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The Precautionary Principle is widely seen as fundamental to successful policies for sustainability. It has been cited in international courts and trade disputes between the US and the EU, and invoked in an growing range of political debates. Understanding what it can and cannot achieve is therefore crucial.

This volume looks back over the last century to examine the role the Principle played or could have played, in a range of major and avoidable public disasters. Among the studies it examines are: asbestos and asbestosis, BSE in cattle, CFCs and the depletion of stratospheric ozone, the pollution of the Great Lakes in America, the collapse of Atlantic fish stocks, PCBs, etc., for all of which there is good information on the science, the health and environmental impacts, and the costs and benefits.

From detailed investigation of how each disaster unfolded, what the impacts were and what measures were adopted, the authors draw lessons and establish criteria that could help to minimize the health and environmental risks of future technological, economic and policy innovations.

The result is an absorbing, informative and valuable book for all those from lawyers and policy-makers, to researchers and students needing to understand or apply the Principle. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A thorough and useful book
The book takes a matter-of-fact approach to the subject, getting contributors to give detailed answers to four key questions on specific hazards that were subsequently addressed, starting with when was the first credible scientific warning of potential harm. It's not a light read, and an understanding of the scientific method, chemistry, and statistics will prove invaluable.

The book received a warm welcome in the scientific press, and the quality of the writing shows why. Where there is doubt in research, the book discusses it honestly. It also shows why problems frequently aren't addressed until after financial or health damage has been done, for example the compound (government) system failures that caused the BSE crisis in the UK. Of note is what has been omitted: the low-hanging fruit of (say) second-hand smoking, thalidomide, DDT, and lead in petrol would have made a separate book.

Another of the questions asked of the contributors concerns costs versus benefits -- for example, there is a discussion of whether the health (and, ultimately, financial) problems of asbestos were offset by the safety benefits, employment opportunities and so on. Combined with an unbiased and non-accusatory tone throughout the book, it makes an invaluable contribution to a field overrepresented by polemics.

The empowerment of bureaucracy
The precautionary principle (PP in short) has become a scientific and political instrument attracting a host of organisations and individuals giving their viewpoints adding to the international discussion. Indeed, how to deal with environmental and human health risks is not a simple matter. Science and technology carry both real benefits and real risks. And a 'better be safe than sorry' strategy -as a translation what precaution is- seems the wisest thing to do.

The European Environment Agency (EEA) adds to this discussion by looking into the past. Always a good thing to think historically about risks and technology. The presentation of those historical examples of technology gone wrong leaves one wondering, however, whether or not the scientific representation is up to par.

Clearly it is not. However, not to the layman. One needs to be aware of all the scientific ins and outs to spot the possible biases. One example I myself am quite familiar with is the antibiotic case discussed by the EEA (chapter 9 in the downlodable version). Blatant omissions from the scientific discussion (leaving out essential scientific literature) spurs the authors of this chapter to a banal and trivial conclusion (p. 98 of the downloadable version):

'As the risks involved are of uncertain magnitude, the decisions on risk management are particularly difficult. The risk can obviously not be excluded with certainty, nor can it be de-termined as acceptable. In a climate of uncertainty it is preferable to show caution. In this situation decision-making needs to involve precaution, particularly when it is unacceptable, inhuman and unethical to wait for ultimate proof, when human fatalities could be involved.'

Of course this conclusion can be drawn for any case, not just this one. Moreover no amount of scientific research will ever result in certainty. The conclusion presented here in the EEA report is not in need of any scientific deliberation. It could do well without ten pages of scientific reviewing, whether or not biased in nature. Furthermore, the authors revert to the fallacy of an appeal to motives in place of support. They regard not invoking the PP as unacceptable, inhuman and unethical. Of course this is beside the point as it has very little to do with the scientific discourse at hand.

