No comments about The Worst of Football: From Brawls to Bribery - The Ugly Side of the Beautiful Game.

No comments about The OECD Convention on Bribery: A Commentary.

No comments about Bribes.

3 comments about The People v. Clarence Darrow: The Bribery Trial of America's Greatest Lawyer.

1. This has been one of my favorite books for years.

   This work is intensely engaging on any number of levels. It discusses Darrow's trial for jury bribery, but places that trial at the very center of fascinating stories.

   _The People v. Clarence Darrow_ works as biography, writing about a pivotal moment in Darrow's career and in his life. It works as history, as this trial was at the center of the early war of capital vs. labor. It works as drama, as Cowan convincingly portrays the dozens of fascinating people involved in this trial in one way or another. And it works as a legal drama. The legal techniques, the arguments, and the absolute importance of this trial to Darrow's life and to the cause of labor generally make this one of the trials of the century, and the story is gripping throughout.

   Finally, Cowan just does a great job with the craft of writing. The characters are real, the story unfolds dramatically. I was never bored, and actually looked forward to reading each new chapter. As you can tell, I can't recommend this book enough.




2. A friend recommended this book as "the best book no one has ever read," and was he ever right. I have always been fascinated by Clarence Darrow and have come to view him as almost a mythical figure, "the lawyer for the damned." The beauty of this book is that it paints a much more human picture of Darrow, highlighting the bad as well as the good, but without in any way being malicious. My admiration for Darrow was still intact after the book, but my understanding of him is now much fuller and realistic. Cowan's account of the trial of Darrow for trying to bribe jurors is riveting and dramatic. I hope that some potential readers find this review, otherwise the possibility arises of this becoming the most favorable review that was never read.



3. Unlike the leader of the English Revolution - Oliver Cromwell - Clarence Darrow spent much of his life working hard to build a mythical image of himself to conceal the fairly despicable character that he really was, and would almost certainly never have told a portrait painter to portray him as he really was - "warts and all". So it would certainly have brought him no pleasure or satisfaction to read this book, which goes a long way towards revealing his many failings.
   
   In respect of my description of him as "despicable", for example, this was a man whose wife, Ruby, stood(or more literally sat)by him through the three months of the first bribery trail, supporting and encouraging him when he was at his lowest ebb, and at one point suffering a breakdown herself.
   And what did she get in return?
   The trial finished on a Saturday when the jury declared Darrow to be "not guilty". Which Darrow celebrated the next day by going for a drive in the country with his mistress - Mary Field - and two of their friends (page 407)!
   The author does not tell us what Ruby Darrow did to pass the time that day.
   
   Indeed, the wonder of this book is that it got written at all, given the power of Darrow's self-aggrandisement, even today. Especially given that the author is so obviously still a devoted fan of Darrow, and despite all the facts he has uncovered, still does his best to excuse Darrow's behaviour. Though given that Cowan was co-founder of the Clarence Darrow foundation this piece of cognitive dissonance is maybe not entirely surprising.
   
   Anyone planning to read this book, and I believe it is indeed worth reading, should be aware that it is a BIG book - 445 pages plus extensive note, a bibliography and an index, which take it up to 546 pages in all.
   And for a very good reason.
   
   Although the book is subtitled: "The bribery trial of America's greatest [sic] lawyer", Cowan actually reaches back to the earlier trial of "Big" Bill Hayward (1907) as he begins to set the scene. He then goes on to describe the MacNamara case in considerable detail, and Darrow's part in those events, not only to explain how the bribery case came about, but also in order to give a really in-depth picture of how Darrow functioned as a lawyer, frequently excusing his own criminal actions - destroying evidence, bribing witnesses, etc. - on the grounds that the alleged wrongdoings of his opponents, and the rights of his clients to a "fair" trail. In short, in Darrow's mind it seems that the "ends" justified virtually any "means".
   
   The problem any non-commited reader faces, as Alan Dershowitz points out, elsewhere, is that anyone who takes the attitude that Darrow held, and acts upon it, does not benefit or help to improve a corrupt system - they merely compound the corruption, however much they may benefit their own clients.
   
   Part of the Darrow myth is that his concern was always to help the weak and the poor or at least, as in Cowan's quote:
   
   "I have represented the strong and the weak - but never the strong against the weak."
   (page 424)
   
   If this had been true it might be a mitigating factor in Darrow's favour. But it was actually nothing more than yet another of Darrow's many lies. Darrow frequently sided with the strong against the weak - and Cowan gives a number of examples, most notably (in this context) the fact that at the very time when he was called upon to act in the MacNamara case, Darrow was in the middle of defending the Kankakee Manufacturing Company against a charge of having [...] many small investors by issuing brochures and letters that were nothing short of [...] in their claims about the company's financial attributes. The case had been brought by an elderly Civil War veteran - Charles Myerhoff - who, like many other, had lost virtually all of his life savings when the guano hit the fan.
   
