Events Books

This book is an underrated classic and it's truly a damn shame that it's no longer in print! Essentially, this is Martin Luther King's blueprint plans for a post Civil-Rights movement America. He speaks of multiethnic coalitions, against the less positive aspects of Black nationalism, and he speaks of ways to "turn the streetcorners of the ghettos from dens of iniquity to miniature schools." Much of what he says here is quite practical also. Read this and you will be happy that, although Dr. King is no longer with us, his message has been preserved.

This book is simply amazing. Even though it was written 45 years ago, it has a terrific insight into the problems of America. Even though I am not Christian, I find that Martin Luther's ideas really apply to all people, no matter who they are. Its a pity that more Americans don't read his books. Anyhow, if you can find it, I highly recommend that you read it! :)

The beauty and depth of this book is that it tells us about human political relations today even though it was written over 30 years ago!

I also like that it is Martin Luther King in his own words (not some opportunistic interpretation of his ideas) on subjects like:
Black Power
Affirmative Action
Poverty
Love

It also makes it painfully clear the Martin Luther King Jr. was far more extraordinary in his leadership than we give him credit for being today. He thought deeply, connected the dots, and put his life behind his ideals. This is a must read for anyone who hasn't already connected the dots between justice, religion and love.

As a reader one often searches for a book that will inspire, and yet, teach. Martin Luther King has done just this. His prose educates and inspires passion. As an avatar for civil rights Martin Luther King Jr's story is as compelling as any figure in history-white or black. And if any reader wants to get a true measure of this brilliant man, look not just to the words of others, but to the words of the man himself. Allow Martin to transport you with his pithy, unpretentious prose to an area of higher consciousness.

Truly remarkable. A worthy read for any generation and for any interest-whether your interest be in history or in education, in a lesson in passion or well-written prose. Martin's words asks us the difficult questions that we are so afraid to ask ourselves. A reading of this Classic treatise can certainly raise one above the chaos that still exists and inspire us to build a community of human beings.

A read worthy of a 9 for content and for force.

Dr. King's penultimate book provides a snapshot of where we were in 1967. Two turning points had been reached.

First, his program of nonviolent direct action was clearly winning the struggle against old fashioned southern segregation, and Dr. King was looking toward the next step. He believed that the next logical step toward setting people free was a massive government program addressing the problem of poverty.

Second, within the civil rights movement, a "black power" mentality was gaining prominence. Some argued that whites should be excluded from the civil rights movement, and that nonviolence should be abandoned. Dr. King insisted that this approach would only balkanize our country, having disastrous effect, especially on blacks.

As with his other books, the author's brilliance, his scholarship, and his Christian love all come through.

It would be best to read "Stride Toward Freedom" and "Why We Can't Wait" before reading this one.

Compiled, edited, and with an introduction by poet, novelist, editor, literary critic, and social activist Daniela Gioseffi, Women On War: An International Anthology Of Writings From Antiquity To The Present showcases women's observations predicting war, suffering its toll, finding the courage to resist, surviving against impossible odds, and so much more. A powerful and unforgettable work transcending eras and borders, Women On War is recommended for Women's Studies, Military Studies, and Social Issues reading lists.

The first edition of this anthology, published in 1988, was subtitled Essential Voices for the Nuclear Age and won an American Book Award. This second edition is certainly well timed. While it still addresses issues of the nuclear age and the further past it seems to speak directly to today's conflicts. Ranging widely in time and place, the over 150 women featured here (e.g., Anna Akmatova, Marguerite Duras, Virginia Woolf, Toni Morrison, and Emily Dickinson) include professional writers in several areas as well as activists (such as members of RAWA, the Revolutionary Association of Women) and "ordinary" women. Well-known names such as Indian writer Arundhati Roy might jump out, but readers may be most affected by some of the first-person accounts which can, however, be difficult to read--both for their graphic descriptions and for their sheer heartrending poignancy. Editor Gioseffi's introduction nicely contextualizes the wide-range contributions.

