Editorial Review

"The majority of historians seem to suggest that the founders knew just what to do--and did it, creating a government that would endure for centuries," writes CUNY historian Carol Berkin in the introduction to Read more

Reviews (5)

Nicely Done.
If you are looking for a short, understandable compendium of how the US Constitution evolved, then this is the book for you. Carol Berkin has done a very good job of putting these critical deliberations, the pros and the cons, forward in layman's terms. Better yet, the prose is clear, crisp and incisive. This is a succinct volume in which every word counts, so you will probably want to read it through more than once.
Not Brilliant but Worth the Read
Like so many elements of history, there is rampant ignorance or misunderstanding among the American public regarding the origins of our Constitution.Sadly, a significant majority surely have no concept whatsoever of the failed initial attempt at a United States government.More significantly, among the historically literate outside academic circles, there has been a common misperception of our Framers as a set of omniscient statesmen who shared a clear view of the ideal government and crafted a structure that remains unchanged in its essentials to this day.The purpose of Berkin's book is, through a focus on the papers of constitutional convention delegates, to provide insight into the reality behind these myths. an engaging and important book
Civics class ranked among the most horrendous when I was a student, compared to art studio, gym or field biology.The Federalist Papers seemed like the most stultifying tome one could ever be force-fed.So why would anybody inflict a book on the Constitution upon themselves for fun?Read more

Subjects:  1. Constitutional Law    2. Constitutions    3. History    4. History - U.S.    5. History: American    6. Political History    7. U.S. History - Revolution And Confederation (1775-1789)    8. United States - Revolutionary War    9. Political Science / Constitutions   

Reviews (1)

Better than Glannon
I bought this guide along with the much-lauded Glannon E&E, as well as the Glannon Guide to Civ Pro.The Glannon Guide is not worth the money or time.The Glannon E&E is very good.Freer's treatise is EXCELLENT!It is clear (very, very clear) and comprehensive (big picture to minutiae are covered, concepts, cases, etc.).As the semester progressed, I began to use Freer's book exclusively to understand the subject (I still used Glannon E&E for the numerous questions and answers [note: Freer does include many question/answer type analyses as well]).I recommended getting both - use Freer to understand the topics you are covering, and Glannon E&E to get more practice with hypos. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cases    2. Civil Procedure    3. Civil Rights    4. Law    5. Legal Reference / Law Profession    6. United States   

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. African Americans    3. Civil rights    4. Civil rights movements    5. Ethnic Studies - African American Studies - General    6. Ethnic Studies - African American Studies - Histor    7. Historiography    8. History    9. Political Freedom & Security - Civil Rights    10. Social Science    11. Sociology    12. Sources    13. U.S. - Political And Civil Rights Of Blacks    14. United States    15. United States - 20th Century (1945 to 2000)    16. History / Americas (North, Central, South, West Indies)    17. History / United States / 19th Century    18. Human rights    19. Multicultural studies    20. Pressure groups & lobbying    21. Social history    22. Social issues    23. USA    24. c 1945 to c 1960    25. c 1960 to c 1970   

Reviews (4)

Now that we are this book, here's what I say:
Everything is bad news if it comes with a deadline that isn't met.This book, THE SOLDIER AND THE STATE:THE THEORY AND POLITICS OF CIVIL-MILITARY RELATIONS by Samuel P. Huntington, a young Harvard professor in 1957, when the book first appeared, attempted to establish assumptions that would allow respectable consideration of policies that, in our world, might be used to define who we have become.My differences with this book might be ascribed to a theological framework in which this book is seen as having assumed the existence of hell on earth as the situation which people who voiced political aspirations that did not coincide with the prevailing superpower mentality would have to put up with.The famous Winston Churchill once said something about assumptions up with which he would not put, and the success of this book might be measured by how its views are assumed to be the American views in those parts of the world where America as a superpower is most unpopular. The best book ever written on civil-military relations
At the time of its original publication in 1957, Samuel Huntington's The Soldier and the State reflected a new age in American history--the Cold War era.Huntington, a young Harvard professor of government, focused on policy problems concerning civilian direction of the military under the terms of the Cold War.Basically, he contended that traditional American liberalism was outdated and in fact had begun to pose a national security danger.Until this era, the absence of an overt military threat to American security allowed for a policy of civilian control of the military compatible with liberal democratic values.Traditionally, liberal solutions to domestic problems had likewise been applied to military problems, frequently resulting in failure. Seminal Treatise on the role of the Military in society
Incisive and remarkably relevant.Huntington delves into the role of the military in shaping and protecting a society.A MUST read for anyone who is in, or deals with the military. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Civil supremacy over the milit    2. Constitutional    3. General    4. Militarism    5. Military-Political Relationships    6. Politics / Current Events    7. United States    8. Political Science / General    9. Warfare & Defence   

