Subjects:  1. Handbooks, manuals, etc    2. Human Rights    3. International Relations - General    4. Political Freedom & Security - Civil Rights    5. Political Freedom & Security - Human Rights    6. Political Science    7. Politics / Current Events    8. Politics/International Relations    9. Public Policy - Social Policy    10. Social advocacy    11. Social justice    12. Advocacy    13. Political activism    14. Social issues   

Editorial Review

Charles Marsh thinks historians who argue the civil rights movement was about rights have made a big mistake. In Read more

Reviews (5)

Religion, religion, religion!
There's a lot of in-bickering within the intellectual community as to the primary motivation for any particular event. People who have majored in political science will argue that politics is always the key. People who have majored in sociology will argue that it's social change that's the key. People, like myself, who have majored in religion will always seem to find that religion is the key.
"Faith" and civil rights in Mississippi.
Highly recommended account of the role of "faith" in the lives of five prominent figures in Mississippi during the civil rights movement.Saints (Fannie Lou Hamer, Edwin King, Cleveland Sellers) and sinners (Sam Bowers and Douglas Hudgins) are both represented.Hudgins and other Jackson elites come off nearly as loathsome as Bowers.Marsh's prose is brilliant, providing for a lively and inspiring read.

A College Student's review
God's Long Summer covers a very exciting and troubled time in American History. The various points of view Marsh used to complete this book is the key to understanding this time period. However, the unnecessary abundance of religious references and the slow pace of the book make it almost unreadable. It is heartbreaking to read through one uninteresting point of view, to discover the next chapter is just as dull. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Ethnic Studies - African American Studies - Histor    2. History    3. History - General History    4. History: American    5. Political Freedom & Security - Civil Rights    6. United States - 20th Century    7. United States - 20th Century/60s    8. American History    9. American history: postwar, from c 1945 -    10. Christianity    11. Demonstrations & protest movements    12. History / United States / 20th Century    13. Human rights    14. Racism & racial discrimination    15. Religion    16. Social history    17. USA    18. c 1960 to c 1970   

Reviews (1)

A Clear Vision of History
A NEW DEAL FOR THE WORLD is an excellent and timely book, incisive in analysis and gracefully written. It demonstrates how the imperatives of the New Deal and expanded outward into international affairs. Beginning with the Atlantic Charter (1941), Borgwardt captures the idealistic aspects of that document, while also indicating how American ideals and policy have worked in the postwar world - sometimes with good, sometimes with problematic aspects. Borgwardt stresses the importance of ideas, and she anchors her work in political and foreign policy history. She is learned on all counts. A must read for anyone interested in the issue of America and Human Rights. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. History    3. History - General History    4. History: American    5. Human rights    6. International cooperation    7. Political Freedom & Security - General    8. Political Freedom & Security - Human Rights    9. Politics / Current Events    10. United States - 20th Century    11. American history: postwar, from c 1945 -    12. History / United States / 20th Century    13. Social history    14. USA    15. c 1945 to c 1960   

Reviews (37)

Great read!
I recently visited my parents who had a copy of `New Rulers' and immediately wrote it off as partisan garbage. That's before I flicked through it. It wasn't long before I was hooked. `New Rulers' is a compelling read and a shocking expose of hidden government agendas and media complicity. I couldn't put it down.
No Anaesthetic.....
While much has been said to laud Pilger's book already, I would have to add my own praise for it. Despite that fact that "The New Rulers of the World" takes to one's preconceptions with something akin to a tactical nuke, rather than a scalpel, the book is well researched and definitely well-written. Pilger not only does journalism, but does it with flair and style.
Horrifying and shaming
The theme of this book is revealing the Orwellian nature of our leading politicians: they condemn in public a type of crime which they are committing in secret. The first three chapters are about the words and actions of the British and American Governments. Chapter 1 is about Indonesia and its economic success. It charts how Suharto took over with a bloodbath, supplied with hit lists by the Americans. He was sustained in power by weapons sold to him by Britain and America. He was praised for his economic wisdom while he plundered the country, eventually leading to its bankruptcy and his overthrow. Chapter 2 is about Iraq, mass murder and weapons of mass destruction. It states that America and Britain have committed genocide in Iraq. These are not Pilger's words, but the statements of UN officials charged with distributing food and medical aid, as they resigned from their positions in protest. He documents how America and Britain denied the most basic of supplies to Iraq, and how their claims to the contrary are remarkably feeble lies. He uses the infamous statement by Madeleine Albright, Secretary of State to Clinton, who said the price was worth it when specifically asked about the deaths of hundreds of thousands of Iraqi children by American sanctions. Through Pilger's words you meet some of those children, and it becomes impossible not to understand and mourn their deaths. Chapter 3 is mainly about the arms trade. Blair is quoted as saying that the way to stop terrorism is to stop the supply of arms. Pilger documents, as he has done before, that America and Britain remain the world's biggest suppliers of arms, and that when the forces of military dictators shoot civilians, they are usually doing it with American and British weapons.
Read more

