It’s strange that most comic book collectors and dealers have never heard of Pop Hollinger. This 47-year-old retired teacher from Concordia, Kansas was the first dealer who bought and sold old novels, pulp magazines, magazines and comic books. Hollinger ran his shop from 1939 in Concordia, during the deep economic Depression, to 1971. Whether thousands of comic book dealers today have or never heard of Pop Hollinger, they follow in his footsteps: selling, buying and trading them.

Mr. Hollinger started his business selling periodicals in a basement underneath a grocery store. He sold most anything he owned, including classic paperback novels published by Pocket Books for 25 cents each. Soon, he grew his business, selling used pulps, paperbacks, magazines, and comic books. He specialized in comics which were quickly becoming popular. After a few years, he ran a vibrant business, even expanding his business which included as many as 15 to 20 outlets around Concordia. Hollinger even popularized a mail order service for interested buyers across the country. Selling through mail ordering made Pop realize that there was a demand for back issues. For this purpose, he would store issues for future business. For 20 or 30 cents a week a person could receive five or ten comics, respectively. This was an unbeatable bargain when you could buy one at the local newspaper stand for 10 cents.

1939 was a special year for comic books, which featured, for the first time, superheroes. No doubt he would have owned the most famous, such as: Action Comics #1 (first appearance of Superman), Detective Comics #27 (first appearance of Batman), Superman #1, Batman #1, Wonder Woman #1, All-Star, All-Flash, Timely Comics (future Marvel Comics) and Fawcett Comics. These “Golden Age” comics became “super” sellers. But there were also many other others on the market.

Hollinger used radically unorthodox methods for preserving each of his books, because he knew kids could easily tear them up, and many mothers threw them out in the trash. Pop soon found out comics did not wear well under constant buying, selling, and trading. So, he bound the books with brown or green tape around the spine and on the inside to preserve them from being torn apart. He also knew that comics were made of pulp which attracted insects, so he treated them with special chemicals that repelled them. He even took out the original staples, replacing them with new ones. Finally, he pressed them flat using a press of his own design that exerted several hundred pounds of pressure. Today’s collector or dealer would never use this method of preservation because it would ruin the book’s value. Instead, dealers and collectors carefully put the books in Mylar bags and insert a cardboard backing, so they won’t bend or tear. Even so, Hollinger deserves credit for creating his own method of preserving them.

By 1942, there were roughly 50 comic book publishers. Each publisher produced at least 30 different ones, which totaled to several thousand different issues circulating per month! So, Pop felt the need to publish a comic book catalog. Comics came in all kinds of genres: science fiction, detective, fantasy, spy, humor, romance and many others. He owned so many of the same issues. So, it’s no wonder he thought that selling comics could be profitable. According to the eBay website, his business ads stated: “Old or used comic books are worth money. We pay from 1c to $1.00 each for certain old comics… Be among the first in your community to collect old comics.” In this same ad, Pop claimed to “carry a large assortment of every comic book published.”

Unfortunately, in 1952 Hollinger’s supply took a turn for the worst. A flood had come through his area of the state, flooded his stores, and ruined thousands most of his inventory. Sadly, most of them had to be thrown out. To make matters worse, in 1954 many comics that were published before were recalled by the U.S. government due to unsuitable content for children. But Hollinger persevered with his business.

Between 1961 until he closed his business, ten years later, Hollinger began selling brand new superhero comic books created mainly by Marvel Comics. In November of 1961, Marvel published the first issue of the “Fantastic Four”- a group of new superheroes who became very popular. Fantastic Four #1 started the “Marvel Age” of comics. Other “Marvel Age” superheroes were soon introduced: Spiderman, Ironman, Thor, the Hulk, Antman, and Captain America (brought back from World War 2). All comic (not just Marvel) published from 1956 to 1969, became known as the “Silver Age” of comics. Today, many of the early issues published by Marvel are worth almost as much as those printed in the late 1930s and early 1940s.

