Sharing the Pie : A Citizen's Guide to Wealth and Power

Book Description

If the U.S. economy is booming, why are so many Americans struggling to get by? Steve Brouwer answers this and many other questions in Sharing the Pie, an informative and irreverent critique of the rightward shift in America since 1980. Brouwer draws upon a wealth of statistics to chart the disastrous economic and social consequences of the Reagan and Bush years, and documents Bill Clinton's failure to reverse the steady decline in the living standards of most Americans.

Using concise, easy-to-understand charts and graphs presented in an oversized format, Sharing the Pie punctures some of the most pervasive myths about our economy: that our foreign competitors are to blame for our current malaise; that we "can't afford" a government that provides decent education, health care, and social services; and that a "rising tide" (i.e., a surging stock market and unbridled corporate greed) will "lift all boats."

An invaluable resource for those who want to make sense of the economy, Sharing the Pie is also a passionate plea for greater economic equality and a revitalization of American democracy.

Customer Reviews:

Where's all the Money???.......2004-04-27

In his book, "Sharing the Pie", Steve Brouwer tries to answer the question why is there such an unequal distribution of wealth in society and tells the reader where all the money is going and most importantly to whom. The author remains somewhat fair and presents both sides and reasons to certain decisions affecting our economy and its wealth and power, but yet remains biased and in total support of the need of change in our economy ranging from business to politics. He discusses important topics such as taxes in the United States and its unequal and unfairness. He also focuses on issues that are affecting our economy now such downsizing of manufacturers as well as multibillion dollar corporations. Not to mention he gives a good history of how America's economy has gotten to the point it is now and where it may be going in the future. He touches on politics and the power they hold in their hand to fix the unfairness of society for the greater good. He does not just present the problem and the factors to it but offers suggestions and insights on how it may be possible to create a better society for all. This book is great for anyone who wants to learn the inside story to our economy and our society. Or for anyone who is researching the building blocks on why our society is the way it is today economically. The book provides good and reliable references that are up to date. It is easy to read and hard to believe. The use of illustrations not only makes this book fun but also easy to understand. One will not be able to look at society the same again after reading this insightful book.

Yeahhh!! Karl Marx!.......2002-06-12

The author forgets to mention that if anyone DOESN'T want to share, they go to jail.

I love people and their little theiving violent tendencies who try and dress up their need for blood. The battle continue!

Informative, invaluable.......2001-01-30

Perhaps you've heard part of the story elsewhere; perhaps you're approaching it for the first time. Either way, STP is relatively brief but comprehensive picture of the ugly trends of the past 20 years in U.S. politics and economics. Loaded with compelling research and figures, it also has good notes with references to many other sources. But most importantly it's fairly accesible to the average reader, the non-specialist who needs these facts most.

An excellent book on the maldistribution of wealth..........2000-03-08

This is a straightforward, easy to read book about how the distribution of wealth (and, therefore power) has been unbalanced in the past century and continues to get worse. This book is a great read and highly recommended--many facts are supported with complete references. If nothing else, this book serves as an eye-opener and a starting point for anyone interested in the problems (and causes) of wealth and poverty in the United States

Informative, yet irreverent.......1999-02-12

The living standards of most American has declined drastically. The author cleverly reinterates the disatrous economic and social consequences of the Reagan, Bush years. And, documents Clnton's failure to reverse that steady decline. However, you can grab a piece of the pie.

Book Description

CRIME AND PUNISHMENT is a powerful presentation of the scope and history of the American criminal justice system, looking both at how the history of criminal justice has shaped the present system and at today's most critical issues.

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Annual Editions: Corrections 01/02
Matthew Leone
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill/Dushkin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | World | History | Subjects | Books

General | Criminal Law | Law | Subjects | Books

General | Law | Subjects | Books

Criminology | Crime & Criminals | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Penology | Crime & Criminals | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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Book Description

A collection of current, carefully selected articles from some of the most respected magazine, newspapers, and journals published today. Within the pages of this volume are interesting, well-illustrated articles by authorities in the field, providing effective and useful perspectives on today's important topics in corrections.

