Saving Our Environment from Washington: How Congress Grabs Power, Shirks Responsibility, and Shortchanges the People (RN)

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Title: Saving Our Environment from Washington: How Congress Grabs Power, Shirks Responsibility, and Shortchanges the People.(Book review)
Author: Jonathan H. Adler
Publication: Independent Review (Magazine/Journal)
Date: June 22, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 11 Issue: 1 Page: 139(6)

Article Type: Book review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Saving Our Environment from Washington: How Congress Grabs Power, Shirks Responsibility, and Shortchanges the People

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Saving Our Environment from Washington: How Congress Grabs Power, Shirks Responsibility, and Shortchanges the People
David Schoenbrod
Manufacturer: Yale University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OSCTQG

Book Description

Insight Guides, the world's largest visual travel guide series, in association with Discovery Channel, the world's premier source of nonfiction entertainment, provides more insight than ever. From the most popular resort cities to the most exotic villages, Insight Guides capture the unique character of each culture with an insider's perspective. Inside every Insight Guide you'll find: .Evocative, full-colour photography on every page .Cross-referenced, full-colour maps throughout .A brief introduction including a historical timeline .Lively, essays by local writers on the culture, history, and people .Expert evaluations on the sights really worth seeing .Special features spotlighting particular topics of interest .A comprehensive Travel Tips section with listings of the best restaurants, hotels, and attractions, as well as practical information on getting around and advice for travel with children

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Insight Guide to Nepal.......2007-05-26

I find the In Sight series to be the best for me when it comes to travel information in new locations. The information is normally not time sensitive. This guide answers a lot of travel questions as well as give information on locations around the country. It helps me decide what I want to see and what to include in the tour.

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Nepal Insight Pocket Guide
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Manufacturer: APA Publications Pte Ltd,Singapore
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Indian Wildlife: Sri Lanka, Nepal (Insight Guides The Great Adventure Series)

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Indian Wildlife: Sri Lanka, Nepal (Insight Guides The Great Adventure Series)

Manufacturer: APA Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Travel | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0134679296

Insight Guides Indian Wildlife: Sri Lanka, Nepal

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Insight Guides Indian Wildlife: Sri Lanka, Nepal
Samuel Israel
Manufacturer: APA Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000Q6Q7QO

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Hans Hofer
Manufacturer: Apa Productions
ProductGroup: Book
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Manufacturer: Hungry Minds Inc,U.S.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Good-looking but hard to lug.......1997-05-19

Insight's City Guides combine stunning photography with literate text and a smattering of basic travel information. The Insight Venice guide is worth adding to your bookshelf, but its practical advice is getting a bit long in the tooth and its heft makes it less than ideal as a take-along guide. - Durant Imboden, Venice for Visitors, http://govenice.miningco.co

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Good-looking but hard to lug

Insight Nepal (Insight Guide Nepal)
Insight Guides
Manufacturer: Hungry Minds Inc,U.S.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Travel | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0134719050

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Good-looking but hard to lug.......1997-05-19

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NEPAL
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Manufacturer: Prentice Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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Manufacturer: APA PRODUCTIONS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ProductGroup: Book
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Manufacturer: Modern Curriculum Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0878952640

Product Description

A biography of the man whose dream of being the first man to set foot on the North Pole became reality.

First to the Top of the World: Admiral Peary at the North Pole

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First to the Top of the World: Admiral Peary at the North Pole
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Manufacturer: Olympic Marketing Corp
ProductGroup: Book
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The first major account of the somatotyping field in over thirty years, this volume presents a comprehensive history of somatotyping, beginning with W.H. Sheldon's introduction to the method in 1940. The controversies regarding the validity of Sheldon's method are described, as are the various attempts to modify the technique, particularly the Heath-Carter method, which has come into widespread use. Somatotyping is a method of description and assessment of the body on three shape and composition scales: endomorphy (relative fatness), mesomorphy (relative musculoskeletal robustness), and ectomorphy (relative linearity). The book reviews present knowledge of somatotypes around the world, how they change with growth, aging and exercise, and the contributions of genetics and environment to the rating. Also reviewed are the relationships among somatotypes and sport, physical performance, health and behavior.

