Reviews (69)

Amazing
I have a saying: Dispassionate analysis is a prerequisite of intellectual honesty. Both are present in this wonderful book. Sowell brilliantly displays statistic after statistic making many popular claims on both sides of the political spectrum seem utterly unlikely: that differences between ethnic groups on intelligence tests can be attributed to "racism," "language differences," or "cultural bias," or, that such differences are in any way genetically caused. They are caused by cultural differences, which entail differences in values, attitudes, andmotivations pertaining to what is being measured (learning, education, and intelligence). Until this is recognized, the problem will not be remedied. Those who really want to help need first to make an accurate diagnosis. Those filled with preconceptions and agendas and wanting to push certain ideological programs are likely too emotionally involved to see the data for what it is. This book will doubtlessly be controversial. The only reason there hasn't been a firestorm over it in the media is that Sowell himself is a black man.

Sowell is rigorous and logical.
This collection of six papers by Sowell unflinchingly addresses charged issues like African American culture, persecution of Jews and other minority groups, slavery, German history, and U.S. education.The text is methodical and logical, unyieldingly leading the reader through common misconceptions by contemporary academics and politicians and surfacing relevant data to each topic.Most compelling are Sowell's attribution of current African American behaviors to Scottish émigrés of the American South, an insightful discussion on the world's middlemen, and an articulate discussion of the history of slavery.At every turn, Sowell effectively skewers slanted contemporary views, his contempt for modern progressive revisionists evident.Worry not; frequent readers of political books will be surprised at the quality and evenhandedness of Sowell's writings, the first three papers of the book in particular.
READ and UNDERSTAND THIS BOOK!! Insist your children read and understand it.
In this Book, Dr. Sowell has provided historical precedentand well documented reason for virtually everything I've felt true about our society but until now had only instinct and the anecdotal evidence before my eyes as the basis for my belief.That's a pretty encompassing statement, but it's true.Virtually every paragraph of this book is revealing and delivers body blow after body blow to long held beliefs and socially accepted notions of "history" which have done so much to damage our society over the last half century.Thomas Sowell is without peer as a historical sociologist and in this book, he lays bare the facts against the politically correct social holograms we are spoon-fed every day.It is my intent to commit this book to memory and to see to it that anyone for whom I care reads it and understands its meaning. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Discrimination & Racism    2. Ethnic Studies - General    3. Ethnic relations    4. History    5. Minority Studies - Race Relations    6. Race relations    7. Social Science    8. Sociology    9. Stereotype (Psychology)    10. Ethnic studies   

Reviews (106)

The Closing of the American Mind
Mark Twain once said that a classic is a book that people praise highly but do not read.Allan Bloom's book was an instant classic.The conservative chattering heads lavishly praise it; they don't read it, or at least not carefully.If they ever did read it, they'd be highly shocked and displeased by what they found.As conservatives control the media, this gives the erroneous impression that everybody likes "The Closing of the American Mind".
UNDERWHELMING
AFTER THE SEVERAL LAUDITORY COMMENTS FROM PEOPLE WHOM I ADMIRE SUCH AS BILL KRISTOL I EXPECTED MORE. THE BOOK WAS ESSENTIALLY A RAMBLING ESSAY. THE FIRST SEVERAL CHAPTERS WERE CAPTIVIATING BUT THEN BLOOM GOT CARRIED AWAY BY THE "SOUND OF HIS OWN VOICE". THIS TIMELY AND PROVACATIVE SUBJECT COULD HAVE BEEN DELIVERED MORE CONCISELY.

Worthwile
Allan Bloom, the late translator of Plato's Republic and professor of philosophy at the University of Chicago, has assembled a partially cranky, but never the less insightful critical examination of the American University system in the post-60's era. His assessment predictably reeks of the stuffy conservatism of his mentor Leo Strauss, but that should not deter one from confronting his arguments. The American university, in his perception, is inundated with transitory cultural and political problems; the academy (in Plato's conception), must continually strive towards the good, it must teach what is eternal and beautiful and drop the multi-culturalism and relativism of the postmodern era. Bloom is distraught about the preponderance of German philosophy in the academy, a Nietzschean rejection of morality and a Heideggerian rejection of the impact of the individual. Bloom's knowledge of history and philosophy is fair, and his arguments are not totally grounded in neo-conservatism (he rejects the legitimacy of the MBA), yet at the same time his book often comes across as an old man's rant. He does not value the creativity and individuality of the student intellect, and he may ultimately just be afraid of the black panthers. On the contrary, I suspect that his concerns may be more relevant today as the popularity of the liberal arts degree has lessened, and superficial non-fields such as feminism and multi-culturalism appear to have grounded their place in the academy for good. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Education    3. Education, Higher    4. General    5. Intellectual life    6. Philosophy    7. Sociology    8. United States    9. Modern Western philosophy, c 1600 to the present    10. Organization & management of education    11. Social Science / General    12. Sociology, Social Studies    13. USA   