   And what excuse did Darrow, the alleged "love[r of] his fellow man" (page 445) offer in defense of his [...] clients? Why, that the investors had a legal responsibility to check the veracity of such claims (pages 71-71). Legalistically correct, no doubt, but how on earth does that square with Darrow's sanctimonious claim that he "never [acted for] the strong against the weak"?
   
   No-one really benefits from such wholesale lies as are found in the Darrow myth, and the legal profession in America might benefit greatly if this book was mandatory reading for every Law student in the country - alongside Darrow's own blatantly self-serving, mendacious autobiography "The Story of My Life".

No comments about The Game They Played.

2 comments about When She Was Bad.

1. Ms. Alexander,(the Kitty Kelly of New York political scandal)writes an entertaining yet frenetic tale of the fall of Bess Meyerson, Commissioner of Cultural Affairs of the city of New York, and former Miss America. Much attention is paid to Judge Hortense Gable's emotionally unstable daughter, Sukhreet, the catalyst of the scandal involving her having obtained a city job in exchange for leniency in the divorce case of Ms. Meyerson's lover (Andy Capasso, the most famous sewer man since Ed Norton.)For those who have put down Nancy Drew, but are not yet ready for Jackie Susann novels.



2. I like Shana Alexander as an author. This book is quite interesting and detailed about Bess Myerson, the self-proclaimed Queen of the Jews and her life. Alexander details Bess' childhood and poor upbringing in the Bronx with a nasty mother and a loving father. She became the First Jewish Miss America in 1945. From then on, she became a public figure in both media and New York City politics. Bess herself was a mess from the beginning. She was not a very good mother to her only daughter Barra nor a very good wife to her husbands. I remember Bess more for the scandal that involved a highly respected judge Hortense Gabel, her bizarre daughter Sukhreet (born Julie Bess) Gabel, and TOny Capasso. At that time, Bess was having an affair with married father Tony Capasso. Judge Gabel was trying her best to be a good mother to the outrageous daughter Sukhreet by helping her get a job. It was the job of being Bess' assistant that helped get Bess into her mess. Ironically, the Gabels are painted much better here than anywhere else. Sukhreet is probably still outrageous as ever but she told the truth. She was a smart woman with psychological problems from the beginning. She wasn't crazy but she was brilliant and capable of so much more. Surprisingly, it is Judge Hortense Wittstein Gabel that I feel the most sympathy for of all. Judge Gabel was in fact one of the most respected judges on the bench in New York City. She was also very dedicated to her profession and she was honorable, respectable, and dedicated to her profession. She would have made an excellent supreme court justice. The Gabels lived quite modestly in a rent-controlled apartment. Her husband and dentist, Milton Gabel, was retired but not Hortense. She was determined to do what she loved. She helped in affordable housing and she was the kind of person to make the city a better place. Sadly, this scandal affected an otherwise wonderful perfect career. While some lawyers would seek fame and fortune, Hortense was satisfied in her life and position. One can only imagine what might have been. She was probably on the shortlist for the supreme court that I could imagine. This book could use pictures that is why I am giving it 4 stars. I have the hardcover edition and there are no pictures. I feel sorry for Nancy Capasso who was the woman left behind in the Bess Mess. Her husband's infidelity with Bess was a cruel affair without any indiscretion. I can imagine that Sukhreet is still alive and living her life. She was never capable of being your average daughter. Even her parents forgave her for acting like a spoiled child but she did tell the truth but she got laughed out of court and she got attention that she may have wanted all along. I don't think she was much to blame. I think Hortense was just trying to be a good mother and Sukhreet was offended by the notion that she couldn't get a job on her own.

1 comments about Bribery and Extortion: Undermining Business, Governments, and Security.

1. Alexandra Wrage's work on cross-border bribery and corruption comes at a pivotal time. Nations around the globe are joining together to form international compacts to combat the bribery of government officials. The United Nations has adopted an anti-corruption convention that compels its members to adopt national laws to prevent corruption. Enforcement agencies vigorously prosecute multinational corporations that use bribery to pervert free competition to their own benefit. The World Bank now denies lucrative development contracts from companies that have corrupted foreign officials. The tide of global sentiment appears finally to be turning against the corruption of foreign officials and the distortion of the free market, and Alexandra Wrage has been at the forefront of that fight for more than a decade. For this reason alone, her book is important, informative, and timely.
   
