A comprehensive study of fascism as it evolved in Italy and Germany in the 1920s and 1930s.

Daniel Guerin's classic work, first published in French in 1936, shows how fascism, far from being an aberration of mass psychology, arose from the specific conditions of a social system in crisis. At first covertly, then increasingly openly, layers of big business financed and promoted the fascist movements in Italy and Germany.

Guerin contrasts the fascists' initially radical anticapitalist demagogy with their moves to shore up the capitalist profit system once they form the government.

"The profound causes that drove the Italian and German industrialists to bring fascism to power may produce the same effects elsewhere," Guerin concludes. (from the back cover)

Simply a wonderful read. If ever you have encountered Bacon, Prof. Coquillette of Boston College Law School will delight you with his historical and jurisprudential analysis of one of the heavyweights of English legal and political history. Coquillette's prose dances as he works through the twists and turns of Bacon's life, times, and master works. A "must read" for the serious student of Anglo-American legal thought

in this book, deleuze demonstrates that modern knowledge is no longer powered by dialectics or rationale, but by human sensuality. bacon's work is a good example to show that how art owns the ability to go beyond discourses.

I had the opportunity to read this story to a 1st grade class and they loved it. A Maine potato farmer, J.J. Jackson, spends his winter fixing things. Sean Shane O'Riley discovers his unusual talent and applies it to jigsaw puzzles. Before long, Jackson is touring the country as a professional jigsaw-puzzle jointer. However, the farmer's animals are not thrilled about it. How will they get him back home?

De Tocqueville was simply of one of the great social scientists writing about America and Democracy. From reading the book I deduced that De Tocqueville was a social scientist before Marx! He compares European culture and government with the fledgling culture and democracy he observes in America. He is very much impressed with what he sees taking place in America in the 1830's and hopes it will spread to Europe. He at first believed that America's prosperity was simply due to geography and their distance from powerful neighbors, he abandons this idea after his visit to America. He comes to realize that the West is not being peopled "by new European immigrants to America, but by Americans who he believes have no adversity to taking risks". De Tocqueville comes to see that Americans are the most broadly educated and politically advanced people in the world and one of the reasons for the success of our form of government. He also foretells America's industrial preeminence and strength through the unfettered spread of ideas and human industry.

De Tocqueville also saw the insidious damage that the institution of slavery was causing the country and predicted some 30 years before the Civil War that slavery would probable cause the states to fragment from the union. He also the emergence of stronger states rights over the power of the federal government. He held fast to his belief that the greatest danger to democracy was the trend toward the concentration of power by the federal government. He predicted wrongly that the union would probably break up into 2 or 3 countries because of regional interests and differences. This idea is the only one about America that he gets wrong. Despite some of his misgivings, De Tocqueville, saw that democracy is an "inescapable development" of the modern world. The arguments in the "Federalist Papers" were greater than most people realized. He saw a social revolution coming that continues throughout the world today.

De Tocqueville realizes at the very beginning of the "industrial revolution" how industry, centralization and democracy strengthened each other and moved forward together. I am convinced that De Tocqueville is still the preeminent observer of America but is also the father of social science. As a retired Army officer and political philosopher, I found this book to be a must read for anyone interested in American history, political philosophy or the social sciences.

Toquevilles' Democracy in America, written over a century and a half ago, is almost as relevant today as when it first appeared in print. Outside of the Federalist Papers, no book is as essential to a American student of political philosophy as this. This book is neither a manifesto of the right or left - both sides can draw powerful arguments (and lessons) from this work. Paramount to the book are the conflicts between equality and liberty, which today remains the core difference between the major political parties. Toqueville also predicted the rise of America and Russia, as well as the growth of the central government - a hundred years before it became reality. His praise of the American system of decentralized, voluntary associations is also dead on. A wonderful book.

This book has an abundance of profound observations of both praise and constructive criticism of the American political system, delivered in a richly eloquent and distinctly objective manner by a young Nineteenth Century French aristocrat/lawyer with a very impressive grasp of enduring political reality. The heart of Tocqueville's message is twofold: (1) his praise of Americans' voluntary associations as prime examples of what results from individuals pursuing enlightened self-interest, and (2) his warning that American democracy has the potential to devolve into pervasive majoritarian tyranny by an all-powerful central government covering the surface of society with a network of small complicated rules and treating citizens like children or timid and industrious animals, in perpetuity. In other words, he accurately predicted the out-of-control bureaucracy and rule by opinion poll which is now inflicting its hypnotic popular tyranny upon us. END

This is among the most inspirational LDS books I have read in years. I am a longtime fan of Elder Gibbons and his books. This is another outstanding contribution to Mormon biography and literature.

