Reviews Books

Doesn't anybody who has so far reviewed this book have a problem that the author gives away endings? I mean, being a horror aficionado, I had seen most of the movies represented in this book, but if I hadn't seen them, I would have been considerably upset at having the endings to such classics as "Psycho" ruined. Additionally, I find that the book is occasionally awkwardly written. It's quite accessible though, even for casual fans of horror and the list of movies and people/characters critical to the genre is comprehensive.

2.5/5

I have been a die-hard Horror Fan since I was a kid, so when I bought this book I was very surprised to see aspects of the genre not readily covered by most horror books. It speaks of the 19th century influences on the genre, and also doesn't dwell on only the slasher flicks of the 60's onward, and the author writes everything in a very easy manner, nothing too difficult to understand. All in all, a very fun read, and a great intro. to people interested to find out more about the genre.

The various Rough Guides to movies that have come out over the past couple of years have been hit-or-miss affairs. While not perfect, the Rough Guide to Horror Movies is definitely more on the hit side.

As with the other Guides, this book is divided into several sections, including a brief history of horror movies, a listing of icons of the genre, a look at horror in other countries and various reference sources. The centerpiece, however, is The Canon, an alphabetical look at the top 50 horror movies.

As usual, this list is debatable, though some more than others. Certainly few horror fans can debate such choices as Frankenstein, Cat People, Dracula (both the Lugosi and Lee versions), the Exorcist, Nosferatu, Suspiria or Halloween. Other choices, on the other hand, would get more argument, at least from me: flicks such as The Plague of Zombies, Switchblade Romance (a.k.a. High Tension) or Witchfinder General (a.k.a. The Conqueror Worm). Not that these are bad movies (even Switchblade Romance - which suffers from a trite plot twist - is not awful), but there are, I think better choices out there. What about Invasion of the Body Snatchers, 28 Days Later, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (the Fredric March version), Children of the Damned, The Masque of the Red Death or Jesse James Meets Frankenstein's Daughter (just kidding on this one)?

Everyone's tastes will vary, so I don't fault author Alan Jones on his choices, as he does not put forth a good argument for his choices. There are little flaws here and there - missed or incorrect plot points, for example - but generally, this is a worthwhile reference book. Even if not perfect, it gives a good overview of the genre and will give most fans a chance to read of movies they were unaware of.

Reading this book is like shopping while hungry: everything will look good to you. You'll come away from this book with several dozen films you want to see, many of them foreign. Great trivia, like the line 'Don't step on it, it might be Lon Chaney.' (He was apparently known for his commitment to creature effects in the days before CGI).

This is really a remarkably good overview of horror cinema. It offers a variety of information (historical, filmographic, aesthetic, cultural) which is organized to encourage casual or random browsing but also very readable from cover to cover. The background chapter on horror literature is particularly informative. No special theory is offered; some otherwise excellent horror film books take an overly-specialized perspective, but you won't have that problem here. The genre is taken seriously, but the fun of it is always kept in view. Many very fine (and some rarely seen) photos grace the book throughout. I only noticed one "blooper": in the sidebar on Barbara Steele, Fellini is reported to have "cut her out" of his film "8-1/2." However, when I saw it recently, Babbara was beautifully present in one important scene. Otherwise, this is a very well-done volume and is heartily recommended.

I am very, very pleased with this book. I found all of the information on Shakespeare fascinating and the activities will be very good for the programs our art organization is offering.

It was great to revisit one of my favorite places in the world = Stratford-Upon-Avon = and to learn about London and the theatre in the 16th century. I loved this book and my teenage boys loved it, too. It is beautifully written and well researched and the activities are a lot of fun.

If you like Shakespeare and you like kids, you'll love this book. I found this to be an original and colorful introduction the life and times of the Bard of Avon, which can be enjoyed by children as well as adults.

Although this book is geared towards children, anyone can learn something new and interesting by reading this extremely informative and fun book. Not only can a younger reader learn to juggle like the queen's entertainers, but he or she can also learn how to write a sonnet or stage a sword fight. This book includes historical and political facts as well as what Shakespeare's life and the theater was like. Give this to any child and they will be quoting "A Midsummer Night's Dream", telling you about life in Stratford-upon-Avon and even staging their own productions!

I bought this book on the basis of the fine reviews. It is good, glossy, and an easy read. My disappointment is that I did not realize that this book is not geared to high school students. I had hoped to find activities that would spark my students, but --there is, for me, too big a stretch between text and activity. I can see the making a bird feeder and the references to birds in Shakespeare's works at an earlier level, but not for high school seniors. The book is, however, filled with historical references and good pictures.

