The Good Society: The Humane Agenda

Book Description

This compact, tightly argued, and eloquent book is the quintessential John Kenneth Galbraith, the manifesto of the "abiding liberal." In defining the characteristics of a good society and creating the blueprint for a workable agenda, Galbraith allows for human weakness without compromising a humane culture, and recognizes barriers that hinder but do not defeat a responsible, stable, and hopeful future.

Customer Reviews:

What America could become.......2006-10-10

Sometime in the 1970s, several trends started to take effect in the USA that have led to many of our troubles now. One of these was the growing divide of the America into haves and have-nots. Another one of these was the privatization of numerous parts of the US economy, and the transfer of many government functions from the public role to the private market. A third effect was the de-emphasis of public infrastructure for the public good, to public infrastructure for corporate wealth. John Kenneth Galbraith addresses all three of this trends, and shows what they have done to the American society and American communities. The result is a good wishlist of probably most political liberals. The one thing lacking from the book is a comparison of what America has become, to the economic and social transformations that have occurred in societies that have incorporated many of Galbraith's ideas, such as Scandinavia, Singapore, and Japan. Overall, an OK book and a good summary of the author's works and views.

The pragmatic compassionate liberal's credo .......2006-04-30

I am writing this review on the day after John Kenneth Galbraith passed away at the age of ninety- seven. He was a legendary figure in his lifetime, an economist with a world reputation. His book 'The Affluent Society" (1958) made the U.S. and the world think again about the meaning of a society primarily devoted to individual consumer consumption. He was a public servant of great ability and dedication from his days working for the Roosevelt Administration during the Second World in the Office of Price Administration through his service to the Kennedy and Johnson Administrations . He served as U.S. Ambassador to India and was a strong advocate for that country in the U.S. For over thirty years he taught at Harvard and was considered one of its most popular and brilliant teachers. He wrote over thirty books, and was involved in a tremendously wide variety of public activities and affairs.
This short book is an updating of 'The Affluent Society'. In it he tackles major economic and social questions >He speaks of a good society whose obligations are to provide for " personal liberty, basic wellbeing , racial and ethnic equality, the opportunity for a rewarding life".
In short chapters of around ten pages he tackles the problems of the deficit, the environment, migration, the proper distribution of wealth, the providing of aid to the world's poor.
Galbraith was a fighter in spirit , a person of great wit and fierce sense of social justice. His platform of a kind of social democracy as the ideal way to meet the modern world's problem certainly is questioned by many, not the least by predominant economic opinion today.
Perhaps his greatest importance was in pointing out performance problems in capitalist societies, and demanding a greater degree of concern for the commonweal.
He was one of those rare intellectual figures who could take a relatively dull subject and make it 'interesting' for the broader public.
He worked hard, long and well and his contribution will hopefully not be forgotten.

Progressive voice of economics.......2006-01-18

John Kenneth Galbraith sees the eternal struggles of economics as a battle between capital and labor and as things currently stand capital is delivering haymakers and body blows to labor. Labor has the numbers but capital has the advantage of... well, capital. Capital can afford the best representation and that has never been more true than today. Meanwhile Globalization has effectively destroyed labors bargaining power.

In `The Good Society' Mr. Galbraith attempts to map out an economic plan for creating a good society for all, wealthy and poor. What sets Mr. Galbraith apart from many economists is his belief in a pragmatic rather than dogmatic approach. He even compares the Republican parties 1994 `Contract with America' to the `Communist Manifesto' for its ideological inflexibility. The problems seem to occur when people start believing that economics falls under the hard sciences when in truth it's more like tracking the weather where small perturbation can cause dramatic changes. One thing that the author has maintained through the years is that Feds actual effect on inflation and recessions is negligible and more smoke and mirrors meant to give the appearance that something is being done. The other issue is that Globalization has made it increasingly difficult for the Federal Reserve to adjust the levels of our economy.

