Koncocoo

Best General Elections & Political Process

Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln
Winner of the Lincoln Prize Acclaimed historian Doris Kearns Goodwin illuminates Lincoln's political genius in this highly original work, as the one-term congressman and prairie lawyer rises from obscurity to prevail over three gifted rivals of national reputation to become president. On May 18, 1860, William H. Seward, Salmon P. Chase, Edward Bates, and Abraham Lincoln waited in their hometowns for the results from the Republican National Convention in Chicago. —James M. McPherson, The New York Times Book Review.
Reviews
"What I enjoyed most is the lesson I learned when contrasting the life of Lincoln and that of Chase."
"This, along with several other books about Lincoln and the civil war that I’ve read all confirm one thing - our politics today, bad as they may seem, are polite and courteous compared the the 1800’s."
"This has become one of my favorite books."
"Very fascinating story of Lincoln and his cabinet!"
"Lincoln was a very complex personality but his sterling character was not obvious at the beginning and he was frequently under-rated by most people until sufficient time had elapsed."
"Fascinating insight into Lincoln and his 'Team'!"
"Most interesting viewpoint of Lincoln's presidency."
"So amazing and in depth... the stories go way beyond anything I ever learned in school to the heart of a man willing to risk everything for the right thing."
Find Best Price at Amazon
Dark Money: The Hidden History of the Billionaires Behind the Rise of the Radical Right
Mayer traces a byzantine trail of billions of dollars spent by the network, revealing a staggering conglomeration of think tanks, academic institutions, media groups, courthouses, and government allies that have fallen under their sphere of influence. Drawing from hundreds of exclusive interviews, as well as extensive scrutiny of public records, private papers, and court proceedings, Mayer provides vivid portraits of the secretive figures behind the new American oligarchy and a searing look at the carefully concealed agendas steering the nation. Praise for Jane Mayer’s Dark Money “Revelatory. “ Dark Money is more than just a work of political journalism—it’s a vital portrait of a nation that, as perhaps never before, is being shaped by a few very rich, very conservative businessmen.” — San Francisco Chronicle “Absolutely necessary reading for anyone who wants to make sense of our politics.” — The New York Review of Books. “With such turmoil on the right wing of American politics, reading Dark Money is like reading the first chapter of what may be a great political page-turner.”. — Chicago Tribune. The most important political book of the year.”. — St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “ Dark Money is almost too good for its own good.” — Los Angeles Review of Books.
Reviews
"The fortune they possess together is greater than those of Bill Gates, Carlos Slim, Warren Buffet, and other private individuals who are often characterized as the richest people in the world. As Mayer reveals, the brothers — Charles, especially — preside over a network of billionaires and centimillionaires who operate in tandem in support of the most virulent, Right-Wing causes and candidates in the country’s politics. In 1964, Scaife set out to change the terms of political debate by investing heavily in think tanks and academic centers to espouse a radical “free-market” ideology and imprint it on a new generation of scholars, lawyers, and activists. In addition to Scaife and the Koch Brothers, the “vast Right-Wing conspiracy” they set in motion includes the aging casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, an obsessively pro-Israel donor who has outpaced everyone else in the country in political spending in recent elections, and the De Vos family of Michigan, owners of Amway, as well as other members of the 0.01%, a majority of whose fortunes were built on oil, gas, coal, and finance. The plutocrats in the Kochs’ network profess similar political beliefs which they characterize as “conservatism” to promote “freedom” and the “free market” in America. On the contrary, it’s clear from Mayer’s account that the common intellectual thread that runs throughout this group of supremely privileged individuals is a determination to turn back the clock to the nineteenth century, repealing every political reform instituted under Teddy Roosevelt and all his successors. What these people want is clearly nothing less than the “freedom” to pollute, exploit their employees, avoid taxes, dictate the terms of political debate, and pass their vast wealth on to their children and grandchildren in dynastic fashion. They live in multimillion-dollar homes (usually, several of them), preside over huge businesses, and donate millions of dollars to “charity” (usually, arts institutions and universities