Reviews (5)

The Pictures are Really Entertaining.
Happily, I discovered this book shortly after another one of my recommendations; "The Elementary Common Sense of Thomas Paine." It was truly fascinating to read about the events that occurred in Colonial America shortly before the Declaration, and see those events referenced in our constitution. You will understand the evolution of our government from colonial to country by reading both. Enthusiastically Recommended for all ages.

Every American should buy this book
This is a visually wonderful book.Sam Fink originally did a pen-and-ink version of this, which was later revised to be a full-colour version for Welcome Books.Apart from the briefest of commentary pieces, this is simply the text of the U.S. Constitution, from Preamble to Twenty-Seventh Amendment.Fink has done an engaging hand-inscribed version with illustrative artwork, sometimes symbolic and sometimes demonstrative.For example, for the Thirteen Amendment (the one passed in 1865 to abolish slavery), Fink's graphic shows strong chains being broken by a pair of shears that have been painted red, white and blue like the flag.For the Sixteenth Amendment (the 1913 amendment permitting general income taxes), Fink's drawing shows a man standing next to Uncle Sam, with Uncle Sam's hand reaching surreptitiously into the unsuspecting man's pocket.
Why would you buy this book?
The title of this book is the giveaway.Apparently, the author has not read the Constitution FOR the United States of America.It is NOT the Constitution of the United States of America."for" places the Constitution in proper context as the set of rules for the government.
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Subjects:  1. Constitutional    2. Constitutional Law    3. Constitutions    4. Government - National    5. History    6. History: American    7. Legal Reference / Law Profession    8. Oversize books    9. Specimens    10. U.S. Constitutional History    11. United States    12. United States - Revolutionary War    13. American history: c 1500 to c 1800    14. History / United States / Revolutionary Period (1775-1800)    15. USA   

Subjects:  1. Cases    2. Constitutional    3. Constitutional law    4. Law    5. Legal Reference / Law Profession    6. United States   

Reviews (5)

Repetitive and Too Big
This massive back-breaker of a casebook is seriously in need of major editing.The cases were frequently repetitive and exhaustive about minute details.The editor would make a point, the following case would repeat it twice, and then the editor would again repeat it following the case.
Terrible Editing
The whole point of buying casebooks like this is to have handy a collection of the most pertinent points of relevant cases presented in an effective manner that makes sense.That said, Sullivan (who FAILED the CA bar exam) does a horrible job editing, and fails to make a decent casebook.
Why are you reading this review?
More importantly, why am I writing this?If you're considering this book, you'd better be in law school.In that case, you're probably obligated to buy this book for your Con Law class, which begs the question in the title of this review.You're buying it anyway! Stop wasting time on the internet and get back to work (oh, the irony).
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Subjects:  1. Cases    2. Constitutional    3. Constitutional law    4. Law    5. United States   

Reviews (5)

Insightful, biased, brilliant, shrill - Posner!
Richard Posner is perhaps best known for his work on the economic analysis of law (his text by that name is the standard for the discipline). His work on catastrophic risk, which forms the basis for his analysis in _Not a Suicide Pact_, draws heavily on the reasoning used in his work in the area of "law and economics."
Read the book BEFORE you review it
This is a terrific book that all open minded people would find of interest. As is the case so often,reviewers are being allowed to place reviews without ever reading the book, as in the previous reviewers case (Upshur).Posner examines the delicate balance between personal freedom and collective security and the fine line between them that is constantly shifting due to historical circumstance. After reading this book,no matter what position you choose to take, you will have a greater understanding of the issues involved, and you will be able to make a more informed decision.

