price：$8.82
Basic Books
Usually ships in 1 to 2 weeks Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (This book and "71 DAYS" - The Two Best Books I've Read This Year) 『This is just a must have for students of history and government. It will remain on my shelf. Anyone interested in rediscovering what it truly means to be a citizen should read it. "The Citizen's Constitution" and "71 DAYS: The Media Assault On Obama" are my favorite books for this year. Read them both and keep them. They're both books you can read throughout a lifetime. And they really "re-educate" you. Seth Lipsky has a way of making the constitution more accessible - or better yet - more interesting. He has a mastery of it and is able to share that with us in a brilliantly serviceable way. After reading it I simply feel smarter, and that is all you can ask of any book. Job very well done!』
(Constitution Made Accessible) 『This is a wonderfully insightful and engaging book on our Constitution by an author who is not a professor of law or even a lawyer, but rather a distinguished journalist. In this volume Seth Lipsky, a former editor of The Wall Street Journal and founder of the New York Sun, deciphers the Constitution clause by clause and renders it accessible, comprehensible and relevant to all of us who are not constitutional scholars. He does so with highly readable and often witty footnotes that relate each clause not only to historical events that shaped the Constitution, but also to the way the Constitution shapes our contemporary society and culture. It seems to me this book ought to be required reading at every level from high school civics classes to law school courses. And those required to read it will wind up enjoying it, as I did, not just learning from it. Full disclosure leads to me to say I am a former newspaper colleague and still friend of Seth Lipsky, but I have many other friends who have written bad books as well as good ones. This book is terrific.』 『
Pocket versions of the Constitution of the United States of America abound, as do multi-volume commentaries, scholarly histories of its writing, and political posturings of various clauses. But what if you want a delightfully quick, witty, and readable reference that, in one compact volume, places the document and its clauses into context? You’re out of luck—until now. Written by Seth Lipsky, described in theBoston Globeas“a legendary figure in contemporary journalism,”The Citizen’s Constitutiondraws on the writings of the Founders, case law from our greatest judges, and current events in more than 300 illuminating annotations. Lipsky provides a no-nonsense, entertaining, and learned guide to the fundamental questions surrounding the document that governs how we govern our country. Every American should know the Constitution. Rarely has it glinted so brightly.
price：$6.38
American Documents
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Marvelous book) 『Didn't get finished reading the book. Loaned to someone who hasn't returned it. Recommend you finish the book before you loan it to anyone!!! Great book! Yes...it's that good!!』
(Why don't more people know about this book??!!) 『Cannot stress enough how much I think people should read this book. It is excellent and explains and shows us just what makes America an amazing country! Highly recommend to all students and adults. Teaches us where this country came from. Excellent』
(Back to Basics) 『This is an excellent, easily readable book with lots of historic quotations to back up the author's statements. This book reminds us of the importance of knowing what our Constitution says and what the Founding Fathers intended when it was written. There are so many points made in the book that our current generation of youth never see or have it distorted by currnt educators. I'm not only recommending it to my friends but and buying it for every student on my Christmas and graduation list.』
(PATRIOTIC AND MOVING) 『I've always been one who, most of my life, took my Liberty for granted. I would write my Senator or Congressman a letter here and there about certain issues but never until now did I think we would loose the precious rights our founding fathers established for us. This book, as I read it, opened up my mind as to where the roots of this great document and the foundation for this great nation stretch back to. I've seen much in recent months that have made me realize this book needs to be shared with not only my family but my Senator and Congressman.
The book helped me to appreciate the Constitution and the Liberty that I've grown to love. I recommend this book to be read by all Americans. I only wish our children could be taught the values of our founding fathers in school but they're not, so I think this book is a great way to teach our children at home.』
(The Five Thousand Year Leap: 30 Year Anniversary Edition with Glenn Beck Foreword) 『Excellent book, a great reminder of how far we have strayed from the inspired vision of the Founding Fathers.』 『
NEW in 2009!THE 5000 YEAR LEAP30 Year Anniversary Edition with Glenn Beck s Foreword! NOW also includes Common Sense by Thomas PaineNo other edition offers the revisions and updates of this remarkable book detailing how the Founding Fathers used28 principlesto create a 5000 year leap in freedom, prosperity, and progress; all based upon morality, faith, and ethics.THIS BONUS EDITION INCLUDES:Common Senseby Thomas Paine,101 Constitutional Questions To Ask Candidates,The US Constitution,The Declaration of Independence, and Two landmark addresses by author Dr. W. Cleon Skousen never before offered in print.
Revised, 30 Year Anniversary Edition.During the last 26 years of Dr. Skousen's life he continued his extensive study of the constitution and founding values. He kept his original copy ofThe Five Thousand Year Leapwith him and would write notes in the margins and on envelops and note cards of the refinements and updates he wished to add to the book. This new 30 Year Anniversary Edition includes those refinements and updates. Our gratitude goes out to the Skousen family for supplying us with this information to enable us to bring you this new edition.
