Book Description
Advances in environmental protection and public health result from democratic processes that debate environmental health concerns and propose legislative and other policy solutions. Delineating the delicate relationship between environmental policy and public health, Environmental Policy and Public Health explores the development of environmental health policies, the statutes that address public health concerns about specific environmental hazards, and policy issues that impact environmental health programs.Covering the fundamentals of environmental policy, this concise guide identifies the steps in environmental policy making, the federal government's environmental health structure, and the general environmental status. It focuses on environmental hazards, including air contamination, water pollution, unsafe food, pesticides and toxic substances, and hazardous waste that have been associated with degraded human health. The book provides a unique description of international environmental health organizations and programs and describes how risk assessment has become an integral policy in environmental health legislation.Presenting a historical perspective of how environmental health has evolved, Environmental Policy and Public Health is the first book to bridge human health concerns and environmental protection. The book relates the relationship between controlling environmental hazards and the impact on human health and public health practice. It outlines how environmental justice has evolved and has been integrated into government environmental policies. ... Read more

Book Description
Some complex problems simply do not have "solutions".The key to being an effective leader is being able to recognize and manage such problems.Polarity Management presents a unique model and set of principles that will challenge you to look at situations in new ways.Also, included are exercises to strenghten your skills, and case studies to help you begin applying the model to your own unsolvable problems.Polarity Management will increase your ability to distinguish between problems that can be solved and polarities that cannot be solved, and show you how to effectively manage unsolvable problems. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

An easy read for my mba class?
I purchased this book to supplement my course materials for my mba class. It was the perfect compliment to my research and explained the material nicely, foregoing the often complicated and alienating academic language for common wording and explanations. Truly easy to read and informative!

Clarity from an invisible fog...
The invisible fog is trying to solve a problem that can't be solved. It is a fog because the solutions don't work, and it is invisible because focusing onsolutions prevents seeing that there isn't a problem to be solved. There is no magic bullet here, and Johnson acknowledges that. What is here are tools for coping with (managing) dualities or polarities inherent in many troublesome situations. Johnson provides the clarity to get above the fog and find a way to address (manage) the situation.

The concepts and underlying explanation are a solid 5-star.
Four stars because I found just a bit too much padding/repetition for a 5 star book.

Helpful, practical insights into organizational dynamics.
This book really shows how we become stuck in dilemmas and static thinking, and how we can instead move at one with change. I am finding it tremendously helpful in analyzing entrenched organizational dysfunction that persists in spite of the efforts of well-meaning managers.

Seminars
I have not read his book yet.Our company has utilized his seminars and what a difference!We are using the Polarity map in meetings, conferences, and now in my personal life.This is a great tool for any organization or individual that is either in a struggle or is successful - you walk away with more than a tool but a way of looking at your professional and personal life.

Most enlightening
Polarity Management is one of my favorite "business" books of all time.Johnson's theory, which explains the dynamics of polarized issues, is so simple yet so comprehensive.This book is a must-read foranyone who wants to understand why major issues can be so divisive and howwe can move forward when we seem to be at a standstill. ... Read more

Amazon.com
The title, as Dave Barry admits, is not entirely accurate. To be sure, this collection of articles does contain what the Pulitzer-Prize-winning author calls "an unusually high (for me) level of factual content." But there is also an abundance of goofy reportage, fart jokes (see "It's A Gas"), and Barry's long-overdue thoughts on natural childbirth.Book Description
THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
YOU CAN'T MAKE THIS STUFF UP
Dave Barry wouldn't lie--and here are the real life, laugh-out-loud stories from across America to prove it: a U.S. Supreme Court justice shares his remedy for preventing gas ("I had not realized that this was a matter of concern in the highest levels of government"); a newspaper headline in Ohio announces the combustibility of strawberry Pop-Tarts ("A story that can really help you gain a better understanding of how you can be killed by breakfast snack food"); a frightening fact that snakes have mastered the pipelines leading directly to your toilet--and they're not shy ("Many women might view this as a fair punishment for all the billions of times that guys have left the seat up").
Get up-close with Dave as he examines UFO thrillseekers and Elvis- worshippers, plays lead guitar with a horrifying rock band that includes Stephen King, and swears to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth...so God help you!
"BARRY IS AT HIS BEST."
--The Baltimore Sun
"HE ZAPS THE FUNNY BONE."
--The Cincinnati Post ... Read more

Customer Reviews (23)

Dave Barry is not making this up--except for the parts that he is
In addition to following up 1992's "Dave Barry Talks Back" with a collection of his weekly humor columns from the Miami Herald through 1994, this book also includes several longer pieces Dave Barry wrote for other publications, including one about the "natural" birth of his son, an expose of a Western Florida UFO hoax, and a couple of travelogues (of a sort) about a trip to China on the eve of Britain's withdrawal from Hong Kong and a boating trip to Bimini Bay.Also included is a rather serious (for Barry) column about his son being hit by a car while riding his bike, which is actually quite touching.