Corrections in America: Problems of the Past and the Present (Law and Criminal Justice System)

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Corrections in America: Problems of the Past and the Present (Law and Criminal Justice System)
Charles W. Thomas
Manufacturer: Sage Publications, Inc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Criminology | Crime & Criminals | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Social History | Historical Study | History | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0803922108

Book Description

In Corrections in America, Thomas discusses the history, evolution and present status of penology in America, placing special emphasis on moral, ethical and legal issues. This topical book reflects contemporary critical debate in the field of criminal justice. Substantive topics include prison effectiveness, prison overcrowding, alternatives to prisons and capital punishment.

Crime and Punishment in Twentieth Century Ireland: Volume 2, A Description of The Criminal Justice System, 1950-1980

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Crime and Punishment in Twentieth Century Ireland: Volume 2, A Description of The Criminal Justice System, 1950-1980
Seamus Breathnach
Manufacturer: Universal Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Criminology | Crime & Criminals | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

True Crime | True Accounts | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1581125496

Book Description

This book was written as part of a much wider criminological enterprise, designed at creating a real and critical basis for criminological enquiry in Ireland. Properly understood the Criminal Justice System (CJS) is every bit as important to society as the circular flow of money. No government would dream of conducting its business without the advice of an economist or, indeed, providing an econometric model of the economy. Yet when it comes to the CJS, governments take the opposite view and legislate in the dark, hardly reconnoitering for a moment to see what effect proposed legislation will have on the several institutions it invariably affects. Maybe this was okay when those effects could not be calculated. But such is no longer the case. In 1967 a President's Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Justice featured a model of criminal justice entitled "The Challenge of Crime in a Free Society." Incredibly misunderstood and widely neglected, this model marked a breakthrough -- the first step, as it were -- in coming to terms with the multiple agencies that go to make up what has come to be called the Criminal Justice System (CJS). In Volumes 2 and 3 of the present series Seamus Breathnach traces the initial steps necessary to complete the revolution begun by the President's Commission. In doing this he reveals the systematized neglect of the CJS in the Republic of Ireland for years 1950-80. In eight lectures he delineates the Republic's inability to get its act together or to engage the terms or significance of the '67 landmark - an inability that is anchored both in a deep religious resistance to the secular social sciences as well as an exaggerated estimation of the criminal lawyer as social commentator. From this study it appears that the first step for criminologists is to see the CJS as a totality - to see it as a social process clamoring to be rescued from the spokesmen of the discrete agencies that comprise it.

Crime, Sexual Violence, and Clemency: Florida's Pardon Board and Penal System in the Progressive Era (New Perspectives on the History of the South)

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Crime, Sexual Violence, and Clemency: Florida's Pardon Board and Penal System in the Progressive Era (New Perspectives on the History of the South)
Vivien M. L. Miller
Manufacturer: University Press of Florida
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Social History | Historical Study | History | Subjects | Books

General | Criminal Law | Law | Subjects | Books

Criminology | Crime & Criminals | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Penology | Crime & Criminals | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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Agricultural inputs and environment

Manufacturer: Scientific Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

General | Agricultural Sciences | Professional Science | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 8172331223

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An approach for estimating net primary productivity and annual carbon inputs to soil for common agricultural crops in Canada [An article from: Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment]
M.A. Bolinder , H.H. Janzen , E.G. Gregorich , and Angers
Manufacturer: Elsevier
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Elsevier | By Publisher | e-Docs | Formats | Books
ASIN: B000PC0EYK

