Book Review: The Gentiles, A History of Sri Lanka 1498 - 1833 by Agnes Padmini Thambynayagam

There is nothing I enjoy more than reading a book that is described by the publisher and critics as “controversial” or “provocative.” “The Gentiles, A History of Sri Lanka 1498-1833,” a carefully researched and well written book by Agnes Padmini Thambynayagam is such a book. As you may have guess by her name, Ms. Thambynayagam was born in Sri Lanka and spent her growing up years there.

Sri Lanka, which was formerly called Ceylon, is a relatively small island with an area of approximately 25,000 square miles, located just south of India. These days its population of approximately twenty million people consists of a rich melting pot mainly classified as Sinhalese, Tamils, Muslims, and Burghers. This population came about due to the occupation and settlement by the Portuguese, the Dutch, the British, and other Europeans between 1505 and 1832. In fact, Ms. Thambynayagam asserts that, “the consequence of such an evolution over three hundred years has resulted in not only much variation in appearance and skin colour, but in the language, religion and culture of those now living in Sri Lanka.” This assertion runs contrary of all norms of traditional teachings and beliefs on the subject which is why the book will be considered controversial by many.

At this point an explanation about the word “Gentile” in the book’s title may be in order; because I suspect I am not the only reader that associates that word only as a definition of a non-Jewish person. In the context of this book, the Gentiles were Christians who settled in India and Sri Lanka from countries surrounding the Mediterranean and Red Sea before the sixteenth century. From a sales and marketing point of view, it is unfortunate that the word is used prominently in the book’s title. Searching for the book on Amazon using variations of the word Gentile, for example, could present the reader with well over six hundred titles (I stopped counting at 600) to sort through depending on the books positioning. I point that out because I want the book to succeed so when you search for the book by all means use the full title or the author’s last name.

“The Gentiles, A History of Sri Lanka 1498-1833,” is not only an excellent read, but a first rate piece of academic research as well. It is meticulously documented with footnotes and bibliographies; and contains a treasure trove of maps, drawings and photographs --- many of the latter of friends and family of the author. Reading this book will take you on a fascinating journey through a charming and exotic country hitherto mostly unknown save for news coverage of a civil conflict that appears to now be resolved.

Book Review: Homeland Insecurity by Steven Fox

It was a period of American history when the most cherished and basic human rights of our society were trampled, suspended, or ignored altogether --- a time of profiling, FBI bungling, military commissions, secret arrests, suspension of due process and habeas corpus, deportation, extraordinary rendition, second class citizenship and other forms of harassment --- all in the name of homeland security during a war being fought overseas. Sounds very familiar doesn’t it? Surely “Homeland Insecurity,” by award winning author Stephen Fox, was written to further expose the sometimes draconic and often illegal activities of the Bush administration to protect our citizens after the bombing of the World Trade Center. But in fact, the setting of this well written and carefully documented book is World War II where families of German and Italian ancestry were systematically relocated, interned, or in some cases, repatriated to a homeland they did not remember or had never visited.

The cast of characters in”Homeland Insecurity” run the gamut from historically famous people to anonymous families who endured the ruin of their reputations, assaults on their well being and in some cases loss of lives. Notable among the former group are Franklin Roosevelt and J. Edgar Hoover. As it turns out, both of these men harbored insecurities and prejudices that when acted out, resulted in a tragic assault on the Bill of Rights.

Without question “Homeland Insecurity” is a scholarly work. In particular, Fox’s thematic analysis of the impact of the government’s actions on the lives of German immigrants appears to be based on an in depth review of FBI and Immigration and Naturalization Service documents, the results of which are meticulously footnoted and documented. But the thing I like best about the book are the narratives provided by the immigrants themselves. They make for a compelling enjoyable read. Some of the immigrants were unabashed Nazi supporters and it is not hard to understand why they were dealt with swiftly and harshly. Most of them, however, were good and decent citizens who considered themselves Americans and who found themselves caught up in a system they could not comprehend or defend against.

“Homeland Insecurity” begins with a quote by Jon Carroll which is worth repeating here, “It is said that those who don’t remember history are doomed to repeat it. I suspect that those who do remember history are doomed to repeat it too. Human nature is human nature, and is an even deeper driving force than memory.” Was human nature the driving force behind the actions taken by our government to secure our borders during World War II or for that matter, was it the face behind the mask of overzealous prosecutions after the bombing of the World Trade Center? This book is a must read for all Americans concerned about their freedom.

