Reviewer's Choice
Frontiers in Civil Justice
Xandra Kramer, et al.
Edward Elgar Publishing
9 Dewey Court, Northampton, MA 01060-3815
www.e-elgar.com
9781802203813, $160.00 HC / $TBA ebook, 320pp
https://www.e-elgar.com/shop/usd/frontiers-in-civil-justice-9781802203813.h= tml
Synopsis: Collaboratively compiled and co-edited by the team of Xandra Kram= er, Jos Hoevenaars, Betul Kas, and Erlis Themeli, "Frontiers in Civil Justi= ce: Privatisation, Monetisation and Digitisation" is comprised of studies i=
n three interrelated frontiers civil justice issues from European and natio= nal perspectives, combining theory with policy and insights from practice: = the interplay between private and public justice, the digitization of justi= ce, and litigation funding. These current topics are viewed against the bac= kdrop of the requirements of effective access to justice and the overall go=
al of establishing a sustainable civil justice system in Europe.
With perspectives from an impressive selection of contributors "Frontiers i=
n Civil Justice: Privatisation, Monetisation and Digitisation" takes on a p= an-European perspective and zooms in on several European jurisdictions, the= reby providing a holistic exploration of current civil justice debates and = frontiers. It includes chapters dedicated to the interaction between public=
and private justice, the digitisation of both private dispute resolution a=
nd court litigation, including the rapid development and use of advanced fo= rms of Artificial Intelligence, and the funding of justice, especially coll= ective actions and settlements by means of private funding and common funds=
..
Addressing these key issues in the current European debate on civil justice=
, "Frontiers in Civil Justice: Privatisation, Monetisation and Digitisation=
" will be an ideal read for academics and policy makers interested in the m= ost recent frontier developments and innovations. Legal practitioners will = also benefit from the insight into complex topics such as litigation fundin=
g, legal conflicts in a digital age, and resolving disputes in a private se= tting.
Critique: Comprised of an informative Introduction and thirteen erudite ess= ays deftly organized into three major sections (ADR and the Courts; Digitis= ing Private and Public Justice; Collectivising and Monetising Civil Litigat= ion), "Frontiers in Civil Justice: Privatisation, Monetisation and Digitisa= tion" is unreservedly recommended as a core addition to personal, professio= nal, and academic library International Law collections and supplemental Co= ntemporary Judicial curriculum studies lists.
Editorial Note #1: Xandra Kramer (
http://www.xandrakramer.eu) is Professor =
of Private Law, Erasmus School of Law, Erasmus University Rotterdam and Pro= fessor of Private International Law, Utrecht University.
Editorial Note #2: Jos Hoevenaars, Betul Kas and Erlis Themeli are Postdoc = Researchers, Erasmus School of Law, Erasmus University Rotterdam, the Nethe= rlands.
In Their Names
Lenore Anderson
The New Press
120 Wall Street, Floor 31, New York, NY 10005
www.thenewpress.com
9781620977125, $28.99, HC, 352pp
https://www.amazon.com/Their-Names-Untold-Victims-Incarceration/dp/16209771=
25
Synopsis: When twenty-six-year-old recent college graduate Aswad Thomas was=
days away from starting a professional basketball career in 2009, he was s= hot twice while buying juice at a convenience store. The trauma left him in=
excruciating pain, with mounting medical debt, and struggling to cope with=
deep anxiety and fear. That was the same year the national incarceration r= ate peaked. Yet, despite thousands of new tough-on-crime policies and billi= ons of new dollars pumped into "justice", Aswad never received victim compe= nsation, support, or even basic levels of concern. In the name of victims, = justice bureaucracies ballooned while most victims remained on their own.
With the publication of "In Their Names: The Untold Story of Victims' Right=
s, Mass Incarceration, and the Future of Public Safety, Lenore Anderson (pr= esident of one of the nation's largest reform advocacy organizations) offer=
s a close look at how the political call to help victims in the 1980s morph=
ed into a demand for bigger bureaucracies and more incarceration, and cemen= ted the long- standing chasm that exists between most victims and the justi=
ce system.
