I did not find the book helpful with providing clarity on very difficult issues about the relationship between church and state in regard to religion.

In particular, Carter focuses on prayer in schools as being hindered by government. In regard to religion in schools, Mr. Carter argues that the interests of the state, as interpreted by the Constitution, should not undermine the interests of religious organizations.

Carter discusses school prayer as 'a different way of life...that...is denied by an uncaring authority.' This statement shows a disregard for the fact that government must be careful to not favor one religion over another. The First Amendment of the Constitution forbids laws 'respecting an establishment of religion' as well as 'prohibiting the free exercise thereof.' As the population in the U.S. becomes more diverse, there are many schools where it would be necessary for the leader of a prayer to probe the beliefs of the students.

When referring to religion, Carter mostly refers to groups whose beliefs are derived from the Judea-Christian tradition: Evangelists, Roman Catholics, Christian Coalition, Southern Baptists. There is no mention of religions whose beliefs are based on non-Christian theology. Many people in the U.S. subscribe to a belief system not derived from the Judea-Christian tradition. Carter's emphasis on Christianity makes many of his arguments flawed, and his failure to mention other faiths indicates a lack of appreciation for the complexity of government involvement with religion.

What is to happen to students who are atheist, agnostic, or of a different faith from the majority? Will they have to sit mute through prayer sessions? Or, will they be asked to leave the room? In either situation, if the students who choose not to worship are in the minority, there exists a high probability of harassment. The intent of the Second Amendment that prohibits state support of religion is to avoid this inevitable result of prayer in schools.

Ironically, in support of his argument for school prayer, Mr. Carter cited one such instance where violence erupted. It involved Bible readings in the Philadelphia school system in 1844. In those Bible readings, according to Mr. Carter, Catholic children were required to use Protestant Bibles. This situation was the catalyst of Protestants rioting and 'burning houses and churches and killing a number of people.'

In consideration of the foregoing, I found Mr. Carter's argument regarding the oppression of religion in the United States to be fallacious and flawed.

The Dissent of the Governed edits and expands three lectures which Carter presented at Harvard University in 1995. They found print in 1998, though the book came into general sales only last year. Having followed Carter since The Culture of Disbelief, appreciating him, arguing with him, sometimes disagreeing with him, I opened Dissent with expectation and some trepidation. Would ideas dating from six years ago speak to the America of the twenty-first century? The answer is yes.

Carter takes his title from the line in the Declaration of Independence which declares that governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed. Carter argues, persuasively I believe, that a test of whether or not a government is authentic and just is how it handles the dissent of its citizens. The verdict for the United States is mostly negative. The "liberal project" of the twentieth century, symbolized by the New Deal and the Great Society, and given additional energy by the Civil Rights Movement, assumed that a legitimate role of government is to enforce a common set of values in the nation. The preferred method of enforcement is through societal structures, such as the school and the house of worship. Failing that, the government is justified in using law to enforce that common set of values. Carter argues that the project might have derailed, were it not for the Second Civil War (his name for the Civil Rights Movement), which relied on the courts for legitimation. Thus the judiciary became politicized. I read Dissent immediately after the Supreme Court intervened in the 2000 election, and I was amazed at Carter's prescience. That intervention, impossible to conceive were the judiciary truly independent of politics, could indeed have been predicted by the track record of the courts. The Right is correct: The courts do indeed make law. The courts are indeed political entities, part of what Carter calls the Sovereign, or ruling power in the land. The courts have become dangerous, though, precisely because they DENY the very role which they obviously play in the life of the nation.

With an argument like this, Carter could play into the hands of the most Right of those on the Right, those who advocate not only resistance to the Sovereign but active efforts to overcome that Sovereign. Carter avoids the trap. Instead, he focuses on the power of what he calls "communities of meaning" both to preserve themselves against the power of the Sovereign and to redeem the life of the nation. Carter means religious communities, all the way from the Jewish town of Kiryas Joel to religion-based schools in otherwise secular municipalities. Active dissent to the power of the Sovereign is the responsibility of such communities of meaning because it is the right of parents to provide for the transmission of their values to their children. Such provision includes dissent from a public education system which not only excludes religious expression but is often actively hostile toward that expression. With decisions like that upholding the right of the state to proscribe the use of peyote in religious rituals, the judiciary has made public policy regarding matters that belong in the hands of communities of meaning. In an age when the weight of history moves America toward diversity, the judiciary assumes a unanimity that can never exist, and probably should not exist.

As a Christian pastor in a mainline denomination, Dissent caused me to rethink my attitudes about those institutions that usually call themselves "Christian schools." Having served for nine years in an Indiana town dominated by a conservative denomination, miniscule outside its headquarters town, I had grown weary of the almost "in-your-face" attitude of folks associated with such schools. In a new town, where the Christian school is small and sometimes struggles, I realize that I was experiencing what Christian school supporters feel almost everywhere: Active disdain, and sometimes outright hostility, from the established sovereign. Having returned from a Holy Land trip more convinced than ever of the legitimacy of Christian claims to primacy among the world's religions, I now care whether or not it is "safe" for believers to speak of the things of faith. Naturally, those who believe differently must be protected from a tyranny of either the majority or the minority. Right now, no one is protected, and no one benefits, save the Sovereign. My wife just began teaching part time at our local Christian school. I thought and spoke of Carter's book often as I visited with folks at a recent open house. Read him. Think. Inspiring thought is what Stephen Carter does best, and he thinks about things that need thinking about.

