Reviews (3)

a remarkable contribution to the history of ideas - original and startling
I did not expect this book to be what it was. Before, I knew Leibniz transformed mathematics and theology but had no idea he forever altered the relation between law and ethics. The subtitle is misleading: the Gift of Science is not only about G.W. Leibniz, it's about philosophical and cultural upheavals centuries ago that still resonate. And it's also about the rise of modern law and modern thought. A fascinating read for anyone who cares about intellectual history, the effects of the scientific revolution, and especially, the state of justice.Weaving together different disciplines in a manner I have not seen before, Berkowitz manages to demonstrate both a historical argument and a paradigm shift that rings sotrue. I will not look at current court cases the same way again -- and I am left feeling I know how we arrived where we are today... This is disturbing, illuminating, gripping stuff.

I Can'tBelieve I Read the Whole Thing!!
Wow!I was shopping in a "bricks and mortar" bookstore and saw this book as I was cutting down an aisle.Something on the cover - the picture I think - grabbed me.I decided to see if I could get it on the internet instead.One thing:its not cheap!Fitty bucks! And only 222 pages!But I will tell you, it takes so long to read each page, that you more than get your money's worth.There are many thoughts in this book, so the thoughts-per-cost ratio is actually quite good...thus making it one of the better book values I have encountered, even for books in the $50 range.And let me add something else: I had to read it three times, to begin to understand it.I think in three more readings I will have a strong grasp of the topic - meaning, that, you really read this book six times - breaking the cost down to eight dollars per reading.
Outstanding Book
I attending Roger Berkowitz's reading of The Gift of Science and quickly purchased my own copy.While I am certainly not an "academic-type" the concepts in this book really got me thinking.Whenever I listen to a press conference or read anything related to law and justice I can't help but bounce the information off what I have learned in The Gift of Science.This brilliant book opened my eyes and gave me the tools to look at the American justice system in a whole new light. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. History    2. Jurisprudence    3. Law    4. Legal History    5. Legal Reference / Law Profession    6. Legal System    7. Philosophy    8. Science and law    9. Jurisprudence & General Issues    10. Jurisprudence & philosophy of law    11. Law / Legal History   

Reviews (2)

The formation of our nation state
The most important development in early American history in the last fifty years has been archival. The debates surrounding the adoption of the Constitution continue to be thoroughly exhumed for insights into what our Founders were thinking. The writings of the Anti-Federalists both in the press of the time and in the state conventions that approved the Constitution have been reconsidered. I recently reviewed a history by Saul Cornell that considers those writings to be the beginnings of a dissenting tradition that continues to this day.
>>>REVOLUTION IN FAVOR OF GOVERNMENT <<<
"Edling's book is a powerfully argued revisionist interpretation of the origins of the Constitution. More than anything else, it helps us better understand the constitutional sources of the gigantic fiscal-military state that the United States has become."Read more

Subjects:  1. Constitutional history    2. Federal government    3. Government - U.S. Government    4. History    5. History & Theory - General    6. Legal History    7. Legal Reference / Law Profession    8. Political Science    9. Politics/International Relations    10. United States    11. United States - 18th Century    12. American history: c 1500 to c 1800    13. Constitutional & administrative law    14. Political Science / History & Theory    15. Political structure & processes    16. Politics | American Politics | Federalism & Intergovernmental Relations    17. USA    18. c 1700 to c 1800   

Subjects:  1. Comparative    2. Law    3. Legal History    4. Legal Reference / Law Profession    5. Comparative law   

Subjects:  1. Europe - General    2. Law    3. Legal History    4. Europe    5. European Union (EU) Law    6. Jurisprudence & General Issues   

Subjects:  1. History    2. History - Military / War    3. International    4. Legal History    5. Medical Ethics    6. Military    7. Military - World War II    8. World War II    9. Germany    10. History / Military / World War II    11. History of medicine    12. International humanitarian law    13. War crimes    14. World history: Second World War    15. c 1945 to c 1960   

Reviews (1)

