comes this short work from Cass Sunstein. With the dominance of conservativism since Reagan (including during the Clinton presidency) liberal thought has been fasting in the same desert where the Conservatives of the 60’s languished for so long. Cass Sunstein seems to be one of the intellectual lights of the left that is trying to lead our country back to the path of social responsibility that characterised this country’s “mission statement” from the presidency of Roosevelt until Reagan broke with the idea of a social contract, replacing it with 80’s style laissez faire. Sunstein attempts to remind us of the social contract that used to exist between the government and the people. At one time it was taken for granted that government’s function was to protect both negative and positive rights. These positive rights included the right to work, the right to a living wage, the right to leisure, medical care, and security in old age. In FDR’s view, government acted to regulate the predatory nature of capitalism, thus effectively protecting capitalism from itself. Sunstein describes how the contract evolved, and also presents an argument for the modern reader trying to pursuade us to reclaim that view of government. Sunstein is somewhat weak as a historian (at least in this book) but he argues very strongly in favor of restoring this functionality to government. It’s worth reading if you like progressive political theory.

No more wondering what it’s like to be a Steve Martin.

Hey, Steve, “Writing is Easy.” Thanks.

Damn, the library is mad. I better return this. One more chapter tomorrow. I t i s a s l o o o o o w read!

One of two great dog stories in Russian lit (at least that I know of). This is a sad and touching story of abandonment. You will figure out who the dog represents.

For extra fun, follow this dog story with Bulgokov’s “Heart of a Dog.” Another book about communism, but here communism is in it’s prime. A biting satire, if there ever was one! :)

It isn’t literature or anything like that. Nobody’s going to confuse it with Dostoevski or Lermontov, but it is a lot of fun anyhow. Anyone who likes soccer would enjoy this. It is “Horatio Alger in soccer boots.”

I’m giving this one more chapter. Seems to be pablum for the huddled masses who can read.

Oh come on. Friedman asserts: “Cost = Value = Price”. On what planet?

Not true from the producer’s view, that’s for damned sure. Otherwise where is the profit? (price – cost). You almost want to go back to Marx, who at least knew of “surplus value”.

It looks like he will have to develop two systems of economics to incorporate profit – one for consumers and one for sellers. It works about as good and honestly as two sets of books – one for the executives and one for the shareholders meeting.

I might have to stick around until he justifies huge executive bonuses used to grease corporate mergers and buy-outs. $14 mil for three week’s “work”? America, what a country.

His most beautifully written book. Characters are truly human, despite being “class enemies.” Similar to Pasternak in that way.

Stalin loved the dramatic version of this story, “The Day of the Turbins.” I recall reading that Stalin saw the play dozens of times. The fact that Stalin was a great fan probably saved Bulgokov’s arse during the purges.

One of the five best opening sentencea in literature.

Dostoevsky’s concept of “the double” originated here, I’m told.

Rereading it. The Best book ever… especially the Mira Ginsberg translation!

That seventh proof IS the most convincing of all.

Utterly dark, and maybe the best of the three.