Governments

Although I don't agree with some of what the author says, she says it well. This book is funny and insightful. The author has written about women and their place in politics and how many important issues are overlooked by men in politics. She was very direct and to the point that there all issues are important to women although not all issues are important to men (such as mammogram scanner machines). She talks about how she overcame some of the preconcieved notions men had about her as a woman and how she learned to survive in politics. Very interesting.

enjoy.

Maxine Berman's inside view of the workings of the Michigan Legislature is funny, insightful, and interesting. An easy read, this book is full of biting commentary that forces the reader to think about political issues from a different perspective. Read it and weep tears from laughing so hard! Refreshing perspectives.

This is an excellent book.

Mr. Young devotes only a few pages of this thick volume to his own opinions, mostly just allowing those alive back in Constitution-making days to speak for themselves about the Second Amendment. And speak they do. Truthfully, I've never read the whole book straight through, but every time I crack it open to some random page I am amazed at the attitudes people had back then. How different from our modern sheep-like mentality, or the version of history we're fed by today's pop culture.

This book ought to be in every public library and on every citizen's bookshelf.

The book reprints approximately 500 documents from the period surrounding the introduction and ratification of the Second Amendment. Included are newspaper articles, pamphlets, letters to the editor, debates from the federal Constitutional convention, debates from the state ratifying conventions, and Congressional debates.

Author David Young has brought together, for the first time, all of the original source material regarding what the Second Amendment meant to the nation which enacted it. The book opens in the summer of 1787 with the federal Constitutional Convention debating Congressional powers regarding the militia.

One of the final major documents of the book is a January 29, 1791 article in the Independent Gazetteer (a Philadelphia newspaper), in which the author, who identifies himself only as "A Farmer" warns: "Under every government the dernier [last] resort of the people, is an appeal to the sword; whether to defend themselves against the open attacks of a foreign enemy, or to check the insidious encroachments of domestic foes."

In between the first and last documents are a treasure trove of American history. Leafing through these pages, you encounter the great men who founded our Republic, and whose words speak to us today. Wrote Tench Coxe, James Madison's friend, in the Feb. 20, 1778 Freeman's Journal: "Who are the militia? are they not our selves...Their swords, and ever other terrible implement of the soldier, are the birthright of an American."

Hear Patrick Henry thundering from the June 5, 1788 Virginia ratifying convention: "Guard with jealous attention the public liberty. Suspect every one who approaches that jewel. Unfortunately, nothing will preserve it but downright force. Whenever you give up that force you are inevitably ruined."

The men who speak to us through The Origin of the Second Amendment harbor no fear that government would interfere with "sporting" guns or hunting. They express the greatest apprehension of select, uniformed military forces, such as the standing army.

As The Origin of the Second Amendment makes unmistakably clear, the great object of the Second Amendment was to preserve liberty by ensuring that the American people would have in their individual hands the weapons with which to resist federal tyranny. The "well-regulated militia" included almost every able-bodied free male.

In addition to collecting an excellent selection of documents, author David Young also provides a good introductory essay summarizing the historical context of the debate and ratification of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, as well as an appendix giving the full text of all state Bill of Rights from 1787-89, and a very detailed index.

Besides supplying many hours of pleasure to anyone interested in American history, the book would also make an excellent gift to a local library

Balance of power theory is one of the basic pillars of (neo)realist theory of international relations. It basically argues that states balance against the rising power since it creates a vital problem for their security. Since states are living in anarchical self-help world they should balance against the rising state(s). In this sense, Stephen M. Walt's The Origins of Alliances challenges this theory. Walt criticizes balance of power theory in arguing that states balance against perceived threats rather than only powers. He examines his theory under the light of the Middle East alliances from 1955 to 1979. His case is composed of thirty-six separate bilateral and multilateral alliance commitments and eighty-six national decisions. After the examination of these alliance structures he argues that balance of threat thesis provides a better grasp on alliance formation in the Middle East than variables of ideology, foreign aid, and political penetration. On the other hand, he holds also geographic proximity, offensive capabilities, and perceived intentions as important elements in alliance politics. Walt also claims that aggregate power (including population, individual and military capabilities, technical prowess), geographic proximity, offensive power, and aggregate intentions all affect the level of threat. Moreover, he observes balancing is more common than bandwagoning behavior in reference to the Middle East alliances in this period.He also states that weak states as compared to strong states are more likely to bandwagon rather than balance against rising powers. In general, Walt's The Origins of Alliances is an important study in demonstrating the role of perceptions in alliance politics and international relations in general well beyond material capabilities and power structures.