Reviews (4)

Histories of the Present
What is Utopia? And what relevance does it have today? These are the questions Jameson wants to ask and answer in this, his latest and most substantial offering since "A Singular Modernity." "Archaelologies of the Future" picks up Jameson's larger project entitled "The Poetics of the Social Forms" (first hearlded in "The Political Unconscious") where he suggests that today's historical situation requires archaeologies of the future and not forecasts of the past--meaning, we must take as our political signposts a potentially different future, even if that means radically rethinking the present and seeing it as an archaic relic, instead of nostaligically clinging to the modernity project (a la Ulrich Bech or Jurgen Habermas). As such, Jameson pronounces Modernity, as a project, dead but simultaneously refuses to accept post-Modernity as the only choice, which for him would be accepting the cultural logic of late capitalism.
No more fiction
Call it a tome or call it a pan-gloss of science fiction, myth, philosophy and political theory. In "Archaeologies of the Future," the fictional status of the former two blurs into the real, immediacy of the latter. From "The Alien Body" to "The Barrier of Time" from More to LeGuin, Fourier to Philip K. Dick, Jameson digs up works that are now relics of the past and reevaluates their relevance to our contemporary struggles. Dated by our own passage through "the future" that was once predicted, annihilated, feared and hoped for, Jameson's perspective is appealing to me, a philosophy nerd who has read little Orwell or Asimov, but it will be just as appealing to those who have yet to read Marx, Freud and Gramsci...just as soon as their done with "Brave New World."
continuation of utopian ideal in science fiction
The leading, influential contemporary philosopher Frederic Jameson looks to the literary genre of science fiction for gleanings of the notion of utopia and utopian yearnings in late Modernism. With the failures of Marxist/Communist ideologies and the apolitical mood throughout Western culture, what remains of the idea of utopia which once played such a strong role in modern culture is to be found mostly in the science-fiction literature. Jameson takes on this latest topic with his characteristic thoroughness, exceptional acuity, and masterful synthetic capacity. The voluminous work with elements of literary critique, political/cultural analysis, and philosophical thinking is a survey of science fiction over the century of the 1900s and its shifting relationship to society. Jameson's approach is to focus on one major science-fiction writer (with science-fiction somewhat loosely defined) such as Philip K. Dick or Ursula Le Guin as representative of the topic is wants to take up; and then range through the topic by many references to other science-fiction writers and inclusion of respective aspects of the concept of utopia and relevant political, social, and scientific conditions to result in illuminations and renderings about the persisting, yet protean, idea of utopia. "Archaeologies of the Future" is one of Jameson's most wide-ranging and illuminating works on modern culture and its distinctive factors and idiosyncratic ways. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. General    2. History & Surveys - Modern    3. History and criticism    4. Philosophy    5. Science fiction    6. Science fiction, American    7. Science fiction, English    8. Social Science    9. Sociology    10. Sociology (General)    11. Theory, etc    12. Novels, other prose & writers: from c 1900 -    13. Social Science / General   

Reviews (40)

The "Shcbby Chic" home design
This book protrayed the essence of the Shabby Chic home
A total joy!
This was the first book I bought when I closed on my country home. My style has always been contemporary and I wanted ideas for decorating a turn of the century farmhouse. This and Shabby Chic Home is to decorating what Betty Crocker is to cooking. You will never go hungry again!:)

Good info
I've find the information in the book (text) very useful in creating a soothing, unfussy, shabby environment at home. However I was expecting it to be the otherway around; I thought there'll be beautiful photographs in the book and the text just going to state the obvious...
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Subjects:  1. Decorating    2. Decorating - General    3. Fiction    4. General    5. Home Improvement / Construction    6. House furnishings    7. Interior decoration    8. Interior design    9. Social Science    10. Home furnishing & decoration    11. House & Home / Decorating   

Reviews (20)

The New World Order
Let us begin by getting one thing straight. There is a New World Order.
on point
everything in here is real. just his timing was off; but only by a year, really... cuz in 1991 Bush announced the New World Order. epperson called 1990 as the year. great, scary, worthwhile read

