No comments about The Diary of Samuel Sewall, 1674-1729.

1 comments about Tocqueville: A Biography.

1. This is a wonderful biography. I knew that Tocqueville was a great thinker, but I thought that his life would be boring (are thoughts worth being told? Yes, this book indeed proves it). However, the author manages to narrate Tocqueville's life and times in such a way that I could not put it down, and read it in less than a week's time. So I may not think of a better book to commemorate Tocqueville's bicentennial anniversary and I fully agree and endorse, as my own, the other reviewer's opinion.

1 comments about Like a Cat with Nine Lives.

1. For anyone who thought they knew what being a police officer was all about, this book will enlighten and surprise you. With completely candid stories and adventures, Sgt. Monta gives you a play by play on what it is like to walk in his shoes for a while. As an officer that has worked under and with him, I can honestly say, he deserves applause for all his dedication to the police family.

1 comments about Justice Brennan: The Great Conciliator.

1. Justice Brennan spent more than thirty years on the Supreme Court. He joined the Warren Court, decried by some as "liberal activists". He served with distinction there, on the Burger Court, and finally the Rehnquist Court (which some decry as reactionary conservative activists). On all three, he regularly was the man who spoke for the Court on many of the important issues of the times.

   The enduring question is "How could this man mold and shape such disparate groups of Justices to the point where he wrote some of the most significant majority opinions of our time?" With typical modesty, Justice Brennan said, that he learned early how to count to five.

   Rod Clark does a masterful job in his chronicle of the life, the influences, the context and the enduring legacy of Justice Brennan. He was a trail blazer in a host of areas of jurisprudence: First Amendment law, criminal defendants rights and women's issues. He has authored dozens of opinions affirming rights which we now take for granted. All this from the man who said "I don't expect to distinguish myself on the Court".

   A true American original. The kind of person who helped make this country great. A wonderful and easy read.

2 comments about Black Justice in a White World: A Memoir.

1. I bought six of his books at a signing because I was familiar with his professional greatness and wanted to share what he did for our people with some of my friends. I expected the big word, and I expected the drama, but what I didn't expect was the laugh out loud humor.
   
   Judge Wright was a righteous brother, may he RIP.



2. I have known Judge Bruce Wright for 38 years and the fact that my daughter and I are included in seven pages has not influenced this review. Yet, in this book I discovered many aspects of his life that I did not know. He has been a mentor to me, but he is the kind of man I wanted as a father. He has a sharp wit, yet writes tender poetry. Being an entertainment attorney for many years, he tells wonderful stories of many jazz greats and stories of the people he had to judge. A must read for those interested in the law, jazz, many wives, poetry served up with a wicked sense of humor, and strong opinions.

5 comments about A Fool's Gold: A Story of Ancient Spanish Treasure, Two Pounds of Pot, and the Young Lawyer Almost Left Holding the Bag.

1. About the time you realize that you don't have a clue about what will happen next (and you can't wait to find out), you realize the song playing in your head is "What a long strange trip it's been".



2. Why was this book in the non-fiction section at the library? I can understand changing the names of people but counties? There is no Siletz County, Oregon. Why not make up the state too? As fiction there leaves a lot to be desired. The back jacket says"truth is stranger than fiction". Either write non-fiction with names changed to protect identities or write a compelling novel. This is neither.



3. Bill Merritt has written a wonderfully entertaining fable about young lawyers learning the ropes, a delightful cast of society's castaways, buried treasure and even a little bit of science.
   
   Because Merritt casts himself as the central character, it is necessary to remember that this is fiction - or at least Merritt says so: "Author's note: This book isn't journalism. It is filled with made-up individuals, composite characters, and descriptions that do not match anything in the real world. If you think something in here is about you, it isn't. And, if you think you are going to make a big deal out of it, I've got plenty more on you that doesn't appear in the book, so think again."
   
   Within a few pages, of course, you'll have forgotten the warning, so compelling is Merritt's first-person narrative. The characters are compelling and believable.
   
   There's Thaddeus Silk, now deceased, who hires Merritt as an associate in his small, highly suspect law office. Silk's death from natural causes brings in the police, an aggressive DA, the bar association disciplinary committee and others. Thaddeus, it seems, had long been suspected of a variety of nefarious dealings, including fencing a long rumored Spanish treasure that had been buried on Oregon's cost.
   
   Merritt provides a fascinating recounting of the legends of Neahkahnie Mountain where, it is said, a treasure is buried. Along the way, Merritt also provides an unexpected explanation of trade winds and the history of Spanish trade a few centuries ago. Utterly unexpected, these facts provide both elements of the main plot and an unusual backstory. Good work, indeed.
   