Recommended for law school students
Prize-winning historian Shawn Peters presents The Yoder Case: Religious Freedom, Education, And Parental Rights, a scholarly study of the crucial 1972 Supreme Court ruling in a case when a Wisconsin Amish community claimed that compulsory education past a certain age was in conflict with its religious views and therefore removed its children from public schools. Also available in a hardcover edition, The Yoder Case is a detailed, impartial analysis of events, and a fascinating account recommended for law school students and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the separation of Church and State issues. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Amish    2. Christianity - Amish    3. Constitutional    4. Educational    5. Educational law and legislation    6. Freedom of religion    7. Law    8. Legal History    9. Legal Reference / Law Profession    10. Legal status, laws, etc    11. Legal status, laws, etc.    12. Trials, litigation, etc    13. United States    14. Yoder, Jonas   

Reviews (3)

Boiled in Oil
The book makes several peculiar claims, among them that boiling in oil was a common punishment in Colonial America. I would like to have seen some evidence substantiating this assertion. Jury Trials
The nature of this book does not allow for a full exposition of all aspects of American legal system; rather, it is a heavily illustrated overview and celebration of the major features of American law.The section on the American Jury System is reflective of this approach, briefly sketching the origins of the jury system from the Greeks, William the Conqueror and English jurisprudence and tracing its development in the American legal system.It begins with the sentence: "The jury system is at the heart of American law and our democratic system of government, enshrined in the Constitution."It closes with the phrase "...the right to a trial by jury is a basic and fundamental part of the American justice system and is likely to remain so."While the authors note that at one time American juries routinely excluded women and minorities and also notes that many cases are settled without a trial, it would be a terrible misreading to interpret this section as anything other than a positive celebration of the American jury system.

book says jury trial is going out dated
Out of the hundreds of pages in this book there were only 2 about the jury trial. Those pages said the jury trial was outdated. The contempt of the authors for real american law and justice is astounding. Anyone who denigrates the jury trial like this is literaly an enemy of everything america stands for. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Commercial - General    2. History    3. History: American    4. Law    5. Legal History    6. Legal Reference / Law Profession    7. Legal System    8. United States    9. United States - General    10. American history    11. History of specific subjects    12. Industrial / Commercial Art & Design    13. Jurisprudence & General Issues    14. USA   

Reviews (1)

Helpful One Volume Source of Writings of True American Hero
Thurgood Marshall is an authentic American hero: "Mr. Civil Rights;" point person for the NAACP's dismantling of segregation; Judge of the Second Circuit Court of Appeals (from 1961-1965); Solicitor General (1965-1967); and Justice of the Supreme Court (1967-1991).Mark Tushnet's Thurgood Marshall: His Speeches, Writings, Arguments, Opinions and Reminiscences is a welcome anthology of Marshall's professional writings as lawyer, judge, and storyteller. Read more

Subjects:  1. 1908-1993    2. Biography    3. Biography / Autobiography    4. Courts - Supreme Court    5. Judges    6. Law    7. Law and legislation    8. Lawyers & Judges    9. Legal History    10. Marshall, Thurgood,    11. Race discrimination    12. Sources    13. Supreme Court    14. United States    15. History of specific subjects    16. Jurisprudence & General Issues   

Reviews (2)

Brilliant!
This book was simply wonderful!The research must have been tremendous!It was fun to reach back in time to get a glimpse of medieval laws and ethics.At times I couldn't put the book down!I can't wait to read it again!

