Goodreads Just Food four stars I applaud this book. I thought because it was a few years old it would be outdated. Much to the contrary. It is a must r...moreGoodreads Just Food four stars I applaud this book. I thought because it was a few years old it would be outdated. Much to the contrary. It is a must read for anyone who claims to try to eat eco-responsibly. McWilliams is definitely the Skeptical Environmentalist of the food world, asking the tough questions and weighing a debate that should happen. If you did not know that the world suddenly switching to a completely organic and localized food system on a global scale would result in mass starvation, then read this book. Even if you were lucky enough to read about the Green Revolution or better yet hear about farming from the Great Depression to today from farmer Gramps himself, you are still bound to learn a great deal. Food will never be “just food.” It’s been made into a business like all things that should not be a business, like healthcare, education and the American “justice system.” As a result of being run on a capitalist system in a country plagued with oligarchy, (psst Monsanto anyone?) it’s forced to play by our rules in neo-colonialization aka globalization, pitching deals with the IMF and begging Senator Rand Paul not to pull international charitable funds. Books such as this force people to look at your collective individual responsibility and hold our nation accountable for its actions. There are no facile solutions. You can’t just buy local and have a small garden. It’s not about signing petitions against certain insecticides that hurt bees or protesting a third world nations gift of genetically modified rice. And sure you can eat less meat, but be sure to get those B12 injections. lol. The whole system must change, our system built on the finite resource of fossil fuels, before we can see some real changes, but until then, stop with all the buzz words you hipsters. I’m not buying what you’re saying, literally. (less)
What a fun book. It gives me comfort to know there are other couples out there asking themselves ways to make things themselves in a safe, environment...moreWhat a fun book. It gives me comfort to know there are other couples out there asking themselves ways to make things themselves in a safe, environmentally friendly, cost-effective way. It doesn't cover quite all the stuff discussed in Home Economics, but rather expounds on a new generation's concerns and puts focus back into so much stuff long forgotten. Home Economics was once said to be the backbone of Democracy because it instilled a family foundation in all matter of household living, from food preparation, to etiquette, sewing, cooking and even how to raise your children. But with the advent of the industrial military complex, the nuclear family model has dissolved, roles have been muddled and meals come from the microwaves instead of ovens. We can thank the Mad Men of the fifties and sixties for convincing us that you should be embarassed for wearing homemade clothing and should instead buy them new from corporations that ironically still make them by hand, just behind the curtain and across our seas in sweatshops. How we shouldn't fix our cars ourselves, but take them to a mechanic. And only poor people and Mexican landscapers shop at Home Depot. Can you imagine what it must of been for the first settlers here? Granted they knew how to build a home with their hands and didn't have to learn how to gather weeds and not hemlock from a book. But it must of been tough. When I decide to start making soap (last hygiene product left), I'll be able to make it in my blender with lye purchased from a store. They were out rendering fat from hogs and gathering ash from fires. Everyday is another day we as a human species fall farther and farther away from our natural evolution to a dependency on a technology that hangs in the balance. Don't get me wrong. I'm not anti-technology. I just believe we should be investing in alternative resources and not sticking all our eggs in the petro oil basket. Things are getting messy. At least there's these guys. Some hope.(less)
This book is to undergrad econ what Howard Zinn's People's History of the United States is to U.S. History. It shares a more broad spectrum, arguing f...moreThis book is to undergrad econ what Howard Zinn's People's History of the United States is to U.S. History. It shares a more broad spectrum, arguing for what is not always a minority perspective rather what viewpoint is discarded by the corporations that write our textbooks. Having read Wendell Berry's Home Economics prior to this economic education, I now understand its neoclassical definition rather than Berry's linguistic one. I love economics and the art of its rhetoric. I remember my confusion as a verdant college freshman on my first day of Econ101, listening intently as the professor explained what would generally be covered in the course. (I was disgusted by the lack of a submitted syllabus. That may of set my mood). It became plain to me that this "science" worked in a vacuum, void of the many variables referred to as irrelevant externalities that obviously affect the outcomes of these trusted models as he forced us to believe certain value judgements on page one while simultaneously denying they even existed therefore lacking all objectivity. When I humbly inquired the reasons for its selective memory, I was condescendingly admonished and never even given an actual answer. Dissatisfied by the Professor's response, I quietly gathered my things as nearby students looked on nonplussed. "I refuse to be institutionalized." I whispered and walked out. Finally a book that exclaims I am not crazy to disagree with John Nash's Game Theory norm.(less)
The premise sounded interesting enough. And when I learned this professor of behavioral economics was also a researcher for the Fed, (Translation: He'...moreThe premise sounded interesting enough. And when I learned this professor of behavioral economics was also a researcher for the Fed, (Translation: He's paid to promote personal failure = personal responsibilty and that capitalism is good for all because the Fed pays me to say so.) I anticipated a very Game Theorist/Freakonomics rhetoric. Benefit of doubt left me undeterred. With discernment, even truth can be discovered amidst lies. I opened to the introduction and read a list of what are obviously rhetorical questions presented to an illiterate non-analytical reader, who before him, unequivocally never fully pondered the likes of these "deep behavioral issues." And then he follows up with arrogantly promosing the reader that by the end of this book "you'll know" obviously with dismissive authority of a fundamentalist zealot "the answers to these questions and many other questions that have implications for your personal life, for your business life, and for the way you look at the world."
