Product Description
This book contains a story about a battle between a university and a community, providing a prime example of land use cases. The book includes a discussion guide for classroom use. To the residents of Chesapeake Commons, their backyards are perfect art, changing only in color with each passing season. When Saxton University proposes construction of a new building on the border between the university and the community, the passion for constancy and resistance to change takes violent form. As the community descends into aggressive and increasingly hostile tactics, the university responds, with equal intensity. Bordering on Madness explores the rage and fear land use disputes generate. The emotions underlying property fights are primitive, rooted in the belief that protection of property means survival. Even a reasonable proposal is experienced as a deadly threat if it seems likely to alter that most personal landscape, the home. As the land use fight in Bordering on Madness ripens, the homeowners and university become combatants. The opposition becomes the enemy, depersonalized and reprehensible. Nevertheless, as is so often the case, the struggle is a sinewy exercise in democracy, with unexpected and regular displays of intelligence and conscience.
Customer Reviews:
Two thumbs up.......2007-04-02
I read this book in two sittings. Well written and hard to put down!
Average customer rating:
- The madness is in the writers liberal heart
- Magnificent, Timely, Sadly True, and Achingly Prophetic
- good read, good place to start real debate
- Terrific, a seminal work on mental health and prisoners.
|
Prison Madness: The Mental Health Crisis Behind Bars and What We Must Do About It
Terry, Ph.D. Kupers
Manufacturer: Jossey-Bass
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 Social Services & Welfare
| Poverty
| Current Events
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Criminology
| Crime & Criminals
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Penology
| Crime & Criminals
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Sociology
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Courts
| Procedures & Litigation
| Law
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Criminal Law
| Law
| Subjects
| Books
Compulsive Behavior
| Mental Health
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Mental Health
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
| Books
Mental Illness
| Psychology & Counseling
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
| Books
Internal Medicine
| Medicine
| Subjects
| Books
| Cardiology
| Critical Care
| Endocrinology & Metabolism
| Gastroenterology
| General
| Hematology
| Hepatology
| Infectious Disease
| Nephrology
| Neurology
| Oncology
| Pulmonary
| Rheumatology
| Urology
Look Inside Health Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Look Inside Nonfiction Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Look Inside Science Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
All Titles
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Madness in the Streets : How Psychiatry and the Law Abandoned the Mentally Ill
-
Foundations of Criminal Law (Foundations of Law Series)
-
Class, Race, Gender, and Crime: Social Realities of Justice in America
-
Somebody Else's Children: The Courts, The Kids, And The Struggle To Save America's Troubled Families
-
Out of the Shadows: Confronting America's Mental Illness Crisis
ASIN: 0787943614 |
Book Description
A Disturbing and Shocking Expose-A Passionate Cry for Reform
Prison Madness exposes the brutality and failure of today's correctional system-for all prisoners-but especially the incredible conditions Andured by those suffering from serious mental disorders.
"A passionately argued and brilliantly written wake-up call to America about the myriad ways our penal systems brutalize our entire culture. Dr. Kupers not only diagnoses the problem, he also offers a set of solutions. I hope this book will be read by all concerned citizens and voters, for it conveys truths that are vitally important to all of us."-James Gilligan, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, and author of Violence: Reflections on a National Epidemic
Customer Reviews:
The madness is in the writers liberal heart.......2001-07-16
This book displays the writers bleeding heart. It hurt mine to finish it. I reccomend reading reality, dealing with mentally ill and behavior problematic offeders is best displayed in the book Dog In Blue: a correctional offices ramblings'
Magnificent, Timely, Sadly True, and Achingly Prophetic.......2001-05-07
Dr. Kupers writes honestly about where those who were "saved" by deinstitutionalization ended up and they way they are being treated. It is a scathing indictment of the utter failure of community mental health centers and the professionals practicing within them. It clearly shows how persons are forgotten, ignored or dismissed by community supports and the eventual freefall they experience into corrections. He artfully describes the negativistic labeling, i.e., Borderline or Antisocial Personality Disorders, and the damage done by such perjorative terms. Dr. Kupers shows clearly what is occurring in jails and prisons across the country and lets the reader know this is not the end of the story of the emptying of the hospitals, but the next chapter in the abuse/neglect of the most maligned and oppressed population in America. Thank you Dr. Kupers, for your courage, integrity, and honesty.
good read, good place to start real debate.......1999-10-07
I was initially excited, because the premise of this book is that the mentally ill are being incarcerated and criminalized because of the failure of comunity mental health, and the deinstitutionalization of the mentally ill. Most people do not realize that the prisons are rapidly becomming the largest providers of mental health services, as is the case in TX. Kupers goes off track and has his own agenda. This book becomes a polemic for diagnosing all inmates as PTSD, just because they are in prison. His claim that as an outsider he is more than objective. I believe the book reports on many problems in a lot of prisons. I kept waiting for him to address, in a meaningful way, managed care and privatization of services. The issue of the mentally ill in prison is a growing problem. I would hope that those who read the book, will try to open dialog about the problems and possible solutions. I work for the managed care organization that provides mental heath services to TX prisons, and many of Kuper's points hit home. I have already recommended the book to my colleges.
