New York Liberty Books

Nancy French has proven one can be both humorous and right, and I don't mean right in the way of political description. Her book as both laugh-out-loud moments, and right-on moments, entertaining and motivating one to stand up for one's beliefs at the same time. Would that there were more books of this genre. Thanks Nancy.

I really wanted to like this book. I'm a conservative. I've lived in the South (North Carolina) and I've lived in extremely liberal towns (like Boulder, CO). The writing was jumpy and left much to be desired.

I see Nancy French has continued to poison political discourse with her typical right-wing "I'm right and everyone is entitled to my opinion" attitude, this time in book-length form.

I'm getting really tired of people with her extreme right-wing view constantly having their viewpoints shoved down my throat (even when I don't want to hear it). And I'm equally tired of hearing about their right to free speech. Any sane adult knows that, but too bad the "other side" doesn't see it that way.

Isn't it too bad that a Northerner can't have their non-right wing view all over the place in southern cities the way French did in Philadelphia newspapers?

Speaking of which, too bad French doesn't tell the whole story of how she was thoroughly ripped in every single paper where her rants appeared (and they were mostly in the Philadelphia City Paper, a free weekly). Every single piece said the same thing: George Bush is god and anyone who disagrees with that is wrong and I don't want to hear it. That gets tiresome after the first 100 times.

And I have a real problem with French's claims that she possesses those good ol' American values. Her values, and definitely those of the South, are *not* everyones' values, and everyone in the South does not share those "values." It's long overdue to hear from the non-right-wing folks fighting to have their voices heard in a part of the country that completely shuts out opposing opinions.

What we have here is a cutting-edge right-wing Republican being published time and again in a right-wing Republican-owned media. She sure is a renegade.

Now let's hear it from the people who are of a "blue" state of mind. - Donna Di Giacomo

It's been a while since I finished reading this book. I enjoyed it a great deal. I was 27 when I left the South and moved to upstate NY -- like the author I found that life was VERY different outside the South. A lot of her observations rang true and made me laugh out loud.

Very funny and a good read.

A wonderful glimpse at the subtle (and not so subtle) cultural differences in our country. Mostly funny, but with some serious points, and relevant throughout. I would recommend this book to anyone.

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.

This is just a silly little story about the "girl who grew up to be Lady Liberty", presupposing that she's not a statue, but an actual person.

She's born green and tall, and always does the right thing.

There's really not much to this book, and if you're short on funds you'll be better off with another one. But if you have the space in the library, or a special interest in the Statue of Liberty (I got this book for my nieces, who, living on Staten Island, think it's great fun to stand on chairs and pretend they're the statue!) I think it's worth the investment.

My preschooler has taken an interest in the Statue of Liberty. We live in NYC so we are fortunate enough to have Lady Liberty basically in our "backyard". In addition to visiting the statue, reading this book was a way to help our preschooler get to know the famous statue a little better on her level. Lots of fun!

I can't thank Chris Robertson enough for writing the book "Little Miss Liberty." I was at a Harry Potter book release party with my daughter "Liberty." I had to bring her with me so people didn't look at me funny thinking, what the heck is a 30+ year old women doing at a Harry Potter party. She was getting a little board so we went to the children's section and there is was front and center "Little Miss Liberty" on the shelf of Barns and Nobel. My Daughter instantly went for the book and asked me to read it to her. She is convinced that the book is just about her. "That's me when I was a baby" "I grow tall" "There's Mommy and Daddy" "My school," and so on...Every page I turned she had a remark for. It is so wonderful to she her have as much interest in books as me, even though she is three and can't read yet, but she recognizes her name when she sees it print.

I chuckled when I read the sentence "Always a child of independence..." because; more then once I have said I should have named her independence because she has to do things her way. But, most children her age have that characteristic.

I hope that Mr. Robertson will continue to write about adventures that Little Miss Liberty has and about the people that she welcomes to America. I think it would be a wonderful tool to teach my child about other cultures and diversity.

I sent the book to the publisher and requested it to be autographed. About 3 weeks later received a wonderful personal letter and a signed copy of the book from Chris Robertson. It means the world to me and our Family! We can't thank you enough!

I thought I would share with you how we came up with our Daughter's name. She was born shortly after 9/11/01 and my Husband and I decided to name her Liberty after the victims of that tragic day. Also, when we had our second Daughter we named her Justice.

