Kansas Books

"Lochner v. New York" is one of the best known and most despised US Supreme Court rulings. In Lochner, the Court voted 5 to 4 to invalidate a New York law that limited bakers' working hours to 10 a day or sixty a week. The Court found that it was a "labor legislation", and therefore unconstitutional. To this day, Lochner v. New York is remembered as one of the most extremist judicial activist opinions, and gave the name to an era of conservative judicial activism, which lasted well into the New Deal.

Professor Paul Kens' "Lochner v. New York" (I shall henceforth refer to the decision as "Lochner" and to the book as "Lochner v. New York") is not the type of book I was looking for. I wanted a legal analysis of the infamous decision. Kens' book is less a legal analysis as a social, political and intellectual history, explaining the various trends that shaped the law, the case, and the decision.

Too often, Social History can be merely a list of practices, or a description of conditions that are entirely predictable to anyone with even a slight familiarity with economic and social concepts (see respectively Eric Poner's Reconstruction: America's Unfinished Revolution, 1863-1877 and John Dower's Embracing Defeat: Japan in the Wake of World War II). "Lochner v. New York" on the other hand is revealing of the working conditions and social and economic situation of the baking industry, and Kens judicially uses statistics to chronicle its evolution from the mid 19th century to the early 20th.

As Intellectual history, Kens offers an in depth look at the thought of various Lessez-faire and Social Darwinist ideologists, as well as their progressive opponents. Although Kens clearly has little sympathy for Social Darwinists, they come out quite well - Social Darwinist thought, while extremist, is not all that different from modern Libertarianism.

Kos does a good job of describing the politics surrounding the Baking hour law's passing, and the ironies with which it abounded - including the fact that one of the Law's chief backers were later to argue its unconstitutionality before the Supreme Court.

After contextualizing Lochner, Kens gets down to legal analysis. Essentially, the court applied the doctrine of "substantial due process" to declare the 10 hour law unconstitutional. The court used the 14th amendment requirement against deprivation of liberty to protect the "Sanctity of contract". The state must not deprive a person of the right to work at whatever terms he sees fit, unless it is for reasons of public health or safety, or unless the person is in need of paternalistic protection, if he is a minor or (in Victorian America) a she.

The vast majority of the Court, including Dissenter John Marshall Harlan, subscribed to this interpretation. Harlan only claimed that the Court should give the state the benefit of the doubt - if it claimed that the Law meant to protect bakers' health, then that is what it did. Only Oliver Wendell Holmes articulated a completely different vision: "The 14th Amendment does not enact Mr. Herbert Spencer's Social Statics" he famously wrote in his classic dissent. The sanctity of Contract was not in the constitution, and states should have no problem overruling it.

Kos agrees with the dissenters. He convincingly (in my view), demonstrates that the framers of 14th amendment did not intend to protect the liberty of contract, and that laissez faire Capitalism was not an antebellum ideology (although he may underestimate the extent to which laissez faire was latent in pre Civil War America - most ideologies only take shape when challenged, as laissez faire was by the increasingly powerful state of the late 19th century). Ken clearly thinks that the Court should not enforce values that are not clearly articulated in the Constitution text or its history.

Kens realizes that his position requires opposition not only to Lochner, but also to Liberal rulings such as Griswold v. Connecticut, which ensured the right of married individuals to use contraception. Kens argues that this also requires expansive, ideological reading of the Constitution and thus should be avoided.

But the very purpose of a constitution is to check the majority's power against minorities. Because times change, the means of oppression can change also. The specific clauses of the US constitution - the ones that protect against abuses that were known at the time of framing - are mostly outdated. Think of the 3rd amendment's prohibition against the stationing of soldiers at private houses. It is the more general, opaque clauses of the constitution (like the prohibition against abridging the Freedom of Speech or inflicting "Cruel and unusual punishments") that can deter present day majorities from manhandling minorities and protect the little citizen from Big Brother.

But can Lochner v. New York be distinguished from expansive Liberal rulings? Does adherence to Griswold force on us to accept Lochner?

I think there are good pragmatic reasons to say no. First, we should acknowledge that the Court's decision is right in treating suspiciously governmental intervention in the freedom of contracts. But the Court erred, in my view, in seeing Lochner as essentially a question of Liberty. I think Lochner is actually a question of wealth redistribution.

By regulating the terms in which bakeries and baker workers contract, New York improved the relative position of the workers vis a vis the owners. But government policy can most assuredly do that. The government is entitled to levy taxes in any form it wishes, whether progressively (taxing the rich more then the poor) or regressively (the other way around). It may levy tariffs on incoming goods, improving the lots of US manufacturers and worsening those of exporters. It can supply welfare benefits for the poor. The competition between the various interests is the very essence of the democratic process and should be left (within reason), to the democratic process. The time for the Court to intervene is to prevent Government from abusing citizens, not to keep the spoils out of the hands of the winners in marketplace of ideas.

Lochner v. New York was a 1905 Supreme Court case where an anodyne state law regulating working hours in bakeries was ruled uncontitutional because it breached the "freedom" of workers and employers to form employment contracts on any terms the market allowed. The notion of liberty of contract had no constitutional basis -- it was invented by conservative social theorists after the Civil War -- but it had been smuggled into American jurisprudence by activist judges in the guise of enforcing the 14th amendment. It was a godsend to business groups that wanted to beat back state efforts to regulate working hours and minimum wages.

