Bush League Diplomacy: How the Neoconservatives Are Putting the World at Risk Review

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Bush League Diplomacy: How the Neoconservatives Are Putting the World at Risk ReviewAnyone who cares about the future of American foreign policy, as well as how the US relates to the world community, should read this book.
The Neoconservatives currently running the US have rejected decades of diplomatic work to build the US as the leader among the nations of the world. In rejecting multilateral, diplomatic solutions to the problems of foreign policy, they have instead chosen a unilateristic approach dominated by the military.
This book clearly lays out why this has been a collosal mistake, how it's destroying the position of the US as a world leader, and how it's making the world a much less safer place as other countries move to defend themselves from potential "regime change".
Read this book.Bush League Diplomacy: How the Neoconservatives Are Putting the World at Risk Overview

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In Justice: Inside the Scandal That Rocked the Bush Administration Review

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In Justice: Inside the Scandal That Rocked the Bush Administration ReviewOf the eight fired United States Attorneys over one year ago, no one seemed more representative of the hurt and bewilderment than David Iglesias, the U.S. Attorney for the District of New Mexico. His unusual heritage, military service and the fact that he was a Republican added heft to his Congressional testimony as he sought to tell his story about being sacked along with seven others. His new book, "In Justice" (which certainly could have been one word) is a terrific look at a moment when politics and justice met head-on with immediate unfortunate consequences...but consequences that provided a forum for truth re-establishing the upper hand over politics.
The firing of the attorneys, not only in the way it was handled but the premeditated way in which the plan was cooked up, would have been a disgrace by itself, but the fact that these noble men and women were also Republicans made the whole affair that much more curious. Much of the first half of "In Justice" is spent on background...Iglesias's upbringing in and out of the United States... and his emotional state when he learns of being fired and those subsequent feelings for days afterward. But the book really heats up when he testifies before the Senate and his spirit of fighting back comes to the fore. Chief among the original "black hats" are New Mexico Senator Pete Domenici and Congresswoman Heather Wilson, who each made improper calls to Iglesias during an ongoing case. The speculation then centers on who made up a master list of attorneys to be axed and exactly why the plan was ever devised. Iglesias and others contend that their loyalty, which was not blind to the Bush White House, was a deciding factor in their collective dismissals and as the facts tumbled out, this became a very likely primary reason. What remains a mystery to this day is who orchestrated the move. Was it the hapless former Attorney General, Alberto Gonzales, who seemed to have a major problem with memory...? Karl Rove, whose fingerprints tend to be on or near every White House catastrophe....? Or, did the president have any hand in the matter? One might suspect that as this feckless administration comes to an end, more and more insiders will be telling their own tales of woe, and we may learn much more about this particular case. I hope for David Iglesias's sake and for the sake of the other fired attorneys, that the whole truth will someday be revealed. I highly recommend "In Justice" and commend David Iglesias for helping to get this story out and for his narrative as to why it ever took place at all.In Justice: Inside the Scandal That Rocked the Bush Administration Overview

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Realigning America: McKinley, Bryan, and the Remarkable Election of 1896 (American Presidential Elections) Review

