Amazon.com
Even if you fervently disagree with the party bias they tout proudly and often, you probably concur that Democratic political consultants Paul Begala and James Carville know what it takes to craft a winning strategy. In Buck Up, Suck Up... and Come Back When You Foul Up, the two lay out 12 of the rules they developed while separately and jointly masterminding some of the hottest political races in recent years. And with entertaining and enlightening behind-the-scenes anecdotes drawn from both effective and futile experiences along the campaign trail--most notably their work with Bill Clinton during his two presidential terms--Begala and Carville present a practical course that can be followed in business as well as politics. "If the audience you're trying to reach is smaller than the one hundred million voters we spend our time trying to reach," they write, "we believe these lessons are even more important because your target audience is even more sophisticated, even more interested, even more up-to-the-minute."
At first glance, some rules appear blatantly obvious ("Don't Quit," "Turn Weakness into Strength") and some intentionally controversial ("Kiss Ass," "Know How to Recover When You Really Screw Up"). But, in their explanations, the relevancy and potential application of each consistently comes through. For example, in "Frame the Debate," they note how Ronald Reagan controlled the agenda in his 1980 challenge to Jimmy Carter through early attacks on the incumbent's most unpopular policies--showing precisely why "military strategists know that most battles are won ... by the side that determines where, when and how an engagement is fought." Likewise, in "Know How to Communicate," they bring five tips (tell a story, be brief, be emotional, be unique, be relevant) to life by explaining how their use aided campaigns for Hillary Clinton, Tony Blair, and others. The result, while perhaps too profane for some and definitely not Republican-friendly despite its grudging acknowledgment of a few masterful GOP performances, is nonetheless uniformly readable and genuinely practical. --Howard Rothman
Book Description
The political strategists who directed the Clinton campaign's War Room reveal the lessons and secrets from their hard-fought battles -- and how to use these highly effective strategies for success in business and everyday life.
James Carville and Paul Begala have waged political war all across America and on three continents. They've won some of the most spectacular political victories of the twentieth century and lost a few campaigns too. Along the way, they've learned a few lessons. Some sound simple, like "Never Quit," some comic, like "Kiss Ass," and some are more complicated and nuanced, like "Strategy Ain't Tactics." But each lesson contains tried-and-true wisdom, illustrated with colorful stories from long political experience:
• Find out how Carville's mother used a bass boat to "frame the debate" in
selling encyclopedias.
• Learn the War Room tricks for sharpening your message and delivering the perfect sound bite.
• Discover what success secret Hillary Rodham Clinton and Tom DeLay share.
• And much more.
Whether you are a senior executive or a secretary, a political junkie or the president of the United States, the rules to live by can be found in Buck Up, Suck Up...and Come Back When You Foul Up.
Customer Reviews:
Left a bad impression .......2007-06-29
It has been quite some time since I read this book and my review may not be fair since I have lost respect for Carville due to his poor speech at the Speaker Series. Yet, my impression now is that the book was simplistic with few insights. Except for a reinforcement of common sense there is little need to read this book.
Marketing for Marvels and Mavens.......2006-11-04
This is a must read for anyone who fancies themselves as a marketer. Common sense-based practicalities prevail in this quick, sharp and witty read.
There is just too much mediocrity masquerading as best practices. Here are two masters of communication who cut to the quick and leave an indelible impression.
Like a great caramel, this is a sticky, rich experience.
Reviews by Nan Kilar and Bobby Miller.......2006-04-13
This is a book by authors who put reality before party. Still, I don't know who Carville thinks he's fooling when he describes George W. Bush as a buffoon; he knows better. Bush is playing a part that was scripted by some of the best scriptwriters in the business. And he's giving an academy award performance.
These two authors are right about one thing for sure. The Moral Majority elected and re-elected a man who epitomizes the word Christian. With the blood of thousands on his hands, the missaporation of billions of tax dollars and a tongue that has told one needless lie after another, George W. Bush arrogantly parades around apparently proud of the fact that he has become the second most hated man to live in the last two hundred years. He appears unconcerned about tossing away a unique opportunity to represent America at her best instead of at her very worse. I cannot hate Bush for pitying him.
"Three great forces rule the world: stupidity, fear and greed." --Albert Einstein
Yawn! More of the same dribble........2006-01-21
You'd think these guys would run out of ignorant statements and wildly inaacurate predictions. Not these two.