Subjects:  1. General    2. Political Science    3. Politics / Current Events    4. Politics/International Relations    5. Human rights    6. Sociology, Social Studies   

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. African American women    3. African Americans    4. Civil rights    5. Civil rights movements    6. Congresses    7. General    8. History    9. Politics / Current Events    10. Sociology    11. U.S. - Political And Civil Rights Of Blacks    12. U.S. - Political And Civil Rights Of Women    13. United States    14. Human rights    15. Political structure & processes    16. USA   

Editorial Review

"The Bill of Rights stands as the high temple of our constitutional order--America's Parthenon--and yet we lack a clear view of it," Akhil Reed Amar writes in his introduction to Read more

Reviews (25)

Understanding the Bill of Rights
The The Bill of Rights by Akhil Reed Amar takes an original look at the Ten Amendments to the United States Constitution that became known as the Bill of Rights.Amar, a professor at Yale University Law School, is one of the most respected constitutional scholars in the country.
Great, except Amar doesn't quite understand his own work...
...where the 2nd Amendment is concerned!
A Sound Overview of the Bill of Rights and Reconstruction Amendments
~The Bill of Rights: Creation and Reconstruction~ is an informative historical exposition of the Bill of Rights and the rich republican tradition animating these protections from the impetus of the American republic.The Bill of Rights (specifically the first eight amendments thereof) are often misunderstood as it was not a positive grant of rights to the people, but it was rather a negative upon the federal government exercising restrictions upon generally-accepted common law protections, hence the phraseology "Congress shall make no law..." in the First Amendment.
Read more

Subjects:  1. Constitutional    2. Government - U.S. Government    3. Law    4. Politics / Current Events    5. United States - General    6. Civil law (general works)    7. Constitution: government & the state    8. Constitutional & administrative law    9. Human rights    10. Law / General    11. USA   

Reviews (1)

Of the People :The 200 Year History of the Democratic Party
1992 marks the Bicentennial of the oldest ongoing political party in the world. It is doubtful that our forefathers ever thought it would last this long, let alone flourish. But the Democratic Party has endured because, from the very beginning, it has stood for - and fought for - the same ideals of individual freedom and equality that were embodied in America's great War of Independence and in the Constitution that provided the framework for our nation. Of The People... is thus more than the first illustrated history of the Democratic Party. It is a panorama of the great events that forged America itself - and of the great Americans who made these events happen.Read more

Subjects:  1. Democratic Party (U.S.)    2. General    3. History    4. History - General History    5. Political Process - Political Parties    6. U.S. Political Parties   

Subjects:  1. Human Rights    2. International    3. Legal Reference / Law Profession    4. Legal status, laws, etc    5. Political Freedom & Security - Human Rights    6. Political Science    7. Politics/International Relations    8. Sociology    9. Violence against    10. Women    11. Women's Studies - General    12. Women's rights    13. International human rights law    14. Jurisprudence & General Issues    15. Law / Human Rights    16. Women's studies   

Reviews (6)

Well-written natural law survey and terse critique
While Budziszewski offers a well-written CliffsNotes-styled survey of natural law thinkers, it is important to note that he avoids allowing his Christian worldview or Weltanschauung to interfere with the discussion - it is only in the concluding third of the text where Budziszewski relates natural law theory of the past and present to the Christian belief system. The text covers natural law thinkers Aristotle, Thomas Aquinas, and John Locke, as well as one of the great modern opponents of natural law, John Stuart Mill. Following these four units, the author offers a critique of these thinkers. This critique is very well done, and is a bit terse - only 9 pages long - but the following chapter on recent natural law thinkers is roughly twice the length and offers an excellent survey-within-a-survey that includes sections on Roman Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, and secular reconsidersations of natural law (Budziszewski argues that the philosophy of natural law is experiencing a renaissance, and he illuminates some of the current directions that these varied perspectives are taking). Of particular note, the author writes that "...the secular way of thinking is just as full of theological commitments as the other three - just as full of faith, but of a different sort...". Some readers may be interested in the fact that Written on the Heart includes an appendix on elementary reasoning.

