Best Human Rights
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
Find Best Price at Amazon"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."
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A passionate manifesto that exposes hypocrisy on both sides of the political divide and points a way out of the tribalism that is tearing America apart—by the CNN political contributor and host hailed as “a star of the 2016 campaign” ( The New York Times ) who coined the term. “whitelash” Van Jones burst into the American consciousness during the 2016 presidential campaign with an unscripted, truth-telling style and an already established history of. bridge-building across party lines. A longtime progressive activist with deep roots in the conservative South, Jones has made it his mission to challenge voters and viewers to stand in one another’s shoes and disagree constructively. Rejecting today’s political tribalism, Jones issues a stirring call for a new “bipartisanship from below.” Recognizing that tough challenges require the best wisdom from both liberals and conservatives, he points us toward practical answers to problems that affect us all regardless of region or ideology: rural and inner-city poverty, unemployment, addiction, unfair incarceration, and the devastating effects of the pollution-based economy on both coal country and our urban centers. In explaining how he arrived at his views, Jones shares behind-the-scenes memories from his decades spent marching and protesting on behalf of working people, inspiring stories of ordinary citizens who became champions of their communities, and little-known examples of cooperation that have risen from the fog of partisan conflict. [and] offers concrete suggestions to revive democracy, heal culture wars, and prevent a Trump victory in 2020.” — Kirkus Reviews. In the tradition of the great bridge builders of our past, Van’s love for this country and all its people shines through.” —Cory Booker, U.S. senator, New Jersey “Van Jones’s willingness to speak with, not to, those who may not traditionally hold his political and cultural point of view is on full display in Beyond the Messy Truth . In an age when hardworking families across America are feeling left behind, Van’s commitment to letting other voices be heard is much needed in today’s discourse .”—Rick Santorum, former senator of Pennsylvania and Republican presidential candidate “Whether you agree or disagree with him, Van Jones’s voice has become an integral part of our national political debate. I hope they all read it—I disagree with Van on just about everything, but I respect him for being authentic in his convictions and for having the ability to articulate them forcefully but fairly.” —Mike Huckabee, former governor of Arkansas and Republican presidential candidate “We should all be listening to Van Jones, because of how deeply he’s been listening to all kinds of people who are hurting in America. His vision for American politics calls forward the best of who we are, so that we can engage with humanity and solve real problems together.” —Ai-jen Poo, director, National Domestic Workers Alliance and co-director, Caring Across Generations “Those of us who truly believe in the power of love and aloha welcome Beyond the Messy Truth with open arms, in the hope that it will be read by those from all parts of the country and all points on the political spectrum.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Despite my busy day, i couldn't hold my self, i switched to the Audio version and finished the book in less than 48 hours. I believe that every politician should read this book, i think we all should read this book from time to time to remind ourselves that we stand united not matter what."
"This was an absolutely wonderful read from someone that makes you think no matter what side you are on."
"What we don’t realize is that this is exactly what has led to the current political scenario – partisan bickering, no concrete solutions for the issues ravaging the people on both sides of the aisle, growing disrespect and contempt for anyone with a different POV. At the end, he discusses in detail issues like criminal justice reform, opioid addiction crisis and job creation which have supporters across both left and right, it’s just that we need to be prepared to engage with everyone to work on solving the crises."
"As always Van's voice is clear, concise and strong as it makes the case for a way forward instead of apart."
"Everything he talks about is explained in language that everyone can understand."
"Always appreciate the ideas and approaches of Van Jones to our political conundrums, and the mess in Washington under Trump and the Republican-dominated congress."
"Van Jones will always give you the common sense perspective on what is going on in Washington today."
"Although a bit preachy, Van Jones uses great examples to help understand the perspective of those with opposing views."
