Books

Blind Spots: Achieve Success by Seeing What You Can't See

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The Ophthalmology of Increased Self-Awareness
Blindspots is a great read and a must have!
Best Guide for Career Success
We Can Achieve Our Goals
A Powerful and Very Readable Book

Blind Spots: Achieve Success by Seeing What You Can't See
Claudia Shelton
Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0470042257

Book Description

Praise for Blind Spots

"Shelton's open and candid style inspires trust among readers. Management teams and those making career choices can push their effectiveness up a notch with her skilled approach to facing blind spots and moving beyond them."
—Rick McNutt, Executive Vice President, National City Bank

"Blind Spots gives individuals a comprehensive, but very manageable, set of tools and strategies to see themselves differently. The stories of people whose lives have been changed by Shelton's principles and techniques enhance the strategies she presents. This is a compelling book with the power to improve lives dramatically."
—Eleta A. Jones, PhD, LPC, Assistant Director, Center for Professional Development, University of Hartford

"Shelton's approach to identifying blind spots goes to the heart of effective leadership. Such interest arose from this work that requests poured in for not only follow-on training regarding Blind Spots, but also for developmental coaching. Six months later, people are still talking about Blind Spots."
—Jack Bergquist, Vice President, Kaman Aerospace

"When I recognized my blind spots that made me underestimate my entrepreneurial strengths, I was able to move forward to launch a successful company. This book is a must for building resilience to face the challenges of a start-up."
—Marilyn Nemarich, entrepreneur and owner, Marilyn's Pies

"This book can teach you how to see inside yourself. As I was reading it, I kept thinking of the song On a Clear Day You Can See Forever. Learning about your blind spots leads to clear sight, which can create possibilities for innovation and growth."
—Jane Hunt, Assistant Vice President for Executive Development, The Hartford Financial Services Group, Inc.

Customer Reviews:

The Ophthalmology of Increased Self-Awareness.......2007-05-01

As Claudia Shelton explains in the Preface, the material in her book is organized around "three simple focuses": guidance to the development of the perspective and mindset necessary to "see things about yourself that you previously couldn't see" (i.e. blind spots), strategies to help convert these blind spots into strengths on which to build success, and provision of a set of tools "to help identify personal information about one's specific blind spots." I appreciate Shelton's skillful use of several reader-friendly devices such as the statement of a key concept for each of the chapters which comprise one of the six Sections. For example, for Section Four, these are "The Strategies for Clear Sight":

Chapter 11: Identify what you do best in a "Statement of Strengths"
Chapter 12: Check counter-productive habits using an "Old Habits Blind Spots Grid"
Chapter 13: Convert stress into a positive source of energy
Chapter 14: "Tune your radar" to recognize non-verbal "clues" sent to others
Chapter 15: "Connect" more effectively with others to strengthen relationships

As these strategies correctly indicate, Shelton offers no head-snapping revelations (nor does she claims to offer any); in these and other chapters, she identifies the "what" and then devotes most of her attention to the "why" and "how." For that reason, she thoughtfully extensive material that can guide and inform a series of self-audits to help each reader determine the nature and extent of the gap between her or his current level or recognition and what is desired. In Chapter 15, for example, Shelton identifies and briefly discusses five of the most common causes of disconnection that include disengagement. That is, "not speaking clearly, not listening to what others have to say, [and] not providing useful feedback," any/all of which can prevent a convincing presentation of ideas. To paraphrase The Golden Rule, "Others will do unto you the way you tend to do unto them."

Many readers will be especially grateful for the Appendix that Shelton provides. In it, she offers brief descriptions of all recommended "tools"(with a handy page reference for each), a brief review of the five most common blind spots, and summary descriptions of nine models that comprise the "Blind Spots Profile." The ultimate objective is to develop the strengths while reducing (if not eliminating) the weaknesses of each, such as what Shelton rather clumsily characterizes as the "Optimistic Image-Oriented Producer" who tends to rend feelings first, is extroverted, is a high-energy multi-tasker who produces many projects valued by others but who can sometimes be disorganized and indecisive and, when under pressure, become distant (i.e. "disengaged") and thereby alienate others.

Make no mistake about it: What Shelton recommends in her book requires a full commitment of time, energy, and attention over an extended period of time, although those who carefully absorb and digest the material and then begin to identify their blind spots will immediately increase their understanding of themselves and probably of others, also. It is important to keep in mind that some blind spots are easier to recognize than others. Also, that certain revelations about one's self (i.e. one's inadequacies and their consequences, to date) will probably not be pleasant but are nonetheless especially important. Be grateful for having eliminated, finally, what have probably been the worst blind spots.

