Books in review

He is author of Polls and the Awareness of Public Opinion;and recently of Preserving the Press.     

A case of polyagglutination

A case of erythrocytic polyagglutination in a healthy blood donor is reported. After a review of current literature, the results of clinical and serologic tests which led to the diagnosis of Tn-red cells polyagglutination are presented. This is only the sixth case of Tn-activation in a healthy blood donor. The clinical and forensic significance of this rare phenomenon is discussed.     

Delay of clinical manifestation and medical malpractice in a serious vascular complication of proximal locked tibial nailing

We are reporting on a case of complex lesion of the popliteal neurovascular bundle in a young woman, resulting from an operation for reduction and synthesis of a closed spiroid fracture of the mid-distal third of the left tibia by means of a Grosse-Kempf nail, with significant delay of clinical manifestation. Determining whether this is an "unavoidable complication" or "medical malpractice" is the target of the forensic investigation. In this case, the investigation leads to the conclusion that medical malpractice was the only explanation of the damage.     

Rule-making, rule-breaking? Law breaking by government in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom

This article concerns a relatively novel issue: rule breaking and unlawful conduct by government bodies; to which degree does it occur, what is the nature of this misconduct, what are the underlying motives, and what are the consequences and possible solutions? Rule and law breaking is harmful for the credibility and integrity of a state and its law enforcement system. However, very little empirical research has been carried out into this issue, in comparison to research into state crime. There is little clarity about how public actors deal with criminal and administrative laws and rules in areas like environmental protection, safety regulations and working conditions. Do government bodies set a good example? Is their behaviour better or worse than the public and businesses? An analytical framework for research will be presented and also the results of an extensive research project in the Netherlands; the main themes of which have been benchmarked against data from the United Kingdom. The article will conclude with a summary of the main findings and a number of suggestions for further research and policy development.     

Captains of erudition

Abstract

W. A. Nielsen's book The Big Foundations is an informed survey of the American foundation scene. Writing from a vantage point within the citadels of big-time philanthropy, Nielsen takes a chatty and discursive approach to a subject that in fact deserves much more. It seems that the insider's privilege of access can be a handicap as well as an asset, and that a subject of this importance needs critical scrutiny from independent researchers.