Koncocoo

Best Anthropology

Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies
Societies that had had a head start in food production advanced beyond the hunter-gatherer stage, and then developed religion --as well as nasty germs and potent weapons of war --and adventured on sea and land to conquer and decimate preliterate cultures. There is nothing like a radically new angle of vision for bringing out unsuspected dimensions of a subject, and that is what Jared Diamond has done.”. - William H. McNeil, New York Review of Books. “A book of remarkable scope, a history of the world in less than 500 pages which succeeds admirably, where so many others have failed, in analyzing some of the basic workings of culture process.... One of the most important and readable works on the human past published in recent years.”. - Colin Renfrew, Nature. “No scientist brings more experience from the laboratory and field, none thinks more deeply about social issues or addresses them with greater clarity, than Jared Diamond as illustrated by Guns, Germs, and Steel . In this remarkably readable book he shows how history and biology can enrich one another to produce a deeper understanding of the human condition.”. - Edward O. Wilson, Pellegrino University Professor, Harvard University. “Serious, groundbreaking biological studies of human history only seem to come along once every generation or so.
Reviews
"Two decades ago a UCLA geography professor named Jared Diamond published Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies. Diamond hypothesized that the arc of human history was dramatically shifted by geographic, environmental, biological, and other factors, resulting in the worldwide dominance of the leading industrial powers during the past 500 years. “Why did wealth and power [among nations] become distributed as they now are, rather than in some other way?” “[W]hy did human development proceed at such different rates on different continents?” “[W]hy were Europeans, rather than Africans or Native Americans, the ones to end up with guns, the nastiest germs, and steel?” In his award-winning book, Diamond posited a “unified synthesis”—a unified field theory of history. Drawing from his wide-ranging knowledge of medicine, evolutionary biology, physiology, linguistics, and anthropology as well as geography, he surveyed the history of the past 13,000 years and identified plausible answers to the questions he had posed. For example, geographers complained that Diamond referred to Eurasia as a single continent rather than separately to Asia, North Africa, and Europe. There were complaints that Diamond had overlooked the contrast between temperate and tropical zones (he didn’t) and that he had only explained what happened 500 years ago but not subsequently (untrue). However, regardless of the sequence, that shift from hunter-gatherer society to agriculturally based settlements set in motion the course of events that have led to the “civilization” in which we live. Furthermore, he explains that the east-west orientation of Eurasia from the Bering Strait to the Atlantic Ocean made it possible for the development of agriculture and animal husbandry to spread quickly to distant lands. This, in turn, spelled the emergence of labor specialization and eventually the growth of empires as well as the appearance and spread of communicable diseases contracted from domesticated animals."
"very interesting book if you are into deep history and anthropology."
"The book's Pulitzer Prize is well-deserved, and it's little surprise that other books consistently reference "Guns, Germs, and Steel" as an authority."
"Ultimately, this book is a long and ingenius answer to a single question: "Why is it that you white people developed so much cargo and brougt it to New Guinea, but we black people had little cargo of our own?""
"I throughly enjoyed this book and found it a very intriguing read with logical and non-stereotypical explanations of why/how some societies have succeeded, while others have failed."
"a classic!"
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Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea
An eye-opening account of life inside North Korea—a closed world of increasing global importance—hailed as a “tour de force of meticulous reporting” ( The New York Review of Books ). NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FINALIST • NATIONAL BOOK CRITICS CIRCLE AWARD FINALIST In this landmark addition to the literature of totalitarianism, award-winning journalist Barbara Demick follows the lives of six North Korean citizens over fifteen years—a chaotic period that saw the death of Kim Il-sung, the rise to power of his son Kim Jong-il (the father of Kim Jong-un), and a devastating famine that killed one-fifth of the population. Demick brings to life what it means to be living under the most repressive regime today—an Orwellian world that is by choice not connected to the Internet, where displays of affection are punished, informants are rewarded, and an offhand remark can send a person to the gulag for life. She takes us deep inside the country, beyond the reach of government censors, and through meticulous and sensitive reporting we see her subjects fall in love, raise families, nurture ambitions, and struggle for survival. One by one, we witness their profound, life-altering disillusionment with the government and their realization that, rather than providing them with lives of abundance, their country has betrayed them. A fascinating and deeply personal look at the lives of six defectors from the repressive totalitarian regime of the Republic of North Korea, in which Demick, an L.A. Times staffer and former Seoul bureau chief, draws out details of daily life that would not otherwise be known to Western eyes because of the near-complete media censorship north of the arbitrary border drawn after Japan's surrender ending WWII.
