Anthropology: The Basics Review

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Anthropology: The Basics ReviewMetcalf's approach to anthropology is admirable because it consciously incorporates self-critical aspects I feel are important for anthropology novices to be aware of and understand. Many anthropology texts cover only in passing some of the inherent problems of the field, not giving, in my opinion, the proper impression that anthropology is currently a field in flux, one that is constantly in the process of reinventing itself. Metcalf establishes this clearly, covering thoroughly and repeatedly central themes like cultural relativism, the relationship between anthropology and imperialism, and the sticky issue of power relations between ethnographers and informants.
So four stars for taking this fresh approach, but negative 1 star for the style: I can't blame him, because he is treading the academic minefield of explaining complex issues in an introductory text, however, I really did think Metcalf erred on the side of simplicity on this one. Metcalf's text is critical of anthropology, and criticism of anthropological methods usually involes a call for a more complex, nuanced understanding of indigenous peoples/gender/sexuality/whatever. Yet, in the enthusiastic rush to elaborate this criticism in an introductory text, Metcalf often makes the types of generalizations that he claims anthropology should try to avoid. This mistake doesn't happen too much... but it certainly leaps out from the page at you when the last two paragraphs you read are exactly about the inadequacies and insidious malice of generalizing.Anthropology: The Basics OverviewThe ultimate guide for the student encountering anthropology for the first time, Anthropology: The Basics explains and explores key anthropological concepts including:what is anthropology?how can we distinguish cultural differences from physical ones?what is culture, anyway?how do anthropologists study culture?what are the key theories and approaches used today?How has the discipline changed over time?This student-friendly text provides an overview of the fundamental principles of anthropology and is an invaluable guide for anyone wanting to learn more about this fascinating subject.

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In Brown's Wake: Legacies of America's Educational Landmark (Law and Current Events Masters) Review

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In Brown's Wake: Legacies of America's Educational Landmark (Law and Current Events Masters) ReviewIn this work, Professor Martha Minow has crafted an excellent, scholarly survey of the setting and subsequent history of the U. S. Supreme Court's unanimous and momentous 1954 decision in Brown v. Board of Education.
Professor Minow examines the uses of Brown by those interested in the educational opportunity aspects of immigration, English as a second language, gender, and sexual identification and orientation. She investigates applications of Brown to educational matters of religion, disability, group-based definition, indigenous culture, and socio-economic status. She considers the evolution of the connections of Brown to issues of "school choice," including vouchers, taxation, and charter schools, the presence of social science research in educational litigation, and the international significance and influence of Brown. And, Professor Minow demonstrates that part of the legacy of Brown is the complication of a central declaration of that decision, viz., that "[s]eparate educational facilities are inherently unequal" (and, therefore, unconstitutional).
The decision in Brown v. Board of Education is the genesis of a remarkable array of claimed consequences, ranging, depending upon point of view, from undeniably good, through be-careful-what-you-wish-for, to simply irrational or worse. In Brown's Wake, by Martha Minow, is a concise, accessible, intelligent, reasonable, and easily five-star analysis of that decision's continuing importance in our civilization.In Brown's Wake: Legacies of America's Educational Landmark (Law and Current Events Masters) OverviewWhat is the legacy of Brown vs. Board of Education? While it is well known for establishing racial equality as a central commitment of American schools, the case also inspired social movements for equality in education across all lines of difference, including language, gender, disability, immigration status, socio-economic status, religion, and sexual orientation. Yet more than a half century after Brown, American schools are more racially separated than before, and educators, parents and policy makers still debate whether the ruling requires all-inclusive classrooms in terms of race, gender, disability, and other differences. In Brown's Wake examines the reverberations of Brown in American schools, including efforts to promote equal opportunities for all kinds of students.School choice, once a strategy for avoiding Brown, has emerged as a tool to promote integration and opportunities, even as charter schools and private school voucher programs enable new forms of self-separation by language, gender, disability, and ethnicity.Martha Minow, Dean of Harvard Law School, argues that the criteria placed on such initiatives carry serious consequences for both the character of American education and civil society itself.Although the original promise of Brown remains more symbolic than effective, Minow demonstrates the power of its vision in the struggles for equal education regardless of students' social identity, not only in the United States but also in many countries around the world. Further, she urges renewed commitment to the project of social integration even while acknowledging the complex obstacles that must be overcome.An elegant and concise overview of Brown and its aftermath, In Brown's Wake explores the broad-ranging and often surprising impact of one of the century's most important Supreme Court decisions.

