Party The Books

Lenin, after Marx, is the great figure in the pantheon of Communism, and distilled Marx's discoveries about the nature of capitalism and class struggle into concrete revolutionary practice.

This sweeping, authoritative volume gives deep insight into the construction of the Bolshevik party over the two decades leading up to the first World War. Lenin's crucial contributions to the struggle in terms of organization, theory, strategy, and tactics are presented in an accessible and illuminating style. Lenin's insight that a highly organized 'vanguard party' of dedicated professional revolutionaries would be necessary to focus the struggles of the workers sufficiently to overthrow the rulers is presented with great clarity, and the narrative of his tireless efforts to put these insights into practice in struggle is fascinating and instructive.

Highly recommended for those interested in the history of revolution.

This work is a politcal biography, in the sense that the major focus is on Lenin's revolutionary activities - specifically in building and organizing the Bolsheivik party - in the years before the first World War. The beauty of this book is that it exposes the "sacred capitalist myth" that ascribes the Marx-Lenin-Stalin progression as one that arises naturally. In 'Building the Party' we see Lenin not as a rutheless bloodthirsty dictator but rather as a brilliant tactical organizer and one of the foremost intellectual-revolutionaries of the Twentieth Century

I think this is an amazing book which displays the application of Marxist theory to the real world. In reading, I found it extremely helpful in clearing up the contradictions ahout Lenin I'd held onto for so long. Tony Cliff's analysis, true to Marxist principles, shows how the revolutionary movement was shaped by the struggle. It shows that Lenin's ideas weren't just bright ideas that popped into his head, but the result of a process including open debate and active participation in the struggle. Overall, Tony Cliff gives a positive view of the kind of open, democratic principles which served as the framework for the Russian Revolution and provides a sharp contrast to the distorted picture of an authoritarian and elitist Lenin we're usually shown.

This book is absolutely ESSENTIAL reading for anyone interested in building a revolutionary organization and it provides plenty of hope for those who wish to see a world in which decisions are made based on human need instead of profit.

This is a great biography on Vladimir Lenin, focusing on his early years. It chronicles Lenin's youth and the history of the early Marxist movement in tsarist Russia. Later chapters focus on his efforts to craft an effective revolutionary party.

This book is chock full of information, but is still very engaging. It is pretty down to earth and doesn't make use of high-falutin language wherever possible. Compare reading this book to the official Stalinist biography of Lenin, or those put forward by right-wing cranks.

Overall, this is a must-read for all activists, especially socialists. I highly recommend this book to people with an interest in politics.

My son is 3 and loves the Caillou series on TV. I bought him a few CAillou books recently and this one by far is his favorite. The stickers add fun, the pics are interesting and it's not too long a story. And everyone can relate to birthdays.

It is hard to find a book my son likes. This is one of them. He loves Calliou, and the pictures on this book catch his eyes. Story about CAKE and PRESENT does the trick too. Stickers are plus.

This is a great book for Caillou lovers. My 3yr old son loved reading this story and the stickers were the best part!

I like all the Caillou books. They are wordy but you can skip some of the sentences if your toddler is too young and wants to read more books before bedtime. This is a book you can use for a few years at least.

I loved the cover. How did Mandery draw all of those characters onto the book jacket? Very impressive!

This is not only an interesting, easy to read book, it shows a side of politcal campaigning from an interesting point of view. Mandery is an objective observer with an inside seat. He was part of the campaign, but not part of the culture. That, in my opinion, is to his credit.

The book he has written is rife with funny anecdotes, touching scenes and aggravating politics as usual. Mandery keeps his perspective through the whole mess.

This book is the most insightful book about the nature of the modern campaign I have ever read. As a professional campaigner I know this from first hand experience. Here is a chance for the citizen to peel back the veil and view the inner workings of the campaigns that, in so many ways, choose our officials and shape our nation.

The great thing about the book is that much of it is universally true and important. The issues that Mandery writes about from fundraising, to polling, to the dangers of ethnic politics, to the motivations of the press are as true in the high-flying campaigns of Bill Clinton as they are the failed campaign of Ruth Messinger. The mayoral campaign is, in many ways, simply an entertaining backdrop to a thoughtful guide of the ins and outs of American politics.

That said, the book offers particular insights into the mind of the Mayor who would be Senator. New Yorkers in general and reporters in particular would do well to sit up and take notice before the coming election.

Mandery has a superb lucid writing style. The text brings to bear Mandery's unique perspective combines the laser like analysis of a Harvard lawyer with the ironic sense of humor of one of New York City's hottest amateur stand up comedians.

Mandery brings to life a host of characters that range from the entertaining to the downright bizarre that will keep you turning pages even though we all know how it ends.

