2024-07-17 Just finished this today. Excellent. Love the message - Africa needs to rediscover and reimplement it's roots in free enterprise to allow al2024-07-17 Just finished this today. Excellent. Love the message - Africa needs to rediscover and reimplement it's roots in free enterprise to allow all the individuals and countries in the continent to become rich.
Beautiful recounting of a brave and tenacious young African woman's journey of discovery and mission to help her fellow humans.
Grounded in the enlightening historical account of many African countries, but primarily Senegal, where she was born and feels is home. Ms. Wade's entrepreneurial, personal, and righteous experiences are joyous, gut-wrenching, fascinating, and very hopeful.
Though I am not as happy with the ending chapter or two, I devoured this book and think the messages is so timely and important that I highly recommend it.
I read this book in conjunction with my participation in a beloved PPPS (Potato Peel Pie Society) reading group, inspired by the movie and book. Most in the group really liked the book too, but some of the comments and actions of the members kind of took me aback. I'm still trying to figure that out. So neat for me to see the author Magatte Wade given the Julian Simon Award this year by the Competitive Enterprise Institute....more
2022-05-17 Finished this yesterday, after starting it the day before. It is a short book, only 128 pages, but I'm an even slower reader, so finishing 2022-05-17 Finished this yesterday, after starting it the day before. It is a short book, only 128 pages, but I'm an even slower reader, so finishing it that fast is not normal for me. I really enjoyed it. I'm a long-time friend of the author's. I think we met in the early 1990s after I had read a book &/or article or two of his and hosted him when he came to Chicago for a talk. We've been friends ever since.
He has shared many of his manuscripts with me and I often sent him comments on typos, and other suggestions for modifications. I believe he shared most of the manuscript for this book with me soon after he started writing it, not long after his trip to Holland in 2015. But other writing projects took precedence, till he just published the book this month.
This it the 5th in his series of kayaking adventure tales. I recommend them all and have reviewed them all. This one focuses on a trip to Holland he made in 2015 and is very charming. His observations of the country and it's many "subtleties" are precious.
If you have been to Holland or are thinking of going there, I especially recommend this short and fun book.
Oh, one of the reasons I like reading Jim Payne's books - he has a great sense of humor, and sometimes wonderfully self-deprecating.
Here are a few examples: "The Ijssel does not turn off the Rhine at a 90-degree angle, as I had expected. It slices off at a 179-degree angle - well, maybe this is an exaggeration..."
"So for anyone planning to kayak up the Rhine and turn left onto the Ijssel River, here's the rule you need to follow: every fifty yards or so, turn your boat completely around and look back down the river."
"We speak of French cuisine, Italian food, English cooking (here the speaker might give a little wink)."
"Apparently, my brain has some kind of neurological flaw that resists the logic of, "Once burned, twice shy." Instead, it seems to assume, "Once burned, it won't ever happen again."
"Precisely because the normal way to travel depends on cars and streets, my instinct suggested this unusual, deviant way of making my journeys."
2022-03-14 Finished this last night. Fun read. Brought back some great memories for me in hunting: - partridge (ruffed grouse) and woodcock with my Dad2022-03-14 Finished this last night. Fun read. Brought back some great memories for me in hunting: - partridge (ruffed grouse) and woodcock with my Dad, uncles, brothers, cousins, wife and friends in Michigan - Pheasant in IL and CA
The main focus of the book is the amazing hunting dogs the author has owned and hunted with. To see a great bird dog hunt is truly an amazing thing. The author does a very good job of conveying some of that amazement.
My hunting memories, mainly in Michigan, do not recall so many birds as the author recounts on his various stories. .. not nearly so many. But the disappointment of not seeing or shooting birds fades, with the pleasure of being just out in the great woods, and fields, during that glorious month of October. Such memories for me as: - that pungent air with the so distinctive smell of wet and rotting but not unpleasant leaves, - the incredible bright colors of the maple leaves still on the trees, - finding and tasting little wintergreen berries underneath (not in the book), - the almost insane excitement of the dogs to be let go to find the scent of the birds, - the astounding energy and diligence the dogs displayed in searching at breakneck speed all the territory we had to cover.... and many more came back to mind or was covered in the pages of this very pleasant little book.
Neat pics of the author and his dogs and some of the birds they found too.
Recommended for bird hunters for sure, or those who might want to check out the woods and fields in October for such delights....more
2021-02-24 - I picked up this old book at a used book fair when I was in High School and LOVED using it for reference while reading various history bo2021-02-24 - I picked up this old book at a used book fair when I was in High School and LOVED using it for reference while reading various history books, novels, and other books over the years.
It ain't perfect, but still great in adding so much value to what has gone on politically, in warfare, discovery, etc. over the centuries.
GREAT perspective builder.
Highly recommended.