Book Description

Hamiltonian fluid dynamics and stability theory work hand-in-hand in a variety of engineering, physics, and physical science fields. Until now, however, no single reference addressed and provided background in both of these closely linked subjects. Introduction to Hamiltonian Fluid Dynamics and Stability Theory does just that-offers a comprehensive introduction to Hamiltonian fluid dynamics and describes aspects of hydrodynamic stability theory within the context of the Hamiltonian formalism. The author uses the example of the nonlinear pendulum-giving a thorough linear and nonlinear stability analysis of its equilibrium solutions-to introduce many of the ideas associated with the mathematical argument required in infinite dimensional Hamiltonian theory needed for fluid mechanics. He examines Andrews' Theorem, derives and develops the Charney-Hasegawa-Mima (CMH) equation, presents an account of the Hamiltonian structure of the Korteweg-de Vries (KdV) equation, and discusses the stability theory associated with the KdV soliton. The book's tutorial approach and plentiful exercises combine with its thorough presentations of both subjects to make Introduction to Hamiltonian Fluid Dynamics and Stability Theory an ideal reference, self-study text, and upper level course book.

Book Description

Poor Folk is an epistolary novel -- that is, a tale told as a series of letters between the characters. And oh, what characters these are! Makar Dievushkin Alexievitch is a copy writer, barely squeaking by; Barbara Dobroselova Alexievna works as a seamstress, and both face the sort of everyday humiliation society puts upon the poor. These are people respected by no one, not even by themselves. These are folks too poor, in their circumstances, to marry; the love between them is a chaste and proper thing, a love that brings some readers to tears. But it isn't maudlin, either; Fyodor Dostoevsky has something profound to say about these people and this circumstance. And he says it very well. When the book was first published a leading Russian literary critic of the day -- Belinsky -- prophesied that Dostoevsky would become a literary giant. It isn't hard to see how he came to that conclusion, and in hindsight, he was surely was correct.

Customer Reviews:

Poor Folks is a good place to begin your acquaintance with the great novelist Fyodor Dostoyevsky.......2007-05-04

Russia has always had a sad history but has been enriched by great novelists such as Tolstoy and Dostoevsky. In this fine edition of "Poor Folks and Other Stories" we see the young fledgling writer Fyodor Dostoyevsky producing a fine book. He was only 22 years of age winning plaudits for his future career by the influential literary critic Belinsky. Dostoevsky is not only a great Russian writer but one of the handful of great world authors. In such works as "Crime and Punishment"; "The Brothers Karamazov" and "The Idiot" he delved psychological depths of depravity, despair, joy and redemptive love.
Some of these major themes are seen in minature in the very short novella "Poor Folk." Set in St. Petersburg's nineteenth century slums it tells the sad story of the platonic love between a middle age pathetic clerk Makar Devushkin and the much younger Barbara.
This is an epistolatory novel consisting of letters between the lovers. This technique was not new. The father of the English novel Samuel Richardson used it to write such 1740s bestsellers as "Pamela" and the 1400 page "Clarissa." (Lovelace" the lover in "Clarissa" is alluded to in a letter by Makar."
The story ends when the young girl weds a rich landowner. Poor Makar continues a small life of insulting fellow workers, peasant wages and despair as he sickens and weakens in a horrible hovel. The novella is unforgettable with touches of the skill of a Chekhov in limining with technicolor detail the daily life of the poor in Tsarist Russia.
Three other short stories are included in the Penguin edition. "The Landlady" deals with a young intellectual's infatuation for his sexy landlady despite the hatred of that woman's husband. It is written in a fervid state with dream sequences and lots of heated dialogue. "Mr Prok-harghin" tells the story of a reclusive, eccentric boarder who is misunderstood by his fellow lodgers. There is a surpise at the end so I won't share this with the prospective reader! "Polzunkov" tells the story of a fatuous chap who gets in a romantic entanglement with his corrupt boss's daughter which comes a cropper!
These stories are not the greatest ever written. They are, however, a good place to see the very early work of a great novelist. They can all be read in one or two days making them an excellent beginning for an acquaintance with Dostoyevsky's literary genius. They were written prior to Dostoyevsky's banishment for a plot against the Tsar. This horrible experience would deepen his understanding of human suffering and the durability of the human soul.