In his literary debut Mandery delivers a unique and thoughtful rumination on the machinations of a modern political campaign. With the fresh perspective of a campaign neophyte and his considerable skills of lawyerly analysis, Mandery offers a refreshingly honest chronicling of the 1997 New York mayoral race. Mandery's razor-sharp wit adds zip and readability to a topic lesser authors have consistently made bland.

Mandery asserts that the book is about modern political campaigns in general, and only "incidentally about the 1997 mayoral campaign." Indeed, his position as research director for the Messinger campaign affords the reader a fascinating insider's view of the nuts and bolts of a political campaign at the end of the twentieth century. We are privy to all of the key players, the sometimes-stilted decision-making process, strategy sessions, various private letters between campaigns, focus group sessions, and the research operations. We are even told how much the famous political consultants are paid (it will make you consider a career change!).

At each step of the way Mandery offers his insightful analysis of campaign maneuvers and press coverage. He asks the commonsense questions that any thoughtful outsider might ask. His logic is consistently solid, systematically and lucidly cutting through the muck of political "spin" to reveal the truth of the matter at hand. Though he often wonders aloud whether he can possibly be objective given his position, Mandery scores points for his even-handed critique of both sides.

Perhaps more importantly, and most interestingly, Mandery brings into high relief the cast of characters involved -- the men and women who eat, drink and sleep politics, whose lives move from one campaign to the next. From his boorish campaign manager Jim to colorful rival Sharpton and hilarious longshot Menendez, Mandery describes real characters to rival any of fiction's most entertaining. As Mandery himself might agree, 'you can't make this stuff up.'

This book is specifically for Australians but most of the info is applicable for Americans as well. I ordered the book mainly for ideas when writing my wedding vows. The first half of the book is all about weddings, vows, wedding ceremonies etc. It provides many examples of wedding vows and readings (for bride & groom, officiant, bridal party etc.). There is a mix of more contemporary vows and readings along with some more traditional ideas as well. I am still in the process of writing my vows. I am confident that I will find everything I need for my vows in this book.

As an Australian Civil Celebrant I have found this book a most valuable resource in my work and a marvellous tool for anyone wanting to create their own ceremony, whether it be a marriage ceremony, a namegiving ceremony, a funeral ceremony or any one of the many other transition ceremonies that are becoming popular and a part of people's lives in today's society. The book provides many ideas and guidelines on how to create a ceremony with easy-to-read sample ceremonies. It has a wonderful selection of some of the most appropriate poetry and music so essential to a ceremony. For marriage ceremonies - many sample vows, words to say while exchanging rings etc., and for other ceremonies, some very creative ideas. I recommend this book to professional celebrants and their clients alike, and to anyone wanting to create the most wonderful and meaningful ceremony of their lives. Kathy Hurley, Civil Celebrant, Australia kathyh@netspace.net.au

As an Australian Civil Celebrant I have found this book a most valuable resource in my work and a marvellous tool for anyone wanting to create their own ceremony, whether it be a marriage ceremony, a namegiving ceremony, a funeral ceremony or any one of the many other transition ceremonies that are becoming popular and a part of people's lives in today's society. The book provides many ideas and guidelines on how to create a ceremony with easy-to-read sample ceremonies. It has a wonderful selection of some of the most appropriate poetry and music so essential to a ceremony. For marriage ceremonies - many sample vows, words to say while exchanging rings etc., and for other ceremonies, some very creative ideas. I recommend this book to professional celebrants and their clients alike, and to anyone wanting to create the most wonderful and meaningful ceremony of their lives. Kathy Hurley, Civil Celebrant, Australia kathyh@netspace.net.au

If you're planning a wedding, this book is the one stop shop for wedding vows! My husband and I were recently married and wanted vows which were different from the stock standard ceremony. Dally's book offers so many alternatives and suggestions that it is almost impossible not to find something to suit. Not only does this book offer vows and readings, it gives you the courage to write your own words. There really is no substitute for Ceremonies and Celebrations for couples planning to have alternative wedding vows.

Good Luck with the Wedding!

"Chato and the Party Animals" is a fun children's book by Gary Soto. The story is superbly complemented by Susan Guevara's illustrations. The book opens with a Spanish-English glossary. The text is in English, with Spanish words from the glossary ("comida," "el barrio," etc.) blended in.

Chato is a cat -- described as a "party animal since he was a kitten." But he's also a caring cat, and the story's plot is set into motion when Chato comes up with an idea to cheer up Novio Boy, a friend of his who is feeling sad.