The edition I have is copyrighted MCMLVII (1957?)...more
2020-06-09 Just finished this yesterday. Wow. Read it in about one week, almost a record for me, for a book of this length. I'm taking time with this 2020-06-09 Just finished this yesterday. Wow. Read it in about one week, almost a record for me, for a book of this length. I'm taking time with this book to review it way more thoroughly than any of the others in the series, since so much came together for me in this book. And I took pretty good notes in my Kindle, so I don't want to waste them. Apologies for this being really long - hope you enjoy it though. I tried to note the spoilers at the very end, but apologies if I let other cats out of the bag earlier too.
"I’m just trying to make it a little harder for people to feel comfortable killing each other.” “And keep the part where we kill each other to a minimum,” he said.
This is a major theme of the book, and main character Jim Holden's main purpose and sometimes skill. Sounds boring, or possibly too "goody-goody" right? Well, this book, and series, is anything but boring or goody-goody. I love the combination of important ideas, great dialog, character development, super exciting plot, humor and more, all in one book. Well, the rest of the previous five books in the series are wrapped up in here too.
Here's one of the great observations by Holden, who understands how people can rationalize killing others: "They didn’t kill people, they killed Earthers. Martians. Dusters. Squats.” Many studies have show that tyrants/mass murderers (and others!) use dehumanizing terminology like that to the max to describe their enemies, to condition their own lieutenants, armies, populace to hate and make the killing possible. This understanding is used to great effect in this and the other books in the series.
But this is a work of fiction, not a dry social or psychological science tome. The humor in this book is fantastic... but probably mostly only if you have read all or most of the previous books in the series. They build on each other. The back stories of the main characters (from the earlier books) are crucial for appreciating the plot, the changes, the humor in this book - geez, the humor - so great.
For libertarians and objectivists: The main theme of the book is a total winner, see above. But then the authors throw in some additional tidbits: two of the ships (unfortunately inconsequential, but still...) are named after iconic Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand characters: John Galt and Dagney Taggart. Another ship is named the Mart Watney, the main character in the cool SF novel "The Martian" loved by many objectivists and libertarians. There is also this little ambiguous mention not long after Galt and Taggart are named of a key negative concept for objectivists "this irrational bit of altruism". And the power of ideology (ideas) is stated clearly at one point: "nothing had overcome entropy or ideology or bad judgment."
"I trust Emily Richards [Mars' Prime Minister] to look out for her own best interests and Mars’ too. In that order." Excellent "public choice" point on priorities of politicians (or bureaucrats), just like any other person.
For the geeky science types: "History itself was a massive n=1 study, irreproducible. It was what made it so difficult to learn from." Very good point - similar to Ludwig Mises' point about the proper methodology of social sciences and where history fits in."
Wise parenting advice: "“Thank you,” she said, her heart thick and heavy. “For caring. For trying to watch out for me. But I lost Filip [her son]. I couldn’t save him when he was a baby. I couldn’t save him now that he’s essentially a man. That’s twice, and twice is always. I can’t stop hoping that he’ll be all right in all this. But if he’s going to get saved, he’s going to have to do it himself.” She pushed away a betraying tear. Jim took a half step toward her. “He’ll have to do it himself,” - Great smash of the "helicopter parenting" ethic that has infected far too many, with such terrible consequences.
"Coordination and distribution. Exactly the job we’re looking at.” “Well,” Alex said, “except with less piracy this time. I mean, assuming.” Commitment to the NAP? Ha!
Humor: Lots of "in" jokes, but if you have paid any attention at all to the main characters and plot, it will be easy to catch, and be great for breaks in the pervasive tension in the book. One of those characters is Fred Johnson. Whenever the leaders of the Free Navy referred to him in this book, which was very, very often, he was called "Fred Fucking Johnson." Backstory is important, but the effect always brought a grin to my face.
And on the other hand, even his friends made fun of some of Fred's efforts: "“The pajama party.” Fred winced. “I wish you wouldn’t call it that.” “Sorry. I just like the visual. Your very serious meeting of OPA leaders.”"
But Fred could dish it out to Holden too: "If we’re tiptoeing around the Free Navy, it makes it seem like we’re afraid of them. It strengthens my hand if these people see me coming in unafraid. Not foolhardy, but not intimidated.” “Like on a gunship,” Holden said. “But not one that works for Earth or Mars. Maybe an independent that’s done some work with the OPA on and off. One that Marco has already tried to blow up a couple times and failed.”
And speaking of Fred (and himself) in literary terms, the main bad guy Marco [and his son Filip] make a little blooper: "“I told you before that Johnson would be off the board, and he will be. We didn’t take him at Tycho, and we’ll take him somewhere else. He is my white whale, and I will hunt him to the end of time.” Rosenfeld looked down at his bulb, his body hunching a degree in submission. Filip had felt his father’s victory like it was his own. “Didn’t finish reading that book, did you?” Rosenfeld asked mildly." Great reference to Moby Dick, of course - the whale killed Ahab!"