The libertarian ideas animating Lochner were already losing popularity by 1905, but the court continued to police state regulation of business for more than thirty years, hampering social reform and causing huge damage to the credibility of the judiciary. As an example of sheer judicial assertion, Lochner was the Roe v. Wade of its day.

This book is short, clearly written, and alive to the ironies (and hypocrisies) of judicial activism, where one's view tends to depend on whether the activism in question is conservative or progressive. My only complaint is that parts of the book meander off the main subject and seem to have been stitched together from research the author did for other projects. For example, there's way too much material on New York state politics, and the long discussion of the libertarianism of Justice Stephen Field, although fascinating, is a bit misplaced, since Field was long dead by the time Lochner was decided! That said, history buffs and law students will get a lot out of this book.

This is a great book. I like long books, but this one is short and sweet. Moves the story along, and explores the fascinating background to Lochner (including the history of the baking industry and the conflicts of interest -- to give but one example, the attorney for anti-union Lochner was in fact not an attorney and in fact was a union organizer in the past.

Also discusses the Negative Rights (Substantive Due Process in law) doctrine and has a great bibliography.

The author is clearly a world expert in this field and I wish the book could have been longer. The author does not appear to be heavily biased either for or against Positive Rights (read Big) government.

Bibliography and timeline at the end of the book is great too.

Outstanding.

As a junior political science major at UNC, I have had to read a lot of books similar to Kens's. These books focus on a particular case, be it the Skokie trial, the Tinker armband case, the Chadha legislative veto case or the Bakke affirmative action case. Anthony Lewis's Gideon's Trumpet book seems to be the first of this kind.

Kens' book is by far the best of its type that I have read. The other books of this genre I've read in this genre deal too much with the proceedings of a case. For instance, Mr. Chadha had this legal problem, he got this lawyer, they went through this legal proceeding, they had to refine their arguments, they went to the next appellate court, blah blah blah. Frankly these kinds of details are boring, and give little if any insight into the importance of a given case.

Kens's has a different approach. Instead of going into great detail about why Mr. Lochner picked a given lawyer, Kens goes into great detail of the impetuses for the passage of the law that Mr. Lochner was challenging. He talks about the social and political climate of the times, tying in influential theories of the day like Social Darwinism and laissez-faire economics. Kens clearly places the case of Lochner v. New York in its historical framework. This, it seems, is a superior method for studying an important case like this one.

I would strongly urge this book to any professor teaching a constitional law/history class. I would also strongly recommend it to a student looking for a good introduction to the study of substantive due process.

Bruce Tap's, book may force the reader to rethink the benefits of the North's partisan political system. Historian Mark Neely has also questioned how partisanship benefited the war's prosecution.
The CCW was a highly partisan commission that investigated northern military failures and scandals. Tap exposes how the committee's leaders Ben Wade and Zachariah Chandler tried to purge the Union army of all conservative elements, believing that only antislavery Republicans could win the War. While the committee did help expose racial atrocities and minor corruption, the total lack of military knowledge on the CCW more often than not impeded the war's prosecution. Pressure for a general advance may have contributed to the disaster at Fredericksburg. It is telling that the committee's favorite generals seemed to have been Ben Butler, John C. Fremont, Joe Hooker, Ambrose Burnside, and John Pope. A Must read for all Civil War nuts.

I enjoyed this even handed depiction of the Lincoln era and its behind the scene workings of the Committee on the Conduct of the War.

The Radical Republicans and the control they wielded actually impacted military decision making in some instances.

Tap brings to light the attitudes, so much different than today, of politicians and their views of the still "young" institution of West Point.

Tap reveals the treatment West Point Democratic Generals received in the Radically Repubican run Federal government.

A good addition to your bookshelf.

The author covers the Joint Committee activities in detail and makes a convincing argument about their goals and actual accomplishments. Bruce Tap gets into many primary sources to paint a complete picture. However, the book is very readable and doesn't bog down in the details. It is a very important addition to Civil War historiography and closes a gap in the activities of Congress during this period.

In this penetrating study of the Joint Congressional Committee on the conduct of the war Bruce Tap shows us the danger of giving Politicians too much control over military affairs. The Committee's radical majority almost certainly played a role in persuading Abraham Lin- coln to turn the Civil War into a war for slave liberation, but at a terrible cost.The Committee had this bizarre idea that wars are won not by military professionalism but rather by superior ideology. Consequently the Committee harassed and discredited competent Generals who happened to be Democrats. At the same time they promoted the careers of incompetent Generals who expressed Abolitionist sentiments. Considering all this it is almost a miracle that the Union won the war. This book is a cautionary tale about what can happen when a divi- ded nation goes to war. Even if you are not a Civil War buff this book is well worth reading.

Forrest McDonald's most recent book, "Recovering the Past: A Historian's Memoir," is an important work for aficionados of history. Often personally revealing, "Recovering the Past" details the major movements of professional historians through the last century and argues for the supremacy of objective, scientific, research-based history. In the first chapters the reader learns of the influence of "New History" on the course of politics and education of the United States in the early decades of the twentieth century. While providing an overview of his beginnings within the profession, Professor McDonald continues with a firsthand account of the resurrection of objective, research-oriented historians and how his own work helped reshape the then-prevalent thoughts on the Constitution and the Founding Fathers. The last portion of McDonald's memoirs follows the upward course of his career and looks at the latter decades of the history profession, noting the trend toward creation of history or history for the sake of agenda and the stalwart handfuls of historians who continue to strive for excellence. Finally, Professor McDonald concludes with an explanation of his personal philosophy of life in general-"I am a miracle, and so, dear reader, are you." ["Memoir", 166] For those who desire an insightful account of the world of historical research and writing, "Recovering the Past" is a must read.