Occasionally the author comes off as a bit naive as when he talks about large scale modernization projects done in the third world saying, "The steel mills, hydroelectric plants and shiny airports, now sited among ignorant people, became sterile monuments to error - and failure." What Mr. Galbraith fails to recognize is that these projects are only failures from the perspective of the recipient countries who borrowed away their futures in order to acquire them. To the IMF and the construction companies involved it was a complete success. The author does recognize that the gift wealthy countries should have offered was the much less glamorous gift of education. In another section Mr. Galbraith says in reference to Imperialism and Colonialism, "We speak sometimes reflectively, of the end of history; here, indeed, history has come to an end." Writers who use the unfortunate term `end of history' have a bad tendency of being proven wrong in the end.

John Kenneth Galbraith is one of the few economists of late who addresses the immense danger of wealth inequality. In contrast to Milton Freidman, Mr. Galbraith believes that there are both financial and ethical sides to economics as relates to helping the poor, protecting the environment and supporting workers rights. He also supports transnational organizations and sees Globalization as the inevitable future. In most ways Mr. Galbraith is swimming upstream against the trends in the United States which is exactly why I find his views more important than ever before. The book seemed to lose some steam about half way through and many of his ideas such as the danger of the military industrial complex have been addressed in his other book, still I recommend Mr. Galbraith as a responsible voice for progressive economics.

Spreads itself too thin.......2005-06-05

John Kenneth Galbraith can be considered a pragmatic liberal, and what he has offered in The Good Society is a concise outline of how a country can - and should - both prosper and take care of its economically deprived citizens. Galbraith argues that the government should bear the responsibility for building an equitable society, and he discusses his view of the proper role of government in areas ranging from education to foreign policy.

The fundamental problem with the book is that it lacks the depth of treatment that his topics demand. Each of the chapters, which range from 8 to 10 pages in length, concentrates on a single, unique topic that would normally fill out an entire book. Accordingly, most of the points Galbraith makes are vague and general. For instance, he points out that America's foreign policy should emphasize maintaining peaceful relationships with other nations so as to encourage free trade, but he doesn't delve much further into the issue. Specific policy proposals are never mentioned.

The second problem with the book, which is a consequence of the first, is that the ideas Galbraith offers are neither novel nor particularly insightful. In the introduction, he challenges the reader by claiming that some of his proposals for society will ruffle a few feathers, but none of the views in the book fall outside the mainstream of the Democratic Party.

What makes The Good Society worthwhile is Galbraith's argument, which he carries throughout the book, that policy should never be subordinated to ideology. Policy decisions, our pragmatist demonstrates, should be examined on the particulars of the individual case and should not be based on any brand of economic dogma. Also, the topics and general proposals presented in the book remain relevant today though the book was written ten years ago.

On a stylistic level, the book is inconistsent. The writing ranges from concise and lucid to jarringly awkward. The frequent use of double-negatives, fragments, and inverted sentence structure make the reader go back over passages more than once.

Because of the somewhat facile traetment of complex issues, I recommend The Good Society primarily to those without much prior knowledge of liberal (i.e. Democratic) policy. Generally, it is a "not unpleasant" read.

A practical advocate for a more humane economy.......2004-06-13

Galbraith's main point has less to do with any specific policy than with his belief that rigid ideologues advocate for flawed and potentially dangerous political and economic systems. He argues that capitalism is by far the most responsive and effective economic system given our nature and needs, but that pure market capitalism comes up short in many significant respects. He does exhibit his own bias in some chapters when he ignores matters of degree in favor of more dramatic claims, but his proposals are not controversial by most standards?we need a safety net, environmental regulation is necessary, etc. I couldn?t relate to most of the negative reviews/remarks here. Among them: Galbraith, onetime speechwriter for presidents, editor of Fortune magazine, and prolific author, is inarticulate to the point of incoherence; Galbraith, a onetime Harvard economics professor and head of the American Economic Association, lacks any understanding of economics; Galbraith's ideas are silly; etc. This is a book arguing that capitalism must be tempered if it is to serve society well. Someone who believes that environmental regulations, zoning laws, a progressive income tax, and organizations like the SEC are unnecessary impediments to economic growth will have a hard time with Galbraith. Others will likely recognize that the criticisms of capitalism he levels here are, to some debatable extent, legitimate.

