CHOICE November 2003 vol. 41 no.

03
Crittenden, Jack. Democracy's Midwife: An Education in Deliberation. Lexington Books,
2002. 248p bibl index afp ISBN 0739103296 pbk, $26.95

Crittenden (Arizona State Univ.) provides a useful and consistent defense of

the need for "more participatory and deliberative forums within democracy."
This volume extends the author's earlier scholarly work, which was devoted
to overcoming the contemporary dichotomy between liberal and
communitarian theories of politics. A deliberative, autonomous, and more
direct democratic political order is affirmed. Crittenden provides a useful
delineation of the view that a necessary and salutary tension exists between
autonomy and deliberation in political decision making, while also
adequately surveying the views of many related contemporary theorists on
the issue. The author offers a defense of writing as the primary element in
the development of the critical thinking process that should, he argues,
undergird a deliberative and democratic political system. The optimal
curricular reform should include not only an integrated writing regimen but a
core course of study as well. Crittenden's depiction of deliberation within the
American founding is overly simplistic and the most problematic aspect of
the book. Crittenden presents an insightful critique of the role of the state
and the citizenry in promoting and preserving a system of popular rule.
Summing Up: Recommended. Graduate collections and above.
--H. L. Cheek Jr., Lee University
Copyright 2003 American Library Association

CHOICE February 2004 vol. 41 no. 06

41-3713 JA66 MARC
Political Concepts, ed. by Richard Bellamy and Andrew Mason. Manchester University, 2003.
(Dist. by Palgrave) 245p bibl index ISBN 0719059089, $74.95; ISBN 0719059097 pbk, $24.95

Eschewing the spirit of disillusionment often encountered in contemporary

political theory, Bellamy (Univ. of Essex, UK) and Andrew Mason (Univ. of
Southampton, UK) have edited an anthology that presents "a broad range of
the main concepts employed in contemporary debates among both political
theorists and ordinary citizens." This laudable book consists of 17 chapters
on "political concepts" such as liberty, rights, and social justice, as well as
legitimacy and welfare, and includes five chapters related to present-day
controversies such as multiculturalism and green political theory. All essays
are well researched, accessible to a wide readership, and generally devoid of
an overly technical vocabulary. The brevity of the chapters deserves special
note. The chapters on liberty, legitimacy, and the rule of law also merit
praise. Other chapters lack the philosophical rigor and precision of argument
found in the rest of the book, as evinced in the chapter on gender. In
returning to the importance of defining political concepts to encourage
political understanding and ultimately participation, the volume makes a fine
contribution. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division
undergraduates and above.
--H. L. Cheek Jr., Lee University

CHOICE April 2004 vol. 41 no. 08

41-4945 JC423 2002-12194 CIP
Saward, Michael. Democracy. Polity, 2003. 175p bibl index ISBN 0745623492, $59.95; ISBN
0745623506 pbk, $24.95

Saward offers an accessible and forthright introduction to contemporary

debates over the meanings, forms, and enduring qualities of democracy.
Readers are invited to confront the potentialities and limitations of
democracy. As Saward (Open University) suggests, there are profound
disagreements over the concept of democracy. The author attempts to
introduce readers to the various interpretations of democracy without
exhibiting his own preference. The first chapter includes a thoughtful
discussion of how democracy is defined, making use of three case studies to
delineate the "meaning and value" of democracy. The second and third
chapters provide a survey of different approaches (defined as narratives) to
democracy. The use of the contributions of Schumpeter, Downs, and Dahl,
among others, deserves commendation; however, a more elaborate
reinterpretation and articulation of the more classic approaches and
controversies related to democracy (for example, Rousseau and Burke), and
a more integrated use of American sources would have been useful.
Chapters four and five introduce current disputes in democratic theory.
Unfortunately, presentation of the critics of plebiscitarian models of
democracy remains underdeveloped. Overall, the book is an excellent primer
on the study of democratic theory. Summing Up: Recommended. All levels.
--H. L. Cheek Jr., Lee University

May 2005 vol. 42 no. 09

Cheah, Pheng. Spectral Nationality: Passages of Freedom from Kant to Postcolonial
Literatures of liberation. Columbia, 2004, (c2003). 408p index afp ISBN 023113018X, $62.50;
ISBN 0231130198 pbk, $22.50

Cheah (Univ. of California, Berkeley) attempts to assimilate the insight of

several movements within contemporary scholarship, including cultural
studies and deconstructionism, in order to articulate a defense of a properly
defined "postcolonial" nationalism. The book offers a coherent, albeit
questionable, argument against inherited theories of "organismic vitalism"
and a justification for a new nationalism based on indigenous cultural
sources; and it develops a political theory of freedom predicated on the
author's definition of the concept. The book is divided into two parts. The
first half serves as a critique of freedom as a faulty organic construct in the
thought of Kant, Hegel, Fichte, Marx, and socialist political philosophy. The
second half is a search for thinkers who integrate their own cultural milieu
into the context of nationalism, utilizing figures from Southeast Asia
(Pramoedya) and Kenya (Ngugi). The work is heavily influenced by the
writings of Jacques Derrida, Frantz Fanon, and Amilcar Cabral, and evinces
the literary idiom of postmodernism. The author's reluctance to ponder the
potential contribution of capitalism and less radically egalitarian measures to
achieve his ends presents a major obstacle to his enterprise. Summing Up:
Optional. Graduate and research collections.
--H. L. Cheek Jr., Lee University

CHOICE December 2006 vol. 44 no. 04

44-2383 K290 2005-56114 CIP
Dworkin, Ronald. Justice in Robes. Belknap, Harvard, 2006. 308p bibl index afp ISBN
0674021673, $35.00