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How Math Explains the World: A Guide to the Power of Numbers, from Car Repair to Modern Physics Review

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How Math Explains the World: A Guide to the Power of Numbers, from Car Repair to Modern Physics ReviewIt is made abundantly clear in this fascinating book that certain sub-disciplines in mathematics are extremely useful in describing the physical world in which we live. It is made equally clear, and admitted by the author, that many other of its sub-disciplines are (at least currently) completely useless in the sense that there are no known practical applications. The author, a mathematician, does an excellent job in providing the reader with an overview of both types of these sub-disciplines, while discussing various questions and issues in mathematics. To add a human element to these discussions, the author has peppered the text with many historical and micro-biographical snippets, as well as personal anecdotes - thus making the book all the more enjoyable. The writing style is authoritative, very friendly and generally clear; that is, some sections could have been made clearer if figures or diagrams had been included to complement the descriptions that are given, thus saving the reader a bit of re-reading and head scratching (such as in my case). The fact that many mathematical terms are used without being previously defined suggests that the reader should have some basic knowledge in math in order to better appreciate the topics being discussed. Consequently, the book would likely be most enjoyed by science and especially math buffs.How Math Explains the World: A Guide to the Power of Numbers, from Car Repair to Modern Physics Overview
In How Math Explains the World, mathematician Stein reveals how seemingly arcane mathematical investigations and discoveries have led to bigger, more world-shaking insights into the nature of our world. In the four main sections of the book, Stein tells the stories of the mathematical thinkers who discerned some of the most fundamental aspects of our universe. From their successes and failures, delusions, and even duels, the trajectories of their innovations—and their impact on society—are traced in this fascinating narrative. Quantum mechanics, space-time, chaos theory and the workings of complex systems, and the impossibility of a "perfect" democracy are all here. Stein's book is both mind-bending and practical, as he explains the best way for a salesman to plan a trip, examines why any thought you could have is imbedded in the number π , and—perhaps most importantly—answers one of the modern world's toughest questions: why the garage can never get your car repaired on time.

Friendly, entertaining, and fun, How Math Explains the World is the first book by one of California's most popular math teachers, a veteran of both "math for poets" and Princeton's Institute for Advanced Studies. And it's perfect for any reader wanting to know how math makes both science and the world tick.


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Bush on the Couch: Inside the Mind of the President Review

