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Power, Politics and the People
Capital and Labour Redefined: India and the Third World (Anthem South Asian Studies)
Inventing Subjects: Studies in Hegemony, Patriarchy and Colonialism (Anthem South Asian Studies)
Azad Hind: Writings and Speeches 1941-1943 (Anthem South Asian Studies)
Caste and Democratic Politics in India (Anthem South Asian Studies)
Colonialism as Civilizing Mission: The Case of British India (Anthem South Asian Studies)
The Sledge Patrol
The North Atlantic Front: The Northern Isles at War
Hitler's War Directives 1939-1945
St. Valery: The Impossible Odds
Clothing Regulations 1914
Commando Gallantry Awards of World War II
Histories of 251 Divisions of the German Army Which Participated in the War (1914-1918)
Meritorious Service Medal: The Immediate Awards
List of Officers and Men Serving in the First Canadian Contingent of the British Expeditionary Force 1914
Tunnellers
Pipes of War: A Record of the Achievements of Pipers of Scottish and Overseas Regiments During the War 1914-18
'GAS!' The Story of the Special Brigade
Divisional and Other Signs
Complete Despatches of Lord French 1914-1916
Egyptian Soudan Its Loss and Recovery (1896-1898)
History of the 22nd (Service) Battalion, Royal Fusiliers (Kensington)
History of the 51st (Highland) Division 1914-1918
56th Division (1st London Territorial Division) 1914-1918
Downside and the War 1914-1919

Tribes and Power: Nationalism and Ethnicity in the Middle East

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Tribes and Power: Nationalism and Ethnicity in the Middle East

Manufacturer: Saqi Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Ayatollahs, Sufis and Ideologues: State, Religion and Social Movements in Iraq
The Shi'ite Movement in Iraq
The Old Social Classes and the Revolutionary Movements of Iraq: Third Edition
The Shia Revival: How Conflicts within Islam Will Shape the Future
The Shi'is of Iraq

ASIN: 0863568041

Book Description

Tribes and Power provides a comprehensive understanding of the structure, functioning, and change of today's Middle Eastern tribes. In some Middle Eastern countries, tribalism has been strengthened by centralized policies, modern technology, and the market economy. This stimulating collection scrutinizes the complexities of kinship structures in Arab and Islamic cultures, and contains case studies of Iraq, Iran, Libya, Morocco, and Saudi Arabia.

PRINCIPLES OF INTERNATIONAL POLITICS: People's Power, Preferences, And Perceptions

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Great Politics Book
Principles
poorly written and obvious
Super transaction
Self-Righteous

PRINCIPLES OF INTERNATIONAL POLITICS: People's Power, Preferences, And Perceptions
Bruce Bueno De Mesquita , and Bruce Bueno De Mesquita
Manufacturer: CQ Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Applying the Strategic Perspective: Problems And Models
America's Role in Nation-Building: From Germany to Iraq
After Victory
America's Strategic Choices - revised edition (International Security Readers)
Games of Strategy, Second Edition

ASIN: 1933116110

Customer Reviews:

Great Politics Book.......2006-08-22

Ignore the previous bad reviews for this textbook. It does a very good job of presenting the fundementals of International Politics and discussing the different schools of thought on the subject (this book is a believer in the "all politicians strive to keep themselves in power" theory, which is a contrast to other international political theories)

The book also covers all of the basic game theory over the first 10-12 chapters that you will need to know for most politics courses.

Principles.......2006-07-03

This is a marvellous book that moves beyond the loose metaphors that pass for theory in most of international relations.
I sincerely hope no one pays the slightest attention to the junk some people write in their reviews for Amazon. What a bunch of nit wits.
Fat Bob

poorly written and obvious.......2005-11-29

political leaders are motivated by their desire to stay in power? REALLY? wow, talk about obvious. and yet his book manages to explain the implications of this in the most convoluted, annoying way possible. he talks about terms he never defines, doesn't explain his math properly, and cites himself far more often than is necessary. this book is the only one that discusses issues in the abstract (so said my polisci prof), but it could still be written better.

Super transaction.......2005-09-16

Shipping was super fast, and book brand new, low price, and good communication, highly recommended

Self-Righteous.......2003-02-05

Throughout this text, Bueno de Mesquita tries to convey to the reader his belief that all wars and conflicts in the history of the world could have been avoided if only the decision makers had read his book. And through it all, he manages to project a sense of self-righteous superiority that I have never before seen in a book designed to be a textbook. I personally think that his theory has merit, but it is not the cure-all for international politics. He uses many examples, some of which are good and some of which are bad. An example of the latter is found in the chapter on preferences (9) when he spends about 10 pages on an inane and contrived example concerning a soda machine and the choices involved. Stick with examples involving the subject of the book! Also, he likes to refer to himself a lot. There is one instance in which he refers to his own past works 5 times in 2 consecutive paragraphs. This so annoyed me that I began highlighting each incident of self-citation, which generally occurs on every page.

