The Evil Dead Companion

Book Description

Don't you see, Ash, they're alive!In the dank cellar of a dilapidated cabin tucked away in a great forest, there is a book, bound in human skin, and filled with incantations writ in blood. To read the words therein is to release a hideously unspeakable force....The Evil DeadRigorously made on an almost absent budget in the backwoods of Tennessee, the film was a phenomenal success - the true definition of "cult film" -- launching the careers of its director, Sam Raimi; producer, Bob Tapert; and star, Bruce Campbell. It also spawned two deliriously different and wildly inventive sequels, The Evil Dead II: Dead by Dawn and Army of Darkness, which have won over legions of fright-fans around the globe. At last, acclaimed film critic Bill Warren takes us on a no-holds-barred behind-the-scenes tour of the making of the three films, including exclusive interviews with key cast and crew; rare and previously unpublished photographs, storyboards, and concept sketches; harrowing tales of hardship, discomfort, and practical jokes; and much more. Enough to keep any puss-oozing deadite drooling through the night.Join us!

Customer Reviews:

Definately entertaining for Raimi and Campbell fans particularly..........2007-04-16

This book is very well written with a great deal of humor to keep it from dragging. It's quite heavily 'Evil Dead'-centric, although the treatment of 'Evil Dead II' and 'Army of Darkness' are still highly entertaining. If you are a fan of any of the movies, or any of the key actors or crew (ie. mainly Bruce Campbell or Sam Raimi), you'll find this quite amusing. I am finding quite a bit of overlap between this book and Bruce Campbell's "If Chins Could Kill," but not enough to damage my enjoyment of either one. As a huge Ted Raimi fan, I thought this book was worth buying simply for the three paragraph or so description of how his older brothers used to torment him as a child...Chinese water torture, anyone?? The pictures are also spectacular; black-and-white never hurt anyone before. They give a lot of good behind-the-scenes expressions that would be totally missing if you only watch the movies. Plus, who wouldn't love photos of all the major players as cute little pre-teens... Overall, this book was well worth what I payed for it, and will provide endless reading and re-reading hours of enjoyment.

Evil Dead Companion.......2007-02-20

If you're an Evil Dead fan then you'll like this one. Interesting reading.

If you're an Evil Dead fan, you will enjoy this book.......2004-03-23

The Evil Dead Companion is about the movie, Evil Dead. If you haven't seen it, you should see Evil Dead II (funnier and not quite as disturbing). Then, if you're drunk, see Army of Darkness. Then come back to this review -- it won't make much sense otherwise.

In the bookstore, I picked up the Evil Dead Companion, flipped through it, and put it back down. It seemed mildly interesting, but it didn't have enough to hold my attention. I forgot about it.

Then for Christmas, lo and behold, Maleficent bought it for me. So I figured it'd be worth a good read, especially in fleshing out my D20 Modern supplement, Evil Dead: Swallow This! If you don't know what that is, 1) shame on you, 2) visit my web site for more details.

Bill Warren's a fan of Raimi and Bruce and co. A big fan. In fact, he's so much of a fan, there's a slant to the material that wasn't quite hard-hitting enough for my tastes. I submit this evidence at the end of the book:

These guys from Detroit are among the most decent, likeable people this writer has ever met, and it has been an enormous pleasure, one of the greatest of my professional life, to have been associated with them.
Okay, WHOA. I really like Bruce Campbell. When I finally do meet him, I'll proably make a stuttering idiot of myself. But come on now. Even if this is true, and I'm sure it is, would you be quite so effusive with the praise?

Also, a good chunk of the book -- pages 180 through 251 -- is a summary of the script with commentary from Bruce. Some if it's interesting. Some of it is irritating in its lack of specifics. It's not the REAL script, it's a summary.

But I'm griping about things that ultimately should be meaningless to a true-blue (true-red?) fan of Evil Dead. The book actually is more about the first movie, Evil Dead, than Evil Dead II and Army of Darkness because...well because that's what Sam and Bruce wanted to talk about most.

The stories are funny. Sam takes a wicked glee in abusing Bruce. And the early days of filming were hell -- literally and cinematically. The behind the scenes stuff is interesting.

The writer makes a half-hearted attempt to make the book an inspirational tale. The idea being that if Sam can do it, you can do it. But that isn't true at all. These friends were all connected to other people who were hell-bent on making movies too. In short, the average hopeful filmmaker is probably NOT working with a bunch of other guys who were ultimately making it on their own. In my experience, the average filmmaker is a kid in a basement trying to film stuff on his own. Sam and Bruce were talented guys with a level of desperation and daring most sane people aren't willing to go. And oh yeah, they don't appear to have had long-term relationships at the time either.

