Becker Books

This book is great for anybody who have a deaf dog even deaf puppies, hard of hearing dog and elderly dogs who are getting deaf. It explained what to do with a deaf dog like how to do hand signals, what to do to get the dog's attention, what not to do and so on. It even have the stories about the owners who have experiences with their deaf dog/puppy. Previous owner who bought my dog when she was a puppy and realized something wrong with her. The ear infections caused her some hearing loss. They find hard to deal with her. They want to put her down but they couldn't do it so they asked the Breeder to do it for them and of course, the Breeder took her but never put her down. The Breeder couldn't find someone who want a hard of hearing dog until a year later I contacted him about the puppies but the Breeder doesn't have any puppy available at that time and then I mentioned to him that I noticed the picture of her on his website and asked the Breeder if that's my dog's little sister and he said yes. He said he is willing to give her to me if I'm interesting so I said I'll give it try. He knows that I will give her a good home and have patience with her b/c I'm hearing impaired, too. He found out that my dog (I bought my dog from him when my dog was a puppy) have learned hand signals without the voice so I can do the same thing with her. The first few days it was difficult b/c she have not had socialized with stranger dogs outside the farm and then after that she was getting use to my dog and now they became great friends. My dog taught her how to play "tag" game and "chase" game. She learned by watching my dog how to catch the ball in the air and she just learned it few weeks ago! Hooray!! She was so exciting what she did it b/c she was wagging her tail so hard and looked at me and my dog like "I DID IT! That was FUN! I want to do it AGAIN!" I thank the Breeder for saving her life for not putting her down. Sure, deaf dogs and hard of hearing dogs are little harder but some hearing dogs are difficult as well. I had no problem with her and I was happy about her. She is so darn cute and funny like her big brother.

I was recently found out that my great dane has extreme hearing difficulties and will more than likely be totally deaf within a year. I looked for books regarding deaf dogs. There were not many out there. I purchased this book and it was a wonderful beginning. I have gone on to purchase a pocket dictionary of signing and am working my own signs in with my dog. I recommend anyone who is just starting out working with a deaf dog to read this book.

The book was helpful and offered suggestions that I didn't think of. It was nice to hear someone's perspective on the matter.

I was freaking out when I found out my new baby(pup) is deaf. "Living With a Deaf Dog" was a life saver. I felt so more at ease after reading the first few pages. I also had family and friends that interact with Kiko read it. Kiko was my wild child and is now on her way to being a well behaved adult.

This book tremendously helped me understand my 3 yr. old deaf dog, Patch so much better. I didn't understand some of his behaviors and I could not find helpful books at the library. From the author's stories, tips, and advice, I have a much better understanding of what he goes through and why he exhibits some behaviors. I've had him for a year with trial especially with walking him. Since I've read this book, he and I have a much better understanding of each other. He is so willing to learn, the tips the author gave proved to be so useful! Great book! Thank you!

All I Need to Know I Learned from My Cat is a little illustrated book by Suzy Becker. Each page has some piece of wisdom like "Be curious" and "Don't always come when you're called," and a corresponding illustration involving a fat white cat.

The whole thing is very cutesy, and if you aren't a cat lover, this isn't for you. But if you are a cat lover/owner, you can relate to a lot of what's in here, and you'll get some enjoyment out of the book.

Ultimately, All I Need to Know I Learned from My Cat, while containing nothing particularly hilarious or classic, is what it sets out to be: cute.

A delightful exploration of what humans can learn from animals. The illustrations are spare and charming, the text amusing, compelling and true. I would recommend it as a gift for teenaged girls, and cat lovers of all ages.

My family has a cat (Sassy) that is approximately one year old. She is currently in the transition stage from being an energetic kitten interested in everything to a tamer version that is more content. When reading this book I recognized Sassy on every page. Each page contains an illustration with caption that also relates to our human traits of trying to get through the trials of life. My favorite was the page that showed a human bathroom with things strewn everywhere with the caption, "Get someone else to clean your bathroom." Funny and entertaining, this book will strike the truth bone of every person who owns or has owned a cat.

Cat lovers know that you can learn many valuable life lessons from the feline(s) that allow us to share their living space with them. Suzy Becker's cute, sweet and simple book only proves it. Any cat lover/owner will love having it.

A sweet and sharp little book to have if you own cats and you are observant of their personalities. I'm happy I bought it

Dears

I am grateful buy book in Amazon. My order arrive in the predict day , in state perfect. All the information I need for choice the book was available before in the site. Good work, Amazon person.

Óthon Pereira
from Brazil
Writing for Social Scientists: How to Start and Finish Your Thesis, Book, or Article: Second Edition (Chicago Guides to Writing, Editing, and Publishing)

This was the best $10 I've ever invested. The book is wonderful; clear and concise. It's made a big difference with my papers through understanding that writing is a process that mostly begins with angst, that there are a few quick tricks that can make any paper much better and that big words in scientific papers don't make the paper scientific (or readable). BUY THE BOOK!!!