She argues that the powerful myth that mass incarceration benefits victims = obscures recognition of what most victims actually need, including addressi=
ng their trauma, which is a leading cause of subsequent violent crime.
A solutions-oriented, paradigm-shifting volume, "In Their Names" argues per= suasively for closing the gap between our public safety systems and crime s= urvivors.
Critique: A timely and appreciated contribution to our national dialogue on=
crime (which has been increasing these past few years), incarceration, and=
the impact on the victims of crime, "In Their Names: The Untold Story of V= ictims' Rights, Mass Incarceration, and the Future of Public Safety" is an = especially and unreservedly recommended addition to personal, professional,=
community, and academic library Contemporary Criminology Studies collectio=
ns and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for crimin= ology students, academia, legal justice reformers, victim advocates, govern= mental policy makers, and non-specialist general readers with an interest i=
n the subject that "In Their Names: The Untold Story of Victims' Rights, Ma=
ss Incarceration, and the Future of Public Safety" is also available in a d= igital book format (Kindle, $15.65).
Editorial Note: A former punk drummer turned prosecutor, Lenore Anderson is=
the founder and president of the Alliance for Safety and Justice. She is a=
former chief of policy at the San Francisco District Attorney's Office, fo= rmer director of public safety for the Oakland mayor, and the recipient of =
a James Irvine Foundation Leadership Award and a Frank Carrington Crime Vic= tim Attorney Award. (
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lenore_Anderson)
Conversations Across America
Kari Loya
XK Productions, LLC
9798986125817, $29.95
https://www.amazon.com/Conversations-Across-America-Alzheimers-TransAmerica= /dp/B0BFHW79VD
"Where did you start? Wow! VA?! Just the two of you? Did you fight a lot?"
Conversations Across America: A Father and Son, Alzheimer's, and 300 Conver= sations Along the TransAmerica Bike Trail that Capture the Soul of America = follows a father/son cycling journey undertaken in 2015 by a 75-year-old fa= ther with early-stage Alzheimer's and his adult son. It's remarkable not ju=
st for the physical effort, but for the mental revelations that accompanied=
and affected their relationship as the miles and time passed. The effort a= fforded father and son both a long goodbye and new observations of 2015 Ame= rica through conversations with ordinary Americans from all walks of life.
Three decades of a shared dream culminated in an experience that broadened = the lives of both participants, leading them into new territory both in the=
ir relationship and in their perception of a changing nation. Their epic ad= venture will attract a wider audience than the usual father/son memoir, Alz= heimer's reader, or cyclist adventure bookworm.
Packed with photos of the two cyclists as their journey evolved, as well as=
the individuals they encountered and write about, readers ride through the=
concurrent transitions of different parts of the American psyche and the i= nteractions and efforts of father and son as they connect with one another = and those around them.
This concurrent gift of revelation both personal and social examination mak=
es for a journey like few others: a testimony to love, perseverance, unders= tanding, and experience that captures the real reason for undertaking a roa=
d trip -- to live life at its fullest, experience surprises, and ultimately=
cultivate deeper understanding.
The quotes, visual reinforcement, and opportunity to visit, via this book, = the byroads of America and taste the values and beliefs of a disparate popu= lation make for an immersive experience highly recommended for audiences be= yond the usual memoir reader alone. Ideally, Conversations Across America w= ill be chosen by book clubs interested in discussing a variety of topics, f= rom early-stage Alzheimer's to worldviews and emotional connections from al=
l walks of life. Its conversations capture the purposes and perspectives of=
ordinary Americans and how they live their lives with gusto.
The Secret Files
Michael Hayes
Kingston Imperial
https://kingstonimperial.com
9781954220447, $29.99, HC, 400pp
https://www.amazon.com/Secret-Files-Officers-Escaped-Accountability/dp/1954= 220448
Synopsis: In 2018, reporter Michael Hayes uncovered a major story about how=
the NYPD was not only turning a blind eye to police misconduct, but also a= llowing hundreds of officers with severe misconduct charges to remain on th=
e force. In the aftermath of that story, then-Mayor Bill de Blasio attempte=
d to reform the department only to abandon his plans.