The book's becoming rapidly outdated. I checked all the web sites listed in the back and over 50% of them are gone. The game mentioned, Hail to the King, came and went.

In short, if you're an Evil Dead fan, you will enjoy this book. A lot of the quotes are taken from other sources vs. interviewing (I can write a book that way too, duh), but there's enough hidden gems that make it worthwhile. If you're not that big a fan, this book will probably bore you pretty quickly.

Your Evil Dead Source.......2003-06-02

As a fan of the Evil Dead movies, I felt like I had to buy this book.. because it's the only Evil Dead Trilogy source I knew of..
Unfortunately, the book is all black and white, no colored pictures except for the cover and back cover.
The book is focused on the first film (which is, in my opinion, the best), but it covers the other ones too.. Unfortunately, I think an awesome trilogy like Evil Dead diserved a better book, with colored pictures and this kind of stuff... The pros are basically that it's the only Evil Dead Movies-only book in here; the cons are mainly because of the black-and-white-only pictures, and because almost half of this book is a transcription of the crew's comments for the movies (which are taken from the serie's DVDs), and this is a waste..
But, as Evil Dead fans, I think we should all buy it...

A wonderful look at the first movie in need of an update........2003-02-25

It really says something about the quality of this book when most of the reviews can only grumble about that lack of color pictures, or the lack of in depth study given to Evil Dead II: Dead by Dawn and Army of Darkness. While the lack of color pictures did not bother me at all, the rather abbreviated look at the making of the two sequels (as well as Raimi's other movies) left me wanting, especially in comparison to the wonderful amount of information in the first half on how this tightly knit team of friends became one of the most beloved cult movie producers of the 1980s and 1990s. Quite literally the books reads like a fly on the wall look at the filmmakers baptism by fire, then it shifts gears to..."and they went on to make this, this, and this and lived happily ever after." A little more depth and time about the professional differences in making Dead II and Army of Darkness from the first movie would have been rewarding. Not helping are the concluding chapters which offer nothing but detailed descriptions of the on screen action in the ED trilogy with parenthetical comments by Bruce Campbell. Author Bill Warren refers to it as a DVD commentary on paper. To this reader it just felt like padding. Nonetheless, more than a few fans will find reflections of themselves in this group of movie makers to be and I don't think any admirer of Raimi and Company will want to do without it. Highly recommended.

Customer Reviews:

Hurok and British Pomp and Ceremony.......2000-03-24

I found it disappointing that a bio on Hurok did not contain more about one of Sol's most interesting contributions. In the early 1950s Sol Hurok went to the Edinburgh International festival where he saw the world famous Edinburgh Military tattoo. In this martial spectacle is a parade of scottish regimental bands and massed pipes and drums along with other British army bands. With Edinburgh Castle as a backdrop to the show, Hurok was duely impressed. With an eye for spectacles and for showcasing new and different kinds of talent, Hurok wondered how such a show would fair in the US. He decided to take a chance, and in the fall of 1955 booked a coast to coast USA tour of the regimental band and massed pipes and drum of the Scots Guards. Everyone thought it was "Hurok's Folly" that a bagpipe based show would never go in 1950s America. But Hurok had a sixth sense for knowing what audiences might like and he gambled his reputation on the venture. To everyone's amazement the show was a big hit. Across the country the Scots Guards were hailed as the goodwill ambassadors of Britian. Audiences thrilled to the martial music, the massed pipes and drums, the authentic Highland Dancing, and the intricate marching and counter marching. Nothing like this had been seen in north America before and people loved it. Sol Hurok had established the British regimental band tour, and each year after he brought over several British bands on tour. The Scots Guards returned, and in subsequent years the Black Watch, the Royal Highland Fusiliers and Coldstream Guards, among others, were brought on tour, each recieving great Appluase. Hurok established a tradition that continues to this day, Yet, this is scarcely mentioned in this bio of him. Although perhaps not as well known as his opera and ballet shows, still I believe this venture, which was so typical of Hurok's style and judegment, should have received better coverage in this book. It is unfortunate that it did not. Still, this is a worthy bio of the man who deserves a lot of credit for artisitic development in this country.