This brings me to the philosophical side of the issue. Any type of human action or inaction is fraught with uncertainty and therefore prone to the PP. So how to chose? The problem is that risks of one kind or another are on all sides of regulatory choices, and it is therefore impossible to avoid running afoul of the principle. The PP promotes irrational behaviour by the assumption that regulating target risks (the historical examples presented in the EEA study) is overall beneficial ánd that the costs of risk avoidance with only the specific target risks in view can be met on any scale -which is clearly not the case. Moreover, this asymmetry is enhanced by the fact that those who invoke the PP -the policymakers- do not need to adhere to it themselves despite the fact that any human intervention holds uncertainties for the future.

The EEA treats the PP as though it were an exogenous panacea for environmental and social ills. In other words: market risks warrants governmental regulation. But government regulation is not an exogenous solution to environmental risks; it is itself an endogenous and fallible human activity, and as such it can create risks. Risks that are as real as the risks of market (economic) activities: care can cure but care can also cripple.

The odd thing is that no discussion what so ever is presented by the EEA on the problems of the PP. Not a single reference to the ever growing scientific literature highly critical of the PP. Whichever side one choses, within the scientific discourse one has to deal with scientific criticism from both sides.

My conclusion therefore must be that the EEA did not so much present a scientific piece of work on this issue but made a political statement on how to deal with risk. It is part of the 'ecological critique' of the Western World which Anna Bramwell described so well in her 'Ecology in the twentieth century'. The PP fits well with a misanthropic view of progress combined with a relativistic perspective on science. Therefore the PP empowers bureaucracy as the scientific check and balances are side-tracked in its implementation. Indeed a recipe for increasing social and political struggles and stagnating economies. ... Read more

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This book examines the historiography of the Middle East and the consequent silences or omissions. It provides a collection of important histories from the modern era, particularly relating to the break-up of the Ottoman Empire, to give a fuller account o ... Read more

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From George Washington Carver to Dr. Mae Jemison, African Americans have been making outstanding contributions in the field of science. This unique resource goes beyond the headlines in chronicling not just the scientific achievements but also the lives of 100 remarkable men and women. Each biography provides an absorbing account of the scientist's struggles, which often included overcoming prejudice, as they pursued their educational and professional goals. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

needed this book for a course
this book is great, a little dated, even though I needed it for a course, Im glad I've got it.You would be surprised of how many African Americans made countless contributions to our society, this book is a keeper!

Very Good
Other than previous library stickers on the cover, this book was like new. Awesome that it was available.Interesting biographies of scientists rarely discussed in history including modern 21st century history. Great book. ... Read more

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When William Chafe's The American Woman was published in 1972, it was hailed as a breakthrough in the study of women in this century.Bella Abzug praised it as "a remarkable job of historical research," and Alice Kessler- Harris called it "an extraordinarily useful synthesis of material about 20th-century women."But much has happened in the last two decades--both in terms of scholarship, and in the lives of American women.With The Paradox of Change, Chafe builds on his classic work, taking full account of the events and scholarship of the last fifteen years, as he extends his analysis into the 1990s with the rise of feminism and the New Right.
Chafe conveys all the subtleties of women's paradoxical position in the United States today, showing how women have gradually entered more fully into economic and political life, but without attaining complete social equality or economic justice.Despite the gains achieved by feminist activists during the 1970s and 1980s, the tensions continued to abound between public and private roles, and the gap separating ideals of equal opportunity from the reality of economic discrimination widened.Women may have gained some new rights in the last two decades, but the feminization of poverty has also soared, with women constituting 70% of the adult poor.Moreover, a resurgence of conservatism, symbolized by the triumph of Phyllis Shlafly's anti-ERA coalition, has cast in doubt even some of the new rights of women, such as reproductive freedom.Chafe captures these complexities and contradictions with a lively combination of representative anecdotes and archival research, all backed up by statistical studies.As in The American Woman, Chafe once again examines "woman's place" throughout the 20th century, but now with a more nuanced and inclusive approach.There are insightful portraits of the continuities of women's political activism from the Progressive era through the New Deal; of the contradictory gains and losses of the World War II years; and of the various kinds of feminism that emerged out of the tumult of the 1960s.Not least, there are narratives of all the significant struggles in which women have engaged during these last ninety years--for child care, for abortion rights, and for a chance to have both a family and a career.
The Paradox of Change is a wide-ranging history of 20th-century women, thoroughly researched and incisively argued.It is essential for anyone who wants to learn more about how women have shaped, and been shaped by, modern America. ... Read more