I bought the first edition of this book about 20 years ago and found it very helpful. I long ago misplaced my copy and so was happy to order the new second edition. On reading the book again, I found Becker's advice to be as good as I remembered, but I was disappointed that he had made so few changes in the "second edition." Essentially, the first edition has been reprinted verbatim--even typos weren't corrected--with a relatively few pages of additional material added to the last two chapters. Chapter 9 now contains Becker's general thoughts on recent software that he considers useful to writers. This discussion would have been more helpful if he had been willing to mention specific programs. I guess he decided not to either to avoid giving free advertising or to avoid dating the discussion. The last chapter gives some interesting, if brief, observations on the place of writing in modern academic life.

In short, if you already have the first edition, there's not much point in buying the second edition. If, on the other hand, you haven't encountered this book before and you would like some useful tips on academic writing, it's well worth the price.

The author provided a guide to assist the social scientist in writing clear, concise articles, books, etc. Tips for revising/editing were helpful, as were the suggestions for overcoming procrastination, and finding critical colleagues to assist in the process. The tips, I think, were helpful; however, as the author points out, many scientific journals are not interested in articles that are clear and concise.

I actually purchased the book for the person I share an office with. He is currently working on his dissertation and kind of at a stand still on page 5. After reading the book, within two weeks he was on page 50 and continues to progress ahead. He really liked the book and has recommended it to several other people. The book helped him focus less on making sure everything he was writing was perfect and more on trying to get a first draft done. While the book assisted him with this, it will probably not be helpful once the draft is done.

This book is excellent! The patterns are simple and easy to follow. The outfits are adorable. The only problem I have is that my doll is wider through the chest and taller, so I have to alter some of the patterns to fit- but it is not a difficult process. Also, many of the patterns are repeated for different outfits, which makes it easy to sew, but it would be nice to have more variety. Overall, a great product that I really enjoy using.

The book looks wonderful - but it came without the patterns. I would suggest that you ask the seller to double check the book to make sure the patterns are included before shipping.

This book is great for making quick and simple doll clothes. I have had a lot of fun making a great variety of clothes for my granddaughters American Girl doll. Let your imagination go and there is no limit to what you can do with these patterns. Some days I think I have more fun than my granddaughter.

This is the third book of patterns by Joan Hinds I have purchased to clothe my daughter's American Girls dolls. All of her patterns have well written instructions and come with full size pattern pieces. The sewing is not complicated, I am able to complete an outfit in a couple of hours, I think most of the projects would be suitable for beginning sewers. The best part is most of the clothing can be made with rements of fabric. I usually cut out several outfits at a time and then do the sewing for them all at once, it alleviates the need to continue pulling out the pattern sheets.

The instructions are well written and easy to follow, and the patterns are varied enough that you don't need any other doll patterns.... although I have several of Joan Hinds' other books and they're very good too.

What works for me:

I bought one of those slim less-than-a-dollar slip-in photo albums, and use each photo spot to hold a pattern, alpabetically by piece. (Actually a copy of the pattern; I don't like to cut up originals)The spine is labeled and it's very neat on my shelf.

Joan Hinds' other books have the pattern pieces numbered; and that's even easier to organize. I have an album for each book, and numbered each page in permanent ink. Then each piece was filed in its own little spot, visible, safe, and easily accessed. I found this more efficient than storing pieces by outfit, because several outfits share pieces. It took me less than 45 minutes, start to finish, including tracing ALL of the patterns & cutting them out.

Overall, a highly recommended book and series!

Those who gave this book 5 stars can't be serious.I appreciate volume 1 pretty much as it is the best I found on the marked despite all the improvements that should be made, espicially if the book is to be used for self-study. Thai for intermediate learners might only be for the people who, from lesson 1 from the 1st book, started also to learn the script. I want to see the geniuses who are are, on there own, able to work there way through THIS book. Even if you might with difficulties identify some words, I just don't believe that there are people who do this easily, espicially as the font is all to small, and there is no help at all to identify or verify the tones. If this would not be bad enough, I don't understand why also the english translation is missing, this makes the book almost worthless for self-learners as they use too much time for guessing instead of using this time for repeating and memorising. Don't buy this book if you don't have at any time a thai teacher on your side. There is plenty of very valuable thai learning material at thai-language.com .

I first reviewed the beginner's book in this series, and by now I have worked my way through the second volume. Since the two books are extremely similar in format, just about everything I said in my previous review applies here: a casual learner who idly flips through the pages will not get very far; a serious language learner with well-developed language study skills will be able to make good use of it. As in the first volume, a lesson consists of vocabulary lists, sometimes a bit of grammar, and example sentences. The exercises are still worthless, but at least they and the example sentences are now written without Roman transliteration. I think the best way to approach a textbook like this is to plug the vocabulary lists into an SRS (spaced repetition software (flashcards)) and use the example sentences as reading practice. But for any really substantive and extensive intermediate-level reading and conversation practice, you'll have to look elsewhere. Given the scarcity of quality Thai materials, however, especially above the beginner level, 'Thai for Intermediate Learners' is a worthy resource. The audio might also be worth a look.