"You know what I’d like?” Alex yelled down from the cockpit. “If we could get out of here?” Holden yelled back. “If we could get out of here. At this rate we’re going to be sitting here with our jumpsuits around our ankles when the bad guys get back,” Alex said. “There’s a reason they don’t call those things slow-attack ships.”"
The nearer of the ships had altered its path, and the projected curve put them through the ring and into the slow zone five minutes after the Roci and Giambattista made the transit. They weren’t breaking off. That was too bad. “Do we have a plan for dealing with that?” Alex answered over the ship comm. “I’d vote for shooting them.” And a moment later, Clarissa, “Seconded.”
"The others—mostly technicians and maintenance—were confined to their quarters with the doors locked by the station system. Which meant, in the end, by Holden. He couldn’t help feeling like he’d just sent a thousand people to their rooms to really think about what they’d done."
"she tried to get me named as the head of the spacing guild.” “You know that name’s not going to stick, right?” Alex said." (This is VERY funny, if you have read any of the series books.)
Humor AND good advice: "I’m going to go get dressed and head over.” “You wearing your power armor just walking across the tube?” Alex asked. “You know how it is,” Bobbie said. “Never get a second chance to make a first impression.”
"But I myself will stand now and forever against the tyranny of the inner planets and their exploitation and slow genocide of my people.” She saluted the camera and the message ended. Holden sighed, started up his broadcast again. “Sounds good,” he said. “We’ll be right over.” He killed the broadcast. “Seriously?” Alex called from above. “‘Sounds good, we’ll be right over’?” “I may kind of suck at this job,” Holden called back. The voice over the ship’s comm was Clarissa’s: “I thought it was sweet.”
"I [Avasarala] knew the builder. He was a fake too. Pretty, though. God save us all from good-looking men.” [or women] - yes, funny, and true. It is how some evil people get into power/have power over others - sex appeal (or charisma).
"Jim was giddy because, for once, he’d just avoided being responsible for the future of the whole human race." Yay! similar to George Washington resigning, several key times, and thereby 1. being able to enjoy some of life and 2. setting a great new precedent for preventing tyranny!"
Theme: Transformations/Redemptions This has been throughout the book/TV series - an important part of the characterizations and making them very special to the reading/viewing audience. Book 1 showed Holden's transformation from little caring to hugely caring. Other books showed transformations or redemptions in: Miller, Amos, Alex, Naomi, Clarissa/Peaches.
Here's Naomi's observation of Fred's transformation, and a great libertarian theme in the book: “I was thinking about Fred,” he said. “This? It’s what he did. Lead armies. Take stations. This is what his life was like.” “This is what he retired from,” Naomi said. “When he decided to start trying to get people to talk things out instead of shooting people, this is what he left behind.”
Cool Stuff: Another image drawn about the actual reality of revolutions that I loved: "“Still,” Roberts said. “Why bother pushing off the inners if it’s just to have a Belter foot stepping on our necks instead?” There's a great scene in the movie "The Patriot" with Mel Gibson, about another revolution, where Gibson makes a very similar observation.
"too many reminders from the still-official security apparatus that Pinkwater was an unaffiliated corporate entity with no political litmus tests and only the safety and well-being of the citizens of Ganymede at heart. The sorts of things people said because they weren’t true." - Perfecto - such a good observation - since it holds in real life all too often - especially for such things as mass media that calls itself 'objective'
"feel like I understand what I have to do in the next ... I don’t know. Five minutes? Maybe ten? Then after that, things get muddy.” “Next is enough,” Naomi said. “As long as you always see the next step, you can walk the whole way.” - Very wise advice - when fear or circumstances just seem overwhelming.
"We’re spending our whole lives together, so we need to be really gentle." Quite true and important for adults, parents and kids.
Problems with the book (and series) too: - the benefits of "market forces" are acknowledged, but the concept and value of private property and the pricing mechanism integral to the market are portrayed with in a very fast and loose way or even more often, not at all, far from acknowledging their crucial importance for civilization in directing or coordinating the market forces, and efficient allocations and creativity.
- "But it’s all the crap we’ve been doing since that first guy sharpened a rock.” Naomi pulled herself closer, tucked her head against his shoulder. Probably people had been doing that since the dawn of time too, just not in freefall." Big theme throughout the book/series - interhuman violence/war is inevitable. It seems that the authors really need to read some authors who attack this theme. I suggest: a. Ludwig Mises and his focus on how economics and liberalism have made real material progress and peace possible and that violence is not necessary or inevitable. b. James Payne and/or Stephen Pinker on the history of measuring the taming of violence over the last three centuries or so.