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This is a bluffer's guide to the design criticism and commentary of the 20th century, providing an entertaining summary of the key design texts of the last hundred years. Yet this collection goes further than simply listing the design classics: it also puts design in context and demonstrates the impact and relevance of design values on contemporary living.

It is written in an accessible, provocative and entertaining style. Conway Lloyd Morgan has published books on leading 20th century designers, including Philippe Starck and Jean Nouvel and edited the 'International Design Yearbook'.

This is the second in the Architectural Press series of Reader's Guides, comprised of reviews of seminal texts on design in the 20th century.

*Condensed summary of the most important design books saves you research time and effort.

*Cut through the abstract and be taken straight to the key points by the witty and controversial style of Morgan. ... Read more

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A revision guide covering key topics on British history for AQA and OCR GCSE Modern World History. A last-minute study aid, it is useful for working through at home in the run-up to the exams. ... Read more

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In spite of the ever-growing popularity of Kwanzaa, the story of the influential Black nationalist organization behind the holiday has never been told. Fighting for Us explores the fascinating history of the Us Organization, a Black nationalist group based in California that played a leading role in Black Power politics and culture during the late 1960s and early '70s whose influence is still felt today. Advocates of Afrocentric renewal, Us unleashed creative and intellectual passions that continue to fuel debate and controversy among scholars and students of the Black Power movement.

Founded in 1965 by Maulana Karenga, Us established an extensive network of alliances with a diverse body of activists, artists and organizations throughout the United States for the purpose of bringing about an African American cultural revolution. Fighting for Us presents the first historical examination of Us' philosophy, internal dynamics, political activism and influence on African American art, making an elaborate use of oral history interviews, organizational archives, Federal Bureau of Investigation files, newspaper accounts, and other primary sources of the period.

This book also sheds light on factors contributing to the organization's decline in the early '70s--government repression, authoritarianism, sexism, and elitist vanguard politics. Previous scholarship about Us has been shaped by a war of words associated with a feud between Us and the Black Panther Party that gave way to a series of violent and deadly clashes in Los Angeles. Venturing beyond the lingering rhetoric of rivalry, this book illuminates the ideological similarities and differences between Us's "cultural" nationalism and the Black Panther Party's "revolutionary" nationalism. Today, Us's emphasis on culture has endured as evidenced by the popularity of Kwanzaa and the Afrocentrism in Black art and popular media. Engaging and original, Fighting for Us will be the definitive work on Maulana Karenga, the Us organization, and Black cultural nationalism in America. ... Read more

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The definitive biography of Sonic Youth, architects of noise rock and the most beloved, longest-running house band of Alternative Nation.

Sonic Youth's distinctive, uncompromising sounds have provided a map for innumerable musicians who followed, from '90s groundbreakers like Nirvana and Pavement to current faves like the Strokes and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. More than perhaps any other act, Sonic Youth has brought "fringe" art to the mainstream, helping spawn an alternative arts scene that prospers to this day: a world of punk rock, underground films and comics, experimental music, conceptual art, contemporary classical compositions, and even fashion.

In Goodbye 20th Century, David Browne tells the full glorious story of "the Velvet Underground of their generation," an account based on extensive research, fresh interviews with the band and those who have worked with them (from Glenn Branca and Lydia Lunch to Sofia Coppola and Spike Jonze), and unprecedented access to unreleased recordings and documents. This is a richly detailed portrait of an iconic band and the times they helped create. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

An Excellent Book
This book is a fine breakdown of the history of Sonic Youth.The pictures are worth it too.

