Collins Pocket Guide: Grasses, Sedges, Rushes and Fern of Britain and Northern Europe (Collins Pocket Guide)

Book Description

This is a photographic guide to the wild grasses and ferns of Britain and Northern Europe.

Customer Reviews:

Not actually a book!.......2007-07-23

This is nothing more than a laminated pamphlet. Maybe it would be good for someone to keep in their glovebox if they work in the field a lot. However, I wouldn't call this a book.

Not as helpful as I had imagined it would be.......2006-07-03

This isn't nearly as comprehensive as I hoped..basically a laminated brochure. I couldn't possibly use it to identify the plants I had hoped to.

Book Description

Robert, Earl of Essex, captured Elizabeth I's heart--and almost cost her the throne. Their relationship courted disaster, eventually leading the flamboyant earl to the block. Though fabled in romantic legends, he's even far more interesting in real life. Written by the bestselling author of The Year 1000, Sir Walter Ralegh, and Majesty, this study brilliantly interlaces the personal with the political.

Customer Reviews:

Francis Bacon's quote was worth the price of the book.......2002-01-13

First, there is much about this book to commend it. As noted above, it contains some interesting and insightful comments by Essex's contemporaries. The writing is clear and occasionally rather musical. The life of Robert, Earl of Essex and the last of Elizabeth's favorites, is described in considerable detail. The image of a man of great charm but stunningly bad judgement emerges, sometimes in spite of all this detail.

What I found off-putting was the tone of some of the writing -- a sort of headline hyperboly. And characterizations tend to become caricatures: at one point, the author evokes the image of Elizabeth's successor as "young King James cavorting with his boyfriends." The Scottish king was in his late thirties when he succeeded to the English throne -- hardly young in the Renaissance world. And the author misses a potent parallel: according to many historians, it is likely that James Stuart's physical relationships with his male favorites were not much different from those of the late queen with hers. James VI and I was undoubtedly attracted to handsome young men, and certainly carried on passionate friendships, but it is by no means certain that physical liasons developed.

Nor is this the only personal judgement offered up. Elizabeth is "nasty, vicious and self-centered." This snapshot opinion is bolstered with documented events and considerable speculation. The author repeatedly and matter-of-factly informs us of this complicated monarch's motives and feelings and thoughts. Sometimes her mood is not difficult to discern; Elizabeth had a famous temper and wasn't above shrieking at a courtier or boxing a lady's ears. These moments are described with relish, and they do indeed flesh out the author's portrait of an aging, difficult woman. The author's depiction of the internal Elizabeth, however, can be exasperating. Most jarring perhaps was the assertion that Elizabeth took up with Essex because "she had nothing to lose." This, when the cover's subtitle breathlessly promises that her "affair" with this young man "nearly dethroned her," is not only presumptous, but contradictory.

Customer Reviews:

Poets of the Queen.......2000-11-25

In popular imagination, Queen Elizabeth's court was a highly literary venue, where any nobleman might at any time have a sonnet up his sleeve and the pen was as potent a weapon as the sword.

Professor May explores the more complex truth in this study of the poetic and dramatic works of the upper crust of Elizabethan society. He limits his purview to the men and women properly called "courtiers", those who had access to the Queen's privy chamber and might rightly consider themselves her intimates, if not her friends. These aristocrats moved in a world far above that of court hangers-on like Edmund Spenser and John Lyly, not to mention the run of out-of-court Shakespeares, Marlowes, Marstons, Draytons, Chapmans, Jonsons and the like, who glimpsed the great ones only when and if specially summoned to perform a play or provide the text of a masque.

The book comprises two parts: a narrative account of courtier literary development and an anthology of over 90 courtier poems, most of them not readily accessible anywhere else.

The narrative begins in the last days of Henry VIII, when verse, unless in Latin and devoted to suitably serious subjects, lay under a cloud. Elizabeth's private attitude was more tolerant - she liked poetry and had begun writing it before her accession - but condemnation of frivolous versifying continued to be dominant during the first two decades of her reign.