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Realigning America: McKinley, Bryan, and the Remarkable Election of 1896 (American Presidential Elections) ReviewAs the editors note in the forward to this book, "[e]very election seems `critical' at the time it is held", yet only a very few prove to be truly pivotal in terms of reshaping the national political landscape. The presidential election of 1896 is one of those that deserves to be ranked in that select category. As R. Hal Williams explains, over the course of the contest between William McKinley and William Jennings Bryan, "[n]ew voting patterns replaced the old, a new majority party arose to govern the country, and national policies shifted to suit the new realities." Williams's book, a volume in the "American Presidential Elections" series published by the University Press of Kansas, offers a history of the campaign, one that details just how and why it changed the nation in such profound and lasting ways.
Williams begins his study by providing the background to the election with a description of the political environment of the period. American voters began the decade by handing the Democratic Party a series of victories in the elections of 1890 and 1892, culminating in the return of Grover Cleveland to the White House. In the decades prior to the 1890s, the parties were closely matched, with presidential election usually decided by a mere percentage point or two - an environment that Williams notes made politicians cautious and denied any one party the majority needed to carry out bold initiatives. Exploiting discontent with Republican policies, Democratic candidates scored a series of victories at the start of the decade, victories which seemed to signal a realignment in their direction.
Yet these victories soon proved to be pyrrhic. Cleveland's inauguration coincided with a growing business panic, one that triggered a painful economic depression. Exacerbating the problem was a demand for gold that drained the government's reserved to dangerously low levels. Though many Democrats demanded that currency be made redeemable in silver as well as gold, Cleveland instead sought to repeal the Sherman Silver Purchase Act, a move that earned the enmity of many within his party. As Williams notes, silver took on a symbolic importance out of all relation to its actual economic significance. Most Democrats soon moved to repudiate the unpopular Cleveland, while the pro-gold standard Republicans profited from voter discontent with both his party and his administration.
With victory in the upcoming presidential contest increasingly likely, a number of Republicans sought their party's nomination. Williams argues, though, that it was never much of a contest, with McKinley easily sewing up the nomination well before the party's convention. He emerges in these pages not as Mark Hanna's colorless puppet, but as a shrewd politician who worked hard for several years to become the Republicans' frontrunner. While no less ambitious, Bryan faced a more challenging path to his party's nomination one dependent upon several breaks that all went his way. As Williams points out, both men's campaigns presaged the presidential contests of the century to come: Bryan's for his systematic touring of the country to win over voters, McKinley's for the move away from the "military" style of campaigning that prevailed after the Civil War in favor of one that marketed the candidate and his issues to voters. Though Williams argues that Bryan performed better than any other Democratic candidate would have, McKinley's victory proved to be the most lopsided in nearly a quarter-century, ushering in a period of Republican political dominance that would last until the Great Depression.
With an extensive background as a historian of the politics of the era, Williams is a sure guide to the context and events of the 1896 presidential campaign. His book provides an insightful study of the contest, one that explains its role in shaping the history of our country. The attention Williams gives to the role of the third party campaigns is especially commendable, for while they played perhaps only a minor role in shaping the outcome he shows how the reflect the pivotal issues of the election. All of this makes Williams's book the go-to account for anyone seeking to understand this pivotal presidential election or politics in the 1890s, one that will serve as the standard by which other books in the subject will be measured for decades to come.Realigning America: McKinley, Bryan, and the Remarkable Election of 1896 (American Presidential Elections) Overview

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The Decline and Fall of the American Republic (Tanner Lectures on Human Values) Review

