Book Review Mondays

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The new blue media: How Michael Moore, MoveOn.org, Jon Stewart and Company are transforming progressive politics
by Theodore Hamm

Book Review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.

In 200 pages of text (the book is 240 pages long) and with 22 pages of notes, Hamm, editor of the Brooklyn Rail (an arts and political monthly) and associate professor of urban studies at Metropolitan College of New York, brings readers an incredibly interesting account (series of stories) about “a handful of media personalities, blogs, outlets, and politically based organizations—from The Onion to Jon Stewart to the Daily Kos.” (From the front jacket) What he does is show where these “blue media” (Michael Moore, Bill Maher, Markos Moulitsas, Air America, MoveOn The Daily Show, The Colbert Report, as well as liberal blogs) came from and how they got so powerful. Hamm’s writing is sharp (the front jacket describes it as acerbic), engaging, and irreverent. His command of facts as astounding, and his sense of humor is obvious and often demonstrated. As one reviewer noted, “fans of Bush and the Clintons won't like the book. Those coming of age in the era of Obama and Stephen Colbert will.” Whether you are a professional, an academic, or a connoisseur of contemporary media, you will absolutely love this book for its sharp analysis, wit, and entertainment.

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Making Your Case: The Art of Persuading Judges
by Antonin Scalia & Bryan A. Garner

Book Review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.

As a former professor and writer of popular college textbooks on the subject of speech communication, I often wished that more of my students would take the subject seriously, absorb the rules, and apply them in their own speeches and conversations. I have even written a book — Public Speaking Rules! All You Need for a Great Speech — that contains many of the same ideas as those in Scalia’s and Garner’s book, and yet, many people (including many lawyers if you listen to Scalia and Garner) just don’t seem to get it. Just as I think my book is straight-forward, easy-to-read, logically presented, and insightful, theirs is, too. Just as I think my book should be required reading for any first year law student, or anyone who has already completed his or her first year of law school but has not yet read it, I think theirs is also. It’s not that we have written similar books as much as the fact that so many people — lawyers, ministers, teachers, politicians, public servants, and others — just aren’t reading, absorbing, and applying information that is readily available, easily accessible, and simple to apply. Scalia and Garner’s book is definitely a speech book. Their 245-pager is divided into three large parts: 1) General Principles of Argumentation, 2) Legal Reasoning, and 3) Briefing (the crafting of the oral argument itself). Within these parts are 115 brief sections, some as short as one or two sentences, others as long as 25 paragraphs — two of these more lengthy sections appear in the part on “Briefing,” and within the sub-section, “Architecture and Strategy.” One of these lengthier sections covers outlining the brief and the other deals with arranging the parts of the brief — both essential skills. Now, you have to understand that this book is intended for lawyers, and some of the terminology is profession-specific. Although I liked the 35-page discussion of principles of argumentation — how to tailor your arguments for a judge, different from arguing before a jury — and tactics to use with difficult judges, lazy judges, and their law clerks, I liked the section on writing style (discussed in a moment here) better. They give the view from the bench when lawyers react to bad questions from the judge and describe the likely outcomes. They also offer ways to avoid confrontations while still making your argument. As I said, while I like the information on argumentation, I found their 29-page discussion of “Writing Style” especially strong and valuable. This excellent reference book is concise and entertaining. There is nothing stuffy or boring in their approach or presentation.. There are "a-ha" moments on every page, and, overall, this is a very informative and certainly useful book for every new attorney. It goes without saying, after reading this review, that I found this book authoritative, fascinating, and insightful.

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Through our reading, researching, and writing, And Then Some Publishing (and our extended family of readers) mine volumes of books representing a wide variety of tastes. We use the books in our writing, test and try suggested techniques, and we read for enjoyment as well. We wouldn't spend the time reviewing the books if we didn't get something out of it. Read more reviews on other fantastic books at our BookWorksRules.com website.