Recovering the Past, a historian's memoir
Forrest McDonald


Recovering the Past, a historian's memoir is written for "that elusive critter called the general reader, or, more precisely, for the vast number of people who genuinely love history for its own sake--which, as will become evident, I regard as eliminating a sizable majority of professional historians."
At the outset of the book it becomes clear that McDonald, who has lived and breathed the study of history for half a century, does not march in lock-step with most of his brethren in academia, an often mirthless, self-righteous breed with axes to grind. With a gift for coupling scholarship and insight with intelligent (and frequently irreverent) humor, McDonald deftly unravels tales of history gone awry, mishandled history, and misguided historians.
The book opens with a history of the writing of history. The nearly exponential increase of research materials available to historians during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries led to a simultaneous explosion of theories regarding both the craft and the responsibility of the historian. This is a clear and fascinating introduction to the story that follows.
Chapter two is a whirlwind history of America and the presidency. Some presidents are dispatched with a sentence, for example: "Fortunately for President Warren G. Harding, he died." "Taft was enormously fat and had the personality of a dead halibut." We get the backdrop against which American historiographers of the twentieth century will be set, and tune into the style and rhythm of trenchant wit that punctuates the book throughout.
Into this narrative enters young Forrest McDonald, a kid from east Texas growing up during the depression. He entered the University of Texas in the late 1940s. It was there that he realized that history was not a series of irrefutable, chronological "facts." Through back to back history courses he encountered renditions of the same events that were completely at odds with each other and professors who were openly hostile towards one another and the differing interpretations each favored.
McDonald introduces us to a world of history and historians that is such a battle ground that one wonders at the success of efforts to transform history into the stultifying, eyeball-glazing assemblage of dehumanized non-stories that fill our history textbooks.
The memoir of his life unfolds concurrently with the story of the revisionism that has dominated history in the latter half of the twentieth century. It is a story you will understand fully by the end of the book. As an indictment of revisionist history, McDonald makes his case.
McDonald's personal story is peopled with villainous swine, arrogant "new historians," a mentor who goes off the deep end, pompous, cowardly academicians, and numerous diligent historians with whom he has shared ideas and collaborated. Clearly, the most important person in his life is his wife, Ellen, of whom he says, "There may be no such thing as an indispensable man, but there is an indispensable woman."
The appendix alone is worth the price of the book. It is a reprint from Requiem, Variations on Eighteenth Century Themes, co-authored with his wife. The title, The Intellectual World of the Founding Fathers, speaks for itself. One cannot help but draw a parallel between McDonald and the founders whom he has spent so much of his life studying.
McDonald wades into controversy confidently and armed to the teeth. It is evident that the high ethical standards by which he gauges members of his profession are applied rigorously to his own work. It is exceptional to find work so painstaking scholarly (neither specifics nor generalizations are allowed to float around unsubstantiated) that is also delightful, sometimes gripping, sometimes laugh-out-loud funny reading.

Kathy Austell
November, 2004

We all owe a debt of gratitude to the young Forrest McDonald for demolishing the once popular, but basically unresearched, notions of Charles Beard in McDonald's We the People: The Economic Origins of the Constitution (1958). (In Recovering the Past, we learn that McDonald's monumental research for that book was, in part, made possible by his capacity for living simply and sleeping hardly at all.)

Although McDonald has written a number of important books since the 1950s, the most important contribution of this brief and fast-paced memoir is the author's summary of twentieth-century American historiography from a conservative point of view. McDonald spends one of his seven chapters describing the "New History"-"The World as I Entered It"-and then harrumphs his way through the remainder of the century, concluding with some well-deserved tongue clucking at the malfeasance of Michael Bellesiles.

Unlike most memoirs, McDonald passes quickly over his earliest years, either because he's not the introspective sort or so that he can spend more time glorying in his early academic successes. His self-praise (though often deserved) will probably strike many readers as amusing. Many historians have probably thought, but few have written, "I did a smashing job; the book reads like a novel." (94)

Nevertheless, this is a fine memoir, easy to read and digest. You don't even have to like McDonald or his professional score-settling to admire his literary craftsmanship.

