Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Temporary suspension of blog updates

We are temporarily suspending updates to this blog as of November 1, 2011.

To see new titles in the SFPL collection, go to Reader’s Corner, the BayReads blog or setup a preferred search and have results emailed to you

Saturday, September 17, 2011

Green is the new red : an insider's account of a social movement under siege by Will Potter.



In his second book on the environment (after The Next Eco-Warriors), Potter warns that the U.S. government is using post-9/11 anti-terrorism resources to target environmentalists and animal right activists (in some cases for doing nothing but speaking up). After being threatened with a domestic terrorist label for leafleting, Potter turned to uncovering the "Green Scare" and details here the story of the Animal Liberation Front (ALF) and controversial protests that resulted in severe jail sentences for participants. Tracing funds from animal-exploiting corporations to Congress and the passing of the big business-friendly Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act, Potter reports on an increased usage of the terrorism enhancement in court cases. Citing Freedom of Information Act sources, he reveals that the U.S. government has constructed secret prisons, or Communication Management Units (CMUs), to house suspected terrorists in conditions even more extreme than those of Supermax facilities (which house Zacarias Moussaoui and Eric Rudolph, among others). Potter warns of the crumbling of "the legal wall separating `terrorist' from `dissident' or `undesirable,'" and concludes his account with a call to action and a decry of the injustice that results in the "terrorist" label being put on those who threaten American corporate interests. Alarming.
(Apr. 16) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

The declaration of independents : how libertarian politics can fix what's wrong with America by Nick Gillespie & Matt Welch


Everywhere in America, the forces of digitization, innovation, and personalization are expanding our options and bettering the way we live. Everywhere, that is, except in our politics. There we are held hostage to an eighteenth century system, dominated by two political parties whose ever-more-polarized rhetorical positions mask a mutual interest in maintaining a stranglehold on power. The Declaration of Independents is a compelling and extremely entertaining manifesto on behalf of a system better suited to the future--one structured by the essential libertarian principles of free minds and free markets. Gillespie and Welch profile libertarian innovators, identify the villains propping up the ancien regime, and take aim at do-something government policies that hurt most of those they claim to protect. Their vision will resonate with a wide swath of frustrated citizens and young voters, born after the Cold War's end, to whom old tribal allegiances, prejudices, and hang-ups about everything from hearing a foreign language on the street to gay marriage to drug use simply do not make sense. (Publisher's description)

Why conservatives tell stories and liberals don't : rhetoric, faith, and vision on the American right by David M. Ricci.


Ricci (political science and American studies, Hebrew U., Jerusalem) teases out the script that political conservatives in the US have used to get or remain in power despite the devastation their actions have caused across the country and the world. He is particularly interested in how the pieces fit together into a seamless whole. He covers rhetorical ploys: rejections, irrefutables, and promotions; articles of faith: enemies, enchantments, and stories; and the reality check of a tale against tales. Liberals cannot construct an alternative, he says, because they think too much, but can counter the conservative tale.
Annotation ©2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Friday, July 15, 2011

Third-party matters : politics, presidents, and third parties in American history by Donald J. Green.


Green (history, Hillsborough Community College) presents a historical review of third party politics in the United States, profiling third party presidential campaigns that have met at least one of three criteria: their presence changed the outcome of an election, their major platform proposals later got adopted, or they attracted 10 percent or more of the popular vote. Chapters chronologically cover the abolitionist Liberty Party; the anti-immigrant American Party (aka the Know-Nothings); the pro-slavery, but anti-secession, Constitutional Union Party; the "revolt of the farmers" in the form of the Greenback Party and the People's Party (aka the Populists); Teddy Roosevelt's Bull Moose Progressives and the Progressives of 1924; George Wallace and the American Independent Party; Texas millionaire Ross Perot; and Ralph Nader and the Green Party. The final chapter provides brief sketches of a broad spectrum of other third party or independent candidates who failed to meet the criteria above but are interesting for a variety of other political reasons. Annotation ©2010 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)


The state of the parties : the changing role of contemporary American parties, edited by John C. Green and Daniel J. Coffey


Contents

Introduction: The state of the parties: change and continuity in 2008 / Daniel J. Coffey and John C. Green -- Was 2008 a watershed election? Observing the state of the parties in the election results / John R. Petrocik -- Party factions in 2008 / Howard L. Reiter -- The state of party elites: national convention delegates, 1992-2008 / John S. Jackson and John C. Green -- Electoral politics as team sport: advantage to the Democrats / David B. Magleby -- Party on the periphery: the 2008 presidential election in Mahoning County / Melanie J. Blumberg ... [et al.] -- The party's still going: local party strength and activity in 2008 / Melody Crowder-Meyer -- The Obama netroots campaign, young voters, and the future of local party organizations / Daniel M. Shea -- The Internetilization of American parties: the implications of the Unity08 effort / Kira C. Allmann ... [et al.] -- Organizing for America / Barbara Trish -- The need for an integrated vision of parties and candidates: national political party finances, 1999-2008 / Michael J. Malbin ... [et al.] -- Back to the future? Campaign-finance reform and the declining importance of the national party organization / Raymond J. La Raja -- Flush with cash: individual campaign contributors in the 2008 elections / Costas Panagopoulos and John C. Green -- Fallen elephant: examining the Grand Old Party's fall from grace / Daniel J. Coffey -- Unintended consequences: Republican strategy and winning and losing voters / Rebekah E. Liscio, Jeffrey M. Stonecash, and Mark D. Brewer -- The campaign context for partisanship stability / J. Quin Monson, Kelly D. Patterson, and Jeremy C. Pope -- A political theory of partisanship and independence / Nancy L. Rosenblum -- Barack Obama and the partisan presidency / Richard M. Skinner -- Party governance under Speaker Nancy Pelosi / R. Lawrence Butler -- Party, constituency, and representation in Congress / Walter J. Stone and Matthew T. Pietryka.


Rethinking American electoral democracy by Matthew J. Streb

While frustration with various aspects of American democracy abound in the United States, there is little agreement over - or even understanding of  - what kinds of changes would make the system more effective and increase political participation. Matthew J. Streb sheds much needed light on all the major concerns of the electoral process in this timely book on improving American electoral democracy. This critical examination of the rules and institutional arrangements that shape the American electoral process analyzes the major debates that embroil scholars and reformers on subjects ranging from the number of elections we hold and the use of nonpartisan elections, to the presidential nominating process and campaign finance laws. Ultimately, Streb argues for a less burdensome democracy, a democracy in which citizens can participate more easily in transparent, competitive elections. This book is designed to get students of elections and American political institutions to think critically about what it means to be democratic and how democratic the United States really is. Part of the Controversies in Electoral Democracy and Representationseries, edited by Matthew J. Streb. (Publisher's Description)

Interest groups and campaign finance reform in the United States and Canada by Robert G. Boatright.