That being said, if you're interested in BDM's strategic theory of International Relations, this is a good book, but if you want a more objective and comprehensive explanation of various IR theories, I would go with something else.

The Enigma of Japanese Power: People and Politics in a Stateless Nation

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Power Explained
Fascinating and thought-provoking
Breathtaking
Japanese Power - Political Observations
Chomskyan hatchet job on Japan

The Enigma of Japanese Power: People and Politics in a Stateless Nation
Karel Van Wolferen
Manufacturer: Vintage
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Dogs and Demons: Tales from the Dark Side of Modern Japan
Devolution in the United Kingdom
The Logic of Japanese Politics
MITI and the Japanese Miracle: The Growth of Industrial Policy, 1925-1975
Japan Pop!: Inside the World of Japanese Popular Culture

ASIN: 0679728023
Release Date: 1990-06-10

Amazon.com

Few Americans have examined carefully the nation whose economy and industry is bound up with their own, whose future will inescapably shape theirs--Japan, that is. Dutch journalist Karel van Wolferen does the job, and very well indeed, depicting a Japan alternately awed and disgusted by the world beyond its shores, governed by a puppet emperor in the service of the zaikaijin, a gerontocracy of businessmen who control the national economy, just as they have done for generations. Their hierarchy is reinforced by the fear that, as in 1945, hostile powers will not only overpower the Japanese economy but denature the Japanese people, introducing foreign concepts of democracy and even the specter of an "impure race." Although Van Wolferen balances his account by highlighting what he regards as positive Japanese traits, including thrift, respect for elders, industriousness, and self-control, The Enigma of Japanese Power remains a controversial text in the nation it assays to describe with discomforting accuracy.

Book Description

A full-scale examination of the inner workings of Japan's political and industrial system.

Customer Reviews:

Power Explained.......2006-10-10

Van Wolferen does an excellent job of exploring the basis of power in Japanese society. As you read the book, you'll learn that Japanese power is a very collective and amorphous thing. There is no one person or one group in charge of everything. There is no strong political leader, such as America has in its president. Power flows almost like water.

Another interesting thing that Van Wolferen covers in his book is that the way that Japanese people are today is not due to culture. The Japanese character has been molded by political decisions made in the past. It's interesting to see how he comes at this idea. Read the book and check it out for yourself.

Fascinating and thought-provoking.......2005-10-23

Journalist Karel van Wolferen makes a compelling case for the argument that there is virtually no one in control of the Japanese state: it's ruling elite consists of administrators who jockey for position as they seek advantage for their respective ministries, thereby making it difficult for Japan to speak with a unified voice on the international front or make commitments to foreign governments on which it can follow through. Detractors unfairly stain van Wolferen's name with the epithet "Japan-basher," but it was clear to me that he felt a great deal of empathy for the average Japanese, who he says also suffers under the system he describes.

The most refreshing aspect of this book is that it avoids that tired cliche of Japan writing: the portrait of the Japanese as purely the unique product of a unique culture, as if they were a charming and polite race not entirely of this world. Get to know them personally and you find that we have far more in common than not. Power corrupts in Japan, just as it does everywhere else. People have a tendency to value the status quo and defend their own interests in Japan, just as they do everywhere else. It is not difficult to believe that in Japan, a country that has always been hierarchically organized and has had the dubious benefit of being isolated from the outside world for much of its history, the elite at the top of that hierarchicy would exercise their power to protect the state of affairs that sustains them, however short-sighted a policy that might ultimately prove to be.

Van Wolferen's book deserves serious consideration, not to be dismissed as the diatribe of a racist.

Breathtaking.......2005-04-10

Published just as the infamous Japanese 'bubble' economy was set to burst - and from which, more than ten years down the road, Japan has yet to recover - van Wolferen's work remains a classic in the field. The Dutch journalist spent more than thirty years reporting from Japan. Though the tenor of Japan's relationship with the outside world has changed considerably in the intervening years, much of what van Wolferen noted remains true.
Following publication, van Wolferen's speaking engagements dried up or were suddenly canceled, and he was tagged with the 'Japan basher' moniker. More than anything, van Wolferen had broken the taboo of uttering what all knew to be, on various levels, the truth about how Japan's political and bureaucratic culture functions.
In places the book is dense. The general reader can skip to relevant sections. They include pieces on education, the elusive Japanese state, the all-pervasive bureaucracy, the middle class, ritual in society, intimidation, the press, and others. Very persuasive.

