Richards Books

este libro de veras, trata este asunto desde la perspectiva de los dos lados en una manera unica y verdadera. Hasta la fecha no sé si haya un libro tan real, tan hasta al grano que, con una certeza y verdad brutal, ataca a los dos gobiernos y sus mafias malisimas.
Los datos sobre la familia Bush sobre todo, y como se han metido cizaña en los asuntos de todos sectores de la economia, hasta contratos con el sistema penal son verdaderamente asombrosos.
Si necesitas leer algo para tu clase en la universidad, o simplemente quieres un libro sobre las frontera, este es. Sin leer este libro no tendrás ninguna perspectiva adecuada.

If issues of the border, immigration or the prison system affect you, you need to read this book. Enjoy the book.
Half of the royalties for this book are going straight to legal costs for rainforest defense so that corporate developement can be stopped. Especially pristine coastal habitat like mangrove esturaries which are critical and endemic habitat areas for many species of wildlife. We don't need anymore of the coast to look like Cancun or Acupulco now do we?
Richard Alevizos

This was a very interesting book!! Much of the material presented was first-hand and anecdotal, and sometimes reads like a diary.. yet throughout the book, it also reads like a formal treatise on the subject at hand: our country's flagrant misuse of tax dollars, solely designed to administer unreasonable immigration control, and designed to uphold a clearly pork-barrel agenda to keep the lower classes lower and the upper classes upper.

As a staunch "centrist" who generally frowns on lefist conspiratorial blather, I was nontheless able to identify with the liberal slant of this book, for the simple reason that it mostly espouses simple truths about the matter at hand with regard to our prison system. In other words, after reading this novel, even a right-wing conservative has to admit: our prison system is completely out of hand. I was also impressed by the authors' knowledge of the hispanic culture(s?) and his general ability to capture the essense of our troubled lands "down south".

The author has lived a strange and particular tale, and unlike a vast majority of the prison populace, was able to put his experiences to paper, with the hopes that others might benefit from his ordeal. My only regret is that the book does not follow through on the ultimate outcomes of the authors' experiences as well as his subjects, and instead, leaves us all wondering, "what happens next"? A Great Read...

The border is an artificial construct designed to keep the rich rich and the poor poor. The simple fact that our companies can go down there and set up shop and destroy the environment and offer terrible wages to poor mexicans while screwing over people in this country is testimonial enough to the "border". And the fact that those who cross over it to get here become nothing more than the very economic slaves used to pick your kid's strawberries or trim the fat off your beef or pork at your friendly neighborhood rendering plant says it all. How about the economic slave getting your big maccie ready with the super size me it fries and corn syrup. And while the 65% obese U.S.A. complains that it can't get its goods cheap enough it also complains about poor workmanship or quality of product. I think it was those very same who not only weren't satisfied with John the Baptist running around the woods in a loin cloth eating off a leg of raw venison, but they weren't satisfied with Jesus in his fine clothes and decent food. Nothing can make them happy!
And so just like these self same people who complain about the quality of their goods and services, tomorrow they would compain if there was nobody there to serve their selfish obese(and overinflated) egotistical needs. And if they had the nerve to complain about the lack of service, at least they wouldn't be complaining about the quality, it wouldn't be an isse at that point. Because if tomorrow all those illegals went home for good, the U.S.A. would be on its knees and in no time at all it would be beggin for its shadow workers to come back. Heck if that happened, if all the illegal Mexicans went home, the U.S.A. would have to get rid of the border all together in an effort to entice those shadow workers to come back to their often dangerous low paying job so it could stimulate its "shadow" economy and save itself from "starving".

One could tell this book is as informed as anybody in any think tank in Washington D.C. or on Wall Street. The facts infused within the anecdotal dialogue combined with the author's common sense and street smart give a whole new twist to the immigration debate. Why are we listening to a bunch of strictly white guys on Wall Street? And everybody knows Washington D.C. is out of touch with thegeneral populace.
As one review indicates, it leaves you hanging with that sense of what is next, but it's message pressages the immediacy of a solution to this problem before it gets more out of hand and more wasteful. This should leave the reader with a sense of urgency to resolve this problem so that more of the money that gets wasted can be diverted to worthy causes, like disaster relief, true disaster relief.
Awesome book, somoebody should make a movie of it

Hilarious and too, too true. I learned to drive in and around Boston (took my driver's test at the Registry of Motor Vehicles near North Station), take pride in the dings in my car and consider driving in California a walk in the park compared to what I grew up with.