Those who share my high regard for this book are urged to check out Lynda Gratton Hot Spots: Why Some Teams, Workplaces, and Organizations Buzz with Energy - And Others Don't, Michael Useem `s The Go Point: When It's Time to Decide--Knowing What to Do and When to Do It by, Howard Gardner `s Five Minds for the Future, and Tom Rath's StrengthsFinder 2.0: A New and Upgraded Edition of the Online Test from Gallup's Now, Discover Your Strengths.

Blindspots is a great read and a must have!.......2007-04-20

Claudia Shelton invites us all to learn more about ourselves, and, specifically about our Blindspots - - She has a welcome depth of insight into what keeps us from reaching our dreams and our goals - and, strategies to face and manage these obstacles and challenges squarely, in order to live the life we want to live. The good news is that Blindspots is as applicable to personal life issues as it is to leadership, because it gets to the source of seeing the truth about yourself. Blindspots is a great read and a must have!

Robin Stern, Ph.D.
author of The Gaslight Effect
The School at Columbia University
The Woodhull Institute for Ethical Leadership

Best Guide for Career Success.......2007-03-26

Are you looking for the one book to help you manage your career? This is it. Well-researched, easy to read, immediately useful to self-diagnose obstacles to career success, BlindSpots should be required reading for anyone leading or aspiring to lead an organization. Claudia Shelton uses her expertise as an executive coach to quickly help the reader identify personal strengths that can hamper success. Using a five-part framework and individual stories of successful people going awry, she then works through five principles of clear sight - ways to turn those blind spots into strengths. Insightfully written, with on-line tools available [...]

We Can Achieve Our Goals.......2007-03-19

Although Claudia Shelton's new book, Blind Spots, was inspired by her work as an Executive Coach in many Fortune 500 companies, all those who are interested in both personal and professional success should make this a must read. The book's premise is that through overuse and old patters of behavior our strengths become our weaknesses. When we realize these Blind Spots, define and understand them, we can become objective about who we need to be to make our innate talents work for us at all times. Shelton clearly defines the nine Blind Spots Profiles, how each profile can have Clear Sight in an easy to understand manner. The other remarkable dividend is once an individual understands how to turn personal weaknesses into strengths, he/she can apply the Blind Spots methodology to others, whether a boss, co-worker, or significant other to gain Clear Sight about who they are and how they communicate; this objective assessment will lead to signifcant, honest communication which will allow all to realize their full potential.

A Powerful and Very Readable Book.......2007-03-06

What a rich and potentially life changing book. As a Business and Personal Coach, I will use both the book and Blind Spots Finder regularly with clients. This book is filled with information and insights that will benefit professionals as well as individuals on their own path to greater success and fulfillment.

Just as we recognize that there are blind spots or things we can't see in our car mirrors, Claudia Shelton provides a way to see personal blind spots without judgement. Blind spots are opportunities for discovery and new possibilities.

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Blind Spot by Terri Persons

Blind Spot
Terri Persons
Manufacturer: Doubleday
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0385518692
Release Date: 2007-03-13

Book Description

Introducing a heroine unlike any other . . .

FBI Agent Bernadette Saint Clare’s gift of sight allows her to see things others can’t. But some things are better left unseen.

Not always easy to work with, Agent Bernadette Saint Clare has been assigned and reassigned to FBI offices all over the country. Not long after she’s placed at a desk in the basement of the off-site St. Paul office, she’s called on to do what she does best: use personal effects found at a crime scene to see through a killer’s eyes.

In some cases her sight has been astoundingly accurate; in others it has been less than perfect. The agent in charge of this case, Tony Garcia, aware of Bernadette’s spotty record, is unsure if he should follow her lead, and the tension between them makes for an uneasy alliance. To make things more complicated, she becomes involved with her new upstairs neighbor. But there‘s something about him she can’t quite put her finger on—especially when he offers her a key clue to the killer’s identity.

A complex novel filled with quirky characters on the right and wrong sides of the law, Blind Spot reminds us that life is filled with leaps of faith both great and small.

Customer Reviews:

Blind Spot by Terri Persons.......2007-06-14

Read Blind Spot! This book is incredible. The heroine is not your usual Nancy Drew Grows Up detective. Blind Spot offers more twist and turns than a belly dancer. It is a combination of Ghost, Hannibel Lechter, and it's own unique perspective on serial killers.

