Conversations With Cuba, C. Peter Ripley, University of Georgia Press, 1999
This is one American's chronicle of several trips to Cuba in the 1990s. The story starts in 1991, right after the end of the Soviet Union, and the ending of Soviet aid. One of the author's first impressions is that the capital of Havana has needed at least a coat of paint for the last 30 years (one of many casualties of the US sanctions). In 1992 came the "special period," when, among other things the mere possession of dollars would get a person an automatic five years in jail (a policy that didn't last).
Throughout the period, life for the average Cuban was characterized by a huge lack of consumer goods, so people made do as best they could. Whatever consumer goods were available went to the "special" stores, the ones that are only for foreigners and that only accept dollars, and the rapidly growing number of tourist hotels springing up all over the country. Built by non-American companies, they too are forbidden for the average Cuban, a policy enforced by tourist police. The thriving black market also helped cause the creation of a whole subculture of teenage and young adult street hustlers. They would hang around hotels and offer their services at anything to anyone who comes out, hoping for dollars at the end, or dinner in one of the hotels, or something from one of the "special" stores.
Ripley travels from one end of Cuba to the other. Among the places he visits in Santiago, birthplace of the Cuban Revolution, which started disastrously in 1953 and culminated six years later in victory. He meets a number of people along the way, some of whom are very cynical and apolitical, and others who are as patriotic and loyal to the Revolution as a person can be.
In Cuban society, there are periods when Fidel Castro eases his grip on the people, allowing, for instance, farmers to sell produce for dollars at local farmers markets, and periods when he tightens the screws, forbidding all street hustler activities.
This is one person's look at a country about which most Americans know almost nothing. It's easy to read, it feels "non-partisan" (for want of a better term), and it is very much worth reading.
Saturday, August 25, 2012
Like Water on Stone: The Story of Amnesty International
Like Water on Stone: The Story of Amnesty International, Jonathan Power, Northeastern University Press, 2001
Amnesty International was started in 1961 by Peter Benenson, a British lawyer who read about students in Portugal (at that time under a military dictatorship) who received long prison terms for making toasts to freedom. His idea of flooding the offending government with letters, telegrams and unpleasant publicity was derided at the time as a silly idea. Over the years, AI has kept its emphasis on those prisoners who do not use or advocate violence, and stays as non-partisan as possible in various international disputes. With its emphasis on double and triple-checking all information it receives, AI is today the world's most influential private organization dealing with human rights.
This book looks at the difficulties faced by AI in its work around the world. Nigeria is the home of AI's most famous political prisoner, Olusegun Obasanjo (now President of Nigeria). Amnesty's attention to detail and fine detective work exposed the massacre of more than 100 children in the Central African Republic. Political freedom in China seems to go through phases of openness, only to be slammed shut again by the government. The book also deals with death squads in Guatemala and attempts to bring former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet to justice.
The author also explores human rights in America. Around the world, America is the first one to say something to other countries whose human rights records are less-than-perfect. But, looking at America's domestic record of capital punishment, police brutality, racial profiling and unwillingness to ratify various international human rights conventions and treaties, the word "hypocrisy" comes to mind.
This is a fine piece of writing. Those who are already active in the human rights field, and those who just want to know something about AI (before they become members) will learn a lot from this book. Highly recommended.
Amnesty International was started in 1961 by Peter Benenson, a British lawyer who read about students in Portugal (at that time under a military dictatorship) who received long prison terms for making toasts to freedom. His idea of flooding the offending government with letters, telegrams and unpleasant publicity was derided at the time as a silly idea. Over the years, AI has kept its emphasis on those prisoners who do not use or advocate violence, and stays as non-partisan as possible in various international disputes. With its emphasis on double and triple-checking all information it receives, AI is today the world's most influential private organization dealing with human rights.
This book looks at the difficulties faced by AI in its work around the world. Nigeria is the home of AI's most famous political prisoner, Olusegun Obasanjo (now President of Nigeria). Amnesty's attention to detail and fine detective work exposed the massacre of more than 100 children in the Central African Republic. Political freedom in China seems to go through phases of openness, only to be slammed shut again by the government. The book also deals with death squads in Guatemala and attempts to bring former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet to justice.
The author also explores human rights in America. Around the world, America is the first one to say something to other countries whose human rights records are less-than-perfect. But, looking at America's domestic record of capital punishment, police brutality, racial profiling and unwillingness to ratify various international human rights conventions and treaties, the word "hypocrisy" comes to mind.
This is a fine piece of writing. Those who are already active in the human rights field, and those who just want to know something about AI (before they become members) will learn a lot from this book. Highly recommended.
San Juan Solution
San Juan Solution, R.E. Derouin, Western Reflections Publishing, 2000
David Dean, retired Pennsylvania police detective, his new wife, Cynthia, and Fred O'Connor, his stepfather, have just opened a bed and breakfast in the town of Ouray, Colorado. While the building is still being renovated, and while David and Cynthia are away, Fred signs in their first two guests, an older man and a young woman, traveling separately.
