Events Books

I needed this book for a class I am taking, however, I would have read this book just for pleasure, I finished it before the class even started

In a very good way, I got more than I bargained for by reading this book. While seeking a solid source to inform myself on the "nuts and bolts", policy implications, and development of weapons of mass destruction (WMD), I continued to come across this title. Expect some dense and intense reading; there is not a wasted word here. The book focuses exclusively on the covert delivery of a nuclear, biological, or chemical weapon against an American target, exploring possible methods, limitations, locales, preventive measures, and consequences. This book will considerably broaden the knowledge of any first-timer looking into WMD and likely provides substantive material for discussion among policy makers and experts in the field.

This is a comprehensive analysis of the threat without being alarmist.

It is far too easy to find shocking explanations of the biological weapons potential that do not describe some of the difficulties in their procurement and delivery. This "sexy" approach captures our attention and makes for good entertainment, but the `Chicken Little' approach doesn't help us develop rational methods for dealing with the issue.

Read this book if you want a levelheaded examination. It also contains a good description and solid recommendations for a national strategy.

I picked up this book as a research tool for a paper. Not only did I find the book to contain everything I needed, I became so enveloped in the reality of what I was reading that I couldn't put it down. A fan of Tom Clancy novels, this book describes the harsh reality that we live in, while detailing both the strengths and the weaknesses of the US response to bioterrorism. A must read for those with an interest in national security issues.

I need to declare first that I wrote the preface for the original US edition of this book, so obviously I think highly of it. Re-reading it again recently, I found that it moves me still, very strongly, with the vision that the steady strengthening of the individual human being is a force in history. The USA, whose world role is so complicated at this point, has had a great deal of strength in its "individualism" -- whether Jefferson's or Emerson's or the slaves, native Americans, women, immigrants, trans-continental migrants and all the rest who had to strive to establish their personal worth. This book helps me feel that we in the USA will find our way back to the humane ideals which are part of our true contribution to the world of the future.

Dr. Ben-Aharon's book is perhaps the most original contribution to the theme of Globalization, US, and social responsibility I ever read. He is not only an expert source of US policy and globalization' strategy, his unique contribution lies in the fact that he is capable of suggesting new, positive ways, socialy-and spiritualy productive. The concepte of Initiation, in particular, as developed in chapter 15, in connection with the evolution of consciousness and social life, is most illuminating. Its the first book on the topic known to me that combines depth of social analysis and spiritual insight, with wonderful sense of hope for the future of the US and humankind.

This book was amazing. It should be read by everyone concerned with what is going on in the world today and America's role in it. If you are wondering if you should get the hell out of this country or stay and fight for better solutions instead of running from the problem(and be "truly" proud to be an American)...read this book. The big plus about this book for me was its spiritual element in relation to world social events.
I just finished reading Owen Barfield's, "Saving the Appearances," before reading this book, unaware that it would be a great primer for what Mr. Ben-Aharon has to say. We definitely are living in interesting times.

All I can say is fascinating, in depth and very stimulating. I'm really glad I stummbled across this gem.

La Feber is a very good historian who examines the diplomatic history of the United States from its beginnings into the late 20th Century.

The book delves into the issues of the foreign policy of the United States and the people who conducted the policy. One of the more interesting chapters in the book is where La Feber looks into John Quicy Adams (who La Feber believes is the greatest Secretary of State of all-time). The chapter looks at one of the seemingly forgotten statesmen who did many great things for the young United States.

The book is a very good general look at the foreign policy of the United States a must have for those Americanist who enjoy foreign policy. La Feber also does a good job weaving the domestic policy of the United States into the reasoning and the decisions make in foreign policy.

