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The New Way to Compete: How to Discover Your Personal Competitive Style and Make It Work for You
Harry A. Olson
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ASIN: 066921406X |
Amazon.com
It began with a simple $27 loan. After witnessing the cycle of poverty that kept many poor women enslaved to high-interest loan sharks in Bangladesh, Dr. Muhammad Yunus lent money to 42 women so they could purchase bamboo to make and sell stools. In a short time, the women were able to repay the loans while continuing to support themselves and their families. With that initial eye-opening success, the seeds of the Grameen Bank, and the concept of microcredit, were planted.
After earning a Ph.D. in economics at Vanderbilt University, Dr. Yunus returned to Bangladesh to settle into a life as a professor. But a famine in 1974 ravaged the country, leading Dr. Yunus to alter his thinking and his life profoundly: "What good were all my complex theories when people were dying of starvation on the sidewalks and porches across from my lecture hall?.... Nothing in the economic theories I taught reflected the life around me." Armed with little more than a lofty dream to end the suffering around him, he started an experimental microcredit enterprise in 1977; by 1983 the Grameen Bank was officially formed.
The idea behind the Grameen Bank is ingeniously simple: extend credit to poor people and they will help themselves. This concept strikes at the root of poverty by specifically targeting the poorest of the poor, providing small loans (usually less than $300) to those unable to obtain credit from traditional banks. At Grameen, loans are administered to groups of five people, with only two receiving their money up front. As soon as these two make a few regular payments, loans are gradually extended to the rest of the group. In this way, the program builds a sense of community as well as individual self-reliance. Most of the Grameen Bank's loans are to women, and since its inception, there has been an astonishing loan repayment rate of over 98 percent.
Banker to the Poor is an inspiring memoir of the birth of microcredit, written in a conversational tone that makes it both moving and enjoyable to read. The Grameen Bank is now a $2.5 billion banking enterprise in Bangladesh, while the microcredit model has spread to over 50 countries worldwide, from the U.S. to Papua New Guinea, Norway to Nepal. Ever optimistic, Yunus travels the globe spreading the belief that poverty can be eliminated: "...the poor, once economically empowered, are the most determined fighters in the battle to solve the population problem; end illiteracy; and live healthier, better lives. When policy makers finally realize that the poor are their partners, rather than bystanders or enemies, we will progress much faster that we do today." Dr. Yunus's efforts prove that hope is a global currency. --Shawn Carkonen
Book Description
This autobiography of the world-renowned, visionary economist who came up with a simple but revolutionary solution to end world poverty--micro-credit--has become the classic text for a growing movement.
In 1983 Muhammad Yunus established Grameen, a bank devoted to providing the poorest of Bangladesh with miniscule loans. He aimed to help the poor by supporting the spark of personal initiative and enterprise by which they could lift themselves out of poverty forever. It was an idea born on a day in 1976 when he loaned $27 from his own pocket to forty-two people living in a tiny village. They were stool makers who only needed enough credit to purchase the raw materials for their trade. Yunus's loan helped them break the cycle of poverty and changed their lives forever. His solution to world poverty, founded on the belief that credit is a fundamental human right, is brilliantly simple: loan poor people money on terms that are suitable to them, teach them a few sound financial principles, and they will help themselves.
Yunus's theories work. Grameen Bank has provided 3.8 billion dollars to 2.4 million families in rural Bangladesh. Today, more than 250 institutions in nearly 100 countries operate micro-credit programs based on the Grameen methodology, placing Grameen at the forefront of a burgeoning world movement toward eradicating poverty through micro-lending.
Customer Reviews:
Turning Inspiration into Action.......2007-10-05
Not wanting to repeat the accolades mentioned in the reviews posted I would like to instead share how reading this book and meeting Yunus was a catalyst to some actions I took both on a personal and professional level. The intent is not self promotion or to showcase my efforts. Instead, I am providing ideas and addressing those of you who may find, as I did, that after finishing the last page you are left with a desire to do something. The dilemma was what could I do ......I am not a bank or live in a developing country. I did give copies of the book to friends, colleagues and family but I wanted to do something more concrete. Well, with micro finance "on my radar" I took some actions both on a personal and professional level that I hope are making a difference and are in some ways increasing the visibility and awareness of micro financing.