Professor May credits two young writers of the 1570's, the Earl of Oxford and Sir Edward Dyer, with introducing English, secular, amatory verse to the court. Neither was a great poet. Their works retain the sing-song meters, intrusive alliteration and commonplace sensibility of "Drab Age" poetics. They did, however, show the way for more talented and original figures. While the number of courtier poets was never large, their ranks included two major lights of English literature, Sir John Harington and Sir Philip Sidney, and others - Raleigh, Greville, Robert Sidney, Essex, the Queen herself, etc. - whose output is worthy of survival.

"Elizabethan Courtier Poets" surveys the principal poetic works of the courtier group, the motives for their composition (with special attention to the role of verse in the competition for the Queen's favor) and the ways in which courtly litterateurs influenced or failed to influence both one another and out-of-court poets. The analysis is more historical and biographical than literary and is happily untouched by modern critical theory.

The second part of the book, the anthology, lists every person who meets Professor May's criteria for classification as a "courtier poet" and summarizes the supporting data. The pertinent facts - on the order of who exchanged New Year's presents with the Queen in what years - are often far from fascinating, but there is interesting incidental information. How many of the "Oxford was Shakespeare" partisans who laud the Earl's educational attainments are aware that his degrees from Oxford and Cambridge were strictly honorary, two among the dozens handed out to royal attendants when Elizabeth visited those institutions?

The poems included in the anthology are not intended to be either the best examples of courtier verse or a cross-section of the whole. Professor May has instead concentrated on furnishing reliable texts of works that are otherwise hard to find. Some are poetically very slight, such as the inscription that Lord Burghley wrote to accompany the gift of a spinning wheel to his daughter. Others display unexpected merit. The Earl of Essex, in particular, writing under sentence of death, is powerful and eloquent. `Tis pity, one thinks, that he did not forsake politics for poetry.

For any serious student of Elizabethan literary life, this book is an essential text. Those whose interest is real but more casual will also find it rewarding for its insights into an important segment of the greatest era of English poetry.

Book Description

Your Happy Healthy Pet

The authoritative information and advice you need, illustrated throughout with full-color photographs—now revised and redesigned to be even more reader-friendly!

Outgoing, cheerful, inquisitive little acrobats, conures are entertaining companion birds. They're small in size, but big in personality. This guide helps you make your conure a part of your family, with information on:

Choosing your conure
Creating a safe, stimulating home for your bird
Everyday care, including feeding and bathing
Clipping your conure's wings—why, when, and how
Training tips, from getting your conure comfortable with you to potty training to teaching tricks such as Ride in the Wagon, Nod Your Head, and Play Dead
Teaching your conure to talk

Conures are often cuddly and almost always wonderfully affectionate, so you'll get a lot of love from your little feathered friend!

Download Description

Illustrated in full color, this guide shows owners how to keep these popular South and Central American parrots happy and healthy.

Customer Reviews:

The most comprehensive book on conures.......2007-07-13

Although this book does not have the answer to a lot of questions conure owners may have it is by far the most comprehensive book on these birds.

Average customer rating:
The beginner's guide (Handbook)
Bertram W. H Poole
Manufacturer: Mekeel-Severn-Wylie
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Stamps | Antiques & Collectibles | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000894CP2

Average customer rating:
THE BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO STAMP COLLECTING
GRANGER
Manufacturer: NEW BURLINGTON BOOKS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000S2WN2S

Average customer rating:
The Beginner's Guide to Stamp Collecting
Neil Granger
Manufacturer: B. Mitchell
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Stamps | Antiques & Collectibles | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1850762929

Average customer rating:
Beginner's Guide to Stamp Collecting
Ted Schwarz
Manufacturer: Arco
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Stamps | Antiques & Collectibles | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0668055472

Average customer rating:
BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO STAMP COLLECTING.

Manufacturer: Lutterworth
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000HJLXUK

Average customer rating:
Beginners Guide to Stamp Collecting
Neill Granger
Manufacturer: World Publications (MA)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Stamps | Antiques & Collectibles | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 157215246X

Average customer rating:
Hints on stamp collecting: An ABC of philately and handy philatelic guide for beginners ; stamps that puzzle collectors
T. H Hinton
Manufacturer: Nister
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Stamps | Antiques & Collectibles | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000881PXU

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Beginner's Guide To Stamp Collecting
Kenneth W Anthony
Manufacturer: Sphere
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000PD67RW

Average customer rating:
Hints on stamp collecting: : an ABC of philately and handy philatelic guide for beginners : stamps that puzzle collectors
T. H Hinton
Manufacturer: E. Nister
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Stamps | Antiques & Collectibles | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000881PYE

