The Myth of Homeland Security

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"As I write this, I'm sitting in a restaurant in a major U.S. airport, eating my breakfast with a plastic knife and fork. I worked up quite an appetite getting here two hours early and shuffling in the block-long lines until I got to the security checkpoint where I could take off my shoes, remove my belt, and put my carry-on luggage through the screening system …

"What's going on? It's homeland security. Welcome to the new age of knee-jerk security at any price. Well, I've paid, and you've paid, and we'll all keep paying-but is it going to help? Have we embarked on a massive multibillion-dollar boondoggle that's going to do nothing more than make us feel more secure? Are we paying nosebleed prices for "feel-good" measures? …

"This book was painful to write. By nature, I am a problem solver. Professionally I have made my career out of solving complex problems efficiently by trying to find the right place to push hard and make a difference. Researching the Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, CIA, INS, the PATRIOT Act, and so forth, one falls into a rabbit's hole of interdependent lameness and dysfunction. I came face to face with the realization that there are gigantic bureaucracies that exist primarily for the sole purpose of prolonging their existence, that the very structure of bureaucracy rewards inefficiency and encourages territorialism and turf warfare."

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Buy the plastic sheets and the duct tape. Take your shoes off before going through airport screening. Report if you see signs of potential terrorist activity. Do you feel safer now that we have a Department of Homeland Security? Prominent security expert Marcus Ranum doesn' t think you are. In this timely book, Ranum explains what' s wrong with today' s homeland security policy and why it might- or might not- be fixable. Packed with vivid stories and examples, The Myth of Homeland Security exposes the bad ideas that have already been implemented in the government' s efforts to develop new procedures for airline security, to stop terrorists from hacking into secret databases, and to communicate with the public about threats. He demonstrates how current policies downplay low-tech threats and " social engineering, " focus on immigration while overlooking the " nuts" already among us, ignore dangerous defects in the government' s own computer security, and are hampered by interagency bickering and corporate self-dealing. He then presents ideas for change, but argues that homeland security will always be a matter of degree, and not an absolute. This is a problem that is by its nature insolvable, but which at the same time cannot be ignored. Writing with anger, honesty, and true patriotism, Ranum reveals the truth about " feel-good" security policies and boondoggle spending programs that mask real threats and do nothing tangible to improve public safety. Among the topics he explores: Politics that hamper homeland securityInadequate security used to protect government computer systemsContinuing problems with airlinesecurityThe role of the media in creating panicThe threat of cyber weapons to launch an electronic Pearl Harbor attackThe costly misuse of technology Pervasive problems with government information technology and how they leave us vulnerable to attack

Customer Reviews:

Not Very Challenging.......2006-01-23

Maybe I didn't like this book because it pushed too many of my buttons (and that's my problem) but after reading it, I don't feel that I've learned anything new or particularly useful.

First, Ranum commits the unforgivable sin of not citing sources. I think I'm going to make a point of NEVER reading another non-fiction book that does this. It's annoying, dishonest, lazy and it makes Ranum look like an intellectual lightweight at best and an outright fraud at worst. At one point Ranum decries people who believe anything they read on the Internet. Mr. Ranum, why shold we believe YOU if we can't see your sources?

Secondly, this book reads and looks like a compilation of editorials Mr. Ranum might have written for "USA Today". Ranum writes in a plain-spoken and basic style, which struck me as a little patronizing at times. This could be because I understand most of the technical concepts that Ranum explains, in which case I'm probably not in the target group of Ranum's readers.

But it gets worse. The text is interrupted with highlights of requoted text, sidebars and sentences set off with the headline "You should know." It looks as if Ranum set out to write "Homeland Security for Dummies" but couldn't sell the concept to the "...for Dummies" people. This is not to say that the sidebars are not interesting, but if they were worth printing at all, they should have been integrated into the overall text.
_______
"YOU SHOULD KNOW"
People who read books tend to have significant attention spans (they also aren't averse to looking up a word or two in the dictionary. Many dictionaries are now on-line).

Of course, I made that up, but that's what it's like! Annoying, don't you think? Any high school teacher in the world would have accused a student who used these techniques of stretching his material to meet the minimum number of pages.

