A good story; well told; of a sliver of life in Richmond; a small; elite-driven capital city in the young nation's most influential state.""—Publishers WeeklyGeorge Wythe clung to the mahogany banister as he inched down the staircase of his comfortable Richmond; Virginia; home. Doubled over in agony; he stumbled to the kitchen in search of help. There he found his maid; Lydia Broadnax; and his young protegé; Michael Brown; who were also writhing in distress. Hours later; when help arrived; Wythe was quick to tell anyone who would listen; ""I am murdered."" Over the next two weeks; as Wythe suffered a long and painful death; insults would be added to his mortal injury.I Am Murdered tells the bizarre true story of Wythe's death and the subsequent trial of his grandnephew and namesake; George Wythe Sweeney; for the crime—unquestionably the most sensational and talked-about court case of the era. Hinging on hit-and-miss forensics; the unreliability of medical autopsies; the prevalence of poisoning; race relations; slavery; and the law; Sweeney's trial serves as a window into early nineteenth- century America. Its particular focus is on Richmond; part elegant state capital and part chaotic boomtown riddled with vice; opportunism; and crime.As Wythe lay dying; his doctors insisted that he had not been poisoned; and Sweeney had the nerve to beg him for bail money. In I Am Murdered; this signer of the Declaration of Independence; mentor to Thomas Jefferson; and ""Father of American Jurisprudence"" finally gets the justice he deserved.
#290523 in Books Levinson Marc 2016-11-08 2016-11-08Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.50 x 1.13 x 6.50l; .0 #File Name: 0465061982336 pagesAn Extraordinary Time The End of the Postwar Boom and the Return of the Ordinary Economy
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10 of 11 people found the following review helpful. Marc Levinson Explains What Happened to the American DreamBy Ronald GrunerIf you are wondering what happened to the American Dream; a time in which most Americans could feel confident that their and their children's standard of living would inevitably rise; Marc Levinson's book is for you. In it he explains how a unique confluence of events for 25 years after World War II contributed to rapid productivity growth; and as a result growing wealth for millions and millions around the world. Then starting in the mid-1970s as productivity growth was slowing other factors including technology shifts; globalization; reduced infrastructure spending and the flight of capital all contributed to growing income inequality in which wealth; rather than trickling downward; flowed upward to the top income brackets.It's a discouraging story; but one that we citizens need to understand to be able to address the issues our nation and economy face. Over the last 40 years Washington's approach has largely resulted in our income inequality; declining labor force participation and massive national debt. It's time for change.Attached are four graphs from my own work that reinforce Levinson's conclusions.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. a good book for your economics libraryBy CustomerAn intensive look at the major economic and political trends before; during; and after the 1970s. The point of the book is to contrast the extraordinary nature of productivity and growth post World War II (1946 -- 1970); as opposed to what happened during the 1970s (when economic activity underwent a dramatic decrease); as opposed to what happened post-1980 (economic activity remained; and still remains; much lower than the 1946-1970 time period). In Levinson's opinion; the underlying story is really about productivity; which underwent a big slow down in the 1970s; and has continued to slow further since that time. There are many contributors to the unusually high productivity in the 1946-1970 time period; at least some of which (like movement from the farm to industrialized cities) are one time changes that will not be repeated. He also points out that politics and politicians were ineffective in reversing the productivity slowdown irrespective of what country they were running; or which political philosophy (right wing; left wing; or other) they espoused. Mr. Levinson obviously wanted to nail his pre- versus post- thesis into the wall -- which he does rather excessively with example after example after example after example. Really; he could have readily shortened this book by 100 pages and not taken anything away from the productivity punch line. But; nevertheless; a good book for your economics library.26 of 30 people found the following review helpful. A book that will not put you to sleep!By Michael MichalskiIt is impossible to cover every major factor affecting the global economy for the past 75 years without producing an enormous tome. If certain recent developments are left out; it does not discredit the writer's overall approach. This book is geared to those interested in how the global economy has evolved but who lack an in depth knowledge of economic history. It is informative without being so scholarly that the average reader is lost in mind numbing professional jargon.
