Illinois Books

Occasionally a slim volume appears that shatters old expectancies, recasts an entire way of thinking. Modernly, Thomas Kuhn's "The Structure of Scientific Revolutions" comes to mind; or Machiavelli's "The Prince," if one traces back in time. "Democracy's Constitution" is such a book. Without apology, John Denvir argues his case for where and when constitutional jurisprudence abandoned the path set by the ideal vision of a "pursuit of happiness" and the nation of equal opportunity demanded in the Civil War Amendments (i.e., the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth). More pointedly, he also guides the reader through a scrupulously reasoned constitutional means for solving the most vexing policy tangles the U.S. faces in the Twenty-first Century. Specifically, the privileges or immunities clause of the Fourteenth Amendment grants affirmative rights of national citizenship, which it is time the courts recognize fulsomely. They include rights: of an opportunity to earn a living; to a first-rate education; to have a voice that's heard; and to cast a vote that counts. Denvir's writing has clarity to please any layperson, and precision to satisfy any lawyer. The goal of reforming campaign contributions, for instance, is confronted in Chapter 4, "A Voice That's Heard." Current constitutional doctrine creates a condition where without effective spending limitations political equality among citizens is obscenely farcical. Put simply, that enormous wealth should constitutionally overwhelm the political voice of those with modest means is antithetical to democracy. Is the book utopian? Professor Denvir concedes its opposition to current Supreme Court decisions. But that is also the reason for writing it. His prescriptions are not, he insists, "wildly impracticable," beyond either "the fiscal or administrative reach of the United States." Finding the political will is all that's needed.

When reading of the locations Dennis goes to you feel you were in the back seat with him. He gives very vivid detail of exact places.
One place he reviewed was Manistee Michigan the Victorian Port City. the Milwaukee House was owned by Great Grandfather and Grandfather Diefenbach and we know the information was factual and interestingly portrayed.
There are many such articles that make you want to go to these byways he deplicts.

The book is dated ofcourse, but was very well done with tons of effort on the author's behalf. He deserves tons of respect.

As a decendent myself, I have a copy of this book. It is not for sale. If your want to make contact, look me up!

Best wishes
lmwold AT aol

Writing from what is clearly a Freudian perspective, he nevertheless acknowledges two forms of commodity fetishism: the first he describes as the passive Marxist view--commodities appear to have value all their own which operates as a blind to the real social labor process by which that value is created; and, second, the active Freudian view: rendered powerless by the watchful eyes of others, but especially the state, first female, then male, consumers invest commodities with a phallic significance, hoping to become powerful through the act of their consumption (surely the Romans did something similar.) While Stratton artfully describes the way consumerism has become sadomasochistically fetishized, culminating in, for example, a celebration of man-made women, such as those found in Pygmalion to Fritz Lang's Metropolis (should we count Madonna among their number?); and there are certainly analogies which can be made between the worker-capitalist relations and the sadomasochistic scene; and doubtless purchases are made on advertizers' promises of sexual prowess; nevertheless casting feelings of psychosexual powerlessness as the engine of consumerism, not only fails to consider who has the means to consume, but utterly fails to answer whether wealthy men do in fact consider themselves powerless?

Richard McKenzie does an excellent job of taking all of the dry economic theories that college professors "think" they understand and applies them to real world examples.

Economics is never more "Alive" than it is in this book. This is one of those rare books that brings a lot of loose ends of economic theories together, in easily understandable language. It puts them in real life situations where they make sense.

You don't know as much about Economics as the readers of this book do. Jeff B.

Of scholars in the field who have published extended studies of Beckett's early prose (Dream of Fair to middling Women, More Pricks Than Kicks, Murphy, and Watt) three stand above the others and are required reading on the subject for scholars. Anthony Farrow's Art and Allusion ... is one. It is hampered by the lack of an index and extraordinarily poor proofreading. Lawrence Harvey's Samuel Beckett: Poet and Critic is another. Published in 1970, it is out of print, a big shame. Harvey's is the only serious study of Beckett's poetry. The style of both Farrow and Harvey is discursive. Rubin Rabinovitz's The Development of Samuel Beckett's Fiction is the third, written in a more concise scholarly style that makes it the most entertaining of the three for the non-specialist. Rabinovitz is likely to be the most useful to the specialist as well, though of course this depends on what you're after. I have equally high praise for all that Rabinovitz has written on Beckett; there is a particular lack of competition on the subject of the early prose. I have not read John Pilling's new book Beckett Before Godot, and there are, as one would expect, numerous article-length studies of the early prose that are required reading for the specialist.

Cumming's book on Charles Dunham -- known to many by his most prominent alias, Sanford Conover -- fills a gap in Civil War research in the most delightful manner. Dunham's various ploys, scams, and intrigues, under a dozen different alias', are fascinating and dizzying, and Cumming's clever tracking of this ellusive fellow is very satisfying. Better by far than fiction, the outlandish story of Dunham -- including his employment by the gov't to perjure at the trial of the "conspirators" to murder Lincoln -- is quite a ride.

Certainly a must-read for those who've read the Trial, and want to understand Conover's frustratingly confusing testimony.

Devotion Splendor: Medieval Art At The Art Institute Of Chicago catalogues over fifty medieval objects from the Art Institute of Chicago, including works from the early Christian era to the later Middle Ages. Black-and-white and some color photographs of priceless historical artworks draw the reader into a rich collection of vivid and beautiful works. An introduction offers and overview of medieval art for each century, and each photograph of an art object has an accompanying text segment describing its history, original use, artistic themes, and other significant features. Showcased items include a Siculo-Arabic Casket that once served as a reliquary, a double-sided manuscript leaf of sixth-century pope Saint Gregory, an embroidered retable and altar frontal, and much more. A captivating collection of artistic treasures.

Dr. Vogels is clearly a true scholar of film. His book on the Maysles is deeply researched and gives a thoughtful analysis of the Maysles film artistry. But Dr. Vogels also clearly loves films as a true film fan. His book is filled with insights about why the films of the Maysles are worth seeing and appreciating, why the films are important reflections on American culture, and why their documentary approach reveals truths about people and their lives. Too many film books are dull recitations of facts and history, without giving any understanding of who the film makers are as people and why they make their films. Not this book. I love the films of the Maysels and this book helped me appreciate them even more. An added benefit is that Dr. Vogels is a good writer. I'd recommend this book for anyone who loves films, not just fans of the Maysels. I give it a thumbs up!

Musicologist Ken Kreitner's book on town bands and music in Wayne Co., PA was obviously a labor of love. His connection to the area and to music in general is apparent throughout. While this closeness to the subject might be cause for academic concern in some writers, this is not the case here. The author's methodology is thoroughly transparent and ample evidence is provided for all his claims. But this book is not only for the musicologist. Kreitner's style is that of the local historian who finally finds someone interested in what he has discovered about the town. He speaks to the reader in first and second person frequently and often provides his opinion when historical data are not sufficient. In other words, he tells a fascinating story about small-town Pennsylvania, the people, the industry, and the culture. He then discusses the place of the bands and some of their more colorful individuals in this context. This book is not only a valuable addition to the meager scholarship on the subject, but a thoroughly enjoyable read from cover to cover.