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Bush on the Couch: Inside the Mind of the President ReviewI'm 56, a grown woman descended from a long line of Republicans, including a
multi-term Republican State Senator.
Actually I had voted for a Republican candidate in every
Presidential election since I was 21 years old.
But when George W. Bush was running for President I saw a History Channel
documentary during which one of "W"'s oldest friends was being interviewed. The man
merrily related an anecdote he considered hugely amusing...
To make a long story short, although former First Lady Barbara Bush had
suggested to her new daughter-in-law Laura that it would be unwise to ever
criticize "W", Laura Bush made the mistake of doing just that.
Once.
It was during the period of time when Bush was newly entering politics. He gave
a speech that Laura had listened to very carefully.
Driving home from the political rally, George asked his young wife how she
thought he did.
She told him honestly that she didn't think he had done as well as he might
have.
The friend relating the story laughed that Bush was so furious at Laura's criticism
that he drove clean through his back garage wall and right out the other side
of the building.
The friend of George Bush who related the story thought it absolutely hilarious.
I didn't find it the least bit funny.
What I did think, was that it suggested a major character flaw and a horrifying
lack of self control.
And I found the very idea of that kind of flaw in a Presidential candidate to
be very unsettling.
And the idea of a violent, uncontrolled response to nothing more than a minor
criticism left me extremely uncomfortable with the idea of having George W.
Bush at the helm of this country.
So although I HAD voted for his father, for the first time in my life I chose
NOT to vote Republican when George W. Bush ran for President.
Actually, the more I saw of George W. Bush in the years AFTER he assumed the
Presidency, the MORE uncomfortable I became.
And after 9/11, and the invasion of Iraq. one thought kept resurfacing....."This whole scenario just
doesn't FEEL right".
I received an email from an old friend which mentioned a book by Dr. Justin A. Frank, a Washington, D.C.-based psychoanalyst and professor of psychiatry.
In his book, "Bush on the Couch: Inside the Mind of the President", Frank wrote, "....when the most powerful man on the planet consistently exhibits an array of multiple, serious, and untreated symptoms -- any one of which I've seen patients need years to work through -- it's certainly cause for further investigation, if not for outright alarm".
Clearly I wasn't the only one with the feeling that something is just not quite right.
Saturday, out of curiosity, I went to see Michael Moore's documentary
"Farenheit 9/11".
Personally, I don't particularly care for Michael Moore.
But to give credit where credit is due, he does do his homework.
And I was curious. So I went.
By about halfway through the movie, the entire audience had become deathly
silent.
You could have heard a pin drop in that theatre.
So this is my take on the movie.
It doesn't matter whether you're a Democrat or a Republican.
It also doesn't matter whether you're a Christian, a Jew, a Buddhist, a Muslim,
an Athiest or an Agnostic.
Do yourself a favor and leave your political and religious affiliations at
home.
Walk in the theatre door as simply an average American citizen.
I believe that you will emerge every bit as shaken as each and every person in
that theatre did Saturday afternoon.
Do you consider yourself a reasonably intelligent human being?.
Presented with fair and unbiased information, do you think you can analyze a
situation and draw your own conclusions?.
Occasional sardonic movie commentary from Moore aside, there's MORE than enough
fair and unbiased historical video in that film to scare the living hell out of
ALL of us.
Because much of what you're going to see has been edited out of our evening
news.
You're also going to see candid interviews with our duly elected officials.
From BOTH political parties.
Read the book. Go see the documentary. Make your own decision.
My humble opinion? Man, we are in BIG trouble.Bush on the Couch: Inside the Mind of the President Overview
With the Bush administration in permanent crisis, a renowned Washington psychoanalyst updates his portrait of George W.'s public persona—and how it has damaged the presidency.

Insightful and accessible, courageous and controversial, Bush on the Couch sheds startling new light on George W. Bush's psyche and its impact on the way he governs, tackling head-on the question few seem willing to ask: Is our president psychologically fit to run the country? With an eye for the subtleties of human behavior sharpened by thirty years of clinical practice, Dr. Justin A. Frank traces the development of Bush's character from childhood through his presidency, identifying and analyzing his patterns of thought, action, and communication. The result is a troubling portrait filled with important revelations about our nation's leader—including disturbing new insights into:

How Bush reacted to the 2006 Democratic sweep in Congress with a new surge of troops into Iraq
His telling habits and coping strategies—from his persistent mangling of English to his tendency to "go blank" in the midst of crisis
The tearful public breakdown of his father, George H. W. Bush, and what it says about the former president's relationship to his prominent sons
The debacle of Katrina—the moment when Bush's arrogance finally failed him

With a new introduction and afterword, Bush on the Couch offers the most thorough and candid portrait to date of arguably the most psychologically damaged president since Nixon.


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The Architecture of Language Review

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The Architecture of Language ReviewThis book is the result of a conference in India and was built as subsequent questions arrived at his desk a week later, back in Boston.
I think that if you have not had a background regarding Chomsky's views on linguistics, language acquisition, and his philosophical approach to cognition this is truly a great read. It is a read as he is addressing a crowd that often asks basic questions and he speaks to them. So, instead of the theoretical frameworks and philosophies that are presented in academic literature (pertaining to his views on how language is constructed) we are able to read a gentler version here in this 76 pager.
Really - it's a great introduction into the linguistic Chomsky. I think that you may need to follow up with more of the academic literature available but again, as a springboard it's a perfect jumping point.
Caution: This is not Steve Pinker like. This is not a read just anyone off the street will find themselves submerged within. You will need to have an interest in learning, language acquisition, or simply be an eclectic reader that enjoys journeys down new and unfamiliar reads. If you just started an MA in Applied Linguistics or TESOL this may be quite helpful in getting your head around a few of his ideas, which you will come across (I imagine) during your studies.
Great "specialist" book.
The Architecture of Language OverviewNoam Chomsky is one of the most widely published and influential thinkers on language and mind. This book consists of an edited transcript of a lecture, delivered at the University of Delhi in January 1996, where Chomsky reflects on the history of the 'generative enterprise' to relate it to some strikingly novel advances in recent grammatical theory.