Recovering the Past. It's a great title, isn't it? And who better to speak about such than an accomplished historian. ..."[W]hen we think historically," Forrest MacDonald writes, "we try to understand past events and circumstances as the participants did." Unfortunately, all others in his field are not similarly inclined. The problem lies with subjectivism-relativism-presentism; the idea that some within each generation simply have (to paraphase the author) the right to perceive the past in accordance with the changing preoccupations of changing times. We see this now in the news all the time. As elites become more secular, for instance, the past is increasingly re-interpreted within a framework that is hostile to religious beliefs. But what of the facts? What of the spiritual groundings of America's Founding Fathers? What of the fact that America was populated by those seeking religious freedom? Such "details" don't concern New Left "historians." Such are not historians at all, actually; but agenda promoters who seek to "arrange the facts of history as to influence the present or future in the direction that [they] consider socially desirable." Hence we have historians (the likes of Mr. MacDonald, David McCullough, Richard Pipes---who also has a memoir out, incidentally) and we have anti-capitalist substantiators (think Eric Hobsbawn, Charles Beard, Howard Zinn, et al.). Some of these, of course, are less anti-capitalist than just economically illiterate; seeing in their "utterly unsophisticated conception of economic activity...the exploitation by the wealthy of the poor, laborers, farmers, and small businesmen"; rather than "entrepreneurship, ingenuity, luck and hard work" as the creators of wealth. It's ironic, isn't it, that so many of such folks who see exploitation as the driving force of economics are usually those most removed from the business world and/or have the least entrepreneural instincts themselves. (Successful European-born business folks such as George Soros et al. are in another category all together.) McDonald quotes Thomas Jefferson: "Those who labor in the earth are God's chosen people." The only inconsistancy is that Jefferson never worked land himself. How McDonald got the commission to write Jefferson's story in The University of Kansas' Presidential Histories series is instructive herein: He got it because all university Jefferson scholars, being Jeffersonians, "did not wish to touch the presidency because Jefferson was by no means a Jeffersonian president." So much for intellectual honesty. Such experiences of Professor McDonald make up much of the second half of this memoir; the first half being devoted to how he came to realize the above points---that all historians are not equel to the title. It's a short read (166 main pages), particularly the latter half. My only complaint is that I wish he would have carried forth his far more densely argued first half of this memoir to a greater level, as opposed to getting rather chatty later on. Hence my rating as indicated above. (P.S. Forrest McDonald appeared on C-SPAN's "In depth" show; a 3 hour give-and-take discussion on his career/scholarship in 2004. It's available (& free) for watching on your computer, I believe. Explore BOOKTV.ORG for it.) (05Mar) Cheers!

Great book...Great subject...Great writing...Lots of info....The author sets out his goal in the intro and he follows through...Very well organized....I liked the parts about the old Monte games and other card games....More illustrations for the card games would have been cool....This is a good book to have lying around your mountain cabin to read by the fire on a snowy day

(Note: This review was written for the hard-back edition of the book.) March 28, 1999

A must read for anyone interested in learning about how our nineteenth century ancestors living on the American frontier sought to bring pleasure into their lives. The book's strongest point however, is also its weakest, as Dary attempts to address the entire spectrum of frontier society but, unfortunately, falls short. He fails to mention some of the so-called "fringe" elements of society that existed on the frontier long before the arrival of the waves of settlers from the east. Although there are entire chapters on the early explorers, mountain men, and Indians, little, if any, mention is made of the French-Indian mixed-blood settlements that already existed along the Missouri River and its tributaries such as the Kansas River. He also fails to address the pleasures sought by the black populace that started spreading westward after the Civil War. There is also only brief mention of the Chinese population that helped build the railroads and were present in just about every frontier town.

Despite these shortcomings, Dary's descriptions of pioneer life are fascinating. The simple things that bought pleasure to our ancestors are difficult for our modern society to understand. Perhaps Dary's most salient point is saved until the very end when he stresses how the pioneers created their own entertainment that almost always required active participation on their part and which usually involved the participation of others. He contrasts that with our society in which "pleasure providers" tell us what is pleasurable and what isn't. He then leaves it to the reader's discretion whether these changes are for the better or worse.

The title of this book may seem misleading to readers looking for accounts of bawdy behavior on the frontier. Social historian David Dary doesn't pretend that church picnics were the height of fun in the Old West, but much of what his book describes are innocent pastimes. While saloons, brothels, and so-called pleasure palaces do get their mention, the book is chiefly a compendium of simple leisure activities and forms of entertainment.

Organized by chapter somewhat roughly by social groups (mountain men, Indians, emigrants, soldiers, cowboys), locations (along rivers, along railroads, in mining areas), and regions (Southwest, Northwest), the book imposes a kind of order over a vast encyclopedia of loosely related information. There's no grand theme, thesis or narrative holding it all together, so casual readers can dip into the book wherever impulse takes them without getting lost.

I particularly liked the chapter on soldiers, which briefly summarizes the campaigns of the Army of the West and the establishing of forts during the 19th century. Because the focus is on the passing of time between the waging of war (against Mexico, against the Indians), we get a different picture of military life than is the norm in history books. I enjoyed the accounts taken from the journals of soldiers and officers' wives of simple pleasures taken in the pristine wilderness of the prairie and of social events like theatricals, concerts, Fourth of July celebrations, holiday feasts, and dances organized for entertainment at the forts.

Familiar with cowboy culture, I found less that was new to me in the "Cow Country" chapter, but Dary provides a snapshot of this extensive subject that represents it fairly. His speculations on the rise and evolution of singing cowboys, particularly on the cattle drives, is interesting. Snippets of song lyrics help to illustrate this oral tradition.

The book's many photographs and illustrations complement the text well, although the limitations of early photography often required subjects to be stiffly posed. The physical spontaneity that's an essential part of many forms of pleasure eludes the camera. Thus, for instance, there are numerous photos of men playing cards. Altogether the book represents a heroic effort to assemble a picture of a vast subject. The value of this book is less in the overall generalities and more in the specific details, especially in the excerpts from journals and other documents where pleasures taken are vividly described.

There's a LOT--and I mean a LOT--of content here for the price! Mr. Dary has managed to cover a surprisingly broad range of Old West life far beyond what you could ever imagine from movies, TV, or novels--or even other books on this same topic. Full of black-and-white photos, although it reads a bit academic in style. If your purpose is research, the price for this book is money well-spent. You won't be disappointed.