It was with great anticipation that I began reading Walter Lafeber's The American Age. After reading his Inevitable Revolutions, I instantly became a fan of his writings. In The American Age, LaFeber takes the issue of U.S. Foreign Policy and systematically analyses it with great clarity and focus. He has made effective use of primary sources throughout the piece and has clearly shown the different veins of U.S Foreign Policy that have arised, from the evasion of military alliances of the Washington Period, to Taft's Dollar Diplomacy. I felt that the usage of editorial cartoons throughout the text was an excellent idea, as it allowed the reader to have a sense of the public mood during the era in question. In sum, I would declare that The American Age is a must for any reader interested in American Foreign Policy, not only as a reliable guide for facts and figures but also for a thoroughly enjoyable read

I had this as a textbook for my foreign policy and decision making class last fall and found it to be a great book on the history of US foreign policy. It starts at the very roots of the history of the United States and continues to the present day, giving numerous examples of policy decisions. The book is laden with numerous political cartoons and even anecdotes from popular culture (including movies), to show how America's view of itself on both the international and national view has changed over the decades. Lafeber does not write in stilted jargon that only a true blue political science/international relations major can comprehend. This book is written in a professional yet enjoyable manner that does not get overtly dull. Read it for a good intro to America's foreign policy dillemas.

Walter LaFeber's masterwork, this text is a detailed, high-impact summation of American foriegn policy throughout our history. What truly makes the book stand out, however, is the fact that LaFeber evaluates foriegn policy with democratic ideals in mind. Rather than plunging off the deep end of ultraliberal America-hating, LaFeber evenhandedly doles out praise and criticism to foriegn policy actors depending only on which is deserved.

And as is too often NOT the case with history books, LaFeber also aviods the pitfalls of taking in too broad a sweep of subjects. Despite America's great strength, LaFeber does not pretend we are omnipotent or that our attitudes and values define the whole world's. Rather, events and actions that have the most impact on people and their lives are camly and deliberatly traced, described, and evaluated. Also to his credit, the author introduces the myriad of characters, places and ideologies that the topic demands be addressed with dashing flair and memorable phrase. While the vastness of World War Two quite nearly bests him, LaFeber, with determination and thorough scholarship, manages to write altogether servicable chaptes on the immense conflict.

One wishes only for another edition, so that the same steady hand of diligent scholarship might come to balance and explain the too-tumultuous happenings of our late era. As a former foriegn policy student, I urge other students to keep the book after the class you use it for ends. LaFeber's worth and insight will likely long continue, and the perspective he provides will help anyone better understand the current foriegn policy mess we're in, and what our priorities should be.

If you choose to live under the illusions of mass-marketing
-- or under the yoke of slavery to dishonest government
-- or behind the bars of your own ignorance,
then you should NOT read this book.

Only people who yearn to find broader awareness and deeper understanding of how the world works should read this.

Everyone else can just stay where they are in their own chosen confinements of the life they choose and be satisfied with that immediate gratification of ignorance...following the paths that sharks, conmen, and highway robbers of our culture would have you believe.

This is the choice that American Vulgar offers. It is the choice that every day of life offers you. Grudin's new book lays it out in cool, concise vision. He carries the vision of a philosopher who cuts through the nonesenes that almost every institution in our American culture spreads and uses to twist our sense of truth, dignity, and honesty...all for the sake of power, money...

Read this book and become aware. Live free. Live outside "the Matrix"

I'm only halfway through and continue in amazment. Grudin has perfectly described the American condition and provided me with the lexicon to describe it to others.

Why was I so bothered by Celebrity Boxing? I knew it was wrong but I couldn't put into words. What has bothered me about "professional" wrestling all these years, why do people watch the crap they watch on TV...

Grudin answers this and more.

Calling all documentary film makers. "American Vulgar," a new book by the veteran author-commentator Robert Grudin, offers you a rare opportunity to create a film that's compelling, intelligent and important. It not only presents a perceptive, visually rich diagnosis of a central issue of our time; it also lays out practical prescriptions. Whoever sees (or reads) "American Vulgar" will enjoy its style and be heartened by its content. It's an "upper." If you can't wait for a film that might never be (alas!), you can order "American Vulgar" from amazon.com.

PS. If there's a Heavenly Review of Books, a delighted Daniel Patrick ("defining deviancy down") Moynihan will write a glowing review of "American Vulgar" that'll end with an "I told you so."

American Vulgar: the Politics of Manipulation Versus the Culture of Awareness is a call to action against forces of corruption which has permeated American society from the top down. It argues that marketers, political candidates, the media and others have succeeded in diminishing American self-awareness to maximize power - and it identifies these forces and how to act against them. Vulgarity can be overcome, philosopher and academic scholar Robert Grudin maintains: but only if its nature is understood. Use AMERICAN VULGAR to understand this nature, and how it manipulates: high school to college-level students in particular will find AMERICAN VULGAR key to debates surrounding social and political issues and accountability.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

This book is brilliantly written. It has many stories of famous Anarchists, including poems and recipes for homemade weapons and survival items. Overall a great book and worth ten billion times the money. I give it two thumbs and two toes up!