Contents

Introduction : interest groups and campaign finance reform -- a natural experiment -- Part I : the roots of reform -- Interest group studies in Canada and the United States -- Interest group politics of the 1990s and the campaign finance reform movement -- Campaign finance reform -- Part II : consequences of reform -- Measuring the effects of reform -- The American response -- The Canadian response -- Lessons -- Reform goals and values -- Appendix : a primer on brokerage parties. (Publisher's description)

American individualism : how a new generation of conservatives can save the Republican Party by Margaret Hoover

Margaret Hoover has been a lifelong member of the Republican Party. She grew up a self-described "ditto head." She worked in the White House for President George W. Bush. Today she is a political commentator for Fox News, where, as one of Bill O'Reilly's Culture Warriors, she regularly champions the conservative cause. She also happens to be the great-granddaughter of the thirty-first president of the United States, Herbert Hoover. These impeccable conservative credentials underscore the gravity of her deep-seated concerns about the future of the Republican Party. Her party, she believes, has fallen dangerously out of step with the rising generation of young Americans.  In American Individualism, Margaret Hoover challenges the up-and-coming millennial generation to take another look at the Republican Party. Although millennials rarely identify themselves as Republicans, Hoover contends that these young men and women who helped elect President Barack Obama are sympathetic to the fundamental principles of conservatism. She makes a compelling case for how the GOP can right itself and capture the allegiance of this group. She believes that her party is uniquely positioned to offer solutions for the most pressing problems facing America-skyrocketing debt and deficits, crises in education and immigration, a war against Islamist supremacy-but that it is held back by the outsize influence within the party of social and religious conservatives. American Individualism is Hoover's call to action for Republicans to embrace a conservatism that emphasizes individual freedom both in economic policy and in the realm of social issues in order to appeal to the new generation of voters. The Republican Party, Hoover asserts, can win the support of the millennials while at the same time remaining faithful to conservative principles. In a journey that is both political and personal, Hoover rediscovers these bedrock conservative values in the writings of her great-grandfather, President Herbert Hoover, who emphasized the vital importance of individual freedom to the American way of life and who sought to strike a delicate balance in identifying the limited yet essential role the federal government should play in the lives of Americans. Margaret Hoover advocates a conservatism that is fully consistent with the original impulses of the American conservative movement. It evokes her great-grandfather's emphasis on the values of civic responsibility and service to others-instincts instilled in the millennial generation. She argues that the Republican Party today must evolve in order to achieve greatness, and that it can do so without compromising its tried-and-true fundamental principles. On the contrary, those enduring principles, if consistently applied, will enable the party to attract a younger following.  An impassioned and persuasive political manifesto grounded in twentieth-century history and targeted at the most perplexing problems of the twenty-first century, Margaret Hoover's American Individualism offers provocative ideas not just for reinvigorating the Republican Party but also for strengthening America in the decades ahead.
(From the Hardcover Edition).

Democracy : a reader, edited by Larry Diamond and Marc F. Plattner.


Since its inception, the Journal of Democracy has served as the premier venue for scholarship on democratization. The newest volume in the acclaimed Journal of Democracy book series, Democracy: A Reader brings together the seminal works that have appeared in its pages in nearly twenty years of publication. Democracy is in retreat around the world, giving renewed relevance and urgency to fundamental questions about the system that nevertheless remains the ideal standard of governance. Contributors ask: What exactly is democracy, and what sustains it? What institutions are best suited to a democratic system? Can elections produce undemocratic outcomes? Is democracy a universal value? Democracy: A Reader addresses these important concerns with critical discussions on delegative democracy, social capital, constitutional design, federalism, hybrid regimes, competitive authoritarianism, and more. With such influential contributors as Francis Fukuyama, Robert Putnam, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, and Anwar Ibrahim, this is an indispensable resource for students of democracy and instructors at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Contributors: Michael E. Alvarez, Nancy Bermeo, Russell Bova, Jos Antonio Cheibub, Larry Diamond, J rgen Elklit, Abdou Filali-Ansary, M. Steven Fish, Francis Fukuyama, His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Donald L. Horowitz, Anwar Ibrahim, Terry Lynn Karl, Steven Levitsky, Arend Lijphart, Fernando Limongi, Vali Nasr, Guillermo O'Donnell, Marc F. Plattner, Adam Przeworski, Robert D. Putnam, Andrew Reynolds, Giovanni Sartori, Andreas Schedler, Philippe C. Schmitter, Amartya Sen, Alfred Stepan, Palle Svensson, Nicolas van de Walle, Lucan A. Way. (Publisher's Description)

Commonwealth by Michael Hardt, Antonio Negri

When Empire appeared in 2000, it defined the political and economic challenges of the era of globalization and, thrillingly, found in them possibilities for new and more democratic forms of social organization. Now, with Commonwealth , Michael Hardt and Antonio Negri conclude the trilogy begun with Empire and continued in Multitude , proposing an ethics of freedom for living in our common world and articulating a possible constitution for our common wealth. Drawing on scenarios from around the globe and elucidating the themes that unite them, Hardt and Negri focus on the logic of institutions and the models of governance adequate to our understanding of a global commonwealth. They argue for the idea of the “common” to replace the opposition of private and public and the politics predicated on that opposition. Ultimately, they articulate the theoretical bases for what they call “governing the revolution.” Though this book functions as an extension and a completion of a sustained line of Hardt and Negri’s thought, it also stands alone and is entirely accessible to readers who are not familiar with the previous works. It is certain to appeal to, challenge, and enrich the thinking of anyone interested in questions of politics and globalization.
(Publisher's description)