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The Decline and Fall of the American Republic (Tanner Lectures on Human Values) ReviewIn his book The Decline and Fall of the American Republic, Professor Ackerman begins by condemning the triumphalism that surrounds most discussions of the American Constitution. He professes to be (or to have been) a triumphalist himself, since his constitutional theory features a distinctive hero: not the Founders nor the New Deal's success in adapting classical constitutional forms reinforced by the Warren Court, but the ordinary American citizens who have shaped the country's fundamental commitments over the centuries.
But he also acknowledges that next to a bright side of American constitutional history stands a dark one. This is represented by the transformation of the presidency into a real and present danger to the American republic, as a result of developments that were not anticipated by the Founders: the rise of political parties, mass media, and massive bureaucratic and military establishments.
In view of this one must ask: can the transformation of American constitutional law described in The Decline and Fall of the American Republic be viewed in terms of Professor Ackerman's theory of constitutional moments? Furthermore, can his proposals concerning the reform of the presidency be attained by means of this theory? The answers to both questions are, I'm afraid, negative.
It appears there are several differences between the theory of constitutional moments and the transformations the American presidency is currently enduring. The theory of constitutional moments makes the best of a characteristic feature of the American system which consists in undercutting the pretensions of any particular branch to serve as the unique spokesman for the people. This means that a constitutional moment cannot really occur in a moment; it takes a lot of time before a political movement can obtain the popular support required to speak for the people. This is arguably what happened at the Founding, after the Civil War and with the New Deal.
But the strengthening of the presidency is not the result of a constitutional moment. This is because we are now confronted with real "moments" in time and precisely for that reason they are scarcely "constitutional". The president claims to be the only spokesman for the people with the exclusion of any other branch, not least because he pretends to act in response to an emergency situation (even if this situation will never end), and this claim makes obsolete the very distinction between constitutional and normal politics. Furthermore, this distinction is also made obsolete by a new feature of presidential politics, that is, government by the polls.
The pessimism persists if we turn to the question whether Professor Ackerman's proposals concerning the reform of the presidency - such as Deliberation Day, a National Endowment for Journalism, a new Canon of Military Ethics, the Popular Sovereignty to revise the Electoral College and the Supreme Executive Tribunal - can be attained by means of his theory of constitutional moments. In theory that would surely be possible, even desirable, since a "constitutional moment" is often triggered on by a "transformative president" who wants to inscribe a new constitutional vision into statute law and judicial precedents.
However, in the final pages of The Decline and Fall of the American Republic, Professor Ackerman makes clear his opinion that President Obama is not up to the job of a "transformative president". But even if he were, one must ask: how transformative can one expect a president to be, if it's his own powers that are at stake? It seems that the internal logic of the theory of constitutional moments has been pushed to its limit.
So The Decline and Fall of the American Republic is really about the sinking of republican values as a basic pattern of the past two centuries of American constitutional history, a pattern so forcefully and brilliantly put up by Professor Ackerman in his past books.
Professor Ackerman thinks, however, that the death of the republic does not necessarily mean the end of democracy. Even if the American constitutional tradition is overwhelmed by presidential power he maintains that the presidency may well remain an elective office. I think this is part of an effort to save his theory of American constitutional history. But can we maintain a democracy without keeping it republican?

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Report of the Commission on the Renovation of the Executive Mansion Review

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Report of the Commission on the Renovation of the Executive Mansion ReviewFantastic slim old tome on the rebuilding of the White House during the Truman administration. Includes photos of the demolition and reconstruction and several high-quality color images of the finished rooms. It details many of the costs and history behind the project and includes detailed floor plans of the ground, first, second, and third floors of the Residence. However, there is nothing on the East Wing or West Wing (which were hardly touched) and almost nothing on the furnishings, and no photos of the less famous rooms.Report of the Commission on the Renovation of the Executive Mansion Overview

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The Obama Syndrome: Surrender at Home, War Abroad Review