An amazing, amazing book stuffed full of anarchist ideals and provides real, documented evidence of anarchist collectivism in ACTION. Society was reorganized based on the fundamental principle: From each according to his ability to each according to his need. The book provides first-rate accounts and an objective analysis of the Spanish Social Revolution. If any of you are doubting anarchism or simply need proof to support your anarchist convictions, BUY this book. The ideas in it are simply priceless. It doesn't take much to bring you down. Read this book. It will cement your belief in libertarian communism. Bask in the righteousness that springs from the truth!

This is an odd but interesting volume. Sam Dolgoff edits a volume, using primary sources, to discuss a little known aspect of the Spanish Civil War. Indeed, partisans would say that the term "Civil War" is wrong, and that what is described in this volume is actually a "Revolution."

The work begins with a useful essay by Murray Bookchin on the Spanish context. He outlines the dizzying array of groups with a stake in the conflict between the Republic and General Franco's forces. The focus of this book is the anarchist collectives--and how they functioned--after the start of the Civil War/Revolution until the eventual triumph of Franco and his allies.

The first part of the book is a set of readings that Dolgoff puts together to present the background and context of the "Revolution" (anarchists describe the conflict as a "Revolution," while others use the term "Civil War"). Among subjects covered: the trend toward workers' self-management (also referred to as syndicalism), the rural collectivist tradition, and so on.

The heart of the book is a set of essays by actors of the time (as well as some quick essays by Dolgoff himself): Augustin Souchy, Diego Abad de Santillan, Gaston Leval, and Jose Peirats). Focal points include urban collectivization (e.g., the efforts by the anarchist unions to collectivize Barcelona) and rural collectives.

This volume ends with an essay by Gaston Laval written many years ago as well as a concluding essay by Dolgoff.

The work is useful, as it describes what was going on in parts of Spain that were not often reported upon by reporters or others at the time. George Orwell (if memory serves) was with POUM, the Trotskyite organization), although he wrote of the anarchists in his "Homage to Catalonia." It provides a somewhat different perspective on the events in Spain in the mid-1930s that helps fill out the picture of the desperate struggle between different groups--from fascists to Republicans to various Marxist groups to anarchists. A fascinating period of time. . . . Too sanguinary for my tastes, but still fascinating.

This is not a book about making bombs. If you read this book you will know what anarchism really is and why it's original meaning has been bastardized. Anarchism is a legitimate and serious political ideology. This book was recommended to me personally by the famous MIT professor and scholar Noam Chomsky. Sam Dolgoff's work is very well documented and insightful. It will give you a peek at what a meaningful democracy really is and how IT CAN WORK!

The interviews are well put together. He asked important questions, and allowed those being interviewed to share their thoughts. Some of the answers are entertaining, and others really give you the insight that only a person that was there can give.

Read only the interviews you want, or catch your fancy.

Anarchist Voices: An Oral History of Anarchism in America is a real treasure. It's more than 450 pages long, but I couldn't put it down. The book allowed me to escape into the lives of the real participants of the Anarchist movement of North America in its previous heyday of the 1890s-1930s. Originally published in 1995, Paul Avrich interviewed hundreds of Anarchists and former Anarchists who were mainly in their eighties and nineties in the 1970s, the majority dying within a few years of the interviews. I was especially impressed by this, since it gave hundreds of people who had led amazing lives a sort of last memoir before they passed, much in the same style as Working by [by whom?]

It is divided into six sections covering much of the American Anarchist movement. It is mainly centered around the east coast, especially New York. They are 1) Pioneers, which focuses on relatives and close friends of the famous Anarchists like Alexander Berkman and Ben Reitman, 2) Emma Goldman, who was hugely influential and left a strong impression on everyone interviewed 3) Sacco and Venzetti, which details mostly Italian Anarchist experiences around the famous trials and frame-up of the Italian immigrants, 4) Schools and Colonies, which focus on the Modern School movement like the Ferrer school or the Stelton colony in which Anarchists tried to build communities and separate themselves into a lifestyle, 5) the Ethnic Anarchists, focusing on different groups which really brought ideological Anarchism to the United States, like the Russians, Jews, Spanish, and Italian immigrants, 6) the 1920s and beyond, which links the activities after the big decline on the US Anarchist movement after the 1920s until the 1960s and the rise of the "new anarchist movement" starting in the 1980s.