Chris Robertson debut is an acomplishment. The story is educational but not overbearing. The art is original while keeping within the recognisable features of one of the most famous monuments in the world. All in all an excellent book! I would build a lesson plan off of it if I taught the right grade.

From the beginning, it is clear that Little Miss Liberty is a most unusual child. For one thing, she is partial to the color green. And she has a serious growth issue, gaining a foot or more of height each day. And as you can imagine, vast quantities of food are necessary to fill her up, a task that keeps Miss Liberty's parents hopping. Besides a decided penchant for the color green, Little Miss Liberty has quite an appetite for knowledge, reading everything she can, books, maps, cereal boxes and billboards. Even comic books. Because of her thirst for information, Little Miss Liberty is an excellent student, her hand raised high every time the teacher asks a question. But she is even more beloved, because Little Miss Liberty is a natural friend to all, especially anyone who feels different or misunderstood.

Although she always loved the city of her birth in France, Little Miss Liberty felt she had a special place in the world. Of independent mind, she set out to find it. Yet no matter where she traveled, nothing felt just right until she found a pedestal near a brilliant city surrounded by water. Happily climbing on to the pedestal, Little Miss Liberty lifted her torch, held it high and settled in for a long stay. She was home.

The story is illustrated by energetic drawings of Little Miss Liberty's astonishing birth and rapid growth, towering over her parents and other students, all in green. Sketches indicate the geography of other places, familiar monuments and terrains, the Eiffel Tower, Big Ben, the pyramids, as Liberty treads the earth in search of her true home. The bright colors and simple text are perfect for introducing children to the importance of the Statue of Liberty, where the statue originated and what Liberty symbolizes.

This coming 4th of July will celebrate the 120th Anniversary of the Statue of Liberty, so this book is a wonderful introduction for a child's early knowledge of history. His drawings reminiscent of the Madeline books and Curious George, Robertson offers a compelling journey from the concept of freedom and independence to the reality of a national monument. Chronicle Books. (Age 4 and up.) Luan Gaines/2005.

This is a cute and simple book that teaches about the Statue of Liberty and how it got to be ours! A perfectly fun and educational book! My daughter is 8 years old and loved it!

This book was required 2nd grade reading for my daughter's language arts class. It is a beautiful story of ingenuity, that also gives children a glimpse of life during the industrial period of American history and teaches about the origination of the Statue of Liberty. A great little story!

I have to read 40 books for my Children's Lit class and my daughter had this book in her room, so I thought what the heck. I haven't asked her yet what she thought of it, but I'm sure my son has read it. Being that he is the avid reader like his mom but my daughter you would have to pull teeth. lol! But this book was interesting because it gave information such as how the Statue of Liberty was brought to America and how Lily made her crowns was given at the end. I am going to school to become a Elementary Teacher and this project would be a great idea to teach to my students.

This story is about a girl who is living in the year the statue of liberty is first broght to america. In her class the students are asked to bring money to help build the pedestal for the statue. When she tells her pearents about it, her mother does not think that it is a good Idea. the rest of the story is about how Lilly tries to riase money to bring in to her clase.

The story was quite charming, but the pictures were just to cutesywootsy for me. But the rest of the book was quite satisfactory. Something that I liked about it was that it was a book that it showed a very healthy respect of what immigrant life was like.I would recomend especialy to kids at about the third grade level if tey wanted a book that could show them how life was like in the past, but feel the emotions that Are still felt by peopel today

Lochner v. New York was a 1905 Supreme Court case where an anodyne state law regulating working hours in bakeries was ruled uncontitutional because it breached the "freedom" of workers and employers to form employment contracts on any terms the market allowed. The notion of liberty of contract had no constitutional basis -- it was invented by conservative social theorists after the Civil War -- but it had been smuggled into American jurisprudence by activist judges in the guise of enforcing the 14th amendment. It was a godsend to business groups that wanted to beat back state efforts to regulate working hours and minimum wages.

The libertarian ideas animating Lochner were already losing popularity by 1905, but the court continued to police state regulation of business for more than thirty years, hampering social reform and causing huge damage to the credibility of the judiciary. As an example of sheer judicial assertion, Lochner was the Roe v. Wade of its day.