Child soldiers have been profiled by journalists, and novelists have struggled to imagine their lives. In A Long Way Gone , Beah, now twenty-five years old, tells a riveting story: how at the age of twelve, he fled attacking rebels and wandered a land rendered unrecognizable by violence. By thirteen, he'd been picked up by the government army, and Beah, at heart a gentle boy, found that he was capable of truly terrible acts. This is a rare and mesmerizing account, told with real literary force and heartbreaking honesty. “ A breathtaking and unselfpitying account of how a gentle spirit survives a childhood from which all innocence has suddenly been sucked out. “ Deeply moving, even uplifting …Beah's story, with its clear-eyed reporting and literate particularity--whether he's dancing to rap, eating a coconut or running toward the burning village where his family is trapped-- demands to be read .” ― People (Critic's Choice, Four stars). “Beah's memoir, A Long Way Gone (Farrar, Straus and Giroux), is unforgettable testimony that Africa's children--millions of them dying and orphaned by preventable diseases, hundreds of thousands of them forced into battle--have eyes to see and voices to tell what has happened. How is it possible that 26-year-old Beah, a nonnative English speaker, separated from his family at age 12, taught to maim and to kill at 13, can sound such notes of family happiness, of friendship under duress, of quiet horror? “In place of a text that has every right to be a diatribe against Sierra Leone, globalization or even himself, Beah has produced a book of such self-effacing humanity that refugees, political fronts and even death squads resolve themselves back into the faces of mothers, fathers and siblings. We ignore his message at our peril .” ― Sebastian Junger, author of A Death in Belmont and A Perfect Storm. Ishmael Beah describes the unthinkable in calm, unforgettable language ; his memoir is an important testament to the children elsewhere who continue to be conscripted into armies and militias.” ― Steve Coll, author of Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and Bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001, winner of the 2005 Pulitzer Prize for general Nonfiction. Beah's amazing saga provides a haunting lesson about how gentle folks can be capable of great brutalities as well goodness and courage. “ A Long Way Gone hits you hard in the gut with Sierra Leone's unimaginable brutality and then it touches your soul with unexpected acts of kindness.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"This kid was born in a shack on a muddy floor, with no bathroom, with a roof leaking under his moms head. The country was underdeveloped, bullets flying and bombs falling over their heads."
"To give a brief overview, the novel is about a young boy who is on the run from war his whole life and he deals with the death of many people in his family and many of his friends."
"This book was a great read and an eye opener to what others are facing in the world around us. Many can read these kinds of books that share such a powerful and personal story but without learning from them or taking away something they truly do not share their messages."
"I think history would stick with us better if we read more personal, individual-driven books like this one and less flavorless, distant history books."
"Captivating, sad, frightening reality should interest all who breathe common air and are warmed but the same sun."
"A very well written, engaging book but the subject and the author's life was truly horrific!"
"Young girls being forced into sexual situations which aside from be completely involuntary are also concepts way beyond their capacity of understanding at their young ages. Though Ishmael survived the struggle there are plenty of other people just as young that are going through this painful lifestyle and that inevitably results in addiction, emotional trauma and death. The infection is a struggle that will take more than one organization of to cure. It is a change in structure that these countries need; and deconstruction of the corruption may be successful if fought consistently...but we know that doing such a thing is a difficult task that to this date, there have been limited numbers of people/movements that have been successful. Aside from the desensitization, we must also battle the mentalities that certain peoples have established in their minds depending on their culture."
"My daughter is a junior and had to read this book for English, I didn’t read the book but heard my husband and daughter reading the book it’s extremely violent, talks a lot about how they were killing people, using drugs, raping and once how they had a competition on who could kill most people."
Best Political Advocacy Books
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
Find Best Price at Amazon"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."
Best Human Rights Law
Now, in Fatwa: Hunted in America , Pamela Geller tells her own story of how she became one of the world's foremost activists for the freedom of speech, individual rights, and equality of rights for all. In this book, Geller tells the whole extraordinary story of how she began chronicling her take on news events at her groundbreaking website Atlas Shrugs, then moved into activism, at first on behalf of Muslim girls who were being brutalized and victimized at home for not following the misogynistic rules of Islamic law, and then to stand against the advance of jihad and sharia on numerous fronts -- above all for the freedom of speech, which is increasingly embattled in this age of jihad. It's all here: Geller recounts the battle to defeat the sinister Ground Zero mosque project; the ISIS attack at Geller's Mohammed Art Exhibit and Cartoon Contest in Garland, Texas; the fatwa issued to her and plot to behead her; and much more including the relentless vilification from a mainstream media hell-bent on defaming and destroying everyone who stands for freedom against jihad terror and sharia oppression. Pamela Geller writes: 'Any lover of freedom would have been tarred the same way I was, and many have been. Or as the uber-left hate machine, the Southern Poverty Law Center, likes to call me, 'the anti-Muslim movement's most visible and flamboyant figurehead," Geller said. In FATWA: Hunted in America, Geller recounts the battle to defeat the sinister Ground Zero mosque project; the ISIS attack at Geller's Mohammed Art Exhibit and Cartoon Contest in Garland, Texas; the fatwa issued to her and plot to behead her; and much more including the relentless vilification from a mainstream media hell-bent on defaming and destroying everyone who stands for freedom against jihad terror and sharia oppression. Without Pamela Geller, countless numbers of indefatigable fighters for freedom would have been cowed and intimidated into silence by an increasingly violent and authoritarian Left.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"If reading the Quran and monthly Islamist terror attacks in Europe aren’t enough to wake you up, perhaps this book will. This is very ironic, because for all the 'persecution' Muslims say they face it is A) Pamela who has faced the most persecution from the regressive left and Islamists and B) Pamela who has tried to stop the REAL persecution Muslims face from Sharia, which treats women as second class citizens, criminalizes all LGBTQ people, and kills you for apostasy (leaving Islam). Pamela describes the many successes she's had, including her amazing website Atlas Shrugs, stopping the ground zero mosque, the Muhammad cartoon contest that was attacked by a Jihadist, and many more. Pamela refused to live in fear."