This is one of very few easily available books on intermediate Thai...well, at least from Europe.

It's a great feeling to open this book and see no more reading texts in IPE, or western phonetic romanization.

It is a small book but it covers alot of ground.
It is challenging, simple and fun to work with.

The reading passages varies on topics which is another big plus.

If you haven't gotten a Thai <-> English dictionary yet, this is the time to get one, you may have forgotten words from you beginners studies...and well, you should have one anyway.
I reccomend this book, also by Paiboon:Thai-English English-Thai Dictionary for Non-Thai Speakers, Revised Edition (Dictionary) (Dictionary)

I did not use the Beginner's Thai book prior to this one, I actually did the Teach Yourself Thai and Colloquial Thai books before this...only because I did not know of Paiboon and its books before then.

Anyhow, this is THE book to get if you have completed either Thai For Beginner's by Paiboon (Thai for Beginners with CD (Audio)), or the Teach Yourself Thai book (Teach Yourself Thai (Teach Yourself Complete Courses)).
(I do not recommend Colloquial Thai as a pre-requisite because it does not teach the script).

I've tried many of the commonly available Thai courses, and Becker's series of three books is the best. This second book assumes that you've finally cracked the code and are now able to read basic Thai script. It's a very big step! Maybe it's a little too big. It certainly appears so at first. But persevere and I promise it can be done. There's nothing like a little pressure.
I've now started her third book (Thai For Advanced Learners), having battled through this second book for about a year. And this really is the key: you have to keep working at it everyday. Becker's books are designed for quite serious learning, and I find I need to go through the entire book, slowly, five or six times, over a period of several months before it really sinks in. The CDs are indespensable for pronunciation, tones and rhythm...and well worth the extra expense.
I'd like to respond to one common criticism of all Thai language books - the use of English transliteration (Thai to English script). The criticism of transliteration is justified, but there really is no alternative for the absolute beginner. Learning Thai speaking skills from scratch without any recourse at all to English script is simply too hard and will soon douse even the most ardent student's fire! But you do need to wean yourself off English transliteration as soon as possible if you are to have any hope of real progress.
This is where Becker is very good. Her transliteration method is the best that I've used, but she still encourages the reader to learn Thai script right from the start (and does the best job of it too).
But this second book assumes you've finally got over the trauma of it all and are well on your way to taking the next serious step up. The umbilical cord is finally cut loose, and you're left floundering a little with only your own prior learning of Thai script to rely on. Don't throw away the first book just yet! I was constantly referring back to the tones section in "Thai For Beginners". Gee, it's hard at first! But it's also absolutely necessary. I now profoundly understand why Becker insists on throwing us into the deep end. Persist!! Familiar patterns will soon start to emerge among all the meaningless spaghetti squiggles. Your brain will adjust. I had my "eureka!" moment somewhere around the third or fourth chapter.
So is the pain worth it? Put it this way, if you're still enthusiastic about learning Thai after the first four chapters of this book then you're obviously serious about it. Then yes, absolutely...Becker's book is the best. It will make or break you.

All three books in the series are excellent. They address the need for a systematic and thorough, yet informal and highly accessible, introduction to the Thai language for native speakers of English. One receives the impression that the author has taken great care to ensure her books provide the maximum possible benefit to assist students who wish to learn Thai.

The books teach both the spoken and written aspects of the language, unlike other textbooks which would leave the student effectively illiterate. Throughout the series, the author stresses the advantages of learning written Thai as opposed to relying upon a system of transliteration. In this, the second book in the series, it is finally possible to dispense with transliteration altogether and focus on Thai in Thai.

Since my wife is Thai, I had a ready source to assist me with pronunciation. Otherwise I would certainly have purchased the audio materials that correspond to the books, for it is impossible to learn Thai sounds simply by reading about their approximate descriptions from a book.

Margaret Becker has been one of my favorite singers since her '87 debut. Her music has always been introspective and thought provoking. In some ways, I think of her as the sister I never had (we're the same age).

This book shows the same depth that are in her songs. The first two sections deal with her taking a month long sabbatical in late '95, and her use of time to reconnect spiritually. The third section deals with changes that took place as a result of that time.

One strength of this book is Becker is leading by example. She is not giving seven steps to spiritual satisfaction. She is merely describing what has been going on in her life. Some items resounded more with me than others. But then, my hunch is that if you read this book, you'd possibly be touched and motivated by different parts of this book.

I believe I noticed this book has a study guide, and this book does need it, to help each person think about their own lives. This book has been a blessing to me, and I trust it will be to you as well.