This is a collection of true conversion stories from converts to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons). I am the co-author, together with my father, Elder Francis M. Gibbons, a former General Authority of the Church. Dad is a very prolific writer, with sixteen books published since 1977. This is my first published work. We came up with the concept for this book together, and then decided on the subjects. We each individually researched and wrote our respective chapters. I believe that I wrote about 30 to 35 of the chapters and Dad wrote 25 to 30. Dad and I have since commented to each other that we have a hard time distinguishing which chapters we each wrote without consulting our notes, so similar are our general writing styles. A large proportion of the chapters contain stories told for the first time in print, including a large number from individuals Dad knew and worked with from his years living in South America, and many whom I knew from my time living in Europe.

Dad continues to write nearly full time. He is 81 years old, in excellent health and with a sharper intellect and personality than he has ever had. His insights into leaders of the Church and his institutional memory of the Church is prodigous. Since completing this manuscript, Dad has finished Biography of the syndicated columnist, Jack Anderson, to be published in 2002. He has also recently finished an historical novel and is now working on a manuscript he has tentatively entitled, "The Spiritual Dimensions of America."

I continue to write in my spare time, and am currently finishing a work of fiction, which I hope to see published in early 2003.

A solid work based on the form of the Johannine text as we now have it. The commentary is divided into two parts: Interpretation and Notes, the former offering the main body of argument, and the latter the justification for the Interpretation. Some of its strengths include the following. First, although it belongs to a catholic series, there is nothing that is overtly "catholic" about the interpretation. Second, is not too large, as commentaries on John are inclined to be, and yet it offers significant new insight into the text. Third, Moloney tries and succeeds for the most part in interpreting the main thread of logical argument made in the Gospel. A pastor or scholar can quite easily look up a passage and trace its meaning and development.

I have a single criticism. Although the series is NOT meant primarily for the scholar, Moloney battles to write in a non-academic manner. He is clearly a highly intelligent man whose style is logical and deductive. I find the experience a little too clinical. Moloney seldom becomes existentially involved with the text. Some may see this as a flaw, and others as strength. One gets the impression that Moloney is trapped within the very strict confines of his methodology. The result: a scholarly and sane interpretation that lacks vigour.

Australia's leading Catholic biblical scholar, Francis Moloney, is the latest contributor to Liturgical Press' acclaimed series of New Testament commentaries, 'Sacra Pagina'. The series is being written by an international team of Catholic biblical scholars under the general editorship of Daniel J. Harrington SJ.

Fr Moloney's contribution is the commentary on the Gospel of John, a subject on which he is a world authority. His expert publications on John range from the 'Johannine Theology' article in 'The New Jerome Biblical Commentary' through to an innovative three-volume scholarly commentary on the Gospel of John being published by Fortress Press.

Which begs the question, why do we need another commentary on John from Professor Moloney? The answer lies in the distinctive approach adopted by the 'Sacra Pagina' series.

Produced with the needs of clergy, preachers, biblical professionals, graduate students, theologians, and religious educators in mind, the volumes present detailed, substantial exposition of the biblical texts, based on the best of modern Catholic scholarship while not bogging the reader down in the minutia of academic debates and references.

Moloney's volume is indicative of the well-structured nature of the books in the series. It begins with an introductory chapter that concisely examines general matters such as the Gospel's authorship and structure, as well as its theological contribution and contemporary significance.

The body of the commentary follows, the text broken down into major sections and subsections, according to the perceived intention of John's author. For each section, the book begins by presenting the text of John under consideration in English translation (Moloney uses the RSV with some alterations, including inclusive language; some other volumes have original translations). This is followed by the 'Interpretation', which is the core commentary, and in turn by the 'Notes'. The latter are where one finds the arguments for the particular positions adopted in the commentary, as well as presentations and evaluations of alternative points of view. Each section ends with a list of references and suggested further reading.

The beauty of this approach is that readers can easily access the level of commentary that they wish or require. Indexes of scripture texts, other ancient writings, and authors are also included.

Moloney's distinctive approach is to focus on the narrative design of John, aiming to trace the impact the Johannine form of the Jesus story makes on a reader, which brings its readers to a point of decision.

As with the other 'Sacra Pagina' volumes, the intention is to present the best of Catholic biblical scholarship, but also never to lose sight of the faith context, to continue to see the scripture as 'sacred page'.

Francis Moloney SDB is Foundation Professor of Theology at Australian Catholic University and was recently reappointed by Pope John Paul II to the International Theological Commission for a third five-year term, making him one of the commission's longest-serving members. [Book of the Month Selection, John Garratt Catholic Book Club.]

Amazing story telling, it was interesting reading a life and times so unlike the one I'm living. I enjoy historical novels and found "Moll Flanders," an enlightening source of courage in such hard times as the one she continued to find herself in. Loves gained and lost, children had and forsaken. Extremely interesting reading, especially, near the ending I couldn't put the book down, there was rhythm. To imagine such hard times and rough goings...I'm amazed that she continued to live so long. Happy reading!

