Walter Bagehot was a journalist and a social and political thinker of the middle Victorian period (1850s and 1860s). His classical work "The English Constitution" comes as a collection of polemical assays upon the structure of the British political system. Cabinet, monarchy, Houses of Commons and Lords, execution of political power, and the foundation of the systems of checks and balances are explored in the book.

Throughout the book a comparison and contrast of Cabinet system and the Presidential system (a.k.a USA) is a constant theme. Bagehot does not hide it preference for the Cabinet system, which in his view is a both more dynamic and more effective. One of his main points is that direct popular election is a myth, since most of the electorate are ignorant of the nature of the political power (and moreover are forced to this ignorance by the effective uselessness of the legislative debate in the USA as opposed to the UK). Moreover, a result of the direct election is a static Presidential term of 4 years, which allows the executive branch to execute almost unchecked control of the political process. According to Bagehot, the indirect electoral system of the Commons, where people vote for the MPs and they then select the PM amongst themselves produces a more effective government, which is more responsive to the popular will since it can fall at any time due to policy disputes. A hidden secret of British success according to Bagehot is a fusion of legislative and executive powers in the Cabinet system. In the latter chapters, Bagehot exposures two forms of power - the dignified power (in the person of the monarch and the lords) and the effective power as exemplified by the Cabinet. Dignified power serves as a façade of legitimacy under which the dynamic and opportunist real effective power can subsist. He follows through to explain how each of the minister of the government exercises its power for the common goal, what are the legal powers of the monarchy and how it is exercised indirectly via control of the composition of the peerage and the power to dissolve the Commons.

Bagehot's style is clear, flavorful, his knowledge of political process is profound (with a qualification of more so of British then American), his research is well done, and he is a master of dramatic tricks to keep the reader interested. I would recommend the book as both a scholarly reference, and a well presented popular case.

First, to the reviewer looking for the doctrine of separation of powers: you'll find it in Montequieu's "Spirit of the Laws". Also check out "The Federalist", number 51.

Now then, Bagehot, like Madison, describes the operation of a modern liberal regime. The trick for founders of liberal government is to produce a government that permits the people civil liberties, but does not permit the people to abuse those liberties, or in the words of Madison, to create a government that is "democratic yet decent". Madison and the American Founders accomplish this end by so constructing the institutions of government that mens' selfish natures will be turned against each other ("ambition is made to check ambition"), rather than united in tyrannical concert.

Bagehot too describes the operation of a system of government that rules by the consent of the governed, yet which does so by restraining the vices of those who ought not to rule. Bagehot argues that the English government is moderate and decent because of a division of government into the "dignified" and the "efficient" parts, and a "noble lie" about the relationship between the two. It is this noble lie that permits the government to operate without the interference of those who would turn it away from the public good. But to discover the noble lie, you'll have to read Bagehot.

Warner Winborne

Professor of Political Science

Hampden-Sydney College

Hampden-Sydney, VA

I am a law student in the university of Plymouth and i would like you to send me some information that this book contains, concerning the subject of the separation of powers. Your advice will be of great help. Thank you.

I strongly recommend this book to everyone who wishes to handmade his/her own Sumo Robot Wrestler and compete against many other Sumo robot builders.
Pete Miles explains in detail how to design a Sumo robot and how to put all components together.
Great book with lots of photos and diagrams.
It's even priced reasonable.
I believe this book would become a bible for every Robot Sumo enthusiasts worldwide!!

This is an excellent book on sumo robots. It takes you all the way from building your first sumo robot to construction of the battle rings.

Lots of pictures and lots of solid technical information. This book is a must have you want to build a sumo robot or want to improve a robot you've already built.

I read this book from cover to cover, and I have to say that it's an excellent book (and I'm not just saying that because my robot Marauder has a picture in the book).

This is the book I wish that I had when I got started.

I highly recommend it.

Wonderful, heartwarming,and graphically beautiful book for doglovers of all ages.
A must have.
It's also a great gift.

This book is an especially unique addition to any dog lover's library. The photos beautifully illustrate diverse aspects of the human-dog bond. I received it as a gift, and immediately purchased copies for my dog loving friends!

Fantastic and really great book. Hard to describe, but the photo's and quotes are really fantastic. I received it today, and enjoyed it so much, that I am ordering three more copies,to give to friends.

This one contains the classic Bolo against Bolo; Wriiten by no other than David Weber. Simply captivating, obsorbing and exciting! Imagine a Bolo Novel by Weber? Buy it, read it, write a review. Enjoy!

This is probably the best bolo book, why? Supose you had a friend or mother who could recite poetry, play wargames, explore the meanings of the univers and kick out megatons of damage!! that is a bolo and in this book you will see that even a "dead" bolo can figure out a way to get the job done. An interesting point in this book is that in all but one of the stories the bolo is either massively damaged or modified to the point of being considered combat ineffective and not all stories are happy. the technical readout in the back is a great bonus. A must for any bolo fan, and anyone who believes in the power of the heart be it a Bolo, a human, or a dog gone pup.