Meeting Expectations ?.......2007-04-06

As background information, I have read most of Dostoevsky's novels including some of his early works and all of his most popular 6 or 7 novels.

This is a short story or novella, barely over 140 pages or so. It is Dostoevsky's first novel and it is not a great novel. The debate when it was written in the 1840s was whether or not this new work by Dostoevsky was on par or in the same league as some of Russia's masters including Gogol and Pushkin?

It is written in an exchange of letters format; the letters are between a man, a poor and romantic civil servant, and a more practical and sensible young woman. By the way, one of the characters is reading "Tales of Bielkin" in the novel. So, Pushkin and his style are on Dostoevsky's mind. In any case, many will not like Dostoevsky's approach using the exchange of letters technique. Also, the novel is slow to start and the story has no literary hook to grab the reader's attention. It is about mundane topics involving money or the lack of money in the lives of the writers. But it does become more interesting after the first 20 to 30 pages, and much more interesting in the second half.

Incidentally, this book can be bought in a single volume or purchased together with other works by Dostoevsky such as the colection ISBN 978-0140445053. It is cheaper to get two or three novels by Dostoevsky in a single book. Also, the text is available on line for free.

Concentrating only on the author's prose and approach to the writing, does he attain a standard similar to Gogol's "Overcoat" which is also about a civil servant? How does the book compare with Pushkin's "Station Master" and his "Tales of Bielkin" and similar works?

Overall, and after the first 20 pages or so, Dostoevsky does manage to duplicate the ambiance and flavor of those stories. The characters are good. There is a connection, and a similarity in the writing. So, we do see a new writer emerging who has the basic skill or gift to approach those famous Russian writers. The novel is short and cannot be compared with later works, but it is interesting on its own. Also, one cannot compare it to Gogol's masterpiece "Dead Souls." I have read Pushkin's short stories including the "Station Master" and thought that Pushkin's work was more balanced, more interesting, and Pushkin has a certain literary flair which Dostoevsky cannot duplicate, at least not here in this book. We do see Dostoevsky's hyper-kinetic style that perhaps reached a zenith in "Notes From Underground" or in "Crime and Punishment."

Compared to his body of work, this is a 4 star novel; but it demonstrates the skills of the writer, and we see the Dostoevsky style that follows in later works.

an okay place to start, but not the best of Dostoevsky.......2005-12-22

I am a huge Dostoevsky fan. And I mean BIG I like to DEVOUR his works. I have read a good portion of his novels, and different translations by other translators of the same works for comparison. That being said once you have read his later books which he is most noted for (Crime and Punishment, Brothers K, Notes.. etc..) you realise that his early days were times of just getting his feet wet. His stories and writings are drasticaly different in theme and narrative after the time he got out of prison. In short they are superior to his earlier works (I think).

That being said, "Poor Folk" was the first story that launched Dostoevsky's career. It is a GREAT story of two poor individuals who write to each other in letters telling of their everyday common struggles, and of a clerks desire to court the seamstress he writes to. The way the story is told (by letters) is ingenious, and Dostevsky nails the despair and depths of powerlessness of his characters with a "T". Such fine characterisation would be a trademark of his later novels.

That being said I was all set for some of the other stories in this addition to show some other insights. In the end they turned out Really dissapointing, even far more so than past short stories of Dostoevsky's I have read.

"The Landlady", is a fairly unremarkable story and didn't have me drawn to the characters into it. It also suffers the same problem as the next story in this edition "Mr. Prokharchin".

"Mr. Prokharchin", is just a long winded story that never feels like it is going to end. and like "The Landlady" it contains too much narrative. This was easily the worst piece of work I have ever read by Dostoevsky for me.

"Polzunkov", is actually by retrospect quite good, but it comes towards the end of this edition and is quite short. So by the time I was finished I kind of felt cheated if I could explain my feelings any other way.