Japanese Power - Political Observations.......2004-11-12

Karel van Wolferen's The Enigma of Japanese Power presents to us a picture of the Japanese government as a corrupt and manipulative "System" in which individuals have few rights and are often ignored. What distinguishes this book from others in the area is the explanation given for how this came to be. Whereas Ruth Benedict and Chie Nakane use cultural and structural approaches to Japanese society, respectively, Van Wolferen views it from a political perspective. This allows The Enigma and Japanese Power to remain relevant even after the "bubble burst" of the Japanese economy.
One of Van Wolferen's central topics in this book is that not everything is as it appears in Japan - certainly not a new idea to the field. However, the political viewpoint he takes is refreshing. For example, he claims that there are two "Confusing Factors" (5) about Japan that cause problems when dealing with other countries. The first fiction is that Japan has a responsible central government. Note the word "responsible," since Japan clearly has a central government. Instead of a transparent government in which people are responsible for their decisions, Van Wolferen tells us that there is no one individual or group that has complete control over the country. Rather, power is divided among many ministries, politicians, and bureaucrats. At the start of the second chapter he tells us that, of course Japan has laws and regulations, several political parties, and unions workers can join. However, he then also explains that just because these institutions exist with our Western names attached to them does not mean they function in the same manner.
For example, Van Wolferen describes politics in Japan as a "rigged one party system" (28), even though there are quite a few opposition parties. The Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which is neither liberal nor democratic, is primarily "a vote-getting machine" (30) and a policy-oriented organization dead last. Through gerrymandering the voting districts to favor rural areas - where the LDP has always had strong support -, buying votes, and pork-barrel politics (making promises to help a city by funneling money to it if a certain politician is elected for the area) the LDP has managed to virtually monopolize seats in the Diet. Due to this tremendous amount of power, policy debates and outcries against LDP corruption "are performances that are democratically reassuring but with not the slightest influence on developments in the countries affairs" (30). Due to this overwhelming power, the people are virtually at the LDP's mercy.
The other fiction about Japan that Van Wolferen thinks causes problems is that Japan has a free-market economy. He quotes Chalmers Johnson in describing Japan and other Asian countries as "capitalist developmental states" (6). In this system the economy of a country depends on a good relationship between industry and bureaucrats. In other words, the industry "advises" the bureaucracy about what they should do and the bureaucrats make policies that reflect those "suggestions." For example, Van Wolferen points out the banning of oral contraceptives in order to "[prevent] any decline in the lucrative abortion industry" (53) as an example of this. The incentives for bureaucrats are top positions in big business after retirement (known in Japan as amakudari - descent from heaven).
Van Wolferen argues that the ability to say or present one thing and take a completely different course of action - and that no one seems to care - is due to a lack of any universal truths or beliefs held by the Japanese. He says that because the political elites were able to pick and choose what aspects of Buddhism and Confucianism were adopted by society, they were able to weed out anything that detracted from their power. In this way, religion came to be a tool the government used to project an image that those in power were beyond the law, yet were still benevolent rulers. However, in Western thought, the government is seen as a protector of the people, answerable to the same laws as the commoners. In other words, Van Wolferen states that the lack of "truths, rules principals or morals that always apply, no matter what the circumstances" (9) enables the Japanese to accept seemingly hypocritical viewpoints and stances without flinching.
I enjoyed reading The Enigma of Japanese Power. It is popular Nihonjinron at its peak - easily accessible, entertaining, and does not stray too far from the generally held views of Japan. Some would argue that this third fact detracts from the book, but I do not agree. By looking at Japan through a political viewpoint, rather than a cultural one like countless others, Van Wolferen is able to garner more validity. Reducing everything done differently in Japan to culture or tradition gets us nowhere. Instead, by looking at the situation differently we can see that there are specific reasons why the Japanese are they way they are. It is important to realize, however, that this political view has its limitations as well, which I believe Van Wolferen makes clear that he knows.

Chomskyan hatchet job on Japan.......2004-02-06

van Wolferen had the benefit of living in Japan for 20 years as a journalist without ever having learned to read or write Japanese. One wonders how much credibility Americans would give a book about American culture and politics written by a journalist who had lived in the US for 20 years without learning to read or write English.

But that's not the problem with van Wolferen: Ruth Benedict and Lafcadio Hearn wrote worthwhile books about Japan without learning the language, in Benedict's case without even having visited Japan. The problem is van Wolferen's style and thesis.

His style is tendentious, full of false premises, unwarranted assumptions, unsubstantiated assertions, and hysterical exaggeration. His thesis is that Japan is a uniquely evil country, much like Noam Chomsky's attitude toward America.

Here is a small example: In Chapter 15 "The Japanese Phoenix" van Wolferen states: "The most famous slogan of the Meiji period was 'fukoku kyohei', 'rich country, strong military', and the response to the real or imaginary external threat was an effort to make Japan invincible."

