The Point of Departure: Why One of Britain's Leading Politicians Resigned over Tony Blair's Decision to Go to War in Iraq

Book Description

On 17 March 2003, Robin Cook, Leader of the House of Commons and former Foreign Secretary, resigned from the Cabinet in protest against the coming war in Iraq. His resignation speech against that war prompted the first standing ovation in the history of the House and marked the end of the ministerial career of one of Labour's most brilliant politicians. His arguments against that war are of profound interest and importance to American readers.

For the two years prior to his resignation, Robin Cook kept a diary, a personal record of Labour's second term, that forms the core of this narrative. The Point of Departure is Robin Cook's unvarnished account of this dramatic period in British political history. Though surprised by his abrupt dismissal in 2001 as Foreign Secretary, he became determined to effect the changes in Parliamentary democracy that he believed were essential if Parliament was to move into the twenty-first century. As Tony Blair told Cook on offering him leadership of the House of Commons, "This is the job for you."

Drawing on firsthand experiences in the Commons and the Cabinet, of encounters in conferences and corridors and late-night conversations, Cook details his gathering disillusionment with Tony Blair's change of direction, which he believes to be profoundly mistaken, and, above all, the change in foreign policy that led the United Kingdom away from its destiny in Europe and into participation in President Bush's war in Iraq.

This is the inside story of a government in power -- and of the tensions between those who govern. But above all it is the story of a politician who genuinely wanted to bring democracy closer to the people, but who saw a government increasingly detached from the values of himself and his party, and who developed a growing conviction that the government position on Iraq was morally, diplomatically, and politically wrong.

Download Description

The Decision to Go to War in Iraq: Report, Together With Formal Minutes: House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee Ninth Report of Session 2002-03 (House of Commons Papers)

Average customer rating:

The Decision to Go to War in Iraq: Report, Together With Formal Minutes: House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee Ninth Report of Session 2002-03 (House of Commons Papers)
Foreign Affairs Committee
Manufacturer: Stationery Office
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | International | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Reference | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Military | History | Subjects | Books

General | Reference | Subjects | Books

Decisions to Go to War in Iraq (House of Commons)

Average customer rating:

Decisions to Go to War in Iraq (House of Commons)
Foreign Affairs Committee
Manufacturer: Stationery Office
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Reference | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Military | History | Subjects | Books

General | Reference | Subjects | Books

Decision to Go to War in Iraq: Ninth Report of Session 2002-2003, Oral Evidence And Appendix (House of Commons Papers 813-III Session 2002-2003)

Average customer rating:

Decision to Go to War in Iraq: Ninth Report of Session 2002-2003, Oral Evidence And Appendix (House of Commons Papers 813-III Session 2002-2003)
Donald Anderson
Manufacturer: Stationery Office Books (TSO)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Reference | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Military | History | Subjects | Books

General | Law | Subjects | Books

Military | Specialties | Law | Subjects | Books

Reference | Law Practice | Law | Subjects | Books

General | Reference | Subjects | Books

Evidence from MR Andrew Gilligan to the Committee's Inquiry Into the Decision to Go to War in Iraq: First Special Report of Session 2002-03 (House of Commons Papers)

Average customer rating:

Evidence from MR Andrew Gilligan to the Committee's Inquiry Into the Decision to Go to War in Iraq: First Special Report of Session 2002-03 (House of Commons Papers)
Foreign Affairs Committee
Manufacturer: Not Avail
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Military | History | Subjects | Books

The Kuwait crisis: Sanctions, negotiations and the decision to go to war (Case studies in ethics and international affairs)

Average customer rating:

The Kuwait crisis: Sanctions, negotiations and the decision to go to war (Case studies in ethics and international affairs)
Dorinda G Dallmeyer
Manufacturer: Distributed by the Institute for the Study of Diplomacy, School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0006PHCV4

Book Description

Whether you work with Americans face-to-face, communicate with them by telephone or e-mail, or interact together in a virtual team, Americans at Work reveals the subtle and the not-so-subtle aspects of American culture in the workplace. Learn about straight talk, American style, and how Americans aren't always as direct as they say they are. Find out why Americans are deeply conflicted about power: they crave it but hate to be caught craving it. See how Americans view outsiders. Gain tips for succeeding in the American work environment. Finally, get the basics of work-related etiquette: conducting meetings, giving feedback, nonverbal communication, e-mail rules, gifts, taboo topics and so on.

Customer Reviews:

Poor service.......2006-11-10

I ordered this book and another book called International Management Behavior. They were not delivered. I have not yet been refunded my money for International Management Behavior even though I never got that book.