This book is short, clearly written, and alive to the ironies (and hypocrisies) of judicial activism, where one's view tends to depend on whether the activism in question is conservative or progressive. My only complaint is that parts of the book meander off the main subject and seem to have been stitched together from research the author did for other projects. For example, there's way too much material on New York state politics, and the long discussion of the libertarianism of Justice Stephen Field, although fascinating, is a bit misplaced, since Field was long dead by the time Lochner was decided! That said, history buffs and law students will get a lot out of this book.

"Lochner v. New York" is one of the best known and most despised US Supreme Court rulings. In Lochner, the Court voted 5 to 4 to invalidate a New York law that limited bakers' working hours to 10 a day or sixty a week. The Court found that it was a "labor legislation", and therefore unconstitutional. To this day, Lochner v. New York is remembered as one of the most extremist judicial activist opinions, and gave the name to an era of conservative judicial activism, which lasted well into the New Deal.

Professor Paul Kens' "Lochner v. New York" (I shall henceforth refer to the decision as "Lochner" and to the book as "Lochner v. New York") is not the type of book I was looking for. I wanted a legal analysis of the infamous decision. Kens' book is less a legal analysis as a social, political and intellectual history, explaining the various trends that shaped the law, the case, and the decision.

Too often, Social History can be merely a list of practices, or a description of conditions that are entirely predictable to anyone with even a slight familiarity with economic and social concepts (see respectively Eric Poner's Reconstruction: America's Unfinished Revolution, 1863-1877 and John Dower's Embracing Defeat: Japan in the Wake of World War II). "Lochner v. New York" on the other hand is revealing of the working conditions and social and economic situation of the baking industry, and Kens judicially uses statistics to chronicle its evolution from the mid 19th century to the early 20th.

As Intellectual history, Kens offers an in depth look at the thought of various Lessez-faire and Social Darwinist ideologists, as well as their progressive opponents. Although Kens clearly has little sympathy for Social Darwinists, they come out quite well - Social Darwinist thought, while extremist, is not all that different from modern Libertarianism.

Kos does a good job of describing the politics surrounding the Baking hour law's passing, and the ironies with which it abounded - including the fact that one of the Law's chief backers were later to argue its unconstitutionality before the Supreme Court.

After contextualizing Lochner, Kens gets down to legal analysis. Essentially, the court applied the doctrine of "substantial due process" to declare the 10 hour law unconstitutional. The court used the 14th amendment requirement against deprivation of liberty to protect the "Sanctity of contract". The state must not deprive a person of the right to work at whatever terms he sees fit, unless it is for reasons of public health or safety, or unless the person is in need of paternalistic protection, if he is a minor or (in Victorian America) a she.

The vast majority of the Court, including Dissenter John Marshall Harlan, subscribed to this interpretation. Harlan only claimed that the Court should give the state the benefit of the doubt - if it claimed that the Law meant to protect bakers' health, then that is what it did. Only Oliver Wendell Holmes articulated a completely different vision: "The 14th Amendment does not enact Mr. Herbert Spencer's Social Statics" he famously wrote in his classic dissent. The sanctity of Contract was not in the constitution, and states should have no problem overruling it.

Kos agrees with the dissenters. He convincingly (in my view), demonstrates that the framers of 14th amendment did not intend to protect the liberty of contract, and that laissez faire Capitalism was not an antebellum ideology (although he may underestimate the extent to which laissez faire was latent in pre Civil War America - most ideologies only take shape when challenged, as laissez faire was by the increasingly powerful state of the late 19th century). Ken clearly thinks that the Court should not enforce values that are not clearly articulated in the Constitution text or its history.

Kens realizes that his position requires opposition not only to Lochner, but also to Liberal rulings such as Griswold v. Connecticut, which ensured the right of married individuals to use contraception. Kens argues that this also requires expansive, ideological reading of the Constitution and thus should be avoided.

But the very purpose of a constitution is to check the majority's power against minorities. Because times change, the means of oppression can change also. The specific clauses of the US constitution - the ones that protect against abuses that were known at the time of framing - are mostly outdated. Think of the 3rd amendment's prohibition against the stationing of soldiers at private houses. It is the more general, opaque clauses of the constitution (like the prohibition against abridging the Freedom of Speech or inflicting "Cruel and unusual punishments") that can deter present day majorities from manhandling minorities and protect the little citizen from Big Brother.

