Truth and Photography: Notes on Looking and Photographing
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Essays reflecting on working photography experiences
Truth and Photography: Notes on Looking and Photographing
Jerry L. Thompson
Manufacturer: Ivan R. Dee, Publisher
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

RealismRealism | Schools, Periods & Styles | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
Criticism & EssaysCriticism & Essays | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
GeneralGeneral | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
HistoryHistory | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
Photo EssaysPhoto Essays | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 156663539X

Book Description

Essays by one of the great, classical, American portrait photographers of this era. Move over Susan Sontag! --Michael Lesy. Not only are Jerry Thompson's essays beautifully composed, but their complete success in aligning so much precise observation with such a wide and intellectually appropriate range of critical thought makes them unique in the entire literature on photography, at least as far as I am acquainted with it. --Hilton Kramer

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Essays reflecting on working photography experiences.......2004-03-04

Pictures via camera reflect not only what the photographer sees, but what he thinks about. The most successful reflect an understanding of things as much as their image, and Jerry Thompson's exploration of the relationship between seeing and thinking in Truth And Photography provides a set of fine duotone photos to illustrate essays reflecting on working photography experiences.

How to Draw and Paint Wild Flowers
Average customer rating: Not rated
    How to Draw and Paint Wild Flowers
    Keith West
    Manufacturer: Timber Press, Incorporated
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Hardcover

    Study & TeachingStudy & Teaching | Reference | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
    GeneralGeneral | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
    DrawingDrawing | Instructional & How-To | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
    Science IllustrationScience Illustration | Commercial | Graphic Design | Design & Decorative Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
    GeneralGeneral | Drawing | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
    GeneralGeneral | Painting | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
    GeneralGeneral | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
    FlowersFlowers | Plants | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
    GeneralGeneral | Botany | Biological Sciences | Science | Subjects | Books
    ASIN: 0881922390

    Pictures Under Discussion
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      Pictures Under Discussion
      John Loengard
      Manufacturer: Watson-Guptill Pubns
      ProductGroup: Book
      Binding: Paperback

      Bargain BooksBargain Books | Stores | Books | Arts & Photography | Audiobooks | Biography | Business & Investing | Calendars | Children | Computers & Internet | Cooking, Food & Wine | Film | Greeting Cards & Accessories | Health, Mind & Body | History | Home & Garden | Humor, Comics & Pop Culture | Literature & Fiction | Mysteries & Thrillers | Nonfiction | Parenting & Families | Reference | Religion & Spirituality | Romance | Science & Nature | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Sports | Teens | Travel
      GeneralGeneral | Photography | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books
      ASIN: 081745540X
      Pictures Under Discussion
      Average customer rating: Not rated
        Pictures Under Discussion

        Manufacturer: Watson-Guptill Pubns
        ProductGroup: Book
        Binding: Paperback
        ASIN: 999229308X

        Hamtaro Trading Card Game: The Official Strategy Guide
        Average customer rating: Not rated
          Hamtaro Trading Card Game: The Official Strategy Guide

          Manufacturer: VIZ Media LLC
          ProductGroup: Book
          Binding: Paperback

          FictionFiction | Mice, Hamsters, Guinea Pigs & Squirrels | Animals | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
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          FantasyFantasy | Manga | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
          GeneralGeneral | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
          ASIN: 1569319405

          Book Description

          The Hamtaro series is a favorite on the Cartoon Network and Hamtaro trading cards are the newest way to enjoy Hamtaro art and characters, and this book explains them all. Based on the first three series of trading cards available from Artbox, this official full-color how-to guide contains a complete description of each card, its fortune-telling significance, loads of cute and colorful illustrations from the cards of all the Ham-Hams, plus lots of new characters. Packaged in a handy slipcover, it includes instructions on various ways of playing with the cards to help maximize the fun.