With a combined I.Q. equal to that of an orange dish rag, Begala and Carville offer nothing new, nothing interesting, and nothing compelling. Neither have for years.
If it were not for the accidental presidency of a piece of white trash named Willie Clinton, both of these guys would be flipping burgers.
I really liked this book, certain chapters especially........2006-01-19
My wife gave this to me for Christmas. I loved it! It's not perfect, but some of the chapters are gems: strategy vs. tactics, how to communicate, and frame the debate. Those chapters alone are worth the price of admission! They're not very precise or technical, but that's the beauty of this book. They've honed it down to the simplicty on the OTHER side of complexity. That takes genius. It also helps that my politics happen to line up nicely with theirs.
Amazon.com
A consummate political operative, Ed Rollins has ridden high and ridden low. The political director of Ronald Reagan's White House in 1981, he enjoyed overwhelming success. But the weirdness of the Ross Perot campaign sent him reeling, and his stint running Christine Todd Whitman's gubernatorial campaign resulted in a grand jury investigation. Through it all, Rollins picked up a wealth of juicy and humorous material, which he is willing to share--holding nothing back. He calls Perot a "paranoid lunatic on an ego trip" and Arianna Huffington "ruthless and unscrupulous." An enjoyable and educational book from an outspoken insider who reveals the viciousness of modern politics.
Book Description
In a book as fierce and stunning as a prize fight, Ed Rollins tells of his many triumphs and sometimes spectacular blunders during a thirty-year career in
American politics. From the Reagan presidency to the campaigns of Ross Perot and Christine Todd Whitman, Rollins has long been at the red-hot center. Now,
in Bare Knuckles and Back Rooms, he gives us the inside story on Washington and many of its most prominent players with sharp reflections, revealing and frequently irreverent anecdotes, and always astonishing candor.
Once a champion amateur boxer, Rollins brings the pugnacious spirit of a born fighter to everything he does. Never shy about his opinions, he now delivers the kind of take-no-prisoners honesty for which he is notorious. He dissects the personalities of Richard Nixon, Ronald and Nancy Reagan, George Bush, Ross Perot, James Baker, Michael and Arianna Huffington, and Newt Gingrich. He shows how political campaigns really operate, and he offers keen insight on this year's contenders, from Bill Clinton to Bob Dole and Pat Buchanan.
Part autobiography and part political primer, this is a deeply compelling story and a highly personal look into the inner workings of government and campaigns. Ed Rollins's passion for the game and thoughtful insight into our political system make this a must-read for anyone interested in how the game of contemporary politics is really played.
Who else but Ed Rollins--the brilliant, bare-knuckled political consultant--would dare give us the inside story on how Washington really works? Famously outspoken, Rollins is a true maverick whose gift for winning campaigns is matched only by his talent for generating controversy. Now, in this astonishingly candid book, he delivers a no-holds-barred, hugely entertaining account of his thirty-year career in American politics.
Rollins has worked for almost every major Republican politician of the past two decades, but he was never a member of the Washington aristocracy. Raised in the tough shipyard town of Vallejo, California, he fought as a championship amateur boxer and won over 160 bouts. His love of politics was kindled when he worked for Bobby Kennedy's presidential campaign in 1968, but after Kennedy's assassination and a life-changing experience during a violent anti-war demonstration, he joined the Republican party. By 1981, he had worked his way up to a job in the Reagan White House; the following year, he became the president's top political advisor. He has battled at the center of the political arena ever since, and he and his candidates have won far more often than they have lost.
If Rollins loves anything more than a good fight, it's a good story. Here is Richard Nixon complaining to him about the lack of a "nutcutter" in the Reagan administration; Nancy Reagan berating him for his atrocious attire; Barbara Bush telling him he's not welcome in the White House; Ross Perot wailing about how expensive campaign advertising is; Arianna Huffington hiring a private detective to investigate an unfriendly journalist. But Rollins has made some spectacular blunders of his own, and now he tells stories on himself too--most particularly when he provides the first full account of his role in the scandal that followed Christine Todd Whitman's election as governor of New Jersey.