A Guide to the Generalized Work Place.......2005-01-19

Generally, I do not like sweeping generalizations.

This book proves there is an exception to every rule. Intended for while-collar managers, Craig Storti provides non-Americans with cultural observations about office workers. his goal, he says, is to provide useful generalizations of Americans at work. In the process, he provides them with enough background to take the guesswork and surprise out of dealing with them.

Storti examines six values he believes account for American workplace attitudes and behaviors. Among them:
1. American is the land of opportunity. The author suggests sounding positive. Merely being realistic or objective may brand you as a pessimist.
2. Can-do people. Don't be afraid of trial and error. Americans admire trying as much as succeeding.
3. Equality for all. Playing favorites is a recipe for failure.
4. You are what you have done. Eliminate elaborate procedures that obstruct action.
5. You are on your own. As a boss, paint the big picture. Then get out of the way and let your subordinates get it done.
6. Punctuality matters. Be on time for appointments and meetings.

Storti's generalizations are clear, telling and accurate. While a must for outsiders attempting to do business in the United States, this book is probably not a bad idea for locals to read and practice.

Highly Recommended!.......2004-11-22

In a global economy, you inevitably will work with people from other cultures. But since culture determines behavior, how can people from outside the United States best adapt to working in the American workplace? And, how do they perceive American workplace behavior? Author Craig Storti examines American culture and extracts six key themes that drive the U.S. workplace. In the process, he teaches his fellow Americans about their unexamined workplace behavior. That's refreshing. Looking at yourself from the outside helps you re-examine how you work with others. The process opens doors to a whole new evaluation process that could revitalize many businesses. Unfortunately, while Storti makes interesting cultural points, his book is repetitive and belabors obvious ideas. His practical advice on such topics as table manners, fashion, gift giving, eye contact, touching and even sending e-mail is valuable, but could have been presented better in succinct bullet point summaries. However, we appreciate his introduction to behavior, manners and morés in the cross-cultural workplace.

A tutorial for communication in the American workplace.......2004-11-12

Written by the founder and director of Communicating Across Cultures and a former Peace Corps volunteer, Americans At Work: A Guide To The Can-Do People is a straightforward introduction to how American culture pervades and affects the American workplace. From basic ideals driving American behaviors - such as an obsession with efficiency, intense competition, and the celebration of individualism - to specific tips, tricks, and techniques to better understand how one's American co-workers think and react, Americans At Work is a superb resource and a "must-read" especially for readers for another country striving to adapt to American customs, but also for Americans seeking to better understand the corporate mentality of their own workplaces. A step-by-step, plain-terms tutorial for communication in the American workplace especially for readers accustomed to more indirect cultures is absolutely priceless; for example, it stresses that what Americans consider direct other countries tend to consider rude, and a typical American worker won't be offended by a "no" but will be offended by a "yes" when the real answer is "no.

Some good insights.......2004-08-21

As an avid reader of cross-cultural books, this one has some good nuggets that will help me and my team to figure out why Americans at work are sometimes not as straightforward as I first thought. There's another book on the subject that's better at the in-depth study and explanation of Americans in the workplace called "Working with Americans" (Denslow and Stewart-Allen) which I think is more helpful.

Book Description

Here is a marvelous assortment of fresh vegetable and fruit salsas. Learn about ingredients, inclding the most common chile peppers for salsas.

Customer Reviews:

FRUIT SALADS NOT SALSAS.......2002-12-14

I'm very dissapointed,the book says 50 best salsas. Obviously the publisher named this book to get some sales regardless of what is on the pages. It's more like CUSTOM FRUIT SALADS.
I was looking for salsas not fruit salads. More than half the book is fruit salads. If you looking for classic or typical salsas and some good variations of those then THIS BOOK IS NOT FOR YOU. Needless to say I was disapointed since I dont fancy bluberry, rasberry, stawberry, watermellon, pear, zuchini or pineapple salsas and the like. These hardly classify for 50 best salsas.

Mmmmmmm.......Salsa.......2001-08-27

I'd have to admit, I was skeptical when I first picked up this book. It's pocket size and no-frills layout didn't lead me to expect all that much, but boy! was I surprised. The recipes are really fantastic. The freezer salsa recipe was phenominal, really a great base for all sorts of experimentation with flavors and textures. After my in-laws numerous requests for my salsa secrets I just had to buy them a copy of their own.

