Events Books

The question: can a ten-year-old topical reference still be relevant? The answer: in the case of 50 Ways to Fight Censorship, you bet. This slim, plain-speaking book by former Rolling Stone editor Dave Marsh, with several contributors who range from author and Paris Review editor George Plimpton to poet Allen Ginsberg and a television writer, has very sound, constitutional advice that remains current, even if it was around before the Internet. Now that the Supreme Court has conferred the presidential tiara on George W. Bush, we are seeing the return of the right-wing censors of the Reagan-Bush era, like Dick Cheney and James Baker. We already have been hearing proposals for limiting speech on the Internet. We need a manual like this to make sure we act, not just react, to preserve our first and most fundamental right as Americans, to speak freely and to decide for ourselves what is appropriate to read, hear and view.

For all those people out there who want to stand up, who want to make their voices heard in the ongoing battle against censorship, but just don't know what to do: Dave Marsh has your answer. "50 Ways to Fight Censorship..." is packed with ideas of how you can join in the fight, be it locally or nationally. Marsh provides lists of oranizations you can get in touch with to help get you started, and his suggestions are practical enough for just about anybody to make an impact.

Finally, a book that tells the truth about censorship, and what you can do to provent it. This is a must for everyone who is interested in stopping censorship, and I think the censors should read it too. As a relaty check. Sorry to be sor preachy, but The book is great. Read it!

Have you ever walked into a library and not been able to get the book you wanted? Or walk into a movie store, but the title had been banned? Perhaps you aked yourself why? Or what you could do to stop the government from pulling titles simply because they dont like it. The first thing that you could do, is read this book. This book talks about numerous things you can do to stop the censors for taking away your first amendment right. Everytime you are denied anything because of censorship, your freedom of speech is being violated. Authors, artists, musicians, and directors are all being halted from showing the world their thoughts due to censorship, and we have to stop it now!

I'm always surprised at how much my wife can pack for a vacation. But this year she was amazed at how much I could pack into a vacation - thanks in part to this handy little compendium of a country full of festivals. I was able to plot a none-too-circuitous springtime route through New Mexico, Arizona and California, catching everything from the Fiery Foods & Barbecue Show in Albuquerque to the Festival of the West in Scottsdale to the Redwood Dixieland Jazz Festival in Eureka - and a lot more in between. The moral of this book is that wherever you are, there's a lot going on just down the road that you've probably never heard of but that you wouldn't want to miss.

This book is by the people who do festivals.com, so they've got the resources to put out an exhaustive compilation of art shows, fairs and festivals in un-virtual, tangible, thumb-through-able form. Now I'm waiting for their 2004 edition so I can start packing things into next year's vacation.

My sister got this book as a gift and we've had so much fun using it to plan weekend get aways. It's full of great ideas for things we can do with the kids. I'd highly recommend it for anyone looking to explore your own back yard!

We're heading off on our summer roadtrip and just paged through 600 Festivals. I love it! Now we can stop in any state along the way and relax and let the kids run wild at a festival while we gorge ourselves on local fare. I only wish every festival had a full color page!

A perfect resource for summer-time travels. Very easy to use - all of the events are organized by state, plus the book provides brief and informative background information on each of the event(s). Overall great information on local events, festivals, fairs, etc. If you are travelling this summer, this is a great book to check out before you leave or to bring along on your vacation.

A walk through the book of Acts like no other commentary. Volume 4 of Ellen G. White's 5 volume Conflict of the Ages series, insight beyond any other non-Biblical writer. Try reading the entire series from beginning to end for an astounding experience.

This book, being among a set of 5, reveals the nature of Sin and its far-reaching impact on all. As with all Ellen White's books, she conveys the way toward the abhorence of sin and to the Grace of a righteous life in Jesus. From the book, "Patriarchs & Profits", to "The Triumph of God's Love" (now titled, "The Great Controversay"), I have personally experienced steady growth in the Spirit of Christ Jesus. Thank God for Ellen White!

This book, being among a set of 5, reveals the nature of Sin and its far-reaching impact on all. As with all Ellen White's books, she conveys the way toward the abhorence of sin and to the Grace of a righteous life in Jesus. From the book, "Patriarchs & Profits", to "The Triumph of God's Love" (now titled, "The Great Controversay"), I have personally experienced steady growth in the Spirit of Christ Jesus. Thank God for Ellen White!

