Books with author James Law

In 1892 I was asked by the Harvard Corporation to give a few public lectures on psychology to the Cambridge teachers. The talks now printed form the substance of that course; which has since then been delivered at various places to various teacher-audiences. I have found by experience that what my hearers seem least to relish is analytical technicality; and what they most care for is concrete practical application. So I have gradually weeded out the former; and left the latter unreduced; and now; that I have at last written out the lectures; they contain a minimum of what is deemed 'scientific' in psychology; and are practical and popular in the extreme.

"[The Groundwork Guides] are excellent books, mandatory for school libraries and the increasing body of young people prepared to take ownership of the situations and problems previous generations have left them." -- Globe and Mail In this eye-opening work, political scientist and award-winning author James Laxer warns readers that our common assumptions about democracy -- that it is a natural progression of advanced societies and that it is on the rise worldwide -- are misguided. Democracy, in fact, is very fragile. Showcasing examples from all over the world, this book explains the rise of democracy in the twentieth century and examines the current status of democracy in advanced countries and in Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America. Laxer warns that globalization and the widening gap between the rich and poor threaten to weaken democracy and the vigor of democratic regimes -- even in countries where it has been long established.

Jo Jo is an endearing but sometimes mischievous little girl of eight years. She has a great imagination. She can talk to animals and she loves the woods where many of her adventures take place. Find out how the deer Rudolf got his red nose or what a crab turns into at the seaside or what happens to Jo Jo when she gets lost in the city or when she is whisked off to a magic kingdom. Sometimes Jo Jo can be scary too as in the spooky tale of The Moving Door Handle. Here are stories that will appeal not only to children of all ages but to imaginative adults as well who are young at heart. “James Lawless has a mighty thoughtful and penetrating capacity to make you gasp and rage and then burst out laughing.”Jennifer Johnston

Democracy explains the rise of this form of government and how women and minorities struggled for and won democratic rights for themselves. In clear prose, author James Laxer relates the story of the replacement of Communist regimes in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe by ostensibly democratic political systems. In some of these countries, he argues, democracy has flourished, while in others authoritarianism is on the rise. Showcasing examples from all over the world, the book examines the current status of democracy in both developed and developing nations. Throughout, Laxer demonstrates that democracy is about much more than the right to vote, warning readers that globalization and the widening gap between rich and poor threatens to weaken democracy and the vigor of democratic regimes — even in countries where it has been long established. Only sustainable environmental policies and basic economic fairness, says Laxer, offer hope for democracy’s survival.

"[The Groundwork Guides] are excellent books, mandatory for school libraries and the increasing body of young people prepared to take ownership of the situations and problems previous generations have left them." -- Globe and MailOil, our main source of energy, underlies the world's economy. In the twentieth century its availability and relatively low price allowed for the industrial growth and development of the world's leading economies. The new rapidly developing giants, India and China, want access to the same possibilities. But today we know that cheap, easily accessible oil supplies are dwindling, and we are beginning to recognize the true cost to the world's environment of our profligate use of this form of energy.As Oil shows, a substantial portion of the world's remaining supply lies in countries whose interests are not identical with those of the major industrial powers.

"[The Groundwork Guides] are excellent books, mandatory for school libraries and the increasing body of young people prepared to take ownership of the situations and problems previous generations have left them." -- Globe and Mail The United States presides over the most far-flung imperial system ever established. Empire compares the American Empire to those of the past, finding that much can be learned from the fates of the British, Roman, Chinese, Incan, and Aztec empires. James Laxer draws ominous parallels with the British who discovered too late that empire building ultimately threatens the health of democracy at home. Documenting how the American Empire works and what it means to the rest of the world, Empire asks: Does the American Empire bring stability to a troubled world? Or, like its imperial predecessors, does it impose inequality and oppression on humanity? And what happens when an empire stumbles?