Italy Business & Investment Opportunities Yearbook

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Italy Business & Investment Opportunities Yearbook
USA International Business Publications
Manufacturer: International Business Publications, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0739721801

Book Description

This yearbook contains basic information on export-import, investment and business opportunities in the respected country. Provides information on government structure, economy, business climate, regulations, and more... Includes basic statistics, information on the most important business contacts and business travel. Updated annually.

Italy Business and Investment Opportunities Yearbook

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Italy Business and Investment Opportunities Yearbook

Manufacturer: International Business Publications, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Italy Investment & Business Opportunities Yearbook (World Investment & Business Opportunities Library)

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Italy Investment & Business Opportunities Yearbook (World Investment & Business Opportunities Library)
USA International Business Publications
Manufacturer: International Business Publications, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 0739712802

Book Description

This yearbook contains information on investment business opportunities, international economic projects, tenders, government projects, marketing and export-import opportunities information.

Book Description

This primary text on museum history examines the rise of museums since the eighteenth century in the fields of science, art, and history.

Museums in Motion: An Introduction to the History and Functions O F Museums

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Museums in Motion: An Introduction to the History and Functions O F Museums
Edward Porter Alexander
Manufacturer: Amer Assn for State & Local
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 091005035X

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Bad defense of free-market

Student of Life

stimulating book yet many issues to be discussed further

BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER

Business is a morally serious calling and Novak proves it.

Business as a Calling: Work and the Examined Life
Michael Novak
Manufacturer: Free Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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The Spirit of Democratic Capitalism

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Financial Accounting (6th Edition) (Charles T Horngren Series in Accounting)

ASIN: 0028740890

Book Description

Why do we work so hard at our jobs, day after day? Why is a job well done important to us? We know there is more to a career than money and prestige, but what exactly do we mean by "fulfillment"? These are old but important questions. They belong with some newly discovered ones: Why are people in business more religious than the population as a whole? What do people of business know, and what do they do, that anchors their faith? In this ground-breaking and inspiring book, Michael Novak ties together these crucial questions by explaining the meaning of work as a vocation. Work should be more than just a job -- it should be a calling.

This book explains an important part of our lives in a new way, and readers will instantly recognize themselves in its pages. A larger proportion than ever before of the world's Christians, Jews, and other peoples of faith are spending their working lives in business. Business is a profession worthy of a person's highest ideals and aspirations, fraught with moral possibilities both of great good and of great evil. Novak takes on agonizing problems, such as downsizing, the tradeoffs that must sometimes be faced between profits and human rights, and the pitfalls of philanthropy. He also examines the daily questions of how an honest day's work contributes to the good of many people, both close at hand and far away. Our work connects us with one another. It also makes possible the universal advance out of poverty, and it is an essential prerequisite of democracy and the institutions of civil society.

This book is a spiritual feast, for everyone who wants to examine how to make a life through making a living.

Customer Reviews:

Bad defense of free-market.......2006-08-21

I'm writing this review to balance the far-too-positive ones above. I was forced to read this book for a college course. The book is simply not well-written nor is it a convincing defence of the free-market system.

An example of the incompetent writing: "A fourth truth about callings is also apparent: They are not usually easy to discover" (p35) You are not supposed to contradict your own sentence. This is an example of confusing, bad writing.

In much of the book, the author just repeats self-serving corporate public relations boilerplate, up to the point of unwitting self-parody. On page 22 he praises another saint of capitalism: "Kenneth Lay, chairman of. . . Enron. "I grew up the son of a Baptist minister. From this background I was fully exposed to not only legal behavior but moral and ethical. . . the most satisfying thing[] in life is to create a highly moral and ethical environment. . . ."

The worst thing is that the book contains nothing new. There is not a single new idea proposed that I saw. Novak simply rehashes trite, clichéd material. At one embarrassing point, he compares modern American business CEO's to the Greek soldiers at Thermopylae, holding off the barbarian hordes. As if CEO's, with probably not a day of physical labor in their lives, trying to manipulate their stock price, were the equivalent of men fighting to the death to save their civilization. But at least we know that the author is 'well read' (as if Thermopylae weren't in every Western Civ course already)

The main argument consists of Novak putting the word "ethical" in the same sentence as "business", as if this somehow proved anything. He also wastes much space reciting the well-known example of Andrew Carnegie; as if anyone doesn't know it already. We get it--one wealthy person gave his money away (while the other 99% kept it in trust funds for their own future offspring).

