Reference Reviews

Reference for Students

Government, Politics, and Protest: Essential Primary Sources. Edited by K. Lee Lerner, Brenda Wilmoth Learner, and Adrienne Wilmoth Lerner. Detroit, Mich.: Thomson*Gale, 2006/ 1 vol. 485 p. $_ . ISBN -10 1-4144-0327-5; ISBN-13 978-1-4144-0327-4.

Today, there is an ever-thinning line between what is politics and protest and what might escalate into terrorism. Frontmatter includes an essay on "Using Primary Sources" and a 7-page chronology beginning with the Boston Tea Party in 1773 and ending with the 2005 Islamist terrorist bombings in London. Each primary source entry has the title, subtitle and primary source type. Major headings for the work include "Protesters and Protest Rights," "Civil and Human Rights," "War and Peace," "Civil Liberties and Social Issues," "Politics, Policy, and Political Dissent," "Labor, Trade, and Globalization," "Sovereignty," and "Health, Environment, and Animal Rights." The bibliographic entry for the source is given with something about the author and an introductory essay to the work. After the source itself, the significance of the essay is followed by further resources including books, periodicals, and web sites. Black and white illustrations and photographs illustrate the text. A 12-page bibliography completes the text. Students today need to learn as much as possible through primary sources on this essential topic. This is an excellent resource to help them begin that search.