Reviews
"We learn about a young man left an orphan whose father had been Party member, a pediatrician whose greatest dream was to be allowed to join the Party, a housewife with 2 young children and an abusive husband, a young woman and her "forbidden" boyfriend, a factory worker who had absolute loyalty to the regime, and several more. This book also covers the operation of the government and its regimentation over people's lives from a historical viewpoint, how this all changed (slightly for the better) during the starvation years of the 90's, and the newer changes (for the worse) under Kim Jong-un."
"Astonishing reveal of the harsh reality of life during the 1980's in North Korea under that strict propagandist regime."
"It follows a number of individuals lives while living in North Korea."
"I was completely rivited by this book!"
"While I am an author myself, I don't know the author and no one asked me to review this."
"The constant propaganda, brainwashing, fear of being turned in by a neighbor, wife or son, the limits and downright bans on their freedom of movement, freedom of speech, freedom to assemble, freedom of economy, freedom to choose their own paths, and the absolute desert of information about the outside world is a staunch warning to everyone, including we Americans, who see the seedlings of many of these bans and controls and limits and increased surveillance and the drying up of information."
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Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies
Societies that had had a head start in food production advanced beyond the hunter-gatherer stage, and then developed religion --as well as nasty germs and potent weapons of war --and adventured on sea and land to conquer and decimate preliterate cultures. There is nothing like a radically new angle of vision for bringing out unsuspected dimensions of a subject, and that is what Jared Diamond has done.”. - William H. McNeil, New York Review of Books. “A book of remarkable scope, a history of the world in less than 500 pages which succeeds admirably, where so many others have failed, in analyzing some of the basic workings of culture process.... One of the most important and readable works on the human past published in recent years.”. - Colin Renfrew, Nature. “No scientist brings more experience from the laboratory and field, none thinks more deeply about social issues or addresses them with greater clarity, than Jared Diamond as illustrated by Guns, Germs, and Steel . In this remarkably readable book he shows how history and biology can enrich one another to produce a deeper understanding of the human condition.”. - Edward O. Wilson, Pellegrino University Professor, Harvard University. “Serious, groundbreaking biological studies of human history only seem to come along once every generation or so.
Reviews
"Two decades ago a UCLA geography professor named Jared Diamond published Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies. Diamond hypothesized that the arc of human history was dramatically shifted by geographic, environmental, biological, and other factors, resulting in the worldwide dominance of the leading industrial powers during the past 500 years. “Why did wealth and power [among nations] become distributed as they now are, rather than in some other way?” “[W]hy did human development proceed at such different rates on different continents?” “[W]hy were Europeans, rather than Africans or Native Americans, the ones to end up with guns, the nastiest germs, and steel?” In his award-winning book, Diamond posited a “unified synthesis”—a unified field theory of history. Drawing from his wide-ranging knowledge of medicine, evolutionary biology, physiology, linguistics, and anthropology as well as geography, he surveyed the history of the past 13,000 years and identified plausible answers to the questions he had posed. For example, geographers complained that Diamond referred to Eurasia as a single continent rather than separately to Asia, North Africa, and Europe. There were complaints that Diamond had overlooked the contrast between temperate and tropical zones (he didn’t) and that he had only explained what happened 500 years ago but not subsequently (untrue). However, regardless of the sequence, that shift from hunter-gatherer society to agriculturally based settlements set in motion the course of events that have led to the “civilization” in which we live. Furthermore, he explains that the east-west orientation of Eurasia from the Bering Strait to the Atlantic Ocean made it possible for the development of agriculture and animal husbandry to spread quickly to distant lands. This, in turn, spelled the emergence of labor specialization and eventually the growth of empires as well as the appearance and spread of communicable diseases contracted from domesticated animals."