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Survival of the Savvy: High-Integrity Political Tactics for Career and Company Success Review

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Survival of the Savvy: High-Integrity Political Tactics for Career and Company Success ReviewThe Four Star rating indicates my respect for what Brandon and Seldman accomplish in this volume. However, I wish they had developed several of their core concepts in much greater depth and with tone and diction worthy of those insights. I groaned when encountering clunkers such as "Get off that river in Egypt -- De-Nile!" because Brandon and Seldman are not "teaching synchronized swimming in a shark tank!" Then "Merge into the Savvy Zone" while recognizing the importance of "Different Strokes for Different Folks." (I'm not making this stuff up. It's in the book.) That said, Brandon and Seldman generally succeed when recommending and then explaining "high integrity political tactics for career and company success."
When reflecting on his career, President Harry S Truman proudly described himself as a politician, reputedly claiming that politics "is the art of the possible." It should be added that throughout Truman's public service, his personal integrity was impeccable. Brandon and Seldman make two obvious but important points: Like it or not, politics are inevitable when two or more -- and especially when three or more -- people are involved, and, it is nonetheless possible to be (as was Truman) an effective politician without compromising one's integrity. In fact, as Jim O'Toole asserts in The Executive's Compass: Business and the Good Society as does David Maister in Practice What You Preach: What Managers Must Do to Create a High Achievement Culture, those whose lives are guided and informed by admirable values (e.g. honesty, loyalty, decency, trustworthiness) will achieve much greater success than will those whose lives aren't. Therefore, the "savvy" executive is one who combines high principles with street smarts. No news there.
What gives substantial value to this book is Brandon and Seldman's clever use of various devices with which their reader can conduct a self-audit. Long ago, after a substantial increase of tuition at Harvard, hostile parents confronted then president Derek Bok. His response: "If you think education is expensive, try ignorance." I thought of that comment as I examined the various self-diagnostic elements in this book. Two of the most damaging forms of ignorance are (a) not knowing what you need to know and (b) assuming what you think you know...but don't. To their credit, Brandon and Seldman make a rigorous effort to help their reader to reduce (if not eliminate) both forms of ignorance. Politicking, gossip, self-serving motives, back-stabbing, betrayals of confidence, etc. are harsh realities in almost any organization. Brandon and Seldman can help principled people to cope effectively with those realities. To me, that is this book's greatest benefit. Also, I strongly recommend that readers complete the comprehensive, self-scoring assessment tool and interpretative guide which Brandon and Seldman offer. How to obtain one? The authors explain on page 277.
As indicated earlier, I think the quality of thinking and (especially) the quality of writing in this book are too often a distraction from the quite important convictions and counsel which the authors share. Over-heated diction and under-developed ideas in combination with clichés prevent me from giving this book a higher rating.Survival of the Savvy: High-Integrity Political Tactics for Career and Company Success Overview

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Words That Work: It's Not What You Say, It's What People Hear Review

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Words That Work: It's Not What You Say, It's What People Hear ReviewThe world's best message is ineffective if the person on the receiving end does not understand or relate to it.
It is a harsh standard. It is a message communicators ignore at their own peril. You can be brilliant, creative, even right, but your message will fall flat unless it touches the hearer's prism of experience, beliefs, preconceptions and prejudices.
In Words that Work: It's Not What You Say, It's What People Hear, Frank Luntz offers insights into finding and using the right words to achieve your goals. The key to communication is to place yourself in the listener's situation and understand his or her deepest thoughts and beliefs. What the listener perceives constitutes the listener's reality.
Based on his experience as a political and corporate pollster he recommends 11 rules for effective communication:
1.Use small words.
2.Use short sentences.
3.Credibility is as important as philosophy.
4.Consistency matters.
5.Novelty: offer something new.
6.Sound and texture matter.
7.Speak aspirationally.
8.Visualize.
9.Ask a question.
10.Provide context and explain relevance.
11.Visual imagery matters.
Luntz does not stop there. In addition to an insightful discussion complete with illustrations from his professional experience of the 11 rules, he adds critical elaboration:
1.Never assume knowledge or awareness.
2.Get the order right.
3.Gender can obstruct understanding.
4.It's about the children.
5.How you define determines how you are received.
If communicating is important to you, and who does not need to, then time spent reading Frank Luntz's book will be well spent. We are all subject to the power of language. Words spell the difference between success and failure. The right words grant you an edge. The author says it all in his subtitle, "It's not what you say--it's what people hear."
Words That Work: It's Not What You Say, It's What People Hear Overview