"Chato" is really hilarious. In addition to the Spanish words, Soto spices up the dialogue by having the cats call each other "dude" and "Homecat." The story involves a nice mix of silliness and warmth, and ultimately celebrates friendship. Guevara's outrageous, colorful pictures are full of energy and packed with surreal details. Definitely something out of the ordinary, and something special.

Chato's back. Having learned his lesson from his encounter with the mice in "Chato's Kitchen" this kitty cat is now at peace with every animal he encounters. So much so, in fact, that he is quite the partier. While attending the birthday celebration of the dog Chorizo, Chato discovers a sad fact about his buddy Novio Boy. Originally from the pound, Novio Boy never knew his mother and never had an official birthday. That's all the info Chato needs as an excuse to throw for Novio Boy one of the biggest birthday celebrations ever. He hires a dj, buys tons of food and presents, even purchases a gigantic blow-up dog to fight with. As the guests arrive, however, one fact remains alarmingly clear. Novio Boy was never invited to his own party! After some scrambling and a mistaken death everything turns out for the best and Novio Boy has one of the best pachangas a cat could hope for.

If you've never read a book that combines the effortless writing style of Gary Soto with the eye-popping grandeur of Susan Guevara, you're in for a treat. Like "Chato's Kitchen" this book provides a useful Spanish/English glossary for quick referencing. Spanish words pop up in appropriate places, never sounding forced or out of sync with the storyline. But illustrator Guevara has truly outdone herself here. In the previous Chato book the crazy energy and color of life was remarkable but not overwhelming. Here, on the other hand, Guevara's pulled out all the stops. From the guardian angel-like imagery of Novio Boy's mother that flies, unseen, from picture to picture, to Chorizo's beret and the repetitive phrase (which I loved ) "We are not a minority" that appears in a couple scenes in the background, this book has it all. Best of all is the moment in which each character (thinking Novio Boy dead) stands and thinks of what they liked best about him. As they do, Novio Boy appears on each person's head, acting out their compliments. Guevara also has a sense of movement that allows each character to slouch, run, relax, or dance in a natural free flowing way. It's a talent most illustrators pray they'll attain in their lifetimes.

Some people might be put off by the energy and dynamics in this book. If so, I am truly sorry. My advice would be to flip through this book to make sure you're up to the challenge of reading it to your kids. After all, if your reading style is flat and colorless, this is not the book to put your children to bed with. You are, in fact, unworthy of the text. If instead, however, you have a sense of style and flair that can match this eloquent book, definitely seek it out. Honestly, you've never seen anything like this before.

This book is great on so many levels. I read it with students I tutor and they requested it again and again. At the end of the year I gave them each a copy as a gift. Both of them opened it and got wide-eyed as they saw what it was! One of them said, "This is my favorite book ever!" This was wonderful to hear from a kid who started out so reluctant to read. The story is great on so many levels; there is a message of friendship that is not sappy, but very sincere. Soto also skillfully weaves in the culture of the barrio with his use of Spanish and Mexican themes. What a lovely story.

Novio Boy is a tough kitty, but he does have one soft spot. He comes from the pound. He never knew his mami, and since he doesn't know when his birthday is, he's never had a party. When his best friend Chato realizes how sad this makes him, he decides to throw him a huge birthday party. This is a delightfully fun story of community and friendship. Soto cleverly intertwines Spanish and English, bringing in slang from both languages, creating a cool, hip atmosphere. These homecats kick back and say things like, "he was muy kind," and "the coolest carnal in all the barrio." The language gives us a true taste of barrio spanglish. When Soto's deliciously funny words marry Guevara's festively vibrant acrylic illustrations, the story truly becomes alive.

I really liked Chicks Ahoy and its amazing humor. I was actually jealous of Camille and Jiggy's friendship and understanding of each other throughout their wild summer vacation. The writing style was fun to read and I could hardly put it down once I'd started reading. Great book!

I loved the two friends, Camille and Jiggy, whose parents make them go on a Hawaiian cruise ship for the summer so they can have adult supervision. The supervision turns out to be minimal and the girls have fun--sometimes a little too much of it--as they cruise through the Hawaiian islands. Camille needs to learn to trust guys again and Jiggy needs to learn that "anything goes" is not always the best way to live. The author's voice is upbeat and fun--laugh out loud funny in a lot of places.

I normally read suspense and mystery but I picked this up for my niece and got hooked on it after reading the first chapter. Not only is it funny and perfectly-paced, it gives out all the right advice in a very 'nonparental' way. Two teens get to see the real consequences of their behavior and learn valuable lessons. This is a fantastic read, for adults AND for teens. Highly recommended!