"This book details Ms Geller's courageous fight for rights that we do have, such as freedom of speech and freedom of religion. Political correctness tries to shut down free speech which will also lead to eliminating freedom of religion."
"One of the most important books to read to understand the radicalization of Islam happening in America."
"Geller is mocked, insulted and risks her life warning us about the Islamizing of America."
"The book keep me reading all night."
"It is disgusting to see how the leftist politicians in our major cities conspired to silence her while at the same time, towing the line for islam.... folks if we are not awake to the threat that islam is to the west and the world, it is not because people like Pamela Geller were not brave enough to speak the truth, when it seems no one wants to hear the truth."
Best African History
Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates reads like an edge-of-your-seat, page-turning thriller. No one captures the danger, intrigue, and drama of the American Revolution and its aftermath like Brian Kilmeade and Don Yaeger.” —Brad Thor This is the little-known story of how a newly independent nation was challenged by four Muslim powers and what happened when America’s third president decided to stand up to intimidation. Few today remember these men and other heroes who inspired the Marine Corps hymn: “From the Halls of Montezuma to the Shores of Tripoli, we fight our country’s battles in the air, on land and sea.” Thomas Jefferson and the Tripoli Pirates recaptures this forgotten war that changed American history with a real-life drama of intrigue, bravery, and battle on the high seas. I thoroughly enjoyed this must read that brings to life a critical period in our nation’s history and shows the importance of a navy in our nation’s security.” —KIRK S. LIPPOLD, former commander of the USS Cole; author of Front Burner: Al Qaeda’s Attack on the USS Cole “No one captures the danger, intrigue, and drama of the American Revolution and its aftermath like Brian Kilmeade and Don Yaeger.” —BRAD THOR, bestselling author of Code of Conduct “A colorful, exciting, and historic account of an overlooked portion of American military history, and a wonderful tribute to the brave sailors and Marines who set a high standard for U.S. maritime operations.” —GENERAL JACK KEANE (Ret. Count on Kilmeade and Yaeger to remind us of it with this swashbuckling adventure.” —MARCUS LUTTRELL, former Navy SEAL; author of Lone Survivor and Service “If you want to understand the deep historic roots of the 9/11 attacks and what it will take to win the war against today’s jihadists, you must read this book.” —DR.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Enjoyed reading and learning the history."
"I don't think this history is generally known by Americans and ought to be."
"Loved the book."
"A GREAT HISTORY LESSON.WHAT THE GREAT PRESIDENTS DID TO MAKE AMERICA WHAT IT IS TODAY.IT SHOULD SHOW ALL AMERICANS WHAT WE MUST DO TODAY TO KEEP OUR COUNTRY STRONG."
"Very interesting to read about the history of early merchant shipping in the Mediterranean and the sort of piracy that continues along the west African Coast (Somalia)."
"Great detail, almost too much at first but once accustom to it I wanted more."
"Amazing story."
"HE SAID HE THOUGHT HE KNEW A LOT ABOUT THAT TIME IN OUR HISTORY, BUT BRIAN CAME IN WITH A LOT MORE."
Best European Politics Books
Settling Accounts became Mein Kampf, an unparalleled example of muddled economics and history, appalling bigotry, and an intense self-glorification of Adolf Hitler as the true founder and builder of the National Socialist movement. For in its pages Hitler announced -- long before he came to power -- a program of blood and terror in a self-revelation of such overwhelming frankness that few among its readers had the courage to believe it ... That such a man could go so far toward realizing his ambitions, and -- above all -- could find millions of willing tools and helpers; that is a phenomenon the world will ponder for centuries to come." Mein Kampf must be read and constantly remembered as a specimen of evil demagoguery that people whenever men grow tired of thinking and acting for themselves. In his translation Ralph Manheim has taken particular care to give an exact English equivalent of Hitler's highly individual, and often awkward style, including his occasional grammatical errors. We believe this book should stand as the complete, final, and definitive English version of Hitler's own story of his life, his political philosophy, and his thwarted plans for world domination. The book details Hitler's childhood, the "betrayal" of Germany in World War I, the desire for revenge against France, the need for lebensraum for the German people, and the means by which the National Socialist party can gain power. As Hitler and the Nazis gained power, first party members and then the general public were pressured to buy the book.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I am not here to criticize or defend Hitler, but as a historian, professor, author and a journalist, I am here to release a factual, fair, unbiased and objective analysis of this book, yet first to make a few points: I. In America we don’t ban or censor information (like this book is banned in Germany), on the contrary we allow public to read Communist, Fascist, Islamic, Nazi and all other ideologies’ texts, and then judge for themselves about these texts. As much as Hitler is criticized and hated in the West, yet he is admired and adored in many parts of the world such as East Europe (Romania, Bulgaria, and Hungary), Middle East (Turkey, Iran, and many Arab nations) and other areas. Like it or not, Hitler is the architect and creator of a global political and economical ideology named National Socialism (Nazism) which any free thinker or curious person must study like he studies any other ideology. There is also a fine introduction by Bob Carruthers (Scottish historian, scholar, filmmaker and author) included."