Well, what about that external threat? Was it "real" or was it "imaginary"? van Wolferen by offering us the two alternatives implies that the Japanese imagined or at least seriously exaggerated the external threat. And was the goal truly to be "invincible", or was it just to be competitive?

In actual fact, the external threat was all too real. The Shogunate was overwhelmed by the power of the small but well-armed flotilla Commodore Perry brought to Tokyo Bay in 1853. The Shogunate's military forces had nothing even remotely comparable to Perry's "black ships". The shelling and burning of Kagoshima in 1863 by the British Royal Navy and the destruction of the guns guarding the Straits of Shimonoseki by naval bombardment in 1864 by a Four Power flotilla (British, French, Dutch, and American) underlined the point that the Japanese were powerless against Western military force. They also had before them the example of China, the source of Japanese High Culture, which was at that time being systematically dismembered by the European powers. The message was clear: Japan was going to share China's fate if it did not modernize.

Doesn't seem like an "imaginary" threat to me. And "invincible"? What about just "competitive with the Western powers"? - which was in fact the real goal of the Meiji Restoration.

This is just one small example. Every page abounds with similar distortions. Interestingly, van Wolferen explicitly states at the outset, on page 24, that he is not interested in objective analysis.

Chalmers Johnson inspired van Wolferen to write this book, and reviewed it extensively. If you share Johnson's neo-Leftist conspiratorial world view, you will find van Wolferen compelling reading. If you are interested in learning about Japan as it really is, don't bother reading this book.

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Why Are So Many Black Men In Prison? A Comprehensive Account Of How And Why The Prison Industry Has Become A Predatory Entity In
A Must Read
why are so many black men NOT in prison
Why are so many Black Men in Prison?
Why are so many blacks in prison?

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

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Kill Them Before They Grow: The Misdiagnosis of African American Boys in America's Classrooms
Motivating and Preparing Black Youth for Success
The Hip Hop Generation: Young Blacks and the Crisis in African American Culture
Countering the Conspiracy to Destroy Black Boys (Series)
Visions for Black Men

ASIN: 1425713971

Customer Reviews:

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

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

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

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

why are so many black men NOT in prison.......2007-05-17

THAT really is the question; think about it.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Introspection.

Saving Our Environment from Washington: How Congress Grabs Power, Shirks Responsibility, and Shortchanges the People (RN)

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Saving Our Environment from Washington: How Congress Grabs Power, Shirks Responsibility, and Shortchanges the People (RN)
David Schoenbrod
Manufacturer: Yale University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Power Without Responsibility: How Congress Abuses the People through Delegation
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ASIN: 0300119844

Biodiesel Power: The Passion, the People, And the Politics of the Next Renewable Fuel

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An ongoing primer documenting the importance of this next renewable fuel
Biodeisel - the story
What a whinner
New biodiesel book rings true for a homebrewer!
A classic story of a biodiesel homebrewer

Biodiesel Power: The Passion, the People, And the Politics of the Next Renewable Fuel
Lyle Estill
Manufacturer: New Society Publishers
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Binding: Paperback

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Biodiesel America: How to Achieve Energy Security, Free America from Middle-east Oil Dependence And Make Money Growing Fuel

ASIN: 0865715416

Book Description

Whether we are nearing the end of oil or merely nearing the end of inexpensive oil, it is becoming increasingly clear that we need to find alternative ways to meet our energy needs. Biodiesel is one such alternative-and is one of the fastest-growing sectors of the US economy.

Biodiesel in North America is in its infancy. As air quality deteriorates in major centers, governments are scrambling for ways to reduce emissions and are embracing biodiesel in their fleets. Conferences on biodiesel are often "inaugural" as society begins discussing this fuel in earnest.

Biodiesel Power is a chronicle of this emerging industry. Lightly touching on the technical aspects of the fuel, its qualities, and specifications, the book is largely about the people and stories of the biodiesel movement. It explores the tensions between

Grass-roots activists and their altruistic co-ops
The profit-minded commercial producers and the voices of agribusiness
The current administration-or "the coalition of the drilling"

Far from a third-party account, Biodiesel Power comes from one who has experienced it from the grease dumpster to the boardroom. Lyle Estill has made the journey from backyard brewing, to being part of a producer and distributor cooperative, to commercial production.

Compelling and timely, Biodiesel Power is the history of biodiesel in the making. It will appeal to a wide audience, including farmers, truckers, backyarders, and commercial producers, investors, politicians, and all those concerned about the end of oil.

Lyle Estill is vice president of Piedmont Biofuels Industrial in Chatham County, North Carolina. He has published an important Weblog-Energy Blog-about the biodiesel movement for several years and has received numerous awards for his environmentalism and outreach on biodiesel, including Educator of the Year for 2004 from Environmental Educators of North Carolina.

