Liberty Books

This book felt like a shot of reality through my understanding of what is going on in the political world that involves abortion rights.Like many in my generation I had no clue what kind of actual threat we are actually facing. The book reads like a clarifying account of the challenges for reproductive rights advocates have to face when fighting the anti-choice zealots. More women need to undertsand the current situation, and I'd recommend starting here with this book.

This book is not only an engaging account of how a brilliant mind orchestrates a fight for justice--it's a healing book to read. Kate Michelman's genius is in her reasonableness. The other side is not reasonable. Her strength lies in that she listens. The other side does not listen. She fights with quiet persistence. She hears the pro-lifers' words; she respects that there are some people out there who believe a clump of cells the size of the head of a pin is a human being whose rights trump those of the woman carrying it. In answer, she says quietly, persistently to these Advocates of Forced Birth--But there's a woman there. Not a host. Not an environment. Not soil. A human still in possession of rights, and no, I will not let you legislate them away. KM has startling patience with those who believe a woman's human rights have vanished because her birth control failed. This book makes it so clear who's listening-- and who isn't. Something else that came through strongly in this book is the truth that birth is a creative act that a woman carries out, an immense undertaking that can't succeed without her full cooperation, her wisdom, her skill, her love. She must be an active participant--not a passive receptacle, not the captive of another's will. It is KM's gentle persistence in the face of the barbarity of her opponents that is so powerful. The other side is anything but gentle. A rapist uses a woman's body for his pleasure. A pro-lifer uses a woman's body to act out narrow, irrational religious convictions. Both freely trample her will, leave her physically injured, psychically brutalized. Wise, too, is the title --With Liberty and Justice for All-- for nothing less is at stake. But outrage will not win the fight. KM's relentless reasonableness just might.

The novel is about Michelman, who was president of NARAL (National Abortion Rights Action League) from 1985 to 2004, goes into the details of not only her personal experiences with abortion, but how she fought to keep it legal. Michelman starts with her own fight for an abortion and then dives into the battles over the nominations of Robert Bork and Clarence Thomas. She discusses those who tried to overturn Roe v. Wade, as well as discusses how "pro-lifers" often turned to burning down abortion clinics, and had hit lists with names of doctors who preformed legal abortions. Michelman ends the novel with her description of the 2004 March for Women's Lives in DC. Personally, I felt that this book was inspirational and showed us that putting effort into a cause can make a huge difference. As someone who is also pro-choice I owe my ability to make decisions about my body in part to Michelman.

This book felt like a shot of reality through my understanding of what is going on in the political world that involves abortion rights.Like many in my generation I had no clue what kind of actual threat we are actually facing. The book reads like a clarifying account of the challenges for reproductive rights advocates have to face when fighting the anti-choice zealots. More women need to undertsand the current situation, and I'd recommend starting here with this book.

I was very impressed by this book. Prior to reading it, I was (moderately) pro-life. Michelman convinced me I was wrong. She makes an eloquent argument for the pro-choice side. I highly recommend this book to anyone with an open mind on the abortion issue. I would quibble with a few of her arguments- e.g. parental notification, but I still think she makes a strong case.

The Sane Society can be thought of as a summary of Fromm's thoughts on the problems of current society. His main premise is that society can produce 'socially patterned defects' that are so widespread they are seen as normal. For individuals who have more humanistic goals in life, society will inevitably judge them as irrational or insane. So life practices that that detrimental to human development are seen as normal because everyone does it. Fromm moves on to talk about how people have culturally evolved from primitive societies rooted in nature to the current stage where the achievement of a truly humanistic society is within our reach. Blocking progress is the increasing abstractification of life, depriving us of a human perspective on things. We have become slaves to our creations and placed them above humanity, which means we have become things, not people. The means have become more important than the ends. This analysis is interesting as it covers sociology, economics and psychology to give a compelling sketch of recent history. Fromm then moves on to suggest remedies for the increasing insanity in society. We must move towards regarding individuals as unique people who are are not to be exploited. Humanistic socialism can point the way to a more community centred society that wants to realise the potential of humanity and not subjugate them to the need to have, but rather to be.

Excellent book. In a brilliant thesis Mr. Fromm expose the insanity and violence that comes within our Western Society. He writes about the selfish and blind hunger of "developed countries" (on the name of civilized society) killing and destroying millions for their selfish purpose (reminds me of Iraq war).

This book was written about 50 years ago and still up-to date, I just copied this small paragraph that give an idea about the core of Fromm message:" The western world have created a great material wealth more than any other society in the history of the human race. Yet we have managed to kill of millions of our population in an arrangement, which we call war. During these wars, every participant firmly believes that he was fighting in his self-defense, for his honor, or that he was backed up by God. The groups with whom one is at war are, often from one day to the next, looked upon as cruel irrational fiends whom one must defeat to save the world from evil. But a few years after the mutual slaughter is over the enemies of yesterday are our friends, the friend s of yesterday our enemies, and again in full seriousness we begin to paint them with appropriate colors of black and white. "
Fromm message is a one that should be heard by all human beings: love between neighbors , love in societies , countries and nations, is the only solution to the violence and individualism that is destroying western society, I just think about how much violence we have here in the USA, everything is solved with violence, that's the basic relation that is in the core of this society that supposed to be Christian. the book is a must read and I really recommended it to anyone.