This is undoubtedly the best collection of Bolo storied collected to date. Only four stories, half of themm are stories you'd find in the other anthologies. The other two shine like the sun. Little Red Hen is the story of the pioneering attempts of humanity to create a complete AI that feels emotions, and they have succeeded. I will not tell you what the main happenings in the story are because you have to read it to comprehend how masterfully it is constructed. Towards the end I actually found myself CRYING. Impossible, i tried to think to myself. It's got to be onions or mabye i stepped an a tack, but inside i knew exactly what i was crying for: LRH unit 1313 , bolo mk. 21,I(special). Miles to go is another example of the line of distinction blurring. Thee main Bolo in this story is an experimental mk 23, eighty years old. However, she packs a huge suurprise: he former Commander was a psychotronics tech and , for lack of better words, souped up the crud out of her. She is the first Bolo to mount a brain box, an integral part of more modern bolos. Her new Commander, however han one major failing: he is in love with her. Nice problem. Read tese two if you like just about any sci-fi- you wont be dissapointed

Set against the background of the 1939 New York World's Fair, Miles Beller's Dream Of Venus follows the adventures of Zeke Lichtenquist (an artist recently moved into the fair's "Town of Tomorrow"). This is a small and interwoven world of science and strippers, tourist dollars and visions of a better future, even as the world was sliding inexorably into a world of war. Dream Of Venus is an enthusiastically recommended, highly original novel that grips the reader's imagination and attention from the very first page and won't let go until the last line of the last paragraph of the last chapter.

Thought this novel is set in 1939 at the New York World's Fair, it really is talking about our sense of tomorrow, what we believe the future will bring. Reminds me of the saying, "Life is what happens while you're busy making other plans." By turns this fiction is funny and then profound. Gets a bit dislocated at points but if you stick with it you will be more than rewarded.

In the manner of Nabokov's "Pale Fire," this novel is a clockwork story within a story, a witty, engaging adventure into a future that never was... Operating on several levels, "Dream of Venus" presents the artist as a young meanderer, like Bloom in Joyce's Nightown wandering back on his own personal history and larger events overtaking the world. A dream as reality, a sleeper in full command of his consciousness, here the membrane between fact and fiction is stretched enticingly thin.

This is a very interesting book. It is set in the future. in a world that has survived a nuclear blast. But the world that remains is a very scary one, with enclaves of people living wary lives. Rafael lives in this world and he has to cope with it and also with his blossoming gay feeling for Leo. A very intesting book with a lot of relevance for our world today.

Finally got the book from Amazon and read it "straight-through!" I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book. Finding good SF/F novels, whose main characters are gay, is very difficult. Refreshing! Looking forward to a sequel!

An excellent first time adventure story. The intriguing plot and very well crafted characters really kept me going. I usually like to savor my novels, reading just a little bit at a time in my leisure. But by the time I got 3/4 of the way through, I was so excited that I couldn't stop reading! Peter Kasting amazed me with his ability to weave such a lavishly descriptive action packed story considering the context, background and setting for this novel. I really began to identify with Rafael, the Army Medical officer who is forced to come to terms with his gay feelings and the rapidly changing violent world around him. I was truly flabbergasted.

Life is a journey. Ruth Silnes' journey is both literal and metaphoric as she honeymoons on a yacht with her husband Torger in KEEPING AHEAD OF WINTER -4100 NAUTICAL MILES INSIDE AMERICA. Using the trip's logs and her memory, Silnes recreates the adventure and romance of her honeymoon in 1965.

The trip tested and strengthened her love for Torger. Clearly she remembers her husband and their growth together fondly.

The memoir describes the events factually. Author and illustrator Ruth Silnes recreates the story as it happened rather than reflecting it or reshaping it. Her descriptive phrases bring settings and struggles to life.

KEEPING AHEAD OF WINTER would be of particular interest to yachtsmen, wannabe boaters, and vicarious travelers. In addition it should appeal to anyone interested in life's journey as seen through the eyes of an adventurer starting the second half of her life.

The book is the story of woman in midlife who begins an exciting new adventure with her new husband. Together they live out a dream of sailing the inland passage in their new boat. The character and relationship development while under the intense pressure of piloting a boat are fascinating, as are their hair raising adventures. I couldn't put the book down!

This book is far more than an exciting account of the author's sailboat journey from Chicago to Florida's Gulf coast. Its second theme, the inner journey she takes while adjusting to life with her new husband (and learning how to be "first mate" on a 38-foot sailing yacht!), is such a perfect match for the more obvious one that I would hesitate to designate one as primary and the other as secondary. Along the way Ruth and Torger Silnes learn many things about their country, but Ruth learns just as many about herself.