Yes, I too know the author and thus my review may be biased, however Lodahl's work is key to seeing how God acts within creation throughout the entirety of the Christian Scriptures. This book makes it clear as to how, as humans, we are to return back to faithfulness and find ourselves again in God's original intent of creation. I found the book entirely helpful.

An outstanding starting point for those interested in narrative theology in a Wesleyan context. While maintaining a strong biblical foundation, Lodahl has brought narrative theology into a vital relationship with the Wesleyan tradition.

Nazarenes need to read this book. Too often eavangelical preachers will preach on a topic without tying it into the great meta-narrative that the Bible presents. I haven't heard any other Nazarenes preseneting the need for this, but I'm sure glad that Lodahl is raising his voice.
Inspite of that, I only gave him 3 stars. That's for 2 reasons:
1. He didn't do an excellent job in helping preachers to know how to tie in their sermons to the redemptive narrative of the Bible. Much of the scripture is not written in narrative form and Lodahl does not give clear instruction tot he would be preacher on how to preach through, lets say, the epistles. Though he is a reformed writter, I feel that Graeme Goldsworthy in his book "Preaching the whol Bible as christian scripture" did a better job. I recommend it to Arminians and Reformed alike.
2. Secondly, there are some places where Lodahl entertains Open Theism. Open Theism is a thrological movement, that in my opinion, is heresy. One of its basic ideas is that God does not know the future. Lodahl seems to entertain this idea under the presumption that this would destroy true relationship.
The fact that God is mysteriously complex in his unity, being able to act in time while maintaining his eternal atributes, should not be changed in for the simple thrology of open theism and its little God.
I am Arminian, but it seems that some of the most solid works on Biblical and Narrative theology that remain conservative in nature are coming from the Reformed camp.

I have the pleasure of knowing the author personally, so you may feel that this distorts my objectivity -- it probably does. All I know is that this book was like a breath of fresh air at a time when I needed it most.

The book reclaims what I believe should be at the heart of any Christian message (or any religious message for that matter). It is a book which gives an overview of Wesleyan theology through the use of narrative stories in scripture. But the point is not to force scripture down anyone's throat, or to force someone to think in a particular fashion. No, even a few pages into the book, that becomes clear. The author is greatly indebted to not only Weslyan emphasis, but also Process thought and the wealth of insight and beauty to be found in world religions.

This book is about joy, beauty, mystery and the enounter of the "divine" reality in individual existence and in community. Each word bespeaks the authors deep love affair with life, and with the earth and with creaturely realtionships and joys. To finish reading this book is to be guarunteed a light heart and a deep smile. The message repeatedly conveyed in this book is that love is what matters most, and making the most of this life, loving this earth, and being aware of the wonders constantly around us. And through all that to hear the voice of a God reminding us that he loves us, and loves life as much as we do, and wants to be a part of it.

A great read for anyone.

Che Parker's first venture into the world of mob-crime novels is a very detailed look at a very dark place. Once I became familiar with and comfortable with his extensively detailed narrative, the book grabbed me. I find myself not liking the characters much, and grateful that this world is not mine! Having said that, I can't wait to read his next release...

When I first began reading The Tragic Flaw, by Che Parker, I thought it was going to be a tough read. In the beginning, there were just far too many details on the setting, but in hindsight, I believe those details were there to give the reader a feel for the setting and to prepare them for what was to come because there were points in the story where the details were so grim, I was actually screaming, squirming, sometimes repulsed and crying in my seat as I read.

By the beginning of the fourth chapter, I was intrigued by the main character, Cicero Day. Cicero is the biracial and illegitimate child of a very well-known and respected Italian mobster. As a child, his father would often take him on some of his violent outings and Cicero would stare, intrigued at the power and respect that his father had on the streets. Cicero internally took this all in and despite being formally college educated; he took on his streetwise and brutal persona into adulthood. He wanted to be just like his father--thirsted for that same type of so-called "street respect."

Cicero made plans with former college buddy, Bradley, a very well to do computer designer and Kameron, Cicero's tough childhood friend, to distribute a new drug on the streets. They end up getting financial backing from old mobsters that Cicero's father used to run with. This is the start of events that is the beginning of hell for them all. They each have a tragic flaw that may have a part in bringing them all down.

The mob backs Cicero's proposal because he has a mean reputation in the streets just like his father once had. He also has one up on his father--his education and his business sense. Little do some of the guys in the mob know that Cicero has a few tricks and agenda of his own up his sleeves. His is a highly sophisticated yet complex game of the streets that consist of brutal methods of "payback" to those that cross him.

Despite this street power and respect, Cicero's tragic flaw may eventually bring him down. He thrives on living in his father's shadow and fame. Kameron thrives on getting high. Bradley thrives on using his "smarts" to create this drug that will be distributed and thinks that he can get over on his buddies. Each of them has a demon within that they are fighting, yet their thirst for money, power and respect keep them from focusing on their battles. Cicero is the ringleader. Will he "ring-lead" his buddies, his followers straight to hell? He is tormented on a regular basis with bad dreams and nightmares that he will fall but they do not scare him. His mother prays for him and warns him, yet he somehow things he is invincible.

Will this story end like most tragedies do? Will "The Tragic Flaws" bring the characters down and they forever burn in the inferno and be punished for their deeds on earth?

I give this one two thumbs up. It read just like a modern day "urban gangster" story with a twist. I definitely recommend it to others.