"very interesting book if you are into deep history and anthropology."
"The book's Pulitzer Prize is well-deserved, and it's little surprise that other books consistently reference "Guns, Germs, and Steel" as an authority."
"Ultimately, this book is a long and ingenius answer to a single question: "Why is it that you white people developed so much cargo and brougt it to New Guinea, but we black people had little cargo of our own?""
"I throughly enjoyed this book and found it a very intriguing read with logical and non-stereotypical explanations of why/how some societies have succeeded, while others have failed."
"a classic!"
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Best Geography

Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies
Societies that had had a head start in food production advanced beyond the hunter-gatherer stage, and then developed religion --as well as nasty germs and potent weapons of war --and adventured on sea and land to conquer and decimate preliterate cultures. There is nothing like a radically new angle of vision for bringing out unsuspected dimensions of a subject, and that is what Jared Diamond has done.”. - William H. McNeil, New York Review of Books. “A book of remarkable scope, a history of the world in less than 500 pages which succeeds admirably, where so many others have failed, in analyzing some of the basic workings of culture process.... One of the most important and readable works on the human past published in recent years.”. - Colin Renfrew, Nature. “No scientist brings more experience from the laboratory and field, none thinks more deeply about social issues or addresses them with greater clarity, than Jared Diamond as illustrated by Guns, Germs, and Steel . In this remarkably readable book he shows how history and biology can enrich one another to produce a deeper understanding of the human condition.”. - Edward O. Wilson, Pellegrino University Professor, Harvard University. “Serious, groundbreaking biological studies of human history only seem to come along once every generation or so.
Reviews
"Two decades ago a UCLA geography professor named Jared Diamond published Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies. Diamond hypothesized that the arc of human history was dramatically shifted by geographic, environmental, biological, and other factors, resulting in the worldwide dominance of the leading industrial powers during the past 500 years. “Why did wealth and power [among nations] become distributed as they now are, rather than in some other way?” “[W]hy did human development proceed at such different rates on different continents?” “[W]hy were Europeans, rather than Africans or Native Americans, the ones to end up with guns, the nastiest germs, and steel?” In his award-winning book, Diamond posited a “unified synthesis”—a unified field theory of history. Drawing from his wide-ranging knowledge of medicine, evolutionary biology, physiology, linguistics, and anthropology as well as geography, he surveyed the history of the past 13,000 years and identified plausible answers to the questions he had posed. For example, geographers complained that Diamond referred to Eurasia as a single continent rather than separately to Asia, North Africa, and Europe. There were complaints that Diamond had overlooked the contrast between temperate and tropical zones (he didn’t) and that he had only explained what happened 500 years ago but not subsequently (untrue). However, regardless of the sequence, that shift from hunter-gatherer society to agriculturally based settlements set in motion the course of events that have led to the “civilization” in which we live. Furthermore, he explains that the east-west orientation of Eurasia from the Bering Strait to the Atlantic Ocean made it possible for the development of agriculture and animal husbandry to spread quickly to distant lands. This, in turn, spelled the emergence of labor specialization and eventually the growth of empires as well as the appearance and spread of communicable diseases contracted from domesticated animals."
"very interesting book if you are into deep history and anthropology."
"The book's Pulitzer Prize is well-deserved, and it's little surprise that other books consistently reference "Guns, Germs, and Steel" as an authority."
"Ultimately, this book is a long and ingenius answer to a single question: "Why is it that you white people developed so much cargo and brougt it to New Guinea, but we black people had little cargo of our own?""
"I throughly enjoyed this book and found it a very intriguing read with logical and non-stereotypical explanations of why/how some societies have succeeded, while others have failed."