I read 5/6 books each week. Most are ho-hum. When I reached the end of Blind Spot I knew I would miss these characters. Blind Spot is set up perfectly for a sequel...very soon I hope.

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Attracted to Light
attracted to the light
I loves me the Starn Twins

Attracted to Light
Doug Starn , Mike Starn , and A Blind Spot Book
Manufacturer: powerHouse Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Book Description

Perhaps Nabokov prefigured Attracted to Light in his fictional four-volume set called, "The Butterflies and Moths of the Russian Empire" in "Father's Butterflies": "The illustrations are still more perfect texture, the blurry translucence of various families of moths are rendered so delicately you would be afraid to run your finger across the paper...." A sumptuously oversized and exquisitely produced book, Attracted to Light showcases the Starns' extensive conceptual portrait series of the nocturnal moths' mysterious journey and the seeming gravitational force that light has over them, "captured" in photographs and filmic video footage. "Light necessitates darkness, the shadow created by anything physical. But black is not only the lack of light. The void and reservoir of what we want, what we need; light is power, it is knowledge. When we look into the deep, velvety black eyes of moths we see both emptiness and (the absorption of) light. No one understands why moths are attracted to light. It's neither to mate nor to eat: many moths don't eat at all; some don't even have mouths. Like butterflies, moths are almost as light as air, but they're the poor stupid cousins. Choosing to live their lives at night, flying from nowhere towards the end of their lives orbit a lamp, fly into a flame, or self-immolate like a Buddhist monk."

Customer Reviews:

Attracted to Light.......2006-03-11

I love this book. As a painter, I am inspired by Doug Starn's use of light in photographs of his subjects.

attracted to the light.......2005-01-27

The starn twins have always broadened the confines of the photographic world. A must have if you are interested in non-traditional photography. Graphic images of insects up close and made to look like the fragile beings that they are.

I loves me the Starn Twins.......2004-04-08

This book is great. I like the subject matter, the execution and, presentation. I won't go on and on, but these images of moths are both delicate and beautiful. Enjoy

Darwin's Blind Spot: Evolution Beyond Natural Selection

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no selfish gene?
Important new perspective on evolutionary biology
A look at Symbiosis and "Darwin's Blind Spot"
Editorial correction
Evolution beyond natural selection

Darwin's Blind Spot: Evolution Beyond Natural Selection
Frank Ryan
Manufacturer: Houghton Mifflin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Evolution | Science | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0618118128

Book Description

While Charles Darwin's vision of evolution was brilliant, natural selection ignores a crucial force that helps to explain the diversity and wonder of life: symbiosis. In Darwin's Blind Spot, Frank Ryan shows how the blending of life forms through symbiosis has resulted in gigantic leaps in evolution. The dependence of many flowering plants on insects and birds for pollination is an important instance of symbiosis. More surprising may be the fact that our cells have incorporated bacteria that allow us to breathe oxygen. And the equivalent of symbiosis within a species -- cooperation -- has been a vital, although largely ignored, force in human evolution. In Ryan's view, cooperation, not competition, lies at the heart of human society. Ryan mixes stories of the many strange and beautiful results of symbiosis with accounts of the dramatic historic rivalries over the expansion of Darwin's theory. He also examines controversial research being done today, including studies suggesting that symbiosis among viruses led to the evolution of mammals and thus of humans. Too often Darwin's interpreters have put excessive emphasis on competition and struggle as the only forces in evolution. But the idea of "survival of the fittest" does not always reign. Symbiosis is critically important to the richness of Earth's life forms.

Customer Reviews:

no selfish gene?.......2007-04-06

Anyone get the feeling this author hasn't actually read Dawkins' Selfish Gene? The end of this book begins talking about levels of selection and seems to ignore Dawkins' most articulated points from Selfish Gene theory. For example, Ryan states outright that "From a selfish gene perspective, it is difficult to explain why individuals act in unselfish ways." He goes on to cite supposed instances of 'group selection' and then a bizarre example about the problems of selfish behavior using "selfish cells"(selection at the level of the cell?) as an example. Had he been familiar with Dawkins' theory however, he would realize that genes natually 'seek' to propagate themselves, including their respective copies in relatives. Considering our ancestral evolution in close-knit groups of relatives whom we share our genes with, it is no wonder we modern day humans are imbued with altruistic tendencies for others (with family and friends, i.e. fellow gene carriers, getting obvious priority). We help those around us, those who in the past would have been carrying many of the same genes, and we are simply helping our own genes. Not to mention investing in indirect reciprocity (which Ryan disregards as a process in which one has to 'stop and think' before hand). Of course, running into a fire to save someone you don't know is not something anyone would do; it just goes to lend creedence to Indirect Reciprocity theory in the cultures that would reward such a hero.
Ryan further shows his ignorance of Selfish Gene theory by stating "George Williams and Richard Dawkins..argue that we could explain everything more simply on the basis of individual selection and there was no need to involve complicated entities such as groups." These reductionists don't reduce to the individual; they reduce all the way to individual genes. And groups are explicitly explained by Dawkins as showing altruistic selection, albeit because those individuals share genes, not because they are "looking out for the group" (or species). Citing a study in which someone ridiculously proposes songbirds censure choruses in their peers to avoid overpopulation or extinction doesn't help matters. He continues to give examples of "group selection" that aren't group selection but actually gene selection, such as social insects.
My last gripe with this book is its short tirade against evolutionary psychology, which, as with all the rest of the evo-psych critiques, misrepresents it as "social darwinism". He employs the naturalistic fallacy, citing all the people who are afraid that the ideas of evolutionary psychology will justify rape, murder, infanticide, etc. Of course, real scientists working from the evolutionary psychology perspective have to use half their books to refute this stance, and have to waste time explaining that they are out for data and progressive action, just like the rest of the scientists; unlike religious people (figured I'd take a swipe since I'm here).
Anyway a very insightful book before the last couple chapters, especially the chapters on viruses and their merging with human DNA. Oh, and be wary of a fanciful and almost spiritual theory like 'Gaia'; we don't have to make a religion out of this.

Important new perspective on evolutionary biology.......2005-07-08

Punctuated equilibrium, genetic symbiosis, DNA recombination via virus vectors. If you are unfamiliar with any of the above terminology, I would recommend adding this book to your reading list. The primary argument of this book is that the current theories of evolution by natural selection, a/sexual genetic recombination, and radiation induced mutations are not enough account for the present knowledge of our gentic make up and speed of change in historical fossil records.

The author argues that parasites, symbiants, and viruses likely add pieces of loose DNA/RNA to some host organisms' genetic structure. This results in rapid changes in species evolution, which traditional theories cannot fully account for. If proven correct, thousands of biologists will see their works invalidated and our current understanding of evolution will be turned on its head.

The tone of the book borders on passionate ranting, but one may have said the same of Galileo and Darwin. The substance of the author's arguments is well supported by citations of scientific literature. When you are battling for a unpopular theory, I suppose it may be necessary to scream louder than the rest. I recommend skipping chapters of groundwork for the advanced reader.

This book will not give comfort to Creationists and the like. However, it is a crucial alternative perspective to the orthodox theories in Biology 101. It will open your imagination to a brand new world of possibilities.

A look at Symbiosis and "Darwin's Blind Spot".......2003-12-20

After the emergence of the first examples of prokaryote life, it had been thought that bacteria competed among themselves. That is, if we could intervene into the life of a bacterium and ask the little fellow: What is it that you are doing? What is this imperative that you hold? We would expect the answer that the bacterium holds challenge and necessity. And based on all outward signs it looks as if the bacterium must compete for its survival because of some egocentric imperative. Otherwise, the bacterium can just go on strike and there would be no surviving bacteria to direct such questions to, and we would not be here to ask such questions because our own survival depends upon the success of bacteria.

The bacterium is not an isolated unit onto itself. There is also everything else that makes up the biosphere and beyond. Is this imperative that the bacterium holds based on challenge and necessity of the individual cell? Or is it the empathetic wish of the biosphere to nurture the communities of prokaryote life and more? Is it the many, or the one? If it is our attention to avoid homomorphism, it must be that we cannot answer these questions. Therefore, the imperatives that life holds comes with two sides that are formally indistinguishable. Incidently, judging imperatives relates to the same confusion that Huw Price (see Time's Arrow and Archimedes' Point) described regarding the perceived passage on time - a very important observation. Does time unfold by the thermodynamic arrow as energies degrade into states of maximum entropy? Or is this just an issue of perspective as it is just as plausible for low energy states to unit into more ordered states?

Given that we hold these alternative views, it is not surprising that competing bacteria can fine tune their weapons to such an extent that they may win over their victims. They could be invited into their conquered host cells and become organelles like mitochondria and the cell nucleus. But the illusion of conquest is short lived. As the competing prokaryote cells find themselves to be one eukaryote cell, they discover a deeper symmetry and their felt imperatives flip as the competing bacterium find deep agreements in their mutual cooperation. Lynn Margulis will tell us this much, and Frank Ryan's book "Darwin's Blind Spot" presents a wonderful account of such symbiosis as discovered in biological evolution.