Average customer rating:
Hints on stamp collecting: An ABC of philately and handy philatelic guide for beginners
T. H Hinton
Manufacturer: Nister
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Stamps | Antiques & Collectibles | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000881PY4

Average customer rating:

A really good Herb book

Eyewitness Garden Handbooks: Garden Herbs
Deni Bown
Manufacturer: DK ADULT
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Herbs | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Eyewitness Garden Handbooks: Bulbs

Shrubs & Climbers (Eyewitness Garden Handbooks)

ASIN: 0789423979

Customer Reviews:

A really good Herb book.......2000-05-07

this book was really good, I own a plant and herb stand and this was a great resource. If you are thinking of buying a herb book buy this one!

Average customer rating:

Eyewitness Handbook Herbs
Storey Publishing
Manufacturer: Storey Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Herbs | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 067657016X

Average customer rating:

Must Have for the Herb Enthusiast
Learn About Herbs
Good field guide style herb book
The ONE book to own if you're at all interested in herbs
INCREDIBLE BOOK, one flaw

Herbs (Eyewitness Handbooks)
Lesley Bremness
Manufacturer: Dorling Kindersley Publishers Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Herbs | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0751310220

Book Description

Everything you need to know about the world of herbs in a full-color A to Z catalog of over 90 herbs, complete with detailed instructions on growing, harvesting and preserving, along with home remedies, cosmetic uses, and original recipes.

Customer Reviews:

Must Have for the Herb Enthusiast.......2002-07-17

Do not hestitate to buy this book. This is a great treatment of more than 700 herbs from around the world. The indexing and helps are excellent and the picture/plates are also the best.

DK Publishing has another superb title with this one and this establishes their guidebooks as A-1 in my book always.

Learn About Herbs.......2002-04-06

I am very interested in medicinal herbs, and I wanted to know more about them. I know from experience that DK and Eyewitness handbooks are wonderful, so I checked this book out from the library, and it was so good that I ended up buying it.
The pictures are very clear, and aren't too small, as with some guide books. The text is detailed enough to tell you how to use the plant, but concise enough not to limit the number of plant species included. If you want to know more about herbs, whether for cooking or medicine, this book is essential!

Good field guide style herb book.......2001-08-20

This well-produced book has lots of small illustrations reminiscent of a field guide. It includes lots of varieties for each herb type - 17 kinds of thyme, for instance. Not very much detail on medicinal uses, and you won't find really exotic species like gotu kola. It is a small book, and packs in lots of information for its size. Information on cultivation is condensed but adequate.

The ONE book to own if you're at all interested in herbs.......2000-05-02

If you are curious about growing herbs, or already grow herbs and are interested in expanding your garden or your knowledge about these plants, this is the ONE book to buy. Gorgeous color photographs identify each herb (dozens upon dozens are listed) in its seed, flowering, and leafy stages -- popular varieties of herbs are included as well. Herbs are also listed accourding to use -- culinary, cosmetic, medicinal, decorative. Also included are step-by-step instructions for infusions, decoctions, and other herbal recipes. This book may not show you how to landscape your garden (try American Horticultural's Herb Gardens book) but aside from this, this will be your herb Bible.

INCREDIBLE BOOK, one flaw.......1999-09-10

This book is one of the very best field guides to medicinal herbs. A must have for serious herbalists of all levels. The photos are absolutely spectacular! The one flaw: the book is not easy to use as an identifier unless you are pretty sure of what the plants name is already, because the book is organized by name mainly. But, if you know the name of the plant you are looking for then there is no better book. Email the publisher telling them to reorganize this book so that it is more versatile as a field guide. The planet needs this book. I'm serious, it's that good.