The secret knowledge : on the dismantling of American culture by David Mamet


David Mamet has been a controversial, defining force in nearly every creative endeavor-now he turns his attention to politics In recent years, David Mamet realized that the so-called mainstream media outlets he relied on were irredeemably biased, peddling a hypocritical and deeply flawed worldview. In 2008 Mamet wrote a hugely controversial op-ed For The Village Voice, 'Why I Am No Longer a 'Brain-Dead Liberal'', In which he methodically attacked liberal beliefs, eviscerating them as efficiently as he did Method acting in his bestselling book True and False. Now Mamet employs his trademark intellectual force and vigor to take on all the key political issues of our times, from religion to political correctness to global warming. The legendary playwright, author, director, and filmmaker pulls no punches in his art or in his politics. And as a former liberal who woke up, Mamet will win over an entirely new audience of others who have grown irate over America's current direction. (Publisher's description)

Sunday, July 3, 2011

Pass the U.S. citizenship exam

This revision includes everything a candidate needs to know to become a US Citizen including: How to apply, How to prepare for and pass the exam, and how to have a successful interview. It features official USCIS questions and answers for lots of practice. Also includes a list of all of the English vocabulary words needed. Finally, users can access a FREE online customized diagnostic report to identify their strengths and areas for improvement. (Publisher's description)

Saturday, July 2, 2011

The faith factor : how religion influences American elections by John C. Green.

Drawing on survey data from a number of sources, Green (political science, U. of Akron, Ohio) provides basic information on American religion and its relationship to American elections as revealed by the 2004 presidential election. He covers belonging versus behaving and believing; issues and coalitions; gender, age, and income; the regional context; campaign contact and activism; and the future. Annotation ©2007 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Monday, June 27, 2011

63 documents the government doesn't want you to read by Jesse Ventura, with Dick Russell.


The official spin on numerous government programs is flat-out bullshit, according to Jesse Ventura. In this incredible collection of actual government documents, Ventura, the ultimate non-partisan truth-seeker, proves it beyond any doubt. He and Dick Russell walk readers through 63 of the most incriminating programs to reveal what really happens behind the closed doors. In addition to providing original government data, Ventura discusses what it really means and how regular Americans can stop criminal behavior at the top levels of government and in the media. Among the cases discussed: The CIA's top-secret program to control human behavior Operation Northwoods; the military plan to hijack airplanes and blame it on Cuban terrorists; The discovery of a secret Afghan archive; information that never left the boardroom; Potentially deadly healthcare cover-ups, including a dengue fever outbreak; What the Department of Defense knows about our food supply but is keeping mum. Although these documents are now in the public domain, the powers that be would just as soon they stay under wraps. Ventura "s research and commentary sheds new light on what they're not telling you and why it matters. (Publisher's description)

Bridging the military-civilian divide : what each side needs to know about the other, and about itself by Bruce Fleming.

Fleming (English, US Naval Academy) takes on a topic that most readers probably don't think about much: the disconnect in understanding between the civilian world and the military. And, as he says, there is a price if we fail to correct misperceptions and refuse to see the civilian-military relationship as a shared commitment. He explores attitudes on both sides of the fence and offers a way to close that relationship gap. Distributed by Books International. Annotation ©2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

California women and politics : from the Gold Rush to the Great Depression edited by Robert W. Cherny, Mary Ann Irwin, Ann Marie Wilson.

In 1911 as progressivism moved toward its zenith, the state of California granted women the right to vote. However, women's political involvement in California's public life did not begin with suffrage, nor did it end there. Across the state, women had been deeply involved in politics long before suffrage, and - although their tactics and objectives changed - they remained deeply involved thereafter. California Women and Politics examines the wide array of women's public activism from the 1850s to 1929 - including the temperance movement, moral reform, conservation, trade unionism, settlement work, philanthropy, wartime volunteerism, and more - and reveals unexpected contours to women's politics in California. The contributors consider not only white middle-class women's organizing but also the politics of working-class women and women of color, emphasizing that there was not one monolithic "women's agenda," but rather a multiplicity of women's voices demanding recognition for a variety of causes. (Publisher's description)

The "S" word : a short history of an American tradition-- socialism by John Nichols

A few months before the 2010 midterms, Newt Gingrich described the socialist infiltration of American government and media as Seven more disturbing than the threats from foreign terrorists. John Nichols offers an unapologetic retort to the return of red-baiting in American political life ”arguing that socialism has a long, proud, American history. Tom Paine was enamored of early socialists, Horace Greeley employed Karl Marx as a correspondent, and Helen Keller was an avowed socialist. The SS Word gives Americans back a crucial aspect of their past and makes a forthright case for socialist ideas today. (Publisher's description)

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Craters of the Moon : a guide to Craters of the Moon National Monument and preserve, Idaho



 The Guide to Craters of the Moon National Monument and preserve, Idaho is a 63-page document prepared by Craters of the Moon staff, which details the geology of the area. Published as one of the thousands of documents by the U.S. Dept. of the Interior for the National Park System.

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Profit from your idea : how to make smart licensing deals by Richard Stim

***NEW EDITION***

"Written in plain English to help inventors, manufacturers, and others who want to exploit a patentable idea understand, create and use an invention licensing agreement. The new edition has the latest licensing cases and a set of FAQs"--Provided by publisher.

Contents

Gearing up to license your invention -- Intellectual property protection -- Ownership issues for inventor employees -- Invention financing and joint ownership -- Licensing agents and representatives -- Soliciting potential licensees -- Protecting confidential information -- The key elements of your agreement -- Money: it matters -- Negotiating your agreement -- Sample agreement -- Warranties, indemnification, and proprietary rights provisions -- Termination and posttermination -- Boilerplate and standard provisions -- Service provisions -- Handling the licensee's agreement -- After you sign the agreement -- Help beyond this book.

Landlord and tenant law in a nutshell by David S. Hill, Carol Necole Brown.

From the comprehensive In A Nutshell series.


Contents:
Introduction -- Creation, duration and termination of the several tenancies -- Termination of the lease other than by expiration of its term -- Possession and use of the demised premises -- Repairs and improvements -- Transfers by the landlord and tenant -- Extensions, renewals, and options to purchase -- Rent and security -- Rent control -- Insurance and taxes.

