Politics Government Books

An excellent book that should be used as reading material in any high school or college course on government, its being, construction and operation. It is detailed and full of information that makes it one of the best books written concerning early colony operations. I do recommend this book for anyone interested in early America and its govenment.

Book was received in the condition that was described. Packaged well. Timely delivery.

A book that lives up to its lofty reputation. Thoroughly engaging. A veritable bible of philosophy, and observation as regards the early appearance and history of our country.
H.P

935 page book with no index.

Come on, you don't need one.
You can remember that part about the aristocracy of the law...
was just about here...
Or was it here...
Don't worry, I've got it...
Just a sec...

As a sat to write this review I randomly opened my copy of Democracy in a page with this quote that I had highlighted: "When the taste for physical gratifications among [democratic people] has grown more rapidly than their education and their experience of free institutions, the time will come when men are carried away and lose all self-restraint at the sight of the new possessions they are about to obtain. In their intense and exclusive anxiety to make a fortune they lose sight of the close connection that exists between the private fortune of each and the prosperity of all. It is not necessary to do violence to such a people in order to strip them of the rights they enjoy; they themselves willingly loosen their hold. The discharge of political duties appears to them to be a troublesome impediment which diverts them from their occupations and business. [...] These people think they are following the principle of self-interest, but the idea they entertain of that principle is a very crude one; and the better to look after what they call their own business, they neglect their chief business, which is to remain their own masters". This is a small sample of what you find in Democracy... It is a superb book, with timeless truths about America and about democracy in general. I read the Everyman's Library edition by Knopf, and utterly enjoyed it: good quality paper, print, translation (based on Francis Bowen's), index. Don't rely on what others tell you about the contents of this marvelous book--dive in with a pencil handy to highlight the many good quotes and enjoy!

If I could have rated this book zero or less, I would have done so. This book is required for a grad school course I am now taking. I am struggling to read each chapter because of the biased perspective of the authors. This book SHOULD NOT be required reading for any course!

This disappointing book
is pretentious and
transparently biased.

I prefer a textbook
I can learn from and trust,
to one where I find myself tolerating
stale slogans and stereotypes.

I had to read this book as part of my grad school program, but found every chapter a chore. As has been said before, the authors' political bias and agenda permeates nearly every page, and the chapters that aren't directly written by McGoldrick and Carter, although more promising, are still etched with this harmful bias. Having read other writings by McGoldrick especially, I was not entirely surprised by this bias, but to find it so codified and oppressive in a textbook is inexcusable.

Another huge complaint is how dated the book is. Yes it received a new edition, but most of the academic references are no more recent than 1997 or so, and the cultural references are so horribly out of date (at least 2 references to the Dan Quayle/Murphy Brown controversy in a 2005 book anyone?) that its usefulness is in question. It is unfortunate that there is apparently no better textbook dealing with the family life cycle than this angry, biased, pessimistic, closed-minded and out-dated textbook. There is some good information scattered here and there, but I think most critical thinkers will be working so hard to see it through the political haze they will have a hard time finding it.

The lack of practical, usable information in this book was unbelievable. Maybe if you have never, ever, in any way considered these issues it would be helpful, but I doubt it, as there was nothing that delved beyond surface, common sense information. The gross overgenderalizations about race and culture were offesive and shocking coming from people in the field. The only thing I took from the book was a heightened awareness of the judgemental biases of people -- even those claiming to be fighting against those things.

This textbook is a decent summary of the various family life cycle issues. However, the authors' obvious political biases and leanings interfere with a balanced perspective and with the content of the book. Several people in my master's level class found the book to be biased and unhelpful in certain areas.

Professors Joan Granucci Lesser and Marlene Cooper have shown themselves to be the newest dynamic duo of clinical social work. This text, one of the most refreshing and comprehensive in the field, will surely become a standard read for all social work students in the years to come.

Refreshing, consice, yet exceptionally detailed and well presented, "Clinical Social Work Practice" may very well define an entire generation of Social Work students. A must read for any student interested in the clinical social work field. Drs. Lesser and Cooper have shown themselves to be masters in the art of therapy, and their genius is apparent in their first textbook.