The "big surprise" that awaits Dustin at the end of this book is not nearly exciting enough for my kids (ages 5 and 4, one with Down syndrome). The book is wordy, and Dustin's "specialness" is emphasized, rather than downplayed as it was in the first Dustin book. He is shown going to all sorts of therapies and special educational help outside of the classroom. The photos are nice, but, overall, the story is a snore.

The bright, colorful photos show an engaging, happy little boy who happens to have Down syndrome.this is a wonderful little story which emphasizes not how "different' Dustin is but how excited he is about the special event of the day.Great to share with primary grades.

Reading this book is like peeking into someone's private journal. It talks about a young man's struggles with family, beliefs and responsiblity. Although the main character is confronted with difficult choices and is often disillussioned he maintains a strong current of hope and optimism.

This book is powerful. It is thought-provoking on many levels. It is about a sincere christian, strugling with lust, greed and power as he goes from young , idealistic Jesus freak in the '70s, to middle-class suburbanite in the '80s and '90s. his dreams fade, his values compromised,mirroring the concurring Jim Bakker and Jimmy Swaggart scandals of the time. He is a frustrated songwriter and his lyrics are stinging and powerful statements to the hypocrites, that is, the christian pharisees in today's american mainstream christian culture. The protagonist is like a modern day king David, making one think that modern day moralists would have excommunicated King David rather than forgiven him. The sweet secret is that Evan, the protagonist and his life, symbolizes the seed sewn among the thorns in Jesus' parable. Even with this R-rated account of temptation, sin and discouragement, there is ultimately, forgiveness and encouragement for those who find themselves caught "among the thorns."

I didn't really like this play. The other two American Girl plays are GREAT, though. I don't know why, but this just didn't appeal to me. I strongly recommened Check Under the Bed:A Mystery, and What a World:A Musical.

This is a comedy published by the Pleasant Company that does the American Girl Collection. Goldilocks, Rapunzel, Cinderella and others converge at a salon to talk about life, love, and hair! A new color for Goldilocks? How about something short for Rapunzel! With stories to match, the book characters come out with a new identity and a new outlook on life! Easy to stage and with witty dialogue, this will be great for young girls to put on in the neighborhood. The kit comes with everything - including scripts, a Director's book, tips on acting, posters, and even tickets! Your children can learn not only about acting, but how to all pull together to make this show a hit!

I strongly recommend it as a must activity for the summer.

I have been trying to teach myself topology and just finished the Weeks book on the shape of space. This book in comparison was a bit tougher going and a step towards teaching myself with a standard textbook. I think the previous review must have been a friend of the author because I can't say I was as enthusiastic about the book (and anyway it is a feat in itself to create paper models from the primative rapidograph drawings the author provides). I found it hard to follow the author's style and would have preferred more precision in his language. The drawings may be clear to the author but they were very confusing to me. I am not a bad artist and would find it impossible to create real life models from those drawings, many of which are a mess. On the positive side, Professor Carter relates the flavor of topology like the appetizers before a sumptuous banquet. I learned a little bit more about the subject and he shares the results of his personal research which is always good. In sum, it was a good read and probably deserves a reread. It was not a great read.

There are hundreds of diagrams of surfaces in the book. I (with assistance from my wife and two teenage children) built virtually every one with scissors, tape, and glue. We were amazed at the number of interesting questions about the shape of space that were raised in the process. In answering them, we have come to look at the world differently. Even an ordinary chair is seen as a movie with elementary changes from frame to frame. My wife made connections with sewing. We got ideas for dozens of science fair projects. We developed the beginnings of an intuition about objects in four dimensions. I will always look back on the period when I read this book as one of the exciting times of my life. The book earns my very highest recommendation.

It's in His Kiss is a warmly spun tale about the owner of
the Silver Spoon Cafe, Savannah Jacobs and the food critic
for the Cincinnati Tribune, Jackson Dewitt.

Jackson's article after his visit to the cafe was titled 'Gag
Me with a Spoon' and was punctuated with a one-and-a-half star
rating. Savannah is livid, she has sank all of her savings into
this business and she knows an article of that magnitude could
be a few more nails in the coffin of the already struggling

restaurant. With really no thought of consequences, Savannah
struts into Jackson's office and upends a hot dish on his desk.
Along with Jackson's mild case of shock as he scrambles to
clean up the spilled food, is a large case of piqued interest,
over the hot dish who just walked out of his office. As he sits and
ponders his next move, he wonders if this woman will respond to
anything coming from him.