Jeff Reynolds

I have loved Margaret's music since day one and her writing is the icing on the cake. I loved her fresh take on experiencing a God-directed life. Her honesty and transparency drew me in and challenged me to look at my journey 'With New Eyes' (her first book, also excellent). I have so many sections of this book underlined it looks like a coloring book! Practical, spiritual, essential...

I heard about this book on a talk show I was listening to one day while driving. I have a very hectic job and this book really "spoke" to me. Since reading this, I have still remained "busy", but have "come up for air"...what a concept. Great Read for anyone who needs to step away and breath.

Margaret Becker knows just how touch the heart of the matter in everyday life. Her simple, yet rich thoughts easily resonate with the thoughts inside of most of us. Her humor is apparent as is her belief in God and the combination is a read that is light yet profound. If you haven't read Becker- now is the time to start!

I've decided that Margaret Becker is the best Christian author since CS Lewis. I loved her music (especially the lyrics.) She has translated that open and brutally honest style of writing to books. This book shows an understanding of what it is like to be overwhelmed by the "tyranny of the busy" and how to break that cycle. I appreciate it is from a single person's point of view and the loneliness that can result from that. However, it is a loneliness that can apply to married or partnered adults as well. Her amusing attempt to reconnect with her childhood and the wonders that entailed were a joy to read. I recommend this book to anyone who is feeling overwhelmed with life and losing that important spiritual connection to our heart, soul, love, and God.

I listened to this book on CD and found the story fascinating. I'd never heard of Charley Becker or Satan's Circus but the story is certainly worth hearing if only to disclose potential pitfalls in the justice system and ensure that history doesn't repeat itself. Dash provides lots of context for the story and the amount of detail indicates the level of thought and research that went into this book.

I started reading this book and shortly after starting it I put it down. I went back to it a few months later and finished it. Well researched and written, although I had nothing but contempt for the police officer about whom the book is written. At times, the characters become confusing, but it is a decent read, nothwithstanding the distasteful nature of the police officer profiled in the book.

This is my third book by Mike Dash and while the other two seemed to move in a flowing manner, this one was more halting and jerky. Many times in reading along, Dash jumps to another part of the story and leaves you wondering what happened. At other times he reiterates something already mentioned as if it was new.

What I found most disconcerting was Dash's inability to keep a straight timeline. In one paragraph he will mention two situations, with the time frame reversed (i.e. something happens in 1914 and then something like it in 1912). There are so many tangents and diversions (each in a short choppy paragraph) that it's hard to keep track of what's going on.

Was Becker guilty? No. Was he railroaded? Yes. Had he done enough in his prior life to be caught up in this travesty? Yes. Did he do other things that should have gotten him executed? Probably. So did he deserve what he got in the end? Not really.

In fairness, I bought this book for my wife, rather than for myself. This is not a book I would normally pick to read, and about halfway through, when I gave up, that "normal" self-judgment was vindicated. Dash provides the promised detailed account of life in the red-light district in turn-of-the-century New York City, and his account is tightly detailed. Within the decades of the 1890's and the 1900's, shifts in local power changed the political and social scenes considerably. New York City in 1994 and New York City in 1997 were very different places (for example), and shifts were no less profound 100 years earlier. To his credit, rather than superficially lumping the period together, Dash details each shift and the characters and consequences of it.

For me, though, that was the rub. I just wasn't that interested. The story that is promised to carry us through the detail, that of the only police officer sentenced to death, develops far too slowly and blandly to do that job. Indeed, the main character in the story, Charlie Becker, remains a cipher. Ironically, Dash does not succeed in getting us as close to the individual at the heart of the story as he does many peripheral characters.

In short, while the book succeeds moderately well on its own terms, those terms are not mine.

This is a superior account of the murder of a failed gambling boss, Herman Rosenthal, and the subsequent trials that resulted in the execution of four of his killers, "Gyp the Blood" Horowitz, "Lefty Louie" Rosenberg, "Dago Frank" Cirofici and Whitey Lewis (a/k/a Jacob Seidenschner) and a crooked Police Lieutenant, Charles Becker. The latter was charged as a participant in a criminal conspiracy to murder Rosenthal in order to silence him before he could expose widespread police corruption in midtown Manhattan where prostitution and gambling flourished as protected vices. Becker was the leader of a special police squad that was supposed to crack down on gambling in the district that was nicknamed "Satan's Circus" by clergymen, but he contented himself to collect sizeable bribes and permitted gaming to continue with minimal interference beyond token raids. Rosenthal had threatened to blow the whistle on the payoff system after his gambling house had been closed by the police. He felt he had been betrayed by Becker, who was formerly his silent partner, and by several other professional gamblers.

Author Mike Dash has done some serious research and rectified a few errors and omissions that appeared in previous books on the same subject. This is no small accomplishment given the large number of sources to be consulted. There were many conflicting accounts to untangle, analyze and reconcile to provide readers with an approximation of the truth. Dash's engrossing book is packed with vivid details and is fully annotated. It may well be the definitive book on a subject that has inspired numerous competing titles by a variety of authors.