Pop Hollinger was a rare businessman who had foreseen the value of comic books. Who knew how he thought that comic books were of value to be read and collected, not read and thrown away? Nobody would have thought to start such a dealership, especially in the late 1930’s during the Great Depression. As a matter of fact, it would have been “comical” to have started a comic book dealership. Pop beat the odds by starting a business almost no one would have ever considered. If you ever come across an old comic with either brown or green tape along the spine, you probably would have a classic pulp gem owned by the legendary dealer himself.

As a boy Dave Pelzer went through horrendous emotional and physical abuse from his mother. He was robbed of the childhood he was supposed to have. He survived and lived to tell his story in several books, one of them called Help Yourself, Celebrating the Rewards of Resilience and Gratitude. In this book he talks about how he worked through his issues that arose because of his unfortunate childhood and gives suggestions to the readers on how they can work out their own issues.

In the first part of the book called “Get Rid of the Garbage in Your Life” the author emphasizes the importance of getting rid, as soon as possible, of whatever is troubling the person — unresolved issues. Instead of becoming bitter while surviving the negative environment, Dave Pelzer learned to let go and made a choice not to hate but to forgive and help others do the same.

The second part of the book, “Know What You Want out of Your Life”, points out that the victim mentality will not get a person too far. The author gives direction on what to concentrate on to make things better as well as providing steps to take to make the impossible possible.

In the third part of the book called “Celebrate Who You are and What You Have” the author shows how what you say to yourself first thing in the morning affects how the rest of your day will go. He demonstrates the power of a positive attitude and gives suggestions on how to create your own positive environment. Throughout the book, at the end of each chapter, the author lists “help yourself” reminders.

All of us go through some pain and injustice, though perhaps not as severe as the pain and suffering young Dave Pelzer went through. Reading the horrible accounts of abuse in his life would make anybody feel grateful for the life they’ve been living. The resilience of this young boy to his circumstances can serve as an example. The power of his spirit and gratitude brought him to where he is right now — living a happy, fulfilled and productive life as an adult in spite of all odds. He shared his wisdom in this book so others can also have a great life in spite of their own negative circumstances.

In Igniting Purpose-Driven Leadership, Jim Nevada, executive consultant, coach, and entrepreneur, suggests that the essential element many leaders are missing and that sets apart successful leaders from the rest is a focus on purpose. In his book, he reveals how leaders can stay focused on their and their organization's purpose and find the right people to bring that purpose to fruition.

Far more than just another business or personal development book, Igniting Purpose-Driven Leadership is packed with research about leadership, successful businesses, and the philosophies of world-leading companies and their CEOs. The extensive notes and index show that Nevada has done his research, and the book's tone and content reflect that he has not only done it well, but he has made it digestible by providing an entertaining and informative read for anyone who wants to become a better leader.

Many successful companies are featured in Igniting Purpose-Driven Leadership, including Google, Amazon, and Southwest Airlines. Nevada shows that from the beginning, Google's founders have always operated their business with purpose in mind. Others like Southwest Airlines understand that people need to be the foundation of their business. Nevada states, "A company's future lies in the creative minds and hands of its people." Consequently, creativity is a fundamental skill and purpose for businesses that want to succeed in what Nevada refers to as the "Era of Human Capital."

One point Nevada makes that I especially appreciated is the need to focus on abundance and not have a scarcity mentality. Too many times we hear people talk about how hard it is to find good help, but the truth is that many qualified and capable people are out there, and often the problem is that companies fail to utilize their employees' full potential. Nevada proposes, "If our goal is to get the greatest level of energy and creativity out of our people, then we must set aside our limiting beliefs and realize the unlimited potential in everyone. From there, we can be more effective at making the shift from a scarcity to an abundance mentality. " Nevada encourages hiring people even when we aren't sure what role they can play if they are a right fit for the company and are creative. Such purpose-driven hiring will result in employees who are dedicated to the company's purpose and will enjoy their work. It's a way to move away from short-term thinking that focuses on results-first and instead act from a long-term approach based on people first. At the same time, don't hire the wrong people. Nevada recommends you, "take your time and bear the cost to ensure your new hires are the proper fit, even ridding the business of high-performers, just because they're not aligned."