- “Against all evidence, I keep thinking the assholes are outliers.” - One of the things that endears Holden to the readers, Naomi and the rest of his crew, as well as most anyone in the stories that actually works with him. Well, "all evidence" is not quite right. There is certainly evidence of some assholes in the universe. But most people are the opposite. Assholes are indeed the ouliers, and the more liberal (peaceful, property rights, limited government ruled) the society, the fewer assholes there are.
- Avasarala's new governance proposal - "It was over a thousand pages long," Wrong, Wrong, Wrong!!!! Having foundational documents so long is NOT a good idea. Having basic, simple and short documents that people can and do actually read and can follow is crucial! So much more can and needs to be said about this, because it is one of the biggest problems of the US (and other world) governments RIGHT NOW!!!!
- "Maybe, if they could find a way to be gentle, the stars would be better off with them." Sure, but kinda like and almost s tough as the Christian devotion to "love thy neighbor" - virtually impossible for most to accomplish. The far less difficult to actually hope for and accomplish with most folks, the Non-Aggression Principle (NAP) combined with the understanding of the mutual benefits from the law of comparative advantage and mutuality of interests, seems much more realistic for making positive change.... especially since it already has in the last 300 years, transformed the world for the better.
- Closing book reference to Tolstoy? Really? That religious mystic?
--------------------------------- SPOILER ALERT (don't read further unless you don't worry about finding out about big changes occuring relatively late in the book): Transformation/redemptions:
Filip's - "It was like everything in his private world had doubled. One Callisto that had been the target of his raid. His critical victory that led to the bombardment of Earth and the freedom of the Belt. Another Callisto that he walked through now, where normal people had lost their mothers and children, husbands and friends in a disaster. The two places were so different, they didn’t relate. Like two ships with the same name but different layouts and jobs." The start of his crucial understanding of the horror of offensive war, what he had done, and what what right and wrong.
"And he had two fathers now. The one who led the fight against the inners and who Filip loved like plants love light, and the one who twisted out of everything that went wrong and blamed anyone but himself." Filip's understanding of his father.
Michio Pa's (or is it?): "She didn’t know she was going to speak until she said it. “I’m sorry.” What she meant was I’m sorry I didn’t stop the attack that killed your husband [and the other billions of people on Earth who died] and I’m sorry I didn’t see Inaros for what he was sooner and I would do it all differently if I could live my life backward and try again. Avasarala paused, looked deeply into Michio’s eyes, and it was like seeing someone through a mask. The deepness there startled her. When she spoke, it was as if she’d heard every nuance."...more
2020-01-13 - Wonderful book. Not for those with delicate language sensibilities, but otherwise I recommend it to most any adult. Very funny. Very inform2020-01-13 - Wonderful book. Not for those with delicate language sensibilities, but otherwise I recommend it to most any adult. Very funny. Very informative. Breezy, yet serious too. If you want an intro into why "democratic socialism" might be worth being careful of this campaign season, this book is for you. Great little descriptions of the key features of such socialist countries as: Venezuela Cuba North Korea and the former socialist countries: China Georgia (in the Caucasus mountains next to the Black Sea, not the US State) Russia Ukraine and the never socialist, though highly welfare statist & high taxing: Sweden.
Oh, the book ended with a visit to a major socialist convention...
in the USA - perfect.
I loved the mix of travelogue, history, drinking & eating, economic theory and more. The references to key people and ideas was just about right for this intro-level book. I read it in less than a week, which is pretty darn quick for me. I listened to part of the Audio book and read other parts on my Kindle, due to my schedule and love of both. The professional narrator, John Pruden, was excellent.
Highly recommended for those who have not closed their mind on the subject of socialism (or the free market alternatives). If you think you like the idea of the promises of socialism, give this book a shot. If you like the idea of seeing what travelling to some exotic and talked about places in the news, this could be the ticket.
Great place to start a reasonable journey toward clearer understanding and how to create an actually better world....more
I must admit that I have been a Dave Barry fan for a very long time. But for some reason, I have not enjoyed the pleasure 23 Sept. 2017 - What a hoot!
I must admit that I have been a Dave Barry fan for a very long time. But for some reason, I have not enjoyed the pleasure of reading much by him lately. As a long-time Cato supporter, a friendly development fella there sent me a signed copy of the book, since they had a few extras after Dave spoke at the Cato 40th Anniversary Gala. This book revived my interest in Dave because it was such fun, and had a bunch of great little libertarian inside jokes. I chuckled and belly-laughed out loud more often while reading this book than any I can remember.
His explanation of how so many strange people end up in Florida is classic. How he added in a great reference to so many Illinois Governors going to jail was just perfect - totally off the wall, but perfect.
Since I just returned from a week in Miami, the book could not have been more timely for me. Wish I had more time to spend touring some of the places and sights he described in the book. But then I think about the heat and humidity I just experienced there.... and I think, Nah, I can pass on that.
