Burke Books

By no means an exhaustive listing, this book highlights the birthplaces and residences of key 19th-century and early 20th-century American authors. The volume is arranged by geographic region, beginning in New England. The entry for each site includes photos and notes on architectural style, interior design, how long the author stayed there, who visited him/her, and what works were written there. A handful of authors are treated twice -- for example, Mark Twain is found in both Connecticut and Missouri, Edgar Allan Poe in both New York and Philadelphia, and Ernest Hemingway in both Florida and Illinois. True to the _Ideals_ layout style, the photos chosen are indeed lovely. One detraction is that the actual addresses, contact information, and driving directions are found in a separate section at the back of the book. A second possible problem is that the glued paperback binding might not stand up to repeated consultations during a long trip. Still, this title could be a useful tool when supplemented with a road atlas and a set of AAA guides.

One of my favorite types of vacation is to travel to the homes of great authors. Not only do you get to know more about the authors themselves, but seeing where and how they lived often adds new insight into their works. That's why this aptly titled guide to literary places in the US is one of my all time favorite travel books.

It covers destinations all over the country, giving background of the author and property, as well as works written within the house, and special points to look out for. It also provides driving directions, and information on hours of operation and how to contact the property. It's lavishly illustrated with full color photos of the exterior and interior of the houses as well as pictures of each author. I always like to read the 2-3 page overview of a property just before I visit it to refresh my memory. It's also a larger-sized paperback that looks good on a coffee table for visitors to flip through.

I haven't yet been to all the properties listed, but I intend to. All sites are grouped by region, and there are additional pages of other literary places of interest in each area. The homes of Emily Dickenson, Mark Twain, Edgar Allen Poe, Washington Irving, Ernest Hemingway, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Nathaniel Hawthorne and Louisa May Alcott are included, among many others.

Why are Americans so litigious? That is the question author Thomas F. Burke tries to answer in his book: "Lawyers, Lawsuits, and Legal Rights."

After dismissing some of the old standby explanations like rights consciousness, erosion of community values and an overrepresentation of lawyers in Congress, Burke focuses on how the fundamental structure of American government makes litigious policies an attractive option for activists seeking change.

Burke said the U.S. Constitution set up a government structure based on federalism, separation of powers and judicial independence that makes it hard for activist groups to advance social change through the legislative process.

According to Burke, the Constitution also shapes the way Americans view government and their own political interests; and distrust of centralized government power is at the core of the American constitutional tradition:

"American activists support court-based schemes in part because of their ambivalent attitudes toward the welfare-regulatory state, attitudes that are strongly reinforced by the structures in the Constitution."

Burke's thesis is that this constitutional tradition creates specific incentives for activists to support litigious policies, rather than legislative or regulatory ones. Litigious policies help activists to:

1. Insulate their policies from political enemies

2. Gain power over the actions of states and localities

3. Do good things for constituents without spending government dollars.

Burke introduces four types of antilitigation efforts - Discouragement, Management, Replacement, and Resistance - and shows how key interest groups influence the political process in order to support reforms that advance their interests or undermine ones that don't.

He spends a good deal of the book exploring three attempts at litigation reform and explaining how the constitutional incentives to litigation affected the outcome of each. The examples are the Americans with Disabilities Act, the struggle over no-fault auto insurance in California, and the vaccine injury compensation program.

The book is written in a manner that is easy to read and easy to understand, and the author makes good use of detailed examples to explain and emphasize key concepts. The detailed blow-by-blow accounts of each attempted litigation reform get to be a little tedious at times, but they do paint a clear picture of America's litigious political system in action.

This book is a must read not only for lawyers interested in litigation reform but for business persons who too easily decry the abuses within today's legal system. Burke explains why contemporary litigation is not the result of trial lawyers filing allegedly "junk lawsuits" in search of profits. Neither, of course, is it a phenomenon that can be chalked up to natural forces. Instead, Americans sue each other because Congress and our constitutional system encourage us to do so. Congress does this because it's cheaper to offer those at the bottom of the economic ladder a chance at a lawsuit than to provide actual funds which might help lift them up. Burke contrasts, for example, the temptation to pass the Americans with Disabilities Act, with the more costly approach of providing government subsidies to the disabled. The constitutional advantage of litigation is that the analytical process of presenting tough problems to impartial, life-tenured judges is often better able at sorting out complexity than the log rolling process within legislatures. One added strength of the book is the rare focus on the nitty-gritty details of legislative action. Burke reminds readers of the debates and forces that led to passage of particular legislation rather than treating statutes as a fait accompli. In short, if you have any interest at all in today's debate over litigation as a technique for confronting social problems, you can't miss this book.