And once you have those people in place, treat them very well. I give kudos to Nevada for his comments about how some companies fail to treat employees or even customers well. For example, Wal-Mart, which in the past was applauded for treating employees well, gets a black mark against it for having Black Friday sales that have resulted in mayhem and even deaths and injuries. He notes that several companies are now closing their doors on Black Friday and also providing better prices to customers year round. This discussion alone was worth the price of this book, and hopefully, the options Nevada describes will become part of retail future.

All of these examples reflect purpose-driven thinking, as Nevada describes it, but they can also be described as future-focused thinking. Nevada points out how successful leaders and companies not only solve existing problems but solve problems that don't yet exist because they can foresee them and then come up with creative solutions to them. One of my favorite quotations in the book illustrates this point. Henry Ford once said, "If I asked people what they wanted, they would have said faster horses." Nevada advocates for purpose-driven and future-focused thinking that anticipates what people will want before they know it themselves.

Finally-and there is much more I could say about this book, but best to let you read the rest on your own-I loved when Nevada discussed how purpose-driven leaders and companies are not afraid to redefine their purposes and themselves. For example, I think Henry Ford, if he were alive today, would be proud to know that the company he founded a century ago has recently made public that it no longer considers itself an automobile company. Rather, it is a company focused on "improving mobility solutions around the world." As Nevada says, "This is a big step change for one of the largest manufacturers in the world. It requires that Ford not only reinvent how it presents itself to the external market, but how it operates internally as well."

It's time for more businesses to follow in the footsteps of Ford, Southwest Airlines, Google, and other leading companies that have clearly defined purposes and recognize their employees. As a case in point, we often hear how Millennials don't have the work ethic of earlier generations, but Nevada says that data suggests nearly 90 percent of Millennials want increased opportunities for professional development and greater responsibilities, but only one-third feel their organizations are fully using their skills and experiences. Something is wrong with that picture. Fortunately, the tools and information provided in Igniting Purpose-Driven Leadership can help change that.

This book is one to put on the shelf next to other modern business classics like Jim Collins' From Good to Great. But before you put it on a shelf, read it! And then you'll probably be repeatedly taking it down from the shelf. It's that purpose-driven.

Primal leadership takes center stage in this book. This concept goes beyond the set of conventional competencies on the making of a leader. Beyond bottom line figures, this book takes a leap forward with the concept of primal leadership through a keen and in-depth understanding of emotional intelligence and its link to leading and building emotionally intelligent organizations.

The authors explore the idea of leadership as an emotional

function. They propose that the fundamental task of a leader is to create resonance at work, thereby unleashing positive traits and attributes in people. Emotionally intelligent leaders bring organizational success to the fore because they inspire, motivate and foster commitment in people.

Harness the power of primal leadership in this book and bring out the emotionally intelligent leader in you.

Primal Dimension of Leadership

The use of emotion in leadership functions is a primal task that sets leaders apart. Great leaders move people by channeling emotions in the right direction, whether it is in formulating corporate strategy in the boardroom or a series of action items in the shop floor.

Resonance Effect

The positive channeling of emotions that empowers people to be top performers is called resonance. The culture of resonance brings out the best in people. On the other hand, when leaders negatively drive emotions dissonance is created. Dissonance is not conducive to harmonious working relationships as it can undermine people’s potentials.

Key to Primal Leadership

Emotional intelligence is the foundation of making primal

leadership work. An emotionally intelligent leader knows how to handle himself and his relationship with the people he works with in order to drive up performance.

Good Moods, Good Work

A good mood is essential for a team to function effectively. It is crucial for a leader to foster positive working relationships because emotional conflicts in a group can hamper a team’s performance.

A study of CEOs from Fortune 500 companies revealed that

positive overall mood of top management people leads to better cooperation and better business performance. This argument takes the view that it is top management that creates the conditions for workers to work well.

Resonant Leader

For emotionally intelligent leaders, resonance comes naturally in their dealings with people. Their actions reinforce synchrony within their team and within the organization. The strength of an emotionally resonant leader lies in the emotional bond he forms which allows people to collaborate with each other even in the face of change and uncertainty.

