5 comments about Allan Pinkerton: The First Private Eye.

1. As one who is both a American history buff and a lover of mystery, Private
   Eye novels- I was very drawn to this book.
   
   I am not familiar with the author James MacKay- he is very deep in his
   research and writing.
   
   If you can get through the first 2 chapters of the book, You'll find a
   very interesting novel.



2. This biography of the inventor of the private investigation industry is not only a thrilling look at a fascinating man, it is also a fresh perspective on a slice of American history. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in mystery fiction or detective novels, as well as anyone who is looking for a history book that isn't boring. While it may well be a bit biased, the presentation is thought-provoking and makes me want to research the period of the late Civil War/early Reconstruction more thoroughly.
   Better than most fiction I've encountered lately, and definitely an overlooked gem.



3. Mackay is as talanted a literary detective as Allan Pinkerton was as a criminal detective, written in a clear style that's a pleasure to read. It's a well balanced account, explaining the character's actions in the context of the times.
   Mackay's first surprise is that Allan Pinkerton wasn't born when most biographers say he was. From there he goes on to uncover the truth about Pinkerton's early career in Scotland, and the truth about a 'supposed' assasination plot against Lincoln before he took office. (The plot was independently confirmed by a political enemy of Pinkerton who had no motive to make Pinkerton look good--which convinced Lincoln the plot was real, and to follow Pinkerton's suggestions to foil it. Political enemies of Lincoln denied the existence of the plot to make Lincoln out to be a coward.) Before he finishes the Civil War period, Mackay has 'rehabilited' the often pilloried Union general McClellan (whom Pinkerton worked for) and divulged startling information uncovered in 1967 about the plot to assasinate Lincoln. This book is outstanding, a definite 'keeper'.



4. Pinkerton Biography

   The story of Allan Pinkerton, a poor Scottish immigrant and former working-class radical who rose through the ranks of society to become the protector and confidant of presidents and tycoons is a quintessential American story that deserves such a thorough telling. This book was a fascinating read, and left me wishing that the author had delved more into the numerous early cases that were only hinted at in the text.

   The only serious criticism of this biography is the author appears to have gotten a little too close to his subject, which in several points has clouded his objectivity. This is apparent in the book's tendency to rush to Pinkerton's defense, particularly regarding the handling of the Molly Maguires and other labor disturbances of the late 19th century. A sweeping condemnation of the labor activists as "terrorists," or stressing the fact that they greatly outnumbered the Pinkerton operatives during violent strikes, are intended to make Pinkerton and his agents "the good guys" in the eyes of readers. This stance is questionable, however, considering the book's general lack of background information on the U.S. labor situation at this time. The author also neglects to explore how Pinkerton, a well-known Glasgow labor radical in his own youth, so readily sided with "other side" -- the titans of American industry -- later on in life.

   But overall this book is a good read and well-researched, especially the chapters concerning Pinkerton's early life in Scotland and his association with President Lincoln during the Civil War.




5. This books encompasses all of Allan's PI's work. I had an enjoyable time reading it. It is a fasination subjet for me. I am considering of changing careers and going into the PI business.

1 comments about Lawyer's Lawyer: The Life of John W. Davis.

1. This is a Superb biography/autobiography of Clarksburg West Virginia native John W. Davis,a brilliant lawyer and politician who was the only West Virginian presidential Candidate who came close to the presidency losing to Calvin Coolege back in 1924.This is a very enjoyable must read book on the life and times of John W. Davis!

No comments about Puppetmaster: The Secret Life.

No comments about Democracy without Citizens: Media and the Decay of American Politics.

5 comments about 100 Words per Minute: Tales from Behind Law Office Doors.

1. Part short fiction anthology, part memoir, 100 Words Per Minute: Tales From Behind Law Office Doors is a collection of ultra-brief, wry, witty, sometimes nasty, always insightful short stories by veteran law office worker Adina Sara. From backbiting coworkers to clueless bosses to litigators of all flavors from megalomaniacal to nearly-dead from exhaustion, 100 Words Per Minute offers a wry glimpse into trials and tribulations, and what working within America's legal system is really like. 100 Words Per Minute is a singularly delectable collection, whether the stories are savored a few at a time or all at once.



2. 100 words per minute is a lively fast read that tells stories of what it's really like to work in a Law office. Besides the crazy and wonderful characters Adina Sara describes, there is a profound message underneath about how sometimes a career finds you and that can turn out fine. A job is something that you do to pay the rent and a career is supposed to be an area where you have much interest and grow and develop. But a job can turn into a career and sometimes it can do more for you than make money. The people you work for and work with are often where the most learning lies. Adina Sara was appreciated for her skills and that is what kept her in the Law field. This is a good read for all office workers.



3. Several years ago I read Ms. Sara's book of poetry, To Be Filed, which I enjoyed quite a bit. So I was very happy to find she'd published a new book of both poems and stories, 100 Words per Minute.
   
   Like "To Be Filed", this book focuses on her experiences working in various law offices since the 70's. The stories are a blend of the funny, nostalgic, and reflective. For anyone who works in a law office, you'll recognize many of these characters. For anyone who hasn't, this will be a revealing peek into the real world of law. The egos, the conflicts, the deadlines and stress. It's all here. Sara weaves together tales from all over to create a coherent whole, held together by her constant longing for something different, and her continual return back to the belly of the beast.
   
   Those who enjoy this book will also like "Legal Tilt" which also looks inside the legal world and exposes the truths hidden there.



4. A masterpiece of workplace sociology! To begin with, Sara is an absolutely amazing writer: the poetry throughout, even in the prose, is stunningly beautiful. And the service she has provided to clerical workers and their bosses by writing "100 Words Per Minute" is immeasurable and invaluable.
   