"If you read this book with focus, objectivity, and equip yourself with the tools for critical thinking, you will gain much insight into the causes of these endless wars and social upheavals that plague the planet today."
"Interesting book."
"Yaay colorized pictures on the back and it's easy to write essays with, thanks to its annotations and organization."
"It is not the easiest book to understand."
"very eye opening, you really get a sense of what was going on in his head."
Best West African History
Child soldiers have been profiled by journalists, and novelists have struggled to imagine their lives. In A Long Way Gone , Beah, now twenty-five years old, tells a riveting story: how at the age of twelve, he fled attacking rebels and wandered a land rendered unrecognizable by violence. By thirteen, he'd been picked up by the government army, and Beah, at heart a gentle boy, found that he was capable of truly terrible acts. This is a rare and mesmerizing account, told with real literary force and heartbreaking honesty. “ A breathtaking and unselfpitying account of how a gentle spirit survives a childhood from which all innocence has suddenly been sucked out. “ Deeply moving, even uplifting …Beah's story, with its clear-eyed reporting and literate particularity--whether he's dancing to rap, eating a coconut or running toward the burning village where his family is trapped-- demands to be read .” ― People (Critic's Choice, Four stars). “Beah's memoir, A Long Way Gone (Farrar, Straus and Giroux), is unforgettable testimony that Africa's children--millions of them dying and orphaned by preventable diseases, hundreds of thousands of them forced into battle--have eyes to see and voices to tell what has happened. How is it possible that 26-year-old Beah, a nonnative English speaker, separated from his family at age 12, taught to maim and to kill at 13, can sound such notes of family happiness, of friendship under duress, of quiet horror? “In place of a text that has every right to be a diatribe against Sierra Leone, globalization or even himself, Beah has produced a book of such self-effacing humanity that refugees, political fronts and even death squads resolve themselves back into the faces of mothers, fathers and siblings. We ignore his message at our peril .” ― Sebastian Junger, author of A Death in Belmont and A Perfect Storm. Ishmael Beah describes the unthinkable in calm, unforgettable language ; his memoir is an important testament to the children elsewhere who continue to be conscripted into armies and militias.” ― Steve Coll, author of Ghost Wars: The Secret History of the CIA, Afghanistan, and Bin Laden, from the Soviet Invasion to September 10, 2001, winner of the 2005 Pulitzer Prize for general Nonfiction. Beah's amazing saga provides a haunting lesson about how gentle folks can be capable of great brutalities as well goodness and courage. “ A Long Way Gone hits you hard in the gut with Sierra Leone's unimaginable brutality and then it touches your soul with unexpected acts of kindness.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"This kid was born in a shack on a muddy floor, with no bathroom, with a roof leaking under his moms head. The country was underdeveloped, bullets flying and bombs falling over their heads."
"To give a brief overview, the novel is about a young boy who is on the run from war his whole life and he deals with the death of many people in his family and many of his friends."
"This book was a great read and an eye opener to what others are facing in the world around us. Many can read these kinds of books that share such a powerful and personal story but without learning from them or taking away something they truly do not share their messages."
"Amazing story about very difficult experience of a young boy."
"I think history would stick with us better if we read more personal, individual-driven books like this one and less flavorless, distant history books."
"Captivating, sad, frightening reality should interest all who breathe common air and are warmed but the same sun."
"A very well written, engaging book but the subject and the author's life was truly horrific!"
"Young girls being forced into sexual situations which aside from be completely involuntary are also concepts way beyond their capacity of understanding at their young ages. Though Ishmael survived the struggle there are plenty of other people just as young that are going through this painful lifestyle and that inevitably results in addiction, emotional trauma and death. The infection is a struggle that will take more than one organization of to cure. It is a change in structure that these countries need; and deconstruction of the corruption may be successful if fought consistently...but we know that doing such a thing is a difficult task that to this date, there have been limited numbers of people/movements that have been successful. Aside from the desensitization, we must also battle the mentalities that certain peoples have established in their minds depending on their culture."