          Making a Good Writer Great: A Creativity Workbook for Screenwriters
          Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
          • One of the Great Books on Creative Problem Solving
          • A Misnomer
          • break through writer's block
          • A real friend to all writers!
          • A must read for all screenwriters!
          Making a Good Writer Great: A Creativity Workbook for Screenwriters
          Linda Seger , and Silman-James Press
          Manufacturer: Silman-James Press
          ProductGroup: Book
          Binding: Paperback

          GeneralGeneral | Movies | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
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          4. The 101 Habits of Highly Successful Screenwriters: Insider's Secrets from Hollywood's Top Writers The 101 Habits of Highly Successful Screenwriters: Insider's Secrets from Hollywood's Top Writers
          5. Art Of Dramatic Writing: Its Basis in the Creative Interpretation of Human Motives Art Of Dramatic Writing: Its Basis in the Creative Interpretation of Human Motives

          ASIN: 1879505495

          Book Description

          In any creative endeavor, a knowledge of craft by itself, no matter how sound or thorough, is simply not sufficient to allow for the creation and growth of truly original work. While craft may provide structural tools, it does not address the most basic and universal element of all artistic work-the creative process. Designed not just to awaken creativity but to teach the writer the process of being a creative thinker within the context of screenwriting, this unique new addition to Linda Seger's highly popular collection of screenwriting books combines current theories of creativity with the practices of screenwriting, focusing on ways in which screenwriters can learn to think and work more creatively. Through discussion, exercises and analysis of scripts, one is eased into understanding and working with such pivotal creative concepts as nonlinear thinking, visual thinking, metaphorical thinking, oppositional thinking and utilizing one's unconscious mind. Making a Good Writer Great does just what its title professes-provides both novice and experienced writers with the means to expand their creative processes and write at a higher artistic level.

          Customer Reviews:

          5 out of 5 stars One of the Great Books on Creative Problem Solving.......2006-09-22

          I love and collect books on creativity and problem solving. One of my favorites is Dr. Linda Seger's, Making a Good Writer Great: A Creative Workbook for Screenwriters. The title, unfortunately, is too narrow for its own good. It should be: Unleashing Your Creative Genius: Screenwriting as a Metaphor for World Peace...or something just as ostentatious. I'm serious. First, using Linda's techniques just replace all forms of the term "writer" for whatever job you're in: "engineer," "teacher," "mother," "assembler," "unemployed," or "politician." (On second thought, strike that last example.) Second, insert YOURSELF as the protagonist of YOUR PERSONAL story. Third, pick the problem you're having difficulty solving. And finally, using Linda's techniques and exercises creatively think your way to a solution just as you would the fictional character in a story. The problems that face all of us--writer, repressed child, or okay, even world leader--can be solved by using Linda's 12-step program. Here they are in my own words. 1. Discover your mission (or goal). 2. Articulate your values. 3. List the obstacles. 4. Plot turning points around the obstacles. 5. Stick to your passions. 6. Master your powers of observation. 7. Attach meaning to your experiences. 8. Accept your flaws as reasons to persevere. 9. Leverage the opposing forces. 10. Purpose to change the world. 11. Ask God for supernatural inspiration. And 12. Use feedback to ever improve. Linda's book is a winning tool for everyone...including writers.

          Linda's writing was very helpful in the writing of my own book on screenwriting published by Michael Wiese Productions: THE MORAL PREMISE: Harnessing Virtue and Vice for Box Office Success.

          5 out of 5 stars A Misnomer.......2004-03-04

          I've always felt this book had an unfortunate title and may have done much better without the "Screenwriter" addendum. The fact is that the advice and exercises that Seger gives is germane to all writers - the novelist, short story writer, as well as the screenwriter.

          The "Creativity Workbook" aspect is a true title, however. This is a wonderful book for those of you who feel you're suffering from writer's block. The only solution, of course, is to just write. Even if you're writing "I don't know what to write...this is awful...I have no idea what to write..." still do it. Eventually you'll have a break through. Seger hides this simple fact into her ingenious exercises, giving you situation after to situation to write about, all the while developing characters and plot ideas.

          Her focus is to truly help you develop as a writer, not merely beef up your script with cheap, dime-a-dozen plot methods. In that aspect, this book is rather unique and very successful. One of the better writing books available.

          5 out of 5 stars break through writer's block.......2002-02-05

          Linda Seger offers a number of ways to re-start the creative process; if only one of them works for you, the book is worth it.

          Just reading through the exercises in this book was enough to get me through a serious case of writer's block. She includes an entire chapter on tapping into your religious/spiritual side to flesh out characters and deepen plot, but don't worry: If that won't work for you, she suggests skipping ahead -- there are plenty more idea-provoking suggestions to come.

          It's a resource to turn to again and again, whenever a dead end looms.

          5 out of 5 stars A real friend to all writers!.......2000-07-16

          This book combines craft and creativity and provides writers with the knowledge necessary to write at the highest artistic level. The exercises within can be reused time and again and push a writer to think outside the box.