Wish it was better..
The writing style is fine, the research is fair to good compared to others in the field, but he does anyone who is interested in real history a great disservice in promoting this work, because of his horribly shoddy jumps in logic.
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Subjects:  1. General    2. Politics / Current Events    3. Politics/International Relations   

Reviews (3)

today's content owners are yesterday's pirates
Lessig has written a very clear and entertaining book about copyright, piracy, and culture, filled with lots of real-world examples to make his points. The book covers major events in the history of copyright in the United States (from its beginnings in English common law and the UK Statute of Anne) in order to show how its meaning has changed, and how those who are making accusations of piracy today were the pirates of yesterday. (Jessica Littman's book, Digital Copyright, is a nice complement to this book, covering the history of copyright in greater depth.) Lessig makes a strong case that the direction of copyright, giving greater control over content to a very small number of owners than has ever existed, is eroding the freedom that we've historically had to preserve and transform the elements of our culture.
frightening scenario coming true
Lessig's book, like his previous The Future of Ideas, presents a frightening scenario where control of our culture through copyright law is increasingly in the hands of a handful of media conglomerates.Lessig describes the dangers posed by copyright law run rampant, and his description of his handling of oral arguments before the Supreme Court in the case that failed to stop the tide is self-effacing and instructive.The book is accessible for non-lawyers, although it is also adequately endnoted for those with legal training.Anyone who is concerned about the efforts of the MPAA and RIAA to stop "piracy" by abridging the rights of ordinary citizens should definitely read this explanation of the law and the people who increasingly control it.

Inspiring !
Discussing law is always a challenge to an author, especially if he/she wishes to make it simple, interesting, and critical.This book is not a book for academics, it is a book for the people who support the tradition of freedom of speech and liberty in our culture.This book is simple, interesting and critical : simple in the sense that one with no legal background can understand it (but at the same time, Professor Lessig's argument is compelling); interesting in the sense that Professor Lessig has great sense of humour in explaining the present situation; critical, needless to say, Professor Lessig is well-known of his role in the litigation regarding the legitimacy of the extension of the copyright term at the Supreme Court.
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Subjects:  1. Anthropology - Cultural    2. Archaeology / Anthropology    3. Creativity    4. General    5. Internet - General    6. Social Science    7. Sociology    8. Social Science / Sociology / General   

Reviews (1)

Beautifully presented color photography enhances the text
Mary Andrade's bi-lingual (Spanish/English) Day Of The Dead In Mexico: Through The Eyes Of The Soul presents the celebration of one of Mexico's most beautiful, pre-Hispanic traditions as observed in Mexico City, Mixquic, and Morelos, when families honor their ancestors through ritual, festival, and celebration. Beautifully presented color photography enhances the text throughout, including information on the celebratory preparations, buying of items in the marketplace (tianguis) that will be used in the altars; the offerings (ofrendas) in homage to the souls of the dad; and the cemetery vigil. Also very highly recommended for multicultural studies collections and Hispanic culture reading lists are Mary Andrade's companion volume, Day Of The Dead In Mexico: Oaxaca ... which focuses on how the festival observances in the Mexican state of Oaxaca. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. General    2. Literature: Folklore/Mythology    3. Sociology   

Reviews (42)

Motivating and Inspiring
Mark Salzman's tale of working with young adult's in a Los Angeles County detention center is extremely moving and an excellent story of somebody giving back to a group who rarely if ever meets adults who care and are willing to invest their time.I was moved by many of the young adults' writings interspersed between Salzman's writings.While moving and inspiring, Salzman's True Notebooks is also a fair account of young adults in the justice system.

Kudoes for another Book Well Done
Mark Salzman is a wonderful writer whose books grip the reader from start to finish.
The children behind the criminals...
This book is about a man who volunteers at a juvenile facility, teaching writing. The writing of the boys is very telling about what kind of lives they lead previous to their incarceration, but the book is also the story of how harshly these kids are punished by the system, how life has basically failed them and given them very little to turn to besides crime. On many, many occasions, I found myself liking these boys as people- they made me laugh, they made me feel sad, they made me think...And yet they were still murderers, burglars, criminals. How could that be? Juvenile murderers, even! It really got me thinking about who DOES these crimes, and what youth means to the justice system. Very compelling read, and parts are very sad.I highly recommend this one. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. California    2. Composition & Creative Writing - General    3. Creative writing    4. General    5. Juvenile delinquents' writings, American    6. Language Arts / Linguistics / Literacy    7. Los Angeles    8. Social Science    9. Sociology    10. Sociology - Urban    11. Study and teaching    12. Teacher-student relationships    13. Biography & Autobiography / Personal Memoirs   

