Order from a Major Online Bookstore
Ultimate Book Price Comparison Engine
Save Your Time And Money
| AnyBook4Less.com | Order from a Major Online Bookstore |
|
| Home | Store List | FAQ | Contact Us | | ||
| Ultimate Book Price Comparison Engine Save Your Time And Money |
||
 |
Title: Living the Bill of Rights: How to Be an Authentic American by Nat Hentoff ISBN: 0-520-21981-3 Publisher: University of California Press Pub. Date: December, 1999 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $16.95 |
Average Customer Rating: 3.78 (9 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: Important but Uneven Look at Constitutional Knowledge
Comment: This book has a very important premise - an examination of how the Bill of Rights, and restrictions on it, can affect the lives of real people. Here that especially applies to the First Amendment, which is Hentoff's specialty. He has great insights into how lack of knowledge among the public of our inalienable constitutional rights can open the door to true modern tyrants who would like to restrict those rights more and more. By profiling courageous Americans, primarily students and teachers who have been persecuted for exercising their rights of free speech, Hentoff brings an important human focus to constitutional issues that most Americans probably think are far-off, lofty theories that don't really apply in real life.
Unfortunately this book tends to drift away from that important premise, and the premise sometimes has to fight to keep its head above water. In profiles of Supreme Court Justices Douglas and Brennan, while correctly praising their work to preserve the Bill of Rights, Hentoff drifts into hero worship that occasionally gets out of hand. The book really loses its focus in the later chapters, as Hentoff starts with important issues in education, religion, and the prison system but then goes off on politically tainted tirades about current events. Examples include generalizing court-appointed attorneys as "less than amateur," and calling Janet Reno "irrelevant." Meanwhile Hentoff's views on the First Amendment's treatment of freedom of religion appear very inconsistent to me (in terms of ground-level applications for students and teachers), though they may be consistent for him in light of his absolutist views on the subject.
Fortunately, Hentoff imparts many especially insightful and far-reaching quotes and nuggets of wisdom from those involved in constitutional battles. The book is saved overall by the courageous citizens and wise Justices who have done so much to teach us all about our rights. But sometimes you get the feeling that they deserve to be in a more consistent book. [~doomsdayer520~]
Rating: 5
Summary: Personal stories about people standing up for Constitution
Comment: It is not easy to oppose the opinion of the community, take stands which offend one's neighbors, all in the name of the freedoms set forth in the Bill of Rights. All too often, people chose the easy way, and conform, figuring the fight simply isn't worth it. After all, even if you are right, is it really worth losing your friends, your job, your place in the community, andhaving your kids harrassed and ostracized--all to stand up for an abstract principle?
Hentoff tells the stories of dozens of people who made that choice--many of whom suffered for it. As he repeatedly notes, those who wrote our constitution did not take the easy path..they risked all to fight for ASmerica's independence.
By giving us examples of those who took the risk, and fought the good fight, Hentoff hopes to inspire others to do the same. Some of his stories involve the famous (his stories about Justice Douglas are the best in the book--although readers are cautioned that many of the "facts" Hentoff cites are taken from Douglas' own questionable autobiography), and several very ordinary people.
I was inspired, and even if you aren't, Hentoff's stories will definitely make you think about the issues.
Rating: 3
Summary: Not perfect, but a decent book nonetheless
Comment: I thought this was a pretty good book, which makes one wonder why I only gave it three stars. It's all summed up in the title to the Introduction, "Tell them stories about how our liberties were won and what keep them alive." That comes from the mouth of Supreme Court Justice William Brennan in a conversation with the author.
All in all, Hentoff does a decent job. The first chapter on William O. Douglas was easily the best of the book. A story of a man who was deeply committed to the Bill of Rights for ALL Americans, not just the ones with popular views.
The only reason I gave the book 3 stars was that I just did not agree with all of the stories selected by Hentoff as giving examples of, in the author's words, "authentic Americans." Chapters 6, 7, and 8 come to mind. Chapters 6 and 7 deal with Dr. Kenneth Clark, an integrationist.
Now, I'm no segregationist, but I firmly believe in the right of people to choose to segregate themselves. I don't agree with it, but I also don't believe in using the force of government to make people live, work, and play together. Hentoff and Dr. Clark disagree.
...
All in all, three chapters devoted to this issue was a bit much, although many of the stories in them were valuable. For example, also in chapter 8, was a story about a high school that required people running for homecoming court to disclose their race. Why? Because the court had to be 1/2 white and 1/2 black. Clearly that is wrong: the government should not use race as a factor if people really are equal before the law.
Finally, Hentoff's views on Clinton do not impact the quality of this book.... Just because Hentoff doesn't like Clinton, does not mean one should give his book bad reviews. Clinton is mentioned 5 times out of a book of more than 200 pages, and Hentoff's points are valid. The Clinton administration has presided over a vast expansion of the war on drugs which greatly curtailed civil liberties (the FBI's Carnivore system comes to mind), and has overlooked Chinese human rights violations, among other things.
Overall, I wish I could've given this book 3.5 stars. I didn't feel it was worth 4. The title of the book, "Living the Bill of Rights," makes it sound like anyone who disagrees with any of the positions promulgated in the stories somehow doesn't care about the Bill of Rights, or isn't "an authentic American." Yet that just isn't true. Many people who opposse forced busing, for example, do so because they believe in freedom of association. Hentoff is walking a fine line, and disagreement is valuable and I encourage it. But the book went just a bit too far.
It's still a valuable contribution, and the majority of the stories should make most people proud to live in a country that has a bill of rights. Hopefully it will also make people more likely to defend it.
 |
Title: The Nat Hentoff Reader by Nat Hentoff ISBN: 0306810840 Publisher: DaCapo Press Pub. Date: 16 October, 2001 List Price(USD): $16.50 |
 |
Title: The War on the Bill of Rights and the Gathering Resistance by Nat Hentoff ISBN: 1583226214 Publisher: Seven Stories Press Pub. Date: 01 September, 2003 List Price(USD): $18.00 |
 |
Title: The Day They Came to Arrest the Book by Nat Hentoff ISBN: 0440918146 Publisher: Laure Leaf Pub. Date: 01 July, 1983 List Price(USD): $5.50 |
 |
Title: The War on Our Freedoms: Civil Liberties in an Age of Terrorism by Richard C. Leone, Greg, Jr. Anrig ISBN: 1586482106 Publisher: PublicAffairs Pub. Date: 17 June, 2003 List Price(USD): $15.00 |
 |
Title: Big Lies: The Right-Wing Propaganda Machine and How It Distorts the Truth by Joe Conason ISBN: 0312315600 Publisher: Thomas Dunne Books Pub. Date: 25 May, 2003 List Price(USD): $24.95 |
Thank you for visiting www.AnyBook4Less.com and enjoy your savings!
Copyright� 2001-2021 Send your comments