Novak then attempts to drop every clichéd literary allusion possible. He quotes Ben Franklin; de Tocqueville; and the Bible--as if the Bible couldn't be used to justify ANY point on economics, capitalistic or communistic. He also is wrong, consistently. He states that capitalism is only 200 years old (pg 84); of course, it is far older than that--for example, the anciet Romans had corporations (collegia); double-entry bookeeping dates at least from the middle ages. Capitalism the *word* itself may date from about 200 years, but the idea behind it is far older. Novak confuses the beginning of a word's usage, and the concept behind it.

He claims only leaders in democracies are forced to take responsibility for their decisions (p89), saying rules like Pinochet ruined their economies. (When in fact, Chile's elected ruler than Pinochet helped overthrow was the actual socialist-communist who would have opposed Novak's point of view.)

He gratuitously throws in an allusion to Robinson Crusoe, calling him 'mythical' (pg 65), and pointing out that nobody is self-sufficient. Of course, Robinson Crusoe was a fictional *character*, but was closely based on a real person, Alexander Selkirk, that did live self-sufficiently on a deserted Island for many years, creating his own miniature society. In any case, a novel like Robinson Crusoe is not a 'myth', therefore its character is not 'mythical'. Novak cannot write.

The only reason this book is bought so much is that colleges assign it to business students. For a true defense of free-market economics, try Ayn Rand's work, Murray Rothbard, F. Von Hayek, or Ludwig von Mises.

Student of Life.......2002-11-02

The view going in is very different than the view coming out. Novak's idealism helped to encourage me in my own. I read this book as an undergraduate business student struggling to find the balance that I saw in between greed and good. I so enjoyed his language, examples, and message that I recommended it to my Business Ethics professor. Last I heard, he was planning on using it as one of the textbooks. I gave it a 4 star rating because although it was a good read, it could always be better. Let's leave some room for improvement.

stimulating book yet many issues to be discussed further.......2000-07-12

After finishing this book, i got the impression that the author has touched something about the philosophical grounding on capitalism, however, the book is not deep enough in analysing these grounds. 1 the moral basw which the author inspected is of the christian ( or rather ) catholic culture, the reasons of the christian culture is the most suitable one to suit with the capitalism are not yet fully explained 2 its hidden presumption on pratising ideal capitalism is having a good government, good smaall societies to support the neighbours or citizens, good law system etc, but if i live in a place full of corruption, business law system not well developed, what should i do? he does not suggest any means 3 the model which he inspected is the usa, he also studied catholic, i would rather say, it is like, when someone got a hammer, all things can be solved by using it 4 i cannot agree more than that, doing business must have moral and courage if you have interest in discussing with me in this book or others, pls email me

BRINGING IT ALL TOGETHER.......2000-01-03

This book was reccomended by a friend and I was fascinated by the title. The book is a quick read with many references to socio-economic theory and the Catholic way. The book was written by Mr. Novak, a distinguished author who grasps both the economic and theological apsects of modern day business activities. He does a good job of portraying work as a means to help the common good of all society.The idea that being productive as a person in business can benefit others in unseen ways is worthy. Even business can work in its' self interest while helping advance society. Business as a calling tied together many aspects of faith, work and finding meaning in a career. This book should be on the must read list of every young MBA or CEO.

Business is a morally serious calling and Novak proves it........1997-01-16

Novak uses antidotial evidence to show how business can be and often is a virtous enterprise. However his feelings about free market capitalism and the business community are somewhat navie and idealistic. Antidotes are used to support the fact (often forgetten by social critics) that business leaders contribute a great deal to society. I believe this is a good book to read if you are taking a college course in Economic philosophy or business administration.