A few chapters in, I was concerned the book was too "dated". Fromm does talk a lot about individualism as a fundamental human characteristic, and this can come off as ethnocentric at times (individualism is a Western value, not shared by all cultures to the extent we value it). He also criticizes cultural relativism, seeing it as one of the reasons Western humanity is "insane". Having been an anthropology major in college, this was hard to swallow, but I kept reading. And I was surprised. I found a remarkable similarity in Fromm's book to the some of the tenets of Ecological Economics, or EcolEcon (see Daly & Farley, "Ecological Economics"). For example, Fromm says in the last chapter, "economy must become the servant for the development of man" (p. 314, 4th Fawcett Premier Printing, January 1967); compare this to the EcolEcon tenet that the economy is a subset of the ecosystem and, as such, expansion of the economy should be limited, environmental impacts curbed, so that it does not detract from our quality of life (which depends, ultimately, on a healthy ecosystem).

Towards the end of the book, I was feeling pretty optimistic: about society, the "Western World", and even about some personal decisions I was facing in my life at that time. Even if it is not very good sociology (as some other reviewers contend), The Sane Society is a good book and I recommend it.

The social criticism is awesome. Unfortunately, Fromm missed the simple truth that the unalienated condition depends on connectedness with nature and not on its domination.

Just a comment about Mr. Carlson (or Dr. Carlson, if he is a PhD and commodity in the market). Think about how many people you know that suffer of anxiety, depression, insonia, and other psychological problems, or think about the narcissistic people around you. Try to discover how many americans have sleeping problems, high blood pressure, etc. Finally ask yourself why the United States are the world champion of obesity. And then think if you really need more ''quantitative data'' to support Fromm's ideas.

All history books should be this detailed, this readable, this humane. Lepore knows how to write about a horrible, nearly forgotten episode in NYC history. Unlike many historians, she steps away from overt politics or raw emotion. She knows that this subject is too serious to be shouted. It is the rare history book that is packed with facts as well as knowledge.

I felt like Lepore was taking my hand and leading me through the smelly streets of lower Manhattan in 1741, like I could almost see the faces of...what were they, anyway? The victims of a horrible hoax? The demented planners of a plot to burn the city? Or something in between, where thieves can also be the keepers of ancient rites from a distant homeland, where the world is turned upside down?

I could go on and on, but just buy the book!

I was, and am still, astounded by the in-depth knowledge that Ms. Lepore manages to uncover page after page of this remarkable revelation of New York racial history at its "rawest". For all those who believed like me that New York City in the 18th centruy was the golden gate to slave refuge -- that which protected runaways from their brutal and inhumane treatment of the southern plantation owners, they too will be equally as shocked, as was I, to find the opposite to be the gut churning truth.
As unconscionable as it may seem, African flesh was reguarly burned at the stake in the middle of the New York City streets to the entertaiment of audiences of highbrowed whites. Such was the unequivocal right of swift justice that was to be handed down to those enslaved for even the mere notion of a slave revolt.
If Gotham: A History of New York City to 1898 (The History of New York City)]] is/ was an intriguing read to you then "New York Burning" may also lend spark to that flame of interest as well. Great work.

This is not a book to read in one night--in this book one bookmarks certain pages, and refers back to those pages, with satisfaction and an ever growing understanding of these times and the people who inhabited Manhattan back then.

Exceptional research (the footnotes and the Appendix far from being dull and dry discourse, add to the wealth of knowledge and narrative contained in the body of the book) brings to life the character and personalities of those implicated in the plot as well as those who supported, judged or cross-examined them. This book also brings to the fore the incredible racism in Manhattan at that time -- apparently one out of every 5 individuals there was a slave.

Add to this an analysis of slave trade and daily life in the 18th century Manhattan, of the party systems and favoritism and British Rule, with and without the usual checks and balances, as well as a new nation trying to stand on its own, plus insight into the lives of Peter Zenger and Benjamin Franklin--this is a "cast of hundreds" with great "supporting actors and actresses".

As I read through this book I had many occasions to refer to the 2 excellent maps at the front of the book, which helped support the narrative and lend more understanding of the lay of the land in Manhattan back then. I never knew Manhattan's water was so polluted (even back then in the "early days" of the city), and Ms Lepore does a through job of describing that which actually figured prominently into the "fuel" for this ("The Negro Plot") rebellion -- the water sources where the slaves would gather to draw tea water for their masters. I was also surprised - as I looked at these 18th century maps -- to see how much has now been added to the island of Manhattan in modern times by landfill.

The book begins with a clandestine feast attended by the slaves, (some of whom were quite literate -- all of whom, taken from many parts of Africa Spain and the Barbados to be treated as nothing more than expendable chattel, were dissatisfied to one extent or another with the way they were treated) and Dr Lepore keeps bringing us back to this feast, with its sworn secrecy, oaths and threats -- many times in the book, as it is the pivot point from which the alleged slaves' "Negro Plot" to burn New York and kill their masters was hatched, and is the background from which the accusations against them, and their eventual death sentences sprang .