I especially appreciate the updates in this latest edition with respect to the Big Dig.

I'm not a Boston native, but moved here seven years ago. This book ... who wrote this? How did they KNOW? :)

I always thought of myself as a good Step 9 driver: granted, it took me two tries to get my license, but I've had exactly one parking ticket, I've been pulled over exactly once and got off with a warning, and every dent and ding I've put into the car has been below the deductible and couldn't be reported to the insurance company. After reading this book, it seems I am a bigger psychotic behind the wheel than I had known. I never thought that most of the manuevers listed here were borderline vehicular suicide, and I was even taught how to do the Boston Left Turn (you pull halfway out into the road, blocking the traffic on your left until a car coming from the right lets you go) in driver's ed. A lot of the diagrams are hilarious (you'll never make sense of Brighton intersection dynamics), and they also include the obligatory pedestrian scoring scale (you don't want to be Tom Menino or Mitt Romney). The best part is the epilogue describing the future of Boston driving--by the end of this century, it will become an Olympic sport, and the Central Artery Tunnel will become a pedestrian shopping mall.

This book is written to sound tongue-in-cheek, but having lived and driven in Boston for two years, I can assure you it's not. I've seen every manuever described in this book, some of them by the Boston and Cambridge PD. For anyone moving to Boston, this should be required reading. It will teach you how to make Boston Left Turns, how to park in Back Bay, even how to cross a street as a pedestrian. Yes, it's amusing, but it's also a survival manual. (Oh, also get your car licence changed before you try any of these--out of towners get ticketed for these moves. For in-staters, about the only way to get a moving violation is to hit a pedestrian voter.)

Driving in Vancouver can be a dicey affair, as many of the drivers here are very strange and don't appear to know what they're doing. It annoys my wife even more than it does me. When my wife and I were looking over a list of books to review, The Boston Driver's Handbook: The Almost Post Big Dig Edition jumped out at my wife. "That should be funny," she said. So I asked for it. Does it live up to its promise? One thing I do know. After reading this book, driving in Boston sounds even worse than driving here. And that takes some doing!

First, to explain the title (though readers in Boston will already be familiar with this). "The Big Dig" is a massive construction project that is intended to make the main artery of traffic through Boston go underground. It's been very expensive and it's tied up traffic since 1991. However, it's almost over. It's scheduled to be finished in 2005, which is why this is the "Almost Post Big Dig" edition. The authors, Ira Gershkoff and Richard Trachtman, wrote an earlier edition of this book which didn't include this information, though since it was written in 1994, I'm sure it had some information about the current state of construction at the time.

The book starts with a basic overview of driving in Boston. It tells us about the philosophy ("Commandment Number 1: Thou shalt reach thy destination as quickly as possible. Everyone and everything else be damned."). It talks about what kind of car you should drive. A sparkling new car is just an invitation to be hit, or at least bumped. The best kind of car is an old, beat-up car that already has plenty of bumps and paint scrapes. The authors then go into the street layout of Boston and how confusing it is. They say that there is no way that you can navigate by street signs. The streets twist and turn and confusing one-ways abound. The cool thing about this chapter is that they talk about every section of Boston, detailing the different traffic and parking problems that they present, like how street fairs in the North End can play havoc with basic navigation, sometimes absorbing drivers who are invited to join the fair and then never seen again. This was an extremely interesting section, especially for somebody who's completely unfamiliar with Boston. It may be even more so for the experienced Boston driver, forcing a nod of the head and an "amen, brothers!"