Becker's death sentence and execution have been the subject of constant controversy. The defendant faced the unhappy prospect of being subjected to a withering cross examination by the prosecution if he dared to take the witness stand. On trial for his life, Becker gambled and paid the supreme penalty for his decision not to testify in his own defense at either of his two trials. Yes, there were two separate trials and Becker was convicted by two separate juries.

On appeal, his original conviction was vacated and a new trial ordered due to the blatant bias of the presiding judge, John W. Goff, who was openly antagonistic to the defendant. Goff had previously served as counsel to the 1894 Lexow Committee, which had investigated police corruption, and he was elected City Recorder on the reform ticket with Mayor William L. Strong shortly afterwards. Goff became a judge in 1906, but his hatred and contempt for corrupt police officers had not abated. His open hostility to Becker deprived the defendant of a fair trial.

After the case was remanded, a second trial before the Judge Samuel Seabury, a respected jurist, resulted in a second guilty verdict and the reimposition of the death penalty. Becker went to the electric chair protesting his innocence, but his postconviction statements had no legal significance. A grim irony is that after Becker had exhausted his appeals, his former prosecutor, Charles S. Whitman, was the occupant of the Governor's Mansion in Albany. Whitman refused to pardon Becker or commute his sentence to life in prison. Becker became the only convicted police officer charged with official misconduct to be executed in American history. He died in the electric chair at Ossining, New York.

The most puzzling question not answered by the book relates to a point criminal procedure: Did Becker's defense counsel fail to attempt to secure a change of venue? In light of the sensational pretrial publicity, it seems certain that many potential jurors may have been exposed to prejudicial newspaper reports of Becker's personal corruption and his complicity in planning the murder of Rosenthal. It would have made sense for the defense to request that the trial be moved to another county. If such a motion was made and denied, the text does not address this critical issue.

Over the course of several weeks, numerous victims of a serial mutilator are found scattered throughout New York City, each succeeding victim more horribly mutilated than his predecessor. Freddy Lopez, the first victim, has had his mouth sewn shut and a blowhole carved in his cheek. As a final insult, his hands have been amputated. A few weeks later, Jerome Lewis is similarly disfigured, only his arms are joined at the wrists to create what the media calls a "hooper" (think about it, it'll come to you). Jerome is found with his newly joined arms encircling the base of a lamp post.

Lieutenant Brent Kramer of the NYPD lands the case. Although he knows the media sideshow will be unbearable, he is thrilled by the prospect of searching for a "mentally disturbed needle in a mentally disturbed haystack". Assisted by his colorful sidekick, forensic chemist and jack of all trades Nigel Atkerson, Kramer uses his considerable wiles to track down the mutilator (who barely avoids being tagged with the ignominious moniker "Dr. Smegma") before he or she can commit another heinous crime.

Mr. Cohen chronicles the resulting mayhem with panache. His characters are quirky and larger than life, their dialogue crisp and laugh-out-loud funny. Cohen's narrative bounces around like a pinball--you never know what's next. The reader is presented with gross out horror, scientific asides, manipulative agents, sympathetic victims, weird suspects, a bizarre villain, a Late Night Top Ten List ("10 Things You Can Do With a Hooper"), a frenzied media, an eccentric botanist and more--it's as outrageous as real life, only a little bit more organized. Even the chapter titles are witty--my personal favorites where "Things Busy People Do Late at Night", "An Afternoon with Zippy", "Pfffffft!" (you'll get this after you've read the book), and "A**wipe".

I enjoyed this book, and I want to read more. Could someone leave more titles by this author in another review? Or how I could find them, for they seem to be out of print? Thanks

This was one book that I could not put down. Although I read it several months ago I can not stop thinking about it.

Steve Martin Cohen has an excellent imagination, along with his ability to write and create unique characters that means one heck of a book.

If you liked Silence of the Lambs then you will love this over the edge thriller. Just remind me not to bumb into Mr. Cohen in a dark alley at night!

the first chapter will have you hooked. this is a scary read, and the detail is riveting. even though the events are pulse-quickening, there is well-placed humor in which the author seems to be winking at us. the conclusion, often the downfall of many mysteries, is completely consistant with the logic of the whole story. however, as with most murder mystery/police procedurals, skip the obligatory romance, this time involving the #2 male lead and an asian police department computer programmer, in which the dialogue is sophomoric and many of the references nigh-racist. would have been 5 stars if it weren't for the love affair.

If I were stranded on a desert island, this is the book I would want with me. Cohen is a genius! It was a pleasure to read a book from this new, fresh, sick, warped mind. I first became aquatinted with his work while reading his first book, "Seven Shades of Black." I look forward to his next book, although, I can't believe he can top this one. Can't wait for the movie version. BUY THIS BOOK, YOU'LL NEVER BE THE SAME!