If you like Dave Barry humor, treat yourself again. You won't be sorry.
If you don't know Dave Barry humor, check out some of his columns, for free, on the internet, then get this book.
Highly recommended to put a smile on your face and a chuckle or much bigger laugh in the air. And who doesn't benefit from some good hearty laugh?...more
May 2017 - This is the fourth of Payne's kayak adventure, humor and philosophy books, and I love it as I did the others. It is shorter, only 110 pagesMay 2017 - This is the fourth of Payne's kayak adventure, humor and philosophy books, and I love it as I did the others. It is shorter, only 110 pages, so I read it in only two days.
Lots of fun, especially since I am a fan of most of the things that Payne likes about Thoreau, which he ties-in to the trip beautifully, not forcefully. I learned many new things about Henry David Thoreau as well as received clarification of some fuzzy points and joyful emphasis of some of the things I always liked about him and his writing.
It also was especially neat for me due to the location of the towns and rivers covered in northeast MA and southeast NH. I have been in or near all the towns mentioned, though never on the rivers. But anyone who knows the area will certainly appreciate and may well learn new insights about the geographic and historical references.
There are many parts of the book that also hit home for various other reasons:
1. There was a wonderful conversation with a very mature thirteen year-old homeschooler and expanded scene with his mother, brother and the environment. Precious!
2. An almost unbelievable coincidence with a dog, and then a college & department connection.
3. Many little humorous asides and observations. Always fun and one of the numerous joys about all of Payne's books.
4. The author's encounters with strangers, how and why he engages and the risks and rewards he takes is a theme throughout his kayaking books that is just marvelous. Perhaps it is just his "sense of life," but I love it and am very sad when I think about how too many are losing it.
5. The "Faith in Authority" chapter was fantastic. Simply wonderful. A strong theme in several of his books.
I could go on, but I don't want to spoil your enjoyment in this neat little book.
One warning - I found a few economic observations in the book that needed clarifications. As usual, the problems were probably related to the unclear or misleading path that mainstream economics took, as opposed to the clarity of terms and functions in society that Ludwig Mises and other Austrian School economists saw, dealing with entrepreneurs, capital, and the purposes that people pursue in their lives.
But this warning is minor compared to the pleasure, the poignancy, the adventure and the very solid and profound, yet easily digested observations that you will enjoy in this slim, but highly engaging volume.
----- 2020-03-02 Updated with an extra observation and tweak or two....more
Loved it. Classic Jim Payne style. If you have enjoyed either/both of his other Kayaking books you'll love this too. If you have not tried any, this oLoved it. Classic Jim Payne style. If you have enjoyed either/both of his other Kayaking books you'll love this too. If you have not tried any, this one would be fine to start with and I bet you'll like it.
Such a wonderful outlook on life: - confident, but far from arrogant - inquiring and observant - what a way with perfect strangers and many brand new friends - trusting, yet properly wary of people and environmental situations - adventurous, of course, but not (usually) too foolish - humor - what a wry wit, often self-deprecating and tongue (often)-in-cheek
See how he deals with the many and varied physical, personal and interpersonal situations he encounters in four very different river trips:
Connecticut River - from the Vermont/Canada border to Old Saybrook, CT Chattahoochee River - from Columbus, Georgia to Apalachicola, Florida Bio Bio River in Chile - a little Spanish goes a long way Ohio River - from Cincinnati, OH to Brandenburg, KY
A few very personally memorable parts: - a short encounter with the Hetty Green motel - a paean to his mockingbird encounter - the only non-Samaritan on all the trips - a bureaucrat - "reciprocity visa" noted and explained - the "precious importance of human connection" for an individualist! - the importance and appreciation of his taking the initiative, in unclear situations - local dialects and pronunciation of the key word "Luv-eh" (Guess what city that represents!) - the well drawn maps included with all the key locations mentioned in the book - some great phrases: "the most contrasting bell towers in all of Christendom" - the Somali cab driver near the Ohio river who had no knowledge of the river, till Jim introduced him to it - T-shirt statement seen: "It takes a [not] village [not] government FAMILY to raise a child."
Highly recommended. Such a pleasure to read. The humor and warmth of the book just leaves me with a great feeling....more
2021-03-10 I read this about 40 years ago, give or take 5 years. After I read it, I liked it so much and I noticed a sale on this inexpensive edition,2021-03-10 I read this about 40 years ago, give or take 5 years. After I read it, I liked it so much and I noticed a sale on this inexpensive edition, that I bought a big box of them (with 100 books in the box?). I have been giving away copies of the book over the years to folks who do not seem to have any sense of history about Islam, Freedom, Individual rights, etc. Or to folks who do appreciate freedom, but might still be interested in this aspect of it and the history and culture it deals with.