Wow, I'm sorry, is this a self-help book? Did I stumble into the land of life coaches who present their own ideology and claim prosperity in following their way, truth and life?
"Understanding the impact of the Ten Commandments in curbing dishonesty might help prevent the next Enron-like fraud."
That doubtfuls in Biblical proportions.
Grab up a sample & refer to the Intro.
Rhetorical Question #1 Answer: From childhood throughout our lives, we are constantly inundated with commercials and advertisements (as well as drugs within our foods) to help you salivate over the most unhealthy foods. And while empty of nuition these foods are, our body's biological need for actual nutrition tricks us into begging for more. On the other hand, there is no cheerleaders for broccoli. There is no one insisting on a wholesome meal made from scratch. If you decide to go outside, turn on the radio, watch television or surf the web, is it really a surprise to you that you cannot keep to a diet? Refer to books Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser and The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan.
Rhetorical Question #2 Answer: Overconsumption is the byproduct of being part of a capitalistic society and does not advocate individuality nor personal responsibility as many economists in the Fed's pocket would like you to believe. Reference Carter's Malaise speech and you will understand the rational foresight in his words. Sustainability is the antithesis of the capitalist creed. All commercials and ads are designed to make you believe true happiness lies in you consuming the next new stupid piece of shit.
Rhetorical Question #3 Answer: Aspirin comes originally from the Bayer Co. Their first marketable product was heroine. They only vilified heroine after it was fully accessible on the black market and no longer taxable. It had nothing to do with the health and well being of U.S. Citizens. So if Bayer doesnt give a rats ass about whether you live or die, of course they would prefer you bought the more expensive version of their aspirin product. Refer to This is Your Country on Drugs by Ryan Grim
Rhetorical Question #4 Answer: There is absolutely no statistical evidence supporting a higher or lower moral aptitude as a result of religiously fundamentalist thinking. Refer to Chaper 6 & 7 of The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins.(less)
Naomi Klein's understanding of our foreign & economic policy is akin to being an Economic Hit Man. Her on the ground experience as a journalist co...moreNaomi Klein's understanding of our foreign & economic policy is akin to being an Economic Hit Man. Her on the ground experience as a journalist coupled with her extensive library of knowledge and unequivocally deft analysis of all this intel makes her a voice that commands you to not just sit up and listen, but to act now. Klein wants you to be disgusted by the gross injustices against our humanity and to demand the governments we pay with our taxes to respresent the people's interest and not the zeroth class minority.