Ed Rollins is an American original--a power-punching, street-smart insider who loves politics and his country with equal fervor. Fast and funny, pugnacious and passionate, this is one of the best books ever written about how the modern political game is really played.
From the Trade Paperback edition.
Customer Reviews:
Ed Rollins sets the record straight.......2005-12-23
In Bare Knuckles and Back Rooms: My Life in American Politics, Ed Rollins details his careers as a Political Operative learning the trade from California Democratic Speaker Jess Unruh, his philosophical transformation into a conservative Republican, alignment with the Reagan revolution and his time as a Senior White House Staffer and heavyweight Political Consultant.
Rollins delivers this in a entertaining and salty style that seems appropriate given the blue collar background he repeatedly mentions in the book.
Any political junkie will find this a great book, although many of the "saints" of Washington DC are not always shown in the most favorable light.
Rollins gives his take on his time as Political Director of the Reagan White House, and Campaign Manager of Reagan's re-election campaign in 1984. He tells of his break with George Bush (41), when Rollins led the efforts of Presidential Candidate Jack Kemp, who according to Rollins was a more fitting heir to Reagan's crown.
The chaos of the Perot 1992 campaign, controversy of the New Jersey Governor's race in 1993 and Rollins' self-described "redemption" with George Nethercutt's upset of Speaker Tom Foley in 1994, as well as other campaigns give the reader a great insight as to the experiences one may have working as a high level political operative.
Rollins, often a controversial figure, does not pull punches. He gives his open opinions of many well known and respected figures in national politics.
This book is definitely a keeper.
The Real World.......2005-03-18
Being a political operative seems like a glamorous profession. While there certainly are perks -- there are an equal number of disadvantages to this career choice. Rollins' depiction of what it's like to be a campaign manager is the truest I've read. It's not always a glamorous lifestyle. Even the best campaigns are full of fast food, headaches and heartaches (now there's a title)! Rollins does a great job of telling "the real" story of being a campaign manager...the good, the bad, and the ugly...
Funny and Insightful.......2005-02-11
I would love to hear Ed Rollins opinions concerning the present President Bush. His book descibes the problems with the first Prsident Bush adminastration (such as putting a higher price on staff and administrators with blind loyalty to those who knew what they were doing)
Rollins book was very funny and a nice peek at the inside of political campaigns. He was very honest in the way he dealt his stories of former Presidents Nixon and Reagan. he did not try to gloss over the failings of either presidency or try to sugar coat anything. He explained his admiration of both Reagan and Nixon, and making a reasonable explaination for liking Richard Nixon can't be easy in a time when even the Republican party tries to forget him. But Ed Rollins does so in a manner which make sit possible to see that there was another side to the man.
Hilarious and Insightful.......2004-12-15
Bare Knuckles and Back Rooms is political consultant Ed Rollins' journey as a political strategist in American politics. First of all you have to read this book just to receive the insight on Ross Perot and his insanity. I read this book awhile ago when I was in High School and laughed for hours about Perot. Also I love just hearing about the day to day operations of a political campaigns. If you are interested in politics or political campaigns this book is a must read and has to be in your library.
Rollins covers working with President Ronald Reagan, Ross Perot, Christie Todd Whitman, Michael Huffington (another great wild chapter) and George Nethercutt. Read this book if you want to hear a great story about Frank Sinatra from the Reagan campaign. It is a great window into the workings and thought of the Reagan administration as well. Another great political consultant read was "Bad Boy" about the late Lee Atwater, this one might even be better. If you are a Democrat or Republican this will be a great laugh and amazing insight. You will not be able to put this book down, and once you finish you will go through serious withdrawls which may include chills, shakes, or foaming at the mouth.
The Bare Facts.......2004-05-15
I am a self confessed Democrat and even I loved this book. The author is as about as right leaning as they come, but that did nothing to diminish the enjoyment any political junkie would get from the book regardless of what side of the spectrum you are on. The author has been involved in Republican politics sense the Nixon administration and in this book he givens a well written, interesting and humorous account of what he has been a part of. I would not call this book a kiss and tell, but he does give you the facts in a straight up manner, regardless if it makes his clients or himself look bad.
