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Subjects:  1. Ethnic Studies - General    2. General    3. History & Theory - General    4. International    5. Political    6. Political Science    7. Politics / Current Events    8. Politics/International Relations    9. CROSS-CULTURAL STUDIES    10. Constitution: government & the state    11. Development studies    12. POLITICAL STABILITY    13. STATE, THE    14. Social Science / Ethnic Studies   

Reviews (3)

BUY IT NOW!!
I was having trouble interpreting Plato's The Republic, this book has been tremendously helpful. If you are having the same problem then get this book now!!

Excellent guide, learned a lot
I found this to be a clear, concise, and well written quide to understanding this venerable work. The author covers many topics, from the social and historical context of the work to the more abstract philosophical ideas. It helped me to better appreciate this important work and I learned a lot that was valuable and even useful.
A MUST HAVE!The only way to trudge through the Republic!
For college students, this book is a godsend.It lays out in common English basically everything that Plato and Socrates say in The Republic.Some of the most famous things from The Republic, including the Noble Lie,the Ship of State, and the Allegory of the Cave are put into layman'sterms, making those papers and homework questions relatively easy to write. If you are a student, or are reading The Republic for fun, you have tohave this book. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Book Notes    2. Cliff's/ Monarch / Barron's Book Notes    3. Examinations    4. General    5. Literary Criticism    6. Plato.    7. Republic    8. Study guides    9. Ancient Greek & Roman philosophy    10. Constitution: government & the state    11. Literary & Linguistic Reference Works    12. Literary Criticism & Collections / Ancient & Classical   

Subjects:  1. 1913-    2. 1974-1977    3. Ford, Gerald R.,    4. History - U.S.    5. Political History    6. Political Science    7. Politics and government    8. Politics/International Relations    9. Reference    10. United States    11. United States - 20th Century (1945 to 2000)    12. American history: postwar, from c 1945 -    13. Constitution: government & the state    14. USA   

Subjects:  1. Cabinet system    2. Comparative government    3. Political Process - Leadership    4. Political Science    5. Politics / Current Events    6. Politics/International Relations    7. Presidents    8. Reference    9. Representative government and    10. Constitution: government & the state    11. Political Science / Leadership    12. Political science & theory    13. Political structures: democracy    14. Politics | Comparative Politics | British Politics    15. South America    16. USA    17. Western Continental Europe   

Subjects:  1. 21st century    2. Foreign relations    3. International Relations - Arms Control    4. Korea (North)    5. Military Science    6. Military policy    7. Nuclear warfare    8. Political Freedom & Security - International Secur    9. Politics / Current Events    10. Politics/International Relations    11. United States    12. World politics    13. Constitution: government & the state    14. International relations    15. Marxism & Communism    16. North Korea    17. Political Science / International Security   

Subjects:  1. Criminology    2. Government - National    3. Habeas corpus    4. History    5. Jurisprudence    6. Law    7. Politics - Current Events    8. Politics / Current Events    9. United States   

Reviews (4)

Not the book I would choose for a class text
This is a well thought-out text that offers good clean insight into the historical background of the Constitution. I, personally, enjoyed reading it. My students, however, glaze over on the first page. It is written as more of a historical narrative and offers none of the washed out "end of chapter" ammenitites that we have come to rely upon. No powerpoints, test banks, etc.... It is simply too much of a "chunky monkey" that puts the reader in the position of intensely reading the material and constructing complex notes. This is the text I wish my students would eagerly read and engage themselves in, but then there is reality. Verdict - for use as an undergratuate class text - no. For use as a personal research primer or graduate text - yes.

Poor Teacher
Simply put, this book does relatively little in the way of actually teaching anything.Its main strength lies in explaining the Constitution line by line with commentary and extensive historical backing.However, the book simply lays out a TON of commentary without actually teaching the student anything at all.There are no questions for thought until the very end of the chapter, and the commentary following the Constitution's lines are most often altogether devoid of subheadings for organizational benefit.It is a very plain text that will provide a lot of information, but in a relatively meaningless manner for many individuals.Moreover, the commentary is interminably boring in nature, and thus an appeal to the reader's sense cannot be hoped for.
Don't buy this book
They removed my last review, maybe this one will make it.Don't buy this book.Its written by a pack of convoluted thinking leftist bedwetters.if you want a factual book about the U.S. Constitution buy one published by the Cato Institute. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Constitutional    2. Constitutional law    3. General    4. Poetry    5. Political Science    6. Politics/International Relations    7. United States    8. POLITICS & GOVERNMENT    9. Political Science / General   

Subjects:  1. Civics & Citizenship    2. Government - General    3. Government - U.S. Government    4. Political Science    5. Politics / Current Events    6. Politics and government    7. Politics/International Relations    8. U.S. Government (General)    9. United States    10. Constitution: government & the state    11. Political Science / Civics    12. USA   