That being said I have no complaints for the small dollars I shelled out for this book, and Poor Folk without question is a story every Dostoevsky nut should read. 4 1/2 stars for Poor Folk, 2 stars for The Landlady, 1 1/2 stars for "Mr Prokharchin", and 3 for "Pulzunkov". So the edition gets a 3, but if you just want to buy this for the main story it is nearly a 5 a real winner!, hope that helps you all!

Man, Driven to His Limits.......2005-06-15

"Poor men are capricious; thats the way nature arranges things",
"what is honor my dear, when you have nothing to eat?" Dostoyevsky's first novel to won him him immediate fame which is about two people, a love of that will never take place but still exists anyway. Dostoyevsky investigates the issue of wealth on man's outcome: and the disgust of poverty.

Star Crossed Lovers...Or Not.......2003-06-30

As my introduction to Dostoyevsky, I chose his first novel, written at age 24, as the logical starting place. Poor Folk is a very compact, easy-to-read volume and is a fascinating work.

Dostoyevsky tantalizes the reader with his format. The entire book is a series of letters between 47 year-old Makar Alexievitch and the subject of his infatuation, a much younger Barbara Alexievna. As the two live within sight of each other and meet often, the letters leave an impression akin to that of seeing a series of snapshots from a movie rather than watching the entire production. Many details of their lives and particularly their pasts are alluded to but never fully divulged. The most powerful result is that the reader is left to grapple with the true nature of the relationship between the two fantastically poor correspondents.

The author does a wonderful job of relating the harsh reality of life in 19th-century St. Petersburg slums and the depersonalized, marginalized and tenuous existence of the working poor. This stark setting and the desperate circumstances of the protagonists provide the stage for one of the overarching themes of the book-the foundational source of self-esteem. When money, social stature and career success are completely lacking, is love from another the final refuge for salvaging a sense of self worth? To what lengths will one go to preserve this refuge and to where may one turn when abandoned by it are central questions weaved by Dostoyevsky.

The other subtle theme behind the story is the circumstances necessary for true character revelation. Irony abounds in Poor Folk, with Barbara's character being it primary vehicle. One might expect that harsh circumstances, bitter privation and abject poverty would shed the social covering to reveal one's disposition, but Barbara's unexpected financial good fortune reveals her true nature. Her reaction to sudden affluence reveals her relationship with Makar to have been driven wholly by a desperate need for a patron rather than genuine love and affection.

Customer Reviews:

Two novellas.......2003-06-01

This book comprises two novellas: "Poor Folk" and "The Gambler".

In "Poor Folk", in a grim St Petersburg apartment, the minor functionary Maker Alexeyevich Devushkin exchanges letters with his friend Barbara Alexeyevna Dobroselova. They start by sharing their concerns over their poverty, but as the correspondence continues their relationship deepens, becoming an emotional roller-coaster. Dostoyevsky relates the feelings of people trapped by poverty, vainly attempting to maintain their dignity.

"Poor Folk" is mostly written in an epistolatory style, and Dostoyevsky struggles with it, at one point abandoning it altogether, giving the novella a contrived feel.

In "The Gambler", Alexey Ivanovich is a tutor in the entourage of a Russian general living abroad. Rivalries and intrigues abound as members of the entourage and hangers-on jostle for position, trying to place themselves in the best place to get their hands on the general's family's money.

Dostoyevsky portrays this alongside the other type of gambling in which his characters indulge (ie. at the roulette table). The subject of the novella is the pursuit of lucre and the lengths to which some people will go to get it. At times, the writing is funny, such as at the arrival of the general's mother. But ultimately "The Gambler" is a sharp and disturbing examination of the hopeless and self-delusory world of the addict.

G Rodgers

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Poor Folk and Other Stories
Fyodor/ McDuff, David (Trn)/ McDuff, Dostoyevsky
Manufacturer: Penguin Classics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OJ65MY

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Poor Folk and Other Stories
Fyodor Dostoevsky
Manufacturer: Penguin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000K2I0E6

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