First a little background and comments on the book.....I had the great honor of meeting Muhammad Yunus shortly after he received the Nobel Peace prize in 2006 at an event in Paris sponsored by Planet Finance. Yunus is truly an inspirational person, charismatic in a subtle way, who has touched the lives of many. His enthusiasm is contagious. The book Banker to the Poor is a fascinating read.... humorous, touching and informational as it traces the evolution of the micro finance model from concept (starting with Yunus lending the equivalent of $27 to stool makers) to what it is today with over 7.2 million clients. What resonates with me is the idea of lending versus aid dumps from the World Bank, UN, NGO's and charity organizations. I don't want to discount the millions given as direct charity to the needy but the concept of micro finance creates a sense of pride and responsibility not to mention innovation and creativity. Micro finance can also generate incremental improvement versus charity or outright donations which, in many cases dries up, is short term and results in dependence instead of empowerment.
Some actions I took:
* I became aware of KIVA (www.kiva.org) an organization that facilitates micro loans (as little as $25) from individuals like you and I to a specific entrepreneur in a developing world empowering them to lift themselves out of poverty. These individuals are in fact showcased on the site where you can see a picture and read about the entrepreneur you have chosen. KIVA is founded by an impressive team of "Social Entrepreneurs". Using technology, KIVA brings the lenders and borrowers together and provides an online community for lenders who are also showcased on the site. Involving my daughter (10) in the decision process we are lending to an entrepreneur in Samoa, so she can buy timber to improve her greenhouse for her flower business.
* As President of my alumni association (Thunderbird) I organized an event around Micro Financing with the Managing Director of Planet Rating, a microfinance rating agency, as a guest speaker.
* At a university in Paris I run a project based course involving teams of MBA students. Proposing a project related to micro finance the students were enthusiastic and completed a study on micro finance in Europe.
* Professionally, I work with individuals in career transition and entrepreneurs in helping them to identify their unique strengths and values and message their brand appropriately both online and offline. Fundamentally, I find that people have a social conscious and want to do something concrete. To this end I suggest lending to a KIVA entrepreneur as a way to concretely incorporate a social conscious into their brand.
* As part of my involvement in a Global Telesummit entitled a Brand You World www.personalbrandingsummit.com I am involved in raising $100,000 in loans for KIVA entrepreneurs in the developing world. Incidentally, Kiva was featured on Oprah and is mentioned in Clinton's book "Giving".
Having shared how I was inspired by reading this book I would be more then interested in hearing how it inspired you and what actions you took.
Bernadette
Bernadette Martin
www.visibilitybranding.com
Enlightening work.......2007-08-12
Muhammad Yunus believed that every human being had a basic right to credit. He believed in the human spirit and peoples' hard work and honesty when given a chance to sustain themselves above poverty. His accomplishments have proven his theory over and over in several countries to millions of people. Micro-lending will surely be a part of the future success in Africa, Asia, and South America. A modified form of Mr. Yunus' model has worked in the USA, unfortunately, we as Americans aren't schooled nor molded to be basic entrepreneurs. We must change our school systems from teaching how to become good employees to how to become entrepreneurs as well. Mr. Yunus' model includes 5 person groups to help each other and support each other when one gets behind in loan repayments and/or family crisis. This is a very important requirement to micro-lending and must not be excluded when trying to duplicate the success of the Grameen Bank.
Thank goodness we have people in our world like Muhammad Yunus to teach us how to treat other human beings.
Poverty should be extinct!.......2007-08-09
This book is a testament to the good one can do to millions of people!
Poverty belongs in museums! One day, thanks to humanitarians like Muhammad Yunus, poverty will be something of the past and totally extinct, and the next generation will wonder how poverty was ever allowed to exist within our midst. Indeed that will be a glorious day!