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The Good Society : The Humane Agenda
John Kenneth Galbraith
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000OLONDK

The Good Society: The Humane Agenda. (book reviews): An article from: Utopian Studies

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The Good Society: The Humane Agenda. (book reviews): An article from: Utopian Studies
Susan Matarese
Manufacturer: Society for Utopian Studies
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

General | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Book Description

This digital document is an article from Utopian Studies, published by Society for Utopian Studies on March 22, 1997. The length of the article is 590 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 Good Society: The Humane Agenda. (book reviews)
Author: Susan Matarese
Publication: Utopian Studies (Refereed)
Date: March 22, 1997
Publisher: Society for Utopian Studies
Volume: v8 Issue: n2 Page: p140(2)

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Book Description

Engineers are a key occupational group in the transformation of the modern world. Contrasts between Japan's "economic miracle" and Britain's relative economic decline have often been linked to differences in education, training, and employment of engineers. Engineers in Japan and Britain uses careful and systematic comparisons to examine the approaches to the training and education of engineers in the two nations.

Book Description

This book represents the only collective international effort that provides individuals and agencies with a broad perspective of ecotonal communities at the land-water interface, and the value of those ecotones in maintaining the long-term vitality of aquatic environments in this rapidly changing world. The text focuses on the natural features and the management potential of ecotones occurring at the aquatic-terrestrial interface of continental waters.

Book Description

This sturdy board book is made for small hands. Packed with images of football fun, this colorful book takes first readers through the alphabet using players, equipment, logos, and more. Children will learn that "B is for Blimp," "C is for Cleats," "H is for Helmet," and "Q is for Quarterback." Here comes another NFL/DK touchdown!

Customer Reviews:

Great book for a little football fan!.......2007-06-28

We got this book for our son when he was two. We're big NFL fans and figured he would enjoy it. He quickly learned all kinds of football words. And when football season hit, he was thrilled to see goal line markers and end zones and referees and all the other things he had seen in the book. It continues to be one of his favorite books. At 3 years old, he now "reads" the book himself and loves it.

NFL Monday Night Football Club: Ultimate Scoring Machine - Book #5: I Was Jerry Rice (NFL/ABC Monday Night Football Club , No 5)

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Another great book about MNFC!

NFL Monday Night Football Club: Ultimate Scoring Machine - Book #5: I Was Jerry Rice (NFL/ABC Monday Night Football Club , No 5)
Gordon Korman
Manufacturer: Hyperion
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Action & Adventure | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0786812702

Customer Reviews:

Another great book about MNFC!.......2000-04-28

I'm a 6th grade student. I've read the first four and they're my favorite books. Number 5 is just as good! Way to go Nick!

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NFL ABC, 123, & BIG & small Set
DK Publishing
Manufacturer: DK Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Board book

General | Baby-3 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000MW3AIA

Product Description

Reading level: Baby-Preschool Board book: 22-36 pages each Publisher: DK Preschool; Board edition (August 1, 2000) Language: English Product Dimensions: 5.9 x 4.8 x 0.9 inches Shipping Weight: 1.5 lbs

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Endlessly entertaining

Not for the intense sportsfan

Schott's Sporting, Gaming, and Idling Miscellany
Ben Schott
Manufacturer: Bloomsbury USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Trivia | Fun Facts | Reference | Subjects | Books
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Schott's Food and Drink Miscellany

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Schott's Almanac 2007 (Schott's Almanac)

The New York Times Guide to Essential Knowledge: A Desk Reference for the Curious Mind

The Explainer

ASIN: B000MV8HU2
Release Date: 2005-10-13

Book Description

From the author of the international bestsellers Schott’s Original Miscellany and Schott’s Food and Drink Miscellany comes the third and most playful installment in the series: a miscellanist’s wisdom from the worlds of sports, games, and idling.

