Parties Books

Beautiful, coffee table quality, cookbook with a wide variety of simple yet elegant recipes. Excellent children's section.

I really enjoy this book. It has a great easy-to-read layout without too many confusing recipes. The recipes are user friendly but also geared to a somewhat sophisticated palette. I also usually have most ingredients on hand. I love the Baked Potato Soup! You will enjoy the pictures too.

Fenno takes an interesting perspective on the Republican's inability to lead the 104th Congress successfully. After being out of control of both branches of government for forty years, the Republicans were not adjusted to political leadership, that coupled with key (R) leaders unable to learn the art of compromise the (R) were doomed to fail. This book gives an interesting account of the structural and institutional factors that prevented the Republican congress from successful political leadership. A must read!

I read this book in an American Government class and learned a lot from it. It is quick to read and gives a very interesting analysis of the current political scene in Washington. It is especially interesting to read now that Newt Gingrich is no longer there, as this book talks about him extensively. I highly recommend this.

If you want to know the true story of Lenin and how he build the Bolshevik party, there is no better book than Tony Cliffs biography. Cliff examines closely how Lenin became a marxist and his struggle to build a strong revolutionary party. By reading this book it is clear, that Lenin wasn't a ruthless dictator, but a very intelligent man dedicated to the struggle for the rights of the working class in all countries, and that the politics of Lenin had NOTHING to do with the later terror regime developed during the Stalin period. An excellent book.

This biography is much more than an interesting story. Tony Cliff wrote it as a strategic political contribution when the left sorely needed guidance.

The only volume of this that you're likely to find is the first one, _Building the Party_. (The second and third ones are out of print, and the fourth one might not even exist.) Still, the first volume, covering Lenin's activity from 1893 to 1914, is more than good enough. This era is often ignored by academic studies of the Russian Revolution, but it is vitally important for the socialists of today.

Cliff, a founding member of the Socialist Workers Party in Britain, wrote this biography in the late '70s during a downturn in class struggle. By analyzing Lenin's dynamic party-building, Cliff and his comrades were able to use the downturn to their advantage, building cadres and affiliated groups in many countries. As a result, Cliff's International Socialist tendency survived, and grew stronger, after the '80s and the fall of the Stalinism, and now exists in over 20 nations.

Tony Cliff died early in 2000, and the leaders of IS groups around the world credit his guidance -- especially this book -- for building such a powerful, influential tendency under difficult circumstances. Today's socialists should read this biography not only to learn about their past, but to prepare for the future.

This is a beautifully written and illustrated book. I sent my copy to my oldest grandchild when she developed an interest in all things "tea time".

It is for kids and grownups to enjoy.

Yes, it was formerly called Tea With Victoria Rose.

I must say first off that I love all of the Holly Pond Hill books, and rate all of them 5 stars. The drawings, writings and overall reading are pure joy! But.... I was extremely disappointed upon receiving this book because it is the same exact book as "Tea with Victoria Rose". Only the title and cover are different. I was very dissapointed that a usually reputable publisher would try to dupe me this way. I do recommend the book for Holly Pond Hill fans, because it is a good read. I just will be more careful in the future on my purchases.

It is very important to me to stay a "cool" mam-ma to my grand-girls! This book was a real winner! I was able to give a great party for my girls that I took most of the credit for. Book made it soooo simple....and it was so much fun. A must have tool for having fun!

This is a great book for planning parties for pre-teen and teen girls. The ideas are well-thought out and easy to do. We're going to do the spa party for my daughter's 12th birthday. I might try a variation of the spy party for my son. If you ever feel like you're at a loss when planning a party, get this book. You don't even have to do all the ideas for any of the parties -- doing even part of any of the parties will make things really fun.

You may not agree with everything he says, but the arguments he puts forth are well worth reading, and the price of the book. Neal's Windows 98 book by McgrawHill is also worth reading. In addition to the technical info, his comments on computers and windows 98 are beneficial.

Patrick Neal is one of those writers just waiting to be discovered. In this book, he has the ability to write in a persuasive, yet gentle way while exploring the subtle and not so subtle nuances of liberalism. Bravo!

Great read Dr. Borst leads you down the correct path, give you reasons why we are losing our very soul as country.

I found this book to be informative,and well-written. It exposes the narrow-minded thinking of the typical liberal on issues, such as abortion, euthanasia, multiculturalism, feminism and even exposes the liberal poison that has infected some of the Catholic way of thinking. It even critically asses the role of Rush Limbaugh in the culture war. It quotes from hundreds of sources, making it as excellent reference for conservatives to develop and articultae their ideas on a host of different topics. It's all here, the origins, the ideas, the controversies that have defined the culture war that is tearing Americ apart.