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The Obama Syndrome: Surrender at Home, War Abroad ReviewEditor of New Left Review, London-based Ali criticizes Barack Obama's obedience to the same corporate and military powers that controlled previous American administrations. What Ali sums up about a previous analysis of Obama speaks for Ali's own agenda: "A useful antidote to the gushing biographies." Ali's progressive stance confronts the illusions sold to voters in 2008 by a compliant media and capitalist firms who provided the vast majority of Obama's $900 million campaign funds. Goldman Sachs contributed nearly a million; who could claim surprise by their bailout?
His leftist presuppositions infuse this short series of what read more like related essays than a seamlessly constructed narrative. Ali admits a rush to print, preferring to provide a "preliminary report on the first 1000 days of the Obama presidency." However, with mention of the Gaza flotilla attack by Israel, the resignation of General McChrystal, and the BP oil spill, this is as current an overview as can be expected.
It begins energetically. The first "mixed-race" president reinvented himself as both white enough and black enough to win. "Little of what Obama actually said in a combination of blandishments, special pleading and specious arguments justified much optimism, but the manner of his speaking, the color of his skin and the constant invocation of the word `change' helped create a new spirit in the country--Obamania--that propelled him to the White House."
Ali cites African American scholars and activists among Obama's critics: "The emblematic significance of Obama's victory should not be underestimated, but did it ever move beyond symbols?" Ali doubts it did. After surveying the superficial gloss of Obama's campaign makeover, he turns to Obama's imperial aspirations, which extend those of his predecessors.
Surveying Iraqi and Afghani wars, Palestinian resistance, and Iranian and Pakistani dangers supposed by an Anglo-American military and multinational hegemony, Ali amasses more information akin to a current affairs journalist's approach than that of a political analyst.
This leftist reaction, in other contexts, typifies Ali's characteristic limitations. His progressive opposition leaves the reader wondering--in a world where no other superpower appears ready to take over America's role as carrier of the big stick--what viable alternatives might be.
As a weak response to such a crisis, Obama's "sonorous banality and armor-plated hypocrisy" earn derision. Ali exposes Obama's habitual lack of will. Rather than true reform for Wall Street, the healthcare system, or the Supreme Court, Obama capitulates to lobbyists and fundraisers who control politicians under a Democratic or Republican administration. Obama pretends that an audacity of hope leading to genuine advance will occur under his watch, but the "implication is always that the Washington system prevents any change that he could believe in."
One might argue that the Obama syndrome, no matter who inherits this affliction, may collapse as the parasite consumes the host. How can capitalism sustain itself in this self-devouring, environmentally threatened, and profit-driven world? Closing this collection, rather than appending an article on the failed Oakland health care system or the situation in Yemen, Ali could have addressed this dire scenario instead. One wonders about his solutions, two decades after the collapse of mass capitalist opposition, from his perspective in a London-based far-left.
Ali might have enriched this study. He could have articulated more often the fears and hopes of communities, grassroots organizations, and everyday folks who are entangled within their historical allegiance to Obama's own maker, the Democratic party machine. It dominates many cities and suburbs. No true radicals will get elected, even there. Few residents bother with whatever New Left Review encourages, when it comes to a disaffected American voter, or a non-voter majority. This lack of electoral choice prevents real change from occurring in a polarized, bipartisan, corporate-funded, unreformed campaigning system. The Democratic party's "leadership" will not support any more than the GOP a truly alternative candidate--no matter what his or her complexion--when it comes to perpetuating its own empire.
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The Way to Win: Taking the White House in 2008 Review

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The Way to Win: Taking the White House in 2008 ReviewWith the 2008 Presidential election strategies well underway in covert measures, this incisive and eminently readable book provides an intriguing primer into what it may take for candidates to win in two years. ABC News political director Mark Halperin and the Washington Post's John F. Harris have collaborated to divulge the so-called trade secrets that have been behind the almost dynastic predominance of the Bush and Clinton administrations through past, current and perhaps future terms. It is interesting to note that neither author has been involved with a political campaign from the inside, successful or not, but they do lend a journalistic perspective that provides a great deal of credibility with their combined purview of the political media landscape. Consequently, they express their guarded respect of the political savvy of Karl Rove without sharing a detailed insider's profile of what makes him such a supreme strategist during the heat of a campaign.
On the other hand, Halperin and Harris spend a somewhat inordinate amount of time crediting Matt Drudge of the Drudge Report for much of the vote swaying in past elections. From their vantage point, they view Drudge as most pivotal in the Gore and Kerry defeats. They hold Gore and Kerry accountable to the point that they were not maintaining their public images relative to Drudge's online disclosures about the candidates' personal gaffes and political missteps. The big revelation here is that attempting to rise above the pervasive influence of the Web has apparently become tantamount to political suicide. Drudge's sharpened ability to scoop stories and frame candidates into personas unbeknownst to them has been the commentator's ongoing trump card. To the point that someone else is shaping the candidates' images, the co-authors make a compelling case about the importance of keeping attuned to the online scuttlebutt no matter how preposterous at times.
They also see Senator Hillary Clinton intently learning from her husband's example in setting the stage for her own likely candidacy in 2008. She is obviously delaying any such announcement until after this November's midterm elections because she can continue to reshape her persona and augment her coffers without undue scrutiny. Despite their extensive reporting backgrounds, Halperin and Harris manage to avoid the cynicism that could have easily seeped into their often insightful political handbook. For a more complete perspective on what it may take to win, I think it makes sense to read this in conjunction with George Lakoff's books on the conceptual metaphors that need to be employed to incite voters to support candidates, as well as Bill Clinton's own comprehensive account of his successful campaigns. There needs to be an understanding of perspectives from the inside as well as the outside to figure out the true way to win.The Way to Win: Taking the White House in 2008 Overview