I found the time he spent on the Reagan and Perot campaigns the most interesting. The Reagan campaign because he really lays out the best way to run a campaign. This section of the book could almost be used as a how to tutorial on how to win a race. I found the Perot campaign info interesting for the exact opposite of the Reagan section. This guy was a flake and the author captures every odd, weird and down right stupid thing that happened. The author also talks about his relationship with the first President Bush and lets just say it is very eye opening. Everything he says about the father can be seen in the son today. His main point is that the Bush family feels loyalty is the most important trait a person can have and if you cross that line you will be paying for it for years.
I enjoyed the fact that the author did not spend exorbitant amounts of time on his pre political history or his family situation, just enough to set the stage. I may be unique in this regard so if you are looking for an in depth view into his family this is not the book for you. Overall I really liked the book. It read fast and it is so interesting I just did not want to put it down. I read a lot of political books and this ranks up there as at least one of the more entertaining. If you are interested in the campaign process or the Reagan and Bush years then I would recommend this book regardless of your party affiliation.
Book Description
Chapter One
THE BAREFOOT MAN
... AND YET I'D swear that the position was the same-I think I've always slept this way, with my right arm underneath the pillow and my body turned slightly over onto that side, my feet searching for the place where the sheet is tucked in. What's more, if I close my eyes - and I end up closing them as a last, routine resort - I am visited by a long-familiar apparition, always the same: a parade of stars, each with a clown's face, that go soaring up like a balloon that's escaped and laugh with a frozen grin, following one after the other in a zigzag pattern, like spirals of smoke gradually becoming thicker and thicker. There are so many of them that in a little while there won't be any room left for them and they'll have to descend to seek more space in the riverbed of my blood, and then they'll be petals that the river carries away. At the moment they're rising in bunches. I see the minuscule face drawn in the center of each one of them, like a cherry pit surrounded by spangles. But what never changes is the tune that accompanies the ascent, a melody that can't be heard yet marks the beat, a special silence whose very denseness makes it count more than it would if it could be heard. This was the most typical thing back then too. I recognized that strange silence as being the prelude to something that was about to happen. I breathed slowly, I felt my insides pulsing, my ears buzzing, and my blood locked in. At any moment - where exactly? - that ascending multitude would fall and swell the invisible inner flow like an intravenous drug, capable of altering all my visions. And I was wide awake, awaiting the prodigious change, so lightning-quick that there was never a night when I managed to trap the very instant of its sudden stealthy appearance as I lay in wait there, watching for it eagerly and fearfully, just as I'm doing now.
But that's not true, it wasn't just the same, the exact feel of the waiting was different. I have said "eagerly and fearfully," just to hear myself talk, groping my way along blindly, and when one takes a shot at random that way, one never hits the bull's-eye. Words are for the light. At night they run away, though the heat of the chase is more f
Customer Reviews:
Best literature you will ever read.......2000-11-30
If you are interested in the process of writing a book, and at the same time learn about the life in Spain during the 20th century this is your book.
Book Description
This book offers constructive advice for artists who are becoming discouraged or feel stalled and those who yearn to rekindle their passion for making art. Several life-long artists in mediums as diverse as drawing, painting, printmaking, collage, and sculpture share philosophies and outline strategies for remaining an artist despite chronic challenges such as financial worries, social pressures, family obligations, “day jobs,” and self-doubt. From setting up a studio and establishing a realistic work schedule to finding the right subject matter and reconsidering every option,
Making Room for Making Art discusses important changes in attitude and offers practical suggestions on how artists can rediscover the pleasure of making art.
Customer Reviews:
Making Room for Making Art.......2006-11-11
A jump start, freeing, and practical approach to truly making your art a priority in your life. A very good read for anyone who is "stuck" or "uncommitted." I never underline in books. This one was an exception!
A must have.......2003-12-30
Wonderful book. I have read and re read many times and always find total inspiration. This is the artists' bible. Thank you for writing it.
Practical and grounded advice for Artists.......2000-09-21
"Society" often makes it difficult for artists to feel that their work is important This book is about taking resonsibility making room in your life for your art. The book is filled with insights from various artists and gives practical advice for artists at all levels. Also included are profiles of the artists and illustrations of their work. If you want to work at your art, Sally Warner's book sets a course for you that will undo even your most creative excuses of why you can't.