Everything happened as they said it would.

To say that this book is somewhat impenetrable is a bit like saying space is slightly chilly. There certainly are foundational theories that need to be explored in IR, but this book approaches it in the most condescending and repellent way possible. If you enjoy overly-complex, and self-aggrandizing prose, definitely pick one up. If not, there are likely better sources for this material.

I got this book because it was required for my international politics class. It isn't terribly hard to read, and it isn't excruciatingly boring so all in all this isn't a bad book. I probably wouldn't buy it if I didn't need it for class, but it's a good book to go along with the class

A must read for any new-comer to the subject of international relations. Topics covered are varied and relevant. Very applicable to today's world.

This book is written so poorly I can barely get through it. Mikesell goes on and on with run-on sentences, excessive details that get in the way of the concepts, and very poor organization of the concepts. He shifts styles, meanders off topic, and fails to get to the point. He also uses very few graphs or illustrations. Instead, he includes large tables of numerical data (rather than a chart, like a pie, line, or bar graph, that would bring out the important message).

Even though it's in the 7th edition, it reads like a rough first draft. It needs major revision. In order to get through it, I skim for the ideas and skip a lot of the text. When I try to "read" it (i.e. every word), I get so bogged down, I can't move forward and I don't retain much. Mikesell obscures the main concepts in a haze of excess words, unhelpful information, and pervasive use of the passive voice.

Unfortunately, I have to use this book for my graduate Public Financial Management course. If you have the choice, find something better.

Although big (and pricey) this book contains very good illustrations and explanations of financial and budgeting concepts and principles. A must have for serious students in graduate programs.

Public Budgeting Systems by Robert D. Lee, Philip G. Joyce, and Ronald Wayne Johnson is written more clearly... if you have a choice, buy this book. The problem with Mikesell is that he has to write 200 pages (six chapters) to explain the concept of revenues in the budget process. Too many trees were wasted in the development of this book. Lee, Joyce, and Johnson can do this in 40 pages.

The greater majority of my Public Budgeting Systems class at George Mason University feels that the Mikesell book is written in a manner to lull oneself to sleep... the benefit is that one could read the book rather than using drugs to induce sleep.

However, if you are required to purchase the Mikesell book, you should go to the Amazon UK web site and complete your transaction there... you can save yourself about 70 to 80 dollars.

I've read three chapters so far (23, 1, 2) and am very unhappy with the book.

The flow of ideas is poor. It is common to read essentially the same sentence a page or two later and then again a page or two later.

I've already found a few spelling mistakes and one or two grammatical mistakes. Many places the grammar is technically correct, but the wording is just horrible. It sounds in a sense that the author is making a strained effort to sound more intelligent at the expense of readability.

It gets two stars...there actual seems to be a decent amount of information there, the author IS intelligent it appears, but they simply have difficulty conveying that information (at least through writing)

It is one of the most comprehensive and exhaustive IR books a proffesional, academic or student, can have. I recommend it without any doubt.

Not to bad. It's a bit difficult to follow, but goes into pretty good detail.

This book helped me understand my initial international relations module at college. It is concise, informative and provides detailed analysis of key issues, and sets out typologies on how best to understand international issues.

The organization of the work is excellent and many of the chapters (including those written by John Baylis) were clear, concise, and easy for a graduate class to follow. Unfortunately, other selections in the work are diffuse, rambling, or awkwardly-written. Moreover, despite an attempt to provide a balanced perspective on whether globalization is actually occurring, the work tends to support the globalization argument without providing strong evidence. Baylis' brilliant initial chapter actually presents a plausible case against globalization. Finally, despite the importance of nationalist and religious-based ideologies in motivating transnational behavior, these concepts receive less coverage than, for example, feminist theories. I had to construct an entire unit on Christian and Islamic principles of transnational relations from supplementary materials. Although I might assign Baylis' first chapter as required reading, the quality of the writing in the remaining 400+ pages is too inconsistent to be a good text.

As an undergraduate, I find newsman's assertion that I can't grasp free rider problems insulting. It's not rocket science.