Things get very interesting when, the next day, the man, whose name is Glick (but not really) is found in a car at the bottom of a ravine, quite dead. The woman, named Claudia, is found by the Dean's living in the woods by herself, with a story that she was almost forced into the trunk of that car.
The bed and breakfast, called Bird Song, is suddenly invaded by a very motley group of characters. Claudia's mother lived in a small Midwestern college town. She was the sort of person who would go to bed with practically anybody. An entire frat house full of guys was happy to oblige, so Claudia doesn't know who her father really is. Claude, the man who probably was her father, wrote a will making her heir to an electronics company which may be worth nothing or 100 million dollars, an amount in which Claudia is extremely uninterested. There are a couple of pompous attorneys from back east. Of course, a second will is found, with totally different instructions for the money. A conniving older woman named Veronica, with three sons who can charitably be called jerks, has found another young woman who she loudly proclaims is the real heir to the company. Add in a male gigolo, and the Dean's and O'Connor have a very confusing mystery on their hands.
At times, one needs a scorecard to keep track of everyone in this book. Derouin does a fine job throughout. It's an interesting tale, the settings are well done, and it's an excellent mystery. Well worth reading.
David Dean, retired Pennsylvania police detective, his new wife, Cynthia, and Fred O'Connor, his stepfather, have just opened a bed and breakfast in the town of Ouray, Colorado. While the building is still being renovated, and while David and Cynthia are away, Fred signs in their first two guests, an older man and a young woman, traveling separately.
Things get very interesting when, the next day, the man, whose name is Glick (but not really) is found in a car at the bottom of a ravine, quite dead. The woman, named Claudia, is found by the Dean's living in the woods by herself, with a story that she was almost forced into the trunk of that car.
The bed and breakfast, called Bird Song, is suddenly invaded by a very motley group of characters. Claudia's mother lived in a small Midwestern college town. She was the sort of person who would go to bed with practically anybody. An entire frat house full of guys was happy to oblige, so Claudia doesn't know who her father really is. Claude, the man who probably was her father, wrote a will making her heir to an electronics company which may be worth nothing or 100 million dollars, an amount in which Claudia is extremely uninterested. There are a couple of pompous attorneys from back east. Of course, a second will is found, with totally different instructions for the money. A conniving older woman named Veronica, with three sons who can charitably be called jerks, has found another young woman who she loudly proclaims is the real heir to the company. Add in a male gigolo, and the Dean's and O'Connor have a very confusing mystery on their hands.
At times, one needs a scorecard to keep track of everyone in this book. Derouin does a fine job throughout. It's an interesting tale, the settings are well done, and it's an excellent mystery. Well worth reading.
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
Mahogany Row
Mahogany Row, Wayne J. Keeley, The Fiction Works, 2001
Attorney Mark McCoy walks into his office at the New York City law firm Ashley, Stepford and Simpson, to find his boss, John Simpson, dead from a slit throat. Everyone, including the police and Mark's lawyer, think Mark is guilty. Mark had opportunity, no alibi and plenty of motive (being passed over for partner). Mark's only chance is to become a fugitive until he can solve the case.
He gets help from Sherry, one of the women in the typing pool, who has quite a history of her own. Together, they discover some interesting things about Simpson. He had quite a thing for violent, kinky sex, and was a regular at a local high class strip club. Simpson, who was white, also preferred black women.
Mark also discovers a huge case of insurance fraud involving Southgate Insurance, Ashley Stepford's biggest client. Many years ago, a clear case of medical malpractice (a botched birth leading to severe brain damage) plus the fact that Southgate's own reinsurance had lapsed, meant that the insurance company was in severe trouble. The plaintiff's lawyer died in a mysterious hit and run, and the new lawyer settled the case for peanuts. In exchange, the lawyer, Roger Ashley, now of Ashley, Stepford and Simpson, is set up for life, getting all of Southgate's outside counsel work.
This is a short, thrilling, action-packed story. It has everything a good legal thriller needs, including a surprise ending. It's easy to read, and well worth the time.
Attorney Mark McCoy walks into his office at the New York City law firm Ashley, Stepford and Simpson, to find his boss, John Simpson, dead from a slit throat. Everyone, including the police and Mark's lawyer, think Mark is guilty. Mark had opportunity, no alibi and plenty of motive (being passed over for partner). Mark's only chance is to become a fugitive until he can solve the case.
He gets help from Sherry, one of the women in the typing pool, who has quite a history of her own. Together, they discover some interesting things about Simpson. He had quite a thing for violent, kinky sex, and was a regular at a local high class strip club. Simpson, who was white, also preferred black women.
Mark also discovers a huge case of insurance fraud involving Southgate Insurance, Ashley Stepford's biggest client. Many years ago, a clear case of medical malpractice (a botched birth leading to severe brain damage) plus the fact that Southgate's own reinsurance had lapsed, meant that the insurance company was in severe trouble. The plaintiff's lawyer died in a mysterious hit and run, and the new lawyer settled the case for peanuts. In exchange, the lawyer, Roger Ashley, now of Ashley, Stepford and Simpson, is set up for life, getting all of Southgate's outside counsel work.