Reviews (3)

Keep looking
I hate to say it because I've actually had both Prof. Stone and Sunstein as teachers and they are great men, but even with my personal bias for them, this is still a poorly written casebook.I used it for two classes - one that covered Equal Protection and one over the structure of government.The section of the book on Equal Protection isn't too bad.It has some nice historical material, and most people are already somewhat familiar with the cases anyway.However, the section of the book on government structure and the commerce clause is truly attrocious.The cases aren't well edited.Sometimes the result of a case will turn on a statute and the text and even title of that statute will have been edited out.Its hard to tell what is important from the cases consequently.There are long strings of cites in cases and the notes after the cases are cramped with no real headings and hard to make heads or tales of.Half the time you can't tell why you are reading a case - what your supposed to be getting out of it and how it relates to the other cases you've read.

Worst. Casebook. Ever.
I just want to reiterate the other review by saying that this is the WORST. CASEBOOK. EVER.
HORRIBLE
I am finishing my second year of law school, so I have read quite a few case books. This is BY FAR the worst.
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Subjects:  1. Constitutional    2. Constitutional law    3. Law    4. Legal Reference / Law Profession    5. United States   

Reviews (8)

Manditory reading for anyone interested in Laws and Rights
This is nothing less than an exact translation of the Federalist papers for perople of our generations to read and understand.I found this necessary, as the truth and the history of our country is so clouded by media and revisionism, that it becomes very important to really look and study why our country was set up like it is.I recommend it to everyone.But I especially recommend it to students of law and our country.It is interesting, and well written.It easily is equivalent to a number of college level classes in constitutional law.

Great FP Primer
I think this book would make a great high school text for students in American Government classes. I'm sure at college levels the FPs aren't too hard to read in their old English, but the index is great. And the book is a testament to how wise the founding fathers who made the case for our current constitution really were. Many of the things they warned us against are indeed coming true in our democracy today. An Aid To Understanding Our Political Heritage
Mary E. Webster has performed an invaluable public service with this book. The Federalist Papers are among the most significant documents of this nation's founding era, yet they go largely unread, primarily because of their legalistic tone and complex sentence structure. As Webster states in her introduction, she has no political or social axe to grind and no agenda to fulfill. She simply wished to make these important documents available to a wider audience, and has succeeded admirably in that goal.
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Subjects:  1. Constitutional history    2. Constitutions    3. Essays    4. Government - U.S. Government    5. History - General History    6. Political Science    7. Politics/International Relations    8. Sources    9. United States    10. United States - Revolutionary War   

Reviews (4)

Excellently Honest
Anyone who doubts that North Korea is an "Axis of Evil" needs to read this book. Kang gives a straightforward first-person account of his life inside an aquarium called North Korea, where there is only fear, propaganda, corruption, prisons, hard labor and starvation. He gives us his memoir of enduring all these hardships and his astonishment at the freedoms of South Korea, which present him with new challenges. If you want to know the truth about North Korea, it doesn't come much closer than this first-hand experience.

A very disturbing look into the world's last Stalinist country
Aquariums of Pyongyang is the story of one man's life through ten years of captivity in a North Korean gulag....an incredible story of struggle against man's inhumanity to man. Many who read this book will probably view his family as highly naive for leaving Japan for North Korea and in believing North Korean propaganda over what they heard firsthand from people who had been there. On the docks before leaving, they were warned about going back and about the conditions to be found in North Korea. But, the elder family members were ardent supporters of Kim Il-Sung, and believed the propaganda put out on a daily basis. Little did they know they were putting their kids into a deathtrap from which they would have to endure many years of beatings and privation at the hands of the guards. The reeducation lessons are particularly noteworthy, as readers can gain valuable insight into how this regime works. Even dead people were not immune from being used to inculcate hate.....the picture of the prisoners being forced to throw rocks at the people hanging on the gallows (because they were enemies of the state no less, even when dead!) until they were unrecognizable is one of the most chilling things I have ever read. All in the name of propping up one of the worst ideologies the world has ever known.
Wow
An exceptional book.A first hand account of life in a NK concentration camp.The account is horrifyingly similar to other diaries of Nazi concentration camps and the Russian Gulag, but fifty years closer to the present. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Asia - General    2. Biography / Autobiography    3. Christianity - General    4. Personal Memoirs    5. Religion    6. Travelers    7. Asian / Middle Eastern history: postwar, from c 1945 -    8. Biography: historical    9. Human rights    10. North Korea   