If you want to read a wonderful, general commentary dealing primarily with the events of the book of Acts, read this book. Here is a great quote from the chapter Transformed by Grace. "Prayer is heaven's ordained means of success in the conflict with sin and the development of Christian character....For the pardon of sin, for the Holy Spirit, for a Christlike temper, for wisdom and strength to do His work, for any gift He has promised, we may ask; and the promise is, "Ye shall receive." (Acts of the Apostles, p. 564).

Here is another wonderful statement. "Your sins may be as mountains before you; but if you humble your heart and confess your sins, trusting in the merits of a crucified and risen Saviour, He will forgive and will cleanse you from all unrighteousness." (Acts of the Apostles, p. 566).

This book was written years ago and you might find the style somewhat quaint, but you will be blessed if you are seeking for deep spiritual refreshment.

Epstein and Segal have produced an easy to read primer on the judicial appointment process. The authors show the intertwining influences of the President and Senate and their role in the ideology and politics of the justices and (to a lesser extent) judges approved to sit on U.S. federal courts.

Common sense dictates that Presidents nominate nominees who are close ideologically to their own views. Epstein and Segal show this to be true. Common sense would also dictate the difficulty if such considerations are taken into account as a president nominating a judge to the state where senators of his own party hold seats (and senatorial courtesy plays a stronger role), if the senate and president are of differing parties, and so forth.

Epstein and Segal have produced a primer for those interested in motivations in nominations to the court and the inherently political considerations that must be taken into account. I highly recommend this book.

"This is a superb and even indispensable resource. Careful, precise, objective, and nugget-filled, it's a wonderful guide to past, present, and future debates. If you want to know about judicial appointments, this is the best place to start." -- Cass R. Sunstein, University of Chicago Law School

"An important and timely study that adds an essential framework for understanding contemporary slugfests over judicial appointments. Beautifully presented and argued." -- Louis Fisher, author of American Constitutional Law

"Lee Epstein's and Jeffrey Segal's new book could not be more timely. It provides the most comprehensive and systematic examination to date of the roles of politics and ideology in Supreme Court selection. It is indispensable reading for anyone interested in how justices and judges decide cases, the limits of legal reasoning, and the contributions of social science to better understanding how the Supreme Court functions." - Michael J. Gerhardt, author of The Federal Impeachment Process

"Writing in pristine, jargon-free language, Epstein and Segal...inject some much-needed context and evidence into the current debate about judicial appointments." -- The American Prospect

"Epstein and Segal...draw together a wealth of research and empirical findings from a plethora of studies, many of which they authored, and fold them into a compelling narrative that examines all levels of the judiciary.... This book combines the best features of past studies on judicial appointments. It is also very accessible for students and citizens interested in the judicial branch." -- Law and Politics Book Review

"Thoughtful and illuminating.... Qualifications matter-as much today as they have in the past. (In that sense, President Bush might have done well to read Advice and Consent before nominating the ill-fated Miers.)? -- Chronicle of Higher Education

"A thorough look at the process, politics and presidential aspects of court appointments. Witty yet well-informed, Professors Epstein and Segal give an insight into the whys and wherefores of federal judge appointments." -- www.mayitpleasethecourt.com

Over the last five years, we have seen a consistent debate concerning judicial appointments and politics ranging from the filibusters over circuit nominees to the recent Roberts and Alito nominations. The persistent myth is that the outright influence of partisan politics on judicial nominations is a new development; that prior to the last 30 years or so, judicial nominees were only judged on the basis of qualifications and not ideology. In this book, two preeminent political scientists demonstrate that this is empirically false: while qualifications are not irrelevant, the consistently dominant factor in judicial appointments has always been politics, especially on the Supreme Court. One has only to point to the very first nomination defeated in 1795 when Washington's nominee for chief justice was defeated because he supported a politically unpopular treaty. What Epstein and Segal demonstrate is that political concerns infuse the appointments process from the very beginning and the voting of judges, at least on the Supreme Court, usually correlates to the political beliefs of the appointing president. Usefully, they also examine the lower federal courts in demonstrating how various political factors come into play in these comparatively understudied courts.