This is a short, thrilling, action-packed story. It has everything a good legal thriller needs, including a surprise ending. It's easy to read, and well worth the time.
Caught in a Still Place
Caught in a Still Place, Jonathan Lerner, Xlibris Corp., 2001
This is an after-the-holocaust novel set on the Gulf Coast of Florida.
Some sort of plague has killed almost everyone in America, leaving Julian, Jaydie, Miss Audrey, and a child named Sylvia living on oysters and beach peas. A family living a few miles away provides them with the occasional hunted duck. Before, it was an isolated sort of place where mail and electricity service was not totally reliable. One day, it stopped and never re-started, so it took a while for the four to realize that anything was Wrong.
They deal with the occasional traveler just passing through. The author only hints at the details of the plague, but it seemed a quick and painful death; "their skin just dissolved; fell away in patches."
The family decides to move into "town", where the four are living, creating a mini-population explosion. Julian's ex-lover, Richard, shows up, after walking out on the group sometime in the past; he is also noticeably sick. Julian and Jaydie (Jane), meantime, start to inch their way toward a relationship of their own.
This is a story of relationships, old and new. it's a very quiet, psychological sort of novel, and also a very short novel, about a totally changed society, and what can happen to the people in it. Here is an engrossing, well done story that is very much worth the reader's time.
This is an after-the-holocaust novel set on the Gulf Coast of Florida.
Some sort of plague has killed almost everyone in America, leaving Julian, Jaydie, Miss Audrey, and a child named Sylvia living on oysters and beach peas. A family living a few miles away provides them with the occasional hunted duck. Before, it was an isolated sort of place where mail and electricity service was not totally reliable. One day, it stopped and never re-started, so it took a while for the four to realize that anything was Wrong.
They deal with the occasional traveler just passing through. The author only hints at the details of the plague, but it seemed a quick and painful death; "their skin just dissolved; fell away in patches."
The family decides to move into "town", where the four are living, creating a mini-population explosion. Julian's ex-lover, Richard, shows up, after walking out on the group sometime in the past; he is also noticeably sick. Julian and Jaydie (Jane), meantime, start to inch their way toward a relationship of their own.
This is a story of relationships, old and new. it's a very quiet, psychological sort of novel, and also a very short novel, about a totally changed society, and what can happen to the people in it. Here is an engrossing, well done story that is very much worth the reader's time.
Shadow Dancing
Shadow Dancing, Nancy Pinard, Disc-Us Books, 2000
Emma Kate Thomas is a teenage ballet dancer at a small Midwest conservatory, when, one day, she is asked to come to New York, and join the ballet company of Daniel Laval, world-renowned director. Daniel even puts Emma in his advanced class, bypassing the usual route.
What Emma thinks is the fast track to stardom becomes a tango as three different men vie to be her partner, each of them wanting something from her. Emma develops a sort of support network of people at the female-only boarding house where she is living. Leelee is a Jewish university student with a story of her own; there are also two elderly immigrant women at the boarding house; one of whom spends some time at Bellevue Hospital (not by choice).
Daniel is an eccentric, demanding type who tells Emma to lose a couple of pounds, and gives her the stage name of Marie ("Emma" isn't sophisticated enough for ballet?) After an awkward incident with Daniel in the elevator, she is suddenly demoted to the beginner's class.
Emma is asked to learn a special ballet to atonal oriental music by Bobby Duquesne, another of the company's directors, with whom Emma has a much easier time than with Daniel. The company goes on a three-month tour of small northeastern college campuses, a thoroughly forgettable experience for Emma.
This story is intended for a specific age group. It's recommended for young women or budding ballet dancers. Those not in the target area, like yours truly, a forty-something male, will still like this book. It might take some effort on the part of the reader, but it's worth the time.
Emma Kate Thomas is a teenage ballet dancer at a small Midwest conservatory, when, one day, she is asked to come to New York, and join the ballet company of Daniel Laval, world-renowned director. Daniel even puts Emma in his advanced class, bypassing the usual route.
What Emma thinks is the fast track to stardom becomes a tango as three different men vie to be her partner, each of them wanting something from her. Emma develops a sort of support network of people at the female-only boarding house where she is living. Leelee is a Jewish university student with a story of her own; there are also two elderly immigrant women at the boarding house; one of whom spends some time at Bellevue Hospital (not by choice).
Daniel is an eccentric, demanding type who tells Emma to lose a couple of pounds, and gives her the stage name of Marie ("Emma" isn't sophisticated enough for ballet?) After an awkward incident with Daniel in the elevator, she is suddenly demoted to the beginner's class.
Emma is asked to learn a special ballet to atonal oriental music by Bobby Duquesne, another of the company's directors, with whom Emma has a much easier time than with Daniel. The company goes on a three-month tour of small northeastern college campuses, a thoroughly forgettable experience for Emma.
This story is intended for a specific age group. It's recommended for young women or budding ballet dancers. Those not in the target area, like yours truly, a forty-something male, will still like this book. It might take some effort on the part of the reader, but it's worth the time.