A few folks who I gave the book to read it and thanked me.... but not that many. I still am happy I bought so many copies and have given away most.
I am writing this review today, since I just read a friend's review of a fictional account of a woman in Morocco during British colonial times. She (and the book seems to be) focused on the status of this/any woman/women in that time. Her review reminded me of this book and of the book it is a restatement/interpretation of: The Discovery of Freedom by Rose Wilder Lane.
I highly recommend both Lane's book, and this one. Not that they are without flaws - I certainly would not argue that. But for the perspective, and for at least some of the true things that they get right about the civilized parts of Islamic history (and ideals???).
2022-05-25 Just finished this early this morning. Had it on my "To read" list since either High School World History class or an ROTC class in college2022-05-25 Just finished this early this morning. Had it on my "To read" list since either High School World History class or an ROTC class in college when I first heard of it. Classic Greek work about a mercenary group of 10,000 in Persia and how they fought, marched, cajoled, outthought, outtalked and outfought their incredible number of adversaries, to get out of Persia or Mesopotamia and back to Greece/Hellas, after the Persian leader Cyrus died trying to kill his brother and take over the Persian Empire. It was quite a feat and quite a tale.
I'm not sure how many years it took or men were lost in the journey, but wow, was it a tale of incredible scope and magnitude.
The motivations and circumstances for why this group of about 10K Greek mercenaries happened to go to Persia to fight for Cyrus were not discussed too much in this book. Money, greed, adventure, ostracism from their Greek homeland, proving one's sense of manhood, etc. - all probably played some parts for the members of this group.
I found the narration of the story fascinating, since the book is accredited to Xenophon, but he plays almost no role in the first third or so of the book, just as the narrator, but then he emerges as the leader of the group, but is only acknowledged as a totally separate actor in the story, not as the narrator. Therefore, the motives of Xenophon are suspect, since the story is very, very complimentary (at least to his values) to him.
The values he says are his highest, and he seems to consistently support throughout the book, are: - valor - honesty - justice These are reasonable, but do not cover things like: - human thriving - peaceful dealings with others and his views of justice were quite constrained by his understanding of the need for force and what is "due" a whole army which just happens to show up on many, many different peoples' lands, with a request for sustenance, shelter and free passage,... and belief in their honesty and true motives - no small requests, those.
I hope to find a little extra time to review some notes and add some quotations and observations on this fascinating work from about 2500 years ago.
My Kindle advertised another book by Xenophon that I had never heard about before, "Cyropaedia: The Education of Cyrus" which I took to delve into more on the "Why" would Greek soldiers be so attracted to this leader in Persia as to stake their lives and reputation to travel all the way there to be in his employ. Maybe someday I might follow-up on it. But for now, it is just beyond me why someone would do that.
Oh, and as to the title of the book: "The meaning of ANABASIS is a going or marching up : advance; especially : a military advance." - Interesting that it says "advance" and not "retreat." Spin, not a new concept at all....more
2023-07-07 Relistening to the Audible version in preparation for a book club discussion tomorrow. Fantastic. It has aged very well. Listening to this 2023-07-07 Relistening to the Audible version in preparation for a book club discussion tomorrow. Fantastic. It has aged very well. Listening to this again is making me want to read the newer book by Tooley on the same subject: "Really Good Schools: Global Lessons for High-Caliber, Low-Cost Education."
2020-08-25 - just talked to a friend who was telling me about his travels to Africa over the last few years confirming the thesis of this book to the max - he saw repeatedly how so many poor people there sacrificed greatly for their kids to go to relatively inexpensive but very decent quality private schools, since the "free" public/government schools were so terrible.
Feb. 2015 - I actually listened to the audio version, not the hardcover. I don't see that as a choice among the "editions listed however.
Marvelous book. Have wanted to read this ever since it was published and I heard the author on Cato Audio explain what it was about.
Enjoyed discussing it with others who are interested in school choice, on 31 Jan. 2015, the last day of www.schoolChoiceWeek.com 2015. Excellent discussion which brought out that most of the people in the discussion, while not reading the whole book, did get the main idea that private schools for the poorest in the world do exist and the establishment (government school officials, international development officials, etc.) were not aware of them, pooh poohed them and/or tried to stifle them.
This audio book is read by Simon Callow. His narration is simply magnificent! Incredible drama. Amazing prose. I'm almost awestruck.
The book's narratiThis audio book is read by Simon Callow. His narration is simply magnificent! Incredible drama. Amazing prose. I'm almost awestruck.
The book's narrative is quite difficult to follow, even though I have a fairly decent grasp of history and mythology. The story and dialog keeps going back and forth between conversations of the gods, mortals of the story and descriptions of later actual history and the interplay among them all. The audio book version does not really lend itself to going back and rereading a particularly difficult passage, since the tracks are fairly long - only 14-16/disc. Also the timbre (or modulation?) of Callow's voice makes some words very tough to pick up in a car, with all the sometimes loud ambient sounds that entails.
