Recommended Reading

The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream

"Obama engages themes raised in his keynote speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, shares personal views on faith and values and offers a vision of the future that involves repairing a "political process that is broken" and restoring a government that has fallen out of touch with the people. "  from Amazon.com

The Assault on Reason

"Gore argues that the marketplace of reasoned debate our country was founded on is being endangered by a variety of allied forces: the use of fear and the misuse of faith, the distractions of our entertainment culture, and the concentrations of power in the national media and the executive branch. "  Amazon.com review.

Fiasco: The American Military Adventure in Iraq

"The definitive military chronicle of the Iraq war and a searing judgment on the strategic blindness with which America has conducted it, drawing on the accounts of senior military officers giving voice to their anger for the first time "  from the Publisher: Penguin Group (USA)

Cobra II : The Inside Story of the Invasion and Occupation of Iraq

"There were indications from the first days of the invasion, of the insurgency and guerrilla tactics to come, but they were ignored at the highest levels in Washington and at the Central Command."    

No Place to Hide: Behind the Scenes of Our Emerging Surveillance Society

"In a post-9/11 world where homeland security often trumps personal liberty, this work is an eye-opener for those who take their privacy for granted. "  Steven Stolder - Amazon.com.

Our Endangered Values : America's Moral Crisis

"This is a book of reason and tolerance but also of indignation. The former President draws on his religious faith to comment wisely on a wide range of "hot button" issues. Although Carter's tone is patient and explanatory, his views are bound to be newsworthy and should rekindle some old fires...an eloquent personal testament that deserves a wide readership, regardless of political affiliation. Highly recommended"  - Library Journal   

Crossing the Rubicon: The Decline of the American Empire at the End of the Age of Oil

"The attacks of September 11, 2001, were accomplished through an amazing orchestration of logistics and personnel. Crossing the Rubicon discovers and identifies key suspects-finding some of them in the highest echelons of American government-by showing how they acted in concert to guarantee that the attacks produced the desired result.

"Crossing the Rubicon is unique not only for its case-breaking examination of 9/11, but for the breadth and depth of its world picture-an interdisciplinary analysis of petroleum, geopolitics, narcotraffic, intelligence and militarism-without which 9/11 cannot be understood."  Editorial Review - Amazon.com

Publisher: New Society Publishers   

The Assassins Gate : America in Iraq

"The book recounts how the United States set about changing the history of the Middle East and became ensnared in a guerrilla war in Iraq. It tells the story of the people and ideas that created the Bush administration's war policy and led America to the Assassin's Gate--the main point of entry into the American zone in Baghdad."  - Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux   

State of War: The Secret History of the C.I.A. and the Bush Administration

"Risen's description of what he says was called "the Program"--the ongoing eavesdropping operation, done with almost no judicial or congressional oversight, on the phone calls and emails of hundreds of Americans (and potentially millions more)--is only a chapter in his larger tale of the recent missteps and oversteps of U.S. intelligence. "  Editorial Review - Amazon.com. Publisher: Free Press   

Don't Think of an Elephant! Know Your Values and Frame the Debate

"If only the Democrats had read George Lakoff a few years ago, we might not be in the position we find ourselves in today: out of power in the White House, out of power in Congress, and out of power in the Courts."  Howard Dean    Read About It!

The Republican War On Science

"On a broad array of issues-stem cell research, climate change, missile defense, abstinence education, product safety, environmental regulation, and many others-the Bush administration's positions fly in the face of overwhelming scientific consensus. Federal science agencies, once fiercely independent under both Republican and Democratic presidents, are increasingly staffed by political appointees and fringe theorists who know industry lobbyists and evangelical activists far better than they know the science. " Publisher: Basic Books   

The Republican Noise Machine: Right-Wing Media and How it Corrupts Democracy

"Brock documents how in the last several decades the GOP built a powerful media machine--newspapers and magazines, think tanks, talk radio networks, op-ed columnists, the FOX News Channel, Christian Right broadcasting, book publishers, and high-traffic internet sites--to sell conservatism to the public and discredit its opponents. This unabashedly biased multibillion-dollar communications empire disregards journalistic ethics and universal standards of fairness and accuracy, manufacturing news that is often bought and paid for by a tight network of corporate-backed foundations and old family fortunes. By dissecting the appeal, techniques, and reach of the booming right-wing media market, Brock demonstrates that it is largely based on bigotry, ignorance, and emotional manipulation closely tied to America's longstanding cultural divisions and the buying power of anti-intellectual traditionalists. " The Publisher: Crown Publishing Group

Confessions of an Economic Hit Man

"Perkins, a former chief economist at Boston strategic-consulting firm Chas. T. Main, says he was an "economic hit man" for 10 years, helping U.S. intelligence agencies and multinationals cajole and blackmail foreign leaders into serving U.S. foreign policy and awarding lucrative contracts to American business. Perkins writes that his economic projections cooked the books Enron-style to convince foreign governments to accept billions of dollars of loans from the World Bank and other institutions to build dams, airports, electric grids, and other infrastructure he knew they couldn't afford. The loans were given on condition that construction and engineering contracts went to U.S. companies." Alex Roslin (amazon.com)  

The Truth (with Jokes)

Franken and his research team return to what they do best: detailing allegations and accusations being spread by right-wing pundits and then debunking them point-by-point.

Reason: Why Liberals Will Win the Battle for America

"Reason by former Clinton administration Labor Secretary Robert Reich. It's a call to arms for liberals and progressives against what Reich terms the "Radcons", radical conservatives who combine the aggressive "neoconservative" foreign policy of Richard Perle and Robert Kagan with an insistence on interfering with private morality, all the while eliminating social safety nets." John Moe, Editorial Review with amazon.com    Read About It!

Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything

"Levitt argues that many apparent mysteries of everyday life don't need to be so mysterious: they could be illuminated and made even more fascinating by asking the right questions and drawing connections. For example, Levitt traces the drop in violent crime rates to a drop in violent criminals and, digging further, to the Roe v. Wade decision that preempted the existence of some people who would be born to poverty and hardship." John Moe, Editorial Review with amazon.com

God's Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn't Get It

Wallis says the Democrats should be talking about the immorality of war, the need for a socially just socity, decent medical care for all, equality of educational opportunity, etc. We have permitted the Republicans to interpret morality as only sexual morality, not the true message of Jesus.

All Fall Down: The Politics of Terror and Mass Persuasion

"All Fall Down by William Thomas draws upon thousands of pages of press reports, background books, Congressional hearings and the author's experience in the Middle East, to chronicle the behind-the-scenes events concerning September 11, 2001 - and the real motives behind Pres. Bush's Afghanistan adventure. Once again, the real "GOD" being fought over is Gold, Oil and Drugs." excerpt from www.willthomas.net

A People's History of the United States: 1492-Present

Incredible information that I didn't learn in school - the REAL history of the U.S. starting with the genocide of the Arawak Indians by Christopher Columbus all the way through to the contemporary corporate ownership of America.

Mapping Tomorrow's Planet: Ecological Reverence in the Global Village

"Using "mapping" as a metaphor for interpreting the signs of the times, this book uses science, history, philosophy, and theology to seek a religious interpretation of life, without dogma or arrogance. "