Terrific, a seminal work on mental health and prisoners........1999-05-22
Dr. Kupers articulates in clear detail the serious problems confronting persons within the prison system. With an unfailing eye, he depicts the ravages extolled on prisoners in the name of justice and... expediency. The problems, most often, manifest in the form of mental health issues that custodial staff are incapable of addressing. Dr. Kupers suggest effective solutions for dealing with the mental health needs of the incarcerated and the needs of society at large. A must read for anyone in Corrections or Forensics.
Average customer rating:
|
Divine Madness (Cherub)
Robert Muchamore
Manufacturer: Simon Pulse
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
Action & Adventure
| Literature
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Mysteries, Espionage, & Detectives
| Science Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery & Horror
| Literature
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Literature
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Adventure & Thrillers
| Literature & Fiction
| Teens
| Subjects
| Books
Being a Teen
| Social Issues
| Teens
| Subjects
| Books
Action & Adventure
| Literature
| Children's Books
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
General
| Literature
| Children's Books
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Mysteries, Espionage, & Detectives
| Science Fiction, Fantasy, Mystery & Horror
| Literature
| Children's Books
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Adventure & Thrillers
| Literature & Fiction
| Teens
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Being a Teen
| Social Issues
| Teens
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
All 4-for-3 Deals
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
-
The Killing (Cherub)
-
Man vs. Beast (Cherub)
-
Maximum Security (Cherub)
-
The Dealer (Cherub)
-
The Fall (CHERUB)
ASIN: 1416927247 |
Book Description
CHERUB agents are all seventeen and under. They wear skate tees and hemp, and look like regular kids. But they're not. They are trained professionals who are sent out on missions to spy on terrorists and international drug dealers. CHERUB agents hack into computers, bug entire houses, and download crucial documents. It is a highly dangerous job. For their safety, these agents DO NOT EXIST.
When CHERUB uncovers a link between eco-terrorist group Help Earth and a wealthy religious cult known as The Survivors, James is sent to their isolated outback headquarters on an infiltration mission. It's a thousand kilometers to the closest town, and James is under massive pressure from the cult's brainwashing techniques. This time he's not just fighting terrorists.... He's got to battle for his own mind.
Customer Reviews:
teenage book.......2007-03-27
I purchased this book for my 14-year old son. He loves this series. Read each book in a couple of days because he couldn't set it down.
Book Description
Finally back in print! Mandatory reading for anyone who asks why thousands of individuals who clearly suffer from brain disease go without care. The Treatment Advocacy Center is proud to republish this book so that this valuable tool for reform continues to remain available to them and to all who ask "How can we stop this neglect?"
Customer Reviews:
A must read for every mental health advocate.......2007-04-01
I read this book and could not put it down. It really explains how our mental health policy in America became so distorted. The abandonment of our mentally ill in the name of freedom and self determination was ill thought out. This book is thorough and riveting.
The Classic on the Failure of Deinstitutionalization.......2000-04-06
Even ten years after it was written, no other book documents the origins and failure of deinstitutionalization of people with severe mental illness so well. I only wish that the authors would update the book for the new decade.
Madness in the Streets should not be out of print!.......1998-05-27
I am so disappointed that this book is out of print! I have been recommending it to everyone including political leaders. This book explains so well why our mental health system is failing! From the ACLU who allow our loved ones to "die with their rights on" to the anti-psychiatry movement who deny that mental illness exist.The authors have uncovered the web of a failed system which advocates need to have as a resource. This book needs to be available.
A primer as to the reason we neglect the mentally ill.......1998-02-18
Public policy regarding mental illness has been shrouded by myth, ideology, and fanatiscism. Madness in the Steets explains the history and myths that have caused the criminalization and neglect of people with no-fault brain disorders such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Those myths now exposed, it is a clarion for legislative change. A must read for sociologists, legislators, and those who understand the tragedy of lack of treatment.
