Winning Under Fire

Book Description

A manager's guide to winning on the business battlefield from one of Fast Company's Fast 50 Innovative Leaders

For the U.S. Army, grace under fire isn't an ideal. It's standard operating procedure. In Winning Under Fire, managers discover Army techniques for managing stress in the heat of battle, and learn how to put them to work in their organizations. Written by a retired Army major who was one of Fast Company's Fast 50 Innovative Leaders in 2002, Winning Under Fire combines military know-how and business savvy to show managers how to:

Channel stress into positive energy for obtaining goals
Detect and eliminate stress fractures in an organization
Stay resilient under all conditions
Build teams that work under any extremes
Prepare a game plan to get them throughevery battle
Be a great leader in times of great duress

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Written by a retired Army major who was one of Fast Company's Fast 50 Innovative Leaders in 2002, "Winning Under Fire" teaches managers how to combine military know-how and business savvy in their organizations.

Customer Reviews:

A different take a stress.......2005-12-22

I picked up the book expecting to read "Stress is bad. Here's how to get rid of it." What I read is that some stress is good. If you're going into battle, stress can help you prepare properly. Good thinking, if you can keep it in perspective. The book actually deals with business issues, using the perspective of an Army ranger who has seen both the fighting side and the business side of life. Worthwhile reading.

Investing Under Fire: Winning Strategies from the Masters for Bulls, Bears, and the Bewildered

Average customer rating:

Highly Recommended!
Highly Recommended!
An especially recommended "inside scoop"
Wonderful Overview

Investing Under Fire: Winning Strategies from the Masters for Bulls, Bears, and the Bewildered
Alan R. Ackerman
Manufacturer: Bloomberg Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1576601374

Book Description

Lessons from top moneymakers, newsmakers, and pacemakers in the markets

Customer Reviews:

Highly Recommended!.......2004-06-09

Investing Under Fire is a very interesting collection of essays by 30 luminaries from various fields, some of them not at all related to investing. Each selection contains at least a thought or two to repay the effort of perusal, and that's a great deal more than many books deliver, especially books about investing. The anthology's five segments cover mutual funds, key sectors - from Asia to precious metals, research and legal resources, innovative companies and geopolitical influences. Anyone who merely reads the first selection, by Vanguard founder John Bogle, and applies its lessons, would more than recapture the purchase price of the book. Despite the sometimes self-promotional comments from a few of the other contributors, it's a very valuable book. If nothing else, we note, it will expose you to a spectrum of diverse opinions, a useful prophylactic against complacency.

Highly Recommended!.......2003-10-15

An especially recommended "inside scoop".......2003-09-19

Edited by global market strategist and foreign affairs expert Alan R. Ackerman, Investing Under Fire: Winning Strategies From The Masters For Bulls, Bears, And The Bewildered authoritatively presents expert testimony from financial experts concerning the hazards and opportunities awaiting investors in the constantly changing present and future. From biotech; to the Chinese market; to available legal recourses; to examples of what investors should look for when reading between the lines of an annual report, Investing Under Fire is an especially recommended "inside scoop" of thoughtful extrapolations and solidly practical advice for those who are somewhat experienced with investing, yet are seeking to learn more of the increasingly complex and volatile financial and global markets.

Wonderful Overview.......2003-06-17

This is a great book. A must for anyone who wants to understand the current state of the U.S. economy and the global economy. I have seen Alan Ackerman on T.V. a few times and always enjoyed his advice.

The book is well done and the roster of contributors is very impressive. I cannot recall a book that had such a wide and important variety of industry leaders and analysts.

There were so many interesting and important points that it is difficult to mention them all. In short, the book is cautiously optimistic and is a must have for anyone who wants to be prepared for the future.

Average customer rating:
Investing Under Fire ; Winning Strategies from the Masters for Bulls, Bears, and the Bewildered
Alan R. Ackerman
Manufacturer: Vision Books Pvt. Ltd.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 8170945674

Book Description

The "oligopoly problem"--the question of how prices are formed when the market contains only a few competitors--is one of the more persistent problems in the history of economic thought. In this book Xavier Vives applies a modern game-theoretic approach to develop a theory of oligopoly pricing.