WOMEN ON WAR, edited with an introduction by Daniela Gioseffi--American Book Award winning poet and non-violent peace activist for many years--is "an eloquent response to global violence that sweeps through time and across national boundaries," said Doris Jean Austin, Reviewer in THE NEW YORK TIMES, of the first edition. Austin added. "This is a book one hopes will be translated into all languages of humankind." This all new edition contains such illustrious contributors as Jane Addams, Anna Akhmatova, Daisy al-Amir, Fadwa Tuqan, Gwendolyn Brooks, Alice Walker, Toni Morrison, Gace Paley, Claribel Alegria, Isaabel Allende, Maya Angelou, Simone de Beauvoir, Helen Caldicott, Rosalie Bertell, Carolyn Forche, Emma Goldman, Nadine Gordimer, Kimiko Hahn, Molly Peacock, Rochelle Ratner, Pwu Jean Lee, Tsai Wen Ji, Ch'iu Chin, Robin Morgan, Gabriela Mistral, Linda Hogan, Adrienne Rich, Denise Levertov, Vandana Shiva, Arundhati Roy, Wislawa Symborska, Luisa Valenzuela, Christa Wolf, Muriel Rukeyser, June Jordan and 100 others including Daniela Gioseffi herself who writes an insiteful and politically astute overview, as well as contributing a moving poem and an apt story. There is an extensive bibliography for further reading on this vital subject, as well, and extensive headnotes on all the authors. An immensely rich collection for a nominal price! And from a not-for-profit press, The Feminist Press with N.G.O. status at the United Nations--a press with the expressed mission of getting women's voices from all cultures out into the wide world in order to improve the status of women in all walks of life and endeavors.

This new edition of Daniels Gioseffi's unique and splendid collection is urgently needed now. Framed by Gioseffi's brilliant overview of the world's crisis, these vivid and visionary writings--poetry, history, politics and prose--inspire and galvanize. This book offers the great gift of hope and understanding on every page.

Blanche Wiesen Cook, author of ELEANOR ROOSEVELT

In his recent book "War Is a Force That Gives Us Meaning," Chris Hedges argues that many of us find war alluring because it gives our otherwise humdrum and centerless existences a sense of meaning. We feel part of something greater than ourselves, and as a consequence feel larger than life. Of course, this sense of deep meaning is illusory, but it does account in part for why so many men find themselves attracted to something as terrible as war.

One of the great merits of Daniela Gioseffi's multi-merited "Women on War" is its documentation of the other side. In our obsession with battlefield glory and stories of combat heroics, we too often forget that women and children are the forgotten victims of war. Already extremely vulnerable, they become even more so when societies are ripped asunder by the mayhem of armed conflict. In listening to their voices, we are reminded that the allure of war too frequently blinds us to what it does to those who can least afford its violence.

Gioseffi's book collects women's perspectives on war from all corners of the globe and from ancient to contemporary times. The book is divided into four thematic sections: "Prophecies and Warnings," "Violence and Mourning," "Courage and Resistance," and "Hope and Survival." The entire collection is prefaced with a superb introductory essay, "Cassandra's Daughters." As suggested by the thematic section titles, the selections go beyond expressing the suffering and torment experienced by women in wartime. Just as importantly, the selections also include women's voices of resistance and women's voices that offer alternatives to the madness of war. Some of the selections are heart-breaking, others are inspiring, none are superfluous or redundant. if war in part arises, as Hedges maintains, because of our alienated need for meaning, one solution to the problem of war is to figure out how to live nonalienated existences. The selections in this collection, especially in the final two sections, offer either direct or indirect suggestions for celebrating rather than destroying life. One of my favorites is the "I Have All the Passion of Life" by Puerto Rican poet Lolita Lebron:

"...Whoever denies life its joy,
the wealth of its complexity,
its rainbow-like countenance,
its downpour and its universe
of beauty, its generous giving,
the caress, the grain
with fruit and delicacies,
the bud, the flower, pain and
laughter;
those who deny life its measure
of joy
are the unseeing ones." (p. 300)

In short, a superb resource for anyone concerned about creating an alternative to the war system. Highly recommended for both individual and group reading. Would be an ideal text in any peace studies course.