Pink Slips and Parting Gifts: It Was a Monopoly Game Run Amok

“Pink Slips and Parting Gifts” by Deb Hosey White is a work of fiction. It says so on both the front and back cover of the book. But if it is a work of fiction, why does the story seem so familiar? Perhaps it is because there is no dearth of stories about mergers, acquisitions and bankruptcies in the papers these days. At any rate, for the casual reader, “Pink Slips and Parting Gifts” makes for an interesting, informative, and even amusing read. But for those lucky readers who are still gainfully employed in a mid size or large corporation it is just plain scary!

The plot of “Pink slips and Parting Gifts” is simple and direct. The Easton Company was a Fortune 500 company that had been around for a long time. Its late founder had employed thousands of people who believed as he did that the community was important and every employee mattered. The company’s charitable works in the Washington, DC area were well known and had earned the founder the Presidential Medal of Freedom. In short, The Easton Company was as American as apple pie---until its new CEO decided to sell the company.

There were a variety of reasons why selling The Easton Company was a very bad idea; but the CEO, Jeffery Elkins, had 91 million reasons to do so. $91 million dollars was the amount he would receive in benefits if the sale or merger went through. It was an offer he couldn’t refuse; especially since he himself fashioned the offer. It doesn’t take long to figure out where all this is going. As a matter of fact, there is a major clue in the dedication page which reads, “For the generations of American retirees and workers who have unfairly lost employer-sponsored health benefits.” This, in a nutshell, is what happened to employees of The Easton Company after they lost their jobs.

Author Deb Hosey White chronicles the demise of The Easton Company from a variety of points of view across the spectrum of its employees. From the hard working administrative assistants and mid level managers to the maintenance personnel and even the corporate pilot, each had a story to tell and each were victims of the culture of greed and mismanagement that emanated from the front office. Writing from several points of view is never easy, but Ms. White does so easily, moving with agility from one story to another, all the time retaining the readers’ attention. At the same time, her narrative has a “been there, done that,” feel to it which is no doubt due to her more than thirty years experience working for Fortune 1000 companies where she lived mergers and acquisitions from inside the conference rooms, cubicles and executive suites of corporate America.

So, who should read “Pink Slips and Parting Gifts?” A paragraph on the back cover says it all, “An estimated one in five corporate employees has experienced a merger or acquisition. Pink Slips and Parting Gifts is their story ---the one every corporate cubicle jockey, business-class road warrior and mid-level manager will want to read.” I respectfully agree!

Reviewed by Ron Standerfer for Reader Views (October 2009)

Evolution's Fatal Flaw: Mother Nature's Report Card

Evolution’s Fatal Flaw: The Inevitable Consequence of the Need to Ensure Species Survival

By Lawrence Wood

Reviewed for Reader Views 10/09

In “Evolution’s Fatal Flaw”, a carefully researched and well written book, author Lawrence Wood sets out to validate two controversial and often debated claims: that evolution is the proper explanation for our origins; and that evolution is all about the survival of the species, not as one might suppose, about the survival of the individual. It is a monumental undertaking fraught with scientific and philosophical mine fields, all which he traverses with caution and ease.

Wood lays out the core issue early on in the book by quoting the results of a recent Gallup poll which shows that our society is still fairly evenly divided between three different explanations of our existence: creationism, intelligent design, and evolution. Why do such mutually exclusive explanations still compete in this day and age, he wonders. He decides that the culprit, or culprits as it were, are a set of “illusions” that have been around since the dawn of mankind: “1) the apparently solid earth; 2) the apparent motion of the sun and planets around the earth; 3 ) the apparent same size of the sun and moon and the apparent closeness of the sun and moon; 4) the apparent motion of the stars around the earth and the apparent closeness of the stars; and 5) the apparently unchanging physical and biological features of the earth.” As the first order of business, Wood shows how science has explained these illusions and basically made them go away.

As the book works its way through science’s role in demystifying the five illusions and into more complex scientific and philosophic issues, the reader is taken on a delightful and educational journey that could almost be described as a history of science and philosophy throughout mankind, although this is certainly not the book’s purpose. All the usual characters are present from Aristotle and Copernicus to Darwin and Einstein plus a host of brilliant thinkers largely unknown in the nonscientific community. At the same time, there are discourses involving all the major scientific disciplines, including but not limited to, physics, chemistry, biology, geology and astronomy. All this is served up in a package of eighteen concise chapters, each ending with a summary of the main points covered along with a preview of what’s to come in the chapter that follows.