Subjects:  1. Comparative government    2. General    3. International Relations - General    4. Political Science    5. Politics / Current Events    6. Politics/International Relations    7. Social movements    8. Political Science / General    9. Political activism    10. Sociology, Social Studies   

Reviews (160)

On the Unknown Ideal
Those one star reviewers who equate Hayek with neo-conservativism and arge that inequity, death, and war in world today underscore the horrors of capitalism are missing the point: there is no capitalism in the world today. Under a free market, the war in Iraq would be impossible because the state would not have the power to transfer our money (i.e., our time, effort, hopes, dreams, and creativity) to the military-corporate complex. The state's power to do this is a direct result of our reliance on its authority. FDR stands as the prime example in our country of this habit of the state to steal, throw the people a bone, and then pour immense effort and public cash into its own expansion and hegemony. Taxing to help victims of Katrina does one thing and fails to do another: first, it gives the state permission to tax for whatever reason it would like; second, it fails to help anyone in the path of the hurricane. For a good look at the future in this regard, see China's up-and-coming authoritarian capitalism. (In China, the people do not have universal healthcare, but you bet the bureaucrats do; authorianism, whether "capitalistic" or "communist" will always be so, just as social planning will always give elitists power to kill.)
Awesome
Simply Awesome! I keep having to stop the tape so it can sink in.

Karl Marx, R.I.P.
With just 266 pages of conceptual claritythe mild and unassuming Friedrich Hayek reveals the bogeyman, Karl Marx, to be the brutish boor that he was. Marx had no concept of human nature or more specifically, of individual psychology.Individuals did not exist for Marx, only "classes".And Marx had no interest in human beings as they now exist, but only as they will come to exist in his imagined utopian future.
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Subjects:  1. Business & Economics    2. Business/Economics    3. Development - Economic Development    4. Economic History    5. Economic policy    6. General    7. Sociology    8. Totalitarianism    9. Social Science / General    10. Socialism & left-of-centre democratic ideologies   

Reviews (12)

Global and American Troubles and What Can Be Done
I suspect that many Americans might be intimidated by the title of this book. Americans are told not to think in terms of conflicting class interests; after all, most people are supposedly middle class. Critiques of the wealthy and powerful are seen as expressions of envy, or of antique Stalinist, hippy, or New Deal thinking. In my opinion Jeff Faux does us all a valuable service by trying to revive the debate about the political nature of our world and its implications for our current lives and for our future. His writing is energetic and fresh; this is no dull social science text! At the same time, he presents a lot of evidence in making his arguments, reflecting thorough and careful scholarship. This is no simple partisan account; for example, chapter seven on NAFTA presents is hard-hitting in its critique of the alleged benefits of free trade, but the reader gets the feeling that Faux is basing his analysis on what his data revealed about its complex impacts on the majority of Americans, Canadians, and Mexicans. Overall, whether you are in America or Armenia, you will be entertained and provoked by Faux's writing.

Borrowed Title, Missing Bits, Worthy Restatement of the Threat to Labor
The title appears borrowed from Sam Marcy's original work in 1979 on "The Global Class War and the Destiny of American Labor," but then, no one wanted to listen in the 1970's, when I did my first master's degree, to the three major themes in the political science literature:
Good
A well written book that confirms books I was writing (till my power supply blew out.)
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Subjects:  1. Elite (Social sciences)    2. Global Analysis    3. Globalization    4. Government - U.S. Government    5. Political Science    6. Politics / Current Events    7. Politics/International Relations    8. Public Policy - Economic Policy    9. Social Classes    10. Social Sciences (General)    11. United States    12. American history    13. North America    14. Political Science / Globalization   

Reviews (4)

Look at the charts and graphs
I could not finish reading this book, because I got too involved in studying all the charts and graphs. They tell us (assuming the data is accurate) that we are a little bit diffrent but so is every other nation -- but America is the only super power and that will not make you super popular.