Professor Yunus recounts his early life living in India, Bangladesh, and then in the United States. He was born in 1940 in British-ruled India. He was one of fourteen children born to devout Muslim parents. His mother was often ill, but despite this, his father never left her. Yunus later obtained a scholarship to study in the States, earned a Ph.D. in economics at Vanderbilt University, and later became a professor. He once commented to his students, "What good were all my complex theories when people were dying of starvation on the sidewalks and porches across from my lecture hall? Nothing in the economic theories I taught reflected the life around me."
As a young man he was very involved in the independence of Bangladesh when hundreds of thousands died, and many more after Bangladesh declared itself independent. The country was devastated, and stripped of its natural resources. Professor Yunus quickly left the US and headed to Bangladesh in order to help create a government, and thus get international help and support.
He was very concerned about the poor, and decided to help them. He was surprised why banks did not lend them money. Also the majority of the poor couldn't write or read, so they couldn't even fill out the forms required by banks in order to obtain a loan.
Grameen Bank (The name means the "bank of the village") was thus started in 1976 as an experimental project to combat rural poverty by providing credit to the very poor. Professor Yunus loaned $27 from his own pocket to forty-two stool makers living in a tiny village. These women only needed enough credit to purchase the raw materials for their trade. Yunus's small loan helped them break the cycle of poverty for good. Throughout the book you'll read of many such success stories.
Professor Yunus faced a lot of obstacles in creating his bank. He was accused by the Muslim clergy (Mullahs) of wanting to destroy Islamic traditions, and of promoting Christian values in Bangladesh. Some of his staff were even threatened. This was due to the fact that the bank encourages women to take loans and work, something of a taboo and highly unacceptable to Muslim women living in Bangladesh. In fact, many women were beaten by their husbands for the mere mention of money, let alone taking a loan. Women were also not encouraged to receive an education or work. Professor Yunus says, "All her life she has been told that she is no good, that she brings only misery to her family, and that they cannot afford to pay her dowry. Many times she hears her mother or her father tell her she should have been killed at birth, aborted, or starved. But today, for the first time in her life, an institution has trusted her with a great sum of money. She promises that she will never let down the institution or herself. She will struggle to make sure that every penny is paid back (65)."
In 1983 Grameen Bank (GB) was officially established. It is unique in that it has reversed conventional banking practices by removing the need for collateral and created a banking system based on mutual trust. It promotes credit as a human right. Its mission is to help the poor families to help themselves to overcome poverty by issuing them with microcredits (very small amounts, like $7, something a conventional bank would never do). It is offered for creating self-employment for income-generating activities and housing, as opposed to consumption. It is particularly targeted towards poor women. It provides service at the door-step of the poor based on the principle that the people should not go to the bank; the bank should go to the people. This principal is helpful in a Muslim society where women are not allowed to leave their homes without the approval of their husband, and are not allowed to speak with men.
In order to obtain loans a borrower must join a group of borrowers, with each borrower recommending another. If one member of the group defaults on payment of his loan, then the whole group is denied further loans! However, to encourage destitute members to join, he/she does not have to belong to a group, no saving is necessary, no weekly repayment is necessary, his/her loan terms are decided by him/her, in consultation with his/her mentor.
A member is considered to have moved out of poverty if her family fulfills the following criteria:
1. The family lives in a house worth at least Tk. 25,000 (twenty five thousand) or a house with a tin roof, and each member of the family is able to sleep on bed instead of on the floor.
2. Family members drink pure water.
3. All children in the family over six years of age go to school or have finished primary school.
4. Minimum weekly loan installment of the borrower is Tk. 200 or more.
5. Family uses sanitary latrine.
6. Family has adequate clothing for everyday use and for winter, and mosquito-nets.
7. Family has sources of additional income, such as a vegetable garden, so that they are able to fall back on these sources of income when they need additional money.
8. The borrower maintains an average annual balance of Tk. 5,000 in his/her savings accounts.
9. Family has three square meals a day throughout the year. No member of the family goes hungry any time of the year.
10. If any member of the family falls ill, family can afford to take all necessary steps to seek adequate healthcare.
Professor Yunus distrusted dealing with the World Bank. According to professor Yunus, the world bank, with its headquarters away from Bangladesh, does not see poverty, but relies on theories. He also was wary of how they took full control of a country's financial needs.