"a classic!"
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Best Saint Vincent Country History

Mustique
it is a great book.
Reviews
"This book is a wonder. But this book IS appealing, it's the embodiment of the capitalist dream: get the money and THEN what do you do with it?"
"This is an excellently written book about one of the world's most expensive "developments," a scrub island turned into a multi-millionaires' paradise."
"I think this book captures the true essence of the island of Mustique."
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Best Administrative Law - Indigenous Peoples

Decolonizing Methodologies: Research and Indigenous Peoples
This essential volume explores intersections of imperialism and research - specifically, the ways in which imperialism is embedded in disciplines of knowledge and tradition as 'regimes of truth.'. Informed by critical and feminist evaluations of positivism, Tuhiwai Smith urges researching back and disrupting the rules of the research game toward practices that are more respectful, ethical, sympathetic and useful vs racist practices and attitudes, ethnocentric assumptions and exploitative research. Using Kaupapa Maori, a fledgling approach toward culturally appropriate research protocols and methodologies, the book is designed primarily to develop indigenous peoples as researchers. In short, Tuhiwai Smith begins to articulate research practices that arise out of the specificities of epistemology and methodology rooted in survival struggles, a kind of research that is something other than a dirty word to those on the suffering side of history." - Patti Lather, Professor Of Educational Policy and Leadership, Ohio State University and author of Getting Smart: Feminist Research and Pedagogy With/In The Postmodern (Routledge, 1991) and Troubling The Angels: Women Living With HIV/AIDS , with Chris Smithies (Westview, 1997). "Finally, a book for researchers working in indigenous context. Stories of research experiences, examples of projects, critical examination, and mindful reflection are woven together to make meaningful and practical designs related to indigenous issues and research." It will empower indigenous students to undertake research which uses methods that are culturally sensitive and appropriate instead of those which they have learned about in Research Methods courses in universities which assume that research and research methods are culture-free and that researchers occupy some kind of moral high ground from which they can observe their subjects and make judgements about them."
Reviews
"I would recommend this book to all citizens and especially those working in government administration, planning, research, education economic and or policy contexts."
"A much needed reference for indigenous peoples across the planet."
"Will be recommending to all non-Indigenous researchers as compulsory reading because this challenges every deeply held, colonial belief we have about ourselves and our research."
"It should also be read by educators and leaders, to help realize the tendencies that are employed in order to maintain colonial structures of inequity."
"Great book, information greatly needed by booth native people and non-native."
"All PhD students should have this as required reading."
"This book speaks to the need to not only recognize Indigenous world views in the realm of research but to fully incorporate such into research, policy and practice."
"My wife needed it for school."
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Best Archaeology

Gobekli Tepe: Genesis of the Gods: The Temple of the Watchers and the Discovery of Eden
An exploration of the megalithic complex at Göbekli Tepe, who built it, and how it gave rise to legends regarding the foundations of civilization. • Details the layout, architecture, and exquisite carvings at Göbekli Tepe. As much as 7,000 years older than the Great Pyramid and Stonehenge, its strange buildings and rings of T-shaped monoliths--built with stones weighing from 10 to 15 tons--show a level of sophistication and artistic achievement unmatched until the rise of the great civilizations of the ancient world, Sumer, Egypt, and Babylon. “Andrew Collins has not only written the definitive explanation of Gobekli Tepe, but he has probably explained one of the most important mysteries of all time: Where and how did modern humans evolve? This is a masterpiece of work that brings ancient history to life.” ( Gregory Little, author of The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Native American Mounds & Earthworks and ed ). Göbekli Tepe awakens ancient memory to process deeply hidden trauma, from the past because it is a faithful and accurate depiction of the Paleolithic advanced culture.
Reviews
"This was a gift for my husband for Christmas."
"Interesting reading, the first pass at history from 5000 to 15000 years BC."
"Some good information about the site, bit then followed by a lot of speculation and conjecture."
"Well written and researched but maybe not the book to start with."