Four Dimensions of Emotional Intelligence

The creation of resonance is a hallmark of primal leadership that can only be fostered by emotionally intelligent leaders. For a leader to promote prime resonance in a group, it is important to understand the four EI competencies. Interestingly, these competencies are not innately inherent but are learned abilities. According to research, an effective leader typically demonstrates at least one competence among

the four dimensions.

1. Self-Awareness

2. Self-Management

3. Social Awareness

4. Relationship Management

Approaches to Leadership in a Nutshell

1. Visionary

2. Coaching

3. Affiliative

4. Democratic

5. Pacesetting

6. Commanding

The Five Discoveries of Self-Directed Learning

1. First Discovery: My ideal self – Who do I want to be?

2. Second Discovery: My real self – Who am I? What are my strengths and gaps?

3. Third Discovery: My learning agenda – How can I build on my strengths while reducing my gaps?

4. Fourth Discovery: Experimenting with and practicing new behaviors, thoughts, and feelings to the point of mastery.

5. Fifth Discovery: Developing supportive and trusting

relationships that make change possible.

Final Notes

Primal leadership is anchored on emotions. These emotions have underlying neurological explanations to them such as the open loop system. Thus, a leader must work hard to obtain emotional intelligence competencies that will make him a resonant leader

because resonance is the key to primal leadership.

A resonant leader builds a culture of resonance by emonstrating emotionally intelligent abilities that permeate throughout the organization. A resonant leader aims to live a resonant life for him and his people in order to make resonant work. It is this kind of work that builds an emotionally intelligent

organization – a kind of organization that can survive the changing business climate because it has built-in processes that can sustain change.

Synopsis of Content:

The subtitle of this book is “How I beat the pros at investing (by reading Tabloids, shopping at the Mall, and connecting on Facebook) and how you can too. This is a good summary of what this book is about.

The author, Chris Camillo is touted as one of the most successful amateur investors in the world. His claim is that from September 2007 until the book came out in April 2010 his self-managed investment portfolio appreciated from $83,752 to $2,388,311. A schedule of that performance is available at his website, chriscamillo.com.

Camillo’s method is to be acutely observant of trends and hot products as observed at the malls, in internet media, and from what he sees on television and in tabloid publications. The idea is that demand for a particular product or service can skyrocket for reasons that Wall Street often is unaware of and that if you purchase the stock of the company involved before Wall Street is wise to the trend and sell as soon as Wall Street sees the trend you can realize some serious gain. Camillo demonstrates in the book in some detail how he has done this to grow his portfolio so impressively.

He tells us that the traditional, mostly white, male and middle aged Wall Street types are not plugged into the popular trends that drive these kinds of market demand. They rely on corporate reports and mainstream financial news reporting neither of which report these trends until they are old news.

He offers examples including observations of a hot new shoe that he observed on the beach before it became well known in financial circles and a brand of clothing that the Obama first family wore at the inauguration which sparked a buying spree sending stock prices up fast.

Camillo gives some attention to traditional fundamental and technical trading methods and tells us how and why they are not dependable. He then discusses how this popular trend watching is superior. His method requires a lot of observation, web browsing and a form of due diligence to insure that the trend he suspects he is seeing is genuine and that the stock market is not yet aware of it on Wall Street. He then dives in, buys this stock and waits for it to peak when it becomes common knowledge.

The appeal of Camillo’s approach is that it does not require any specialized knowledge of stocks, the market as a whole, technical treading techniques or fundamental analysis of company management which Warren Buffet is famous for. This method could be done by anyone who is observant and disciplined and willing to do the leg work required. A high school student could do it and have done so.

As with any method at making money this one requires significant time and effort. This is not really a get-rich-quick scheme, although Camillo has demonstrated some remarkable performance in his trading using it. It is not about day trading either, he waits until he identifies a genuine potential money maker, buys and holds the stock until it takes off and market demand ends the upward ride, then sells before it comes down again once everyone knows about it.

It must also be observed that the author is a professional market researcher by trade, this is what he does for a living, and in that he watches market trends for a living he starts out with some advantage over the novice.