Therefore, the first full disc or two was pretty tough going. But persevering has yielded a rich appreciation for this classic Roman work, with strong borrowings from the great Greek works by Homer, the Iliad and the Odyssey.
Warning, this work is for mature audiences. The descriptions of carnage, gore, sex, jealousy, rage, honor and the lust for war are almost too much for this seasoned reader to take....more
April, 2014 - Started great! Very reasonable description of the Fed and reasons why it needs to be ended.
This book is excellent. The Audio CD narratorApril, 2014 - Started great! Very reasonable description of the Fed and reasons why it needs to be ended.
This book is excellent. The Audio CD narrator is really great. I LOVE his voice. The vocal sound is just right. Really brings out the best in Ron Paul's words. Even though the ideas Ron Paul holds are fundamentally radical (meaning "to the root" NOT meaning "left wing" nor "destructive"), he makes them seem eminently reasonable and easy to agree with by just about anyone. He is quite a gentleman to his political opponents. His tone in this book is such a contrast to the sarcastic one in Tom Woods' Meltdown, even though many of the ideas, facts and analyses are the same or very similar.
Book title came from a gathering in 2007 of 4000 students at Univ. of Michigan to hear Ron Paul talk. The students started chanting the phrase "End the Fed." The phrase, he claims, was not his, originally. This book is a great follow-up to that beginning.
The history of the Fed presented in this book is really great to know. The history of money in the US before the Fed is also very, very informative. The book explodes many myths that have built up about the Fed, money, gold, the great depression, "free banking" in the US in the 1800s, and many more. He does a good job of outlining what positive changes could come about by getting rid of the Fed, given a sound understanding of economics and history.
The book talks about the excellent Austrian economists, Ludwig Mises, Friedrich Hayek, Murray Rothbard and others. He also does a wonderful job of giving Keynes his due regarding his prescient writing about inflation early in his career, but also the terrible consequences of Keynes' changes to the economics profession during the Great Depression. He had some interesting things to say about Ayn Rand and her ideas too.
I enjoyed the descriptions of his personal experiences with such figures as Alan Greenspan, Ben Bernanke and Paul Volker, even though I was only partly impressed with his verbatim questions to the first two from his US House hearings participation.
I liked the contrast he was able to demonstrate between the economic (and intellectual) climate in the country during his early career (in the mid-late 70s and the more recent events leading up to and during the 2008 economic crisis and Presidential election.
I did see some very minor errors, as well as a focus on the idea of a 100% reserve requirement for banks, which is not by any means an accepted Austrian economic idea. He was clearly influenced on this issue more greatly by Lew Rockwell and Murray Rothbard, than by the critique of this idea by Mises and other Austrian economists, let alone the economics profession in general.
Despite any minor flaws, I heartily recommend this audio book, if you are interested in any of the ideas, people or events mentioned above, and quite a bit more.
I edited this review , fairly lightly, for style and clarity, on 2021-01-16....more
As usual the author's wit and great insights are always a treat. This is about the 5th or 6th book, or more that I have read by James Payne, and they As usual the author's wit and great insights are always a treat. This is about the 5th or 6th book, or more that I have read by James Payne, and they are all hidden gems. If you have a chance to experience this one, you need little time, but it will be greatly rewarded.
Love the little map in the book, showing the key places the author discussed in the story.
I also found a few things I was not too jazzed about:
1. The Chapter 3 discussion of work and play and doing work for free seemed like he missed some of the reasons why some jobs need to be paid and folks can't rely on others doing them for fun/free. Namely, the drudgery/onerousness of simply being there all day, all shift, or of doing other things that are not exactly apparent that also need to be done to make sure the whole job is able to be done over some period of time - weeks, years, decades, etc. I am not trying to slight his valid points about enjoying work and democratic virtues, & most of the things he discusses. But there are reasons why some jobs need to have professionals doing them, in order to have them done well enough to truly satisfy the demand. It does get complicated when government is so involved and the free will/demand of consumers is not apparent however. The lock keeper (full-time paying) job on the Thames certainly is one that seems to be able to be done away with as a full-time job, in any case.
This issue just reminds me too closely of one of my favorite lines in my favorite book by my favorite economist, Ludwig von Mises: Socialism. It's in a footnote on the utopian socialist Charles Fourier:
"Fourier has the distinction of having introduced the fairies into social science. In his future state the children, organized in "Petites Hordes" (small groups), will perform what the adults do not do. To them will be entrusted, amongst other things, maintenance of the roads. " http://www.econlib.org/cgi-bin/search...
I believe Mises was trying to point out the natural onerousness or at least difficulties of paying jobs and that's why they needed to be done by the market for pay, and not in a volunteer/socialist way... by children.