There were a number of major natural disasters in Bangladesh. The 1998 flood was the worst of all. Half of the country was under flood-water for ten long weeks. Grameen borrowers lost most of their possessions including their houses because of the flood. Soon borrowers started to feel the burden of accumulated loans. They found the new installment sizes exceeded their capacity to repay. Grameen Bank repayment started to show quick decline. This was a good opportunity to design a new Grameen methodology, incorporating all the lessons learnt. As a result, Grameen Bank II was created.
The bank believes that the poor always pay back their loans, unlike the very rich. On some occasions they may take longer time to pay back than it was originally stipulated. Many things can go wrong for a poor person during the loan period. According to professor Yunus, since the borrower is paying additional interest for the extra time, where is the problem?
Grameen Bank has introduced higher education loans for all students who can enter into the higher educational institutions (medical, engineering, etc). Students are made responsible to repay the loans when they start earning. Half the scholarships are reserved for girl students. The remaining 50 per cent is open for both boys and girls. Each year Grameen Bank gives out 3,704 scholarships.
Grameen believes that poverty is not created by the poor; it is created by the institutions and policies which surround them. In order to eliminate poverty, all we need to do is to make appropriate changes in the institutions and policies, and/or create new ones.
Muhammad Yunus and his Grameen Bank of Bangladesh won the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize.
As of May, 2007, Grameen Bank had 7.21 million borrowers, 97 percent of whom are women. With 2431 branches, it provides services in 78,659 villages, covering more than 94 percent of the total villages in Bangladesh.
About 3 billion people live on less than $1 per day. Professor Yunus' vision is of eliminating poverty by 2050.
This is really a fascinating book and I highly recommend it.
Great for those interested in poverty relief/development.......2007-08-07
After reading, we bought multiple copies to give away to colleagues working in various capacities in poor areas of the world. Yunus' ideas and experience need to be examined and considered. This is no World Bank/UN/WMF big program aid-dump, but a reasonable, realistic, measured path from poverty to empowerment for the world's poor.
Lateral Banking.......2007-07-03
Learn how limiting entrenched Eurocentric thinking can be. Be inspired by the lateral thinking of Muhammad Yunus! A heartwarming read with just a touch too much description of the complexities of beaurocracy, but a must read nevertheless.
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El Banquero De Los Pobres/ Banker of the Poor: Los Microcreditos y la Batalla COntra la Pobreza en el Mundo / Micro Lending and the Battle Against World ... (Estado Y Sociedad / State and Society)
Muhammad Yunus
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friggin nuggins.......2004-06-07
smoke bud
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Wonderful World of Hemp!.......2002-10-05
I believe that this book is a wonderful resource in learning the truth and facts about hemp. You wouldn't believe everything that this plant can do for you and the planet. If you find this to be wrong because of what you heard, try reading this and you will learn the truth,and will wonder why the government has been keeping this plant illegal even with all of its resourses that it has for us to use. I have learned a lot from this guy and I really would like to thank him for all his dedication and efforts to making it legal! Also try his video too! Very Useful!!!!
The View of Scholars.......2002-08-08
Historians strongly disagree with this book's claim to be an "authoritative historical" work: there is very little 'history' here. As a researcher myself, I would make the following brief comments on a mere handful of the book's distortions to serve as examples: 1) There was no accusation of cannabis possession or other drug usage in the trial of Joan of Arc: the transcript of that trial is one of those which I myself have translated from the original manuscripts, and no such charge is listed anywhere in either set of articles against her (not in the initial 70 articles nor in the final 12), nor was it ever mentioned in the course of the trial; the author simply made that up. There was never any suggestion that she used cannabis to produce her "voices": instead, her judges claimed (in Article XI of the final set) that the beings which she identified as angels and saints might be fallen angels instead.