that will place their names on buildings). At the same time, they consciously set out to foster the grassroots efforts that eventually produced the Tea Party, by creating phony populist organizations (“Astroturf”), providing funding and political expertise, and subsidizing sympathetic media. All this is possible now after the 2010 Citizens United decision and its sequels in the courts, which freed what Bernie Sanders calls “the billionaire class” to dominate federal elections to a greater extent than was feasible even under the Robber Barons in the closing years of the nineteenth century. Others, such as the Heritage Foundation, the Cato Institute, the Federalist Society, and the Kochs’ most identifiable political venture, Americans for Prosperity (AFP), are well known and substantial. Most of the organizations created by the members of the network exist merely to launder money from wealthy donors, funneling it through a series of obscurely named entities to avoid the few remaining campaign finance disclosure requirements. The most dramatic revelation in Mayer’s book is her account of the way the Koch brothers’ father built the fortune that was the foundation of their enormous wealth. A scholar who studied Koch’s work for Nazi Germany concluded that “the American venture became ‘a key component of the Nazi war machine.’ Historians expert in German industrial history concur.”. Some readers may also find surprises in Mayer’s accounts of the central role of the Koch Brothers and their allies in launching and funding the Tea Party and the protracted (and successful) effort to undermine the public consensus about the serious threat that climate change poses to human life in the near future. Charles and David had outspent what was then the world’s largest public oil company, ExxonMobil, by a factor of three.”. About the author. Jane Mayer is an investigative journalist who has been a staff writer at The New Yorker for twenty years."
"The book is not anti-republican, rather it highlights the funding of anti-government movements and intentional divisions within the republican party as a result of libertarian ideas held by the Koch brothers. Throughout the book, every time a major economic player is introduced, Mayer underscores that introduction with a reference to a specific court battle or lawsuit due to fraud that that particular individual is facing. I understand that it is used to underscore why specific persons being referenced may have a disdain against the government, but in some situations, knowing the pending lawsuits for fraud are not advantageous to moving the story forward. Yet, the family background does serve well to highlight where the wealth of the Koch brothers originated from and ideologies of anti-government that came from their father who was also a member of ultra conservative groups while alive. It is a vital, well cross-referenced read, that chronicles the long growing investment of big business into politics, which has reached the plateau of influence in the election game."
Find Best Price at Amazon
The President's Keepers: Those keeping Zuma in power and out of prison
Investigative journalist Jacques Pauw exposes the darkest secret at the heart of Jacob Zuma’s compromised government: a cancerous cabal that eliminates the president’s enemies and purges the law-enforcement agencies of good men and women.
Reviews
"I bought the hard copy last night at Exclusive Books at the V&A - I’m 128 pages in and It is absolutely mind-boggling at how utterly corrupt Zuma and his gang are - Nkandla is small fry compared to some of the revelations in this book - and how the machinations of a coeterie of greedy, unprincipled and corrupt thugs have brought this country to the brink of economic implosion."
"To Jacques Pauw and your brave supporters and informers: our country owes you a debt of gratitude."
"Gripping 1st couple of pages, couldn't wait to finish the chapter to write a review."
"The damage is deep. Good luck, South Africa, you're going to need it."
"In devastating, forensic detail, Jacques Pauw peels away the layers of corruption and criminality to expose a toxic presidency and the coterie of crooks and gangsters destroying South Africa."
"type of inducements to read on - but it is an incredibly well researched, fact-filled indictment of what Zuma and his wretched colleagues and supporters have done to a once well-functioning country. However, he has depressed me beyond measure, and I can only hope that things get better with Cyril Ramaphosa replacing the looter-in-chief as President of the ANC."
"Naturally many of those in power who support those who are damningly mentioned in this book, allegedly complicit in the destruction of South Africa, have tried to pass it off as Pauw's unsubstantiated opinions."
"Jacques Pauw’s knowledge is unbelievable and the fact that he managed to get all this information is amazing."
Find Best Price at Amazon