Sleep With the Fishes
Sleep With the Fishes, Brian Wiprud, Xlibris Corp., 2000
Sid Bifulco was a hit man in the Palfutti crime family in New Jersey. Was, until he turned states' evidence, and put the rest of the Palfutti's behind bars. He earned the nickname "Sleep" because he preferred to drug his victims before killing them, whereas other hit men made sure the victim knew what was coming. For his trouble, Sid gets a seven-year sentence in prison, where the only available reading material is fishing magazines. Sid becomes obsessed with fishing, acquires a rod and reel, and practices fly fishing while in prison, with no bodies of water in sight.
When he gets out, Sid declines to participate in the Witness Protection Program, and he knows that returning to New Jersey is a death sentence, so he finds an isolated cabin on the Delaware River to indulge his new passion for fishing. The residents of the town of Hellbender Eddy are even more passionate about fishing than Sid; the second passion, at least for some of them, is video sex.
A hit man has been sent to kill Sid; he gets run over by a car before the mission is completed. Sid volunteers to dispose of the body, not knowing that the whole incident has been accidentally recorded on videotape. It gets confused with a homemade sex video which gets accidentally dropped off at the local video store, necessitating a late-night break-in.
Fans of the TV show The Sopranos will enjoy this book. The author does a fine job with the characters, especially Sid, making him into more than the stereotypical gangster. This is a first-rate piece of writing that even has some humorous moments, and is well worth reading.
Sid Bifulco was a hit man in the Palfutti crime family in New Jersey. Was, until he turned states' evidence, and put the rest of the Palfutti's behind bars. He earned the nickname "Sleep" because he preferred to drug his victims before killing them, whereas other hit men made sure the victim knew what was coming. For his trouble, Sid gets a seven-year sentence in prison, where the only available reading material is fishing magazines. Sid becomes obsessed with fishing, acquires a rod and reel, and practices fly fishing while in prison, with no bodies of water in sight.
When he gets out, Sid declines to participate in the Witness Protection Program, and he knows that returning to New Jersey is a death sentence, so he finds an isolated cabin on the Delaware River to indulge his new passion for fishing. The residents of the town of Hellbender Eddy are even more passionate about fishing than Sid; the second passion, at least for some of them, is video sex.
A hit man has been sent to kill Sid; he gets run over by a car before the mission is completed. Sid volunteers to dispose of the body, not knowing that the whole incident has been accidentally recorded on videotape. It gets confused with a homemade sex video which gets accidentally dropped off at the local video store, necessitating a late-night break-in.
Fans of the TV show The Sopranos will enjoy this book. The author does a fine job with the characters, especially Sid, making him into more than the stereotypical gangster. This is a first-rate piece of writing that even has some humorous moments, and is well worth reading.
Side Effect
Side Effect, Sandra Feder, Thornwood Publishing Company, LLC, 2000
Grant Fraser, top researcher at Altimate Pharmaceuticals, has developed a new drug, which, it is whispered, could revolutionize the way doctors fight disease. One day, the company's Research Director abruptly cancels any further work on the drug. Grant doesn't accept the official reason and aims to get to the bottom of it.
Suspicion falls first on Darleen, a fellow researcher and daughter of the President of the company. The time is coming for a new head of Altimate; both Grant and Darleen are on the list. Darleen is the twin sister of Dena, engaged to Grant until she died in a mysterious plane crash one year previously. Darleen makes no secret of the fact that if she is named head of Altimate, Grant will be the first one out the door.
Meantime, a shadowy government chemical warfare lab called A.R. Labs is looking at Grant with a thought toward making him a job offer. Fred, one of their operatives, is sent to observe Grant up close and personal.
Grant becomes almost obsessed with finding out what happened with his drug. He and Joss, the company's Director of Communications, soon find out that his drug does have a huge side effect, and that Darleen is only the proverbial tip of the iceberg. Fred tells them that the side effect has been exploited in a major way, and that it involves Dell, Joss's ex-husband and ex-candidate for Governor. He is the sort of politician who passed "ambitious" a long time ago and is now approaching "megalomaniac." The people of A.R. Labs are not the sort to leave loose ends lying around, so now that Grant and Joss know the truth, they go on the run, and barely escape a couple of murder attempts. Fred finds that his employers have set him up, and that he too has become a "loose end" to be tied up. And it all started with a local school budget referendum.
This book is excellent. Set in southwest Connecticut, it has everything needed by a good mystery/thriller: believable characters, lots of action, plenty of possible villains, and the way in which the drug's side effect has been exploited is very juicy. It gets at least two thumbs up.
Grant Fraser, top researcher at Altimate Pharmaceuticals, has developed a new drug, which, it is whispered, could revolutionize the way doctors fight disease. One day, the company's Research Director abruptly cancels any further work on the drug. Grant doesn't accept the official reason and aims to get to the bottom of it.