Subjects:  1. Anthropology - Cultural    2. Culture    3. Ethnicity    4. General    5. History & Theory - General    6. History, Modern    7. Nationalism    8. Political Science    9. Politics / Current Events    10. Public Policy - General    11. Sociology    12. State, The    13. Constitution: government & the state    14. Cultural studies   

Subjects:  1. Africa    2. General    3. History & Theory - General    4. International Relations - General    5. Political Science    6. Politics / Current Events    7. Politics and government    8. Politics/International Relations    9. Power (Social sciences)    10. African history    11. Constitution: government & the state    12. Political Science / History & Theory    13. Political Science and International Relations    14. Political science & theory   

Subjects:  1. Constitutional history    2. Constitutions    3. History    4. History - General History    5. History - U.S.    6. History: American    7. Law and legislation    8. Political History    9. Slavery    10. U.S. History - Constitutional Period To Civil War (1789-1860)    11. United States    12. United States - 18th Century    13. United States - General    14. History / United States / General   

Subjects:  1. Europe - Russia & the Former Soviet Union    2. Fiction    3. History - General History    4. History: World    5. Mystery & Detective - Traditional British    6. Mystery/Suspense    7. Constitution: government & the state    8. European history: from c 1900 -    9. Former Soviet Union, USSR (Europe)    10. History / Russia (pre- & post-Soviet Union)    11. History, World | Russia & Former Soviet Union    12. Marxism & Communism   

Reviews (1)

A Comprehensive Overview of Rome's Republican Institutions
Andrew Lintott's book is a valuable work providing a thourough overview of the Roman Republic's institutions from the Early Republic to the Empire. It is a good companion to Fergus Millar's 'The Crowd in Rome in the Late Republic' which explores the dynamics illustrated in this work within the narrow context of Rome from Sulla to the Civil War.
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Subjects:  1. Ancient - Rome    2. General    3. History    4. History: World    5. Politics / Current Events    6. Ancient Rome    7. BCE to c 500 CE    8. Classical Studies | Ancient History | Roman    9. Constitution: government & the state    10. European history: BCE to c 500 CE    11. History / Ancient / Rome    12. Roman law   

Subjects:  1. 1st Amendment    2. Church And Government    3. Church and state    4. Constitution    5. Constitutions    6. Freedom of religion    7. History    8. History & Theory    9. History & Theory - General    10. History: American    11. Politics - Current Events    12. Politics / Current Events    13. Religion & State    14. Religion and state    15. Religion, Politics & State    16. U.S. Constitutional History    17. United States    18. Christian institutions & organizations    19. Constitution: government & the state    20. USA   

Reviews (4)

An important book but a difficult and specialized one!
I would not disagree with the other reviewers on the importance of this book. But as a professional medieval historian, I found this book to be slow and difficult, so I feel I should warn other readers that this is not a sprightly guide to medieval institutional history, but a heavily argumentative one. Feudalism. What's that?
It was time to destroy the Marxist view-point or at least to give a chance to the opposite side. A lot of medieval-history textbooks, from the last decades, have a narrow-minded, simple, rejective attitude when they talkedabout the society of the Early Middle Ages, especially about the ninth andtenth centuries, the so called "Dark Ages". Though the WesternEuropean historians think that they aren't communist historians, in factsometimes they have a more Marxist viewpoint of the Middle Ages than theircolleagues from the former communist countries. The author says and provesthat the society in the Middle Ages was very complex, dynamic, flexible andvivid. It was a society without any abstract authorities but with a lot ofnatural and personal links.It is really a reinterpretation of the'orthodox' notions like feudalism, fief, vassal etc. Though the book has avery hard subject it's readable and easy to understand. Because the societyand metality of those centuries weren't Marxist at all it's very reasonableto explain them without narrow-minded Marxist notions. In a very positiveway this is a non-Marxist and I can say an anti-Marxist book. It's great,not only for historians. Really worth reading!

Feudalism. What's that?
It was time to destroy the Marxist view-point or at least to give a chance to the opposite side. A lot of medieval-history textbooks, from the last decades, have a narrow-minded, simple, rejective attitude when they talkedabout the society of the Early Middle Ages, especially about the ninth andtenth centuries, the so called "Dark Ages". Though the WesternEuropean historians think that they aren't communist historians, in factsometimes they have a more Marxist viewpoint of the Middle Ages than theircolleagues from the former communist countries. The author says and provesthat the society in the Middle Ages was very complex, dynamic, flexible andvivid. It was a society without any abstract authorities but with a lot ofnatural and personal links.It is really a reinterpretation of the'orthodox' notions like feudalism, fief, vassal etc. Though the book has avery hard subject it's readable and easy to understand. Because the societyand metality of those centuries weren't Marxist at all it's very reasonableto explain them without narrow-minded Marxist notions. In a very positiveway this is a non-Marxist and I can say an anti-Marxist book. It's a great,not only for historians. Really worth reading! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Europe - General    2. History    3. History - General History    4. History: World    5. Medieval    6. Constitution: government & the state    7. Europe    8. European history: c 500 to c 1500    9. History / Medieval    10. History, World | Medieval   