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The American Presidents: Biographies of the Chief Executives from George Washington to George W. Bush Review

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The American Presidents: Biographies of the Chief Executives from George Washington to George W. Bush ReviewThis is an excellent book. It is great for people beginning to learn about American politics. It's a great source for quick handy reminders. It's a great gift. ( I bought seven copies for that reason). This would be a great book for teachers to have their high school students study.
While it is not possible to have one book completely cover all the Presidents, this single volumn outlines many important events.
There is an index in the back for quick searches.
Political views?
I have heard people claim this book is written with a Republican slant, and other claim it's written with a Democratic slant!
Using the above paragraph, one would have to think it was pretty fairly written.
I have went back to this book more often, during the election season, to brief my memory.
As a single volumn book; I repeat, this is an excellent book.The American Presidents: Biographies of the Chief Executives from George Washington to George W. Bush Overview

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Democracy Denied: How Obama is Ignoring You and Bypassing Congress to Radically Transform America - and How to Stop Him Review

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Democracy Denied: How Obama is Ignoring You and Bypassing Congress to Radically Transform America - and How to Stop Him ReviewPhil Kerpen has a warning for you, America. He wants to alert you to the fact that Barack Obama is using his powers to create regulations to undermine Congress, ignore voters, and "radically transform America." But Kerpen also has some good news. There's a way to stop this left-wing assault on our country. You can find out what that something is in his new book, (...) How Obama is Ignoring You and Bypassing Congress to Radically Transform America -- and How to Stop Him.
Kerpen has an uphill battle to beat back the war that has been launched against America. Why? Because the way our country is being torn down is happening in the most subtle way possible. Worse, it is all being done with such ersatz legality, a legitimacy so seemingly ironclad, that most Americans are completely unaware of what is happening. And when they are aware of it they imagine there is nothing wrong with it all.
That and the way this destruction is happening is not the sort of glamorous outrage that makes for exciting news coverage. In fact, it's quite dull. After all, the way the country is being undermined is through long-winded, legalese-filled, opaque regulatory changes. Red tape. Underhanded, jargon-heavy rules, quietly implemented without fanfare or the light of day revealing them for that matter.
Like I said, Kerpen has an uphill battle not only to alert Americans to what is happening right under their very noses, but to excite them enough to do something about it.
Through the bulk of his book Kerpen outlines the way that Americanness is being smothered in paper with the thousands of pages of new regulations that Obama is weekly churning out from his administration.
Kerpen details the way the Obama administration, guided by a hardcore, left-wing ideology, is attempting to take control of the Internet, is trying to eliminate private property rights, is destroying the business sector in favor of big labor unionization, is using the outsized fear of global warming to ramp up a socialist-styled enlargement of government control on all fronts from the EPA to our energy sector, and more. In each case, Kerpen notes that this regulatory overreach is directly contrary to our American character and our core ideals.
Kerpen also notes that this bacchanalia of regulations and the subsequent growth of the power of the president was even something that the left was exercised about during the eight years of the George W. Bush era. Unfortunately for the veracity of the left, all their concerns of an un-American growth of executive power have been wholly forgotten merely because they like the direction of the obscene overreach implemented by Obama. No end of hypocrisy there, eh?
The final chapter gives us a roadmap to pruning these obscene powers stolen from the Congress and the people by this most leftist president in American history. But, it too has a warning. Just "doing the right thing" and voting is not enough. We must not only vote for representatives that will endeavor to take back their power to legislate from an out of control executive branch, we must follow up and force these elected officials to follow through on the charge we've handed them.
Seems like a good idea to me.
If you are interested in the way the left -- and even some on the far right -- have used the presidency to steal power from we the people and our elected representatives, get this book and read it. Then go forth and make a change we really can believe in.
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Democracy in America, Volume 1 Review