The third chapter is about the Big Dig, with the authors explaining just what is planned, what has happened so far, and what will happen once construction is complete. They tell how the Ted Williams tunnel is currently (or at least at the time of this book's writing) quite beautiful and relatively empty, but as people get wind of it, traffic patterns will adjust and it will become just as dirty and polluted as the other tunnels. One thing that just sounds horrifying is how the new Central Artery will only have three exits, while the old one had 27. I don't even have to live there to find that idea frightening. You don't have to be familiar with Boston to find this chapter interesting as an example of the lofty goals of major construction and how the reality of it usually doesn't quite fit. Again, the authors are quite detailed in telling how the construction has affected things, and they don't avoid giving the positives as well as the negatives here. They're just cynical, not unfair.

The rest of the book is full of the basic and more advanced maneuvers that the expert Boston Driver has to learn. There's the basic cut-off, where you cut in front of the car next to you in order to pass the car in front. There's the sidesqueeze, where you ease into the other lane until the car next to you brakes to avoid hitting you. You then cut them off and go on your way.

The authors also tell about entering the endless traffic circles, really confusing left turns (one of the diagrams in the book is an intersection where you're actually going into the oncoming lanes in order to actually make it through the intersection before the light turns), parking, and many others. Some of the information would be useful here in Vancouver as well as any other cities where traffic is a nightmare. However, a large part of the book is based on Boston Driving culture, such as going the wrong way on a one-way street being the only way to get to some places. Thus, it's funny to read about, but don't try this at home. I especially enjoy the suggestion that parking and driving on sidewalks is sometimes necessary, as long as you look out for pedestrians.

The book is written in an easy style that is entertaining and won't take you too long to read. It's also a short book, which helps as well. I found the information on Boston and its environs to be fascinating, and it almost makes me want to go there, though there's no way I'd want to drive there after reading this book. There's no way I'd survive! The book is marred only by the final chapter (before the final exam), which gives there ideas for how Boston Driving will evolve in the next 100 years. It tries hard to be funny, but usually falls flat.

If you're planning a trip to Boston or planning to move there, this book could prove invaluable. Even if you're not, it's a funny look at driving in the wild streets of a city, and it just may make you appreciate your local traffic a little bit more. Either way, it's a fun read.

David Roy

Some beach...somewhere
Some city....out there
Some cat....out where?
Some mother...to embrace
Some dad...with a backbrace
Someone...with an empty face
some heart...with no place
Some rocker...with no identity
Some babysitter...without a cent for me
Some boy...becoming a man
Some man...named dan
Some milk....gone sour
Some girl...is a coward
Some whore...left undone
some steak...cooked well done
Some girl...with no soul
Some fish...with a bowl
Some leaf...turning green
some girl...becoming a teen
Some granpda...dying
some hooker...lying

some father...writing a poem
Some people...reading his poem

This trade paperback presents a serial story that originally appeared in issues 21 through 25 of the BTVS comics. Officially it occurs at the end of the third season, but is more of a bridge into season four, presenting Buffy as a new freshman in college, desperately trying to balance the pressures of real scholastic work with her night job - slaying. When an old, scary legend of 'Mad Jack' comes back to life, Buffy over-reacts and kills the first suspect demon without a thorough investigation. The result is a major crisis when it turns out that Mad Jack was just the guardian over something much worse.

Originally released during the Roman conquest of Carthage, Ky-Laag is major badness. He was only brought under control at that time by the wiles of Vraka, another demon, who led a cult called 'The Blood of Carthage.' Several thousand years later Buffy has let the rabbit out of the hate, and Vraka heads for Sunnydale to try to stop Ky-Laag and, in his spare time, kill the offending slayer. Buffy feels the same way about Vraka, but, if they don't work something out, they will be dead and the rest of us will be worshipping Ky-Laag.

One of the other key story arcs is Willow's need for emancipation from a Xander who still treats her like a childhood sidekick. As a young woman with significant magical and intellectual skills this has become more than a little irritating. In a series of flashbacks we see the developing relationship between the two as children. One in which Xander often took the lead. The other piece of history is a series of pieces about Vraka and reason for his bad feelings towards Spike. It should be no surprise that these do not paint the vampire with a chip in his head in a very good light.