Best Politics in Italian

Apologia della vita politica (Italian Edition)
La Storia male si accomoda sempre con le Accuse; e forse, anche. ad uomini che accusatori per indole e per instituto non sieno, riesce, per non dire impossibile, male agevole assai dettare storie. contemporanee, chè la passione guida la mano a chi tiene la penna, e. versa nel calamaio i suoi colori, e troppo spesso la rabbia: — comunque. sia favellerò, per quanto possa, imparziale.
Find Best Price at Amazon

Best Communications

Leadership: Theory and Practice, 7th Edition
2016 Recipient of the McGuffey Longevity Award. from the Text and Academic Authors Association (TAA) Translated into 12 different languages and used in 89 countries, this market-leading text successfully combines an academically robust account of the major theories and models of leadership with an accessible style and practical examples that help students apply what they learn. "I have found Peter’s books exceptionally well written, applauded by my students for its quality and readability. "A useable and up-to-date introduction of the psychodynamic approach that brings psychological concerns about motivation and personality into a helpful conversation with mainstream leadership theory." [The Adaptive Leadership Chapter] presents leadership through a new lens and provides an approach to leadership that was missing from previous editions. "Leadership: Theory and Practice is a scholarly examination of leadership as a dynamic, evolving, and elusive influence process with differing approaches to effectively build relationships and facilitate the achievement of goals and visions." He then presents the strengths and weaknesses of various leadership approaches in a compelling way, yielding evidence based leadership practices." "This is the ideal text for a survey course on leadership theory that also helps students put their leadership into practice."
Reviews
"Good read."
"used for a class at university and liked it."
"Great theory in this textbook."
"A little dry, but a good amalgamation of several leadership theories and models."
"Every student of business leadership should have this easy-to-read guide."
"Not the best book but needed for the class and the ebook version was easy to buy and download."
"Great book."
Find Best Price at Amazon

Best Public Administration

The Political Spectrum: The Tumultuous Liberation of Wireless Technology, from Herbert Hoover to the Smartphone
From the former chief economist of the FCC, a remarkable history of the U.S. government’s regulation of the airwaves Popular legend has it that before the Federal Radio Commission was established in 1927, the radio spectrum was in chaos, with broadcasting stations blasting powerful signals to drown out rivals. "A. fascinating history... exposing. how inefficient, and perhaps corrupt, our spectrum policy really is.... Mr. Hazlett devotes a substantial portion of his book to arguments for reforms [and the book]. is full of valuable instruction [on] the strategic use of the regulatory process." The Political Spectrum: The Tumultuous Liberation of Wireless Technology, from Herbert Hoover to the Smartphone, tells a thrilling, roller-coaster tale of how US regulators often blocked progress... Hazlett explains how recent reforms helped liberate the radio spectrum... ushering in the 'smartphone revolution', ubiquitous social media and the amazing wireless world."
Reviews
"The list of FCC sins is long: delaying the introduction of FM radio for 26 years, delaying the introduction of cellular phones for decades, infringing the First Amendment rights of radio and TV broadcasters, giving broadcast TV commercial advantages over cable TV, and generally ignoring the power and efficiency of free markets."
"The author has created a carefully crafted narrative that does not require you to be an economist or tech savant to understand the implications of overregulation by starting with wireless media that we all can relate to, radio and television. When a person of Dr. Hazlett’s experience, knowledge and expertise offers a solution to such an important issue I can only hope that the powers that be (FCC, Congress) will carefully consider these clearly explained remedies that can be implemented in a short time frame."
"As a former engineer, entrepreneur, and venture capital investor who spent 40 years struggling to innovate under the arcane and destructive power of the FCC, Tom Hazlett’s romp through the history of this woebegone regulatory agency brought back many memories while filling in many blanks."
"This is an amazing book providing real insight into the real political and economic motivations behind the FCC's policies throughout its history."
"The second book, contained within the first, is the meditation of a first-rate scholar on the intractable difficulty of effective government regulations in general, and the hidden social costs that can result from systems of public management that fail to take account of of the inevitable characteristics of political and bureaucratic institutions."
"The best book around on the history of the use and regulation of wireless spectrum."
Find Best Price at Amazon

