John R. Cook - Böcker

The current emphasis on get tough approaches to crime has had and will continue to have a disastrous impact on society as a whole. Cook, who has worked extensively in various capacities throughout the criminal justice system, argues that the failure to encourage treatment and rehabilitation is extremely shortsighted and serves only to postpone societal ills. He examines the prison experience as a psychological experience and suggests that restructuring the prison environment to focus on changing the behavior of criminals will ultimately be more cost effective and more beneficial to society. Approaching the problem of crime in a coordinated and systematic way will produce more results than the current reliance on political posturing and media sound bites.Recent formulation of crime policy often seems driven by statistically rare and exceptional events, and the new laws passed in response to sensational events have actually resulted in an ever-growing and increasingly violent criminal underclass. Similarly, the trend toward incarceration and extreme punishment as the primary means of correction has led to unfortunate consequences. Overcrowding, massive prison construction, and the siphoning of funds from the rest of the public sector are all get tough byproducts. This study proposes solutions to current systemic problems aimed at those interested in trying to develop plans or treatment strategies within correctional settings.

This book refutes the 21st-century notion that advancing technology is an unambiguous social good, and examines the effects of this uncritical acceptance and dependence. The author argues that technology has become the new religion for the digital age, and that elevating technology to nearly the status of a deity allows for the denial of problems created by reliance upon machines.From the release of toxins into the environment to the unsustainable energy demands of the modern era, technological dependence is driving humanity near the brink of extinction.Despite these problems, and existential issues such as artificial intelligence and the proliferation of nuclear weapons, many people have an unwavering belief in the ability of technology, particularly any device labeled "smart," to create a perfect future--while denying the history of unmet promises and unintended consequences of technological innovation. The author explores the psychological underpinnings of these beliefs from both a clinical and a cognitive perspective. The social and economic forces that maintain our reliance on, or addiction to, technology are critiqued as are the ethical and security issues associated with the control of advanced technology.

From "Doctor Who" to "Red Dwarf", "Thunderbirds" to "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy", British science fiction shows have delighted audiences worldwide with their distinctive visions of the future. This pioneering book, written by leading writers in the field, gives for the first time a detailed national survey of this well-loved British TV genre. It provides in-depth analyses of these shows, as well as others including "Blake's 7", "The Prisoner and Threads", showing too their value in illuminating wider aspects of our recent social and cultural history. It also features a contribution by the biographer of the late Douglas Adams, author of "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy", as well as an exclusive published interview with "Thunderbirds" creator Gerry Anderson. Designed to appeal to students and fans alike, "British Science Fiction Television" offers a thought-provoking and accessible read for those interested in science fiction, television history and their respective relationships to wider media, culture and society.

John R. Cook was an American original. He witnessed or participated in a string of important events that shaped the nation and sculpted the history of the West. Born in Ohio in 1844, Cook moved with his family to Kansas. He joined the Union Army at sixteen and fought along the Kansas-Missouri border, in Indian Territory, and in Arkansas. After the Civil War, he ventured out to establish a homestead and work cattle. Several hardships forced Cook to try his luck at various enterprises. He became a prospector in New Mexico, a buffalo hunter in Texas and Kansas, and an Indian fighter.Santa Fe, Adobe Walls, Fort Elliot, and Rath City were among Cook's Great Plains haunts. His accounts of the 1878 Hunters War against Comanche leader Black Horse and the battle of Yellow House Canyon near present-day Lubbock are rare glimpses into the last great effort of the Comanche people to maintain their way of life. He eventually found employment as a government scout and guide with the army.In later years, Cook recorded his adventures in a modest volume, "The Border and the Buffalo", first published in a small edition in 1907.Historians quickly recognized it as one of the most important first-hand accounts about buffalo hunting ever written. The organization of hunts, camp routines, and marketing of the buffalo hides are all described in detail. Award-winning author and Texas historian James L. Haley provides a new foreword in this reprint edition of this classic of Texana.