          Not a paint-by-numbers approach, instead this author guides you into unlocking and strengthening your own, original voice.

          What are you waiting for? This is a great resource!

          5 out of 5 stars A must read for all screenwriters!.......2000-04-27

          I've found so much inspiration in Making a Good Writer Great. Seger's words have helped me break through that brick wall. She is truly a light to see by. I can call myself a screenwriter once again.

          Ain't Misbehavin': The Story of Fats Waller (Da Capo Paperback)
          Average customer rating: Not rated
            Ain't Misbehavin': The Story of Fats Waller (Da Capo Paperback)
            Ed Kirkeby , and W. T. Ed Kirkeby
            Manufacturer: Da Capo
            ProductGroup: Book
            Binding: Paperback

            GeneralGeneral | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
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            ASIN: 0306800152
            Ain't Misbehavin' : The Story of Fats Waller
            Average customer rating: Not rated
              Ain't Misbehavin' : The Story of Fats Waller
              Ed Kirkeby
              Manufacturer: Dodd, Mead
              ProductGroup: Book
              Binding: Hardcover
              ASIN: B000GLP742
              Ain't Misbehavin': The Story of Fats Waller
              Average customer rating: Not rated
                Ain't Misbehavin': The Story of Fats Waller
                Ed with Duncan P. Schiedt and Sinclair Traill Kirkeby
                Manufacturer: Dodd, Mead & Co
                ProductGroup: Book
                Binding: Hardcover
                ASIN: B000NSBGNO
                Ain't Misbehavin': The Story of Fats Waller
                Average customer rating: Not rated
                  Ain't Misbehavin': The Story of Fats Waller
                  Ed Kirkeby
                  Manufacturer: Dodd, Mead & Company
                  ProductGroup: Book
                  Binding: Unknown Binding
                  ASIN: B0000CN2OW
                  Ain't Misbehavin': The Story of Fats Waller
                  Average customer rating: Not rated
                    Ain't Misbehavin': The Story of Fats Waller

                    Manufacturer: Da Capo Press
                    ProductGroup: Book
                    Binding: Paperback
                    ASIN: B000HJHAXO
                    Ain't Misbehavin': The Story of Fats Waller
                    Average customer rating: Not rated
                      Ain't Misbehavin': The Story of Fats Waller
                      Ed in collaboration with Duncan P Schiedt and Sinclair Traill Kirkeby
                      Manufacturer: Da Capo Pr
                      ProductGroup: Book
                      Binding: Paperback
                      ASIN: B000OSLZ70

                      Cabinetmaking Procedures for the Small Shop: Commerical Techniques That Really Work
                      Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
                      • Great Advice but the Book is Narrowly Focused
                      • This is not the last cabinetmaking book you will read...
                      • If you're building kitchen cabinets, read this book.
                      Cabinetmaking Procedures for the Small Shop: Commerical Techniques That Really Work
                      Kevin Fristad , and John Ward
                      Manufacturer: Cambium Press
                      ProductGroup: Book
                      Binding: Paperback

                      GeneralGeneral | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
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                      Furniture & CarpentryFurniture & Carpentry | Woodworking | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
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                      ASIN: 1892836114

                      Book Description

                      An amateur cabinetmaker, no matter how skillful, runs into a whole new set of problems when he or she takes on a large project-building all the cabinets for a kitchen or a study, for example-or ventures into cabinetmaking as a commercial venture. For these larger production projects, the issues of accurate and consistent measurement, standardization, efficiency, and procedure become crucial. This practical manual explains how to keep the work flowing and how to keep the quality high in a custom cabinet shop.

                      Customer Reviews:

                      4 out of 5 stars Great Advice but the Book is Narrowly Focused.......2006-03-09

                      The title of this book is spot on. The book is a detailed procedure for making cabinets in a small (1-3 people) shop. The authors give detailed advice on the procedure they have used for many years to make a profit and still have time to spend with the family.

                      But that is also the limitation of this book. For example, the authors glue face frames to the cabinet and they give great advice on this. However, there are other popular methods, such as biscuits and pocket screw holes. Both of these methods warrant only a superficial discussion. And both of the methods are popular and have pluses and minuses. But alas, the authors only really cover dowels and gluing.

                      Recently, I was asked to design an entire kitchen of cabinets. I used this book a lot to answer some very specific, detailed questions regarding carcass construction. The example drawings are pretty darn good.