Dworkin (law and philosophy, New York Univ.), a respected judicial scholar,
attempts to provide a "general theory" of law, while identifying three
necessary stages of legal analysis: semantics, jurisprudential, and doctrinal.
The combination of these three components provides the basis for a deeper
understanding of the authentic interconnectivity between law and morals,
according to Dworkin. The work consists of eight previously published essays
and one new essay; it possesses the typical limitations of an edited collection
of essays composed by a single author over an extended period of time (a
decade and a half). Many worthwhile topics are examined, but the collection
lacks thematic cohesion and purpose. Chapters one through three are
critiques of Richard Rorty, Stanley Fish, Cass Sunstein, and Richard Posner.
Chapter four is devoted to refuting Isaiah Berlin's alleged "moral pluralism."
The remaining five chapters are assessments of H. L. A. Hart, Antonin Scalia,
John Rawls, and other thinkers, as well as a defense of Dworkin's earlier
scholarship. Finally, Dworkin's attempted refutation of "originalism" is
predictable, given his well-known opinions on the subject. Summing Up:
Recommended. Graduate students through practitioners.
--H. L. Cheek Jr., Brewton-Parker College

CHOICE October 2007 vol. 45 no. 02

45-1142 JK1726 2005-12038 CIP
Uniting America: Restoring the Vital Center to American Democracy, ed. by Norton
Garfinkle and Daniel Yankelovich. Yale, 2006, (c2005). 287p bibl index afp ISBN 0300108567,
$32.00

This edited volume presents a readable, erudite argument for the return of a
centrist agenda in US public life. The 14 chapters by respected scholars are
arranged under six major themes: the vital center, Social Security and health
care, diversity and unity, security, citizenship, and environmental and
electoral reform. The authors seek to encourage a "rebirth of a spirit of unity
and compromise" within US politics. Claims about the bifurcated nature of
the American electorate made by pollsters and political observers are
disputed in a comprehensive manner. In fact, the authors suggest an
important degree of national unity has prevailed in many areas, although
"polarization" has reigned in Congress and in the news media. The first two
chapters form the heart of the volume. In chapter 1, Yankelovich suggests
that Americans have created a moderate and tolerant social and political
order. In chapter 2, Garfinkle details the moderate consensus in economic
policy since WW II. Other chapters, especially chapter 5 (Alan Wolfe),
concerning religion as a unifying force in America society, are less
persuasive. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates
and above.
--H. L. Cheek Jr., Brewton-Parker College

CHOICE October 2007 vol. 45 no. 02

45-1125 JC229 2006-20803 CIP
Boesche, Roger. Tocqueville's Road Map: Methodology, Liberalism, Revolution, and
Despotism. Lexington Books, 2006. 215p index afp ISBN 9780739116654, $70.00 Boesche,
Roger (author)

Given the resurgence of interest in the political thought of Tocqueville, and

the ideological nature of the major streams of interpretation that have
emerged, this balanced collection of articles by one of the leading
Tocqueville scholars is most welcome. In the course of nine previously
published essays, Boesche (Occidental College) surveys the major issues
associated with the study of Tocqueville. The first two chapters address
Tocqueville's role as a prognosticator of social and political change and as a
classical liberal thinker. Chapters 3-5 analyze Tocqueville's assessments of
capitalism, revolutionary movements, and the use of military force. The final
four chapters are attempts to relate Tocqueville's insights to contemporary
problems of nihilism, prison reform, tyranny, and journalism. The chapter on
Tocqueville's "strange liberalism," which the author describes as Tocqueville's
criticism of the pursuit of self-interest without restraint, makes a significant
contribution to current scholarship. The defense of the historical nature of
Tocqueville's writings will challenge some contemporary assessments as well.
The author provides a thoughtful, perhaps more ambiguous view of
Tocqueville than other scholars. His view is both incisive and compelling.
Summing Up: Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduates and
above.
--H. L. Cheek Jr., Brewton-Parker College

CHOICE April 2008 vol. 45 no. 08

Outstanding Title!
45-4656 JC573 2007-6111 CIP
Russello, Gerald J. The Postmodern Imagination of Russell Kirk. Missouri, 2007. 248p bibl
index afp ISBN 9780826217202, $44.95 Russello, Gerald J (author)

As one of the most important and engaging political thinkers of the last
century, Russell Kirk is deserving of much greater and sustained scholarly
attention than he has received. This work is part of a recent trend to correct
this longstanding deficiency. Russello (affiliated scholar, Seton Hall) attempts
to critique Kirk's writings by examining five aspects of his thought: overall
mission; interpretation of history; political life; jurisprudence; and his
criticism of modern life (Kirk's "counternarrative"). Kirk's active engagement
with society and politics is detailed, and those who have neglected his work-viewing Kirk as either an advocate of "nostalgia" or a "static version of some
ideal past"--are introduced to the more engaging potentialities of his
achievement. The vital role of tradition and history for Kirk are explored with
great clarity and sensitivity, along with Kirk's views of politics and
statesmanship. The treatment of the interconnection between natural law
and American constitutionalism in Kirk's writings also deserves
commendation. In this important book, Russello provides a sagacious
refutation of the often unreflective criticisms of Kirk, while affirming the
vitality of his thought for contemporary politics. Summing Up: Highly
recommended. All readership levels.
--H. L. Cheek Jr., Brewton-Parker College

CHOICE May 2008 vol. 45 no. 09

45-5261 KF8990 2007-15409 CIP
Popkin, William D. Evolution of the Judicial Opinion: Institutional and Individual styles.
New York University, 2007. 301p index afp ISBN 9780814767269, $45.00 Popkin, William D
(author)

