Reviews (1)

AFascinating Look at the Gay and Lesbian movement
This is one of those books that tells you more about yourself than you ever thought it could.This volume documents the history of the Gay and Lesbian movement from 1945-1990 in great detail.From the initial graspingat identity after WWII through the Mattachine Society and Stonewall, thisbook tells the story of our struggle for freedom.From the bashingsthroughout the decades to the loving way our community cared for those withAIDS, this book tells the story of our spirit.Making History invites youto meet the people who made us who we are today.An example?Thepsychologist - Dr. Evelyn Hooker - challenged by her gay friend and studentSammy to prove gay people were not ill.At first hesitant, she picked upthe gauntlet, but hadn't finished her groundbreaking research before Sammydied in a car accident in 1945.These are just two of the many people inthis book.You owe it to yourself to meet the others. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Gay Studies    2. Gay liberation movement    3. Gay rights    4. General    5. History    6. History - General History    7. Sociology    8. Sociology - General    9. United States    10. Gay & Lesbian studies    11. Human rights    12. Pollution & threats to the environment    13. USA    14. c 1945 to c 1960    15. c 1960 to c 1970    16. c 1970 to c 1980    17. c 1980 to c 1990   

Reviews (10)

War Profiteer
I have lived in El Salvador now for over eight years.To visit El Salvador for three days and continue to make a profit on those three days -past- seems completely immoral to me, especially since the book remains in print and continues to influence the world's opinion of El Salvador.I find this completely unfair.Would it be possible for Joan or Oliver or anyone else that enjoyed an income from the events of 20+ years ago to come back and revise their assesment?It would probably cost them all of two or three thousand dollars for the trip, but of course, it would stop the thousand if not million dollars in sales of these recollections which were wish fullfilling fantasies to begin with.All of El Salvador suffered during this time, why perpetuate the suffering?And what about any three days in any given city in North America?Could'nt the "glass is half empty" scenario be drawn to horrify any sensible person from every wanting to visit there, simply by selectively clipping the daily paper?I think so.
"The Exact Mechanism of Terror"
It would be false to say that I was ever truly familiar with the situation in El Salvador at any time, not truly, and what makes Didion's Salvador such an extraordinary essay is that it so thoroughly and eloquently elucidates a time and place, but does so with specifics that feel as endemic to any political crisis now, or any 100 years ago.In her first chapter, she describes her experience in El Salvador by saying "I came to understand, in a way I had not understood before, the exact mechanism of terror."Salvador is an extraordinarily precise evocation of El Salvador in 1982, of the failure of Reagan's policies there, but what makes it still relevant is exactly that evocation of mechanics, of the bodies at the morgue that add up but don't amount to a story, of the shudder of fear at the sight of headlights in a dark dining room, of the shifting game of verbiage that describes progress or failure or civil wars or assassinations.What I mean is that Salvador will move and feel familiar to anyone, and that, at the point she describes the particular failing of America that allows us to approach this conflict as "something of the familiar ineffable, as if it were taking place not in El Salvador but in a mirage of El Salvador," it will seem the most reasoned, obvious, and unsettling conclusion about national and international conflicts.

A still life of death
Joan Didion went to El Salvador for a couple of weeks in 1982 and wrote this great short book about her experience. Her tale is not about the details of the civil war or the politics involved, but just the mood of the country during that slice of time. Senseless and violent murder pervaded, and she captured it vividly and brilliantly.Read more

Subjects:  1. 1979-    2. Civil rights    3. Current Affairs    4. El Salvador    5. History - General History    6. Human rights    7. International    8. International Relations - General    9. Latin America - Central America    10. Political And Civil Rights    11. Political Terrorism    12. Politics and government    13. Sociology    14. Terrorism    15. Didion, Joan    16. Journeys    17. Political Science / International Relations   

Reviews (6)

A book about the REAL heroes/heroines of Civil Rights
A wonderful piece of work, Raines merely interviews the people from the wide and varied perspectives of the movement and gives them free rein to tell "their story" "their way" managing within this framework to lace a compelling and interesting plot around some states and some history that time and justice seemed to have forgotten. One of the best books about the Civil Rights Wars!
This book is on the list of 100 best or most influential books I've ever read--mainly because it is observant, honest, humble and direct, with no political agendas and no effete overtones. This is a title well worth re-examining some 20 years after publication. It can be browzed through at random, with something startling jumping at you on virtually every page. Or, it can be read straight through. It's quite a white-knuckle event. Many books have been written on the subject, but there's something quietly compelling about this one. Raines is one of our great journalists. This is a good way to become acquainted with him, in the days before he became elevated to one of the most prestigious newspaper jobs in the world.