"Good book, there is a lot of very interesting views."
"Speculative, but apparently well researched."
"This is probably not for everyone but for those with an interest in alternative archaeology and speculative history this is a must read."
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Best Sociology

Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies
Societies that had had a head start in food production advanced beyond the hunter-gatherer stage, and then developed religion --as well as nasty germs and potent weapons of war --and adventured on sea and land to conquer and decimate preliterate cultures. There is nothing like a radically new angle of vision for bringing out unsuspected dimensions of a subject, and that is what Jared Diamond has done.”. - William H. McNeil, New York Review of Books. “A book of remarkable scope, a history of the world in less than 500 pages which succeeds admirably, where so many others have failed, in analyzing some of the basic workings of culture process.... One of the most important and readable works on the human past published in recent years.”. - Colin Renfrew, Nature. “No scientist brings more experience from the laboratory and field, none thinks more deeply about social issues or addresses them with greater clarity, than Jared Diamond as illustrated by Guns, Germs, and Steel . In this remarkably readable book he shows how history and biology can enrich one another to produce a deeper understanding of the human condition.”. - Edward O. Wilson, Pellegrino University Professor, Harvard University. “Serious, groundbreaking biological studies of human history only seem to come along once every generation or so.
Reviews
"Two decades ago a UCLA geography professor named Jared Diamond published Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies. Diamond hypothesized that the arc of human history was dramatically shifted by geographic, environmental, biological, and other factors, resulting in the worldwide dominance of the leading industrial powers during the past 500 years. “Why did wealth and power [among nations] become distributed as they now are, rather than in some other way?” “[W]hy did human development proceed at such different rates on different continents?” “[W]hy were Europeans, rather than Africans or Native Americans, the ones to end up with guns, the nastiest germs, and steel?” In his award-winning book, Diamond posited a “unified synthesis”—a unified field theory of history. Drawing from his wide-ranging knowledge of medicine, evolutionary biology, physiology, linguistics, and anthropology as well as geography, he surveyed the history of the past 13,000 years and identified plausible answers to the questions he had posed. For example, geographers complained that Diamond referred to Eurasia as a single continent rather than separately to Asia, North Africa, and Europe. There were complaints that Diamond had overlooked the contrast between temperate and tropical zones (he didn’t) and that he had only explained what happened 500 years ago but not subsequently (untrue). However, regardless of the sequence, that shift from hunter-gatherer society to agriculturally based settlements set in motion the course of events that have led to the “civilization” in which we live. Furthermore, he explains that the east-west orientation of Eurasia from the Bering Strait to the Atlantic Ocean made it possible for the development of agriculture and animal husbandry to spread quickly to distant lands. This, in turn, spelled the emergence of labor specialization and eventually the growth of empires as well as the appearance and spread of communicable diseases contracted from domesticated animals."
"very interesting book if you are into deep history and anthropology."
"The book's Pulitzer Prize is well-deserved, and it's little surprise that other books consistently reference "Guns, Germs, and Steel" as an authority."
"Ultimately, this book is a long and ingenius answer to a single question: "Why is it that you white people developed so much cargo and brougt it to New Guinea, but we black people had little cargo of our own?""
"I throughly enjoyed this book and found it a very intriguing read with logical and non-stereotypical explanations of why/how some societies have succeeded, while others have failed."
"a classic!"
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Best Psychology

The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself
Singer shows how the development of consciousness can enable us all to dwell in the present moment and let go of painful thoughts and memories that keep us from achieving happiness and self-realization. Copublished with the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS) The. Untethered Soul begins by walking you through your relationship with your thoughts and emotions, helping you uncover the source and fluctuations of your inner energy.
Reviews
"I read the audio version of this book multiple times, bought copies of it for clients, and shared it with friends. After reading Michael's book, I simply allowed irrelevant, erroneous, totally made up thoughts to just float on by without attaching my emotions to them. It means you're no longer an emotional puppet on the string of everyone else's behavior, attitudes, decisions, choices, etc. I LOVED the audio version of the book because the person who read it was perfect for the content. I've read TONS of other books on similar topics but the way Michael conveyed the material was unique and different and I really GOT IT!"