Suspicion falls first on Darleen, a fellow researcher and daughter of the President of the company. The time is coming for a new head of Altimate; both Grant and Darleen are on the list. Darleen is the twin sister of Dena, engaged to Grant until she died in a mysterious plane crash one year previously. Darleen makes no secret of the fact that if she is named head of Altimate, Grant will be the first one out the door.
Meantime, a shadowy government chemical warfare lab called A.R. Labs is looking at Grant with a thought toward making him a job offer. Fred, one of their operatives, is sent to observe Grant up close and personal.
Grant becomes almost obsessed with finding out what happened with his drug. He and Joss, the company's Director of Communications, soon find out that his drug does have a huge side effect, and that Darleen is only the proverbial tip of the iceberg. Fred tells them that the side effect has been exploited in a major way, and that it involves Dell, Joss's ex-husband and ex-candidate for Governor. He is the sort of politician who passed "ambitious" a long time ago and is now approaching "megalomaniac." The people of A.R. Labs are not the sort to leave loose ends lying around, so now that Grant and Joss know the truth, they go on the run, and barely escape a couple of murder attempts. Fred finds that his employers have set him up, and that he too has become a "loose end" to be tied up. And it all started with a local school budget referendum.
This book is excellent. Set in southwest Connecticut, it has everything needed by a good mystery/thriller: believable characters, lots of action, plenty of possible villains, and the way in which the drug's side effect has been exploited is very juicy. It gets at least two thumbs up.
Toxic Deception
Toxic Deception: How the Chemical Industry Manipulates Science, Bends the Law and Endangers Your Health, Dan Fagin and Marianne Lavelle, Common Courage Press, 1999
This book examines the methods used by the chemical industry to keep unsafe, even dangerous, products on the market by focusing on the pesticides atrazine and alachlor, the dry cleaning chemical perchloroethylene, or perc for short (a metal degreaser), and formaldehyde, used in all sorts of building products.
Attempts by the Environmental Protection Administration to regulate, or even set an exposure level for, any of the thousands of chemicals currently in use (only a few of which have ever been tested) run into several obstacles. There is no way to isolate a person for anywhere up to several years, regulating even the air they breathe, exposing them only to Chemical X to determine a safe level of exposure. So the EPA is forced to rely on research done BY the chemical companies to determine exposure levels. If the EPA exposure level is too low (according to the chemical industry), they will get flooded with sackfuls of letters from everyday people, complaining about how the lower exposure level will cost thousands of jobs (and certainly encouraged by the chemical industry). EPA bureaucrats spend only a few years in their jobs; when someone else takes over the job, the chemical regulation process must start over from the beginning (which is just fine for the chemical industry).
In the rare case where a person is able to convince a judge or jury that their physical ailment was caused by exposure to a certain chemical, the company's out of court settlement offer is predicated on the sealing of all court records. This keeps potentially bad publicity away from the public and forces the next person suing a chemical company to start from the beginning.
Other methods used by the chemical companies to keep potentially unsafe products on the market include large campaign contributions, junkets for Congress and the press, the government/industry revolving door, misleading advertising and public relations, and a "take no prisoners" policy to anyone who says unfavorable things, all in the face of safer and cleaner alternatives already on the market.
This is an excellent picture of the chemical industry at work, a world where profits come first. It's eye-opening, and, unfortunately, very credible, and is highly recommended.
This book examines the methods used by the chemical industry to keep unsafe, even dangerous, products on the market by focusing on the pesticides atrazine and alachlor, the dry cleaning chemical perchloroethylene, or perc for short (a metal degreaser), and formaldehyde, used in all sorts of building products.
Attempts by the Environmental Protection Administration to regulate, or even set an exposure level for, any of the thousands of chemicals currently in use (only a few of which have ever been tested) run into several obstacles. There is no way to isolate a person for anywhere up to several years, regulating even the air they breathe, exposing them only to Chemical X to determine a safe level of exposure. So the EPA is forced to rely on research done BY the chemical companies to determine exposure levels. If the EPA exposure level is too low (according to the chemical industry), they will get flooded with sackfuls of letters from everyday people, complaining about how the lower exposure level will cost thousands of jobs (and certainly encouraged by the chemical industry). EPA bureaucrats spend only a few years in their jobs; when someone else takes over the job, the chemical regulation process must start over from the beginning (which is just fine for the chemical industry).
In the rare case where a person is able to convince a judge or jury that their physical ailment was caused by exposure to a certain chemical, the company's out of court settlement offer is predicated on the sealing of all court records. This keeps potentially bad publicity away from the public and forces the next person suing a chemical company to start from the beginning.
Other methods used by the chemical companies to keep potentially unsafe products on the market include large campaign contributions, junkets for Congress and the press, the government/industry revolving door, misleading advertising and public relations, and a "take no prisoners" policy to anyone who says unfavorable things, all in the face of safer and cleaner alternatives already on the market.
This is an excellent picture of the chemical industry at work, a world where profits come first. It's eye-opening, and, unfortunately, very credible, and is highly recommended.