The 5000 Year Leapwill take you by the hand as you discover the ideals of the Founding Fathers and their28 principles for success. The values explored in detail by Dr. Skousen range from the Founder's prerequisite that the Constitution was designed for a moral people, to a government empowered by the people with checks and balances, along with an understanding of the critical nature of fiscal responsibility and family values. This book sums up the secrets to what James Madison called amiracle.』
price：$12.10
Da Capo Press
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (What the Bible says about Angels) 『I have had this book for over a month already, have written one doctrine paper with its assistance, and have discussed its contents in multiple conversations. The Book was in excellent condition, and I could not have been happier. Thank you sincerely.』
(Updated "Robert's Rules of Order") 『I've been active in local organizations and politics for over 60 years. Generally serve as chairman or parlimentarian and have always instisted that "Robert's Rules of Order" be accepted as the organization's standard reference to answer any "Point of Order" raised. This new edition is the best one I've ever used and therefore would highly recommend it to all serious organizations for quick and accurate reference.』
(Robert's Rules Rules) 『This book is a MUST for any one on a board or committee or running a meeting. We own a Condo and are on the board and some standing committees. Our previous board had no clue how to abide by any rules and had us in dire financial straits. This book saved our Association!』
(Excellent) 『This hard-copy of Robert's Rules of Order was maintained well. I received the book in a timely manner and the appearance of the book was like new.』
(Great advice for the Club Secretary) 『When a bit of formality is required to run a meeting it is always good to know the rules and be able to quote a reliable source The more we read the more knowledge we gain and we need knowledge to upset the "bush lawyers" who will if they can defy authority.I have been a member of Lions Clubs International for 37 years and "Robert's Rules of Order"has always been my guide to good meeting procedure so the purchase I made was to share the various paths to follow to achieve a succesful meeting outcome Mind you, there will always be plenty of debate but with "Robert's Rules of Order" problems can always be resolved It is an excellent publication and thank you for the prompt delivery』 『The Only Authorized Guide to Parliamentary Procedure -- Now in a New Updated Edition The book on parliamentary procedure for parliamentarians and novice club presidents alike, Robert's Rules of Order is this country's recognized guide to smooth, orderly, and fairly conducted meetings. Robert's Rules of Order, Newly Revised is the only book to have been maintained since 1876 under the continuing program established by General Henry M. Robert himself in cooperation with the official publisher of Robert's Rules. This edition has been updated to address common inquiries, and it incorporates new rules, interpretations, and procedures made necessary by the evolution of parliamentary procedure. New features include: * Important information on the validity of meetings and votes using today's technology -- teleconferences, videoconferences, and e-mail *
New line numbering in the margins for easy and quick reference * Easy to understand clarifications of the existing parliamentary procedure * Improved cross-referencing and indexing Over 5 million copies sold』
『SinceRobert's Rules of Orderfirst was published in 1896, it's been the means to orderly, smooth, and fairly conducted meetings. This ninth edition of the famous manual of parliamentary procedure includes everything from the first edition, but all of the information is clarified, cross-referenced, and carefully indexed. "Where there is no law, but every man does what is right in his own eyes, there is the least of real liberty," said General Henry M. Robert, and his gift of order is as indispensable now as it was a century ago.』
price：$6.65
Anchor
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (A Political Hack....afraid of any political viewpoint other than his own!) 『A transparent and miserable reflection on the Supreme Court Justices as it relates to his liberal political agenda. This is not an intellectual account, but a pitiful attempt to sway his readers to vote for a liberal ticket. Balance be damned...he is a journalist, not a "writer".』
(how five of nine unelected old codgers control huge swathes of american public policy) 『I'm reviewing the Nine together with Supreme Conflict, as each bears in its subject on the other, and the review of one is a good compare/contrast exercise with the other.
The Nine does a fairly good job of living up to its billing as 'inside' the world of the Supreme Court. Whether this world is a 'secret' one or not is a bit of hype, however. More appropriately, it would be the 'not widely known or cared about world', but that isn't as sexy a way of putting the idea.
Toobin gives us a strong sense of what these justices are 'about' with telling details. For example, Rhenquist's odd and idiosyncratic geekiness at having his robes adorned like those in a musical of which he was fond; Thomas's love of NASCAR and RV'ing, or Kennedy's grand ego, reflected in the adornment of his office.
These are not self-aware people. They fancy themselves by and large as learned in the ways of the law, but ultimately they were chosen for their political views. When they need to give an election to the Republicans for no good legal reason, as in Bush v. Gore, they unhesitatingly lower themselves to the occasion. Interestingly, such politics laying bare the 'objectivity' of the law unnerved Souter, in particular.
The author also does a good job of exploring cases like Bush v. Gore, or Webster, and uses them to illustrate the Court's workings and tendencies. He is particularly good on showing how the cases evolve over time as justices' change their minds (like O'Connor shifting to the 'left') or how the addition of the two conservative justices Alito and Roberts stealthily shift the law without the hubbub of overruling established precedent.
This is a good summary of inner workings of court and transformations of recent history. I would have appreciated even more humanizing minutiae about daily life on the Court, like O'Connor's aerobic routine.
In contrast to Toobin's genial treatment of the subject is Jan Crawford Greenburg's unfortunate Supreme Conflict. This book is turgid and bogged down in uninteresting or redundant detail--unfortunately, her lawyer background wins out over her journalistic background in many instances. For example, there are a couple sentences which state "when Blackmun read her opinion, he was pleased to see her reprimand Thomas. 'Well, good for her,' he wrote on the first page of her draft concurring opinion." So you have two sentences here where only one would be necessary to get he point across--a small example, but when you multiply that kind of writing over hundreds of pages the weight adds up like 'fun size' Butterfinger on a fat ass. This is often too much of the same or uninteresting detail--I could have skipped every other sentence and still gotten 90% of the book's substance.