Sonic Read
I really enjoyed this book it was far from an ass kissing biography - very often the members of SY are portrayed very realistically and not as gods. The insight into the Lydia Lunch days was very interesting and its a nice steady build up to "the year punk broke". I can imagine it was very much like your baby brother getting elected president having Nirvana blow up so big however their music was much more populist than SYs (at least Nevermind and In Utero) I would suggest anyone who is a Sonic Youth fan check this out for sure as there is lots of minutia that a true SY nerd would drool over. I met Thurston this year at SXSW and he was really cool. The Mark Arm (Mudhoney) quotes are hilarious about Marc Jacobs designing expensive "grunge" clothes..that is a total embarrassment I must say he was spot on that was stupid as hell. Cheers

just fair
A rather dull read. There's too little discussion of the music, and too much discussion of business. (Who cares who their managers or booking agents were?) There's also way too much description of their videos. The writing is too dry and straightforward; a little experimentation would have fit the book's subject better. Lacks a discography.

Great Book with a Few Embarrasing Factual Errors.
This book does an excellent job of describing in detail the relationships between the people in this great band, and the many people they've worked with in their 25+ years together.

My only complaint is that the author occasionally gets some glaring facts wrong. He claims that the SST in SST Records stands for "Solid State Tuners" (it stands for Solid State Transmitters); and makes passing mention of an early associate of the band moving to San Francisco to attend Berklee College of Music (which is located in Boston). These are basic, easily verifiable facts, and I'm kind of amazed that they weren't caught by someone who read it between the rough draft and the actual printing.

Does this ruin the book? No, because the mistakes don't actually alter the course of events as the book describes them. They do, however, cause me to doubt the book's accuracy in general, and I can't help but wonder if there were other more consequential mistakes that flew right over my head.

More entertaining than the reviews imply
I am really enjoying this book. It's very interesting, and being thorough does NOT make it a boring read. It's nice to read a biography about such a talented band. It's nice that their story is about musical creativity, and not about drug and alcohol abuse. That's the stuff that gets boring after a while. ... Read more

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In the twentieth century more people spoke English and more people wrote poetry than in the whole of previous history, and this Companion strives to make sense of this crowded poetical era. The original contributions by leading international scholars and practising poets were written as the contributors adjusted to the idea that the possibilities of twentieth-century poetry were exhausted and finite. However, the volume also looks forward to the poetry and readings that the new century will bring.

The Companion embraces the extraordinary development of poetry over the century in twenty English-speaking countries; a century which began with a bipolar transatlantic connection in modernism and ended with the decentred heterogeneity of post-colonialism. Representation of the 'canonical' and the 'marginal' is therefore balanced, including the full integration of women poets and feminist approaches and the in-depth treatment of post-colonial poets from various national traditions. Discussion of context, intertextualities and formal approaches illustrates the increasing self-consciousness and self-reflexivity of the period, whilst a 'Readings' section offers new readings of key selected texts. The volume as a whole offers critical and contextual coverage of the full range of English-language poetry in the last century. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Insights gleaned from diverse contributors
Compiled and edited by Neil Roberts (Professor of English Literature at Sheffield University), A Companion To Twentieth-Century Poetry is an impressive anthology of forty-eight scholarly essays drawn from a wide variety of authors and academicians studying the development of poetry in twenty English-speaking countries over the last century. From context of the poets and their work; to the repercussions of the post-colonial age; to the increasing voice of female poets; as well as an overall tendency towards self-consciousness and self-reflection; A Companion To Twentieth-Century Poetry offers informed and informative insights gleaned from as widespread and diverse a group of contributors as the authors of the memorable poems themselves. ... Read more

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This book highlights key aspects of the American experience inn forging political, social, and cultural identities from the late eighteenth century to the present ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (3)

A good read
I can highly recommend this book. It is well-written and informative. The ultimate book on the Crippens perhaps?