The slaves' trial, which to many seemed a hurried sham, was covered in great detail -- as were the accusations, some of which contradicted instead of accusing, which led to the deaths / transporting or discharging of so many of those slaves, many of whom may have been unjustly accused, hurriedly sentenced, and gotten rid of in various and terrible ways. And finally-- Mary Burton's quest for freedom (with Horsemanden trying to help her achieve her goal), Horsemanden's detailed narrative of this whole affair, and the a finely crafted and well-written mysterious letter delivered to the judges after the trial, bring a fitting climax to the book.....with many unanswered questions however.

The judicial system in the colonies back then, as well as the prevalent attitudes exhibited towards slaves by whites and clerics alike, and the great hatred (and the acceptance and promulgation of such hatred) exhibited at this trial, of anything that smacked of Papacy, is also a head-turner.

Many questions about this incident and the complex times surrounding it are still unanswered -- many questions will remain unanswered. But thanks to Jill Lepore's intense scrutiny, research and highly complex rendition of these people and their circumstances, these long-dead and mostly unknown slaves and their colleagues become flesh and blood history, as do their accusers and prosecutors.

Informative, educational and supportive illustrations are found peppered throughout the book. I would have liked more details, such as illustrations and/or web sites, pertaining to the Negros Burial Ground, especially as it concerns the present. Dr Lepore treats the subject of the Negroes Burial ground and its hallowed inhabitants with proper reverence; perhaps a book can be written about this in the near future.

Jill Lepore's "New York Burning: Liberty, Slavery, and Conspiracy in Eighteenth-Century Manhattan" is a valuable and admirable examination of one of the darkest episodes in New York's history: the so-called slave rebellion of 1741 and the brutal vengeance that was extracted. Professor Lepore's painstaking research confronts the reader with a terrible conclusion: even the most respectable of people in society will consent to the deaths of human beings, based on even the tiniest shreds of evidence.

Focusing primarily on the actions of Daniel Horsmanden, the City's Recorder, Lepore provides the reader with a background on the attitudes of New York's whites toward their slaves. She makes clear that Gotham was neither the first nor only city to have witnessed slave uprisings. (It had suffered a similar uprising a couple of decades earlier.) But the events of 1741 were unique for several reasons:
--the shifting finger-pointing at various groups;
--the inconsistency of Mary Burton's testimony, which essentially was the case against several slaves;and
--Horsmanden's bizarre behavior toward Mary Burton.

Admittedly, I've only superficially studied this dark time in New York's history, so I was shocked to learn that there were actually several "conspiracies": the Negro Plot, Hughson's Plot, the Spanish Plot, the Roman Plot, etc. Each plot was hatched depending on who confessed to what. Worst of all, the white population of New York--fueled by racism, xenophobia, paranoia, and, not the least of all, bloodlust--went right along with it. And, with the exception of an intriguing anonymous letter from Massachussetts, it seems the rest of the colonies went along with it, too. While Horsmanden is just short of villified in this book, he is not alone in his culpability.

Professor Lapore's "New York Burning" will disturb many readers. The accounts of the slaves and the few whites burning, hanging, begging, and praying are graphic and heartbreaking. Still, this in an incredibly important book for anyone interested in the history of our nation and/or the all-too-tragic fragility of race relations in America. For this, Professor Lapore deserves our appreciation

The subject of American slavery presents numerous challenges to the modern historian, not the least of which is its heterogeneous nature. The experience of a slave on a rice plantation in the Carolinas certainly would have contrasted that of a slave on a tobacco plantation in Maryland. Temporal, geographic, and other less grounded factors might have influenced the condition of human servitude in colonial and post-Revolution America. The distinction of urban slavery in the eighteenth century, particularly in the north, is relatively understudied. In New York Burning, Jill Lepore recreates early eighteenth century Manhattan, recounting the decisions of the court, the common talk on the streets, the comings and goings of sloops of trade and war, the livelihoods of its people, the menace of slavery, and a conspiracy that threatened to burn the city to the ground.

The books is truly a great read, but objectivity and fact are sometimes brought out of focus making for interesting but questionable conclusions. Though the use of literary license, which is scattered between summary of the conspiracy trial and its proceedings, helps to contextualize events and enliven eighteenth century New York in the mind of the reader, it sometimes borders on fictive. The summer of 1941 is characterized in an imagined description: "The wind blew hot. In the streets, hogs sweated and dogs panted, seeking the shade of doorways and market awnings and the smooth coolness of the marble steps of fashionable houses."(Lepore, 171) The language animates the New York heat, working to contrast with the previous winter which was described in stylistically similar prose, however as hogs cannot sweat, some of the magic is lost.

Perhaps Lepore's greatest success is her reconstruction of the social underworld of unsupervised black slaves, some whites, and other captives in the streets and taverns of New York. Lepore leaves an open ended conclusion and brings recent events, such as the treatment of slave burial grounds in NYC to light. In the end, I give this book praise but am not totally sold on this brand of scholarship.

The Rothbardian brand of libertarianism can be somewhat extreme, but if anyone could explain and sell every page of it well--it would be Murray Rothbard. Anyone interested in really breaking down libertarian philosophy, this is an excellent starting point. I do no recommend this book for people who aren't familiar with the philosophy though, this book can be a bit heavy and somewhat confusing for someone who doesn't have a good foundation of knowledge to work with.

Eventually though, and at one point or another--this books is a must read.

