"Barber opens up the way for reexamining just what our role must be in the cause of Democracy. A stunning and sobering look at civil society at the century's end."--Virginia Quarterly Review "Overall, the work is typical Barber: well written, conceptually fascinating, and astutely relevant."--Choice "Enlightening... Politicians and history teachers, citizens even, would be wise to pick up this collection."--Kathleen Daley, Newark Star-Ledger "The essays in A Passion for Democracy offer nuggets of keen historical insight and every so often connect with a sharp dart to the complacent regions of liberal capitalism... It doesn't hurt that, in an arena in which turgid, jargon-ridden prose is the rule, Barber can spin a phrase with the dexterity of Derek Jeter turning a double-play at second base."--Loren Lomasky, Reason