I enjoyed The Liberals' Moment tremendously. The book is well-organized, clear, and most importantly, relevant to today's politics. It is relevant because it lays clear the central dilemma of the modern Democratic Party today: How do national Democratic candidates connect with the ideological passion of the party grassroots while still winning a majority in a general election?

Miroff's first part of the book describes the actual 1972 campaign. The earlier 1968 Democratic presidential nomination campaign is briefly described. That contest situated George McGovern alongside Bobby Kennedy, Hubert Humphrey, Gene McCarthy and others as the party tries to pick up the pieces after LBJ declines to seek re-election. The book moves into the jockeying in the years before the 1972 campaign and describes the strategy and tactics of the campaign. In this, Miroff introduces us to McGovern's biography and the issues he cares most about.

Two chapters are titled "The Left-Center Strategy" and "A Downward Arc." These describe the blueprints behind his 1972 campaign strategy and the successes and failures of it for both the primary and general election campaigns. The chapters also describe the chaotic Miami Beach Convention, the Eagleton affair and the principal architects and practitioners of the strategy and tactics of the campaign.

A critical theme that is described is the intense campaign against McGovern by fellow Democrats that lasted into the convention itself. The attempt by Humphrey to reclaim his throne and the hostility of labor leaders all forced the campaign to fight a prolonged two-front war. The campaign was distracted from focusing on in Nixon until very late. In one sense, this made victory almost impossible in November 1972.

However on the positive side, the joy of grass-roots politics comes across well. The strong showing in New Hampshire and his win in Wisconsin remind readers about the importance, and power, of idealism in American politics.

The second part of the book is about the campaign's meaning. Among other topics, Miroff delves into how "radical" the campaign was. In one sense, it was radical because McGovern directly criticized the Vietnam War. The war was immoral (at least to McGovern). This kind of truth is radical.

However there was also an image of radicalism that was painted by his opponents. Feminists, gays and lesbians and African-Americans found a visible place in the campaign. Their inclusion as a core, and noticeable, component of his campaign were an easy target in the culture war that was developing.

The complicated relationships between important interest groups and the McGovern campaign are also described. The tension between electoral campaigns and identity politics is analyzed well: McGovern's campaign staff wanted to win while some interest groups seemed like they were more interested in representation and recognition. There is also description of the attack politics of the Nixon campaign. As Miroff states, "The master's campaign against McGovern became a seminal text for attack politics. It taught his Republican successors how to neutralize or co-opt issues normally belonging to liberals. It instructed them on how to play the cards of race, religion and class to divide the Democrats and pull together a Republican electoral majority." (p. 244)

The last section of the book is over the party's identity. The post-mortems of the campaign are described. Why did McGovern lose so badly? Conservative Democrats viewed the loss as resulting primarily from ideology. Or was the loss caused by McGovern's personality or his handling of the Eagleton affair? It is here where Miroff has identified the ghost that keeps haunting the Democratic Party. It seems that the national media, pundits, consultants, and Democratic presidential candidates can't seem to get over this loss. Once "McGovern" is mentioned, Democrats and liberals seem to reflexively pull back from their convictions, become hesitant and doubtful and cede the power of political passion to Republicans.

Miroff concludes with a chapter on some of the key people that worked in the McGovern campaign: Bob Shrum, Gary Hart, Bill Clinton (and his supporters) among others. Following these careers is instructive in understanding where the party is today. He also describes how McGovern has remained faithful to his liberal ideology since his 1972 campaign.

In his epilogue, Miroff is clear on what he thinks the party should do: "An essential step in resolving the identity crisis of the Democratic Party is to recover what Democrats believe, their core-and liberal-convictions, and to refuse to conceal them any longer. Equally essential is the honesty to work through the traumas of liberal defeat, particularly 1972, and to learn from liberal failings." (p. 304-5)

If "the traumas of liberal defeat" are explored more honestly by Democrats and liberals, there might be some uncomfortable questions that become more visible. In particular, how does the party create an ideological model that can win the presidency while still remain true to the strong anti-war feelings of the party's grassroots? This is where Vietnam is connected to Iraq; 1972 to 2008.

The Liberals' Moment is excellent political history. It is also a work of political analysis which is precise and pertinent to today.