The Ethics of Liberty is Murray Rothbard's philosophical contribution to the intellectual domain, and is akin and in many facets superior to Ayn Rand's The Virtue of Selfishness. In this work, Rothbard lays out his ethical frame of natural rights, and from there on shows the importance of the principles of self-ownership, non-aggression and property (via homesteading), and their logical conclusion, market anarchism. He skilfully reformulates "human" rights as component rights of property rights (beginning with ownership over oneself), and thus succeeds in avoiding many of the pitfalls facing conventional rights-ethicists. Contra another reviewer here, Rothbard was not engaging in "emotional" appeals (no more than any Kantian or utilitarian, anyway), but rather appeals to the reader's rational faculty. That many individuals are not consistent in their moral beliefs does not invalidate his position, as in order to justify any system one must be capable of proferring a coherent defence for it. Rothbard mostly relies on the extensive work of natural-rights philosophers for his exposition, and he does well to. An abundance of materials on natural-rights theory are referenced. Rothbard also attempts to tackle hard cases head-on, such as childrens' rights, abortion (Rothbard brings together many superb writings on the subject and offers his own unique defence for abortion), animal rights, bribery/blackmail/boycotts (which he concludes are ethically but not necessarily morally defensible), retributive vs. deterrence vs. restitutional theories of punishment (one of my favourite parts) and so on. In this work he outlines the extremely important title theory of contracts. Unlike many proponents of the free market, Rothbard does not fall into the trap of seeing the status quo regime of private property as defensible, as many other free market advocates do; indeed, he demonstrates the severe extent to which much "private" property was unjustly acquired, and thus is not legitimately held. Moreover, he offers a critique of the State and the contradictory principles which many of its proponents adhere to; with natural-rights ethics in hand, he offers visceral critiques. Often libertarianism has been criticized for focusing too much on the ideal, and not adopting a more dialectical approach; in this tome, Rothbard offers the beginnings of such a perspective. Critiques are offered of conventional defences of laissez-faire (including Hayek's, Nozick's and the utilitarian economist's.) Rothbard ends the book with a delightful dose of optimism on the future prospects of liberty, and how to achieve it.

This work is by no means perfect, and Rothbard, though an intellectual, is not a professional philosopher - he was primarily an economist and an historian, and a system-builder (he combined many philosophical insights rather than deducing them himself, and expanded on them.) Other libertarians (e.g. Block, Sciabarra, Gordon, Long, Hoppe, Narveson, Machan) have taken on his mantle, and have greatly expanded on Rothbard's thoughts, often producing works of superior quality. Be that as it may, the book is a classic in libertarian thought and essential to understand the bases of libertarian ethical theory, and thus is a must-read. It is not just a work for Austrian "sheep". The contents of this volume are of far greater value and consistency, in my view, than Nozick's lauded Anarchy, State and Utopia.

This is my choice for the best introduction to libertarianism for the serious student of political economy. Randy Barnett's _The Structure of Liberty_ and Frederic Bastiat's _The Law_ are excellent as well, but second to _The Ethics of Liberty_.

Rothbard builds the structure of liberty one brick at a time. After laying the foundation, he then applies the basics to deconstructing the state. He proceeds further with trenchant critiques of utilitarianism, Mises, Hayek, Berlin, and Nozick. (As an added gem, in the Nozick chapter Rothbard presents a compelling case for a free-market justice system.)

I highly recommend this book for those who wish a profound understanding of libertarianism from one of its foremost proponents.

Michael R. Edelstein, Ph.D.
Author of _Three Minute Therapy_

This was the first work of Rothbard's that I found to be highly displeasing. It is a mix of poor philosophy and legal construction. While the author is a brilliant economists, one of the best in the twentieth century, this work on philosophy takes away from his overarching beliefs as put forth in his other writing. Don't read this for an argument on natural rights. He admits that is not his purpose. Don't read this for a picture of a legal system in a free society (see Benson- Enterprise of Law). Instead, go to the best defense of Anarchy, which is Rothbard's "For A New Liberty". The only reason to read this is if you want to be familiar with a book that is referenced ubiquitously by Austrian sheep.

I read this book when I was a recovering Randian. His arguments were very much like Rand's. This though, Rand did not cover half the material that he does in this book. Rothbard's mode of argumentation was to create false choices in order to show that only his premises were valid. In short, Rothbard always sought to force his reader to accept libertarian axioms. Though a great economist who I have learnt a lot from; he is a poor political theorist. His ability to put an economic perspective on certain issues is the only thing commendable about the book. I found his claim that for a moral system to be valid it must be universal to be question begging. His claim that a moral system that would see the death of humans on a large scale as being invalid is wanting, and a sign of his inconsistency. You see, Rothbard always asserted that even if libertarianism was not conducive to human well-being he would still support the system. His defense of homesteading and the nonsense term self-ownership were equally poor. His argument against the state was nothing but appeal emotions. For, he was a moralist gone wild in the book. Most people are not moral absolutist. It follows that saying that taxation is theft is unconvincing. For, most people do not consider it to be stealing, and that is all that matters. His presentation of capitalism as a desirable system was a shot in the leg. Most people would raise eyebrows when one claims that we need to abolish the state and let true-believing capitalists run amok (some of them love the state). In short, Rothbard provided nothing that would make most people want to do away with the status quo. Besides, the fact that most people are religious precludes them wanting such a dramatic revolution. Indeed, those who aren't waiting for Christ or heaven are waiting for an Islamic theocracy.