2. In chapter 4 p. 32 Payne says that "No one ever attempts to play a song on the bells." Curious why he excluded carillons, since they can play songs, and I would consider them "bell ringing." I was first exposed to them in college. Here's a brief article about the one where I went to school: http://www.northcountrypublicradio.or...
I even did just about what he did: climbed up the very long, narrow and steep tower ladder to observe the ringers/carillon players. It was an experience I still remember pretty vividly about 35 years later. In looking up "carillon" in wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carillon I notice the exclusion of England from the list of countries that have them! Very strange, but that probably explains why the author knew so much about the quaint English "bell ringing" custom but didn't mention carillons. Maybe in a second edition, he could add a line or two about the difference?
Despite these two somewhat negative points fairly early in the book, which are actually pretty minor compared to the wonderful overall benefits of reading about the trip and observations, I was very much looking forward to more adventures and humor later in the book. The further I read, the more I continued to enjoy Payne's observations about the quaint traditions and peculiarities of the English. From breakfasts to crooked houses to the fate of best laid plans, and so much more, it was such a pleasure.
WONDERFUL. Really a great ending to the book.
Loved the author's exposure of the idiocy of all the government over-staffing and officiousness of the Thames Barrier bureaucrats (for want of a better word). So classic.
More comments on the book, than most may probably want, but what the heck:
1. P. 62 he used the phrase that I first came across in John Kenneth Galbraith's The New Industrial State, which I hate, since it is sooooooo wrong: it was "the exception that proved the rule." Exceptions cannot prove rules. They can be illustrative of exceptions to a rule, but in NO WAY can they prove anything about a rule.
2. Loved his gruesome description of what Henry VIII was really was all about. Loved it!!!! I really hope it affects every reader the way it affected me.
3. P. 146 - It seemed to me that Payne offered a somewhat false dichotomy between the purveyor of a service and the customer. VERY true that when the government is the employer/service provider that the employees tend to be surly and not helpful (as I mentioned in the beginning of my comments). But the impression Payne left here is that ANY provider of a service would tend to be this way. Whereas, private service providers have every incentive to be nice and courteous and helpful. They do not all act that way, of course. We do not live in a perfect world. But at least the system's incentives all line up for them to do so. But government incentives are far different, and hence bureaucrats act badly, so much more often, as well described at the end of the book.
4. p. 120 Love Payne's turns of phrase: "corpulence requiring sustenance." So clever and apt. and p. 138 "... and with her expression grim..." really neat.
5. p. 161 Payne's description of a "paradox, really, how cities, by pushing people ever closer together, can render them more distant." I thought this way for many years too. But it's no paradox at all actually. The people who live in cities just naturally need to build up defensive mechanisms to the massively greater number of actual and potential social interactions they encounter by living in a city. They have to be more "distant" to most encounters with other folks in the city, otherwise they would never be able to get to their own purposes or accomplish their own goals through the day. If they paid attention to every Tom, Dick or Jane passing by who might want to interact with them, they would never have time to do what they needed to do. Not an eloquent or concise statement, by me, but I hope it does ring true with the reader.
6. p. 162 This final statement seems to be at least part of Payne's reason for going on these adventures. To get away from the efficient, often electronic modern world to some extent, and have "the time of your life." I am sure it is why my dad (and many others) love to go out into the woods to hunt ruffed grouse (partridge), or to a lesser extent, play golf. It is, I am sure why many people love to go hiking, backpacking, etc. in the woods, mountains, etc. why we go camping. It's really neat to get away from technology and "modern pressures" sometimes. Or as Dave Rubin says, to "unplug" for a few weeks every summer.
Payne's book is a joyous tribute to the wonderfulness of man, nature and the freedoms that make it all work together so well. Highly recommended little book....more
Wonderful travelogue by a good friend. Really neat stories of kayaking some great American rivers and waterways. Fascinating experiences, humor and huWonderful travelogue by a good friend. Really neat stories of kayaking some great American rivers and waterways. Fascinating experiences, humor and human and environmental observations. His mode of travel and interactions with various people along the way is a real joy to read....more
18 Feb. 2018 I read this book right after it came out about 1988 in the US. It is the American edition of the original South African book from a year o18 Feb. 2018 I read this book right after it came out about 1988 in the US. It is the American edition of the original South African book from a year or so earlier: "South Africa: The Solution." (See my review of that too.)
This book told the ugly truth about Apartheid, what could be done about eliminating it, changing South Africa for the better and making South Africa great. Too bad it's prescriptions were not followed.
Events in South Africa did not turn out as badly as some had feared, but there could have been far fewer problems, far more prosperity and harmony if the suggestions in this book were followed.
The example used in the book of the highly devolved power from the central government to the individual cantons in Switzerland is a great model for any large society that has many disparate cultures, languages and differences of opinion - and what country does not have those?...more
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