Quintas Livius, a Roman tax clerk, finds himself a hunted man after filing an investigative report on a rash of disturbances in Galilee surrounding a supposed miracle worker named Jesus. In the wake of Jesus's crucifixion, the authorities in Jerusalem must squelch a brewing rebellion over what has come to be seen as a rushed execution of a genuine prophet. Because of his report, which had been submitted prior to Jesus's trial, Quin becomes a prime object of that post-crucifixion cover-up. During his investigation, Quin had unknowingly become entangled in an anti-Jesus conspiracy—an entanglement severed only after Quin got thrown together with a group of Jesus followers and an itinerant merchant trying to make money off those followers. Among the people Quin meets are a man who worked at a wedding feast in Cana and a young girl who carries a rope she said was used to lower a man through a roof to be healed by Jesus. The report Quin eventually submits will subject him to the...

The debate over the size and scope of the federal government has raged since the New Deal. So why have opponents of big government so rarely made political headway? Because they fail to address the fundamental issue. Patrick M. Garry changes that in this short, powerful book. Garry, a law professor and political commentator, debunks the myth that only government can help the average American survive and prosper in today's world. The truth, he reveals, is that big government often hurts the very people it purports to help: the poor, the working class, and the middle class. And the problem is worse than that. He shows that big government actually props up the rich, the powerful, and the politically connected. Garry demonstrates that opponents of big government rely on arguments that are true but fail to address the heart of the issue. Yes, massive government programs are wasteful and impose huge economic costs on America, and yes, many of...