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Democracy in America, Volume 1 Review"Democracy in America", published in two parts (the first in 1835, the second in 1840), is the great work of Alexis de Tocqueville, a young, aristocratic Frenchman, who traveled through most of the Eastern, Southern, and Midwestern United States during a 9 month period in 1832. Tocqueville had originally set out to study the U.S. prison system but what he saw inspired him to write about much, much more.
The foresight he had for such a young man is really impressive to read 160 years later. What he saw in the morals, work ethic and government structure of the United States led him to accurately predict many of the ways in which the U.S. would lead and has led the world. At the same time Tocqueville was not oblivious to many of the ills in the America he saw. He very wisely writes of the cancer that the institution of slavery was to not only all black Americans, but to the white, Southern farmers and workers as well.
I hate having to give these books "stars" for ratings because in many cases it takes away from the ultimate importance and classic status of a book like this one. Tocqueville does tend to jump around and venture off into different topics that don't fit with the rest of their chapter, which could be attributed to his youth. Also, a few of his predictions, naturally, were way off. A native Texan, I had a good laugh at his view that "the province of Texas is still part of the Mexican dominions, but it will soon contain no Mexicans." But overall Tocqueville's view of America was honest, accurate, and the perfect explanation of why, on a daily basis, people continue to risk their lives to gain the freedom that only the United States of America offers.Democracy in America, Volume 1 Overview

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Outsourcing Sovereignty: Why Privatization of Government Functions Threatens Democracy and What We Can Do about It Review

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Outsourcing Sovereignty: Why Privatization of Government Functions Threatens Democracy and What We Can Do about It ReviewIn this fascinating book, Paul Verkuil, Professor of Law at Cardozo Law School, Yeshiva University, examines the USA's shift from public government to private governance. Outsourcing rose by 86% between 2000 and 2005 and the value of non-competitive contracts rose by 115%, mainly due to the war on Iraq.
He examines the public/private distinction, constitutional governance, the limits of delegation, contract theory, and structural reforms. He uses constitutional, statutory, administrative and contractual sources and work in delegation theory and transactions cost analysis.
Under the US Constitution, the people is the sovereign power, delegating its powers to the three branches of the state, executive, legislature and judiciary, which are supposed to be agents of the people. But delegating sovereign powers to private hands undermines the state's capacity to govern. Outsourcing political decisions threatens the democratic principle of accountability.
Verkuil looks at the private military, private disaster relief, private border control, private prisons and private police. He argues that the planning and execution of responses to disasters are core government duties. He notes that after 9/11, Congress voted to `deprivatise' airport security, over Bush's opposition. Private security firms had treated security as a cost-control item, forcing down the quality of services. He notes, "In Europe, the preference for public sector solutions has been trumped by a higher principle congenial both to community integration and the world of privatization." Why higher?
Privatisation does not improve performance: research shows that professional civil servants manage better than political appointees, but then better performance is only the politicians' claim, not privatisation's real aim. Its real aim is to maximise profit - which Verkuil manages not to see, writing, "Outsourcing in the face of both accountability and efficiency objections is inexplicable."
He concludes that the use of contractors to displace functions normally performed by government officials is a danger to democracy, and so should be curtailed. We need to secure and preserve public values and oppose the current unprecedented delegation of powers to private firms.
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The Investigator's Little Black Book 3 Review

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The Investigator's Little Black Book 3 ReviewAs a licensed private investigator and college instructor of private investigation courses, I can personally attest that there are many great sources of information contained in this book... However, anyone experienced with online research (like myself) could most likely find the vast majority of this information via a simple Internet search. Heck, a simple Google query turned up the same results for many of the topics in this book.
I would highly recommend (emphasis added) performing online research over the use of any text simply because the Internet changes daily; as soon as a book like this goes to print, some of its content is already outdated. Stick with the Internet for the most up to date information.
Please be aware of what you are purchasing before you spend your hard earned money. This book contains no, nor does it claim to contain, information regarding private investigation techniques/procedures. It is simply a compilation of various information sources (emphasis added).
With that said, the information contained in this book is solid. It is obvious that the author spent a great deal of time and energy collecting and organizing the information contained within this text. Unfortunately, more than 90% of this information will never be of any use to the vast majority of those that purchase this title. In the entire time I have owned this book, I have yet to use it; and I am a very active practicing licensed private investigator.
If you are not Internet savvy, then this book might suit you perfectly; if you are Internet savvy, then you would probably be better suited spending you hard-earned money elsewhere.
As always, check with your local library or bookstore to see if you can read/review this or any title before deciding to make a purchase. This method has effectively allowed me to make the most of my investigative library budget.
I hope you found this review helpful. [...]The Investigator's Little Black Book 3 Overview