Book Description

This digital document is a journal article from Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, published by Elsevier in 2007. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Media Library immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Description:
The current interest in characterizing, predicting and managing soil C dynamics has focused attention on making estimates of C inputs to soil more accurate and precise. Net primary productivity (NPP) provides the inputs of carbon (C) in ecosystems and determines the amount of photosynthetically fixed C that can potentially be sequestered in soil organic matter. We present a method for estimating NPP and annual C inputs to soil for some common Canadian agroecosystems, using a series of plant C allocation coefficients for each crop type across the country. The root-derived C in these coefficients was estimated by reviewing studies reporting information on plant shoot-to-root (S:R) ratios (n=168). Mean S:R ratios for annual crops were highest for small-grain cereals (7.4), followed by corn (5.6) and soybeans (5.2), and lowest for forages (1.6). The review also showed considerable uncertainty (coefficient of variation for S:R ratios of ~50% for annual crops and ~75% for perennial forages) in estimating below-ground NPP (BNPP) in agroecosystems; uncertainty was similar to that for Canadian boreal forests. The BNPP (including extra-root C) was lower for annual crops (~20% of NPP) than for perennial forages (~50%). The latter was similar to estimates for relative below-ground C allocation in other Canadian natural ecosystems such as mixed grasslands and forests. The proposed method is easy to use, specific for particular crops, management practices, and driven by agronomic yields. It can be readily up-dated with new experimental results and measurements of parameters used to quantify the accumulation and distribution of photosynthetically fixed C in different types of crops.

Nitrogen budgets of agricultural fields of the Changjiang River basin from 1980 to 1990 [An article from: Science of the Total Environment, The]

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Nitrogen budgets of agricultural fields of the Changjiang River basin from 1980 to 1990 [An article from: Science of the Total Environment, The]
X. Bao , M. Watanabe , Q. Wang , S. Hayashi , and J. Liu
Manufacturer: Elsevier
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B000RR9KK2

Book Description

This digital document is a journal article from Science of the Total Environment, The, published by Elsevier in 2006. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Media Library immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Description:
To assess the fate of the large amounts of nitrogen (N) brought into the agricultural environment by human activities in the Changjiang River basin, we used [China's county level agricultural database of 1980 and 1990. National Resources and Environmental Data Center, China] and published conversion data to set up a complete N budget for the Changjiang River basin. Sources considered include imported N such as atmospheric deposition, inorganic fertilizer, biological fixation and manure. Dominant losses considered include crop harvests, denitrification of soil nitrate and NH"3 volatilization, and the budget was estimated from the difference between all inputs and all outputs. Therefore, the geographic distribution of excess N, considered as lost, by N storage in farmland and N transported to water bodies in Changjiang River basin was analyzed. In the Changjiang River basin, the anthropogenic reactive N has far exceeded the terrestrial bio-fixed N in nature, and human activities have significantly altered the N cycle in this region. The total inputs of N in 1980 and 1990 were 8.0 and 12.9 Tg N, respectively. The total N outputs are 4.41 Tg N in 1980 and 6.85 Tg N in 1990. Thus, the excess N that was stored in farmland was 1.51 Tg N at 1980 and 2.67 Tg N at 1990, respectively, and losses through transportation to water bodies in 1980 was 2.08 and 3.38 Tg N in 1990, respectively. Our research shows that from 1980 to 1990, cultivated land increased 5.9%, grain production increased 30% and N fertilizer-use increased 106%, but the N fertilizer-use efficiency decreased 36%, and the variations in the distribution of N fertilizer-use efficiency, N budgets and N transport to water bodies tended to coincide with each other geographically.

Pesticide interception by emergent aquatic macrophytes: Potential to mitigate spray-drift input in agricultural streams [An article from: Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment]

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Pesticide interception by emergent aquatic macrophytes: Potential to mitigate spray-drift input in agricultural streams [An article from: Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment]
J.M. Dabrowski , A. Bollen , E.R. Bennett , and R Schulz
Manufacturer: Elsevier
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
ASIN: B000RR52FO