This method is clearly not for everyone. It takes time and commitment to the methodology and some awareness and understanding of market trends for a specific product or service that are not yet common knowledge. It does appear however to offer a unique and very accessible method of beating the market odds for someone willing to do the work in the manner he illustrates. For anyone who has the time and willingness to learn this method there is clearly potential to beat the index fund averages.

This book is a must read for anyone looking for an accessible and relatively simple method to capture market gains.

Usefulness:

For the person with some money to invest and the time and self-discipline to apply this method this book is an excellent primer on a novel and promising way to increase gain on equity investments.

Disclaimer: all investment methods carry some risk including this one. This review should not be relied upon as professional investment or financial advice. See a professional financial advisor for professional advice.

Readability/Writing Quality:

The book is very readable and easy to follow. It is well organized.

Notes on Author:

Chris Camillo is a market researcher who has been less than impressed with more traditional stock trading methods and has used his own power of observation to beat the averages on the market.

Three Great Ideas You Can Use:

1. If traditional market analysis is not for you and you do not want to leave the management of your investment portfolio to a professional manager there is a method that most anyone can use to learn about promising stocks before they take off.

2. This method requires continued time observing and learning about products and services and the emerging market trends that one can observe at the local mall, on Facebook, and many other places. It then requires some due diligence to insure that you have observed a genuine large scale trend that will pump up the value of stock.

3. If you follow a proven method taking care to do the homework you can improve your odds with stocks. You have to read the book though to learn the details of how it is done.

Publication Information:

Laughing at Wall Street by Chris Camillo

Copyright 2011 by Chris Camillo. Published by St. Martin’s Press

The Professor was Charlotte Bronte’s first book, written in 1845-6 but not published until 1857, two years after her death, and ten years after the publication of her most famous work, Jane Eyre. Although a new review of a well-known classic serves little purpose, it is interesting to put on record one’s views from a modern perspective. From the beginning of The Professor it is clear that the young Charlotte Bronte had an astonishing fluency and breath of vocabulary but she writes with a charming naivety and from a seemingly narrow breath of experience.

The principal character is a young man, William Crimsworth, and one must wonder immediately if the young female writer can create a realistic male mind. The author was obviously more successful with a female heroine in Jane Eyre. Though a heterosexual, William Crimsworth, has a particularly sanitised view of members of the fair sex. How much this is due to the conventions of the period and how much to the author’s inevitable lack of insight is impossible to say.

All the important characters in The Professor are described in detail with regard to physical appearance and demeanour but attention is paid to the interpretation of head shape by the pseudoscience of phrenology, which was popular in the period immediately before the book was written but has since been discredited. Miss Bronte’s tendency to discern nationality from head shape is also hard to accept in the modern world. However, this is not a harsh criticism, as all authors run the risk of their scientific knowledge being superseded in later years.

Some of the characters seem to be of such extreme nature as to be hard to believe. Could anyone be quite so unfeeling and cruel as William’s brother, Edward, or quite so detached, ill-mannered and omniscient as Mr Hunsden? Extreme caricatures can enhance the drama and intrigue, take Sherlock Holmes for instance, but there can be perhaps too many in one novel. Miss Bronte’s female characters, Frances Henri and Zoraide Reuter, are completely believable and can be taken on trust as the creations of a female mind.

William Crimsworth earns his living as an English teacher and although today he would need a TEFL certificate he appears to be well qualified for the job and successful in its execution. William speaks fluent French, and as much of the dialogue is reported in that language, Miss Bronte seems to expect her readers to have at least a sound basic knowledge. Presumably, her sophisticated aristocratic Victorian readers could cope with this amount of French, but many modern readers might find this substantial use of a foreign language annoying. However, it is remarkable how little the English language has changed in almost one hundred and seventy years and The Professor will continue to be read and enjoyed long after this, and most other reviews, are forgotten.

This article reviews Leader Shift by John C. Maxwell – what I consider to be the pinnacle to 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership and 5 Levels of Leadership. If you’re serious about developing as a leader, this book demands reading. Below are several benefits you gain.

