The first of a proposed trilogy attacking Western science, religion, and government. Deloria (History, Law, Religious Studies, and Political Science/Univ. of Colorado, Boulder; coauthor of The Nations Within, 1984, etc.) argues that Western science doesn't seriously credit the ``traditions and memories of non-Western peoples'' and because of that is downright erroneous or, at best, limited. He mentions, for example, that by ``seeding clouds with certain chemicals'' science can create rain, but that the more powerful medicine of a Sioux can drastically alter the weather in all ways. While these could be the sincere protestations of a fundamentalist American Indian, Deloria wants it both ways: He will not tolerate any scientific arguments against his traditional Indian beliefs, but he is more than happy to use those same methods against scientific theories. But his case is unconvincing, ultimately, because of his seeming lack of even the most basic understanding of his subject. Take, for example, Deloria's reading of the suggestion that the giant rhinoceros ``crossed the Aleutian bridge into Asia, probably along with palm, oak and walnut forests of Canada.'' Deloria writes, ``I have great difficulty of conceiving of [the forests'] means of locomotion''as though he were Macbeth waiting for Great Birnam wood to walk up to Dunsinane hill. Or perhaps he intentionally misrepresents the facts. But if Deloria's science is obscure, his political motives are clear: It's necessary to discredit theories of biological evolution and the Bering Strait crossing because they give Anglos an advantage in their colonial apologeticsas one woman said to him, ``Well, dearie, we are all immigrants from somewhere.'' Deloria should have stuck to his fundamentalist guns; his attempt to fight science with science is a dismal failure.
Pub Date: Oct. 1, 1995
ISBN: 0-684-80700-9
Page Count: 288
Publisher: Scribner
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1995
BOOK REVIEW
A heartfelt if somewhat unsurprising view of old age by the former president. Carter (Living Faith, 1996, etc.) succinctly evaluates the evolution and current status of federal policies concerning the elderly (including a balanced appraisal of the difficulties facing the Social Security system). He also meditates, while drawing heavily on autobiographical anecdotes, on the possibilities for exploration and intellectual and spiritual growth in old age. There are few lightning bolts to dazzle in his prescriptions (cultivate family ties; pursue the restorative pleasures of hobbies and socially minded activities). Yet the warmth and frankness of Carter’s remarks prove disarming. Given its brevity, the work is more of a call to senior citizens to reconsider how best to live life than it is a guide to any of the details involved.
Pub Date: Oct. 26, 1998
ISBN: 0-345-42592-8
Page Count: 96
Publisher: Ballantine
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 1998
Less a sequel than an addendum, the book offers a close-up view of the Oval Office in its darkest hour.
Four decades after Watergate shook America, journalist Woodward (The Price of Politics, 2012, etc.) returns to the scandal to profile Alexander Butterfield, the Richard Nixon aide who revealed the existence of the Oval Office tapes and effectively toppled the presidency.
Of all the candidates to work in the White House, Butterfield was a bizarre choice. He was an Air Force colonel and wanted to serve in Vietnam. By happenstance, his colleague H.R. Haldeman helped Butterfield land a job in the Nixon administration. For three years, Butterfield worked closely with the president, taking on high-level tasks and even supervising the installation of Nixon’s infamous recording system. The writing here is pure Woodward: a visual, dialogue-heavy, blow-by-blow account of Butterfield’s tenure. The author uses his long interviews with Butterfield to re-create detailed scenes, which reveal the petty power plays of America’s most powerful men. Yet the book is a surprisingly funny read. Butterfield is passive, sensitive, and dutiful, the very opposite of Nixon, who lets loose a constant stream of curses, insults, and nonsensical bluster. Years later, Butterfield seems conflicted about his role in such an eccentric presidency. “I’m not trying to be a Boy Scout and tell you I did it because it was the right thing to do,” Butterfield concedes. It is curious to see Woodward revisit an affair that now feels distantly historical, but the author does his best to make the story feel urgent and suspenseful. When Butterfield admitted to the Senate Select Committee that he knew about the listening devices, he felt its significance. “It seemed to Butterfield there was absolute silence and no one moved,” writes Woodward. “They were still and quiet as if they were witnessing a hinge of history slowly swinging open….It was as if a bare 10,000 volt cable was running through the room, and suddenly everyone touched it at once.”
Less a sequel than an addendum, the book offers a close-up view of the Oval Office in its darkest hour.Pub Date: Oct. 13, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-5011-1644-5
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Oct. 20, 2015
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