Party The Books

If you want to understand how conservatives took control of America, read this book. Mark Smith shows that the real story of the conservative success isn't the social issues like abortion and homosexuality that writers like Thomas Frank (What's the Matter with Kansas) emphasize. Instead, the conservative triumph was made possible by a rise in economic insecurity which included slack wages, declining rates of health insurance, job instability, and high levels of debt. These problems made Americans receptive to thinking about political issues that are cast in economic terms. Republicans and conservatives responded to the rise and persistence of economic insecurity by giving economic justifications for policies they had previously supported on different grounds. Low taxes, deregulation, and shrinking the welfare state were sold as the means for economic renewal and vitality. Democrats, meanwhile, got boxed into the position of being the party of fiscal responsibility (yes, it's true--read the book and you'll see why). Smith ably tells the story of Bill Clinton's evolution (devolution?) from supporting investments in education, health care, and job training into a position where his major domestic initiative was reducing the deficit and, later, balancing the budget. Against an assertive Republican party that forcefully pushed its economic agenda, a neutered Democratic party didn't stand a chance. This is one of those rare books that actually changed the way I think about politics.

Political hipsters love to talk about spin, framing, and messaging these days. George Lakoff has made a fortune raising awareness of the importance of such things, and now everyone seems quick to spot a "strong father frame" in Republican terror discourse, a "nurturing" frame in health care talk from the left, and so on.

That's all well and good, but in his book, Mark Smith finds a more fundamental shift--one that might have been more visible pre-9/11 but is still just as real. In this book, he explains that the conservative movement changed fundamentally how we think and talk about the full spectrum of policy issues. Specifically, an economic frame was put on issues far beyond meat-and-potatoes budgeting. Now, schools are factories yielding human capital investments, health care is a cost-benefit question, global warming threatens industries, and even foreign policy is about our economic interests. He spells out how this changed with great examples but also cold, hard data (tediously collected, it would seem. The book's an intellectual history, a rhetorical analysis, and a policy study all at once--quite an interdisciplinary undertaking, and one that's appropriate for a faculty member who has appointments in both political science and communication.

Some might wonder if God and Terror have taken the limelight from the "economic frame," but Smith's argument is a subtle one. He point out, rightly I believe, that the economic frame is now more fundamental than that--it's the basic framework of much policy discussion, whatever spin one might put on top of it.

Don't agree? Well, read the book, then let's talk.

A real treat! This historical novel set in Revolutionary Massachusetts provides a sensitive love story woven around a fascinating journey through New England's revolutionary times. This is a novel that pays careful attention to detail (General Gage really was noted to look just like Samual Adams). Author Mary Carter has a delightful and mischievous sense of humor, and her knowledge of her subject matter shows. A real winner.

A captivating, romantic story set in Revolutionary Massachusetts. Not only historically interesting and factual, but the author also manages to take your emotions on a delightful "journey" filled with anticipation and the unexpected right through to the end of this fascinating tale! Author, Mary Carter, has a gift for telling a story and with this novel we, the readers, are the lucky ones to be on the receiving end of her tremendous talent! Bravo!!!

I used this game for my daughter's 8th Birthday Party. It was perfect for this age group. The kit comes with all of the Birthday invitations, and 9 bound scripts. (plus more!) Each child plays a character in this drama/play from the Samantha series from American Girl. The girls dressed in costumes with large bows in their hair, then we finished it off with a real victorian tea party. They loved it and said that this was the best Birthday Party ever. The play takes around an hour. The guests must be able to read, so if you have a younger sibling they can either be a shadow to one of the other characters, or just be one of the silent guests.

My initial reaction to the game was to wonder if I could jazz it up a bit, maybe add some clues, or make them harder to find. But, time got away from me and I just followed the instructions and the girls had a terrific time. It took us about an hour to set up (before the party) and 45 minutes to play.
Thanks to the November 2004 movie, Samantha's story was well known to all the guests. Even those who were not great at reading aloud enjoyed the game. While the outcome of the story was obvious to me, and eventually to the girls, they got a kick out of solving it and seeing their guesses proven right.
We used our game for a 9 year old's birthday party. The game was fun and it met my goal of planning a good party without getting into one of those $20+ a person, preplanned event parties. I really don't think children's birthday parties ought to be huge extravaganzas.
We had eight girls giggling all over the house. (A little goofy improvisation channeling Steve from Blues Clues didn't hurt!)
In addition we kept to the American girl theme by playing outdoor games, parlour games and making peppermint ice cream.
As they say, a splendid time was had by all.

A weird entertainer throws a "horror birthday." If you choose to open your presents, you are chased by crazed motorized toys. If the cake is chosen, watch out! It's crawling with bugs. This book is packed with 20 super-spooky endings.

The world's most boring birthday party turns into a festival of fright when the kids are treated to a visit from a crrrreeepy clown. Not only that, but the reader gets to choose the ending.

