The Handbook for Americans

Out of Many, One : A Book to Benefit the People

302 pages

Reviewed by Rae C.

This is a great little handbook- perhaps intended for those studying for citizenship; but I think all Americans would benefit from reading this.  It is exactly moderate, middle of the line, the things that anyone would agree are the common story and ideals of this country.  Of course, liberals will probably find it too conservative, and conservatives will find it too liberal.  But it is complete, concise, and has the most important elements, while being mostly inclusive.  One glaring omission is a representation of the Native Americans.  Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Sojourner Truth are represented in speeches, but no Native Americans.  This seems like the books one oversight. However, very worth reading and an excellent resource!

Illustrated Guide to Criminal Law

Illustrated Guide to Criminal Law by Nathaniel Burney, 335 pages

The Illustrated Guide to Criminal Law caught my eye for being one of the few graphic novels located in the Business, Government and Law room here at Central.  And since I have to constantly tell people I am NOT a lawyer anyways, I might as well learn more about criminal law. A small side not before I get into my review, while this book was sitting on my desk slowly being read, I had numerous coworkers not only inquire about the book, but also try to steal it away. So it must be a good book right?

The Illustrated Guide to Criminal Law is an illustrated guide to criminal law, there are no tricks or gimmicks. In the simplest of terms, this book will explain why we punish crimes, why there are varying degrees of punishment, and a couple of the common legal defenses. All the while it will have accompanying illustrations that not only help convey the concepts, but to add a little bit of humor as well.

If you are looking for a humorous book on criminal law, one in which you can learn something and have a good laugh, this is your book. If however, you are studying for the LSAT or want a serious examination into criminal law, give this a pass. 

Three Generations, No Imbeciles

Three Generations, No Imbeciles: Eugenics, the Supreme Court, and Buck v Bell by Paul A Lombardo, 279 pages

In 1924, Dr Albert Priddy declared Carrie Buck to be "socially inadequate", which by Virginia law allowed for her involuntary sterilization in order to protect society from her potential offspring and their undesirable genetics.  He premised his conclusion on a study of Carrie's mother and infant daughter, finding both to be feeble-minded.  A legal challenge to the Virginia law, considered a model by eugenicists across the nation, was launched on Buck's behalf, and her case eventually reached the Supreme Court.  Famed jurist Oliver Wendell Holmes wrote the majority opinion that summarized progressive thinking on the matter - "It is better for all the world if instead of waiting to execute degenerate offspring for crime, or to let them starve for their imbecility, society can prevent those who are manifestly unfit from continuing their kind...  Three generations of imbeciles are enough."  Carrie Buck was duly sterilized as a threat to public health, along with tens of thousands of other women across America over the decades that followed.

Paul Lombardo's research into the case of Buck v Bell turns up a number of surprises.  Carrie Buck was carefully selected by Priddy and his associates as a test case for the law he helped write, and her lawyer was also a eugenics enthusiast.  The evidence presented concerning Buck's family history and mental faculties were riddled with errors, errors her lawyer had neither the information nor the inclination to correct.  The author succeeds admirably at his double task of telling the story of Carrie Buck and placing that story within the broader context of the push for eugenic sterilization, although he does oddly downplay the wide acceptance of eugenics among social scientists and social engineers.  Lombardo is a legal scholar by profession, but this is not a dry account of motions and counter-motions - he possesses a considerable talent for conveying the personalities of the individuals involved, making even the villains of the narrative understandable and even likable.  His readable, relatable tale of institutional abuse and technocratic arrogance sheds a light on a key part of a dark - and ongoing - chapter in American history.

The Children Act

The Children Act by Ian McEwan
221 Pages

Fiona Maye's marriage is falling apart as her husband declares he wants to have an affair in order to experience some passion in his life.  She is a High Court judge who presides over cases in the family court.   When she is called to judge over a case of a 17 year old Jehovah's witness who is trying to avoid medical treatment that would save his life it stirs up dormant emotions in Fiona. 


 Everyone tends to gush over anything Ian McEwan writes but I have to say this book left me cold with an obvious ending.