Book Review: How Mediation Works: Theory,Research, and Practice by Stephen B. Goldberg,Jeanne M. Brett,Beatrice Blohorn‐Brenneur,With Nancy H. Rogers

This is a book review of How Mediation Works: Theory, Research, and Practice by Stephen B. Goldberg, Jeanne M. Brett, Beatrice Blohorn‐Brenneur, with Nancy H. Rogers. How Mediation Works is intended for a wide range of audiences: practicing mediators; aspiring mediators; those who may refer cases to mediation; participants in mediation, including parties and attorneys; managers who facilitate disputes; and those interested in mediation without a specific plan to engage in the practice (who the authors call “mediation learners”). The book is a well‐written, thoughtful, easy‐to‐read, organized, and concise overview of mediation practice. The book is divided into six chapters: (1) conflicts, disputes, and their resolution; (2) dispute resolution processes; (3) the roles of the mediator and the disputing parties at each step of the mediation process; (4) dealing with difficulties; (5) mediation and the law; and (6) suggestions for aspiring mediators. Though not an authority for family law mediation, the book provides many insightful observations and suggestions that would be instructive and helpful to any mediator or individual with an interest in mediation.     

Admissions appeals in 1999: the impact of the 1998 regulations and R,v. Birmingham city council ex parte M 1998

School admission appeal committees hearing appeals in 1999 will have to grapple with two main changes. Firstly, they will have to identify which of the three tests available applies to the appeal before them. The Education Act 1996 (Infant Class Sizes) Modification Regulations 1998 (SI 1998/1948) have replaced the ‘standard’ prejudice test with a ‘new’ and much narrower prejudice test for certain admission appeals. The third test applies to appeals relating to the admission of a pupil who has been permanently excluded from a school on two or more occasions. Secondly, the recent decision of the High Court in R. v. Birmingham City Council x parte M 1998 requires an appeal committee to give specific grounds for their decision in the letter informing parents of the committee's decision. This goes beyond the broad grounds hitherto considered adequate and has implications for both the appeal hearing and for the form of letter used by local authorities.     

Shapiro,Carl and Hal R. Varian (1998). Information Rules: A Strategic Guide to the Network Economy

The Journal of Technology Transfer -     

M.H. Kramer,Torture and Moral Integrity: A Philosophical Enquiry

Netherlands International Law Review -     

Sectarianization: Mapping the New Politics of the Middle East. Hashemi Nader and Danny Postel,eds. (Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press, 2017).

In 2014, the Middle East appeared to teeter on the brink of an all-out sectarian war between Sunnis and Shi’as. In June of that year, the major Iraqi city of Mosul fell to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria in a matter of days, bringing the group closer to its vow to eliminate all Shi’as and other religious minorities living in its self-proclaimed Islamic caliphate. Several hundred miles to the west, Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps were actively training Afghan Shi’a fighters to support the demoralized troops of Bashar Assad.