All Jane Goodall Yearling and Camille Tafoya wanted was to have the best summer ever before they entered their last year of high school. Hanging out with friends, doing whatever they wanted, and helping Camille to forget about that jerk, Brett. Unfortunately, the girls' freedom is replaced with their parents' supervision, all because Camille didn't do too well on her SATs.

So now they only get three choices for their summer vacation: hop on a plane and live with Jane's parents in Tanzania along with other primatologists; fly over and live in tents with Camille's mom; or work on Camille's dad's cruise ship. That's right, they would have to actually work. After comparing and contrasting their options, the girls believe that the best choice is to go on the cruise ship. It couldn't be too bad, right? It was much better than having to hang out with old people and there is Internet access, great food, and tons of new people (maybe even some cute guys).

But when the girls arrive on the ship, the other choices they once had seem to become more appealing. Turns out the ship is nowhere near a party ship, and the old people they were hoping to avoid are suddenly everywhere they turn. Well, all except for the guys who work on the ship, too. So maybe it won't be too bad. That is until Jane becomes the one that parties too much, and the girls' friendship is starting to diminish. So now it's up to Camille to control her friend and save her summer vacation.

CHICKS AHOY is a novel about friendship, finding your true self, and learning from your mistakes. Lynda Sandoval creates a cast of characters that are easy to relate to and the reader is able to witness each girls' obstacles firsthand. A coming-of-age novel that is perfect to read while lying on a beach or while on a cruise.

Reviewed by: Randstostipher "tallnlankyrn" Nguyen

My Fair Lady meets La Cage Aux Foilles in this award winning novel set in West Hollywood in the late 70's. The Coming Out Party is the story of two aging queens who pick up an overweight UCLA freshman off Santa Monica Boulevard and train him to become the perfect homosexual. Hilarity ensues!!!

In my constant search for interesting gay fiction, I sometimes stumble upon rare gems, published years ago, that I previously overlooked. One such glittering diamond is THE COMING OUT PARTY by John Caffey. Originally published in 1982, and awarded the 1983 "Pen Prize for First Work of Fiction", this book has been out-of-print until recently. If you have not read this little masterpiece, I highly recommend that you do.

This is the story of Cal and his lover, Sid, two older, wealthy, L.A. Queens, bored with life, and looking for a challenge. They decide, on the spur of the moment, to create the perfect gay man with which to "WOW" their jaded friends on the "circuit". To this end, they pick up Hal, a naive and terribly unhappy, over-weight college student. Cal and Sid discover Hal stranded, with a flat tire, on Santa Monica Blvd, and whisk him away to their mansion in the Hollywood Hills, for the make-over of all make-overs. They have several months of hard work ahead of them in order to transform Hal into the perfect "Gay Adonis", and debut him at the "Debutants for Human Rights Ball", held yearly on Halloween.

All is going swimmingly until Hal tumbles, head-over-heels, in love with the "pool man". Cal is determined to nip this infatuation in the bud. After all, the "pool man" doesn't have two dimes to rub together, and is a totally inappropriate match for his creation; his child if you will.

Take AUNTIE MAME, THE WIZARD OF OZ, LA CAGE AU FOLLE, MY FAIR LADY, and SLEEPING BEAUTY, dump them in a blender, mix until smooth, and out would pour this wonderful gay fairy tale. The characters in this novel, both good and evil, are delightfully outrageous, and the story literally sprints from page to page. The dialogue is cunning and catty without being overly bitter, and the love story is truly one of the most touching I have ever read. I simply can not stop thinking about this fabulous little (215 pages) book, and I felt compelled to share my opinion here.

If you've never read this book then, by all means, get a copy as quick as you can. If you have read it, read it again because I'll bet you've forgotten how much you loved it.

I read this book years ago when I first came outand remebered how funny it was when a saw it here. Very non-PC, witty, goofily-romantic, it is a good, entertaining and quick read. I believe it has been out of print for quite some time. Definitely worth getting while you can.

I first read this in 1982, when it first came out. (The original cover was pink, by the way.) The book was hilarious, and was one of my favorites. Somewhere along the line I lost my copy. It's terrific to see it back in print.

If you are interested in the history of the American Left or are a militant trying to understand some of the past lessons of our history concerning the socialist response to various social and labor questions this book is for you. This book is part of a continuing series of volumes of the writings of James P. Cannon that were published by the organization he founded, the Socialist Workers Party, in the 1970's and 1980's. Cannon died in 1974. Look in this space for other related reviews of this series of documents on and by an important American Communist.