A lot of reviewers have accused Mr. Ranum of being a polemicist. I don't. I don't disagree with what he says -- that would have been challenging. He makes good points but stating that federal bureaucracies are wasteful, that the private sector is more efficient and that the media deals in sensationalism shouldn't take 231 pages.

Critical Thinking About True Homeland Defense.......2005-02-09

Homeland Security is a hot topic. Even if it wasn't, the "wag the dog" mentality of the United States government would make it so. The terrorist attacks of 9/11 have defined and driven almost all aspects public policy and government spending since then. In a knee-jerk reaction to the events, many laws and initiatives were passed ostensibly to protect our country from any similar attacks in the future.

Marcus Ranum's book- The Myth of Homeland Security- illustrates how these knee-jerk reactions fall short of the goal. The Homeland Security Act and the PATRIOT Act in particular seem to do as much or more to limit and strip the individual freedoms of law abiding U.S. citizens as they do to protect the country or deter terrorism.

Much of the book is almost more of a rant about the current state of government in the United States, but even the ranting is engaging to read and Ranum backs his opinions up with intelligent, well-written and sometimes humorous points.

Ranum does offer some solutions, while also stressing that not everything is even fixable. Much of security is illusion. It is smoke and mirrors to give the sense of security when in reality a determined attacker could easily bypass the security measures and attack successfully.

I recommend this book for everyone if for no other reason than to ensure that the American public continue to think critically and question our elected officials and not simply fall for the illusion of security.

(...)

Good Primer for Homeland Security.......2004-09-18

Very interesting book. Gives a good overview of the Homeland Security status and effectively illustrates the futile efforts to protect everything ultimately protects nothing. Also good effort describing the "shark feed" of vendors sopping up billions in tax dollars by trotting out dubious products and services to address Homeland Security. The book diverges in Chapter 9 Electronic Pearl Harbor where it is written more for an Information Technology type.

It's about Ranum, not about Homeland Security.......2004-06-14

It was reassuring to see Ranum discussing the areas he's known for: downplaying the over-hyped risks cyber-terrorism (and he has thoughtful comments on a cyber "pre-"Pearl Harbor).

But the rest of the book is a lot more about Ranum's opinions and speculations, and rather light on reliable facts. Where you already agree, you might cheer Ranum on. But if he introduces material that surprises or challenges, he cites no sources, so who know's if he's talking fact or blather?

In numerous places, he's vague or superficial or appears to contradict points he made a chapter or two back. It's as though the book was written in a number of brief bursts, the author forgetting between times what he'd said before.

One strange example: on p174, Ranum claims that the Code Red virus might have been caught even by outdated virus software, hence Code Red's spread is indicative of mass lack of any kind virus protection, not simply virus writer being a small step ahead. Interesting enough to deserve a bit more of an explanation.

The book review by Rob Slade (Google newsgroups) takes Ranum to task for this comment. Then an "annoyed" Ranum, replying in Risk Digest 23.14, claims he never wrote this!

I'm pretty sure this was just an example of vagueness... but it's emblematic of what's wrong with this book, and it's exponentially moreso in the squishier political and governmental areas.

Ramblings By a Non-Expert.......2004-04-22

Don't waste your time or your money. Why would anybody want to read a book about homeland security (given all such a title entails) by an information security geek? Well, if you do fall for it, that's exactly what you will get.

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Security Management, published by American Society for Industrial Security on February 1, 2004. The length of the article is 1027 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Is true homeland security achievable? A landmark book contends that today's homeland security is crippled by bureaucracy, wasteful spending, ignorance, and myopia. Is there an answer?(Book Review)
Author: Ben Rothke
Publication: Security Management (Refereed)
Date: February 1, 2004
Publisher: American Society for Industrial Security
Volume: 48 Issue: 2 Page: 102(2)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

The Myth of Homeland Security.(Reviews)(Book Review): An article from: Security Management

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The Myth of Homeland Security.(Reviews)(Book Review): An article from: Security Management
Lloyd Reese
Manufacturer: American Society for Industrial Security
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Security Management, published by American Society for Industrial Security on May 1, 2004. The length of the article is 387 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: The Myth of Homeland Security.(Reviews)(Book Review)
Author: Lloyd Reese
Publication: Security Management (Refereed)
Date: May 1, 2004
Publisher: American Society for Industrial Security
Volume: 48 Issue: 5 Page: 123(1)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

