This book's full title is The Great Degeneration - How Institutions Decay and Economies Die. I tend to pick up any book written by Niall Ferguson. He is always an interesting writer. You do not have to agree with all he says, few people do. Niall Ferguson always has interesting ideas and he makes you think.
He says that we have structural problems that are holding us back. We are leaving a huge debt for future generations. I certainly agree that we are leaving a huge debt for future generations and I believe we should not do that.
Read a Forbes columnist take on the latest Ferguson- Krugman dustup dustup . The latest from Ferguson is in Huffington Post. There is a Part 2 and a Part 3.
There is a great review of this book at The Wall Street Journal by George Melloan. There is also an interesting review of this book by Dimitri Nasrallah in the Toronto Star
There is a great interview of Niall Ferguson about this book by Charlie Rose on Bloomberg. On CDB Day 6, there is an interview with Niall Ferguson. This last one is radio, not video. There is an older video called the "age of debt" has come to an end by Niall Ferguson in 2012.
On my website is how to find this book on Amazon if you care to purchase it. See Ferguson. Also, this book review and other books I have reviewed are on my website at Book Reviews.
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
Monday, February 3, 2014
Ashoka by Charles Allen
This book's full title is "Ashoka, the Search for India's Lost Emperor". This book is really written as an adventure in finding information on Ashoka Indian ruler born around 302 BCE by colonial British amateur archeologist. It was however, a thoroughly enjoyable read
The problem is that Ashoka converted to Buddhism. Most Indians today are Hindu (with a large minority of Muslims). The Hindus at one point basically wiped out Buddhism in India so why should they celebrate a great King who was a Buddhist? I must admit I have not read many books on Indian history and would certainly like to know Indian history better.
There is a great review of this book at Winnowed. There is also an extremely interesting book review at Hindustan Times of this book. The reviewer, Patrick French, deployed the fact that Charles Allen talks about and gives most credit for information on Ashoka to British Colonist, not native Indians who did lots of work uncovering Ashoka. There is also another good review of this book by Samanth Subramanian at the Guardian.
Charles Allen talks at the Jaipur Literature Festival about Ashoka. This is an hour long video, which has Q&A at the end starting at around 37 minutes into the video. There is a 6 minute video on YouTube of Ashoka that is worth watching.
On my website is how to find this book on Amazon if you care to purchase it. See Allen. Also, this book review and other books I have reviewed are on my website at Book Reviews.
The problem is that Ashoka converted to Buddhism. Most Indians today are Hindu (with a large minority of Muslims). The Hindus at one point basically wiped out Buddhism in India so why should they celebrate a great King who was a Buddhist? I must admit I have not read many books on Indian history and would certainly like to know Indian history better.
There is a great review of this book at Winnowed. There is also an extremely interesting book review at Hindustan Times of this book. The reviewer, Patrick French, deployed the fact that Charles Allen talks about and gives most credit for information on Ashoka to British Colonist, not native Indians who did lots of work uncovering Ashoka. There is also another good review of this book by Samanth Subramanian at the Guardian.
Charles Allen talks at the Jaipur Literature Festival about Ashoka. This is an hour long video, which has Q&A at the end starting at around 37 minutes into the video. There is a 6 minute video on YouTube of Ashoka that is worth watching.
On my website is how to find this book on Amazon if you care to purchase it. See Allen. Also, this book review and other books I have reviewed are on my website at Book Reviews.
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Gutbliss by Robynne Chutkan
This book's full title is "Gutbliss, Feel Light, Tight and Bright - The Healthy Way". I loved this book. It was very easy to read and follow. She even has sample meals and recipes in the end of the book. I bought the book because I got stomach flu and had a hard time recovering from it. She talks about what to avoid, what to eat and how to encourage and repopulate gut bacteria.
The book talks a lot about what to do about bloating or gas for women. Indeed this is somewhat the main thrust of the book. Women are built differently than men and seem to have more problems with gas or bloating than men do.
She has her own site where you can pick up her being interviewed by Dr. Oz and on the Today Show. She is an integrative gastroenterologist and founder of the Digestive Center for Women, just outside of Washington, D.C. Robynne Chutkan is part of Gut Runners. The Gut Runners Foundation is a charitable organization dedicated to improving digestive health in the community. They are basically saying if you do not want to constipated, you need to move, you need to exercise.
