"When George Pataki was swept into office in 1994, conservatives throughout New York rejoiced. Not only had they helped knock off liberal icon Mario Cuomo, but after thirty-two years in the political wilderness the New York Conservative Party had provided the margin of victory that fulfilled their mission to elect a governor who was not a legatee of Nelson Rockefeller/Jacob Javits/John Liudsay-style liberal, big-government Republicanism. But after Pataki's good start, conservatives became disenchanted. They realized that in his desperate desire to be all things to all people, Pataki squandered the historic opportunity entrusted to him in 1994." "In this first commentary on the Pataki administration, George Marlin, former Executive Director of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and New York Conservative Party activist, traces how fiscally, economically, and culturally Governor Pataki sold out to leftist interests." "In Squandered Opportunities, Marlin contends that the Pataki Administration did not possess a philosophical compass. Political expediency overwhelmed any political philosophy, and "political conscience" and "political ideals" were mere slogans used to patronize conservatives." "Marlin examines how Pataki's social policies betrayed conservatives. Pataki approved gay-rights, bias crime bills, restricted the medical insurance "conscience clause" for religious institutions, increased gun regulations and repudiated term limits." "Marlin concludes that by deserting mainstream Republican principles, George Pataki, who harbors 2008 presidential aspirations, has forfeited his seat at the leadership table of the party of Ronald Reagan."--BOOK JACKET.

The Islamic Republic of Iran faced a favorable strategic environment following the US invasions of Afghanistan in 2001 and Iraq in 2003. Its leadership attempted to exploit this window of opportunity by assertively seeking to expand Iran's interests throughout the Middle East. It fell far short, however, of fulfilling its long-standing ambition of becoming the dominant power in the Persian Gulf and a leading regional power in the broader Middle East. In Squandered Opportunity, Thomas Juneau develops a variant of neoclassical realism, a theory of foreign policy mistakes, to explore the causes and consequences of Iran's sub-optimal performance. He argues that while rising power drove Iranian assertiveness—as most variants of realism would predict—the peculiar nature of Iran's power and the intervention of specific domestic factors caused Iran's foreign policy to deviate, sometimes significantly, from what would be considered the potential optimal outcomes. Juneau explains that this sub-optimal foreign policy led to important and negative consequences for the country. Despite some gains, Iran failed to maximize its power, its security and its influence in three crucial areas: the Arab-Israeli conflict; Iraq; and the nuclear program. Juneau also predicts that, as the window of opportunity steadily closes for Iran, its power, security, and influence will likely continue to decline in coming years.

Donald Morris's Opportunity ... considers choices that promise a significant change in the life of the person making the choice. ... Morris's survey of the literature is wide-ranging in terms of both literary sources and topics considered, thus offering insights to a variety of readers.-Elizabeth R. Eames, Professor Emerita, Philosophy Department, Southern Illinois University; Author of two books on Bertrand Russell's philosophyCan you recognize an opportunity when it comes your way? Even though the concept seems fairly basic, most people harbor regrets about missed opportunities that in retrospect might have significantly improved their lives. This book will give you the critical tools to sort through the complexities that often obscure the perception of an opportunity and help you take full advantage of what author Donald Morris calls high-end opportunities - pivotal situations that can change your life for the better.Morris begins by developing a model of opportunity in the abstract, analyzing its elements and the contexts and frameworks that affect our recognition of opportunities. Drawing from a wide range of applications, including investing, business, law, criminology, gambling, and even religion, he shows how opportunities can be defined in various contexts. He also examines highly undesirable situations, where opportunity is lacking, such as poverty and historical instances of slavery, to further illustrate, by way of contrast, the defining characteristics of opportunity.How does a significant opportunity differ from a simple option? How does taking advantage of opportunities differ from being an opportunist? Does our ability to predict the future affect our opportunities? What do we mean by equality of opportunity? By addressing these and other probing questions, Morris shows how to develop more critical perceptions of real opportunities.Donald Morris, CPA, Ph.D., is professor of accounting and chair of the Accounting, Finance, and CIS Department at Eastern New Mexico University. The former owner of an accounting firm and a onetime instructor of philosophy, he is the author of Dewey and the Behavioristic Context of Ethics.

The Gulf War of 1991 Reconsidered subjects one of the formative events of the post-Cold War era and a watershed in Middle Eastern international politics to a comprehensive reassessment. Condidering events from Arab, Israeli and American view points, the book examines the Gulf War's historical origins, conduct and legacy.

Of all the sports played across the globe, none has more curses, superstitions, or supernatural events like baseball, America’s national pastime. While some of these can easily be explained, there are just as many that cannot. Field of Fantasies delves right into that superstition with short stories written by several key authors about baseball and the supernatural. Whether it’s a frozen curveball, a robot pitcher, or fantasy outcomes (the Cubs winning the World Series!), these terrific stories are ones that fans of science fiction will enjoy, while fans of baseball will find strangely believable. Included in this wonderful anthology are stories from such prolific authors as: Stephen King Jack Kerouac Karen Joy Fowler Rod Serling W. P. Kinsella And many more! Never has a book combined the incredible events of baseball and science fiction like Field of Fantasies does. Whether you’re a sport or science fiction fan, these stories will appeal not only to your fandom, but also to your appreciation and acceptance of the unknown taking place on the baseball diamond. If you’ve ever held a bat or glove in your hand (or just watched the game on TV), you’ll be enthralled by these terrific tales that range from the sandlot to the sold-out stadium.

Sellers, a pop culture journalist with articles published in "GQ" and "The New York Times," has written a rock-music fan's memoir overflowing with humor, self-deprecation, encyclopedic knowledge, and Rwish you were thereS personal anecdotes.

In the years following the global financial crisis, many low-income countries experienced rapid recovery and strong economic growth. However, many are now facing enormous difficulties because of rapidly rising food and fuel prices, with the threat of millions of people being pushed into poverty around the globe. The risk of continued food price volatility is a systemic challenge, and a failure in one country has been shown to have a profound impact on entire regions. This volume addresses the challenges of commodity price volatility for low-income countries and explores some macroeconomic policy options for responding to commodity price shocks. The book then looks at inclusive growth policies to address inequality in commodity-exporting countries, particularly natural resource rich countries. Perspectives from the Middle East and North Africa, sub-Saharan Africa, emerging Asia, and Mexico are presented and, finally, the role of the international donor community is examined. This volume is a must read for policymakers everywhere, from those in advanced, donor countries to those in countries with the poorest and most vulnerable populations.