Subjects:  1. 19th century    2. American - General    3. American literature    4. Antislavery movements    5. Antislavery movements in literature    6. History    7. Literary Criticism    8. Literature - Classics / Criticism    9. Political aspects    10. United States    11. United States - General    12. France    13. Germany    14. International relations    15. Political Science / Constitutions    16. Postwar period, 1945 to c 2000    17. USA   

Reviews (9)

The Servile State Versus The Distributivist Society.
In this liberty classic, the Catholic intellectual Hilaire Belloc writes that the present system of capitalism is likely to give rise to something new, the servile state, because of inherent instabilities within it.Belloc defines this state as, "That arrangement of society in which so considerable a number of the families and individuals are constrained by positive law to labor for the advantage of other families and individuals as to stamp the whole community with the mark of such labor we call the servile state."This servile state is a return to the form of pagan slavery that existed in Europe before the advent of Christianity abolished it.Belloc contends that from the original pagan form of slavery, Christianity brought about a new system of society, the distributivist society.In this system, every individual was an owner of property and belonged to guilds which allowed for him to own the means of production.However, the distributivist system failed with the breakdown of the Christian faith.For example, the Reformation allowed for the Crown to confiscate monastic lands.Thus, a small group of indiviudals, the capitalists, came to own the means of production and the property.Belloc does not blame the existence of capitalism on the Industrial Revolution like most other thinkers have.Rather, he sees the problem in society as existing before the Industrial Revolution.Belloc contends that had distributivism not broken down, the Industrial Revolution would have been beneficial to all concerned.The current system of the capitalist state is unstable however, and may give rise to one of two separate things.Reformers have tried to create from the capitalist system a collectivist (or socialist) state.In the collectivist state, private property would be abolished and a group of managers would control all property for the proletariat in trust.Belloc contends that this form of collectivism is likely to give rise to a third thing, the servile state.One way reformers have tried to accomplish this goal is through "buying out" capitalism.Since the state is an older institution than the capitalist owners, it has been considered possible that the state can "buy out" the capitalists.Belloc finds such an idea problematic and shows how this is not possible to occur.Alternatively, the other possibility is for society to return to a distributivist system in which all individuals own property and the means of production.Belloc finds this alternative to be the best, however, he notes that it is unlikely to happen given the current direction in which society is taking and amounts to "swimming upstream".So, while the socialist alternative works within the capitalist system, it will ultimately lead to servitude.Belloc points out examples of how legislation designed to benefit the proletariat has actually increased the development of the servile state.Examples of this include regulation such as employee compensation and minimum wage laws, which were in the initial stages of being enacted in Belloc's England.The future for freedom looks grim because the proletariat is willing to give up its political freedom in exchange for security and guarantee of subsistence standards.For example, Belloc points out that minimum wage laws actually benefit capitalists because they guarantee that there will not be unruliness among the workers.Also, such laws and regulations involve the creation of a class distinction between proletariat and employer.Given the direction the welfare state has taken contrary to liberty and towards further regulation, these cogent writings of Belloc from near the beginning of this last century serve as an important warning and prophecy for the future.We have indeed headed in the direction of servitude, and Belloc's distributivist ideal seems less and less likely. Thoroughly muddled thinking
This was a book that I simply couldn't stop reading, not because it was illuminating. On the contrary, I kept hoping that with the next turn of the page, Melloc would make sense or at the very least say something that wasn't muddled, confused or vague. I got through 200 pages still scratching my head! Another Name For Slavery
In 1912 Belloc was conscious of the folly of New Deal legislation and predicted the sort of problems that came to pass in recent years. Liberals spoke the language of liberty, but they were driving the country toward servitude, all in the name of equality, security, social justice, and humanitarianism.Read more

Subjects:  1. Collectivism    2. Economic Conditions    3. Economic history    4. General    5. Industrial policy    6. Politics / Current Events    7. Social history    8. Socialism    9. Constitution: government & the state    10. Other prose: 19th century    11. Political science & theory   

Subjects:  1. Church and state    2. Constitutional    3. Constitutions    4. Freedom of religion    5. General    6. Law    7. Legal Reference / Law Profession    8. Religion, Politics & State    9. United States    10. Constitutional & administrative law    11. Jurisprudence & philosophy of law    12. Law / Constitutional    13. Political Science and International Relations    14. Religion    15. USA   

Subjects:  1. 16th century    2. Christianity - History    3. Church history    4. Reformation    5. Reformation (1517-1648)    6. Religion - Church History    7. Scotland    8. British & Irish history    9. Constitution: government & the state   

Reviews (1)

Award Winner
Honored as the best book on law published in 1996 -- C. Herman Pritchett Award, Law and Courts Section, American Political Science Association, August 199 ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Constitutional    2. Constitutions    3. Government - U.S. Government    4. Political Science    5. Politics / Current Events    6. Politics/International Relations    7. Constitution: government & the state    8. Constitutional & administrative law    9. Human rights    10. Law    11. Law / Constitutional    12. Political Science and International Relations    13. Political science & theory    14. USA