Vives begins by relating classic contributions to the field--including those of Cournot, Bertrand, Edgeworth, Chamberlin, and Robinson--to modern game theory. In his discussion of basic game-theoretic tools and equilibrium, he pays particular attention to recent developments in the theory of supermodular games. The middle section of the book, an in-depth treatment of classic static models, provides specialized existence results, characterizations of equilibria, extensions to large markets, and an analysis of comparative statics with a view toward applied work. The final chapters examine commitment issues, entry, information transmission, and collusion using a variety of tools: two-stage games, the modeling of competition under asymmetric information and mechanism design theory, and the theory of repeated and dynamic games, including Markov perfect equilibrium and differential games.

Customer Reviews:

Advanced Level.......2005-08-03

Make sure your maths is good and you already know abit about oligopoly pricing. It is thorough, detailed, and pushes the boundaries, but takes some concentration to follow.

Post graduate level I believe.

good 'un.......2002-09-12

i liked this book but some bits were hard to understand.

Deep... not Vast.......2001-11-16

This book is quite impressive in theoretical concept. This is appropriate for (really) very advanced undergrates, graduates with IO major (theoretical and analytical aspects) and researchers in IO. This book is absolutely not for introductory IO. The topics focus mainly on Quantity, Price, Spatial competition and Asymmetric Information. Tools used in the book are quite advanced. The good point of the book is strength in precise consideration of price discovery in oligopoly market. (how the price is formed, uniqueness and existence of the solution.) Other topics, e.g. advertising and entry, are not good stated here.

If you are looking for introductory text (advanced undergrates or graduate) in IO, see Tirole 1988. However if you are finding for the advanced books, see Handbook of IO (vol1 for pure theory, vol2 for empirical and extension ;esp. in international aspect of IO) and pick this one (if you are interested in Q, P and Spatialy concepts) also. Enjoy reading...

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Oligopoly Pricing: Old Ideas and New Tools
Xavier Vives
Manufacturer: The MIT Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OR4HW6

Book Description

Like no other book before it, Global Information Warfare illustrates the relationships and interdependencies of business and national objectives, of companies and countries, and of their dependence on advances in technology. This book sheds light on the "Achilles heel" that these dependencies on advanced computing and information technologies create. It underscores how hostile countries, business competitors, terrorists, hacktivists and others are waging Information Warfare (IW) against their adversaries. This may sound like science fiction, but it has been happening for years and continues to this day-anyone and everyone can be a target and a casualty.

Customer Reviews:

Global Information Warfare - On going and getting worse.......2002-07-11

We wrote this book, because global information warfare attacks are increasing and awareness of the threats is the first step towards defending against such attacks. Here's what others have said about our book:

"...successful organizations are the ones that actively manage their information environment...having the capabilities to conduct offensive and defensive information warfare (IW) is absolutely essential. Many countries, cartels, and terrorist organizations possess sophisticated information warfare know-how and will do what they can to disrupt a nation's freedom, safety, economy and social fabric. The concepts and recommendations in Global Information Warfare are a good place to start and ones which I heartily endorse. Kent Kresa, Chairman and CEO, Northrop Grumman Corporation. Los Angeles, California, USA

The authors have written another "must have" for ALL Security professionals charged with the protection of corporate assets. This book clearly depicts everything you need to know about defending your systems and information, while giving you the information you need to understand the global nature of information warfare. Suzanne Gorman, SIAC, Director, Corporate Information Security Awareness and Investigations, New York City, New York, USA

Awareness is the first and key step in finding proper solution for any problem. Awareness of the nature of the problem, its various appearances, consequences as well as of tools and means to fight it and their strengths and weaknesses. This book gives you exactly that, in a quick, complete yet comprehensive way: awareness! Predrag Pale, University of Zagreb, Deputy Minister of Science and Technology of Croatia 1993-2000, "Father" of Croatian Internet, Croatia