Best Political Parties

The Big Lie: Exposing the Nazi Roots of the American Left
To cover up their insidious fascist agenda, Democrats loudly accuse President Trump and other Republicans of being Nazis—an obvious lie, considering the GOP has been fighting the Democrats over slavery, genocide, racism and fascism from the beginning. He expertly exonerates President Trump and his supporters, then uncovers the Democratic Left's long, cozy relationship with Nazism: how the racist and genocidal acts of early Democrats inspired Adolf Hitler's campaign of death; how fascist philosophers influenced the great 20th century lions of the American Left; and how today's anti-free speech, anti-capitalist, anti-religious liberty, pro-violence Democratic Party is a frightening simulacrum of the Nazi Party. In The Big Lie , D'Souza shows that the Democratic Left's orchestrated campaign to paint President Trump and conservatives as Nazis to cover up its own fascism is, in fact, the biggest lie of all. His other best-selling books include Obama's America , The Roots of Obama's Rage , What's So Great About America , What's So Great About Christianity , Life After Death , and Illiberal Education .
Reviews
"Lots of information based on facts and proof."
"The way history is laid out and the information contained about Democrats and progressives, awesome and enlightening!"
"Fast delivery and everyone loves the book."
"The historical comparisons were very interesting."
"Great opinions with supporting facts!"
"Dinesh D'Souza researched this book from stem to stern and I was amazed by his extraordinary expose of Leftism's influence on the National Socialists of Germany."
"It is long, and long winded, including giving the reader more than enough real world examples of things like real events in which the left essentially has mimicked fascist and Nazi tactics, such as not respecting outcomes of democratic elections and physical threats to the other side."
"Outstanding book."
Find Best Price at Amazon

Best Elections

What Happened
Now free from the constraints of running, Hillary takes you inside the intense personal experience of becoming the first woman nominated for president by a major party in an election marked by rage, sexism, exhilarating highs and infuriating lows, stranger-than-fiction twists, Russian interference, and an opponent who broke all the rules. In these pages, she describes what it was like to run against Donald Trump, the mistakes she made, how she has coped with a shocking and devastating loss, and how she found the strength to pick herself back up afterward. It is a candid and blackly funny account of her mood in the direct aftermath of losing to Donald J. Trump. Ultimately, the book might be a historical artifact most of all — the chronicling of what, exactly, it was like to run for president as the first woman major-party candidate (and, yes, a Clinton as well). Plenty may disagree with Clinton’s opinions on what went wrong for her, but her story will still be an important part of that history when America looks back on the melee that was the 2016 election.” —. NPR. While What Happened records the perspective of a pioneer who beat an unprecedented path that stopped just shy of the White House, it also covers territory that many women will recognize.... She demonstrates that she can mine her situation for humor.” — People.
Reviews
"She was less convincing on this front as virtually nothing Sanders said against HRC during the primary battle was new; his criticisms of HRC were general talking points before Sanders ever entered the contest. The book whitewashes the DNC's actions against Sanders during the primary, actions that turned a good number of Sanders supporters (HRC continues use of the odious "Bernie Bros." epithet) against her. HRC praises the hard work of Donna Brazile but fails to mention how Brazile was caught stealing debate questions (for the debate with Sanders) from CNN and then leaking those questions to HRC and not to Sanders. What is telling in HRC's memoir and analysis are her own blind spots, her weakness as a campaigner who fails to inspire, her over-reliance on her status as "first female Presidential nominee from a major party" (53% of white women voted for Trump, but HRC doesn't examine why), and her refusal to acknowledge how the DNC, during the primary, alienated the progressive voters she would later need to win the general election. (Even here, though, we have figures now indicating that 12% of Sanders supporters went over to Trump, whereas in 2008, after HRC lost the primary to Obama, 24% of her supporters went over to McCain. In other words, Sanders supporters were still more supportive of HRC than HRC's supporters were of Obama by 2-to-1.)."
"I wrote a verified purchase review and it has been deleted 3 times."
"I'm a non-partisan who has actually read this book and have to agree with many of the negative reviews here."
"what happened to the negative reviews?"
"In my previous review I referenced her book Hard Choices...."Believe it or not I actually liked this book.""
"I voted for Bill Clinton in both Presidential elections and voted for Hillary Clinton against Trump last year. I think that there are some good things to be said about Hillary Clinton. But still, this book seems to crystallize for me a lot of the problems that I have with Hillary Clinton at this moment in time, and the problems that I have with the Democratic party, and in general why I think that they are currently doing so badly. Although Clinton does attempt in the book to explain why she lost the election, in the end, she really seems to have no idea. If instead the book had been called "What Campaigning in the 2016 Election Was Like for Me," likely I would feel comfortable giving the book another star. So if the goal of the reader is to learn more about Hillary Clinton, as a person, then perhaps this book is worth reading. What the book does not do is to provide any reasoned or persuasive discussion on what I see as the key questions that political leaders need to be discussing with regard to the 2016 election and the current state of affairs. In my opinion, the biggest question that Clinton does not discuss at all in this book is how much the Democratic party has turned all of its focus toward the goal of making rich people (like Jeff Bezos, no?). Not once in the book does she consider the possibility that perhaps the reason that Sanders was popular was because the Democratic party (as well as the Republican party) had focused too much of its attention on the 1% (or, more specifically, the 0.0001%) and had left the rest of the population out in the cold. In general, the impression that I get from this book about Clinton in general - in terms of her political life and her personal life - is that she believes she is right about everything, that she is very very defensive about the idea that she is right about everything, and that she is very slow to change in the face of new information. All of those are the LAST things that I would use if I got sick, and the idea of Hillary Clinton forcing them on me anyway makes me wonder what other kinds of outmoded, counterproductive things she would have tried to force on the American public had she become President."
"I voted for her."
Find Best Price at Amazon