Capitalism and the Suicide of Culture.(Review) (book reviews): An article from: First Things: A Monthly Journal of Religion and Public Life

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Capitalism and the Suicide of Culture.(Review) (book reviews): An article from: First Things: A Monthly Journal of Religion and Public Life
Brian C. Anderson
Manufacturer: Institute on Religion and Public Life
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital

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Book Description

This digital document is an article from First Things: A Monthly Journal of Religion and Public Life, published by Institute on Religion and Public Life on February 1, 2000. The length of the article is 6469 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: Capitalism and the Suicide of Culture.(Review) (book reviews)
Author: Brian C. Anderson
Publication: First Things: A Monthly Journal of Religion and Public Life (Refereed)
Date: February 1, 2000
Publisher: Institute on Religion and Public Life
Page: 23

Article Type: Book Review

Distributed by Thomson Gale

Book Description

Geography and Ownership as Bases for Economic Accounting provides a forum for leading specialists in trade and international economics to explore whether changes in the world economy have increased the usefulness of international accounts drawn up on the basis of ownership rather than on geography. The papers in this volume suggest that ownership-based national accounts are helpful in understanding trade and financial transactions among globalized enterprises. Individual chapters emphasize this perspective through accounting exercises, studies of individual countries, and studies of foreign direct investment and its relation to national economies.

This volume gives trade and international economists the data and resources to renew discussion of this timely issue.

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Geography and Ownership As Bases for Economic Accounting
Robert Baldwin
Manufacturer: University Of Chicago Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OP621W

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Survival of the Sphinx

Talleyrand;: The art of survival
Jean Orieux
Manufacturer: Knopf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

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ASIN: 0394472993

Customer Reviews:

Survival of the Sphinx.......2001-06-11

Jean Orieux's biography of Talleyrand reads like a novel, which, considering his subject, is only just. Talleyrand, descended from the cadet branch of a noble family as old as that of the king, survived and prospered under every regime in France from monarchy thru the directorate and Napoleon's empire and beyond. (On taking his oath of allegiance to King Louis Phillipe, Talleyrand remarked, "Well, sire, that makes my thirteenth.") A major force in the post-Napoleanic world, his air of mystery and his laconic manner earned him the nickname "The Sphinx." In both virtues and vices, he was an odd mix; greedy, vain, amoral in many respects, but he had an iron will and an unquenchable love for France, no matter who ruled her. Orieux's book is both informative and eminently readable

Napoleon's Master: A Life of Prince Talleyrand

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Napoleon's Master: A Life of Prince Talleyrand
David Lawday
Manufacturer: Jonathan Cape
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0224073664
Release Date: 2006-10-24

Book Description

Lawday explores in detail Talleyrand’s perverse relationship with Napoleon, whom he fought with flattery, courtesy and an alarmingly straight face. Quite as much as the Duke of Wellington, it was this club-footed genius of French diplomacy who defeated the great conqueror and delivered France and all Europe from the Emperor’s follies.

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Good intro but not scholarly enough..
The dark side of diplomacy
Beautifully written introduction to a fascinating man
Fantastic Biography
A superb read!

Talleyrand
Duff Cooper
Manufacturer: Grove Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0802137679

Book Description

Unique in his own age and a phenomenon in any, Charles-Maurice, Prince de Talleyrand, was a statesman of outstanding ability and extraordinary contradictions. He was a world-class rogue who held high office in five successive regimes. A well-known opportunist and a notorious bribe taker, Talleyrand's gifts to France arguably outvalued the vast personal fortune he amassed in her service. Once a supporter of the Revolution, after the fall of the monarchy, he fled to England and then to the United States. Talleyrand returned to France two years later and served under Napoleon, and represented France at the Congress of Vienna. Duff Cooper's classic biography contains all the vigor, elegance, and intellect of its remarkable subject.

Customer Reviews:

Good intro but not scholarly enough.........2007-08-23

A good introductory book to Talleyrand. Unfortunately it does not contain references to qtotes, events or anything at all. There is not a single footnote in this book despite fact that author makes many references to quotes, memoirs, etc. Not surprising as the book was written in the 1930s. For a more scholarly (but dry) biography see Dwyer's biblio on Talleyrand (Longman Publishers).

