book review, Litercurious Archives, Medical Science, Non-Fiction, Plague of Corruption, Science

PLAGUE OF CORRUPTION -REVIEW

January 26, 2020 Nemo Leave a comment

LITERCURIOUS BOOK REVIEW

Title	Plague of Corruption: Restoring Faith in the Promise of Science
Author	Kent Heckenlively; Judy Mikovits
Publisher	Skyhorse (March 3, 2020)
Format	Kindle, Hardcover
Page	264
Language	English
ISBN #	1510752242 / 978-1510752245

AUTHOR’S BIO

http://plaguethebook.com/about/

WHO IS THE TARGET AUDIENCE

This published work is appropriate for all those who wish to properly understand the competing influences in Medicine and the Pharmaceutical Industries.

SYNOPSIS

Heckenlively and Mikovits have produced an excellent primer for anyone who seeks the truth of corruption in Big Pharma.

Dr. Judy Mikovits is an extraordinary polymath and an incredibly accomplished medical researcher. She made her mark in the scientific community with her findings that led to changes in the treatment of Human Immunodeficiency Virus infection (HIV), and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS). Dr. Mikovits is a recognized leading scientist.

Problems began for Dr. Mikovits when she challenged the use of animal tissue in medical research that was producing diseases in their human patients.

Dr. Mikovits tells her story of almost 40 years of experience in the research science field. She describes her professional association over three decades with the one of the co-founders of the discipline of Human Retrovirology, Dr. F. Ruscetti.

CONCLUSION

It is a rare thing indeed for a doctor to endanger her integrity, professional standing, and reputation to champion a cause. Dr. Mikovits had much to lose and yet her morals demanded that she reveal the truth. I genuinely sympathize with her precarious position and admire her commitment to science.

This manuscript does possess its detractors, and I have seen some extreme reviews that based their views on partial information. In my opinion this was a book that was required to correct the current situation in Medicine and the Pharmaceutical Industries. I heartily recommend this work to you, if you are willing to suspend your disbelief.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

My sincere thanks go to: Kent Heckenlively and Judy Mikovit (Authors), NetGalley, and the Publisher Skyhorse for affording me the opportunity to review Plague of Corruption.

book review, History, Litercurious Archives, Litercurious Archives, Military History, Military Intelligence, Non-Fiction, World War 2

Ian Fleming SOE And Operation POSTMASTER – REVIEW

January 9, 2020 Kado Leave a comment

Litercurious Book Review

Title	Ian Fleming and SOE’s Operation POSTMASTER
Author	Brian Lett
Publisher	Pen and Sword Military (February 19, 2020)
Format	Kindle, Paperback
Page	272
Language	English
ISBN-10 / 13	1526760681 / 978-1526760685

AUTHOR’S BIO

http://www.brianlettauthor.com/about.html

WHO IS THE TARGET AUDIENCE?

Anyone who enjoys history or WWII military operations.

SYNOPSIS

Ian Fleming and SOE’s Operation POSTMASTER: The Untold Top Secret Story, is a historical look at just one of the Special Operations Executive’s (SOE’s) missions in West Africa. The author draws parallels between this mission, the makeup of the SOE, and Ian Fleming’s James Bond series.

The story follows a small group of soldiers from Dunkirk through special operations training to mission “Operation Postmaster.” Brian Lett explains how Ian Fleming was involved with the SOE, how he knew the individuals involved, and how he incorporated certain characteristics from each member into his fictional character James Bond. Brian breaks down the makeup of the SOE and the code words and letters utilized during the time and how Ian Fleming incorporated those into his series.

Operation Postmaster is the tell of a small group of highly motivated soldiers from all walks of life and multiple nationalities banding together to accomplish a single goal. These soldiers trained in England and Scotland, and then went to work on the Spanish island of Fernando Po, now known as Bioko, off West Africa in the Gulf of Guinea. The story describes the trails and tribulations that the SOE went through just to be able to do their job. From the pushback of the Admiralty, to the international political scene.

The detailed planning, the timely execution, and the personal fortitude of the men is quite evident. The fact that they received almost no help from their own military only added to the tale. The British General Officer Commanding (GOC) West Africa Command refused to support the mission. The only way they could accomplish this mission was to get help from the Governor of Nigeria.

CONCLUSION

Operation Postmaster is sometimes thrilling, but for the most part it just tedious. This is in no part due to the author, but due to the lack of support from the British military. In order to tell the story, the author has to incorporate the long delays, the trials, and tribulations that the men had to go through. When the story really picks up it is very good. Overall, I found it an interesting read but one I could do without. The whole operation just seemed a waste of resources for little gain and the possible international ramifications. The way the story is told it seems that the whole operation was just to prove that the SOE could “do it.”