Anyway, the prose is amazing, the book is chock full of fascinating historical examples, and the exposition of ideas is logical and tidy. It doesn't even strike one as a textbook upon reading. The typical dry, textbook blandness can be found nowhere.

After my class was over, we hadn't completed the book, but it was interesting enough for me to finish it on my own -- and I'm an engineering major!

I have used this textbook in my undergraduate course in American Politics for over 5 years because it is one that encourages students to use theoretical tools to think critically and to understand how government works as well as anticipate what will happen given a set of circumstances - that is what theory is all about. The rational choice perspective is presented very clearly and I have not had a student who has not gained some greater understanding of the governmental process through their reading of this textbook. Moreover, the book is rich in historical and contemporary examples. The book is not perfect, but few textbooks meet that criteria. And it is certainly not above the heads of college undergraduates, but rather interesting enough to get them engaged, and challenging enough so that their brains grow a bit rather than having material that is dummied down for them. It does have some big words in it, but students can look them up or the teacher can explain them to them... ; )

Kernell and Jacobson try to combine historical and rational-choice understandings of American government in this text, but not in a particularly successful manner. The issues of collective action and free rider problems are above the heads of most undergraduates, who care about what actually happens in politics, not what a game-theoretic model in a book thinks should happen.

The writing style is also very dense. It's not particularly engaging for the reader, and the occasional cutesy attempt to insert cartoons or other stylistic improvements falls flat. The history is very interesting to someone who cares, but doesn't show the average student why history is important, why it matters that they know it in order to properly understand American politics today.

For a slightly better take on an American government textbook with a historical focus, take a look at Landy and Milkis' new textbook.

I love this book! It is easy to understand and my two homeschooled children love it!

I love this whole series of books-- and so do my children!
This year, my almost 7-year old ASKED for this book for his BIRTHDAY!!!

This is very well written. A great help to helping children understand History. It makes reading about the past fun and enjoyable.

The book was in excellent condition--not even a page bent! Also, it was received sooner than expected. A great purchase all around.

I began with Story of the World Vol. 1 by recommendation of a friend. I think I've enjoyed this volume even more. The chapters are short and are written in a way that holds my son's attention well (he just turned eight). I highly recommend getting the activity book to accompany this. It contains maps, coloring pages, games, review cards, and many suggestions for crafts to illustrate each chapter. There are also comprehension questions, narration, and suggestions for further reading.

My daughter is almost six, and she is not as excited about this series. I think if we didn't have the activity book she would not enjoy history at all. That may simply be because it's not her interest, while my son likes anything non-fiction, but it is also written a bit above her comprehension level. I would wait to use this until at least age seven. My son at this point begs me to read just one more chapter every day.

As for those who've said this is historical inaccurate, I would say that I haven't found a huge margin of error. When I have come across something that contradicts what I've learned elsewhere, I consider it an opportunity to dialog with my kids about it. Or I skip it. I also believe that at this age my focus is to expose them to the idea of history and culture rather than to drill them on historical facts.

I have used this as a required textbook for one class, and referred to the articles and references numerous times over the years.

Had to slog through this book for an OB class, never did see the relevance.

I used this book (actually the 3rd edition) in preparing for my comprehensive exams for my master's degree. The title is descriptive. The book is short excerpts of key writings on the organization theory. The selection of readings is appropriate. The only complaint I have is that sometimes I wished I had the complete book in question! On the other hand, some of this stuff is really dry. If you are pursuing the field in an academic way, this is a valuable book. But I can't imagine reading it for enjoyment or idle curioisity.

I really enjoyed this book. The author has a good sense of humor and his adventures are quite interesting. Probably not for you if you are sensitive about religion.

This book was a complete eye-opener. Literally prying open the third eye. Must read for any remaining free-thinking Americans. Matt Taibbi is absolutely brilliant.

Taibbi commendably takes his journalist spotlight off the corrupt actors on Washington's center stage, and instead investigates the most disaffected ordinary Americans. But to do so he goes undercover, posing as a believer in far right-wing Christian-Zionism, or far-left 9/11 conspiracy theories. He basically plays Borat, inventing oddball past experiences to play his part, and letting the unsuspecting locals make fools of themselves for the camera. Later Taibbi gives his real opinions of what idiots they are, and asks what America is coming to.