Ms. Laudat, has managed to capture a funny ethnic romance about
two people with careers on their mind. Both are unsure if they're
ready for the heat they are generating in the kitchen, yet neither
wants to come out. The writer furbishes the reader with a humorus
romance that also highlights the presence of politics in the newspaper
publishing industry. Really a 3.5...

A spirited little romance that's guaranteed to tickle your funny bone. Fresh, original, no rehashed retreads. Very highly recommended!

I have read both hardcover texts by these authors (Undergraduate Econometrics & Learning and Practicing Econometrics) This book follows very closely with the examples presented in the textbook. Unfortunately the book doesn't go into more advanced topics(eg. Poisson, Negative Binomial...). Comparing it to other books, it is much easier to read than Green's Econometric Analysis, but does not go into the greater depth of topics as Green. IMO it helped me learn SAS quite a bit. Four months ago I had no idea how to use it.

I thought that this manual really helped me in my job. It was a great aid to the knowledge that I already had about SAS and has been a wonderful resource for me.

I didn't really get the story. I just want to know how Midge got to the littles house. It didn't make sense.

The Littles are tiny, tiny people who live in the walls of normal sized peoples houses.They lead a nice, happy life: They eat for dinner the scraps of the Bigg's(the normal- sized family they live with) supper, they ride places of the Bigg's cat, Hilly, and there two young children, Lucy and Tom, hardly ever get into mischeif. But suddenly, while Tom and Lucy are on the Bigg's roof in the sun, they see two little children almost there own ages climbing a tree, trying to escape from a playful dog chasing them. After they rescue them, they bring them back to there own little house. It turns out they live in the city, and there stranded at the Littles home until they find a way to contact there parents. But one problem. Midge and Chip are wild. Soon their bedroom is a mess, the strings in the Little's tin can elevator are horribly tangled, Henry Bigg's paraket is loose, and they have knocked over the honey jar tracking sticky footprint's in the Bigg's kitchen.It look's like they have a terrible tiny kid on there hands!

Lin Carter is best known for his editorial work in the field of fantasy, particularly in the creation of the Ballantine Adult Fantasy Series. His own work, alas, all too often emphasized his weaknesses at the expense of some very real strengths. But occasionally those strengths had their chance to shine, as in this solid novel.

While Leigh Brackett may have provided the basic model of his Mars, Lin Carter did something exciting & moving with it. Combining the wish-fulfilling adventure of the best of the pulps, a streak of elegaic poetry, and a clear, direct depiction of a dying culture struggling to resist the rapacious colonialism of a greedy Earth, he created a fine story that lingers after the last page. And while the science has been superseded by real-life discoveries, that hardly matters; the color & haunting, dreamlike longing for something precious but fading is what counts. A worthy addition to the small shelf of autumnal Martian fiction!

Strange and unusual concepts about Mars and it's relationship to Earth, a quest for redemption, and a budding romance all make up this classic by Lin Carter. It is a book that, while short on scientific fact as we know it now (thus resulting in the 4 rather than 5 star rating), is not short on imagination and pure fun!

It is a fast read and not designed to delve too deeply into the background and motivation of the characters other than the main one, but that suits this book as it is not intended to be a character driven story: more a plot driven story with much emphasis on the main character.

An ancient civilization on Mars conflicts with the civilization of Earth and a man tries to regain his own identity amidst the struggle. I do not want to spoil it too much for you, but if you have read and enjoyed the "Martian Chronicles" or any other Martian book regarding ancient civilizations on the Red Planet, this book will also fit your fancy. Get it, you will be happy.

I purchased this book because I have an interest in Nuclear Weapons Systems. This book, however, kind of misses the mark.

On the plus side. the book is actually a work of several authors; each treating a seperate (and diverse) topic. The culminated work, in very small type face, is a few pounds heavy.

On the minus side, very little actually touches on specific weapons systems. Albeit,there is a great section on arming, fuzing, and firing systems, worth the price of the whole book, the majority of the book touches on policy, communications, and command/control issues, most of which was rendered moot by Ronald Regan and the end of the cold war.

If you are interested in Policy Issues of the 80's, you will LOVE this book. If you wanna see the guts of a W-80, I heartily recommend anything by Chuck Hansen or Richard Rhodes. Money better spent.......

One of the first things you notice is the weight of this tome, (1 5/8-inch spine) and the intellectual weight of contributors to the book. Household names include John Toomay, Russell Dougherty, Michael May, Paul Bracken and the editors. Flipping through the work reveals an essential list of acronyms, outstanding graphics, and thoroughly-footnoted text. The book is divided into three sections: (1) nuclear operations, (2) the command system, and; (3) policy perspectives. My primary interest was in policy, (which required reading the whole book). Highly technical subjects like communications links are rendered at a level that I had no trouble understanding. Technical descriptions are so well written that even elected officials will understand them. Common misconceptions among memebers of the public are discussed. One such misconception is that a nuclear exchange is supposed to flatten everthing in the opposing nation. An interesting, related film describing Minuteman training operations is "Missile," Zipporah Films, 1986.