Customer Reviews:

An ongoing primer documenting the importance of this next renewable fuel.......2006-07-23

Renewable energy is becoming even more important an issue as time goes by and oil reserves become less certain: Lyle Estill's BIODIESEL POWER: THE PASSION, THE PEOPLE, AND THE POLITICS OF THE NEXT RENEWABLE FUEL thus holds value beyond its 2005 publication date as an ongoing primer documenting the importance of this next renewable fuel. It follows the people, influences and history of the biodiesel movement and examines pros, cons, commercial interests and organizations alike in an outstanding coverage promising ongoing relevance.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Biodeisel - the story.......2006-04-30

Lyle is a great writer. I found the book to be an easy read. Funny, well written and environmentally inspriational. This is more of a story than an text book. Although it talks about how to make Biodeisel, it is more about the process and story of Lyle and his trials in figuring out how to do it.

Of course Lyle is my brother so I may be biased.

What a whinner.......2006-04-15

OK, yes, this book did have its moments and the author's "passion" seems to be there - in kind of a self-important sort of way. However, the "people" is very limited - I wanted to know about who, what, when, where, and why biodiesel is being made and used. That was largely lacking unless you want to know about the author and his little band of followers. And the "politics" is just a bunch on whinning. The author's seems to have a "big companies making biodiesel are the enemy and the only true religion is small, make it in your back yard, or you'll go to hell" perspective on biodiesel. However, if you really want to see biodiesel used in any quatity the big companies are the path to making it happen. No, I do not work for a big biodiesel company and yes, I make it myself - for personal satisfaction. Probably half 1/3 of this book is taken right from his web log so why spend your hard earned money?

Overall this book was very disapointing.

New biodiesel book rings true for a homebrewer!.......2005-12-07

I just finished reading Lyle Estill's book "Biodiesel Power, The passion, the people, and the politics of the next renewable fuel". I enjoyed the book so much that I feel compelled to write this breif, amatuer, 2 cent review:

Biodiesel Power is a book about the progression of one small scale producer from back yard tinkerer up to large scale commercial producer. Lyle Estill, of Piedmont Biofuels Co-op in Pittsboro, NC, writes of his adventures and misadventures in pursuit of a renewable, clean burning fuel.

Together with cohorts Rachel, Leif, Oneas, and many others, Lyle started Piedmont Biofuels co-op a few years ago to produce fuel, advocate for small scale production across the state, and teach the techniques of sustainable fuelmaking to the eager North Carolina public. They have grown as many homebrewers aspire to from blender batch, to larger and more efficient reactors, up to their eventual goal of a small refinery. They are also buying commercial biodiesel to resell to members of the Co-op.

Reading this book was extremely entertaining for me as an amatuer small scale producer of biodiesel/ educator/ advocate. Much of the time I was either shaking my head in recognition of the funny mishaps in Lyle's accounts, or else glued to the page to learn some new bit of pertinent information. Lyle and Piedmont Biofuels have done a great deal to advance the cause of the small producer in North Carolina, and many of us may hope to follow in their footsteps. This book, referring in a personal way to many of the pioneers in the small-scale biodiesel movement, left me feeling like a part of the B100 family, both heartened and newly inspired to keep plugging away.

This book is well written and an easy read (with nice big print, but sorry no pictures). Here is a brief exerpt from the last chapter, entitled "The Road Ahead": "Biodiesel is great fun. It's empowering. Nothing feels better than tooling down the highway with the knowledge that you are free. Free of Chevron. Free of Mobil. Free of George Bush. Free of the Saudis. Free of the whole sorry lot. I realize full well that hydrogen is the place to be, but I'm stuck on vegetable oil. It's here now. It works. It's renewable. It's sustainable. It smells good. It creates jobs in the United States. And there is no war required to get it."

Well, after typing all of that let me say that Lyle does write in long sentences and does convey plenty of info that you may not already know. This was kind of a summary paragraph in a summary chapter, for effect.

If you make biodiesel, want to make biodiesel, or are interested in advocating for biodiesel, check out this book. (If you have a spouse who gets frustrated with your biodiesel project this will be particularly humorous for you as well). It's affordable and the proceeds support Piedmont Biofuels coop, check it out!

Note: This book is not a How-to manual on biodiesel production. For that information I suggest The Biodiesel Homebrew Guide by Girl Mark, available at http://www.localb100.com/book.html (Girl Mark and the homebrew guide are mentioned favorably in Biodiesel Power as well. Another option is to visit the biodiesel discussion board at [...] where you will find plenty of information on the subject.