Sherlock Holmes was the first pop icon of modern times, and Sherlock Holmes On Screen provides the most comprehensive filmography of his career, analyzing the Holmes movies and television shows, and including 60 photos as well as a guide to Doyle's original stories. An excellent companion for any avid fan.

There are no words which seem to adequately describe just how good SHERLOCK HOLMES ON SCREEN: THE COMPLETE FILM AND TV HISTORY by Alan Barnes is: The word "comprehensive," while accurate, just doesn't seem to go far enough.
A lifelong Sherlockian I purchased this handsome 288 page hardback updated edition with high hopes and I was not disappointed. Barnes decision to take an A to Z organizational approach may not be everyone's ideal, but he does provide a film and television chronology towards the end of the book to appease those of us who prefer that type of listing.
As the title indicates every film and television appearance by the Sherlock Holmes character including a number of which I was previously unaware. Barnes gives more behind the scenes production notes, details of the mysteries and the solutions and in some cases these are quite extensive. For example I found the details behind the Peter Cushing television series of Holmes adventures fascinating and entertaining and his notes on what it took to bring SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE DEADLY NECKLACE to the screen, entertaining and revealing. Who knew that the movie had been intended to be the start of a franchise - with the script for the second planned movie eventually being filmed as A STUDY IN TERROR with John Neville in the Holmes role.
Barnes even includes movies and television episodes with more questionable ties to Sherlock Holmes. He gives high praise to Disney's animated THE GREAT MOUSE DETECTIVE but the Spielberg produced YOUNG SHERLOCK HOLMES fares less well. In addition there are entries for the two STAR TREK: THE NEXT GENERATION episodes that featured Prof. Moriarty and even THE LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN gets a mention for its Holmesian references.
With listings that include not only alternate titles for the movies, but also surprisingly in depth cast listings, running times and some very rare photo's, this volume is a must-own for any self respecting Sherlock Holmes fan, and anyone with even a mild curiosity about the character.

If you are a fan of more than the Basil Rathbone and Jeremy Brett Sherlock Holmes episodes, this is a great item for your bookshelf. Barnes has written the most comprehensive guide to Holmes in film and on television. The amount of information is amazing. Boookend this with David Stuart Davies' graphically gorgeous Starring Sherlock Holmes and you'll have a fantastic reference library on Holmes on screen.

Bob Byrne
Sherlock Holmes on Oxford Lane

Being a Sherlock Holmes fanatic induced me into purchasing this for my collection in the hopes of obtaining some new images of Rathbone, Richardson, and other Holmes actors. I also had an interest in learning the up-to-date status of each Holmes film ever produced. In that, this is a wonderful book, filled with pages upon pages of information, cast listing, and comments, as well as some rare images of aforementioned actors.

The personal bias of the writer is the only thing that dampens a wonderful experience... namely because I tend to disagree with his assessments of certain Holmes films, particularly those of Basil Rathbone in his later career. I wished there were more images of Ian Richardson and Nicholas Rowe, but all together it's a wonderul purchase to add to any true Sherlockian collection.

This book has yet to leave my bedside table since I purchased it a few months ago. It's not only an extremely well researched book but a very entertaining read as well, packed with information that is revealing (eg, how Jeremy Brett's personal problems impacted upon the Granada tv series) and sometimes surprising (eg, Peter O'Toole and Peter Sellers were the original choices for Holmes and Watson for Billy Wilder's 'The Private Life Of Sherlock Holmes').

Alan Barnes and his fellow contributors go into great detail about the films and television shows they cover, and give their personal opinions about each entry. You may not agree with all of the views expressed, but they are well written and certainly give the reader food for thought.

The book is well illustrated with black and white photographs. This is important as it's likely that many people will never get to see the films they are taken from, particularly some of the early silent films that are lost or older and more obscure films and television shows that have yet to get a video or DVD release.

This book has proven invaluable to me as it has introduced me to tv series and films that I previously knew little or nothing about like the Arthur Wontner films and the Douglas Wilmer and Peter Cushing BBC tv series. I also gained an insight into the little known Ronald Howard tv series from the 1950s. It was also great to read of the BBC 4-part presentation of The Hound Of The Baskervilles starring former Doctor Who star Tom Baker as Sherlock Holmes. I saw this when it was first shown on tv in Australia and it hasn't been screened again, so it was quite nostalgic to read about it and see a photo of Baker in his Holmes costume.