                      The authors' discussion of door building is a bit brief. They state that it is really important to keep doors flat. Duh. Any suggestions for making sure they are flat? Jigs? What about procedures for gluing up 15 doors at a time? Any idea regarding storage racks? They suggest having a third party do all of the work. Sorry, but my clients want me involved every step of the way including selecting appropriate grain and making sure there is continuity.

                      3 out of 5 stars This is not the last cabinetmaking book you will read..........2002-11-04

                      Nor should it be your first. The authors have more than 20 years of experience in cabinet shops. They have good advice and smart tips. This short book (96 pages) strikes me as being a great employee training manual. If you are new, this is a good place to begin learning how to build cabinets. The authors explore issues like face frame cabinets versus Euro or frameless case constrution. But there is not enough detailed instruction for a novice to design or build cabinets based just on the information in the chapters.

                      If you are experienced, this book will remind you of the many things you are suppose to know. For instance, make sure your cabinets will fit through doorways and up stairs. The authors remind you to account for the floor material so a dishwasher will still fit under the cabinet when the 3/4 inch flooring is installed. There is a brief discussion about schematics and how to measure jobsites.

                      The authors discuss business practices, contracts, estimating, shop drawings and equipment choices. This is a lot of ground to cover in a few pages so they can not go into much detail about any aspect. The reader can find books that have more detailed instruction on cabinetmaking and other books that cover how to run a woodworking business. If the authors of this book are a bit overly ambitious, I respect their solid advice and practices based on hard experience in the field. They have a refreshingly positive attitude that makes the book a pleasure to read.

                      5 out of 5 stars If you're building kitchen cabinets, read this book........2002-05-26

                      As a professional furniture maker building his first kitchen, I found Fristad's book the most useful of the three I read - the other two being the best sellers. This book is about production; how to make money; how not to make mistakes; how to streamline the process; how to get the sequence right. It covers both frame and frameless cabinets. No pictures, but lots of good drawing that are really all that are needed. While you need to know the information contained in the other books, this book fills in all the gaps that the others leave out. I recommend this book both to pros and people building a kitchen only for themselves.

                      Deregulation and the Future of Commercial Television (David Hume Papers, No 12)
                      Average customer rating: Not rated
                        Deregulation and the Future of Commercial Television (David Hume Papers, No 12)
                        Gordon Hughes
                        Manufacturer: Aberdeen University Press
                        ProductGroup: Book
                        Binding: Paperback

                        GeneralGeneral | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
                        GeneralGeneral | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
                        TechnicalTechnical | Video | Movies | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
                        GeneralGeneral | Television | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
                        TransportationTransportation | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books | Aviation | Economics | Ferries | General | Mass Transit | Policy | RVs | Railroads | Reference | Research | Ships
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                        Television & VideoTelevision & Video | Telecommunications | Engineering | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books
                        ASIN: 008037963X

                        The Land of Rodina
                        Average customer rating: Not rated
                          The Land of Rodina
                          Arch Brown
                          Manufacturer: BookSurge Publishing
                          ProductGroup: Book
                          Binding: Paperback

                          Love, Sex & MarriageLove, Sex & Marriage | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
                          GayGay | Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Gay & Lesbian | Subjects | Books
                          GeneralGeneral | Family Relationships | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books
                          GeneralGeneral | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books
                          ASIN: 159457202X
                          Release Date: 2004-04-05

                          Book Description

                          Stuart Cernak decides to return to his roots on the stinky stockyard-side of Chicago for the funeral of a favorite cousin after having lived in Manhattan for a dozen years and is witness to the catastrophic and comical climax of 70 years of family gossip and jealousy. Overwrought aunts and overfed uncles vie for attention with oversexed cousins and overbearing mothers.

                          Pacific War Eagles: China/Pacific Aerial Conflict in Original Color
                          Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
                          • WWII Pacific War Eagles
                          Pacific War Eagles: China/Pacific Aerial Conflict in Original Color
                          Jeffrey L. Ethell , and Warren M. Bodie
                          Manufacturer: Widewing Publications
                          ProductGroup: Book
                          Binding: Hardcover

                          AviationAviation | Military | History | Subjects | Books
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                          ASIN: 096293593X

                          Customer Reviews:

                          5 out of 5 stars WWII Pacific War Eagles.......2001-08-11

                          Very well done! The color photos were excellent adding a whole new dimension to that horrendous conflict. Jeffrey J. Ethell and Warren M. Bodie have done a great service to all who participated in the Pacific war.