In many cases, the coverage offered by Lonely Planet guidebooks may be hampered by the magnitude of the region they try and cover. This is why for example, in "Lonely Planet West Africa" (a bulky book which also covers Senegal and the Gambia), coverage of each single country is brief and not always perfect, and the reader is often lost among facts and information she or he does not need. Instead, in this much smaller and far more condensed guidebook, the author and editors have managed to put as much information and data as possible into it, about Senegal and the tiny Gambia. Coverage of both countries is excellent, providing up-to-date, accurate information and sensible advice, on anything from places to stay and eat, things to do and see, things to buy, and basically anything the traveller may wish to know. The coverage on culture, society, arts, music, and other information, is also excellent and wide, written in great prose and style. This is probably one of the best Lonely Planet guidebooks I have come across, and I would strongly recommend it to anyone travelling to those two countries. It will be an extremely useful tool, and will also provide great reading about the places being visited.

I had to do a project on Senegal. And this book helped me a lot, even though I'd like most of the information to be on Senegal instead of Gambia. The book will really help you if you are a traveller going to one of the countries. The part about pickpockets was very interesting as it tells me about the best way to be robbed in Senegal. Overall, this book covers everything, from local slangs to foods eaten. It deserves a four star!

I agree that this book might not be detailed enough for teaching a course. I read this book for leisure. I was merely curious about other religions and cultures, and, not knowing much about the subject (one course in college years ago), found this book to be at the perfect level for me.

I have had the opportunity to read and use both the first and second editions of Dr. Burke's book. I find them outstanding in their field. The second edition contains excellent information on the Sikh religion, an addition to the first publication. It is accurate and insightful. It is evident that Dr. Burke takes the time to know the communities about which he writes and that he does not produce material simply from an academic arm chair.

The concise summaries at the end of each chapter are valuable as are the study questions. They would help the reader/student to focus. What I like especially is that the book contains texts of the various traditions and does not require students to access them elsewhere. This is a bonus.

I have some difficulty with the format of the book which I am sure is not of Burke's making but there are wide outer margins and very slim inner ones which make reading somewhat difficult. Perhaps the intention is that students can make notes in these wide margins but overall I find this difficult to work with. I hope that would be corrected in a future edition. I wonder, too, why Blackwell has opted to use only black and white photographs as illustrations and many of these are rather small for today's very visual learners.

There is a website connected with the second edition with materials that can be downloaded by teachers. I must admit to being disappointed in this material. Ideally this would contain colour visuals perhaps of the photographs in the text itself. In North America at least, the "teaching as telling" mode is suffering. More and more introductory courses at university need hands on activities for the retention of insights and information that most teachers hope for for their students.

I recommend the book wholeheartedly. Its content is superb. I hope for an improved format more user-friendly for visual learners in a future edition.

Catherine Berry Stidsen, Ph.D., R.T.C., Cayuga, Ontario

I am an LPN student that was totally afraid of med-surg, but this book really broke it down where it all made sense to me! The nursing diagnoses are written in order of importance, and made creating a care plan easy!

good book, received in a timely manner and the price was good.

This is the book I needed for my class and it arrived in excellant condition. Very fast shipping - arrived 2 weeks before my class started!

I was under the impression that the book came with the MyNursingLab code, since it was in the series, but I was mistaken. I had to buy it separately, which was more than half the cost of the book. I was disappointed, but other than that, I use the book everyday and it is full of excellent information.

I really liked reading this book because it's a quick read, and I'd recommend it to people who want to know some of the history of Mexico before traveling there. I used to live there, and learned a lot of things I didn't know before. I think some of the facts need to be checked, which is why I didn't give it all the stars available.

I was thrown off by one in particular, near the end of the book, saying hundreds of people died in the Mexico City earthquake in the early eighties. It was an 8.1 earthquake lasting over three minutes, with an aftershock almost as strong, during rush hour and start of business. I was there, getting getting ready for school, and hundreds died in my neighborhood alone, and even the government statistics (though arguably low)put it in the thousands. The author doesn't undermine it, but the numbers are off. So, I would recommend it, but I wouldn't use it as a source for a research paper.

This is a small (5"x7") and short (183 pp) book--an historical overview of Mexico that is extraordinarily well done by a Prof. of History at Villanova University. Burke has done a first-rate job packing that much into this book, which is a must particularly for those for whom Mexico is new, and a most helpful review for those who have some knowledge of it. Pre-Columbian and Colonial Mexico, Independence and Reform,The Revolution and the Recent Past are all presented in a succinct, knowledgeable and sensitive way.

G. Himmelfarb has some very different insights into the authors she discusses and puts some of the characters in the novels in new lights. I have enjoyed reading this book and she has prodded me into reading further in the authors discussed. I would recommend this book to any persons interested in changing the 'moral tone' of American today.

Gertrude Himmelfarb's THE MORAL IMAGINATION is a recommended pick, here linking the intellectual lives of modern thinker and literary giants with what she identifies as the 'moral imagination'. How these thinkers evolved their ideas, wrote in different traditions at different times, and shared a common moral passion which reflected in their literature makes for truly involving reading.

I read this book to my son last night. He is nine years old and he was very interested in Mr. Lincoln, his sense of humor, and young girl who wrote the book. While reading we also discussed Lincoln's honesty and how we need the same kind of honesty from our leaders today. Ryan and I had a wonderful father and son experience!! Thanks for letting my son be more interested in US History.

