Wednesday, July 29, 2009
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The Lost Symbol
Amazon.com review
Let's start with the question every Dan Brown fan wants answered: Is The Lost Symbol as good as The Da Vinci Code? Simply put, yes. Brown has mastered the art of blending nail-biting suspense with random arcana (from pop science to religion), and The Lost Symbol is an enthralling mix. And what a dazzling accomplishment that is, considering that rabid fans and skeptics alike are scrutinizing every word. The Lost Symbol begins with an ancient ritual, a shadowy enclave, and of course, a secret. Readers know they are in Dan Brown territory when, by the end of the first chapter, a secret within a secret is revealed. To tell too much would ruin the fun of reading this delicious thriller, so you will find no spoilers here. Suffice it to say that as with many series featuring a recurring character, there is a bit of a formula at work (one that fans will love). Again, brilliant Harvard professor Robert Langdon finds himself in a predicament that requires his vast knowledge of symbology and superior problem-solving skills to save the day. The setting, unlike other Robert Langdon novels, is stateside, and in Brown's hands Washington D.C. is as fascinating as Paris or Vatican City (note to the D.C. tourism board: get your "Lost Symbol" tour in order). And, as with other Dan Brown books, the pace is relentless, the revelations many, and there is an endless parade of intriguing factoids that will make you feel like you are spending the afternoon with Robert Langdon and the guys from Mythbusters. Nothing is as it seems in a Robert Langdon novel, and The Lost Symbol itself is no exception--a page-turner to be sure, but Brown also challenges his fans to open their minds to new information. Skeptical? Imagine how many other thrillers would spawn millions of Google searches for noetic science, superstring theory, and Apotheosis of Washington. The Lost Symbol is brain candy of the best sort--just make sure to set aside time to enjoy your meal. --Daphne Durham
TRUE COMPASS
The youngest of nine children born to Joseph P. Kennedy and Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy, he came of age among siblings from whom much was expected. As a young man, he played a key role in the presidential campaign of his brother John F. Kennedy, recounted here in loving detail. In 1962 he was elected to the U.S. Senate, where he began a fascinating political education and became a legislator.In this historic memoir,Ted Kennedy takes us inside his family, re-creating life with his parents and brothers and explaining their profound impact on him. or the first time, he describes his heartbreak and years of struggle in the wake of their deaths. Through it all, he describes his work in the Senate on the major issues of our time--civil rights, Vietnam, Watergate, the quest for peace in Northern Ireland--and the cause of his life: improved health care for all Americans, a fight influenced by his own experiences in hospitals.His life has been marked by tragedy and perseverance, a love of family, and an abiding faith. There have been controversies, too, and Kennedy addresses them with unprecedented candor. At midlife, embattled and uncertain if he would ever fall in love again, he met the woman who changed his life, Victoria Reggie Kennedy. Facing a tough reelection campaign against an aggressive challenger named Mitt Romney, Kennedy found a new voice and began one of the great third acts in American politics, sponsoring major legislation, standing up for liberal principles, and making the pivotal endorsement of Barack Obama for president.Hundreds of books have been written about the Kennedys. TRUE COMPASS will endure as the definitive account from a member of America's most heralded family, an inspiring legacy to readers and to history, and a deeply moving story of a life like no other.
About the Author
Edward M. Kennedy has represented Massachusetts in the United States Senate for forty-seven years. In 2004 he began interviews at the Miller Center of the University of Virginia for an oral history project about his life. Since then, he has drawn from his fifty years of contemporaneous notes from his personal diaries and worked closely on this book with Pulitzer Prize winner Ron Powers, coauthor of Flags of Our Fathers and author of Mark Twain: A Life.
http://www.amazon.com/True-Compass-Edward-M-Kennedy/dp/0446539252
Two events dominated 2008-09: the election of Barack Obama as President of the United States, and the financial and economic crisis. The global recession overshadowed the ambitious efforts of the new US administration to set a fresh tone in international affairs. Strategic Survey 2009: The Annual Review of World Affairs examines in detail the effects of the two biggest developments, as well as other important events such as the deepening confrontations over the Iranian and North Korean nuclear programmes, and worsening violence in Afghanistan and Pakistan. In a year that saw a major terrorist attack in India, a strategic policy essay covers modern counter-terrorism trends. Other essays examine Europe’s energy position, and security arrangements in Asia. The book reports on the moderation of Latin America’s leftward shift, Russia’s fractious international relationships following the August 2008 war in Georgia, and political upheavals in Africa. Maps in the Strategic Geography section include illustrations of America’s decaying infrastructure, and drug violence in Mexico. The key developments in an eventful year are summarised in a chronology, and the book is fully indexed.