Best Civil Rights & Liberties
Called "stunning" by Pulitzer Prize–winning historian David Levering Lewis, "invaluable" by the Daily Kos , "explosive" by Kirkus , and "profoundly necessary" by the Miami Herald , this updated and revised paperback edition of The New Jim Crow , now with a foreword by Cornel West, is a must-read for all people of conscience. — Forbes Alexander is absolutely right to fight for what she describes as a much-needed conversation” about the wide-ranging social costs and divisive racial impact of our. criminal-justice policies. a timely and stunning guide to the labyrinth of propaganda, discrimination, and racist policies masquerading under other names that comprises what we call justice in America. A call to action for everyone concerned with racial justice and an important tool for anyone concerned with understanding and dismantling this oppressive system. Undoubtedly the most important book published in this century about the U.S. — Birmingham News.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"But more than that, a very high percentage of these people are black, and in fact they go to prison at a rate disproportionate to the frequency with which they commit crimes. To be blunt, if you are caught selling illegal drugs in most states, you are likely to go to prison if you are black, but you will more likely get treated more leniently if you are white. It's worse than that, because, unlike most other developed nations, we make certain that once someone is convicted of a felony, he loses the vote, his right to public housing, the ability to get a job, in other words, he can be discriminated against for life. Alexander traces the history of the drug war, and describes how it became a vehicle for mistreating blacks even in the face of prevalent "colorblind" attitudes of most Americans today. Many things have to be undone, such as the entire drug war, disenfranchisement laws, the management of prisons by private corporations to name a few. Especially fascinating was her description of how such concessions, or "racial bribes", as affirmative action serve to justify continuing the system as it is."
"This book is an amazing chronology of why African American's are experiencing the injustices of yesterday and how this has been perpetrated throughout the years and including today."
"Clear, well-written and well-researched."
"Whether intentionally or inadvertently racist, our criminal "justice" system has all of the consequences Alexander talks about and more."
"Great perspective on repetitive themes in race relations over the centuries."
"The U.S. has 5% of the world's population and 25% of the world's prisoners."
"I had no idea how long this has been going on and all the political players involved in creating this unjust system."
"Hits you like a tonne of bricks."
Best Women in Politics
Drawing on the authors' deep knowledge of Hillary from their previous book, the acclaimed biography HRC , Shattered offers an object lesson in how Hillary herself made victory an uphill battle, how her difficulty articulating a vision irreparably hobbled her impact with voters, and how the campaign failed to internalize the lessons of populist fury from the hard-fought primary against Bernie Sanders. "This withering account of Hillary Clinton's Presidential campaign... yields a great deal of backroom color... the Clinton campaign never had a clear picture of its own candidate or of what was coming." “Jonathan Allen and Amie Parnes' exegesis of how Hillary Clinton lost the 2016 US Presidential Election to—do I even have to say his name?—is a thorough and, at points, dishy behind-the-scenes look at what went so horribly wrong in a campaign that clearly thought they had it right.” —Vice “A riveting account of the final, dreadful hours of Clinton’s long pursuit of the presidency… Thanks to Allen and Parnes, we now know how Clinton reacted, at the moment she was supposed to become the first female president.” — Denver Post. “[ Shattered ] sheds particular light on the painful turn of events on election night, as Clinton watched the returns deviate dramatically from the path her campaign had so confidently predicted… As the first take on Clinton’s doomed campaign, [Allen and Parnes] offer a behind-the-scenes view of the obstacles in her way—some familiar and others a consequence of the shifting American electorate.” —. The Guardian “Hillary Clinton’s loss at the hands of Donald Trump last November is the single biggest upset in modern presidential politics. “In the last weeks before the election, the Hillary Clinton campaign did no polling… This is one of the thousand revelations in Shattered , the new book by Jonathan Allen and Amie Parnes that, for political junkies, redefines the word ‘juicy’ for our time… Allen and Parnes pile up headshaking detail after headshaking detail from the very beginning of her campaign to its end.” —. New York Post. “ Shattered: Inside Hillary Clinton’s Doomed Campaign , the new book by Jonathan Allen and Amie Parnes, is absolutely gripping reading, chock full of juicy reporting about the Democratic nominee’s campaign that you really wish you had read during the actual campaign.” —The National Review. “An in-depth dissection of Hillary Clinton's second campaign for the presidency, a failure on many counts… this readable, endlessly fascinating autopsy by Roll Call columnist Allen and The Hill White House correspondent Parnes, who co-authored HRC: State Secrets and the Rebirth of Hillary Clinton (2014)… A top-notch campaign examination.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Also what made this book interesting was that it was written by people who were clearly enamored of their subject and had expected to write a coronation story about her, having previously written 'HRC' - a pre-campaign book singing her praises. It would have been nice to have a book that also gave the story from the Trump side, but as these reporters didn't have that sort of access there, I am glad that they didn't try to shoehorn it in."