Biodiesel Power, Copyright 2005 by Lyle Estill, printed on recycled paper by New Society Publishers

A classic story of a biodiesel homebrewer.......2005-12-07

For the biodiesel homebrewer, Lyle's book is great. I'm not sure if it would mean as much to non-biodiesel folks, but I found it to be very inspirational (I'm a homebrewer myself). Lyle's book isn't about how-to-make-biodiesel. There are lots of others that fill that need. Lyle's is about the personal interactions, the social and societal aspect of this alternative fuel, told in story fashion. As the cover says: "The passion, the people, and the politics of the next renewable fuel." Lyle is the "Everyman" in this story of the trials and tribulations homebrewers all seem to have gone through. As such it tells "our" story with humor and truth.

Chapter titles like "Stinky Kitchen", "Birth of a Coop", "The lure of the Producer", "The policy layer", and "The road ahead" bring my own memories to mind. I think of it as more of a philosophical journey than anything else. It's also fun, because I can remember running into the same problems, and coming up with similar solutions, using the same thought processes. That might be where the story will lose a more general audience though - will someone unfamiliar with biodiesel feel any sympathy when reading about making 40 gallons of soap? To most people that probably doesn't sound like anything bad, but to a homebrewer it's a nightmare needing no further explanation.

There have only been a few books in my life that I've read in a single day, and this was one. I picked it up from the post office about 3:30pm, read a couple pages in the car, then could hardly wait to finish my chores to read what happened next. I finished it about 2am, 5 hours after my normal bedtime.

Lyle's done a good thing, writing this book. I'm ordering more copies to give away as gifts.

A New Weave of Power, People, and Politics: The Action Guide for Advocacy and Citizen Participation

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A New Weave of Power, People, and Politics: The Action Guide for Advocacy and Citizen Participation
Lisa VeneKlasen , and Valerie Miller
Manufacturer: Practical Action
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1853396443

Body of Power, Spirit of Resistance: The Culture and History of a South African People

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Body of Power, Spirit of Resistance: The Culture and History of a South African People
Jean Comaroff
Manufacturer: University Of Chicago Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0226114236

Book Description

In this sophisticated study of power and resistance, Jean Comaroff analyzes the changing predicament of the Barolong boo Ratshidi, a people on the margins of the South African state. Like others on the fringes of the modern world system, the Tshidi struggle to construct a viable order of signs and practices through which they act upon the forces that engulf them. Their dissenting Churches of Zion have provided an effective medium for reconstructing a sense of history and identity, one that protests the terms of colonial and post-colonial society and culture.

Power to the People: How the Coming Energy Revolution Will Transform an Industry, Change Our Lives, and Maybe Even Save the Planet

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Wrong about Electric cars, half right about fuel cells, interesting about micropower plants. Free Energy will be the next boom.
Excellent writing from one point of view
Has no solutions
Something to look forward to
Wets Your Appetite, But Leaves You Wanting More

Power to the People: How the Coming Energy Revolution Will Transform an Industry, Change Our Lives, and Maybe Even Save the Planet
Vijay V. Vaitheeswaran
Manufacturer: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Tomorrow's Energy: Hydrogen, Fuel Cells, and the Prospects for a Cleaner Planet
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The End of Oil: On the Edge of a Perilous New World

ASIN: 0374529701
Release Date: 2004-12-09

Book Description

"By far the most helpful, entertaining, up-to-date and accessible treatment of the energy-economy-environment problematique available." --John P. Holdren, Scientific American

A fiercely independent and irresistibly entertaining look at the economic, political and technological forces that are reshaping the world's management of energy resources, Power to the People has been hailed as "as good a manifesto for the new energy world as you will find." (Fred Pearce, New Scientist). The Economist's Environment and Energy correspondent, Vijay V. Vaitheeswaran sees great opportunity in the energy realm today, and he documents an energy revolution already under way.

From the corporate boardroom of a Texas oil titan who denies the reality of global warming, to a think tank nestled in the Rocky Mountains where a visionary named Amory Lovins is developing hydrogen fuel-cell technology that could make the internal combustion engine obsolete, Vaitheeswaran gamely pursues the people who hold the keys to our future. Avoiding the traditional divide that pits free markets against the wisdom of conservation and the need for clean energy, Power to the People debunks myths without debunking hope.

Customer Reviews:

Wrong about Electric cars, half right about fuel cells, interesting about micropower plants. Free Energy will be the next boom........2007-06-17

The next big boom will be free energy. Vijay, people want free energy and not cheap energy. Tesla proposed free wireless energy for the world which never happen. Micropower offers cheap distributed energy, not free energy. The motionless Electromagnetic Generator is a technology makes possible distributed free energy in massive quantities. Alternatives like ethanol, solar, wind, and fuel cell are expensive and produce insignificant amounts of energy. Why offer a marginal increase in available energy? People want free energy. The usage of this energy would be limited to their creativity, boundaries of logic, and available capital. Image a world where the consumer uses a 1,000 fold more energy and higher quality energy producing higher quality standards of life. People want more control of the energy generation and consumption behaviors. Technology stagnation can no longer be an adequate reason for high energy prices. Nuclear power will provide more energy. Utility companies had wait for regulatory permission to build the plant, factor in costs to finance monies, billions of dollars borrowed that raised the rates. Between 1969 and 1984 the rates rose 60 percent.