I found a nice lot of reviews on this book at Good Reads. There also a very interesting review of this book by Gena a nutritionist that works with Dr. Chutkan on the Choosing Raw site. There is also another good review on the Huntington News Net by David Kinchen. This article also refers to another interesting one on How Our Stone Age Bodies Struggle To Stay Healthy In Modern Times at NPR Books by Daniel Lieberman.
See Robynne Chutkan on the Today Show. She has a very interesting article in The Atlantic talking about the future of probiotics.
On my website is how to find this book on Amazon if you care to purchase it. See Chutkan. Also, this book review and other books I have reviewed are on my website at Book Reviews.
The book talks a lot about what to do about bloating or gas for women. Indeed this is somewhat the main thrust of the book. Women are built differently than men and seem to have more problems with gas or bloating than men do.
She has her own site where you can pick up her being interviewed by Dr. Oz and on the Today Show. She is an integrative gastroenterologist and founder of the Digestive Center for Women, just outside of Washington, D.C. Robynne Chutkan is part of Gut Runners. The Gut Runners Foundation is a charitable organization dedicated to improving digestive health in the community. They are basically saying if you do not want to constipated, you need to move, you need to exercise.
I found a nice lot of reviews on this book at Good Reads. There also a very interesting review of this book by Gena a nutritionist that works with Dr. Chutkan on the Choosing Raw site. There is also another good review on the Huntington News Net by David Kinchen. This article also refers to another interesting one on How Our Stone Age Bodies Struggle To Stay Healthy In Modern Times at NPR Books by Daniel Lieberman.
See Robynne Chutkan on the Today Show. She has a very interesting article in The Atlantic talking about the future of probiotics.
On my website is how to find this book on Amazon if you care to purchase it. See Chutkan. Also, this book review and other books I have reviewed are on my website at Book Reviews.
Monday, January 13, 2014
David and Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell
This book's full title is "David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants" by Malcolm Gladwell. I have read his other books. I must admit I was intrigued with them at first, but I was very disenchanted with What the Dog Saw, that I did not even review the book.
I bought this book because I had enjoyed some of the others books Malcolm Gladwell had written. But then I saw an interesting and very negative review in CanTech on Malcolm and this book. There is also another very negative review in Economist. There is an interesting review of this book at Kottke.org.
I do not believe that his popularity confers any great responsibility on him. It would seem to me that he is just trying to make a living by bring to light some suggestive research on various topics. I got bored with his last book called "What the Dog Saw", but found this one an enjoyable and easy read. I know that it is not great reading or great research.
I pretty much take it for what it is. I see no harm in it if you take it for what it is and that is probably just pop science. Malcolm Gladwell brings up interesting little tidbits about human behavior.
On my website is how to find this book on Amazon if you care to purchase it. See Gladwell. Also, this book review and other books I have reviewed are on my website at Book Reviews.
I bought this book because I had enjoyed some of the others books Malcolm Gladwell had written. But then I saw an interesting and very negative review in CanTech on Malcolm and this book. There is also another very negative review in Economist. There is an interesting review of this book at Kottke.org.
I do not believe that his popularity confers any great responsibility on him. It would seem to me that he is just trying to make a living by bring to light some suggestive research on various topics. I got bored with his last book called "What the Dog Saw", but found this one an enjoyable and easy read. I know that it is not great reading or great research.
I pretty much take it for what it is. I see no harm in it if you take it for what it is and that is probably just pop science. Malcolm Gladwell brings up interesting little tidbits about human behavior.
On my website is how to find this book on Amazon if you care to purchase it. See Gladwell. Also, this book review and other books I have reviewed are on my website at Book Reviews.
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
Beware the Dragon by Erik Durschmied
This book's full title is "Beware the Dragon, China: 1,000 Years of Bloodshed". I found this book quite fascinating to read. I also found it very easy to read. The book starts in 1218, so it does not quite cover 1,000 years. Also, Durschmied starts the book off with the attacks on Europe by the Mongols. The Mongols were not Chinese and they did not control China until after the first attacks in Europe happened.