In total, Epstein and Segal have produced an excellent, brief study that is empirically sound and unbiased. While current Republicans are shown to be hypocrites, the same is dealt to Democrats. For example, many of the Democrats pushing filibusters recently complained strongly against this practice when Republicans used it in the 90s; many Republicans who complained about stalling in the Bush I administration, used the same tactics during the Clinton years and then changed the rules to make the Bush II administration's appointments easier. This is a treasure trove of empirical analysis of appointments that will not disappoint anyone looking for the facts of the situation instead of partisan talking points.

This is just an extraordinary book on judicial appointments written by two distinguished political scientists with decades of experience studying the federal courts. While it obviously is primarily designed to be a brief (168 pages, including the extensive notes) introduction to the process of judicial selection for the general reader, it skillfully incorporates some of the most significant research findings drawn from professional journals and papers. As a result, even those who are somewhat familiar with the topic and the professional literature will derive some valuable new insights. The writing is brisk and moves quickly and smoothly through the material, with the assistance of some helpful charts. In addition, the book's coverage is not limited to the Supreme Court but covers all three levels of the federal judiciary. One nice feature is that some interesting statistical data from "The Supreme Court Compendium," edited by one of the co-authors, are sprinkled throughout the discussion (e.g., no more than 20% of lower court nominations have generated any opposition). The authors' discussion of "do Presidents get what they want?" in making nominations, and if so, for how long, is particularly effective. After all, how accurately can Presidents, Senators or the rest of us predict how a nominee will perform once safely on the bench? A most timely contribution given the current Roberts nomination process and the unknown Associate Justice nominee yet to come.

Affairs of State presents the thesis that the First Lady must not enter into the spotlight of Presidential politics if she is to wield any real power. Dr. Troy's argument is compelling in several senses. The topic itself combines the best appeals of gossip and serious political science. Affairs of State allows us to indulge our fascination with the American royal family while giving real insight into the balance of power. The book is a well researched, sober work of history, deserving of the most attentive academic scrutiny. -Robin Copp

Troy's book offers the reader a rare and fresh combination of education and entertainment. From the Roosevelts to the Clintons, Troy's well-researched account of the successes and failures of America`s most powerful couple is rich with insight and wit. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can highly recommend it to all

Bravo to Robin Toner of the Times who has rightly discerned that Troy produced a balanced, thoughtful account of the challenges facing the First Lady. Troy's book is full of rich anecdotes and stimulating analysis. I can't recommend it highly enough to both presidential scholars and armchair historians alike

This is a wonderful book which has the perfect combination of intellectual stimulation and high entertainment. Troy does a great job of peering into the hidden rooms of the white house and discovers that power does has not always rested where it appeared to. Anyone interested in American history or politics will no doubt thoroughly enjoy this fresh look at the presidency

Anyone interested in the History,Ethnology and culture of Afghanistan will be immensely satisfied.Dupree's fine-toothed research covers every square inch of this tragic yet fascinating country.From Alexander the great's classic Central Asian campaigns up to the post Soviet invasion era.

Anyone interested in the History,Ethnology and culture of Afghanistan will be immensely satisfied.Dupree's fine-toothed research covers every square inch of this tragic yet fascinating country.From Alexander the great's classic Central Asian campaigns up to the post Soviet invasion era.

Louis Dupree's book is the single best survey of Afghanistan ever written. Indeed, it is the best survey of any country with which I am familiar. In 700 well-written pages, the book introduces the reader to the flora, fauna, geology, geography, folk customs, ethnic groups, literature and history of the country. When I served as the legal advisor to the US Embassy in Kabul for a year, I found it invaluable.

"Afghanistan" gives the reader a complete insight in life in Afghanistan from the Stone-age until the Russian Invasion. Dupee go's in extreme detail about all aspects of Afghanistan's society and "illustrates" them with many stories which makes the book fasinating from the first page to the end. He presents the reader Afghanistan historicly, geographicly and demographicly. The index in the back of the book, makes it to a most complete reference source. After reading this book you know more about Afghanistan than many Afghanies!