Reviewed by Coulee Eidos
APOOO BookClub

The Tragic Flaw is a remarkable novel, well written and comparable to novels by seasoned authors. As a first time author, Che Parker has painted both a vivid and graphic picture of crime on the streets of Kansas City. His main character, Cicero Day, a bi-racial Black and Italian, is a multi-layered, very complex and confused young man. Parker portrays this character as a leader, someone his friends follow without questions.

This novel is both entertaining and enlightening. It confirms the old adage that you reap what you sow. Parker's ability to tell a story, keep you in suspense, have you cheer, then condemn a character, is compelling and brilliant. The Tragic Flaw is a modern tragedy that has the potential to rival existing novels to became a timeless classic.

Cicero Day is smart and athletic. His mom's refrigerator is overflowing with all kinds of accolades displaying his name. While his mom Ruth is a God-fearing woman, his father is an Italian mobster. After the murder of his father Antonio, Cicero transforms into a callous gangster himself with absolutely no fear...even from that of God.

Cicero is treated to disturbing nightmares. It appears that when he wreaks havoc in the streets of Kansas City, he's visited by one of his ghastly dreams. His mom is insistent that he needs to humble himself. Unrelenting in his lifestyle, Cicero continues to unleash hell on people who've crossed him. Is there redemption in Cicero's future?

Che Parker has written a flamboyant tale packed with torture, violence and very bizarre characters. While I was instantly put off by the overture of details, when the criminal element finally makes an appearance, it is definitely wild and worth the wait. Yet, vile creatures from hell make the story a little too warped for my own fondness. However, the message comes across clearly about the costly life of the ambitious. Remember, you will have to account for all the wrongs that you've done.

Reviewed by Nardsbaby
for Urban Reviews

Sound theology presented in a scholarly, yet easy to understand writing method.

This book came out after Grace, Faith & Holiness. It is an easier read- Grider writes a little better. But his theology comes out on the side of the turn of the 20th century Revivalist theology in the Holiness movement. While Dunning understands and expounds the relational foundation of Christ's work, Grider is more apt to label and categorize things according to experience and his categories. Dr. Gride is a great churchman, good teacher and good writer, and this would be a great book except it sets itself up as the Holiness theology at the end of the 20th century, when some of its thought comes from the end of the 19th.

If you're a committed Arminian/Wesleyan/Holiness type, this is a great shelf reference or a good bedside read. It is readable (not easy in a theology text) and very practical. Grider's treatment of issues is purely from the Wesleyan/Holiness end of the theological spectrum. If you're a Presbyterian or Baptist, get an R.C. Sproul volume instead.

I like the fact that the nuts and bolts are treated in reasonable simplicity while including detail, without getting too bogged down in the arcana typical in an academic work. You can read this book. The footnotes are quite good (again, this is not an academic text for MDiv/DMin students) and surprising in their content and variety.

This was one of the best gifts I have received as a preacher. I recommend it to any Arminian as a great reference, laity training tool, or as a desk reference for pastors/preachers of other Christian traditions.

As a layperson interested in learning more about Wesleyan-Holiness Theology, this book far exceeded my expectations. It is written in plain english, well-organized and filled with deep insights. For me, this was one of those "you'll never be the same after you read it" books. A wonderful book that I return to time and again for spiritual growth and inspiration. Great bibliography too - this book introduced me to other significant resources (like Wiley).

A New York Times "notable book of the year," Judy Troy's West of Venus brings the concision of her New Yorker stories to a larger canvas: the heart and heartland of America. This smart novel is filled with laughter and tears. Although West of Venus begins with a suicide and ends with a funeral, it is joy to read throughout: one of those rare fictions that show the ups and downs of life simultaneously and poignantly. I loved this book.

Having come from La Crosse, Kansas myself, I read West of Venus with a great deal of pleasure. Although Venus is more than twice the size of La Crosse, Troy has captured just what it is like to live in the middle of nowhere and to have daily contact with people who never read books. Although Tom Drury's The Age of Vandalism was better to my way of thinking, I still enjoyed this book very much.

Those who encounter "West of Venus" will immediately recognize either people they know or themselves, expanded and enlarged by their humor, sadness, or loneliness. Without doubt destined for women's reading groups' book lists and ultimately the silver screen (though a weekly series would be heavenly), this novel is one which will have you calling your best friend in the middle of the night comparing which paragraphy (or sentence) most delighted you. I would love to meet the author and personally thank her for this liberating, joyous book.

I found this book to be very annoying. I was disappointed because I'd seen it compared to books by Anne Tyler, but it falls quite short of that. Virtually all of the characters in this book are either seriously depressed or seriously grouchy. I didn't like any of them and couldn't figure out why they liked each other! I didn't care for the writing style, either. There seemed to be a lot of short, choppy sentences, dialogue that goes nowhere and random ideas that are not explored. If there was humor I failed to find it. Disappointing.

There is much good and to commend here but I have some problems with the theology and doctrinal approach.

First, it seems that books of this nature, call them Christian "self-help" books, seem to have adopted a predictable formula. The author chooses a theme, chooses examples from his ministry, and then draws parallels from Biblical narratives tying the two into a neat package that supports the point in question. This is becoming a tiresome formula and it fails at several levels.