After the Mongols attacks on Europe and the Middle East, he goes on to talk about the advantage Europeans took of China after they discovered it. This was hardly China's fault. The next was about Japan's conquest of China. He does go on to talk about China's conquest of Tibet and there certainly China was awful and still suppresses the Tibetan people.
He also covers the USSR and China relationship, including the Chinese attack on the USSR at their mutual border supposedly over an island in the Ussuri River. He also relates China's effort to contact and make diplomatic relations with the US in 1971. He does cover a fair bit of ground in his book.
I know from reading history that China was not well liked by the peoples of around them, especially South East Asia when China was powerful. However, this was not much different that the South American's attitude to America.
There is a great book review in 2008, which this book was written, in the Guardian by John Gittings. He reviews not only this book but a number of "Dragon" books written in 2008 just before the China Olympics. Telegraph by Nicholas Shakespeare is a critical review of this book. I must admit I found the book interesting and easy to read, but I understand his criticism.
Erick has an entry in Wikipedia. There is not much in the way of videos for Durschmied. However, there is a TVO film of "Finding Fidel: The Journey of Erik Durschmied" he started his extraordinary career by interviewing a young Fidel Castro on the eve of the Cuban revolution.
On my website is how to find this book on Amazon if you care to purchase it. See Durschmied. Also, this book review and other books I have reviewed are on my website at Book Reviews.
After the Mongols attacks on Europe and the Middle East, he goes on to talk about the advantage Europeans took of China after they discovered it. This was hardly China's fault. The next was about Japan's conquest of China. He does go on to talk about China's conquest of Tibet and there certainly China was awful and still suppresses the Tibetan people.
He also covers the USSR and China relationship, including the Chinese attack on the USSR at their mutual border supposedly over an island in the Ussuri River. He also relates China's effort to contact and make diplomatic relations with the US in 1971. He does cover a fair bit of ground in his book.
I know from reading history that China was not well liked by the peoples of around them, especially South East Asia when China was powerful. However, this was not much different that the South American's attitude to America.
There is a great book review in 2008, which this book was written, in the Guardian by John Gittings. He reviews not only this book but a number of "Dragon" books written in 2008 just before the China Olympics. Telegraph by Nicholas Shakespeare is a critical review of this book. I must admit I found the book interesting and easy to read, but I understand his criticism.
Erick has an entry in Wikipedia. There is not much in the way of videos for Durschmied. However, there is a TVO film of "Finding Fidel: The Journey of Erik Durschmied" he started his extraordinary career by interviewing a young Fidel Castro on the eve of the Cuban revolution.
On my website is how to find this book on Amazon if you care to purchase it. See Durschmied. Also, this book review and other books I have reviewed are on my website at Book Reviews.
Monday, December 2, 2013
Invisible Armies by Max Boot
This book's full title is "Invisible Armies, An Epic History of Guerrilla Warfare from Ancient Times to the Present". I must admit that I found this book a fascinating read. It is well written and a very good and easy read. The Romans were defeated by barbarians or irregular troops. Nomadic empires could inflict catastrophic costs on established states.
In fact irregular fighting goes back to tribal warfare. There seldom anything new under the sun. One thing that I did find very interesting is when Max Boot talked about the French in Algiers compared with the English in Malaysia.
Max Book has his own web site. He has written some very interesting articles. One article is about the case form cutting off aid to Egypt and another is a blog entry about what is being done to protect the Copts in Egypt.
There is a short review of this book on the Foreign Affairs web site. There is a much longer and more interesting review at the New York Times by Mark Mazower.
Gary Rosen of the Wall Street Journal does a short interview (6 minutes) with Max Boot Max Boot. Also Max Boot gives an interesting speech at Pritzker Military Library. He talks after introduction for about 35 minutes and then there is Q & A period.
On my website is how to find this book on Amazon if you care to purchase it. See Boot. Also, this book review and other books I have reviewed are on my website at Book Reviews.
In fact irregular fighting goes back to tribal warfare. There seldom anything new under the sun. One thing that I did find very interesting is when Max Boot talked about the French in Algiers compared with the English in Malaysia.
Max Book has his own web site. He has written some very interesting articles. One article is about the case form cutting off aid to Egypt and another is a blog entry about what is being done to protect the Copts in Egypt.
There is a short review of this book on the Foreign Affairs web site. There is a much longer and more interesting review at the New York Times by Mark Mazower.