Monday, May 16, 2011

Remaking California : reclaiming the public good edited by R. Jeffrey Lustig

This resource book edited by Lustig (government, California State U., Sacramento) contains articles and commentary by many contributing government experts on the current state of constitutional crisis plaguing California and its residents. Contributors shed light on the many problems faced by California such as budget issues, healthcare, unemployment, real estate, and public services. Varying proposals for constitutional reform are presented here along with the editor's commentary on the various concepts discussed. This survey was intended to open a new direction of constitutional debate for the welfare of the Golden State and is highly relevant reading for anyone concerned about California's future. Annotation ©2010 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Young guns : a new generation of conservative leaders bhy Eric Cantor, Paul Ryan and Kevin McCarthy

Make no mistake: Congressmen Eric Cantor, Paul Ryan, and Kevin McCarthy are proud Republicans. But they believe the party had lost sight of the ideals it believes in, like economic freedom, limited government, the sanctity of life, and putting families first. This isn't your grandfather's Republican party. These Young Guns of the House GOP—Cantor (the leader), Ryan (the thinker), and McCarthy (the strategist)—are ready to take their belief in the principles that have made America great and translate it into solutions that will make the future even better, solutions that will create private sector jobs, maximize individual freedom, and establish a better world for our children. This groundbreaking book is a call to action that sets forth a plan for growth, opportunity, and commitment that will propel this country to prosperity once again. Together, the Young Guns are changing the face of the Republican party and giving us a new road map back to the American dream. (Publisher's description)

Sunday, May 15, 2011

The origins of political order : from prehuman times to the French Revolution by Francis Fukuyama


Virtually all human societies were once organized tribally, yet over time most developed new political institutions which included a central state that could keep the peace and uniform laws that applied to all citizens. Some went on to create governments that were accountable to their constituents. We take these institutions for granted, but they are absent or are unable to perform in many of today’s developing countries—with often disastrous consequences for the rest of the world.

Francis Fukuyama, author of the bestsellingThe End of History and the Last Man and one of our most important political thinkers, provides a sweeping account of how today’s basic political institutions developed. The first of a major two-volume work,The Origins of Political Order begins with politics among our primate ancestors and follows the story through the emergence of tribal societies, the growth of the first modern state in China, the beginning of the rule of law in India and the Middle East, and the development of political accountability in Europe up until the eve of the French Revolution.

Drawing on a vast body of knowledge—history, evolutionary biology, archaeology, and economics—Fukuyama has produced a brilliant, provocative work that offers fresh insights on the origins of democratic societies and raises essential questions about the nature of politics and its discontents.
(Publisher's description)

Sunday, May 8, 2011

The financial crisis inquiry report : final report of the National Commission on the Causes of the Financial and Economic Crisis in the United States / submitted by the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission pursuant to Public Law 111-21


Contents
Commissioners -- Commissioner votes -- Commission staff list -- Preface -- Conclusions Of The Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission -- Part 1: Crisis On The Horizon -- 1: Before our very eyes -- Part 2: Setting The Stage -- 2: Shadow banking -- 3: Securitization and derivatives -- 4: Deregulation redux -- 5: Subprime lending -- Part 3: Boom And Bust -- 6: Credit expansion -- 7: Mortgage machine -- 8: CDO machine -- 9: All in -- 10: Madness -- 11: Bust -- Part 4: Unraveling -- 12: Early 2007: Spreading subprime worries -- 13: Summer 2007: Disruptions in funding -- 14: Late 2007 to early 2008: Billions in subprime losses -- 15: March 2008: Fall of Bear Stearns -- 16: March to August 2008: Systemic risk concerns -- 17: September 2008: Takeover of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac -- 18: September 2008: Bankruptcy of Lehman -- 19: September 2008: Bailout of AIG -- 20: Crisis and panic -- Part 5: Aftershocks -- 21: Economic fallout -- 22: Foreclosure crisis -- Dissenting Views -- By Keith Hennessey, Douglas Holtz-Eakin, and Bill Thomas -- By Peter J Wallison -- Appendix A: Glossary -- Appendix B: List of hearings and witnesses -- Notes -- Index available online at www.publicaffairsbooks.com/fcicindex.pdf

Summary
From the Publisher: In the wake of the most significant financial crisis since the Great Depression, the President signed into law on May 20, 2009, the Fraud Enforcement and Recovery Act of 2009, creating the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission. The Commission was established to "examine the causes, domestic and global, of the current financial and economic crisis in the United States." The 10 members of the bi-partisan Commission, prominent private citizens with significant experience in banking, market regulation, taxation, finance, economics, housing, and consumer protection, were appointed by Congress on July 15, 2009. The Chair, Phil Angelides, and Vice Chair, Bill Thomas, were selected jointly by the House and Senate Majority and Minority Leadership. The FCIC is charged with conducting a comprehensive examination of 22 specific and substantive areas of inquiry related to the financial crisis. These include: fraud and abuse in the financial sector, including fraud and abuse towards consumers in the mortgage sector; Federal and State financial regulators, including the extent to which they enforced, or failed to enforce statutory, regulatory, or supervisory requirements; the global imbalance of savings, international capital flows, and fiscal imbalances of various governments; monetary policy and the availability and terms of credit; accounting practices, including, mark-to-market and fair value rules, and treatment of off-balance sheet vehicles; tax treatment of financial products and investments; capital requirements and regulations on leverage and liquidity, including the capital structures of regulated and non-regulated financial entities; credit rating agencies in the financial system, including, reliance on credit ratings by financial institutions and Federal financial regulators, the use of credit ratings in financial regulation, and the use of credit ratings in the securitization markets; lending practices and securitization, including the originate-to-distribute model for extending credit and transferring risk; affiliations between insured depository institutions and securities, insurance, and other types of nonbanking companies; the concept that certain institutions are 'too-big-to-fail' and its impact on market expectations; corporate governance, including the impact of company conversions from partnerships to corporations; compensation structures; changes in compensation for employees of financial companies, as compared to compensation for others with similar skill sets in the labor market; the legal and regulatory structure of the United States housing market; derivatives and unregulated financial products and practices, including credit default swaps; short-selling; financial institution reliance on numerical models, including risk models and credit ratings; the legal and regulatory structure governing financial institutions, including the extent to which the structure creates the opportunity for financial institutions to engage in regulatory arbitrage; the legal and regulatory structure governing investor and mortgagor protection; financial institutions and government-sponsored enterprises; and the quality of due diligence undertaken by financial institutions. The Commission is called upon to examine the causes of major financial institutions which failed, or were likely to have failed, had they not received exceptional government assistance. In its work, the Commission is authorized to hold hearings; issue subpoenas either for witness testimony or documents; and refer to the Attorney General or the appropriate state Attorney General any person who may have violated U.S. law in relation to the financial crisis.