Daniel Defoe's 1722 novel, "Moll Flanders," remains a fascinating imaginative work, and is in many ways more interesting than his famous first effort, "Robinson Crusoe." Having seen bits of two recent film adaptations in the last couple of months on television, and being a budding 18th century scholar, I decided it was time I picked up my own copy of "Moll Flanders" and see the actual product on its own terms. A story no less about a castaway and delinquent than "Crusoe," in "Moll Flanders," Defoe attempts to set down the history of a woman with a wild and often desperate life. A character of infinitely more interiority and reflection than Crusoe, Moll gives us through a first person narrative, a look into various stations of life in 18th century England and America.

The novel begins with a tip of the hat to that fine progenitor of the novel, "Don Quixote," a Gines-like acknowledgment that Moll, as the author of her own story, cannot complete that story within the text of the novel, unless people can write when they are deceased. Amusements aside, Moll begins her story as Crusoe begins his, with an immediate acknowledgment of the instability of the modern self - the corruption of her own name. Born in Newgate prison, and having never known her mother, Moll finds herself among gypsies and landed gentry before settling in Colchester for the term of her youth. Here, she founds her sense of social ambition, unusual even for Jane Eyre in the 19th century, as one in which she figures to be a gentlewoman by earning her own living. Various mishaps and misadventures lead her through marriages, whoredom, and thievery as Moll attempts to find her place in the world as a woman of common birth. Early on she learns the lessons that will aid her on her journey, viz., the value of money, quick wit, and a sense of her own sexuality.

While Defoe certainly does not sugar-coat the wrongs of woman in the early 18th century - delving deeply into issues of feminine helplessness before the law, the difficulties of procuring stable employment, and various reproductive issues such as adoption, abortion, and infant mortality - yet he maintains a consistent character of Moll as an extremely strong, adaptive, and resilient female character. The most riveting facet of Moll throughout is her own sense of self-worth and importance, especially in her own history. For instance, while chronicling an encounter with a former lover, Moll tells us that while his adventures are worth their own narrative, this is "my story, not his." Moll's strength in the midst of doubt, desperation, and general loneliness keeps the reader's constant interest and admiration.

Defoe's exploration of inter-gender relationships are worthy of note themselves for the sheer variety of social, economic, and personal situations he includes in the novel. The economic theme stands out among these, and provides a link back to the preoccupations of "Robinson Crusoe." Like Crusoe, Moll is always aware of the value of her personal possessions, and conscious of how to exploit and husband her resources to best advantage. Also like Crusoe, "Moll Flanders" is keenly aware of the possibilities and drawbacks of English colonial ventures in America. Defoe's efforts to link all these themes to the lot of the English prison population, the family unit, and indentured servants and African slaves, are all managed extremely well within the text of the novel. For all this, "Moll Flanders" remains an entertaining, satisfying, relevant novel, and stands for me above "Crusoe" as a work of high literary value.

This is one of the most fun pieces of literature that I have ever read. It is fast paced, and doesn't get boring. She goes through numerous marriages, even more affairs, and dabbles in theft. She unknowingly becomes part of an incestuous relationship!

It should be noted that this book is action driven, although Moll Flanders still undergoes considerable character development. For example, when she begins her extremely successful career as a thief, she is doing it for survival reasons. But after a while, she is doing it for greed. It is interesting to see what causes her to change in various situations.

I highly recommend this book.

This is one of the most often quoted commentaries on the Book of Daniel. It has less information than Montgomery's commentary, but is more readable. Hartman and DiLella are often quoted in Bible dictionaries, encyclopedias, and other commentaries.

They include an unusual new translation of Daniel influenced by H. L. Ginsberg. Ginsberg believed strongly that Daniel was originally written entirely in Aramaic, and that this fact is betrayed by confused translation from Aramaic to Hebrew in the Hebrew portions of the book. Hartman and DiLella try to reconstruct the original Aramaic meaning by stripping away errors in translation.

The commentary has a lot of discussion of the "son of man" (or "one in human likeness.") It comes to the conclusion that the "son of man" originally referred to faithful Israel and didn't have a messianic meaning. The authors believe the messianic connotation derived from later apocalyptic literature (the Parables of Enoch and II Esdras.)

The commentary frequently cites Jerome's Commentary and Porphyry. They seem to be at ease with Latin, which isn't surprising for Catholic scholars.

Aside from the examples above, most of the explanations in the commentary are reminiscent of earlier commentaries like Driver's and Montgomery's.

Besides the fact that it's respected among scholars and frequently quoted, I think this is a good deal for the price.

I like it more that Di Lella's more recent commentary.

This is a great piece of literary criticism, Lehan does a great job. I used a specific chapter, "Seeing and Misseeing: Narrative Unfolding" in an essay of mine.