Reviews (Books & DVD) – Page 51 – Public Intelligence Blog

2014/10/052014/10/05

Review: The Big Disconnect – Why the Internet Hasn’t Transformed Politics (Yet)

6 Star Top 10%, America (Founders, Current Situation), Censorship & Denial of Access, Civil Society, Culture, Research, Information Operations, Information Society, Information Technology, Misinformation & Propaganda, Politics

Micah Sifry

5.0 out of 5 stars Should Be Top Ten Book Across All Progressive Communities, October 5, 2014

This is one of the most useful important books I have read in the past couple of years, and I am stunned that the publisher has failed to properly present the book for purchase on Amazon. This book should be one of the top ten books across the progressive communities of the world.

I rate this book at SIX STARS, which puts it into the top ten percent of the 2000+ non-fiction books with some DVDs (139) I have reviewed at Amazon. This is an *amazing* book of passionate informed truth-telling and in my view, it should be the starting point for a totally new conversation among all progressive minds going into the future.

I read this book on the way back from The New Story Summit as hosted by the Findhorn Foundation in Scotland. While the book is deeply supportive of my own views on the desperate need of the distributed progressive community for tools and methods that bring together all minds and all information into a coherent whole, attending the summit and listening to the leaders of major progressive organizations including the Global Eco-Village Network and Transition positioned me to better appreciate this book by Micah Sifry.

QUOTE (34): “…has not made participation in decision-making or group coordination substantially easier.”

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2014/10/052014/10/06

Review: Billionaires – Reflections on the Upper Crust

5 Star, America (Founders, Current Situation), Banks, Fed, Money, & Concentrated Wealth, Capitalism (Good & Bad), Economics

Darrell M. West

5.0 out of 5 stars Superb overview, illuminates not just the negatives, but the positives as well, October 5, 2014

I bought this book in part because I have noticed a number of billionaires giving away $100 million to $500 million “chunks” to universities and non-profits that in my view are perpetuating what Rusell Ackoff would call “doing the wrong things righter;” in part because I myself am looking for someone to fund a School of Future-Oriented Hybrid Governance and a World Brain Institute; and in part because I have been utterly fascinated to see the 1% breaking ranks in the last three months, with a few of them, notably the Mars Family in the USA (Mutuality Economics), a few black sheep billionaires on the West Coast (Redemptive Economics) and Lady Rothschild in London (Inclusive Economics), all realizing that 100% corrupt governments are not working as they anticipated.

For me, this ia five star work. Certainly more can be done in this area, but in terms of researched detail and a coherent construct for the book over-all, I find nothing lacking.

The central focus of the book is not on the fact that the 1% have achieved their goal of assuring 100% corrupt governments (the USA and the UK being right at the top of that list) but rather on illuminating how the 1% have “pioneered new activist models of political involvement that combine electioneering, issue advocacy, and [directed] philanthropy.” What this means is that the super-rich are controlling not just the media, but state and local government, university departments and secondary school curricula, and most civil society discourse.

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2014/10/052014/10/05

Review: Beautiful Trouble — A Toolbox for Revolution

5 Star, Asymmetric, Cyber, Hacking, Odd War, Change & Innovation, Consciousness & Social IQ, Information Operations, Politics

Andrew Boyd and Dave Oswald Mitchell (editors)

5.0 out of 5 stars Common Sense Of, By, For the Community, October 5, 2014

From a second reading after attending The New Story Summit at Findhorn Foundation in Scotland.

QUOTE Stephan Duncombe (104): “”Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.” But waiting for the truth to set us free is lazy politics. The truth does not reveal itself by virtue of being the truth: it must be told, and told well. It must have stories woven around it, works of art made about it; it must be communicated in new and compelling ways that can be passed from person to person, even if this requires flights of fancy and new methodologies.”

I bought this book at Hackers on Planet Earth (HOPE) in NYC, along with Michel Sifry's The Big Disconnect: Why The Internet Hasn't Transformed Politics (Yet) that I am reviewing now, both of these books are huge, and the Sifry book relatively unknown when it should a “top 10” reading for all progressives.

This book (Beautiful Trouble), at 138 pages in pocket size (3/5ths of a normal pocketbook), is an utter gem. At a minimum it forces reflection. Produced by a team of people and organizations, this is a community resources in every sense of the word.

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2014/10/052014/10/05

Review (DVD): Cold July

5 Star, Reviews (DVD Only)

Michael Hall, Sam Shepard

5.0 out of 5 stars Starts slow, builds to a riveting climax, October 5, 2014

This was my FIRST CHOICE on a nine hour flight, and absolutely proved to be a top-notch mystery action film. In my view, this is more than a B movie, I found everything about it to be first rate from the plot to the acting to the direction and filming. Of the four movies I watched this came out tied with The Calling followed by Blended (2014) and Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit.

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2014/10/052014/10/05

Review (DVD): The Calling

5 Star, Reviews (DVD Only)

Sarah Sarondon, Gil Bellows

5.0 out of 5 stars Engrossing, a real mystery, very ably presented, October 5, 2014

This is an engrossing movie that I am commenting on, having watched it on Virgin Atlantic yesterday, largely to add it to my list of now 139 recommended DVDs for smart people, find that list with links at Phi Beta Iota the Public Intelligence Blog, look at the bottom of the right-hand column for Reviews (DVD Only) (139).

The film is engrossing and blends multiple themes I will not spoil. Absolutely worth watching if you have the time and want to be engaged in a mystery. All of the acting is top-notch, there are no negatives, although I think rating it “R” is a mistake, this is more a PG-17, never mind a few dead people.

The other three films I watched, in rank order, were:
Cold in July
Blended (2014)
Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit

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2014/10/052014/10/05

Review (DVD): Blended

5 Star, Reviews (DVD Only)

Adam Sandler, Drew Barrymore

5.0 out of 5 stars Romantic Comedy, A Formula That Works, October 5, 2014

As much as I obsess about non-fiction and “the naked truth” I have a soft spot in my heart from romantic comedies and new-found happiness emerging from adversity. Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore are as good as it gets, and I am very happy to see them building on their earlier success in 50 First Dates.

This review is primarily a service to those who follow my Amazon reviews and want to tap into my reviews of 139 reviews of DVDs for smart people, easily found, all with links to their Amazon home page, at Phi Beta Iota the Public Intelligence Blog, at the bottom of the right-hand column see Reviews (DVD Only) (139)

2014/10/052014/10/05

Review (DVD): Jack Ryan – Shadow Recruit

4 Star, Reviews (DVD Only)

Chris Pine, Kevin Costner, Colm Feore

4.0 out of 5 stars 5 for stars, 4 for plot, 3 for authenticity, October 5, 2014

As a former Marine Corps infantry officer and also a former CIA clandestine operations officer, one of the first to chase terrorists full time (in the 1980's), I found the movie engaging but annoying. The producers obviously did not think enough of the USMC or the CIA to actually have a consultant able to catch the many small and some large mistakes in procedure (weapons on a helicopter are supposed to be muzzle down, always) and tradecraft.

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