What really struck me about this book was how similar some of the arguments of the Anarchist movement were in the past to those of the present. Past divisions between sub-groups were detailed in the text as well. As Avrich explains, the main split was between the Anarcho-syndicalists/communists and the Anarcho-individualists. Today, the main split is between the Anarcho-syndicalists/communists and the eco-anarchists. The discussion also includes people who got burnt out on anarchists because they thought the anarchists were ineffective. Many do not regret their involvement in the movement and look back on the years they spent in the movement as the best years of their lives.

In the end, the book is very inspiring because so many of the interviewees still call themselves Anarchists and see that the fight for a better world will continue no matter what. Many of them remain idealists and are hopeful that the world they have worked towards will come about someday. They have hope despite having seen the world nearly destroy itself, supposed comrades (like the Communists) betray them, and enough bickering to make anyone cynical. Many of them had not been involved in the Anarchist Movement for many years, or had simply been involved in book clubs or discussion groups that passed on the ideas. And yet they are still committed to the idea that all humans should be free of oppression and that no government can make you free no matter where you are on this earth.

I, too, am glad that AK Press re-printed this (unabridged) oral history project by the late great Paul Avrich. In this classic tome, Avrich brilliantly brings to life the fascinating stories of the heroic women and men, most of them immigrants, involved in the anarchist movement of the early 20th century. I especially found interesting the stories about Emma Goldman, Sacco and Vanzetti and the free schools inspired by the work of Francisco Ferrer. That said , I was a little dismayed that a few of the individuals interviewed espoused ideas that many activists today wound consider reactionary, such as support for Zionism and the Cuban exile movement. It bewilders me, for example, how any anticapitalist could denounce Salvador Allende and the social experiment he attempted in Chile. Likewise, I was troubled by the fact that the bulk of the book dealt almost exclusively with issues of economic exploitation and the state, ignoring equally important topics like race, gender, sexual orientation and the environment. Nevertheless, this is an important book, and despite its enormity, a surprisingly quick and enjoyable read.

I'm very, very happy that AK has reissued this book. Previously, it was only available in expensive hardcover.

What it is is nothing less than a living, breathing, oral history of the real anarchist communities which existed in the United States mostly before the second world war.

Instead of dry theory you have the voices of the people who have read the theory and have applied it in their lives in an actual movement.

You have people from the Italian Anarchist community in America, you have references to the Spanish one and how they organized in America while the CNT, the major Anarcho-Syndialist Union in Spain, was in existence.

You have recollections of the major Anarchists in America from people who actually knew them; you even have gossip over things like Sacco and Vanzetti by Anarchists theorizing about the case.

Plus, accounts of Anarcho-Communes, which did exist well into the 20th century.

If you ever wanted to experience what it would be like to sit at a table back in the first half of the century and hear the Anarchists of the time talk about their lives, their strategies to organize for social change in their communities, and their take on politics and anarchism, well, here it is.

The book is invaluable.

Better than trying to struggle over pointless legal theory in "What is Property?" by Proudhon...although other of Proudhon's works are good.

Hear the living, breathing, heart of the early 20th century anarchist movement: read this book.

In a highly cerebral and compelling argument, White attacks the fallacies behind censorship efforts: hazy legal definitions, attacks on materials based on personal responses to them rather than their inherent qualities, efforts to promote or preserve orthodoxy rather than to admit free exchange of ideas, fear of mass communication of ideas rather than a fear of the ideas themselves, legal statutes and decisions based on class prejudices rather than fact, and attempted restrictions based on perceived harm or threat of harm rather than on hard scientific, causal evidence linked to harm. Thought-provoking and unique, this book should be read by anyone interested in preserving intellectual freedom.

White's case is logical, clearly presented and very witty.I highly recommend this book.