Pressing after natural revelation
Although this book is written as sort of a college textbook/primer on natural law, it is a very readable summary of the main theories of natural law, as well as an evaluation of each. Budziszewski also provides a short, but well written apologetic of the Christian view of natural law at the end. That section, as well as the first section on Aristotle, I found to be the most interesting and useful.
NATURAL LAW: ARISTOTLE, ST. PAUL, AND AQUINAS v. THE MODERNS
As part of the modern revival of Natural Law thinking this book is very welcome. It is pitched at undergraduates but would also be useful in pre-university courses in philosophy, law, and politics, or for an advanced reading group. Questions for reflection/discussion set at the end of each chapter with references for further reading.Read more

Subjects:  1. History & Surveys - Modern    2. Law    3. Law and politics    4. Natural Law    5. Philosophy    6. Political aspects    7. Religion    8. Religion and law    9. Human rights   

Reviews (2)

Liberty's Daughters
Liberty's Daughters is really the combined collection of two books.Part I: The Constant Patterns of Women's Lives, sets the reader up for Part II:The Changing Patterns of Women's Lives.In a way, Part I explains the life of the prewar colonial woman.Part II discusses the changes that would occur for women during and immediately following the war.Norton makes a convincing argument that women's lives were forever changed by the Revolutionary War. Chapter 1 was extremely interesting as Norton details the differences between rural women of the colonies with urban women.She details the lives of rural women of the North in comparison to women of the rural South.Plus, Norton discusses the even harsher life of the female slave.In a way, there is an underlying sentiment that life was very difficult for both men and women during this period of time.I appreciated Norton's realization that men also experienced plenty of toil during this time in history.In other words, there was plenty of hardship to go around. One main theme that the reader quickly notices is how important spinning was to the women of colonial America.The first chapters detail how women would have to spin to make clothes for themselves and their families (and sometimes very large families).To pass the time, women would often spin in groups.This activity gave them a sense of companionship.This community would lay the important groundwork for their support of the men during the Revolutionary War. The second part of the book informs the reader how women formed formal spinning groups that actively worked to help the patriots.In a way, women now took up spinning as a part of the campaign for freedom against the British.Sewing gave women a sense of nationality as they could actively contribute to the defense of colonial liberties. Norton explains in the first chapters how women needed a certain degree of conversation.Women loved to talk, most particularly while they spun.In Part II, Norton explains how politics is all anyone could talk about during this era, so why would women want to be left out?Indeed, they were not left out of the conversation, and they were even more than willing to take part in the action.After all, it was their families who were at stake.Women actively took part in the mobs and spoke out against loyalists - partially to avoid from themselves becoming targets of the patriotic fever that swept much of the colonies.Just as in any other civil war, not all women agreed.Political differences caused breakups and differences in friendships and marriages. Though we read from other sources that Washington held contempt for the women who traveled with his army - taking precious rations and supplies, Washington also displays his gratitude to Ester Reed and her girls for this organization's contributions.He put these girls, "to an equal place with any who have preceded them in the walk of female patriotism." The significant sign of change in the lives of colonial women is found midway through Part 2 when the postwar female generation led political discussion and even took part in activism.This was completely alien to most women born before 1760.Nineteenth-century women took pride in the contributions that members of their sex had made to the winning of independence.The existence of such public-spirited models showed that women could take active roles in politics without losing their feminine identity.It was not by chance that in 1848 the organizers chose to use the Declaration of Independence as the basis for their calls for reform in women's status.They understood the relevance of the revolutionary era to their own endeavors.This is a far cry to the woman detailed in Chapter 1 who had no idea about even the financial state of her husband. Here is another profound change from Chapter 1:As time went on, women learned more about the family's finances while at the same time their husband's knowledge became increasingly outdated and remote.In a way, the soldiers increasingly delegated responsibility of the finances to their wives. Women received freedom from the British - just as did men.However, women also gained certain freedoms for their gender.Following the war, female children consequently began to expect the right to decide for themselves in marital matters if they so desired.Many girls continued to seek their parents' and friends' assessments of potential spouses.However, some women made up their own minds, and this is a revolutionary concept.After all, even today in some countries, women have yet to acquire this freedom.Not only were they given more choice in who they were to marry, the increasing use of contraception in the last two decades of the century can also be seen as a reflection of women's improved status within marriage.This came as quite a surprise to me as I had not been aware of any such methods of contraception at this early period of time.I had always assumed that people of this era had only one method of contraception: do not do anything! After the war, women grew increasingly willing to challenge the conventional wisdom about feminine faults.Women finally stood up against the arguments about their nature - particularly against negative aspects of their nature.They were less inclined to allow remarks about their "natural state" pass without harsh comment.This is, in my opinion, the true birth of a P.C. culture! Norton's argument is successful.The lives of women were forever altered by the Revolutionary War.Further, women had just begun to seek liberties for their own gesture.In a way, this book should be read before one begins to study and attempt to understand the feminist movement of the 1840's, before the Suffrage movement that gained women's right to vote, and before the feminist movement that would begin in the 1960's.Indeed, we still live with the consequences of the changes in women's society during the Revolutionary War.