Popkin (Indiana Univ., School of Law) analyzes the evolution of "the public face of
the judiciary," judicial opinions. The central task of this book is to interpret how
judges present their opinions, focusing upon the importance of political goals, legal
culture, and institutional and individual stylistic considerations. Chapter 1 examines
the development of judicial opinion in England. Chapters 2-4 survey the maturation
of judicial opinion writing in the US from an institutional perspective. The critique of
the American tradition's "antecedents," including Montesquieu, Blackstone, early
state constitutions, and the Constitutional Convention, is most helpful. Chapters 5
and 6 assess "contemporary [American] judicial practice" regarding opinions. The
most troublesome aspect of the work is the author's remedy for the decline of the
efficacy of judicial opinions. Popkin encourages judges to adopt a "greater use of the
personal voice and exploratory tone" in writing their opinions; however, his
suggestion could potentially promote more judicial activism and a departure from
traditional sources of the law. This work constitutes a perspicacious guide to
recovering the vitality and importance of judicial opinions, and it offers
recommendations for the proper mission of judges within a changing legal culture.
Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduate, graduate, research,
and professional collections.
--H. L. Cheek Jr., Brewton-Parker College

CHOICE August 2008 vol. 45 no. 12

45-7045 JF1061 2007-14215 MARC
Kymlicka, Will. Multicultural Odysseys: Navigating the New International Politics of
Diversity. Oxford, 2007. 374p bibl index afp ISBN 9780199280407, $35.00 Kymlicka, Will
(author)

In assessing the expanding international attention devoted to the protection of

ethnic and cultural minorities, Kymlicka (Queen's Univ., Canada) has become one of
the major advocates of a liberal multiculturalism as the guiding principle of such
pursuits. This book serves as an extension of his earlier scholarship, as well as an
attempt to integrate the political theory of multiculturalism with the insights of
empirical political analysis. Liberal multiculturalism, Kymlicka argues, is an
outgrowth of the longstanding emphasis upon human rights in international politics,
and is not based upon notions of cultural relativism. The major purpose of the book
is to analyze "the current process of internationalizing multiculturalism" and the
obstacles involved with the implementation of the concept. In the first of three
major divisions of the work, Kymlicka explores the success of liberal multiculturalism
and the decline of traditional views of the state, sovereignty, and ethnic politics.
The second part is a survey of the "logic of liberal multiculturalism" and an
exploration of the potential threat that liberal multiculturalism presents to existing
understandings of human rights and state sovereignty. Finally, Kymlicka reviews the
efforts of international organizations to utilize liberal multiculturalism in practice.
Summing Up: Recommended. Graduate, research, and professional collections.
--H. L. Cheek Jr., Brewton-Parker College

CHOICE November 2008 vol. 46 no. 03

46-1741 JA79 2007-46793 CIP
Runciman, David. Political Hypocrisy: The Mask of Power, From Hobbes to Orwell and
Beyond. Princeton, 2008. 272p bibl index afp ISBN 9780691129310, $29.95 Runciman, David
(author)

Runciman (Univ. of Cambridge) argues hypocrisy is inevitable in liberal democratic

theory and practice. Locating the origins of "the idea of hypocrisy" in the theater
and in deceptiveness, the author posits that the political "hypocrite is always
putting on an act." The use of hypocrisy in politics is dissected in chapters devoted
to Hobbes, Mandeville, a troika of figures from the American Founding, Bentham,
Victorians, and Orwell. The chapters on Hobbes and Mandeville are brilliant yet
beguiling. However, the chapter on the American Founding generally and Franklin,
Jefferson, and Adams specifically suffers from serious interpretative flaws. Reducing
the American Founding to a duplicitous phenomenon because of the existence of
slavery undermines the internal logic of the author's central thesis and results in an
unfair, nay, hypocritical treatment of American politics and experience. While
written in a lucid, engaging style, the book fails to recover the importance of
political hypocrisy in a comprehensive manner. If politics is grounded in the moral
and rational nature of humankind, it cannot simply be consigned to the author's
selecting of the "right hypocrite." Summing Up: Optional. Upper-division
undergraduates and up.
--H. L. Cheek Jr., Brewton-Parker College

CHOICE October 2009 vol. 47 no. 02

Outstanding Title!
47-1108 JK116 2007-26964 CIP
Bederman, David J. The Classical Foundations of the American Constitution: Prevailing
Wisdom. Cambridge, 2008. 337p index ISBN 9780521885362, $85.00 Bederman, David J
(author)

In this innovative and erudite study, Bederman (Emory Univ.) surveys the influence
of classical works on the American founding generation. A convincing argument for
the Founding Fathers' use of classical ideas is lucidly advanced. The book offers a
more historically accurate and philosophically coherent argument than other recent
volumes on the topic. Chapter 1 details the role of classical learning in the
education, legal training, and shaping of the worldview of the Founders. Chapter 2
suggests the "models" of political life imparted to the Founders' by their study of
classical sources. Chapters 3 and 4 document the Founders' use of ancient history in
drafting the US Constitution, with special attention to what Bederman describes as
the five central elements of constitutional design--"federalism, bicameralism, a
unified executive, an independent judiciary, and foreign relations power." The
author defends the importance of original intent, with limitations, while concluding
that the Founders' use of ancient sources was "instrumental and pragmatic."
Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readership levels.
--H. L. Cheek Jr., Brewton-Parker College

CHOICE April 2010 vol. 47 no. 08

47-4697 K3269 2008-49676 CIP
Nemeth, Charles P. Aquinas and King: A Discourse on Civil Disobedience. Carolina
Academic, 2009. 125p index afp ISBN 9781594606380 pbk, $16.00

In this thoughtful, succinct study, Nemeth (California Univ. of Pennsylvania)

attempts to synthesize the social, religious, and legal thought of St. Thomas
Aquinas and Martin Luther King Jr. regarding civil disobedience and the need for "an
objective moral order." In the first two chapters, the nature of law is explained,
especially the categories of Thomistic legal thinking, as well as the meaning of civil
disobedience. Chapters 3 and 4 argue for the compatibility of civil disobedience and
the Christian life. The "radical" aspect of the interpretation suggests that an unjust
law should not be obeyed. The final chapter proposes areas of agreement between
Aquinas and King regarding civil disobedience. The book provides an engaging, lucid
introduction to Aquinas on law. Unfortunately, the analysis of King's thought is less
discerning and fails to appreciate the overriding influence of Boston personalism
upon his views of social and political life. The author is correct to suggest both
Aquinas and King "deliver an ethical construct that mirrors human life"; however,
the divergence between Aquinas and King may be greater than the proposed
convergence. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduate,
graduate, research, and professional collections.
--H. L. Cheek Jr., Athens State University