   Alice Kisch
   Editor, Retired Legal Secretary



5. I have been a legal assistant/paralegal for over 15 years and was excited to find a book about my life. I read it in one sitting. I loved it! I laughed a lot and cried too. Thank you for the wonderful tribute to our profession.

No comments about Lincoln, The Lawyer.

No comments about America's First Woman Lawyer: The Biography of Myra Bradwell.

5 comments about Fighting for Dear Life: The Untold Story of Terri Schiavo and What It Means for All of Us.

1. I purchased this book after reading Mark Fuhrman's Silent Witness. The passion which David writes with is profound. I found this book an amazing account of the injustice served on Terri. While I enjoyed reading it I had to take breaks occasionally because it was so intense and disturbing. How could something like this actually happen in the U.S.? I knew our justice system was flawed but I had no idea how much power one person could have and that someone could be killed through judicial homicide. This book will certainly have you thinking.



2. Every single one of us has a terminal body. Some of just have healthier terminal bodies. And some of us--like my newborn son--need substantial assistance to do something as simple as eating.
   
   I don't expect my home state to order the withholding of nutrition to my son. But that is what the state of Florida--or, rather, one unchecked judge in Florida--ordered for someone else who could not feed herself: Terri Schiavo.
   
   David Gibbs represented Terri Schiavo's parents, Bob and Mary Schindler, in the later stages of that tragic event in our nation's history. His account of that event, Fighting for Dear Life, brings to heart and mind again the maddening outcome, which has already seemingly faded so quickly from our nation's conscience. As Gibbs tells it, it is his story of:
   
   "Why I fought for Terri.
   Why I'd do it again.
   And why I'd fight for you too."
   
   Gibbs can't tell us why Terri Schiavo had to die. No human can. But Gibbs does tell us that Ms. Schiavo had minimal cognition; that her parents loved her and wanted nothing more than to care for her; that her husband had broken his marriage vows; that he refused to allow her to see the outside world or to allow the outside world see her; that he did not spend a dime of the medical malpractice judgment on her rehabilitation, despite telling the jury he would do so; that the only evidence of her supposed wish to die was her husband's and his family's hearsay statements, that the judicial system failed her, and that she died a painful, unnecessary death.
   
   Few real life stories have such distinct Good Guys (Gibbs, the Schindlers, Ms. Schiavo herself, Governor Jeb Bush, President Bush, the Florida legislature, and the U.S. Congress) and Bad Guys (Michael Schiavo, George Felos, Judges George Greer and James Whittemore) as this one. If you care about life issues, and on the pro-life side, you will clinch your fists all over again.
   
   Especially appreciated is the final five chapters, which are essentially a written sermon explaining the global importance of what we allowed to happen to Terri Schiavo. One can hope that Ms. Schiavo's story as told in Fighting for Dear Life will revive all of us again to a culture of life.



3. I have read comments and reviews elsewhere that say "Fighting for Dear Life" unfairly demonizes Michael Schiavo. I have to wonder if these people actually read this book, as the book shows no more demonization of him than what he clearly brought upon himself.
   
   The justification for Michael's "right to die" case was that Terri wasn't really "there" anymore. Recall, however, that it was Michael who barred press coverage from Terri's room. It was Michael who kept visitors to an absolute minimum, right up to the end. It was Michael who exercised the strictest control over what the American public would see - and not see - of Terri. Why? If Terri was so self-evidently "not there anymore," why would he demand such restrictive coverage of her? Privacy? Dignity? I don't think so...if she was no longer "there," there was neither dignity nor sense of privacy left to violate.
   
   If the accounts in this book are true, the reason for Michael's actions are obvious: Terri actually WAS "there" right up to the end, and Michael fully knew it. If the lawyer's accounts of Terri's capacities are true, letting the press in for unrestricted coverage would have blown Michael's entire case out of the water, and for all I know may have opened him up to all kinds of trouble. Best case scenario, he would have come out as the villain many people have long suspected he is.
   
   So if you've read this book you have a choice to make: disregard this book as a pack of lies written by an ambulance chaser carrying on a vendetta for a bitter, grieving, vengeful family...or decide that Terri Schiavo really was "there" but was forced to die anyway.
   
   Had the accounts contained in this book been made public two years ago, I believe this case would have ended differently.



4. This book was fantasically written and a true eye opener of the real facts! I was very saddened of the outcome, but it really makes you wonder...are all of your affairs are in order???



5. The heinous death of the most famous resident of Florida 's Woodside Hospice certainly leaves me baffled - to say the least. My understanding is that the hospice movement has grown incredibly over the past two decades - largely due to Medicare reimbursement. Eligibility for Medicare hospice services requires certification by two physicians that a patient's terminal illness limits life expectancy to six months - at tops. How on earth was Terri Schiavo ever accepted into a hospice?
   
   From attorney David Gibbs, I have learned that Terri Schiavo was far, far more responsive and interactive than America was led to believe. Yet, her cognitive level should not have determined whether she received food and water! Mr. Gibbs refers to a 2004 statement by Pope John Paul II, which seemed directly related to the immorality of how Terri was treated: "the administration of water and food, even when provided by artificial means, always represents a natural means of preserving life, not a medical act."

No comments about Of Laws and Limitations: An Intellectual Portrait of Louis Dembitz Brandeis.

1 comments about Hanging Judge.

1. Written in the 1950's, this book displays a remarkable lack of research and fact. Read S.W. Harman's 'Hell on the Border' instead. The book reflects more about the time it was written than the the person it is describing.