By the middle of the book it becomes obvious where all this is going; that evolution is going to win the debate hands down. This is okay with me as I am one who prefers his reality served up in a logical and scientific fashion. But some of the arguments are probably going to make die hard proponents of creationism and intelligent design squirm a bit. So be it. It all makes for a healthy debate.

The book’s title suggests that there is a fatal flaw in the evolutionary process which is that humans are overpopulating the earth thus creating a tremendous demand on available natural resources. It is on this note that Wood ends the book stating, “While the overwhelming desire for sexual activity cannot be realistically controlled, there are readily available means for preventing the results of sexual activity from producing too many offspring. If we are unable and/or unwilling to exercise this option, the devastating population growth plaguing the earth today will continue and, as mentioned above, ultimately doom evolution’s greatest achievement.

“Evolution’s Fatal Flaw” by Lawrence Wood has the potential to be controversial, if not explosive, and should be taken very seriously. Once it is read, however, it should be set aside and revisited periodically just to browse through its pages to marvel at the accomplishments of the mind and spirit throughout the history of mankind.

Crown's Justice - Another Home Run for Wolf Wootan

Crown’s Justice
Wolf Wootan
Reviewed by Ron Standerfer for Reader Views (6/09)

Recently I had the opportunity to read an advanced draft of “Crown’s Justice,” the latest in the Sam Crown Mystery/Thriller series by Wolf Wootan; and I must say the pleasure was all mine. To explain why I like the book so much, I need to start at the beginning; that is to say, the very first sentence in the first chapter which reads as follows: “The naked woman washed up onto the gritty sand right in front of Sam Crown’s beach house.” Now I ask you, what’s not to like about a mystery/thriller that starts with a razor sharp hook like that to draw you into the story? One look at that sentence and you just know it is going to be a fun read!

There are two things about Wootan’s writing that make “Crown’s Justice” a standout winner: namely, a rich set of characters that defy stereotypes; and an attention to descriptive detail that engages all the readers’ senses. In many respects Sam Crown is your typical hard-boiled private investigator; a scotch drinking ex-Marine and former policeman whose jaded view of the American criminal justice system is neatly encapsulated by this quote, “I’ve always had this primordial urge to protect crime victims --- something the so-called justice system doesn’t do. They’re too busy making sure they don’t violate the criminals’ rights.” But there is a soft side to him as well; a side to his character that makes him more Sam Crown than Sam Spade. He is extremely devoted and protective of his family which consists of his wife Bo and adopted daughter Becky. He rescued the latter from a drug addicted mother when she was thirteen. Bo is madly in love with her husband but is no soccer Mom. She is a former FBI agent turned P.I. and attorney, who is a skilled marksman and is not afraid to shoot to kill. Also, she is a chain cigarette smoker. Can you believe it? A heroine who is a chain smoker in this day and age? That’s what I mean by non stereotypic characters.

Of the three principal characters the adopted daughter is the most improbable. At the age of seventeen, she has two PhDs, designs high-tech gadgets for the military, and is awarded the Nobel Prize for physics. But this is a very small point. Most readers will be so engrossed with the storyline by the time all this is revealed that they will scarcely notice it.

But I digress. What about the naked woman on the beach? As it turns out, she is one of two missing jurors from a murder trial. The defendant is a Las Vegas mafia type in California overseeing a fleet of gambling boats operating out of California ports. The problem is that she has amnesia and can’t remember who she is or how she got in the ocean. As Sam tries to help the woman regain her memory, more murders are revealed and he becomes a lightning rod for a variety unrelated clues, as well as more suspects than could possibly have committed the murders. At this point the story line races along in fine fashion, taking the readers through the mean streets if Orange County to the decks of the gambling ships at sea. How does it all end? The answer is simple. Read the book!

Judging from the lack of typographical errors, I would guess that the manuscript I read was a final draft and the book will soon be published. I certainly hope so. It’s a great read. Meanwhile, I’m going to get a copy of the first book in the series, “Crown’s Law” by Wolf Wootan!

Strategic Thinking Made Simple: a Manager's Guide

How many managers believe that strategic thinking plays a key role in the survival of his or her company? Let's see a show of hands please. Everyone? Good! That's what I thought. Now, bear with me when I ask another question. Just what is strategic thinking, anyway? Or more specifically, how many of you feel you possess the skill sets needed to think strategically? Hmm, not many hands went up that time. But that's okay. A recent Wall Street Journal study revealed that the number one most sought after executive skill by organizations is strategic thinking, but few leaders have that skill set. So, if you are one of those who didn't raise their hand just now, don't despair. I have a book for you that will change your lives. The name of the book is "Deep Dive" and it was written by Rich Horwath, a former chief strategy officer, and professor of strategy at the Lake Forest Graduate School of Management. One glance at Horwath's credentials and the cover page of his book and you will quickly realize that he not only possesses the skill sets required for strategic thinking, but can pass those skills on to you; if you are willing to listen and learn.