Book Description

What are tire houses? Who builds them? How do they do it? Will I see the tires when the house is finished? How weird are they? Can I do it myself? You'll find the answers to these questions and more in this book that "Earth Quarterly" called "...an excellent addition to the library of any potential tire house builder, offering a wealth of unique ideas that can jump-start you to getting up, getting out, and building that sucker!" And the "Albuquerque Journal" said: "Better keep this one on the night table; you'll probably want to refer to it as you build a home or an addition to one." Using "landfill" tires and a revolutionary process, houses are being built that are both revolutionary and evolutionary--Michael Reynolds builds self-sufficient EarthshipsT, and Ed Paschich builds traditional homes using tires for the exterior walls. This book will tell you how you can be more responsible when you build a home, improve a home, or add a garden. You'll learn about constructed wetlands, solar air conditioning, and xeriscape landscaping. It's all here with many illustrations and photographs. Ed Paschich, artisan and master custom builder, is the owner of Passage Construction Company, Inc., in Corrales, New Mexico. Ed and his father, Jack, formed the company in 1976 and Ed has been building passive solar adobe homes in the high desert of the American Southwest ever since. Paula Hendricks is a well-known writer and photographer. Her own line of museum quality notecards featuring her photographic images are sold internationally.

Customer Reviews:

The Tire House Book.......2007-01-23

Not as helpful or informative as I had expected and hoped for. It could have done with more detail on the actual construction of a tire house.

The Tire House.......2006-11-10

Good general reference on building a house from tires. Well organized, concise. A "work in progress" and seems to get better with each adition.

Passion and Integrity.......2001-02-25

I have been fortunate enough to meet Ed Paschich and hear how passionate he is about protecting the planet and building with a focus on cost, aesthetics, and ecological responsibility. In my opinion, he is a builder and designer before his time that has an understanding of the long-term needs of our ecosystems that deserves far more exploration and respect.

This book and his one on straw bale design are well written and intelligently conceived. The images are beautiful and the words inspirational. I would recommend this to anyone with an eye to sustainability and habitat-preservation, even if they are not yet considering building their own home.

Book Description

What forces lead to democracy's creation? Why does it sometimes consolidate only to collapse at other times? Written by two of the foremost authorities on this subject in the world, this volume develops a framework for analyzing the creation and consolidation of democracy. It revolutionizes scholarship on the factors underlying government and popular movements toward democracy or dictatorship. Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson argue that different social groups prefer different political institutions because of the way they allocate political power and resources. Their book, the subject of a four-day seminar at Harvard's Center for Basic Research in the Social Sciences, was also the basis for the Walras-Bowley lecture at the joint meetings of the European Economic Association and Econometric Society in 2003 and is the winner of the John Bates Clark Medal.

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This book develops a framework for analyzing the creation and consolidation of democracy. Different social groups prefer different political institutions because of the way they allocate political power and resources. Thus democracy is preferred by the majority of citizens, but opposed by elites. Dictatorship nevertheless is not stable when citizens can threaten social disorder and revolution. In response, when the costs of repression are sufficiently high and promises of concessions are not credible, elites may be forced to create democracy. By democratizing, elites credibly transfer political power to the citizens, ensuring social stability. Democracy consolidates when elites do not have strong incentives to overthrow it. These processes depend on the strength of civil society, the structure of political institutions, the nature of political and economic crises, the level of economic inequality, the structure of the economy, and the form and extent of globalization.

Customer Reviews:

A beginning.......2006-10-04

My opinion on this book lies some where between the two already presented. The application of economics and game theory to this problem is most definitely original and is the greatest achievement of the book. It is a tribute to the authors that such a simple model that so ruthless applies Occam's razor can explain so much, however the work is flawed it simply does not reflect reality. The reasons behind democratisations are more complex than this model, as powerful as it is, can reflect. This book and the model developed within should be viewed as beginning which other works can develop and expand upon. I have no doubt that economists will continue to contibute to this field with more advanced and better models. For this reason alone political scientists and historians should not ignore this text, but rather accept it for what it is a new way of looking at an old problem.

Wielding Occam's Razor.......2006-02-28

Economists are turning their focus of inquiry to subjects that were once the exclusive preserve of their colleagues in other social sciences--history, sociology, and political science. The title of this book, "Economic Origins of Dictatorship and Democracy," appears to have been deliberately, even provocatively, chosen for contrast with its famous predecessor, "Social Origins of Dictatorship and Democracy," by the sociologist Barrington Moore. It is as if the economists are saying, "You've had your go. It is now our turn."