CHOICE May 2010 vol. 47 no. 09

47-5306 K460 2008-939402 CIP
Budziszewski, J. The Line Through the Heart: Natural Law as Fact, Theory, and Sign of
Contradiction. ISI Books, 2009. 241p index ISBN 9781935191179, $25.00

With the current renaissance of interest in natural law among students of politics
and law, this collection of ten essays and an afterword in defense of the concept will
be of interest to a diverse readership. The book consists of previously published
essays and lectures that provide a useful introduction to the importance of natural
law. The book is divided into a section of essays on the "foundational principles of
good and evil" and a section devoted to explicating the implications of natural law
for politics. The first half offers engaging analyses of natural law as the embodiment
of truth about the constitution of the human person, philosophical reality, and
revelation. The second half confronts the relationship between natural law and
several contemporary issues, including capital punishment and the limits of
liberalism. Budziszewski (Univ. of Texas) writes in an accessible style that
encourages the reader to ponder the significance of natural law for the modern
world, while he argues that the concept is "embedded into the structure of
creation." Summing Up: Recommended. All readership levels.
--H. L. Cheek Jr., Athens State University

CHOICE October 2010 vol. 48 no. 02

48-1138 K720 2009-33259 CIP
Purdy, Jedediah. The Meaning of Property: Freedom, Community, and the Legal
Imagination. Yale, 2010. 225p index afp ISBN 9780300115451, $28.00 Purdy, Jedediah (author)
Purdy (Duke Univ.) critiques and attempts to refute classical economic liberalism. He seeks to
advance the themes of his earlier books by defending a contemporary, liberal social and political
order under the guise of examining "the place of property in the modern legal imagination." Part
1 ("Origins") surveys "the rise of the vision of property as a uniquely integrating institution for the
values of liberal, commercial modernity." Part 2 ("Crises") attempts to demonstrate the failure of
inherited views of property, with a special emphasis on colonial India and the US. Arguing for
"free labor" and against imperialism, Purdy endorses "antislavery" and "antifeudal" postures as
promoting a market economy while conveniently neglecting the more extreme and contradictory
positions associated with these approaches. The use of Adam Smith as philosophical guide is not
without limitations. Smith, the moral philosopher and theorist of the spontaneous and benevolent
genesis of institutions, cannot be reconciled with the author's "calculus of [human] interest" that
should dictate all decision making. Part 3 ("Reclamations") provides a provocative assessment of
some present-day controversies involving property. Summing Up: Recommended. Graduate,
research, and professional collections.
--H. L. Cheek Jr., Athens State University

CHOICE December 2010 vol. 48 no. 04

48-2366 KF4550 2009-38237 CIP
Strauss, David A. The Living Constitution. Oxford, 2010. 150p index afp ISBN 9780195377279,
$21.95 Strauss, David A (author)

In this volume, Strauss (law, Univ. of Chicago) provides an accessible and lucid
refutation of originalist jurisprudence. In six chapters containing both new and
previously published scholarship, originalism is analyzed as a flawed approach to
interpreting the Constitution (chapter 1). The common law as the basis for American
constitutionalism is defended (chapter 2), the "evolutionary common law" is applied
to issues of speech and race (chapters 3 and 4), and the challenges of utilizing a
written constitution are discussed (chapters 5 and 6). Unfortunately, the author's
occasionally unreflective attitude toward originalism is most obvious when he
argues incorrectly that the concept "cannot even claim the one advantage it
purports to have over living constitutionalism," namely, the ability to limit judicial
activism. Another weakness of an otherwise insightful critique is the author's
omission of the nuances of the common law, especially in terms of how the common
law contributes to a variety of modes of democratic theory. Regardless of how one
interprets the Constitution, this volume will force the reader to reconsider
fundamental assumptions about the nature of constitutional interpretation and the
American regime while encountering a passionate defense of "an evolutionary form
of living constitutionalism." Summing Up: Recommended. All readership levels.
--H. L. Cheek Jr., Athens State University

CHOICE March 2011 vol. 48 no. 07

48-4147 JC423 2009-32310 CIP
Morrell, Michael E. Empathy and Democracy: Feeling, Thinking, and Deliberation.
Pennsylvania State, 2010. 221p bibl index afp ISBN 9780271036595, $60.00
1.
Athens State University
Writing within the political tradition of contemporary liberalism, but offering insights of enduring
importance on the value of empathy to democratic thought, Morrell (Univ. of Connecticut)
attempts to advance "democracy's promise" by promoting both a deliberative and an equal
political order. The study begins with a thoughtful survey of the tensions between deliberation as
reflection and deliberation as equal consideration. The concept of empathy, as well as empathy's
potential contribution to democratic thought, is analyzed. Empathy as a process, including affect
and cognition, is defended. In arguing for an "affective turn" as the best alternative for
democratic life, the author affirms and surveys the contribution of political psychology regarding
the role of "emotion, feelings, moods, and passions" in "explaining political attitudes and
behavior." When the process model of empathy is integrated within deliberative democratic
practices, "legitimate decisions that give equal consideration to all those in a society" can be
achieved. The study fails to incorporate the discernments of classical, Christian, and
phenomenological traditions regarding empathy into an otherwise noteworthy project. This
reevaluation of the importance of empathy to deliberative democracy fills a critical lacuna in
current scholarship. Summing Up: Recommended. All readership levels.
--H. L. Cheek Jr., Athens State University