She could have used a better editor. For example, Souter's confirmation process is often covered in exhaustive detail, but, oddly, Thomas's gets barely a page of very summary detail. You would think that in a book about the 'supreme conflict' of the struggle for control of the Court that more detail about the Thomas process--easily the most controversial confirmation in recent history-- would be critical. In another example, a chapter about Thomas veers off oddly into the relationship between Souter and Scalia.
The above points to the largest problem with the book: where's the beef in this "Supreme Conflict?" We get oddly forshortened accounts of the confirmation process, as described above, which is one site of the contest for the direction of the Court, and also of key incidents within the Court, for example, with Bush v. Gore, which only occupies four substantive pages of material. This book just doesn't live up to the thesis suggested in its title.
"Supreme Conflict" in fact avoids controversy and is often a fawning account, as can be seen in the pages and pages of her acknowledgements (Toobin's is a respectable paragraph) in which she gushes about 'profound' gratitude and being 'incredibly' fortunate--no noun without an glowing adjective here. The problem is that she is really too close to official sources, not searching enough in 'psycho-history' and handles any unflattering or handles idiosyncratic details, especially of the powerful conservatives in ascendancy, with extreme care. (Along with the acknowledgements, the bookflap describing the contents inside--using words like titanic, gargantuan, brilliant, unvarnished, seething, bruising, masterpiece, etc.--is the one of the most purple--dare I say tumescent--of the year. It's too bad they don't give awards for this sort of thing.)
Finally,her account is also curiously incomplete in key details--again a better editor would have helped. For example, Toobin illustrates O'Connor's resignation and her letter to Bush as a polite but direct shot against incursions by the executive that had recently been made undermining the separation of powers and the rule of law, e.g. at Guantanamo. This relationship or view is lost in Greenburg's story.
She does catch some interchanges between the justices, particularly in conference and in vote-switching, or the 'leader/follower relationship' between Scalia and Thomas, in more detail than Toobin. The occasional story she does toss in, for example Souter needing to bum funds to make a trip to D.C., is amusing and insightful. She's stronger on the process of confirmation, e.g. the complete bumbling by the conservative brain trust in the selection of Souter, and the involvement of the other political branches, as befits the theme of the 'struggle for control.'
In broad detail both books cover similar ground--the beef that conservatives have with the Warren Court, the influence of public opinion on the judges and their political radar, the relationships of the justices to each other, etc. However, if you are just going to pick one of these, the Nine is going to give you as much 'inside' stuff as the other by and large, as well as cover though in not as great detail the 'struggle' for control, and do so in a more engaging manner. Where the Nine is an affable conversationalist, Supreme Conflict speaks grey officialese. Except for the book flap.』
(A stunner) 『I did something with this book that I have never done before. As soon as I finished the last page I turned back to the first page and read the entire book over again. Exceptional writing, exceptional presentation of the people and the facts.』
(I know why I don't watch cable news...) 『As a person with some experience in journalism, this book just drives home the point for me why I don't watch cable news. It's not that the book is critical of conservatives (which it is) or that it is hyperbolic in its praise of liberals (again, it is)...the problem is that I could care less what Jeffrey Toobin thinks. Isn't the job of the news media to engage us to make our own decisions? I can decide for myself based on the facts that Clarence Thomas is conservative, and a bit extreme. I can also decide for myself that Bill Clinton had an "admirable" presidency. I can do both of these things based on the facts, without the running commentary of Mr. Toobin. I just hate the need of journalists to insert their opinions into a matter. "Reporters" seem to have forgotten that they report facts and have slipped over into editorializing every story. I would have liked the book a lot more had my intelligence not been insulted at every turn with Mr. Toobin's opinions.』
(Do you like your history leaning to the left?) 『The first half of this book is excellent; I read to the middle in almost one day. I could handle the occasional comment about Bush or the conservative efforts to remake the court (unlike the left's, of course) and keep going but by the second half, which begins with the Supremes ruling on Bush vs Gore, I started getting tired of Toobin's editoral remarks. Relentless and derogatory, they began to color my appreciation for his research and his writing. Sentences like "In Europe, from the moment he took office, George W. Bush was disdained for his unilateralist approach to foreign policy, his contempt for international institutions, and, especially, his cowboy swagger."
I guess that's why Bush labored to free Iraq's people from the tyranny of a killer despot? Or why he sent billions in aid funds to Africa? His 'contempt' for everything non-American must explain those actions, right?
He belittles Clarence Thomas for his "extreme views"" (a phrase he uses three times in two pages) and quotes the justice in a disbelieving way saying he thinks "'the right to keep and bear arms' is...'a personal right.'" Gasp! That's incredible!!! Rehnquist, O'Connor, and especially Scalia are portrayed in an equally unflattering light.
The book is well-written and entertaining but buyer beware; this version of history comes with a large dose of liberalism sprinkled as fact.』 『InThe Nine, acclaimed journalist Jeffrey Toobin takes us into the chambers of the most important—and secret—legal body in our country, the Supreme Court, revealing the complex dynamic among the nine people who decide the law of the land. An institution at a moment of transition, the Court now stands at a crucial point, with major changes in store on such issues as abortion, civil rights, and church-state relations. Based on exclusive interviews with the justices and with a keen sense of the Court’s history and the trajectory of its future, Jeffrey Toobin creates inThe Ninea riveting story of one of the most important forces in American life today.』
price：$13.60
Pantheon
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (An Excellent Work on Brandeis) 『The author has written a detailed account of one of the most eminent lawyers and judges of our country, Brandeis. Brandeis was a brilliant and perceptive jurist and he was part of what is now the bases of many of what we accept as common "rights" as citizens of the United States.