One thing follows when economists have a go: Occam's razor is wielded ruthlessly. Occam's razor is the principle associated with a medieval Franciscan monk, William of Ockham, which extols simplicity over complexity: in his words, "plurality should not be posited without necessity." This has, over time, become an important principle in distinguishing good from less-good science, useful from less-useful descriptions of reality.

Acemoglu and Robinson take this cut-the-chaff exhortation to heart. A few simple and sharp answers are provided even for the complex and difficult questions that are at the heart of the book: why and how does democracy arise? Why and how does democracy take root in some places at some times, while making only cameo appearances in others?

Acemoglu and Robinson daringly reduce the determinants of democratization to three or perhaps four: the level of inequality in society; the structure of the economy (i.e. whether it is predominantly agrarian or otherwise); the kind of assets owned by the elites; and the extent of globalization.

It is remarkable how many historical experiences-in Latin America, Europe, and Africa-- can be explained by the simple theory put forward by the authors. For example, Argentina's frequent lurching between various forms democracy and autocracy follow neatly from the high levels of inequality, which made the elites very resistant to democratization and the consequent redistribution of wealth away from them that political change would entail.

To be sure, the fit between theory and the historical experience is not perfect, and the authors are candid about this. Some of the cases that the book does not discuss-India's ability to maintain democracy in the face of overwhelming odds, for example--have traditionally defied easy explanation, even for political scientists. And there are surely cases where non-economic factors such as ideology, individuals (leaders), randomness, and unintended consequence, have had a significant role in determining the path of political development. For example, if Sir Sewoosagur Ramgoolam, Mauritius' first Prime Minister, had responded to the referendum before independence by entrenching the majority Hindus rather than assuaging the minority by guaranteeing minimal political participation for the latter, Mauritius might well have been like the archetypal, strife-ridden, ethnically divided African country rather than a durable democracy.

A quibble about the book's structure. While there are considerable rewards to reading the book, patience and deft maneuvering through the thicket of mathematics, are required to reap them. The authors could have demarcated more clearly the Greek from the English to allow the mathematically challenged to obtain the benefits in one continuous flow. That way, the book could have been more accessible to the curious generalist in addition to being a required reference for the specialist.

But these minor shortcomings are ultimately swamped by, and are perhaps even the unavoidable consequence of, the sheer ambitiousness of the effort: nothing less than to provide a simple and unified explanation of democracy. And here's the additional bonus, the theory can be taken to the data, and even falsified. So, the skeptics and the naysayers can have their go, and refute or validate. Either way, inquiry will be furthered and the stock of knowledge enriched. The most memorable rendition of Occam's razor is due to Einstein: "Everything should be made as simple as possible, but not simpler." The book certainly meets that standard.

Interesting but ..........2006-01-24

This substantial work provides a useful review of the relevant literature, and outlines the simple but powerful idea that the political impact of different types of assets [land, labor or capital] and the costs of repression rather than democratization are key influences on the process of democratization or political repression. This approach has however already been spelt out more succinctly by Carles Boix.

But unfortunately much of the book's approach is fundamentally flawed when the authors then proceed to put their ideas into models based on game theory. They rapidly lose sight of the old reality check - 'garbage in, garbage out'. No model however neatly laid out will tell us much if the initial premise is flawed, and many of the theories here are too simplified to be anything beyond a classroom exercise. The whole book is based on Median Voter Theory [MVT} - but even many distinguished scholars in this field like Alberto Alesina have been pointing out for years that MVT has never been shown to hold true in real life complexities.

Some other key ideas are simply not addressed - the importance of fiscal bargaining, usually to fund foreign wars, as the origins of democracy is dismissed in one sentence, and yet is the best documented source of democratization - see major works by Charles Tilly and Robert Bates.

Other more specific technical detail - such as the ratio of voters to taxpayers, or the ratio of public employees to taxpayers, are not outlined let alone explained and yet clearly have great impact on the topic. Broad generalizations about elites are simply inadequate -- many elites are much more than the 'rich'; and even the authors admit they have no explanation for their argument on the likelihood of military coups that the military, presumably recruited from the broad mass of the population, would choose to side with either elites or taxpayers because of future tax rates. In real life complex bureaucratic incentive structures often turn the 'agents' into the 'principals' and they then doubly benefit from also being future pensioners of the state -- recent attention paid to intergenerational accounting implications of taxation do not figure here either.

Even more distrurbing, the authors have nothing to say on the conflicts of interests between the 'elite sub-groups' of taxpayers and bondholders -- yet scholars such as Dornbusch & Draghi {Public Debt Management: Cambridge 1990] have shown that taxation to pay government debts to bondholders was profoundly regressive throughout the 19th century -- the very period of democratization outlined in this book: so how did that happen?