On Tuesday 15 September 2009 will Launch Strategic Survey 2009, its annual review of world affairs.
Dr John Chipman, IISS Director-General and Chief Executive, will introduce the book and a panel of IISS experts will answer questions.
http://www.iiss.org/publications/strategic-survey/strategic-survey-2009/
There is no single solution to the effects of the financial crisis on middle-income countries, but introducing fundamental labor markets reforms to create high-paying jobs will be the key to restarting economic growth, according to a report by Alejandro Foxley, the former foreign and finance minister of Chile.
Labor reform is always politically contentious, but the current crisis, by illustrating the dangers of ignoring necessary long-term reforms, has made it easier to reach consensus on the need for action. If policy makers undertake the right reforms, middle-income countries could achieve higher growth, better standards of living, and more effective government.
Key points:
Critical reforms include improving access to education and on-the-job training, reducing the costs of hiring and firing workers, and increasing the number of women in the workforce.
Unemployment is likely to remain high in middle-income countries as the crisis continues, threatening the stability of governments across Latin America, East Asia, and Eastern Europe.
Governments must resist the temptation to take populist shortcuts that make it appear that they are dealing with the crisis when they are not, and should instead be clear and consistent in their pursuit of reform.
Sustainable growth requires a balance between exports and domestic demand. East Asian economies that relied heavily on exports for growth have been hit harder by the crisis than Latin American countries that emphasized domestic demand. Diversified trade offers some protection against economic shocks. Middle-income countries should diversify not only their exports but also the markets to which they export.
Foxley concludes:“There are no magic formulas, no shortcuts, no miracles, and no ‘models’ as far as development is concerned. Economic growth and development is a several-decades-long proposition that requires consistent policies, persistence in moving in a certain direction, and adaptability to shocks and changes and the opportune correction of policy mistakes.”
http://images.google.com.au/imgres?imgurl=http://www.carnegieendowment.org/images/article_images/bkcvr_recovery114.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.carnegieendowment.org/publications/&usg=__0C4sDk-4oWHEKklQpwLmQWg4Lng=&h=163&w=114&sz=22&hl=en&start=3&um=1&tbnid=hBpH1orSzhyGAM:&tbnh=98&tbnw=69&prev=/images%3Fq%3DRecovery:%2BThe%2BGlobal%2BFinancial%2BCrisis%2Band%2BMiddle-Income%2BCountries%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26um%3D1
Synopsis
The era of hope and change is dead . . . .and it only took six months in office to kill it.
Never has an administration taken office with more inflated expectations of turning Washington around. Never have a media-anointed American Idol and his entourage fallen so fast and hard. In her latest investigative tour de force, New York Times bestselling author Michelle Malkin delivers a powerful, damning, and comprehensive indictment of the culture of corruption that surrounds Team Obama's brazen tax evaders, Wall Street cronies, petty crooks, slum lords, and business-as-usual influence peddlers. In Culture of Corruption, Malkin reveals:
* Why nepotism beneficiaries First Lady Michelle Obama and Vice President Joe Biden are Team Obama's biggest liberal hypocrites-bashing the corporate world and influence-peddling industries from which they and their relatives have benefited mightily* What secrets the ethics-deficient members of Obama's cabinet-including Hillary Clinton-are trying to hide* Why the Obama White House has more power-hungry, unaccountable "czars" than any other administration* How Team Obama's first one hundred days of appointments became a litany of embarrassments as would-be appointee after would-be appointee was exposed as a tax cheat or had to withdraw for other reasons* How Obama's old ACORN and union cronies have squandered millions of taxpayer dollars and dues money to enrich themselves and expand their power* How Obama's Wall Street money men and corporate lobbyists are ruining the economy and helping their friendsIn Culture of Corruption, Michelle Malkin lays bare the Obama administration's seamy underside that theliberal media would rather keep hidden.
