biased diatribe against the firearms industry in America. The book is clearly an attempt to provide legal and philosophical support for the ongoing strategy of suing the firearms industry into oblivion, but the book's rhetoric and half-supported arguments detract from any impact a better written book could have made.

I encourage readers interested in the gun rights debate to spend their money elsewhere. There are better choices on both sides.

Wrong from the start..........2005-03-14

That is, the Amazon.com review. I haven't even read the book. Just wanted to check out the reviews. And the first thing I read is this, "Guns are responsible for about 36,000 deaths each year in the United States (more than half are suicides), and so Diaz views them as a public health hazard requiring a massive government intervention.". Imagine if you were to read the following: "Automobile ares responsible for [insert number] of [insert awful, terrible thing] each year, etc, etc.". Granted, many people are killed and injured each year in auto accidents, but one rarely, if ever, sees statistics cited in such an illogical fashion. A gun, like a car can injure no, until there is a PERSON involved, interacting with it, using it, either for good or ill. Fundamentally, whether it's a gun, a car, or a tire iron, this issue is, at the core, one of human behavior and how we can agree to respond to it in a free society. Hey, why not lower the speed limit -- everywhere -- to 25 mph! Get my point?

FALSE.......2004-06-09

I will keep this short. I am a criminologist researcher I have done research over this subject for over 20 years. I would have to say that is book is false. The information is distorted to the authors liking. I am not a gun owner or a NRA member but I do believe in the "Bill of Rights." I do not suggest reading this book unless you want to waste your time on false, bias, and hypocritical literature.

The Enemy Speaks.......2004-03-17

Never have I read A book so steeped in blatant misinformation than this.

Your statistical breakdown regarding gun deaths falls very short of what most of us call "truth". Such as including incidents in which law-enforcement used deadly force with a firearm against deadly criminals. Twisting figures and facts to advance an agenda to disarm the nation makes this book worthy of a place near my toilet.
The Second Amendment is NOT about crime Mr. Diaz. It is about the American people retaining the ability to resist government tyranny, which we all see and know is mounting.
Am I a "gun nut"? Yes. I am also a " free speech" nut, "free press" nut and a person who understands that this book is on the wrong side of history.

Marxist Views.......2003-07-14

Tom Diaz works as a propagandist at the anti-gunrights/anti-freedom/anti-capitalist "Violence Policy Center" in Washington D.C. It functions as a political lobbying firm that bills itself as an "educational organization".
Tom Diaz takes a hysterical, Marxist view of our capitalist gun industry, and discovers that they are actually allowed by our inadequately tyrannical government, not only to make guns, but to do so for profit! How shocking. One would have to be a Marxist or a moron to be surprised by that, but Tom is not only surprised, he is shocked, and outraged, and hopes that you are too! How politically convenient for him.
It's the sort of propaganda you would feel embarassed to have read. Tom has obviously missed some of his anger management classes. I understand that his paycheck comes from trashing our freedom to own guns, but I do wish that he would tone it down a bit and at least play with a full deck. On the other hand, he is so shrill and absurd as to discredit his cause. Keep it up, Tom!

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