Best Political Leadership

Leadership: Theory and Practice, 7th Edition
2016 Recipient of the McGuffey Longevity Award. from the Text and Academic Authors Association (TAA) Translated into 12 different languages and used in 89 countries, this market-leading text successfully combines an academically robust account of the major theories and models of leadership with an accessible style and practical examples that help students apply what they learn. "I have found Peter’s books exceptionally well written, applauded by my students for its quality and readability. "A useable and up-to-date introduction of the psychodynamic approach that brings psychological concerns about motivation and personality into a helpful conversation with mainstream leadership theory." [The Adaptive Leadership Chapter] presents leadership through a new lens and provides an approach to leadership that was missing from previous editions. "Leadership: Theory and Practice is a scholarly examination of leadership as a dynamic, evolving, and elusive influence process with differing approaches to effectively build relationships and facilitate the achievement of goals and visions." He then presents the strengths and weaknesses of various leadership approaches in a compelling way, yielding evidence based leadership practices." "This is the ideal text for a survey course on leadership theory that also helps students put their leadership into practice."
Reviews
"Good read."
"used for a class at university and liked it."
"Great theory in this textbook."
"A little dry, but a good amalgamation of several leadership theories and models."
"Every student of business leadership should have this easy-to-read guide."
"Not the best book but needed for the class and the ebook version was easy to buy and download."
"Great book."
Find Best Price at Amazon