As I mentioned above, the title of Horwath's book is "Deep Dive." What I didn't mention was the book's subtitle. The reason I didn't is that the subtitle does such a simple and elegant job of describing the concepts outlined in the book that it deserves a stand-alone presentation. Specifically, the subtitle is, "The Proven Method for Building Strategy, Focusing Your Resources, and Taking Smart Actions." I was particularly interested to learn what he had to say about the latter, given that the current day corporate highways are littered with the wrecks of companies that failed to "take smart actions."

It is never easy to review of book like "Deep Dive" when you don't have an MBA or even recent corporate experience to fall back on. The best you can hope for is that the author doesn't try to "baffle you with B.S." or breeze airily over your head with a lot of erudite manage speak. To his credit, Horwath doesn't do any of this. His book is concisely written, easy to understand and filled with just enough graphics, quotes, and references to lead the reader through the book to its logical conclusion.

I should point out that the title "Deep Dive," when taken alone, might confuse some readers, but a quick browse through the book quickly reveals what the author is trying to do in terms of drawing analogies between diving and exercises in strategic thinking.

In this day and age, I doubt if there is a corporation left in America who couldn't use a strong dose of strategic thinking. Rich Horwath may not have all the answers, but he definitely knows what he is talking about, and those who care about the future of their companies would do well to read "Deep Dive: The Proven Method for Building Strategy, Focusing Your Resources, and Taking Smart Action."

Reviewed for Reader Views 7/09

Independent Voters: the New Elephant in the Room

The number of Independent voters has increased dramatically since 1995. Depending on whose statistics you read the proportion of Americans registering as political Independents (or decline to state their affiliation) is currently between 38 and 40%; and this is scaring the hell out of both the Democrat and Republican Parties. But Thomas Richard Harry, author and third-party candidate for the U.S Senate in Missouri in 2000, is not afraid at all. In fact, in his latest book, "The Gathering of the Clan," he takes pains to assert in a logical and persuasive way that the rising tide of Independent voters could very well be the best thing to happen to our society in a long time.

"The Gathering of the Clan" is not a large book, nor does it take a Masters Degree in Political Science to understand. As a matter of fact, the author himself characterizes the book as "a book written by a pretty average American primarily for other pretty average Americans." What the book does require, however, is that the reader pay careful attention to certain chapters that are in fact the foundation upon which the entire book rests. But how will you know when you are reading a foundation chapter? Don't worry; the author is very careful to point them out and at times even suggests that you go back and reread them before moving ahead. At times I felt like I was back in college studying Political Science 101, but the exercise of reviewing the bidding from time to time is well worth the effort.

"The Gathering of the Clan" is divided into three parts, which keeps the reader from losing his or her way while navigating through the book. In Part One Harry provides the "who, what, when and whys" of the Independent voters. As for "who" the Independent voters are, it becomes obvious that they are more than a statistical entity. In fact, they can be found in local organizations scattered across the socio-economic and geographical landscape. The "why" part is fairly straight-forward as well. It all boils down to failed expectations and a lack of viable options afforded by the two-party system.

In Part Two, Harry shifts gears from talking about what Independent voters "could" do to what they "should" do. This is where the book really started to get my attention. Laying out his logic carefully, he draws the reader to the inescapable conclusion that there are only two Independent political options available: 1) "a nonelectoral shadow government; an organized, active, and visible interest group if you will, possibly in the organizational form of a think tank," or 2) "a direct electoral challenge to the duopoly in the form of an Independent political party." This is where the author drops the other shoe and opines that a third party is the way to go.

Having established his preference for a third party Harry proceeds to describe how it would all work. The Independent political ideology would be based on a simple concept: "the greatest good for the greatest number;" and the platform would stress ways to return greater balance to our society. With an ideology and platform in place, Part Three goes on to discuss specific planks to the platform pertaining to special interest influences on the government; various tax issues; Social Security and Minimum Wage.

The current dominant political parties in our two-party system are failing our country; that much is clear. "The Gathering of the Clan" doesn't have all the answers; but it provides an excellent point of reference for promoting change. Kudos to Thomas Richard Harry for writing a thought-provoking self-criticism of America's political system. It is a must read for all of us who care about America's political future.

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