In writing on Albert Bernhard Frank's work on trees and fungi, Frank Ryan (on page 24 of "Darwin's Blind Spot") concludes:

"... The intimate cooperation between wholly different life forms - plants and fungi - is not only an amazing biological phenomenon but also a vitally important factor in the diversity of plant life on earth. It should have been of enormous interest to evolutionary theorists, but few scientists were paying attention. In those formative years at the end of the nineteenth century, as the fundamental principles of biology were being hammered into place in laboratories around the world, Darwinian evolution took center stage. And as Darwinism, with its emphasis on competitive struggle, thrived, symbiosis, its cooperative alter ego, languished in the shadows, derided or dismissed as a novelty."

How we perceive our self and our world will direct our imperatives. We may greet the broken symmetry with angry confusion and find ourselves competing (Publishers Weekly comes to mind). Or we may see the deeper symmetry and find ourselves cooperating. The imperatives are made of mind stuff as I note in my book, "Trinity". It is for this reason that I give Frank Ryan's book the highest recommendation.

Trinity: The Scientific Basis of Vitalism and Transcendentalism

Editorial correction.......2003-11-22

Dear Sir/Madam,

I'm the author of DARWIN'S BLIND SPOT, ISBN: 1587991152. There's been an editorial glitch that has caused one of the readers' reviews to be duplicated ((A NEW VIEW OF ONENESS, by sean lawless), meanwhile another (AN UPDATE ON NEW THOUGHT IN EVOLUTIONARY THEORY by Kathlessn R Eickwort) has been inadvertently removed. I wondered if this could be corrected.

Sincerely,

Frank Ryan

Evolution beyond natural selection.......2003-10-24

The tenacity of Darwinian fundamentalism is such that even well-documented phenomena that don't tune with the paradigm tend to be factored out of the public literature. This book braves the uphill battle here on the theme of symbiogenesis, and is a good companion to the recent Acquiring Genomes from Sagan & Margoulis. Judging from some of the reviews of this book, the Darwin estab remains in standard form and really dislikes someone pointing out that symbiosis is a factor in evolution. That means such authors need to be taught a lesson, and most 'authors' will learn fast to reach the Darwin market.
My problem with this approach is that it doesn't go far enough, and seems to be merely testing the waters with a relatively safe vein of counterevidence to standard Darwinism. But this much is still a good indirect critique of the obsessive focus on the competition factor in theories of natural selection. Bit by bit, it will sink in.

The Thing in the Bushes : Turning Organizational Blind Spots into Competitive Advantage

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Wish I Had Read It Years Ago

The Thing in the Bushes : Turning Organizational Blind Spots into Competitive Advantage
Kevin Graham Ford , and James D. Osterhaus
Manufacturer: Navpress Publishing Group
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1576832287

Book Description

Companies see it over and over again. There are signs of trouble in the organization: conflict, turnover, low morale, lack of motivation, status quo bureaucracy. So a consultant comes in with a series of recommendations. Managers and employees rally around a vision of the way things could be. The consultants leave and their report sits on the shelf. Nothing happens. Cynicism rises. Morale plummets. Managers argue. Another consultant creates a new plan that looks a lot like the old one with a new cover and a new name. And still nothing happens.

Leadership knows something is seriously wrong, but they can't see it. Something unidentified and insidious is lurking in the shadows like a "thing in the bushes" and it has the organization in a death grip. It hates change. It's the very thing that managers, consultants, employees, and board members all avoid. Its presence is palpable but nobody knows what to do about it. Avoiding it will kill the company. Facing it honestly and dealing with it unleashes a power that will propel an organization into a new realm. But it takes courage to face The Thing in the Bushes.

Even the best-run companies with great products, talented personnel, and superior systems can flounder if they are not relationally healthy. Companies today face "people" issues that didn't exist only a decade ago. Yet those same issues are often ignored and left prowling, waiting to destroy the company. Ford and Osterhaus show business leaders how to face "The Thing in the Bushes" and turn it into a competitive advantage for their company.

Customer Reviews:

Wish I Had Read It Years Ago.......2001-06-07

I wish I had read this book years ago. For those who want to be able to effectively deal with the challenges of working in an organization, this book can be a great overview. While it is almost an advertisement for the firm which the authors own which helps troubled firms, it can also serve -- if read and studied very carefully -- as a great way to develop one's own approach to office politics, and the myriad complexities of trying to fit in and advance within a big, competitive business work group. Book repeats things but also mentions that thoughts need to be repeated and repeated to be correctly and fully learned.

