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Best United States Judicial Branch

Licensed to Lie: Exposing Corruption in the Department of Justice
A tragic suicide, a likely murder, wrongful imprisonment, and gripping courtroom scenes draw readers into this compelling story giving them a frightening perspective on justice corrupted and who should be accountable when evidence is withheld. The takeaway is that both Bushies and Obamaites should be very afraid: over the last few years, a coterie of vicious and unethical prosecutors who are unfit to practice law has been harbored within and enabled by the now ironically named Department of Justice.''. ''When you ve finished reading this fast-paced thriller, you will want to stand up and applaud Powell's courage in daring to shine light into the darkest recesses of America's justice system. ''I have covered hundreds of court cases over the years and have witnessed far too often the kind of duplicity and governmental heavy-handedness Ms. Powell describes in her well-written book, Licensed to Lie.''.
Reviews
"I have been lied to, threatened with bar complaints and had complaints made to judges behind my back, all for trying to provide a zealous defense to my client."
"Highly recommend you buy and read this book and see what they could do to an ordinary citizen (who is still considered a felon under bogus charges.)."
"Got her book on Kindle first and figured i’d read a couple chapters and chuck it."
"heckuva accounting of crooked government prosecutors-------."
"Fascinating book...every one should read it."
"Revealing story of the mis-deeds done by Federal prosecutors in the name of “justice” whilst feathering their own nest with promotion to higher echelons."
"Required reading for anyone interesting in preserving justice and our faith in a lawful civil society."
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Scalia Speaks: Reflections on Law, Faith, and Life Well Lived
Scalia Speaks will give readers the opportunity to encounter the legendary man more fully, helping them better understand the jurisprudence that made him one of the most important justices in the Court's history and introducing them to his broader insights on faith and life. "Reading Scalia Speaks — the marvelous collection of his speeches, lovingly compiled by his son and a former law clerk — brought Nino back to life for me." But I would go further and say that it should be required reading for anyone who wishes to understand the mind of a great American, a figure so important to our history that his passing influenced the presidential election held months later. “An almost intimate picture of one of the giants of our age…Scalia’s mind sparkled like a gem, but perhaps, in our turbulent time, the most important takeaway from this collection is the lesson it teaches about civility.”. -Mona Charen. “An extraordinary portrait of a great public figure and thinker.
Reviews
"In his later years on the bench, he became the most prominent member of the federal judiciary as he published law review articles, granted television interviews, and gave talks across the country. In a speech to the Dominican Order, the justice explained Thomas Aquinas believed any written code opposed to natural law was immoral and invalid. For him, Roe v. Wade and its case law progeny were a tragedy, not just as a member of the Catholic faith, but also for reading into the United States Constitution a right to abortion contained nowhere in the text. Another was the concern of many that the Constitution is a relatively barebones text and legislatures are often lethargic or unresponsive in crafting laws supported by broad swaths of the public, so Justice Scalia’s philosophy did not account for the challenges of the modern era. Whether those criticisms have merit is left to each individual reader, but undoubtedly Justice Scalia’s views continue to have an outsized influence on legal interpretation. Justice Scalia covered a wide range of other issues, including his general hostility to using foreign law to interprete American rights outside rare circumstances, eulogies lamenting the passage of time and friends, his pride in being a Catholic and Italian-American (emphasis on American), the value of a college education for newly-minted graduates, and an encomium on turkey hunting that may be the best defense of sportsmanship by a federal official since Herbert Hoover’s advocacy of fly fishing. As Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg noted in her touching foreword, “Now and then he would call me, or stop by my chambers, to point out a slip I had made in an opinion draft. Justice Scalia homed in on all the soft spots, energizing me to strengthen my presentation.” With the bitter partisan bickering that plagues both the Republican and Democratic parties, it is nice to know that tucked away in the far corners of government some people still have the capacity for personal respect during instances of professional disagreement. Even on occasions when one disagreed with him, the force of his character and intellectual acumen challenged his opponent’s preconceived notions and pushed them to make their own arguments sharper."
"The speeches range on faith, character, tradition, ethnicity, education, turkey hunting, and even the games and sports that a young Nino played on the streets of Queens in the 1940s."
"The way he thinks as well as his moral bent not to mention his wit makes all these writings (speeches and letters) splendid reading."
"Beautifully written....Judge Scalia is a legend and, I believe, history will show him to be one of the most honorable judges to sit onthe bench... a man of great wisdom. In reading this book, the reader is quick to relate to this great man and his great compassion for those he serves...ALL the people."
"Brilliant!"
"My SO thanks me everyday for buying him this book."
"This is a a compilation of Justice Scalia's speeches as compiled by his son."
"Justice Scalia was a person of integrity, who was intelligent, very knowledgeable, a man/person for all seasons, intellectual and a Justice who did not utilize our Constitution as a mental plaything to satisfy a Judge's current whim or personal ideology."
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Scalia's Court: A Legacy of Landmark Opinions and Dissents
In Scalia’s Court: A Legacy of Landmark Opinions and Dissents , Ring collects Scalia’s most memorable opinions on free speech, separation of powers, race, religious freedom, the rights of the accused, abortion, and more; and intersperses Scalia's own words with an analysis of his legal reasoning and his lasting impact on American jurisprudence. In Scalia’s Court , Kevin Ring has assembled the great jurist’s best and most powerful opinions, showcasing the quotable justice’s take on issues of enduring importance, including contentious constitutional debates that continue today. Same-Sex Marriage "To allow the policy question of same-sex marriage to be considered and resolved by a select, patrician, highly unrepresentative panel of nine is to violate a principle even more fundamental than no taxation without representation: no social transformation without representation." Abortion "It thus appears the mansion of constitutionalized abortion law, constructed overnight in Roe v. Wade , must be disassembled doorjamb by doorjamb ".
Reviews
"This is a true tribute to a towering Justice in U.S. history."
"As America considers replacing this judicial giant, Ring's book comes at the perfect time and is a welcome reminder of what big shoes the next justice will have to fill."
"recurring purchase - I love Scalia and makes great gift!"
"Gift for my granddaughter, a pre-law student."
"Scalia's legacy and impact will be debated beyond our lifetimes."
"ordered before He passed away and so glad I did."
"Excellent book about a great supreme court judge."
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Best United States Local Government

