Being interested in the legality of Lincoln calling on troops to supress a domestic and not a foreign threat is appealing to me, since it was, what I thought, a violation of the powers of the presidency. Grabbing this, I thought it might bring aboveboard his actions. The title is somewhat deceieving in that the first 4 1/2 chapters discuss the founding fathers and their ideaology on various presidential powers and states' rights: intriguing to read, but way too much history of the constitutional debates. Finishing the book, I came to realize this was the author's way of defending his conclusions: that Lincoln did not abuse his powers and acted within the bounderies of constitutional law (though the last chapter discussing Lincoln's enfringement on Free Speech is hard to swallow as legal.) Still a fascinating read on the topic of constitutional power,that is just as important today as it was then.

"Lincoln's Constitution" first examines the Constitution as Lincoln found it at the beginning of his administration, with emphasis on state - federal relations, including the right of secession. Like most modern legal scholars, Prof. Faber clearly sides with Lincoln on this (and most other constitutional issues), but he is also careful to show that believers in states' rights and secession had good historical reasons for their views. With this background, the author then examines the Constitutional issues Lincoln faced in dealing with the unprecedented challenge of waging the Civil War. Here the focus shifts to presidential war powers and civil liberties in time of war. The author points out where Lincoln was right (in light of later precedents) and where he was wrong. Again, the views of both his supporters and his critics are fully examined. Finally, Faber clearly explains the relevance of all these issues for citizens of our own time.
Authoritative, up-to-date and balanced, "Lincoln's Constitution" is an essential supplement to J.G. Randall's classic (but now dated) "Constitutional Problems Under Lincoln."

Barry Brukoff has done a truly fine job of capturing the essence of Machu Picchu. I've told many that you cannot convey the feeling of this place in photos, but Brukoff proves that you can. His photos made me feel as though I was back there, discovering the majesty of the site and indulging in a leisurely and personal exploration of the details that delighted me during my visit, details that those on quick tourist jaunts usually miss. Visually, this book is five stars. Neruda's poetry, however, missed the mark for me. An earlier reviewer picked out the best of it and included those lines in his review (see below). I only wish it all worked that well. Personally, I would have preferred excerpts from Neruda's work and excerpts from the writings of Hiram Bingham (Bingham was the man who discovered the site in 1911).

Whether or not you ever visit, or think you might want to visit Machu Picchu, I highly recommend this gorgeous book to you. The combination of its poetry, photography, and design wonderfully connect us to a distant and mysterious culture which we understand little about today.

Machu Picchu, hidden high in the Andes, was never found by Pizarro and his conquistadors. The city was rediscovered in 1911 by Hiram Bingham. Recently, landslides have made entry much more difficult, and the whole area is at risk to being lost. Should that occur, this wonderful volume will serve as a fitting tribute.

Other than the fact that the rocks themselves were considered sacred, we know little about the purpose of Machu Picchu. Clearly, it was very important to the Incas. Otherwise, no one would have put such an enormous effort into creating a city among the clouds, carved out of solid rock. Because some walls have holes cut in them that allow light into certain interior spaces only on one day a year, it is thought that the area, in part, served an astronomical purpose.

The Chilean poet, Pablo Neruda, created an emotional poem called "The Heights of Machu Picchu" in which he captured our connection to the thousands who lived and toiled to make Machu Picchu . . . and are no more. In 1984, photographer Barry Brukoff hiked in over the original Inca road, to capture the scene with Neruda's poem in his backpack. The result of this trip are the remarkable, spiritual photographs in this book. You will feel like you have been there, will identify with what you see, and will make closer contact through Neruda's poem:

"True being was threshed like kernels of corn in the inexhaustible/granary of lost deeds, of memorable efforts . . . ."

"In you, like two parallel lines,/the cradle of lightning and humanity/rocking together in a thorny wind."

" . . . [Y]ou imploded as in a single autumn/into a single death."

"Today the empty air no longer weeps . . . ."

"The dead kingdom lives on."

"Stone upon stone, and man, where was he?"

"Give me back the slaves you buried!"

"Come up, brother, and be born with me."

" . . . [A]nd let my tears flow, hours, days, years,/through sightless ages, starry Autumn."

If you can read Spanish, the poem is published in both languages, side by side.