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Constitutional rights of prisoners by John W. Palmer


This is the ninth edition of a text that reviews the federal case law concerning the constitutional rights of prisoners in the United States. For the new edition, Palmer (of counsel, Yavitch & Palmer, Columbus, Ohio) has brought the material up to date to the end of the 2008-2009 term of the US Supreme Court and includes treatment of recent decisions concerning the burden of proof on prisoners pleading exhaustion of administrative remedies under the Prison Litigation Reform Act, limitations of the Federal Tort Claims Act involving prisoner claims of unlawful detention of property, and the authority of school officials to conduct warrantless strip searches of juveniles. He also includes new material on the Americans with Disabilities Act and on the administrative law process applicable to correctional systems. Issues concerning the treatment of accused terrorists under US control but outside the US and issues of international treaties banning torture and their application to American prisons, both covered in the last edition, are not discussed in this new edition, partly because of a lack of domestic case law. Anderson Publishing is a member of the LexisNexis Group. Annotation ©2010 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Employment discrimination by Joel Wm. Friedman


Friedman (procedural law and jurisdiction, Tulane U.) offers a textbook for courses devoted entirely to employment discrimination law or courses in which it is an important component. At its most general level, he says, such a course examines the extent to which the government should play, and critically assesses the manner in which the government has decided to play, a role in the conflict between principles of protecting private property rights and preserving and enforcing civil rights. The sections cover proving discrimination, Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, the other federal anti-discrimination statutes. Annotation ©2010 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Prisoners' self-help litigation manual by John Boston & Daniel E. Manville


Prisoners' Self-Help Litigation Manual, in its much-anticipated fourth edition, is an indispensable guide for prisoners and prisoner advocates seeking to understand the rights guaranteed to prisoners by law and how to protect those rights. Clear, comprehensive, practical advice provides prisoners with everything they need to know on conditions of confinement, civil liberties in prison, procedural due process, the legal system, how to litigate, conducting effective legal research, and writing legal documents. Written by two legal and penitentiary experts with intimate knowledge of prisoner's rights and legal aid work, authors John Boston and Daniel E. Manville strategically focus on federal constitutional law, providing prisoners and those wishing to assist them with the most important information concerning legal rights. Over the past decade, prison law and conditions have changed significantly. This new edition is updated to include the most relevant prisoners' rights topics and approaches to litigation. Updates include all aspects of prison life as well as material on legal research, legal writing, types of legal remedies, and how to effectively use those remedies. Certainly the most authoritative, well-organized and relevant prisoner's rights manual available - - the eagerly awaited fourth edition should be purchased by everyone interested in civil rights for the incarcerated. (Publisher's description)

In Brown's wake : legacies of America's educational landmark by Martha Minow


What is the legacy of Brown vs. Board of Education ? Over fifty years after this landmark decision, the idea that law could be a vital tool in pursuing social justice--and in opening up schools as the vehicle for racial equality--appears to have been superseded by the coda, but today American schools are more racially segregated than they were at the time of Brown. In In Brown's Wake , Martha Minow argues that Brown was more influential and more effective in American law and society outside than inside the schools. Moreover, its influence on the international human rights movement was just as significant as its impact within the United States. Minow explains that though the promise of Brown remains more symbolic than effective, critical elements of the decision offer benchmarks of genuine significance in the struggles for justice in this new century. The recent decision by the Roberts' Court in Parents Involved - in which Justice Roberts famously said the only way to stop discrimination on the basis of race is to discriminating on the basis of race - suggests that we are moving into a post- Brown era, and this is the perfect occasion to take stock. A concise introduction to Brown and its aftermath, In Brown's Wake explores the lasting effects of one of the most important Supreme Court decisions of the century with elegance and economy. (Publisher's description)

The employee rights handbook : effective legal strategies to protect your job, from interview to pink slip by Steven Mitchell Sack.


Workplace attorney Sack provides information for employees on getting hired properly, protecting themselves on the job, and fighting back if they are unfairly or illegally fired. He covers avoiding pre-hiring abuses like illegal questions and background checks; negotiating the job; protecting benefits; recognizing on-the-job rights and conduct, including searches, lie detector tests, smoking, unions, and office romances; understanding discrimination; recognizing different types of illegal firing and how to handle it; dealing with post-termination issues like defamation lawsuits and unemployment hearings; and understanding litigation and alternatives and when to hire a lawyer. Sample forms, letters, and checklists are provided. This edition has been revised and enlarged with new sections and updated information on laws, and new case decisions, trends, and developments. Annotation ©2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com) 

Courage to dissent : Atlanta and the long history of the civil rights movement by Tomiko Brown-Nagin.

The Civil Rights movement that emerged in the United States after World War II was a reaction against centuries of racial discrimination. In this sweeping history of the Civil Rights movement in Atlanta--the South's largest and most economically important city--from the 1940s through 1980, Tomiko Brown-Nagin shows that the movement featured a vast array of activists and many sophisticated approaches to activism. Long before "black power" emerged and gave black dissent from the mainstream civil rights agenda a new name, African Americans in Atlanta debated the meaning of equality and the steps necessary to obtain social and economic justice.

This groundbreaking book uncovers the activism of visionaries-both well-known legal figures and unsung citizens-from across the ideological spectrum who sought something different from, or more complicated than, "integration." Local activists often played leading roles in carrying out the integrationist agenda of the NAACP, but some also pursued goals that differed markedly from those of the venerable civil rights organization. Brown-Nagin discusses debates over politics, housing, public accommodations, and schools. She documents how the bruising battle over school desegregation in the 1970s, which featured opposing camps of African Americans, had its roots in the years beforeBrown v. Board of Education.

Exploring the complex interplay between the local and national, between lawyers and communities, between elites and grassroots, and between middle-class and working-class African Americans,Courage to Dissenttells gripping stories about the long struggle for equality that speak to the nation's current urban crisis. This remarkable book will transform our understanding of the Civil Rights era. 
(Publisher's description)

U.S. immigration made easy by Ilona Bray

Ready to move to the USA? Here's the insider's guide you need!

U.S. Immigration Made Easycovers every possible way to legally enter and live in the United States. The author explains how the immigration system really works, showing you how to qualify for:

  • work visas
  • student visas
  • refugee status
  • green cards
  • citizenship
  • and more

    Get tips on dealing with paperwork, government officials, delays and denials. Plus, you'll get step-by-step instructions on filling out and filing forms, and learn the best way to approach the enormous U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) bureaucracy.