                          How Democratic is the American Constitution? Second Edition
                          Average customer rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
                          • Not Very
                          • Jim Jones lives...
                          • No example for the world
                          • A writer unqualified for his declared task
                          • "ACTIVIST" JUDGES versus THE "PASSIVE" CONSTITUTION?
                          How Democratic is the American Constitution? Second Edition
                          Robert A. Dahl
                          Manufacturer: Yale University Press
                          ProductGroup: Book
                          Binding: Paperback

                          ConstitutionsConstitutions | Government | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
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                          3. Storm Center: The Supreme Court in American Politics, Seventh Edition Storm Center: The Supreme Court in American Politics, Seventh Edition
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                          5. The Words We Live By: Your Annotated Guide to the Constitution (Stonesong Press Books) The Words We Live By: Your Annotated Guide to the Constitution (Stonesong Press Books)

                          ASIN: 0300095244

                          Book Description

                          In this provocative book, one of our most eminent political scientists questions the extent to which the American Constitution furthers democratic goals. Robert Dahl reveals the Constitution's potentially antidemocratic elements and explains why they are there, compares the American constitutional system to other democratic systems, and explores how we might alter our political system to achieve greater equality among citizens. In a new chapter for this second edition, he shows how increasing differences in state populations revealed by the Census of 2000 have further increased the veto power over constitutional amendments held by a tiny minority of Americans. He then explores the prospects for changing some important political practices that are not prescribed by the written Constitution, though most Americans may assume them to be so.

                          Customer Reviews:

                          4 out of 5 stars Not Very.......2006-12-21

                          This slim little book has a single, narrow objective, and, with commendable consistency, it refuses to stray. The focus is simple, and given in the very title: How democratic is the American Constitution? The answer, which it deliberately and relentlessly drives home, is, "Not very."

                          It is with this point that a lot of the reviewers seem to take issue, and let no potential buyer be mistaken: this is the only topic Dahl discusses in this book. He does not wish to argue why absolute and unimpeded democracy should be pursued. Nor does he bother discussing the virtues of whatever checks to pure mob rule America employs. Certainly, he believes that America should have less impediments to democracy--a notion most apparent toward the end--but that is more of an undercurrent to his thought than an inherent element to the argument at hand.

                          Hence, Dahl points to the Electoral College, the Senate, the Supreme Court, and a variety of other elements of American government only with the intent of proving how they are undemocratic, and how they should be if the American Constitution strove for unfettered democracy. That the Senate, for instance, may be a legitimate tool of federalism as a nod toward state existence is irrelevant; the very notion of federalism is undemocratic, as it creates a source of legitimacy not founded in the people, and consequently it comes under fire. Anyone looking for plausible arguments of why democracy should have limits, and why there should be a Supreme Court capable of curtailing the will of the people (if indeed it can for any respectable period of time) should look elsewhere. It is unfair to this book's streamlined purpose to expect tangential discussion of why democracy is good or bad in a given case.

                          The question that it does strive to answer, however, it does clearly and concisely, and for this point alone should enjoy one's reading.

                          1 out of 5 stars Jim Jones lives..........2006-06-02

                          The issue of how best to govern a nation is of great importance and should be explored through intellectual, logical debate. Dahl's book does not carry the weight this topic deserves because he entirely avoids exposure of the logical constructs from which his conclusions stem.

                          Dahl's unstated presupposition is that democracy is a superior form of government compared with representative democracy. This presupposition is never discussed and simply assumed true by Dahl. This is strong evidence that Dahl hopes to persuade, not promote his ideas in this op-ed piece. Since he offers no logical constructs regarding his specific ideas and avoids direct questioning of potential hazards of his ideas, he does not offer the non-critically thinking reader pause for review. Instead he promotes safe, non-threatening ideas that will be easily agreed to by the reader. Once the reader is agreeing with what is said it is nearly effortless to get the reader to agree to the next idea, even if the two ideas are completely unrelated. In fact, the very fashion in which Dahl presented his justification for changing the constitution was one such trick.

