New Jersey Books

NJ has some of the most draconian gun laws in America, and even slight mis steps can potentially result in honest NJ gunowners being exposed to felony charges.

Evan Nappen translates the dense and mysterious legalese of the NJ code into understandable terms for the layman.

The book is setup more as a topic indexed reference guide than as prose, and therefore is somewhat repetitive.

Anyone who lives in NJ and owns or wants a gun, and is interested in staying out of jail should have this book on their shelf.

In what appears to be, sadly, Bruce Stutz's only book, Stutz introduces the reader to those who scratch noble livings out of a river that yields not much more than a few shad each spring. He journeys south from Hancock, NY, to Philadelphia, PA, to present the lives of riparian denizens fighting to maintain their source of income against our (federal and state) government's struggles to protect our beautiful, valuable, and fragile Delaware River Valley. Neither side in Stutz's book comes across as "right" or "wrong" because, well, both sides care deeply about this stunning river. The one lack in "Natural Lives, Modern Times" is the lack of photos or illustrations, beyond some attractive woodcuts heading each chapter.

The New Jersey shore swarmed with rum smugglers during the 1920's. This book is a priceless collection of hard-to-find photos of this era. It is an excellent light-read. For those who are looking for a more in-depth account, look at this book:
Alcohol, Boat Chases, and Shootouts! How the U.S. Coast Guard and Customs Fought Rum Smugglers and Pirates (Part I: 1919-1924)

Although most law books tend to be voluminous, that one is overly so by virtue of its author's persona. As a lawyer, writer, and movie maker, the author has overstretched his subject beyond reasonable. Most of the sections on the practical applications of statutes constitute interruption of the flow of thoughts in the book. As if the author has scrambled two books into one.

The scenarios of applications of statutes are quite dramatic and sometimes hard to believe, which diminishes the abstract power of the making of the statutes. Although such elaborate and rich narration elucidates the applicability of statutes, it drains the reader and sidetracks it from absorbing the totality of the extensive body of statutes.

The book might have benefited from modernity and the high tech age of printing by using graphic artwork, shades, colors, boxes, and various shades of fonts to stress or emphasize on essential highlights. Instead, the book design is dry, with long pages, skimpy white space, and tight spacing. Even if students of law are primed for heavy literal texture, modern book design could alleviate the psychological burden of living with complex and extensive field of practice.

The movie making side of its author's passion lends some skepticism on the explanation of statute applications. An over imaginative prosecutor, with fictitious tendencies renders the profession of litigation more cumbersome than it is already so.

The book lacks an index and glossary which limits its use to a narrow section of practitioners of that field of law. Even its table of contents is unduly concise.

Mohamed F. El-Hewie
Author of
Essentials of Weightlifting and Strength Training

During the 1994-95 season the Devils were not the best team in hockey, but they did reach the goal of the Stanley Cup Finals. When they got to the finals the Red Wings were waiting. If you want to find out about the way things turn out for the Devils read the book. HA HA HA! Bad joke. It does have stories and interviews with players. Mr. Yannis has given the perfect story about my favorite team in the world. So if you like hockey you should read THIS BOOK!!!

Ortner returns to her classmates in order to determine their social mobility over 40 years later. She describes the boundaries created people during high school. She also offers a discussion about the complexity of structure versus agency as it pertains to social mobility.

We've all seen bodysnatchers in the movies. We know the scene. A dark night, misty graveyard, men by lamplight digging up a fresh grave. A dark seceret from our past that few people knew about or discussed openly? Far from it. Resurrectionists were must more organized and widely known that I ever suspected. This book really opened my eyes about the goings on under the veneer of proper 19th century England. Since it's out of print, it cost a good bit to get a copy of it but Amazon didn't let me down and were able to deliver one to me. I'm glad I got this book. If you're remotely interseted, give it a shot.

This is a concise history of NJ, and why things developed as they did. It tends to avoid discussing certain controversial problems (p.76). Urbanization in NJ resulted from the 19th century industrial revolution, and the current technological revolution. They affected a larger proportion of NJ than any other state. Even if over 70% of the state is "undeveloped" (p.4) there is a heavy concentration or people in certain areas. The population of NJ is about equal to Montana, Idaho, Utah, Wyoming, Colorado, Nevada, and Arizona, whose area is about 95 times greater. NJ is divided into 567 incorporated municipalities. The 'suburb" is an idea of a mainly residential place outside of a central city, with its own political control. NJ's character is determined by its geographical location, the land bridge between New York and Philadelphia, the first two cities from Colonial times onward.

In 1687 the Colony was divided into East Jersey and West Jersey, the first oriented to New York, the other to Philadelphia. There was greater diversity than New England's religious ethic, or the southern colonies' planter aristocracy. County government predominated in sparsely populated West Jersey, while town government met the needs of more populated East Jersey. NJ had many navigable rivers. As a corridor state in Colonial times, it became the site for many Revolutionary War battles. This war brought more physical destruction and social disorganization than any other colony except South Carolina. After the US Constitution was adopted, the economy began to expand, like other states (no tariff barriers). Urbanization grew in the center strip connecting Philadelphia to New York.

The War of 1812, the embargo and blockade, promoted home industry and overland travel. Canals and then railroads were built from the 1830s; they connected to either New York or Philadelphia. Manufacturing shifted from the artisan in the home to workers in the factory. More urbanized area were incorporated into municipalities, allowing the residents control of roads, water, sewers, police, fire districts, building codes, and public schools. The Civil War caused a boom in manufacturing. This was followed by commuting suburbs, and the resort cities along the shore. Railroads became the greatest political and economic force in the state. Economic freedom became a memory as corporations controlled business and government. The result was increased sickness, disease, accidents, drunkenness, and crime. In 1871 the NJ Legislature appointed commissioners in Jersey City; money was squandered, taxes raised to the highest levels in city history, and municipal debt increased. Railroads could not be taxed by a city, and were given waterfront properties. Page 36 tells of the crisis that resulted from fixing the local governments so they could not deal with their problems.

From 1870 to 1917 there was a movement to reform politics and government. The ruling class made NJ more hospitable to corporations than other states. The free public school system was made state-wide. The corporations, with the large landowners from rural areas, controlled state government. The movement into undeveloped areas began in the late 19th century, and continues to this day, increasing population and taxes. There was a flurry of laws passed during W Wilson's governorship (p.50), but the progressive labor legislation did not create a countervailing power to the corporations. "Many of these laws never worked" (p.51). The one that would work, "Initiative and Referendum", was never passed, then or now, since that would give more power to the people, and less to the ruling class.

Like the New York JobBank 2000, this book is very useful. If they give a CD with all the addresses in the Book, that would be more helpful. Except in few companies (that I checked), info is upto date.

This books lists almost 250 parks, forests and other natural areas throughout the state of NJ and describes the recreational activities and facilities at each. Activities include fishing, boating, hunting, picnicing, camping, swimming and more. Also included are phone numbers for administrative offices and town recreational departments. The book is nicely organized by county regions and although no maps are included, directions for each area from a major highway are outlined.