Some cribs about "Crippen".
I must say that I was quite disappointed with this "new" take on the Crippen murder.
Perhaps I was mistaken in thinking that this book would shed new evidence on the crime or even allege a miscarriage of justice.
As it is however, it is a journaleezy, by numbers, account of the Pooteresque life of Crippen with lots of "he must have"s and "he probably"s. Right down to a rather sleazy voyeuristic speculation that Crippen's lover dressed as a man during the escape must have been a sexual turn-on for Doc Crip. Calling all "Sun" readers!!
The social background of this disappeared world is reasonably enlightening but the murder itself, the actual mechanics of what occurred are missing. His wife was there one night and then resurfaced under the floorboards.
Disappointing if you, like me, savour a salacious account of the murder itself. And if you tut tut me then you're a liar!
Anyway, expect nothing new. Just an atmospheric hedunnit with some interesting post-murder information that is rather unique in these kind of books, i.e. what happened the cast of characters afterwards.
Or perhaps the crime itself just wasn't that interesting.
Something about the name "Crippen" I reckon has given this murder longevity. It just sounds evil!!!

Best Crippen Book
Probably the best book on the Crippen case ever written. Full of well researched facts and as much newly uncovered information as presently exists. Excellent writing style. Strangely, even though the author is very openly against Crippen, cuts him no slack and obviously believes in his guilt, I really liked this book. I am on the fence about Crippen because as a reader of True Crime I've learned that we usually lack susbstantial knowledge about old cases, enough so that there should just about always be an element of doubt. But I liked the book because it is very well done. ... Read more

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A study of philanthropies funded by the Rockefeller family in medicine and applied science, drawing upon the documented evaluation processes behind these personal and institutional involvements of philanthropies. Sheds light on both the family and the history of mathematics, physics, and science. ... Read more

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Few historians have contributed more to our understanding of the history of women, and women's effect on history, than Alice Kessler-Harris. Author of the classic Out to Work, she is one of the country's leading scholars of gender, the economy, and public policy.
In this volume, Kessler-Harris pierces the skin of arguments and legislation to grasp the preconceptions that have shaped the experience of women: a "gendered imagination"that has defined what men and women alike think of as fair and desirable. In this brilliant account that traces social policy from the New Deal to the 1970s, she shows how a deeply embedded set of beliefs has distorted seemingly neutral social legislation to further limit the freedom and equality of women. Government rules generally sought to protect women from exploitation, even from employment itself; but at the same time, they attached the most important benefits to wage work. To be a real citizen, one must earn--and most policymakers (even female ones) assumed from the beginning that women were not, and should not be breadwinners. Kessler-Harris traces the impact of this gender bias in the New Deal programs of Social Security, unemployment insurance, and fair labor standards, in Federal income tax policy, and the new discussion of women's rights that emerged after World War II. "For generations," she writes, "American women lacked not merely the practice, but frequently the idea of individual economic freedom." Only in the 1960s and '70s did old assumptions begin to break down--yet the process is far from complete.
Even today, with women closer to full economic citizenship than ever before, Kessler-Harris's insights offer a keen new understanding of the issues that dominate the headlines, from the marriage penalty in the tax code to the glass ceiling in corporate America. ... Read more

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Good research, poor writing
Dr. Mohammadi's book is a useful contribution both to the rule of law/comparative law field and to our understanding of Iranian politics. He assesses the dynamics of judicial reform from the Constitutional Revolution of 1906 up to the present, emphasizing the interest groups who supported or opposed reform. Unlike other works in this field, he also places his analysis firmly within the political science/comparative law literature, identifying the key role that local political elites have in judicial reform.

