Book review: It Is Dangerous to Be Right When the Government Is Wrong: The Case for Personal Freedom by Andrew P. Napolitano

I got this e-book because I had heard comments about from my co-workers and as a lawyer I am always looking for a novel interpretation of the Constitution. With the Occupy Wall Street movement underway, there is certainly interest in the society right now on the subject of individual rights versus corporations and government.

Let me state right away, I have no specific political opinion about this book or its author. I merely read this book out of intellectual curiosity regarding the constitutional interpretation of rights by the author.

This book is dedicated to Ron Paul, so it does have direct relevance to the ongoing debates among Republicans and I found it interesting that the author, who can be seen frequently on FoxNews, seems to clearly side with one of the potential Republican candidates.

The main subject of the book, as can be guessed from the title, is the growth of government, which may not have been intended by the drafters of the constitution. The author is clearly disturbed by what he perceives as excess government and leaves no doubt that he wants to convince the reader that the current government has grown too much and this is not a good thing. While the constitution is certainly open for discussion and there will be plenty of scholars to point out that the government is not excessively large, the author does make some good and interesting points and includes references to back up his point of view.

The book is split up into 15 chapters, each dealing with a specific issue in which the author believes government is infringing on individual rights. The topics range from the right to bear arms and the right to privacy all the way to the how the constitution may have been circumvented to permit the US to enter war.

Overall, the book makes some interesting points that the reader is free to agree or disagree with. No matter how the reader views the eventual opinion of the author regarding the growth of government, the book certainly gives enough incentives to think about the constitution and what protections it entails for the individual.

Disclaimer: This book was provided to me for free through BookSneeze.com in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed are solely my own. This review does not constitute an advertisement of Booksneeze or the book itself.

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Book review: Sherman - a ruthless victor by A. von Hassell and E. Breslin

Since I am history buff and have read books about the Civil War long before the Ken Burns series came to PBS, I selected this book about Sherman. I should start off with the disclaimer that I approach each book open minded and have enjoyed books about the Civil War that can be construed to favor the North and the South, as long the facts check out and the interpretation of the events and sources can be backed up by facts, I acknowledge that each author approaches the topic of the Civil War with their own bias and that is fine with me. I just hope to learn some new facets about the era and the people in it.
This book by von Hassell and Breslin is not the typical book that I read about the Civil War. Two things set this book apart. It is a relatively short book, only 163 pages. The second fact is that it has more religious statements in it than my usual reading material. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the book. It provided some interesting tidbits about the man that Sherman was. There are no references attached to the book, so fact checkers are out of luck and need to look elsewhere for confirmation. But the book overall presents a nice insight into the complex character that Sherman was. The drive to excel, while at the same time harboring deep doubts about his military ability. The difficult upbringing of Sherman the foster child that may in part explain his drive to convince others that he was able to succeed.
The book did present insights into Sherman's character that were unexpected, the differences on religion between him and his wife. The relationship with Grant that was difficult at times and the constant fear of failing or having another nervous breakdowns that could derail his career. Sherman was a complex character and despite the rather brief insight provided in this book, the authors understand well to make the book interesting and provide insights for all readers, no matter what their familiarity with the Civil War may be.
This book is not for people that want an overview of battles and military strategy. Although any book about Sherman will have some insights into his military style. Battles are mentioned, but almost in passing since the authors clearly focus on the personality of Sherman.
Overall, an enjoyable book about one of the major players in the Civil War with some interesting insights into
his person.

I was provided this book through booksneeze.com for free in exchange for an honest review of the book. The opinions expressed are solely my own.