As a libertarian book it is good enough; as persuasive propaganda is bad enough.

I have long been interested in Irish history but could never quite grasp the centuries of convoluted struggle with Great Britain. This book was invaluable in deepening my understanding of some of the bigger events and figures and I happened to read it shortly before viewing the film The Wind That Shakes The Barley so that I was able to enjoy it with greater sympathy and understanding.Good supplements to this are How The Irish Saved Civilization by Thomas Cahill and Ireland:A Novel by Frank Delaney.

I'm part Irish-American and I knew some about the conflicts between the British and the Irish. After reading For the Cause of Liberty, I now realize how little I knew.

The book provided an excellent history of the Irish struggle. The information on the Irish heroes (both Protestant and Catholic) who fought the British was very readable. I never knew that the French had a hand (or tried to) in the rebellion in the late 1700's. The extent of the savagery and despicable behavior that the Irish endured was very effectively presented. Overall, an excellent book.

Golway has a very easy to read writing style. He gives seemingly very intimate details about each person he talks about, and also gives you alot of background information that you might miss in other books. In some parts of it, you can almost imagine that the heros of old are still alive and fighting for freedom.

He covers more about history 1850 onwards than previously, but he gives fair time to both of them. A fascinating book for anyone who wants to know about Ireland, or the history of Revolutions in the world.

Evaluating Golway's book in terms of its subtitle-- a thousand years of Ireland's heroes-- I think this selection is fantastic. As a semi-biographical profile of many prominent, legendary, and simply amazing Irish revolutionaries, this book does exactly what it should. Golway discusses such notables as Brian Boru, the O'Neill family, Wolfe Tone, Daniel O'Connell, Charles Stewart Parnell, Arthur Griffith, O'Donovan Rossa, Kevin Barry, Richard Mulcahy, the leaders of the Easter Rising, Eamon de Valera, Michael Collins, Kevin Barry, Bobby Sands, Countess Markievicz, Bernadette Devlin, and many more. Other reviewers have summarized quite well what the book is; I would like to provide readers with an idea of what the book is not. This would make excellent supplementary reading for anyone with an interest in Irish history. However, Golway does focus on elements of biography and therefore does presume a fair bit of knowledge on the part of the audience. If you are looking for a good starting point in learning about Irish history, I would not suggest this title. On the other hand, if you already have a general working knowledge about Ireland, these biographies would very, very much enrich your experience. Bottom line: buy it for the biographies and consider any Irish history you pick up along the way an added bonus.

Golway's summary of 1,000 years of Irish history provides a very good overview of the highlights of Irish history. It is a great introduction for someone just starting their study of Ireland's rich history. For those who have delved into the history already, it is an enjoyable read. Golway just skims the surface, though. The collection is far from complete in any of the eras it covers.

If you are looking for any insight from the author into his association with Randy Weaver you will be sorely disappointed. There was very little written with respect to Weaver. Most of what was included in this book I have read in other publications. If interested try, Every Knee Shall Bow, by Jess Walter, or, Ambush at Ruby Ridge, by Alan Bock.

Gerry Spence is like a kindly old grandfather type. Full of sage advice and wisdom that is perhaps best understood in light of his rustic background. At times powerful and dynamic, at other times pompous and imperfect. I found myself reading aloud to my family some very enlightened and impactful prose. Other times I found myself laughing at his sophmoric attempts at analogy.

Overall, I have enjoyed reading this fine book. The author makes some very intriguing points with respect to the condition of humanity at the end of the 21st century. However, I found his writing style to be irritating and bizarre at times. Like many old timers full of wisdom, fun to listen to, as long as you take him with a grain of salt.

"From Freedom To Slavery: The Rebirth of Tyranny in America" was at the time of publishing "The Wyoming Eagle's" fifth, but in my opinion, his most impressive work. I read this book for the first time ten years ago and I feel that it is as relevant today (perhaps more so) then when it was initially marketed.

In this manifesto Gerry Spence speaks out against the destructive forces in America today: the forces of government and corporate tyranny (from the "corporate oligarchy") that are (according to Spence) robbing us of our freedom. Spence warns that time is running out and only an awareness and resistance cultivated at every level of citizenry can restore the balance.

Spence also recounts the details of the government shoot-out at Ruby Ridge and the resulting trial of Randy Weaver and makes the case that we, as Americans, "have delivered our freedoms to new masters: corporate and governmental conglomerates, our biased court system, and the censored media."

"From Freedom to Slavery" opens new pathways of critical thought and is worth a five star rating.

JP

The Slaves Shall Serve: Meditations on Liberty

If you think the book is good, get the audiotape read by Mr. Spence himself!!! The book is well written as if he prepared it for use in a trial. He reads it like a story with using emphasis on sounds/words like he teaches in his book/audiotape "How to argue & win everytime!"

The tape is awesome and I still listen to it periodically to remind myself of my goal to quit working for corporations. My goal is to stop at age 45 and I'm going to do it because of books/tapes like these that have motivated me to bring life into perspective.

Several of the previous reviews mention the book lacks on solutions to our slavery to corporations/government. I agree and got the same feeling of disappointment at the end of the tape. However, in one of his books he argues simplifying life (get rid of excess spending on material things like cars, eating out, one spouse working, etc)would buy at least some freedom.