"Here's a sample of the kind of insight you'll find in the book: "By ceding the reformer mantle to Sanders -- and to Trump -- Hillary was dismissing a whole world's worth of evidence that she was running into the headwinds of history.... In 2015, when conservatives thrashed the liberal Labour Party, Hillary confided in aides that former prime minister Tony Blair had predicted to her that the left would lose if it ran a 'base' election. Bill believed the push for Brexit - and its eventual approval by voters -- showed a strong contempt for existing power structures that reflected the mood of the American electorate. He'd come to power by tapping into similar frustrations in 1992, convincing voters that a reasonably good economy was swirling down the drain - and that he was the only guy who could fish it out and revive it. She was running a variation on a 'Rose Garden' strategy -- the term for an incumbent president who stays at home and uses the trappings of the office to campaign rather than getting out on the hustings."
"Someone has noted that the bias is perhaps natural, given the source of much of the authors' information, but as I read I found myself questioning some of the characterizations. My recollections of the campaign don't tally with that, and I wasn't initially a Sanders supporter (disclosure--I became one during the debates--what sealed the deal for me was the Michigan debate, which the authors reference, noting that for many it reinforced a perception that HRC would do and say anything to win). Book detail about the inner workings of the campaign are interesting, but I find what the book omits equally intriguing. While the book definitely presents information from the Clinton perspective, there is enough information to allow discerning readers to reach their own conclusions--the repeating issues of emails are dealt with extensively, and while the prevailing tone is that they were simply a tool for destroying the Clinton candidacy, the authors do note that to a degree they were a tool that Clinton herself handed her opponents. The authors remind us that the Clinton campaign and the DNC was the victim of a cyber attack, and that's very true, and it needs to be addressed. Perhaps the biggest question I'm left with after reading this is one that the campaign repeatedly asks itself, and never really manages to answer--perhaps because the principal characters in this book seem to lack any ability to see themselves from any perspective but their own--is the central question that lies of the heart of any discussion of the Clinton political machine, and the Clintons themselves: Why is it that so many people see HRC as corrupt, dishonest, and untrustworthy? In the context of the book, HRC's back story is quite possibly the elephant in the room, and the reason the authors describe her campaign as "doomed.""
Best Terrorism
But for the first time in this memoir, an active Muslim American federal agent reveals his experience infiltrating and bringing down a terror cell in North America. Kevin Maurer is an award-winning journalist and the bestselling coauthor, with Mark Owen, of No Easy Day: The Firsthand Account of the Mission That Killed Osama bin Laden .
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"In American Radical, Tamer Elnoury, (not his real name), shows us how he grew from a rank amateur at undercover police work, to highly skilled professional. These few pages are of critical value to understanding him and how his family is so very similar to any other American citizen. With many books, but none more so than American Radical, the greatest importance and value comes through listening to the unabridged version of a great book. Comments regarding your opinion of this book or of my review, whether favorable or unfavorable, are always welcome. If you buy the book based on my review and become disappointed, especially, I do want to know that and I want to understand how I can improve as a book reviewer."
"AMERICAN RADICAL is the story of a patriotic Muslim recruited by the F.B.I to penetrate terrorist groups. Of course, the author did not just pretend to be Muslim--he really is a devout believer, and hates the notion that radicals are bringing disgrace to his religion. Describing the moment the SWAT team stormed the building, the author recalls: "My eyeballs went to Black’s hands and waist."
"I also learned a lot in reading about what it’s like to have to listen to people pervert your religion and just have to let them."
"From the stress and hiding to find these sick individuals can not be easy though tamer makes it like a walk in the park."
"I can't say enough good about this book."
"This is a can't put down, need to read the next chapter book."
"Great non fiction book and the way the future will be which is very very bleak but true and worth very much reading as it makes u understand the reasons, which when reading makes one think and see that it is so true Great writer -. Recommend reading it very much."
"The only criticism I can offer is that I got a little lost in the characters, presumably because the non-western names are hard for me to follow, but this criticism is more about me than him."
Best War & Peace
“Scott Horton’s, Fool’s Errand: Time to End the War in Afghanistan , is a definitive, authoritative and exceptionally well-resourced accounting of America’s disastrous war in Afghanistan since 2001. Scott’s book deserves not just to be read, but to be kept on your shelf, because as with David Halberstam’s The Best and Brightest or Neil Sheehan’s A Bright Shining Lie , I expect Horton’s book to not just explain and interpret a current American war, but to explain and interpret the all too predictable future American wars, and the unavoidable waste and suffering that will accompany them.” — Capt. "Scott Horton's Fool's Errand is a deeply insightful and well-informed book on America's longest war, explaining why it remains as unwinnable as it ever was. -- Eric S. Margolis, author of War at the Top of the World: The Struggle for Afghanistan, Kashmir and Tibet and American Raj: Liberation or Domination? -- Thomas E. Woods Jr., author of Nullification: How to ResistFederal Tyranny in the 21st Century and Rollback:Repealing Big Government Before the Coming Fiscal Collapse. -- Stephen M. Walt, professor of international affairs, Harvard University, author of The Israel Lobby and U.S. Foreign Policy.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"MUST READ."