Going business on the global information superhighway can be a dangerous business. Consequently, if you are an information security officer with a responsibility for the protection of key business information assets then this book is a book that you will want to have and use. This book provides all the information you need to understand the global nature of information warfare. It also provides you with all the information that you need to begin to defend your information systems against attack. In short, if you want to protect your systems and do business on the Internet then you need this book. Dr. Andrew Blyth, School of Computing, University of Glamorgan, UK

Information Warfare has many perspectives and this book serves as an excellent overview as well as stimulation for further thinking. Manuel W. Wik, Chief Engineer, Strategic Specialist,
Defence Materiel Administration (FMV), Stockholm, Sweden

In recent years, the conception of Information Warfare has become very popular in advanced countries. This concept involves employing information and information technology to affect all aspects of politic, economy, military, and psychology of other countries, and to defend our country, especially during the war period. This book provides readers with basic and new knowledge regarding Information Warfare, and enlightens readers to realize that Information Warfare has become more and more important to every country, society, military, and individual. As a Col. instructor of Air Command and Staff School, National Defense University, R.O.C., I strongly recommend this book to all students studying in military schools and for every soldier. This book will not only expand our knowledge, make us realize the importance of Information Warfare, above all, it will make us be better prepared for the next war. Ching-Chang Wu, Air Force Colonel, Chief Instructor, Air Command and Staff School, National Defense University, Republic of China.

Global Information Warfare is an in-depth assessment of current drivers and initatives that govern the protection perimeters and profiles that will be needed for the immediate future. It combines a common sense approach to understanding the global critical infrastructure, our individual nation-state and corporate vulnerabilites, and what must be done at what level; by whom. It is an exciting and explicit investment in the future, a must read manuscript for the security practitioner. Don Evans, Senior Security Engineer, United Space Alliance, Houston, Texas, USA

This book is a practical survival guide for anyone working in the world of protecting information against any adversary that's motivated to attain a competitive edge. Jerry Swick, WorldCom Network Security Operations Center, Investigative Services, Los Angeles, California, USA

The authors have written a book that is essential reading for managers, executives and both physical and information security professionals. In the era of e-business and global commerce linked via the Internet understanding the means and methods of information warfare will be crucial for both private sector as well as governmental leaders. The authors have done the public a great service by describing clearly how, when, why and where we can expect to see information warfare emerge into increasing importance. Spurred on by the global war on terrorism it's inevitable that global information warfare will be waged, and therefore it's critical that we all be well informed on this once arcane topic. Read this book and learn! William Boni, Chief Information Security Officer, Motorola Corporation USA

Information Warfare is complicated and very serious business. This book will organize and simplify your understanding of it. Information Warfare is a sad reality of the 21st century. Failure to understand it and deal with it can be disastrous. This book will help you do both. Ed Halibozek, Corporate Director of Security, and IS Sector & Western Region Manager of Security, Los Angeles, California, USA

A timely and relevant book by authors who know the subject, inside and out. Well worth the time to read. Michael Stankosky, D.Sc., Professor of Knowledge Management, The George Washington University, USA

Book Description

The Biology of Hyaluronan Chairman: T. C. Laurent 1989 Hyaluronan is a unique linear polysaccharide found in cartilage and in soft connective tissues such as synovial fluid and skin. It is an apparently simple homopolymer with a mechanical role as space filler or lubricant which also takes part in cell surface activities of great specificity, as recent work described in this symposium shows. Hyaluronan synthase was first identified in streptococci; isolation of the mammalian enzyme and its properties are discussed. The degradation of hyaluronan is mainly intracellular after receptor-mediated uptake. The catabolic enzymes involved and the fate of the resulting monosaccharides (including their recycling) are becoming understood. Various hyaluronan-binding proteins have been identified, including one in fibroblasts which may help regulate cell motility. Hyaluronan is a major component of the intercellular matrix surrounding proliferating and migrating cells in embryonic tissues, including the developing nervous system. It is involved in inflammation, angiogenesis and wound healing. High concentrations are found in malignant tissues, the result (in culture at least) of stimulation of hyaluronan synthesis in fibroblasts by tumour cells. Another stimulatory factor, produced by activated blood mononuclear cells, links hyaluronan to inflammatory diseases such as scleroderma and rheumatoid arthritis. High levels are produced in cirrhotic liver disease, malignant mesothelioma and sarcoidosis. The clinical use of hyaluronan as a connective tissue marker is leading to a better understanding of such diseases. The symposium concludes with a discussion of the surgical use of purified hyaluronan, including the development of new molecular forms for use in the control of adhesions, scar formation and tissue regeneration. Related Ciba Foundation Symposia: No 124 Functions of the proteoglycans Chairman: V. C. Hascall 1986 ISBN 0 471 91090 2 No 136 Cell and molecular biology of vertebrate hard tissues Chairman: G. A. Rodan 1988 ISBN 0 471 91885 7 No 145 Carbohydrate recognition in cellular function Chairman: E. Ruoslahti 1989 ISBN 0 471 92307 9

