I've always enjoyed Galbraith, with the exception of his mediocre fiction and account of his work for our State Department in 'Ambassador's Journal'. I've always enjoyed Galbraith, with the exception of his mediocre fiction and account of his work for our State Department in 'Ambassador's Journal'. Indeed, during Dave Schweickart's course on Socialism and Capitalism at Loyola University, when the class was divided between those interested in Marx, or in Milton Friedman, or in Galbraith, I chose Galbraith, partly because he was enjoyable, partly because I figured most students would select Marx owing to our teacher's socialist proclivities. This got me to read his trilogy as well as a number of ancillary works.
Most economists, even Adam Smith and Karl Marx, aren't fun. It's called 'the dismal science' for a reason. Other than Galbraith, the only ones I can think of who are entertaining are Heilbroner and Thorstein Veblen (at least his 'Theory of the Leisure Class'). Marx, while important, even essential, is rather dry, Engels being better in English. Galbraith, however, has a witty perspective on the human condition, this wit well demonstrated in this slight volume detailing some of the more world-historical panics from the tulip craze in Holland through the Wall Street crash of 1987.
Though dated, the cycles of euphoria and disappointment described are all of a kind according to Galbraith, virtually a part of the human condition, at least under market capitalism, the tendency being of the character of original sin....more
This is another of Woodward's instant history books, books based on interviews conducted by the famous journalist and probably written by assistants uThis is another of Woodward's instant history books, books based on interviews conducted by the famous journalist and probably written by assistants under his supervision. This one covers the election of Joe Biden and events of his first term through the withdrawal from Afghanistan, the narrative jumping back and forth from Biden's world to Trump's. Unlike his two books on the Trump administration, this one isn't very scandalous or revelatory....more
The author, the daughter of sixties-era feminists, writes about the perversions of the feminist aim for 'freedom and power' that have occurred since tThe author, the daughter of sixties-era feminists, writes about the perversions of the feminist aim for 'freedom and power' that have occurred since the rebirth of the movement in the sixties and seventies. Published in 2005, this book does not anticipate just how bad things might get, but what she describes of the commodification of sex and the false consciousness and alienation of girls under the Bush administrations is bad enough....more
This book was donated to Heirloom Books by David Schweickart, himself a political economist focused on matters of worker control socialism.
Deeply rooThis book was donated to Heirloom Books by David Schweickart, himself a political economist focused on matters of worker control socialism.
Deeply rooted in the Marxist traditions of social analysis, Fraser's 'Cannibal Capitalism' goes beyond Marx and Engels to consider the vital importance of non-economic factors in sustaining capitalism. These include such as the reproductive costs of labor, the environmental costs of treating nature as ownable and freely exploitable, and the expropriation of peoples at the margins of the capitalist core, in order words, colonialism and imperialism. Added to these considerations in her description of the historical evolution of capitalist social systems is the current centrality of debt and its extra-political, which is to say 'international', dimension.
While this book is very good in updating Marxist theory to include such contemporary concerns as race, gender and the environment, Fraser's writing style is rather dry and her points are repeated beyond necessity. Such a study could be fleshed out and made to seem more practicable in its prescriptions by the inclusion of some case studies of socialist alternatives....more
Hitler wrote 'two' Mein Kampfs, one in prison, one afterwards, both published. This, his third book, appears to have been written around 1928 and was Hitler wrote 'two' Mein Kampfs, one in prison, one afterwards, both published. This, his third book, appears to have been written around 1928 and was never published. The text was discovered after the war. Personally, I think it superior to his autobiographies as an outline of his political program. In it he comes across as a modern Machiavelli.
The text is dated as evidenced by its lengthy treatment of the Tyrol, the boundaries of which had been disputed between Italy and Germany. So too is his hope for an Axis consisting of Germany, Austria, Italy and Great Britain against the common enemy, viz. France.
I've never been entirely clear about Hitler's anti-Jewish prejudice. His arguments here suggest a horror as regards such a stateless people, correlative to his own intense nationalism....more
My grandmother had a copy of Ishi, Between Two Worlds which I read one summer up at her cottage in Michigan as a child. It made a big impression back My grandmother had a copy of Ishi, Between Two Worlds which I read one summer up at her cottage in Michigan as a child. It made a big impression back then so that Starn's critique of portions of it herein made sense. I had been expecting such as well as an expansion of the story of Ishi's life and was surprised that in addition Starn actually deals with the story of Ishi's brain, once lost, since discovered and returned to be buried with his ashes. All of this is given within the context of the history of the relations between native Americans and white settlers (and white anthropologists), with a focus on California....more
This is a day-by-day account of Donald Trump's administration's last year, focused on the events of January 6 when thousands assaulted the congress asThis is a day-by-day account of Donald Trump's administration's last year, focused on the events of January 6 when thousands assaulted the congress as it was certifying the presidential election results. Being in the habit of following the news and political commentary of the day, some of it by co-author Rucker, it served as a review and reminder. What little that was new were the behind-the-scenes, often uncredited, accounts of activities within the White House and Pentagon. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Milley comes across as the central hero of the shaky transition....more
Composed by a Christian liberal and a Christian conservative, this book attempts to give a balanced, factual account of the religious right in the UniComposed by a Christian liberal and a Christian conservative, this book attempts to give a balanced, factual account of the religious right in the United States. The tone is academic. The arguments are buttressed by polling. This, the fourth edition, takes their account into the beginning of the Obama administration.