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You Are What You Speak: Grammar Grouches, Language Laws, and the Politics of Identity Review

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You Are What You Speak: Grammar Grouches, Language Laws, and the Politics of Identity ReviewDo you split infinitives and dare to think yourself reasonably intelligent? Do you regularly end sentences with prepositions and refuse to believe the end of civilization is nigh? Are you or are you not threatened by ebonics or worried (or not) that Spanish is going to swamp English? This is the book for you.
Lane Green's You Are What You Speak is sharp, funny and filled with insight into the politics and pretense of languages' guardians and scolds. Cutting right to the chase, Green gives us a brief history of grammar grouches from Cicero and John Dryden to modern day cranks like David Foster Wallace and that queen of cranks, Lynne Truss. In doing so, Green not only reassures us that language isn't going to hell in a hand basket--only a small minority have ever thought so--but that it is flourishing as it should, from the speakers' needs.
More importantly, his considerable depth of learning debunks many myths. The split infinitive police are supported not by facts but early grammarians who based their rules on their knowledge of Latin (where it is impossible to split one-word infinitives). In English though, it is possible to do so and only undesirable when it creates confusion. As for dangling preps, Green says, by all means do. There is no reason not to, and for clarity's sake, plenty of reasons to go ahead. He provides some delightful examples of when following the dangling prep rule is preposterous.
The author makes the important point that a few grouches have forgotten that language created writing not vice-versa. Hilarious criticisms of England's great poets and writers by grammarians cinches Green's argument that the scolds have lost all sense of perspective and proportion. Throughout the book he advocates clarity of thought and precision, not some hind bound adhesion to a rule established by a finger wagging grumpus. Bravo.
Subsequent chapters deal with the link between nation-building and national language, the politics of language and the sub rosa agenda of politicians when they deride and decry Black English or the "rise" of Spanish speaking Americans. The French Academy's efforts to stem the tide of English seems rather like herding cats, and an explanation of Chinese and Japanese alphabets instills a new respect for the often caricatured Asian nerd.
You Are What You Speak is the very best sort of language exercise: clear, entertaining and educative. Absolutely terrific!You Are What You Speak: Grammar Grouches, Language Laws, and the Politics of Identity Overview"An insightful, accessible examination of the way in which day-to-day speech is tangled in a complicated web of history, politics, race, economics and power." - KirkusWhat is it about other people's language that moves some of us to anxiety or even rage? For centuries, sticklers the world over have donned the cloak of authority to control the way people use words. Now this sensational new book strikes back to defend the fascinating, real-life diversity of this most basic human faculty.With the erudite yet accessible style that marks his work as a journalist, Robert Lane Greene takes readers on a rollicking tour around the world, illustrating with vivid anecdotes the role language beliefs play in shaping our identities, for good and ill. Beginning with literal myths, from the Tower of Babel to the bloody origins of the word "shibboleth," Greene shows how language "experts" went from myth-making to rule-making and from building cohesive communities to building modern nations. From the notion of one language's superiority to the common perception that phrases like "It's me" are "bad English," linguistic beliefs too often define "us" and distance "them," supporting class, ethnic, or national prejudices. In short: What we hear about language is often really about the politics of identity.Governments foolishly try to police language development (the French Academy), nationalism leads to the violent suppression of minority languages (Kurdish and Basque), and even Americans fear that the most successful language in world history (English) may be threatened by increased immigration. These false language beliefs are often tied to harmful political ends and can lead to the violation of basic human rights. Conversely, political involvement in language can sometimes prove beneficial, as with the Zionist revival of Hebrew or our present-day efforts to provide education in foreign languages essential to business, diplomacy, and intelligence. And yes, standardized languages play a crucial role in uniting modern societies.As this fascinating book shows, everything we've been taught to think about language may not be wrong—but it is often about something more than language alone. You Are What You Speak will certainly get people talking.

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