One has to think of 'The Blood of Carthage' as more than a trade paperback rehashing the contents of a series of comic books. The story itself is larger than its media, and the trade paperback or graphic novel suits it best. Part of this is due to the efforts of Christopher Golden as writer, and the rest is due to editor Scott Allie's decision to deviate from the story telling style in the previous comic series - 'Bad Blood.' This is not intended to be a criticism of Andi Watson's rambling nine-issue series. Instead, Allie decided it was time for a change of pace and then turned to Golden, a proven Buffy novelist, to implement the idea.

Golden's story line is structured much like a novel, with a focused major story arc and rising levels of complexity and intensity. To break up the pacing a bit we are treated with flashbacks to Willow's childhood with Xander and Spike's first encounter with Vraka. Another thing that makes this series special is the carefully managed creative artwork. While Cliff Richards is the artist for the main story, Chynna Clugston-Major and the team of Paul Lee and Brian Horton each get one of the flashback series. This is cleverly orchestrated to provide different moods and contexts. The art really is excellent, and a separate article on what went into it is included in this volume.

If you have been wondering which trade paperback to buy first, this should be high on your list.

I think this trade has issues 21-25 of the series, I can't be sure but the info I got is from the Dark Horse comics website. The issues aren't sectioned in the trade (the blood of carthage), they run together to form a really good story with rather good artwork. We even get to see Xander and Willow as kids! Its a good stand alone trade, I really recommend it. Spike and Dru make an appearance and Giles makes scones! The coolest thing about the trade is the Xander/Willow storyline because it really examines their relationship and who is the sidekick (or not). Christopher Golden is a great Buffy writer, I suggest you pick this one up.

The only problem with this excellent graphic novel is that it isn't a full length book. A plot so complex and characters so rich they deserve 300 pages. Christopher Golden never disappoints.

The art work is exciting and colorful. I think the actors are well drawn. Their voices are true.

Set in the fourth season, Buffy is at college. The pressures weigh heavy on her slayer duties. When she kills the wrong demon all Hell breaks loose which forces deadly enemies to work together. I recommend this to all Buffy fans

I thought this graphic novel was very good because it stayed true to the characters. The only problems were that the story takes place in season four but at the beginning of the book it says it takes during season three. The other problem (which is only minor) was that willow had longer hair in the book than she actually did at that time during the show. Sounds nitpicky I know but what can I say I know my Buffy stuff.

The art may be a bit sub-par, but the writing is so far above the usual paplum that is spewed out in these books as to make this one of the best ever!!
A real sense of character and adventure infuse this book. Plus a way cool plot taking the BTVS plot to a place we haven't been to before. Lots of fun.

I never write reviews on anything, but after reading the reviews that Chris Boal got, I had to say something. I am a HUGE fan of Buffy and I have to say that some of the writing was getting borring and silly until he came along. I am looking forward to more of Mr. Boal's writing and as a die hard Buffy fan - I hope you will listen to MY review. Thanks.

Wow - a 'Buffy' for adults. My kids are constantly trying to foist "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" on me but I frankly find most of the comics sophmoric (I admit to being a fan of the show, though). This one - which I read after simply giving up - was really good- a cut above the other "buffy" comics that I've tried to read but had to put down. If you're a Buffy fan over 15, I'd reccomend it.

I can truly say, without exaggeration that this is by far, the best Buffy the Vampire Slayer book I have ever read. Chris Boal's writing is pure genius. He seems to have a special insight into Joss Wheadon's unique vision of the character. It remains true to the original, yet at the same time it keeps it new and interesting. I don't want to give away the surprise ending in Heart of A Slayer, but wow, I sure didn't see that coming. Buffy fans, and everyone else should buy this book. It is just great.

I happened to be watching several syndicated episodes of the television show while reading Autumnal and couldn't help but miss the earlier episodes of BTVS. I miss the humor, the genuine emotions and the mystery of those earlier episodes. Autumnal harkens back to those days.

I found Autumnal a great read and really enjoyed the fact that there is still some mystery in the Buffy universe. A slayer that should be dead and a new, deadly demon, injects some mystery and wonder back into the Buffy universe.

And I though the story about the disgruntled wannabe vampire was great! Finally a return to some frivolty, some immaturity and FUN.

