This is the title of a book published first in 1841 by Charles Mackay. This is a fascinating book, a classic, still in print, but little known. It has influenced many famous people. Of this book, Bernard Baruch wrote that his study of it saved him millions.Andrew Tobias wrote, in his preface to a recent edition, that "As with any true classic, once it is read it is had to … [Read more...]
What’s the Likely Future of New Orleans? History Tells Us What’s Likely
(Copyright © Daniel B. Botkin 2007)The news that residents of New Orleans are giving up and leaving after trying hard to stay makes us wonder whether the city can survive as anything like it once was. While we may blame events on particularities, including mistakes by politicians and government officials, underlying all this is an ecology of cities, an almost environmental … [Read more...]
Mining Roads and First Nation Cultures
The government of British Columbia, Canada, approved a request by the Redfern Corporation to build a 100 mile long mining road through the traditional land of the Taku River Tlingit First Nation. But they approved this road without asking the permission of hte First Nation. If I understand things correctly, they didn't even ask the First Nation. And The land lies in northern … [Read more...]
The Deer Hunt in Connecticut
Late in 2003, Friends of Animals and The Audubon Society were at odds over deer. Too many deer is a national problem---- what to do about them? Who can be against an individual deer, a bambi, grazing in a pasture, looking up with big eyes? And who can be against the conservation of an entire endangered species of a bird? Could it be that the Audubon Society does not like bambi? … [Read more...]
Fact and Fiction
Who Visits our National Parks?It is estimated that only one in ten Americans has been to a national park. What if a program provided funds to send many young, poor people from our cities to visit one national park? Sounds good, but our national parks are understaffed, and their buildings, roads, and trails need renovation. As presently funded, our parks could not absorb … [Read more...]