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Review of The Meanest Man in Congress: Jack Brooks and the Making of an American Century
Jo Freeman writes: This book is a fine description of how the political boys clubs worked. The inner sanctum was known as the Board of Education. Most weekday evenings "Mr. Sam," as Speaker Rayburn (D. TX) was called, invited a few Representatives to have a drink with him... With Mr. Sam as his mentor, Brooks moved up the hierarchy rather quickly, becoming a subcommittee chairman after only two years in the House. Eventually he chaired the Government Operations and Judiciary Committees. More than a biography this book gives you an inside look at how Congress operates, at least during the latter half of the 20th Century. You should get course credit in Political Science just for reading it. more »
Searching Still Photographs for Army Personalities: At the Still Picture Branch at the National Archives, You Can Find Personality Indexes Aiding the Search for Specific Individuals in the Military
Recently added to the National Archives Catalog includes a digitized portion of the Army’s personality index titled 111-PX: Index to Personalities in the U.S. Army Signal Corps Photographic Files (111-SC, 111-P, 111-PC, 111-C), 1940 – 1981, covering World War II and the Korean War time period. The index can be useful for locating Army service members as well as notable personalities. more »
Jo Freeman Reviews: Mythologies of State and Monopoly Power by Michael E. Tigar
If you want some provocative thinking in these days of the doldrums, read Tigar's five mythologies. His chapter on race starts with the 1944 Supreme Court decision upholding the war-time internment of Japanese Americans on the West Coast. The Court accepted the myth that these Americans might help the Japanese government even though there was no supporting evidence. Of course, he discusses the myths behind "separate but equal" and why it was so hard to end that doctrine. Tigar draws upon his own experience in his discussion of the criminal justice system as he represented many criminal defendants in different states. He believes that "fair trial" is one of the myths of the system, though he writes about several such myths. more »
Ferida Wolff's Backyard: Climbing Trees & A Guardian List of Top 10 Books About Trees
Ferida Wolff writes: It has me wondering why we humans have so much trouble connecting with other humans. We may experience differences but we are still of the same branch, so to speak. We are all people. I hope we can embrace our connection and climb up and away from whatever keeps our family at odds. more »