The Minority Rights Revolution

Rating:
Summary: Powerful, Original and Comprehensive
Review: This book provides a powerful narrative for one of the most important periods in American history. The book is unique in that it analyzes the development of rights for several groups (including women, Latinos, Asian Americans and the disabled) that are almost always studied separately from each other. But the book does not just examine the groups that won new rights; it contrasts those successful cases with those groups that tried but did not win new rights (white ethnics and gays). It is jam-packed with historical evidence to support its surprising claim that "the minority rights revolution" was mostly directed from above, often by Republicans, rather than being a creation of grass-roots organizations. It is essential reading for anyone interested in American politics, the 60s and 70s, and law and policymaking.

Rating:
Summary: Brilliant and shocking
Review: Though there are a lot of books lately arguing for the role of World War II and the Cold War in helping the cause of black civil rights, Skrentny's book is the only one that looks at other cases, and examines the influence of global politics on other groups and rights. Global politics helped the cause of immigration reform but did little for women's rights or the plight of the poor. A lot of positive and negative cases here push the argument along, making for a compelling read for those interested in American politics and political development.