The dark side of diplomacy.......2006-12-15

Talleyrand is possibly the most intriguing person to come out of the French Revolution. When he is not selling his services to the courts of Europe he is offering the Directory and Napoleon vital information as to how they should conduct foreign affairs. Cooper does a very good job of putting Talleyrand within the context of his times and makes diplomatic history come alive through his traitorous character. For those who understand the basics of the French Revolution and Napoleon this is a great book to expand their knowledge of how these events impacted Europe. If you are writing a diplomatic history this is an essential book that has to be understood. Cooper uses many of Talleyrands writing for his sources and gives the best impression available of the minister.

Beautifully written introduction to a fascinating man.......2004-04-15

Talleyrand was one of the world's great "characters", a man of wonderfully succinct and wounding epigrams ("what's not to love-- he's so vicious" was his friend Montrond's assessment), and a man of tremendous skill and foresight in statecraft whose wisdom would do us a spot of good today ("true strength is that which moderates itself" and, faced with Napoleon's plan to cross the Neiman and invade Russia, the wonderful reply "to do what?"

As the "cult of Napoleon" rose in France, Talleyrand, along with Fouche and Marshal Marmont became reviled, the hated betrayers of the Emperor-- never mind that the Emperor was bleeding France white in pusuit of his own personal glory.

As a consequence, this book, written in the 1930s by a British diplomat, to some extent reintroduced the French to the talents of their greatest statesman. The definitive French biography of the same time, by Lacour Gayet, is more detailed, but ultimately diminishes Talleyrand's achievements.

Cooper is ideally placed to interpet Talleyrand-- the salon society that the Prince belonged to is now long gone, but Cooper has a first-hand sort of feeling for the ways in which upper crust Anglo-French society mixed social and policy issues, and the role that women played in the mix.

He also writes beautifully. Talleyrand is a tough brief in that regard-- the man writes so elegantly and sharply that mediocre writers just end up stringing together the bon mots-- not Cooper, whose own cleverness is on display, particularly in the descriptions of the Congress of Vienna.

This is an older book, and does not make use of the last 70 years of research, so its dated in many ways (particularly the discussion of Talleyrand's early eccelesiastical career, which was pretty much a blank until Louis Greenbaum began exploring original material in the '60s-- and Talleyrand's position as Agent General of the French Church is important to understanding the development of his remarkable political skills). There are also no footnotes.

In English, I'd also recommend the excellent "The Lives of Talleyrand" by Crane Brinton, a sort of intellectual history. . .its somehow striking that Talleyrand's greatest defenders are a British diplomat and an American college professor.

In French, Lacour-Gayet is the standard, while Michel Poniatowski's works produced a wealth of new information, if not a full life.

But for any general English language reader seeking an introduction to the man, this is the book, hands down, no question. Read it for content, and read it to remind yoursel of what good writing should be like. . .

Fantastic Biography.......2004-01-20

What a fun biography! Duff Cooper writes with the confidence of a man who has led an interesting life himself.

Talleyrand's years span some of the most fascinating times in France (in my opinion). He embodied the corruption of the old regime, the spirit of the revolution, and the hubris of Napoleon's empire. Through (and in spite of) it all, he seemed to keep a level head when those around him got carried away.

I found Talleyrand to be one of the most inspiring figures in history, and I think that is in no small part to Cooper's engaging writing style.

A superb read!.......2002-08-30

An even-handed, page-turner that enables the reader to begin to understand an enigmatic statesman who exercised profound influence during the late 18th and early 19th Centuries. In studying Talleyrand, one appreciates his unestimable intellect and rhetorical gifts; and his contribution to the stability of Europe and the greater world both during his time and through the early 20th Century. Mr. Cooper's book paints a concise, yet illustrative, portrait of a legend with his tumultuous times as a scenic, but undistracting, background.

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Memoirs Of The Prince De Talleyrand V4
Prince De Talleyrand
Manufacturer: Kessinger Publishing, LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 142860569X

Book Description

In Five Volumes. With An Introduction By The Honorable Whitelaw Reid, American Minister In Paris.