Average customer rating:

Herbs - Eyewitness Handbooks
Lesley Bremness
Manufacturer: Dk: Dorling Kindersley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000U0PJVA

Amazon.com

Well, she's finally done it! Beverly DeJulio, known to millions for her PBS show, HandyMa'am(TM) with Beverly DeJulio, has written a book for every would-be handywoman (or handyman!). Having learned home repair through personal trial and error, DeJulio feels that anyone who can operate a hand mixer in the kitchen can learn to be equally at ease using a power drill. With her trademark humor, DeJulio describes such basics as fixing a leaky faucet, installing a ceiling fan, hanging wallpaper, fixing broken screens and windows, replacing a shower head, and installing a basic security system, along with dozens of other practical home projects for the do-it-yourselfer at any skill level. Also included are the five things DeJulio feels every woman should know how to fix, ideas for involving children in household projects (and ways to keep them creatively occupied while you are trying to get some handy work done), safety tips, and advice on assembling a toolbox. This is a great confidence builder for the beginner and a helpful reminder for the more experienced handy person. Written in a light, conversational style with lots of humor and many asides, this is a perfect gift for a new homeowner or anyone starting out in their first home or apartment who needs the basics of common household repair and maintenance. --Mark A. Hetts

Book Description

From the "First Lady of Home Improvement" and star of the PBS series "HandyMa'am(TM) with Beverly DeJulio" comes this comprehensive family-friendly guide. Home improvement and maintenance, according to DeJulio, is a combination of know-how (knowing what to do), how-to (learning what you don't know), and can-do (the confidence to do it).

Beverly DeJulio passionately believes that every householder has the ability to handle just about any home-based challenge, because she's been there and has learned herself. From installing a thermostat or replacing a sump pump to remodeling a kitchen or making your home energy efficient, every area of home comfort is covered.

This empowering you-can-do-it-too attitude permeates every line of "HandyMa'am(TM)." Packed with special features, the book highlights Dejulio's signature style (toolbox proficiency, warmth, charm, household savvy, clear directions) at every turn of the page.

"Simple Solutions" share quick tips for easy, ingenious ways to handle everyday household challenges.

"HandyFriend Sidebars" feature advice from industry experts.

"HandyFamily Activity Boxes" provide ideas for involving other family members, including confidence-building activities for children.

Customer Reviews:

I love to do it myself.......2000-08-12

This book was great it showed me how.I am a single man and live alone I started doing everything myself ever since I bougnt the book Fabrique Technique. That book showed me how easy it really is I went to a fabric store and picked all my fabrics out. 1.2.3 doing it yourself is better that calling a designer and having the house look like them Thank you

the best how-to home improvement book I've read!.......1999-04-21

Beverly DeJulio really knows how to write directly to someone like me. I was always intimidated by certain how-to projects, but after reading Beverly's book, I felt empowered enough to try my very first how-to project, and now I'm going to do more and more projects in the book.

Book Description

Michiko Kon: Still Lifes presents a unique artist's photographs of the impossible objects she has created in her studio. Kon skillfully creates a permanent record of impermanent objects: a garter belt fashioned from fish; a pair of melons covered with octopus tentacles; a mid-calf boot made of shrimp, among many other nondelectables. An exhibition is currently touring worldwide.

Customer Reviews:

facinasting and challenging work.......2001-06-23

I'm fascinated by Michiko Kon's work. At first glance her work seems reminiscent of Meret Oppenheim constructions, subverting the traditional perception of objects and adding a touch of the absurd. But Kon's work speaks of a uncomfortable vulnerably, the soft transient flesh of the animals she uses to create her still life objects add a sense of violence to otherwise unremarkable objects. It's surreal work in the fact that the photos are dreamlike and out of the usual frame of reference but for me it's hard to avoid the emotional and sexual undercurrent present in her work that I find lacking in the fur tea cups and other permanent objects which seem political. In Horse Mackerel, Pond, and Boy, 1998 it seems that her materials seek retribution upon the human race and in others like Frog and Cuttlefish, 1994 the wrath is visited up on the smaller creatures. Kon's photographs freeze a single moment when these scenes existed and can now be examine by us at our leisure. Describing in words the photographs to me is useless, each individual has their own reaction the the images, the only way to know is to see for yourself.

Haunting Photographs.......1998-12-08

I first experienced Michiko Kon's black and white photographs at an exhibition, "Mirror Images: Women, Surrealism, and Self-Representation", at the MIT List Gallery. This book reproduces the photographs wonderfully.

At a glance, the images are merely photographs of objects which emerge from a rich black background-- a dress, two legs, a chain-mail mask, a group of ducks. A second later, the details trap the viewer. The lace dress is covered with pea pods and peas. The legs are covered in a variety of materials inlcuding dozens of thumbtacks, disembodied fish, cuttlefish, strawberries, wire metal strainers from kitchen sinks, a small clock, and photographs cut into circular shapes. The links of the chain mail become small crabs. Instantly recognizable, each part and fragment of these objects are familar because they are objects easily found in our daily lives.