Blind Spots: Why Smart People Do Dumb Things

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Blind Spots: Why Smart People Do Dumb Things
Funny and thought provoking
Great read. Definite buy.
a great gift for someone recovering from a misstep

Blind Spots: Why Smart People Do Dumb Things
Madeleine L. Van Hecke
Manufacturer: Prometheus Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Book Description

A woman planning a dinner party calls a gourmet caterer and learns that "Chateaubriand" can be ordered. To which she responds, "No, thanks. We're going to take care of the wine ourselves." The dead silence at the end of the phone is her first clue that something is amiss. A CEO attempts to put an end to complaints from employees about the demeaning behavior of certain managers by berating the managers before the staff--thus reinforcing the very behavior he's trying to correct.

We often criticize such incidents with remarks like "How dumb!" or "What was he thinking?" But psychologist Madeleine L. Van Hecke argues that much of what we label stupidity can better be explained as blind spots. Just as the blind spot in the driver's side mirror can swallow up a passing car, patterns in the way we think can likewise become blind spots, sifting out information and observations that to other people seem obvious. Drawing on research in creativity, cognitive psychology, critical thinking, child development, education, and philosophy, Dr. Van Hecke shows how our assets as thinkers create the very blind spots that become our worst liabilities. She devotes a chapter to each of ten mental blind spots that afflict even the smartest people: not stopping to think, jumping to conclusions, my-side bias, getting trapped by categories, and much more. At the end of each chapter she offers tactics for overcoming that specific blind spot, so we can become more creative and competent thinkers.

Full of funny, poignant stories about human foibles, Blind Spots offers many insights for improving our social and political lives while giving us fresh slants into the minds of people who are poles apart from ourselves.

Customer Reviews:

Blind Spots: Why Smart People Do Dumb Things.......2007-05-23

To say I recognized myself and so many others I know in this book would be an understatement! It has changed the way I think about many things, especially when driving. I'm prone to road rage, and after reading this, it put a different spin on the guy in the other car; it has saved many people already. Every chapter was a revelation, and I really enjoyed the example stories. They made it easy to see the ways in which we bypass our own intelligence. A good book for business groups, or anyone wishing they didn't stumble over their own "forehead smacking" blunders. This could be a good gift for colleagues who think they know it all, or those who don't and need help.

Funny and thought provoking.......2007-05-21

Blind Spots is much more readable than the typical self-help book. The author's personal experiences described are fun and believable, and give the reader the opportunity to identify with similar blind spots of their own. This book gives more than ample reasons for us to pause and think before we speak/act. The plausible strategies outlined are sure to bring results, which I plan to put into practice. I hope all my friends to whom I've given a copy, will feel the same!

Great read. Definite buy........2007-05-21

I don't read self-help books as a rule but this one (a gift) kept me hooked. All the blind spots were real to me and pertained in one way or another to me and/or someone I know. I am going to give this book to everyone I know and do business with. It will go a long way towards making my life easier!

a great gift for someone recovering from a misstep.......2007-05-15

This book is engaging, smart, and playful, even though it deals with stuff we really ought to know. Van Hecke points out some mysteries we haven't noticed, and makes the mysterious feel manageable. She starts with the conviction that the more we understand about our thinking, the more likely we are to produce results that satisfy us in the long term. Van Hecke's witty and insightful daytrip through some of the knobbier kinds of thinking is lots of fun. I discovered plenty of surprises and quite a few points that proved things I had almost thought of myself. Blind Spots includes just enough unforgettable examples. They keep coming to mind as I catch myself doing some of my own favorite dumb things. Highly recommended to anyone wanting to think about thinking--students, teachers, armchair philosophers, and all the rest of us who wonder how things happen. Nice gift for someone recovering from doing a dumb thing. That's probably anyone: as Ven Hecke points out, it comes with having a brain built like ours.