(Please feel free to correct my english) Jeroen van Dijk

Definitely a book that I recommend to friends. If you are interested in the political process, Watergate, Nixon; or simply this tumultuous period in American history then this book is for you. And it's grammatically correct too. Rob--Fairhope, AL

Even today, it's difficult to be objective about Richard Nixon. Author Russ Witcher succeeds, however, in his seminal study about how Nixon dealt with the press in the two decades following his resignation from the presidency. Relying on articles about Nixon in the three national newsweeklies during this period, Witcher presents a dispassionate look at how Nixon's image improved in the national print media. By quantifying the number of positive and negative statements the newsweeklies made about the former president, Witcher avoids the subjectivity that has marred much of the earlier research that has been done about Mr. Nixon.

Russ Witcher's superb study of Richard Nixon's post-presidential rehabilitation in the media is long overdue. Many observers have said that Nixon was largely successful in improving his media image during the last 20 years of his life, but Witcher has the numbers to prove it. In an exhaustive look at every article written in Newsweek, Time, and U.S. News & World Report about Nixon from his resignation in 1974 until his death in 1994, Witcher finds that Nixon improved his image over time in all three of the newsweeklies. Such research is a testament to Nixon's perseverance to fight to be known as more than The Watergate Man. That fight found its ultimate culmination at Nixon's funeral when even President Clinton declared that the days of judging Nixon on anything less than his whole life and career were over.

Russ Witcher's book, that Watergate thing, is one of the best books that I have ever read. The tension kept me on the edge of my seat! The climatic conclusion is unparalled by anything except for certain Betty Davis movies. Keep up the good work, Russ. I hope to see more work from you in the near future.

This book will interest students of politics who wish to learn the observations of a liberal Democrat elected official who participated and observed the past three decades of the emergence of the politics of the "New South".
Harriet Keyserling retired from the South Carolina state legislature in 1992 and has produced this brilliant insightful insider account of that legislative body. A legislator who was devoted to such issues as increasing support for education and resisting nuclear waste in her state, she offers several lessons from her experiences.
Among points to ponder presented in the book are a.) alliances can be formed around agenda items that transcend political partianship, b.) be open and honest with the press and they will trust you and treat you better in the long run, c.) recognize that not all men nor all women think alike, even though men and women may approach some issues differently, and d.) all issues are women's issues and women legislators should not feel compelled to limit themselves to matters others believe primarily concern women.
The legislative infighting described in this book will interest students of South Carolina politics. Her descriptions of many South Carolina Governors as essentially cheerleaders for the Chamber of Commerce provides insights into interest groups and government. Legislative observers will appreciate learning how as much to one third to one half of South Carolina legislative sessions used to be spent engaging in fillibusters.
Rep. Keyserling is proud of her efforts to create a dedicated sales tax for education and for creating South Carolina
s Sunny Day Fun. Towards the end of her career, South Carolina politics transcended into an arena of great confrontation and tension. Disliking these changes, she left politics. Harriet Keyserling, though, has left us with her knowledge and insights in this book. Readers will appreciate her writings.

Absolutely brillant! I thoroughly enjoyed reading "Against the tide." Mrs. Keysterling held office during an interesting period in SC politics. The book provided great insight into many of the issues affecting South Carolina and the nation. I highly recommend it.

This is a marvelous and instructive memoir on Ms. Keyserling's many years in active politics in South Carolina. She battled long odds in a deeply conservative state and was able to accomplish much in her 16 years in the State Legislature. She was an early and important ally of former SC governor and current Secretary of Education Richard Riley, and was one of the leaders who helped pass the progressive educational reforms that improved that state's educational standing and performance. She overcome much to fight the 'good fight' for progressive environmental laws, energy conservation, regulation of nuclear and solid waste, and promotion of the arts. The forward is by Richard Riley and she has glowing recommendations from novelist Pat Conroy, former U.S. Senator Nacy Kassebaum Baker and columnist David Broder. She is a long time member of the League of Women Voters, and that group was very instrumental in most of her political battles. I enjoyed the book and found it useful and enlightening. JMP

This piece is a great primer for those interested in having a public impact but, because of age, sex or gender, don't project their views. A 54 year old Jewish woman living in South Carolina gained the courage to speak out . . . and was heard. Easy reading.

