Andre Books

This is the second of two current book-length examinations of judicial behavior on the United States Courts of Appeals. The other book is "Judging on a Collegial Court" by Hettinger et al., also reviewed on Amazon. The Courts of Appeals, or middle level of the federal court system, merit such attention because for nearly all federal litigation, they are the ultimate court of decision as they oversee the 93 or so district courts. As was the case with the Hettinger volume, while there is no denying that the authors rely upon statistical methods and even (perish the thought!) an occasional chart displaying data, the analysis is so clear and well developed that one does not have to be a political scientist or statistician to follow the discussion quite nicely. And this is vital because these courts are extremely important.

The authors set out to test three fundamental hypotheses with data drawn from examination of 6,408 cases involving some 19,224 separate judicial votes during the 1995-2004 period. First, in ideologically-contested controversial cases, can voting "tendencies" be predicted based on the party of the appointing president? Next, does "ideological dampening" -- that is, the presence of two judges of a different political party on the panel -- influence a third judge of a different party? Finally, is there "ideological amplification" of judicial attitudes if all three judges on a panel are of the same party, so that more extreme positions are taken than with a mixed panel?

The authors find that all three of these hypotheses are supported in a wide range of cases involving 13 issues such as campaign finance, sexual discrimination, and commercial speech. However in five areas, the authors find that party identification of the judge does not matter: criminal justice; federalism & commerce clause; takings under the 5th Amendment; punitive damages; and standing questions. As for abortion and capital punishment (and perhaps gay/lesbian rights), attitudes are so entrenched that no matter what the panel's composition, its members will not modify their previous views.

There is much more to the authors' analysis than space allows for discussion. The key point raised by the book is the importance of maintaining an ideologically diverse federal judiciary, an increasingly difficult task given recent GOP campaigns to fill the courts with conservative judges. The authors do find that the federal judiciary is becoming more conservative and so the point is more than an academic one. This is an important book published by the Brookings Institution here in Washington that serves as a well-documented introduction to discussions of this very important issue.

Gore Vidal gives us superbly vitriolic portraits of Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan, as well as of the Christian Right's Armageddon: 'Why conserve anything, if Judgment Day is at hand.'

But he sees through the rhetoric and the hypocrisy the real America of humming electric chairs and well-packed prisons. A US controlled by an oligarchical system where men of property can do well and the others are on their own; where the New Rich made their money with defence contracts, the circulus vitiosus 'transfer money from the Treasury to the various defence contractors which in turn pay for the election of Congress and President'; where the Pentagon is a black hole for wasted money while the public educational system is deteriorating because of a lack of investment.

On the moral side, he remarks perspicuously that 'In order for a ruling class to rule, there must be arbitrary prohibitions. Of all prohibitions, sexual taboo is the most useful because sex involves everyone.'

But this book contains also some remarkable essays on world literature: Henry James ('monsters have triumphed yet again'); William Dean Howells ('a darkness sufficiently sable for even the most lost-and-found of literary generations'); Logan Pearsall Smith ('idiom before grammar'); Paul Bowles ('the strangeness and terror of waking dreams'); Tennesse Williams ('he certainly believed in sin'); Italo Calvino ('the many in the one'); Anthony Burgess ('3 obsessions: religion-art-sex').

A book of a remarkable observer and analyzer.
We need his voice.

De Nicole Schuster, Lima Pérou.
Excellent livre qui traite de la mutation subie par l'armement depuis la seconde moitié du 19e. siècle, ainsi que de sa réglementation, production et de son commerce. Quoique que l'auteur analyse plus amplement l'armement en France suivant le schéma ci-dessus mentionné, il expose généreusement le cas d'autres pays producteurs d'armes - notamment les Etats-Unis - et de ceux qui sont concernés par le commerce des armes.
La situation géopolitique des différents Etats est brièvement exposée dans la mesure où celle-ci a un rapport direct avec leur politique de l'armement, ce qui nous permet de mieux comprendre les mécanismes économiques et politiques qui motivent chaque pays.
En analysant l'armement, sa production et sa commercialisation, l'auteur fait état des relations qui s'établissent entre les institutions privées et celles de l'Etat, et entre les Etats.

L'absence d'index alphabétique à la fin du livre est largement compensée par la concision de la table des matières.
Bien que le livre ait été publié en 1989, il reste d'actualité. En effet, il tient déjà compte des innovations faites en matière d'électronique qui annonçaient déjà la Révolution dans les Affaires Militaires.

I've decided to get back into professional photography after many years. I bought many photography books, DVDs, online courses so that I would get a feel for the market and customer tastes. A lot of books and DVDs are outdated, not only on equipment use (film vs digital), but also on portrait styles, and marketing techniques.

This is the most informative book that I've read on corporate photography, people portraiture, ligthing techniques and location challenges, equipment use, and a definitive guide for the business end - a major weakness for most artists. You can hunt the Internet to find what other photographers are charging for their services, but apart from obvious talent, you will not know why they charge what they charge. This books tells you how to calculate your costs and price your services for economic growth.

Although this book concentrates more on the corporate or business niche, the ligthing techniques and strategies exposed will serve you well for other types of photography. Ligthing set-ups and equipment used are explained in detail. The author even indicates timelines for set-ups and actual customer shooting time. This will help you in being realistic when you price your contracts. The high quality photographs can inspire your own creativity. A must read.

The author is also a coach for new and seasoned photographers. Check out his site at: www.photocoach.com I've never met Andre Amyot, but I've heard of him through other successful photographers.

I have read this book, and believe it is quite telling of the man and his life as an artist, and a man who saw the Great War and was changed.

My grandfathers both fought in the Great War, and never told me about it. I learned more from reading this book, or with the book on the Army Engineers he penned than any other.

Charlotte
www.fertilityfair.com

Take some fragments of cloth, some silk, woollen and cotton thread, paints to be applied with a mouth-spray - and a touch of imagination. Art embroidery doesn't require a lot of equipment, but it's a form of self expression whose richness and variety will astonish you.
This introduction by Liz Maidment provides the basic approach to an artform that is still undeservedly neglected. Look at the wealth of flowers, landscapes, buildings and garden scenes depicted in these pages and you will be amazed. All you have to do to share this creative adventure is to follow the author's simple instructions.
Liz Maidment's description of her highly personal way of working includes all the necessary detail: choosing a subject, laying the groundwork, using the mouth spray, finding the right balance of colors and textures - everything is here. The text is backed up by illustrations of the different stitches used and by a series of projects explained and illustrated step by step.

I'm very pleased with the Book. Also I'm very pleased whit the delivery system.
Thank you very much
Gabriela Pidal

In terms of finding a wild, uninhibited introduction to the radical and mindspinning worlds of Breton and friends I can assure you that this is a challenging but rewarding read. However, take note that those who feel prose must have structure and communicate linear thought, please leave your textbook at the door. This is work that burrows deep into the subconcious and festers like a tick.

Great book. The only inconvenience I found is that Amazon does not ship "used and new" items to Puerto Rico. I had to get this item shipped to my aunt's home in New York, for her to ship it to me. Please improve this aspect. It stops me from buying several more products, because I don't want to inconvenience my family at the states. I am willing to pay more shipping and handling, but I want my purchases to be delivered to my home!

This book is money well spent, especially if you are a fan of BB King or the blues. Not only is it well-written, but the selective editing of Anson Pope keeps the focus concise and delightful. One of the best music books I've read in a long time.