Biography
Michelle Malkin is the author of three bestselling books, including the New York Times bestseller Invasion. She is the founder of two of the Internet's top conservative blogs, MichelleMalkin.com and HotAir.com. Malkin has worked in daily newspaper journalism since 1992, penned a nationally syndicated column for Creators Syndicate since 1999, and served as a FOX News Channel contributor since 2001. While working as an editorial writer/columnist for the Seattle Times, she won the Council on Governmental Ethics Laws (COGEL) national award for outstanding service for the cause of governmental ethics and leadership, and for investigative columns that exposed campaign finance abuses and corruption by Washington State Democrats, Republicans, and political organizations. After nearly a decade, Malkin escaped the Beltway swamp and now lives a much healthier, happier, uncorrupted life with her husband and two children in Colorado.
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Culture-of-Corruption/Michelle-Malkin/e/9781596981096
Hatem El Zein
A new blog tries to develop step by step
BOOKS & STUDIES
The Lost Symbol
Amazon.com review
Let's start with the question every Dan Brown fan wants answered: Is The Lost Symbol as good as The Da Vinci Code? Simply put, yes. Brown has mastered the art of blending nail-biting suspense with random arcana (from pop science to religion), and The Lost Symbol is an enthralling mix. And what a dazzling accomplishment that is, considering that rabid fans and skeptics alike are scrutinizing every word. The Lost Symbol begins with an ancient ritual, a shadowy enclave, and of course, a secret. Readers know they are in Dan Brown territory when, by the end of the first chapter, a secret within a secret is revealed. To tell too much would ruin the fun of reading this delicious thriller, so you will find no spoilers here. Suffice it to say that as with many series featuring a recurring character, there is a bit of a formula at work (one that fans will love). Again, brilliant Harvard professor Robert Langdon finds himself in a predicament that requires his vast knowledge of symbology and superior problem-solving skills to save the day. The setting, unlike other Robert Langdon novels, is stateside, and in Brown's hands Washington D.C. is as fascinating as Paris or Vatican City (note to the D.C. tourism board: get your "Lost Symbol" tour in order). And, as with other Dan Brown books, the pace is relentless, the revelations many, and there is an endless parade of intriguing factoids that will make you feel like you are spending the afternoon with Robert Langdon and the guys from Mythbusters. Nothing is as it seems in a Robert Langdon novel, and The Lost Symbol itself is no exception--a page-turner to be sure, but Brown also challenges his fans to open their minds to new information. Skeptical? Imagine how many other thrillers would spawn millions of Google searches for noetic science, superstring theory, and Apotheosis of Washington. The Lost Symbol is brain candy of the best sort--just make sure to set aside time to enjoy your meal. --Daphne Durham
Amazon
TRUE COMPASS
The youngest of nine children born to Joseph P. Kennedy and Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy, he came of age among siblings from whom much was expected. As a young man, he played a key role in the presidential campaign of his brother John F. Kennedy, recounted here in loving detail. In 1962 he was elected to the U.S. Senate, where he began a fascinating political education and became a legislator.In this historic memoir,Ted Kennedy takes us inside his family, re-creating life with his parents and brothers and explaining their profound impact on him. or the first time, he describes his heartbreak and years of struggle in the wake of their deaths. Through it all, he describes his work in the Senate on the major issues of our time--civil rights, Vietnam, Watergate, the quest for peace in Northern Ireland--and the cause of his life: improved health care for all Americans, a fight influenced by his own experiences in hospitals.His life has been marked by tragedy and perseverance, a love of family, and an abiding faith. There have been controversies, too, and Kennedy addresses them with unprecedented candor. At midlife, embattled and uncertain if he would ever fall in love again, he met the woman who changed his life, Victoria Reggie Kennedy. Facing a tough reelection campaign against an aggressive challenger named Mitt Romney, Kennedy found a new voice and began one of the great third acts in American politics, sponsoring major legislation, standing up for liberal principles, and making the pivotal endorsement of Barack Obama for president.Hundreds of books have been written about the Kennedys. TRUE COMPASS will endure as the definitive account from a member of America's most heralded family, an inspiring legacy to readers and to history, and a deeply moving story of a life like no other.