CHOICE August 2011 vol. 48 no. 12

48-7189 JC571 2010-25821 CIP
Kateb, George. Human Dignity. Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2011. 238p bibl
index afp ISBN 9780674048379, $22.95

In this lucid and highly readable "defense of human dignity" and rights, Kateb
(Princeton Univ.) explicitly avoids the use of theological insights, preferring the
autonomous individual and human reason as his guides. For Kateb, the equal status
of persons and the dignity of the person are not synonymous with the dignity of the
species. Human "stature" is viewed as individual achievement. Kateb predictably
values the individual over the community, often discounting the importance of
communitarian achievements to the promotion of human dignity. While exhibiting
much perceptiveness, this study approaches human dignity with what some readers
will view as overly modest expectations, perhaps not unrelated to the author's
refusal to fully assess the contribution of religious thinking on the topic. In
defending the "inviolability" of human rights on moral and existential grounds, the
Golden Rule is offered as the best guide for private morality, while a humane
constitution is presented as the "best public morality." Kateb's critique of many
prominent thinkers, including Peter Singer and J. S. Mill, and his provocative
application of a theory of human dignity and rights to contemporary politics, are
significant accomplishments. Summing Up: Recommended. All readership levels.
--H. L. Cheek Jr., Gainesville State College

CHOICE March 2012 vol. 49 no. 07

49-4140 K3165 2010-27465 CIP
Saj, Andrs. Constitutional Sentiments. Yale, 2011. 382p index afp ISBN 9780300139266,
$75.00

This thoughtful book seeks to "consider the role of emotions in constitutional law,
accepting that one cannot understand human behavior and law as a purely rational
venture." Saj (Central European Univ.), a practicing judge at the European Court of
Human Rights, offers a compelling legal and theoretical alternative to the
positioning of reason and emotion as the extremes of jurisprudential thinking, while
also explicating the pivotal function emotion assumes in constitutional design and
law. The book consists of seven chapters. The first chapter is an introduction to the
author's argument on the behalf of a social constructivist concept of emotion, as
well as the disadvantages of neglecting emotion more generally. The second
chapter outlines the importance of "enhanced emotions" as defined by the French
Declaration of Rights. The third and fourth chapters detail the role that the emotions
of fear and empathy have assumed in modern politics. The fifth and sixth chapters
articulate how emotion is pivotal to defenses of freedom of speech and assembly.
The final, and arguably the most compelling, chapter argues for the importance of
shame as a corrective emotion for past injustices, and the "recognition of
responsibility." Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readership levels.
--H. L. Cheek Jr., Gainesville State College

CHOICE April 2012 vol. 49 no. 08

49-4724 JC229 2011-8450 CIP
Kaledin, Arthur. Tocqueville and His America: A Darker Horizon. Yale, 2011. 440p bibl index
afp ISBN 9780300119312, $45.00

In this engaging and discursive study dedicated to interpreting the "character and
thought" of Tocqueville, Kaledin (emer., history, Massachusetts Institute of
Technology) concentrates upon the ancillary and "darker" (less than optimistic)
legacies of Tocqueville's writings and views on politics and society. While expressing
admiration for Tocqueville, Kaledin is more devoted to explicating the weaknesses of
Tocqueville as a political thinker, concluding "he was a disharmonious man, full of
disunited passions and impulses." The book is divided into four sections. The first
part attempts to survey the formative influences on Tocqueville and his Democracy
in America, stressing his "triple-alienation," ambivalence, and aristocratic
tendencies. The second, more rewarding and succinct part of the study analyzes
Tocqueville's "political passion," and situates the great Frenchman within his own
political tradition. The third part examines Tocqueville's writing of Democracy in
America as an effort to critique the "fate of liberty" in the modern world. The final
part attempts to defend Tocqueville's "darker, more apprehensive" view of the
American polity. Unfortunately, Tocqueville's defense of a constitutionally restrained
political order, premised on the diffusion of authority, cannot be easily reconciled
with the author's interpretation of Tocqueville. Summing Up: Optional. Upperdivision undergraduate, graduate, and research collections.
--H. L. Cheek Jr., Gainesville State College

May 2012 vol. 49 no. 09

Spellman, W. M. A Short History of Western Political Thought. Palgrave Macmillan, 2011.
189p bibl index ISBN 9780230545588, $85.00; ISBN 9780230545595 pbk, $28.00 Spellman, W M
(author)

In this readable, succinct volume, Spellman (Univ. of North Carolina, Asheville)

provides an introduction to the evolution of political ideas that have shaped the
West. Spellman synthesizes a tremendous body of historical and philosophical
sources into an accessible survey, generally following the tradition of interpretation
of the Cambridge school of political thought. The book is divided into six chapters
that represent transitional periods, beginning with Hellenic political theory (chapter
1) and concluding with 20th-century political theory (chapter 6). The greatest
contribution of the survey is found in the thoughtful analysis of the diversity of
political thinking in the late Middle Ages in chapter 2. The book's lack of attention to
the structure and arguments of the primary texts under evaluation is a significant
weakness, however. While considerable attention is devoted to historical events, the
continuing relevance of central texts in the Western political tradition is ignored.
Regardless of any criticism, the tome is a useful primer on Western political thought
for the general reader and undergraduate students. Summing Up: Recommended.
All readership levels.
--H. L. Cheek Jr., Gainesville State College

CHOICE November 2012 vol. 50 no. 03

50-1731 QC903 2011-933429 MARC
Lane, Melissa. Eco-Republic: What the Ancients Can Teach Us About Ethics, Virtue, and
Sustainable Living. Princeton, 2012. 245p bibl index afp ISBN 9780691151243, $29.95