Stephen Walt's formulation of alliance behavior is the best attempt to explain alliances yet. He argues that states ally to counter againt not just power, as has generally been postulate, but against threat. He defines threat as a result of four factors: Power, geography, offensive weapons, and perceived intentions. To play out his theory he draws upon the Middle East after World War two as his case study. It is a fascinating and well-written history, which he used quite well to back his theory. He closes with a section applying his theory to US-Soviet relations in the 1980's. This book should be read by anyone who wants to understand international relations as a whole, not just alliance behavior.

I first read Professor Charles' book as a college student in the early 1970's. It is one of the few books I have kept; and I re-read it every several years. The book is very short, but contains extremely well documented information on the birth of America's multi-party system. Unlike the general belief today, the U.S. was to have a "no party" system of government. Indeed, while Madison was goading Jefferson into forming a party to oppose the Washington/Hamilton policies, Washington was preaching that a multi-party system would mean the death of the new American government. This is a fantastic book! And, unlike most academic texts, it is actually more like a long essay that is fun to read. Read it - you will enjoy it!

I first read Charles' book in the early 1970's while a college student. I thought it a masterpiece then and still think so today. (I re-read the book about every two years or so.) In this brief book - really a long essay - Charles outlines how American politics evolved from a one-party (or no-party) system into a multi-party system, the result of policy conflicts among Hamilton, Washington, Madison and Jefferson. When the different factions began to organize, George Washington was aghast. The thought of opposing political parties was abhorrent to him - yet he allowed Hamilton to push through programs that virtually guaranteed the split. Charles details the various policies and their outcomes in a simple, straight-forward manner. His citations and footnotes are fantastic. Once you finish reading this book, you will laugh anytime some American politician spouts rhetoric about the sanctity of America's two-party system. In fact, it was something very few wanted and only reluctantly formed. An absolutely great book!

The only way to understand modern greek history is to provide the social and political background of the civil war which took place in the maountainous regions of Northern Greece.David close examines this and gives us a unique portrait of a divided country.Historiography must rely on such works. In conclusion , a total masterpiece.

Excellent scientifical work, tells the whole story on how modern Greece became what is today. If you haven't read anything on MG till now, start by reading this one.

Bell does a fine job of looking at just what brought about the Second World War. He explains its connections to the Great War, by first discussing the idea of a Thirty Years War, and by then examining how the first war and its results brought about the second. Bell also provides readers with the roles and views of the various ideologies and the many desires for and against war, and also the many strategies involved with each of the main players. An excellent book for anyone wishing to better understand the differing forces and actions which brought about this war.

This is a great book everyone should read, I salute it.

As a intern for Dr. Newman on this particular book, I spent countless hours searching for documents in the National Archives - I know first hand the length he went to provide accurate details. Dr. Newman recounts the interesting story of a dark point in our nation's history. He is very careful not to speculate on the assassination of Kennedy - he deals only with the facts before him - CIA and FBI documents that display what they knew about Oswald. He leaves the rest to the 'assassination buffs'

This is an important book in the Kennedy assassination genre. It contains the text of CIA documents not previouslypublished, attempting to establish a CIA connection withLee Harvey Oswald and subsequent efforts on the part of the CIA to conceal this connection through tampering with itsOswald files. The book is flawed by poor editing, andfrom time to time the author makes great leaps in his logic,but for all that, it is well worth the time spent reading.The book breaks off after Oswald's death. One can onlyhope that Mr. Newman writes another volume addressing post-assassination events, including the controversy surroundingthe bona fides of KGB defector Yuriy Nosenko and his claimto have been the KGB officer supervising the Oswald file inRussia

On September 10, 2001 the United States was still a country severely divided by a confusing cultural war illustrated so vividly just nine months earlier when the country voted down the middle in the presidential elections. Some were still bitter about how things had turned out and were blaming President George W. Bush for the sour turn the economy was taking.