Book Description
In this astonishing book, sociologist Amy Neustein and attorney Michael Lesher examine the serious dysfunction of the nation's family courts -- a dysfunction that too often results in the courts' failure to protect the people they were designed to help. Specifically, the authors chronicle cases in which mothers who believe their children have been sexually abused by their fathers are disbelieved, ridiculed or punished for trying to protect them. All too often the mother, in such a case, is deemed the unstable parent, and her children are removed from her care, to be placed in foster care or even with the father credibly accused of abusing them.
Employing a special form of sociological inquiry known as ethnomethodology, they show how judges, private attorneys, law guardians, child protective service caseworkers and court-appointed mental health experts on a day-to-day basis collaboratively produce a closed and claustrophobic family court setting that makes practical sense to the system's practitioners -- but looks like madness to everyone else. They also describe the social interactive work of mothers trapped inside the system. Faced with judicial rulings that seem to violate their most basic parental values, these mothers litigate furiously, take their stories to the press, go on hunger strikes, or turn fugitive with their children through a modern-day "underground railroad."
From Madness to Mutiny offers an overview of family court malfunction and the parental mutiny that results from it. The authors outline the new legal landscape that makes the madness possible and show how the system has failed to react to severe criticism from media and legislators. And they discuss ways to reform the family courts, with the goal of transforming them from instruments of punishment to true institutions of justice.
Customer Reviews:
insight and facts.......2007-07-21
Good read, lots of insight and facts. If you have been through the courts you will relate.
A million Little Fact-Checking Issues.......2006-03-08
Thus is a controversial book for two reasons: 1)the subject is inherently controversial; 2) the author admits to using the book to influence parties to her own ongoing struggle with her family and the law. Family Court handling of abuse accusations is indeed an important topic. Yet, like another contentious treatment of the topic, the documentary, Breaking the Silence, the authors undermine their own position through overbearing tendentiousness. In reality, measured, thoroughly argued, discussions are the ones that can bolster a position; not the sort of sloppy logic and wild-shot rhetoric employed here.
Here are three examples of distortion and ommission that serve to illustrate the larger pattern of the book:
1) page 4: the Aylsworth/Marks case, a familiar one, is related, only the fact that Judge Goldberg's decision was based on a finding that the children had been coached to tell fabricated stories. Whether or not, Goldberg's finding was accurate, whether or not her custody decision was wise, it is neverthless incumbent on whomever tells the story to tell it truly. Why would our author avoid the central issue of the case being discussed: coaching vs. truth?
example 2) page 186: John Gill's book, Stolen Children (1981), the first book to be published on parental kidnapping, is cited, stating that Gill it "chronoicled how mothers cope with the loss of their children to the other spouse." No, the book is about the phenomenon of parental kidnapping as it applies to mothers, fathers and children as well as others, plus many other aspects of the issue. Gill himself is a pioneering activist and the father of a child kidnapped by a mother. Why would an author present such a distorted picture of a subject (Gill's book) that doesn't even further the author's argument?
Example 3) page 20: Famous Undergrounder Faye Yager is cited as an important authority. She is described as having been subject to "disadvantages" due to her "high profile," namely beingh sued by fathers (including those of children even the kidnapping mothers never claimed were sexually abused). It is not mentioned by the authors however, that the sole criminal trial Yager faced was brought not by a father but by a mother, who accused Yager of child abuse and kidnapping (Yager was acquitted). Yager is presented as "a successful entrepeneur," married to a "family doctor." The doctor part is true; the other, well, not really. According to available accounts, the doctor Yager married was the physician of the boyfriend who committed suicide that she had met while they were both incarcerated in a mental instution. This was her second boyfriend to commit suicide (Yager had herself attempted suicide twice). By the way, why not mention that her first husband (prosecuted successfully)and her "lover" (suicide # 1) were indeed child sexual abusers? Yager stories by Harpers & Life are to be found: (http://nafcj.org/HarpersFaye.html) (http://nafcj.org/junodfaye.htm)
These examples are not exceptions. Whatever important facts the book may contain -- and I'm sure it does include such -- are utterly buried beneath the overriding tendentious rhetorical devices. This book is necessary reading (critically) for specialists in child custody issues. A note to editors: check facts!
Carolyn Wicker.......2006-01-27
As the previous reviewer stated, I too have not read this book.....yet. I wish to comment to the 'unknown' reader that did not read this book. I did indeed do as they suggested and followed a google search and found the statement allegedly written by her daughter Sherry.
I could not, however, verify it was indeed written by her. The web site could have been written by anyone claiming to be her. Funny thing about the website that hosted this claim, it's a web site, badly organized I may add, that is pro-joint custody in the state of New Hampshire.