Liberty's Daughters
Liberty's Daughters is really the combined collection of two books.Part I: The Constant Patterns of Women's Lives, sets the reader up for Part II:The Changing Patterns of Women's Lives.In a way, Part I explains the life of the prewar colonial woman.Part II discusses the changes that would occur for women during and immediately following the war.Norton makes a convincing argument that women's lives were forever changed by the Revolutionary War. Chapter 1 was extremely interesting as Norton details the differences between rural women of the colonies with urban women.She details the lives of rural women of the North in comparison to women of the rural South.Plus, Norton discusses the even harsher life of the female slave.In a way, there is an underlying sentiment that life was very difficult for both men and women during this period of time.I appreciated Norton's realization that men also experienced plenty of toil during this time in history.In other words, there was plenty of hardship to go around. One main theme that the reader quickly notices is how important spinning was to the women of colonial America.The first chapters detail how women would have to spin to make clothes for themselves and their families (and sometimes very large families).To pass the time, women would often spin in groups.This activity gave them a sense of companionship.This community would lay the important groundwork for their support of the men during the Revolutionary War. The second part of the book informs the reader how women formed formal spinning groups that actively worked to help the patriots.In a way, women now took up spinning as a part of the campaign for freedom against the British.Sewing gave women a sense of nationality as they could actively contribute to the defense of colonial liberties. Norton explains in the first chapters how women needed a certain degree of conversation.Women loved to talk, most particularly while they spun.In Part II, Norton explains how politics is all anyone could talk about during this era, so why would women want to be left out?Indeed, they were not left out of the conversation, and they were even more than willing to take part in the action.After all, it was their families who were at stake.Women actively took part in the mobs and spoke out against loyalists - partially to avoid from themselves becoming targets of the patriotic fever that swept much of the colonies.Just as in any other civil war, not all women agreed.Political differences caused breakups and differences in friendships and marriages. Though we read from other sources that Washington held contempt for the women who traveled with his army - taking precious rations and supplies, Washington also displays his gratitude to Ester Reed and her girls for this organization's contributions.He put these girls, "to an equal place with any who have preceded them in the walk of female patriotism." The significant sign of change in the lives of colonial women is found midway through Part 2 when the postwar female generation led political discussion and even took part in activism.This was completely alien to most women born before 1760.Nineteenth-century women took pride in the contributions that members of their sex had made to the winning of independence.The existence of such public-spirited models showed that women could take active roles in politics without losing their feminine identity.It was not by chance that in 1848 the organizers chose to use the Declaration of Independence as the basis for their calls for reform in women's status.They understood the relevance of the revolutionary era to their own endeavors.This is a far cry to the woman detailed in Chapter 1 who had no idea about even the financial state of her husband. Here is another profound change from Chapter 1:As time went on, women learned more about the family's finances while at the same time their husband's knowledge became increasingly outdated and remote.In a way, the soldiers increasingly delegated responsibility of the finances to their wives. Women received freedom from the British - just as did men.However, women also gained certain freedoms for their gender.Following the war, female children consequently began to expect the right to decide for themselves in marital matters if they so desired.Many girls continued to seek their parents' and friends' assessments of potential spouses.However, some women made up their own minds, and this is a revolutionary concept.After all, even today in some countries, women have yet to acquire this freedom.Not only were they given more choice in who they were to marry, the increasing use of contraception in the last two decades of the century can also be seen as a reflection of women's improved status within marriage.This came as quite a surprise to me as I had not been aware of any such methods of contraception at this early period of time.I had always assumed that people of this era had only one method of contraception: do not do anything! After the war, women grew increasingly willing to challenge the conventional wisdom about feminine faults.Women finally stood up against the arguments about their nature - particularly against negative aspects of their nature.They were less inclined to allow remarks about their "natural state" pass without harsh comment.This is, in my opinion, the true birth of a P.C. culture! Norton's argument is successful.The lives of women were forever altered by the Revolutionary War.Further, women had just begun to seek liberties for their own gesture.In a way, this book should be read before one begins to study and attempt to understand the feminist movement of the 1840's, before the Suffrage movement that gained women's right to vote, and before the feminist movement that would begin in the 1960's.Indeed, we still live with the consequences of the changes in women's society during the Revolutionary War. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Feminism & Feminist Theory    2. History    3. History - U.S.    4. History: American    5. Revolution, 1775-1783    6. Sources    7. U.S. History - Revolution And Confederation (1775-1789)    8. United States    9. United States - Revolutionary War    10. Women    11. Women In The U.S.    12. Women in politics    13. Women's Studies - General    14. Women's Studies - History    15. Human rights    16. USA    17. Women's studies    18. c 1700 to c 1800   