If you want to recapture the spirit of earlier seasons when water bills and addiction weren't the "big bad", read this book.

Adorable, beautiful, old-fashioned book. I had this book as a child and my son enjoys it as much as I did. Perfect for an Easter basket!!

Richard Scarry has to be one of the best illustrators of childrens' books. I want to live in that world. My three-year-old asks for this story almost every day.

This lovely story is about a bunny family who take turns guessing what the baby bunny might want to be when he grows up. Moving through a range of immediate and extended family members including Mum, Dad, brother, sister, Aunt, Uncle, Grandad, Grandma and cousins this is a great way to introduce concept of family and provide a talking point about family ties. The book also moves through a range of careers and ending with one of the most important jobs of all.. being a parent.

This book is about all the glamorous things that baby bunny could be when he grows up, but he knows what he wants to be! A daddy rabbit who loves and takes care of all his little baby bunnies!

My mom used to read this book to me ALL the time, and then we would talk about what she thought HER "baby bunny" would be. I'm now 27, and she still refers to me as "the baby bunny" because of this book. I am a 1st grade teacher, and today I got a good evaluation, and mom said, "Well, it sounds like the baby bunny has grown up to be a great teacher!"

What's more fun than firefighters, trucks, lots of action, and absolutely anything produced by Richard Scarry?

The children in your circle will adore this fun book, that has absolutely everything to keep their attention through multiple, enjoyable reads!

You can't go wrong with this one!

First off, this is a Richard Scarry book, so your child is definitely going to love it. Plus it's about fire engines, so it's everything a busy little reader could want!

This book is wonderful for children. I think that all Richard Scarry books are great for children

This book is full of vehicles, real and imaginary, my son loves anything that goes! Mr. Frumble's many accidents always makes us both laugh. The action always makes him excited too. I'm not a good writer, all I can say is my son's first exclamation was from this book "oh dear". I've read it so many times now that he and I both have memorized it!

An entertaining account of Busytown's four firefighters. The firefighting pigs save the town from the dangers of fire (and in some cases from themselves). Filled with Scary's action-packed, humorous drawings. A very fun book.

This book offers a great perspective on film acting. There are several chapters that address rather general info on acting, but what is really useful is dialectic in the middle. Written in play form, it goes over a newcomer's first day on the set and explains all the basics of shooting a scene, how to prepare, the names and jobs of everyone on a set, and set lingo. This book is extremely useful if you are planning on acting in film (whether it's a student film or the big leagues) and want to feel prepared for the experience. If you're a veteran or even have done several shoots, it probably won't be as useful to you, but it still provides a great, easy to understand breakdown. The repeated reference to set terms (i.e. craft services, 2nd AD, boom operator, director of photography) throughout the dialogue really drums in meaning instead of just being a glossary, though there is an extensive one in back in case you missed anything. This is a must read for newcomers to acting or filmmaking, for that matter.

I never really understood the film making process until I read this book. It is written with a real human spirit as he takes us through step-by-step. I felt as if I was on that shoot myself - nervous and anxious about everything that the character "Newcomer" was faced with and didn't understand. What a relief to have a book that finally explains all the terminology and gives specific advise on what to expect and how to meet the acting demands of working on a set. If you're in the Seattle area, you should check out his classes. He's a very gifted teacher as well.

Richard Brestoff discusses acting brilliantly and tells what we REALLY should know about acting in front of a camera and on a set/location for television/movie acting. This book was by far the most interesting, helpful, informative piece of literature about acting I've ever been so lucky to get my hands on! I only wish I could thank him personally.

Even as a non-actor, I found the comments and information in this book fascinating. It explains the duties of various film crew members, and details the steps involved in making a film. I'll never watch TV or movies the same again!

I have read all of Richard Brestoffs books. And taken many of his classes. By far, this was my preferred book that landed me a 3-day part on Melrose Place.

Dream your Dream, Buy this Book, and apply the techniques...

Thanks Richard! Matthew Lucas

This is a thourough urology review, meanwhile contains contraversial aspects in your front.