   Alexandra Wrage's book addresses what I describe as the sordid underbelly of international business - companies that seek to win business from foreign governments by bribing influential officials, and foreign officials who abuse their positions and extort business and private citizens in the performance of their duties. Wrage is the president and founder of TRACE International, a non-profit organization dedicated to combating these distorting practices. TRACE interacts with many constituencies, from corporations conducting international business, local sales representatives, consultants and distributors who promote products in their home jurisdictions, government officials and NGOs. In her unique position, Wrage has become something of a sounding board - or perhaps therapist - for those who have personally faced bribing corporations and corrupt local officials. She has collected more than a decade's worth of anecdotes in "Bribery and Extortion." As a someone who has practiced law in the anti-corruption field for fourteen years, I thought I had seen or heard it all, and still found myself sitting, mouth agape, as I read Wrage's book. The tales will shock, produce outrage and evoke sadness. But while Wrage acknowledges that the topic is serious and its impact devastating, she seeks to capture the absurdity of those seeking to do wrong by setting a light-hearted and wry tone. To the extent that a book on such a weighty topic can be delightful and funny, it is this one.
   
   Wrage's work, however, is not simply a collection of humorous, absurd and wretched tales. Rather, Wrage introduces a systematic way of talking about the twin problems of bribery and extortion. She provides order and categorization to the patterns of criminal behavior and to its corrosive effects. In this way, Wrage's book serves as a guidepost to those of us who combat corruption - compliance officers, counsel, government officials and NGOs. Knowing and understanding the many forms that the doppelganger of corruption can take is perhaps the most valuable tool to fighting it.
   
   I highly recommend Wrage's book This is a must-read for businesspersons, lawyers, scholars, students and anyone interested in cross-border business and it's challenging dark side.

No comments about The Green Felt Jungle.

2 comments about Discipline Without Distress: 135 tools for raising caring, responsible children without time-out, spanking, punishment or bribery.

1. This is a must read for all parents. Great parenting tips from a real mom! This book is the bible on parenting. Very respectful of families and children. I loved it.



2. This is the best book I have ever read on parenting. While it needs some copy editing and an index, the information it contains is so well informed, so practical, so honest, that it is truly indispensable. I would love to give this book to every expectant parent in the world (I hope it will be translated into other languages). The author explains which parenting techniques work best and why. There are disciplinary examples for every occasion and every age group. She explains each stage of child development so you can understand what can be expected of a child at each age. She demonstrates why every disciplinary action that builds your relationship with your child is a successful method and every action that diminishes that relationship is detrimental. Parents can't be perfect, but this book will give them the tools to do their best. I wish I'd had this book 40 years ago, but at least I've given a copy to my daughter for raising her children. (My daughter loves it, too.)

3 comments about Confirming Justice (Justice Series #2).

1. This is the second book I've read by the Munsons. They have an impressive resume' for writing a legal thriller due to David Munson being a former Federal undercover agent and Diane Munson who is a former Federal prosecutor. While Grisham does well in courtroom scences and Clancy is good with the law enforcement side, the Munsons make both the legal and agent action work. In Confirming Justice the Munsons create characters and situations that are realistic and believable. A must read!



2. Seminole Tribune commissioned free lance writer Ramona Kiyoshk to write a review of "Confirming Justice." Ms. Kiyoshk, who also writes reviews for the New York Times, wrote the following review which appeared in the Seminole Tribune on 10/13/06. It is provided by the authors in its entirety. WARNING!! "Confirming Justice" is a legal thriller. Ms. Kiyoshk's review may tell you more than you want to know about how the book ends.
   
   "The latest book by husband-and-wife writing team Diane and David Munson is an exciting romp in American political intrigue that takes the reader from the gleaming halls of justice in Washington, D.C., to the gator-infested swamps of southern Florida and points in between. The Munson team draws on their expertise and insight as former inside players in the high-stakes and dicey game of White House law enforcement. Diane Munson has been an attorney for twenty years, and is a former Federal Prosecutor with the United States Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. Her husband, David, is a retired Federal Special Agent, whose career included positions in the DEA, U.S. Customs, and the Naval Investigative Services, often undercover.
   
   Their understanding of human nature, and especially the criminal mind, gives their writing depth, heart and velocity. Their keen knowledge of their subject matter and their skill as suspense writers, make for a truly delightful read. I am a fan of the mystery and suspense genre, but I find that many books are simply clones of each other. This book is made memorable by the very believable characters that are developed as the story moves along. Their plights elicit sympathy, rage, laughter and curiosity. You want to join them on their quests for justice, peace, love, happiness, or whatever. In Confirming Justice, the players feel like old friends by the end of the book, something rare in the modern pulp fiction novel.
   