Amy did not enjoy joint custody.
Family courts all over the United States fall short in protecting our children everyday. This is a fact. My own son was not protected by the court system. There was no sexual abuse involved in my case, and no physical abuse, but there was emotional abuse involved that I could not protect my son from.
The family courts I sought relief from were of no help.
I will read this book. I will at that time decide whether this book has merit. I suggest you do the same.
I met Amy Neustein briefly, and didn't sense a woman 'seeking fame' as the badly presented un-authenticated statement of her daughter, "speaking out" claims.
Dubious.......2006-01-05
I confess I have not read this book but have read statements by the daughter, Sherry, who Amy Neustein claims was abused by her father. Sherry has stated that the alleged abuse never occurred and that this book is a pack of lies about her and her father. A Google search to find out more might be worthwhile before you consider buying this book.
Scandal in our Family Courts.......2005-06-20
Amy Neustein and Michael Lesher have written an important book which exposes a scandal in our family and divorce courts. It is a scandal that is well-known to victims and advocates trying to help them. The authors studied over 1000 cases in which alleged sexual abusers of children are granted custody and the protective mothers receive supervised visitation. They chronicle the kinds of mistakes which create such outrageous outcomes. The scandal has become so widespread because of the secrecy the courts promote and the blame the victim strategy so often encouraged in the courts. If you look at individual cases the abuser has successfully denigrated the protective mother so that a casual reader or journalist can believe that there was something wrong with the particular mother that created such an extreme outcome. When you study large numbers of cases as the authors have done, however, it becomes apparent that the fault is not with the mother but with the system. The same mistakes are made repeatedly by judges, lawyers, law guardians, mental health professionals, child protective workers and other players in the system. The authors' contribution is to help us see this pattern of abuse in the courts. The media have been willing to publicize individual cases but have failed in their obligation to expose the pattern. If the custody courts reformed their practices to stop making children live with abusers it would do more to reduce crime then every crime bill passed in our lifetime. This book shows the mistakes that are made that cause outrageous results. The same mistakes are made in other child abuse and domestic violence cases. There are thousands of these Custody-Visitation Scandal Cases throughout the country. This book is an important start to making the public aware of the scandal and the harm it causes. I hope the national media will end its timidity and go after this critical story.
Average customer rating:
|
Most Solitary of Afflictions: Madness and Society in Britain, 1700-1900
Andrew Scull
Manufacturer: Yale University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Social Services & Welfare
| Poverty
| Current Events
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Reference
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Sociology
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Mental Health
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
| Books
Mental Illness
| Psychology & Counseling
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
| Books
History
| Special Topics
| Medicine
| Subjects
| Books
General
| England
| Europe
| History
| Subjects
| Books
All Titles
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
ASIN: 0300107544 |
Customer Reviews:
: ).......2007-01-10
Loved this book...Used it as one of my sources for a research paper. Well written. I'd probably even read it for fun.
Book Description
In the winter of 1913, high in the Canadian Arctic, two Catholic priests set out on a dangerous mission to do what no white men had ever attempted: reach a group of utterly isolated Eskimos and convert them. Farther and farther north the priests trudged, through a frigid and bleak country known as the Barren Lands, until they reached the place where the Coppermine River dumps into the Arctic Ocean.
Their fate, and the fate of the people they hoped to teach about God, was about to take a tragic turn. Three days after reaching their destination, the two priests were murdered, their livers removed and eaten. Suddenly, after having survived some ten thousand years with virtually no contact with people outside their remote and forbidding land, the last hunter-gatherers in North America were about to feel the full force of Western justice.
As events unfolded, one of the Arctic’s most tragic stories became one of North America’s strangest and most memorable police investigations and trials. Given the extreme remoteness of the murder site, it took nearly two years for word of the crime to reach civilization. When it did, a remarkable Canadian Mountie named Denny LaNauze led a trio of constables from the Royal Northwest Mounted Police on a three-thousand-mile journey in search of the bodies and the murderers. Simply surviving so long in the Arctic would have given the team a place in history; when they returned to Edmonton with two Eskimos named Sinnisiak and Uluksuk, their work became the stuff of legend.
Newspapers trumpeted the arrival of the Eskimos, touting them as two relics of the Stone Age. During the astonishing trial that followed, the Eskimos were acquitted, despite the seating of an all-white jury. So outraged was the judge that he demanded both a retrial and a change of venue, with himself again presiding. The second time around, predictably, the Eskimos were convicted.