"Book was bought as a gift, and the recipient thoroughly enjoyed it."
"Great overview of the situation in Afghanistan."
"Such a great book!"
"This is an important read - the longest war in US history."
"Good read that presents it’s argument well."
"Great book."
"Very revealing of how the American people are being fooled into accepting whatever their government tells them about international policy."
Best Law Enforcement Politics
Detective Lt. Joe Kenda, star of Homicide Hunter, shares his deepest, darkest, and never before revealed case files from his 19 years as a homicide detective. In I WILL FIND YOU, the star of Homicide Hunter: Lt. Joe Kenda shares his deepest, darkest, and never-before-revealed case files from his two decades as a homicide detective and reminds us that crimes like these are very real and can happen even in our own backyards. He is a certified instructor in the state of Colorado for Criminal Investigations, Advanced Criminal Investigations, Multi-Jurisdictional Investigations, Patrol Operations, and Specialized Patrol Operations. Kenda is a member of the executive board of the American Investigative Society of Cold Cases and actively participates in offering advice to agencies with cold cases involving murder.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"This Is an unbiased review from a customer (myself) who has no obligation, affiliation or connection with the story other than having purchased the book. and I was preoccupied doing something else while Homicide Hunter was ongoing in the background since I hadn't yet changed the channel. He can seem a bit dry or cold at first but has a good sense of humor, and is very wise, not to mention passionate about his former work as a policeman. If you watch the show, Lt. doesn't use a script, so for the first chapter, it sounded unusually rehearsed. There is some profanity as well as gruesome details regarding the murders or abuse of children and other assaults. He also covers topics like crime scene investigation, interrogation techniques, and his haunting nightmares, among other things that you'll have to give it a listen/read to find out."
"In I WILL FIND YOU, former Colorado Springs Detective Joe Kenda takes us on a gritty tour of his life catching murderers. The book reads a little like a “police procedural,” and is pretty gory at times in describing the murders. He recalls a situation early in his career, where a huge man was strangling one of his colleagues. If you don’t do what I say, I will kill you right here and now.”. The author explained something that has always confused me about cop shows on TV. Kenda explains that about 80% of suspects waive their Miranda rights to an attorney and “just gab away.” They think they can outwit the police, since they are so used to getting away with lies. Don’t get a gun unless you are “supremely confident that you can use it with great accuracy and protect those you love from it.” This strikes me as good advice. For all of its weaknesses and all of the mistakes that happen, our rate of success is still better than most.”. Advance Review Copy courtesy of the publisher."
"I sleep a bit better knowing there are guys and gals like Lt. Joe out there who are willing to do the dirty work day in and day out and not become totally jaded."
"I've been a faithful fan of the TV series, so I couldn't resist the book! This should be REQUIRED READING for anyone who wants to pursue a career in any area of Law Enforcement!"
"The grizzly parts were hard to read but I have been a nurse for fifty years so I have seen my share of horror and crazies."
"enjoyed reading about Joe Kenda' s background and dedication to his job as well as his family."
Best Censorship & Politics
The liberal media machine did everything they could to keep this book out of your hands. ''Fat people will hate this book.''.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"As an information professional I have always been very interested in intellectual freedom issues and am a card carrying member of the Freedom to Read Foundation so as soon as my industry colleagues began to tell me how dangerous Dangerous would be, I knew I had to read it as soon as possible. I emailed my old Intellectual Freedom & Censorship professor from grad school about the cancellation and her response was that Milo already had a platform so it's not the same type of insidious censorship. It is important to be mindful that censorship can come from both the political right and the political left. It seemed a bit ironic to me that all these alleged advocates of free speech were refusing to get a book called Dangerous because it would be too dangerous for people to read. Milo was more invigorating to read than Trump, probably because he is by trade a professional word slinging journalist. I'm not saying I agree with literally all the things Milo Yiannopoulos says or stands for but that doesn't matter. Dangerous is a decent book and censorship is dangerous."
"I pre-ordered the book out of curiosity, there was so much controversy when Simon and Schuster cancelled the book deal."
"As a gay man who has seen not just the gay rights movement but the entire progressive movement hijacked by Marxist regressives, Milo is and has always been a breath of fresh air. Milo comes back from a takedown that would have left most people in hiding."
"You don't have to like who he is, you might not like the way he looks or speaks or expresses his thoughts, but what he stands for is EVERYTHING that we are slowly losing as the media outlets take control of manipulating everything we see and hear."
"It is extraordinarily funny, and gets the modern conservative viewpoint across in a way that stereotypical stuffy conservatives can only imagine. While I have tried my best to encourage free-thinking in her impressionable young mind, the mindset in her public school has her believing all sorts of PC based nonsense. I asked for specific examples, but they have thus far been unable or unwilling to give examples."