Kon, however, has transformed these everyday objects to creations that peer out from her inner vision and forces the viewer to question the ordinary. Why do these cold slippery fish cover the legs? Are those really cuttlefish arms? As we piece together the evidence we look for tell-tale signs of manipulation and creation. We know that ducks do not have fish heads as feathers; we are sure that legs do not tend to be covered in tacks. And yet, there are no obious signs of the artist's hands. Instead, the black and white images and the documentary nature of photography question our sense of what is familar or real.

One striking characteristic of Kon's creations is the obsessive skill with which they are made. The materials which she chooses to use are mostly dead, fragile, and decomposing. Despite the difficulty of working with such objects, each part of a piece is perfectly sliced, cut, and attached. The contrasting materials are so skillfully attached that they defy the idea that they do not naturally belong together or that the sculptures are hand-made. Fragile pea pods, each carefully split open so that the peas remain attached, become a pattern upon the lace dress, uniformly covering the garment in Pea and Dress. There are no signs of small imperfections. Small details, such as a string of peas around the collar, again point to the attention with which these imaginary visions are given life. Though the ideas may surface suddenly in a brillant flash into consciousness, the way in which they come to exist is through a methodical process which borders on obsession.

I enjoyed this book and Kon's photographs due to Kon's great skill in creating and photographing portraits of these ephemeral creations, and for Kon's unique vision.

Surreality in a sardine..........1998-02-28

song@sanfrancisco
It is not easy to describe Kon's brilliant photographic expositions. She uses familiar (organic) objects and reassembles them in new forms, often mimicking other common objects like a clock composed of Bluefish and freesia or sneakers with cuttlefish laces. They are forays into the outer edges of dreamscapes harkening back to a pre-anthropormorphic state. But there is a subtlety and elegance to these otherwise simply beautiful B&W photos. Some of them hint at something grotesque and even malevolent as in the "Chicken, Prawns, and Rubber Glove" or "Salmon & Razor Blades" while others bemuse a playful interaction between the organic and inorganic like "Mackeral and Pillows". These images will haunt you in wonderful ways. It's as if Kon had gone dreaming with a metaphysical camera and developed for us a private gallery of unconscious stills. There's also a great preface by Ryu Murakami, the writer of Almost Transparent Blue. I cannot relate how unfortunate it would be not to possess this book in your most treasured library.

Average customer rating:

Michiko Kon: Still Lifes.
Ryu Murakami
Manufacturer: Publisher Unknown
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000UYD3AA

Average customer rating:

Still Lifes
Michiko Kon
Manufacturer: Aperture, 1997
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000J0WBJE

Average customer rating:

Michiko Kon: Still Lifes.

Manufacturer: 0
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000IBYA6G

Book Description

From the last governor of Hong Kong, a controversial, astute, and thought-provoking analysis of the Asian phenomenon and the future of economic and political liberty in China and East Asia in the next century.

For Chris Patten, Hong Kong was an extraordinary vantage point from which to view the growing economic and political power of China and East Asia over the last five years. As a free colony of the British Empire and the apex of an economic success story, it benefited from the development of the Chinese economy as surely as it contributed to that economic miracle. In a political move which marked the twilight years of the Empire, Hong Kong was finally handed back to Communist China in June 1997. East and West is Chris Patten’s account of the current Asian phenomenon and an astute analysis of China as a rapidly growing world power.

The handover of Hong Kong challenged Britain’s liberal conscience. With China looming in the background, it was impossible to build a platform of independence and political democracy as had been constructed in other colonial territories. East and West focuses on Chris Patten’s key disputes with China over questions of democratic election, civil liberties, and Hong Kong’s independence; but, more importantly, it examines the larger picture of the Asian value system. Can you have economic change without political change? Can democratic rule guarantee fair play between economic competitors?

There can be no doubt that Asia is a potentially formidable competitor to Europe and the United States, but Communist China lies at the heart of Asian development. In his intelligent and thought-provoking book, Chris Patten examines the implications of China’s economic reforms and sets out the key political agendas for the future – not only for the East, but also for the West.