Book Description

Did the Earth once undergo a super ice age, one that froze the entire planet from the poles to the equator? In Snowball Earth, gifted writer Gabrielle Walker has crafted an intriguing global adventure story, following maverick scientist Paul Hoffman’s quest to prove a theory so audacious and profound that it is shaking the world of earth sciences to its core.

In lyrical prose that brings each remote and alluring locale vividly to life, Walker takes us on a thrilling natural history expedition to witness firsthand the supporting evidence Hoffman has pieced together. That evidence, he argues, shows that 700 million years ago the Earth did indeed freeze over completely, becoming a giant “snowball,” in the worst climatic catastrophe in history. Even more startling is his assertion that, instead of ending life on Earth, this global deep freeze was the trigger for the Cambrian Explosion, the hitherto unexplained moment in geological time when a glorious profusion of complex life forms first emerged from the primordial ooze.

In a story full of intellectual intrigue, we follow the irascible but brilliant Hoffman and a supporting cast of intrepid geologists as they scour the planet, uncovering clue after surprising clue. We travel to a primeval lagoon at Shark Bay in western Australia, where dolphins cavort with swimmers every morning at seven and “living rocks” sprout out of the water like broccoli heads; to the desolate and forbidding ice fields of a tiny Arctic archipelago seven hundred miles north of Norway; to the surprising fossil beds that decorate Newfoundland’s foggy and windswept coastline; and on to the superheated salt pans of California’s Death Valley.

Through the contours of these rich and varied landscapes Walker teaches us to read the traces of geological time with expert eyes, and we marvel at the stunning feats of resilience and renewal our remarkable planet is capable of. Snowball Earth is science writing at its most gripping and enlightening.

Customer Reviews:

engrossing science story.......2007-04-10

This is a book about a remarkable theory: that several times in its ancient history, the earth was literally a dirty snowball. Gabrielle Walker provides a highly readable account of the story and personalities behind this revolutionary idea. SNOWBALL EARTH is aimed at the curious layman, not the specialist. Even so, the author does an impressive job explaining the evidence for the theory without distorting the essentials or condescending to the reader.

One of the best things about SNOWBALL EARTH is its colorful cast of characters. Too many science writers ignore the human element or depict researchers as passionless data processors wrapped in lab coats. Refreshingly, Walker eschews this approach and offers intimate and unvarnished glimpses of these people in the field or interacting with peers. Her reporting shows her subjects to be a diverse lot. Some are kind-hearted, almost angelic beings; others are aloof and argumentative. Most seem a complex mix of good and bad, like the rest of us. What they all have in common, however, is a burning need to solve the riddle of the earth's mysterious past. The author deserves high marks for adding a psychological twist to this fascinating tale of scientific achievement.

It's informative and fun to read, but the author needs to change her attitude on how to report on science!!.......2007-03-23

So, while debate on the Snowball Earth goes on and gets more and more sophisticated in academic hallways and at conference venues, we start to get the popularized versions for the laypublic! At least that means geology can be fun.... Good news for getting grants!
After reading this nice book, I'm at a loss whether giving it one star or five... (So we make it three and that's it! Solved...) It really makes for a good read, it's gripping in pace, clear in the narrative, entertaining in the many little stories that flow into the big one in the end.. And Gabrielle Walker knows how to write, for sure. In the end one has a feeling that not only the core, but also the various facets, of the Snowball hypothesis have been addressed and explained a little... Good job then!