But can Lochner v. New York be distinguished from expansive Liberal rulings? Does adherence to Griswold force on us to accept Lochner?

I think there are good pragmatic reasons to say no. First, we should acknowledge that the Court's decision is right in treating suspiciously governmental intervention in the freedom of contracts. But the Court erred, in my view, in seeing Lochner as essentially a question of Liberty. I think Lochner is actually a question of wealth redistribution.

By regulating the terms in which bakeries and baker workers contract, New York improved the relative position of the workers vis a vis the owners. But government policy can most assuredly do that. The government is entitled to levy taxes in any form it wishes, whether progressively (taxing the rich more then the poor) or regressively (the other way around). It may levy tariffs on incoming goods, improving the lots of US manufacturers and worsening those of exporters. It can supply welfare benefits for the poor. The competition between the various interests is the very essence of the democratic process and should be left (within reason), to the democratic process. The time for the Court to intervene is to prevent Government from abusing citizens, not to keep the spoils out of the hands of the winners in marketplace of ideas.

As a junior political science major at UNC, I have had to read a lot of books similar to Kens's. These books focus on a particular case, be it the Skokie trial, the Tinker armband case, the Chadha legislative veto case or the Bakke affirmative action case. Anthony Lewis's Gideon's Trumpet book seems to be the first of this kind.

Kens' book is by far the best of its type that I have read. The other books of this genre I've read in this genre deal too much with the proceedings of a case. For instance, Mr. Chadha had this legal problem, he got this lawyer, they went through this legal proceeding, they had to refine their arguments, they went to the next appellate court, blah blah blah. Frankly these kinds of details are boring, and give little if any insight into the importance of a given case.

Kens's has a different approach. Instead of going into great detail about why Mr. Lochner picked a given lawyer, Kens goes into great detail of the impetuses for the passage of the law that Mr. Lochner was challenging. He talks about the social and political climate of the times, tying in influential theories of the day like Social Darwinism and laissez-faire economics. Kens clearly places the case of Lochner v. New York in its historical framework. This, it seems, is a superior method for studying an important case like this one.

I would strongly urge this book to any professor teaching a constitional law/history class. I would also strongly recommend it to a student looking for a good introduction to the study of substantive due process.

This is a great book. I like long books, but this one is short and sweet. Moves the story along, and explores the fascinating background to Lochner (including the history of the baking industry and the conflicts of interest -- to give but one example, the attorney for anti-union Lochner was in fact not an attorney and in fact was a union organizer in the past.

Also discusses the Negative Rights (Substantive Due Process in law) doctrine and has a great bibliography.

The author is clearly a world expert in this field and I wish the book could have been longer. The author does not appear to be heavily biased either for or against Positive Rights (read Big) government.

Bibliography and timeline at the end of the book is great too.

Outstanding.

The journal 'Liberty' and its publisher, Benjamin R. Tucker, took center stage among American radicals during the populist and progressive eras of American history. Tucker was a "plumb line" anarchist who identified with the socialist vision of giving labor their full due. Today, however, he would be considered more of a libertarian insofar as he embraced private property and free markets. Indeed, his critique of capitalism was that it did not embrace free markets fully, but rather relied upon government enforced monopolies to deprive the laboring masses of what was rightfully theirs. Yet Tucker and his associates were concerned with far more than simply the "labor" question. 'Liberty' broached issues of gender equality and sexual freedom, the rights of jurors, censorship and the role of the free press, and introduced readers to early existentialist thinkers such as the German philosopher Max Stirner. Tucker's press also published many books in defiance of the strict Victorian censorship of the time, including Walt Whitman's 'Leaves of Grass.' This anthology, published a century after the first issue of 'Liberty,' examines many of the issues discussed in that paper and considers their continuing relevance for our own day.

Economic issues were at the heart of individualist anarchism and they remain important in this book. Tucker believed that interest was due to a monopoly on the medium of exchange as established by government. This is in sharp contrast to many later libertarian thinkers who see interest as a natural market phenomena. But Tucker was among the first to call for free (non-governmental) banking, a cry that is all the more relevant in an age when the Federal Reserve tries to mold the entire economy and is unwilling (at least since the term of the second Bush Administration) to publicly reveal M3, the most accurate measure of circulating money.