R.L. Stine's "multiple ending" format is at its best in this book. It features over 20 different endings and the scariest clown you've ever met.

----Patrick, 10/2000

Wonderful book, my daughter and I cant wait for Penny Dann'snext book!I hope she never stops thrilling us with her adoreable Fairystories!

I love it, and I'm older than 10. It's got alot like the fairy handbook, and it's great: pull-out wings, recipes, etc. It's great!

This book is great, especially because we are related to the author. The story is tragic, but really interesting.

Well-illustrated with black-and-white photographs, portraits, and drawings, "SNOWBOUND: The Tragic Story of the Donner Party" is a succinct, well-written summary of the misfortunes of a group of American emigrants who were trapped in the Sierra Nevada mountains during the winter of 1846-47. Lavender tells the story of survival of the desperate people straightforwardly, neither glossing over the grim facts nor candy-coating the truth. With no extraneous material, large type and big margins allow the reader to buzz quickly through the 87-page book. Although the book is directed at students ages 9-12, I feel it would hold the interest of an even wider audience; high school students reading below grade-level would find this book an easy read, without being made to feel spoon-fed. The nonfiction account follows the Donner Party from their departure from Springfield, Illinois through to the end, when the last survivors finally reached the promised land of California. Biographical information regarding many of the survivors recounts their assimilation into California society. Lavender treats the discrepant viewpoints of the many Donner Party historians of the last century and a half fairly and in a matter-of-fact way. Includes a bibliography and an index.

This first rate study of the struggles of pre-WW 2 democratic parties in Europe casts an illuminating light on the problems of emerging democratic societies in the post=Soviet period. It is thoughtful and well written.

If you want to know what political science can and should be, read this book. It takes important questions and answers them clearly and intelligently, with learning but not jargon. I wish all scholarly books were like this.

I am a serious cook and frequent hostess with hundreds of cookbooks. This little gem is one I turn to constantly. The drink recipes are wonderful and wide-ranging in ingredients and presentation. The appetizer recipes are fabulous (try the blackeye pea con queso for a true taste of the South), easy to prepare and perfect with a cocktail. I am giving this book to every bride and college graduate who will be beginning to think of doing serious entertaining. We pride ourselves here in the South on the quality of the food and drink we serve to family and friends. This book has added a number of recipes to my repertoire that are always received with oohs and ahhs. I highly recommend it!

I am a Southern transplant who moved from Mississippi to San Francisco, and I am always in search of the nearest and dearest bon vivant who'll appreciate the art of entertaining--and will teach me how to perfect it. This book has ended my search and made my year. Because I have met the best in Denise Gee and her lovely book, Southern Cocktails. I've not only made the drinks (most recently, the beloved 'apple joujou' for friends), but I've also read over and over again what I call fabulous "cocktales"--engaging stories about the drinks themselves. Thanks to Ms. Gee, the writing is as delicious as the recipes she serves up to her readers. There's more than drinks to enjoy here, too; Gee introduces us to some of the best little bites I've ever tasted. And Mr. Peacock's photography is so stunning you'll want to rip out the pages and frame them in your kitchen. Life doesn't get any sweeter than this. Buy this book for your friends' birthdays, for housewarming presents, and for yourself. Your bar--and your parties--will never be the same.

As a Southerner, I find it interesting that the Oxford University Press considered us an 'influential political faction' in the Democratic Party. Because of course we are, but we like to be quiet about these matters. The author's interviews with southern politicians are particularly fascinating. He has opened a conversation with the general public with this book. The book is a bit dated, but it records what is good and right and true about Southern Democrats. And I feel that every Southerner needs to learn this, or refresh their memory.

Nicol C. Rae has a remarkable ability to pinpoint key political movements and factions, and to write about them in an accessible and perceptive way. This was true of "The Decline and Fall of Liberal Republicans," and it is also the case with "Southern Democrats." Rae provides a fantastic thumbnail sketch of the modern Democratic Party, and the role of Southerners in it from the days of Harry S. Truman through the Voting Rights Act of 1965 and Jimmy Carter up to the dawn of the Clinton era. Like "The Decline and Fall of Liberal Republicans," Rae's book could benefit from an update that would fully cover not only the Clinton era, but also the rise and current prominence of politicians like North Carolina Senator John Edwards and Louisiana Senator John Breaux. Rae's book must be highly recommended for anyone interested in modern American politics, and particularly for those interested in regional and geographic factions.

On election night, commentators usually forget to provide the context and background explaining why the south votes the way it does, making it "mysterious" to all but the pros.

This book begins by explaining the shift towards the Republican Party in the south in recent years in clear language. As much as was made of Gore's loss in his home state in 2000, this books makes clear that any democrat would likely have lost there.

The first chapter gives a regional overview and each succeeding chapter covers one state, written by a local expert. Highly recommended.

An amazing review of the status of the political situation in the American South in the 1990s. It will appeal to the lay audience, political scientists, and political professionals. In the fine tradition of V.O. Key.