And that's the five stars... But now more about the one star. Not because I want to be nasty, but because addressing the problems can be more important than lingering on the good sides sometimes... Well, I mean, Miss Walker has won enough prizes and accolades for her science journalism, she doesn't need little anonymous me too into that chorus??
Well... The disappointing part of the book lies exactly in its being entertaining!! I found too much emphasis on the people, the stories and anecdotes about individual scientists, and too little hard science. Too many romantic digressions on landscapes and memories, not one single diagram or hand-drawing to accompany concepts that might remain obscure to the layreader if left only to words.. Because she definitely didn't spend much words in trying to explain the basic principles at the foundations of the science she's talking about! There are no fewer than 5 pages about the author's recollections (!) of getting lost in the Namibian bush... Not one single page to explain the general workings of Earth's climate system... (Which is, after all, the main point of the whole book??)
The layreader may end up confused while trying to pick up bits of science from between the novelistic parts, and reconstruct the puzzle for him- or herself. Well, if this was intended to be a popularizing essay on the subject, then it's a major issue I think...

In addition... Gabrielle Walker dispassionately sides for those proposing and supporting the Snowball stuff, and too quickly "writes past" the critics. She declares herself a Snowball groupie right from the very first line, which doesn't promise good in terms of objectivity, does it... Well, science is done with data and evidence, and there's too much attachment to certain positions on the part of the author to feel sure she carefully evaluated all the ideas in an impartial way while recounting the whole story. This is also, in the end, why the book reads so pleasantly. But assuming an emotional position about a topic, and especially about those who argue about it, isn't the best start to commit oneself as an objective reviewer..

Last, but not least! Although admittedly it sounds more like just a personal note... I am getting quite fed up with this thing about Earth scientists being scared of breaking the "uniformitarian" taboo! And even more fed up when this simplistic assumption is introduced for the millionth time with the banalized account of how ideas developed on the dinosaurs-meteorite controversy. Which is still far from being totally solved, by the way, even if the media people like to think otherwise.. We do not hold fast to ancient concepts about the development of the Earth, and we don't need to be shaken out of our disbelief by the rhetoric and the passion of adventurous pioneers into new, extraordinary branches of geology... We only need sensible collections of evidence, accompanied by just as sensible sets of explanations... Then yes, you have acceptance of a new theory by the scientific community. It can be that simple...
Which means, for instance, that the recent objections raised by Nick Eyles from Toronto to the Snowball bandwagon, based on very basic and important principles of sedimentary geology, count more than how deeply Hoffman and mates "believe" into their working hypotheses... Facts and reasoning can be enough to justify informed skepticism even in the face of how new fantastic ideas would make our world seem a lot more fun to study and tell about...

So, yes, in spite of feeling offended when called just a "tourist" in this big geological controversy by Hoffman (pag. 143 of the hardback edition), Miss Walker has to face the fact of still being actually just a tourist here. At least as long as she doesn't develop the right approach to analyze this kind of controversies. She's not one of us... And you can feel it only too well in the book after all!
(And it would help in her career as a science essayist if she learned the fundamental difference between "hypothesis" and "theory"... Because in these days of rampant ignorance and counterscientific movement, especially in certain big countries in the West, the layreader could use clarification on how scientists actually think... Would favor the acceptance of a few important concepts that science advanced about our world and lives, but that are still mired down into the swamps of religion, pseudoscience and plain old misunderstanding...)
Sounds bad, but like I said in the start, I actually enjoyed the book very much and recommend it heartily for all those who want to learn about this interesting geological debate. Just watch out for the points I mentioned above.....

Theory yes, data kind of.......2007-03-18

As previous reviewers state, this is more about the story of the development of the theory and the interaction among scientists during this development. This book can be appreciated by the layman or scientist. I downgraded the evaluation from 5 to four stars because there is no data other than verbal explanations. Not a graph, chart, table, illustration, or even a photograph. The author visited some of the field sites discused in the book, along with the scientist whose research covered the site, but not even one photo.

Excellent, but not very in-depth........2005-06-23

I truly enjoyed this book. It revealed the scientific theory more in the form of a story than just a book of factual information pertinent to the theory.