Tucker and his associates also advocated a redistribution of land ownership based on occupancy rather than governmental grants. They were early and vocal critics of the US government's policies towards Native Americans and the dispossession of lands owned by the latter. In these critiques, Tucker was simply carrying on a tradition articulated by such classical liberals as John Locke. Land, in this tradition, is part of the commons until an individual "improves" the land by mixing his labor with it. Although these discussions are interesting from an historical perspective, careful readers will note that they do not address areas of concern today, notably conservationism. As societies become wealthier, land that is not occupied and undeveloped takes on greater economic value, but neither classical liberalism, Georgism, nor individualist anarchism offers an effective means of preserving such land.

But if some of the economic debates found in Liberty are no longer as pressing as they once seemed, other discussions are still very relevant. Anarchist Feminists of the 19th century, notably Victoria Woodhull, Ezra Heywood, and Stephen Pearl Andrews, went far beyond demanding legal or even "economic" equality. They anticipated modern feminists in their demand to examine all social relations, particularly marriage, for the anti-women biases within them. The essays by Wendy McElroy, S.E. Parker, and Sharon Presley all examine these issues and find the anarchist critique of women's role in society compelling and relevant to the modern world.

On the whole, this anthology does an able job of capturing some of the many debates found in Liberty and presenting these to contemporary readers. Despite the fact that the book is now dated (this review was written a century after the last issue of 'Liberty' or 27 years after the anthology appeared) the essays are solid works of scholarship and essential reading for those interested in the history of anarchism. They also suggest an alternative never really considered in American politics. For over a century, Americans have turned to the state to promote their political ends. But politics is inherently divisive and the state is, even at its best, a cumbersome and inefficient vehicle for social change. Perhaps the time has come to abandon the false dichotomy offered by the major political parties and consider some more fundamental reforms. Reviewing many of the ideas presented by Tucker and the other champions of 'Liberty' would be a good start.

This anthology covers the American anarcho-individualists gathered around Benjamin Tucker in the latter part of the nineteenth century and early twentieth century. The essays do a pretty good job covering different aspects of these figures, their acts and disagreements and so forth. Those with a particular interest in these individuals will want this book, but it lacks wider relevance. Anarchists of other stripes may also find it of interest.

Pickle and Penguin is the timeless tale of two lonely individuals who happen to meet and become inseparable friends. Odd thing about this tale is that it is a dill pickle and an Antarctic penguin who forge the friendship. If this wasn't enough of a lesson in tolerating diversity, the Pickle is a wealthy talk-show host on TV and the Penguin is just some bored bird who wants a change from all his 'fish and ice'. Making more than a cameo appearance is the Statue of Liberty, who, Pickle says "shines her torch for those lost from all over the world." Through the predictable plot (Penguin gets lost and ends up again at the Statue of Liberty where Pickle finds him, after broadcasting his Missing Penguin on the air) we see that friendship prevails. It's a sweet story with a happy and quirky ending that would be a great read-aloud to grades PK-1 or an engaging read-alone to emerging readers.

'Pickle & Penguin' is a wonderful new children's picture book, written by Lawrence David and illustrated by Scott Nash. Its story is as old as literature itself-two lonely but kindred souls meet, bond, are separated by cruel fate, search high and low for one another, and ultimately reunite. That one of the souls is embodied here by an indigent penguin, and the other by a fabulously well-to-do, gap-toothed, late night talk show host dill pickle, does not detract from the timelessness of this spectacular tale.

Pickle, host of The Pickle Show, sits alone, depressed, in his lavishly-appointed penthouse apartment. He may be the Toast of the Town, the town in question being New York City, but this toast is both stale and burnt out. He's going through a sour patch. Truth is, he's been hitting the pickle juice a trifle heavy of late. (I could say he has a Brine Jones, but I won't.) Not even global fame and the riches of Rupert Murdoch dissipate his funk.

One day, Pickle zips up his furry-hood parka and takes his show to an ice floe on Antarctica for a remote. A mob of penguins surround him and his crew. Pickle spies a maverick on the fringes, keeping his own counsel. Mike in mitten, he homes in for an interview. Penguin, it transpires, has had a beakful of tundra and pines for a change. "Why not go somewhere else?" asks Pickle. "Somewhere else! I've never been somewhere else before!" cries Penguin. And before you can say "dirty weekend," this odd couple is cruising up the coast of South America, USA bound.