This is an excellent, highly readable book for anyone interested in the nuts and bolts of British politics. Each constituency is profiled in-depth, and I reach for this book every time a by-election is caused. This new edition is highly welcome, as the old edition was made hopelessly out of date by the 1997 Labour landslide. Buy this book, and you'll know which seats Peter Snow means the next time he says "Now let's have a look at our Swingometer!"

Excellent resource for British Politics. Glad to see it has been updated to reflect the sweeping 1997 Labour Victory and Boundary Commission changes. A must for anyone interested in British Politics.

This is the 'bible' of British electoral politics, but it suffers from one major drawback - since it was published we have had the 1997 General Election which renders much of it out-of-date. The next edition is therefore eagerly awaited. Basically the book consists of an account of each parliamentary constituency, detailing its location, social and political mix, and boundary changes imposed since the previous election in 1992 (which in some cases make drastic changes to its political flavour). The really fascinating element of this analysis is the prediction made as to the likely outcome of the 1997 election - the authors followed the common belief that the (then) opposition parties would catch up on the Conservatives, but failed to predict the size of the landslide that overwhelmed John Major's government on 1st May 1997. In my own constituency, for example, the prediction includes the line "there will be no more close contests in Bosworth" - the sitting MP saw his majority slashed from 19,000 to 1,000!

The constituency profiles also include potted biographies of the sitting MPs and, in some cases, of the people thought likely to replace them. These are 'warts and all' sketches that are often highly amusing. My own MP, we read, was described as "so stupid that he couldn't find his own bottom with both hands and a compass" - by someone who is now a government minister!

As a student of the political scene I turn to this book constantly when an MP or a constituency hits the headlines, and I always learn something new from it. It has a value despite the turn of events, but I won't be alone in my eager anticipation of the next edition!

Excellent review of british politics. Gets even better with time. If you are interested in what is going on in a major player in europe this is the book to get. Provides excellent portraits of all the major players in this parliament and of Tony Blairs government.

One of the best studies I have ever read on the nature of power and domination. Wedeen asks the simple question of how Asad is able to keep power in Syria when all of the people know that all of the state propaganda is false. Her elegant answer gets right to the heart of what makes a ruler powerful. Asad rules not through totalitarianism, but through authoritarianism. What's the difference? A ruler who controls everything that the people think (like in North Korea) is not really dominating them, they just don't know any better. But a ruler like Asad rules because the people fear him and become unable to dissent as a result of Foucault-ian discursive practices.

This book will facinate anyone interested in the modern Middle East or the nature of power.

When I first traveled to Syria in the late 90's, I found the eerie, creepy phenomenon of what Wedeen terms Syria's state cult to be the most inscrutable, absurd and mind-boggling feature of the entire land-scape. After Asad's death, the succession of his son, Bashar, saw the ubiquity of his father's visage decline noticeably but still it did by no means disappear.

Wedeen's work does forcefully and with keen insight what I once thought was impossible. Though known to be patently absurd by all Syrians, inside and outside the elite, Wedeen argues cogently that this cult in its own way reinforces power for the state by demarcating the boundaries of political practice 'as if'...i.e., politics in Syria are to be practiced AS IF the cult expresses reality. Her analysis also broadens to include investigations of the vast amount of state resources squandered on the cult and the circumscribed efforts to resist and protest the gov't. Highly recommended reading for anyone studying the modern Middle East.

This engaging and often witty work asks the basic question, "how do rituals and symbols that are widely understood to be false or absurd help to support a regime?" Her answers help to complicate our understanding of the relationship between state symbolism and legitimacy in authoritarian states.

Happily, the value of this work is not limited to political theory. Indeed, for most readers, these theoretical issues will be secondary to the insights and observations Wedeen offers regarding the workings of the brutal and repressive Syrian regime. Her authorial tone is wry and, despite its theoretical sophistication, this is an easy work to read. In particular, her reliance on everyday communications and popular media and the breadth of examples she provides bring Syrian society to life in a way that few academic works have.

A ground-breaking exploration of the subtle ways power operates to structure everyday life. Rich in ethnographic detail and eloquently written. Definitely worth _much_ more than $17. A worthy read, not just for people interested in contemporary Middle Eastern politics, but for those interested in issues of power, discipline and resistance. Ms. Wedeen is a rising star in the field of Political Science. Bravo!!