Book Description

This digital document is a journal article from Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment, published by Elsevier in . The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Media Library immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Description:
An increasing amount of research has focused on alternate methods to mitigate pesticide exposure in agricultural surface waters. The interception of spray-drift-derived azinphos-methyl (AZP) by emergent aquatic macrophytes was investigated in a tributary of the Lourens River, South Africa. The stream was dominated (80% coverage) by three species of emergent aquatic macrophytes; Juncus capensis, Fuirena hirsuta and Pycreus sp. During an application of AZP, drift deposition was determined on the surface of the vegetation, on the surface of the exposed channel of the stream and beneath J. capensis and F. hirsuta by means of drift collectors (n=6). Drift deposition on the surface of the vegetation (1.5+/-0.3mg/m^2) was well predicted by 90th percentile basic drift values (1.3mg/m^2), indicating that the sampling devices resulted in an accurate measurement of drift deposition. Drift deposition on the surface of the exposed channel (1.0+/-0.3mg/m^2) was lower than measured on the vegetation surface indicating a positive shielding effect by the emergent plants. Drift deposition beneath J. capensis was significantly lower (p=0.005) than on the vegetation surface and the exposed channel (p=0.048), indicating highly effective interception of AZP. A simple formula was generated to make predictions of drift deposition reductions based on different percentage macrophyte coverage. Predictions showed that 50% macrophyte coverage in combination with a 5m buffer strip resulted in as large a reduction in drift deposition as the combination of a 10m buffer strip with 0% macrophyte coverage. Results thus indicate that emergent aquatic vegetation may be as effective a mitigation strategy for reducing spray-drift induced pesticide input as increasing the width of the no spraying buffer zone.

Institutional Environment and Rural Change: An Inquiry into the Agricultural Input Service (Ais) and the Primary Health Service (Phs) in the Mono Region ... Rural Development Monograph Series, 17)

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Institutional Environment and Rural Change: An Inquiry into the Agricultural Input Service (Ais) and the Primary Health Service (Phs) in the Mono Region ... Rural Development Monograph Series, 17)
Houinsou Dedehouanou
Manufacturer: Winrock Pubns Sales
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Agricultural Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books

Book Description

Fully integrate your school's support community and watch achievement levels and morale soar!

Many principals feel they lack the personnel necessary to raise student achievement to mandated levels. Yet, as school leaders seek to improve educational outcomes, one of the most underutilized groups remains student support professionals-the counselors, social workers, and nurses already on site.

Karen Seashore Louis and Molly F. Gordon offer a practical approach to creating a fully integrated student support community that contributes to increasing achievement levels. Incorporating research and practical strategies into a broader paradigm of leadership, they offer directives for implementing reform initiatives and rigorously assessing their effectiveness. Bridging theory and practice, this book provides:

An examination of emerging models linking student support programs and academic achievement
Guidelines and resources for overcoming barriers to reform
Exercises and suggestions to help start the change process
Case studies of principals who have successfully integrated their student support services
An expanded comprehensive support model (CSP) that considers the multi-professional nature of student support activities

Reorganizing existing resources is the most efficient path to school reform. Rather than limiting the counselor or social worker's role, use it to form a comprehensive support program to help improve school achievement!

Australian seashores;: A guide for the beach-lover, the naturalist, the shore fisherman, and the student,

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Australian seashores;: A guide for the beach-lover, the naturalist, the shore fisherman, and the student,
William J Dakin
Manufacturer: Angus and Robertson
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0007IVN5G

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Australian seashores;: A guide for the beachlover, the naturalist, the shore fisherman, and the student
William J Dakin
Manufacturer: Angus and Robertson
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Marine Life of Estero Bay: A Student Guide to Seashore Plants and Animals of the Morro Bay Area, San Luis Obispo County

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Marine Life of Estero Bay: A Student Guide to Seashore Plants and Animals of the Morro Bay Area, San Luis Obispo County
Stephen Newswanger and Jennifer Fairfax
Manufacturer: Santa Barbara City College
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000RPT40U

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A Student's Guide to the Seashore
J. D. Fish , and S. Fish
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Nature & Ecology | Science | Subjects | Books

Reference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0521468191

Book Description

This textbook is a unique, concise, illustrated guide to both biology and identification of over 600 common and widespread shore animals and plants.