The petty bickering stopped for awhile on September 11, 2001. For the first time in a long time, the nation united. It was a horrible day, yet at the same time it was a day of honor and glory. Heroes are fashioned over time by the simple things they do in life, it's just that most people fail to see them as such. But when adversity strikes, the heroes that are always among us rise to the occassion doing what they have always done, the only difference being that it is on a stage much larger than they are used to performing upon with all eyes fixed upon them.

On September 11, 2001 President George W. Bush stood the ground and did what needed to be done. The whole world had seemed to change, but he was still the man he had always been. It was just that people began to see him in a different light, as a leader far more capable of the task set before him than many people, days earlier, would have supposed. Nine days later, he addressed the nation and parts of his speech that night remain in the hearts of all Americans. Presidents makes speeches all the time, but it is very rare that a president makes a speech that plants itself in history: Lincoln's Gettysburg Address; FDR's Day of Infamy; Kennedy's ask what you can do for your country; Reagan's address in Berlin to tear down the wall. On September 20, 2001 President George W. Bush's Our Mission and Our Moment joined those hallowed ranks. The words became embedded in all our hearts. They are a firm reminder of how great our country is, of the difficulties that lie ahead, and of the hope we can all claim as Americans. "In all that lies before us, may God grant us wisdom, and may He watch over the United States of America."

You will want this book as a keepsake and a memento of these stern times that we are passing through. For whatever reason, for good or bad, we were ordained to live during these great and terrible days, and I foresee a time when our grandchildren will ask us about this war with awe and reverence, much like we look to the World War II generation with awe and reverence.

This talk is the galvanizing address that W gave after the attack on the United States. We need to remember always what we are fighting for. We need to keep our resolve up, since, as Yates observes, "The best lack all conviction, the worst are full of a passionate intensity."

This booklet also has a chronology of the events surrounding the attack.

This is pricey for what it is it, but keep in mind that it is for charity.

We flew our flags for several day, then took them down. But the war is still on. Remember it, always.

A fabulous path-breaking guide to law beyond the atmosphere. Readable yet profound, it is the first of its kind and rare among textbooks. A must read for technology buffs!

As a law student, I am very interested in space law and thought that I would have a hard time finding anything on the subject. I was wrong! This book provides an excellent summary of the whole field; it's also clearer and better-written, not to more interesting, than most legal casebooks. It also contains a lot of useful reference material that would be handy to have on a shelf in law practice. Great!

Overstating the Arab State is the ironic title that Nazih Ayubi has chosen for his 'state' centered and Gramscian informed study of the nature of the Arab State in terms of its bureaucratic and interventionist development. The title also alludes to the overestimation of the actual power and strength of the Arab State. Ayubi has suggested that Arab states have been wrongly categorized as 'strong'; whereas, they are weak in terms of their extractive capacity, institutional strength and ideology.
A principal political argument of the book centers on the notion that the Arab State has not moved beyond the coercive and corporative stage to create a political system that enjoys the consensus of civil society and includes it as a basic component. This is the kind of political strength that Gramsci categorized as hegemony considering its attainment to be the defining attribute of a Strong State. Within this definition of hegemony Ayubi has also understood a state's ability to reduce its involvement in the productive functions of the economy.
According to Ayubi the Arab State rules on the basis of its monopoly of the coercive forces in society and violence that subjugate rather than complement society; thereby, it is better described as fierce than strong. Corporatism, or the domination of the institutions of the middle and working classes by the state in an attempt to create social and industrial harmony, has supplied the typical model of socio-political organization in the Arab world and applied to both monarchies and populist republics. Overall, an Excellent work. Ayubi died shortly after completing this book.

Nazih N. Ayubi makes a good analysis of the point. He gives both the historical background and the contemporary aspects of the issue. Instead of giving useless details, he focuses on the necessary aspects. the order of the book, the language, the level of the knowledge about the geographical area, which is of the interest are all perfect. If you are studying the arab states, the middle east or similar issues, you have to read it!