For much of my education, both public and private, both conservative and liberal, like many Americans, taught me the wrongs of idealogies such as socialism, communism and various non-Christian religions. We assume that democracy is alive and well in America and can coexist in a feudal-designed market called capitalism which would further our fight for liberty and against tyranny. We also assume that capitalism has always been well embraced by the educated public and has proven to be a functionally progressive idealogy for evolved civilizations. Klein provides evidence to the contrary and we are aware now of the socialist measures that have been necessary in order to keep the capitalism ball rolling today. (Bailouts) What many of us were completely unaware of is all the torture that has gone with our marriage to capitalism, past, present and inevitably in the future if we stay the course. It's time for a divorce from this mentally, emotionally, physically and financially toxic relationship.(less)
If you've seen many of the pecuniary accounts of today in indie doc. then this will reflect rather redundant for u. While Huffington's Third World Ame...moreIf you've seen many of the pecuniary accounts of today in indie doc. then this will reflect rather redundant for u. While Huffington's Third World America zeroes in on this grossly underestimated financial epidemic, here we have not only those personal accounts but also the ins and outs of how and why. Very thorough. It is expensive to be poor.(less)
“In the United States especially, politics and economics don’t mix well. Politicians have all sorts of reasons to pass all sorts of laws that, as well...more“In the United States especially, politics and economics don’t mix well. Politicians have all sorts of reasons to pass all sorts of laws that, as well-meaning as they may be, fail to account for the way real people respond to real-world incentives.”
Wow…. Either these people are extremely naïve or they are the worst of serious system junkies. If I need to sit and dissect that statement for you and all the levels of Manchurian bullshit, then there’s really no helping you. I especially despised how these two “erudite” Jews chose to open the dialogue by de-masculating the Indian culture. These two douchebags (that’s a technical term) insisted that Indian traditions were sexist (O.K. So is ours America’s and yours, Judaism get over yourself) and that Indian men have… and I’m not kidding here, they said this, “small penises.” Even if this was true, are they some sort of walking Jew stereotype or something? A disgusting hodgepodge of un-enlightening accusations and false psy-ops statistics, I am shock and appalled that this crap was published. Did you know that shark attacks are rare? They said. Really? Seriously? Who didn’t know that? That elephant attacks are more common. They said. Really? You mean attacks by land-dwelling animals are more common than water-dwelling animals? I want to shoot myself for even reading as far as I did, reading until that quote above. (less)
Loved it. But it was a big "I told you so" for me. If you're someone unfamiliar with the economic climate for the majority of Americans, this is a mus...moreLoved it. But it was a big "I told you so" for me. If you're someone unfamiliar with the economic climate for the majority of Americans, this is a must read. Unfortunely most citizens who are the most inept in this area are the ones who are so certain they know everything. Good luck with that.(less)
I indirectly found out about this book after watching a documentary on “The Real McCoys”, a story about a couple of married teachers from Inez, Kentuc...moreI indirectly found out about this book after watching a documentary on “The Real McCoys”, a story about a couple of married teachers from Inez, Kentucky, who took to the streets to protest coal burning and mountaintop removal. Eric Reece was only a blip in passing while they were out protesting, but I caught the title of his book “Lost Mountain” and became curious. I was really taken back by Reece’s book. It was well-written, it was entertaining, it was personal, it was moving. Most importantly, it was something I could relate to on so many levels. Eastern Kentucky is not far from me and my husband often played high school football in the areas mentioned in this book. He’d seen the town of Harlan County firsthand and played against the kids of Martin County. I could understand Reece’s frustration with the Bible Belt. "It doesn't take a lot of faith to move mountains; it takes about ten men and a company called Caterpillar." explained Reece. When you’re dealing with people who do not firmly grasp the scientific evidence of the destruction of mountaintop removal because they are blinded by their immediate financial needs or even worse, their religious beliefs, it can be rather frustrating. As my husband dutifully noted, “The wealthy love religion because it tells you to accept the plights of today, submit, be subservient to those who lord their power over you and welcome the "truth" in knowing that in death you will be redeemed. People don't change, they say, don't waste your time, let God sort it out, they say, just pray for them. They tell you to never claim what is rightfully yours. They say you are entitled to nothing while they are entitled to everything.” In Reece’s own words, “The mountains of Appalachia are responsible for the illumination and air-conditioning of billions of houses, and neither the people nor the land has been properly compensated……The combination of locally owned businesses and a federally subsidized reforestation industry would go a long way to solving eastern Kentucky’s poverty, its pollution, its flooding, its mudslides, it’s drug abuse.” This book should be required reading for all the people of Kentucky, West Virginia and other areas of mountain-top removal. The fight should not be left to the hippies of San Francisco, or the lonely couple of Inez, Kentucky. How hypocritical we are, to stand and watch President Obama give money to small third world countries like Indonesia through meetings in Copenhagen to curb their carbon footprint, when the real problem is right here. (less)
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