I only give this book 3 stars because it is riddled with bad grammar, misspellings, and awkward phrases. I understand that the author is not a native English speaker. However, the writing is problematic enough to hinder understanding of his main points. I urge Dr. Mohammadi and/or Routledge to reedit the book, with a focus on readability. When they do that, I will change my rating to 5 stars. ... Read more

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Rural Japan during the twentieth century has been portrayed as a vast reservoir of conservatism in much of the literature on Japan's modern development, and Japanese agriculture since the 1960s has been treated as an artificial creation sustained only by protectionism of the worst sort.
This book presents a range of original, in-depth work, including work by Japanese scholars, that seeks to move beyond such stereotypes to reveal the diversity and complexities of rural life in Japan from 1900 to the present.

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Taking Ogilvie's groundbreaking 1986 reference Women in Science: Antiquity Through the Nineteenth Century as its starting point, this monumental work expands the original 270-page book into a comprehensive two-volume set containing over 2500 entries that span the globe.
This critically acclaimed resource combines women's history and science history as it ranges from the woman philosophers and physicians of ancient Greece and Rome, through the "bluestockings" of the Enlightenment and culminates with the early 20th century's pathblazing pioneers. The signed A-Z entries combine fast access to resume-style details with fascinating biographical articles on these women and their lives, works, and accomplishments.
Includes bibliographies of primary and secondary sources; guides to scientists by time period, country, discipline; index.
Entries include:Adelberger of Lombardy (Italian physician) * Grace Andrews (US mathematician) * Aspasia (Greek natural philosopher) * Charlotte Auerbach (UK geneticist)* Duck-Heung Bang (Korean Physician) * Evelyn Briggs Baldwin (US meteorologist, explorer) * Harriet Bigelow (US astronomer) * Luci Blanquies (French physicist) * Marjorie Lee Brown (US mathematician) * Wafaa El Sadeek (Egyptian archaeologist ) * Faustina (Roman physician) * Yoshi Katsurada (Japanese mathematician) * Liliana Lubinska (Polish neuroscientist) * Sarah Mather (US inventor) * Radha Pant (Indian biologist)

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Do you recognize any of the following Piano masters?

Ignace Jan Paderewski

Ernest Schelling

Ernesto Consolo.

Sigismond Stojowski

Rudolph Ganz

Tina Lerner.

EthelLeginska

Bertha Fiering Tapper

Carl M. Roeder

Katharine Goodson

Mark Hambourg

Tobias Matthay

Harold Bauer

Thuel Burnham

Edwin Hughes

Ferruccio Busoni

Adele Aus Der Ohe

Eleanor Spencer

ArthurHochman

Teresa Carreño

Wilhelm Bachaus

These are some of the late 19th century and early 20th century Piano maestros ever graced on the planet.

If you are a Piano student, then this is a must have collection from the maestros of yesteryear's.

In fact, this comes with a guarantee. Try this ebook and if you don't get one useful tip to improve your playing with ten minutes of your reading, we INSIST you ask for your money back.

People call us nuts to give this kind of outrageous guarantee. However, we don't care.

Our philosophy in life is simple. Add value or don't get paid.

We'll see you on the other side,

-Editorial Team Of MPowerUniversity.com ... Read more

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Zenobia Powell Perry (1908-1993) was a composer whose life provides insight to a special time in the 1920s and '30s when black American composers were finally being recognized for their unique contributions to the country's music. Born in Boley, Oklahoma to a black father and a black Creek Indian mother, Zenobia was influenced by both black American and native American folklore, music, language, and poetry. In American Composer Zenobia Powell Perry: Race and Gender in the 20th Century, Jeannie Gayle Pool examines the life of this talented individual who faced tremendous challenges as a female, as an African American, and as a woman of mixed heritage. Based on interviews conducted by the author, as well as Perry's personal papers, correspondence, and scores, Pool provides a rich portrait of this unique composer. Pool also provides an analysis of Perry's musical style, a chronology, a complete list of works, and several appendixes. Raising many complex and unresolved issues related to American blacks with Native American heritage, Perry's life story bears witness to a century in which tremendous strides were made toward equality for all. ... Read more