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The Myth of Homeland Security
Marcus J. Ranum
Manufacturer: NY
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000N7KR12

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This book combines both a comprehensive analytical framework and economic statistics that enable business decision makers to anticipate developing economic trends. The author blends recent and historical economic data with economic theory to provide important benchmarks or "rules of thumb" that give both economists and noneconomists enhanced understanding of unfolding economic data and their interrelationships. Through the "matrix system," a disciplined approach is described for integrating readily available economic data into a comprehensive analysis without complex formulas. The extensive appendix of monthly key economic factors for 1978-1991 makes this an important reference source for economic and financial trend analysis. A new and practical method for economic trend analysis is introduced that provides more advanced knowledge than available from economic newsletters. Schaeffer begins with a general description of the business cycle and the typical behavior and effect of the credit markets, commercial banks, and the Federal Reserve. Next, fourteen key economic factors regularly reported by the business press are described, such as the capacity utilization rate and yield on three-month Treasury bills. Benchmarks for each of these key economic factors are set forth, together with an insightful discussion of the interrelationships indicating economic trends. A detailed discussion of the 1978-1991 American economy, incorporating monthly data from the historical matrix, demonstrates the practical application of the matrix system. Executives, investors, financial officers, and government policymakers will find this book useful in decision making.

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Cameron, James R. Frederick William Maitland and the History of English Law. Norman: University of Oklahoma Press, [1961]. xvi, 214 pp. Portrait frontis. Illustrations. Reprinted 2001 by The Lawbook Exchange, Ltd. LCCN 00-067585. ISBN 1-58477-135-6. Cloth. $85. Frederick William Maitland was a Cambridge University professor and legendary legal scholar primarily known for his landmark work on English legal history written with Frederick Pollock, The History of English Law Before the Time of Edward I. Here Cameron examines Maitland's major contributions to the study of English legal history and measures them against standards of modern scholarship. With a thorough bibliography of Maitland's writings, reviews of his works, and biographical notices.

Frederick William Maitland: Contribution to the history of English law

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Frederick William Maitland: Contribution to the history of English law
James Reese Cameron
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0007JCM1O

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The History of English Law
Frederick and Maitland, Frederic William POLLOCK
Manufacturer: see notes for publisher info
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000MXIK48

The History of English Law Before the Time of Edward I

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The History of English Law Before the Time of Edward I
Sir Frederick Pollock and Frederic William Maitland
Manufacturer: Lawyers' Literary Club
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000SQZ4UM

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Groundbreaking and fascinating historical scholarship

The history of English law before the time of Edward I
Sir Frederick Pollock , and Frederic William Maitland
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
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ASIN: B00005W1MZ

Book Description

Pollock, Frederick and Frederic William Maitland. The History of English Law before the Time of Edward I. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1898. Two volumes. xxxviii, 688; xiv, 691 pp. Reprinted 1996 by The Lawbook Exchange, Ltd. LCCN 96-16003. ISBN 1-886363-22-6. Cloth. $165. Second edition. A landmark work on English legal history. Professors Maitland of Cambridge and Pollock of Oxford joined forces (although Maitland is credited with the lion's share) to write what has been termed an epoch-making work. The authors elucidate the origins of English law, providing for the first time a systematic presentation of the early stages of its evolution. The first volume gives an historical overview, beginning with ecclesiastical law and proceeding to cover Anglo-Saxon law, Norman law, Roman and Canon law, and law in the time of Glanvill and Bracton. The second treats the doctrines of English law, including all aspects of tenure, the law of personal condition, status, and estate, and the jurisdiction and the communities of the land. Clear exposition and countless references make this an essential book for anyone interested in early English law.

Customer Reviews:

Groundbreaking and fascinating historical scholarship.......2001-03-29

The law of England underwent major changes under the energetic leadership of the Plantagenet kings. This scholarly work traces and outlines this most fascinating and actually entertaining period in legal history.