From the metaphorical title to its thorough and inclusive bibliography, _The Anatomy of Censorship_ presents with laser-sharp accuity the rebuttal to the judicial "I can't define it but I know what it is when I see it" definition of pornography. White presents us with a concise history of those individuals or factions of society who have engaged in activities beyond their contemporary mores and then proceeds forward to describe how our confused Puritanically-sex-addicted society simultaneously reels in disgust at "smut" and yet spends more time concerned with the topic of sex than most other social concerns. White deftly explains how traditional definitions of pornography avoid the fact that most cases of "pornography" actually and rightly involve personal choice and individual freedoms, and how the givers of these definitions impose a distorted view of exactly what acts constitute wrongdoing or coercion upon others. In addition (and I'm sure to raise some hackles with this statement), this book could be described as an "un-feminist" or better yet a "person-ist" track in that it dares to define many heretofore thought-of sexist activities, whether depicted in various media or just part of daily life, as NOT being misogynist because of their consentual nature. This really seems to form the crux of White's argument: "Pornography ain't pornography if all involved are adults, enjoying it, and haven't forced the other person(s) to engage in it." _Anatomy of Censorship_ takes on its subject head-on and with aplomb and accumen. At the least, this book should be on the reading list of every person who is worried about personal freedom in these days of encroaching conservatism and Internet watchdogging and V-chips; at worst, it should end up on every ACLU card-carrier's bookshelf. And if you have any friends in the Bible Belt, this would make a most interesting Christmas present. Any way it's taken, _Anatomy of Censorship_ is an intelligent, logical entry into the corpus of books defining just "what's dirty" in our world.

If you support or oppose any form of censorship, you should read this book. Make no mistake: this is strong fare, aimed squarely at the reader who enjoys a good challenge. It is sprinkled with hilarious examples that underscore the seriousness of the subject. I really enjoyed it.

When your in parts of the world were their are drug lords and Wealthy people Like California it was Like magic before, like I was living in a Drug Lord Movie. No problems worries with people telling because that is no problem unless one gets involved with differnt people who don't share the same chemistry and that does not happen with people of that chemistry because everyone does not always think the same things.

Clawson and Lee managed to compile a vast amount of data from varied sources to produce a balanced on-the-mark analysis of the cocaine industry and its impact on the region. A very impressive book.

As a person who has lived in and conducted business in Colombia, and as someone who is interested in the subjects of Colombian history, economics, and the country's struggle to maintain its own internal sovereignty, I found The Anean Cocaine Industry to be extremely informative. Bravo to Clawson and Lee -- a job well done. If you are interested in cocaine, its production and its socio-political and economic impacts, this book is an educational must read. Bottom line: a wonderfully comprehensive text on this subject.

"The Andean Cocaine Industry" is an expert account of drug trafficking. The authors leave no stone unturned in studying this important subject. They must be commended...this is a remarkable book.

This book really opened my eyes to the conditions in which animals are being raised. Not only is it inhumane to the animals, but it is contaminating OUR food. It has many pictures, which I like, being a visual person. Read this book and you will find it very educational.

When I was first exploring the issue of eating meat vs. becoming vegetarian, a friend recommended this book. Mason and Singer look inside the world of modern factory farming, providing an unsentimental look at the reality behind your dinner. Even those who don't give a damn about animals and their suffering will be alarmed at the information concerning what's in animal feed and the conditions in meat production. An eye-opener.

If you're not a vegetarian, you probably will be by the end of this book. It's like a nightmare on paper. The book was a very informative read. Jim Mason & Peter Singer are two of the best sources for books on animal rights.
It was appalling to read what happens to animals that are being raised for slaughter. Some of this book is difficult to stomach. While it may seem unbelievable, it is a true account. Male chicks are literally thrown in the garbage, others are debeaked with a hot iron, pigs are kept confined in tiny stalls.. so tiny that they cannot turn around. I'm sure there are a lot of people out there who think that this kind of abuse can't possibly happen.. but it does. This is a life changing book.

I bought this book years ago and became a vegetarian after seeing how horribly the animals are treated and how wasteful meat production is. I don't think there is anything worse than closing your eyes to what really goes on just so you don't have to take action and possibly change your lifestyle. This book will open your eyes.

I read the Federalist Papers before I read this book and was convinced that the Constitution was a wonderful document. Then I heard the other side. It turns out that the Anti-Federalists were right...in most cases. The book greatly added to my understanding of the Constitution and the change that occurred in our government when we left the Articles of Confederation behind. I was left wondering whether we should have simply modified the Articles rather than embracing a consolidated government. I only wish the Anti-Federalists had won the debate about taxation. It was foolish to give the federal government the power of unlimited taxation.