Is this what we're coming to?
I'm sad to say it looks like it is.
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Subjects:  1. Civil Rights    2. Constitutional    3. Law    4. Law and legislation    5. Legal Reference / Law Profession    6. National security    7. Political Freedom & Security - General    8. United States    9. Law / Constitutional    10. Law | Constitutional Law   

Reviews (13)

Why many women lawyers still hit the glass ceiling
In her thoroughly researched and heavily footnoted book, Lauren Stiller Rikleen examines this troublesome issue:why many female lawyers still have not achieved the same professional success as their male counterparts.Rikleen delves into the challenging topics including part-time work, and what happens to the careers of women who opt for that route.She also explains other factors that contribute to the success of male lawyers' careers (being mentored, and becoming rainmakers) and discuses why many women don't enjoy the benefit of those.
Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose
Having survived three years in a law firm (and survive was the key word), I could definitly relate to the stories in this book. The only shocking part is that I was in a law firm over 10 years ago, and nothing seems to have changed. Ending the Gauntlet, however, is more than a compendium of stories of women being mommy-tracked. It looks at the structure of a law firm itself and how that contributes to the workplace issues for everyone, not just women. I particularly loved the Prologue (worth the price of the book itself, especially if you have my warped sense of humor), because it describes how a bizarre sort of company is run where performance for all employees is based solely on money they personally earn for the company; the managing director/CEO is only "part-time" because he too has to earn money to keep his title; turnover is high; management is minimal or nonexistent; and people are given management positions because they are "least objectionable" to others; part-time is extended but discouraged as it cuts into billable hours ... and you finally start to realize that while the rest of the world has moved foward, law firms are relics of days gone by

Kudos for the Roadmap for Change
Here is a great articulation of the problems in law firms and other service firms, many of which no one, until now, has had the courage to point out clearly and effectively.And here is the roadmap for change.Anyone involved in a service firm should read it carefully and follow Lauren's lead. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Discrimination    2. Law   

Reviews (23)

Invaluable to anyone with an interest in the meaning of the Constitution.
This is a remarkable work with contributions from more than a hundred legal scholars. The intent is to "present the Founder's understanding of the Constitution and its various provisions" along with the judicial interpretations and political circumstances that make up the historical development of constitutional law. Intended for an audience of lawmakers, judges and lawyers, the Heritage Guide is also a valuable addition to the library of any person with an abiding interest in one of the most - if not the most - remarkable documents created by the hand of man.
Very solid reference of the Constitution
This book goes line by line through the Constitution explaining the original intent of the founders.It also has articles for each topic authored by the leading scholars in the respective areas.If you are interested in knowing the history of the Constitution, this book is a must.
Great Book
Very detailed coverage of the constitution and amendments.Each phrase is commented on and relevant and significant court cases and developments of interpretation are listed.I highly recommend this book for anyone with an interest in constitutional law and history. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Constitutional    2. Constitutional law    3. Constitutions    4. Legal Reference / Law Profession    5. Political Science    6. Politics/International Relations    7. U.S. Constitutional History    8. United States    9. Political Science / General   

Reviews (21)

For the layman's library as well as the expert's
If you--like this reader--want to be an educated newspaper reader and voter, then this book is worth the investment in time and money.Professional reviews indicate Amar's brilliance in the field of constitutional law, but that brilliance translates into a highy readable book.
For lawyers and scholars only
America's Constitution follows the US Constitution, from the soaring brillinace of the preamble, through article 7 and each of the amendments.Amar describes in depth the historical and political background of each section and explains what the drafters had intended, why it was written with the particular words and expressions that were used, and the intended and unintended consequences of the choices made by the framers.
great intro to the constitution
Amar explains in his postscript that his aim in writing this book was "to offer a comprehensive account of America's Constitution, introducing the reader both to the legal text (and its consequences) and to the political deeds that gave rise to that text." He has achieved this aim splendidly. This phrase-by-phrase guided tour through the document never fails to inform and provoke, whether or not one agrees with its author (and I don't always). It's also a very approachable book, in terms of both style and content. The knowledge base assumed here is considerable, but not forbidding: anybody with a good working knowledge of the Seven Articles and the better-known Amendments ought to be able to thread his way profitably through Amar's lucid and energetic narrative.
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Subjects:  1. Constitutional    2. Constitutional History    3. Constitutions    4. Legal Reference / Law Profession    5. Political Science    6. Politics / Current Events    7. Politics/International Relations    8. U.S. History - Constitutional Period To Civil War (1789-1860)    9. United States    10. United States - General    11. Political Science / Constitutions   