Furthermore some of the history is also wrong - widening of the franchise in 1832 in Britain was intended as a way to give the vote to existing taxpayers, not vice versa.

The authors have overlooked many stimulating classics in this field - e.g. Sydney Buxton's major work 'Finance and Politics' from 1888.

Most irritatingly the book is littered with reference to the authors' claims to originality for their work in various 'important findings' -- but when did such conclusions cease to be the prerogative of the reader?

Social Origins of Dictatorship and Democracy: Lord and Peasant in the Making of the Modern World

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Examing Modernization
IS DEMOCRACY A `NATIONAL' PHENOMENON?
A brilliant tour de force whose significance is still not appreciated
Poorly Written
An interesting book, but....

Social Origins of Dictatorship and Democracy: Lord and Peasant in the Making of the Modern World
Barrington Moore
Manufacturer: Beacon Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0807050733

Book Description

Lord and Peasant in the Making of the Modern World

New Foreword by Edward Friedman and James C. Scott

"A landmark in comparative history and a challenge to scholars of all lands who are trying to learn how we arrived at where we are now."
-The New York Times Book Review

Customer Reviews:

Examing Modernization.......2007-05-03

Moore seeks to examine the paths to modernity adopted by various countries and the subsequent political outcomes. Principally, more concentrates on the emergence of democracy, fascism, and communism. Moore argues that each path to modernization is characterized by a certain level of revolution. The driving factor to the development of the political path is at which level in society does the revolution begin; the aristocracy (above), the bourgeoisie (middle), or the peasant (below)? As such, the dependent variable can be summed up as political systems, while the independent variables stem from class interactions (landed aristocracy, the state, bourgeoisie, and peasant). Of particular importance for Moore is the relationship between the landed aristocracy and the state. In situations where the aristocracy is weak, the potential for peasant revolution is great. In situations where the state is strong, it retains the coercive force to repress potential uprisings. These relationships, coupled with the relationship between agriculture and commerce - particularly whether or not the landed aristocracy has made a move towards the commercialization of agriculture.

Moore begins his work in discussing the capitalistic, democratic path to modernity as characterized by England, France, and the United States. In the case of England, the landed aristocracy moved towards the commercialization of agriculture. This essentially eliminated the wide peasant base from the equation, thus removing a potentially revolutionary class. Additionally, the move towards commercialized agriculture decreased the power of the absolutist Crown. Furthermore, the commercialization of agriculture leads to the development of towns and a trading class (bourgeoisie). Once combining forces, the landed aristocracy and the bourgeoisie were able to rebel against the Crown and demanded political recognition. Following a long civil war, a parliamentary (democratic) system of government was established. In this case, the emergence of the bourgeoisie was imperative for the democratic transition. This illustrates Moore's classic line "no bourgeoisies, no democracy."

In order to explain the path towards communism, Moore examines the case of Russia and China. In the case of Russia and China, the landed aristocracy failed to make the transition to commercialized agriculture. This failure led to the continued existence of massive peasant population. This massive peasant population created a tremendous barrier for the transition to democracy, and subsequently possessed a high revolutionary potential. With a weak state unable to function repressively, the environment was ripe for a revolution from below; a peasant revolution led to a communist government.

Moore's last path of modernization, fascism, is illustrated by case studies of Germany and Japan. Although Germany and Japan undertook a capitalist path to modernity, the outcome was drastically different from those nations achieving a democratic outcome. In Germany and Japan, the landed aristocracy formed a ready alliance with the burgeoning commercial and industrial classes. This allowed for the transition to commercial agriculture as well as an expansion in the industrial sphere. This transition, coupled with capacity of the state to repress rebellion and dissension allowed for the emergence of a fascist form of government.

In short, Moore seeks to explain the various paths to modernity; democracy, fascism, and communism. These paths to modernity are primarily driven by relations between class groups, and the type of transition to commercial agriculture.

IS DEMOCRACY A `NATIONAL' PHENOMENON?.......2007-04-26

In an age where `democracy' is almost sanctified and nations lacking a democratic system are alienated by the international community, books like Barrington Moore's are of immeasurable value. In his Social Origins of Dictatorship and Democracy, Moore does a phenomenal job in tracing the emergence of democratic systems in the West back to the specific types of the relations between monarchs, landlords, bourgeoisie, and peasants. His using `method of agreement' and `method of difference' alike in his comparisons of the different societal relations in Europe and Asia gives the reader the chance to think beyond a national context and therefore strengthens the theoretical value of his arguments.