Before the acts chronicled here, the business of law enforcement in all its various forms, both civil and criminal, was a rather haphazard and local affair. Magical ordeals, often administered by the clergy, and probably fixed by them to reach what they thought the proper outcome, were a major method of trial. Noblemen could fend off charges by their inferiors by swearing they didn't do it, and finding enough people to swear that they believed 'em. Disputes between nobles were as often as not settled by the sword, in either actual battle or ritual combat.

The Plantagenet kings made this imperfect system obsolete, not by legislating it out of existence, but by offering a superior product. They introduced the grand and petit jury, whose ultimate origins are obscure, but which may trace back to the Scandinavian ancestors of the Normans. New forms of litigation were set up beside the old ones, only these led to the royally instituted jury rather than the old forms of trial by oaths, magic, or battle.

And, having this parallel system in place, attorneys were careful to frame their pleadings so as to bring their litigation within the ambit of the new trials, rather than the old ones. These basic legal reforms, helped along by certain legal fictions made necessary to achieve the desired result, became the foundation of a legal system more suited to a national state with a central royal government, rather than the patchwork jurisdictions of feudalism.

This fascinating story is told in all its detail in these old but still intriguing books.

The history of English law before the time of Edward I,: By Sir Frederick Pollock, bart...and Frederic William Maitland

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The history of English law before the time of Edward I,: By Sir Frederick Pollock, bart...and Frederic William Maitland
Frederick Pollock
Manufacturer: Little, Brown & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

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The History of English Law Before the Time of Edward I. Volume I.

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The History of English Law Before the Time of Edward I. Volume I.
Sir Frederick & Maitland, Frederic William Pollock
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NUUTD0

The History Of English Law V2: Before The Time Of Edward I

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The History Of English Law V2: Before The Time Of Edward I
Frederick Pollock , and Frederic William Maitland
Manufacturer: Kessinger Publishing, LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 1430473479

Book Description

This scarce antiquarian book is included in our special Legacy Reprint Series. In the interest of creating a more extensive selection of rare historical book reprints, we have chosen to reproduce this title even though it may possibly have occasional imperfections such as missing and blurred pages, missing text, poor pictures, markings, dark backgrounds and other reproduction issues beyond our control. Because this work is culturally important, we have made it available as a part of our commitment to protecting, preserving and promoting the world's literature.

The History of English Law: Centenary Essays on "Pollock and Maitland" (Proceedings of the British Academy)

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The History of English Law: Centenary Essays on "Pollock and Maitland" (Proceedings of the British Academy)

Manufacturer: British Academy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0197261655

Book Description

Pollock and Maitland's classic The History of English Law before the time of Edward I is perhaps unique amongst late Victorian historical works in remaining the fundamental text on its subject a hundred years later. The current volume gathers leading legal historians to celebrate Maitland's achievement, to analyse his methods, to assess his legacy, and to suggest new directions for research into the history of English law before the reign of Edward I.

The History of English Law Before the Time of Edward I in Two Volumes

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The History of English Law Before the Time of Edward I in Two Volumes
Sir Frederick and Maitland, Frederic William Pollock
Manufacturer: Cambridge
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000TYICA2

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Polymers and polymer-based composites possess a wide spectrum of properties, which allow them to be used in a diverse range of medical applications. This volume in the book series New Concepts in Polymer Science deals with the application features of polymeric implants, their interaction with surrounding living tissues, the demands imposed upon the objects implanted and polymeric materials used for their manufacture, and the main types of polymers applied and their properties. Chapters 1-8 are devoted to various polymer applications in medical and biological fields; chapters 9-10 consider individual polymeric materials used in this field. This monograph is designed for use as a textbook for specializations in chemical and technological courses in universities, as well as a methodical manual and directory for scientists and researchers in both academia and industry.