This book is an essential addition to the library of any Sherlock Holmes fan or film buff. You won't find another book that covers Sherlock Holmes history in film and television so thoroughly.

I have read the book. I do not know for sure but I would bet that Mr. Stratton had nothing to do with this book.
Why?
Because I knew him in prison and he never ever had an original thought in his life..ever.

How powerful. It re-questions me how to be myself as a human being in reality. What is freedom, what is a life, what is "the time"? It keeps questioning me without elicit answer that I must have been seeking by myself.

I read this screenplay, and interviews with the author, and learned that this wasn't written solely by Richard Stratton. Instead the story was formed in a collaborative way in a ninemonth workshop and then during filming, by the movies stars, Sonja Sohn, Bonz Malone and others. I think this is what helps to make this such a powerful screenplay, the fact that many people, some who had experienced events similiar to those portrayed in the movie, were all putting their collective energies together. I really enjoyed this screenplay and was inspired by it. It made me feel like art and artistic endeavor really do matter and can make a difference in the world. I'm grateful to all the authors for that.

I must say I was pleasantly surprised after viewing this film. It truly captured the power of presence, how the power of words can change ideals and touch emotions. This is one of the best products of poetry in movies I've seen in a while not to mention the demonstration of strength in creativity. If you like the artistic feel of Loves Jones with the power of Soul On Ice, this is the film for you. I only wish we could get more of these films out to a broader audience.

I had searched and searched for movies that would expand my imagination and give me some sort of hope for tomorrow that there are people that still strive to make quality movies and write quality books. Thsi is definitely one of them. I read the book and then I saw the movie that went far beyond my expectations. What a sensory pleasure.

this review book is unlike others out there, while it admittedly has a british bias, i found it to be easily readable and refreshing. it offers a lot of information not found in other buffy books- such as fashion critiques, pop culture references, etc.

There are a few problems like lack of pictures, not covering the full 7 seasons of Buffy and no coverage of Angel the series. But these few problems do not detract from how great fans will find this book.

while this may be too much for a casual viewer, i'm sure all buffy fans would want to add this to there collection!

It gives Pop Culture References, such as "Authority Sucks!" and "It's a Designer Label." This book a "must" for all fans of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It covers season 1 through 5 in great detail. Its a good read for everyone.

Note that there's a new edition coming out in March, 2002, and if I were you I'd wait for it.

But otherwise, it's great. This is my favorite guide to BtVS, and I've looked at all of them.

A refreshing change to stuffy old Guides to T.V show. I especially loved the fashion reports on each episode listed. It was well written, and achieved a funny, interesting, information packed guide to the worlds greatest T.V. shows! (Except for Angel)The only thing I could fault(and I am very, very picky) was the lack of pictures.

This is a really good guide to Buffy. I just started watching the show at the end of last season and this book helped me catch up with the seasons I missed plus explained the episodes I saw. It also gives descriptions of the novels, the movie, and the unaired pilot episode that was used to bring advertisers to the show. I highly recommend this book to any and all Buffy fans.

It's the best atlas I've ever seen, it has clear images (sometimes, I think I'm seeing a photo, not a drawing), its "boxes" with information about muscles, etc. are very well done. And its "naming" of the organs, bones, etc. it's not as confusing as Netter's. I own Sobotta and Netter and, Sobotta, for me, simply defeats Netter in every single detail. A must have if you're a medical student.

It is an almost flawless book. I love it... If you are really passioante about medicine and are planning or actually are studying medicine you must have it... It's a real help

I am prenursing student and I love this book.The pictures are great, explanations are wonderful. This is a bible in anatomy. I have a chance to see the other anatomy books in my class but this is the best. You donot need to work on the actual bone, the book is wonderful.

With this CD-Rom you can easily learn the most important concepts of human anatomy without having to read much, it's all a visual process. Then you test yourself on the same picture. It takes no time at all to learn anatomy with Sobotta's. It's a "must have" for every "student" of any age.

Awesome!! I highly recommend Sobotta (Book/CD-ROM) whether used alone or as a supplement to Netter's Atlas of Human Anatomy. I am a physician assistant graduate student at Marquette University and I find the illustrations & references to be very useful when studying for my gross anatomy lecture & lab. Sobotta provides modern imaging diagnostics, endoscopic images, color photographs of surgical views, etc. not found in Netter's. The CD-ROM has all the plates found in the book, but gives you the option to quiz yourself which is very useful. It also allows you to display/hide markers on illustrations, also useful for study purposes. Indexs, tables etc are cross-referenced. If you are looking for a tool to help you maximize your anatomy study/review & you have easy access to a computer/laptop with a CD-ROM, get the Sobotta CD-ROM. You'll find it a great resource!!!