In this provocative, accessible reflection on the potential contributions of Platonic

political thought to the resolution of contemporary environmental problems, Lane
(Princeton Univ.) attempts to craft "an intuitive and imaginative model inspired by
the ancients." As a work in political theory, the book offers new insights into Plato
and contemporary debates regarding climate change. The book is organized into
three coherent parts, each focusing on a central aspect of her interpretation. Part 1
is devoted to inertia, a critique of the limitation of current approaches to everyday
life and the environment. Instead of a simple refutation of current attitudes, Lane
argues for improvement, suggesting the West can be "saved from itself." Part 2
addresses ways an improvement in thinking about politics and society through a
revitalized imagination can help offer new approaches to resolving environmental
dilemmas. Her use and explication of a moral imagination would have benefited
greatly from the integration of the work of a greater variety of theorists. Lane's
erudite integration of Plato's Republic is a significant accomplishment. Part 3 deals
with initiative or how people can respond to change. Lane argues that people must
change, but how they respond to the change is the most important consideration.
Summing Up: Recommended. All readership levels.

CHOICE March 2013 vol. 50 no. 07

50-4112 JA71 2011-38850 CIP
White, Michael J. Political philosophy: A Historical Introduction. Oxford, 2012. 431p index
afp ISBN 9780199860517 pbk, $29.95

In a lengthy and readable book, White (philosophy, Arizona State Univ.) provides a
capable introduction to major political philosophers in the Western tradition.
Generally, the book follows a traditional approach by surveying seminal thinkers
and texts, but the author, influenced by recent efforts to place political philosophy
"within the context of a more comprehensive moral, philosophical, or religious point
of view," provides a supplemental basis of analysis for the reader to contemplate as
well. The underlying argument of the book is most laudable, but insufficient use is
made of the recent scholarship that most closely conforms to this mode of
interpretation. As a second edition, the book includes a new chapter on Cicero, and
new sections on Marsilius of Padua and John Stuart Mill. The chapter on Cicero
addresses the interconnectivity between reason and morality in Cicero's political
thought. Additional contributions of the book are the author's attempt to introduce,
and then explicate, the "enduring issues" of political philosophy as a framework for
better understanding contemporary politics, and the thoughtful treatment of
Christianity's role in shaping the political thought of the West. Summing Up:
Recommended. All readership levels.
--H. L. Cheek Jr., University of North Georgia

CHOICE July 2013 vol. 50 no. 11

50-6440 JC233 2012-29850 CIP
Altman, William H. F. Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche: The Philosopher of the Second Reich.
Lexington Books, 2013. 277p bibl index afp ISBN 9780739171660, $70.00; ISBN 9780739171677
ebook, $69.99

In this imaginative and refined commentary on Nietzsche's political thought, Altman

provides an incisive critique of the achievement of Nietzsche, as well as his
limitations. The work is the third volume of a trilogy on German political thought,
following the author's earlier studies of Martin Heidegger and Leo Strauss. Utilizing
Nietzsche's own aphoristic style as evinced in his Daybreak, the main arguments of
the book are presented in the course of five chapters ("books") composed of 155
essays, 63 pages of notes, and other ancillary writings. The first chapter critiques
Nietzsche as the classicist who looked to the past, but equally to the future, to
evaluate the crisis of liberal institutions in his own time and place. Chapter 2 even
more explicitly demonstrates Nietzsche's connection to the political world of the
Second Reich. Nietzsche's criticisms of Plato, and his rather limited appreciation of
Aristotle, are presented in chapter 3. Nietzsche's defense of aristocratic elitism and
his assimilation and use of Platonic themes, especially dualism, are assessed
convincingly by the author as well. The two final chapters place Nietzsche within the
historical context of the Second Reich, providing insightful reflections on Nietzsche's
influence during WW I. Summing Up: Recommended. All readership levels.
--H. L. Cheek Jr., University of North Georgia

CHOICE November 2013 vol. 51 no. 03

51-1750 DC36 2012-32469 CIP
Jaume, Lucien. Tocqueville: The Aristocratic Sources of Liberty, tr. by Arthur Goldhammer.
Princeton, 2013. 347p index afp ISBN 9780691152042, $35.00 Jaume, Lucien (author)

Though this profound, elegantly written and translated work will not appeal to all
scholars of political thought, Jaume (Centre Recherches Politiques de Sciences Po,
France) nevertheless provides many insights into the life and work of the great
French student of American social and political life. Emphasizing the contribution of
Democracy in America, Jaume suggests that the best interpretative model for
understanding Tocqueville incorporates an appreciation of his historical context.
Jaume argues that Tocqueville should not be considered the "contemporary" of
current readers, an acknowledgement of his attachment to French ideas and a
realization of the opaque nature of his critique (a "palette of meanings"). Jaume
proceeds to analyze Tocqueville as a political scientist, sociologist, moralist, and
literary figure. As a political scientist, Tocqueville was an advocate of popular rule
with an organic view of politics and a defender of the diffusion of political authority
and localism. Society begets political arrangements, and for Tocqueville, "society
creates paths to its own ends." As a moralist, Tocqueville attempted to unite the
"telos of democracy and the dignity of man." Finally, as a writer, Tocqueville was an
"aristocratic moralist." Summing Up: Recommended. All readership levels.
--H. L. Cheek Jr., East Georgia State College

CHOICE June 2014 vol. 51 no. 10

51-5841 JC51 2013-5016 CIP
Nemo, Philippe. A History of Political Ideas from Antiquity to the Middle Ages, tr. by
Kenneth Casler. Duquesne, 2013. 665p bibl index afp ISBN 9780820704555 pbk, $36.00