Only slowly does Taibbi's basic compassion for these people rise to the fore. These are people, he reasons, both conservatives and liberals, who feel so conned by the political rip-off system that they can't tell who to trust. And maybe, Taibbi suspects, part of the con has been to get them to blame and hate each other.

Much of the book focuses on the insider game in Washington, the non-functioning government bent on both sides twisting reality while continuing to rake in millions from big business. Meanwhile, Boeing, G.M., and Ford are headed towards becoming Chinese companies, and OPEC is likely to begin trading in the Euro. In between safaris into our government, Taibbi also reports on his immersions into both far-Right evangelical religion and far-left (?) 9/11 Truthers, finding them both living in an imaginary world. The common link in all this nuttiness - Madison Avenue and its world of make-believe messages and promises.

It was shocking to read that the "06 election saw political parties spend $160 million on negative ads, vs. only $17 million on the positive. Debate has mostly been removed from the House schedule - 79% of all bills passed during the Republican's recent majority were "suspension bills" where only 40 minutes of debate are allowed, no amendments can be offered, and a two-thirds majority is required for passage.

The Rules Committee can completely rewrite what passes the committee of jurisdiction (usually in the middle of the night) to include anything leadership knew could not survive public discussion. House members are supposed to have 3 days to read the Rules Committee output before it goes to a vote, but this has been waived in "emergency." Thus, virtually every bill passing the House during the Bush-GOP majority years was voted on just hours after emerging from Rules.

Conference Committees again can totally rewrite the bill (majority vote of members not required for passage) and again send the bill out for vote with only a few hours' notice.

Moving on briefly to the Army, Taibbi reports that their camaraderie is real - for a lot of them their unit is the best family they had, they are basically lonely. He also makes a similar observation regarding the far-Right evangelicals in Texas in which he immerses himself (including baptism) while revealing their inanity. Then its the 9/11 Truthers - a 2006 poll cited found 36% believed our government either "did" 9/11 or consciously allowed it, despite the preposterousness of their thinking.

Finally, Taibbi asks: "What about our corrupt medical insurance system, disappearance of the manufacturing economy, exploding prison population, takeover of politics by financial interests?" After setting aside those believing in aliens on earth, etc., it looks like there's not enough sanity left to care!

An anecdote in journalist Matt Taibbi's book THE GREAT DERANGEMENT proves a snapshot of what's wrong with America. Covering the United States Congress in action, Taibbi witnesses legislation that is nothing more than a gift to well-off campaign contributors. Without shame, lawmakers approve it. The author attends a press conference regarding the bill where reporters ask zero tough questions, leaving the public they purportedly serve to figure out there's nothing in this for them except the tab they have to pick up.

The United States government is letting the moneyed interests from which it should protect citizens run it. And with corporations owning more than 95% of media and not about to report what they pilfer, too many Americans do not get the news they need to know.

In THE GREAT DERANGEMENT author Taibbi frames political debate as liberal-conservative, just as the corporate media does. He should pick up on populist writer/commentator Jim Hightower, who says the real struggle is not left-right but up-down, between the wealthy and poor. History and the world today are little more than the moneyed interests stealing from and dominating the people.

Taking it to the streets in THE GREAT DERANGEMENT, Matt Taibbi reports from the front lines of everyday citizens. The affluent divide and conquer the middle class and poor with red herrings and straw-man arguments. Mega-church pastors who must read Bush White House talking points more often than the Bible sway congregations to doubt global warming. The corporate media does not investigate why the Bush administration ignored over fifty 9/11 warnings (most famous the August 6, 2001, "Bin Laden Determined to Strike in the U.S." memo to Bush), resulting in a frustration-driven movement claiming the U.S. government orchestrated the attacks. Stress, fear and confusion from thirty-plus years of declining wellbeing for most Americans turn citizens against one another when instead they ought to unite and march against injustice. Divided, America falls.

Read THE GREAT DERANGEMENT.