Five Ring Circus: Myths and Realities of the Olympic Games - Softcover

Shaw, Christopher A.

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0865715920 ISBN 13: 9780865715929

Publisher: New Society Publishers, 2008

Synopsis

"This is a cleverly written and timely book. New Society Publishers have managed to put a well-designed paperback on the market just in time to wage a war of words, on the tail end of a province-wide gag law. Indeed, the cloak of silence surrounding all things Olympic have taken us to new levels, as even the digits 2010, preceded by the name of our fair city, are considered fair game, and grounds for libel. A historical perspective on the original intent and players in the Games from the days of their creation answers trivia quesitons like" who was the first athlete to win the gold?", while adding a nostalgic touch, and the chapter on dissent and resistance of the Olympics in other cities brings the whole book into international focus." - Christina Ferrero, Epoch Times

 

The shiny rings of the Olympic Games have grown tarnished over the years as doping, corruption, and other scandals rise to the surface. Those scandals are the tip of the iceberg, according to author Christopher A. Shaw, the lead spokesperson for several anti-Games groups.

Five Ring Circus details the history of how Vancouver won the bid for the 2010 Games, who was involved, and what the real motives were. It describes the role of corporate media in promoting the Games, the machinations of government and business, and the opposition that emerged.

Disturbing questions come to light:

• Why does the International Olympic Committee pay no taxes?
• Who are the real estate developers behind the Vancouver bid?
• Why are mega projects paid for with tax dollars?
• What are the true costs of the Games?

The Olympic Games, once considered the pinnacle of athleticism and fair play, have become a cesspool of greed, backroom deals, and the wholesale trampling of civil liberties. In Vancouver, preparations for the 2010 Games have had a substantial negative impact on the environment and have resulted in the “economic cleansing” of the poor and homeless.

This book is a cautionary tale for future Olympic bid cities, and will appeal to those concerned about the effects of globalization on many aspects of life.

Christopher A. Shaw is a professor at the University of British Columbia. He is a founding member and lead spokesperson for the No Games 2010 Coalition and 2010 Watch. He lives in North Vancouver.

About this title

About the Author

Christopher Shaw is an ophthalmology professor at University of British Columbia. He is former media chair of the Green Party of B.C., and is a founding member and lead spokesperson for No Games 2010, No Games 2010 Coalition, and 2010 Watch.

Review

This brilliant book is a big-picture synthesis of the new curriculum for activists, educators, social and systems entrepreneurs, planners, and "community organizers" at all levels. It's called Evolution's Edge: The Coming Collapse and Transformation of our World by Graeme Taylor. $24.95 in paperback from New Society publishers.

It's now five minutes to midnight on the doomsday clock, reflecting the fact that we are closer to assuring the obliteration of our species than we have been at any time since the early eighties. We are rapidly approaching a tipping point, where we will either transform our violent, exploitative global system into a peaceful, cooperative one, or enter a catastrophic decline.

Evolution's Edge shows that limitless economic expansion is impossible on a finite planet. Our growth-based global system will collapse as critical resources become scarce and major ecosystems fail. However, new ideas, values, and technologies can help us avoid disaster and create a better world. Using evolutionary systems theory, Evolution's Edge explains how societies evolve and why rapid, nonlinear change is not only possible but inevitable. It describes: * Collapse--how cascading crises will soon provoke system failure
* Transformation--how emerging technologies, ideas, values, and social organizations are supporting the evolution of a sustainable system
* Analysis--how societies evolve into increasingly complex, conscious systems
* Action--how a common, cooperative vision can accelerate constructive global change.

"We examine emerging technologies, ideas, values and social organizations; we analyze their role in supporting the revolution of a sustainable system. We then analyze the major developing global trends and probably future scenarios...

We explain how we can change destructive behaviors and empower ourselves and our social networks... Evolution's Edge provides a rough map of the terrain that humanity will have to cross on the way to a sustainable future."

Evolution's Edge is vital reading for activists, educators, progressive thinkers, and anyone concerned about the state of our world. A visually pleasing book, its generous use of graphs and charts make clear concepts such as our evolutionary footprint, projected climate change impacts, world population and economic growth.

"Evolution's Edge is simply outstanding--easy to read, inspiring, thoughtful. Its ability to integrate environmental challenges with spiritual issues, technological possibilities and systems evolutionary theory is fantastic." --Sohail Inayatullah, editor, Journal of Future Studies

About this edition

• Publisher: New Society Publishers
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 0865715920
• ISBN 13: 9780865715929
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 320