The biography is long and detailed and is probably one of the best biographies on Brandeis that I have read. Rather than detail the book I want to use two episodes in Brandeis life as discussed in the book to make a few points.
First, the issue of the right to privacy. On pp 99-102 the author describes the seminal paper by Warren and Brandeis entitled "The Right to Privacy" which as the author does state is in many ways a right to be left alone, a right to anonymity. The fact is that there is no such right in the Constitution and that Warren and Brandeis, truly Brandeis alone if one understands the author, develops such "right" from well established common law principles. This was a brilliant paper and in many ways is as important today and it was over a hundred years ago. It would have been interesting for the author to detail this paper a bit more. The author returns to this topic of privacy in the discussion of the Olmstead case on pp 628-632. This was the first wiretapping case where the Court ruled that there was no need for a warrant and thus no 4th Amendment protection. Brandeis' writing on his dissent is quite telling and it should have gotten a bit more coverage by the author. Brandeis states in his dissent:
"Of all the rights of the citizen, few are of greater importance or more essential to his peace and happiness than the right of personal security, and that involves not merely protection of his person from assault, but exemption of his private affairs, books, and papers, from the inspection and scrutiny of others. Without the enjoyment of this right, all others would lose half their value."
To me this needs a substantially longer discussion but the author does do it some credit.
The second issue is the relationship between Brandeis and Taylor and Galbreth, both early 20th century management consultants. There is a recent article in The New Yorker by Jill Lepore, a superb piece of critical and historical analysis of Brandeis, which discusses this relationship in detail and presents many of the weaknesses in Brandeis. Lepore looks at Brandeis through the lens of the management and efficiency consultants, in may ways the hucksters who predated the current Business Schools. She starts her article by stating:
"Ordering people around, which used to be just a way to get things done, was elevated to a science in October of 1910, when Louis Brandeis, a fifty-three-year-old lawyer from Boston, held a meeting at an apartment in New York with a bunch of experts who, at Brandeis's urging, decided to call what they were experts at "scientific management." Everyone there--including Frank and Lillian Gilbreth, best known today as the parents in "Cheaper by the Dozen"--had contracted "Tayloritis": they were enthralled by an industrial engineer from Philadelphia named Frederick Winslow Taylor, who had been ordering people around, scientifically, for years."
The essence of the tale is that Brandeis, who at the time was sitting on a regulatory body which controlled the monopoly like rates of railroadsm had gotten enthralled with the less than scientific work of Taylor and the Gilbreths. He then saw that railroads should employ these new management techniques and then lower their rates. Simple, except as Lepore states, the Taylor results were a fraud! Perhaps there is a lesson here for many other "scientifically" based causes seeking legal justification. Brandeis was a brilliant legal scholar, however he had no expertise in the area of actually running a company. He did however understand the "books" and "records" of a company and as such he had used this profitably in his law practice. Yet the Taylor approach assumed you looked forward and not backward, that you understood the business as a living entity and not just the records of what happened. Brandeis was a lawyer at heart, as such he always looked backwards for precedent.
The author of the present biography gives, in my opinion, short shrift to this issue discussed by Lepore. He covers it on pp 240-243 but his discussion misses the key point presented by Lepore. Namely that Brandies became enamored with Taylor and Galbreth and that Taylor according to Lepore was somewhat of a fraud, the Taylor data it is alleged was all fabricated, and Galbreth had little if any basis for his facts and recommendations.
The author has done a superb job at writing the biography. Yet it does have in my opinion certain weaknesses. In certain parts of the text the sentences are wonderful but the paragraphs do not hold together, there is jumping around in time and in concepts being discussed. In contrast, the Lepore article has a style that is quite readable, whereas that of Urofsky is at times cumbersome and pedantic. As stated in my discussion of privacy and "management", Brandeis set the gold standard for privacy and I believe Urofsky could have taken that further, and with Taylor and Galbreth, I believe Brandeis just did not do his home work, and this was a failing.』
(Shame on publisher for no text-to-speech!) 『At least Amazon clearly states the fact that text-to-speech is not enabled, but shame on the publisher for making it so. Vision-impaired people have every right to expect that publishers ought to enable this feature on every single title, let alone a nearly 1000-page manuscript. They are well within their copyright rights to withhold permission, but blocking a synthesized voice from reading words aloud seems like more of a "because we can" rationale than anything reasonable or rational. Shame on every single publisher who denies this functionality. I know it's probably too much to ask, but I wish Amazon would use its market power to thump them on the head for this.
The book is good.』
(A Magnificent Biography of Justice Brandeis) 『This new biography of Justice Louis D. Brandeis (1856-1941) is the most extensive study we have of the Justice. It runs over 900 pages including extensive notes. Who better to undertake such a task than Professor Urofsky, who has edited 7 volumes of Brandeis letters, written several prior book-length studies of the Justice, and authored numerous articles discussing his activities. While there are a number of earlier biographies of the Justice, including the classic by Alpheus Mason ("Brandeis: A Free Man's Life" [1946]), this is by far the most extensive and thorough look we are likely to have of Brandeis and his life. The author does a nice job of balancing LDB's professional activities with his private life. Urofsky came to know the Justice's two daughters (now deceased) while working on the letters volumes with David Levy, and they shared family photographs and recollections of their father and mother with him. He also has had extensive contact with the surviving Brandeis grandchildren, as least one of whom like Urofsky is involved in the work of the Supreme Court Historical Society here in Washington.