Albert, Himself
Albert, Himself, Jeff W. Bens, Delphinium Books, 2001
Albert Fitzmorris is part of present-day working class New Orleans. He works at a fish market in the French Quarter, a position he inherited from his now deceased father. On one side Albert faces a tightly knit Irish Catholic community, and the strict expectations that go along with it. On the other side is Albert's own preoccupation with unrequited love. Struggling with a self-image that is slowly falling apart, Albert puts his relationship with his community, his family and his daughter all at risk.
Albert is trying to live despite the shadow of the memory of his father. Fitting into his father's clothes too easily, or playing poker with his father's friends don't make it any easier. Things are made worse by the feeling that his role is diminishing in the life of Eileen, the mother of his daughter (the two aren't married), and in the life of Audrey, his daughter.
Pulling himself away more and more from friends and family, Albert finds himself in a doomed romantic fantasy. If only he could win the heart of the beautiful and unobtainable Chelsea (who works at a local hotel restaurant) his whole life would take a turn for the better. The biggest problem is that Chelsea makes it clear that she is only interested in a casual friendship.
This is a very quiet, and very good, psychological sort of novel about one person's slide into emotional oblivion. The author does a very good job showing the good, the bad and the ugly of a real human life--the aspirations, the messiness and the disappointments. It is very much worth reading.
Albert Fitzmorris is part of present-day working class New Orleans. He works at a fish market in the French Quarter, a position he inherited from his now deceased father. On one side Albert faces a tightly knit Irish Catholic community, and the strict expectations that go along with it. On the other side is Albert's own preoccupation with unrequited love. Struggling with a self-image that is slowly falling apart, Albert puts his relationship with his community, his family and his daughter all at risk.
Albert is trying to live despite the shadow of the memory of his father. Fitting into his father's clothes too easily, or playing poker with his father's friends don't make it any easier. Things are made worse by the feeling that his role is diminishing in the life of Eileen, the mother of his daughter (the two aren't married), and in the life of Audrey, his daughter.
Pulling himself away more and more from friends and family, Albert finds himself in a doomed romantic fantasy. If only he could win the heart of the beautiful and unobtainable Chelsea (who works at a local hotel restaurant) his whole life would take a turn for the better. The biggest problem is that Chelsea makes it clear that she is only interested in a casual friendship.
This is a very quiet, and very good, psychological sort of novel about one person's slide into emotional oblivion. The author does a very good job showing the good, the bad and the ugly of a real human life--the aspirations, the messiness and the disappointments. It is very much worth reading.
Turning Off the Heat
Turning Off the Heat: Why America Must Double Energy Efficiency to Save Money and Reduce Global Warming, Thomas R. Casten, Prometheus Books, 1998
The steam rising from the smokestack of the average power plant is potential energy that is being wasted. No matter the fuel, oil, natural gas or trash, the generating capacity of the average power plant is such that two-thirds of the possible energy goes right up the smokestack. The author, CEO of an independent power generating company, says that that potential energy can be used to generate heat in smaller, more modern plants that can be built much closer to cities, greatly raising the efficiency level. It would also lower energy costs, instead of raising them, as everyone else seems to believe.
There are several reasons why utilities don't do this at the present time. Utilities are one of the last of the monopolies, so there is little reason to innovate. Any cost savings that do occur from innovation must be passed on to the consumer; so says the various state utility control agencies. Federal environmental laws are set up to discourage innovation. The mere suggestion of an energy plant, no matter how small and fuel efficient it may be, being built anywhere nearby, gets people very upset.
The author makes several suggestions to help reduce carbon dioxide levels. Among them are: allow competition in the utility industry (where there will be plenty of reason to innovate), end all fossil fuel subsidies, enact new building codes that force deployment of efficiency-producing technology, real tax credits for the purchase of energy-efficient cars and appliances, mandate that all recipients of federal funds that are energy users, like hospitals and universities, increase their energy efficiency to keep receiving those funds, and a national shade-tree planting program.
It has been said that undertaking the reductions in greenhouse gases mandated by the Kyoto Protocol would severely damage the US economy. This book does an excellent job at showing how much greater reductions can be achieved with much less pain and cost. The writing gets somewhat technical at times, but in these days of global warming, it is very highly recommended.
The steam rising from the smokestack of the average power plant is potential energy that is being wasted. No matter the fuel, oil, natural gas or trash, the generating capacity of the average power plant is such that two-thirds of the possible energy goes right up the smokestack. The author, CEO of an independent power generating company, says that that potential energy can be used to generate heat in smaller, more modern plants that can be built much closer to cities, greatly raising the efficiency level. It would also lower energy costs, instead of raising them, as everyone else seems to believe.
There are several reasons why utilities don't do this at the present time. Utilities are one of the last of the monopolies, so there is little reason to innovate. Any cost savings that do occur from innovation must be passed on to the consumer; so says the various state utility control agencies. Federal environmental laws are set up to discourage innovation. The mere suggestion of an energy plant, no matter how small and fuel efficient it may be, being built anywhere nearby, gets people very upset.