Customer Reviews:

Controversial Masterpiece.......2004-02-16

A HarperCollins executive in London had judged a manuscript of East and West as `probably the best-written and most compelling book I have read by a politician since I came into publishing' --quoted in Chenoweth 2001: 283. However, after instructions from Murdoch and HarperCollins executives in New York, the book was dropped as `boring' - a judgement that was later unreservedly withdrawn by News Corporation in a legal settlement.

In later reviews put forth by the Independent Review: A journal of political economy, Dr. Lingle states:
"Reviewing Chris Patten's book brings me personal pleasure in several respects. For one, it pleases me to encourage readers to buy and read a book that Rupert Murdoch refused to publish. In a highly publicized affair, one of Murdoch's publishing houses pulled out of a contract for this book, shamelessly deferring to Beijing's Communist regime. Given his media ambitions for East Asia, Murdoch clearly dreaded the regime's displeasure at the publication of Patten's thoughtful words. After all, the Chinese government had denounced Patten as "a prostitute for a thousand years" and a "tango dancer" during negotiations over conditions for the return of Hong Kong to China."-- Christopher Lingle, Centre for Independent Studies, Sydney

Below is a quick synopses of why this book was banned.

News Corporation's relations with China:

July 1993 -Murdoch buys majority stake in Hong Kong-based Star TV in
apparent attempt to access Chinese market

September 1993 -Murdoch angers China by saying satellite TV is `unambiguous
threat to totalitarian regimes everywhere'

October 1993 - Beijing responds by outlawing private satellite dishes

April 1994 - Murdoch drops BBC from Star TV network covering north Asia
and China, later admitting to biographer William Shawcross this
was to please Beijing

February 1995 -Murdoch sponsors trip to US by Deng Rong to promote a
biography of her father, the late Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping

August 1996 -Star TV launches new Chinese-language channel in partnership
with Hong Kong businessmen with ties to the Chinese military

February 1998- HarperCollins abandons plans to publish a book by Chris Patten,
whom Murdoch attacks for angering Beijing by introducing more
democracy while serving as Hong Kong governor during final
years of British rule

June 1999 -Murdoch marries Wendi Deng, Chinese-born executive at Star
TV

September 1999 - Murdoch criticizes the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan spiritual leader
February 2001 Star TV chairman, James Murdoch, Rupert's youngest son,
describes banned Falun Gong spiritual movement as `dangerous'
and an `apocalyptic cult'

September 2001 -TV officials in Beijing say they have `agreed' that News Corp and
AOL Time Warner can broadcast directly to parts of Guangdong
province

Overall, during a time while US companies have been allowing the reduction of human rights and freedom of information to occur in order to take advantage of markets this book goes far in pointing out the current political structure in China and their historical constructions.

Readers not familiar with recent developments in East Asia will find this fascinating book full of relevant insights. It also presents a principled, consistent, and compassionate argument for expanding individual freedoms. Resting his case on both individual and national interests, Patten pleads for "normalizing" relations with China, that is, for treating China the same as any other country. This implies the rejection of arguments that China's exceptional history and culture require it be treated with greater deference. Patten correctly points out that caving in to repressive regimes is a dangerous path.
Unfortunately, Patten does nothing to dispel the enduring myth that Hong Kong is a free-market paradiseas indicated, for example, by the annual Heritage Foundation/Wall Street Journal Economic Freedom Index and by separate surveys by the Fraser Institute and the Cato Institute, which typically identify Hong Kong as the place with the most economic freedom. Consider a few inconvenient facts. In the past year the Hong Kong government intervened in the local stock market in defense of the local currency's peg with the U.S. dollar. Moreover, upon spending $15 billion to purchase shares of local companies, the Hong Kong government became the single largest shareholder in the local market.
The book's principal message is that the wide access to individual freedoms and an institutional framework to guarantee them lay behind Hong Kong's success. Patten did his best to ensure that the agreements he forged with the Chinese would allow this oasis of freedom to survive. His efforts earned him the wrath of the Communists and the admiration of most of the people of Hong Kong. He initiated an expansion of democratic institutions that riled the Chinese and caused cynics to describe his efforts as a "poison pill." If democracy is such a wonderful and necessary institution, why, they asked, did the British wait so long to provide it?

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