I purchased this at my husband's request for his own use. He has found it to be exactly what he wanted and it is helping him to learn this language.

Jan Burch - Maryland

I wholeheartedly agree with Chuan N. Lee "half". Who knew that
cliff notes 1 & 2 for Spanish could possibly be so excellent? I mean, cliff notes - they're for the losers who couldn't even be bothered to actually read the book, right?

But I picked these up because I'd just started Spanish and they were going cheap at Walmart's. To my surprise, books 1 & 2 together pretty much comprise a complete course in
Spanish, but pared right down to the essentials, which is what I need because I'm in my forties now so I don't have time to waste.

I liked it so much I gave copies to my SO, who is also an engineer, also learning Spanish, and also in a hurry. He finally overcame his prejudice of cliff's notes long enough to actually look at them, and now is as hooked on them as I am.

If you're serious about learning Spanish and are type-A like us, with no time for the fluff and hand-holding you get from "Learn Spanish in 25 years in Your Car whilst becoming a Hazard to Navigation" then this, along with the dictionaries at yahoo.com and wordreference.com, is the way to go.

I am trying to learn the basics of Spanish and this book has been one of the most useful I have found thus far. Grammar is explained in easily understood ways with examples to clarify things. I like it very much!

This is an excellent refresher for those who have had high school Spanish. It is full of great acronyms which were previously unfamiliar to me, but are very useful. I recommend this book for all ages and all levels.

I learned French a long time ago, so I felt like I knew what I was getting in to when I started with another Romance language, and I wanted to find something that was straight to the point to help me learn Spanish. Cliff's Quick Review of Spanish is just that, concise and straightforward. It will not give you a lot of exercises or practice problems, but the basics of grammar are presented in a concise and logical way. I imagine this would make an excellent resource for review for those taking intro to Spanish classes, and as an independent learner I can tell you this book has been extremely useful. While additional books/CDs/websites/etc. are advisable for learning to speak and understand Spanish, this is an excellent background and review on Spanish grammar that I highly recommend.

Yeah, this was a good book. Very complete. Kinda fun too. Especially for a guidebook

When I graduated from college, I had NO experience and NO job. And then I found the Internship Bible. What an amazing resource! After applying and being accepted to two internships in my field, I now have a job I love...and all thanks to the Internship Informants, Oldman and Hamadeh. If they were here right now, I'd kiss them! Thanks guys..

I purchased Internship Bible for my son last year and he found it very helpful. It's the only complete internship guide out there. He got 6 internship offers.

A hot book! Really useful! Helped me get internships at Microsoft and Late Show with David Letterman

I'm a staff reporter for the Wall Street Journal -- and I used this book to land an internship at WSJ -- which subsequently led to my permanent position at WSJ Interactive. The book was quite helpful, well organized, and a fun read, too. It's the standard bearer for its field.

I really enjoyed the layout and study guide supplied by this book. The study guide is really easy and works very well.

This book has been very useful in my college class. I think that it is written well and it makes the information easy to understand.

this book has helped very much in studying for my class. It hit alot of the main points that I get tested on.

Where was this book at the beginning of nursing school?? The first textbook I had for pharmacology was a nightmare!! And the instructor made it worse. I searched high and low for a pharmacology textbook that I can understand, and now, in my third semester, I find this goldmine! I suggest this for anyone for the quick and easy way to study the drugs, and now, I feel better about entering into med-surg 2, and then the boards. Thanks, Mosby! You've done it again!

product in good condition, delivery was quick. product was as advertised. thank you

Judge Bork is a brilliant thinker. Book is a masterpiece of brilliant deduction and understanding of critical political, educational and judicial issues in America, and provides the reader with a foundational grasp of why there is such volatile division between political ideologies in America. We need more thinkers and writers like Judge Bork.

The Tempting of America is the finest book ever written in defense of the judicial theory known as 'original understanding.' In this brilliant tome, Bork enunciates the dangers and abuses (by activist judges of the Right as well as the Left) inherent in rejecting the original understanding, shows the logical impossibility of constructing an unbiased alternative and shows that the original understanding is not only what the Founding Fathers intended, but is the only safe and non-partisan way to allow a free people to govern itself.

Complaints? This book is a heavy, intellectual read, not for the faint of heart. It merits attention and study--but it will reward your efforts ten-fold.