    Thoroughly updated and revised, the 15th edition has been updated and revised to cover the latest changes in immigration law, including new addresses for sending various immigration petitions, average processing times, how a spouse living overseas can prove ability to support immigrants in the U.S., how to find forms and case status information on the USCIS website, and much more.

The war in Iraq : a legal analysis edited by Raul A. "Pete" Pedrozo.


A collection of papers derived from the proceedings of a conference held at the Naval War College on June 23-25, 2009

Contents:
Regime change and the restoration of the rule of law in Iraq / Raid Juhi Al-Saedi -- Iraq and the "fog of law" / John F. Murphy -- Legal bases for military operations in Iraq / Raul A. "Pete" Pedrozo -- Was the 2003 invasion of Iraq legal? / Andru E. Wall -- Legal bases for coalition combat operations in Iraq, May 2003-Present / Alexandra Perina -- The international humanitarian law classification of armed conflicts in Iraq since 2003 / David Turns -- Legal considerations in relation to maritime operations against Iraq / Neil Brown -- Come the revolution : a legal perspective on air operations in Iraq since 2003 / Charles J. Dunlap, Jr. -- The Iraq War : a commander's perspective / Michael L. Oates -- The "fog of law" : the law of armed conflict in Operation Iraqi Freedom / Marc Warren -- The occupation of Iraq / Clyde J. Tate II -- Occupation in Iraq : issues on the periphery and for the future : a Rubik's cube problem? / George K. Walker -- The occupation of Iraq : a reassessment / Eyal Benvenisti and Guy Keinan -- Counterinsurgency and stability operations : a new approach to legal interpretation / Dale Stephens -- Rule of law capacity building in Iraq / Richard Pregent -- The dark sides of convergence : a pro-civilian critique of the extraterritorial application of human rights law in armed conflict / Naz K. Modirzadeh -- Detention operations in Iraq : a view from the ground / Brian J. Bill -- The role of the international committee of the Red Cross in stability operations / Laurent Colassis -- Concluding observations : the influence of the conflict in Iraq on international law / Yoram Dinstein.

The best 172 law schools by Eric Owens [et al.], and the staff of The Princeton Review.


Get everything you need to know to make the right decision!

The Best 172 Law Schools
 gives you student survey-driven profiles of the nation's top 172 law schools as well as detailed statistical information about accredited law schools. This book also provides answers to all the practical questions you should ask when applying to law school, including:

" Which employers are hiring graduates?
" Is the focus of the curriculum on the practical or theoretical aspects of law?
" Is the environment competitive?
" What internship/externship opportunities are available to students?

You'll also get each school's admissions criteria, deadlines, telephone numbers, tuition figures, e-mail and snail mail addresses, and other key information. (Publisher's description)

Monday, April 25, 2011

Count them one by one : Black Mississippians fighting for the right to vote by Gordon A. Martin, Jr.


Forrest County, Mississippi, became a focal point of the civil rights movement when, in 1961, the United States Justice Department filed a lawsuit against its voting registrar Theron Lynd. While thirty percent of the county's residents were black, only twelve black persons were on its voting rolls.United States v. Lyndwas the first trial that resulted in the conviction of a southern registrar for contempt of court. The case served as a model for other challenges to voter discrimination in the South, and was an important influence in shaping the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

Count Them One by One is a comprehensive account of the groundbreaking case written by one of the Justice Department's trial attorneys. Gordon A. Martin, Jr., then a newly-minted lawyer, traveled to Hattiesburg from Washington to help shape the federal case against Lynd. He met with and prepared the government's sixteen black witnesses who had been refused registration, found white witnesses, and was one of the lawyers during the trial.

Decades later, Martin returned to Mississippi and interviewed the still-living witnesses, their children, and friends. Martin intertwines these current reflections with commentary about the case itself. The result is an impassioned, cogent fusion of reportage, oral history, and memoir about a trial that fundamentally reshaped liberty and the South. (Publisher's description)

The rights of the people : how our search for safety invades our liberties by David K. Shipler.


From the best-selling author of The Working Poor, an impassioned, incisive look at the violations of civil liberties in the United States that have accelerated over the past decade—and their direct impact on our lives.

How have our rights to privacy and justice been undermined? What exactly have we lost? Pulitzer Prize–winner David K. Shipler searches for the answers to these questions by examining the historical expansion and contraction of our fundamental rights and, most pointedly, the real-life stories of individual men and women who have suffered. This is the account of what has been taken—and of how much we stand to regain by protesting the departures from the Bill of Rights.

With keen insight and telling detail, Shipler describes how the Supreme Court’s constitutional rulings play out on the streets as Washington, D.C., police officers search for guns in poor African American neighborhoods, how a fruitless search warrant turns the house of a Homeland Security employee upside down, and how the secret surveillance and jailing of an innocent lawyer result from an FBI lab mistake. Each instance—often as shocking as it is compelling—is a clear illustration of the risks posed to individual liberties in our modern society. And, in Shipler’s hands, each serves as a powerful incitement for a retrieval of these precious rights.

A brilliant, immeasurably important book for our time. (Publisher's description)

Human dignity by George Kateb

Noting the frequency of appeals to "human dignity" in human rights declarations, and citing a dearth of theoretical defenses of the concept, Kateb (politics, Princeton U.) endeavors in this essay to define and defend the idea in secular terms--as an existential rather than moral value--while paying particular attention to conceptual difficulties inherent in a formulation of the notion that is not theologically assisted. The first half of the essay examines human dignity as a matter of the equality of all persons. Latter sections consider human dignity as a product of the special status--i.e., the uniqueness and, in some respects, unnaturalness--of the human species. The relationship between these two aspects of human dignity is examined and applied to concerns including the structuring of human societies and humanity's role as a steward of nature. Annotation ©2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Liberty defined : 50 essential issues that affect our freedom by Ron Paul.


Dr. Ron Paul's newest book, LIBERTY DEFINED, returns to the format and scope of his number 1 New York Times bestseller, The Revolution. Rather than delve so deeply into one issue (as End The Fed did) or simply update the topics discussed in The Revolution, this is a brand new, comprehensive, A-Z guide to his position (unwavering support of personal liberty and small government) on 50 of the most important issues of our times, both foreign and domestic. His devoted followers will be able to use it as a guide book for 2012 and beyond, for all their political and educational efforts. With entries ranging in length from a few pages to over ten, LIBERTY DEFINED is very accessible, easy to digest and clear cut in its ideology. (Publisher's description)

A simple government : twelve things we really need from Washington (and a trillion that we don't) by Mike Huckabee.

