Choice Review

Kahan (Florida International Univ.), a well-regarded author, editor, and translator of Alexis de Tocqueville's works, offers an important introduction to Tocqueville's major works and ideas. As part of Continuum International Publishing Group's "Major Conservative and Libertarian Thinkers" series, Kahan presents his introduction to Tocqueville's political thought by focusing on two of the dominant themes of Tocqueville's writings: democracy and equality. Through his survey, Kahan demonstrates how Tocqueville wrestled with the inevitability of democracy, while seeking to identify the political and social conditions necessary to sustain human freedom in the coming democratic age. Moreover, by not focusing narrowly on Tocqueville's most famous work, Democracy in America, Kahan persuasively argues that Tocqueville's goal of reconciling freedom and democracy represented a lifelong project, the success of which was intended to benefit France more than America. While readers already familiar with Tocqueville will find the brevity of Kahan's narrative unsatisfying at times, the book stands as an important effort to provide an introduction to Tocqueville that unifies his many writings. The book also contains a useful bibliography of Tocqueville's works and important secondary sources covering Tocqueville's life and ideas. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-division undergraduates and above. E. C. Sands Berry College