Now for the good stuff: After I read Bork's book, I told fellow law students there were few law school courses I would not trade for it. I only wish I had read it before sitting through Constitutional Law.

Yet the book would be worth the reading for anyone interested in the law. It is likely the most complete and well-reasoned statement of the conservative position (and arguably the historical "American" position) on judicial philosophy, legal practice, and several key political doctrines, including the separation of powers, federalism, and the Madisonian system. He begins:

"In the Past few decades American institutions have struggled with the temptations of politics. Professions and academic disciplines that once possessed a life and structure of their own have steadily succumbed, in some cases almost entirely, to the belief that nothing matters beyond politically desirable results, however achieved. . . . It is coming to be denied that anything counts, not objectivity, not even intellectual honesty, that stands in the way of the `correct' political outcome."

He goes on to describe the greatest threat to the law today:

"In the law, the moment of temptation is the moment of choice, when a judge realizes that in the case before him his strongly held view of justice . . . is not embodied in a statute or any provision of the Constitution. He then must choose between his version of justice and abiding by the American form of government. Yet the desire to do justice, whose nature seems to him obvious, is compelling, while the concept of constitutional process is abstract, rather arid, and the abstinence it counsels unsatisfying. To give in to temptation, this one time, solves an urgent human problem, and a faint crack appears in the American foundation. A judge has begun to rule where a legislator should."

Bork argues that these result-oriented decisions have moved holdings steadily to the left for the last half century. As a result, many Americans do not like those outcomes and are no longer "deceived by the claim that those results are compelled by the actual Constitution." Soon the law may go the way of the press, Bork fears, losing legitimacy with a large part of the public. And conservative activism would only make it worse.

"Conservatives . . . may decide to join the game and seek activist judges with conservative views. Should that come to pass, those who have tempted the courts to political judging will have gained nothing for themselves but will have destroyed a great and essential institution. . . . There are only two sides. Either the Constitution and statutes are law, which means their principles are known and control judges, or they are malleable texts that judges may rewrite to see that particular groups or political causes win."

Bork answers a likely question: "What does it mean to say a judge is bound by the law?" It means he is bound by the only thing that can be called law: the principles of the text, whether Constitution or statute, as generally understood at the enactment." He notes that the lay reader may wonder at this statement. Isn't that obvious?

"Of course, the judge is bound to apply the law as those who made the law wanted him to. That is the common, everyday view of what law is. I stress the point only because that commonsense view is hotly, extensively and eruditely denied by constitutional sophisticates, particularly those who teach the subject in law schools."

Here, Bork argues, commonsense is sound. He quotes Justice Story. "A constitution of government is addressed to the common sense of the people; and never was designed for trials of logical skill or visionary speculation."

Bork resumes: "Story might have been addressing today's constitutional cognoscenti, who would have judges remake the historic Constitution from such materials as natural law, conventional morality, prophetic vision, the understanding of an ideal democracy, or what have you. No matter the base from which they start, they all wind up in the same place, prescribing a new constitutional law that is much more egalitarian and socially permissive than either the Constitution or the American public. That, surely, is the point of their efforts."

Some of my most engaging law school professors saw everything as relative, and the law as an evolutionary force, changing the times and changing with the times. Any appeal to original intent is an appeal to something not only irrelevant but also unknowable. (Of course, the original intent of a contract is evident from the four corners of the document, right? But that's not possible with the Constitution apparently, nor are the numerous speeches and ratifying conventions any help.) Here Bork concedes a distinction. For hair splitters, sure--original intent "calls for speculation." But the ORIGINAL UNDERSTANDING is not at all hard to determine. The reason so many are unhappy with the doctrine of original understanding is not--as they claim--that they have philosophical questions about epistemology. Activists deride appeals to original understanding because they fear such a rule would never have won for them the great civil rights cases of the late 20th century--and those they hope yet to win.

But Bork disagrees. Here his book becomes a tremendous resource. He examines the history of the Court and most of the great cases, explaining that many revisionist cases could have reached the same results through an appeal to original understanding and would have strained logic less in doing so. BROWN V. BOARD OF EDUCATION is the most stunning example Bork cites of a case in which the Court felt compelled to look outside the original understanding of the Constitution when it did not need to. The result is that the century's most immediately, even dangerously controversial decision was based on an argument few could accept. It need not have been this way. Bork's discussion of the this point alone will be worth the price of the book for some.