I saw Gavin De Becker on the Oprah show and just had to get the audio CD to listen to the entire storyline. I would suggest this as a good gift for your daughters or wives or anyone you care about. It is real life thoughts that you sometimes think but don't trust yourself and might brush them off thinking that you're crazy or far fetched. This backs up the ability to challenge the thoughts as to if something really is a good idea or what the consequences are.

I would definately recommend this book / audio CD.

Good for piece of mind and how to think about the world in practical common sense way.

I am a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner in Texas. I fully agree with Gavin De
Becker than prevention of violence is key. Like the author, as I am inter-
viewing and examining a sexual assault survivor, so often they say "He made me very uncomfortable", or "I didn't want to hurt his feelings", or " I had a bad feeling...". I think this CD should be a gift to all young women, and men, before they begin to date. There are times that the language may be somewhat advanced for anyone younger than 16 or 17 yrs old, so I suggest the cd be listened to with a parent or a group with adult leadership (drill teams, cheerleaders, chess club, girl scouts, etc) so as to open discussion and help with understanding and trusting one's own instincts. Excellent information, and the cd is full of interesting and eye opening stories that hold your interest and will provoke many stories from its listeners pertaining to their own personal experiences where they denied their "fear instinct" and could have been, or may have been in danger.

This book is wonderful help for women, in particular, to assess and respond to potentially dangerous situations. I am sure it would benefit men, as well, to read the book, but it especially struck home to me, as a woman. I will give it to my daughters.

Women and men alike should read this book. Gavin de Becker gives names and numbers to the alarm bells women too often ignore, and helps lay out some of the differences between the sexes' experiences of their surroundings. When I first encountered this book, as an excerpt in a magazine, I photocopied it for my coworkers to read. Only two people voiced negative reactions to it. One was my then-boyfriend, who turned out to be an obsessive, overbearing manipulater fueled by insecurity. The other one - believe it or not - wound up stalking me for months.

I got him to stop by following Mr. de Becker's advice.

Religion is a powerful thing: It can do great good and great evil, Marci Hamilton reminds us. As a lawyer, her question is how to regulate religion? Hamilton offers a deceptively simple modus Vivendi for religion and the law - namely, that religion should be subject to neutral laws just like anyone else. When there is a need for small, minor exceptions, those should be enacted by the legislature, and never by the Courts.

I disagree with both parts of Hamilton's solution: In my view Religion, being a mighty force, should be subjected to special regulation. And the main crafters of that regulation should be the Courts, not the legislators.

As Hamilton rightly stresses, Religion can bring both great good and great ill. Thus it makes no sense to think that general regulations, applicable to less powerful forces of society, are straightforwardly applicable to religion. Religion needs its own regulation: at times, it should be regulated more fiercely then non-religion; At other times, it should be allowed more leniency.

Take Creationism; if parents would like their children to study Austrian School Economics or Marxism in Economics class, the Courts wouldn't intervene. But when Christian parents try to sneak "creation science" into biology class, Lawsuits abound, and succeed. Is that unfair discrimination against religion? Surely not. First, unlike economics, religion is a divisive. As Richard Dawkins likes to point out (e.g. in The God Delusion), we have Christian, Muslim and Jewish Children, but not Marxist or Neo-Classical ones. Therefore a school policy reinforcing religion can cause severe tensions (and does: see Monkey Girl: Evolution, Education, Religion, and the Battle for America's Soul for recent shenanigans in Dover, PA). Second, religion is one of the very few forces capable of massively infecting schools with pseudo-science. The risk of an "Austrian School" epidemic is low, and so regulating against it is unnecessary.

For an opposite example, see the Clergy Child Abuse scandal. Hamilton documents the horrifying child abuse in the Church. The current US scandal is one of many, and the reason for it seems to be self evident: By offering celibate men access to children, the priesthood is a natural calling for a pedophile unwilling or unable to marry (Full Disclosure: There are conflicting studies on the topic). Now suppose that a secular organization would offer activities for children guided exclusively by celibate men. I think it should be banned, or at least closely monitored by the law enforcement and child welfare authorities. But such treatment of the Roman Catholic Church is unthinkable, politically unfeasible, and probably harmful: the appearance of religious prosecution would trump the benefits.

Hamilton agrees that special ("de minimis") exemptions from regulation should be offered to religion: "If an exemption will not harm others, it should be provided - by the legislature". (p. 275).Why should such exemption be provided by the legislature rather than the Judiciary? The only answer I can discern in Hamilton's book is an alleged competency of the legislature to do so in a, well, judicious manner. "[The legislature] may decide to investigate a social problem in depth ... [it should] balance[e] the value of religious liberty over and against the harm to others if a religious... institution is permitted to act contrary to the law" (p. 297). The key word here is "may". Hamilton offers no evidence that the legislature actually does any of these things. Repeatedly, she demonstrates legislative failure, such as when it allowed Christ Church followers in Oregon to act negligently towards their own children. Even after the scandal broke out, and children died... "the faith healing lobbyists... confused... ill informed legislators... already disposed to follow the requests of religious organizations... legislative incompetence is why Oregon's faith healing exemptions for murder... remain in place."(pp. 300-301) The only in depth review of this kind mentioned in the book is done by... a Judge! And yet Hamilton berates him for actually researching the common good! (pp. 123-125).