I majored in history in college, but this series (read over a 6-month period) gave me a better understanding of the European viewpoint of modern history than I got from any of my college classes. From the beginning of World War I until the Cold War of the 1950's, Sinclair provides a perspective from each of the participants in the conflicts, not simply "our" side. Lanny Budd is clearly a fantastical character with unlimited access to decision makers (and to funds) but he allows the reader to see history from multiple scenes.
Clearly, Sinclair has his own political perspective (which is most visible in the last volumes as Lanny spends more time in the United States) but it doesn't detract from the scope of the novels. I wish I had read these while I was in college.. and wish that everyone responsible for foreign policy today had read them, too.

although fictionally Upton Sinclair unorthodoxly or unaccademically pictures the main conflict of a conflictuous XXth century. I've read it in my youth, and now again, and it is always a help to undersatnd what is going on in the world, even from a peripherical point of view. It's overflowing, verboragic and not literaly commendable; it's not history, but it is surely didactical. It's outdated, perhaps oldfashioned, but it is a work on its own merits that deserves to be read, and an interested reader will find enlightining and useful.

If you want to know what's going on with George Bush junior's fascination with Iraq, read this book. Quite clearly it shows how shortly after the turn of the century, Britain and France wanted to make sure they got access to oil ahead of Germany, despite the German's industrial base growing faster than that in Britain in France. The target: Mesopotamia. And what is Mesopotamia? Modern day Iraq. Also of interest was the explanation that Germany's superior air power during WWI was in part attributed to French industrialists who sold the materials necessary to Switzerland who in turn sold to Germany, which Germany used to attack France: all in the name of profit.

Beyond the historical references, the story is wonderfully told, and Lanny Budd's character is extraordinarily and realistically portrayed with true emotion and depth, quite an achievement for that period of time.

This series of books is exceptional and I hope to read all of them.

Master Craftsman! His command over language, the construction of sentences are nothing short of being stupendous. Whilst classics of Shakespeare or Dickens are still available - Upton's brilliant gems are hidden in depths of anonymity. What a crime! Whoever reads this review relegate Dan Brown to garbage, make origami of Steele's books and use Sidney Sheldon as toilet paper. Shockingly funny this Lanny Budd series is a class act. Students of English Language must look treat this
series as their Bible!

The Lanny Budd series of novels, starting with Worlds End, originally printed in the days of WW2, give the reader a greater understanding of the world events.

While the main character Lanny Budd is fictional, the historical figures are fairly true to life. You have to remember that Upton Sinclair has a socialist/left wing bias or perspective, but he is fairly even handed and that should not discourage the right wing reader.

I think one of the most valuable thing you get is a perspecive on how things were viewed by the different sides as the events transpired.

The plot starts in pre WW1 Europe, and the following books takes you thru WW2.

The books have been out of print for years, so I have been buying these books at used/rare shops to get the whole series. I am glad to see they are being reprinted - long at last.

Wounded: Vietnam to Iraq author Ronald J. Glasser, M.D., served as an Army hospital physician during the Vietnam War and offers alarming insights and comparisons in military medical experience between the Vietnam War and the current Iraq war. At once both fascinating in its studious examination in how the changing nature of modern battlefields has transformed the job of the medic, from simply keeping a wounded patient alive until a chopper could quickly evacuate to having to prolong life for up to 72 hours, since air superiority has all but vanished in the modern era of urban warfare and readily available technology to shoot down choppers. "The training period for the Combat Medical Specialty was increased from ten to sixteen weeks... The additional weeks of training were devoted to developing the new core skills necessary to keep the severely wounded alive where they were hit, with little chance for immediate evacuation. No more 'patch 'em up and send them off.' This was to be big-time medicine, the city trauma center brought to the battlefield." A sober, well-reasoned, "must-read" about the evolving state of combat medicine and the long-term repercussions of war wounds.

After rereading the book 365 Days by Dr. Ronald Glasser, one that this vietnam combat vet found to be both stirring and haunting, I had to get his most recent book.
And I was not disappointed.
If you want to have a feel for those who serve and become casualties for our flag and country, these books are vital additions to your library.

