Few Americans are aware that their nation long ago created a separate government for education, supposedly to shield it from political interference. Some experts believe that at the heart of todays school debates is a push to put the larger government-- presidents, governors, mayors-- in the drivers seat, or even to dump democratic school governance entirely. The results are mixed. One clear result, however, is a vexing tangle of authority and accountability. "Whos in Charge Here?" untangles it all.

From the author of False Economy, a brief, incisive look into the pitfalls of the world economy, and those who run the show. In a short, brilliant, and unsparing examination of government-- from the age of the empire to our current systems-- Alan Beattie takes us through the intricacies of the contemporary economic world.

The Supreme Court in Conference offers a fascinating and unprecedented look at the private debates between Justices on nearly 300 landmark cases from 1940-1985. Major decisions such as Roe v. Wade and Brown v. Board of Education are covered and the notes of Justices Felix Frankfurter, William O. Douglas, Frank Murphy, Robert Jackson, Harold Burton, Tom Clark, Earl Warren and William Brennan are opened to shed light on what goes on behind the closed doors of the secretive conference room.In this unique and revealing work on some of the most profound rulings made at a turbulent time in American history, the reader is given insight into how and why certain decisions were reached. With expert editing by Del Dickson--who provides annotations and an introduction to each case, placing them in legal and historical context--cases on issues such as free speech, the rights of the accused, religion, Presidential power, equal protection, affirmative action and the death penalty are discussed. Dickson also includes a lively and incisive history of the Supreme Court, from its beginning to the present, illuminating how the conference works, how it has evolved, its various animosities, triumphant successes and glaring failures.As the first major reference work on this subject, this easy-to-use book offers the most reliable evidence available on the internal workings of the Supreme Court. It is the ideal source for scholars, law students, historians and anyone interested in how Supreme Court decisions are truly made.

'A moving exploration of identity, celebrity, loyalty and power' Booktrust I open my eyes. The cell is flooded with sunlight; the window is a splice of pale blue. Dust particles dance in the sparkling light, pirouetting in a golden line from the window to the opposite wall of the cell, where they seem to converge into shapes. It is like looking into a kaleidoscope. Dad isn't here. No one is, but me. Robyn Knollys-Green is an A-list celebrity, famous for being the daughter of one of the world's most powerful men. But not even the paparazzi can find her now. Robyn begins to realise that she is trapped in a complicated web of global corruption and deceit - and that the strange, melancholy boy who has been tasked with guarding her might not be an enemy after all . . . A thrilling, well-crafted, ever-relevant story from a talented new voice in YA fiction.