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To Serve the President: Continuity and Innovation in the White House Staff Review

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To Serve the President: Continuity and Innovation in the White House Staff ReviewWritten for the then-unknown president-elect of 2008, this book must be a godsend for Barack Obama and his immediate staff--of thousands. I come to it as a far outsider, with only a few administrative years in government in the 1960s, expecting something rather dry. Surprise! The author carries his experience and judgment easily, with adroit writing and (no surprise!) superb organization. An old hand at the White House--a total of 14 years with Eisenhower, Nixon and Ford--Patterson also served as president of the American Society for Public Administration. Among the goals of this book:
"--To paint a factual, nonpartisan picture of the White House at work for the other indispensable participants in the Washington environment--Congress, the media..., many of whom have inaccurate or negative stereotypes about that institution--impressions that the White House itself is slow to correct."
"--To broaden the knowledge of those who are teaching civics and political science in the nation's high schools and universities and to stimulate the interest of their students..."
The George W. Bush administration provides basic, detailed information and orientation, but perspectives are drawn from FDR and Eisenhower forward. Patterson provides an unofficial organizational chart; if there is an official one, that's a secret. One need not read every page to enjoy and benefit from this remarkable presentation. The organizational bones come with plenty of meat. And there are even some delectable mixed nuts carefully sited in Patterson's scale-model White House. "Contrary to public belief, sycophants and crusaders, if tolerated briefly, are not long welcome at the White House."To Serve the President: Continuity and Innovation in the White House Staff Overview

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GOVT 2 (with Political Science CourseMate with eBook and InfoTrac 1-Semester Printed Access Card) Review

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GOVT 2 (with Political Science CourseMate with eBook and InfoTrac 1-Semester Printed Access Card) ReviewI recieved my book in great condition and in a timely manner. Everything was just as mentioned in the description. I was very satisfied with my purchase! Feel free to shop with this seller with confidence.GOVT 2 (with Political Science CourseMate with eBook and InfoTrac 1-Semester Printed Access Card) Overview

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The Co-Presidency of Bush and Cheney (Stanford Politics and Policy) Review

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The Co-Presidency of Bush and Cheney (Stanford Politics and Policy) ReviewI received my copy of The Co-Presidency of Bush and Cheney, and I can hardly put it down. Shirley Warshaw has written a tour-de-force that explores and probes the two principals of the Bush-Cheney Administration. An exhaustively researched work of scholarship of the highest standard, this book is highly readable and not just for the policy wonks and political junkies. Dr. Warshaw has taken pains to present a thorough analysis and fair investigation of the last administration, and every citizen who reads it will find his or her understanding of executive power greatly enriched. The Co-Presidency of Bush and Cheney is a powerful, thought-provoking must-read for every voting American.The Co-Presidency of Bush and Cheney (Stanford Politics and Policy) Overview

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In From The Cold. CIA Secrecy and Operations. A CIA Officer's True Story. Review