The photographs make great use of the high mountain air, changing weather conditions, and the differing light of day and night. Brukoff has also created some very stylish effects with filters and tints, in addition to breathtaking color. Many photographers are good at duotone or color, but few are masters of both. Brukoff is the rare example of this dual skill. A nice tough is the way that the book is bound in linen, and there is a rough edging to frame each image . . . to give the book an almost scrapbook-like feel. The photographic reproductions are superb and well worth the price of the book.

My favorite images included: Morning Sun and Fog; The Temple of the Moon; The Grand Rock Shrine (two views); Royal Mausoleum beneath the Torreon; Central Plaza through Three Windows Wall (first version); Sacred Plaza; Central Plaza and Fog; Agricultural Terrace; The Inti Huatana; The Condor Stone; View of the Inti Huatana Area -- Sacred Rocks Echoing the Mountains to the East; A Stone Ring; Machu Picchu at Sunset; and The Watchman's Hut at Dawn (cover image).

The book also has a helpful prologue by Ms. Isabel Allende which sets the scene for the book's contents.

The feeling of connection to the Incas, to the mountains, and to the sky are strong here. I felt a calmness fill my mind and heart as I caressed each part of the poem and each image with my eyes.

What great things we can accomplish . . . when we have a mighty purpose and connect to our sense of beauty!

i've travelled a lot, and i've usually just picked out the lonely planet book on wherever i'm going almost by habit. but i was getting sick of how dull they are, so i decided to try a different one for this trip. this seemed like the most interesting among the competition.

i like dhow the author took the time to explain so much about the history and ecology of the country. in two and a half months i only found a few places where the travel details weren't accurate, which is pretty good for these books. but it was all the rest that made the difference. it was great to actually learn something from a guidebook for once. the stuff about the galapagos especially gave a much better sense of the islands (DONT miss them if you go) then just listing the plants and animals.

i used this book for ecuador and another one for peru right afterwards, and there was no comparison. so i knew where all the hotels were in peru and how much everything cost (at least when that author was there). but in ecuador i read about local legends and famous people, which may not seem that important when you're looking for a hotel at midnight, but trust me it can make a big difference in your experience.

plus i liked how much there way about outdoor activities like surfing, rafting, hikingand mountain climbing, since i did all of them while i was there.

great book!

Informative, entertaining, obsessively comprehensive--you have to love a guidebook that quotes Kurt Vonnegut and describes Galapagos penguins as looking "as out of place as eskimos at a beach party." Makes you realize how dull most other travel guides are. And all the travel details are dead-on, too. My wife and hiked around Cotopaxi volcano, rafted in the Amazon, and went birdwatching along the coast, and in all cases the information was accurate and complete.

This is a great reference tool for the travelling ATB cyclist. The maps are easily understood and exceptions are made clear in the accompanying text. Another nice feature was the rescue ratings which provide an indication of the availability of medical help should it become necessary. The author also provides a bit of history to go along with the trails and offers advice on locating "secret" local trails.

Living in the DFW area, I found this book even better for myself because the author also lives in the area, and a good portion of the rides are in the DFW area. However, the entire state is covered very well. Each trail has good information on the terrain, nearby resources (including bike shop in nearby towns), a rescue index, and general warnings that you will find useful on every trail. The book is written with a lot of personality and isn't just a simple guidebook -- it's also enjoyable reading.

This book provides a wealth of knowledge about diverse cultural groups. It is easy to read and would be a useful reference book for students researching this topic. The one complaint I have is that the objects are presented in a collage format, cropped and inserted among the text. These priceless historical art works deserve a more formal aesthetic presentation.

North South East West: American Indians and the Natural World is a beautiful coffee table art book full of lovely colored pictures with texts pertaining to cultures of four tribal entities - the Tlingit of the Northwest coast, the Hopi of the Southwest, the Iroquois Nations of the Northeast, and the Lakota and neighbors of the Great Plains - plus a varied section on the Urban Experience. This is a collection that demonstrates photo-journalism and art at its best. The richness of each tribal group's cultural heritage is vividly displayed in explicated examples. Designed to appeal to the senses, American Indians and the Natural World has maximum visual voltage. One is led effortlessly through the explanatory texts and narrative because of the flawless layout and harmonious design planning. It is accessible to both adult and teenage readers, a tribute to its creators and sponsors.