Blind Spot: The Secret History of American Counterterrorism

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Interesting but doesn't rise above partisan bias
Sound Familar?
Counterterrorism Prior to 911
Straight-ahead history of modern U.S. counter-terrorism
Robust review of history of U.S. counterterrorism policy

Blind Spot: The Secret History of American Counterterrorism
Timothy Naftali
Manufacturer: Basic Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0465092829

Book Description

"Masterful.... Blind Spot is an excellent reminder of the value of unbiased scholarship in an environment of poisonous political partisanship." (The New Republic)

In this revelatory new account, national security expert Timothy Naftali relates the full story of America's decades-long attempt to fight terrorism. On September 11, 2001, a long history of failures and missteps came to a head, with tragic results. But, explains Naftali, it didn't have to be so. Blind Spot traces the long history of American efforts to thwart terrorism, from World War II to the Munich Games hostage-taking to the first attack on the World Trade Center in 1993. In riveting detail, based on original research and interviews with the key participants, Naftali describes why our early successes in counterterrorism did not translate into success against Osama bin Laden later in the 1990s, and why, until 9/11, the domestic threat of terrorism was the largest blind spot in United States national security.

"Blind Spot is that rare phenomenon: a great work of original research on a subject of great importance that is also lucidly written." (Wall Street Journal)

"An engaging and impressively comprehensive history of American counterterrorism.... [It] should become essential reading as we chart our way forward." (Commentary)

Customer Reviews:

Interesting but doesn't rise above partisan bias.......2007-06-28

This book takes an interesting approach to the issue of counterterrorism, going back to WWII times and giving good historical background. Perhaps the topic is a little too broad, but the book lacks detail that has been published in other sources and little that is new. The biggest problem is that the author will gladly include any innuendo or single-source comment that is critical of a Republican president, but conveniently leaves out similar criticism of Democrats. Most notably in the case of Clinton, he leaves out the fact that Clinton was offered bin Ladin (Clinton has admitted this) but refused. The author also ignores accusations by numerous individuals close to Clinton about his failure to focus on terrorism or take opportunities to get bin Ladin. The fact that he just omits these references rather than rebutting them if he disagrees, implies a certain bias. Rather disappointing, but well-written and quite readable.

Sound Familar?.......2006-10-12

It would probably be useful to potential readers to explain what this book is not before discussing what it is. It is not a "secret history" in any sense nor is it a diatribe against either the U.S. Intelligence Community (IC) or the Executive Branch of government. The book is a sober and sobering history of how the U.S. has dealt with issues of State and non-State terrorism from World War II through the catastrophe of September 11 2001. Naftali also does a great service by noting the obvious similarities between the operating techniques of counter-Espionage and counter Terrorism (especially domestic).

In this book Naftali chronicles the failure of our political and national security systems to effectively protect American lives and property from terrorist threats. Naftali does record those rare successes against individual terrorists such as Abu Nidal, but the thrust of his book is that on the whole we have had difficulty countering terrorism in any form. He gives a fairly detailed case study of the series of terrorist attacks against U.S. personal in Lebanon during 1983-1984. The perpetrators of these attacks were members of Hezbollah, a Shia terrorist organization sponsored by Iran and enabled by Syria. In the case of the bombing of the U.S. Beirut Embassy in 1984 as it turned out, if the CIA had reviewed its available evidence, especially imagery they would have seen that a mock up of the U.S. Embassy had been constructed and was being used to train for car bomb attacks against the real thing. This is not a matter of "connecting the dots"; it is a matter of knowing the target (in this case Hezbollah) and building rational indications lists. In the fallout from this series of disasters, the redoubtable Charlie Allen, a long time CIA employee, called attention to the existence of this imagery (hind site is always 20/20). As a result Allen was named the new National Intelligence Officer (NIO) for counter-Terrorism. To his credit, Allen almost immediately tried to make information sharing a part of IC culture by connecting all concerned agencies directly with the CIA center for photo interpretation. Needless to say the IC culture than as now was largely opposed to sharing anything and Allen's efforts came to naught. In the couple of chapters of this book Naftali does chronicle the efforts by the Clinton and George W. Bush administrations to deal with the terrorist threat posed by the Osama bin Laden movement. Neither comes off very well in this, but the Bush administration comes off as the most indifferent, at least prior to 9/11.

This reviewer would recommend that prior to reading this book; interested readers should read "Inside Terrorism" by Bruce Hoffman to understand all the different manifestation of terrorism.

Counterterrorism Prior to 911.......2006-03-23

I found Blind Spot to be a refreshing look at terrorism prior to when it became a sexy topic.

Blind Spot is a highly informative tome on what was happening in this country in terms of terrorism pre 911. It takes you from the early days in August 1969 when Palestinian terrorists hijacked TWA Flight 840 to the current battle with Al Qaeda. Having worked on the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks upon the United States or as you all will be more familure with the 911 Commission he knows that which he speaks.

If you want to learn what your US Government was doing about terrorism prior to 911 then this is the book you need to click on and proceed straight to the check out page.