Reviews (6)

Buy something else
I've been doing the E&E books in preparation for law school, and they've all been accessible and comprehensible. This one, however, is the exception. Maybe it's the ethereal nature of the subject, but this book is killing me. I feel like I am wasting my time reading it, since I can't seem to make out the forest, nor the trees, through the fog. If you're just starting out, I can't recommend this book for preparation. Maybe in the future it will make more sense, but for this beginner, it's very confusing.

Go for the Chemerinsky Treatise instead
Another reader suggests the Chemerinsky treatise rather than this book. I couldn't agree more. It's true, Con law doesn't lend itself to the E&E format. You are much better off writing a kick-ass outline based on the Chemerinsky book. Be careful though, Erwin Chemerinsky has at least two Con Law books published by Aspen- one is a casebook called "Constitutional Law" (in red cloth binding) and the other is the hornbook called "Constitutional Law: Principles and Policies" in a black paperback. That's the one you want.
Con Law Clarified
If you're in law school using the Sullivan and Gunther Con Law casebook, I HIGHLY recommend this study aid!That casebook is huge, intimidating, and not very clear in bringing out the black letter law.Combined with a strict Socratic professor, the law can be very puzzling.Using this E and E, along with Emanuel's outline, makes the entire subject a LOT clearer.If you're planning on going to law school, I recommend checking out the Examples and Explanations books before classes begin, if you have the time and the motivation.They give an overview of the subject that cases help to clarify, and they help clarify the cases that aren't all that clear.In any case, get this book if you're having Con Law trouble with Sullivan. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Constitutional    2. Constitutional law    3. Federal government    4. Judicial review    5. Law    6. Legal Reference / Law Profession    7. United States   

Editorial Review

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Reviews (30)

Branch's Trilogy
Volume one of Branch's biography of King, though interesting most of the time, suffers from Branch's sometime tortuous syntax and lack of focus, it seems._Parting the Waters_, overall, was excellent, but I only wish that it flowed always when it only flowed some of the time.
Impossible not to be a letdown
Any follow up to Parting the Waters is destined to be anticlimatic. Concedingly, there are a few drawbacks to Pillar of Fire. Nonetheless, this is another classic work from Branch.
Keeps the Fire Aflame...Pillared Story of the Shaping of America
Taylor Branch has certainly done better work with his first Pulitzer Prize winning Civil Rights movement work, "Parting the Waters,' but that doesn't mean you should be brushing aside this good history writing in "Pillar of Fire."There's a quote out there...that I can't seem to find right now...that says something to the effect of, "If we don't learn from history, we will find ourselves repeating mistakes already made."In the realm of social justice and American Civil Rights history there is no finer capturing of our society's mistakes and the heroic struggle undertaken by civil rights movement leaders than the history written by Taylor Branch on the subject.The entire trilogy should be required reading for all liberal arts majors (all other under grad majors for that matter) as an education in the important history that shaped the America we know today.
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Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. African Americans    3. Civil rights    4. Civil rights movements    5. Ethnic Studies - African American Studies - Histor    6. History    7. History - General History    8. History - U.S.    9. History: American    10. Political Freedom & Security - Civil Rights    11. Political Science    12. U.S. - Political And Civil Rights Of Blacks    13. U.S. History - 1960s    14. United States    15. United States - 20th Century/60s    16. American history: postwar, from c 1945 -    17. Human rights    18. King, Martin Luther    19. Political Science / Civil Rights    20. Racism & racial discrimination    21. USA    22. c 1960 to c 1970   

Reviews (1)

Thank God!
I can only thank the good Lord that we have Sanford Levinson to correct the fools who thought that they had a workable document that only got us through a bit under 250 years.Too bad he wasn't around back then--I'm sure that the Founding Fathers would have sat up and taken notice of his clearly superior genius.
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Subjects:  1. Constitutional    2. Constitutional law    3. Law    4. Law reform    5. Legal Reference / Law Profession    6. United States    7. Law / Constitutional    8. Law | Constitutional Law   

Reviews (4)

real political analysis
Unlike the political commentators of the late 20th and early 21st century (watchers of Sunday public affairs programs and AM radio listeners know who they are), the commentators of the 18th century actually had something of substance to say.This was a time when education was rare, but when done was done well.The New American Library does its usual exceptional job in assembling the material in this book including some of the more important selections from the Federalist Papers as well as some of the writings of the anti-Federalists.Here the role of the government and the nature of freedom are really explored.Life was better before politics became about feeling and emotion.Every American should read this book, but only if he wants to really understand the basis of the American experiment.