2) The oft-cited claim that the presence of "unique" THC receptors is evidence of some sort of crucial link between human evolution and pot usage shows a profound misunderstanding of the way such receptors work: they do not typically bind only with a single "unique" substance, and in fact the receptors with which THC interacts (CB1, CB2, and an interaction with the opiate receptor which is still under study) were designed for chemicals in the body (anandamide and 2-arachidonoyl-glycerol); the opiate receptor was designed to react to endorphins and similar chemicals in the body. Just as certain drugs happen to bind with the opiate receptor due to a chance similarity in molecular structure, THC binds with CB1 because its structure happens to be just close enough to "fit". Arsenic and other poisons happen to interact with certain sites in the body for the same reason; presumably, we will now have to deal with the claim that the body was designed to consume arsenic, too.
3) Medieval books were expensive because they had to be painstakingly hand-written (and later, printed using a clumsy and laborious process), not because of any ban against paper, hemp-based or otherwise. This should hardly need to be said.
4) While the author is correct in saying that the ancient Scythians (for example) did use a cannabis-based substance, there seems to be a persistent attempt to add other ancient cultures to the list by deliberate distortion of the context (such as misinterpreting certain Hebrew words in order to claim that early Jews and Christians were using cannabis, too).
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ASIN: 0932551114 |
Customer Reviews:
LEGALIZE MARIJUANA, FOR A TOMORROW!!.......2004-04-19
This book is a very usefull book to anyone who has ever lived in america long enough to know some scholar is full of it. And maybe just maybe if enough people realize that the real drug problem is not the drugs . But ITS ignorance torwards the truth, People who who care about this planet and the reality of the situation, should know is the worst thing, and the only way you will die is if you are one of the lucky 750,000 americans are arrested for marijuana every year. While people can say all sorts of HORRIBLE things about it, THEY probably CANT PROVE IT, And if the could, the negative would not out weigh the positive. Jack CAN AND has proved that no one has ever died from smoking or eating it, or ever will after the end of its much needed and long overdue. And not to mention the undeniably the worst EIGHTY YEARS of prohibation of lies for money (no one wants that right) and money and more money.
ITS TIME FOR THE THE DESTRUCTION TO STOP, HELP SAVE YOUR PLANET IF YOU REALLY DO CARE AT ALL ABOUT LIFE IN GENERAL[!]
Herer's "Hemp and the Marijuana Conspiracy".......2002-08-21
It's hard to know where to begin with this book. The author's claims about the medical / health issues concerning marijuana are contradicted by the AMA's own journal and similar medical publications, which have numerous articles proving the harmful effects of marijuana and opposing its "medicinal" use; the book's "history" section is largely fictional; in the sections on industrial hemp the author ignores the fact that we already have organic substances for all the uses which he suggests for hemp, and throughout the book he deliberately tries to blur the distinction between industrial (non-narcotic) hemp and (narcotic) marijuana - two different variations of the same plant, as even pro-hemp sources emphasize; the author then includes the industrial uses of the former as an argument for legalizing both. To cover but a few points:
1) Concerning history - Just as a sample of the numerous deliberate distortions: No allegation of drug use was ever made at Joan of Arc's trial: you won't find it in the transcript nor in any of the eyewitness accounts. Similarly, the book tries to turn the War of 1812 into a "hemp war", whereas it was primarily fought over British maritime policies, disputes over the Northwest Territories, and so forth. Every historical subject imaginable - from the Inquisition to bookmaking to warship construction - is rewritten to serve the author's purposes.