A fascinating tale of crime, scandal and trial by combat
Eric Jager's `The Last Duel' is a fascinating insight to the conducting of a personal feud in fourteenth century France during the period where the medieval concept of chivalry was at its height. Dealing with the historical personages of Jean Le Carrouges and Jacques Le Gris it is a story that defines our modern conceptions of the age and mixes in a dash of romance and tragedy as two men end up at a tourney fighting to the death over a young, beautiful woman.
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Subjects:  1. Europe - France    2. France - History    3. History    4. History - General History    5. History: World    6. Legal History    7. Medieval    8. Medieval World History (Circa 450 - Circa 1450)    9. Western Europe - General    10. History / Europe / Western   

Subjects:  1. Cases    2. Constitutional    3. Emigration & Immigration    4. Hispanic Americans    5. History    6. Law    7. Legal History    8. Legal Reference / Law Profession    9. Legal status, laws, etc.    10. Supreme Court    11. United States    12. United States.    13. American studies    14. Constitutional & administrative law    15. Crime & criminology    16. Law / Legal History    17. Mexico    18. USA   

Subjects:  1. Anecdotes    2. History    3. History - General History    4. Iowa    5. Iowa - Local History    6. Law    7. Lawyers    8. Legal History    9. Reference    10. United States - State & Local - General    11. 20th century    12. Jurisprudence & General Issues    13. Laws of Other Jurisdictions & General Law    14. USA    15. c 1800 to c 1900   

Reviews (2)

Well worth the price
The focus of many historians discussing the removal of the Southeast Native Americans has been on the tragic human costs of the ordeal. Dr. Tim Garrison has found an original approach, detailing the intricate legal history and intellectual influences that provided the rationalization for the removal policy. In The Legal Ideology of Removal, Garrison tells the disastrous story of how stereotypical misconceptions, cultural dissonance, afterthoughts in dicta and an overarching federal/state power struggle fed Southern courts in their efforts to satisfy the land-hungry desires of the masses in the American Southeast. In addition to providing a valuable perspective on the development of Native American history, the book details an important chapter in United States legal history, describing the evolution towards and the fall-out from an unprecedented challenge to the Supreme Court's authority that came when southern courts failed to recognize a critical yet unpopular decision, Worcester v. Georgia. Finally, Garrison's work shows how unsubstantiated rhetoric and the whims of politics can be infused into the critically important decisions of the supposedly independent and impartial judiciary. Excellent look at southern repudiation of the Supreme Court
Garrison demonstrates throughout this book that the common understandings of the removal of southern Indians from their native homelands and the ensuing forced march along the Trail of Tears are often overly simplistic and shortsighted.Garrison demonstrates, through several southerns state cases, that the south often misrepresented controlling law, gave merit to false and grossly racist "scientific" evidence, randomly selected federal statutes, and relied upon legal and social philosphies that had been abandoned by the Supreme Court and the legal community at large.All this lends credit to Garrison's notion that "for some southern leaders" the state's rights interpretation of the Constitution was "more tactical rhetoric than heartfelt ideology."Read more

Subjects:  1. Cherokee Indians    2. Ethnic Issues    3. Ethnic Studies - Native American Studies    4. History    5. Indians of North America    6. Law    7. Legal History    8. Legal status, laws, etc    9. Legal status, laws, etc.    10. Native American    11. Relocation    12. Southern States    13. Trail of Tears, 1838    14. United States - 19th Century   

Subjects:  1. Ancient - Greece    2. General    3. Government - Comparative    4. History    5. History - General History    6. History: World    7. Law, Greek    8. Legal History    9. History / General    10. Interdisciplinary Studies   

Reviews (1)

A Great Book on Immigration and Civil Rights!
This is a first rate book on immigration.Even in tone, and written in a clear and accessible way, the book analyzes the implications of the exclusions of immigrants under the U.S. immigration laws.The poor, people of color, political undesirables, certain groups of women, criminals and lesbians and gay men, have been barred from enter the country under the immigration laws. Johnson thoughtfully analyzes this unfortunate history and considers the implications for members for these minority groups in the United States.This book is a "must read" for anyone truly interested in an impartial view on immigration, as well as the civil rights of minorities in the United States. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Discrimination    2. Discrimination & Racism    3. Emigration & Immigration    4. Emigration and immigration    5. Emigration and immigration law    6. Government policy    7. Legal History    8. Social Science    9. Sociology    10. United States    11. Civil rights & citizenship    12. Immigration & emigration    13. USA   

Reviews (1)