American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America
• A New Republic Best Book of the Year • The Globalist Top Books of the Year • Winner of the Maine Literary Award for Non-fiction • Particularly relevant in understanding who voted for who in this presidential election year, this is an endlessly fascinating look at American regionalism and the eleven “nations” that continue to shape North America. Colin Woodard, an award-winning writer and journalist, is currently the state and national affairs writer at the Portland Press Herald and Maine Sunday Telegram where he won a 2012 George Polk Award and was a finalist for the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Reporting A longtime foreign correspondent for The Christian Science Monitor , the San Francisco Chronicle , and The Chronicle of Higher Education , he has reported from more than fifty foreign countries and six continents.
Reviews
"Whereas the first two-thirds were well-reasoned and well-supported, the last third devolved into stereotypes and generalities, and contained more than a few downright errors, particularly concerning the modern Deep South and Greater Appalachia. I could list at least a half-dozen factual errors in his presentation concerning the practice and influence of Evangelical Christianity in the Bible Belt, for instance, but would rather not bog down this review with nit-picking."
"Author Woodard tells the history of how North America (the United States, Canada, and part of Mexico) developed defined areas of distinct culture that reflected not only the nationalities of the original settlers, but also the geographic terrain on which the settlers had to survive, and the political point of view that grew out of their specific situations. Add to these New Netherland, Tidewater, New France, the Left Coast, El Norte, and the emerging First Nation, and you have an amazing amalgam of disparate cultures all trying to get along (or not)."
"I then read the text as I listened to the audio version, a process which showed me just how many substantial errors the narrator was making."
"It is helping me make sense of the crazy political scene this election year and the vast differences that divide us as a nation."
"Being from the area known as the "Far West" I felt that the author decided to spend virtually no time or effort in speaking to the El Norte, Far West and the Left Coast."
"One of the best books I've read on America and it's history."
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Best United States National Government

Understanding Trump
Further, these pages hold a detailed discussion of Trump-style solutions for national security, education, health care, economic growth, government reform, and other important topics. The very essence of Trump's mission is a willingness to enact policies and set goals that send our country in a bold new direction - one that may be "unreasonable" to Washington but is sensible to millions of Americans outside the Beltway. He is a Fox News contributor and author of 34 books, including 14 New York Times bestsellers.
Reviews
"I use the computer alot so when my eyes get tired it is great to just listen when ironing or driving on the weekends."
"I've always loved books about people who seem to accomplish the impossible."
"Gingrich offers insights into our president that are very enlightening."
"Great understanding of trump, the swamp, and what trump wants to do help all Americans."
"Someone who has the courage to try and. govern in a completely unconventional manner which is frightening to the politicians who prefer the. status quo. I am beginning to believe we need someone who surrounds himself with the. best people who share his goal of demanding results from government."
"In any case, this book goes a long way toward articulating the ideological trends that drove Trump to a historic victory in the presidential election, giving context to the man himself, and looking forward to give us a glimpse of what we can expect in the future."
"OK, so it seems I posted my review on the wrong book- this is by far the BEST book on both the 2016 election and Donald Trump I've seen yet- and I've read over 2 dozen."
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Best United States Executive Government