   When Thaddeus Silk shuffles off the mortal coil, Merritt is left the task of picking up the pieces of his mentor's practice. There's Grady Jackson, seemingly a harmlessly befuddled treasure hunter who, in his youth, had been a heroic soldier. Jolene, the office receptionist, was hired by Thaddeus on a work-release program after Thaddeus had bungled her case. Her boyfriend Tail Pipe lives largely on another planet. Abby Birdsong is an aging hippy with a marijuana possession charge against her that just keeps getting bigger.
   
   Soon Merritt himself is facing indictment by an aggressive DA.
   
   The story has plenty of twists and turns as Merritt, still a young and inexperienced lawyer, makes his way through one predicament after another. In terms of handling humor, Merritt is an ace. His storytelling flows smoothly, anchoring your sympathy to Merritt as the subject and eliciting boos and catcalls for the evil guys (who really aren't all that evil: just kind of dumb).
   
   It would be unfair to detail the story to any extent. Take my word for it: there's not a dull page in the book. There's also no sex, no immediate gore, no cliffhangers: just out-of-the-ordinary situations with some pretty oddball characters.
   
   Summer's almost here; the weather's getting nicer: this is the perfect beach read.
   
   Jerry



4. i have a couple of problems with this book.but we'll get to them later.
   
   there is an awful lot to like about this book. the characters are quirky and fun. the writing is breezy and entertaining. there are multiple twists and turns that are (usually) resolved in some outrageously funny way. and the ending was (to me)unexpected and intriguing.
   
   a really good read for an airport or beach.
   
   so what problems did i have? well, the first is minor. i found this book in the non-fiction section. it clearly is not that. there was an "author's note" on the copyright page that, if given a little more prominence, handled the issue. or publish as a work of fiction. either one.
   
   the other problem is much more serious.
   
   one anecdote intregal to the story is the "tale of the soldier who wouldn't make his bed." (strangely, it is important to the story).
   
   it is also plagarised. in 1956, leo rosten wrote "captain neuman m.d.". chapter seven is entitled "the happiest man in the world". and is the story of colby clay, a soldier who wouldn't make his bed. now,i'm not a lawyer. i don't even play one on tv.
   
   but i'm pretty certain that taking a chapter from someone else's work without attribution is considered a no-no in polite society.
   
   so if you just want an entertaining couple of hours, read this book. it's fun.
   
   if you think that plagarism is something that should be discouraged, i'd pass.



5. The introduction at the La Jolla bookstore said it all: cross between John Berendt and Ken Kesey, or carl Hiassen and Vince Bugliosi -- or as he put it, reminiscent of Mark Twain.

No comments about As Far As I Remember.

2 comments about Persecuted Saints Within the Church Walls.

1. It's taken much courage for this author to speak out against those in the church who thoughtlessly or knowingly hurt God's children. Her experiences and the experiences of those who shared their testimonies are just a sampling of many who have come under the heavy hands of those we call pastor, brother, and/or sister in Christ. Hopefully this book will lead those hurting spirits from the shadow of confusion into the light of Gods truth and love. This book is a challenge to those in church leadership to examine their hearts and motives.



2. Persecuted Saints Within the Church Walls is a book the Church painfully needs. I commend Teri Myers for being brave enough to write it. Her story of spiritual abuse and unloving treatment came from pastors and fellow Christians in her church---the last place where these things should happen. This powerful little book should awaken deceitful church leaders and warn church members under their direction. Teri has managed not only to tell the truth and reveal wrongdoings, she has done so with grace and holy unction. It reminds me of what Jesus did in the Temple. God has anointed this faithful daughter to take up a whip which is, in this case, a book, to come against what is going on in the Church that absolutely must stop. Thank you, Teri, for being obedient to God and for reaching out to help others. I will never forget your story and pray it will set people free--both the abusers and the abused. --Margaret Montreuil, author of God in Sandals, God with Us, and Love's Face.

No comments about Public Opinion and the Rehnquist Court.

5 comments about Allan Pinkerton: The First Private Eye.

1. I was looking forward to reading what appeared to be a well written biography of Allan Pinkerton. On the surface, it is well written and entertaining. Unfortunately, there are questionable details reported through out the book. As a historian myself, I know some of the minor details regarding people in the Civil War years are wrong. Other facts are very questionable, and not footnoted, so we don't know his source. One example of this is Mackay's claim that a woman dressed up like a Confederate Solider was in fact Pinkerton Spy Hattie Lawton. There is nothing in the writings of the clerk who identified the soldier as a woman that suggest she was Lawton, and this fact is conveniently not footnoted. Another, more obvious error was a photo that was labeled as the Pinkerton headquarters in Chicago - the photo in question is actually of the New York branch. Errors happen, but should not happen so often.



2. 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.



3. 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.



4. 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'.



5. 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.