A Terrific Resource
This a really terrific explanation of the history of our modern adversarial system and would be particularly useful to trial lawyers who work within the adversarial criminal system.(It's one thing to know that one CAN object to hearsay...but haven't you ever wondered why we do?) ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Communications    2. Criminal Law    3. Criminal Law - General    4. International    5. Law    6. Legal History    7. Legal Reference / Law Profession    8. English legal system: criminal procedure    9. Jurisprudence & General Issues    10. Law / Criminal Law    11. Law | Legal History   

Subjects:  1. Constitutional    2. Constitutional history    3. History: American    4. Legal History    5. Legal Reference / Law Profession    6. U.S. Constitutional History    7. United States    8. American history: c 1500 to c 1800    9. Constitution: government & the state    10. Constitutional & administrative law    11. History / United States / Revolutionary Period (1775-1800)    12. History, American | Colonial & Revolutionary    13. USA    14. c 1700 to c 1800   

Subjects:  1. Law    2. Legal History    3. Legal Reference / Law Profession    4. Witchcraft & Wicca    5. Witchcraft   

Reviews (5)

"Roman Law" But Little "Context"
The good news about "Roman Law in Context" is that it's short, clear, and gives a good overview of Roman law in core areas like family law, sales, property, and litigation.The bad news is that the book stays narrowly focused on technical legal doctrines, only sketching the law's social and political context.Bottomline:this is a great book for someone, perhaps a law student or non-legal historian of Rome, who wants a quick guide to Roman legal rules.But it's not such a great book for laymen who are interested in learning more about life in ancient Rome.

Excellent discussion of Roman law for beginners
Though this book is intended primarily for historians who want to learn about Roman law, it will also be of great benefit to law students who first approach the subject. The bad news is that it won't do as a reliable replacement for all the other books you're asked to consult and read, at least in part, for your examinations, but the good news is that, with Johnston's initial guidance as well as essential help at the revision stage, you'll get a much firmer grasp of Roman law as a whole than you would if you started from these other, sometimes no less excellent books. Predictably enough for a short book, Johnston focuses largely on the classical period and discusses only private law (family, property and commerce), but there are also illuminating chapters on sources and litigation. Apart from its provision of reliable and up-to-date knowledge on the substance of Roman law and its social context, Johnston's book also deserves praise for its two other virtues: it is one of these rare books that simply don't seem to contain a single wasted sentence, and it offers informed comparisons between our own legal culture and that of ancient Rome. I was particularly impressed by his remark that getting the best people to litigate for you (both jurists and advocates) was a matter of entering a complex network of patron and client relationships, and that it is in principle much easier to know what counts as legal excellence if securing it for yourself is merely a question of paying a certain amount of money. Speaking of which, since this is not a legal textbook, it is also a good deal cheaper than you might expect.

A very informative, but somewhat dry book
Johnston's book is basically organized into three sections, thought there is no mention of this structure in the table of contents.The first section introduces the reader to the sources of Roman law (how the law was made, and who made it). The second section discusses the substantive law of family, property, and contracts. The third section discusses litigation (or how the laws discussed in section two worked in practice). At the end of the book, there is a very good glossary of Roman legal terms, followed by an extremely helpful discussion of the Roman legal literature for the serious student of Roman Law to pursue.Read more

Subjects:  1. Ancient - Rome    2. History    3. History - General History    4. History: World    5. Justice, Administration of (Ro    6. Justice, Administration of (Roman law)    7. Legal History    8. Popular works    9. Roman law    10. Rome    11. Social life and customs    12. Ancient Rome    13. History / Ancient / General    14. Roman law--Popular works    15. World history: BCE to c 500 CE   

Subjects:  1. Collaborationists    2. Criminal Law - General    3. Czechoslovakia    4. Eastern Europe - Czech Republic & Slovakia    5. Europe - General    6. History    7. History - General History    8. History: World    9. Legal History    10. War crime trials    11. War criminals    12. World War, 1939-1945    13. Czech Republic    14. European history: postwar, from c 1945 -    15. History / Europe / General   

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