The author makes several suggestions to help reduce carbon dioxide levels. Among them are: allow competition in the utility industry (where there will be plenty of reason to innovate), end all fossil fuel subsidies, enact new building codes that force deployment of efficiency-producing technology, real tax credits for the purchase of energy-efficient cars and appliances, mandate that all recipients of federal funds that are energy users, like hospitals and universities, increase their energy efficiency to keep receiving those funds, and a national shade-tree planting program.
It has been said that undertaking the reductions in greenhouse gases mandated by the Kyoto Protocol would severely damage the US economy. This book does an excellent job at showing how much greater reductions can be achieved with much less pain and cost. The writing gets somewhat technical at times, but in these days of global warming, it is very highly recommended.
Born of War
Born of War, David E. Feldman, Writers Club Press, 2001
Based on a true story, this novel is the story of Henry Neiberg, a native of Brooklyn who volunteers to join the army in World War II. He isn't sure if Frances, his girlfriend, will wait for him, because she feels that Henry, lacking a social conscience, is not the sort of man she wants to marry.
Henry is not happy when he finds that he has been sent to the "backwater" of China as a glorified accountant in the 14th Army Air Corps (the Flying Tigers) near Kunming. It's a place where the black market is thriving. Everything is for sale, including American aid for the Nationalist troops and items sent from home, and everyone wants a piece of the action. Despite official warnings to the contrary, Henry and his buddy, Jake Singer, become friends with Mr and Mrs Ai, owners of a local dumpling shop, and manage to get involved in internal Chinese politics.
The Americans are told about the Communists, who have started to liberate parts of China in the north from the Nationalists (America's official ally). The Communists do a much better job of (for want of a better term) winning the hearts and minds of the people than the Nationalists, for whom the words "corrupt" and "incompetent" come to mind. With Nationalist spies never far away, The Ai's and the other local Communist sympathizers begin to think that Henry and Jake are much more open-minded than the usual jingoistic Americans. They are then introduced to others higher up in the "organization." Among those who ask intelligent and probing questions about life in America not covered in the news media are Chou En-Lai and Mao Tse-Tung.
The author does a fine job from start to finish. He gets away from the usual war novel stereotypes, it shows how if anybody "lost" China to the Communists, it was the Nationalists, and it's an interesting story about one person's emotional growing up. It is more than worth reading.
Based on a true story, this novel is the story of Henry Neiberg, a native of Brooklyn who volunteers to join the army in World War II. He isn't sure if Frances, his girlfriend, will wait for him, because she feels that Henry, lacking a social conscience, is not the sort of man she wants to marry.
Henry is not happy when he finds that he has been sent to the "backwater" of China as a glorified accountant in the 14th Army Air Corps (the Flying Tigers) near Kunming. It's a place where the black market is thriving. Everything is for sale, including American aid for the Nationalist troops and items sent from home, and everyone wants a piece of the action. Despite official warnings to the contrary, Henry and his buddy, Jake Singer, become friends with Mr and Mrs Ai, owners of a local dumpling shop, and manage to get involved in internal Chinese politics.
The Americans are told about the Communists, who have started to liberate parts of China in the north from the Nationalists (America's official ally). The Communists do a much better job of (for want of a better term) winning the hearts and minds of the people than the Nationalists, for whom the words "corrupt" and "incompetent" come to mind. With Nationalist spies never far away, The Ai's and the other local Communist sympathizers begin to think that Henry and Jake are much more open-minded than the usual jingoistic Americans. They are then introduced to others higher up in the "organization." Among those who ask intelligent and probing questions about life in America not covered in the news media are Chou En-Lai and Mao Tse-Tung.
The author does a fine job from start to finish. He gets away from the usual war novel stereotypes, it shows how if anybody "lost" China to the Communists, it was the Nationalists, and it's an interesting story about one person's emotional growing up. It is more than worth reading.
Trust Us, We're Experts!
Trust Us, We're Experts! How Industry Manipulates Science and Gambles With Your Future, Sheldon Rampton and John Stauber, Jeremy P. Tarcher/Penguin, 2001
This is a very eye-opening look at how corporations and public relations firms manipulate public opinion and science to get people to believe, for instance, that a chemical company is actually full of closet environmentalists. There are any number of methods by which this is done.
People are more likely to believe that Product X is not bad for them, or the environment, if they hear it from a doctor, or a soccer mom, or an institute with a liberal-sounding name, than if they heard it from the maker of the product. The fact that these "third parties" are bankrolled by the product maker is conveniently not mentioned.
Scientists have been paid thousands of dollars to simply sign their names to a letter, written by a corporation or PR firm, for instance, extolling the virtues of a certain drug, even if nothing has been proven in the lab. Research dollars are few and far between, except from corporations like Dow or Monsanto. Along with the check is the expectation that a favorable (to the corporation) result will occur, even if fudging the data is required.
Another tactic is to sow doubt in the minds of the public, to say that more study is needed. The general consensus is that global warming must be tackled now, but there are enough scientists who feel that all the questions must be answered first, before we do anything. It's enough to make a person throw up their hands in disgust.
Among the advice from the authors are: recognize the various types of propaganda; realize that, to some extent, science is supposed to be uncertain; demand accountability from the scientific press; get active and follow the money.