A Lot of Encouragement in a Small Package.......1997-12-21
I know what it's like to abandon your art. After being disappointment by slim vocational possibilities as a young adult, I tried to forget I even knew art. I tried to be what others wanted me to be and do. I floundered for ten years, even went back to college later to pursue a bachelor's in a different area. But no matter how much I'd shove my artistic bent into the recesses of my mind, it came gurgling back with a vengeance almost as soon as I got my degree in engineering physics. I made the decision to be true to myself. While still not employed as an artist, I consider no longer have qualms about considering myself one.
I wish I had this book when I was younger, or at least the chapter on dealing with external pressures. I connected so well to a lot of the stories related in this book. There are so many passages where I felt, "I felt that way!" An especially powerful subchapter for me is Perspective--Valuing your Art and Creativity more than Society does.
A minor complaint: I wish that the author had included more resources in the Artists Materials appendix, and had included the web page addresses to the businesses that were listed. If we truly are no longer at the mercy of the local hobby store, as Ms. Warner says, these are important. There's only one artist supply store and three framing companies listed; I've found several other artist supplies on the web that could have been included on this list; still it's good information for those who still like to do business by telephone.
I've got two years of junior college study as a commercial artist, but I'm a self-taught artist, and I'd recommend this book to anyone who was engaged in art study, especially to first-year students. With this book to guide them, if it turns out being a professional artist isn't in the cards, maybe young people won't be discouraged, like I was, and they can at least assess the extent to which they can take their talent without the debilitating loss of self-esteem, such as that which I suffered. Here's a book that says even if you're not a paid artist, you still are one, if deep in your gut you say so, and it tells you how to keep art out of the closet for good.
Book Description
The Second World War is over. Annie and her sister Sini, who have been hiding from the Germans for almost three years, are free again. They leave the hamlet of Usselo and the Oosterveld family that had sheltered them and return to their hometown. Their father also survived as did their sister, Rachel. The Journey Back tells of what can happen to members of a family, Jews in this case, when reunion demonstrates they no longer know each other. The book speaks for all people at all times and is as moving as its predecessor, The Upstairs Room.
Customer Reviews:
An interesting but bland sequel.......2004-07-15
It seems like many sequels to books about the Shoah are hit-and-miss; sometimes there will be a gripping account of a return to life, healing, love, and a semblance of normalcy, but more often than not it's just an ordinary undistinguished account relating what happened after the War. This book falls into the latter category.
Unlike many sequels of this nature, here the immediate family have more or less all stayed alive and are reunited soon after the War ends. Mr. de Leeuw and the three sisters (who appear to each be about ten years apart in age) have been in hiding, not camps or ghettos. They don't bear the same kind of intense and painful scars from that experience as someone who was in a ghetto or camp would. They were in relative safety, and Holland was no Poland or Hungary. Mrs. de Leeuw, while dead, died in the first book in a hospital because she had been very sick for a long time, not because she was murdered by the Nazis. The de Leeuws have lost friends, neighbours, and relatives, but the immediate family has not been split up, nor do they have to spend time in displacement, rehabiliation, or refugee centres, immigrate, trek across foreign lands on their way back to their native Holland, or wait around in agony waiting for word of the other members of their immediate family. They have much less to deal with than other people in post-Shoah sequels usually do. The most serious problems in here are having to get used to living together as a family again, Annie's overbearing new stepmother Magda and Magda's 18 year old daughter Nell, Sini's constant dancing with soldiers at night and her fights with her father over it, and Rachel's conversion to Christianity and the family strife that is causing. Maybe she did have a spiritual epiphany when the family who were hiding her took her to church with them for Xmas services, but it just seems tragic that someone who survived the Shoah, who had to spend those years in hiding instead of living a normal adult life all on account of her religion, would embrace a new religion instead of taking pride in her own religion once she's free to practise it again.
It's an interesting story, but really anticlimactic and overly domestic after all which went before. This recounting of what happened afterwards just isn't as gripping as the accounts of people who lost most of their families, didn't return to their native lands, or had it much worse than merely being in hiding in a relatively safe nation-state like Holland.
Journey Back : an amazing story.......2004-04-02
This book is about a girl how has just survived the holacost. She is learning how to get back to her normal routine. In the begining, this book is a bit depressing but as it gose on she finds new friends and stays in touch with old ones. I think this book is great because the charters are so belivable & realistic. The first chapter or so were boring but then people started coming back from the camps and some didn't. This book is an amazing piece of literature.