"Some of the points made in The Untethered Soul are: 1. Learn to relax and stay open no matter what. Do not identify with the experiences you are observing. Facing the fact of bodily death can help you to realize that all of the observed is temporary. Do not allow painful experiences from the past to influence the present. If you want a life full of joy and love you must make a commitment to having a life full of joy and love. Learn how to live from your heart, not from your ego. The Untethered Soul is my second most favorite book on the subject of how to transcend the ego and how to realize the true Self and directly experience that perfect infinite consciousness that has only joy and love and has no suffering. My most favorite book on that subject is THE SEVEN STEPS TO AWAKENING which is a collection of quotes by these seven authors: 1."
"I see life and the spiritual journey differently, and though I do believe we all should strive for a happier life and a more peaceful spirit, I don't believe it is desirable to live without some unhappiness, some worries, some fears. The author contradicts himself many times, but more importantly doesn't indicate any awareness that he has contradicted himself. Thus, while the author makes many statements throughout that I agree with, he also constantly is making other statements that contradict previous ones, giving me the impression that he is just writing a stream of consciousness of statements cherry-picked to resonate with a broad range of spiritual-enlightenment-seekers, without much regard to whether those statements gel together to form a cohesive whole. Structure. I would not want to take that away from anyone, but sadly, it is not the book for me."
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Best Criminology

Criminology: Theories, Patterns and Typologies
The bestselling text on the market and now in its thirteenth edition, CRIMINOLOGY: THEORIES, PATTERNS, AND TYPOLOGIES, delivers the most comprehensive, in-depth analysis of criminological theory and crime typologies available -- showing you how criminology relates to criminal justice policy. Dr. Siegel began his teaching career at Northeastern University and has also held teaching positions at the University of Nebraska-Omaha, Saint Anselm College in New Hampshire, and in the School of Criminology and Justice Studies at the University of Massachusetts-Lowell (UML). Dr. Siegel has written extensively in the area of crime and justice, including books on juvenile law, delinquency, criminology, corrections, criminal justice, and criminal procedure.
Reviews
"Criminology: Theories, Patterns and Typologies appears to be brand new, which is very nice with how pricey it is to rent it for my class I'm taking."
"my husband wanted one and he loves it."
"Rented book was brand new."
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Best Gender Studies

Iron John: A Book about Men
Finding rich meaning in ancient stories and legends, Bly uses the Grimm fairy tale "Iron John"—in which a mentor or "Wild Man" guides a young man through eight stages of male growth—to remind us of ways of knowing long forgotten, images of deep and vigorous masculinity centered in feeling and protective of the young. Robert Bly is a poet, author, translator, activist, and leader of the mythopoetic men's movement.
Reviews
"our society would be a better place if this book became required reading for every young man."
"Somewhat scholarly, but all men should read this."
"A great look at the Grimm tale that few people even know of."
"Exactly as advertised."
"I can see and starting to understand my father a lot."
"I was recommended to read this book thru a mens group that i participate in."
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Best Military Sciences

On Combat, The Psychology and Physiology of Deadly Conflict in War and in Peace
On Combat looks at what happens to the human body under the stresses of deadly battle the impact on the nervous system, heart, breathing, visual and auditory perception, memory - then discusses new research findings as to what measures warriors can take to prevent such debilitations so they can stay in the fight, survive, and win. Expanding on Lt. Col. Grossman s popular "Bulletproof mind" presentation, the book explores what really happens to the warrior after the battle, and shows how emotions, such as relief and self-blame, are natural and healthy ways to feel about having survived combat. In their description of Lt. Col. Dave Grossman, Slate Magazine said, "Grossman cuts such a heroic, omnicompetent figure, he could have stepped out of a video game." Col. Grossman's research was cited by the President of the United States in a national address, and he has testified before the U.S. Senate, the U.S. Congress, and numerous state legislatures.
