NIMBY WARS: POLITICS OF LAND USE

There are many "ah-ha moments" in author P. Michael Saint’s "Nimby Wars." Whether you are a developer trying to push a controversial project through the permitting and construction process, or neighbors trying to stop it, "Nimby Wars" provides invaluable insights and strategies. And for the regulators caught in the middle, the book is a "must read" that takes some of the mystery out of what seems to be the "surprise attacks."

For more than three decades, I headed government planning agencies in California. I can recognize many of the controversies and scenarios the authors included in "Nimby Wars." It is a good, entertaining read. It also can serve as a "manual" for what is likely to occur as proponents and opponents bash each other with the environmental laws that "govern" most states', counties' and cities' land-use decisions.

This review of “Nimby Wars” was written for Amazon.com by John Hardisty of Bakersfield. To read more about this book, go to www.amazon.com

REVIEW: BOOMERS GROW UP

Victor E. Brooks' "Boomers: The Cold-War Generation Grows Up" is a quick, but compelling read. With less than 200 pages, it is packed with historical, demographic and cultural insights about the "largest generation," if not "The Greatest."

Returning World War II veterans set about creating families - in many cases large families - and embarked on an unprecedented path for America. In the 18 years that followed the end of World War II, about 77 million babies were born. While some feared the war's end would return the United States and the world to the Great Depression days, the opposite occurred. Boomers and their parents created enormous wealth and prosperity.

Brooks, a professor of historical foundations at Pennsylvania's Villanova University, details the cultural, economic, political, religious and geographic factors that shaped Boomers' lives and attitudes. For Boomers, the book is a walk down "memory lane." For everyone, the book is a "must read" to prepare for the tsunami of Boomers headed into retirement. It gives insights into the challenges and potentials that loom ahead for those providing services to aging Boomers and for companies hoping to capitalize on the generation's enormous and continuing spending potential.

Boomers - people born between 1946 and 1964 - are about 77 million strong. The generation often has been described as the "pig in the python" -- the big lump that moves along the demographic line. The "lump" once filled the nation's schools, later swelled the labor force and then super-heated the consumer economy. The first Boomer will turn 65 in 2011. Already someone in the United States is turning 65 years old every seven seconds. Social Security is reeling from the leading edge of this Boomer wave.

Boomers are expected to be the healthiest, most active, affluent and long-living group of retirees. Are we prepared to meet their demands and needs? Brooks' book helps us prepare.

This review was written by John Hardisty of Bakersfield for Amazon.com. To read more about this book, go to www.amazon.com

REVIEW: WHEN BAD THINGS HAPPEN

Rabbi Harold S. Kushner's "When Bad Things Happen to Good People" is both insightful and comforting. It cuts across religious lines to help people understand and respond to personal setbacks. You can wish for setbacks not to have occurred. You can even anguish over their occurrence. But you cannot ask God to wipe away these setbacks. You can only move forward. You only have "control" over your forward movement, not your past. The resources God gives us - friends, family, medical staff, legal staff, etc. - are God's gift in these circumstances. Rabbi Kushner relates this message through his family's setback - the birth and within a relatively short time the death of a son who is born with a rare, debilitating disease. The book version of "When Bad Things Happen to Good People" is well worth buying and reading. The abridged CD version loads nicely on devices, such as iPods. All or portions of the abridged version can be listened to in an hour or less. Each listening session brings a portion of Rabbi Kushner's message into greater focus. This review was written by John Hardisty of Bakersfield for Amazon.com. To learn more about this book, go to www.amazon.com