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Talleyrand the Training of a Statesman
Anna Bowman Dodd
Manufacturer: Kessinger Publishing, LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0766143899

Book Description

Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Perigord led a controversial and diverse existence. In 1791 he proposed that church property be confiscated to raise money to pay the governmental expenses and was excommunicated by the Pope. Napoleon made him Grand Chamberlain and Prince de Benevent. Talleyrand argued with Napoleon, opposed his policy with Russia and Spain and when Napoleon fell, Talleyrand was instrumental in restoring the Bourbons. This work is a wonderful, illustrated account of his life and times.

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Not a primary source bio, but good supplemental piece

Talleyrand
Philip G. Dwyer
Manufacturer: Longman
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0582323843

Book Description

Larger-than-life figure whose dodgy reputation demands reassessment.
His interventions and motivations in France and Europe have been the source of heated debate, ever since his prominent role during the opening stages of the French revolution - Dwyer weighs up the arguments.
Renewed interest in Napoleon Bonaparte.
Dwyer is a Talleyrand specialist and expert on France and Europe during this period.
Apart from Duff Cooper's volume, there is nothing else available in English.

Witty and wiley, cynical and charming, Talleyrand has in the past been portrayed as an opportunist, hypocrite, and traitor who betrayed governments whenever he had a chance to do so. From church establishment figure to revolutionary, supporter of Napoleon Bonaparte to promoter of the Bourbon Restoration, this book follows the twists and turns of Charles Maurice Prince de Talleyrand's remarkable career through one of the most turbulent periods of French history. However, Phillip Dwyer presents Talleyrand as a pragmatist, a member of the French political elite, mediating between various political interests and ideological tendencies to produce a working compromise, rather than actively seeking the overthrow of governments. This is the latest book in the best-selling Profiles in Power series.

Philip Dwyer specialises in the history of Napoleonic France and Europe: published titles include Napoleon and Europe (Longman) and Modern Prussian History (Longman). He teaches history at the University of Newcastle, New South Wales.

Customer Reviews:

Not a primary source bio, but good supplemental piece.......2005-05-12

This slender volume should not be used as an introduction to Talleyrand. That being said, it's a wonderful resource for those who have a background in the French Revolution and the Napoleonic era through the July restoration. This isn't really a biography, more of a study of M. de Talleyrand's policy decisions & how they can be interpreted. The heart of this work is the question of the character & efficacy of Talleyrand - was he a manipulative Machiavel who overthrew governments will-he-nil-he or did his actions stem from a deeply held believe system which he consistently pursued throughout his controversial career?

Again, this is a work seeking to clarify - it's a telescope look at a distantly seen landscape. Dwyer in some senses demystifies some of the Talleyrand apocrypha which has been passed down through French history and attempts to approach this fascinating subjects objectively (and mostly succeeds). He's obviously fairly sympathetic to Talleyrand, yet isn't fawningly credulous of every event described in Talleyrand's own memoirs.

Therefore, I recommend this book as a supplemental, not a main source on Talleyrand. And overall, it's a very well-done, if slightly dry, work.

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Memoirs Of The Prince De Talleyrand V3
Prince De Talleyrand
Manufacturer: Kessinger Publishing, LLC
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 1428605703

Book Description

In Five Volumes. With An Introduction By The Honorable Whitelaw Reid, American Minister In Paris.

The Correspondence of Prince Talleyrand and King Louis XVIII During the Congress of Vienna

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The Correspondence of Prince Talleyrand and King Louis XVIII During the Congress of Vienna
Charles Maurice De Talleyrand-Perigord
Manufacturer: Kessinger Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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Talleyrand

ASIN: 1417956046

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Memoirs Of Talleyrand
Leon Vallee
Manufacturer: University Press of the Pacific
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1410214117

Book Description

In the first rank of French statesmen and diplomats of the end of the eighteenth and beginning of the nineteenth century stands Maurice de Talleyrand-Perigord, who for more than half a century, under the most opposite political regimes, was involved in all the important affairs of his country, and played a great part in all the contemporaneous history of Europe.

The memoirs were collected from the French National Archives by Leon Vallee, Librarian of the Bibliotheque Nationale.

