No doubt about it, in this age of Watergate and the tainted Executive, Bill Buckley's general "antistatist" orientation and the dream of deflating the operations of the federal government seem a lot more appealing than ia the mid-'60's when the liberal faith in the benevolent megastate was boundless. And yet, this small (though hardly modest) proposal for revamping the "procedures" of government intervention in welfare, taxation, justice and education, disappointingly tums out to be a hackneyed reiteration of the nostrums of the National Review. Well, hot entirely: perhaps there is good sense in the proposal to limit the Executive to a single six year term; and Buckley's plan to conscript the nation's 18-year-olds in the year between high school and college matriculation to perform nonprofessional services in hospitals and nursing homes for the aged is certainly ingenious, possibly even workable. And who could disagree with the plea to introduce tax reforms "aimed at coherence, symmetry, and an end to hallucination?" It is only when he spells out the substance of what he has ia mind that one recoils: nothing less than a straight across-the-boards regressive 15% income tax on everyone, rich and poor with all corporation taxes on GM, Ford, ITT, etc., to be abolished entirely! And how dreary to read yet again the inevitable attack on the Warren Court with its "overelaboration of the rights of the defendant" — as though that were the only reason for clogged court calendars, plea bargaining and rising crime rates. Egads — in the name of locking up more hard-core criminals he even wants to repeal the Fifth Amendment. Inevitably, Buckley's glib pomposity and witty elitism will appeal to his usual constituency. Based on a series of lectures at Russell Sage College, this is to be condensed in the February 1974 issue of Harper's Magazine.
Pub Date: Jan. 20, 1973
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: Putnam
Review Posted Online: Oct. 13, 2011
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 1973
Dogged original research and superb narrative skills come together in this gripping account of pitiless evil.
Greed, depravity, and serial murder in 1920s Oklahoma.
During that time, enrolled members of the Osage Indian nation were among the wealthiest people per capita in the world. The rich oil fields beneath their reservation brought millions of dollars into the tribe annually, distributed to tribal members holding "headrights" that could not be bought or sold but only inherited. This vast wealth attracted the attention of unscrupulous whites who found ways to divert it to themselves by marrying Osage women or by having Osage declared legally incompetent so the whites could fleece them through the administration of their estates. For some, however, these deceptive tactics were not enough, and a plague of violent death—by shooting, poison, orchestrated automobile accident, and bombing—began to decimate the Osage in what they came to call the "Reign of Terror." Corrupt and incompetent law enforcement and judicial systems ensured that the perpetrators were never found or punished until the young J. Edgar Hoover saw cracking these cases as a means of burnishing the reputation of the newly professionalized FBI. Bestselling New Yorkerstaff writer Grann (The Devil and Sherlock Holmes: Tales of Murder, Madness, and Obsession, 2010, etc.) follows Special Agent Tom White and his assistants as they track the killers of one extended Osage family through a closed local culture of greed, bigotry, and lies in pursuit of protection for the survivors and justice for the dead. But he doesn't stop there; relying almost entirely on primary and unpublished sources, the author goes on to expose a web of conspiracy and corruption that extended far wider than even the FBI ever suspected. This page-turner surges forward with the pacing of a true-crime thriller, elevated by Grann's crisp and evocative prose and enhanced by dozens of period photographs.
Dogged original research and superb narrative skills come together in this gripping account of pitiless evil.Pub Date: April 18, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-385-53424-6
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Doubleday
Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2017
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.
A compendium of charts, time lines, lists and illustrations to accompany study of the Bible.
This visually appealing resource provides a wide array of illustrative and textually concise references, beginning with three sets of charts covering the Bible as a whole, the Old Testament and the New Testament. These charts cover such topics as biblical weights and measures, feasts and holidays and the 12 disciples. Most of the charts use a variety of illustrative techniques to convey lessons and provide visual interest. A worthwhile example is “How We Got the Bible,” which provides a time line of translation history, comparisons of canons among faiths and portraits of important figures in biblical translation, such as Jerome and John Wycliffe. The book then presents a section of maps, followed by diagrams to conceptualize such structures as Noah’s Ark and Solomon’s Temple. Finally, a section on Christianity, cults and other religions describes key aspects of history and doctrine for certain Christian sects and other faith traditions. Overall, the authors take a traditionalist, conservative approach. For instance, they list Moses as the author of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible) without making mention of claims to the contrary. When comparing various Christian sects and world religions, the emphasis is on doctrine and orthodox theology. Some chapters, however, may not completely align with the needs of Catholic and Orthodox churches. But the authors’ leanings are muted enough and do not detract from the work’s usefulness. As a resource, it’s well organized, inviting and visually stimulating. Even the most seasoned reader will learn something while browsing.
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2005
ISBN: 978-1-5963-6022-8
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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