What this books fails to consider is what I'd term the psychotic strata of many religions. By this I mean a more or less diminished capacity, or willingness, to accept real facts and to recognize that doing so is absurd. Kierkegaard, a man with many incredible beliefs, was not psychotic by this definition in that he appreciated the absurdity of his faith. A biblical inerrancist, however, is psychotic for a number of reasons. A foundational one is simply that there is no single 'bible' but rather a host of textual traditions and their interpretations.
It is one thing to be a Christian in the sense of being informed by Christian traditions, another to be a Christian in some absolutist ideological sense. A Christian might very well be rational and conservative politically and socially. Many of those I term psychotic would justify their politics and social practices by metaphysical references to supposed divine revelations. They might, further, characterize their opponents as being Satanically motivated. And, yes, many, if not most, of those Christian rightists discussed by the authors are, or pretend to be, psychotic in the sense described. As individuals they are pathetic. As a movement they are dangerous....more
I've been fascinated by religion and by ethics since childhood, my family having been a secular one surrounded by the ostensibly religious, liberals sI've been fascinated by religion and by ethics since childhood, my family having been a secular one surrounded by the ostensibly religious, liberals surrounded by conservatives. This led me to complete two degrees in religion, one in philosophy. I think I managed to understand how the texts of what we now call the bible came about and how their fantastic stories gained currency. I've yet to understand the perdurance of biblical literalism in the modern world. This book and others of its ilk interest me as possibly offering insight.
While well intended and quite readable, because substantially anecdotal, Goldberg's 'Kingdom Coming', published in 2006, is dated, being referenced to the second Bush administration. Having read other books of the kind, there wasn't much new to me here nor did it offer much insight. Instead, one is presented by portrayals of political organization and manipulation....more
I've been paying more attention to conservatives during the Trump administration than ever, the intelligentsia of the GOP having almost entirely abandI've been paying more attention to conservatives during the Trump administration than ever, the intelligentsia of the GOP having almost entirely abandoned the party to write books or opine in the media. MSNBC has become virtually a recovery center for disappointed conservatives sharing the platform with Democrats.
This book by 'A Senior Trump Administration Official' recapitulates much of what one will find on the networks or in the books by Wolff, Woodward, Cohen, Comey and Omarosa, namely the horror show that was the Trump administration--and it does this from the standpoint of traditional, conservative Republicanism (Bernie Sanders, unnamed in the text, is regarded with fear). As such, of course, this book and its author, now publicly revealed as Miles Taylor and commenting on the news programs, will have a certain credibility Democratic and other commentators lack and therefore is recommended reading until we're certain, absolutely certain, that neither Trump nor any of his craven supporters will run for the presidency in 2024....more
I grew up listening to Studs on WFMT, 'Chicago's fine arts station', remembering his interviews with personages of interest such as Bob Dylan and PhilI grew up listening to Studs on WFMT, 'Chicago's fine arts station', remembering his interviews with personages of interest such as Bob Dylan and Phil Ochs all the way back to the sixties. I also read 'Division Street' when Dad picked it up, the first of many Terkel books he acquired, many of them signed. If you've heard Studs, and you can by going to the Terkel archives, this book, in the same familiar voice, is an impressionistic take on the city, its people and its history, accompanied by many illustrative photographs. It inspired me to go back to the 1969 film he discusses, 'Medium Cool', a movie featuring the Democratic Convention here in 1968, a film I haven't thought of much since seeing it upon its release back then....more
Looking for a quick read, I found this in the 'Chicago' shelves downstairs at Heirloom Books in Chicago. It's a collection of photographs cum captionsLooking for a quick read, I found this in the 'Chicago' shelves downstairs at Heirloom Books in Chicago. It's a collection of photographs cum captions by a 21-year-0ld local photographer who attended many of the demonstrations 'sparked by the deaths of Breanna Taylor, George Floyd and countless other Black people unjustly murdered by while police officers across the country." I myself participated in four of these demonstrations, two downtown, one in suburban Evanston and a fourth here in the Rogers Park neighborhood. Jordan's photos, however, focus on the city, mostly downtown and in predominantly black neighborhoods. Notably, while subtitled 'A Joyful Revolution', Jordan's photos include many of looted businesses.