A near perfect parable of late colonialism, as well as a rich exploration of the differences between European Christianity and Eskimo mysticism, Jenkins’s Bloody Falls of the Coppermine possesses the intensity of true crime and the romance of wilderness adventure. Here is a clear-eyed look at what happens when two utterly alien cultures come into violent conflict.
Customer Reviews:
Arctic Justice.......2007-02-12
Wow! What an interesting tale of murder and justice in the Arctic Circle at the turn of the last century. I had no idea how much I would enjoy this book when I picked it up. It has a lot to say about colonialism and the concept of justice.
chill down your spine.......2006-04-02
"Now one of virtue's main gifts is a contempt for death, which is the means of furnishing our life with easy tranquillity, of giving us a pure and friendly taste for it; without it every other pleasure is snuffed out." Michel de Montaigne-1572 from Essay To Philosphize Is to Learn How to Die.
You feel a great sense of outrange, sorrow, shame, and pity after reading this book. Mr Jenkins' vivid description of the unbelievable tale of tragic Artic Circle ,tale of strang murder trail in 1913. You cannot help but feel outranged how the Eskimos were unjustly treated; you cannot help but feel sorrow how the Eskimos would be unprepared for the "white man" after thousand years of isolation; you cannot help but feel shame for the all-white jury and how they behaved during the trail; you cannot help but feel pity for the courage Eskimos displayed and injustice they faced. This book is about crime and punishment at Artic Circle, a clash of Western civilization and native culture, a man's courage and will to survive in a hostile envinoment (ie the Western developed world), a very clear example of how not to impose one's views and culture customs on another people. The book also contained many eye-opening black and white photography of the highest historical and cultural importance. I thank the author Mr. Jenkins for giving me the opportunity to learn about this bone-chilling and interesting history.
Nomads Meet Nomads.......2005-04-21
This fascinating piece of history and investigative journalism explores the ramifications brought about by the deaths of two priests in far northern Canada in 1913, at the hands of Eskimos in what could be considered a catastrophic case of cultural misunderstanding. McKay Jenkins offers an interesting look at the cultures of both the Eskimos and the first Whites who tried to enter the frozen north permanently, as well as showing some insight into each culture's worldview and proclivities toward misunderstanding the other. Jenkins then describes the impressive efforts of the Mounted Police in tracking down the two perpetrators and hauling them back to the white man's city for what may have been history's strangest trials - in which the media, judge, and lawyers behaved with a bizarre mix of cultural condescension, morbid fascination, and political correctness. Jenkins justifiably uses this sad but entertaining story as an example of the problems of colonialism, illustrating the difficulties faced by long-established cultures when they try to adapt to other environments or customs. Here we see that the Eskimos were indeed nomads but were far from uncivilized, as they had built a strong knowledge of their demanding environment over centuries, while the incoming Whites may have appeared to be civilized but were themselves cultural nomads who were nearly helpless in a forbidding landscape. The result, as seen in this book's story, was tragedy, but also a quite interesting cultural lesson about cooperation and humility. [~doomsdayer520~]
Catholics vs. Eskimos.......2005-01-16
I thouroughly enjoyed this book. Jenkins does a great job piecing together the story from letters, court records & scattered oral history. The first half of the book is a lot of adventure & was hard to put down. The second part included a lot of lawyer-speak in court, but it wasn't overdone. This is a great example of manifest destiny at work. After reading the epilogue of "Bloody Falls...", I've come to the conclusion that neither the Catholics nor the Eskimos won! ps. All of Jenkins' books are great!
Average customer rating:
|
Madness, Language and the Law
Bruce A. Arrigo
Manufacturer: Harrow and Heston
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Civil Procedure
| Procedures & Litigation
| Law
| Subjects
| Books
Labor & Employment
| Business
| Law
| Subjects
| Books
Mental Health
| Family & Health Law
| Law
| Subjects
| Books
Criminology
| Crime & Criminals
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Mental Illness
| Psychology & Counseling
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
| Books
Mental Health
| Family & Health Law
| Law
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
Civil Procedure
| Procedures & Litigation
| Law
| Professional & Technical
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0911577262 |
Book Description
An outstanding semiotic analysis of the legal process in commitment of the mentally ill. this study is a wonderful example of the application of the application of latest sociology of law analysis of the process of law and its actual effects on the outcome of cases.
Amazon.com
"The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers." --Henry IV, Part I
Or, suggests Paul F. Campos, at the very least, let's put them out of their misery. In Jurismania, Campos does his best to demonstrate that the behavior of the legal mind, with its insistence on the "rule of law," is a "culturally sanctioned form of obsessive-compulsive behavior." In his more charitable moments, he is willing to concede that it may be suffering not from delusion, but from religious fervor. About the nicest thing he has to say about the American legal system is that it is a tremendous waste of financial resources.