Straight-ahead history of modern U.S. counter-terrorism.......2005-11-10

This is an excellent compilation of the various U.S. government responses to the threat of terrorism, starting with the end of WWII and continuing up to 9/11. It wins a "5" on timeliness, "4s" on content and writing, down-graded mainly because of puny policy recommendations. It was especially valuable to me in pointing out how vulnerable we are during the periodic interregums, as new Presidents and their minions attempt to put their own stamps on government. It was more valuable pointing out the difficulties successive Presidents and their staffs faced in trying to get authority to conduct the kinds of operations that seem to be necessary to fight terrorist acts. The tension between freedom from government scrutiny and the freedom from terrorism posed insurmountable obstacles before 2001. Finding the appropriate balance remains a key issue for this country.

Robust review of history of U.S. counterterrorism policy.......2005-11-08

While many recent works on terrorism focus almost exclusively on the most recent incarnation (Islamic jihadists), Naftali reviews the much broader historical counterterrorism landscape. Perhaps most interesting is the historical parallel he draws between the difficult decisions the Clinton and Bush II administrations faced prior to 9-11 and those faced by the Johnson and Nixon administrations. The author does a tremendous job of reinforcing that terrorism and U.S. efforts to combat it are nothing new, and that policymakers often find themselves faced with the same difficult decisions and repeating the same mistakes as their predecessors. Those readers who wish to read more than this book offers about counterterrorism policy since the late 1990s should read Steve Coll's Ghost Wars and Peter Bergen's Holy War, Inc.

Political Blind Spots: Reading the Ideology of Images

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Political Blind Spots: Reading the Ideology of Images
Sassower Raphael
Manufacturer: Lexington Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Aesthetics | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0739112619

Book Description

In order to better understand the conditions of the twenty-first century Raphael Sassower and Louis Cicotello revisit the twentieth century in Political Blind Spots: Reading the Ideology of Images. Sassower and Cicotello revisit some of the most significant periods in art and politics in the twentieth century paying close attention to the relationship between aesthetics and politics.

Blind Spots: Critical Theory and the History of Art in Twentieth-Century Germany

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Blind Spots: Critical Theory and the History of Art in Twentieth-Century Germany
Frederic J. Schwartz
Manufacturer: Yale University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 030010829X

Book Description

This book is the first to focus on the extraordinary symbiosis between Critical Theory and other discourses of the visual in the first half of the twentieth century. In four extended case studies, Frederic J. Schwartz traces the way central concepts of the aesthetics later termed “Frankfurt School” were deeply rooted in contemporary developments in painting, photography, architecture, and film, as well as psychology, advertising, and the discipline of art history as it was practiced by figures such as Heinrich Wölfflin, Erwin Panofsky, Wilhelm Pinder, and Hans Sedlmayr.

Schwartz explores the shifting intersection between the history of art and the Frankfurt School and seeks to uncover its specific logic. He argues that artists, art historians, and Critical Theorists were united by a common project: that of exploring those aspects of modernity that could only be revealed by its visual products, of knowing the modern visually.

Colonial Cinema and Imperial France, 1919--1939: White Blind Spots, Male Fantasies, Settler Myths

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Colonial Cinema and Imperial France, 1919--1939: White Blind Spots, Male Fantasies, Settler Myths
David Henry Slavin
Manufacturer: The Johns Hopkins University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0801866162

Book Description

North Africa has captured the French imagination for centuries and shaped it in ways the French themselves have yet to acknowledge. The advent of cinema allowed artists and propagandists alike to exploit a new medium in their romanticized depictions of France's imperial mission in Algeria and Morocco. The films of the 1920s expressed a cautious optimism about the prospect of cooperation between Europeans and Muslims -- with Europeans dominant. By the 1930s, however, attitudes toward indigenous North Africans had hardened. In response to demands for liberal reform in Algeria, French settlers appealed to racial solidarity and protection of white womanhood. The films of this period warned against the perils of miscegenation and portrayed the Foreign Legion and the settlers as the defenders of white, European civilization's frontiers.

In Colonial Cinema and Imperial France, David Henry Slavin uses such key colonial-era films as L'Atlantide (1921; remade in 1932) and Pépé le Moko (1937) to document how the French cinema reflected the changing policies and values of French colonialism in the interwar period. Slavin is most interested in the "blind spots" within these films, the avoidance or denial of colonial realities that becomes apparent when sound-era remakes are compared with their original silent versions. The reworking of history and the interplay of history and memory evident in this process still hinders France's ability to confront the legacy of its colonial past.

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