Subjects:  1. Constitutional    2. Law    3. Legal Reference / Law Profession   

Editorial Review

Anonymous wears a black shroud and a hangman's noose. Unnamed and masked, perhaps he or she will avoid the fate suggested in the haunting photograph that graces the cover of this remarkable book. Anonymous is one of the mostly unsung heroes interviewed by Kerry Kennedy Cuomo who are fighting for human rights in places where torture, imprisonment, and death are the side effects of speaking out against such atrocities as child soldiers, sex slavery, honor killings, and repression of political rights. In Anonymous's case, teaching Sudanese women their rights where a civil war is being waged by Islamic extremists could land him or her in a "ghost house" of torture, or, if lucky, in prison for an undetermined amount of time. In an age when heroes seem almost a thing of the past, these 51 human rights defenders demonstrate that real moral courage is alive and well on planet Earth. As Kennedy Cuomo writes in her introduction, these are the Martin Luther Kings of the world, and "courage, with its affirmation of possibility and change, is what defines them." Read more

Reviews (6)

Excellent, touching reading
I bought this book for the sole purpose of a class where I was required to do some outside reading.This book was on our recommended reading list.I read the entire book, only one story was required.It was astonishing how these people change the world.I was moved by these stories.

almost religious in its power
The stories and photographs are deeply moving profiles of several of the most courageous people in the world.There are few terms to describe the total power, since I turn to this work on many occasions to gain some inspiration. Shallow Treatment of a Vital Subject
The people described in this book are true heroes, and their stories make me feel humbled and ashamed. But the book attempts to describe 50 different people. Each person gets 3-6 pages, and at least one of the pages is a photograph, leaving room for only a short, unsatisfying glimpse of each life story. Read more

Subjects:  1. General    2. Human Rights    3. Human rights workers    4. Interviews    5. Pictorial works    6. Political Freedom & Security - Civil Rights    7. Political Science    8. Politics / Current Events    9. Politics/International Relations    10. Portraits    11. Current Events / General   

Reviews (14)

This book seems to get 5 or 1 star(s)
I completely enjoyed the book, and found it to be accurate. It is very interesting to note that a number of the reviewers were not so much reviewing the book, but expressing their opinions, hence, the disparity in the ratings. While reading the book, it made me understand what Professors in college were actually practicing, revisionism, and disparaging founders reputations. It is too bad that in this life, the founders do not get to defend themselves against the neverending attacks on their character. Prior to reading the book, any engaged political person knows that the Judicial branch is destroying America with their partisan activism. Eventually, changes will happen to our system, or it will be broken. Barton does a good job exposing these justices that are looking to mark their own mark at our expense.
The Truth
If you doubt what Christians in government are up against, take a look at these reviews. Barton has done a masterful job with this book, but it simply doesn't fit the modern "separation of church and state" agenda of liberalism. As a result pointy head pseudo-intellectuals go on and on about how Barton made all of this up...Well, the truth is the modern rewrite of history is what is making things up. Read this book and learn the truth about our founding fathers.

Revisionist History
Barton could not be more wrong on the issue of church and state separation. Not only does he misrepresent the founding fathers and their beliefs, but he completely misses the mark in terms of religious freedom. As an American who cares deeply about religious freedom - not only for myself but for those who believe differentlythan I do - I feel that it's my duty to set the record straight.
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Subjects:  1. Constitutional    2. Constitutional history    3. Constitutional law    4. Legal Reference / Law Profession    5. Religion and state    6. Religion, Politics & State    7. Sources    8. United States   

Reviews (1)

First Rate
I had the pleasure of taking Professor Seamon's Administrative Law course at the University of South Carolina School of Law. He really knows the material in and out and this book reflects that.Read more