The problem, as Campos sees it, is an irrational belief in the power of rationality to solve all our problems, which leads to the elevation of "social coordination and dispute processing," which is what Campos identifies as the purpose of "law," to sacrosanct procedures that are inadequate to the tasks they are being asked to perform. Nor is this state of mind limited to lawyers and legal academics; consider, suggests Campos, that many voters believe in the balanced budget amendment, "which boils down to the belief that the best way to ensure legislators pass legislation that balances the federal budget is to pass legislation requiring legislators to pass legislation that balances the federal budget." There are some situations, the author argues, for which "more law" is not the answer. Readers may find Campos's style--which references Nietzschean ethics, college football, materialist rationalism, and Ann Landers as part of the same overall argument--off-putting, but Jurismania is like a voice crying in the wilderness, describing a crisis our increasingly litigious society continues to ignore at its peril.
Book Description
In Jurismania, Paul Campos asserts that our legal system is beginning to exhibit symptoms of serious mental illness. Trials and appeals that stretch out for years and cost millions, 100 page appellate court opinions, 1,000 page statutes before which even lawyers tremble with fear, and a public that grows more litigious every day all testify to a judicial overkill that borders on obsessive-compulsive disorder. Campos locates the source of such madness, paradoxically, in our worship of reason and the resulting belief that all problems are amenable to legal solutions. In insightful discussions of a wide range of cases, from NCAA regulations of student-athletes to the Simpson trial, from our most intractable social disputes over abortion and physician-assisted suicide to the war on drugs and the increasingly fastidious attempts to regulate behavior in public spaces, Campos shows that the mania for more law exacerbates the very problems it seeks to remedy. In his final chapter, the author calls instead for a humbling recognition of the limits of reason and a much more modest role for our legal system. Clearly written and laced with a delicious wit, Jurismania gives us a CAT-scan of the American legal mind at work. It reveals not only that the patient is even worse off than we imagined, but also clarifies the many reasons why.
Customer Reviews:
So, what are 20 lawyers at the bottom of the ocean?.......2006-06-09
JURISMANIA seemed like a congenial book for one to read after answering the above question with, "A good start."
A lawyer himself, Campos strives to insist that American law has burgeoned to the point of being ludicrous, arational and approaching irrelevance. He makes his case with such observations as:
"... the decade-long appeal, the 100-page appellate court opinion, the 200-page law review article, the 1,000 page statute, and so on. These sorts of legal artifacts are the fruit of futile, hypertrophied exercises in forms of argument that call themselves 'reason', but that in fact must conclude with the assertion of axiomatic or circular propositions. And the excessive, jurismaniacal character of such monuments to rationalist vanity can itself be understood as the product of what is in essence a kind of obsessive-compulsive reaction to the neurotic structure of American legal thought."
And this:
"... to call something a question of constitutional law is not so much an act of formal categorization as it is a shorthand way of signaling that it involves the most intractable moral and political issues our society faces. Constitutional law is the categorical dumping ground for everything the normal political process can't digest: race and religion, sex, and death. All the things one should never bring up in polite conversation."
Probably the most useful concept I came away with was that of "equilibrium zone", i.e. that interface between two polar opposite but equally powerful moral, legal, or social forces. Because both forces must ultimately be placated, it's in this zone that promulgated laws achieve a frustrating ambiguity that renders them open to diverse interpretations and, therefore, pretty much useless.
Campos supports his case with extensive sidebars into philosophy, metaphysics, and quotes from Nietzche - all of which left me, a Life Science kind of guy, pretty much dazed. Perhaps the author was trying too hard. Indeed, my metaphysical experience is confined to considering whether the burger in front of me is real or an illusion and, if the former, whether it contains cheese or not. I suggest that law students might find JURISMANIA intellectually provocative, but I too often lost the thread and therefore must deduct points.
Too big promise.......2005-10-06
If I had known beforehand, that Mr. Campos is an abortion-forbidder, I would not have read the book at all.
But he comes out on that topic only in the last pages.
And while small doubts on the War on Drugs are not as timid written by a law professor as would by anyone sharing experience with the "health" system, putting psychiatric diagnoses (obsessive-compulsive disorder)to anyone who desires justice but gets a verdict in (not only American) legal system, is contempt for people - I do admit to the unfulfilled desire for justice!!!
Even if each point of criticism of the American legal system is perfectly true, the reader is left with a feel that Mr. Catholic is loathing the use of reason and discourse in legislation. What else?