In their introduction the editors motivate the purpose for the publication of the book by stating the Cannon was the finest Communist leader that America had ever produced. This an intriguing question. The editors trace their political lineage back to Cannon's leadership of the early Communist Party and later after his expulsion to the Trotskyist Socialist Workers Party so their perspective is obvious. What does the documentation provided here show? This certainly is the period of Cannon's political maturation, and the beginning of a long political collaboration working with Trotsky. The period under discussion- from the late 1920's when he was expelled as leader of the American Communist Party to the early 1930's and the start of the great labor upsurge which would bring wide spread unionization to the working class. Cannon won his spurs in this struggle to orient this organization toward a revolutionary path. One thing is sure- in his prime, which includes this period- Cannon had the instincts to want to lead a revolution and had the evident capacity to do so. That he never had an opportunity to lead a revolution is his personal tragedy and ours as well.

As an expelled faction of the American Communist Party, which continued to stand on the program of the defense of the Russian Revolution, the Cannon faction needed an orientation. That they considered themselves as an expelled but loyal faction of the Communist Party was the correct orientation for a small propaganda group. The party was where the vast bulk of the advanced political workers were. Immediately going to the "masses", as has occurred with other expelled groupings then and now, would have proved disastrous. Cannon's group needed to cohere a programmatic basis and recruit a cadre to win over workers and intellectuals from the party. Its Platform of the Communist Opposition, a generally good programmatic statement, was its key analysis and tool to win cadre.

That said, there are three related points of interest in this book for today' militants; the necessity of a small propaganda group to struggle in order to cohere an authoritative leadership in the face of severe internal disputes and other difficulties; the necessity for it to break out of its isolation and intersect mass struggles when they develop; and, the necessity of following a policy of regroupment, splits and fusions to create at least a modest vanguard formation, when possible. The history of the American left political landscape is filled with long forgotten groupings that could not surmount these problems. Within limits Cannon dragged the Communist League of America into a modest vanguard formation.

In the post-October Revolution period every serious revolutionary has had to confront the question of the organizational form of the vanguard workers party. The ideas put forth by Marxism have since the time of Marx and Engel held a certain fascination for young alienated intellectuals and others interested in changing the world. And this accrues to the benefit of the working class movement, as the movement needs intellectuals, sometimes desperately, to help formulate theoretical problems and write propaganda. The problem, particularly acute under the conditions of the small propaganda group under discussion, is to find the right mix of revolutionary intellectuals and advanced workers in order to push the work forward. That means, in Trotsky's famous phrase, that the revolutionary intellectuals have to, as he did, harness themselves to the work. Failing that intrigues, squabbles and merely literary propaganda prevail. The beginning section of this volume is filled with such doings. This is the axis that the Cannon-Shachtman struggle ran on here. And it would cause later problems when all hell broke loose over the question of defense of the Soviet Union became operative at the beginning of World War II. Whether this tension can be solved short of the transition to socialism is an open question. In the final analysis the problem was not resolved by this group. Read on.

As an addition to the historical records of this period this book is a very good companion to Cannon's own THE LEFT OPPOSITION IN THE U.S., 1928-31, Monad Press, New York, 1981 and DOG DAYS: JAMES P. CANNON vs. MAX SHACHTMAN IN THE COMMUNIST LEAGUE OF AMERICA, 1931-1933, PROMETHEUS RESEARCH LIBRARY, Spartacist Publishing Co., New York, 2002.

This volume of Socialist Workers Party leader James P. Cannon?s writings is dated to a tumultuous time. The Stalinized Communist International, and the German Communist Party, refused to wage an effective struggle against the rise of Hitler to power, causing a defeat felt by workers and farmers around the globe. This defeat was as unnecessary as it was massive. This caused not a whimper of protest within that movement. Communists who defended the traditions of the Communist International of Lenin?s time, led by Leon Trotsky, became convinced that the official Communist movement had now become an obstacle, not an opportunity, for world revolution. They moved to gather their forces into a new revolutionary movement. In doing so, they also searched for, and found, groups of revolutionary-minded workers from other backgrounds, who themselves had been deeply affected by the political and economic turmoil of the 1930s.