The Journey Back.......2004-03-08
Title of the book: The Journey Back
By: Johanna Reiss
Reviewed by: M. Poppins
Period: 5
Hitler hated Jews. He started World War II. Every time he came across a Jew, he would kill them. Annie de Leeuw and her family were Jews. Her whole family had to go hiding. Annie and her sister Sini hid in the Oosterveld's house. The Oostervelds lived in Usselo, a very small town in Holland. Annie and Sini grew very close with Johan, Dientje, and Opoe (the Oostervelds). After the war ended, Annie and Sini had to go back to their real home. Their mother was dead. Their oldest sister, Rachel, was back too. She lived with another family during the war. When everyone was home, including the girls' father, nothing was back to normal. Every night, Sini went out and danced with the soldiers. Rachel became a Christian, and she spent most of her time reading the Bible. Annie's father was always distracted. He sold cows. Sini left to be a nurse in a different town. Then, Ies (Annie's father) decided that Annie needed a mother, not just her sisters. He decided to marry a woman that had lost her husband in the war. She even had a daughter. Ies told Rachel to go to a different town, because she and his wife-to-be were just a couple of years apart, and he said that it would never work. After Ies and Magda (his new wife) got married, Nel (Magda's daughter) went to finishing school. Annie was always home with Magda, which she now called Mother. Annie could never seem to please her. Annie always visited Johan, Dientje, and Opoe too. They treated her like their own family. Magda would not let her visit for a long time, though. One day, she would probably be with them again, and it would be for the rest of her life.
I thought that this book was very good. "German soldiers. They knocked down the door, stormed in, marching and stamping and shouting to the rhythm of their boots." This was one of Annie's dreams. The author always made Annie scared, and that was what made it interesting. She always thought of the Germans, she was so afraid of them.
"Later, Johan, later." No matter what happened, Johan was always the first person that Annie called to. When she was afraid, happy, or sad, she would always think of Johan. It shows that Annie always thought of her family first, and her family was Johan, Dientje, and Opoe.
I liked at lot of parts in this book. I liked the parts when Annie went to the Oosterveld's house. She would always be happy, and she wouldn't have to worry about any German soldiers trying to kill her because Johan would be there, and she would always be safe.
The Journey Back.......2003-10-27
In the 4th grade, i read the prequel to this book, THE UPSTAIRS ROOM. Now, 4 years later, i read THE JOURNEY BACK. The first couple chapters quickly refreshed my memory of what happened during WWII to Annie, and i feel they would have sufficed as an introduction had i not read THE UPSTAIRS ROOM. this book proves that although a treaty was signed, the war was no yet over for the people involved.
Jaclyn's Book Review--2nd hr.......2002-12-19
Annie de Leeuw, a young Jewish girl, has been hiding during WWII for almost 3 years with her older sister Sini at Johan Oosterveld's house with his wife Dentje, and Opoe, his mother. Now the war is over and Annie can finally be together with her family!
But things just aren't the same at her house, Rachel (Annie's eldest sister) has found a new religion, Sini is out all night dancing, her father is getting remarried, and her mother had died during the war. Annie starts finding herself missing the Oosterveld's...will things work out?
I thought this book was a little confusing at times. The plot--returing home--is a little dull also. Though I think the author has good description & her openings have a good start. She keeps you hoping that something good will happen to Annie, and is even a little suspensful.
People who might like reading this book would propbably be people who like reading about a persons feelings, or read the first book (which I had not),or just people who don't like reading action books.^_^
Customer Reviews:
If you are against abortion before you read this book, you will be prochoice by the time you are through.......2006-12-31
This book touched my heart and soul.
As a mother and a health care worker in a Feminist Health Center that provides abortions, I appreciate even more having CHOICE.
this book tells stories of women who sought out abortion when it was illegal and would do ANYTHING, even if it meant risking thier life. This book brought me to tears several times. I am more educated about what women REALLY went through before abortion was legal. I am only 22 and it is a shame that women my age don't appreciate the rights that they have.
This book was such an eye opener and should be offered in health and history class in high schools. I love the honestly and the raw feeling that women express in this book.