In the first part of a two-volume survey of political thought, Nemo (ESCP Europe)
approaches the field of study in a manner different from many American authors.
Appealing to readers with "little prior knowledge" of political thought, he provides a
lucid, engaging introductory volume that will enlighten both novices and specialists.
The use of "historical context" combined with exceedingly accurate interpretations
of primary texts and the absence of ideological frameworks contributes to the high
overall quality of the book. The work is organized into three long sections: part 1,
Ancient Greece; part 2, Rome; and part 3, the Christian West. In the introduction to
part 3, the author provides a survey of the "political ideas" of the Bible, including an
accessible overview of Hebrew political thought. Important yet often neglected
figures in Christian political thought, including Tertullian, Origen, and many others,
are analyzed succinctly yet thoughtfully. This valuable and readable book deserves
a wide readership. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readership levels.
--H. L. Cheek Jr., East Georgia State College

CHOICE July 2014 vol. 51 no. 11

51-6425 JF229 2012-45392 CIP
Cameron, Maxwell. Strong Constitutions: Social-Cognitive Origins of the Separation of
Powers. Oxford, 2013. 255p bibl index afp ISBN 9780199987443, $65.00

In this imaginative and readable book, Cameron (Univ. of British Columbia) provides
a learned defense of the separation of powers. While not disputing the importance
of the separation of powers as a source of restraint in democratic theory, the author
contends that the concept allows for collective action, which can promote and
sustain democratic regimes. Other conceptions of the separation of powers are
integrated into his critique, as well as the importance of divided power in promoting
the survival of any government. The separation of powers, if rightly understood,
actually strengthens regimes. The refinement of democratic institutions is also
based on the "social-cognitive" aspects of politics, especially the use of language
that encourages "collective organization." The value of a written constitution is yet
another extension of this analysis. Other factors in addition to language, including
collective bargaining and "democratized" technologies, can aid the evolution of the
"social-cognitive" contribution to the separation of powers. For the nonspecialist,
the book also contains many useful assessments of a wide range of political
thinkers, from Aristotle to F. A. Hayek. The tome is one of the most insightful
defenses of the separation of powers to appear in many years. Summing Up:
Highly recommended. Upper-division undergraduate, graduate, and research
collections.
--H. L. Cheek Jr., East Georgia State College

CHOICE September 2014 vol. 52 no. 01

52-0525 JK155 2013-32044 CIP
Frank, Jason. Publius and Political Thought. Rowman & Littlefield, 2014. 175p bibl index afp
ISBN 9780742548152, $75.00; ISBN 9780742548169 ebook, $74.99

While accepting the centrality of The Federalist Papers to American politics, Frank
(Cornell Univ.) argues that the success of the text has made some of its key insights
"obscure or illegible." A shared vision of the authors is defended (Publius), while the
attempt to unlink the contributions of Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John
Jay is refuted. Unfortunately, other scholars, especially George W. Carey, have more
persuasively defended the concept of a unified Publius and discredited the "split
personality" thesis of earlier scholarship with greater textual accuracy. Chapter 1
addresses the challenge of constituency, or the means citizens assume in creating a
republic. Chapter 2 explicates the importance of political imagination in the
promotion of ratification. The role of political imagination aids the author's thesis,
but the concept deserves more refinement. Chapter 3 examines the role of interest
as central to Publius's theory of political obligation. Chapter 4 surveys the influence
of Leo Strauss and his epigones in the interpretation of the text. The seminal
contribution of W. B. Allen and more recent scholarship on the Anti-Federalists are
ignored. The last chapter convincingly connects The Federalist Papers with the
continued evolution of and need for civic engagement. Summing Up:
Recommended. All readership levels.
--H. L. Cheek Jr., East Georgia State College

CHOICE March 2015 vol. 52 no. 07

52-3908 JA71 MARC
Freeden, Michael. The Political Theory of Political Thinking: the Anatomy of a Practice.
Oxford, 2013. 345p bibl index ISBN 9780199568031 cloth, $85.00

In a highly erudite and comprehensive manner, the prominent British political

theorist Freeden (Univ. of Nottingham) raises fundamental questions about how
students of politics and others engage in political thinking. The author is concerned
about the increasingly slippery language employed in political discourse, and
while admitting that the meaning of political terminology is always undergoing
change, he argues that there is nevertheless a need for decisiveness and finality to
sustain the body politic. Most importantly, Freeden urges a reorientation and
renewed linguistic refinement among political theorists, suggesting that such a
process would reinvigorate how people think about politics. The complexities of the
analysis in the work are necessary and do not obfuscate the authors mission. For
example, micro-level" studies of political language usually fail to provide
interpretative flexibilities that facilitate a broad level of understanding. Similarly,
the goal of encouraging fluidity in political thinking may not always prove useful,
suggesting an element of skepticism regarding relativism as a guiding principle for
politics. Summing Up: Recommended. Graduate, research, and professional
collections.
--H. L. Cheek Jr., East Georgia State College

CHOICE March 2015 vol. 52 no. 07

52-3907 BJ1533 2013-20156 CIP
Balot, Ryan K. Courage in the Democratic Polis: Ideology and Critique in Classical
Athens. Oxford, 2014. 408p bibl indexes afp ISBN 9780199982158 cloth, $65.00

Integrating the insights of political theory and classics, Balot (Univ. of Toronto,
Canada) offers a refinement of the concept of democratic courage and explains why
the concept is important for contemporary political life. In fact, he argues that
democratic courage is vital for a free society that must confront a dangerous and
hostile world that is not of our own making. The book attempts to provide an
account of courage as a central virtue of the Athenian democracy. In defining the
elements of Athenian courage, the author stresses the need to protect the city,
facilitate public deliberation, and express emotional sentiments. The authors
strong and convincing defense of the need to study the Athenian model of
democratic courage is premised by discussions on the influence the model had
upon Plato and Aristotle, the example it furnishes for current discussions of
democratic courage today, and the need for a greater appreciation of the Athenian
democratic experience. The roles of shame, tragedy, and human flourishing in the
development of democratic courage are also analyzed. Finally, the books
discussion of the relationship between democracy and courage has many
ramifications that deserve to be carefully pondered. Summing Up: Recommended.
Undergraduate, graduate, and research collections
--H. L. Cheek Jr., East Georgia State College