But of course, the staple of any Dave Barry book is the zany humor, and it is plentiful here.If you are a Dave Barry fan, you will enjoy this book, and if you haven't discovered him yet, this would be a fine place to start.

Laffs In The Palm Of Your Hand!
I first got a taste of Dave Barry after coming upon an essay of his online, which described his misadventures at one of those silly "self-improvement" seminars. Needless to say the cracks about Tony Robbins being an android & other stuff basically required a quick change of undies. So, I wanted to experience more of aching tummies & soggy panties, so I bought this book. Unfortunetely, the story wasn't in this one BUT I was treated to absolute hilarity such as Dave's trip to Bimini on his boat named "Buster".....and the embarrassment of being around guys with "more manly" names for boats like "Sea Biceps" & "Testosterone Torpedo" (guys are weird). Then there's his son, who makes poor Dave feel old with the former's earring & penchant for cutting-edge music such as the song "Detachable [...]" (this is a real song, by the way...or as Dave would say, "I'm not making this up". My sister used to hear all the time on the radio back in the 90's). So, if you want a blast, get this book. Oh.......and remember to visit the "Porcelain Throne", first.

Other Books
A collection of amusing anecdotes from the American writer, humorist and columnist Dave Barry.He finds all sorts of weird, crazy, stupid and funny stuff that people do, say or come up with all across the United States of America, and puts them into print.

Dave doesn't mind a drop of the droll, Dave doesn't.

comedy at its best
I have read nearly all of Dave's books, and it never ceases to amaze me that he can be hilarious on each and every occasion. He doesn't duplicate any annecdotes, he simply uses his comic genius to make up new ones.. you will never be bored with Dave's ability to make you rush to the toilet to save wetting the floor, or laughing so hard you feel sick, and the back of your head hurts. This book is my favourite. Every story is funny, clever, and even sometimes sentimental. Please buy this one, you won't regret it. He's on top form.

not my style
Sorry, my husband and I listened to this for quite a bit and did not find it funny at all and didn't even want to continue listening to it, it just seemed long and boring--I guess we have a different sense of humor than most of the other reviewers. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Laugh-out-loud funny
"Question: Dear Mr. Language Person--What is George Bush's native tongue?Answer: He doesn't have one."

From "Ask Mr. Language Person" to the "Exploding Animal Institute" to Dave's classic announcement of his candidacy for the Presidency of the United States--his platform consists of a dramatic reorganization of the bureaucracy so that domestic affairs will all be handled by the Department of Louise, and foreign affairs by the Department of a Couple of Guys Named Victor ("Y'know, Victors, I wouldn't mind hearing that Fidel Castro had had an unfortunate accident...")--this collection of Dave Barry's weekly humor columns from the early 1990s still has the power to induce chortles, guffaws, and even the occasional cackle.

The audiobook version is well-delivered by Johnny Heller.Just don't listen to it in public unless you don't mind people seeing you grinning idiotically or hearing you laughing like a ninny.

Love it!
In one word:FUNNY!I've got all Dave Barry's books and love them all.
They make me laugh out loud.They all get five stars from me.

Good, but not genius
This is a collecton of his regular columns. They are funny, but not side-splitting. If you want to see what Dave can *really* do, try "Dave Barry's Only Travel Guide you will Ever Need".

Classic Dave Barry
Hilarious!Some references are a little dated now, but still tons of laugh-out-loud moments - I loved it!If you're a Dave Barry fan, don't miss this one.

A very funny weasel book
"Weasel is a funny word. You can improve the humor value of almost any situation by injecting a weasel into it."

This book by Dave Weasel... er... Barry is an extremely funny read. It's a collection of his newspaper columns that will have you laughing over and over again, and annoying your family members with your constant quotations.

He covers almost every topic here, from exploding animals to traffic cops to reader suggestions to doctors to drug dealers to television. It's all here.