Average customer rating:

simple and delicious

50 Best Salsas and Dips
Jane Kirby
Manufacturer: Broadway
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Baking | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

Sauces, Salsa & Garnishes | Cooking by Ingredient | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

General | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

Culinary Arts & Techniques | Cooking, Food & Wine | Subjects | Books

Amazon.com

Dips began as a uniquely American phenomenon. They arrived on the party scene after World War II and exploded in popularity when someone mixed Lipton's dry onion soup mix with sour cream and dubbed it California Dip. This still-irresistible mixture helped turn dips into ubiquitous party food. Good dips rely on punchy flavors and Kirby uses a range of them, such as garlic mixed with sharp cheeses in Sherried Cheddar and Blue Cheese Spread. You will also love the deep-roasted resonance in eggplant-based Baba Ganoush and the kick in East-West Wasabi and Mustard Mayonnaise. When you want to skip the fat, check out Kirby's 10 salsas. They combine chopped vegetables or fruit with hot chiles and a shot of tartness, as in Watermelon or Roasted Vegetable Salsa. Dips are made to be scooped up or spread on something tasty. Kirby helpfully provides four recipes for dippers to replace store-bought chips. Her Nutty Tortilla Chips are a nice surprise. So are the "Almost Instant" recipes you can throw together. With Kirby's help, all your parties will sparkle. --Dana Jacobi

Book Description

Need a last-minute dip idea for company? A salsa to accompany grilled chicken? A zesty spread for crackers or vegetables? From a simple watercress dip that can be whipped up in minutes to a sophisticated Dilled Salmon Spread, 50 Best Salsas and Dips provides easy-to-prepare creations for every occasion.

50 Best Salsas and Dips features an international array of innovative recipes including Bombay Curry Dip, Grilled Corn Salsa with Tomatillos, Peppers, and Lime, and Greek Mashed Potato Dip with Garlic and Walnuts. This handy cookbook also shows how versatile and convenient dips, spreads, and salsas can be, offering suggestions for how to use them to dress up plain meats, vegetables, sandwiches, and salads; tips on pairing them with vegetables and crackers; plus recipes for homemade tortillas, pita chips, and other delectable dippers.

Customer Reviews:

simple and delicious.......2000-11-15

This is JUST what you need in a cookbook.....easy, quick, and very tasty. And the price in right!

Average customer rating:

Interesting stories, but...

Informative and Humorous

Real Estate Sales from Hell: What You Don't Want To Do When Buying or Selling Homes, Repos, Probates and Short-sales
Bob Boog
Manufacturer: THS International
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Buying & Selling Homes | Real Estate | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Motivational | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Reference | How-to & Home Improvements | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Look Inside Home & Garden Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

Make Money in Short-Sale Foreclosures: How to Bypass Owners and Buy Directly from Lenders

Creating Wealth Through Probate: The Best-Kept Secret in Real Estate Investing

The Pre-Foreclosure Property Investor's Kit: How to Make Money Buying Distressed Real Estate -- Before the Public Auction

How to Find Hidden Real Estate Bargains 2/e

SHORT SALES - An Ethical Approach

ASIN: 0966613082

Book Description

Everybody loves to hear about the sale from hell - as long as it isn't their own experience! In Real Estate Sales from Hell, author Bob Boog tells simple yet entertaining stories of what NOT to do when buying or selling homes, repos, or short-sales. Taken from observations that have spanned 25 years in business, this is a smart but funny book. A must-read for anyone thinking about buying or selling real estate! A great book. Should be required reading for buyers, sellers and real estate agents. Entertaining and educational. You'll avoid the mistakes that others make every day. Don't lend this book to a friend. You may not get it back! A good value for the price.

Customer Reviews:

Interesting stories, but..........2005-01-14

...only worth your money if you a novice. Otherwise, don't waste your $$.

Informative and Humorous.......2003-05-13

As a real estate agent and investor, I thought I had heard, seen and read it all! Bob shares some of the horror stories you only hear of in an easy to read and follow format. Once I started reading this book, I couldn't put it down! I will recomend this as a must read for all of my clients! Great job Bob!

Average customer rating:

Excellent book; All good material, no fluff
Good Overview, Bad Editing

What Is Short Selling?
Tom Taulli
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Futures | Investing | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Investing | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Stocks | Investing | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 0071427856

Book Description

Despite what many investors believe, short selling can be a risk-averse strategy for traders and investors alike. What Is Short Selling? provides a complete introduction to the basics and nuances of short selling, including:

How to bolster portfolio performance
How to spot an excellent short sale candidate
Hedging and speculating

Customer Reviews:

Excellent book; All good material, no fluff.......2007-10-14

I loved this book. It was brief and to the point. No fillers or fluff at all. No unwanted stories to unnecessarily increase the number of pages. This is a good introduction to short selling. Very easy read. I found that I could read through the book very fast. The information in the book is relevant to all stock traders and not just short sellers.