Amazon lists this book as out of print, but Pathfinder has reprinted this book in an attractive new edition with more pictures, better type, notes etc. Most revolutionists today fight in small groups awaiting for and seeking out mass struggles by the working class. This is the story of the Communist League of America, the small group of American supporters of Leon Trotsky who went from the peak of the depression with its inactivity and defeats f to the big struggles in 1934 including the Minneapolis Teamster Strikes led by the SWP.
This is the record of Cannon with the support to Trotsky fighting for a clear principled way to turn the movement to the potential of workers resistance, to struggles by Blacks around the Scottsboro frame-up among other things, and at the same time building internationalist principles.
This is also the story of how the CLA and the world movement led by Trotsky realized that the Stalinist capitulation to Hitler in 1933 meant the Comintern was dead, and a new revolutionary international was required.
Everything Cannon writes has a certain wit and wisdom about it, where the value goes beyond the political to the personal and beyond. Even though these were tough times, there is even a glint of humor to be discovered where you might least expect it

This collection of writings and speeches, steeped in the workers struggles of the 1930s and the leadership challenges of forging a communist workers party, really impressed me with how relevant and useful they are today. James P. Cannon was a young organizer for the IWW and early Socialist Party, a founding member and leader of the Communist Party in the United States in the 1920s, and central leader of the cadre who fought to maintain the Bolshevik's revolutionary course against the Stalinist degeneration of the Soviet Union and Communist International from the late 1920s on.

Here you will find week-by-week, sometimes day-by-day, news, analysis, and proposals for action. Cannon writes as a participant and leader of a workers party involved in organizing coal miners, textile strikes, the big 1933 New York hotel strike, the historic Minneapolis Teamsters strikes of 1934. He takes up key international questions: the evolution of the Stalinist leadership in the Soviet Union, the rise of fascism in Germany, and the difficult, persistent efforts led by Leon Trotsky to rebuild a new revolutionary international movement. Many of his writings detail questions of party leadership, lessons of faction and tendency struggles, or answer key practical questions: "what to do next?"

I'd strongly suggest reading this along with Cannon's "History of American Trotskyism" that covers the same historic period, "Teamster Rebellion" by Farrell Dobbs, and current writings that pick up the struggle today, including "Their Trotsky and Ours" and "Capitalism's World Disorder" by Jack Barnes.

Have you ever wondered how the label "conservative" ceased to denote a serious poltical philosophy and became the prefered self designation of media hacks? If you want a specific contrast: think Ayn Rand vs. Ann Coulter! This didn't come about just because of the decline in American educational standards (although that is no doubt a related variable) but rather it is the end result of a premeditated poltical coup on the right. Paul Gottfried, who was an eyewitness to the process, has left us an account of how it was done and why.

This slender but data packed volume documents how representatives of the limited-government and traditionalist movements lost their positions, funding, and ultimately even their identity to a faction of crass Machiavellians who migrated into the conservative movement between the early Reagan years and the end of the Cold War. In a way it is hardly surprising that these genteel literary types were bested by battle hardened ex-Trotskyites fresh from the proxy wars of the left. The value of Gottfried's study is that he both memorialises and criticises the vanquished old right, ensuring that the epoch doesn't vanish down the memory hole, and that the cautionary lessons are laid out to be learned by whoever takes the time and effort.

The philosophical core of the book is Gottfried's implicit criticism of "value conservatism." Although he doesn't venture very far into the technical aspects of value-theory, enough is said to explain the tropism of "values" from presumed absolutes towards handy poltical slogans. The presumption of the old right was that "values" refered to a hierarchy of moral goods latent in the order of things, discovered, but not created by human minds. This is an implicitly theistic, or at least panentheistic, theory. Gottfried points out the rhetorical blunder of old right in resting its case on nominal rather than real values. By the time Russel Kirk and others started talking about "traditional values" the frame of reference had shifted (assuming it had ever been anywhere else) from absolute values to imputed values, that is to say: subjective evaluation of the sort that is used (legitimately) in economic theory. Unfortunately the appeal to imputed values in poltical rhetoric only encouraged the sort of value relativism that the old right claimed to be fighting. After that it was only a matter of time before some clever faction on the left realized that it could use this protean notion to insert its own agenda into the conservative program and take over the movement.

For that salient insight, as well as the documentation of nearly forgotten thinkers, this is a book to get and ponder upon. The only reason that I am giving it four rather than five stars is that there seem to be many loose ends in the text. Dr. Gottfried has a tendency to sally into criticism of other thinkers and then break off before making his own principles explicit. Perhaps he likes to hold his political cards close to his chest, or perhaps in his years of contention with the Straussians, their coy indirectness of expression has rubbed off on him. Whatever Gottfried's ultimate position may be, this is a book that should be read by paleoconservatives, libertarians, or anyone else who is interested in cognitivism in poltics and curious about its decline in America.

I finished this wonderful book a moment ago, and nothing about its portrayal of a baseless conservative movement struck me as untrue. But it left me wondering where an adequate base could possibly come from, a topic on which the author does not seem very hopeful, though this lack of hope has done nothing to discourage him from making spirited attacks on the Left and its neocon clones. In any case, my interest in Gottfried's work, which began with columns at LRC, continues to grow.