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This book is the most comprehensive work of the geology of Egypt and Libya, written by a single author, in one volume. It is the first book to treat the geology of the two countries as one entity. The book provides a thorough review of the geology of Egypt and Libya, based on our current state of knowledge, and presents many new and stimulating ideas. It reviews the tectonic elements, the geology of the Pan-African Shield, and Phanerozoic geological evolution of the two countries, and gives a description of most of the lithostratigraphic units. It includes a bibliographic list of more than 2000 references, which will guide the interested reader to further information. The book will be useful to senior undergraduate and graduate students, professional geologists and geophysicists who are working in North Africa and the Middle East. It is ideally suited for any professional who is looking for a quick, round-up reference on the geology of Egypt and Libya. Ed Tawadros, Ph.D., P.Geol., is an international geological consultant presently based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Regional geology and geophysics of the Mediterranean Sea: Final report of the Mediterranean Sea Task Force, Phillips Petroleum Company Europe-Africa, Europe Exploration

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Regional geology and geophysics of the Mediterranean Sea: Final report of the Mediterranean Sea Task Force, Phillips Petroleum Company Europe-Africa, Europe Exploration
R. Albert Berry
Manufacturer: Phillips Petroleum Co. Europe-Africa
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Binding: Unknown Binding

Regional geology of northeast Africa: Libya and Egypt

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Regional geology of northeast Africa: Libya and Egypt
Carolyn Miracle Ross
Manufacturer: Earth Sciences and Resources Institute, University of South Carolina
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Binding: Unknown Binding

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"This author was determined," says the apparently autobiographical narrator of Portrait of an Artist, as an Old Man. "He often appropriated as his own personal infirmity the concluding words of the unnameable voice in Samuel Beckett's The Unnameable, 'I must go on. I can't go on. I'll go on.'" And on his last day on Earth, Joseph Heller was still polishing this, his last and strangest novel. It is essentially an essay about a writer who's exactly like him--old and stuck for an idea for his next book. Seeking inspiration, he chats with his wife, his editors, and his friends, and floats one high-concept scheme after another.

How about a novel about the gangsters who ran Coney Island, the enchanted land of his childhood? Nah, too much plot to concoct. Perhaps he could update a classic: Tom Sawyer as a Harvard MBA, or Kafka's The Metamorphosis transposed to Manhattan. When these don't pan out, Heller takes a stab at mythology, done in the manner of his old pal Mel Brooks. Here Zeus's wife complains about his flagging ardor:

I try to put myself in Leda's place. It could be kind of thrilling, I guess, being overpowered by a huge male swan, especially after realizing it was Zeus.... I'd like to see him take the trouble to surprise me like that, even once. But that doesn't happen. He won't waste tricks like that on me. He never does, he knows he doesn't have to. When he comes to me it's never with anything new, it's always just the same, always just the same old god.

Increasingly desperate, the author tries out titles on his friends, and A Sexual Biography of My Wife stirs some interest. Still, his tentative fictions don't grab you the way the novel's sad, searing reminiscences do. When Heller--I mean, the narrator--has a tearful reunion with his adulterous old flame (who's now stricken with Lou Gehrig's disease), or asks another female acquaintance whether she regrets turning down his long-ago offer of romance, we get a privileged glimpse into the private mind of a very public author. "I want to cap my career with a masterpiece of some kind," the narrator tells his editor. This poignantly discursive book is not a masterpiece, but Joseph Heller did go on trying to the end. --Tim Appelo

Book Description

Imagine that the novelist -- his name here is Eugene Pota -- realizes that the days are dwindling and he needs to come up with one more novel. But what should he write? That first novel, the one that launched him, the one that made him into the cultural icon he seems fated to remain, has become a touchstone for his life, and his life since has pretty much been a critical failure. And now, when he is faced with the compulsion to write one more novel, to take a stab at the even bigger one, what should it be?

Portrait of an Artist, as an Old Man follows the journey that Eugene Pota undertakes as he sifts through the detritus of his life in an effort to settle on a subject for his final work. He talks to everyone, including his wife, his old lovers, and his editor. While everyone has ideas, no one offers any real answers. Written with sections that alternate between Pota's real-life efforts to settle on what novel to write and his many and various false starts writing that novel, Portrait of an Artist, as an Old Man is a rare and enthralling look into the artist's search for creativity.