2) Concerning the medical issues - Here are some samples of what the medical literature actually says about marijuana: articles in the Journal of the American Medical Association and other such publications, by researchers such as Keith Green, Nadia Solowij, Robert S. Stephens, Roger A. Roffman, etc, have cited studies showing the damage to brain function that results from marijuana use; the toxic effects of marijuana on the body; evidence of physical dependence; and recommendations against using marijuana (especially the smoked form) for medicinal use - a point which has been echoed by a great many doctors who have denounced the use of so-called "medical marijuana clubs", sometimes comparing it to a policy of sending patients to heroin dens rather than giving them medically-prepared morphine (it must be remembered that medically-approved THC has long been available in tablet form, and a spray form is either available now or will be soon, undermining the claims that medically-useful THC can "only" be obtained from marijuana use). Studies conducted by the Jonsson Cancer Center and other institutions have found that marijuana smoke contains more carcinogens than even tobacco smoke, made still worse by THC's known tendency to encourage cancerous tumor growth. A recent IOM report rejected the popular notion that marijuana is useful in treating glaucoma, Parkinson's disease and Huntington's disease. Researchers at the Symposium on Cannabinoids (La Grande Motte, France, 23-25 July 1998) cited research showing that marijuana's active ingredient weakens the immune system, meaning (among other things) that it could actually harm AIDS patients rather than helping them, by further crippling their already weakened immune response; long-term cannabis users experience marked impairment to the crucial frontal lobe of the brain; studies have shown that physical addiction does in fact occur with marijuana usage. The list can go on.
Similarly, Herer's claims about the significance of THC's interaction with receptor sites is profoundly ignorant: after all, heroin happens to interact with opioid receptors, and yet no sane person would make Herer-style claims about heroin. While we're at it, arsenic affects the glucocorticoid receptor. This is by accident, not "design", and THC has now been proven to merely have an accidental ability to bind with receptors designed for anandamide.
3) Concerning the industrial applications of hemp: the author merely cites various uses which other organic-based materials already fill - from corn-based Ethanol to soy-based products - meaning that his grandiose claim that hemp is the "only one" that can solve environmental problems is ludicrous. The notion that hemp is the next miracle food crop is on a par with the 1980s hype regarding the potential use of algae and seaweed as the next staple foods. Additionally, the tired conspiracy theory regarding the various plots against industrial hemp ignores the crux of the current debate, which centers around concerns by law enforcement that legalizing hemp would make enforcement of marijuana laws difficult (which is apparently Herer's main goal). Ironically, some pro-hemp organizations that oppose marijuana use are now working with law enforcement to provide easy methods of distinguishing between the two plants, thereby providing a way to keep marijuana illegal while still allowing the legal cultivation of industrial (i.e., non-narcotic) hemp. I wonder if Herer would still promote the latter if its legalization would not impact anti-marijuana laws?
4) Herer has trotted out arguments by people such as Terrence McKenna (and similar authors) on the alleged use of marijuana by "virtually all religions", even those which actually forbid the use of any mind-altering substance; he then tries to claim that this is the view taken by "virtually all" researchers. Drug activists like McKenna and the pop authors who quote from such people are not the same as reputable scholars [such as Spiros Zodhiates, Warren Baker, Henry Halley, etc]: no translator or reputable scholar would support the claims made in this book about the Bible's alleged 'promotion' of pot usage, nor similar notions about its use by the ancient Jews and so forth.
The problem with Herer's approach, on numerous subjects, is that he tends to read only those authors who take the view that he wants to believe, and then tries to claim that such is promoted by the medical or academic community as a whole, while inventing fiction to fill the many gaps in his knowledge. The book is marketed as "authoritative", when in truth it's not even accurate.
Legalize marijuana now!.......2002-05-05
The Authoritative Historical Record of the Cannabis Plant, Marijuana Prohibition, & How Hemp Can Still Save The World. Updated & Expanded 1995 Edition, 10th printing. Includes: Uses of Hemp, The Last Days of Legal Cannabis, Medical Literature on Marijuana, The Sociology of Cannabis Use, Prejudice & Marijuana, Half Century of Suppression, Debunking Gutter Science, and much, much more. The historical and present day importance of this book cannot be overstated. This is an amazing book. If this information is new to you, it could change your life forever! An invaluble reference tool for anyone interested in the hemp and marijuana plants. The Best Book Catalog In The World gives this book their very highest rating. I would have to agree. Read it myself time, after time, cover to cover. The Bible of honest information about marijuana. The polar opposite of what you will hear from most government officials. Interestingly, "The view of scholars" review below offers no alternative research materials for hemp or cannabis. Could it be that the anonymous reviewer is an anti-pot zealot? Herer does not, "Suddenly reclassify smoked marijuana as food." Cannabis, when eaten, is a food. Duh!...Cannabis prohibition is no more moral than alcohol prohibition. Legalize! Large softcover, 260 pages.