   The central story is about Dwight Pendergast, a judge who is nominated for Justice of the Supreme Court by the President after another candidate is bullied into withdrawing by a vicious press and Opposition members hostile to his beliefs. The book opens with Judge Pendergast trying a Cabinet member¹s son for conspiracy to bribe and embezzle when a key witness disappears. FBI Agent Griff Topping, who is sent to recover the AWOL witness, finds himself in a quagmire that includes former Soviet spies, restless Native Americans, a deal-making petty felon with big ideas, and family skeletons that insist on popping out of long-locked closets. One thing is certain: If you want every detail of your life dragged before the public, become a candidate in a Supreme Court confirmation hearing.
   
   The chase scenes are fast and filled with surprises. This is refreshing in a world where almost everything has been done at least once somewhere else. Small-time criminal Skeeter's leap through a pane of glass when he recognizes an FBI undercover agent and his subsequent trek through the swamp with alligators and manatees is too real. The houses and the landscapes are described through textures, smells, and senses rather that just adjectives. This has the effect of drawing the reader into the locale. It becomes very authentic.
   
   The loving relationship between Judge Pendergast and his wife, Christine, is developed through action and flashbacks. This gives the reader a better understanding of the strength of their commitment to each other and to their children and their goals. The President's Special Assistant, Barbara Jo Houston as she conspires to topple anyone in her path, could be modeled after any number of angry, ambitious people in politics today. Bernie Spritzer, Pendergast's former law partner, is a brooding foil for the rising star and his wife, Rita, with a festering paranoia about an imagined love affair, could be any Washington wife who has been too long in her husband's shadow.
   
   My favorite character is the FBI agent, Griff Topping. His role is to keep the story tied together as he moves in and out every situation. He is a widower and a loner who flies small airplanes for fun. His friends are always trying to match him up with a mate. He is also a skilled investigator, and is approached by Judge Pendergast to find his long-lost siblings, who were sent to foster homes when their parents died. Pendergast himself was adopted and his search for his family is instigated by his need for a kidney transplant.
   
   The search for the lost siblings places Agent Topping face to face with cocaine smuggling desperadoes in the Gulf of Mexico. Skeeter¹s shrimp boat is recruited to move a load of cocaine, and a seizure by agents from the FBI, DEA and Customs, is engineered. This is presented with all the tension and logistics gleaned from David Munson's experience in the field. By now, Topping has determined that Skeeter, who was raised in foster homes and lives off petty crime, is really Pendergast¹s brother. Hyper and insecure, Skeeter is a perfect foil for the self-contained FBI professional.
   
   With the drug bust wrapped up, Topping and Skeeter travel to the Big Cypress Seminole Reservation where they meet the last lost sibling, a sister, Eleanor. From here on, except for a few hair-raising twists, you can bet there will be a happy - and very satisfying ending.
   
   The Munsons obviously are spiritual people and this is evident throughout the book. There are numerous references to the Scriptures and to the relationship of the characters to their Christian God. Volatile issues hinted at include abortion, eminent domain and creationism vs. evolution. This is done tastefully, without the battering ram effect present in many Christian publications. I also noticed they seem to promote the belief that good Indians are Christian Indians. There are those who might find the support for the Christian Right a bit obvious, but it is personal and should not detract from the story itself. If it bothers you, ignore it. After all this is America and FaithWalk Publishing is a printer of Christian books."



3. I just did not want this book to end, so I tried to take it slower then I normally do. That was NOT easy, as this book race's along, keeping you hooked and needing to pick it back up. Thank goodness there is another one coming soon. As like the first book in their series, you try to figure out where "it is going", but you will not be able to. Since there was such an incredible review by the Seminole Tribune (Freelance writer Ms. Kiyoshk) I will not give detail's away about the plot. The Munson's have again put relationship's "on the line" and character's that honestly I found myself "laughing out loud" quite a number of time's. What a treat for a "legal and suspense thriller" and to also have some of the character's as such "missfit's". All of this kept me on the edge and thoroughly involved in the personal relationship's of the different couple's and their extended famlies's, AND as they tried to work through their problem's. All of this taking place in the middle of the biggest bunch of secret's, lie's, and back stabbing in the crime and judicial system...AND with it's politic's. (still don't know "who" some of the bad guy's are, but maybe in the next book)???? Thank you Diane and David. I would be remiss not to say how many time's you could see God working with each person, even the "misfit's", me included. I feel truly blessed with each book I read by the Munson's. What a rare combination in a book!!!! Mary from Keizer, Oregon