Thank you for writing it!!

Jeffrey McAndrew
author of "Our Brown-Eyed Boy"

Burke Davis is my grandfather on my mom's side. My mom, Angela Davis-Gardner, has written two books, "Felice" and "Forms of Shelter". Burke Davis has written 50 or more. I'm 14 now, but when I was about 7 I read Mr. Lincoln's Whiskers. I loved it! I have all of his books and this is the best children's one. I recommend this to see about another side of Abraham Lincoln

My only prior exposure to Burke's work before I received my copy of this from Cemetery Dance was having read "Underneath" in an anthology some time ago. I'd forgotten his name in the meantime (a mistake I won't make again), but when I started the story again, I remembered it instantly.

Assuming he keeps his quality near the point it's at now, Burke is going to be one of the leading forces in horror for years to come (or whichever genre he chooses to continue writing in). He has a strong authorial voice, and is willing to take chances by varying tones and styles. There are 13 stories and a screenplay in this collection. Burke also includes notes about the inspirations for the stories at the end of the book (something I always appreciate, but rarely see done). The stories are all horror, to some degree, but range in type from the darkly comedic, to psychological, to the full out scare tale. I'll do a quick once-over of the stories to give those interested a sense of the range of what's here. (Please note: I may mention other authors in the capsules below, but don't take that as meaning that I think Burke isn't his own talent. It's just a way to let readers of horror get a feeling for what's here).

The Grief Frequency: This is a beautiful ghost story. It's not often that a horror story evokes real sadness, but it's here.

The Number 121 to Pennsylvania: A story of a bargain with consequences. Well-tred ground in the genre, but Burke trods it well.

Mr. Goodnight: A straight-up monster scare story. But the monster is genuinely disturbing, and it stays with you.

Empathy: In an outstanding book, this is one of the standout stories. This is psychological horror at its best. In the notes, Burke says that it comes from a similar experience in his own life. I'm sorry that's he's seen what he did, and I'm definitely taking this as a cautionary tale. It reminds me a little of Jack Ketchum in tone, but it's not at all derivative.

Peekers: Another down and dirty scare story. This one feels like it would've made a great entry in one of the 80's horror anthology shows--maybe Tales from the Darkside.

High on the Vine: Dark comedy in the twisted fairy tale vein. It's a henpecked husband type of story. It's not the strongest in the collection, but it was an entertaining read.

Tonight the Moon is Ours: This is a story about outsiders and the questions of early relationships until it takes a turn near the end. The writing is strong and shows that Burke is a gifted all-around writer, not just a gifted horror writer. (And don't take me the wrong way here, as I am definitely not someone who ghettoizes the genre--a bigger horror fan you'll rarely find--it's just always a plus to see someone take their work into a variety areas).

Prohibited: Social commentary with a biting finish. The topic of smoking took my mind to Stephen King's "The Ten O'Clock People", but the similarity ends there. Burke has a take on the topic that is completely his own.

Underneath: In the Serling vein of humans being the greatest monsters of them all. This story is a little sexy (I might be outing myself as odd here), more harsh, and very good. This is another standout story with some brilliant turns.

Snowmen: A short and creepy monster story.

Will You Tell Them I Died Quietly?: This is probably the shining example of Burke's ability to invoke atmosphere.

The Last Laugh: I can't say that I've seen another horror story quite like this one. A little dark comedy, a little magic, and the vague feeling of a zombie story without being a zombie story. It feels closed in and intense by the end. Very good.

Saturday Night at Eddie's: With stories like Grief Frequency, Empathy, and Underneath in one collection, it's hard to pick just one favorite. But if forced, I think I'd have to choose this one. Having gone through twelve stories before it, I thought I had a pretty good handle on Burke's voice, even though the types of stories varied greatly. But he totally threw me for a loop here. The beginning, with its folksy character introductions, reads almost like a lost Joe R. Lansdale story. But partway through, it totally switches modes. Simply outstanding. I'm caught between wanting a novel here so I can get more backstory, and knowing that I got just enough. When I read the notes at the end and saw that part of Burke's inspiration was the series "American Gothic", I got the connection. I was a fan of the series, and agree with Burke that it died too soon. This is a worthy successor to the feel of the show.

Mr. Goodnight (Screenplay): Burke has an excellent sense of visual style, and I think this would make a solid date-night horror film. As a side note, if filmed as written, the opening credit sequence would be among the creepiest ever shot.

I recommend this book highly, and am definitely going to track down more of Burke's work. I'm looking forward to what's next.

Consisting of thirteen (how oddly appropriate for a collection of horror stories) short tales and one screenplay (based on one of the short stories, "Mr. Goodnight," in fact), The Number 121 to Pennsylvania & Others provides several satisfying and scary reads. Although some stories are more successful than others ("Empathy" and "Peekers" are especially well crafted and disquieting), all are quite good, demonstrating exactly why Burke is looked upon so favorably among horror aficionados. Miss it and miss out on one of the best collections to appear in a very long while.