This is a first-rate chronicle of just how easily supposedly impartial "experts" are subject to corporate manipulation. To begin to learn the ins and outs of modern day lying and deceit, this is a wonderful place to start. It is well worth reading.
This is a very eye-opening look at how corporations and public relations firms manipulate public opinion and science to get people to believe, for instance, that a chemical company is actually full of closet environmentalists. There are any number of methods by which this is done.
People are more likely to believe that Product X is not bad for them, or the environment, if they hear it from a doctor, or a soccer mom, or an institute with a liberal-sounding name, than if they heard it from the maker of the product. The fact that these "third parties" are bankrolled by the product maker is conveniently not mentioned.
Scientists have been paid thousands of dollars to simply sign their names to a letter, written by a corporation or PR firm, for instance, extolling the virtues of a certain drug, even if nothing has been proven in the lab. Research dollars are few and far between, except from corporations like Dow or Monsanto. Along with the check is the expectation that a favorable (to the corporation) result will occur, even if fudging the data is required.
Another tactic is to sow doubt in the minds of the public, to say that more study is needed. The general consensus is that global warming must be tackled now, but there are enough scientists who feel that all the questions must be answered first, before we do anything. It's enough to make a person throw up their hands in disgust.
Among the advice from the authors are: recognize the various types of propaganda; realize that, to some extent, science is supposed to be uncertain; demand accountability from the scientific press; get active and follow the money.
This is a first-rate chronicle of just how easily supposedly impartial "experts" are subject to corporate manipulation. To begin to learn the ins and outs of modern day lying and deceit, this is a wonderful place to start. It is well worth reading.
How Wal-Mart is Destroying America (and the World) and What You Can Do About It
How Wal-Mart is Destroying America (and the World) and What You Can do About It, Bill Quinn, Ten Speed Press, 2000
This is the revised and updated edition of a book that gives quite a chronicle of pure, penny pinching greed on the part of Wal-Mart.
When Wal-Mart first enters a town, they heavily advertise in the local paper, and everything seems wonderful. Later, after the local stores have been driven out of business (a conscious Wal-Mart policy), the advertising dries up, and their prices start heading upwards. When Wal-Mart becomes (literally) the only game in town, sometimes they will close that store, and open a bigger store 10 or 20 miles away.
In the average store, items are stacked to the ceiling because Wal-Mart is too cheap to afford warehouse space. If a customer is injured in a store, even if Wal-Mart is obviously guilty, they will delay any payment for as long as possible.
One store manager told of a person on his staff whose job was to call suppliers and demand discounts because the shipment arrived damaged or incomplete, even if it actually arrived undamaged or complete. In accounts payable, it is standard to take a 2% discount if the payment is made in a short time, like five or ten days. Wal-Mart will wait thirty days to pay, and still take the discount.
Employees are worked as cheaply as possible. The hourly pay is low, and even "full-time" employees are sent home if business is slow. They are encouraged to belong to local civic organizations, but on their own time, and the employee pays all expenses.
Remember Wal-Mart's "Made in America" campaign, the one that was shown to be nonsense?
The best thing an individual shopper can do is comparison shop; frequently Wal-Mart doesn't have the lowest prices.
This is a scathing, and much needed, chronicle of Wal-Mart's business practices. It is highly recommended for everyone, but especially for those who choose to shop at Wal-Mart. Read this book, and see just what your money is building up, and destroying. Is saving a few cents worth it this much?
This is the revised and updated edition of a book that gives quite a chronicle of pure, penny pinching greed on the part of Wal-Mart.
When Wal-Mart first enters a town, they heavily advertise in the local paper, and everything seems wonderful. Later, after the local stores have been driven out of business (a conscious Wal-Mart policy), the advertising dries up, and their prices start heading upwards. When Wal-Mart becomes (literally) the only game in town, sometimes they will close that store, and open a bigger store 10 or 20 miles away.
In the average store, items are stacked to the ceiling because Wal-Mart is too cheap to afford warehouse space. If a customer is injured in a store, even if Wal-Mart is obviously guilty, they will delay any payment for as long as possible.
One store manager told of a person on his staff whose job was to call suppliers and demand discounts because the shipment arrived damaged or incomplete, even if it actually arrived undamaged or complete. In accounts payable, it is standard to take a 2% discount if the payment is made in a short time, like five or ten days. Wal-Mart will wait thirty days to pay, and still take the discount.
Employees are worked as cheaply as possible. The hourly pay is low, and even "full-time" employees are sent home if business is slow. They are encouraged to belong to local civic organizations, but on their own time, and the employee pays all expenses.
Remember Wal-Mart's "Made in America" campaign, the one that was shown to be nonsense?
The best thing an individual shopper can do is comparison shop; frequently Wal-Mart doesn't have the lowest prices.
This is a scathing, and much needed, chronicle of Wal-Mart's business practices. It is highly recommended for everyone, but especially for those who choose to shop at Wal-Mart. Read this book, and see just what your money is building up, and destroying. Is saving a few cents worth it this much?
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