Urofsky focuses on several topics not extensively covered in the earlier biographies. First, the Justice's wife, Alice, much as Holmes' wife and Frankfurter's spouse, suffered from period of mental exhaustion which required treatment including hospitalization on occasion, although her condition improved substantially over time. Their relationship is essential to understanding the world in which LDB lived, and Urofsky's discussion puts this situation into proper context. The second area where Urofsky departs from previous biographies is his exhaustive discussion of LDB's Zionist activities. He is well qualified to address this aspect of LDB's life since he has written a history of American Zionism. Urofsky is nothing if not thorough, but I sometimes wondered if quite so much of this very long biography (I would estimate 15%-20%) needed to be devoted to LDB's Zionist activities. Other biographers have discussed his Zionist leadership, but in far less space; on the other hand, they did not have Urofksy's intimate knowledge of the history of American Zionism and Brandeis' role. There is no question that Zionism became a major, or the major, interest of LDB beginning in 1912 and continuing for the remainder of his life. So the attention Urofsky devotes to this aspect of the Justice's life is certainly merited. He has convinced me that you can't fully understand LDB without an awareness of this aspect of his life.
While Urofsky is respectful of Brandeis, he recognizes some of the LDB's shortcoming as well. Was LDB perhaps "cold, haughty, disdainful"? He certainly had no sense of humor and was somewhat distant. Urofsky also questions Brandeis' own view that he had an internal ethical sense which would foreclose him from ever acting inappropriately, hence he could advise Presidents, subsidize Frankfurter's political activities, and act as "counsel to the situation" in a dispute on behalf of all parties. In short, this is quite a well "balanced" biography not hagiography. One of the most valuable aspects of the book is found in the 142 pages of endnotes--a treasure chest of research for those interested in probing further into the life of this fascinating Justice. The photographic research is also outstanding and adds to the impact of the text. The book is comprehensive--covering LDB from his early years in Kentucky through building his law practice, his period as the "People's Attorney," working with Woodrow Wilson, his tough confirmation battle, his 23 years on the Supreme Court, his leadership of American Zionism, and his warm family relationships. A most complete study of this most complex of individuals.』
(The Life Of A Judge) 『Mr. Urofsky has written an excellent and exhaustive (at nearly a thousand pages) biography of the lawyer who was appointed to the Supreme Court by President Woodrow Wilson in 1916. A progressive judge who believed in judical restraint, Louis Brandeis' legal dissents later became the basis of law and his support of a Jewish homeland later became Israel. He was born before the Civil War and died just before Pearl Harbor. The author has written a readable and understandable life of law, and of the political tides of Justice Brandeis' long life (he died at 85).』
(Excellent reviews) 『This book has received excellent critical reviews by people who are highly regarded lawyers and writers. Do not be misled by the previous review by a disgruntled Kindle owner who is unhappy about the price and perhaps did not read the book.』 『The first full-scale biography in twenty-five years of one of the most important and distinguished justices to sit on the Supreme Court–a book that reveals Louis D. Brandeis the reformer, lawyer, and jurist, and Brandeis the man, in all of his complexity, passion, and wit.
Louis Dembitz Brandeis had at least four“careers.” As a lawyer in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, he pioneered how modern law is practiced. He, and others, developed the modern law firm, in which specialists manage different areas of the law. He was the author of the right to privacy; led the way in creating the role of the lawyer as counselor; and pioneered the idea ofpro bono publicowork by attorneys. As late as 1916, when Brandeis was nominated to the Supreme Court, the idea of pro bono service still struck many old-time attorneys as somewhat radical.
Between 1895 and 1916, when Woodrow Wilson named Brandeis to the Supreme Court, he ranked as one of the nation’s leading progressive reformers. Brandeis invented savings bank life insurance in Massachusetts (he considered it his most important contribution to the public weal) and was a driving force in the development of the Federal Reserve Act, the Clayton Antitrust Act, and the law establishing the Federal Trade Commission.
Brandeis as an economist and moralist warned in 1914 that banking and stock brokering must be separate, and twenty years later, during the New Deal, his recommendation was finally enacted into law (the Glass-Steagall Act of 1933) but was undone by Ronald Reagan, which led to the savings-and-loan crisis in the 1980s and the world financial collapse of 2008.
We see Brandeis, who came from a family of reformers and intellectuals who fled Europe and settled in Louisville. Brandeis the young man coming of age, who presented himself at Harvard Law School and convinced the school to admit him even though he was underage. Brandeis the lawyer and reformer, who in 1908 agreed to defend an Oregon law establishing maximum hours for women workers, and in so doing created an entirely new form of appellate brief that had only a few pages of legal citation and consisted mostly of factual references.
Urofsky writes how Brandeis witnessed and suffered from the anti-Semitism rampant in the early twentieth century and, though not an observant Jew, with the outbreak of the Great War in 1914, became at age fifty-eight head of the American Zionist movement. During the next seven years, Brandeis transformed it from a marginal activity into a powerful force in American Jewish affairs.
We see the brutal six-month confirmation battle after Wilson named the fifty-nine-year-old Brandeis to the court in 1916; the bitter fight between progressives and conservative leaders of the bar, finance, and manufacturing, who, while never directly attacking him as a Jew, described Brandeis as“a striver,” “self-advertiser,” “a disturbing element in any gentleman’s club.” Even the president of Harvard, A. Lawrence Lowell, signed a petition accusing Brandeis of lacking “judicial temperament.” And we see, finally, how, during his twenty-three years on the court, this giant of a man and an intellect developed the modern jurisprudence of free speech, the doctrine of a constitutionally protected right to privacy, and suggested what became known as the doctrine of incorporation, by which the Bill of Rights came to apply to the states.