One need not have any knowledge of or even much interest in geology to enjoy this book. The basic outline of Snowball Earth is that there is extensive geological evidence that there was a global freeze-over about 700 million years ago that ended the precambrian era of unicellular "slime", and possibly caused or affected the following cambrian explosion.

This book is very much a story of Paul Hoffman and his friends and colleagues, and I would not recommend it for someone looking for an in-depth explanation of the snowball theory.

A Snowball in Hell.......2005-04-29

Who among us is not interested in the history of our own blue-white planet and the origin of life, even if it is only through creation myths?

Author, Gabrielle Walker earned her Ph.D. in chemistry at Cambridge University and spent seven years as a features editor at "New Scientist." The latter experience definitely had a hand in molding her breezy, yet clear and conscientious style. She follows her intrepid geologists to the ends of the Earth like an eager cub reporter in some 1930s B-movie, peppering them with questions, almost getting trampled by an African elephant in the Namibian bush, beset by freezing fog in the Kalahari Desert, clambering down the windswept, godforsaken rocks of Mistaken Point in Newfoundland.

This book is a combination travel guide to some of the least habitable places on earth, biographical sketches of the scientists who developed and tested the 'Snowball Earth' theory, and an introduction to the painstaking science behind the newest, most audacious 'deep time' history of our planet.

Before we get to 'Snowball Earth,' let me give you a flavor of Walker's running travelogue. Here she is speaking of Mistaken Point: "Nobody could love these barren lands, not even their mother. They are dreary and damp, their plants the color of overcooked spinach and rusty nails; when the wind is not buffeting them or rain beating them down, they are shrouded in fog. The pale, thin caribou wander over them like lost souls."

Now, on to the theory as expounded by this book. Several times in the history of Earth, most recently 700 million years ago, our planet froze completely over, possibly because all of the continents had migrated close to the Equator. This deep-freeze may have ended the multi-billion-year reign of single-cell slime and given a kick-start to the Cambrian explosion of complex life. Snowball Earth was finally melted by a build-up of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, courtesy of volcanic eruptions which turned our planet into a hellish, hurricane-ripped green-house. Eventually the excess carbon dioxide was absorbed back into the oceans and the planetary crust. Multi-cellular life reveled in the first decent climate it had ever experienced, not realizing that meteor strikes and volcanic eruptions would occasionally wipe out up to 90% of its evolved species.

Could we get a repeat of Snowball Earth? Sure. As a matter of fact, the continents seem to be sliding toward the Equator again, which will allow ice to build up at the Poles and advance toward Earth's bulging midline. Will this happen during our lifetime? Nah. As Gabrielle Walker so vividly expresses it, the continental plates move at roughly the same speed our fingernails grow.

The geologists, paleontologists, and their science form the core of this marvelously written book. Walker does a meticulous job of relating both the scientific and the human side of the 'Snowball Earth' controversy. Her incisive portraits of the scientific movers and shakers, most especially the fiercely competitive Paul Hoffman, will stick in your mind long after you forget about drop stones, tidal rhythmites, and magnetic reversals in the Flinders ice rocks.

Geology: Snowball Fight.(Snowball Earth: The Story of the Great Global Catastrophe that Spawned Life As We Know It)(Book Review): An article from: American Scientist

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Geology: Snowball Fight.(Snowball Earth: The Story of the Great Global Catastrophe that Spawned Life As We Know It)(Book Review): An article from: American Scientist

Manufacturer: Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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Book Description

This book introduces some aspects of the development of the modern theory of dynamics and simulation to a wide audience of scientifically literate readers and shows how it developed alongside the modern electronic computer. Unlike some other general texts on chaos theory and dynamical systems theory, this book follows the work on a specific problem at the very beginning of the modern era of dynamics, from its inception in 1954 through the early 1970s. It discusses such problems as the nonlinear oscillator simulation carried out by Fermi, Pasta, and Ulam at Los Alamos in the early 1950s; the mathematical rediscovery of solitons in the early 1960s; and the general problems of computability discussed by Kolmorogov, Arnold and Moser, by Ford, and by many others. In following these developments, one can see the initial development of many of the new and now standard techniques of nonlinear modeling and numerical simulation. No other text focuses so tightly and covers so completely one specific, pernicious problem at the heart of dynamics.