In my view, de minimis exceptions for religion should be crafted by the Judiciary, and not by the Legislature.

First, most of the cases where an exemption is sought are small issues of individual accommodation. In one case, a Sabbatarian seeked unemployment compensation for refusing to work on her Sabbath (p. 216). In an Illinois High school, sports players were forbidden to wear headgear, including Yarmulkes (p. 123) Yarmulke wearers also encountered problems in the Air Force (p. 170), and religious prisoners wanted to avoid work details on Fridays (p. 213) and to receive Kosher food (p. 290) Hamilton's examples go on and on. These issues rise too frequently to be solvable by ex ante legislation, and legislation it too cumbersome a process to help the plaintiffs; When the US Supreme Court ruled in a Hamilton-esque fashion, it took Congress three years to overrule the legislation.

Second, the issues that arise are too narrow and too case specific. Can Congress really meddle with sportsmen's cloths and prisoner's diets? The Legislature, as we've seen, is unlikely to carry out the kind of expansive research that Hamilton thinks is the rational for having exclusive exemption making power, and is likely to appease popular or powerful religious interests without regard to the public good. Crucially, it has pressing business to attend to. The Legislature should deal with Crime, Economic Policy, and Environment. We really shouldn't let it be distracted into monitoring Yarmulkes.

Finally, there is the question of Church and State. The Purpose of the US First Amendment is to keep earthly Power out of the hands of the priests. If we want to do that, we have to give the religious avenues to pursue their interests other then the legislature. If, whenever an exemption, no matter how tiny, is needed, the Courts shall send the Churches to the legislative branches, the Churches shall develop powerful lobbying machinery. History and Hamilton's book tell us that such machinery will not be used merely for "de minimis" exemptions. Religion may end up ruling the law, instead of being under its rule.

Ms Hamilton's book on the dangers of relgious privilege
above and beyond the law in the U.S. is commendable in many repects. But the author is lacking in any basic understanding of federal
Indian law, the history of institutionalized attacks on American Indian religious freedom, and the Employment Division of Oregon v Smith (1990) decision.

First, the drug counselors were not "private," but worked for the state of Oregon. Smith was a member of the Native American Church. This religion is recognized by mainstream denominations as a legitimate and longstanding church (official status since the early 20th centiury, traditional practice going back centuries). It probably has at least 250,00 adherents in the U.S. Peyote is the NAC's sacrament, analagous to bread and wine for Christians. The peyote is harvested and used in a sacred manner. It is not some hippie drug-trip. Smith told his emplopyer that he would be attending a NAC ceremony over a weekend. In 1990 Oregon considered peyote a controlled substance illegal to possess or use. Upon his return to work on Monday, Smith admitted frankly that he had ingested peyote at the NAC ceremony. For this he was fired from his job. He filed for unemployment benefits from the state of Oregon.

Clearly the state of Oregon violated Smith's first amendment freedom of religion. Scalia's dismissive ruling brushed American Indian religious rights aside by implying that the constitution cannot protect non-mainstream religious practices. This was not a case of religious privilege but first amendment rights. Congress agreed and passed the Native American Free Exercise religious Act in 1994 which now protects NAC use of peyote in its sacred ceremonies.

Hamilton's lack of knowledge or empathy for American Indian religious issues is an all too prevalent norm in American law schools and the legal profession.

We live in a time where extremes of behavior seem to have almost become the norm. We have a long tradition of separation of church and state, where the rules of church and state seem to operate in parallel with almost no touching. And we seem to be in a time where the most fundamentalist Christian beliefs have become stronger in America while the most fundamentalist Islamic beliefs are being used to build an army for a holy war against America, the Great Satan.

At the same time we see that under the guise of religious behavior we find Mormon polygamous families where the patriarch marries the thirteen year old children of other members of their cult. We find that Catholic priests, once held at the highest esteem are being regularly accused of molesting young boys. We find families holding their children out of schools that teach what they decide offends their religion, leaving their children ill prepared to face a life outside their particular restricted community. We find other families that because of their religious beliefs refuse medical care that would save the life of children.

This book covers these interactions of the church and the state from the standpoint of the United States Constitution and the subsequent laws that have been passed by Congress. It is particularily apt for this time in our history and very highly recommended.

A must-read for lawyers, academics, theologians, and curious human beings alike, God vs. The Gavel competently and thoroughly lends insight to the issue of religion and its relationship to the United States Constitution. Professor Hamilton, through her lively style of writing, argues that religious groups should not receive heightened constitutional protection when their actions harm others. While this theory is a seemingly simple and practical one, Hamilton successfully draws her readers into an intricate -- indeed intriguing -- web of religion, law, and their interplay in contemporary society. Easy to understand yet sophisticated in scope, Hamilton's work is a truly impressive accomplishment, and one that is sure to draw attention around the country and across the globe.