About the Author
Edward M. Kennedy has represented Massachusetts in the United States Senate for forty-seven years. In 2004 he began interviews at the Miller Center of the University of Virginia for an oral history project about his life. Since then, he has drawn from his fifty years of contemporaneous notes from his personal diaries and worked closely on this book with Pulitzer Prize winner Ron Powers, coauthor of Flags of Our Fathers and author of Mark Twain: A Life.
http://www.amazon.com/True-Compass-Edward-M-Kennedy/dp/0446539252
Strategic Survey 2009
Two events dominated 2008-09: the election of Barack Obama as President of the United States, and the financial and economic crisis. The global recession overshadowed the ambitious efforts of the new US administration to set a fresh tone in international affairs. Strategic Survey 2009: The Annual Review of World Affairs examines in detail the effects of the two biggest developments, as well as other important events such as the deepening confrontations over the Iranian and North Korean nuclear programmes, and worsening violence in Afghanistan and Pakistan. In a year that saw a major terrorist attack in India, a strategic policy essay covers modern counter-terrorism trends. Other essays examine Europe’s energy position, and security arrangements in Asia. The book reports on the moderation of Latin America’s leftward shift, Russia’s fractious international relationships following the August 2008 war in Georgia, and political upheavals in Africa. Maps in the Strategic Geography section include illustrations of America’s decaying infrastructure, and drug violence in Mexico. The key developments in an eventful year are summarised in a chronology, and the book is fully indexed.
On Tuesday 15 September 2009 will Launch Strategic Survey 2009, its annual review of world affairs.
Dr John Chipman, IISS Director-General and Chief Executive, will introduce the book and a panel of IISS experts will answer questions.
http://www.iiss.org/publications/strategic-survey/strategic-survey-2009/
Recovery: The Global Financial Crisis and Middle-Income Countries by Alejandro Foxley
There is no single solution to the effects of the financial crisis on middle-income countries, but introducing fundamental labor markets reforms to create high-paying jobs will be the key to restarting economic growth, according to a report by Alejandro Foxley, the former foreign and finance minister of Chile.
Labor reform is always politically contentious, but the current crisis, by illustrating the dangers of ignoring necessary long-term reforms, has made it easier to reach consensus on the need for action. If policy makers undertake the right reforms, middle-income countries could achieve higher growth, better standards of living, and more effective government.
Key points:
Critical reforms include improving access to education and on-the-job training, reducing the costs of hiring and firing workers, and increasing the number of women in the workforce.
Unemployment is likely to remain high in middle-income countries as the crisis continues, threatening the stability of governments across Latin America, East Asia, and Eastern Europe.
Governments must resist the temptation to take populist shortcuts that make it appear that they are dealing with the crisis when they are not, and should instead be clear and consistent in their pursuit of reform.
Sustainable growth requires a balance between exports and domestic demand. East Asian economies that relied heavily on exports for growth have been hit harder by the crisis than Latin American countries that emphasized domestic demand. Diversified trade offers some protection against economic shocks. Middle-income countries should diversify not only their exports but also the markets to which they export.
Foxley concludes:“There are no magic formulas, no shortcuts, no miracles, and no ‘models’ as far as development is concerned. Economic growth and development is a several-decades-long proposition that requires consistent policies, persistence in moving in a certain direction, and adaptability to shocks and changes and the opportune correction of policy mistakes.”
http://images.google.com.au/imgres?imgurl=http://www.carnegieendowment.org/images/article_images/bkcvr_recovery114.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.carnegieendowment.org/publications/&usg=__0C4sDk-4oWHEKklQpwLmQWg4Lng=&h=163&w=114&sz=22&hl=en&start=3&um=1&tbnid=hBpH1orSzhyGAM:&tbnh=98&tbnw=69&prev=/images%3Fq%3DRecovery:%2BThe%2BGlobal%2BFinancial%2BCrisis%2Band%2BMiddle-Income%2BCountries%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26um%3D1
Unmasked: The Final Years of Michael Jackson
Product Description
In late December 2008, Ian Halperin told the world that Michael Jackson had only six months to live. His investigations into Jackson's failing health made headlines around the globe. Six months later, the King of Pop was dead.
Whatever the final autopsy results reveal, it was greed that killed Michael Jackson. Friends and associates paint a tragic picture of the last years and days of his life as Jackson made desperate attempts to prepare for the planned concert series at London's 02 Arena in July 2009. These shows would have earned millions for the singer and his entourage, but he could never have completed them, not mentally, and not physically. Michael knew it and his advisors knew it. Anyone who caught even a fleeting glimpse of the frail old man hiding beneath the costumes and cosmetics would have understood that the London tour was madness. Why did it happen this way? After an intense five year investigation, New York Times bestselling author Ian Halperin uncovers the real story of Michael Jackson's final years, a suspenseful and surprising thriller.