What perhaps struck me most about Gottfried's treatment of the American Right is how the events and ideas it documents, basic to understanding the American political landscape, are wholly ignored by practitioners of public and media "discourse." Gum-flappers Left and "Right" suppress or pass over any information that does not fit in to their carefully-monitored view of reality. Allowing remarks like Gottfried's into the mix might lead one to reflect seriously on the danger of accepting and promoting an established liberal secular theology of rights-talk, universalism, multiculturalism, and managerially-supervised diversity. Readers might also consider the extent to which acceptance of these ideas inclines regimes toward warmaking and enforcement of its conception of rights everywhere--a model we are never invited to use in our analysis of such debacles as the Iraq invasion. Finally, Gottfried's analysis of movement conservatism might lead thoughtful Righties into abandoning and even attacking the baseless hierarchy of GOP helpers. There is little danger of this happening, however, since the managers of "Right-wing" information would rather pant after the endless stream of flatulent, self-serving "books" researched and authored by unprincipled conservatives and their minicon servants, than take the time to consider the tirelessly-documented arguments made by thoughtful dissenters like Gottfried.

In the last few years, there have been a number of books that note that the conservative movement and the Republican Party is not conserving what it used to. These books include Pat Buchanan's "Where the Right Went Wrong," Bruce Bartlett's "Impostor" and Richard Viguerie's "Conservatives Betrayed." All of these books are worth reading, but they are pretty much limited to listing certain issues that conservatives are supposed to support: opposition to illegal immigration, a national interest foreign policy, limited government, states' rights, judicial restraint, opposition to gay rights and abortion etc. and how the Republican Party, George W. Bush, and/or the conservative movement have failed to live up to these principles.

This is a worthy endeavor, but they have one major shortcoming: they say "Where the Right Went Wrong" but they don't do that much of "How and Why the Right Went Wrong". Most of these books claim there was some golden age of conservatism: usually under Reagan, in some cases up to the 1994 "Republican Revolution," and then things suddenly went sour. Other than criticizing the neoconservatives (to differing degrees,) and the corrupting influence of power, they offer few ideas as to why this once great movement was doing very little of value today. And with the exclusion of Buchanan, most of these men had been relatively silent about the problem until it was far too late.

Paul Gottfried's book begins where these books end. Anyone who is familiar with the Prof. Gottfried's work knows that he has long been critical of the Republican Party and the neoconservatives. While he still has no love lost for either, this book doesn't expend much energy on them, but rather how they became so respected among otherwise right thinking conservatives.

Gottfried goes after many of the sacred cows and premises of the conservative movement--particularly it opposition to German historicism as "moral relavatism" and it's insistent on the importance of abstract "values" as being at the root of many of the Right's problems. While Gottfried shows respect to thinkers like Russell Kirk, he does not think all the problems are the result of too few Republican hacks reading "The Conservative Mind," and in fact looks at how certain aspect of Kirk and other conservative hero's thinking may have led us to the mess we are in now.

This book is a must read for anyone who wants to understand the state of the American Right and how it got there.

Paul Gottfried has, over the past twenty-five years, been one of the most astute and impressive writers on contemporary politics and society. His earlier volumes MULTICULTURALISM AND THE POLITICS OF GUILT and AFTER LIBERALISM have been significant contributions to the discussion of the nature of American (and European) society and the structures of authority---and how they came to be the way they are today. In this, his newest, volume, Gottfried analyzes both the history and "meaning" of what has been termed "American conservatism." Looking first at the older, pre-NATIONAL REVIEW "Right" of Robert Taft and others, he explores how publicists and others transformed that older "Right" into an anti-Communist "coalition" in the 1950s that, although it at least in part attempted to establish roots in a transatlantic Burkean tradition (with the work of Russell Kirk), soon found itself conflicted by divergent strains and impulses. The implosion of a formal Communist threat in the late 1980s and early '90s, and the influx of former Leftist/Trotskyite neo-conservatives in the 1970s and 1980s and their expropriation of the name "conservative," have transfigured what many people think of as the "Right" in America today, and the results have had extreme consequences both politically and socially.

Gottfried's analysis is fresh and his command of sources and knowledge of historical events and persons is quite impressive. Stylistic, this book reads quite well, unlike some dry-as-dust tomes.

In short, this is a book that demands attention from political scientists, historians, from journalists and observers both of American and European politics and society, and from those interested in not only what has taken place and what is taking place in the United States...but why.