When you think of people who break the law and get by with it, what kind of person comes to mind? A rogue bureaucrat who can arrange an audit of anyone who opposes him? A cop on the take, who can hide some evidence and manufacture the rest? A celebrity who can buy a trial, and later write a book about it?

If so, expand your thinking a bit. The ability to break the law goes beyond individuals whom we easily recognize as seedy, scheming characters. Some people use our most cherished institutions as vehicles for such criminal activities as child abuse, murder, and theft. Those seem like strong words at first blush, but case histories show those claims are accurate.

And the courts routinely aid and abet these crimes by providing exceptional protection to those who commit them. Thanks to Constitution-violating court decisions, criminals who hide behind the mantle of religion remain free to strike again and again. At the heart of this maelstrom of magisterial malfeasance, we find the issue of church vs. state. Hamilton looks at this issue closely, and lays to rest the myths upon which courts justify their complicity with criminals who happen to represent religious organizations. Replace the myths with truths, and the entire house of cards tumbles.

The courts, in their support of religious offenders, are doing religious organizations no favor. Just look at what has happened to the Catholic church. The Catholic church continues to harbor pedophile priests, and the courts help them do it. This has diminished the church to most Catholics--many of whom are becoming ex-Catholics. Consequently, many Catholic schools are closing their doors and the treasuries of Catholic congregations are on life support.

The Catholic church isn't alone in sowing the seeds of its own destruction. Hamilton shares several examples--from several religions, including Jewish, Protestant, Catholic, and Muslim--where the leaders of a religious group show complete disregard for the public good or for people outside their group. In many of these cases, the religious leaders behaved so poorly that you have to wonder if they are religious people at all. Innocent citizens then turn to their government for assistance and come away with nothing but a judicial farce.

God vs. the Gavel takes us into the world of judicial incompetence that ignores the concepts of fairness and justice. It's a place where the separation of powers isn't, but where the corruption of power is. Judges routinely misconstrue, misapply, and mislegislate from the bench. This, despite the fact they have a duty to discern the facts and are Constitutionally barred from legislating.

Hamilton isn't on a crusade against religion, religious organizations, or religious people. But she is against using religion as a license for behaving in a loveless, predatory manner that hurts and kills other people. She is opposed to using "religious freedom" as a free pass for torturing children. She is opposed to using "religious freedom" as justification for destroying entire neighborhoods. She is opposed to using "religious freedom" to justify forcing our prisons to spend millions of dollars "accommodating" dozens of different religious meal restrictions, religious reading requirements, and the demands of new "religions" formed for the express purpose of gaming the system. Buy this book for no other reason than to read the lists of lunacy on page 157 - 161, and you have spent your money well.

So, what does Hamilton want, and why does she go through such effort to show us what's wrong with the status quo? What Hamilton is asking for is a balanced approach that respects the rights of everyone. In her vision of how things should be, judges would abandon circular reasoning and twisted logic--in favor of common sense.

She explains the "do no harm" principle, and she shows us how reasonable accommodation of religion can and does work. For example, the US military changed its policy to allow soldiers to wear unobtrusive religious gear such as yarmulkes and crosses. That's very different from using "religious freedom" to sentence an innocent child to death by refusing life-saving blood transfusion. And it's very different from ignoring zoning laws so a religious meeting place transforms a quiet suburban neighborhood into a high-traffic thoroughfare.

God vs. the Gavel is more than just a fascinating expose. Hamilton also offers a vision of how things should be. People who use religion as a license to victimize others will oppose losing that license, and will thus oppose the change that Hamilton is trying to bring about. But people who, like Hamilton, see religion as bringing meaning and guidance to life will very likely agree with her.

Religious leaders who seek to be above morality and the law often claim First Amendment rights. And the courts normally comply with those leaders in knee-jerk fashion, even when no First Amendment issue is involved.

The First Amendment reads, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances."

Nothing in the First Amendment gives any religion special status under the law. The First Amendment merely bars Congress from making laws against particular religions. Hamilton explains the history and reasoning behind this right. But the courts routinely ignore the Constitution, history, and reasoning--so that they can give religious organizations or their leader special status under the law. The consequences of that special status should have us all worried.

A note on the writing. I review quite a few books, and have grown disgusted with the sloppiness trend. Thus, it is now my policy to let potential readers and buyers know about the quality of the writing itself. Form is important, as it dictates readability. Fortunately, this book scored very well on substance and on form. This book actually uses Standard Written English (SWE). This is a refreshing change from the Pidgin English that so many of today's authors slop onto our reading palettes. The care taken in writing this book shows that the author and publisher actually cared about the reader. That's a huge plus.