Subjects:  1. African Americans    2. Civil rights    3. Civil rights workers    4. Ethnic Studies - African American Studies - Histor    5. General    6. History - General History    7. Humor    8. Interviews    9. Political Freedom & Security - Civil Rights    10. Southern States    11. United States - State & Local - South    12. Human rights    13. Political Science / Civil Rights    14. USA   

Reviews (6)

A Pirates Life For Me
This book is a description of controlling a barrel of monkeys.The authors tackle the complex and almost untamable world of intellectual property piracy.To their credit this is a very accessible book, they left the detailed legal opinions on the cutting room floor.They also cover the subject in a rather even handed way.At first they were falling onto the side I fall onto, that any of this downloading etc is stealing plain and simple.They end up with a far more mellowed view and they almost convinced me along the way.
A Complex Problem Indeed
In Pirates of the Digital Millennium, co-authors Rochester and Gantz tackle a subject with many far-reaching facets, and artfully illuminate the players, their motives, and their means.
Well written, balanced perspective
The digital rights management problem is complex. Consumers have a right to own what they buy, and fairly use it. And commercial companies and artists have a right to make money on products that consumers are willing to pay for. Finding the right balance is complex, and that's what this book sets out to do.
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Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Copyright    5. Intellectual Property - Copyright    6. Legal Reference / Law Profession    7. Management Science    8. Piracy (Copyright)    9. Popular works    10. Business & Economics / Systems & Planning    11. Human rights    12. Intellectual property, copyright & patents   

Subjects:  1. Economic development    2. History    3. Human Rights    4. International    5. International agencies    6. International law    7. Law    8. Legal Reference / Law Profession    9. Political Freedom & Security - Human Rights    10. International economic & trade law    11. International humanitarian law    12. Law / Human Rights   

Subjects:  1. Civil rights    2. Government - U.S. Government    3. Law and legislation    4. Political Freedom & Security - Civil Rights    5. Political Freedom & Security - International Secur    6. Political Freedom & Security - Terrorism    7. Political Science    8. Politics / Current Events    9. Politics/International Relations    10. Reference    11. United States    12. War and emergency powers    13. War on Terrorism, 2001-    14. 21st century    15. Human rights    16. Terrorism, freedom fighters, armed struggle   

Reviews (6)

If you're going to read one book on civil rights, this is it
I'd pair the book with a more nationally-oriented one, such as the Taylor Branch trilogy, which give a better sense of national politics, but Payne's book is both profound and profoundly moving in its depiction of local communities and Ella Baker's "Organizing Tradition", which turns a number of assumptions about the movement on their head.I've read the book a few times with students and never fail to be personally engaged and to have invigorating classes with students. Great, great stuff!

Brilliance that doesn't blind but illuminates
I agree with the earlier reviews but I'd like to provide some details about this book's strengths. Read this Book!
As a history major, I have various interests. One of my favorite things to study is the civil rights movement. Of all the books that I have seen, few match the caliber of this book. It takes the state of Mississippi (which may be the book's greatest irony)and shows how powerful a grassroots movement such as the civil rights movement can be with the proper forms of leadership. I urge anyone who is interested in learning about the civil rights movement should start with this book! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. African Americans    3. Civil rights    4. Civil rights movements    5. Civil rights workers    6. Ethnic Studies - African American Studies - Histor    7. History    8. History - General History    9. History: American    10. Mississippi    11. Political Freedom & Security - Civil Rights    12. United States - General    13. American history: from c 1900 -    14. Black studies    15. History / Americas (North, Central, South, West Indies)    16. Human rights    17. USA   

Subjects:  1. Americans with Disabilities Ac    2. Business / Economics / Finance    3. Business/Economics    4. Discrimination    5. Discrimination against people    6. Discrimination against people with disabilities    7. Discrimination in employment    8. General    9. Labor And Employment Law    10. Law    11. Law and legislation    12. Legal status, laws, etc    13. Legal status, laws, etc.    14. People with disabilities    15. Public Policy - Social Services & Welfare    16. Sociology - General    17. Sociology Of The Mentally And Physically Challenged    18. United States    19. Citizenship & nationality law    20. DISCRIMINATION IN EMPLOYMENT_LAW AND LEGISLATION    21. Disability: social aspects    22. Human rights    23. Law / Discrimination    24. PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES_LEGAL STATUS, LAWS, ETC.    25. Social law    26. USA    27. c 1990 to c 2000   

