Political philosopher Berlin (1909-1997) distinguished between positive and negative liberty in his influential "Two Concepts of Liberty" lecture at Oxford University in 1958. Arguing against idealism and utopianism, he advocated value pluralism ("the one and the many"). Crowder (political and international studies, Flinders U., Adelaide, Australia) and Hardy (one of Berlin's literary trustees) introduce 13 essays discussing the implications of these ideas for liberalism and religion, and his thinking on other subjects (e.g., nationalism, Russian thinkers, Jewish themes). The book includes an appended essay with a schematic representation of pluralism, and a bibliography of his writings. Annotation ©2007 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)