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In From The Cold. CIA Secrecy and Operations. A CIA Officer's True Story. ReviewAs a,dare I say, veteran reader I stumbled upon this book and was surprised at how engaging it was from the start. It lifts,or RIPS is the word i'd rather use, the veil off the CIA for America to see it for the beast it really is.
Now I have indeed come across many CIA secrecy books-the whole works, but surely none of this stature. The way it sets a tone and reveals shocking secret after secret will leave you wanting more. You get the sense that you've come across inside information or a classified document as you read.
If you're intimidated and want to be in denial about what happens/happened in one of Americas most renowned agencies and abroad then look elsewhere.However,If you crave the secrets that are withheld to the public or just a fan of the spy/conspiracy genre all together then you will absolutely be in for a shocking ride with this work.
This book truly captures what makes great writing.With extremely well written material and even a few pictures, In From the Cold will capture and keep you hooked till the final sentence.
You can guarantee I will be on the lookout for anymore books that are surely on the horizon for Mr. Shipp.
- Jerry UpdikeIn From The Cold. CIA Secrecy and Operations. A CIA Officer's True Story. Overview

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J. Edgar Hoover: The Man and the Secrets Review

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J. Edgar Hoover: The Man and the Secrets ReviewA fascinating and comprehensive look at a complex, powerful, and manipulative man. Gentry brings to life the power that Hoover held, power bestowed on him by virtue of the secrets he held in the massive volumes of FBI files he collected over his 48 year tenure.
Hoover's far reach and influence are stunning. Most people probably have a cursory idea of Hoover's god-like legacy, but Gentry brings out the jaw dropping, scandalous details in vivid candor. Hoover had leverage over his superiors - the president and the attorney general - as well as his subordinates, Congress, Hollywood, local police jurisdictions, and civil rights leaders. His sway only increased with every year his held his office.
Gentry's account is exhaustively researched and probably the most extensive and authoritative history of Hoover in existence. He delves into the paradox that Hoover was, a rigid, aggravating, unlikeable, and deeply vindictive man to many, yet to a few close associates, he was engaging and affable, if not warm, and to him they were 100% loyal.
Hoover was no doubt a product of his time. For the calculating personality he possessed, who could ask for better career advancement opportunities than to serve in a time of the depression, bootleggers, gansters, the mafia, the Communist red scare, and the Kennedy assasinations successively. All during Hoover's time at the FBI, there was a valid argument to be made that he was simply indispensible. The desire of many in government to end his tenure was thwarted time after time, almost to a comical degree. Hoover was saved by the skin of his teeth more than once by fortuitous turns of events.
Beyond just Hoover, this book explores the dark side of politics in general. The horse trading, the double dealing, the secret deals, the blacklisting, blackmailing, break-ins, cover-ups, set-ups, take-downs, paybacks, payoffs, and the vindictiveness. It's ugly, ugly work. Most would have no idea their own government operates in such a shameful, despicable manner.
Gentry writes in an engaging narrative style that's easy to read and compelling. The book is well paced and very cohesive despite covering a wide time period and a diverse range of incidents. The book is lengthy and comprehensive. It does not skimp on details. I'm hard pressed to imagine a more thorough account.
I highly recommend this book for anyone who is interested in this period of contemporary American history or the fascinating personality that was J. Edgar Hoover.J. Edgar Hoover: The Man and the Secrets Overview

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Mortal Shield Review

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Mortal Shield ReviewI am an avid reader and often find myself disappointed in novels that deal with military or security subject matter. The reason is , as a former Infantry Marine and 11 year Security Professional, I hate to see how little authors know or research about these subjects. It's no wonder the average person knows very little truth about the Protective industry or the Military.
This book , however , is very refreshing and gives you a REAL view inside a protective assignment. Though the setting is fictional, the characters and situations feel real. In the novel , Mr. Taylor clearly outlines many challenges that all Executive Protection Agents will be able to recognize and sympathize with. He also shows how the public's misconceptions of our work lead to challenges with Principals and their handlers. I love the double conversations the characters hold in this novel . When a protective agent is dealing with people , they have one answer they would love to give , and one tactful answer that comes out of their mouth .
On top of all that, it has an exciting storyline and reads like an episode of 24. I really can't say enough good things about this book. I can't wait until the sequel comes out. I am recommending this book to everyone I know who is thinking about getting into EP work or who is already in it. Plus, I'm going to make my wife read it.

Kudos to the author .
Mortal Shield Overview

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