What other sporting book will explain the rules of elephant polo; the perils of the Cresta Run; the link between crosswords and the devil; the story behind the Nike “swoosh”; or why surfing is the “Sport of Kings” (in Hawaii)? Which other volume will list the seven deadly sins of golf; the secrets of Houdini’s Code; or the myriad personalities of the Pac-Man ghosts? Where else will you stumble across an account of Evel Kneival’s broken bones, a detailing of Mike Tyson’s tattoos, the nicknames for classic poker-hands, or every sporting ailment from jogger’s nipple to housemaid’s knee?

You don’t have to be a sports fanatic to enjoy this irresistible volume of factual odds and ends. Schott’s Sporting, Gaming, and Idling Miscellany scores big with its fascinating hodge-podge of sports- and activity-related trivia.

Customer Reviews:

Endlessly entertaining.......2007-08-22

I bought this book as a gift for my husband, a true sports addict and a true student of all that he watches. Ever since he received it, I've caught him many times, poring over the pages, learning even more trivia with which to bedevil me and his friends.

Part of the decision was based on my previous experience with the Schott guides, which we've enjoyed thoroughly.

Not for the intense sportsfan.......2006-03-07

Fans of "Schott's Original Miscellany" may think of this as a potential gift for the sportsfan in their life, but it does not carry enough detail for the typical sportsfan, in part because in its strenuous effort to be both broad and flippant it extends its scope to crossword puzzles, quizzes, and the like...so it's great on the miscellany dimensions and scant on the sports. But if you are satisfied to know a single set of trivial details about cricket and one about polo and one about [whatever], this might be ok for you.

If on the other hand, you're not a sportsfan but are merely looking for more Schott's like reading material, I recommend instead the "Companion" series, which show every sign of being issued by the same publisher (same size format, typeface, etc.) althoug they are from Robson books rather than Bloomsbury. Examples includes "The London Companion," "The Literary Companion," "The Gardener's Companion," etc.

Schott's Sporting Gaming & Idling Miscellany

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Schott's Sporting Gaming & Idling Miscellany
Ben Schott
Manufacturer: Bloomsbury
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000NUJ31E

Average customer rating:

Amusing, but not to be trusted

Interesting and complete coverage of the subject!

Smart, entertaining, stimulating

Searching for the Big O

Interesting & informative, but the editor should be flogged

O: The Intimate History of the Orgasm
Jonathan Margolis
Manufacturer: Grove Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Sex | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Human | Sexuality | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
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Social History | Historical Study | History | Subjects | Books
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A Mind of Its Own: A Cultural History of the Penis

ASIN: 0802117864

Book Description

Orgasm is one of society's most compelling shaping forces-and most of us probably think that we are living in its golden age. But are we? The history of the orgasm is as elusive as orgasm itself can be, for sex rarely makes it into the historical record. Now acclaimed British journalist Jonathan Margolis delivers an authoritative, witty, and stimulating mixture of fascinating facts and in-depth analysis of this most compelling and enigmatic of phenomena. On the surface, there's not much to an orgasm-just an explosive burst of 156-mph nerve impulses. Most people manage just twelve minutes of orgasmic bliss per year. Some never experience it at all. Yet the urge for orgasm rules much of human life, across national and cultural boundaries. How much have we learned about female pleasure since the 1558 discovery of the clitoris? How has the drive for pleasure, and the fear of it, shaped various societies? How much does the sensation of orgasm differ for different people? Drawing on the orgasm's biology, literature, anthropology, psychology, and technology, Jonathan Margolis delivers the final word on both male and female orgasm in an enlightening history that is a pleasure to read.

Customer Reviews:

Amusing, but not to be trusted.......2007-09-30

I'm very well-versed in this material, as I'm in the process of writing a book that deals with much of it. So I was looking forward to reading what promised to be a well-written account of such juicy material, when most are dry as ash. I was pleased to find that the writing is lively and surprising, but like other reviewers, I was dismayed by the extremely poor editing and even more, by the plethora of mistaken "facts." Just the first few pages provide more than enough examples. On the first page of the preface, Margolis asserts that "Men and women have practiced procreative sexual intercourse for approximately a hundred thousand years." What's he talking about? We've obviously been having sexual intercourse as long as we've existed -- and though there is debate, our species is thought to have existed far longer than one hundred thousand years.