If you've ever wondered about what America's young men, and women, serving in the war on terror in Iraq face everyday, this book is for you. Ron Glasser has done an excellent job describing in facts and figures what this war is costing now and what will be paid in the future. Not only in monetary terms, but in the permanent disfigurement and disability of the wounded.

He explains, in sometimes terribly graphic detail, the horrors of being injured in Iraq, and how those injuries compare and contrast to injuries suffered in the Vietnam conflict. It's a different war, in a different time, but people are being injured and killed, just the same.

Everyone has questions about the war in Iraq. This book answers some, but leaves the reader with more.

I have long looked for the true figures about the nature of death in Iraq.
Fortunately the Australian media is slightly better than the pap served up by the media in the country that is causing the sickening mayhem in Iraq and we know only a little of the true monstrousness of this war to bring democracy to the unwashed masses of Iraq. Glasser lays it on the line and spells out, particularly in the chapter Final Diagnosis, the enormity of the American soldier's burden in this conflict. On page 73 he writes that there were 600 ammunition dumps scattered around Iraq when the Shock and Awe invasion ended. There's nothing unexpected in this but the problem happened when none of the Shock and Awe victors policed these dumps and they were cleaned out by the "defeated" Iraqi army. What this means in the reality of ground combat is that there is a virtually unlimited supply of hugely powerful explosives available to mine roads and anywhere else American soldiers find themselves in the horror of Iraq. Glasser goes into medical detail about what happens to middle aged reservists who are caught in these explosions. He talks as the expert he is about the wounds suffered by soldiers caught in an explosion of this huge power. He talks about what 155mm shells hooked to butane gas tanks does to a person's head when it explodes. Because of quick evacuation and superb treatment these poor wounded live but the impact on, particularly the head, causes horrific , lifelasting injuries.

I do not think, because of the media, America and the world in general knows what is happening to American soldiers in Iraq; I believe that the low death rates for US soldiers has led America to tolerate this war more than its true horror would indicate. Glasser's wonderful, readable and understandable book lifts the veil on the terrible price being paid for what has become a cesspool for American youth.

This book is clearly well written and well researched. A unique perspective on the soldier's story. We owe it to them to understand what they are going through.

Very good timing indeed, with the present political climate in the US. Hero has created probably the perfect woman--highly adept in everything she endeavors and liked and admired by all.
He's written this book in first person point of view, with strong journalistic tones. Which the end result is that the reader feels as if the story is told to them personally over a bottle of wine, or pot of coffee. A true one on one experience, extolling an excellent story, effortlessly crafted. Highly recommended from this avid reader of many genres.

Stephen O. Hero's new book is just flat out wonderful.

Martha Stetson is one of the most compelling characters I've run across in a very long time. Jill of all trades, master of many, Martha lives a full and rich life, then tackles the biggest challenge of all, becoming the first female president.

This book is a strong read, a good read, and very very relevant to what is happening in today's political world, a time when we have a strong woman contender for the highest office in our nation.

I recommend this book for anybody who likes strong female characters and a good plot, but most particularly for women, because it shows us, once again, that a determined woman can do whatever she sets her mind to.

Stephen O. Hero's ability to weave real-world dilemmas into fascinating fictional characters comes to life, as the tale of Dr. Martha Stetson blazes her way towards the highest office on the planet as America's Commander in Chief.

The effectual candidate must possess the leadership abilities to lead the nation (and ultimately the world) into more peaceful resolutions of terrorism, while maintaining America's long standing reputation as heroic, or at least successful, campaign leaders.

Although a hold-the-fort woman such as Dr. Stetson should only be judged by her tenacious accomplishments first at receiving her PhD., while struggling through waves of emotions as a young female in love, then later becoming a highly decorated surgeon in the theater of war and a helicopter pilot; far too many people still see her with blinders that show only, "Female. Warning. Qualifications Unknown."

As the nation looks at the prospects of the most highly qualified persons for President of the United States of America, many old timers struggle with the idea of the country's first female President. All in the face of disregard to America's historical female leaders and heroes, "selling" the idea of a female President to every voting American citizen rivals any prior task she has ever undertaken.