First, the examples chosen from the ministry, the so-called real life examples, often are adapted or telescoped to fit alongside a Biblical narrative. Our lives are not those of the Biblical characters although we may face many of the same spiritual trials. Secondly, the main emphasis of the ministerial example centers around worldly things and makes the focus of the problem the selfish "I" rather than "God." Third, the outcome is usually justified by the author in terms of worldly success rather than spiritual success. The latter is noted as important but rarely or never seems to be separated from the former. The book seems to be permeated with this subliminal notion that God is the answer to your worldly as well as spiritual problems and things will work out good for you in this world if you accept God and His ways. Although this is true, the definition of "work out good for you in this world" is in terms of the "I" or "me" and not in terms if "God" to whom we are called to submit. Where there are examples of unsolved disappointment, the author associates it with a failure to follow the program. God's justice is not quid pro quo and accepting God, truly accepting God means accepting the burden of the cross and not the expectation of rewards in this life.

The last error is the most dangerous. J. C. Ryle once wrote that before one accepts Christ he or she should count the cost. The cost was God's vicarious sacrifice of making The Son sin and crucifying Him on the Cross. To be a true follower of Jesus we are warned in scripture that we must crucify the old man, be prepared to give up all worldly things WITHOUT and assurance other than our daily bread and the joy of God's care, fellowship and love. The true fact is that for most Christians in the world, accepting Christ means danger, sacrifice, hatred, discrimination, isolation, poverty, suffering and sometimes a violent death. Books such as this discuss suffering in terms of exchanging one career for another, discovering God given gifts and overcoming illness and disability or hurts. But these worldly successes, though given of the Lord, are possible because we live in a wealthy country where people have choices and opportunities and can overcome life's obstacles praise the Lord.

Any theology of Theodicy, the basic theological subject of such works, must be universal and apply to everyone, everywhere and at all times. What would the vignettes in a book such as this mean to the people who life in the garbage dumps of Mexico City and survive off the rotten trash of others? It does not hold! Yet, they worship the same immutable God whose ways are constant and perfect. The theology of books such as these are tailored to the "me" generation of Americans and not to the greater brotherhood of God's people. The person who lives in the garbage dumps of Mexico City has no realistic hope of escaping the daily grueling suffering that is their worldly lot. Yet, when such a one accepts Jesus, his worldly lot may not change but his spiritual lot has radically changed. What great saints are those that suffer in poverty and can truly claim that their only portion is the Lord!

This is the joy and transformation that scripture talks about. The cross is not something to be dressed up and made pretty. It is an instrument of relentless pain, torture and death. We are all asked to pick up our own cross and follow the Lord. That means we are asked to voluntarily crucify our old selves, and the things we hold dear, unmercifully, totally and to the death. It is a painful thing to do.

Theology such as that offered here devalues and invalidates individual pain suffering and failure in the world. It ignores the countless millions who never succeed in this life yet are rewarded in the hereafter. It ignores the fact that there are many among us that are chosen to suffer till death for no other reason that we may present an opportunity for people to do good works and be divided into sheep and goats. God's people suffer, hurt and may not see any relief in this world. But in His mercy, God sends His Spirit, ministering angels and the Church.

The suffering of Theodicy is something that must be embraced. The sufferer's pain must be acknowledged and validated. It must be understood that most of the Christians on the world experience this suffering and misery. It is the cost of discipleship.

Books such as these offer rewards without counting the cost. The theology they expound ultimately fails. When this failure is realized, true harm is done.

Finally, almost every such book uses the Jacob-Esau story as an example of Jacob's spiritual formation by surrendering his will to God. While there is much good here, most err in failing to realize that the blessing of Isaac the Blind was a worldly blessing. The Promise, God's blessing, was not Isaac's to give. Jacob fooled the wrong father. And as Jacob's spiritual eyes are opened at Peniel, he begins to be called Israel. Yet Jacob never truly fully matures to Israel and crucifies his old self. Some of Jacob remains in the final chapter of Genesis and in his decedents and in us. Commentators and such writers focus on the worldly comforts surrounding Jacob in his old age as evidence of his total transformation. If this was the case than the Bible would be one chapter and the Cross unnecessary.

It is my prayer that the Authors will take these words in the Christian spirit of love in which they are offered.

Not sure exactly where said reviewer is coming from, especially since the exact same review has been posted by him/her for yet another book by a different author! This sounds like more of a soapbox than a fair review of the book.

You can't compartmentalize the spiritual from the material aspects of our lives, and I think this is what this book makes clear. The things we see within our own human perspective aren't the whole of reality-- if anything, this book reminds us that our own ideas of success, failure, good and bad are pretty relative in the scope of eternity. If you can't compare the details of our 21st century lives with Biblical characters, you're boxing the Bible in and overspiritualizing the omnipresence of God in all the details of our lives.

And there's no way the author is making all the mistakes M. Galishoff is pointing out-- just read the last 2 chapters and you'll hear about Scriptures imcredibly hard for Western American Christians to deal with, such as Hebrews 11 (all the people who never got to see the ultimate ripple effect of their lives or the 'rewards' for their faith and yet lived for what they couldn't see) and passages in Paul's letters about how eternity makes the present pale in comparison. Seriously-- you can't come away from this book thinking that it's 'all about me.' Clearly, it's all about God-- learning to live in surrender to his ways that are totally different than ours.

Bentz has an incredible relevence in this book to those of us who feel like we are waiting! I highly recommend this book and this author. He writes with a wisdom and clarity of understanding. His words are helpful and illluminating. A worthwhile read.

A friend gave me this book during a waiting period in my life otherwise I probably would have taken a look at the title and decided I could skip it. Had I skipped it, however, I would have missed some really wonderful insights. Joe Bentz takes the stories we so lightly read over in Scripture and delves into them pointing out the silences in the stories that are so important and yet so easy to miss. I especially appreciated the "Almost, not yet" sequence with Moses and the plagues.