CHOICE June 2015 vol. 52 no. 10

52-5593 JA84 2013-45249 MARC
Lim, Elvin T. The Lovers' Quarrel: the Two Foundings and American Political
Development. Oxford, 2014. 288p index afp ISBN 9780199812189 cloth, $45.00

In this engaging and innovative approach to American political development and

thought, Lim (Wesleyan Univ.) affirms the inner logic of American politics.
Accordingly, the greatest disputes occur over the nature of the union. The book is
an explication of the two loves, the interconnected tension and viability of the two
foundings of the American republic: 1776 and 1787-89. The ensuing political
tensions are closely associated with the two loves and whether the constitution is a
restrictive or empowering document. The two sources of tension are critiqued in
the course of a historical survey that includes the generation after the founders,
Jefferson, Jackson, Calhoun, the sectional crisis, the Progressives, the New Deal, and
the New Federalism. In depicting Washington as a proponent of an energetic
presidency and Thomas Jefferson as the original anti-federalist, the books theme is
imaginatively affirmed, yet the authors suggestion that anti-federalists were
presidentialists is misleading. The connection of Jefferson and Jackson is more
convincing and advances existing knowledge, but the attempt to diminish the
theoretical symmetry between Madison and Calhoun is problematic. The fifth
chapter unconvincingly links the anti-federalists to the Progressives, although
subsequent chapters and the overall volume constitute an exemplary contribution
to the scholarship of the American regime. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All
readership levels.
--H. L. Cheek Jr., East Georgia State College

CHOICE October 2015 vol. 53 no. 02

53-1021 B317 2014-3204 CIP
Schlosser, Joel Alden. What Would Socrates Do?: Self-Examination, Civic Engagement,
and the Politics of Philosophy. Cambridge, 2014. 198p bibl index ISBN 9781107067424 cloth,
$90.00; ISBN 9781316020999 ebook, $72.00

In this thoughtful and careful study, Schlosser (Bryn Mawr College) revisits the
vitality of Socrates as a political thinker who encouraged contesting democracy
through questioning and dialogue. Instead of accepting the well-established
depictions of Socrates as harming Athenian political culture (e.g., I. F. Stone) or
functioning in an essentially apolitical manner (e.g., Sheldon Wolin), the author
provides an integrative defense of Socrates and the continued relevance of his
thought to the study of politics. Socrates the ironic or esoteric thinker is rejected in
favor of Socrates as an advocate of strangeness, challenging previous analyses by
Gregory Vlastos and Leo Strauss. Socrates becomes an advocate of enduring
dissonance for living the examined life. Other important issues raised in the
book include new insights regarding the nature of Socratic citizenship and the
Socratic model of free speech. Socratic citizenship, as defined by the accountability
of the citizenry, can provide a more prudent basis for a regime. With a deeper
appreciation of the Socratic understanding of free speech, a more inclusive and
collective representation of the citizenry can also be envisioned. Summing Up:
Recommended. General readers, upper-division undergraduates, and above.
--H. L. Cheek Jr., East Georgia State College

CHOICE October 2015 vol. 53 no. 02

53-1015 JC179 2014-38881 CIP
Creolizing Rousseau, ed. by Jane Anna Gordon and Neil Roberts. Rowman & Littlefield, 2015.
310p bibl index afp ISBN 9781783482801 cloth, $120.00; ISBN 9781783482818 pbk, $39.95;
ISBN 9781783482825 ebook, $38.99

This edited volume by Gordon (Univ. of Connecticut) and Roberts (Williams College)
contains an introduction, ten essays, and a bibliography. The work attempts to
challenge existing barriers in comparative political theory by creolizing Rousseau,
or identifying his strong resonance in Caribbean thought and politics. Though
the approach and thematic core of the book holds some promise, the concept may
also allow a thinker, especially Rousseau, to be used in an ideological or a
deformative manner. However, the attempt to enlarge the range of relevant
interlocutors also offers the possibility for the advancement of knowledge. Another
limitation of the work is its reliance on Marxist analysis (e.g., C. L. R. James and
Frantz Fanon). The essays in this collection vary considerably in terms of scope and
modes of analysis. Some essays will appeal only to specialists; however, chapter 3
(Mickaella Perina) and chapter 8 (Neil Roberts) are significant contributions in their
own right. Unfortunately, the collection is weakest when comparing Rousseau to
Caribbean emphases and strongest when relating Rousseau to the history of
political thought. Summing Up: Recommended. Graduate, research, and
professional collections.
--H. L. Cheek Jr., East Georgia State College

CHOICE October 2015 vol. 53 no. 02

53-1024 PN56 2014-1689 CIP
American Guy: Masculinity in American Law and Literature, ed. by Saul Levmore and
Martha C. Nussbaum. Oxford, 2014. 329p index afp ISBN 9780199331376 cloth, $65.00

This volume is the third in a series of collections from scholars associated with the
law and literature movement. A broad group of academics contributed, especially
judges and literature and law professors. The goal of the series and this book is to
examine how literature interprets norms and stereotypes and promotes a fuller
understanding of the role played by law in society. Edited by the eminent
philosopher Nussbaum (Univ. of Chicago) and law professor Levmore (Univ. of
Chicago), the collection attempts to explicate the concept of manliness. The book is
organized into two sections: the first part concentrates upon prevailing views of
manliness, including essays on Hemingway, Melville, and contemporary works of
fiction. The second part of the book contains essays on alternative views of
manhood (outsiders) and includes essays on Jewish masculinity, James Baldwin,
Barack Obama, and others. The lack of thematic cohesion and unevenness among
the essays constitutes a serious weakness of the volume. Summing Up: Optional.
Lower-division undergraduates and above.
--H. L. Cheek Jr., East Georgia State College