Brandeis took his seat when the old classical jurisprudence still held sway, and he tried to teach both his colleagues and the public– especially the law schools–that the law had to change to keep up with the economy and society. Brandeis often said, “My faith in time is great.” Eventually the Supreme Court adopted every one of his dissents as the correct constitutional interpretation.
A huge and galvanizing biography, a revelation of one man’s effect on American society and jurisprudence, and the electrifying story of his time.』
Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Economy for those who have given up) 『Risk is a key issue in money affairs and this tome gets all round under over and inside this important issue. Pity the bloke is dead we could do with more of his work.』
(The rise of risk management) 『Huge enterprises and vast industries now depend on complex risk management techniques. Against the Gods explains the origins of those techniques. The text starts with Renaissance gamblers, moves through the Victorians with their fascination with measurement, and into our age of precision.
For the most part this is a history of the people who made those techniques, more than an examination of the techniques themselves. The actual math is superficially described in the early stages when things were still relatively simple. The later more complicated techniques are not described in any detail.
Bernstein also discusses the fascinating question of why these ideas were not discovered earlier. Many of our most modern risk management techniques require computers. However most of the things covered in this book do not. Why did were these ideas not discovered and used before the Renaissance? Against the Gods has answers.
Against the Gods is very well written, the author has an engaging style and explains the concepts clearly. The story of how we learned to manage risks is an interesting one. 』
(Risk education) 『I found this book very enjoyable. The author writes about the origins, and, most importantly, the evolution of risk. It starts with ancient times and takes us to today's financial world. I really like how he explained the evolution of risk management from primitive ways to more complex and sophisticated methods. It also features certain individuals who contributed to the development of theories about risk and probabilities. I think that readers who are interested in learning more about risk will find this book valuable.
- Mariusz Skonieczny, author of Why Are We So Clueless about the Stock Market? Learn how to invest your money, how to pick stocks, and how to make money in the stock market』
(math teachers delight) 『Great book for a math teacher who delights in the historical minutia that can enhance the teaching environment as well as a philosophical approach to why and how people make decisions.』
(Somewhat interesting read in the history of quantifying financial risk) 『The author has done extensive research and provided a historical account of the academic study of quantifying financial risk. It starts at the beginning of the Arabic numeral system all the way to the Black-Scholes options formula. The book is generally interesting from the historical perspective. Yet it suffers from a few flaws: (a) the grandiose claim that modernity depends on this quantification is grossly exaggerated and not justified in the text(seems like a common suffering of tunnel vision shaped by the narrowness of your own field), (b) certain account of the theory is not quite right, although the general gist is correct, (c) narrowly focused on financial risk, (d) generally missing the issues about non quantifiable risk, feedback mechanisms in the markets, and the variety of cognitive failures not captured by a nice Gaussian distribution, (e) only celebrates successes of the theories while ignoring its often monumental failures. That said, if you take it for what it is (i.e., ignoring the Grandiose Title of "Against the Gods" and know it is a narrowly focused discussion of a branch of math/finance theories), then it is probably worth a read. I would recommend continuing with Taleb's Black Swan to see a completely different perspective after you finish with this one.』 『Peter Bernstein argues that the notion of bringing risk under control is one of the central ideas that distinguishes modern times from the more distant past. When investors buy stocks, surgeons perform operations, entrepreneurs launch new businesses, and politicians run for office, risk is their inescapable partner. Bernstein clarifies the major components of risk, explaining how they can be applied to our professional endeavors. 4 cassettes.』 『With the stock market breaking records almost daily, leaving longtime market analysts shaking their heads and revising their forecasts, a study of the concept of risk seems quite timely. Peter Bernstein has written a comprehensive history of man's efforts to understand risk and probability, beginning with early gamblers in ancient Greece, continuing through the 17th-century French mathematicians Pascal and Fermat and up to modern chaos theory. Along the way he demonstrates that understanding risk underlies everything from game theory to bridge-building to winemaking.』
price：$9.52
American Media International
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (An important tool for any leader: Crucial Confrontations) 『As the title indicates this book is about crucial confrontations. It starts off by defining what a crucial confrontation is and why we should care to have it. Then discusses how to know what crucial confrontation to hold and if one should hold it. After that comes what to do during a crucial confrontation and last but not least what to do after it. I believe that Crucial Confrontations are a crucial tool/mechanism that any successful leader should have in his arsenal. If used effectively, it helps promote a culture of accountability which usually entails high performance and high engagement. This book explains in depth the process from start to finish both within a personal and work setting. The reason I gave this book a lower rating despite the very valuable content, is that I felt that the material could have been more condensed and presented in a shorter more story-like format. I would recommend skimming through this book but definitely focus on the summaries of each of the chapters/stages of a confrontation.』