Good Overview, Bad Editing.......2004-06-22

This book is full of typographical and grammatical errors, as well as mis-worded and poorly worded sentences - surprisingly poor editing from a mainline publisher (McGraw-Hill); these shortcomings in the editing distract from the effective presentation of the material. The book does provide a good overview of short selling, and some of the associated strategy (basically stock fundamentals research) for determining which stocks to sell short, but I found myself longing for more depth. The presentation would have been more effective with more specific examples with associated charts and sell/buy points. And I think the book should also have gone into more depth about bull/bear market cycles and how these relate to the timing of selling short, and the respective dangers and opportunities offorded by the direction of the overall market.

Average customer rating:

What Is Short Selling?
Tom Taulli
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OGA2CG

Amazon.com

Had you invested $10,000 in treasury bills over the last 25 years, your money would have grown to $24,801. But had you put that same $10,000 into the Foolish Four variation of the Dow Approach 25 years ago, you would have accumulated $1.4 million. Sound too good to be true? Not according to The Motley Fool. The Foolish Four is a mechanical system that annually selects stocks from the 30 that make up the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The stocks are selected based on their dividend yield and price, and year after year the result--22 percent annual return for the last 25 years--usually beats that of most mutual funds. The Foolish Four builds on an approach that was first advocated in 1991 by Michael O'Higgins in his book Beating the Dow. Since then many--most prominently those at The Motley Fool--have tweaked O'Higgins's original formula. The Foolish Four is a useful compilation of such tweaks and is packed with charts and analyses of three variants of the Dow Approach. Easy to read, easy to do, and good for your bottom line. --Harry C. Edwards

Book Description

This guide simplifies The Foolish Four, a straightforward, reliable investment strategy. The Foolish Four is a variation of the Dow Dividend approach to investing, which selects large companies with undervalued stock that is most likely to rebound.

Customer Reviews:

Drop the Foolish Four.......2001-06-19

The authors on Motley Fool.com do not hold the beliefs in this book. I like the Motley Fool but I know this foolish four stock picks has been droped by the two founders. I recommend the Motley Fool because they admit mistakes. At one time the foolish four stocks were good picks. This last year the foolish four stocks were losers.

They've abandoned this style they advocated.......2000-12-17

A word to any further readers who come along this. The Fools have now abandoned this investment approach, which they so cockily and vociferously expounded for many years. Although the strategy still has its uses, and they are to be commended for their honesty in abandoning it, they no longer advocate it. Like so many reviewers have wrote in criticism of other Fool books, the Gardners tend to be overcome by hyperbole in their writing, and it seems they did not do enough statistical research to warrant the claims they've been making all along with regards to Foolish Four investing.

The Fools are overall really good, and have some great ideas, but this book is now outdated. Take what they say with a grain of salt, adapt it to your own thoughts (and to their credit, this is what they advocate, although it IS easy to overlook this in their soaring prose, laden with outlandish statements), and the Fools definitely serve a purpose.

Caveat Emptor!.......2000-05-23

I'm a frequent reader of the Motley Fool's website, and a former investor in this strategy. Many of the other reviews are right--there's nothing new to Dow Investing. I first saw some of the ideas in this book ten years ago in Beating the Dow, by Michael O'Higgins, whom the Gardners graciously acknowledge. Both O'Higgins and the Motley Fool do a great job of demystifying investing.

What isn't so great is that in recent years, this strategy has fallen far short of its promises. The Motley Fool's site has a message board dedicated to this style of investing (formerly called Dogs of the Dow, Dow High-Yield Investing, etc.) and lately, the arguments there are _raging_. On the one side are the theory's ne'er-doubting supporters; on the other, those who, having blindly invested in the theory and lost, are now adamantly opposed to it. Meanwhile, the Gardner brothers, the authors of this book and originators of the Motley Fool, have sold their Foolish Four portfolio and invested the money elsewhere. I'll let that sink in...the bottom line is that this is a method of finding down and out value stocks, which doesn't suit the kind of growth market we've known for the last half decade. Even with the current bear market, over the last five years many tech stocks, although hurting, have still outperformed the Foolish Four.

Which is not to say that the theory doesn't have merit; the book consists of a simple theory that makes sense. It might be outdated, or it may just be currently out of favor. Whichever it is, I would view the enthusiastic claims of the Gardners with a critical eye. And above all, don't invest blindly in this strategy without knowing the risks. Lastly, if you want to see what the Motley Fool is all about, may I recommend The Motley Fool Investment Workbook.