Back on home turf, Pickle takes his new pal on a whirlwind tour of Manhattan, but Penguin, dazzled by the "giant sparkly icicles rising out of the ground"-he's never before seen skyscrapers-waddles off. The two get separated in the crowd.

The bulk of the book consists of the adventures P & P go through in their attempts to find each other. I don't want to spoil it for you, but I will reveal that the Statue of Liberty, a pickle dirigible, and a partially-consumed street-cart pretzel all play key roles in the ensuing action-packed, um, action.

'Pickle & Penguin' is funny, unique, and touching. Mr. David's no-nonsense, effervescently-colorful illustrations could wipe the frown off the face of the grimmest tot. There are an abundance of hilarious details, too abundant to list here, except for Pickle's astonishing resemblance to a certain ex-Hoosier television personality. (Assuming David Letterman is unlikely to read his infant son to sleep with Jay Leno's children's book, 'Pickle & Penguin' would be a dandy substitute.)

The book could have been a little longer. For better or worse, kids' picture books tend to hew to a standard length. The getting-to-know-you scenes are a wee bit telescoped. Consequently, Pickle and Penguin's dogged determination to return to the warm bosom of each other is perhaps not as solidly motivated as it might be. (A similar flaw bedeviled the film version of 'Cold Mountain.' Like you care.) But this is a minor, almost petty cavil. Forget I mentioned it.

Will Pickle attain enduring happiness with Penguin? The reader can only speculate, but if there is any city in the world in which a flightless waterfowl can harmoniously cohabit with a myopic cucumber, New York is it. (Okay, okay, San Francisco, too.)

'Pickle & Penguin' is a roll-out-the-barrel hoot.

This book not only answered all the questions my 5 year old Davey had, it kept him persuing his determination to "read the big words" as soon as he could. Wonderful, informative reading for all ages.

This was a fun and relatively easy read for our 5 year old child. The words are easy enough to read and the illustrations are beautiful. We went to see the statue earlier this year and this book came home with us from the gift shop. It was great to hear our child read it on the ferry boat as we left Liberty Island. It was a welcome gift for our child and will be a source of fond memories. If your child has never seen the statue and you're planning on seeing it, this book would be a nice preview for him/her. If your child has already gone there, this would make for a nice memory builder. It is great for a child about 4-6 years old with an affection for the statue and who is interested in learning to read or build up their early reading skills.

I recently read this book based upon a recommendation by my media specialist. It was an interesting book - an easy read as well. I was fasciniated by the story, since I had not heard this story before. I have read When Washington Crossed the Delaware and I am so glad to have this piece of the puzzle to add to my knowledge bank. My students will enjoy reading this!!

Wyn Mabie was a young wife, and lived with her aunt and her family. Her husband was away in the Continental Army, and Wyn often took horseback rides at night to work out some of her tension. One evening as she was returning from a ride, she met General Washington. As they spoke, he mentioned his concern for some strategic papers still hidden in his previous headquarters, now occupied by the British. Wyn volunteers to ride through the British lines, somehow make her way into the building, retrieve the papers, and return them to the general, a mission on which Nathan Hale had failed and lost his life. After prayer with her family, this courageous young woman sets out. The rest of the book follows her journey, and details some of her narrow escapes and painful determination, finally seeing her safely back with the papers.

This is the true account of a Dutch woman who made a dangerous journey to help General Washington and the Continental Army. Written for 3rd graders, the 55 page book is easy to read and understand. The author, Robert Quackenbush, is proud to present this story, as it is part of his own family heritage.

I kind of liked this book, but it got a little boring. I had to read it for school, so it wasn't one I would pick for myself.

This book brings history so close to home. It really tells us that ordinary people play an important part in the making of headlines. It is a beautiful and exciting tale, yet utterly simple.

The illustrations are remarkable. In this age of up-front color their textures, shades of grey, and perspectives are refreshing. Appropriate also to the period portrayed.

A definite must for all young people. With real possibilities as well, because of its high interest level, for teaching English as a Second Language to older students.