Nancy Lorraine, Reviewer

This book is a composition of five lectures that took place at the Univeridad Centroamericana located in Central American country of Managua. Originally published sometime during the late eighties, is an essential asset towards understanding the history of the U.S. and why it had the dominant position in the "previous world order".

The author Noam Chomsky is a professor of linguistics at the prestigious MIT. He is one of the best known critics of U.S. foreign policy. What makes this book so enlightening is his research material, which includes declassified internal White House documents. With this, he has provided the world with a shocking revelation of reasons as to why so many (seemingly troublesome and anarchic) historical events occurred, and also, why these things are still so today.

This book will enlighten you on the inherently duplicitous nature of our government's practice of power. What may be hard to swallow for most are the mechanisms (which are nothing more than our conventional institutions) by which Americans are manipulated. Not to mention the practice of the redefinition of words and terms such as "communism" and "defense of democracy" that are designed to push our patriotic buttons, thus enabling our government to carryout overt actions that have dark covert intentions.

This book is a MUST read

The book is compiled from a series of lectures given in Managua, Nicaragua. In his remarks, the author moves easily and almost flawlessly from one bloc of political facts to another, from one time period to another, with real independence of mind. The overriding theme here - and never far away in Chomsky's topical works - is American ideology, its reality and debunking. In this case, the focus is on the bloody recent history of Central America and Washington's role in it. The amazing point with such efforts is how close to the surface truth actually lies and how easily official myths can be exposed. Yet - also - how habitual it is for our intelligentsia to ignore these political unpleasantries, such as CIA sponsored slaughter in Central America.

Thus "On Power and Ideology" need not exercise complex reasoning nor obscure research to validate its main point; Chomsky needs only to cite historical records to make his case. Though he never states this thesis explcitly, his case studies such as Latin America revolve around it. That main point being: that behind all Washington's official praise for human rights lies one non-democratic "right" that determines all the rest and guides our policy makers, namely the "right" of American investment to go where it wants and do what it wants. (Considering the devastating effect NAFTA, the WTO, and other trade agreements have had on working America and the environment, this is a revealing point to make.) Other rights can be seen as secondary and of instrumental value only to this one overriding imperial drive. This is not a book for the faint-hearted. Be prepared to learn about our hidden history.

I have to admit that just as I was starting to savour this thin slip of a book I found that it was, indeed, mere selections. The whole narrative is actually three volumes, over four hundred pages a volume. I was left with a craven empty feeling like a fiend for his needle. Humboldt's writing presages Thoreau and through him ponders the transcendent raptures of the natural world. Reading through the visit to the Caribs reminded me of my visits to the Grenadines where their presence is still redolent in the shadows under the almond trees. I felt that I had imbibed the same air as Humboldt.

Alexander von Humboldt (of the Current fame) was a famous polymath during the age of enlightenment. Like many noblemen, he used his money and leisure time in esoteric pursuits, such as collecting flora & fauna and trying to find the deeper meaning of it all.

This particular volume has been well-translated from the original - there is none of that stilted 'I haf von the Cherman translated been' style - it reads conversationally (assisted by the editing-out of long passages where Humboldt takes one of his many diversions) yet it also gives us an idea of what the man was really like. There is an extensive set of notes at the back, not just references, but elaboration of the point, which I found very illuminating.

His travels to South America span 5 years, during which time he collects and measures EVERYTHING - for at this time in history, no-one knew what was going to be pertinent or useful to science or economy. There are some amazing descriptions where he was the first educated person to see places; the problems of travel in uncharted, trackless & mountainous country make terrific reading. We may scoff at the zeal of the man, but if Hiram Bingham hadn't done the same, we wouldn't have the fantastic ruins of Macchu Picchu to study.

We also learn of the relatively tight circle of 'scientists' at that time - almost everyone knew everyone else, either via letters, Society writings or personal contact - and they knew it all; there was as yet no division between geology, biology, zoology etc - it was just 'Natural Philosophy' and one studied the lot (of course some dedicated themselves to a favourite pursuit). What is amazing to us now is the most simple things were unknown; for example, a sailor at death's door deep in the bowels of the ship, 'miraculously' recovers when taken on deck, out of the fetid miasma of the orlop - well, who wouldn't?... There are many similar incidents.