I only wanted to add a few points to the other reviewers. If you are looking at this page you probably know who the Anti-Federalists (AF) were and what part they played in our history. If not, I suggest you look at Saul Cornell's fine book, The Other Founders or Herbert Storing's, What the Anti-Federalists Were For.
My main point is this: as a resource for primary source material by AF writers this collection of Frohnen's is without peer. As Mr. Kelley points out, one of the great strengths of this volume is that it includes the complete writings and, in some cases, is more complete then Storing's collection since some additional writings have been discovered since Storing was published. One small correction to Mr. Kelley's review. As he mentions there is a brief synopsis at the beginning of each essay or letter. The Essays of Brutus number sixteen so there are sixteen such synopsis. Each one of these refers the reader to the relevant essays in The Federalist where the same issues are addressed. This is especially useful for Brutus in that Brutus and Publius were consciously writing in response to each other. And I would like to affirm Mr. Vick's suggestion by saying that an evening spent in the company of Brutus and Publius is an education in itself.
I have only one complaint about this book and about most of the writings I have read in regards to the AF writers and the Ratification debate. The forward by Sobran, Mr. Kelley's review below and, in some cases, the introduction by Frohnen present the AF writers as if they spoke with one voice on issues like representation and judicial review. They did not. You might as well make the claim that there is one voice for conservatism in this country at the present time. Cornell's volume is essential to understanding the various splits and factions within the AF blogosphere. Frohnen has a tendency to gloss over some of these divisions. On p. xxx, Frohnen claims that several AF writers became supporters of the Constitution once a Bill of Rights was promised. He then goes on to discuss the by now cliched point that originally the Bill of Rights was intended to only apply to the Federal government. True enough but what he doesn't mention was that within AF ranks there was much dissension at to what should be in the Bill of Rights. Luther Martin railed at the Constitution for not requiring a religious test for public office (see Cornell, p. 57). Writers like Martin disapproved of the First Amendment applying to the Federal government. Frohnen claims on p. xxvii, that AF had a fear of political elites of any kind but that simply isn't true for all of them. Richard Henry Lee very much believed in a natural elite guiding the masses. He simply felt that local elites working within a smaller governmental jurisdiction would 1. do a better job of ascertaining the common good and 2. the locals would be able to be more vigilant in watching and evaluating how well the elite were doing.
These are important distinction that speak to the complexity of the debates surrounding the ratification that tend to get glossed over in a localism/liberty versus national/consolidationist presentation.
But I have gone on too long in regards to minor flaws with Frohnen's introduction. My main complaint with this book is that there is not a cheap sturdy paperback edition that could be used in most college classes on constitutional and early national history. Anyone who reads in those area of history, anyone who wants to understand the evolution of our government and system of laws needs to own and read this book. My sincere thanks to Dr. Frohnen for putting it together.

"This government [Federal Government] will destroy the state governments, and swallow the liberties of the people." This was the declaration of Patrick Henry, found in these pages, along with many other intriguing and wonderful speeches. This text is a definite 'must read' in American History writings.

This volume is a collection of speeches, letters, essays, articles, and addresses presented during the era of American Constitutional history. Debate over the ratification of the constitution was obviously a huge debate in historical political philosophy and this volume is a great testimony of that fact.

It seems that the Federalist papers have received more attention in the classroom and in table talk conversations due to men like Hamilton, Madison, and Jay, and their respective writings. But we should not neglect a well rounded reading of political history and skip over the writings of the Anti-Federalists (Henry, Cato, DeWitt, and Brutus. In fact, I have the Federalists Papers in a collection as well as this volume and the two make for a wonderful evening of reading.

Were it not for the Anti-Federalists we would not have the Bill of Rights, and thus their opposition should be seen in history as a necessary cause if for no other reason than their concern that the State governments and rights should have some protection against federal incursion. Here is a volume of collected writings which demonstrates why, in my estimation anyway, the United States had such a well rounded and firmly established form of government and political history. These pages demonstrate an America were freedom of speech and opinion rise to wonderful occasions. If you love American history, more specifically historical American political history, then you should not be without this text and these writings.