                          Dahl states that during the time of the constitutional convention we were far less technologically advanced. He tells the reader that DaVinci could have done absolutely marvelous things had modern technology been at his dispose. This is certainly debatable if one were to stop and question what circumstances allowed DaVinci to do what he had done. However, for most, this is an idea that will be readily agreed to and will strike imagination and hope, exactly the combination needed to persuade people of such things as Dahl desires. Dahl never strikes his assumption that technological advances also bring about social and political advances, for which he could have at least made a case. He never brings the topic for discussion and simply behaves as if the point had been struck. However, societal advances are not directly conjured through technological advances and in many cases societal norms become less democratic (what Dahl would call more advanced) with technological advances. And thus, we can see why Dahl avoided intellectual debate and instead opted for a trick.

                          This is an old, extremely effective sales trick which has personally been used to do things like sell movies to people that did not own a television and found movies morally wrong. This anecdote is not just presented to expose Dahl's method, but is also presented here to strike a point: People are gullible and will easily agree to do things to which they are morally opposed, much less unsure of or apathetic to. This is the very reason to avoid a direct democracy and there are historical examples of such things happening, which of course, Dahl fails to acknowledge. Furthermore, it is precisely self-serving tricksters that the founding fathers had in mind when writing the constitution--no wonder Dahl detests it so.

                          Dahl uses others tricks that an unsuspecting reader will miss. For example, Dahl goes through some effort to legitimize his term "founding framers," in preference to "founding fathers." This has absolutely no relevance to the discussion of representative government versus pure democracy. However, what it does do is remove a name that places the creators of the constitution on a pedestal and replaces it with something less reverent. This is not to suggest that changing the name to "founding framers," and removing some of the reverence is a bad thing. But combined with the other tricks in this book, it is highly suspicious and comes across as name calling.

                          Furthermore, it is a rather surprising move on Dahl's part after he showed such deftness with persuasion (discussed in the previous paragraph) in other parts of the book. The reason it is surprising is that the very people he would hope to convince would likely be the people that would put his book away after reading this passage. Dahl is certainly not a dumb individual; so for whom is this book written, the like minded or the variant of Dahl? It is most likely the latter of the two.
                          He claims that Tocqueville predicted a "collapse of society," due to the nature of a pure democracy and gives examples of trials which modern societies have faced without collapsing. Yet, again, he fails to address the heart of his argument and instead opts for something safe and at best tangent to his point, i.e. wars and depression which have nothing to do with the nature of democracy causing a legislative overload and collapse. And yet, Tocqueville is highly accurate when he discusses the stifling laws and regulations that will govern a purely democratic state. On needs to look no further than license requirements for bicycles in modern democratic countries.

                          Dahl claims he believes in "intrinsic equality," which he defines as inalienable political equality among all citizens. He further claims that the intrinsic equality is what not only allows but actually promotes democracy because the majority population will respect the intrinsic equality of the minority population. So, live and let live, allow for consideration of differences of opinion on even the most important subjects is what Dahl claims to believe in and promote. However, talk is cheap. Dahl later states, "...it is difficult for me to see how a significantly different proposition could be defended, particularly if we draw on crucial historical cases...," (131). He later refers to his own judgments as, "prudent," while referring to the judgments of others as based in "hopeless ignorance." It appears that Dahl fails to uphold the very standard he promotes as being the basis for a pure democracy.

                          Dahl directly states that he considers his own opinions correct and prudent and perceives views in variation from his own as invalid. He claims that the founding fathers had personal motivations and designed our government to promote their own interests. He claimed that people today are superior that people in the past. And because of these things, it must seem to Dahl that the debate of a purely democratic society versus a representative democracy is moot.

                          That said, merit exists in some of his points and objections about our current government. However, his methods of tricking and avoiding direct promotion of his ideas are distasteful and less effective than its compliment. Without allowing the reader preview to arguments, one cannot accurately gauge Dahl's position and thus cannot identify where differences of opinion stem. Since it is highly unlikely that Dahl will be charged with the tasks of creating a new constitution, it is likely that Dahl's work will only benefit his cause by creating a stir among his like-minded, which is certainly not respectful to Dahl's dissenters.

                          If offered the opportunity, it would be of great interest to hear what Dahl would say regarding the role of pure democracy in the fall of Athens, or to have him explain what mechanism would prevent a pure democracy from passing arbitrary or spiteful laws into action. Or perhaps it would be good to see a working example of a successful pure democracy in business or politics (money and power); the two things that ultimately drive government action. These are the issues that his concepts bring forth and since he wholly failed to address them, his book lacks the weight required to address how to best govern a free body of people.