So I sent an email to Mr. Spence a few years ago asking him about the lack of choices we have to "escape" our slavery to corporations, etc. & my views on nature controling our destiny. His reply:

"...But you are absolutely right: Mother nature is ultimately
in charge of this house of fools. No place to escape. Gerry"

I'm still preparing my escape. Americans can live cheaply in Costa Rica or Thailand ($700/mo. get you a place to live, a private cook, maid, and gardener). If you're gonna escape ya gotta make/save lots of money to live in USA with all the taxes and inflation (gas prices). Anyone please email me your ideas!

The Country lawyer from Wyoming explains clearly that we have all returned to slavery. We have become the worst kind of slaves - those that believe they are free.
In fact, we all slave to support the New King - the non-breathers, the corporations. He points out that nearly every aspect of our lives are controlled by nameless, faceless, soulless, greedy, cold, corporations. Although he neglects to mention that the United States of America is also a corporation, I am sure he suspects that most of his readers are acutely aware of the fact.
We have been duped, dumbed-down, and brainwashed into believing that we are free, when nothing can be further from the truth.
His cynicism of our justice system is well supported and one cannot help but agree with his conclusions regarding the badly broken system.
His writing is poetic and heart-felt. The book opens and closes with personal letters that he has written or received. These touching letters capture the essence of the man and his love of mankind. His passion for justice is contagious. His honesty, intellect, and candor explain his stellar court record and leave one wishing that in time of need, an attorney like Gerry Spence might appear. Unfortunately, we have even less hope of good men like Mr. Spence appearing than we do of regaining freedom in this country.
While I do not share all of his "tree-hugging" ideals, I was moved by some of his suggestions, and found his Indian references extraordinary.
This book can truly offer sound advise to libertarians, and Patriots everywhere.

This is my 2nd book by Gerry Spence. I am changing my views & opinions about our so-called "legal system", about lawyers, about political parties. As the song says, "I've quit those days & my redneck ways". Gerry is likely a liberal & I'm a conservative yet I agree with 90% of what he brings out. I prefer learning from someone with real-world experience instead of theoretical academia which I have discovered is out-of-touch with reality in my 56 years: that is; professors commenting on other professors commenting on other professors.

In my time, I've always known something was seriously wrong with our great country but couldn't put my finger on it. Like most folks, I thought it was those "blood sucking parasite politicians". With facts (not opinion) and specific cases (not speculation), Gerry shows this euphoric bubble we are all in -- that we THINK is "democracy". It's not good enough to wrap ourselves in the American flag and say "at least we're better than Angola". We love our constitution and bill-of-rights unfortunately now, America is not "of, for, & by the people" except on 4th of July and during election time.

Like a cruise missile that homes in on its target, Gerry clearly pinpoints the issues, draws contrasts, and offers solutions (which we thought were just "political").

Okay, we have GROWN UP and we're big boys & girls: we need to also WISE UP and stop trashing folks because we disagree with them 10% of the time. The only person you will be in agreement with 100% is yourself - and I've discovered that people's "assumer" is wrong 90% of the time.

This book is of mature subject so if you're seeking "rainbows in the sky & children singing in the fields", then go look at the Sunday comic section.

Freedom's Cause has a brilliant plot and a fictional character as the protaganist. He starts off as a teen and then grows up through the time of William Wallace and Robert the Bruce. The fictional protagonist interacts with historical characters from that period of Scottish History. The story is full of adventure, friendship, loyalty, honor, heroics, and history. Good values are presented. This book is great for anyone looking for something on Scottish history and which also is an outstanding novel.

This book is as excellent or better then any Nigel Tranter book I have read, like The Wallace and The Bruce Trilogy.

The accuracy of the historical period is superb and I have read much on this area of Scottish history. The persons discussed, the geography talked about, and the timeline presented is very accurate.

I highly recommend this and can't wait to read another Henty.

Liberty or death. This was the choice the people of Scotland in the 13th century faced if they rose up against their English ruler. Most would say it was no choice at all. Many of the Scottish nobles were English supporters. Few could be expected to rise up against the numerically overwhelming English army. The hero of the story, Archibald Forbes, joins the struggle for Scottish freedom led by the valiant Sir William Wallace and Robert the Bruce. The extraordinary valor and personal prowess of these men rival the deeds of the mythical heroes of chivalry.

I highly recommend this book to any lovers of historical adventure stories. The story is fast paced and carries you along with Archie in his adventures. Have a good map of Scotland and England handy to look up places as you read. Great way to learn history and geography!
Becky Maxwell

I highly reccommend G.A. Henty's In Freedom's cause to anyone age 10 and up who likes to read historical fiction. William Wallace, Robert the Bruce, and a ficticious charactor, Archibald Forbes, take the leading roles in fighting battles to stop the powerful English from taking over Scotland. This book is very closely based on factual hiistorical events. When England is very close to taking over scotland, William Wallace and Robert the Bruce fight overwhelming odds to get back their homeland.

This book is one of the most fascinating and interesting to readers who care about the past. For people who do not like history or to learn about the exciting feats accomplished by our predeseccors, I do not reccomend this book.
The story is about young Archie Forbes, a young man destined to be cheif of his clan. His father was killed when Archie was just a boy and his lands taken away by the Kerr family, nobles from nearby England. While Archie is determined to reclaim his family's lands he meets William Wallace and helps in the scottish revolution.

i just can't say enough about Tracie Peterson and her writing! I would recommend any title with her name on it! Lovely!