But even more disturbing is the author's ignorance of very basic information concerning human sexuality. On page 1, he claims that, "the first sexual act by which two like creatures sought intimate contact expressly to give one another physical and emotional pleasure... may well not have taken place until some time in the twentieth century AD, most likely at a location in Western Europe or North America." This is simply astoundingly wrong, not to mention racist as all get-out. For this to be true, nobody in hundreds of centuries ever had sex to give each other pleasure -- no hunter gatherers (most of whom do not equate sex with reproduction), nobody in India (where the Kama Sutra was written thousands of years ago, detailing how to give and receive sexual pleasure), nobody in China (where the first known sex manuals were written even before the Kama Sutra), etc. Just silly.

Elsewhere, he claims bonobos are monogamous (absurd: the first thing anyone learns about bonobos is precisely that they are NOT monogamous), women are the only females who have orgasm (no serious biologist has argued that for decades), that the Ferrari Testarossa refers to [...] (it actually means "red head" in Italian, referring to the engine head that was red).... All these examples are just from the first chapter!

It's a dangerous book, because it's so full of "amazing facts" that you're tempted to believe them (and repeat them to others). The problem is, this author (and editor) is not to be trusted. The book is slapped together without care for editing or factual accuracy. It's a shame, because the quality of the writing is far above the quality of the scholarship.

Interesting and complete coverage of the subject!.......2005-04-10

I found this book to be an exhaustive study of the history of the orgasm and of various factors that shaped the orgasm perception throughout the history in various parts of the world - I found this fascinating. It is not an academic work despite many references that exist in this book (I totally agree with another reviewer here that index would be very helpful). At the same time the work is serious enough not to take it lightly. It is based on a lot of research. The author is a good writer, which is very important and makes the difference, and the book makes for an easy read even when complicated matters are approached. The only slight negative I felt (and this doesn't affect five stars I gave to the book) is that I had a feeling - based on some remote knowledge I have on a couple of points not directly related to the main theme of the book - that the author sometimes was trying to impress us by exaggerating some events that possibly took place. It is something that would be unexusable in the academic work but doesn't spoil the impression here.

Smart, entertaining, stimulating.......2005-01-22

A very enjoyable and well-researched book, serious but not too serious, excellent writing and pretty hot stuff in parts, too! Highly recommended.

Searching for the Big O.......2005-01-09

All,
I don't know if I should confess this but I will.

I have been searching for a book that will let me understand, train me, motivate me, and assist me in achieving at least one orgasm in my lifetime.

I must also confess that I have had many lovers. Some good and some very bad. None of them ever succeeded in giving me the big O as I have heard it being called.

What does all this have to do with this book? I will answer that now please.

This book explained how a woman builds up to an orgasm. The author does an outstanding job of explaining the anatomy and nerve endings, what each part does, and how they must come together as a team to all a woman to loose it in a out of control mind numbing, legs shaking, spastic laden orgasm.

The author was successful with me in allowing me to have my first orgasm since the day I was born 68 years ago. It was a big one, pent up, and a wet one galore!

I highly recommend this book to any female between the ages of 21 and 93.

Signed,
Erica Phillips
(Happy, Very Happy in Decatur)

Interesting & informative, but the editor should be flogged.......2004-12-29

This book contains some fascinating history. Most helpfully, it presents the astonishing diversity of sexual practices around the world and throughout history - in a way that makes hash of the surviving moralistic sexual restrictions that inhibit greater exploration and fulfilment. Many western readers will know that there are different family forms around the world - a knowledge that helps legitimate diversity in our own cultures. The same lesson comes from an appreciation of diversity in sexual practices: once you know something about avisodomy in other cultures, it's hard to sympathize with people who get bent out of shape about teenage masturbation.

So, substantively it's a good book. However, it's a bit hard to imagine that the editor at Random House is still in a job. There are misplaced commas and awkward sentences. More significantly, the book ends poorly: a passage that appears several pages before the end is repeated at the very end, leaving a poor impression. While this may seem trivial, the fact is that reading the book was more of a chore than it should have been.

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