Author Mike Huckabee, former governor of Arkansas from 1996 to 2007, now hosts popular television and radio talk shows. Here, he advocates applying 12 commonsense principles for transforming government, with one chapter devoted to each principle. Writing in plain language for general readers, he argues in favor of a return to family values and local government, control of spending and debt, a simplified taxation system, immigration reform, and a strong approach to terrorism. Annotation ©2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Real common sense : using our founding values to reclaim our nation and stop the radical right from hijacking America by Brian Kahn.


Kahn, a public radio host, calls for a "common sense" return to the values of our forefathers and a shift in our priorities from consumers to citizens, stressing the importance of interdependence and community bonds. He wags his finger at corporate excess, right-wing rhetoric, and consumer greed before launching into his earnest advice. Few of his ideas, such as his call for media reform and a renewed public service requirement, are revolutionary, but he argues them with an effective blend of fact ("In 2005, an Institute of Medicine report found that 80% to 97% of food product aimed at children and teenagers are of "poor nutritional quality") and rhetoric ("why isn't our government willing to pass regulations to protect kids from junk food advertising? Our public officials believe that junk food profits are more important than the health of our nation's children"). Cynics might find his perspectives simplistic-and Kahn is no Tom Paine-but his is a well-intentioned reflection on what it means to be a citizen in today's imperfect America. (Apr.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

California politics and government : a practical approach by Larry N. Gerston, Terry Christensen.


This concise guide provides basic information on California conditions and governance, including the history of political and economic involvement, issues raised by political parties and direct (perhaps too direct) democracy, campaigns and candidates and the media's fix on the voters, interest groups and their real power, the legislature and the perils of policy making, the courts and politics, the executive branch and fragmentation, budgetary policies and politics, local government, and the chaos-cooperation of state-federal relations. Includes very helpful charts and maps. Annotation ©2007 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Finding the answers to legal questions : a how-to-do-it manual by Virginia Tucker and Marc Lampson.


Tucker, a county law librarian who teaches at San Jose State U., and Lampson, a lawyer and librarian, help reference librarians at small and medium-sized libraries aid patrons with legal questions, as well as paralegals, students, and general readers doing legal work. They first explain the US legal system and give recommendations for secondary sources and finding information at the federal, state, and local levels, then teach the basics of legal research and how to find answers to questions related to lawsuits, family law, landlord-tenant contracts, wills, estate planning and probate, bankruptcy, employment and unemployment, and criminal law. The final section covers building a collection and evaluating online information, self-help law books, and creating a library website. Annotation ©2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Nolo's encyclopedia of everyday law : answers to your most frequently asked legal questions by Shae Irving & Nolo editor


Updated to reflect current laws, the eighth edition of this reference for general readers provides answers to common legal questions and lists print and online sources for more information. Questions and answers are grouped in sections on housing, money, work, small businesses, patents, cars, wills, marriage, and children. An appendix explains how to do basic legal research with a focus on Internet searches. Annotation ©2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Marshalling justice : the early civil rights letters of Thurgood Marshall edited by Michael G. Long ; foreword by Derrick Bell.


The first collection of Thurgood Marshall's selected letters repositions Marshall as first and foremost a groundbreaking and vibrant Civil Rights activist in the tradition of Martin Luther King and Julian Bond--not as the first African American to serve on the Supreme Court.

Contracts : the essential business desk reference by Richard Stim.


Stim, an attorney who specializes in small business and intellectual property law, provides an alphabetical reference of terms related to contracts, for small business owners, landlords, and individuals who work with contracts in daily life, in areas from real estate to insurance to hiring employees. While defining terms ranging from addendum to yellow-dog contract, he explains how to write a contract or contract provision, provisions that should be in contracts, and types that should be put in writing. Examples of clauses, contracts, and language are provided, but generic forms are not. Annotation ©2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Making it legal : a guide to same-sex marriage, domestic partnerships & civil unions by Frederick C. Hertz with Emily Doskow.

Both Hertz and Doskow have significant experience as attorneys working with and assisting the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities. This text, now in its second edition, serves as a reference book for same-sex couples--and the professionals assisting them--on the state of laws across the United States governing gay marriage, domestic partnerships, and civil unions. The subject matter is not limited to the law however, as the text also touches on the emotional and philosophical questions of marriage and finding a lifelong partner. Ten chapters cover topics ranging from whether to create a prenuptial agreement to estate planning for same-sex couples. A useful set of appendices includes an updated chart of the different forms of relationship recognition in each of the 50 states, a list of legal, financial, and personal resources for those interested in same-sex marriage, and a multiple-choice marriage license test designed to test readers' knowledge of the legal consequences of marriage. Annotation ©2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Profit from your idea : how to make smart licensing deals by Richard Stim.


San Francisco-based intellectual property attorney and entrepreneur Stim is a legal editor at Nolo and the author of several Nolo books on legal topics. He presents an updated practical guide for individuals who have come up with an invention and now need to license their great idea. Major topics addressed include ownership rights, soliciting licenses, the license agreement, and dealing with licensees. The seventh edition incorporates changes in licensing law and patent rules since publication of the 2008 edition. The accompanying CD-ROM contains selected full-length sample agreements and audio files summarizing licensing tips from the book, and documents addressing the miscellaneous provisions included at the end of each licensing deal, damages in contract disputes, and common contract problems. Annotation ©2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Legal guide for police : constitutional issues by Jeffery T. Walker, Craig Hemmens.


Walker (U. of Arkansas, Little Rock) and Hemmens (Boise State U.) examine constitutional issues and how they limit and empower police officers and other law enforcement personnel. Topics include authority to detain, due process, detention at roadblocks and the admissibility of evidence. The eighth edition of this constitutional guide for law enforcement personnel includes a CD-ROM. Anderson Publishing is a member of the LexisNexis group. Annotation ©2008 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Friday, April 15, 2011

Finding the answers to legal questions : a how-to-do-it manual by Virginia Tucker and Marc Lampson.

Tucker, a county law librarian who teaches at San Jose State U., and Lampson, a lawyer and librarian, help reference librarians at small and medium-sized libraries aid patrons with legal questions, as well as paralegals, students, and general readers doing legal work. They first explain the US legal system and give recommendations for secondary sources and finding information at the federal, state, and local levels, then teach the basics of legal research and how to find answers to questions related to lawsuits, family law, landlord-tenant contracts, wills, estate planning and probate, bankruptcy, employment and unemployment, and criminal law. The final section covers building a collection and evaluating online information, self-help law books, and creating a library website. Annotation ©2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Queer (in)justice : the criminalization of LGBT people in the United States by Joey L. Mogul, Andrea J. Ritchie, and Kay Whitlock.