A LADY OF HIGH REGARD
Tracie Peterson
Read by Judith West
Judith West gives a polished performance depicting Mia Stanley, a young woman from a wealthy and influential Philadelphia family. Mia comes to believe she's a born matchmaker, but she can't find a romantic interest of her own. So she launches a journalism career instead. West captures her family's dismay, and Mia's resentment, when her father orders her to stop writing for Godey's Ladies Book. She adeptly depicts Mia's shock and concern after visiting seaman's wives on the Philadelphia docks and learning of their victimization: physical and sexual abuse, even their children being sold for bad debts. With clarity of narration, textured characterizations, and cultural authenticity, West brings to life Mia's ensuing fight for higher wages, reduced hours, and the return of the seaman's children. G.D.W. © AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine
Oasis Audio, 2007 * 6 hrs. * Abridged * Fiction, Romantic
Trade Ed.
(CD) ISBN 978-1-5985-9245-0 $19.99 A Lady of High Regard (Ladies of Liberty)

LADY OF HIGH REGARD follows Mia Stanley, the daughter of a wealthy Philadelphia family. Set in a time when social classes did not cross lines, Mia finds herself on a mission to help woman that are less fortunate than her, many who are seaman's wives being abused in their husband's absence . When she finds out these women are being forced to pay higher rents and bogus debits, she does some investigating. When Garrett, the boy next door and her lifelong friend sees her sneaking out of the house one night, he follows her, only to be horrified that she's gone to the docks to get more information about the seaman's wives. What starts out as brotherly protection, Garrett soon realizes his feelings for Mia have turned to love. He decides to do some of his own investigating into the corrupt behavior of one man, hoping Mia will obey her parents and leave the matter to someone more suitable. Mia, the consummate matchmaker, tries to get Garrett paired off so he will have less time to concern himself with her dangerous late night rendezvous. When it appears Garrett has found someone else, the idea of him no longer being around stings Mia's feelings. She too, realizes she is in love with him, but feels it is too late to tell him the truth.
Even though I'm not a fan of period pieces, I enjoyed LADY OF HIGH REGARD. The setting took a backseat to the story. I liked that TRACIE PETERSON set the tone of the book with the restrictions put on ladies at that time, but allowed tenacious Mia to be the moderate rebel, only wanting to right the wrongs of those less fortunate than herself. Of course, we had to wait until the end of the book to see if Garrett and Mia would reveal their true feelings for each other, but it was worth the wait.

Mia Stanley is a woman whose heart is bigger than her common sense. Mia is a writer for Godey's Lady's Book magazine during a time where it was frowned upon to be a working woman. Mia's heart and her writings lead her to the rougher part of town. Seamen's wives were being taken advantage of, and Mia made it her personal mission to makes sure they were treated fairly.

Tracie Peterson has her readers traveling to 1800's Philadephia, where there is adventure, danger, and very lovable characters. She also provides depth and has each of her readers thinking about what their role should be in helping people less fortunate.

A Lady of High Regard is the first book in the Ladies of Liberty series. This book is an enjoyable read, I finished it in one weekend and look forward to more.

She has also written the nonfiction book I Can't Do It All: Breaking Free from the Lies That Control Us with (Boomer Babes Rock!) Allison Bottke & Dianne O'Brian.

I'm so glad that Tracie has started a new series. She has a great knack for bringing up social issues of the day (1800's). The women of Tracie's stories go against the social norm. They don't just want to see change, they do something about it.

Mia is one of those women. She sees how the seamen's families are being treated and sets out to find an answer. In the mean time, she makes an enemy. On the flip side of the coin, Mia loves playing matchmaker with her family and friends. At 24, most would be considered old maids, but because of her position and her beauty no one seems to give it a second thought. Her next match up is going to be for her best friend, Garrett. They've been friends since she was born. What they don't realize at the beginning of the story is that they are falling in love with each other. This story watches their journey towards each other...maybe. Just as you think one of them is about to share their feelings, something happens! You just want to shake your book, though you know the wait is going to be worth it.

Tracie can blend romance, history, and excitement into any novel. She has numerous books written on her own and with other authors and each one is worth the read!

I read this a year ago, and can recall little about it. My point exactly.

I have it listed as - too long and erratic.

Having special ordered this book I forced myself to read it all.
I wasn't impressed with Vollmann and his writing had no effect.

Vollmann's work is expensive, sprawling, beautiful, and sterilizingly heavy. It's historical analysis, personal anecdote, philosophical inquiry, ethical manifesto, war journalism (his), photography and drawings (mostly his), and thumbnail illustrations. And it's worth the price to get one of the few remaining sets. You'll become intimately acquainted with Trotsky, Cortes, Lincoln, Plato, John Brown, Stalin, Leonidas, Gandhi, the Unabomber, de Sade, Hitler, Montezuma, the Ik, Napoleon, and Mikhail Bakunin, among others. Will you run across an occasional typo or forced metaphor? Sure. But considering the product, who cares? It's brilliant and very, very readable. Two things particularly please me about this work. First, Vollmann never pretends to objectivity. RURD is an "essay" in the original sense of the word, and provokes plenty of discussion. Second, McSweeney's typography and binding are breathtaking, so that each volume is a pleasure to see and hold, much less read. If you enjoy the abridgment, the set is worth all 50,000+ pennies, or whatever the last sets are going for.