What You Gain

• A compass

There’s nothing like having an anchor when things are constantly changing at the speed of light. An over abundance of information compounds the matter. You end up overwhelmed and sometimes confused by the message. Leader Shift, however, steers your thinking and behavior. You discover what changes are crucial for longterm success. It will serve as a great reference.

Maxwell presents a clear discussion of the 11 necessary shifts with examples, quotes, and recommendations. One, for example, relates to thinking in terms of a calling instead of a career.

• Motivation

After reading almost every chapter, I stopped to reflect. While in some respects I’m on target, in others I’m motivated to make the necessary changes. You’ll be inspired to do the same.

• Criteria for transformational leaders

Like a great teacher, a great leader transforms people. Once they touch something or someone it’s never the same. As a result of reading the book, you discover what distinguishes transformational leaders from trained leaders. In contrast, the latter ask people to follow, while the former ask people to make a difference. You have a frame of reference to stay focused.

• Advice on how to have tough conversations

At some point you will need to have the tough conversation. I recently ventured into this territory with a client. The leader of this organization brought me in to assess the needs and concerns of the middle managers. Many of the issues related to leadership. Because I was in the middle of reading this book, I used the outline presented by the author to discuss the feedback. I think you will benefit from having the outline handy also.

• How to assess situations

Besides having tough conversations, you’ll need to evaluate various situations at pivotal points. The author recommended three good questions: What’s best for the organization? What’s best for other people within the organization? What’s best for me?

• Resources for ongoing support

Maxwell never leaves the reader hanging. In any event, you have access to resources mentioned at the end of the book. Take advantage of the John Maxwell Blog or the free digital download: Thinking like a leader: The Top 10 Truths about Leading.

Murach’s Beginning Java with NetBeans book examines all aspects of Java in detail with the help of NetBeans IDE. The book is divided into five sections. The first chapter provides a brief overview of Java and NetBeans. You will learn the steps involved to write Java code including usage of classes and methods. In Chapter 4, you will learn the process involved to write your own classes and methods in detail.

You will learn the steps required to structure an object oriented application in Chapter 5. The final chapter in section 1 examines the process associated with testing and debugging an application.

Section 2 examines the usage of primitive types, operators, strings, arrays in addition to control statements with the help of code samples. The chapters in section 3 provide a detailed overview of the usage of Inheritance, Interfaces, Inner classes, Enumeration and documentation.

Section 4 examines the usage of collections, generics, lambdas, data and time. You will also learn the steps required to handle exceptions in addition to working with Input/Output and threads.

You will learn the steps associated with the usage of MySQL database including JDBC in section 5. The last two chapters of section 5 examine the development of GUI using Java Swing. The book includes two appendixes which covers the aspects related to installation of Java in both Windows and Mac OS X.

Each chapter ends with a section named perspective and also includes bulleted summary. I very much liked the way in which the authors have presented the summary. Readers will be able to quickly learn the facts.

The includes exercise questions in numbered format which prompts you to do specific actions. You need to read each line to complete the exercises as stated till the final step. From my point of view, these questions will help students to grasp knowledge quickly.

In order to complete the exercises you need to download samples from the official website of the publisher. Murach also provides an Instructor CD which will have PowerPoint slides, MCQ’s and much more.

I would like to see a separate chapter on the development of mobile apps using Java. The book will be very useful for those developers who are well versed with the basic concepts of Java programming. Pure beginners will find it difficult since the authors have examined the concepts using NetBeans. However, they will be able to make use of the book after gaining fundamental knowledge in Java.

No doubt, Beginning Java with NetBeans by Murach Publishing is an excellent companion for students. Instructors can make use of the book to impart training. Moreover, companies can keep a copy of the book on their shelves for reference purposes.

What a terrific book this is. It tells the story of the Russian Tatar dancer Rudolf Nureyev. He was purportedly born on a train, rumbling down the trans Siberian railroad, and somehow that encapsulates his wandering life.

The story opens with the boy Rudi entertaining the mentally and physically scarred troops returning from the Nazi front. His father returns too, a political officer who takes a mighty dim view of his son's chosen career path, something that dogs Rudi's progress at every turn.