"Inside an Empire of Mediocrity, the spirit of rebellion is reborn" - "Corpse of Freedom" is initially a story of friendship, following a teenager named Ryan and his befriending of Jeffery Neil. The only problem is that Jeffery Neil is dead and Ryan only knows about him through the online blog that Jeffery left behind. "Corpse of Freedom" follows Ryan and his adventures spiraling out of that, partially believing that the corpse has cursed him while he tries to escape the black hole of his hometown, as he's hunted by a strange tough guy and the area is swarmed with cops. "Corpse of Freedom" is an offbeat, entertaining, will make the reader think, making it highly recommended to fiction shelves everywhere and anyone looking for a different sort of story.

Great book. A fun, fast, and entertaining story about teen angst without any apology. It expresses a growing undercurrent in our society. Nothing contrived. The symbolism and metaphor don't bog you down with too much purpose and meaning. Just an entertaining coming of age book. And Funny, too. I haven't laughed so hard at characters and dialogue in a long time. I really recommend it as a change for any reader looking to read something with a fresh voice, instead of the same old stale prose.

This book without a doubt takes readers along an unconventional narrative-joy-ride at breakneck speed. By overlapping multiple narratives, clues and peripheral characters' stories, Corpse's pace moves a lot like a screenplay, dropping readers in and out of simultaneous scenes and unexpected dream sequences, bouncing back and forth through what feels like a ping-pong game of fun house mirrors complete with car chases, house parties and sex scenes. Maybe it was intended to be a teen-read, but the underlying message ups the ante from intelligent young-adult level to adult-level.

On one hand we have a story about teenaged existential conflict. On the other hand, (if the first isn't full enough for you) we have the exhumation of a corpse. But, instead of reburying him, Ryan chooses (against his friends' pleas) to keep his new "friend" Jeffrey, taking him home, to the park, or along for nights out on the town. Ryan finds Jeffrey's online journal entries written just before his mysterious death and finds himself drawn to their wisdom in a way that has heretofore escaped him in empathizing with the living. Ryan has grown up in this suburban American town whose atmosphere is literally browned by the mundane and confined lifestyles of its dwellers, where colorless corporations are fast taking over. Escape from "Everdale, USA" has been Ryan's only hope in amounting to someone distinctive but before "meeting" Jeffrey, all these hopes and ideas had been buried and unarticulated.

But how long can Ryan hang onto this corpse when a tattooed mystery-man in a devilish souped-up Buick Riviera is after him to claim it? Ryan's life and everyone else's around him is quickly spiraling out of control. Is this corpse cursed?

This book reads like a verbal rock 'n roll video, fast paced and hilariously strange but has a much deeper statement to make that shines through. While wholly unreasonable in reality, in the world Dax and Lloyd Garner create, this story totally works. Of course, we need to forgo our qualms with carrying decayed bodies around, talking to them, partying with them, for the length of two hundred seven pages. Normality doesn't apply here. Irony does. Which is exactly the stuff that keeps you thinking after the book's been set down. It is bold and intense, rooted in what one can only describe as a seriously original way of tackling the subject of existentialism and teenage-angst. It will leave you pondering its pieces for days.

Every once in a while, a great novel for young adults comes along. These are the true standouts among the genre; "A Catcher in the Rye" by Salinger, "The Outsiders" by Hinton, and most currently "Corpse of Freedom" by brothers Dax and Lloyd Garner.

This fast-moving read is the story of Ryan, a typical suburban teenager living in Everdale, a typical American suburb. One night Ryan and his friends try to shake off the ennui of their suburban existance by digging up the corpse of a teenager named Jeffery Neil.

After partying with the corpse, Ryans so-called friends ditch him, leaving him to keep the corpse in his filthy bedroom. Not knowing what to do about his dilemma, Ryan just keeps the corpse in his room while he tries to live out his life as normal as possible.

Ryan soon decides to Google Jeffery's name to find out more about him, and comes accross an online journal the teen kept right before he died. Through this journal, Ryan develops a quite unnatural friendship with the corpse, learning as much about himself as he does about Jeffery.

Jeffery's philosophy about freedom, individuality, and personal pursuit of excelence makes Ryan come to terms with the fact that his life is going nowhere fast. When he ditches his old friends and meets an independent young man named Manuelo, the two embark on an adventure of freedom outside the fishbowl of suburban conformity.

Add to this plot Ryan's infatuation with the snotty, spoiled little high-school princess, numerous confrontations with her boyfriend (the wealthy school stud), and a ghoulish stalker who hunts him down like wounded prey, and you have a great novel that even seasoned fiction afficianados will enjoy!

Like "I Am the Cheese", "Anthem", and "The Giver", "Corpse of Freedom"'s Libertarian message of personal liberty and individuality make it a must-read for every American adolescent. Who knows? It just may even counteract the socialist, conformist mentality being fostered in todays American youth (if we're lucky!)