Vollmann has called this his life's work, and it shows, the book distills his original heart and soul, tearing through readable passages of objective reasoning, making circuitous and interesting routes towards his moral abstract for violence. The reading is passionate and well-reasoned, even if flawed at times. For me, it has exposed me to more historical figures and recent phiolospophical thinking that has escaped modern culture (or at least my Western one). I highly recommend this book for anyone who likes to observe history (like fans of Robert Conquest) through the lens of modern philospy.

I have the revised edition (which is availble remaindered at the Barnes and Nobles in my areas for ten bucks), and I can see from the progress I have made in it that it is an extremely important work and might unlock some of Vollman's other work. However, I have some reservations; the abridgement does not seem like it was what Vollman wanted, and some of the cuts leave a disjointed feeling. I have found that I can skip around in the book without losing the meaning, and the arguments do not seem to develop from the first page to the last, but gradually throughout the book. I am reluctant to invest in the seven volume set, but I would like to see an abridgement that is more considered and smooth. Vollman states that he abridged "for money"...when he does it for love of or respect for his readers I think this will be his masterpiece. As is, it is very very good but somehow lack cohesion.

The philosophy of war has always been unsatisfying. Abstract "moral calculus" -Vollman's label for the ethical analysis of violence - is clearly necessary, but the biological realities of violence always seem to render the sterile rationality of philosophers irrelevant. Determining when violence is and is not morally justified is such a difficult task that it is tempting to just dispose of the question, taking refuge in absolutist positions like pacifism or Kissingerian realism. As a result, worthwhile contributions to the practical ethics of war are few and far between.

This is the best attempt to reason through the moral problems of violence since Michael Walzer's "Just and Unjust Wars" and it improves on that flawed work in every way. Vollman's analysis is not limited to nation-states, he distinguishes between just and unjust regimes, he does not assume that there must be a binary moral value to every act of violence, and he knows when to conclude that a moral problem is insoluable.

Vollman passes judgment confidently when it is called for, but he has a healthy respect the lesser of two evils, the exigencies of war, and the pressures of decisionmaking in violent situations. He makes objective moral judgments, but they are clearly informed by his own subjective encounters with violence and death.

That said, this book has a lot of problems. First off, Vollman is clearly a thrill-seeker. When he talks about packing a handgun in Golden Gate Park or smoking crack cocaine, he reveals a very unusual attitude toward death. We should be suspicious of the moral handwringing of anyone who has deliberately seeks out violence. When he recounts the deaths of his colleagues while he was a reporter in the Balkans, I find myself wondering if this was not another "limit experience" that he actively chased. The experience of an aspiring novelist-DETERMINED to find abysses to gaze into-is just not comparable to that of the Somali and Sarajevan civilians who had no choice but to passively endure extreme violence.

The other big problem with this book is the lack of structure and logical rigor. If you have read any of his fiction, you know that this is just how Vollman's (brilliant) mind works, but this book suffers for it. It's a sustained meditation on violence, not a work to which the reader can refer for moral guidance in a specific situation. But it's still the best contemporary work in an otherwise empty field and very much worth reading.

i only got to say a couple things... u want honesty and truth? get this book, thats the bottom line_

You are free to do as we tell you. War is peace. You are free to do as we tell you. Freedom is slavery. You are free to do as we tell you. Ignorance is strength. You are free to do as we tell you. Go back to bed America....

I suspect that the author of "Silencing Political Dissent" (Nancy Chang) is sincere and has good intentions. But the book is a gross overreaction to laws that have been passed since 9/11.

Even worse, Chang's obvious, sometimes vicious (or so it seems to me), blatant bias against the current administration renders the contents of the book completely unbelievable (and, quite frankly, laughable).

The fact is that I DO dissent, and I do so without fear. Thus how can I possibly believe Chang's assertions? No. Scare tactics, whether from the far-left or from the far-right, do not affect me.

I would NOT recommend this book to a friend.

Of course, this review (including all of the above paragraphs) is merely my opinion.

Nancy Chang's book, Silencing Political Dissent, becomes increasingly relevant with the re-election of this administration and recent security breaches with commercial databases. Ms. Chang predicted in 2002 that "With the advent of electronic record-keeping, the FBI is likely to maintain far more dossiers on law-abiding individuals and to disseminate the dossiers far more widely than during the COINTELPRO era." Commerical database companies are composing life pictures of individuals which are then sold to other businesses as well as government entities which might otherwise be restricted in the information collected.

Nancy Chang's Silencing Political Dissent is a brilliant look into US history and current political agendas. Through her analysis of the Patriot Act , Chang is able to suggest to the reader the ways in which the newly militarized government is attempting to gain more power and less accountability through silencing the public and being secretive. The Patriot Act takes away constitutional rights and makes the fourth amendment null and void. This book allows the reader to look at the current "war on terror" in comparison to some historical events. Chang conveys the importance of this act by allowing the reader to imagine the implications that rightful protest could be considered terrorism and a person could be denied due process because of race, religion, or ethnicity. Most importantly, this book outlines the many steps that have been taken to deny rights to people showing a disregard for democracy and all that our country stands for.