Written by activists and legal advocates Mogul, Ritchie, and Whitlock, this work examines the experiences of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people within the contemporary US criminal legal system, particularly focusing on how other class, race, occupational, gender, immigrant, and other status marginalities interact with LGBT as a category in US crime and punishment. They argue that the way that the criminal legal system polices notions of sexual and gender "deviance" serves both as a tool of race-based law enforcement and as an independent basis for punishment within an institutionalized setting of systemic violence and injustice. Chapters address historical precedents, queer criminal archetypes, policing gender and sex after Stonewall, treatment of queers in criminal courts, queer experiences in prison, criminal legal responses to violence against LGBT people, and responses to the problem of criminal injustice towards LGBT people. Annotation ©2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Inherently unequal : the betrayal of equal rights by the Supreme Court, 1865-1903 by Lawrence Goldstone.

A potent and original examination of how the Supreme Court subverted justice and empowered the Jim Crow era.

In the following years following the Civil War, the 13th Amendment abolished slavery; the 14th conferred citizenship and equal protection under the law to white and black; and the 15th gave black American males the right to vote. In 1875, the most comprehensive civil rights legislation in the nation's history granted all Americans "the full and equal enjoyment" of public accomodations. Just eight years later, the Supreme Court, by an 8-1 vote, overturned the Civil Rights Act as unconstitutional and, in the process, disemboweled the equal protection provisions of the 14th Amendment. Using court records and accounts of the period, Lawrence Goldstone chronicles how "by the dawn of the 20th century the U.S. had become the nation of Jim Crow laws, quasi-slavery, and precisely the same two-tiered system of justice that had existed in the slave era."

The very human story of how and why this happened make Inherently Unequal as important as it is provocative. Examining both celebrated decisions like Plessy v. Ferguson and those often overlooked, Goldstone demonstrates how the Supreme Court turned a blind eye to the obvious reality of racism, defending instead the business establishment and status quo--thereby legalizing the brutal prejudice that came to definite the Jim Crow era. (Publisher's description)

Thursday, April 14, 2011

J.K. Lasser's 1001 deductions and tax breaks 2011 : your complete guide to everything deductible by Barbara Weltman.

A straightforward guide to taking tax breaks and deductions. Completely revised to reflect important changes in this year′s tax laws, J.K. Lasser′s 1001 Deductions & Tax Breaks 2011 will help you take advantage of every tax break and deduction you may be entitled to. This comprehensive guide is clearly organized by subject matter so you can easily find situations that may apply to you. Each tax benefit is also clearly explained-along with the eligibility requirements for claiming the benefit-while planning tips and common pitfalls associated with the benefit in question are discussed in detail. New tax law alerts are also included throughout the book, so you can make the most informed decisions possible. Discusses deductions and tax breaks with regard to your family, home, car, job, investments, education, charitable giving, health coverage, and much more. Packed with hundreds of updated examples, practical advice, and real-world examples. Online supplement to update developments. (Publisher's description)



Toxic loopholes : failures and future prospects for environmental law by Craig Collins.

The EPA was established to enforce the environmental laws Congress enacted during the 1970s. Yet today lethal toxins still permeate our environment, causing widespread illness and even death. Toxic Loopholes investigates these laws, and the agency charged with their enforcement, to explain why they have failed to arrest the nation's rising environmental crime wave and clean up the country's land, air, and water. This book illustrates how weak laws, legal loopholes, and regulatory negligence harm everyday people struggling to clean up their communities. It demonstrates that our current system of environmental protection pacifies the public with a false sense of security, dampens environmental activism, and erects legal barricades and bureaucratic barriers to shield powerful polluters from the wrath of their victims. After examining the corrosive economic and political forces undermining environmental law making and enforcement, the final chapters assess the potential for real improvement and the possibility of building cooperative international agreements to confront the rising tide of ecological perils threatening the entire planet. (Publisher's description)

The mob and me : wise guys and the Witness Protection Program by John Partington with Arlene Violet.

Partington, a former U.S. Marshal, and former Attorney General Violet deliver a fascinating, first-person true crime memoir of the development and evolution of the Witness Protection Program.

How to win your case in traffic court without a lawyer by Janet Traken

According to the National Motorists Association, as many as 50 million Americans are issued traffic tickets for moving violations. Many of those tickets will be paid and forgotten about, but many more will be added to a growing list of traffic court cases - with an estimated $7 billion in annual tickets and a good percentage of them being taken to court. For many people though, the cost of hiring a lawyer and fighting a case over a $300 ticket is too hard and they just accept it, paying the fine begrudgingly. With this book, you no longer have to cave into government pressure and pay your fines. If you feel you have been wronged, this book will walk you through every step of the process to uncovering exactly what you can do to win your traffic court case without a lawyer.

You will learn the total number of people who receive tickets every year and just how many are successful in their fight against them, including how they were successful. Learning to understand the law is essential in knowing whether you can effectively fight your ticket and this book will provide multiple chapters designed to break down and outline the details of the law for each major type of moving violation. You will learn what the three different kinds of speed limits are and when you can fight the ticket. You will learn which defenses absolutely will not work in court and whether you will be wasting your time by using them. Different ways in which your speed was measured and understanding how the officer handled the ticketing are vital to making your case and a comprehensive chapter on analyzing this evidence will be presented.

You will learn how to start building your case by using discovery and obtaining all of the necessary evidence. The trial specifics are outlined in a step by step manner, including the process of finding witnesses, preparing testimony, and presenting diagrams and visual cues that will help you make your case. Learn how to talk to the officer that issued the ticket and prepare yourself for the onslaught of questions your prosecutor will present.

With the help of professional opinions from dozens of lawyers and legal specialists, you will learn exactly how each traffic court case is handled and what you can expect when you take your particular case to court. There is an essential difference between jury and judge only trials and you will learn how to handle each of them, as well as how to tweak your case to match any of the 50 states in which you live. If you have received a traffic violation and you know it is unfair, the only choice you have is to fight it in court, and this book will help you do just that without the need of a lawyer or an expensive defense. (Publisher's description)