Provides a complete environment for the Federalist Papers
Study of the Federalist Papers, of course included in this two volume series, is a conduit for understanding the American ethic. When the Federalist Papers are viewed as included in this chronological deliberation between the Federalists and Antifederalists, they become even more profound than the enormous depth they can achieve when read alone. The concerns of Brutus and Agrippa are answered, the repititive call for a 'Bill of Rights' revealed. Madison wrote to Jefferson in 1825 defining the Federalist Papers as'may fairly enough be regarded as the most authentic exposition of the text of the federal constituion, as understood by the Body which prepared & the authority which accepted it.' The enormous insight gained from tracking the arguments and concerns of the proposed Constituion , and the responses of the Federalist cannot be easily estimated, yet the result is a much more informed conscience of the American experience.Madison in the same letter mentioned above stated that Federalist Essays did not foresee all the misconstructions which to that date had occured, nor prevent some it did foresee. For the concerned and deliberate citizen of today many of these issues remain, issues such as Federalism are current topics and all too often the opinions of the few become the conscience of the many, examining these volume will do much to alleviate this vexing condition. More alarming is the realization that many of the fears of the Antifederalists have become a reality in todays polity. An excellent and comprehensive collection thank you Bernard Bailyn.

Always Relevant . . . and Still a Lively Read at That!
Editor Bernard Bailyn has assembled a first-rate collection of letters, circulars, pamphlets, speeches, and what would be the colonial equivalent of modern op-ed pieces that allows today's readers to witness the foundingof a government through the eyes of (and with the voices of) those who werereally there.But don't be fooled into thinking this is going to be thestilted, polite prose that often belongs to 18th century philosophers ordebaters.Many of the pieces Bailyn has selected are remakrkably spry andteeming with understated wit.Read more

Subjects:  1. 1783-1789    2. Asia - General    3. Canada - Post-Confederation (1867-)    4. Civil Procedure    5. Constitutional history    6. Federalist    7. History    8. History - U.S.    9. History: American    10. Politics and government    11. U.S. Constitutional History    12. United States    13. United States - Revolutionary War    14. History / United States / General   

Reviews (5)

An important work that clearly and succintly makes the case.
Bringing the credibility of her many years of public service, most notably her work as a Congresswoman during the Watergate Committee and as a prosecutor, Elizabeth Holtzman, with Cynthia Cooper, has produced an important work that is, at the same time, both lawyerly and accessible.They provide the reader with the background - both historical and legal - of the important role of impeachment in the maintenance of our democratic system and then proceed to seamlessly lay out the evidence that overwhelmingly supports their conclusion.While I may not have been the hardest person to sell on their conclusion, the argument is so well-drawn that it is hard to imagine that anyone approaching the book with an open-mind wouldn't come away thinking that impeachment is a necessity or, at least, an option that needs to be explored more in the public discourse.
Every American Should Read this Book
Holtzman and Cooper have created a brilliantly organized, succinct, and vivid analysis of President George W. Bush's high crimes and misdemeanors.Their book is engrossing and enraging; it makes abundantly clear why it is crucial that Congress take steps to impeach this president, for the very survival of our increasingly threatened democracy.

It's all here
This book is clear, crisp and compelling. After reading it you will wonder what is holding up the process. Holtzman's expertise and experience shows. The historical perspective is enlightening and the legal arguments are airtight. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Constitutional    2. Government - Executive Branch    3. Government - Federal    4. Impeachments    5. Law    6. Legal Reference / Law Profession    7. Legal status, laws, etc    8. Misconduct in office    9. Presidents    10. U.S. - Contemporary Politics    11. United States    12. Cultural studies    13. Law / Federal Jurisdiction    14. POLITICS & GOVERNMENT    15. USA   

Reviews (4)

Serious, but accessible
I got "domination" for a class, which does not tend to bias me in favor of liking a book. However, I have tentatively enjoyed reading it. It is a serious, scholarly book, but the topic is engaging and the case studies and historical examples cited are always interesting. I think that the author supports his complex thesis very well, and I would recommend this book to people who want to read something serious about race and culture.