Bork has no raging desire to see the poor cases overturned, however. Out of respect both for stare decisis and the integrity of the Court itself, Bork would not even reverse the most badly reasoned case of the 20th century, ROE V. WADE. To be more precise, Bork places Roe in a group of cases "so embedded in the life of the nation, so accepted by society, so fundamental to the . . . expectations of individuals . . . that the result should not be changed now." (*I believe he has since modified this position.)

This brings up another interesting issue. Bork makes the case for judicial integrity, the most important commitment of any judge. The temptation to fudge the law to help bad facts is one the judge must resist, because any time the law is compromised, it is weakened. The judge's task is simple:

"In a constitutional democracy the moral content of law must be given by the morality of the framer or legislator, never by the morality of the judge. The sole task of the latter--and it is a task quite large enough for anyone's wisdom, skill, and virtue--is to translate the framer's or the legislator's morality into a rule to govern unforeseen circumstances. That abstinence from giving his own desires free play, that continuing and self-conscious renunciation of power, that is the morality of the jurist."

WHO IS ROBERT BORK TO TALK ABOUT A DISCIPLINED JUDICIARY, ABOUT PERSONAL OR PROFESSIONAL INTEGRITY, some will ask. The second half of his book addresses just that. He describes in detail the nomination process he endured and the lies told about him in the campaign to keep him off the bench. For example, his position in a number of cases was exactly the opposite of the way it was described in the hearings. He received a ringing endorsement from the ABA before taking a seat on the D.C. Court of Appeals. Once there he decided a number of cases in favor of women and minorities. But in the Senate confirmation hearings he was asked, "Why are you against women?" He repeatedly directed Senators Kennedy, Biden, and others to the pages in the opinions proving he had in fact held exactly the opposite. But as they say, a lie told often enough begins to seem true--and such was the case with the lies told about Bork. During one private moment of peculiar candor, Ted Kennedy shook Bork's hand and said, "Nothing personal." Then they vilified him.

Bork's book then, is his public defense. In that it is unique. Not only did the Reagan administration do little to defend him, so unprepared were they for the unprecedented campaign to destroy a judicial nominee, but Bork himself made no public defense.

"The public interest generated by the enormous campaign against me caused dozens of reporters to seek interviews, and television and radio talk programs repeatedly asked me to appear. Despite the unanswered hostile campaign, I decided that it was improper for a judicial nominee to wage a counter campaign by discussing his views on substantive issues anywhere before the Senate, even if it meant letting slanders go unanswered."

Toward the end White House strategists plead with Bork and his wife to appear on a Barbara Walters special. "But . . . we decided we would rather go down than compromise ourselves with what would be, in effect, a personal media appeal." White House advisors thought this a serious mistake; some thought it cost him a seat on the bench. "However that may be, I continue to think that was the right decision.

"The entire process of a judicial confirmation was politicized more than ever before in America's history, but at least I did not contribute to that."

In 1987, President Ronald Wilson Reagan nominated Judge Robert H. Bork to the United States Supreme Court. Leftist pressure groups immediate launched a strident attack on Judge Bork and his record, including such tactics as printing his video rental history in newspapers. The ensuing firestorm gave the American lexicon a new verb - to Bork.

In 1990, Robert Bork first published this book as an explanation of his judicial philosophy, attempting to clear his name. The book has three parts. The first part gives a history of the Supreme Court, showing how the use of judicial activism (judges ruling based on the biases of their own class, rather than on the wording of the Constitution) has been a part of the Court since the early days of the Republic. The second part of the book deals with various theories of Constitutional practice. And, the third part is Judge Bork's memoirs of his nomination battles.

Overall, even after all these years, I still found this to be a fascinating book. In particular, his history of judicial activism was highly enlightening.

What I couldn't help but wonder is how things have changed since this book came out in 1990. The recent firestorm of criticism of the Supreme Court's radical expansion of the power of eminent domain in the case of Kelo v. City of New London, have produced no great groundswell of support for reigning in the Court's activism. Indeed, after the initial criticism, most Americans accepted the new rules of eminent domain as the new law of the land. The activism of the Court was accepted.

So, was this a highly influential book? I suppose that only time will tell. But, I must say that as a history of the United States Supreme Court, and as an explanation of the theories of reasoning used by judicial thinkers, it is absolutely excellent. I loved this book and highly recommend it.

This book may be heavy going in places, but this is because the author deals with a complex and important subject. The single most compelling lesson is how an intellectual elite has become forced to rely on the least democratic element of our government in order to negate the results of free elections, all in the name of "liberalism"! It should be a basic text of any American Government class.