Separating Church and State How the Minnesota Civil Liberties Union Led the Nation in Religious Li

"Dr. Bruce Dierenfield's new book is a pleasure to read, a real page-turner. He has marshalled an incredible body of historical data into a truly compelling account of the MCLU's work under the late Dr. Matthew Stark, its former president and executive director. Stark was like an army general, totally dedicated to winning. He would map out his strategy, gather intelligence about the enemy from newspaper clippings and surveys sent to schools, and send his troops to do battle in the law courts and in the court of public opinion. His opponents are given a voice in the book, and in every case Matt Stark's response devastated their arguments. Becuase of him, the MCLU won many important victories for the Bill of Rights. ...The rights we enjoy now seem like part of the fabric of our lives, taken for granted, but each right was hard-won with the incredible work of Matt Stark and the MCLU. As one government official noted, the MCLU helped move Minnesota "well ahead of the world" on prodding government to preserve religious liberty." -- James H. Manahan, Past President, ACLU of Minnesota