Yet he is not to be denied and slowly eases his way up the greasy rungs, and he is not beyond the occasional dirty trick to help him on his way. He is quickly marked out as a rebellious character and is subsequently carefully watched. But not carefully enough it seems, for he manages to defect in Paris from under the noses of the KGB officers. Rudi is on his way, hurtling toward the hedonistic lifestyle of New York, London and Paris.

Personally I found the passages set within the Soviet Union of far greater interest than those in the West. The book moved me to tears on several occasions; such is the power of Mister McCann's writing. It often comes across as a biography, but as he is at pains to point out, this is a work of fiction. Sometimes you have to remind yourself of that, though it never once detracts from the enjoyment it offers.

The book is written in the first person and some people have found that irritating because that first person often changes with every chapter, and sometimes on every page. It is a device that keeps the reader on their toes, yet is does not hinder the writing, or the enjoyment.

It does not matter if you have little or no interest in ballet or dance, or the Soviet Union, or the Cold War, or the Sixties, or World War II, or homosexuality, for this book has the power to grip the reader whatever their interests.

I have just taken a peak at Amazon's ranking for this title. Amazingly it was 486,350! If that is true there is no justice in the world because this is the best book I have read this year. The work in hardback form can be bought for the cost of the postage alone, and that is ridiculous.

Do yourself a favorite and read this book, heck, go one step further, treat yourself, and buy a copy. The book and the writer deserve it, and so do you.

The opposite of addiction is not sobriety-it is connection
~ Johann Hari ~

I discovered the existence of this book several days after a certain president announced his opinion that drug dealers should be executed. He would have felt a kinship with Harry Anslinger, the chief architect and champion of the war on drugs which took root in the 1930's. His opinion was that illegal drugs were evil and so were people who sold and used them. Both sets of people and drugs themselves became his targets for eradication.

Hari writes extensively about Anslinger and the army he headed as well as about Billie Holliday the renowned jazz singer who died of a heroin overdose and Arnold Rothstein, an early drugpin. During the course of the book, Hari also gives thorough coverage to drug users, drug dealers, police, people who work with drug users, and researchers. He also documents research findings, and alternatives to a war on drugs.

Hari admits that it was difficult for him to let go of the traditional wisdom regarding the evils of drugs and of those who use them. He also struggled with the idea that drug eradication is the only effective way to approach the problem. I must admit that it was initially also difficult for me as a reader to imagine viewing drugs in any but the traditional manner.

The author documents the burdens to society imposed by the war on drugs making the problem for society much worse than it was when drugs were legal. He points out clearly how little we learned from alcohol prohibition. Crime increased significantly with the advent of prohibition and decreased with the end of prohibition. Yet we saw the best way to deal with the problem of illegal drugs as following the same path we took with alcohol. Although the subtitle of Hari's book is "The first and last days of the war on drugs," it does not appear to me that the last days are in clear sight.

Yet research and social experiments suggest that there are rational alternatives. Research with animals and later with people discovered that addiction is not primarily due to the nature of the substances ingested. A much greater contribution to addiction is lack of a sense of worth, lack of social connection and the feeling of not being useful to society. As Gabor Maté puts it, "The core of addiction doesn't lie in what you swallow or inject-it's the pain you feel in your head." Hari also brings in the effects of institutional racism leading to greater drug use by people of color.

The author also details the success of programs in countries such as Switzerland and Portugal and efforts in the states of Colorado and Washington to bring about legalization of drugs in various ways. Such approaches often involve supervised use of drugs paired with counseling to help users improve their sense of self, start to feel human again and find a way to contribute to society.

The book is presented in a narrative manner leaving you with a sense of knowing the individuals on all sides of this problem. It might be difficult for you to change your thinking about drugs, drug use and users after the extremely long tradition of seeing this as a problem to be eradicated. Approaching it this way has led to a drain on society socially as well as economically. I would suggest you give this book a try. You can always go back to your old way of thinking if you choose but if you have any humanitarian leanings, I have a feeling you will learn to think differently about this problem.