Learn why the United States and the American people are viewed in such a negative light in most corners of the world.
If you have ever wondered why millions of people around the planet seem to dislike the United States so intensely then "America Against the World" is certainly a pretty good place to start your research. Co-authors Andrew Kohut, Director of the Pew Research Center for People and the Press and Bruce Stokes, international economist for the National Journal, have cobbled together a fairly interesting book based on a series of global surveys undertaken by Pew.Much of what these surveys uncovered about world opinion of the United States as a nation really came as no surprise to me.But what was rather unsettling was the revelation that world opinion of the American people has seemingly taken a nosedive over the past few years.While a majority of people overseas concede that Americans are generally industrious and highly creative they also view us as greedy, somewhat dishonest in our business dealings and overly religious. For a variety of reasons Americans view the world very differently from people in the rest of the world, most especially the Europeans and of course Muslims.And frankly, it is really not difficult to understand why these people feel the way they do.People all over the world believe that American culture and values are being shoved down their throats. Americans seem to think this is a good thing but many around the world disagree vehemently.People all over the world also object to our current interventionist foreign policy and many have a particular distaste for President George W. Bush whom they view as some sort of "cowboy"."America Against The World" will help you to understand these important issues more clearly.I have read this kind of book before and I find that they usually become somewhat repetitive and I begin to lose interest.That was the case with this book as well.Nevertheless, if the United States is ever going to repair relations with the rest of the world then it is important that the American people discover what the rest of the world is objecting to and demand that our leaders make the necessary changes in our policies and priorities.It is high time that America rejoined the world community. While it is certainly not the most scintillating book I have read "America Against the World" is nonetheless a useful book to read and digest.

Some Good Information, though Mostly Dated!
We cannot be secure without the respect and understanding of others.One approach to falling support for America is to see the problem as a giant misunderstanding ("if they only knew we are generally religious, love our children, and have high-minded goals"), and another is to blame the global media for distorting and misreporting news about the U.S.A third approach, much more likely to lead to improvement, is based on objective analyses of what caused people overseas to form the positions that they have, and to ask what it might take to soften them.The Pew Research Center undertook a series of global opinion surveys from '02-'05 involving 91,000+ people in 50 nations to discover how the world views America and its people.
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Subjects:  1. General    2. Individualism    3. International Relations - General    4. National characteristics, American    5. Political aspects    6. Politics / Current Events    7. Social Science    8. Sociology    9. United States    10. United States - 21st Century    11. Values    12. Social Science / General   

Subjects:  1. Africa    2. Civilization    3. Civilization, Western    4. General    5. History    6. History - General History    7. Humanities    8. Social Science    9. Sociology    10. Sources    11. World - General    12. Sociology, Social Studies   

Reviews (15)

Informative but long winded
Dancing Girls is a little too long but well written. Brown from England, lives in the Pleasure District for weeks at a time. This can be very painful reading, very young girls are raised to be prostitutes, neglect and abuse are rampant. But I am curious as to how and why Brown (an academic) can leave her own daughters back in England.
Worth every minute of my time & every penny of the money spent
Excellent!!! The only way to describe this book.

Read this book only if...
you have the stomach to digest the extremes of how mankind cansuffer, bear the pain, and still find a reason to live.Written from first hand witness accounts of the author, it takes you into depths few will venture to go.It is hard to believe that such conditions exist anywhere in the world, that caste system (spoken or otherwise) can destine multiple generations into being little more than lust objects.
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Subjects:  1. Lahore    2. Pakistan    3. Prostitutes    4. Prostitution    5. Social Science    6. Social conditions    7. Sociology    8. Sociology Of Women    9. Women    10. Women's Studies - General    11. Social Science / General   

Reviews (3)

Step-by-step guide that is a GREAT reference!
I am currently a Ph.D. student and have had a number of upper-level stat courses. I first received this book toward the end of the required stat courses (Multivariate Methods)...boy, do I wish I had it sooner. Everything is laid out in concise format, it is easy to read, and the material is relevant. Plus, there are also sample APA results sections in each portion. It is a great resource that any grad student should purchase! HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!

Your personalized statistics, SPSS, and APA tutor!
I first used this book in grad school where I actually took a class from Sam Green. I have been keeping it handy ever since. Every chapter explains the statistical test (purpose, background), gives a couple of applied examples, then takes you through SPSS step by step (what options to click on, etc.), shows you the results and how to interpret each based on the example given at the beginning, and then shows you how to write it all up in APA style (what to italicize, where to put spaces, etc., plus how to express it in words). It is the most useful and practical and easy to understand stats book (or stats teacher) I ever encountered. I highly recommend it to everyone, grad students, researchers, academics.