"Small is profitable", by Amory Lovins, is quoted, "Thus the grid linking central stations to remote customers had become the main driver of thoses customer's power costs and power-quality problems-which became more acute as digital equipment required extremely reliable electricity. The cheapest, most reliable power, therefore, was that which was produced at or near the customers..." Fuels cells have niched in reliable electricity near the customer, small power plants located near the customer. Fuel cell technology has been used to provide megawatt power for companies, provide backup power for computers, and small electronic devices. Fuel cell technology for automobiles, buses, and trucks remain cost prohibitive until the cost per kilowatt drops below 30 cents a kilowatt, it will be infeasible. Fuel cell technology for transportation does not make sense. "Progress has come only in fits and starts, but the trend is clear: the era of monopolization, centralization, and overregulation has started to give way to market forces in electricity." Micropower has been given a chance to blossom, prices are determined by markets not monopolies, and energy is serve the needs of ordinary people. "Forward -looking firms are already developing microgrids that can electronically link together dozens of micropower units, be they fuel cells or wind turbines." For example, Hydrogren uses 400 kilowatt, air-cooled phosphoric acide fuel cells to generate multi-megawatt systems, 6 - 30 megawatts.

However, centralized power production failed in providing free energy. Decentralized power produce is the solution either in the form of local community energy production using power micro generators or off the grid power generation, such as, home generators or home power plants.

Providing internet to poor nations does not remove poverty. Free energy removes poverty but providing increased mechanical work and logic to grow food, manufacture products, and entertain. Over a half a billion people have no access to electricity. Micropower is an attractive option, in such places. "One significant advantage of micropower is that is call allow generator owners to become producers as well as consumers- selling surplus electricity back to the grid when they do not need it."

Electric vehicles make the car an appliance. "Who killed the electric car" is a compelling story about how GM distorted customer demand statistics to scrap the EV1. Consumers wanted the EV1. The EV1 used Ovonic advanced battery technology to provide cruising speeds for adequate distances. EV hybrids could combine hydrogen reforming, battery, and an combustible engine. Even more significant are cars that run on water or air. EV1 cost 60 cents a mile to operate.

Vijay's book suggests that modern cars emit less population; gas will be the preferred choice of fuel for the next fifty years; energy is the biggest market in the world; fuel cells are doomed; electric vehicles failed to create customer demand; environmental green house crisis emphasis will emerge in politics and in the media; and micropower will not mean the end of giant power plants, instead, it will mean cheap power to areas without power. Vijay sees super Enron, "As energy markets liberalize, on-line energy-trading markets develop, and individual consumers win the right to select their energy suppliers, some people even see the emergence of virtual utilities. Microgrids would allow such firms to combine the individual efficiency of the micropower plants with the market power that is gained by bundling together their collective generating capacity."

Excellent writing from one point of view.......2006-09-25

Power to the People does present a particular point of view. Many people do not like to read books on very political topics like this unless it matches their view. I guess I'm that way as much as anyone, maybe more than most.

But while I do not agree with all that Vijay Vaitheeswaran says, I did enjoy this book. It's thoughtful, but entertaining. Cleverly written, but perceptive. Some of the comments that stick in my mind may not be the most important points in the book. (Vaitheeswaran's account of when he met Cindy Crawford and she said "the three words men most want to hear" was pretty funny.) But the thoughts in the book as a whole all hang together. They persuade, if not necessarily convince.

Contrast this with Internal Combustion, by Edwin Black, a book that I also read recently. His book draws on a wealth of research. And I agree with many of the principles he builds up from the facts. But Black's book ultimately does not hang together. Black draws basic conclusions from the facts that the facts do not support. The book's faults pull it down.

All in all, while I agree with much of what others see as faults in Power to the People, my opinion of the book as a whole could not be higher. It's a gem.

Has no solutions.......2005-04-05

I expected something completely different when I read this book. I was expecting that this book would tell about different ways that the future would get energy to the people.

This book is nothing like that the first two thirds of this book is a diatribe on how everybody is using energy the wrong way. It tells that innovation and micro power is the wave of the future and condemns all government subsidies for energy. He does not explain why we will be going to micro power but says that's the way it is going to be.

I have to say I started reading this book and put it down for a while for the racist remarks throughout the book. It is told from an Indian viewpoint where he makes snide remarks about the British saying that the British East Indian Company was the ultimate in evil. He makes condescending remarks about the Americans not being smart enough to have back-up generator in Silicon Valley whereas in Bangalore India they have them.