The View of Scholars.......2000-12-02
Historians strongly disagree with this book's claim to be an "authoritative historical" work: there is very little 'history' here. As a researcher myself, I would make the following brief comments on a mere handful of the book's distortions to serve as examples: 1) There was no accusation of cannabis possession or other drug usage in the trial of Joan of Arc: the transcript of that trial is one of those which I myself have translated from the original manuscripts, and no such charge is listed anywhere in either set of articles against her (not in the initial 70 articles nor in the final 12), nor was it ever mentioned in the course of the trial; the author simply made that up. There was never any suggestion that she used cannabis to produce her "voices": instead, her judges claimed (in Article XI of the final set) that the beings which she identified as angels and saints might be fallen angels instead. 2) The oft-cited claim that the presence of "unique" THC receptors is evidence of some sort of crucial link between human evolution and pot usage shows a profound misunderstanding of the way such receptors work: they do not typically bind only with a single "unique" substance, and in fact one of the receptors which reacts to THC is the same one which also reacts to heroin and similar opiates as well as to substances within the body called endorphins, which the receptor was specifically designed for; opiates and THC happen to bind with this receptor for much the same reason that arsenic and other poisons happen to interact with certain sites in the body. Presumably, we will now have to deal with the claim that the body was designed to consume arsenic, too. 3) Medieval books were expensive because they had to be painstakingly hand-written (and later, printed using a clumsy and laborious process), not because of any ban against paper, hemp-based or otherwise. This should hardly need to be said. 4) While the author is correct in saying that the ancient Scythians (for example) did use a cannabis-based drug (hashish), there seems to be a persistent attempt to add other ancient cultures to the list by deliberately mistranslating words such as the Chinese "ma" (which means "flax"), or to confuse non-narcotic uses of hemp with narcotic uses of cannabis, or to mistranslate certain Hebrew words in order to claim that early Jews and Christians were drug users, too. 4) In another obvious gaff, the book tries to claim that the Bible (of all things) supports pot usage by deliberately misinterpreting certain English translations (such as the one which uses an archaic definition of the word "herb" to translate Hebrew words such as "zara'on", which means "vegetable"), or by taking out of context Paul's comments about Jewish dietary laws (which banned certain meats, such as pork, which were common in the Greek-speaking world in which Paul was trying to win converts; hence the statement that any "creature" or "animal" ("ktisma" in the Greek version of the original manuscripts) is valid for consumption. Marijuana is not an "animal", although I've literally seen people try to argue that it somehow qualifies as such in order to support the author's views on this particular subject). A similar argument is invoked when dealing with a passage preaching against the outlawing of foods, with smoked marijuana suddenly being reclassified as a "food" in this case so the claim can be made that the Bible is hostile to current drug laws, all the while ignoring the passages which specifically forbid people to be under the influence of any narcotic substance. The list can go on.
It's hard to know what to say in summary to a book like this: as many scholars have pointed out, it's little more than fiction and fluff, and certainly does not qualify as "history" in any sense of the term.
The truths shocked me! My views have been changed forever.........1997-11-24
I was so moved by this book that I wanted to speak to the author.
Moved even more by the story of why Jack continues his quest to supply the facts.
I now purchase random copies of any Emperor release and give them to people less likely to read this material.
I believe that everyone capable of understanding the environmental issues facing mankind, should have this book on their required reading list.
Each new release just exhibits the information and facts that much better.
Someday this information could very well be as crucial to us as the bible.
I can't wait for the 1998 updated.
Special Thanks, to Jack and his associates and research assistants, and especially to Jack's friend to whom he promised to continue their mutual quest to enlighten the world about this conveniently unspoken conspiracy.
Customer Reviews:
An Anthropologists Delight!!.......2003-08-20
In this book,Christopher Janus tells about an endless search for several chests of 400,000 year old bones that were the remains of hunters and berrypickers found in China but were unfortunately lost during the Japanese occupation of WW2 there.This book is an Anthropologists delight and is highly recommended!!
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