Analyzing and Understanding Data
A more appropriate name for the book would be "Analyzing and Understanding Data Using SPSS for Windows and Macintosh" to underscore the book's usefulness when one is analyzing data and wants explanations of the statistical procedures.This book is not only helpful to those who conduct quantitative research, but also helpful to students enrolled in applied statistics courses, in general research methods, and any course that involve the analysis of quantitative data.The book is very useful because the authors provide many chapters (i.e., lessons) with research examples of applicability, brief explanations of statistical procedures, discussions of underlying assumptions, step-by-step instructions using research examples (with data), descriptions of interpreting the illustrated SPSS output, and reporting the written or table results in APA style. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Computer programs    2. General    3. Research    4. Social Science    5. Social sciences    6. Sociology    7. Statistical methods    8. Statistics    9. Business & Economics / Statistics    10. Mathematical & statistical software    11. Social research & statistics   

Reviews (5)

Very good
It's a must have if you care for icons. Wish it was hardcover.

Just keep it symbol.
Four stars because a book that is involved with communication does it in such a disappointing way. The cover, text pages, bibliography and index are extremely bland.For instance, the few text pages have a line space between the paragraphs and also an indentation on the first line of each par, the bibliography is set in the same weight of type so punctuation is required, this can nearly be eliminated by using various weights of type to separate the different elements, the twenty-two page index could have been less if it was set in three columns instead of two. A Must for any Interactive Designer!
This is one of the best books on symbols by one of the best designers ofthe 20th Century! It includes everything from technical symbols to hobo andastrology signs. If you are an interactive designer this book will prove tobe a useful tool for research for icon design. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Art    2. General    3. Graphic Arts - General    4. Questions & Answers    5. Reference    6. Signs and symbols    7. Sociology    8. History of ideas, intellectual history    9. Reference / Questions & Answers   

Reviews (3)

Good Point, Painful Read
What really endangered the success of Bettie's message was not humanly bias, but her writing style.Bettie tries so hard to convince the reader that her study is important that she becomes verbose; she spends so much time telling us everyone else has it wrong (except for her) that her tone goes from conviction and pleasantly tenacious to grating.The complexity of the issue need not result in literary inaccessibility.Bettie's sentences stretch into several lines and her chapters become bloated when they could easily be summed up by what most people already know:we're missing the rest of the picture if we just focus on gender--it's a more complex issue...otherwise known as:you can't see the forest for the trees.

best book I've read all year
"Women without Class"is a tour de force of exceptional scholarly research and keen social observation.Bettie does a tremendous job exploring how class operates in many powerful, yet subtle ways in the lives of young women in one California high school. She highlights the role of economics, but also addresses issues of race/ethnicity, gender, and sexuality.Through sustained, in-depth ethnographic research, Bettie illuminates the complex social dynamics of a community and brings the personalities, experiences and worries of these young women to life. The book is honest and sharp, reading almost like a novel.I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in sociology, education, youth, race/ethnic relations, or gender.

Great Read for those working with Teens
As a person who works daily with young people both in and out of academic settings, I found this book gave a fresh perspective on how we view teenagers (both men and women) and the influence we have on their lives; especially those influences that are unconcious on our part.It changed the way I perceive my students and gave me new tools for communication.I also thought it was a terrific read; often dramatic and moving.I highly reccomend this book to anyone whose work or lives are connected with young people in America. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. California    2. Children's Studies    3. General    4. Mexican American teenage girls    5. Minority Studies - General    6. Race identity    7. Social Science    8. Social conditions    9. Sociology    10. Teenage girls, White    11. Women's Studies - General    12. American studies    13. Anthropology    14. Cultural studies    15. Social Science / Gender Studies    16. Women's studies   

Reviews (1)

Informative, Engaging, and Timely!
At a time of renewed debate over Medicare and Social Security, this is an important and insightful look at the origins and effects of America��s distinctive public-private system of social welfare.Hacker��s main point is that the American ��welfare regime�� (he prefers this formulation to the common term, ��welfare state��) is a lot larger than most people think because, unlike most European nations, the United States relies heavily on private social benefits provided by employers, for example, private health insurance.The book carefully explains why private benefits play such a large role in the United States, why the role of private benefits differs between the two biggest areas of U.S. social policy -- health insurance and retirement pensions -- and what difference all this makes for the politics of U.S. social policy and the nature of present political debates.The book is original and well-researched.And even if you delve into the more theoretical parts of the book, it's a joy to read -- a rare combination of academic rigor, lucid prose, and clear thinking about current affairs. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Economic Conditions    2. Economics - General    3. General    4. Political Science    5. Politics / Current Events    6. Politics/International Relations    7. Privatization    8. Public Policy - Social Services & Welfare    9. Social policy    10. United States&n