Subjects:  1. Anthropology - General    2. Europe - General    3. France    4. General    5. Muslim women    6. Political Advocacy    7. Political Freedom & Security - Civil Rights    8. Political Science    9. Politics - Current Events    10. Politics / Current Events    11. Politics/International Relations    12. Sex discrimination against women    13. Social conditions    14. Suburban life    15. Women's Studies - General    16. Human rights    17. Political Science / General    18. Women's studies   

Subjects:  1. Amnesty International    2. History & Theory - General    3. Human rights    4. International Relations - General    5. Political Freedom & Security - Human Rights    6. Political Science    7. Politics / Current Events    8. Politics/International Relations    9. Non-governmental organizations (NGOs)    10. Political Philosophy    11. Political Science / History & Theory    12. Political Science and International Relations   

Subjects:  1. Civics & Citizenship    2. Civil society    3. Democracy    4. Government - U.S. Government    5. Political Ideologies - Democracy    6. Political Science    7. Political participation    8. Politics / Current Events    9. Politics/International Relations    10. United States    11. Human rights    12. Political structures: democracy    13. Public opinion & polls    14. USA   

Reviews (2)

Stride Toward Freedom
Stride Toward Freedom is an excellent book that should become a part of any school curriculum when learning about the Civil Rights Movement. Moving and deeply enlightening, the struggles and triumphs of a man so many of us see as super-human, makes this book one I would recommend to anyone. It is amazing to see how despite incredible odds, people still managed to emerge as remarkable leaders to be remembered for centuries to come.

Exciting, uplifting description of the bus boycott
A classic true story.Details the story of the Montgomery bus boycott organized by King. Discusses the fact that Rosa Parks was not the first black woman to refuse to give up her seat to a white person.Details thelogistics of the boycott and the violence and threats committed againstKing, sometimes dozens of threats per day.Discusses his reading of Gandhiand discusses King's worldview, including, of course, the nonviolentphilosophy.You must know this story if you want to know about MartinLuther King Jr. or the history of race relations in the USA. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. African Americans    2. Alabama    3. Children: Young Adult (Gr. 7-9)    4. Civil Rights    5. Montgomery    6. Montgomery (Ala.)    7. Politics / Current Events    8. Race relations    9. Segregation in transportation    10. Christianity    11. Human rights   

Subjects:  1. General    2. Human rights    3. Law    4. Moral and ethical aspects    5. Political Freedom & Security - Human Rights    6. Political Science    7. Politics/International Relations    8. Professional ethics    9. Social service    10. Social workers    11. Sociology    12. English law: social security & welfare law    13. Law / Human Rights    14. Social issues    15. Social theory    16. Social work   

Reviews (3)

A candid look at a historic decade
Harris Wofford brings the reader to some of the key moments in one of the nation's most tumultuous decades.His stories are genuine because he was there -- a key advisor to John and Robert Kennedy and to Martin Luther King.