While de Blasio may have suffered a political setback, it's New Yorkers who=
are the true victims of this failure to deliver accountability and transpa= rency. The state has a law that specifically prevents the public from learn= ing about concealed police records. New Yorkers are increasingly distrustfu=
l of the police after witnessing their loved ones being targeted, brutalize=
d, and murdered with near impunity.
With the publication of "The Secret Files: Bill De Blasio, The NYPD, and Th=
e Broken Promises of Police Reform" Hayes takes his readers inside decades =
of police corruption and controversial laws, chronicling the stories of the=
families and activists who have had enough. He makes a compelling case for=
the limits of reform in the aftermath of the major Black Lives Matter rall= ies following the murder of George Floyd and growing calls to defund the po= lice.
Critique: An impressive and inherently engaging expose of New York City pol= ice corruption and subsequent attempts at reform, "The Secret Files: Bill D=
e Blasio, The NYPD, and The Broken Promises of Police Reform" is a compelli=
ng and detailed history and study that is unreservedly recommended for pers= onal, professional, community, college, and university library Criminology,=
Criminal Law, and Civil Rights Law collections. It should be noted for stu= dents, academia, governmental policy makers, political activists, and non-s= pecialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "The Secret = Files: Bill De Blasio, The NYPD, and The Broken Promises of Police Reform" =
is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $12.99).
Editorial Note: Michael Hayes (
https://glose.com/author/michael-hayes) is a=
journalist whose work has appeared in ProPublica, Huffington Post, BuzzFee=
d, The Appeal, and elsewhere. He has reported America's largest police depa= rtment, the NYPD, for over five years.
Viila and the Doomsday Affair
Roger Danchik
https://danchikwritingbeware.com
Atmosphere Press
www.atmospherepress.com
9781639886203, $18.99
https://www.amazon.com/Viila-Doomsday-Affair-Roger-Danchik/dp/1639886206
At first glance, Viila and the Doomsday Affair would seem to fit in the fan= tasy category. Where else would a rollicking ride to save the universe appe= ar? But then, there's the odd cast of characters, from a vampire and a cat =
to a rabbi and his son and a demon. And a chapter which opens with the titl=
e "An Erotic Scene! - And Wild Monkey Sex." And a mystery that is wound int=
o compelling scenarios which defy any attempt at pat categorization. So evo= lves a story that would rival Douglas Adams for its world-hopping foray int=
o characters and settings which are anything but predictable in their count= enances or actions.
As the story opens, Rabbi Benjamin is having a mild erotic fantasy prompted=
by his wife's cooking. His planned marriage was not of his choosing, but p= roduced satisfaction beyond his wildest dreams. Especially since he'd been = prepared for a life without marriage and sex. At this point it should be em= phasized that eroticism plays an intrinsic part in the story that evolves. = The humor that overlays many of these interactions relies on it. An ancient=
gong rouses the Master, then contemplates a "long infinity" when its job i=
s complete; Queen Pharaoh sports the ability to pose and glare so that her = reputation means she never has to actually fight; and interactions between = the Teraphim, Rabbi Benjamin, Viila and the merry band of misfits makes for=
a plot replete with humor and thought-provoking confrontations.
The dynamics of this unlikely group are as intriguing as their confrontatio=
ns as rules of engagement fade and cease to exist, challenging each charact=
er to assimilate different relationships and survival tactics than in their=
pasts. Roger Danchik's romp involves a quest and revelations that accompan=
y the effort. His audience will appreciate both the ribald characters and t= heir changing perspectives about their place in the world and their mission=
.. Think Douglas Adams, but with far more sexual humor. Libraries that choos=
e Viila and the Doomsday Affair will find its special combination of fantas=
y, intrigue, and adventure will attract audiences capable of absorbing a he= althy degree of erotica in the overall yarn that evolves a rollicking good = tale with the undercurrent of a Greek comedy and the contemporary feel of i= rony.
EDITOR'S NOTE:
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(dot) com
Anyone wanting to submit books for review consideration can send them to:
James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129
To submit reviews of any fiction or non-fiction books, email them to Frugal= muse (at) aol (dot) com (Be sure to include the book title, author, publish= er, publisher address, publisher website/phone number, 13-digit ISBN number=
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James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
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