                          5 out of 5 stars No example for the world.......2006-04-09

                          Dahl's fine book attacks the American Constitution and system of government for each of the following undemocratic features, most of them totally unique to the US among the world's advanced democracies, and all very rare.


                          ? The Electoral College.

                          ? A bicameral legislature.

                          ? Grotesquely unequal representation in the Senate.

                          ? Judicial review (veto) of acts of the federal legislature, duly signed into law by the President.

                          ? Judicial legislation ("policy making") under cover of enforcement of the Constitution.

                          ? Single member legislative districts with plurality voting (so-called, "first past the post"), contrasted unfavorably with proportional representation and runoff systems.

                          ? The two party system.

                          ? A President with important powers wholly independent of the legislature, contrasted unfavorably with the much more common system of ministerial government responsible to the legislature.

                          ? A strong federal system imposing significant limits on the powers of the general government.

                          This is a short book in which, of course, RD does not say all he knows, or complain of every undemocratic characteristic of our system. For example, he does not complain of these, and so proposes no better alternative - however hopeless.


                          ? Federal judges are appointed rather than elected.

                          ? Federal judges have effective life tenure.

                          ? There is no federal recall.

                          ? There is no federal initiative.

                          ? There is no federal referendum.

                          ? Legislation is unduly influenced, and often even written, by lobbyists in service of moneyed interests (RD does allude to this).

                          ? Tens of millions of America's mentally competent, non-criminal permanent residents lack the franchise.

                          ? Tens of millions of America's people who have the franchise do not vote. (In the words of Sharona Fleming, "It only encourages them.")

                          ? There is no "None of the above" option for voters.

                          ? The means of campaigning are almost wholly within the gift of the rich (RD does allude to this disgraceful fact in one sentence).

                          ? The means of political propaganda in general, from report and comment in the mass media to the productions of "think tanks," are almost wholly within the gift of the rich.

                          ? Holders of high federal office - including judges, legislators, and the President - are nearly all lawyers and nearly all personally members of the wealthiest strata.

                          ? The legislature has only the slightest real impact on foreign policy in general, and not much even on treaties. It has none on the extra-constitutional device of the "executive agreement."

                          ? The requirement of a Congressional declaration of war is not observed and is without effect.

                          ? There is no popular constraint on, or control over, government - and in reality Presidential - war-making power.

                          RD is justly pessimistic about the prospects for democratic change, but says not a word about why. But we know why, don't we? Many, if not all, of the undemocratic features of our system serve to protect the interests of the oligarchy who own and operate that machine.

                          And some are bizarre. Did you know the inequalities of representation enshrined in the Senate (half of America's people elect 18 Senators, while the other half elect 82) are reproduced in lesser degree to the benefit of the very same states in the Electoral College, giving them a wildly disproportionate impact on the selection of the President?

                          Over 700 proposals to reform or abolish the Electoral College have been passed in the House - and died in the Senate.

                          1 out of 5 stars A writer unqualified for his declared task.......2005-12-26

                          Mr Dahl claims he does not intend to propose changes to the Constitution, but, rather, changes in how we think about it. Since he appears ignorant of his subject, I find him unqualified to suggest either.

                          Howbeit disrespectful of the powers of the States - and the people's rights as citizens of the States - the Framers were, they still knew of those powers and rights, and much of what they did and said - and what they did not do or say - was affected by that knowledge - a knowledge Mr Dahl either lacks or disrespects.

                          Many of the faults found with the Constitution share a source: the fact that many powers that have been arrogated by the "federal" government belonged to the States, at the time of the Constitutional Convention. The franchise, for example, was defined and controlled at the state level and the central government had no business trifling with it. Slavery was a matter of property law - a body of law over which the central government had no power. (Indeed, the amendment eventually adopted as the fifth prohibits expropriation except as accompanied by compensation or due process; even with compensation or due process, the property must be taken for public use - an eventuality unlikely to appeal to the average slave of the time.)

                          The time to discuss this separation of power - this check on central power - was in an early chapter of Mr Dahl's effort, and he failed even to hint at the power of the States, let alone to comment on their importance in balancing the power of the central government.

                          While Mr Dahl's book may have a certain curiosity value, to those who need to know how not to write political history, I found it worthless to anyone with an honest interest in his stated subject.

                          5 out of 5 stars "ACTIVIST" JUDGES versus THE "PASSIVE" CONSTITUTION?.......2005-05-17

                          This book is a little gem, A CLASSIC worthy of the broadest possible readership, and the widest possible debate. The questions it raises are profound and important; the solutions it suggests are penetrating and sane ... even if, at times, wrong!