Subjects:  1. Administrative Law & Regulatory Practice    2. Administrative law    3. Cases    4. Constitutional    5. Law    6. Legal Reference / Law Profession    7. United States   

Reviews (5)

Horrible Casebook
I too have used this book for two semesters of Con Law.In my opinion it is the absolute worst casebook I have ever had to use.
Run for the hills
This is definitely the worst casebook I have come across so far.It weighs a ton too.You absolutely need to buy a supplement if you want to understand anything.A huge amount of space is devoted to notes and comments most of which are meaningless and incomprehensible to most 1Ls.As someone already said, if you can avoid this book, you're lucky.

Not for the casual reader...
We used this book for two semesters of Constitutional Law at law school. Even so we covered less than half of it. It is not easy reading but when used with other study aids or Lexis the cases become more clear.Read more

Subjects:  1. Cases    2. Constitutional    3. Constitutional law    4. Law    5. Legal Reference / Law Profession    6. United States    7. Constitutional & administrative law   

Reviews (3)

Great reference guide
I am a manager for a Federal Govt Agency.I found this book informational and easy to understand.Immigration law is a complex subject.The book is easy to read and addresses many important aspects related to this subject.The sections related to inadmissability, removal are well written and easy to understand.The chapters related to the history of various classes of immigrants was intersting as well.I would recommend the book for persons who want to expand their knowledge of this topic.

The book provides a good academic discussion
This book makes no pretensions to be the ultimate compendium for the practitioners in the immigration field.As the author points out in the preface, this book is meant to give you a brief overview of the subject.And that it did!It provides succint and stimulating discussions in many pertinent topics.Most importantly, the flow of the discussions is not bogged down by chaotic juxtaposition of law and facts that is usually usually associated with works written by the practitioners.In short, this book presents you with the picture of the forest rather than the individual shots of trees.I highly recommend it.

Gives a general overview, not for beginner, not for pro.
I work for a law firm and am planning on going to a law school. I got into the immigration field by pure accident but I had a great deal of research done through working on actual cases. This book gives a very good general overview of the immigration law and procedure, but it does not list the details of "HOW?" only some of "WHY?".Read more

Subjects:  1. Constitutional    2. Emigration & Immigration    3. Emigration And Immigration    4. Emigration and immigration law    5. Law    6. Legal Reference / Law Profession    7. United States   

Subjects:  1. Cases    2. Constitutional    3. Constitutional law    4. Law    5. Legal Reference / Law Profession    6. United States   

Reviews (1)

Better than Glannon
I bought this guide along with the much-lauded Glannon E&E, as well as the Glannon Guide to Civ Pro.The Glannon Guide is not worth the money or time.The Glannon E&E is very good.Freer's treatise is EXCELLENT!It is clear (very, very clear) and comprehensive (big picture to minutiae are covered, concepts, cases, etc.).As the semester progressed, I began to use Freer's book exclusively to understand the subject (I still used Glannon E&E for the numerous questions and answers [note: Freer does include many question/answer type analyses as well]).I recommended getting both - use Freer to understand the topics you are covering, and Glannon E&E to get more practice with hypos. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Cases    2. Civil Procedure    3. Civil Rights    4. Law    5. Legal Reference / Law Profession    6. United States   

Reviews (4)