Australian Seashores. A Guide for the Beach-Lover, the Naturalist, the Shore Fisherman, and the Student Â… Assisted by Isobel Bennett Â…

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Australian Seashores. A Guide for the Beach-Lover, the Naturalist, the Shore Fisherman, and the Student Â… Assisted by Isobel Bennett Â…
William J. DAKIN
Manufacturer: Angus and Robertson
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000TTHFLY

A students' guide to the study of practical aquatic ecology in Hong Kong

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A students' guide to the study of practical aquatic ecology in Hong Kong
Ivor John Hodgkiss
Manufacturer: Education Dept
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0007CD5QC

Book Description

Similarities in chemical reactivity depend on molecular properties, and are ultimately dependent on the similarities of electronic structures. Fundamentally, quantum chemical similarities are manifested in similarities of molecular behaviour. This book covers both the quantum chemical origins and the methods of phenomenological descriptions of molecular similarity. The emphasis on reactivity is a unique feature. The exposition of computational methods and the prediction of reactivities, as well as the description of actual computer programs constitute important aspects of the book. Specific applications in drug design and techniques for the interpretation of the roles of functional groups in reactivity are of interest in molecular engineering. The selection of topics provides a detailed and balanced introduction to the field of similarity-based assessment of chemical reactivity.
For researchers and graduate students in both fundamental chemistry and applied fields, such as biochemistry, pharmacology and drug design.

Molecular Structure The Physical Approach

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Molecular Structure The Physical Approach
J.C.D. and Speakman, J.C. Brand
Manufacturer: Edward Arnold
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000J44I6E

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Molecular Structure-the Physical Approach

Manufacturer: Edward Arnold, London
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000FMISYI

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MOLECULAR STRUCTURE: THE PHYSICAL APPROACH
J. C. D. Brand , and J. C. Speakman
Manufacturer: Edward Arnold
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000RRRM66

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Molecular Structure: The Physical Approach
J.C.D. Brand , and J.C. Speakman
Manufacturer: Edward Arnold Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000QTZEBU

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Molecular structure: The physical approach
J. C. D Brand
Manufacturer: Edward Arnold
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

A Pictorial Approach to Molecular Structure and Reactivity

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A Pictorial Approach to Molecular Structure and Reactivity
Robert F. Hout
Manufacturer: Wiley-Interscience
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Molecular Chemistry | Chemistry | Science | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0471897035

Vibrational Spectra and Structure : Molecular Approach to Solids (Vibrational Spectra and Structure)

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Vibrational Spectra and Structure : Molecular Approach to Solids (Vibrational Spectra and Structure)
A.N. Lazarev ^&dagger;
Manufacturer: Elsevier Science
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General & Reference | Chemistry | Science | Subjects | Books

Inorganic | Chemistry | Science | Subjects | Books

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General | Physics | Science | Subjects | Books

Molecular Physics | Physics | Science | Subjects | Books

Crystallography | Earth Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0444500391

Book Description

The current volume in the series Vibrational Spectra and Structure is a single topic volume on the vibrational spectra of molecules containing silicon in the solid state. Molecular Approaches to Solids has been treated by the workers in the Institute for Silicate Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Science in St. Petersburg for the past two decades. In the last 15 years, a number of publications have originated from the laboratory where quantum mechanical computations for suitably selected molecules have been utilized to explain the origins of some structure bonding interrelationships and silicates and to evaluate their force constants.

Since most of the developments in this area have been published in the Russian literature they remain relatively inaccessible to the Western scientists. This volume is a compilation of many of these publications and summarizes the essential conclusions of these studies.

Unfortunately, Professor Lazarev passed away after he had submitted the volume for publication.

Book Description

Very common optical coatings are those that give the faint, reflected color to the lenses in cameras, binoculars, and spectacles. The thin metal layer that makes the difference between a mirror and a simple sheet of glass is an optical coating. But, optical coatings are used in many more applications-a particularly important current one being the splitting and combining of optical channels of communication that are directed through a common optical fiber. Most modern optical systems could not function without optical coatings. The telecommunications industry uses various types of coatings, such as antireflection coatings, polarizers, and dichroic coatings, in personal displays, computer monitors, and projection TV systems. Optical coatings are an integral part of semiconductor laser systems, CD and DVD optical systems, and fiber-optic networks. First published in 1969, Thin Film Optical Filters still serves as the major reference and textbook in the field. This third edition provides a unified treatment of the design, manufacture, performance, and application of optical thin films. It includes the mathematics necessary for readers to carry out thin-film calculations and contains extensive reference to the original literature. The coverage of optical filters includes antireflection and high-reflectance coatings. This is a comprehensive introduction to thin-film optical filters written for professionals in industry and those entering the field. It also provides a solid foundation for students in appropriate graduate courses.