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The spirit of Talleyrand

Napoleon's Diplomat - Brilliance in a Silk Stocking

Talleyrand: A biography (Capricorn books)
Jack F Bernard
Manufacturer: Putnam
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: 0399503099

Customer Reviews:

The spirit of Talleyrand.......2005-05-20

I agree with the other reviewer in preferring Mr. Bernard's work to that of Mr. Cooper. Bernard brings Talleyrand to life - through the use of the erstwhile bishop's own memoirs & those of his friends - and even his enemies. What came through most was the fabled Talleyrand charm. A modern reader can clearly see why he was as influential as he is reputed to be. As Casimir de Montrond replied to his mistress upon being asked why he liked Talleyrand so much, "My dear madam, who can help loving someone with so many vices?"

Napoleon's Diplomat - Brilliance in a Silk Stocking.......2004-01-19

With all due respect to Duff Cooper I suspect this is the best English biography of Talleyrand about; it tracks his youth (including his fabled meeting with Voltaire), his involuntary admission to the priesthood, his Revolutionary activities (including his successful bid to strip away church assets), ihs exile in America, his affair with de Stahl, his team-up with and subsequent falling-out with Napoleon, his afterlife as the star of the Congress of Vienna and Louis XVIII's prime-minister and his long retirement (including his role as kingmaker in the 1830 revolution). Napoleon once said that Talleyrand was "filth in a silk stocking"; certainly many of Talleyrand's financial goings-on would qualify as corruption by modern standards but, as Barnard reveals, his foreign policy was generally a peaceful one, and his general approach to governmance sought to reduce civil discord through building a legitimate basis for the government of the day - be it Republican, Bonapartist, Bourbon or Orleanist. Even his so-called womanizing is explained in these terms: on his death bed his primary goal was to legitimize his long term mistress and to return to orthodox Catholicism. A great portrait of one of Europe's most influential and entertaining minds.

Book Description

This book provides a new understanding of a man who played a significant part in the Iranian revolution and an analysis of a current of political Islam that has influenced movements throughout the Middle East.This full-length political biography looks at Ali Shariati's life and thought in the context of the complex and contradictory cultural, social, and political conditions of the Iranian society that shaped him.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent light on a complex intellectual.......2004-01-01

Ali Shariati is the quintessential example of why institutions and governments fear intellectuals. Ali Rahnema's biography is probably a textbook example of how to write biography.

Dr Rahnema has given us an example of objective writing. He offers insights into the complex life, actions and writings of Shariati while never burdening us with judgement or synthesizing the matter for us. He lays the story out and let's us draw our own judgements. Rahnema gives us facts from the sources and doesn't draw conclusions or lead us to a thesis. He let's us draw our own.

The story is divided into three parts - the young Shariati at odds with his intelligence finding a haven in poetry. He then takes up the struggle between classical poetry and modern poetry. Rahnema uses this to prepare us for the last third of the book where Shariati carves out a modernist theology of Shia Islam in the face of the classical and institutionalized system. In the middle we learn of his education and exposure to the post war critical thinkers in Paris. Rahnema takes us through Shariati's complex synthesis of Economic theory, political theory, liberation theology, Sunni and Shia thought and how Shariati wove these sometimes with his own fictive additions to arrive at a living Shia ism which was definitely at odds with the traditional interpretations. Shariati found himself trying to change Shia thoughts and beliefs into a dynamic revolutionary system -- not anti western, but true to Iranian culture and history and the problems of Iran, not regurgitated problems of the West. His was definitely an Iranian centric view of the world, but taking from and using Eastern and Western thought where it was appropriate.

To Rahnema's credit he never bothers us with his judgement or critique of Shariati's work. He presents a man whose thoughts are complex and who often revised his own thinking. He presented the facts as he could of Shariati's concessions to SAVAK and his role as one of the flames of the Revolution. But through all this we see a man who was often frustrating to his supporters and critics and yet true to himself, even as his ideas may have evolved.

This isn't a quick read but it will definitely enlighten you and fuel your desire to go further with Shariati and inner complexities of Iran, the Shia themselves, Sufism and ideological transition and revolt.