This may not be his best book, but it's really funny and a must-have for any Dave Barry weasel. Er... fan. ... Read more

Amazon.com
Is this comedic tour of Japan discreet, tasteful, or politically correct? The answer, thank god, is Naaah! Yet Dave Barry's travelogue never grows mean-spirited, and he's always ready to laugh at his own country--and by extension, himself. An example: "I understand that, even if two Japanese have worked together for many years, neither would dream of using the other's first name. Whereas Americans are on a first-name basis immediately, and by the end of the first day have generally graduated to 'Yo, Butthead!'"Book Description
Barry samples Japan's native cuisine ("things that have eyeballs or suckers or other flagrantly unacceptable organs still attached to them"); experiences the agonies of Kabuki and the ecstasies of karaoke; takes his first (and last) bath in public; and explores culture shock in all its humorous forms. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (66)

Dave Barry: easy to like
I like Dave Barry's daily columns. I liked Dave Barry's book. I would read more columns by Dave Barry. I would read more Dave Barry books. Dave Barry is a funny-looking, funny-writing individual. In this book, he, his wife Beth and son Robby travel Japan for three weeks and enjoy the sights, beer, pizza with corn on it, more beer, Japanese hospitality and a difference in attitude and culture from America. I snickered more than I laughed, enjoyed the somber and respectful tone of the chapter on Hiroshima and overall didn't feel like I wasted 3 hours of my life reading the book.

Laughed so hard I cried
This book is so honest, irreverent and hilarious.I laughed so hard I was crying.As an American who spent time in Japan as an exchange student, I could totally relate to many of his experiences, goofs, reactions and thoughts.Classic Dave Barry and my favorite of his works.

My favorite Dave Barry book
I think this book is hilarious.I've recommended it to many of my friends (especially those who need to "lighten up").Some of his personal observations of life in Japan compared to USA literally made me "laugh 'til I cried". A must read.

Not Barry's best but still some good laughs
Dave Barry is a very funny guy and Japan is a place with some custom's peculiar to Westerners. So I was expecting him to really take off with this book. It was hilarious in places, but not consistently funny. Worth picking up, especially if you are interested in Japan. But not Barry's best stuff.

Forget about the experts, Dave Barry describes exactly what it's like to be a foreigner in Japan.
The publisher's money was well spent in sending Dave Barry and his family to Japan to write this book and I really hope they do more of this.He managed to make fun of Japan without being insulting--which seems otherwise impossible to do, as my fussy Japanese wife constantly reminds me.

I've spoken Japanese since I was a teenager; lived there nearly a decade; and my wife is from Japan; yet for all my experience and knowledge of the country I, nor any expat I've ever known, nor any native Japanese (perhaps particularly my wife) could describe what it's like so well as Dave Barry has after a two week trip.

My only complaint is that at some points he looked up a few actual facts and presented them seriously.These are the only weak parts of the book because they can't compete with any off the shelf fact book on the country or academic work.

No other book makes the point so clear as this one does, that you don't need to study up to travel to what may seem like an intimidatingly exotic land and have a great time.Dave Barry went to Japan knowing nothing about the place, and came back with observations that are entirely accurate.He didn't merely go on vacation, but met with key people who took his visit as seriously as he did not--resulting in a wonderful honesty and genuineness of description that I have not seen in any other overview of Japan or its people.

BOTTOM LINE: If you're heading to Japan on business or pleasure, or are just curious about the country, I recommend this book more highly than any other on the subject--really, honestly, or as the author would say "I'm not making this up."I especially recommend this book over speaking to either me or my wife, and most importantly not with my wife and I in the same room at the same time--seriously, I will slap you.Read Dave Barry's book instead, please! ... Read more

Book Description
Here is the absolute best of Dave Barry; selections from four of his most popular books, including the hilarious Guide to Guys. There's no such thing as too many laughs! Dave Barry is on the loose and no one is safe! ... Read more

Book Description
This digital document is an article from Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, published by Educational Foundation for Nuclear Science, Inc. on November 1, 2004. The length of the article is 4670 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

Citation Details
Title: Scientists on the stump: fearful of Barry Goldwater's aggressive pro-nuclear views, scientists rallied behind Lyndon Johnson's 1964 campaign.
Author: Peter J. Kuznick
Publication: Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists (Refereed)
Date: November 1, 2004
Publisher: Educational Foundation for Nuclear Science, Inc.
Volume: 60Issue: 6Page: 28(8)

Distributed by Thomson Gale ... Read more

Book Description
The author of Impact of Hazardous Waste on Human Health is a public health official with the unique perspective that only insider status can provide. His book is intended for policy makers, environmentalists, toxicologists, public health officials, academic personnel, and health care providers.The author addresses six themes: hazardous waste issues must be more vigorously examined, site remediation is critical, risk management must extend beyond waste site clean up, disease prevention must be a priority, interagency partnership is mandatory, and the best technology must be applied.Johnson also considers the pros and cons of the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA)also known as the "Superfund." His years of experience with this law, and countless other issues related to hazardous waste, make Impact of Hazardous Waste on Human Health an important and positive contribution. ... Read more