Democracy in America and Two Essays on America (Penguin Classics) (13th printing) Edition

A Modern Stem Cell of Democracy!!!

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Loi T. Ma

August 30, 2013

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Although more than a century long, Tocqueville's work keep echoing, inspiring our time. It is grateful to our founding father had invented a new form of government truely for people, by people and continue to pursuit a greater happiness in the future. A great work of the Tocqueville was also to write a detail manual of Democracy as reference regardless race, culture or geography as long as the government assures an absolute freedom to the people. America does not own Democracy. America proves there is a Democracy. Ironicly, there are plenty of nations in the world today still insist that Democracy is not for them. Freedom of speech, religion and election are fancy terms instead of persecution, prisoment is common solution to whom pursuit those freedom. Nonetheless, there are many nations in the world inherits Tocqueville's work to become a world power. It was a great work!

4 people found this helpful

Democracy in America is the sine qua non of political science in the USA!

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August 29, 2006

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Alexis De Tocqueville was a brilliant young French aristocrat when he arrived on the Yankee shore in 1831. De Tocqueville came to America to research penal conditions in a report to be submitted to the French Government. De Tocqueville did much more than that!

In his long, brilliant and sage book he looks at America in

1831. He points out American love for the practical, the religious community minded Americans who also enjoy making money in the volatile and exciting new nation.

It would take several textbooks to explain and expound all De

DeTocqueville discovered on his eye opening trip to the USA.

C-Span a few years ago devoted several programs to following his

footsteps across our broad land.

The book looks out how America works from township meetings,

to the state and federal levels. His analysis of the US Constitution is erudite. His view of American morals and religion is worth reading.

Any politician and informed citizen should read this classic.

The Penguin edition is beautifully designed. Two chapters at the

end of the book deal with De Tocqueville's visit to the wilderness and his visit to Indians. De Tocqueville's analysis of

slavery and how we treat our native Americans is incisive and

on target!

Democracy in America is one of the seminal books of the American experience.

10 people found this helpful

A great insight into our (U

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Anthony J. De Carlo

February 1, 2018

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A great insight into our (U. S.) history. This was a replacement book for one I had for years that I gave to some one so they could look at an evaluation of our country conducted in 1931. Should be required reading and subject taught in every high school in the U. S.

Kyle BunkersTop Contributor: Philosophy

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Great Work For Those With an Interest in the early 19th Century US

February 4, 2017

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This is a thought-provoking book. It says many things, and so I can see why it is very quoteable. On the other hand, very insightful ideas are often followed by ideas that are so broad it is hard to determine if they have merit. Tocqueville (and translator Gerald Bevan) certainly do have a nice style of writing, that presents itself nicely in rather self-contained chapters analyzing the US in the first half of the 1800s. It certainly helped me come to a better understanding of what life and thought in the US was like back then. This, of course, also, lends itself to comparisons today. One wonders if Tocqueville would think that the political and economic equality he thought so stunning in the US still exists.

I can't give it a full 5 stars, simply because the writing is not always gripping, and some of his opinions are outlined in such a way that it is hard to evaluate whether they could ever be false. It certainly earns its 4 stars with many ideas and insights that are easy to understand and follow logical chains to conclusions that seem very applicable to US society back then.

If you have an interest in this book (you want to know about US society in the early 1800s), I would recommend it, but if you are just looking at it because it's a "famous" work, I don't know that you will find it very enlightening. It has a lot of analyzing of ideas, but if you don't have a prior interest in the US of the era, it is hard for me to believe this will inspire enough interest in you to continue reading.

2 people found this helpful

... founding of their own country and what made it great. Alexis de Tocqueville explored that and offers wonderful ...

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J. D.

October 10, 2015

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Too many folks have forgotten the history of the founding of their own country and what made it great. Alexis de Tocqueville explored that and offers wonderful insights to that history.

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June 13, 2016

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I gave this book to a young friend from Germany who is spending a year in America. Tocqueville loved the people he met and their unique understanding of Democracy. I know my friend is perplexed by our brand of politics, but then who isn't?

we are losing this as we speak

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Lt Yester

March 19, 2018

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EUROPE isn't enough like us

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Most recent customer reviews

Required reading. Penetrating. Guidance for the times of now.

This profound message has never been more needed.

Published 4 months ago

BOQING Z.

better than the versions I can find

Clear translation, better than the versions I can find. Penguin's stuff are always very articulated.

Published 6 months ago

Clive Andrew DePaule

Five Stars

Great Book. Good insights from 150 years ago...

Published 9 months ago

The Truth if one is honest!

This great work is too intelligent and accurate for the average emotionally immature American. It is far to insightful for American politicians.

Published 10 months ago

Pretend PersonTop Contributor: Philosophy

Key Observation but a Mistaken Interpretation

Democracy in America is filled with relevant and cogent observations as well as forceful and persuasive conclusions, too many for me to repeat or comment on here.Read more

Published 11 months ago

It's a slow read, but worth the trouble.

Four Stars

one of the finest books on America - recommend it to everyone

Richie the Reader!

Five Stars

The cover was a bit damaged when it arrived

Three Stars

A must read for every American even it is over 250 years old and 900+ pages in length. One of the best early analysis of the pluses and minuses of the United States' version of...Read more

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Even more relevant today

A CONFUSING BUT IMPORTANT ANALYSIS OF EARLY AMERICA AND WORTH READING

A. Merrill

I found it somewhat difficult to read, and Tocqueville's predictions about America's future were incorrect and somewhat conflicting (understandable since it was written almost 200...Read more