This is indeed the best urological textbook, or better to call it the bible of urology , I can not wait for the next edition

If you need to know urology, then you need this set of book. This edition is set up very well. The 4 books make it easier to look up info. It covers all the major topics in urology and is as up to date as any book can be.

This book is the most extensive single source of urologic information available. It covers all basic aspects of urology in a fairly complete manner. The main drawbacks are:
1)Reference authors quoted directly in text. This makes the book fairly diffcult to read in a fluid manner and adds extra length to the already lengthy text. Gillenwater is a much more readble text.
2)Some chapters need a better overall framework. The best example of this is the chapter on adrenal pathology which does not provide a very good thorough to the asymptomatic adrenal mass, by far the most common adrenal problem.
3)Often excessive discussion regarding all the studies for and against an issue. I feel that it would be better to state that an issue is unresolved and then list some appropriate ways of attacking the problem.
4)Certain chapters are written in the 1st person. The chapter on the technique of radical retropubic prostatectomy is a personal account and not a reference chapter. MAny innovations from other centers are missing making this chapter somewhat biased.

Overall an excellent and authoratative view or urology

Medicine is obviously a rapidly evolving field and most medical texts receive a periodic retooling. All revisions should be as thorough and meaningful as the Seventh edition of Campbell's. The text has been sucessfully expanded where appropriate and each section further honed. Figures are elegant, pertinent, and well rendered. The references are all encompassing and as current as one can expect in a volume such as this. If there are any hesitations about updating from the sixth edition (which was also a vast improvement from the fifth) I hope to assuage them, encourage the reader and congratulate the authors.

Alfred Durr, co-editor of the Neue Bach Ausgabe, shares his wealth of knowledge of this vastly varied and enormously rich repertoire in this large, expensive, but excellent book.

The first section of the book traces the development of the sacred cantata as a genre through 1750. Durr here defines important terms and places Bach's works in historical context.

The bulk of the text is a presentation of the cantatas in the order of the liturgical calendar. For each cantata Durr provides the text, its English translation, and the circumstances surrounding the piece's composition. He also offers analyses/descriptions which vary from half a page for some of the briefer, simpler works, to ten pages for works of particular depth (BWV 106 comes to mind).

This book is an invaluable resource to Bach scholars, singers, and conductors. Also consider Marvin Unger's book on Bach's Cantata Texts for an intertextual look at Bach as theologian.

BMN

...such as myself. Yes, yes, I know, it's bloomin' expensive for a paperback, but what a paperback! An essential companion to one of the greatest bodies of music ever written. Professor Dürr describes the cantatas in church year order, so first up is Advent cantata BWV61 "Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland" for the first Sunday in Advent. In addition to the church cantatas, you also get the secular cantatas and the Christmas Oratorio, not to mention detailed historical and musical descriptions. In short, a treasure trove of a book.

This is a dense and rewarding book for classical music fans as well as those interested in the German language. Worth the price.

Alfred Durr's The Cantatas of J.S. Bach is the "bible" for any conductor, artistic director, church musician or music performer and listener that is interested in performing or understanding Bach's canon. Hi give it my highest recomendation.

This is a very expensive, but wonderfully useful book. It gives the libretto to every single cantata plus information on the liturgical occasion for the cantata and a good, albeit brief discussion of the meaning of the piecel I quailed when I first bought it, because it is expensive. But it is my vade mecum. I use it constantly.

If I recall his New Yorker profile accurately, Posner gets up at 4 a.m. every morning to maintain his extraordinary and excellent output as a public intellectual and judge of the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals. At 145 pages, this volume is perhaps Posner's shortest and--both because it is aimed at a general audience and resulted from a lecture series--one of his most readable. My sense, however, is that it would only appeal to those already steeped in the profession. Not even a law student would find instructive comparisons with Stone, Hand, Friendly, Prosser, or Schaeffer. For those in the profession, however, I recommend this book most highly. It is less valuable for its purported study in reputation than for its profound, if succinct, understanding of Cardozo the man and the insight it provides into the style and logic of some of his best known decisions, Palsgraf and MacPherson chief among them. Posner's original attempt at a quantitative understanding of reputation relies on Cardozo's relative frequency of citation in some Westlaw data bases over the years. It is pseudo-scientific, redolent of Posner's application of economics to an understanding of the law and, while interesting, not very meaningful. The book as a whole, however, is most gratifying.