Domination and the Arts of Resistance
This book is a clear indication of the problems with modern historians: the tendency toward presumption and the discovery of common sense as if it were a new planet. Scott claims to understand the REAL story beneath ordinary daily discourses, going so far as to state that young inner city black men play a game that involves tradinginsults in order to "practice" reacting to racism in non-violent ways. How ridiculous!

Subjects:  1. Dominance (Psychology)    2. General    3. Interpersonal relations    4. Passive resistance    5. Philosophy    6. Politics/International Relations    7. Power (Social sciences)    8. Social groups    9. Violence in Society    10. Human rights    11. Philosophy / General    12. Political structure & processes    13. Social groups & communities    14. Social, group or collective psychology   

Reviews (17)

Carrying on the conversation...
Linda Monk's book on the American Constitution, `The Words We Live By', is a wonderfully accessible and interesting introduction to the foundational document of the American polity.She starts in her introductory material by presenting the Constitution not as a dry and dusty piece of parchment to be revered but essentially ignored, but rather as an engagement of peoples in open conversation, something that can and should have an impact on the daily life and work of all Americans.Drawing inspiration from Judge Learned Hand, she states, `For the Constitution to have meaning, it must be not only the words we recite, but also the words we live by.'
Constitution
As a student who began an in-depth study of the Constitution this year, this book was my introduction to the Constitution. Never having known that much about the government or Constitution, this book was incredibly helpful in giving a fairly deep overview of what the Constitution meant, clause by clause.

Useful for kids and internet newbies
I would recommend this book to two types of folks:
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Subjects:  1. Constitutional    2. Constitutional history    3. Constitutional law    4. Constitutions    5. History    6. History - U.S.    7. History: American    8. Popular works    9. United States    10. United States - General    11. History / United States / General   

Reviews (30)

Powerful and compelling account of a woman on the reservation
This is a very powerful book about Mary Crow Dog's experiences growing up as a Lakota (Sioux) woman on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota.It should be required reading for anyone who feigns ignorance of the ways that Native Americans continue to be treated in the US today.Local whites, the state of South Dakota, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the rest of the power establishment have their inhumanity exposed.
Unforgettable impact.
I read this when it first came out in 1990, but it is timeless: her struggle and success in surviving a time and place difficult for her race and sex, and much on her own, is profoundly touching. Even if you have read "In The Spirit of Crazyhorse", this adds to that since it is a very personal story told by a Native American woman who was a part of AIM and who gave birth to her first child under fire at the siege at Wounded Knee in 1973. But the story of how her personal strength was forged and tested begins prior to that when she leaves her one-room cabin on the reservation as a child for missionary school, which then sends her on a downward spiral from which it took hard years to recover. Some feelings are shared by women across the boundaries of race and time.

This is how America acted only 30 odd years ago...

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Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography / Autobiography    3. Biography/Autobiography    4. Brave Bird, Mary    5. Dakota Indians    6. Ethnic Cultures - Native Americans    7. Ethnic Studies - Native American Studies    8. Social conditions    9. Teton women    10. Women's Studies - General    11. Biography: general    12. Ethnic studies    13. Human rights    14. Social Science / Native American Studies    15. USA   

Subjects:  1. Constitutional    2. Law    3. Legal Reference / Law Profession    4. Reference / Law   

Reviews (27)

Breyer's Theories of Constitutional Interpretation
Justice Stephen Breyer is often the key swing vote on the U.S. Supreme Court, as the Ten Commandments cases from June 2005 indicate.He is known as a judicial pragmatist.He is also known as the justice who is willing to spar with Justice Antonin Scalia over how to interpret the Constitution. In Active Liberty, Breyer produces a highly readable book that can be appreciated by lawyer and layperson alike.

A fine judicial temperament
Having just completed "Active Liberty", I now feel obligated to read Scalia's "A Matter of Interpretation" to hear the other side of the debate.However, I found Breyer's short treatise wonderfully lucid, accessible and persuasive.Not only is Bryer a wonderful educator and writer, he demonstrates a calm and thoughtful judicial temperament in contrast to some of his more fiery brethren (Scalia, Thomas).