I had read the book "Daughter of Liberty" this book was a harrowing story of a young woman risking her life to get some papers for George Washington. In the story the setting is in New Jersey were a war against the British is on its way. A young woman named Wyn Mabie is married to her husband who has been stationed in Stoney Point with his uncle. The British were having planned to start moving their battle to New Jersey were the British were watching over George Washington's headquarters were he has left the plans for the war on a packet of papers. Till he meets Wyn there is no way to retrieve these papers.

Then he had run into the young woman who invited him to her home to talk about the discussion on her leaving her home behind to help save her country, to retrieve theses papers was a risk to her life. She was told to go to the general's headquarters in New York. Wyn Mabie is a woman who decides on doing something and will stick to it; she has stuck to retrieving those papers and risking her life to save the country she loves. The reason I recommend this book is because it tells of a journey that no one today would want to do in the war. It tells of a woman who is so determined to get what will help save her country with no worries of being captured or killed. So I recommend this book.

In her characteristically insightful and observant style, Noonan--a former Reagan speech writer and Catholic convert--surveys the social, cultural, political, and spiritual essence of the 1990's.

She captures, explains, and critiques that tumultuous decade in a way no one else can. Noonan is one of my personal heroes and this title, more than any other, captures the wisdom that makes her so inspiring. The writing is a little uneven from one chapter to the next, but somehow it all works. If you're a fan of her columns, you will absolutely enjoy this.

Recommended.

I love Peggy Noonan but this was not her best book. It has wonderful scenes, fantastic chapters and is so good in places and then she seems to get lost and goes on and on with fairly boring stuff. I can only assume that it was unedited. Also, she tends to play the wide eyed innocent too much. This woman worked in the White House and lives in NYC-- you can't survive in either place and still be a babe in the woods. The scene where she goes to Jack Kemp's party and behaves like a yokel was pure smaltz and sacarhine. It was laid on too thick--like a pool of jello and I didn't believe it. What I Saw at the Revolution was a much better book and it's one I go back to again and again. I'm chalking this one up to the fact that every writer has a bad literary day sooner or later.

It takes a while to adapt to Noonan's "New Yorkish, post-modern, stream-of-consciousness" style, but once you adjust it's fun. The whole book isn't that way, just large sections. Evidently that is the style designed to capture people brought up with short attention spans. If you expect a former presidential speech writer to have a gift of eloquence, you're not disappointed in Peggy Noonan. Her observations cause you to say "yeah, that's right" as she points out things you hadn't really considered.

Noonan has lived the examined life, but in writing of one of her former employers (Ronald Reagan) she observed that the unexamined life actually IS worth living, contrary to the ancient philosopher's assertion. In this book, Noonan asks herself, as her readers peer into her private thoughts: "What do I want my life to mean? What do I want the obit to say, what do I want for the lead?"

A similar observation is found in her comparision between individual giftings. On a social acquaintance she writes, "He thinks intelligence is a virtue when of course, it's not, virtue is a virtue, intelligence is a gift."

She reminds us of the reality that Christianity is really for rebels. When society accepts it and tries to package it; it loses it's authenticity. Christians historically have been falsely accused, murdered, gone underground, and regardless of what pagans do to destory their faith, it grows stronger all the time. So she's not overly concerned that the social structure doesn't accept it. She says it helps it maintain its authenticity. After all Jesus Himself predict should treatment for His followers.

You'll like this book if you're interested in both personal reflection and glimpses of cultural change. She combines macro and micro analyses in a colorful flow. Like a world class communicator should, she keeps the audience engaged

It is indeed a shame that this book is not currently in print. I first listened to this book in audio format, and I am still impressed today. Ms. Noonan thoughts are intriguing and resonate within me. A good book for luxury reading, I highly recommend it.

For those enjoying Peggy Noonan, her thoughful essays of how her life evolved in the 1990's will be a delight.
The topics are not especially political (although politicians are mentioned). The first part is about the lack of vision by Republicans that led to Clinton's election. The later essays, however, are mainly about personal transition, including that of being a single parent and returning to spiritual values.
Much of this mirrors the evolving lives of the baby boomers as they grow up: the real story that occured quietly and behind the scenes and not in the flashier stories on the 1990's.
However, those who are allergic to discussions of religion will probably hate it, as will those who hate Peggy Noonan for her political history.