Not discounting every mother in the homeland, praying their son or daughter comes home safely and "now" from the ravaged, worn-torn Middle East- even they look to the old-school leadership of a male to lead the country into victory.

Will Martha Stetson succeed once again? Or will she hit the brick wall of her lifetime and watch as a "business-as-usual" male is sworn in to the oval office?

I highly recommend this fascinating read of Stephen O. Hero, as he brings to life the planet's most grueling, modern-day challenges, interlaced with the façade of the immoveable minds of millions of America's most judgmental voters.

Stephen O. Hero's 1st Woman President while being a work of fiction reflects what is happening in our country right now. We could very well have a 1st woman President in 2008. The character of Martha is the ideal candidate for President. She has led such an extraordinary life up to the point of her deciding she wanted to run for office. When most people dream of what they want to be when they grow up they choose one or two professions. Not Martha Stetson. She chooses to make the most out of her life by becoming a doctor, helicopter pilot, congress woman, and finally the highest office of President. She never gave up in her fight to become the 1st woman President even while others were telling her to wait. I highly recommend this book to everyone who has ever considered a woman President.

The question: can a ten-year-old topical reference still be relevant? The answer: in the case of 50 Ways to Fight Censorship, you bet. This slim, plain-speaking book by former Rolling Stone editor Dave Marsh, with several contributors who range from author and Paris Review editor George Plimpton to poet Allen Ginsberg and a television writer, has very sound, constitutional advice that remains current, even if it was around before the Internet. Now that the Supreme Court has conferred the presidential tiara on George W. Bush, we are seeing the return of the right-wing censors of the Reagan-Bush era, like Dick Cheney and James Baker. We already have been hearing proposals for limiting speech on the Internet. We need a manual like this to make sure we act, not just react, to preserve our first and most fundamental right as Americans, to speak freely and to decide for ourselves what is appropriate to read, hear and view.

For all those people out there who want to stand up, who want to make their voices heard in the ongoing battle against censorship, but just don't know what to do: Dave Marsh has your answer. "50 Ways to Fight Censorship..." is packed with ideas of how you can join in the fight, be it locally or nationally. Marsh provides lists of oranizations you can get in touch with to help get you started, and his suggestions are practical enough for just about anybody to make an impact.

Finally, a book that tells the truth about censorship, and what you can do to provent it. This is a must for everyone who is interested in stopping censorship, and I think the censors should read it too. As a relaty check. Sorry to be sor preachy, but The book is great. Read it!

Have you ever walked into a library and not been able to get the book you wanted? Or walk into a movie store, but the title had been banned? Perhaps you aked yourself why? Or what you could do to stop the government from pulling titles simply because they dont like it. The first thing that you could do, is read this book. This book talks about numerous things you can do to stop the censors for taking away your first amendment right. Everytime you are denied anything because of censorship, your freedom of speech is being violated. Authors, artists, musicians, and directors are all being halted from showing the world their thoughts due to censorship, and we have to stop it now!

I'm always surprised at how much my wife can pack for a vacation. But this year she was amazed at how much I could pack into a vacation - thanks in part to this handy little compendium of a country full of festivals. I was able to plot a none-too-circuitous springtime route through New Mexico, Arizona and California, catching everything from the Fiery Foods & Barbecue Show in Albuquerque to the Festival of the West in Scottsdale to the Redwood Dixieland Jazz Festival in Eureka - and a lot more in between. The moral of this book is that wherever you are, there's a lot going on just down the road that you've probably never heard of but that you wouldn't want to miss.

This book is by the people who do festivals.com, so they've got the resources to put out an exhaustive compilation of art shows, fairs and festivals in un-virtual, tangible, thumb-through-able form. Now I'm waiting for their 2004 edition so I can start packing things into next year's vacation.

My sister got this book as a gift and we've had so much fun using it to plan weekend get aways. It's full of great ideas for things we can do with the kids. I'd highly recommend it for anyone looking to explore your own back yard!

We're heading off on our summer roadtrip and just paged through 600 Festivals. I love it! Now we can stop in any state along the way and relax and let the kids run wild at a festival while we gorge ourselves on local fare. I only wish every festival had a full color page!