Most amazing book I've read in a long time!!!
I think this book is a amazing read! I picked up because of an interest in the era (the 60s), and once I started reading I felt as if I was actually living the events Wofford describes in this book. I particularly like his style of writing, and also how he comes across as different to most writers on the Kennedys. Usually it's clear the writer adores the Kennedys (and can see no wrong with them), or hates them (and can see no good in them). Wofford is not like this. He honestly paints the full picture of the two Kennedy men, and Luther King as well. I'm Bill Moyers ....god of the planet
I wouldn't read ANYTHING by Bill Moyers. He is your typical narrow minded liberal with absolutely no contact with the real world.He thinks he is a god.Sorry Bill you are the biggest jerk on the face of the earth. Hey, God's gift to the human race, watch out there...don't hit your head while you try to go through that door, Bill. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. (John Fitzgerald),    2. 1917-1963    3. 1961-1963    4. 1963-1969    5. History - U.S.    6. History: American    7. Kennedy, John F    8. Kennedy, John F.    9. Political History    10. Politics and government    11. United States    12. United States - 20th Century/60s    13. American history    14. Biography: general    15. Human rights    16. International relations    17. Peace studies    18. Political structure & processes    19. USA    20. c 1960 to c 1970   

Reviews (1)

Superb in detail, lacks writing flow
This is probably one of the better books on this subject. It also depicts an excellent view on race relations in general. Read more

Subjects:  1. African Americans    2. Blacks    3. General    4. History: American    5. Jewish - General    6. Jews    7. People of Color    8. Politics / Current Events    9. Race And Ethnic Relations    10. Relations with Jews    11. United States    12. American history    13. Black studies    14. Human rights    15. Jewish studies    16. Multicultural studies    17. Religion / Judaism / General    18. Social history    19. Social issues    20. USA   

Reviews (278)

Sad, yet Excited Story
I am only about halfway through "Princess," yet I absolutely adore it. Seeing what actually happens in Saudi Arabia, even to princesses, makes me want to help them. Nobody deserves to be treated the way she does, and I hope that someday, I'll be able to help Sultana and many others fight for women's rights. It's time we took a stand.
A must read!!!!
I currently reside in Geneva, Switzerland and was curious to know more of the veiled women that I see walking the streets in the summer. This story is riveting to say the least and to know that these customs still exist is saddening. I would have never believed until I saw it with my own eyes. Saudi Royals in stretch limos, their entourage in tow, rolling out the red carpets, literaly, as 10 individuals empty out a Louis Vutton store. They were purchasing 10+ bags ranging over $2000.00 a piece. It was a site. Their wives following behind them like wounded yet well trained dogs. Sasson captures, what I believe, to be the true essence of Saudi Royal life.

Couldn't put it down!
This book...is overwhelming to say the least. But it's excellent. It really opens your eyes to the way things are over there. Some items will appall and make you sick but others will make you smile. Can't wait to read the rest in the series! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1956-    2. Biography/Autobiography    3. Feminism & Feminist Theory    4. Human Rights    5. Saudi Arabia    6. Saudi Arabia - History    7. Social conditions    8. Sociology    9. Sociology Of Women    10. Sultana,    11. Women    12. Women's Studies    13. Sultana   

Subjects:  1. Decision Making & Problem Solving    2. Discrimination (Educational Aspects)    3. Education    4. Education / Teaching    5. Encyclopedias    6. History    7. Minority Studies - Race Relations    8. Reference    9. School integration    10. Segregation in education    11. United States    12. American history    13. Anthropology    14. Human rights    15. Political Science / Civil Rights    16. Racism & racial discrimination    17. Reference works    18. Schools    19. Social history    20. USA