Reviews (6)

ridiculous
Uh, the author is a lawyer, which means her first obligation is to uphold the law. This means gathering up the illegal aliens and getting them out of the country, quickly. Instead, this "lawyer" decides that it's more important to figure out how to screw what remains of middle-class America in order to get "rights" and such for the criminals. Nice.

ACall to Action
This book is many things - a history of immigration, a story of politics, and a study of law, public policy and activism.Above all, it is a call to action - an inspirational, educational guide to effecting social change.Suburban Sweatshops illustrates the enormous impact of one person's efforts to aid a disadvantaged and largely unnoticed segment of American society - immigrant workers - not by fighting for them, but by organizing and empowering them to fight for themselves. As Gordon recounts the events preceding the Workplace Project, and leading to its inception, she acknowledges the horror of the relatively few well-publicized atrocities against immigrant workers.Yet such incidents of "super-exploitation," Gordon submits, are only the most graphic illustrations of an infinitely more obscure problem - a web of appalling injustices so frequent as to seem an almost inevitable aspect of immigrant workers' lives.Gordon reveals these injustices in a variety of ways, supplementing examples of particular immigrants' living and working conditions with statistics that emphasize the pervasiveness of such situations. Most compelling, however, are Gordon's gripping portrayals of immigrants' personal stories.In her direct and elegant style, Gordon introduces the reader to a series of individuals whose experiences, though poignant, are studies in strength, courage and ambition.Many of these anecdotes are the result of Gordon's personal involvement in, and exposure to, the lives of her subjects.Her sympathy and respect for the people whose lives she documents are evident, as are her high expectations of them. Gordon describes the development of the Workplace Project in equally balanced terms.Her pride in the enormous success of the project is apparent, and well-deserved.Throughout the book, however, she offers a candid assessment of its challenges and limitations. This book is truly essential reading for students and professionals in the fields of law, sociology, government and history.It will serve as an indispensable reference to anyone seeking to enact social and political change.It will serve as an inspiration to anyone who reads it.
Breaking new Ground
While I understand another reviewer's complaint about the book not being national in scope, and not telling us a lot about the daily lives of immigrants. But the discussion of legal and organizingstrategy is far from arcane or dry. This is really a story about the ongoing process of democratization in our country--which the book makes clear is far from complete (something it would be useful for President Bush and other global democratizers to remember). The book provides a very insightful and thorough examination of how workers in the so called informal and underground economies learn about, use, and deepen their rights in the United States. It also makes a compelling material and moral case for why they deserve those rights. Heartwarming personal stories are nice, but this book expanded my own understanding of the politics of globalization at the micro level. It would make a great case study for college teachers to use with undergrads because it combines an immediate issue with theoretical and philopsophic substance. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Alien labor    2. Emigration & Immigration    3. Employee rights    4. Labor & Industrial Relations - General    5. Politics / Current Events    6. Social Science    7. Sociology    8. United States    9. Workplace Project (Organizatio    10. Current Events / Law    11. Human rights    12. Labour economics   

Subjects:  1. Abuse of.    2. African Americans    3. Civil rights    4. Ethnic Issues    5. Ethnic Studies - African American Studies - General    6. History    7. History - General History    8. History: American    9. Political prisoners    10. United States    11. United States - 20th Century    12. Violence against    13. History / United States / 20th Century    14. Human rights    15. Middle East    16. Political imprisonment    17. Political structures: democracy    18. USA   

Subjects:  1. Ethics & Moral Philosophy    2. General    3. Human rights    4. Political Science    5. Politics / Current Events    6. Politics/International Relations    7. Torture   

Reviews (2)

In-depth, thought provoking, disturbing, stimulating
Premise and Review: good theory
good read. reveals epistmological groundings of human rights... ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Human rights    2. International Relations - General    3. Political Freedom & Security - Civil Rights    4. Political Science    5. Politics / Current Events    6. Politics/International Relations    7. Political Science / International Relations   

Reviews (1)