Dangerous for all investors.......1999-11-29

I didn't actually buy this book but I read borrowed it from a friend who wanted to know what I thought of it.

The book is very dangerous because it attempts to show how past results of a pretty obscure formula gave fantastic returns for the last 30 years. What it fails to mention is that none of the methods shown in the book have produced Dow beating results since they were published.

One reason that the Motley Fool keeps coming up with new variations is that the old ones don't seem to work very well after they have been discovered.

Anyone reading thinking about this book should skip it and take the other main piece of advice from the Motley Fool and invest in an index fund.

Worth the money.......1999-08-03

There's not a ton of new content here that you can't find elsewhere, but this book is a great beginner's guide to investing in the Dow Dividend strategy.

Book Description

Chapter One of this exciting and timely anthology deals head-on with the debate about whether there's a place for spiritual values in the workplace.

The New Bottom Line: Bringing Heart & Soul to Business

Average customer rating:

The New Bottom Line: Bringing Heart & Soul to Business
John & DeFoore, Bill Renesch
Manufacturer: NewLeadersPress
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000K73B8G

Book Description

Volume 10 opens with Washington headquartered at the Continental army's encampment at Middlebrook, New Jersey, about seven miles northeast of New Brunswick, the location of the main British force under General William Howe. From this vantage point in the WaHChung Mountains, Washington could survey the country between Perth Amboy and New Brunswick while keeping an eye on the road to Philadelphia. Washington also considered the possibility that Howe might attempt to rendezvous his army with General Burgoyne's, thought to be en route from Quebec to Albany by way of Lake Champlain and the Hudson River.

For his part Howe, whose army outnumbered the Americans more than two to one, hoped to lure Washington away from his defensive positions and force a general engagement. When a series of British maneuvers in late June failed to bring on the desired fight, Howe evacuated his army from New Jersey to Staten Island, leaving Washington completely in the dark as to the enemy's next move and keenly aware of "the great advantage they derive from their navy." Although Howe had abandoned the idea of attacking the main Continental army, from his new disposition the British commander easily could join with Burgoyne via the Hudson, move upon the Philadelphia by way fot he Delaware river or the Chesapeake Bay, sail farther south into Virginia or to Charleston, South Carolina, or sail northward and invade one of the New England states.

Washington repositioned his army back at its old camp at Morristown, where it could better assist the American troops at Peekskill, New York, if Howe moved up the Hudson and yet still interfere with any British designs upon Philadelphia. Although surveillance reports revealed that the British were preparing for "a longer Voyage than up the North River," the British capture of Ticonderoga, New York, convinced Washington that Howe would take the northern route, and he swiftly marched the Continental army into New York State, where it remained until it became clear that the British fleet had gone out to sea. Washington then returned to New Jersey, where he made preparations to defend Philadelphia, but with several critical weeks of the summer campaign already passed, he confessed his puzzlement at his foe's decision to sail south.

Book Description

Cuando pronunció estas palabras cameron West tenía más de treinta años y era un próspero hombre de negocios, felizmente casado y padre de un niño. La voz correspondía a Davy, la primera de las más de veinte personalidades diferentes que irían apareciendo a lo largo de varios meses, sacando a la luz los recuerdos de horribles sevicias sufridas por el mismo West sin que él tuviese conciencia de ellas. Así aparecieron Clay, de ocho años, tenso y tartamudo; Dusty, de doce años, simpática y amable pero algo contrariada por encontrarse en el cuerpo de un hombre de mediana edad; Bart, dicharachero y dispuesto a ayudar; Leif, con su increíble capacidad de concentración y su energía, que a veces abrumaba a West con sus exigencias... y otras muchas personalidades máa, todas con sus características, sus idiosincrasias y sus recuerdos propios.

El autor aporta un testimonio conmovedor de sus esfuerzos por entender el functionamiento de su mente fragmentada y por sanar su espíritu dañado mientras se aferraba con desesperación al delgado hilo que le mantenía unido a su esposa Rikki, a su hijo Kyle y a una apariencia de vida normal.

El trastorno de disociación de la personalidad as desmitificado aquí gracias a la asombrosa sinceridad del autor, quien nos conduce a través del proceso de gradual descubrimiento de las partes de sí mismo lesionadas y encerradas fuera del alcance de la memoria.

Average customer rating:

MIS Multiples Personalidades
Cameron West
Manufacturer: Plaza & Janes Editores, S.A.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

Spanish | Foreign Language Nonfiction | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books