Now that we are this book, here's what I say:
Everything is bad news if it comes with a deadline that isn't met.This book, THE SOLDIER AND THE STATE:THE THEORY AND POLITICS OF CIVIL-MILITARY RELATIONS by Samuel P. Huntington, a young Harvard professor in 1957, when the book first appeared, attempted to establish assumptions that would allow respectable consideration of policies that, in our world, might be used to define who we have become.My differences with this book might be ascribed to a theological framework in which this book is seen as having assumed the existence of hell on earth as the situation which people who voiced political aspirations that did not coincide with the prevailing superpower mentality would have to put up with.The famous Winston Churchill once said something about assumptions up with which he would not put, and the success of this book might be measured by how its views are assumed to be the American views in those parts of the world where America as a superpower is most unpopular. The best book ever written on civil-military relations
At the time of its original publication in 1957, Samuel Huntington's The Soldier and the State reflected a new age in American history--the Cold War era.Huntington, a young Harvard professor of government, focused on policy problems concerning civilian direction of the military under the terms of the Cold War.Basically, he contended that traditional American liberalism was outdated and in fact had begun to pose a national security danger.Until this era, the absence of an overt military threat to American security allowed for a policy of civilian control of the military compatible with liberal democratic values.Traditionally, liberal solutions to domestic problems had likewise been applied to military problems, frequently resulting in failure. Seminal Treatise on the role of the Military in society
Incisive and remarkably relevant.Huntington delves into the role of the military in shaping and protecting a society.A MUST read for anyone who is in, or deals with the military. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Civil supremacy over the milit    2. Constitutional    3. General    4. Militarism    5. Military-Political Relationships    6. Politics / Current Events    7. United States    8. Political Science / General    9. Warfare & Defence   

Reviews (3)

Keep looking
I hate to say it because I've actually had both Prof. Stone and Sunstein as teachers and they are great men, but even with my personal bias for them, this is still a poorly written casebook.I used it for two classes - one that covered Equal Protection and one over the structure of government.The section of the book on Equal Protection isn't too bad.It has some nice historical material, and most people are already somewhat familiar with the cases anyway.However, the section of the book on government structure and the commerce clause is truly attrocious.The cases aren't well edited.Sometimes the result of a case will turn on a statute and the text and even title of that statute will have been edited out.Its hard to tell what is important from the cases consequently.There are long strings of cites in cases and the notes after the cases are cramped with no real headings and hard to make heads or tales of.Half the time you can't tell why you are reading a case - what your supposed to be getting out of it and how it relates to the other cases you've read.

Worst. Casebook. Ever.
I just want to reiterate the other review by saying that this is the WORST. CASEBOOK. EVER.
HORRIBLE
I am finishing my second year of law school, so I have read quite a few case books. This is BY FAR the worst.
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Subjects:  1. Constitutional    2. Constitutional law    3. Law    4. Legal Reference / Law Profession    5. United States   

Reviews (6)

Buy something else
I've been doing the E&E books in preparation for law school, and they've all been accessible and comprehensible. This one, however, is the exception. Maybe it's the ethereal nature of the subject, but this book is killing me. I feel like I am wasting my time reading it, since I can't seem to make out the forest, nor the trees, through the fog. If you're just starting out, I can't recommend this book for preparation. Maybe in the future it will make more sense, but for this beginner, it's very confusing.

Go for the Chemerinsky Treatise instead
Another reader suggests the Chemerinsky treatise rather than this book. I couldn't agree more. It's true, Con law doesn't lend itself to the E&E format. You are much better off writing a kick-ass outline based on the Chemerinsky book. Be careful though, Erwin Chemerinsky has at least two Con Law books published by Aspen- one is a casebook called "Constitutional Law" (in red cloth binding) and the other is the hornbook called "Constitutional Law: Principles and Policies" in a black paperback. That's the one you want.
Con Law Clarified
If you're in law school using the Sullivan and Gunther Con Law casebook, I HIGHLY recommend this study aid!That casebook is huge, intimidating, and not very clear in bringing out the black letter law.Combined with a strict Socratic professor, the law can be very puzzling.Using this E and E, along with Emanuel's outline, makes the entire subject a LOT clearer.If you're planning on going to law school, I recommend checking out the Examples and Explanations books before classes begin, if you have the time and the motivation.They give an overview of the subject that cases help to clarify, and they help clarify the cases that aren't all that clear.In any case, get this book if you're having Con Law trouble with Sullivan. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Constitutional    2. Constitutional law    3. Federal government    4. Judicial review    5. Law    6. Legal Reference / Law Profession    7. United States   

Reviews (1)