Reviews
"Wow, is this an awesome book."
"Great book, I would highly recommend this to everyone. This is one of the must have on your bookshelf books."
""On Killing" (Dave Grossman's first book) and this book were required reading for some special ops units and should be required for ALL MEMBERS OF THE MILITARY for their first promotion!"
"Although we caution officers and soldiers not to get a Superman Complex, but to fight wisely, Grossman shows that fighting like a smart immortal greatly increases your rate of victory and survival. If you are a professional that routinely goes into harms way, read it, and then pass it on to your spouse and co-workers; it just might save a life, and help someone keep their sanity."
"I had an issue with this order and the seller resolved my problem to full satisfaction within hours."
"excellent book by one authority in this field ."
"If you would have told me I'd not only read a pychology book, but actually enjoy it, I'd have told you you were nuts."
"While there are some aspects I think are concluded at a cursory level, and believe there is something deeper to explain the aspect, issue or theory, all in all I think it has many, many interesting insights - that's from a guy with some applicable experience."
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Best Political Science

Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption
#1 New York Times Bestseller |. Named one of the Best Books of the Year by The New York Times • The Washington Post • The Boston Globe • The Seattle Times • Esquire • Time Winner of the Carnegie Medal for Nonfiction | Winner of the NAACP Image Award for Nonfiction | Winner of a Books for a Better Life Award | Finalist for the Los Angeles Book Prize | Finalist for the Kirkus Reviews Prize | An American Library Association Notable Book A powerful true story about the potential for mercy to redeem us, and a clarion call to fix our broken system of justice—from one of the most brilliant and influential lawyers of our time. Bryan Stevenson was a young lawyer when he founded the Equal Justice Initiative, a legal practice dedicated to defending those most desperate and in need: the poor, the wrongly condemned, and women and children trapped in the farthest reaches of our criminal justice system. a searing indictment of American criminal justice and a stirring testament to the salvation that fighting for the vulnerable sometimes yields.” —David Cole, The New York Review of Books “Searing, moving . Just Mercy will make you upset and it will make you hopeful.” —Ted Conover, The New York Times Book Review “Inspiring . Stevenson is not only a great lawyer, he’s also a gifted writer and storyteller.” — The Washington Post “As deeply moving, poignant and powerful a book as has been, and maybe ever can be, written about the death penalty.” —The Financial Times “Brilliant.” —The Philadelphia Inquirer “Not since Atticus Finch has a fearless and committed lawyer made such a difference in the American South. Just Mercy is his inspiring and powerful story.” —John Grisham “Bryan Stevenson is one of my personal heroes, perhaps the most inspiring and influential crusader for justice alive today, and Just Mercy is extraordinary. But at the same time that [Bryan] Stevenson tells an utterly damning story of deep-seated and widespread injustice, he also recounts instances of human compassion, understanding, mercy, and justice that offer hope. Just Mercy is a remarkable amalgam, at once a searing indictment of American criminal justice and a stirring testament to the salvation that fighting for the vulnerable sometimes yields.” —David Cole, The New York Review of Books. For decades he has fought judges, prosecutors and police on behalf of those who are impoverished, black or both. Injustice is easy not to notice when it affects people different from ourselves; that helps explain the obliviousness of our own generation to inequity today. Against tremendous odds, Stevenson has worked to free scores of people from wrongful or excessive punishment, arguing five times before the Supreme Court. The message of the book, hammered home by dramatic examples of one man’s refusal to sit quietly and countenance horror, is that evil can be overcome, a difference can be made. Stevenson has been angry about [the criminal justice system] for years, and we are all the better for it.” —Ted Conover, The New York Times Book Review “Inspiring . “As deeply moving, poignant and powerful a book as has been, and maybe ever can be, written about the death penalty.” —The Financial Times “Brilliant.” —The Philadelphia Inquirer. “Not since Atticus Finch has a fearless and committed lawyer made such a difference in the American South. Bryan Stevenson, however, is very much alive and doing God’s work fighting for the poor, the oppressed, the voiceless, the vulnerable, the outcast, and those with no hope. The stories told within these pages hold the potential to transform what we think we mean when we talk about justice.” —Michelle Alexander, author of The New Jim Crow “A distinguished NYU law professor and MacArthur grant recipient offers the compelling story of the legal practice he founded to protect the rights of people on the margins of American society. It is inspiring and suspenseful—a revelation.” —Isabel Wilkerson, author of The Warmth of Other Suns “Words such as important and compelling may have lost their force through overuse, but reading this book will restore their meaning, along with one’s hopes for humanity.” —Tracy Kidder, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Mountains Beyond Mountains “Bryan Stevenson is America’s young Nelson Mandela, a brilliant lawyer fighting with courage and conviction to guarantee justice for all. It is as gripping to read as any legal thriller, and what hangs in the balance is nothing less than the soul of a great nation.” —Desmond Tutu, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.
