How Free Are We

Described modestly by Sexton, professor of constitutional law at New York University Law School, and Brandt, former editor-in-chief of PW, as ""a guide to the Constitution,'' this volume is much more. Written for the general reader and organized with a question-and-answer structure that adds greatly to its readability, the book covers the antecedents and development of the document on which the U.S. government is based and examines the powers of and curbs on the legislative, executive and judicial branches as they evolved over two centuries. Then the authors turn to specific rights and liberties, posing questions about whether women have as many rights as men (they don't), whether homosexuals are victims of legal discrimination (they are) and whether freedom of speech is unlimited (it isn't). Each statement is buttressed by citations from court decisions. Readers who imagine this implies ponderousness are in for a delightful surprise. (June 12)