To begin with, I wish all to understand that the title to this Review is in itself controversial. The "Finest Source" of "Genuinely AMERICAN Political Thought Available" will be well received by some, and roundly condemned by others. I intended it that way.

You see, what the study of the writings by men such as those chosen for inclusion in this volume shows, is that even prior to the inauguration of the current Constitutional order, there were profound, radical and ultimately irreconciliable differences amongst and between the polyglot people who readily and ardently considered themselves to be "American" - just exactly as is happening today.

The writings of the "Anti-Federalists" show that there were fundamental differences over fundamental issues such as "judicial review"; the threats posed by an unelected, appointed-for-life (and thus largely unaccountable and uncontrollable) FEDERAL judiciary; the scope and extension of federal power; the powers and "rights" of the several States; the meaning, scope and extent of truly REPUBLICAN government - whether vast and/or national in scope as advocated by those (deliberately misleadingly) named "Federalists", or local, community-based with primacy given to the States, as advocated by those (not-deliberately but also misleadingly) named "Anti-Federalists"; the threat posed by the Constitution of the possiblity of an all-powerful, all-dominating CENTRAL government, and whether or not this would be either good or desirable for a "free people"; the threat posed by an all-powerful Commander-in-Chief, especially when combined with a standing army and navy; the presence and effects of slavery in and amongst a "free people"; along with many other issues that we are STILL arguing about and fighting over to this very day.

Now as to why I gave this otherwise excellent book only 4 stars. First, let me count its strengths:

- It IS the finest source of Anti-Federalist thought (and thus AMERICAN political thought, IF one takes the position with regard to the Federalist/Anti-Federalist debate that I do) READILY available today. The Editors of this volume make reference to the then-comprehensive compilation of Anti-Federalist thought, Herbert Storing's "The Complete Anti-Federalist", which ran to 7 volumes. Originally published by the University of Chicago in 1981, it is now out-of-print, and neither easy to find as the set, nor inexpensive if you can find the set. Furthermore, this much shorter, readily available edition of the Anti-Federalist papers INCLUDES ITEMS STORING DID NOT - either because they were not yet found (as in the case of the last essay by A [Maryland] Farmer) or because Storing LEFT THEM OUT (as in the case of portions of some of Patrick Henry's speeches - here included).

- This next "strength" I cannot emphasize enough: Although subtitled as a volume of "Selected Writings and Speeches", neither the publisher nor Amazon tell you that the writings and/or speeches of the authors chosen for "selection" are presented IN THEIR ENTIRETY - you DON'T get just "selections" of the writings of Cato, or of Centinel, or of Brutus, or just "selections" of the speeches of Patrick Henry with regard to the Anti-Federalist/Federalist debate over the Constitution, you get ALL OF THEM. Thus, you are able to follow and develop ALL of the thinking of each writer with respect to the vitally important issues discussed. In reality, it is more of an abridgement of the ENTIRE CORPUS of Anti-Federalist thought, than a "selection."

Now, as to weaknesses - This otherwise truly excellent volume has, in my opinion, two shortcomings:

--It does not have an Index, neither with regard to topics/subjects or people/authors discussed. It DOES have, however, a brief synopsis of the principal topics/issues to be discussed at the head of each writing/speech included, and this is a great help;

--Secondly and lastly, it does not have a distribution table, that connects the issues discussed in each paper/speech with its correspondent in the Federalist papers (i.e. "the other side" in the relevant debate).

Neither of the two "shortcomings" given should, in my opinion, hinder you in any way in acquiring this book. In addition to being a genuine and very valuable contribution to the works available on the fundamentals of American political thought, I am quite sincere when I tell you that it is a literal work of art in itself. The titles in this series are not only beautifully bound and printed, the dust-jackets are superb reproductions in miniature of actual works of art that are relevant to the subject of each particular volume; You can quite easily use these volumes as very attractive "coffee table books", that invariably lead to long and interesting conversations with virtually any guest.

In sum, this volume is an invaluable work for those who wish to understand the fundamentals of American political thought and philosophy, and also the "taproot" of many of the seemingly irreconciliable issues that confront us today. It is thus much more important than just as a piece in the history of the development of American political thought. I highly recommend it to ALL Americans who wish to understand more fully and completely what America is "all about."