Reviews
"My tendency is to put things into "liberal" and "conservative" buckets and this one seemingly fit into the liberal bucket and I am a professed conservative."
"I have a new hero . Bryan Stevenson. This is a great book."
"This is a system that condemns children to life imprisonment without parole, that makes petty theft a crime as serious as murder, and that has declared war on hundreds of thousands of people with substance abuse problems by imprisoning them and denying them help. JUST MERCY explores a number of devastating cases, including children as young as fourteen facing life imprisonment, and scores of people on death row - mostly poor, and mostly black - who have been unfairly convicted. But the central focus is on Walter McMillan, a black man sentenced to death for the murder of a prominent young white woman. Ours is no longer a country that sees compassion as a virtue; instead, we write harsher and harsher laws that demand longer and longer sentences for those we consider undesirables. It's rare these days to meet someone who truly dedicates himself to those least able to help themselves, especially someone who isn't after media attention or self-promotion."
"Corruption and prejudice in the 1950's led to sending many innocent blacks and poor people to prison."
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Best Gay & Lesbian Studies

Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes: Revised and Complete Edition
A monumental, subversive, altogether remarkable masterwork Details of specific catastrophes may have changed since this Reagan-era AIDS epic won the Pulitzer and the Tony, but the real cosmic and human obsessions—power, religion, sex, responsibility, the future of the world—are as perilous, yet as falling-down funny, as ever.” –Linda Winer, Newsday. It ranks as nothing less than one of the greatest plays of the twentieth century." One of the most honored American plays in history, Angels in America was awarded two Tony Awards for Best Play and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. ; A Bright Room Called Day ; Homebody/Kabul ; Caroline, or Change , a musical with composer Jeanine Tesori; and The Intelligent Homosexual’s Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures . His books include The Art of Maurice Sendak: 1980 to the Present; Brundibar , with illustrations by Maurice Sendak; and Wrestling with Zion: Progressive Jewish-American Responses to the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict , co-edited with Alisa Solomon. The most ambitious America play of our time: an epic that ranges from earth to heaven; focuses on politics, sex, and religion; transports us to Washington, the Kremlin, the South Bronx, Salt Lake City and Antarctica; deals with Jews, Mormons, WASPs, blacks; switches between realism and fantasy, from the tragedy of AIDS to the camp comedy of drag queens to the death or at least absconding of God Angels in America is the broadest, deepest, most searching American play of our time." But in fact he has been there so often that he seems to have passed right through it Angels , so much a cry in the dark about AIDS when it was written, seems now to be as much about the Earth’s potentially fatal illness as gay men’s.” –Jesse Green, New York.
Reviews
"The characters were well rounded."
"My copy of Angels in America came in mint condition."
"Every scene is a sharp stand alone event."
"Wonderful."
"This story is so touching, and so timeless."
"It is an eye opening tale that allows the reader to be engulfed in change and dream of a world of acceptance."
"A SPECTACULAR PLAY."
"this is the best piece of literature I have ever read."
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