I work in an abortion clinic and I have had an abortion myself. I don't regret my choice and I am a BETTER mother because of it. My daughter and the baby I would have had would not have had the life that they both deserved had I had another child. I work with AMAZING compassionate women that are supportive of whatever choice a woman makes regarding her pregnancy. That is how it should be.
Pro-life is PROCHOICE
Enlightening (and Disturbing).......2005-06-08
Up until my early adulthood, I was very opposed to abortion for almost all circumstances. I attribute this to my upbringing. While I still have respect for my parents, I began to seriously rethink my stand on this issue (and others). I had decided to seriously study and try to understand "the other side" of this issue (and others), and this was one of the first books I read during my own independent research. I had checked it out from the library.
It was some very disturbing reading. The accounts of real people, ranging from the common working-class girls to high-profile celebrities, was suprising. I had been taught not to believe accounts of "back alley abortions," and to ignore the warnings of those old days (more by example than by direct command). From the proverbial coat-hangers to lysol lavages to sexual humiliation by providers, it kept going over and over again in my head, "I never wanted it to come to this. I just wanted to save a kid's life but I do not want it to come to this."
I also must state for the record that I was very embarassed by the behavior of those who, at that time, were supposed to be on "my side" with their crude comments they had written in this library book. >:(
While it did not immediately "convert" me to the other side, it was a first big step in softening my stand on the issue. I think what finally helped me reason through it and change my stand on this issue were the eloquent words by Sarah Weddington in her Roe v Wade arguments (and her book) along with a lesser-known book titled "Stalking the Wild Taboo." Plain old logic. But I digress.
This book is a real eye-opener for the complacent and brutally uninformed who need to see real stories of what actually happened in the past before abortion was legalized.
A must read for anti-choicers.......2000-06-29
I bought this book many years ago while doing my never ending research about abortion and the law. This book presents the stories of real people who suffered through unwanted pregnancies because abortion wasn't a legal or safe option, those who had illegal, painful abortions, and even medical professionals who argued for the option of a choice for women. There were even stories of men who stood by the side of thier loved ones during those immpossible times. I think it is what I liked about this book. It was very personal and touching. But it really made me sad to think that there was a day when women had two choices when facing an unwanted pregnancy: death and/or mutilation or parenthood against thier will. This should be required reading in high school so that everyone is aware of how barbaric the US was and could be again if we don't assert the desire to treat women with dignity and respect.
A must-read for any feminist and pro-choicer!.......1999-09-06
This book shows exactly what can happen if the religious right is successful in criminalizing abortion. The back alley and back room abortionists will be back in business and women will once again die. Abortion rights is something that no one can ignore. The banning of abortion can happen to us in the U.S. if we aren't paying attention and remaining active. Women will have abortions regardless of the laws. It is every woman's right to control her own body.
Book Description
*HH03, Washington At Work: Back Rooms and Clean Air, 2/e, Richard E. Cohen(Congressional Reporter, National Journal), U8380-0, 256 pp., 5 3/8 x 8 1/8, 0-023-23200-5, paperbound, 1994, $15.00nk, September*/ WASHINGTON AT WORK brings to life the modern policy-making process of the United States government through a thought-provoking case study of the 1990 Clean Air Act. The author's extensive hands-on experience is the foundation for the first-hand reporting and observations, creating an exceptionally well-informed book.
Customer Reviews:
Some Back Rooms and Little Clean Air.......2003-12-08
This is a very good book if your are looking info on what went on during the promulgation of the 1990 Clean Air Act. It is not, however, a book for conspiracy theorists. The industrial influence on the process is less than substantial, according to the book. This might be to Cohen's praise, as I know I went into the book looking for interest group politics. At any rate, its a good read if you are interested in the Clean Air Act, and washington in general, but I think that if you look at what the current administration is trying to do to the act, you might come to different conclusions about the more recent policy making process.
Average customer rating:
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Back to the Upper Room
Charles M. Irish
Manufacturer: Thomas Nelson Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 Missions & Missionary Work
| Evangelism
| Christianity
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0785283110 |
Book Description
How an entire church discovered life in the Holy Spirit. The wise and practical application of principles necessary to renew a parish.
Book Description
The law sends Longarm to a town that doesn't take kindly to strangers, to investigate the death of a bounty hunter. But even with the cold shoulders, Longarm won't leave this town til the devil gets his due.
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