Bravo *****

A MUST read!!!.......2001-05-25

For those of us still struggling to understand who Dr. Shariatie was and the role he has played in shaping the lives of many of us, this book is a must. Rahnema's depiction of the other Ali's life is a well documented, smart, and poetically presented masterpiece. Definitely put this book on your reading list.

Book Description

From a remarkable new voice with perfect pitch, a beautiful song about a boy and his father and about a time and place.

Customer Reviews:

I really liked this book!.......2007-08-29

I read this book and followed every word through out the book..I then loaned it to a son-in-law of patient (where I work) and he and I had a great discussion of the themes that run through out the book. The end of the book had us both talking for days about it. The patient's son-in-law really liked it because he was raised in area very near where the author's father's cabin is.

Loco for the local.......2006-03-07

I am writing this review three years after hearing Mark Phillips speak at a workshop for local school librarians. As soon as his workshop ended, I bought a copy of this book, read it non-stop, and promptly ordered 15 copies so I could have them on hand to give as gifts to favorite friends. (The only other book like this I can say I love as much is Deborah Tall's "From Where We Stand"). I must read it again, now that I've recommended it to a group of colleagues who lead the local Teaching American History grant project. What I remember best about this book is that not only is it a personal meditation on the "American Dream" or nightmare, depending on your POV, but Phillips's talent for blending personal history with local history. In doing so he depicts the painful de-industrialization of Western New York, from the perspective of his family's life in the industrial north of WNY.
Yet, there is hope in his father's determination to "go back to the land." Of course, the earliest people to live on this land were the Seneca of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois Confederacy, who lost it as post-Revolutionary financiers quickly sold the land away from underneath them). In his father's struggles, there are echoes of the hopes of WNY's earliest settlers, who were likewise displaced from New England, moving west of the Genesse where land (not all of it tillable) was plentiful and cheap; and echoes too of the hopes of later immigrants/migrants who found employment in the region's chemical and steel plants, powered by cheap electricity. WNY remains very much a place where people like Phillips's dad both stuggle and dream.

Time; priceless gift to make the most of. .......2005-03-29

He worked hard, Mark Phillips' dad did. He had a tough job. He worked a lot of overtime...he wanted a place of solitude for the rare time off work. His dream finally put him to action. He found the land, he worked out the cabin plans...his dream was coming to light. This had to be perhaps the happiest times for his dad, fulfilling a dream, creating a place for solitude, getting away from the smoky factory--a place for fun occasions to share with his family. Well, it should have been a happy time. Not knowing whether he would ever enjoy it, he unselfishly continued to finish his dream. It seems that his only fuel was the love of his family. Knowing his long-sought-after reward may not materialize, the emotional pain had to be as bad as the physical pain as his goal was laboriously concluding. His reward was ultimately redefined. His purpose to financially provide for his family could not escape him, even through his last project. This story of this working class man can teach the rest of us so much, in a time when we can find so much to complain about. Read this and you will find we have nothing, absolutely nothing, to complain about. Act upon your dreams as soon as you can. Life gives you less time as each day passes. Don't wait too long. The concept we take for granted, "tomorrow", is not promised to anyone, no matter how hard you try. Thanks, Mark, for sharing this story, no, legacy, with the rest of us. John@delbridge.net.

a really thoughtful read.......2002-06-04

I really enjoyed this book, and found myself returning to it whenever I could sneak some time in over the weekend. The message is simple, and poignant in light of the life of Mark Phillips. I have already passed it on to a male friend that I think would really appreciate this book in relation to his father and his son, and I have several others I will continue to pass it on to. It is good enough to recommend, and is a great gift for men who enjoy hunting and the outdoors.

Very Good. I enjoyed it!.......2002-02-06

I just finished this book last night and enjoyed every word. I am glad I did not read the above review first, though, since it gives away most of the drama. The book shows, in essence, that there is drama in all of our lives, and this one was very well written. In the search for "heroes" you hear about these days, there is surely one in Mr. Phillips' father, just a good American that did his blue-collar job despite mind-numbing conditions and, later, enormous pain. If you like this book, and the memoir genre, try also Rick Bragg, All Over But The Shoutin'.

