Books with author James Laver

"[The Groundwork Guides] are excellent books, mandatory for school libraries and the increasing body of young people prepared to take ownership of the situations and problems previous generations have left them." -- Globe and Mail In this eye-opening work, political scientist and award-winning author James Laxer warns readers that our common assumptions about democracy -- that it is a natural progression of advanced societies and that it is on the rise worldwide -- are misguided. Democracy, in fact, is very fragile. Showcasing examples from all over the world, this book explains the rise of democracy in the twentieth century and examines the current status of democracy in advanced countries and in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America. Laxer warns that globalization and the widening gap between the rich and poor threaten to weaken democracy and the vigor of democratic regimes -- even in countries where it has been long established.

As one of the earliest literary forms of colonial America, the Indian captivity narrative is important not only in the history of American letters but also as an indispensable source concerning the colonization of the “frontier,” the peoples who dwelt on either side of it, and the often limited understanding they had of one another. A Narrative of the Life of Mrs. Mary Jemison is one of the best of this literary genre. In 1758, fifteen-year-old Mary Jemison and her family were captured near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, by a Shawnee and French raiding party. Shortly thereafter, her family was killed; she was turned over to a Seneca family, adopted by them, and four years later taken to their western New York homeland―where, by choice, she spent the rest of her life as an Iroquois wife, mother, and landed proprietor. In time she gained respect as a negotiator and was known in New York and adjacent states as the “white woman of the Genesee.” James E. Seaver’s account of her life, written in the first person, taking on her voice as narrator, tells not only of her own adventures and misfortunes but also of the lives, customs, and attitudes of the Indians with whom she identified. When Seaver (about whom very little is known) interviewed Jemison in 1823, she was eighty years old. She did not read or write English, but she spoke it fluently. The book, published in 1824 and reprinted more than thirty times both in the United States and abroad, lives on; for readers continue to wonder at the strength and complexity of this remarkable woman’s life.

Democracy explains the rise of this form of government and how women and minorities struggled for and won democratic rights for themselves. In clear prose, author James Laxer relates the story of the replacement of Communist regimes in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe by ostensibly democratic political systems. In some of these countries, he argues, democracy has flourished, while in others authoritarianism is on the rise. Showcasing examples from all over the world, the book examines the current status of democracy in both developed and developing nations. Throughout, Laxer demonstrates that democracy is about much more than the right to vote, warning readers that globalization and the widening gap between rich and poor threatens to weaken democracy and the vigor of democratic regimes — even in countries where it has been long established. Only sustainable environmental policies and basic economic fairness, says Laxer, offer hope for democracy’s survival.

A crime novella with multiple endings, where the reader, by means of a series of dice throws, decides which events define the eventual outcome. Originally a short story entitled "A Girl's Best Friend" published in the collection "Little Gems", this extended version projects the reader into a more interactive role.Amanda Townsend is betrayed by her best friend, Julie, who sets out to rob her of the legacy left to her by her father - a number of exceptionally good quality diamonds - amassed during his career in the gem-cutting business. But robbery is only the beginning of a series of crimes, each one motivated by an ever-growing desire for revenge.

"[The Groundwork Guides] are excellent books, mandatory for school libraries and the increasing body of young people prepared to take ownership of the situations and problems previous generations have left them." -- Globe and MailOil, our main source of energy, underlies the world's economy. In the twentieth century its availability and relatively low price allowed for the industrial growth and development of the world's leading economies. The new rapidly developing giants, India and China, want access to the same possibilities. But today we know that cheap, easily accessible oil supplies are dwindling, and we are beginning to recognize the true cost to the world's environment of our profligate use of this form of energy.As Oil shows, a substantial portion of the world's remaining supply lies in countries whose interests are not identical with those of the major industrial powers.

"[The Groundwork Guides] are excellent books, mandatory for school libraries and the increasing body of young people prepared to take ownership of the situations and problems previous generations have left them." -- Globe and Mail The United States presides over the most far-flung imperial system ever established. Empire compares the American Empire to those of the past, finding that much can be learned from the fates of the British, Roman, Chinese, Incan, and Aztec empires. James Laxer draws ominous parallels with the British who discovered too late that empire building ultimately threatens the health of democracy at home. Documenting how the American Empire works and what it means to the rest of the world, Empire asks: Does the American Empire bring stability to a troubled world? Or, like its imperial predecessors, does it impose inequality and oppression on humanity? And what happens when an empire stumbles?

In the 20th century, the availability and low cost of oil triggered the industrial growth and development of the world’s leading economies. Today, cheap, accessible oil supplies are dwindling, and the true cost to the world’s environment of our profligate use of "black gold" is becoming clearer. America is embroiled in warfare and diplomacy to retain its hold on the Persian Gulf, the world’s richest petroleum-producing region. In this new entry in the popular Groundwood Guides series, James Laxer tells the story of the rise of the giant petroleum companies and how they seized control of oil fields and markets worldwide. Laxer explains the relationship between oil, geopolitics, and money, and he examines how different parts of the world — both users and suppliers — relate differently to this commodity. Finally, he describes the stark choices humanity faces as oil supplies decrease and climate change, intensified by the burning of petroleum and coal, threatens earth's future.

In the 20th century, the availability and low cost of oil triggered the industrial growth and development of the world’s leading economies. Today, cheap, accessible oil supplies are dwindling, and the true cost to the world’s environment of our profligate use of "black gold" is becoming clearer. America is embroiled in warfare and diplomacy to retain its hold on the Persian Gulf, the world’s richest petroleum-producing region. In this new entry in the popular Groundwood Guides series, James Laxer tells the story of the rise of the giant petroleum companies and how they seized control of oil fields and markets worldwide. Laxer explains the relationship between oil, geopolitics, and money, and he examines how different parts of the world — both users and suppliers — relate differently to this commodity. Finally, he describes the stark choices humanity faces as oil supplies decrease and climate change, intensified by the burning of petroleum and coal, threatens earth's future.