A perfect resource for summer-time travels. Very easy to use - all of the events are organized by state, plus the book provides brief and informative background information on each of the event(s). Overall great information on local events, festivals, fairs, etc. If you are travelling this summer, this is a great book to check out before you leave or to bring along on your vacation.

A walk through the book of Acts like no other commentary. Volume 4 of Ellen G. White's 5 volume Conflict of the Ages series, insight beyond any other non-Biblical writer. Try reading the entire series from beginning to end for an astounding experience.

This book, being among a set of 5, reveals the nature of Sin and its far-reaching impact on all. As with all Ellen White's books, she conveys the way toward the abhorence of sin and to the Grace of a righteous life in Jesus. From the book, "Patriarchs & Profits", to "The Triumph of God's Love" (now titled, "The Great Controversay"), I have personally experienced steady growth in the Spirit of Christ Jesus. Thank God for Ellen White!

This book, being among a set of 5, reveals the nature of Sin and its far-reaching impact on all. As with all Ellen White's books, she conveys the way toward the abhorence of sin and to the Grace of a righteous life in Jesus. From the book, "Patriarchs & Profits", to "The Triumph of God's Love" (now titled, "The Great Controversay"), I have personally experienced steady growth in the Spirit of Christ Jesus. Thank God for Ellen White!

If you want to read a wonderful, general commentary dealing primarily with the events of the book of Acts, read this book. Here is a great quote from the chapter Transformed by Grace. "Prayer is heaven's ordained means of success in the conflict with sin and the development of Christian character....For the pardon of sin, for the Holy Spirit, for a Christlike temper, for wisdom and strength to do His work, for any gift He has promised, we may ask; and the promise is, "Ye shall receive." (Acts of the Apostles, p. 564).

Here is another wonderful statement. "Your sins may be as mountains before you; but if you humble your heart and confess your sins, trusting in the merits of a crucified and risen Saviour, He will forgive and will cleanse you from all unrighteousness." (Acts of the Apostles, p. 566).

This book was written years ago and you might find the style somewhat quaint, but you will be blessed if you are seeking for deep spiritual refreshment.

Epstein and Segal have produced an easy to read primer on the judicial appointment process. The authors show the intertwining influences of the President and Senate and their role in the ideology and politics of the justices and (to a lesser extent) judges approved to sit on U.S. federal courts.

Common sense dictates that Presidents nominate nominees who are close ideologically to their own views. Epstein and Segal show this to be true. Common sense would also dictate the difficulty if such considerations are taken into account as a president nominating a judge to the state where senators of his own party hold seats (and senatorial courtesy plays a stronger role), if the senate and president are of differing parties, and so forth.

Epstein and Segal have produced a primer for those interested in motivations in nominations to the court and the inherently political considerations that must be taken into account. I highly recommend this book.

"This is a superb and even indispensable resource. Careful, precise, objective, and nugget-filled, it's a wonderful guide to past, present, and future debates. If you want to know about judicial appointments, this is the best place to start." -- Cass R. Sunstein, University of Chicago Law School

"An important and timely study that adds an essential framework for understanding contemporary slugfests over judicial appointments. Beautifully presented and argued." -- Louis Fisher, author of American Constitutional Law

"Lee Epstein's and Jeffrey Segal's new book could not be more timely. It provides the most comprehensive and systematic examination to date of the roles of politics and ideology in Supreme Court selection. It is indispensable reading for anyone interested in how justices and judges decide cases, the limits of legal reasoning, and the contributions of social science to better understanding how the Supreme Court functions." - Michael J. Gerhardt, author of The Federal Impeachment Process

"Writing in pristine, jargon-free language, Epstein and Segal...inject some much-needed context and evidence into the current debate about judicial appointments." -- The American Prospect

"Epstein and Segal...draw together a wealth of research and empirical findings from a plethora of studies, many of which they authored, and fold them into a compelling narrative that examines all levels of the judiciary.... This book combines the best features of past studies on judicial appointments. It is also very accessible for students and citizens interested in the judicial branch." -- Law and Politics Book Review