Obama: An Intimate Portrait
Relive the extraordinary Presidency of Barack Obama through White House photographer Pete Souza's behind-the-scenes images and stories in this #1 New York Times bestseller--with a foreword from the President himself. During Barack Obama's two terms, Pete Souza was with the President during more crucial moments than anyone else--and he photographed them all. "The book, which distills the 1.9 million photographs that Souza took of Obama's eight years in the White House down to about 300 images, it as once warm and nostalgic, worshipful and respectful, sad and wistful-in a sense, not so different from the framed JFK portraits that everyday Americans hung in living rooms, right through the Nixon administration. "Here are the qualities that radiate from these photos of the former President and his family, all taken by Souza during his eight years as official White House photographer: intelligence, kindness, warmth, integrity. "Souza, chief official White House photographer for Obama's two terms, was on hand for history--documenting our first black president, and a pretty photogenic one at that. Souza's book, an instant best seller, includes many iconic images we've seen before, but its most poignant moments are the least public--like one of the president and his daughters frolicking in the snow at the White House. "The 300 photographs in the book are a remarkable account of President Obama's eight years in the White House, from events of historic significance to quiet moments with his wife and daughters and the family dogs.
Reviews
"I'd like to say up front here that this is one of those reviews where I am struggling so hard to put thoughts into words, because of how many thoughts I have, and how difficult it is for me to express them. He was funny and personable, and every time I heard him speak I felt suddenly prouder and more patriotic. Because all the rest of that time I wasted being blind and hateful. I'm not really the kind that normally runs off to scrounge around for books they can't afford, but this is the second photography book of the Obamas I've done so for, and it captured my heart as much the second time, as it did the first. UPDATE: Thanks to so many of the kind, heartwarming offers, I have received a copy of this book."
"Well, I guess it is the idea of the unconditional love that I have personally felt by dogs.....and the fact that it least in my mind that is what our former President and First Lady gave us for 8 years. I pray that someday Obama haters or hopefully their children will view the pictures in this “must have” Obama memorabilia and appreciate not only the historical significance of this man to US and world history but also feel his unconditional love of America ; its history, culture and people in every page."
"Obama wasn't perfect, but seeing his two-term administration, not riddled by scandal or buffoonery, captured in this historic volume brought tears to my eyes."
"As I thumb through the pages, I realize how much of my vision of President Obama was formed by the photographs of special moments captured by Souza."
"In capturing the defining moments of the Obama presidency, Mr. Souza has given the common citizen a personal, vulnerable look into the remarkable 8-year tenure of the 44th president."
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Best U.S.Congresses, Senates & Legislative

Al Franken, Giant of the Senate
It's a book about what happens when the nation's foremost progressive satirist gets a chance to serve in the United States Senate and, defying the low expectations of the pundit class, actually turns out to be good at it. In this candid personal memoir, the honorable gentleman from Minnesota takes his army of loyal fans along with him from Saturday Night Live to the campaign trail, inside the halls of Congress, and behind the scenes of some of the most dramatic and/or hilarious moments of his new career in politics. "The best political book of 2017. "[AL FRANKEN, GIANT OF THE SENATE] may...be the funniest memoir by a sitting - standing, recumbent, squatting - U.S. senator. This is a genuinely funny book, often hilarious...the Senate, and the country, would be the poorer without him. [Franken] uses self-deprecating humor to poke fun at everyone on either side of the aisle, and he gives readers insight into the daily workings of life in the Senate.
Reviews
"That seemed like it was tough on him, and this memoir makes it clear just how tough it was, not only because Franken had been professionally funny for decades, but also because Franken had always used humor to say whatever he pleased throughout his life. This book is very funny, and Franken both borrows and satirizes the tropes of the traditional political bio in telling his own strange story of his rise to office. Because Franken gives himself leave to be funny again in this book, he is also very honest about his colleagues, the state of American politics, and himself."
"Humor that helps assuage the angst of political absurdities. from decency, from earnest efforts to solve our nation's real-life problems. And how deeply some are committed to addressing the real, existential needs of their constituents."
"Regardless of which side of the aisle people lean towards, reading Senator Franken's book is a good way to stay informed -- and entertained -- about the background of today's political climate."
"I loved the style, the humor, the satire, the snark, and, most of all, the good-hearted honesty and integrity that shines through the whole book. If you're just finding out who he is - maybe because of the Cabinet hearings - read this and learn more about this brilliant, remarkable man. You won't get half the jokes or understand the rest of the book."
"Senator Franken continues to share just how diabolical the bad Politicians are, gives the inside scoop of his awful first election delay, and explains the intricacies of passing Obama care."
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Best Local U.S. Politics

Governing Texas (Third Edition)
The #1 selling book for Texas government courses, with a new focus on the future of Texas politics. He is the author of Congressman Sam Rayburn, Sam Rayburn: A Bio-bibliography, and Judicial Politics in Texas: Partisanship, Money, and Politics in State Courts.
Reviews
"You can also make flashcards of what you highlight in the book."
"Very useful book."
"As expected and as advertised."
"Great book and I got an A:)!"
"kind of surprised, the book was new."
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