I am not worthy
I must say I feel rather humble in my attempt to review this autobiography, hence the brevity of my Review. However I cannot sufficiently stress how the account of Malcolm X's life has given me as a native African (and gives the reader regardless of ethnic background) a crucially important Sociological, Philosophical, Political, Islamic and Pan African insight into African American culture and its' shaping in historical context. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Politics/International Relations    2. Biography: general    3. Black studies    4. Demonstrations & protest movements    5. Human rights    6. Inter-war period, 1918-1939    7. Postwar period, 1945 to c 2000    8. Second World War, 1939-1945    9. USA   

Subjects:  1. Language Arts & Disciplines    2. Librarians    3. Libraries and state    4. Library & Information Science    5. Library Science (Specific Aspects)    6. Library surveillance    7. Politics/International Relations    8. Professional ethics    9. Reference    10. United States    11. Human rights    12. Language Arts & Disciplines / Library & Information Science    13. Library & Information Sciences    14. Police & security services    15. USA   

Reviews (2)

The 'race' to build 3 nations
In looking at race it's necessary to get perspective. Travel opens up new vistas. We perceive ourselves one way, others around the world see things differently. What countries come to mind when you think about racism? South Africa definitely; but now that the country has majority rule, it's immediately less racist. Austria, Japan and Yugoslavia also come to mind, but they're not multiracial societies. That Anthony Marx has chosen to compare racial policy in Brazil, South Africa and the US, seems to confirm the widely held world view that the US is one of the most racist nations in the world. Is this true? What do these three nations have in common in their history of segregation? Making Race and Nation:One step foward, one step back
Anthony Marx's comparative study on the construction of race in the United States, Brazil and South Africa is promising if one wants a general historical overview about how race was constructed in each setting.Marx emphasizes how each state, in its own process of state building,constructed racial/racist ideologies to unify the white power structure atthe expense of Blacks.He explores the institutions of colonialism,slavery and apartheid to make his case.He also explores how the ideologyof black nationalism emerged as unifying response among Blacks to resistwhite domination.The book is a good read, however his historical accountis completely male biased. Marx fails to consider the role gender played inthe construction of these racial ideologies.His account isstate-centered, which effectively excludes other important social andpolitical factors in the formation of race identity. This becomes painfullyclear in the chapter on Black racial identity, mobilization and reform inthe U.S. Also, Marx relies too heavily on secondary sources, which dampensthe reliability of his analysis. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Brazil    2. Case studies    3. General    4. History & Theory - General    5. Minority Studies - Race Relations    6. Political Science    7. Politics/International Relations    8. Race And Ethnic Relations    9. Race discrimination    10. Race relations    11. Sociology    12. South Africa    13. Human rights    14. Political Science / General    15. Race discrimination--Case studies    16. Social groups & communities   

Reviews (5)

AMERICANS SHOULD REALIZE THIS 'DREAM' TO THE FULLEST!
Dr. Martin Luther King's collection of writings and speeches, "I Have A Dream", brings aspiration to light. The events that surrounded the life and death of this true hero reveals the shameful fact that no matter how great the United States of America is today, it is one country that was nurtured with inhumane machinery: slavery, racism, injustice, Mickey-Mouse freedom, and Mickey-Mouse democracy. I hate to think about it, but it is an honest fact, whichwe should all come to terms with. Nobody can rewrite history. The essential King
"I Have a Dream: Writings and Speeches That Changed the World," by Martin Luther King, Jr., is a fine collection of texts by this important figure. The book has been edited by James M. Washington. Coming in at less than 300 pages, this is a concise but meaty book. Excellent introduction to Dr. King's works
This collection of Dr. King's writings includes all the major speeches -- such as I Have A Dream and I See the Promised Land, as well as important writings such as Letter from A Birmingham Jail.It also has great essays on the lessons Dr. King learned from Ghandi and a wonderful introduction from Mrs. King. This is a great collection to get started learning about Dr. King -- from his own pen.I highly reccomend it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. African Americans    3. Civil rights    4. Civil rights movements    5. Ethnic Studies - African American Studies - Histor    6. History    7. Nonviolence    8. Political Freedom & Security - Civil Rights    9. Politics / Current Events    10. Politics/International Relations    11. U.S. - Political And Civil Rights Of Blacks    12. United States    13. United States - 20th Century    14. Biography & Autobiography / Political    15. Human rights    16. USA   

Reviews (4)