Gary Rosen of the Wall Street Journal does a short interview (6 minutes) with Max Boot Max Boot. Also Max Boot gives an interesting speech at Pritzker Military Library. He talks after introduction for about 35 minutes and then there is Q & A period.
On my website is how to find this book on Amazon if you care to purchase it. See Boot. Also, this book review and other books I have reviewed are on my website at Book Reviews.
Wednesday, November 27, 2013
The Big Shift by Bricker, Ibbitson
This book's full title is "The Big Shift, The Seismic Change in Canadian Politics, Business and Culture and What it means for Our Future". This book is by Darrell Bricker and John Ibbitson. I seldom read books on Canadian Politics as politics in general do not interest me all that much. However, I had realized when Harper first got elected that it was because Ontario voted with the West.
For most of Canadian history I knew that for a government to get into power, it had to have votes by Ontario and Quebec. When Ontario and Quebec voted together you got a majority federal government. But things have been changing with the rise of the Bloc Quebecois and the rise of the West. The West has been wanted to get in for a long time. With Harper they did get in.
I found interesting that 20% of our populations were immigrants. This is quite high. However, what is more interesting is where these immigrants are with 3% in Nova Scotia, 11.5% in Quebec, but 28% of population of in British Columbia and Ontario. With some 70% of our population living in urban areas, it is hardly a surprise that a large portion of our immigrants also live in urban areas.
The Literary Review site of Canada has a review of this book by Yuen Pau Woo. I have read quite a bit of Canadian History and I also do not remember any elite group being called "Laurentians" either in the form of Laurentian elite or Laurentian consensus. I find this the best review. She questions some of the assumptions of the book and I think she is right to do so.
The iPolitics Site also have a very interesting and insightful review by Colin Horgan. There is also a review in the National Post by Mark Kennedy. This is more a review of what the books says rather than an assessment of what the book says.
John Ibbitson and Darrell Bricker on their book at Canadian Bar Association cba.org. This is a question and answer type interview. There is a short interview of Bricker on City News.
And, finally, what I found a very interesting part of the book was about the Atlantic Canadian Reality Distortion Field by Darrell Bricker and John Ibbitson. It talks about how Atlantic Canada thinks that the money transfer from west to east via Employment Insurance is very Canadian and logically and see nothing wrong with part time workers collecting money from the plan every year. This is a very worthwhile read.
On my website is how to find this book on Amazon if you care to purchase it. See Bricker. Also, this book review and other books I have reviewed are on my website at Book Reviews.
For most of Canadian history I knew that for a government to get into power, it had to have votes by Ontario and Quebec. When Ontario and Quebec voted together you got a majority federal government. But things have been changing with the rise of the Bloc Quebecois and the rise of the West. The West has been wanted to get in for a long time. With Harper they did get in.
I found interesting that 20% of our populations were immigrants. This is quite high. However, what is more interesting is where these immigrants are with 3% in Nova Scotia, 11.5% in Quebec, but 28% of population of in British Columbia and Ontario. With some 70% of our population living in urban areas, it is hardly a surprise that a large portion of our immigrants also live in urban areas.
The Literary Review site of Canada has a review of this book by Yuen Pau Woo. I have read quite a bit of Canadian History and I also do not remember any elite group being called "Laurentians" either in the form of Laurentian elite or Laurentian consensus. I find this the best review. She questions some of the assumptions of the book and I think she is right to do so.
The iPolitics Site also have a very interesting and insightful review by Colin Horgan. There is also a review in the National Post by Mark Kennedy. This is more a review of what the books says rather than an assessment of what the book says.
John Ibbitson and Darrell Bricker on their book at Canadian Bar Association cba.org. This is a question and answer type interview. There is a short interview of Bricker on City News.
And, finally, what I found a very interesting part of the book was about the Atlantic Canadian Reality Distortion Field by Darrell Bricker and John Ibbitson. It talks about how Atlantic Canada thinks that the money transfer from west to east via Employment Insurance is very Canadian and logically and see nothing wrong with part time workers collecting money from the plan every year. This is a very worthwhile read.
On my website is how to find this book on Amazon if you care to purchase it. See Bricker. Also, this book review and other books I have reviewed are on my website at Book Reviews.
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