(successful confrontations for nice people) 『Nice: Adj. A pleasant, nonconfrontational attitude that eventually kills you. Are you too "nice" to confront failure? The authors promise to equip you "never to walk away from another conflict again". Their message is good news for both the work place and our personal relationships. They note successful leaders rarely if ever use their power to motivate people. Having just listened to a sermon on I Peter with its themes of treating people with gentleness and respect, I thought how biblical this was. We're encouraged always to think the best of others and to refrain from telling "ugly stories" about their motivations, aka "The Fundamental Attribution Error." When we let others down, of course we make concessions for our behavior. Generally speaking, we fail to take similar situational factors into account when others let us down. How do you know when it's necessary to confront someone? We have to determine whether their failure (the authors refer to it as "the gap") was one of ability or of motivation. And just because you determine ability was the problem, don't assume motivation wasn't involved as well. AMPP: Ask--to get the ball rolling (What's going on here?); Mirror--to let the other party know you're not seeing what they're saying (I'm not upset!!!!); Paraphrase--for understanding; and Prime--to make it safe. Do this by guessing their story. Typically, people misbehave in confrontations when they don't feel safe. Safety is ensured when respect and mutual purpose come together. Many times, message content gets through, but intent is received as either disrespectful or as failing to address what's important to the other party. When people don't feel safe, they may react with silence or violence. Either reaction dooms the confrontation. When a confrontation becomes disrespectful, you have a new, more pressing problem. And a wise person will step out of the original problem and shift focus to the newer problem. Contrasting is known as the "Killer of the fundamental attribution error." If you're trying to establish mutual respect, and you suspect the other party may feel defensive, imagine what they might conclude. You must immediately say what you DON'T mean, and then follow up with what you do mean. If you believe they don't trust your purpose, start out with what's important to both of you. If you have to confront someone in authority over you, or if the content is volatile, ask for permission first. The authors remind us what a powerful form of respect this is. Finally, create a safety valve. A strategic delay is not a retreat. Determine follow-up: is it to be a "check back" or a "check up"? The authors do a terrific job of summing this all up in the final two chapters and include 4 appendices to make this book appropriate for a study. What's to lose? We can either toggle between silence and violence, or we can master our stories, master our emotions, and thereby become masters of our behavior. 』
("Crucial Confrontations" is written to be turned into action) 『I haven't spent a lot of time reading about soft skills, but knowing I could improve, I picked up "Crucial Confrontations". I'm glad I did! The authors present a clear process to approach all sorts of difficult situations, with lots of examples you can identify with. Easy to read due to a refreshing absence of psychobabble. There is emphasis on deciding what the actual problem is, then work on your own mindset and create a safe environment before discussing anything. I like the way the book is structured with clear chapter names and summaries, for easy reference. There's a self test as well, which helps to highlight the areas which need most attention.』
(Worst delivery ever, but the content is good) 『This is an example of poor execution. Take a good book, written by intelligent, thoughtful people, and hand it over to McGraw-Hill for an audio version. I can't imagine anyone doing a worse job delivering it. Delivery is the most monotone I can imagine. I actually thought it was Microsoft Speach engine. Pauses are too long and in akward places.
vitalSmarts has an audio companion for the training, with the voices done by the actual authors. Not only is it a first-hand account, but they are a million times more interesting to listen to.
Some states have banned cell phones in cars for obvious reasons. They should ammend the law to include this audio book--total snoozer.』
(Best Business Tool Ever!) 『Knowing I had to face a crucial confrontation I looked for answers to help me in this uncomfortable situation; and, I found them!! Not only is the information valuable in business but it applies to family and life in general. Recommend it to anyone that has a hard time facing confrontations. It is written in a way that is both easy to understand and to apply. The information flows in a format that makes total sense.』 『Whether it's reprimanding a teenager for breaking a curfew or asking the boss about a promised raise, readers will learn the hands-on skill to resolve the touchiest issues.』
price：$24.05
PowerScore Publishing
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (a good book) 『The book is ok for who would like to tackle the games effectively. The only thing that must be improved, in my opinion, is to have shorter explanations. Bu that is my opinion,only. Thank you, David Killoran.』
(Great!) 『The book was -- as described -- without marks or writing. Ali made sure to send it express so that it arrived in Germany swiftly and on time.』
(Two Week Crash Course) 『Although I do not recommend my study methods to everyone, I can say that this book was incredibly helpful in teaching me everything I needed to know about how to set up and approach the logic game section of the LSAT in under two weeks. The only games I did not agree with the setup on were the pure sequencing games. For sequencing, this book offers an interesting rule simplification into ordering method process whereas the way I found easiest was the Princeton Review/Atlas Prep (and possibly many others) method of creating a sequence "tree" which hinges on the incredible "zig-zag" rule. In the end though, I think this book gave me the confidence I needed to walk into the testing room ready to go. Definitely a good purchase.
Dave』
(Good Source) 『I was told that Powerscore was one of the best books to use to study for the LSAT. I have been doing the games in this book and recently took an LSAT prep test and scored 100% of the three Logic games that I was able to finish. I take that as a good indicator that the book helps.』
(Excellent strategies and practice for LSAT) 『I haven't taken the LSAT yet but this workbook really helped me understand the different types of logic games and I feel much more prepared for this portion of the exam. I would highly recommend for anyone who is struggling with the logic games concept.』 『The PowerScore LSAT Logic Games Bible is the most comprehensive book available for the Logic Games section of the LSAT. The intent of this book is to provide you with an advanced system for attacking any game you encounter on the LSAT. This same system is covered in the live classes taught by PowerScore, and all of the methods and techniques discussed in the book have been tested in classroom situations over many years.
The book features and explains a detailed methodology for attacking the games section. All aspects of Logic Games are covered, from recognizing game types to diagramming rules to making inferences and answering questions. Entire chapters are devoted to the most advanced game techniques and to time management strategies.