Bruce Miroff's "The Liberals' Moment" is an in-depth look at the McGovern presidential campaign of 1972 and its aftermath. It's a reminder of that era when the decade of the 1960s was quickly running out of time, in a sense, largely ending with McGovern's colossal defeat and the impending Watergate crisis. Miroff makes no apologies for the campaign and sees it in a broader light than just the run of the last true liberal for president on a major party ticket.

The author covers so many angles...all with clarity. Yes, it was a race about the war in Vietnam and ideology, and it was prompted in large part by grassroots from young people. But it was also a campaign that had an ugly flip side...one has largely forgotten the damage that Hubert Humphrey did to McGovern in the run-up to the Democratic convention in Miami Beach and the loss of "traditional" Democrats...blue-collar workers and ethnic voters. But the campaign, itself, from the Eagleton affair to the "demogrant", right up to Election Day.....we all knew McGovern would lose but for those of us who voted for him (it was my first presidential vote cast as a nineteen-year-old) this was as passionate as campaigns get. And quite rightly, as Miroff points out, that holds true for many of us today.

The legacy of the McGovern campaign is covered well and Miroff balances things to a tee. He's also good at telling us what happened to all those people who were "high-ups" working for McGovern. It's fascinating when he compares McGovern to other candidates who ran in succeeding years for the presidency and how they never had a clear and succinct message. Unfortunately, we're seeing some of those same things appear in the presidential race in 2008.

Finally, Miroff has a few kind words about George McGovern, himself. McGovern has never left his embrace of liberalism and I marvel when I see him now occasionally on tv.....the old warrior of the left still unapologetic and unreconstructed, saying things that make even more sense today. "The Liberals' Moment" is a fine piece of work and I highly recommend it.

A "must have", if you will, to those who are intrested in the history of the Black Panthers. The articles written by several authors covers the whole range of things associated with the Panthers and provides insights and information that make this book essential to your education.

You can really gain a lot of factual/historical background and intellectual insight into the Black Panthers from this collection of essays. Really a great resource for anyone who cares about the movement, is interested in the reality of what we broadly call the "civil rights movement" and the era in which the Panthers evolved, anyone interested in the complex struggles of a radical group, anyone interested in government surveillance and covert attacks, etc. Well, lots of stuff to get you thinking.

Most recommended for the reader with some background in the Panthers and the historical context in general, but approachable without a lot of specialized knowledge.

McClintock's first historical non-fiction fully engages the reader in the politics and personalities that defined the most important four months in the history of the United States, the months between Lincoln's election and the firing on Fort Sumter. Although clear that the ultimate decision for the war lied with Lincoln, McClintock provides insight into the significance of other key players, from Democratic leader Stephen Douglas to Republican party leader William Seward. However, more than just a politcal history, letters and quotes from common townspeople provide a complete view of the perceptions of the time. As an avid reader of history, I can safely say that this work combines the detail of Shelby Foote with the adventure of David McCullough. Bravo McClintock!

The normal historical point of view for November 1860 to April 1861 is Southern. Lincoln and the efforts to find a comprise are noted but the main story is what the South is doing. This book changes that by concentrating on Northern politics and reactions. Secession and all the maneuvering for and against it, take place off stage. Except for South Carolina, leaving the Union was a wrenching process. Many Southern states resisted secession until the very end. Kentucky was not able to make a choice and Maryland may not have been able to choose. Their stories are the subject of most histories about this period.
What about the North? How did the political, personal and public opinion shape a response to the crisis? This book tells that story and what a story it is. The Democrats, badly damaged by the events 1860, try to blame everything on the Republicans. While they work to construct a comprise to save the Union one more time. The Republicans are not united nor are they sure how to proceed. A substantial part of the party sides with the Democrats in trying to find a comprise. Another large faction is ready to allow the South to leave the Union. Large numbers feel that secession is wrong but that the Federal government lacks the authority to force states back into the Union. Many question if it is desirable to use force to maintain the Union and if doing so would not destroy the Union. Added is the plea of Southern Unionists for something to stop secession.
Lincoln, Douglas, Seward stride across these pages. Each man with multiple agendas that create and destroy alliances. Each man trying to lead his political party, maintain the Union and do what he feels is best for the nation. Shifting priorities, new developments, regional pride and abrupt changes of position make this a rollercoaster ride even if we know the story.
Russell McClintock is an excellent author. He tells this story in a straightforward manner with minimum back tracking. This allows each event to be placed in the proper perspective of the time and almost makes the reader forget we know the story. While moving from Washington to Springfield to New York, we never lose the story line nor the reason for the trip.
The decisions made during this time were difficult ones. The issues were complex and the correct response unclear. This book captures that and explains it to the reader in an informative and enjoyable way.