Customer Reviews:

Great book.......2006-11-06

I work in a factory located in Brazil, and our business is the manufacturing of optical precision products. This book has been a great help and good evolution in the sense of helping us to develope new techniques to produce our material.

A solid study of light!.......2002-04-12

This book has got it all--practical, insightful, and well-organized. Sadly, it has got just slightly too much of it all, I found it long-winded at times. That being said, still an very good book if you are interested in such effervescent matters as light and how man attempts to control it.

Book Description

This volume contains three of Mill's most important works. Considered both a guide to efficient, egalitarian state planning and a heartless social policy, "Utilitarianism" (1863) inspired English political philosophy throughout the latter half of the industrial revolution. Also included are some extracts from his "Auguste Comte and Positivism" (1865).

Customer Reviews:

"On Liberty"- The #1 defense of individuality ever!!!.......2002-05-24

You can read Rand, Emerson and Hayek. You can even marvel at the orations of Patrick Henry and Thomas Jefferson. There is still not a single book that defends individual liberty and individual spirit as well as J.S. Mill's "On Liberty."

First, it must be said; If we are judging by original philosophical arguments, Mill is not much. His "Utilitarianism" (on which much of "On Liberty" was built) has been attacked from many angles. His "Representative Government" is better replaced by Locke's "Second Treatise" or (if you've time to kill), Montesquieu's "Spirit of Laws." I still give this five stars though because "On Liberty" is just that good. I've already read it 5 times in '02!

What makes it so gosh-durn tasty is that it is the first book- to my knowledge- to defend individual liberty without stooping to the 'natural rights' or 'social contract' balderdash. Liberty, Mill argues, is good for a few reasons. First, it maximizes debate which helps avoid the stifler of all societies, dogmatism. It is also the best way not to screw things up, meaning, that people know their interests better than others. As the reviewer below points out, Mill does disdain majority rule though it's not out of contempt for the masses (Mill is clear this is not what he means.) Rather, his view is that majority rule leads to tyranny just as fast as despotic rule. What it boils down to is that Mill defends democracy, liberty, skepticism and tradition (yes..simultaneously) as long as each AVOIDS dogmatic thinking and operates while keeping the individual sacrosanct. Ya know..come to think of it...Bush, Gore, Dashcale, Gephardt, Hatch, Lott and the entire beltway clan might benefit from this read. I wonder if they can understand such big thoughts?! Just kidding!! (No, I'm not!) ;-/

It's amazing he's so popular.......2001-11-03

Mill has to be among the most egotistical and arrogant of philosophers. That is saying quite a bit.

"On Liberty" shows this very well. In this little tract, he is hailed as focusing on the individual and extolling freedom, etc. In fact, however, it is a rather good reflection of his dim view of the majority of humanity as "mediocre" (which may or may not be accurate), and his very self-serving view of eccentricity. Why is this so? Quite simply, this can be seen by his vaunted "harm principle." It seems great on the surface, and hard to argue that it would limit "good" eccentricity. But this is not the case. If one wishes to stretch what is considered "harm," and (in following from the "Considerations on Representative Government") what is considered "self-protection," one would run against Mill's ideology, and one can guess that this protector of liberty would then be more than willing to come down on this "dangerous" eccentric. In the end, it turns out that Mill is very supportive of eccentricity....as long as it is the eccentricity of John Stuart Mill. Moreover, his system seems like it would only work if it became what he was arguing against: he wants to liberate (certain) people from the bonds of social prejudice. Yet, in order to free people from the intoleration of social opinion, tolerance must become the social opinion, which would be just as biased and intolerant as the previous variety. Perhaps this is where we have the origin of our modern "tolerance of all, except the 'intolerant.'"

For a man hailed so much for his writings, a deeper reading reveals a rather elitist and self-centered ideology. Quite a disappointment.

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