Reviews for Democracy and coercive diplomacy

The average rating for Democracy and coercive diplomacy based on 2 reviews is 4 stars.

Review # 1 was written on 2012-03-23 00:00:00 Robert K. Meiswinkle Brilliant, essential theoretical analysis of the democratic or anti-democratic role of associations (from church groups to unions to soccer leagues). Relentlessly logical in structure, clear, non-ideological, it provides a schema for evaluating the potential of an association to foster democratic participation or civic virtues (enumerated and categorized). The only reason this wonderful book falls short of 5 stars is its density: there isn't a spare word. I've highlighted nearly everything and sticky-tabbed nearly every page. As a reference, the density is invaluable; as a read, it was very, very slow going. Sometimes style helps.

Review # 2 was written on 2012-09-05 00:00:00 Anthony Charboneau Young's discussions of Ribot, Charcot, Janet, Rivers, and Freud's emerging and contrasting ideas of trauma are very interesting, as is the historical background on which Young's argument is based. Similarly, the discussion of political history the institutionalization of PTSD in DSM is fascinating. I am less convinced by his argument that contemporary trauma diagnoses are committed to making "time flow in the right direction" from "the etiological event to the post-traumatic symptoms." My sense, in fact, is that he's trying to make time flow in the right direction for his own argument about the etiology of the PTSD diagnosis. But what lifts this book to above average status for me are really the transcripts from the VA PTSD treatment center, and his analysis, which completely demolishes the pretense to either science or rationalism in that unit. I read the transcripts somewhat differently than Young does, but his reading is also compelling.