Although there are similarities between the code names of the soldiers and Fleming’s books, there is no evidence that he used this particular mission to from his James Bond 007 series. It is evident that he used his experiences working with the SOE for the background of his series, but I believe the author put too much emphasis on this one mission. My greatest disappointment is that Ian Fleming, although promoted heavily on the dust cover, features less than I expected.

Acknowledgment

My sincere thanks go to: The Author, NetGalley, and the Publisher, for affording me the opportunity to review Ian Fleming and SOE’s Operation POSTMASTER: The Untold Top Secret Story.

book review, History, Litercurious Archives, Non-Fiction, Political Science

TYRANTS – REVIEW

January 7, 2020 Nemo 2 Comments

Litercurious Book Review

Title	TYRANTS
Author	Professor Waller R. Newell
Publisher	Cambridge University Press (September 26, 2019)
Format	Kindle, Hardcover
Page	273
Language	English
ISBN #	1108713912

Tyrants: Power, Injustice and Terror will appeal to anyone interested in the danger posed by tyranny and terror in today’s world.

Tyrants, by Professor Waller R. Newell, (Sept. 26, 2019) Loc 2.

AUTHOR’S BIO

https://carleton.ca/bhum/people/waller-newell/

WHO IS THE TARGET AUDIENCE?

Tyrants is a must read for all those studying political science.

SYNOPSIS

Tyrants, by Professor Waller Newell is an encyclopedic panoply of absorbing facts relating to despots from ancient history to present days autocrats. Waller categorizes the various kinds of tyrannical systems together with their characteristic methodologies and potential risks each poses to the society and the wider world. Tyrants spans over 2,000 years of anarchic insanity posing under the guise of political change. Professor Newell describes succinctly how tyrannical systems grow, often seeming to be ineffectual to their rise and through their inevitable fall. The pattern repeating itself again and again against the tapestry of human history. As time and technology progress the number of victims arising out of tyranny increases to terrifying levels. Newell mentions the usual suspects, Hitler, Stalin, and, Alexander the Great as well as those from the distant past.

From the onset I was surprised to observe the subject to be compelling, fascinating, and enthralling. I commend Professor Newell for taking a complex and sensitive subject and making it accessible and interesting. I felt that Newell argued well that tyrants represent an existential threat to the existence and continuation of democratic systems.

Professor Newell manages to take us from the tyrannical archetypes and through his extensive academic knowledge and skills to reveals the very heart of tyrants at their worst. Newell states from the beginning that his purpose is to prompt the current generation to realize that tyrants are not gone never to return. They are very much alive, well and living alongside us today and that they present a terrifying threat to societies across the globe.

The work is scholarly but not academic, and this is an excellent choice as it gives the greatest number of readers the opportunity to ingest this warning from history. Tyrants is particularly important due to the absence of literature covering this topic.

CONCLUSION

Tyrants is a primer for those who wish to read Professor Newell’s earlier masterpiece Tyranny. Both manuscripts will give the reader a superior knowledge of the danger that still exists in our world today; as well as the historic context against which to illuminate the cliff edge that faces civilization. This tome is concisely written and researched with inspirational interpretations throughout. I found it a compelling read even though the topic is serious. Tyrants by Professor Newell is the author at his best.

FURTHER READING

Poverty Isn’t the Root Cause of Jihadist Terrorism. Here’s What Is.

https://www.heritage.org/political-process/report/understanding-tyranny-and-terror-the-french-revolution-modern-islamism

How Plato and Aristotle Help Us Understand the Tyranny of Bashar al-Assad

OTHER WORKS BY THIS AUTHOR

His books include Tyrants: A History of Power, Injustice and Terror (forthcoming from Cambridge University Press), Tyranny: A New Interpretation (Cambridge University Press), The Soul of a Leader: Character, Conviction and Ten Lessons in Political Greatness (Harper Collins 2009), The Code of Man: Love, Courage, Pride, Family, Country (Harper Collins, 2003), What Is A Man? 3000 Years of Wisdom on the Art of Manly Virtue (Harper Collins 2000), Ruling Passion: The Erotics of Statecraft in Platonic Political Philosophy (Rowman and Littlefield 2000) and Bankrupt Education: The Decline of Liberal Education in Canada (University of Toronto Press 1994, with Peter C. Emberley).

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

My sincere thanks go to: The Author, NetGalley, and the Publisher, for affording me the opportunity to review Tyrants.