This may be the classic book by Posner. Shorter than most his books--and less encyclopaedic--but also less maiandering. Cardozo: A Study in Reputation stays on track, while revealing a complex sensibility of jurisprudence by Posner and an astounding intuition by Cardozo. In this book we see two great legal minds at work: Cardozo's providing the interpretations that further social welfare and Posner's explaining why these interpretations are so desirable.

I 'd rate this book the one MUST READ book if you are thinking about law school. This is what law school is about: Struggling with how to promote social welfare by interpretation and rulemaking.

Judge Posner examines the reasons for Cardozo's reputation and, more important, analyzes the rhetorical methods the judge used in creating some of the most renowned and cited decisions in American law. How and why he crafted the statement of the facts a certain way for one decision, a different way for another; how Cardozo used a lawyer's persuasive skills in reaching results he believed were warranted. Posner also examines the inconsistencies in Cardozo's thinking and opinion-writing. The book presents a portrait of a brilliant, prudent jurist and illuminates his professional shortcomings as well. May have little appeal for the non-lawyer, but for anyone interested in legal writing, the judicial process, and opinion-making, this is a terrific book.

Judge Posner builds and presents a strong case in defense of Justice Cardozo's reputation as a leading American jurist. Apparently, sometime during the 1950s a revisionary movement emerged in American legal thought that eventually injured Benjamin N. Cardozo. His Hemmingwayesque opinions were criticized as pedestrian, and the logic behind his reasoning was attacked as paternalistic. Judge Posner's thesis (a top-notch dissertation) deflects the subjective defamation and focuses upon objective standards of judicial measurement. Employing the resources of an electronic legal database, he proves that the Cardozo opinions, particularly those written as a judge in NY's Ct. of Appeals, have been consistently cited with regularity. This original test demonstrates that Cardozo's influence on the common law is unrivaled by any jurist other than O W Holmes.

Attempting to create a new genre of social science, Judge Posner smoothly integrates the drives that formed Cardozo as a man with the strictures of the law that define a judge. Analysis of the opinions, along with the briefs of the arguments, show that he was a good judge because he was able to reach correct results even when the specific facts of cases seemed to predict a legal anamoly. That quality produced case law that remains hard to reconcile, and the result has been attacks on the decisions as inconsistent. Judge Posner recognizes those weaknesses, but rather than contorting his logic in reconciling them explains that a man's reputation is typically based on either his high points or his low ones. In Cardozo's case, his death after only six years on the US Supreme Court limited the high points to controversial cases, such as MacPherson and Hynes. Judge Posner speculates that had Cardozo, like Holmes, had a full career as a Supreme Court justice the subjective standard for measurement of his reputation would have shifted away from the decisions as a state judge.

Although those state court opinions continue to dominate Torts textbooks, Cardozo's critics have injured his reputation by suggesting that he was merely a flamboyant local judge. Judge Posner shows that their slurs have not reached the ears of leading jurists. However, the ordinary person is apt to adopt those reputationary revisions without actually reading Cardozo's opinions and relating them to the specific cases and the development of American common law. Thus, Judge Posner creates a bridge, somewhat like Justice Cardozo, between arcane legal studies and the conduct of the people that law governs.

I just started my law school teaching career by teaching Torts, and I was a bit baffled at Cardozo's fame. Judge Posner explains the extent to which Cardozo stood head and shoulders above other jurists in notoriety, speculates why this is so, shows why Cardozo's reputation as a Supreme Court justice is dimmer than his reputation as a state judge, and dissects Cardozo's opinions. I thought that his discussion of Cardozo's literary style was especially masterful, as was his explanation of Cardozo's advantages in obtaining a great reputation.

The only part of the book I found lacking was Posner's discussion of individual cases, which was a bit less exciting than the rest of the book. Before reading the book I was not convinced that the infarmous Palsgraf case deserved its notoriety-- and I still don't get the Palsgraf mystique that seems to entrance so many other law professors and lawyers.