Slightly heavy going at times, because of the writing style of the period, it is nevertheless chock full of interesting snippets and amazing discoveries, giving a great insight into the mind and motives of a typical adventurous philosopher of the time. *****

"Pirate Utopias"is a refreshingly new look at an almost forgotten episode in European/North African history.Wilson not only examines the lives and actions of several notorious pirates in order to identify their incentive,but paints them against a colourful backdrop of a restricted Christian Europe,comparing this picture with the more democratic tendencies of the Islamic nations. During the period concerned (from the 16th to the 19th century),several thousand European Renegadoes renounced Christianity to join the pirate "jihad".In Wilson's view,only a few had been forced to convert,but the majority may have chosen Islam in order to practise social resistance.- The author's view on the socio-political aspects is challenging our pre-conceived perceptions on piracy in particular and history (in the Hegelian Monumentalist sense) in general. He describes the Bou Regreg republics as the first democratic spaces ashore-the pirate ships already being such. While the main subject of the book is to examine and re-evaluate the relationship between Islamic pirates and European renegades,Wilson also uses the figure of Corsair Captain Murad Reis as a link to inspect piracy in 17th century Ireland. Because a closer look would stretch the limits of this book,he kept it brief,just as he only mentions the Uskoks in a footnote. Consequently the latter Utopias of Hispaniola,Libertatia and Nassau are confined to the last chapter. It is a generally well-researched book,which is very exciting in its innovative take on piracy in relation to larger social structures. An exciting book which satiates your literary appetite only to leave you wanting more! And good fun to read, too...

I really thought this book was great. It has a unique stance and is not just written from a historical perscpective. Wilson's premise is that the pirate republic of Salle was actually the first democracy (leadership not based on class, race or money) even before the French Revolution, though I'm still a bit skeptical on that point, I thought it was well argued and a good read. I've actually bought this book a few times and given it away to freinds and had to buy a it again! I especially liked the chapter on female pirates.

Boller has filled his book with a number of anecdotes covering Presidential Inaugurations from Washington to George W. Bush. All of the Inaugurations are described in neatly arranged chapters from picking the day, coping with the weather to the inaugural parades and balls.

Along the way, Boller details how much inauguration day has changed from the early 1800's to today. For example: in the 1800's, the morning procession was the big event, not the balls; dancing by the president didn't become fashionable until Lyndon Johnson took to the floor (I thought they all danced); and Washington knowing that everything he did, or didn't do, would set a precedent for future presidents.

Boller also gives you an insight into the President's mood on inauguration day: Calvin Coolidge exclaiming to his wife on Hoover's inauguration that, "it always rains on moving day." JFK leaving an inaugural ball to party with Frank Sinatra; and Lincoln delivering his second inaugural address. Boller also reviews the Vice-Presidents, be sure to check out the story of Charles G. Dawes lecturing the Senate during his Vice-Presidential inaugural speech!

The book is certainly not a serious piece of work, but that just makes its all the more accessible and most importantly, enjoyable.

Presidential Inaugurations by Paul F. Boller Jr. provides an important historical account of Presidential Inaugurations from George Washington to George W. Bush. This entertaining and often humorous work is a must have for individuals interested in the human side of politics and the history of the United States. This well researched work is well worth the modest list price, and it makes an excellent addition to the libraries of individuals interested in the history of the Presidency.

This is the book for everyone looking for the ultimate answer to the questions regarding democratic transitions in the east as well as in the west. Although somewhat fuzzy and unclear in the theoretical outline it does offer some serious answers as well as questions on the democratization waves in former communist countries and dictatorships all over the planet. This is a must for all political scientists as well as those with inclination towards contemporary political subjects. This will be a standard opus on this subject.

Having read this book, I understand why Linz has gained international reputation. (As an example, he was made honorary doctor at The Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Oslo, Norway, 2000.) This book is written in an engaging way, with lots of interesting information. Its clear structure and quite simple language also makes it easy to read. Those believing that political science is "heavy, dry and dull" will probably change their minds if they read "Problems of Democratic Transition and Consolidation". Personally, I found the chapters on South America very enlightening. The book gives information about how citizens view "democracy" in the respective countries, and the challenges each country faces in terms of democratic transition and consolidation. I agree with the first reviewer that this book is a must-have for all interested in the countries in question or political science in general. (Having just finished my dissertation in political science, I've read my share of less interesting and poorly written works!)