"Thoughtful and illuminating.... Qualifications matter-as much today as they have in the past. (In that sense, President Bush might have done well to read Advice and Consent before nominating the ill-fated Miers.)? -- Chronicle of Higher Education

"A thorough look at the process, politics and presidential aspects of court appointments. Witty yet well-informed, Professors Epstein and Segal give an insight into the whys and wherefores of federal judge appointments." -- www.mayitpleasethecourt.com

Over the last five years, we have seen a consistent debate concerning judicial appointments and politics ranging from the filibusters over circuit nominees to the recent Roberts and Alito nominations. The persistent myth is that the outright influence of partisan politics on judicial nominations is a new development; that prior to the last 30 years or so, judicial nominees were only judged on the basis of qualifications and not ideology. In this book, two preeminent political scientists demonstrate that this is empirically false: while qualifications are not irrelevant, the consistently dominant factor in judicial appointments has always been politics, especially on the Supreme Court. One has only to point to the very first nomination defeated in 1795 when Washington's nominee for chief justice was defeated because he supported a politically unpopular treaty. What Epstein and Segal demonstrate is that political concerns infuse the appointments process from the very beginning and the voting of judges, at least on the Supreme Court, usually correlates to the political beliefs of the appointing president. Usefully, they also examine the lower federal courts in demonstrating how various political factors come into play in these comparatively understudied courts.

In total, Epstein and Segal have produced an excellent, brief study that is empirically sound and unbiased. While current Republicans are shown to be hypocrites, the same is dealt to Democrats. For example, many of the Democrats pushing filibusters recently complained strongly against this practice when Republicans used it in the 90s; many Republicans who complained about stalling in the Bush I administration, used the same tactics during the Clinton years and then changed the rules to make the Bush II administration's appointments easier. This is a treasure trove of empirical analysis of appointments that will not disappoint anyone looking for the facts of the situation instead of partisan talking points.

This is just an extraordinary book on judicial appointments written by two distinguished political scientists with decades of experience studying the federal courts. While it obviously is primarily designed to be a brief (168 pages, including the extensive notes) introduction to the process of judicial selection for the general reader, it skillfully incorporates some of the most significant research findings drawn from professional journals and papers. As a result, even those who are somewhat familiar with the topic and the professional literature will derive some valuable new insights. The writing is brisk and moves quickly and smoothly through the material, with the assistance of some helpful charts. In addition, the book's coverage is not limited to the Supreme Court but covers all three levels of the federal judiciary. One nice feature is that some interesting statistical data from "The Supreme Court Compendium," edited by one of the co-authors, are sprinkled throughout the discussion (e.g., no more than 20% of lower court nominations have generated any opposition). The authors' discussion of "do Presidents get what they want?" in making nominations, and if so, for how long, is particularly effective. After all, how accurately can Presidents, Senators or the rest of us predict how a nominee will perform once safely on the bench? A most timely contribution given the current Roberts nomination process and the unknown Associate Justice nominee yet to come.

Affairs of State presents the thesis that the First Lady must not enter into the spotlight of Presidential politics if she is to wield any real power. Dr. Troy's argument is compelling in several senses. The topic itself combines the best appeals of gossip and serious political science. Affairs of State allows us to indulge our fascination with the American royal family while giving real insight into the balance of power. The book is a well researched, sober work of history, deserving of the most attentive academic scrutiny. -Robin Copp

Troy's book offers the reader a rare and fresh combination of education and entertainment. From the Roosevelts to the Clintons, Troy's well-researched account of the successes and failures of America`s most powerful couple is rich with insight and wit. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can highly recommend it to all

Bravo to Robin Toner of the Times who has rightly discerned that Troy produced a balanced, thoughtful account of the challenges facing the First Lady. Troy's book is full of rich anecdotes and stimulating analysis. I can't recommend it highly enough to both presidential scholars and armchair historians alike

This is a wonderful book which has the perfect combination of intellectual stimulation and high entertainment. Troy does a great job of peering into the hidden rooms of the white house and discovers that power does has not always rested where it appeared to. Anyone interested in American history or politics will no doubt thoroughly enjoy this fresh look at the presidency