                          Dahl is an eminent political scientist, and his aim (mainly) is to show the extent to which the current version of the Constitution is far less democratic than we sometimes imagine. Not only is it NOT the world-wide model for democratic development that we fondly imagine it to be, but newly-democratising countries routinely reject the American model, precisely because of its anti-democratic tendencies. This is clearly not the view we get in our High Schools, where mindless Constitution worship is the order of the day; and where any suggestion that we could learn from the rest of the world is regarded as a malign, domestic strand of Anti-Americanism!

                          Dahl's question never even arises in U.S. History courses where the standard treatment is to regard The Constitution as a Sacred Document akin to The Ten Commandments:The divinely inspired Framers simply bequeath it to a (clueless but) grateful People!

                          That said, however, Dahl's perception of the historical development of the U.S. Constitution is somewhat skewed. For, it is clear even in his own account of the proceedings of the Constitutional Convention (given here), that the Constitution was NEVER intended to be "democratic". Its aim was, simply, to create an Aristocratic Republic; one which hedged its bets whenever possible on the troublesome question of `popular' input. If you doubt that then simply reflect on the two most undemocratic aspects of the American system: the Presidency (the Electoral College vote trumps the popular vote every time); and the Senate (popularly elected only since the Seventeenth Amendment, 1913). Indeed, the Senate is so profoundly un-democratic that Dahl rightly castigates it as "the graveyard of constitutional amendments" aiming to end the abominable electoral college system (p. 87). And that's just the most obvious of the Senate's failings!

                          The great beauty of Dahl's little book is that even if you disagree with it, you win! It is impossible not to be improved by reading this work! The author writes in an accessible, jargon-free style that draws you in; and the spiders-web of interlocking questions followed by clear and clever analyses will keep you reading to the end.

                          In the midst of our current wrangles about activist judges it is sometimes assumed that the Constitution is a mere passive backdrop. Dahl's work will cure you of that mis-perception, and of the assumption that a critical appreciation of the Constitution necessarily validates judicial review! It doesn't.

                          In a culture dominated by the most mindless kinds of Constitution-worshipping cant, this book stands apart. It is probing and critical without being mean-spirited or irreverent. The questions it raises don't subvert the Constitution, or the Framers; they strengthen our appreciation of both.

                          A rara avis indeed: a book for the intelligent layman that does not treat us like dummies.
                          How Democratic Is the American Constitution?(Book Review): An article from: Constitutional Commentary
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                            How Democratic Is the American Constitution?(Book Review): An article from: Constitutional Commentary
                            Miranda Oshige McGowan
                            Manufacturer: Constitutional Commentary, Inc.
                            ProductGroup: Book
                            Binding: Digital

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                            Release Date: 2005-08-01

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                            This digital document is an article from Constitutional Commentary, published by Constitutional Commentary, Inc. on December 22, 2003. The length of the article is 8237 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

                            Citation Details
                            Title: How Democratic Is the American Constitution?(Book Review)
                            Author: Miranda Oshige McGowan
                            Publication: Constitutional Commentary (Refereed)
                            Date: December 22, 2003
                            Publisher: Constitutional Commentary, Inc.
                            Volume: 20 Issue: 3 Page: 631(19)

                            Article Type: Book Review

                            Distributed by Thomson Gale
                            How Democratic Is the American Constitution? (Castle Lectures in Ethics, Politics, and Economics)
                            Average customer rating: Not rated
                              How Democratic Is the American Constitution? (Castle Lectures in Ethics, Politics, and Economics)
                              Robert Alan Dahl
                              Manufacturer: Yale University Press
                              ProductGroup: Book
                              Binding: Paperback
                              ASIN: B000N72BUW
                              How Democratic is the American Constitution? (The Castle Lecture Ser.)
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                                How Democratic is the American Constitution? (The Castle Lecture Ser.)
                                Robert Alan Dahl
                                Manufacturer: Yale University Press
                                ProductGroup: Book
                                Binding: Paperback
                                ASIN: B000ORS3YO

                                The Skinny Guide to Birds of Prey: A Guide for All of North America (The Skinny Guide to Series)
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                                  The Skinny Guide to Birds of Prey: A Guide for All of North America (The Skinny Guide to Series)
                                  Krista K. Glasser
                                  Manufacturer: Krista K. Glasser
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