On a practical level, the book is divided into comfortable sized chapters/sections that make it work very well as a daily devotional. It's a book that will make you want to keep reading, but it's best taken one bite at a time (with plenty of time in between to chew and digest).

If you want a new perspective on all those waiting times from stop lights to career moves to retirement, this is the book to read. It will almost make you grateful for that red light!

Tired of finding a piece of information on Hepatitis C here and a piece there but unable to put it all together into a complete picture? In his book "Winning the Hepatitis C Battle" author Shekhar Challa, M.D. provides a comprehensive, authoritative overview of the disease. Dr. Challa discusses the diagnosis of the disease, treatment options, potential complications, and even herbs and other alternative treatments.

One of the things that make this book unique is the inclusion of the emotional aspects of being diagnosed with Hepatitis C and going through treatment. Dr. Challa includes many of the personal thoughts and comments of Denise Hudman from the point where she was diagnosed with Hepatitis C through some of her feelings as she went through treatment. This is invaluable insight if you are dealing with a friend who has been diagnosed with the disease.

"Winning the Hepatitis C Battle" also includes a frequently asked questions section and a glossary. With the comprehensive coverage and easy to understand writing style this is a highly recommended read for anyone wanting to gain a broad understanding of Hepatitis C.

With the discovery in 1989 of the virus that causes this disease, there have been great leaps in its management & Dr. Challa's WINNING THE HEPATITIS C BATTLE is one of the most positive pieces of news yet.

With short patient stories, diagrams, pictures & simple explanations, RebeccasReads recommends this book with its CD-ROM for anyone who has been touched by this "silent" killer.

Winning the Hepatitis C Battle is an extremely reader-friendly book, meant for patients, supporters,doctors and health-care professionals - in short, any one who needs to know about hepatitis C and the treatment options against it. Written by Dr.Shekhar Challa, M.D., Gastroenterologist and Hepatologist, the book provides a single-stop handy reference to patients and their families/friends, when the diagnosis of Hepatitis C comes up first. It helps the other health-care professionals, physicians and yes, even the specialist by saving his/her valuable time and energy in explaining to the patients/supporters, the many questions that are bound to arise in the context of such a diagnosis.

With the help of a beautifully produced and easy-to-understand book and an interactive CD-ROM, Dr.Challa and his team explain all that a person needs to normally know about this Silent Epidemic.

The book starts right from the beginning, that is the Diagnosis, then explains the seat of action - the Liver, its functions, the differences between Hepatitis A, B,...E, specific signs, symptoms and complications of Hepatitis C. It then goes on to the treatment options, and looks at the alternative treatment and special situations.

The book has FAQs, Glossary, links to useful websites and an Index. All in all, the book is a complete handy reference guide to the Successful Treatment of Hepatitis C.

Dr.Challa brings out the various advances in treatment options including as-on-today, the most successful combination of pegylted interferon and Ribavarin. But he brings out that the most important ingredients in the treatment protocol and which only the patient can supply are courage and optimism. These in fact, give the desire to live to the patient. Without that desire, even the best physician can't help. So, what ever may be the stage of the disease, beginning, advanced, or resistant to the standard treatment, the message is simple - never give up.

Coming from a main stream gastroenterologist, the treatment of the chapter 6, Herbs and Alternative Medicine is fairly unbiased and this reviewer didn't expect a more active support to or detailed coverage of an important topic. Though not medically qualified, this reviewer has a long association and interaction with health-care professionals including those from the alternative systems and is thus aware of many successful treatment options. But to be fair to the author, Dr.Challa doesn't forbid you from following the alternative treatment route. He could have avoided the statement, ""Even though it is clear that alternative medicine therapy has minimal or no role in treatment of hepatitis C, ..."" and instead, could have offered to work with such patients who need to take the alternative treatment route for any reason, including the problem of side-effects, the enormous expenditure or the ineffectiveness of the Standard Treatment.

This book is primarily meant for the US Market, and hence discusses the statistics of Hepatitis C in USA, and the examples of the Patient Case Studies are also from USA. The basic principles of Hepatitis are of course common and aplicable to any one any where in the world. To that extent, this book will be of interest to the rest of the world.

One attractive feature of the CD-ROM (which is bundled with the book) is the incorporation of a Cross Word Puzzle to test the user of his/her understanding of the subject. The CD-ROM addresses the same subjects dealt with in the book, but will be found to be useful to those who don't like to read or understand better from an inter-active Audio-Assisted Video presentation of the subject. The book, on the other hand, will be appreciated by people like this reviewer, who found it slightly difficult to follow the American accent. The book is well produced and is a pleasure to work through. Together, the Book+CD provide a good value to the buyer. It makes for a good gift to oneself or to some one who you think will benefit.

In conclusion, this reviewer would like to compliment Dr.Challa for bringing out a readable, reliable and affordable (for the US Market) publication on one of the major Health concerns.

Winning the Hepatitis C Battle contains in-depth information necessary to
fight hepatitis C. Written in an easy-to-understand format that includes
the personal stories of many patients, the book and CD-ROM covers the topics needed
for a complete understanding of the disease. Subjects include your liver
and how it functions; hepatitis C and its effects on your body; and
hepatitis C treatment and the side effects to that process. This book and CD-ROM is
recommended for anyone who is has hepatitis C themselves or whose loved
one is afflicted with the disease.