January 2023 MBR Reviewer's Choice

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.html

Synopsis: Collaboratively compiled and co-edited by the team of Xandra Kramer, Jos Hoevenaars, Betul Kas, and Erlis Themeli, "Frontiers in Civil Justice: Privatisation, Monetisation and Digitisation" is comprised of studies in three interrelated frontiers civil justice issues from European and national perspectives, combining theory with policy and insights from practice: the interplay between private and public justice, the digitization of justice, and litigation funding. These current topics are viewed against the backdrop of the requirements of effective access to justice and the overall goal of establishing a sustainable civil justice system in Europe.

With perspectives from an impressive selection of contributors "Frontiers in Civil Justice: Privatisation, Monetisation and Digitisation" takes on a pan-European perspective and zooms in on several European jurisdictions, thereby 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 and court litigation, including the rapid development and use of advanced forms of Artificial Intelligence, and the funding of justice, especially collective 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 most recent frontier developments and innovations. Legal practitioners will also benefit from the insight into complex topics such as litigation funding, legal conflicts in a digital age, and resolving disputes in a private setting.

Critique: Comprised of an informative Introduction and thirteen erudite essays deftly organized into three major sections (ADR and the Courts; Digitising Private and Public Justice; Collectivising and Monetising Civil Litigation), "Frontiers in Civil Justice: Privatisation, Monetisation and Digitisation" is unreservedly recommended as a core addition to personal, professional, and academic library International Law collections and supplemental Contemporary 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 Professor 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 Netherlands.

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/1620977125

Synopsis: When twenty-six-year-old recent college graduate Aswad Thomas was days away from starting a professional basketball career in 2009, he was shot 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 rate peaked. Yet, despite thousands of new tough-on-crime policies and billions of new dollars pumped into "justice", Aswad never received victim compensation, 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' Rights, Mass Incarceration, and the Future of Public Safety, Lenore Anderson (president of one of the nation's largest reform advocacy organizations) offers a close look at how the political call to help victims in the 1980s morphed into a demand for bigger bureaucracies and more incarceration, and cemented the long- standing chasm that exists between most victims and the justice system.

She argues that the powerful myth that mass incarceration benefits victims obscures recognition of what most victims actually need, including addressing their trauma, which is a leading cause of subsequent violent crime.

A solutions-oriented, paradigm-shifting volume, "In Their Names" argues persuasively for closing the gap between our public safety systems and crime survivors.

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 Victims' 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 collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists. It should be noted for criminology students, academia, legal justice reformers, victim advocates, governmental policy makers, and non-specialist general readers with an interest in the subject that "In Their Names: The Untold Story of Victims' Rights, Mass Incarceration, and the Future of Public Safety" is also available in a digital 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, former director of public safety for the Oakland mayor, and the recipient of a James Irvine Foundation Leadership Award and a Frank Carrington Crime Victim 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 Conversations 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 father with early-stage Alzheimer's and his adult son. It's remarkable not just for the physical effort, but for the mental revelations that accompanied and affected their relationship as the miles and time passed. The effort afforded father and son both a long goodbye and new observations of 2015 America 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 their relationship and in their perception of a changing nation. Their epic adventure will attract a wider audience than the usual father/son memoir, Alzheimer'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 interactions 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 makes for a journey like few others: a testimony to love, perseverance, understanding, and experience that captures the real reason for undertaking a road 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 population make for an immersive experience highly recommended for audiences beyond the usual memoir reader alone. Ideally, Conversations Across America will be chosen by book clubs interested in discussing a variety of topics, from early-stage Alzheimer's to worldviews and emotional connections from all 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/1954220448

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 allowing hundreds of officers with severe misconduct charges to remain on the force. In the aftermath of that story, then-Mayor Bill de Blasio attempted 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 transparency. The state has a law that specifically prevents the public from learning about concealed police records. New Yorkers are increasingly distrustful of the police after witnessing their loved ones being targeted, brutalized, and murdered with near impunity.

With the publication of "The Secret Files: Bill De Blasio, The NYPD, and The 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 rallies following the murder of George Floyd and growing calls to defund the police.

Critique: An impressive and inherently engaging expose of New York City police corruption and subsequent attempts at reform, "The Secret Files: Bill De Blasio, The NYPD, and The Broken Promises of Police Reform" is a compelling and detailed history and study that is unreservedly recommended for personal, professional, community, college, and university library Criminology, Criminal Law, and Civil Rights Law collections. It should be noted for students, academia, governmental policy makers, political activists, and non-specialist 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, BuzzFeed, The Appeal, and elsewhere. He has reported America's largest police department, 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 fantasy category. Where else would a rollicking ride to save the universe appear? 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 title "An Erotic Scene! - And Wild Monkey Sex." And a mystery that is wound into compelling scenarios which defy any attempt at pat categorization. So evolves a story that would rival Douglas Adams for its world-hopping foray into characters and settings which are anything but predictable in their countenances 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 produced satisfaction beyond his wildest dreams. Especially since he'd been prepared for a life without marriage and sex. At this point it should be emphasized 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 is 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 confrontations as rules of engagement fade and cease to exist, challenging each character to assimilate different relationships and survival tactics than in their pasts. Roger Danchik's romp involves a quest and revelations that accompany the effort. His audience will appreciate both the ribald characters and their changing perspectives about their place in the world and their mission. Think Douglas Adams, but with far more sexual humor. Libraries that choose Viila and the Doomsday Affair will find its special combination of fantasy, intrigue, and adventure will attract audiences capable of absorbing a healthy 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 irony.

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