Logic Games are divided into individual types, and a discussion follows that teaches you how to approach each type of Game, and drills are presented to help you apply and understand the techniques. Thereafter, real LSAT logic games are used to illustrate how the techniques apply to real tests. Using real LSAT questions is a must for high-level LSAT preparation, and twenty-one real LSAT logic games are contained in the book. Each logic game is accompanied by a detailed analysis of the game setup and related questions.
The author has over 12 years experience teaching the LSAT and has scored in the 99th percentile on a Law Services-administered test. An expert in LSAT preparation, he has overseen the preparation of thousands of students and founded two national LSAT preparation companies.
The Logic Games Bible can be supplemented by The Ultimate Set-Ups Guide, which features setups for every game in each released LSAT from 1995 to 2002. Also, both books provide access to a unique website for additional LSAT and Logic Games information, and has answers to frequently asked questions.
For more information about the renowned PowerScore LSAT Logic Games Bible, contact PowerScore at (800) 545-1750.』
price：$22.75
BiblioLife
Usually ships in 24 hours 『I have often wondered by what show of argument the accusers of Socrates could persuade the Athenians he had forfeited his life to the State. For though the crimes laid unto his charge were indeed great-"That he did not acknowledge the gods of the Republic; that he introduced new ones"-and farther "had debauched the youth;" yet none of these could in the least be proved against him.' (Excerpt from Chapter 1)』
Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Good series) 『The series is good and the writing gets better as the series progresses. Book condition was better than described.』
(Three and a half stars...(SPOILER)) 『Die Trying by Lee Child is the second in his Jack Reacher series. While not quite as good as book number one, The Killing Floor, Die Trying was still an entertaining audiobook for a very long car-ride.
Jack Reacher is a former military policeman who finds himself roaming the country. Spending his childhood as a military brat, and most of his adult life in the Army, he has seen little of the US. He walks by a dry cleaners in Chicago and sees a young woman, Molly Johnson, struggling with a pile of laundry while using a crutch. The ever-chivalrous Reacher grabs her laundry and before he even knows what is happening, both of them are kidnapped. It turns out that not only is Johnson an FBI agent, but she has connections in high government circles. The kidnappers are a group of militia who plan on using her as leverage for a new, break-away country in Montana. Both of them are trying to keep themselves alive, while the FBI frantically searches the country for one of their own. And while FBI agents are loyal to a fault, at least one of them is giving information to the enemy. How Die Trying plays out will have you on the edge of your seat.
On the plus side, this book may have been published in 1998 but it couldn't be more timely in 2009. The news today is filled with many stories of Americans forming militias, stock-piling ammunition and talking about seceding from the US. Much of their hate-filled agenda is very frightening. On the negative side, there was way too much description! I got tired of hearing Child depict such information as every little step from a bullet being fired from a gun until it reaches its target. This type of filler took pages and pages (or minutes and minutes) and got boring after awhile.
But overall, my husband and I enjoyed Die Trying. We especially like the reader, award-winner Dick Hill. We have already ordered book three, Tripwire, for our next trip.』
(Can't wait to read them all) 『How can the novels of Lee Child get any better. His debut rocked and this, his 2nd novel was even better. "Trip Wire", Lee's third novel is on it's way, so I'm trying to finish another book before it arrives. I have too many authors to read, and as the saying goes "Too many books, too little time", however I will find the time to read all of Lee Child's books. Die Trying keeps you guessing what is next, and when you think you have it, he turns another corner. Jack Reacher is a great hero, a guy you would like to have as a friend, but would not want to cross him. Great, great read!!』
(A "Backwards Best") 『I discovered Lee Child in 2008 and have already exhausted his printed work, reading most of the Reacher series backwards. Die Trying is in my opinion at least in the top three of the series. The stuck-in-the-cave scene was too much. Like all of the Reachers it was full of ridiculous coincidence to start (Reacher just happening to be there when the daughter of the Joint Chiefs head is abducted) but we can easily forgive this extravagance in order to get Reacher into a situation that will provide the opportunity to see just what he can do. Don't plan on taking too long to read it - it just can't be done.』
(great book) 『Lee Child is one of favortie authors now. His books keep me wondering what is going to happen next. I cant put them down. I have read this one and killing floor and currently reading One shot.』 『On a downtown sidewalk, Jack Reacher and a female FBI agent are abducted in broad daylight. The FBI is desperate to rescue the woman because the FBI always--always--takes care of its own. Reacher and the woman join forces, but the FBI thinks Jack is one of the kidnappers--and will be shooting to kill.』 『Television writer Lee Child's otherwise riveting first thriller,Killing Floor, was criticized by some reviewers because of an unconvincing coincidence at its center. Child addresses that problem in his second book--and thumbs his nose at those reviewers--by having his hero, ex-military policeman Jack Reacher, just happen to be walking by a Chicago dry cleaner when an attractive young FBI agent named Holly Johnson comes out carrying nine expensive outfits and a crutch to support her soccer-injured knee. As Holly stumbles, Reacher grabs her and her garments--which gets him kidnapped along with her by a trio of very determined badguys. "He had no problem with how he had gotten grabbed up in the first place," Child writes. "Just a freak of chance had put him alongside Holly Johnson at the exact time the snatch was going down. He was comfortable with that. He understood freak chances. Life was built out of freak chances, however much people would like to pretend otherwise." Lucky for Holly--whose father just happens to be an Army general and current head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, thus making her a tempting target for a bunch of Montana-based extremists--Reacher still has all the skills and strengths associated with his former occupation. And Child still knows how to write scenes of violent action better than virtually anyone else around.--Dick Adler』
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