While the photos constitute an interesting record, an explanatory text would have helped this book's relevance to future generations who'd not participated in these events. ...more
Having just read an account of one family's exodus from Paris during the German invasion of 1940, I picked up this broader exposition of the German ocHaving just read an account of one family's exodus from Paris during the German invasion of 1940, I picked up this broader exposition of the German occupations of 1914-18 (in the NE) and 1940-44. Written by a British historian of France who lived through many years in that country and served during WWII, it is in no wise a scientific history of the occupations, but rather a thematically arranged series of essays dealing with the phenomenon of occupation, with especial attention paid to the second.
Be warned! A substantial amount of the text is in French, taxing what little I could remember of such classes in the public schools. A glossary is provided but it is certainly not sufficient for those not familiar with the language. Indeed, much is expected of the reader, this including familiarity with the war, with French political history, with Parisian landmarks and literary figures. Still, Cobb writes well and evocatively, making the book worth the effort (which included numerous asides to Wikipedia)....more
This book is in two parts. The first, written by Laistner, is a review, a compare and contrast, of pedagogical assumptions and practices held by paganThis book is in two parts. The first, written by Laistner, is a review, a compare and contrast, of pedagogical assumptions and practices held by pagans and Christians during the period of transition during the later Roman Empire. The second, translated by Laistner after his foreword, is John Chrysostom's 'Address on Vainglory and the Right Way for Parents to Bring Up Their Children', a text never translated fully into English before. Most notable in this pious lecture is his advice to threaten, but avoid, corporal punishments of offspring as well as his relatively humane consideration of slaves. Otherwise, unlike the main text, it's pretty boring. ...more
This book was originally published in the early seventies. The author, an academic anthropologist, was apparently upset by the behavior of his undergrThis book was originally published in the early seventies. The author, an academic anthropologist, was apparently upset by the behavior of his undergraduate students during the sixties, by the 'counter culture', and spends two concluding chapters in criticism. His own background, though not explicitly stated, leans towards economic materialism, hard-nosed Marxism as it were. This approach is demonstrated in his explanations of pig-loving vs. pig-hating (Moslems, Jews) cultures, cargo cultism, potlach behaviors, patriarchy, witch-hunting and other social phenomena generally regarded as mysteriously irrational, if not self-defeating. Naturally, his explanations show the sense behind the behaviors and offer examples of a method of analysis with real explanatory power. I found the book to be well written, provocative and entertaining....more
This is the second of Woodward's three books about the Trump administration. Completed at the end of the summer of 2020, it focuses primarily on the CThis is the second of Woodward's three books about the Trump administration. Completed at the end of the summer of 2020, it focuses primarily on the Corona-19 virus in the months prior to the certification of vaccines and serves as a vehicle for the many interviews with Trump recorded by Woodward. Like most, if not all, of Woodward's books, it's a dry, factual narrative, lacking the humor, sarcasm and irony of Michael Wolff's own trilogy. Woodward tries to be fair. Reminiscent of Walter Cronkite after the Tet Offensive, however, he ends with the judgment: "When his performance as president is taken in its entirety, I can only reach one conclusion: Trump is the wrong man for the job."...more
Picked this up for a quarter at the library sale in Arnold, CA while staying nearby at Tom Miley's home in the area. If you are able to swallow your tPicked this up for a quarter at the library sale in Arnold, CA while staying nearby at Tom Miley's home in the area. If you are able to swallow your terror and find amusement in the antics of Donald Trump, his family and their followers, this account ranks up there with Michael Cohen's. I'll be looking for his successor volumes... ...more
Having just finished 'Republican Gomorrah', I decided to explore the religious right a bit more with this somewhat earlier publication. Author Hedges,Having just finished 'Republican Gomorrah', I decided to explore the religious right a bit more with this somewhat earlier publication. Author Hedges, son of a Presbyterian pastor and himself seminary educated, attends to the theological positions of his opponents in the 'Church', showing how the ideologies and practices of the Right conform to what may be considered fascistic authoritarianism and contrasting that with his own acceptation of the Christian message. While unsympathetic to many of their leaders, the megachurches, the televangelists etc., he peppers his text with brief, sympathetic biographies of some of the followers. The biggest baddies of them all in this account are the dominionists, a movement also covered in the aforementioned text. These irrationally intolerant 'Christians', in Hedges' view, may themselves merit some suppression lest they, like the Nazis, ride the crest of some crisis to actual power....more
Erich Fromm's analysis of the Nazi mentality, of the authoritarian sado-masochistic type, forms the theoretical spine of this study of the influence oErich Fromm's analysis of the Nazi mentality, of the authoritarian sado-masochistic type, forms the theoretical spine of this study of the influence of right-wing Christianity on the Republican Party. While there is some historical background and a great deal on the influence of Dobson's Focus on the Family, it all points to the 2008 election of Obama and on the notion that this alliance has not well-served the Republicans--a point which now, in 2021, is open to discussion.
Personally, I found the book to be informative and darkly amusing--a defensive reaction to some truly scary facts about this country--particularly in his lengthy accounts of the exposures of prominent Christo-Republicans inside government and the churches. I hadn't realized, for instance, that there were so many gay-bashing figures who themselves were ultimately exposed as gay....more
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