Excellent Analysis
The book contains a good analysis of the Plessy v. Ferguson case, decided by the United States Supreme Court, and establishing the doctrine of "separate but equal" that would remain the law of land until overturned in 1954.
Thomas Offers Good, not Great, Intro
Brook Thomas is an English professor, not a legal scholar, and, although much of his work deals with intersections between law and literature, he tends to be more discerning as to literature and social issues than regarding the law. While his Plessy v. Ferguson gives a competent overview of the case and its context, this book is not his strongest work by a long shot. I have had success teaching this book in conjunction with Twain's Pudd'n'head Wilson, and its brief documentary history works well to get students up to speed. But it has a distinctlytext-bookish quality that would make it something of a drag in any but the classroom setting.

Thomas Offers Good, not Great, Intro
Brook Thomas is an English professor, not a legal scholar, and, although much of his work deals with intersections between law and literature, he tends to be more discerning as to literature and social issues than regarding the law. While his Plessy v. Ferguson gives a competent overview of the case and its context, this book is not his strongest work by a long shot. I have had success teaching this book in conjunction with Twain's Pudd'n'head Wilson, and its brief documentary history works well to get students up to speed. But it has a distinctlytext-bookish quality that would make it something of a drag in any but the classroom setting. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Constitutional    2. General    3. Law    4. Legal Reference / Law Profession    5. Energy & natural resources law    6. Human rights    7. Plessy, Homer Adolph    8. Racism & racial discrimination    9. Trials, litigation, etc    10. USA   

Reviews (1)

Forced desegregation: noble idea, huge effort, mixed results
This is a comparison of two books with different points of view, one from the heart and one from the head.Tom Wicker's thesis in "Tragic Failure" subtitle "Racial Integration in America" is that racial integration simply has not worked. He would support the William O. Douglas / Thurgood Marshall line of thought that the job of integration will only be complete when most neighborhoods and schools are visibly multi-racial and all races enjoy substantially equal prestige and incomes.He would argue that government, especially the courts, have much more work to do.Read more

Subjects:  1. American - General    2. Discrimination    3. Discrimination & Racism    4. Law and legislation    5. Literary Collections    6. Literature: Classics    7. Political Freedom & Security - Civil Rights    8. Politics / Current Events    9. Politics/International Relations    10. School Desegregation    11. Segregation in education    12. United States    13. Human rights    14. Law / Constitutional    15. Law | Constitutional Law    16. Racism & racial discrimination    17. Social law    18. USA   

Reviews (1)

Spectacular
This book should be required reading for any of us crusty old lefties.A nice reminder (along with Martin Luther King Jr's "Why We Can't Wait") that sometimes with enough strength and drive, we can make the impossible possible.A great recounting, not only of the civil rights movement, but also the emerging New Left philosophy.Rich and detailed to earn a place as a university textbook, but still as plainspoken and accessible as to be read by anyone.
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Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. African Americans    3. Civil rights    4. Civil rights workers    5. Discrimination & Racism    6. History    7. History - U.S.    8. History: American    9. Mississippi    10. Suffrage    11. United States - 20th Century    12. United States - 20th Century/60s    13. United States - State & Local - General    14. Demonstrations & protest movements    15. History / United States / 20th Century    16. Human rights    17. Pressure groups & lobbying    18. Sociology | Political    19. USA    20. c 1960 to c 1970   

Reviews (2)

Good Intentions
Bullard, et al. have good intentions in that they want to correct environmental injustice and racism.However, sometimes they are too quick to call racism or get bogged down in statistics.My favorite chapter was the one on the Vieques people of Puerto Rico.If anything, I learned a lot about world politics.

Empowering
"The Quest for Environmental Justice" by Robert D. Bullard (editor) is an excellent primer about the environmental justice ('E.J.') movement. Blending U.S. environmental and social justice activists together in the late 1970s, the E.J. movement has grown to become a significant multinational political force. The numerous authors who have contributed to this volume explore the movement's rich history and chronicle many of the noteworthy struggles that have improved the lives of many people and can provide inspiration and hope to us all.
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Subjects:  1. Earth Sciences - Geology    2. Environmental Conservation & Protection - General    3. Environmental Studies    4. Environmental justice    5. Human rights    6. Nature    7. Nature/Ecology    8. Political aspects    9. Public Policy - Environmental Policy    10. Nature / General    11. Pollution & threats to the environment