The legal system of the crusaders, inquisitors and witchburners?
Juris-ranting.......2005-05-20
On the plus side, Paul Campos will make you think about the way our legal system works. On the whole I found I disagreed with many of his conclusions.
Campos illustrates many of the American legal system's flaws. However, the biting sarcasm undermines his best points, and then there are the points that seem to get twisted up and abstracted to the point of distraction.
Case in point: He opens with a lovely breakdown of a small section of the NCAA rules. The absurdities are duly noted and a discussion of the possible motives underlying the extra language. He can't spare derision from his tone as he anaylizes the results.
Later he treats us to a very cursory treatment of the War on Drugs. I thought there would be a lot of room to apply some of the ideas he was making in this specific arena, but he limits his assessment to the political declaration of the War on Drugs. Without much specifics he waves us to a couple of past historical events, and summarizes that the politicians should have been laughed off the stage. I didn't find his statements any more convincing than the political speechmaking that launched the war...so...
His legal discussions hold up better (in my eyes) than his straight philosophy sections. I read the book without being persuaded by the core of his critique. While it caused me to think, in the end I discounted most of his arguments.
Eloquent plea for legal modesty.......2003-12-03
This is a stimulating, well-written critique of legal compulsiveness and over-formalism. It will be welcome to
those who (like me) have been influenced at least somewhat by the Realist idea that law is about choices and not about mechanically following rules as though sets of rules were wholly autonomous or self- executing. Although the book does tend to get a bit flighty to the end in its exposition of the author's broader philosophic themes, in the main it's a sensible explanation of why we're always going to disagree about the law and a reasoned plea for recognizing society's "ethical pluralism" (though I think he goes a bit far on the theme as applied to slavery debates in the 19th Century). Well written and stimulating.
One of the best books I've ever read9.......2001-11-16
Anyone interested in an insightful, well-written, funny
and entertaining look at what is wrong with our legal mindset in
America must read this book. Well done!
Book Description
A KILLER WITHOUT REDEMPTION....In broad daylight in the backwater of Rawlins, Wyoming, Joe Esquibel shot his wife right between the eyes in front of eight witnesses, including his own children and a deputy sheriff with his gun drawn. It seemed an indefensible case of premeditated murder by a remorseless killer. A crime that cried out for the death penalty.A LAWYER WHO WOULDN'T GIVE UP....Enter Gerry Spence, the controversial, nationally renowned defense lawyer who'd never lost a case. Undeterred by the odds against him, and armed with awesome powers of persuasion, he turned the trial into an electrifying legal battle to save a man from execution. For seven years, through three trials, he fought with everything he had, until, incredibly, he achieved the impossible: Esquibel was acquitted by reason of insanity.OF MURDER AND MADNESS....With riveting detail, Gerry Spence takes you behind the scenes of an unforgettable true-life courtroom drama-- and inside the mind of a murderer. It is a fascinating, unvarnished look at the wheelings and dealings that go on in the courtroom....and a chilling odyssey into the darkness of the human soul.
Customer Reviews:
Does society produce killers?.......2003-01-06
Trial attorney Gerry Spence writes a fascinating tale about one of his trials in which he defends the American underdog. Spence describes a chivalrous undertaking on his part, feeling that a more intellectually advanced human being should become involved with the problems of the less advanced, the unfortunate and the meek. In his book Half Moon and Empty Stars, Spence writes a defense story about the fateful American Indians in modern times, and in Of Murder and Madness his subjects are Mexican Americans in Wyoming and their dire circumstances. As the defense lawyer in a murder case, he takes us behind the scenes unveiling the caprice of the "courthouse club" and the criminal shortcomings of the Welfare Department. He says an insane society produces "skitz" (schizophrenia sufferers). The story of psychotic Joe is interwoven with Spence's autobiography and philosophical outlooks. The battle in this trial is for the lost soul of the defendant, a noble cause for one determined trial attorney. Gerborg
Mr.Spence get 1star. Book gets 3 stars. Long winded.......2002-10-06
How Mr. Spence can be proud of getting a stone cold killer off is beyond me. Joe Esquibell wasn't insane at the time he shot his
wife in the head IN FRONT OF EIGHT WITNESSES ! Mr. Spence and the Doc at the hospital were just tired of the whole
case, it having dragged on for 7 yrs., and the Doc. finally agreed to say that in his opinion (his 3rd flip-flop) Joe was insane at the
time he pulled the trigger. It was a sham. It was a lie.