About the Author
Ian Halperin is also a former winner of the Rolling Stone magazine Award for Investigative Journalism. He is the author or coauthor of five books, including the bestsellers Fire and Rain: The James Taylor Story, and Celine Dion: Behind the Fairytale, as well as a number of expos - s on the modeling industry. He coauthored Who Killed Kurt Cobain? with Max Wallace. Ian is a regular correspondent for Court TV and has contributed to 60 Minutes 2.
http://www.amazon.com/Unmasked-Final-Years-Michael-Jackson/dp/1439177171
In late December 2008, Ian Halperin told the world that Michael Jackson had only six months to live. His investigations into Jackson's failing health made headlines around the globe. Six months later, the King of Pop was dead.
Whatever the final autopsy results reveal, it was greed that killed Michael Jackson. Friends and associates paint a tragic picture of the last years and days of his life as Jackson made desperate attempts to prepare for the planned concert series at London's 02 Arena in July 2009. These shows would have earned millions for the singer and his entourage, but he could never have completed them, not mentally, and not physically. Michael knew it and his advisors knew it. Anyone who caught even a fleeting glimpse of the frail old man hiding beneath the costumes and cosmetics would have understood that the London tour was madness. Why did it happen this way? After an intense five year investigation, New York Times bestselling author Ian Halperin uncovers the real story of Michael Jackson's final years, a suspenseful and surprising thriller.
About the Author
Ian Halperin is also a former winner of the Rolling Stone magazine Award for Investigative Journalism. He is the author or coauthor of five books, including the bestsellers Fire and Rain: The James Taylor Story, and Celine Dion: Behind the Fairytale, as well as a number of expos - s on the modeling industry. He coauthored Who Killed Kurt Cobain? with Max Wallace. Ian is a regular correspondent for Court TV and has contributed to 60 Minutes 2.
http://www.amazon.com/Unmasked-Final-Years-Michael-Jackson/dp/1439177171
Culture of Corruption: Obama and His Team of Tax Cheats, Crooks, and Cronies
Synopsis
The era of hope and change is dead . . . .and it only took six months in office to kill it.
Never has an administration taken office with more inflated expectations of turning Washington around. Never have a media-anointed American Idol and his entourage fallen so fast and hard. In her latest investigative tour de force, New York Times bestselling author Michelle Malkin delivers a powerful, damning, and comprehensive indictment of the culture of corruption that surrounds Team Obama's brazen tax evaders, Wall Street cronies, petty crooks, slum lords, and business-as-usual influence peddlers. In Culture of Corruption, Malkin reveals:
* Why nepotism beneficiaries First Lady Michelle Obama and Vice President Joe Biden are Team Obama's biggest liberal hypocrites-bashing the corporate world and influence-peddling industries from which they and their relatives have benefited mightily* What secrets the ethics-deficient members of Obama's cabinet-including Hillary Clinton-are trying to hide* Why the Obama White House has more power-hungry, unaccountable "czars" than any other administration* How Team Obama's first one hundred days of appointments became a litany of embarrassments as would-be appointee after would-be appointee was exposed as a tax cheat or had to withdraw for other reasons* How Obama's old ACORN and union cronies have squandered millions of taxpayer dollars and dues money to enrich themselves and expand their power* How Obama's Wall Street money men and corporate lobbyists are ruining the economy and helping their friendsIn Culture of Corruption, Michelle Malkin lays bare the Obama administration's seamy underside that theliberal media would rather keep hidden.
Biography
Michelle Malkin is the author of three bestselling books, including the New York Times bestseller Invasion. She is the founder of two of the Internet's top conservative blogs, MichelleMalkin.com and HotAir.com. Malkin has worked in daily newspaper journalism since 1992, penned a nationally syndicated column for Creators Syndicate since 1999, and served as a FOX News Channel contributor since 2001. While working as an editorial writer/columnist for the Seattle Times, she won the Council on Governmental Ethics Laws (COGEL) national award for outstanding service for the cause of governmental ethics and leadership, and for investigative columns that exposed campaign finance abuses and corruption by Washington State Democrats, Republicans, and political organizations. After nearly a decade, Malkin escaped the Beltway swamp and now lives a much healthier, happier, uncorrupted life with her husband and two children in Colorado.
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Culture-of-Corruption/Michelle-Malkin/e/9781596981096