Book Description

Why have The Lord of The Rings, Star Wars, the Harry Potter stories, and other tales of heroic fantasy, been so phenomenally successful in the present apparently cynical and disillusioned age? Colebatch argues that the popularity of these works shows the real health of our culture to be more robust than we sometimes believe, and confirms the centrality of "traditional" values which "progressive" thinkers have often disparaged or overlooked.

In advancing this argument, the author also seeks to entertain the many readers who love these works, and to open to them some new vistas of understanding.

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Customer Reviews:

Informative, illuminating, but repetitive........2005-11-20

It is a testament to my own naivete that I neither knew nor could even imagine anyone not loving LOTR, Star Wars, and the Harry Potter series. Colebatch has done all of us a great service by revealing the radical Left's antipathy to these heroic stories. His main thesis is that since the end of the Cold War, cultural conflict has become more important than political conflict. The ideological struggles of the past are now replaced by efforts to use the arts to radically reshape society via a concerted and sustained attack on traditional Western values in virtually every area of life, including art, literature, ethics, religion & personal relationships. All of which explains the radical Left's hostility to LOTR, et al. That these stories are enormously popular signify strong popular dissent from the moral relativism and nihilism of the cultural elites.

I have two minor criticisms of this book. The first is that it is repetitive: Colebatch repeats himself from chapter to chapter; his book could have used a good editor. The second is that the subtitle of the book is deceptive, in that there is very little on Harry Potter.

still waiting for the heroes to return.......2005-05-19

As a fan of Tolkein, Star Wars, and Harry Potter and one who has appreciated a number of analytic treatments of their themes in relation to culture and society, I was expecting something a little different. Perhaps a more accurate title might have been "Defending the Heroes: Debating Critics of Tolkein and Star Wars, with a Little Harry Potter Thrown in."

The larger portion of the book consists of the author cataloging an extensive list of negative criticisms and in turn criticizing the critics for their method and mood. Granted, his arguments make a lot of sense. But there is much less positive treatment of heroic themes and their potential validity and usefulness in modern society, and much repetitive groaning about how mistaken the critics are.

Not only that, the subtitle suggests that three different series will be treated in the book. In fact, Harry Potter is mentioned only briefly, a few times, almost as if his inclusion were meant to capitalize on his current popularity. For the amount of space devoted to Harry Potter themes, he could just as easily (and more accurately) have been excluded from the title. I found this to be misleading.

Stimulating and delightful.......2003-08-29

This is a splendidly stimulating, thought-provoking, slyly humorous and delightful book. The author analyses these great tales from a number of original perspectives and what he concludes is optimistic about the state of our culture and society. His language is easy to read and his great learning, while obvious, is never obtrusive or heavy. To aborb this book is to absorb a political, social and literary education in a fascinating way. All who love The Lord of the Rings, Star Wars and Harry Potter should buy this book for its insights. It will deepn your appreciation of these great tales and of others in the same tradtion.

The triumphant return...........2003-08-27

When I first read Hal Colebatch's original discussion paper on this topic (from the early 1990's), I knew I had found a kindred spirit. I found it by putting "Star Wars" and "LOTR" into a library catalogue. I was amazed to find that someone had put the two together in a scholarly work, and I was pleased to discover that it was an intelligent, erudite and remarkably coherent piece of writing that crystallised many of my own feelings that had never had an outlet before. Colebatch has completely revised and updated his original paper so that it stands alone as an excellent academic book on western culture, focussed through the prism of heroic literature and film. This new edition includes material on Harry Potter, as well as a more thorough analysis of the works of Tolkien and Lucas. I thoroughly recommend it to any lovers of heroic fiction, english students and Tolkien/Lucas enthusiasts. Colebatch is a very well-read author with his own output of poetry and sci-fi, and his vast knowledge has been brought to bear on important topics, ensuring that this book is a milestone in literary criticism. You do not have to be a dry academic to enjoy this one; you just have to have a love of reading.

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