And then after Joe is freed he of course returns to his old violent abusive boozing lifestyle and gets himself killed. And of all things
Mr. Spence wants the killer of Joe punished even tho he knows it was in self defense, that Joe attacked the guy first.
As you can see I obviously missed whatever good point you all above got out of this book.
Joe Esquibell was a user, abuser, violently jealous, violent in general, boozer. He never worked a day in his life. He had 5
illegitimate kids by three women (one a 14 y/o) that we are told of (you know he had more) that he never supported in any way
shape or form. He was a killer. If there was anyone who deserved the gas chamber it was he. And as far as
insane or not, to me it makes no difference. You take a life...you pay with your own. What's the good in keeping an insane person alive anyway? Especially one who kills. I don't understand it...an insane person has no life. They are the LIVINGDEAD. I think it's cruel to keep them alive in those hospitals where you know damn well they are treated like sh!t.
And what kind of women and/or man has baby after baby after baby when they know they can not support them (they can't
even support themselves for chirst sake!)..., when they don't really want them nor care about them. That is SICK. That's abuse. It's a sin. Joe Esquibell's mother out to be shot. She and her sheepherder husband (alcoholic) are responsible for this whole bloody mess. But that in no way absolves Joe, as Mr. Spence seems to think. Gerry Spence ought to be ashamed.
It's an ugly story about stupid thoughtless trashy people and Mr. Spence attempt to parallel his own life to Joes is a stretch (mr. spence used condoms :o) )
yes, it's all true.......2001-01-30
Famous, flamboyant, but brilliant Wyoming attorney Gerry Spence tells the start-to-finish story of a murder trial he was involved in.
For years, this book was out-of-print; few libraries had copies. So, when I ran across this book in the 'true crime' section of a University bookstore, I was elated.
Once I began reading it, there was no stopping me. [Spence is THAT kind of writer. He doesn't bore you for ten pages. He puts the hook in you after a few pages].
The book is rather lengthy, but that's okay. All he has to say needs to be said...in order to understand the crime committed, the background info that LED to the crime, and the actual courtroom drama itself.
This book is a VERY good read for anyone undecided on the death penalty. [It might even confuse you more as to where you're at regarding the death penalty. But that's fine. It will give you something to think about for quite some time].
Yes. This book is a definite page turner. Once started, I doubt you'll be able to put it down. I know I couldn't.
Best part is: it's the type of 'true crime' that could happen in Anywhere, U.S.A. NOT like the Charles Manson "Helter Skelter" true-crime that is sensationalized.
I'd suggest this book to anyone interested in: 1) death penalty cases. Pro or con. 2) real life justice and our legal system.
This is not a book for the faint hearted. Be cautious.
excellant.......1999-09-07
A wonderful read. Jerry Spence has done it again
A Brilliant Surprise!.......1999-07-20
What a wonderful surprise this book is. Spence may be an "aw shucks" country lawyer on his T.V. appearances but "Of Murder And Madness" reveals him to be a deep thinker and a talented writer. Here, he parallels his own life with that of a murderer he defends. It is really most extraordinary. A good read and an informative discussion of the insanity defense. Luckily it's still in print. What a clever combination of legal thriller and autobiography. Read it. You really won't be sorry.
Books:
- Brit-Think, Ameri-Think: A Transatlantic Survival Guide, Revised Edition
- Brown Bag Success: Making Healthy Lunches Your Kids Won't Trade
- Buyers Are Liars & Sellers Are Too!: The Truth About Buying or Selling Your Home
- Cell Phone Culture: Mobile Technology in Everyday Life
- Class Act: William Haines Legendary Hollywood Decorator
- Conversations with God : An Uncommon Dialogue (Book 1)
- Cultural Amnesia: Necessary Memories from History and the Arts
- Culture and Values, Volume II: A Survey of the Humanities (with CD-ROM) (Culture & Values)
- Debunking 9/11 Myths: Why Conspiracy Theories Can't Stand Up to the Facts
- Don Troiani's Soldiers of the American Revolution
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Mr. Shmooze: The Art and Science of Selling Through Relationships
- Continuous Productive Urban Landscapes: Designing Urban Agriculture for Sustainable Cities
- Amores Perros
- Benito Mussolini: The First Fascist
- Bird Signs: Guidance and Wisdom from Our Feathered Friends
- Flyboys: A True Story of Courage
- Conifers of California
- Federal Tax Research
- A History of Auditing: The Changing Audit Process In Britain Since 1800
- Broken Dishes
The Free Exercise of Religion Clause: The First Amendment (Bill of Rights)
Arbitrary Justice: The Power of the American Prosecutor