Best Political Advocacy Books

The Smear: How Shady Political Operatives and Fake News Control What You See, What You Think, and How You Vote
The New York Times bestselling author of Stonewalled pulls back the curtain on the shady world of opposition research and reveals the dirty tricks those in power use to influence your opinions. Behind most major political stories in the modern era, there is an agenda; an effort by opposition researchers, spin doctors, and outside interests to destroy an idea or a person. Now, the hard-hitting investigative reporter shares her inside knowledge, revealing how the Smear takes shape and who its perpetrators are—including Clinton confidant Sidney Blumenthal and, most influential of all, "right-wing assassin turned left-wing assassin" ( National Review ) political operative David Brock and his Media Matters for America empire. Now hard-hitting investigative journalist Sharyl Attkisson, the New York Times bestselling author of Stonewalled , takes you behind the scenes of the modern smear machine, exploring how operatives from corporations and both sides of the political aisle have manipulated a complicit mainstream media to make disinformation, rumor, and dirty tricks defining traits of our democracy. And she doesn’t just tell stories—she names names, sharing her deeply researched account of how smears take shape and who their perpetrators are—from Clinton confidant Sidney Blumenthal to liberal political operative David Brock, who, along with his expansive Media Matters for America empire, has been rewriting the rules of the smear game for decades while raking in millions of dollars in generous compensation. Dissecting the most divisive, partisan election in American history, she explores how both sides used every smear tactic as a political weapon, culminating in Donald Trump’s hard-fought victory, even as his detractors have continued their smears against him into the Oval Office.
Reviews
"The consumer of news is “pummeled by countless narratives—some based on grains of truth; others wholly invented for the audience.”. The author warns news consumers to be cautious even if all the media outlets are parroting the same line: “Today, if enough pundits, operatives, and media parrot the same narrative, it becomes incorporated into the fabric of the news as an accepted fact.”. And yet, smear campaigns are not new—they are as old as the Republic: “Our founding fathers knew very well the power of a sharp character assassination . “The Clarence Thomas Supreme Court nomination showed both sides that the best way to fight a smear might not be to take a defensive posture—but to mount an offensive countersmear.”. Attkisson is careful to define what she means by “smear.” It’s not the dissemination of falsehoods, so much as exaggeration: “Expert smear artists take a sprinkle of truth—in this case Imus’s objectionable comments—and pervert it into a weapon of mass destruction to advance a larger goal, often political or financial.” Smear campaigns take something that is true and "amplify a misdeed out of proportion.”. For me, one of the most fascinating sections was the explanation of a variation of smear called “Astroturf.” In this variation, the pros pretend they are ordinary folks: “Paid interests disguised as ordinary people troll assigned topics, news sites, reporters, blogs, and social media for the purpose of posting comments that spin and confuse.” The idea is to “give the impression there’s widespread support for or against an agenda when there’s not.”. Attkisson concludes with this sobering warning: “One thing you can count on is that most every image that crosses your path has been put there for a reason."
"It provides the insight and evidence that we've come to expect in her reporting, and opens the curtains of the smear industry so we might peer in and be prepared to spot when the smear is in play (hint...it's everywhere!)."
"This book documents political smear campaigns, behind-the-scenes coordination between the press and political campaigns and other special interests, and efforts by our own government to manipulate the news, influence public opinion, and punish whistleblowers. Although some events in the book go back to the 1990's, most of the information pertains to events of the last ten years, with the emphasis on the 2016 presidential campaign and its aftermath. Worst of all, our own government seems to be an active player in much of this. Many op-eds that you read on the editorial page are not written by the person whose byline appears beneath them, but by activists working for political campaigns, corporations, and special-interest groups. The Obama Department of Justice and other Obama agencies targeted reporters, stonewalled investigations, and maintained behind-the-scenes relationships with special interests."
Find Best Price at Amazon

Best Media & Internet in Politics

The True Story of Fake News: How Mainstream Media Manipulates Millions
You will see the powerful and deceptive methods of manipulation that affect us all, as numerous organizations and political activists cunningly plot to have their stories seen, heard, and believed by as many people as possible. The depths of lies, distortions, and omissions from traditional mainstream media will shock you; and now they’re colluding with the top tech companies trying to maintain their information monopolies. Mark's YouTube channel has over 1 million subscribers and more than 400 million views, and his viral videos have been mentioned on the Fox News Channel, CNN, the Drudge Report, TMZ, the New York Daily News , the Washington Times , and other media outlets around the world.
Reviews
"I believe a person that is not ready to be awakened may experience severe soul pain and Mark forgot to put "Trigger warning" on the cover but still I believe for awakened people this is going to be great laugh and joy to read pages and see how death of media complex is unravelling and humanity awakening while people that still caught in nets of news manipulators may feel really bad but after few weeks I believe healing effects of truth will be refreshing."
"The book mentions how our leftists media is trying to persuade us to accept insanity like there being more than 2 genders, and how the media is pushing fake hate crimes committed by leftists in attempt to frame Trump supporters as Nazis,white Supremacists,KKK members, and racist."
"A lot of people don't know history and how much the media has been involved with the CIA and FBI and the rest of our federal gov't to create stories, manipulate events, etc."
"The news media has become so untrustworthy, the majority of sane Americans have seen this before even reading Marks book!"
"Great book and well written!!!!"
"Excellent book; this will not disappoint."
"Awesome work once again by Mark Dice as he exposes the nature of propaganda - otherwise known as the mainstream news in America."
"A must read."
Find Best Price at Amazon