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Biography, TV Actors, Television, Starsky & Hutch

Hutch - A Biography of Leslie Hutchinson

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Hutch - A Biography of Leslie Hutchinson
Charlotte Breese
Manufacturer: Bloomsbury Pub
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ASIN: 0747545960

Biography, Autobiography, and the Spiritual Quest (Religious Studies Series)

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Biography, Autobiography, and the Spiritual Quest (Religious Studies Series)
Richard A. Hutch
Manufacturer: Continuum International Publishing Group
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Binding: Paperback

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Letters of David Ricardo to Hutches Trower and Others: 1811-1823

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Letters of David Ricardo to Hutches Trower and Others: 1811-1823
David Ricardo
Manufacturer: Adamant Media Corporation
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0543900800
Release Date: 2000-12-21

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Edited by James Bonar and J.H. Hollander. This Elibron Classics book is a facsimile reprint of a 1899 edition by Clarendon Press, Oxford.

The Meaning of Lives: Biography, Autobiography, and the Spiritual Quest (Cassell Religious Studies)

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The Meaning of Lives: Biography, Autobiography, and the Spiritual Quest (Cassell Religious Studies)
Richard A. Hutch
Manufacturer: Cassell
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0304339172

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Run to the Rabbit Hutch
Dolores Poutre Schwalb
Manufacturer: PublishAmerica
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1424156637
Release Date: 2006-12-26

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In her story Run to the Rabbit Hutch, Dolores Schwalb reaches back in her memory to relive her life in Medford, Oregon. Growing up during the Depression, she was the third child of five. Her father was a lumber mill laborer, and when the mills closed, her parents had to use plenty of imagination to make ends meet. They had plenty of that, along with a good sense of humor. She relates stories told to her by her mother of her many relatives' antics and the tricks they played on one another to make the times bearable. Beans were a mainstay, and when the Depression broke and her father went back to work, she recalls the joy of not having to eat beans again. She speaks of a problem her father had to overcome, which he did for the love of his family, and of her mother's determination to have a real house.

Emerson's Optics: Biographical Process and the Dawn of Religious Leadership

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Emerson's Optics: Biographical Process and the Dawn of Religious Leadership
Richard A. Hutch
Manufacturer: Univ Pr of Amer
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Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0819130052

Customer Reviews:

Extraordinary and enthralling.......2001-02-27

The author came to adulthood in Germany in the late 1930s, but because his mother was Jewish he was not allowed in the German Army, so he was a civilain during most of the war. He himself was Catholic and his account of the life he led is extraordinarily interesting. I found this book utterly absorbing and one of the very best books I have read in a long time.

Literary Masterpiece.......2000-04-27

I am a student at a local high school, and after learning about WWII and the horrendous accounts of the Holocaust I read this book to continue to feed the growing hunger of interest for the topic. Mixed Blessings by Heinz Kuehn is a fantastically written and EXTREMELY interesting account of a half-Jewish young man in a Nazi Germany. From the explanation of his intriguing family to the force and hardship of being a drafted Jew, this book can make the toughest of the tough realize how hard life truly was and, at times, force them to break down and cry. Seeing an actual person going through such hateful treatment just blows my mind. I recommend fully to anyone who has a heart or an interest in WWII: READ THIS CAPTIVATING AND BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN NOVEL!

Extremely well-written account of a witness to history.......1997-08-29

It is difficult to believe that this book was written by someone whose native language was not English, because it flows so well and its rhetoric is firmly on the ground of American English (and Kuehn discusses this in the book). A very engaging account of a young man's coming of age during the rise of Hitler as a "Mischling," or one who had one Jewish parent, and how he slipped through the cracks of the German bureaucracy--up to a point. This autobiographical work has all the suspense of a murder mystery, and follows the author's life up until the time he forsakes a successful writing/editing career in Germany for a new life in America in the 1950s. I loved it!

MIXED BLESSINGS an Almost Ordinary Life in Hitler's Germany

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MIXED BLESSINGS an Almost Ordinary Life in Hitler's Germany
Heinz R. Kuehn
Manufacturer: University of Georgia Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000JV9OI4

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