Customer Reviews:

A Subtle Parody.......2007-05-26

What people dont notice about this book is that it is a parody of James Joyce's classic, cryptic, boring,(and laborious) masterpiece "A Portrait of the Artist of the Young Man" Knowing that makes the book even funnier, especially if you've "read" Joyce's book. Not only does the Heller's novel show how Pota is trying to write a new story, it takes some of its cues from Joyce's style. Without reading Joyce's novel one can't understand lines like "This book length parody of the quintessential pop novel "Tom Sawyer"...was definitely going to forge in the smithy of his soul the uncreated conscience of the world, or his race, whatever" That is by far the funniest line in the book but is only funny to people who have read Joyce. Totaly recommend

A Still Life.......2007-01-22

As the twilight of his life approaches, Eugene Pota, legendary author, is trying to wrestle one last, great novel out of his head and onto the page. Yet everything he tries isn't good enough - not anything that would sell and possibly make him some movie money, or recapture his earlies success. That is the premise for Joseph Heller's last book, "Portrait Of An Artist, As An Old Man", an author's journey to finish one last novel before he (and possibly his legend) dies.

Eugene Pota is suffering from severe writer's block. His best ideas have been used up in previous works; his most imaginary and catchy sentences have been used by other authors. He has no where left to turn except to other masterful works and try to rework them from a modern viewpoint. And overwhelmingly he comes to the conclusion that he has lost his touch. Readers follow his struggling journey through draft after draft of stories that will never be, a "literature of despair" that Pota recognizes in many famous authors whose final years were marked with misery and neglect, their literary star burned out.

Joseph Heller has done a remarkable job at opening up a writer's world to a world of readers. As readers follow Pota on his quest for one last great idea, they struggle as he searches for that creativity that forever eludes him. Heller intersperses Pota's efforts with witty ponderments about famous authors, a treasure trove of trivia and homage for any bibliophile to love. Heller's trademark humor in place, he makes Pota's impossible quest poignant, quirky and deeply realisitc.

Lament in Old Age.......2006-07-16

Joseph Heller was indecisive about what his final great work should be. He explored many different avenues, but still found himself indecisive. Through the character Eugene Pota, "Pota" being an acronym for Portrait of an Artist, Heller explores the journey to his final novel. While this is not as critically acclaimed as some of Heller's others works, it is one of the best books I have read this year.

Many of the great authors found their lives ending in loneliness and tragedy. Knowing this, Pota sought to end his career with one last great novel. Ideally this book would be so successful that he could explore a movie option. Along the way to this new novel, he pays homage to many tragic authors such as Mark Twain, Franz Kafka, Jack London, and many others. With the biting humor of Joseph Heller, Pota begins writing a literary idea in the book only to rip it to shreds a few pages later. The book is written with sections that alternate between the life of Eugene Pota and Heller's real-life efforts to settle on a novel to write.

Well-read individuals will enjoy this book tremendously. Those that have enjoyed Heller's humor in his other works will certainly embrace his more obscure final work. This book is a wonderful little gem.

A too-long book about writing........2006-01-05

This book is not horrible. It gives a good portrait of writer's block (though not books, Adaptation and 8 1/2 give better pictures). The book's best insight, for me, was into the writer's thought processes while trying to conceive a novel.

The novel is written in a very communicative style. The narrator speaks right to the reader, and even talks about himself and the fact that he's writing a novel, about writing a novel. The metalanguage only distracts from the story of Pota. It becomes a story of the narrator telling a story about Pota writing a novel, rather than simply about Pota.

But those interludes are needed to give the appearance of literary depth. Left alone as a story simply about Pota trying to write a novel, this actual novel by Heller would seem weak, shortsighted, and uninteresting. At points, I was embarrassed for Heller to read some of the very intimate words he puts in the mouth of his narrator.

The book works on a few narrative levels. There is Heller, there is the narrator, and there is Pota. And they are all the same in almost every way, so the play between the three can be entertaining or interesting.

But these interests and these narrative levels are the only things driving this book. It may have been an interesting short story, but halfway through the book, you're nowhere nearer to any point than you were on page 5.

The book also uses some gimmicky tricks that could have worked if there was more literary depth in the story.

It's fun, though. I'd recommend it if it had been a much quicker, short story read.

A remarkable testament........2003-09-24

This has to be one of the most honest, forthright, and revealing books I have ever read. It should be read by every writer -- and every artist -- to get a glimpse of what might lie ahead.

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