He is obviously against nuclear power by making outrageous remarks about nuclear wastes not being safe for 100,000 years. I read nuclear renewal and the waste from the newer breeder reactors is a couple of 100 years and they will reduce that as time goes on.

He is all for the fuel cell and the book is very well written. He doesn't say how we are going to get the hydrogen that we will need and talks endlessly about the Kyoto Protocol like it was the only peace of legislation that mattered on global warming.

I thought there would be new ideas and processes for the future like biomass or solar chimneys. There is nothing new or insightful this book seems more like a list of grievances.

Something to look forward to.......2005-02-26

I almost didn't read this because of the title. In this day and age with many seemingly on the edge of reason I thought it was somewhat of an incendiary title.

I'm glad I did check it out - I loved it. This man is a seriously talented writer. The material is dense. Very dense. Lots of dates, places, people, times and tragic, infuriating, maddening events. It is rendered readable with Mr. Vaitheeswarans method of inserting ironic humor into the text just when your eyes start crossing.

I enjoyed the way he presented all of the sides that he perceives and the pros and cons for each one. Talking about the environment is a very emotional issue for some and I thought that he covered all of the bases well without making it sound like one particular answer is written in stone.

We have, at our fingertips such wonderful scientific advances. The trick will be to put them to use to solve the problems, not create more down the line from here. I think he pointed that out very well.

Wets Your Appetite, But Leaves You Wanting More.......2004-10-27

This book is as excellent an introduction to the topic of the future of energy as any book on the market. This statement, however, is more a reflection of the lack of alternatives to Power to the People as it is of the book's own strengths. To be certain, it is a well-written and smartly researched book. One would expect nothing less from a writer from The Economist. It's strongest point is to so thoroughly make the case for why the energy sector must change in the next decades. The pollution and inefficiency that the modern subsidization of the carbon-based energy economy creates harms global welfare. However, its greatest weakness is to skimp on the details as to how the energy sector should transform itself. This book does not go into how solar energy works, or what government policies concerning wind energy should be. In fact in doesn't even survey the prospects for renewable energy, by say, arguing that solar cells are the future. Rather it puts forth a well reasoned case that the days of carbon-based fuels must end, and that governments must stop the carbon subsidy and research alternatives. End of story. In fact its most interesting chapters don't concern energy at all but have to do with reconciling the philosophies of capitalism with those of environmentalism, as task that the author does quite well. A good starting point for those interested in the future of energy, but if you're looking for more specific forecast of how global energy production will or should be composed in the future, look elsewhere.

Rethinking Social Movements: Structure, Meaning, and Emotion (People, Passions, and Power)

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Comic relief, but not much substance

Rethinking Social Movements: Structure, Meaning, and Emotion (People, Passions, and Power)
Jeff Jasper, James M. Goodwin
Manufacturer: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0742525961

Book Description

This landmark volume brings together some of the titans of social movement theory in a grand reassessment of its status. For some time, the field has been divided between a dominant structural approach and a cultural or constructivist tradition.. The gaps and misunderstandings between the two sides--as well as the efforts to bridge them--closely parallel those in the social sciences at large. This book aims to further the dialogue between these two distinct approaches to social movements and to show the broader implications for social science as a whole as it struggles with issues including culture, emotion, and agency. Visit our website for sample chapters!

Customer Reviews:

Comic relief, but not much substance.......2004-05-04

I should probably start by saying that there's absolutely no need to actually buy this book, since almost all of it is reprinted from articles in Social Forces and a couple of recent social movement texts.
That said, it's refreshing to see an effort to "rethink" social movement scholarship, since seeing the same three names over and over is really starting to get old (and annoying for new researchers - i actually had a professor say, "if McAdam, Tarrow, or Tilly didn't already say it, it's probably not worth saying"). On the other hand, though, Goodwin and Jasper (aka Jaswin) are probably not the best people for the task, since their basic criticism of the political process paradigm can be roughly summarized as, "We should study social movements from a more subjective, bleeding heart perspective, do away with methodological rigor, and try to convince more women and minorities that they should study social movements too."
Of course, Jaswin are free to say what they like, and even publish it if there's a market for it. However, comments like theirs are not very effective for creating meaningful dialogue about the state of the subfield, since it's very hard for people (i.e. most social movement theorists) who don't share their culturalist proclivities to listen to what they're saying without falling over in laughter, as I think is evidenced by Charles Tilly's "Wise Quacks" chapter, which oozes with sarcasm and an underlying sense of "Jaswin are so clueless, writing a serious response to their claims is not even worth my time."
In the final analysis, then, RTSM is a great collection if you enjoy watching supposedly distinguished scholars play the ad hominem "who can bash the other guy harder" game; as a serious effort to productively rethink the study of social movements, though, the book utterly fails.

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