This is a well-told story of a woman's transition from her life's first half to its second, rich in detail and emotion. It deserves to be read. Do give it a try!

Brian Tracy draws from his experience to give lessons on leadership and decision making. Faced with dissapointment, hunger, thirst, but armed with a desire for adventure, he and his buddies set out to discover Africa. Of the three adventurers only two complete the journey. He draws from this wonderful experience to with which he illustrates many fantastic teaching points.

This book takes a story of Brian's trip to Africa and pairs it up with parables of life and business.

Brian Tracy is the undisputed master of motivational, sales, and management training worldwide. His students love his practical, common sense approach to success. But have you ever wondered why? Does he have some kind of pipeline to the universe that we lack? No, just a lifetime of experience based on trial and error. Here in this book is the beginning of the Brian Tracy mindset, an epic journey that taught him lesson of life and success that he developed and taught throughout his life and to this day. But, hey, it's a great story too! Full of adventure, travelogue, colorful background, and shady characters. Just try and put it down once you start. Sure to become a classic and a must read in the field of motivational literature. Enjoy, and thanks Brian for sharing this wonderful portion of your life.

I had never heard of this author but was intrigued by the cover art and the book's synopsis. Now I can't wait to read her other book "A wicked Way to Burn". This book kept me interested the whole way through up to the very last page.Definetly would recommend this/

Ms. Miles' second Bracebridge Mystery is that rarest of items, a follow up that meets or exceeds the quality of the original novel. As before, her research is impeccable, and the depiction of Colonial Massachusetts rings absolutely true. I was fascinated by the descriptions of early practices of inoculation that are central to this story. Additionally, I believe Ms. Miles' prose to be among the best in the genre. It flows with an elegance and balance that is joy to read - and which contributes significantly to the experience of the language and conversation of the period. As before, the characters are well drawn and engaging. This author deserves to be far more widely read. Pick up this series, you will be glad that you did.

In this second of Margaret Miles' mysteries set in the New England village of Bracebridge, the characters gather "Decameron"-style to escape an outbreak of smallpox in Boston. In addition to the sensible Charlotte Willett and her neighbor Richard Longfellow, who were featured in "A Wicked Way to Burn," readers are treated to increased exposure to Richard's sister Diana. A shrewdly flirtatious vixen worthy of Jane Austen, she has agreed, after much cajoling, to travel to Bracebridge to receive and recuperate from a state-of-the-art smallpox inoculation. Her letters home to her Boston friends about the privations of such a dreary backwater sparkle with hilarious and revealing observations.

Not so humorous are the suicide and murder that arise from the confluence of these and other characters, including a down-at-the-heels doctor, a young woman from Concord affianced to a local lad, and a flamboyant adventurer with a secretive past. The stalwart English Captain Edmund Montague makes a return appearance, as do the Reverend Christian Rowe and a number of other colorful villagers. As if getting to know these characters were not pleasure enough, Ms. Miles provides a sterlingly-plotted mystery and rich historical context on the state of medicine, marriage, and the mores of 18th-century New England. This delightful combination of entertainment and erudition is sure to put Bracebridge on every mystery-lover's map.

Karen Lyon

The authors seem to want to put the brakes on an exciting tale, frequently digressing to tell a part of Alaska's history. While this is interesting, it also fragments the story and can be quite annoying. When the authors state "The serum had yet to face its greatest challenge - the crossing of Norton Sound", you just know you are going to have to hear the history of Norton Sound, when you'd rather stick with the dog race.
A little rearranging of the story elements would have improved this book greatly.

Wow! What a breathtaking read. The Salisburys have beautifully captured an exciting bit of American history. Except for one slim book years ago, nothing has been written -until now- about the race against time and weather to deliver medicine for a diphtheria epidemic to Nome, Alaska in 1925.

The writers take the reader on a wonderful adventure that later fostered the annual Iditerod race. They have expertly woven together the history of a nation, its people and the dogs that became such an integral part of Alaska's very existence. "The Cruelest Miles" captures the intimacy between man and animal in the same way "Seabiscuit" so successfully did.

In early 1999, I read the New York Times' obituary of the last surviving musher of that miraculous dog sled team. I noted it with interest. Gay Salisbury and Laney Salisbury went more than one step further. They created a fascinating, well written book. From the very first page, I could not put it down!

I love Alaska and I love dogs, so this book couldn't be more perfect as far as I am concerned. The story itself is amazing, and the authors cover all the bases to create a rich picture of both Alaska at the time and of the race to Nome. It's a historical narrative and an adventure story rolled into one. I also have to say that I disagree with the Times review (obviously the author wished she had written this book herself and so was biased). It's a fast-paced story, exciting and captures the people and places (and dogs!) quite well.