The main shortcoming of Moore's otherwise `classic' book is that the author pays very little attention to the international and systemic contexts that strongly effect the developments in national systems. This omission, which seems a deliberate attempt for the sake of theory-building, is likely to lead the readers to a flawed understanding of `democracy' as a `national' phenomenon. I personally think that the international/systemic context cannot be detached from the national ones and even argue that the former is to take precedence in our analysis, for it is the variable that renders certain developments possible and others not.

To understanding the rise of fascism to power in Germany and in Italy we have to take into account the late-nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century European context, in particular the balance of power among the major powers. In the German case, its being a `late-industrialized' country, its rivalry with Britain for the hegemony in the continental Europe, and its `dissatisfaction' with the existing status quo provided a favorable condition for the non-liberal/non-democratic forms of governments. After all, it was the same Germany whose `constitutional republicanism' circa 1890 was regarded by Woodrow Wilson as "the shining model of self-government" to be emulated by the United States. The Italian case is more interesting in that Italy before the World War I was among the few `stable' democracies in Europe. Yet only four years after the war, in1922, Mussolini regime managed to come to power in Italy (not due to the relations between different classes of the Italian community, but mostly because of the Italian dissatisfaction both with its development level and the European status quo. Thus, not ignoring the influence of societal factors, we may say that powerful states that are dissatisfied with the international status quo are more likely to establish non-democratic forms of government.

As for the development of communism in Russia and China, we have to include their `dependent' situation vis-à-vis Western powers. While the economic dependence of these countries (actually, almost all countries which are called `Third World' today) prevented them from following independent economic policies and having an indigenous capitalist class, their political dependence impeded the development of nationally-oriented regimes in these countries. The later rise of totalitarian regimes was therefore partly a response to the economic and political dependence of these countries. Thus, we may say that it was the combination of poverty, injustice, and dissatisfaction that `paved the way' to non-democratic forms of governments in Russia and China.

A brilliant tour de force whose significance is still not appreciated.......2005-09-09

I read this book in the early 70's as a graduate student. It impressed me then as it still does as an example of a cogent analysis of the development of political systems of modern industrial states, solidly based on empirical grounds. Previous reviewers have provided much detail so I will content myself with the observation that how much better it would have been if the present US administration had absorbed the lessons of this book before embarking on the Mission (Impossible?) to bring democracy to Iraq.

Poorly Written.......2005-04-15

This is a seminal work, because it was the first work to take a comparative approach to political theory and it is the bane of many Poli Sci graduate students' existence.

I am a graduate student, who was forced to read this poorly written and very painful text. It attempts to cover too much material.

An interesting book, but...........2003-11-06

There are a couple of quick points I'd like to add. First, these ambitious books often cover so much (and I think well in this case) that historical errors are bound to crop up. For example, Japanese historians have pointed out errors in the Japan chapter that should be considered.

Second, the end of Adam's otherwise very informative review is simply incorrect. China with a GDP/capita of around $4500 has NOT outstripped Russia at $9000 GDP/capita. This , of course, does not reflect at all on the book, but too often those who eschew statistical based political science run the risk of being way off in evaluating success/failure or change. Certainly not everyone, but I have seen this strong tendancy.

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Informative, iconoclastic, intense, revealing, insightful.

Poverty, Wealth Dictatorship, Democracy: Resource Scarcity and the Origins of Dictatorship
Jack Barkstrom
Manufacturer: Pericles Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 096102240X

Customer Reviews:

Informative, iconoclastic, intense, revealing, insightful........2000-03-05

In Poverty, Wealth Dictatorship, Democracy: Resource Scarcity And The Origins Of Dictatorship, Jack Barkstrom presents a fascinating, engaging, informative, ground breaking, historical treatise on the cause/effect relationship between poverty (the depletion and/or unequal distribution of resources) and the rise of political dictatorships. The relation of economics to politics is well known, what Barkstrom brings to the reader is the realization that dictatorships are not unique to any historical time frame, nor are they the product of any particular ideology or political philosophy. Economics, the abundance or scarcity of resources, is critical to an understanding of why dictatorships rise to power and how levels of violence are driven to escalate. Poverty, Wealth Dictatorship, Democracy is a seminal work that will prove of intense interest and benefit to students of economics, political science, international relations, social dysfunction, and world history.

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