"Milo is absolutely correct in the following excerpt from "Dangerous". "In short, I’m the Left’s worst nightmare: a living, breathing refutation of identity politics, and proof that free speech and the truth wrapped in a good joke will always be more persuasive and more powerful than identity politics.""
Best Globalization & Politics
You will never look at the world the same way again after you read this book: how you understand the news, the work you do, the education your kids need, the investments your employer has to make, and the moral and geopolitical choices our country has to navigate will all be refashioned by Friedman’s original analysis. The year 2007 was a major inflection point: the release of the iPhone, together with advances in silicon chips, software, storage, sensors, and networking, created a new technology platform. To amplify this point, Friedman revisits his Minnesota hometown in his moving concluding chapters; there, he explores how communities can create a “topsoil of trust” to anchor their increasingly diverse and digital populations. With his trademark vitality, wit, and optimism, Friedman shows that we can overcome the multiple stresses of an age of accelerations―if we slow down, if we dare to be late and use the time to reimagine work, politics, and community. Now he has written his most ambitious book―part personal odyssey, part commonsense manifesto . In a country torn by a divisive election, technological change and globalization, reconstructing social ties so that people feel respected and welcomed is more important than ever . in some senses Thank You For Being Late is an extension of [Friedman's] previous works, woven in with wonderful personal stories (including admirably honest discussions about the nature of being a columnist). What gives Friedman’s book a new twist is his belief that upheaval in 2016 is actually far more dramatic than earlier phases . Friedman also argues that Americans need to discover their sense of 'community,' and uses his home town of Minneapolis to demonstrate this." His main piece of advice for individuals, corporations, and countries is clear: Take a deep breath and adapt. ―David Henkin, The Washington Post "[Friedman's] latest engrossingly descriptive analysis of epic trends and their consequences . Friedman offers tonic suggestions for fostering 'moral innovation' and a commitment to the common good in this detailed and clarion inquiry, which, like washing dirty windows, allows us to see far more clearly what we’ve been looking at all along . "The three-time Pulitzer winner puts his familiar methodology―extensive travel, thorough reporting, interviews with the high-placed movers and shakers, conversations with the lowly moved and shaken―to especially good use here . He prescribes nothing less than a redesign of our workplaces, politics, geopolitics, ethics, and communities .
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"He argues further that the pace of change (speed) as well as the rate of change (exponential) are exceeding in many cases, the capacity of individuals and societies to adapt to change, while politicians--glued to their own narrow ideologies and even narrower political bases--provide only simplistic, quixotic and ultimately futile responses."
"Tom Friedman has always been a reliable reporter of global trends and this book reiterates some of the points made in “That Use To Be Us.“ Average is no longer sufficient, there are a million people on the earth that can do your job and, therefore, success will depend on engaging in e a lifelong learning process. Mr. Friedman suggests an 18 point plan that is a combination of right and left ideas e.g., eliminate the corporate tax which will eliminate corporate tax loopholes and allow corporations to repatriate offshore holdings, revisit Dodd-Frank and Sarbanes-Oxley to facilitate rational risk taking, establish a Regulatory Review Commission to eliminate regulations that are strangling business development- but also, institute a single-payer health care system, expand the Earned Income Tax Credit and expand free trade while providing wage insurance for those people affected by the loss of their jobs. Ultimately, he does not solve the problem posed by John Maynard Keynes in 1928 and reiterated by many recent authors- in a consumer driven economy what do we do when artificial intelligence and robots eliminate so many jobs that people can’t afford to purchase the goods and services produced?"
"The passion Friedman has for this topic of community and his hometown jumps off the page, but he really does a disservice to his readers in the way he finishes this book. How do I think the Machine works today?"
Best Civics & Citizenship
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
Find Best Price at Amazon"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?"
"I voted for her."
"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."
"It's an incredible look at how hard a person can work to come up with every reason possible why everyone else is to blame."
Best Political Economy
You will never look at the world the same way again after you read this book: how you understand the news, the work you do, the education your kids need, the investments your employer has to make, and the moral and geopolitical choices our country has to navigate will all be refashioned by Friedman’s original analysis. The year 2007 was a major inflection point: the release of the iPhone, together with advances in silicon chips, software, storage, sensors, and networking, created a new technology platform. To amplify this point, Friedman revisits his Minnesota hometown in his moving concluding chapters; there, he explores how communities can create a “topsoil of trust” to anchor their increasingly diverse and digital populations. With his trademark vitality, wit, and optimism, Friedman shows that we can overcome the multiple stresses of an age of accelerations―if we slow down, if we dare to be late and use the time to reimagine work, politics, and community. Now he has written his most ambitious book―part personal odyssey, part commonsense manifesto . In a country torn by a divisive election, technological change and globalization, reconstructing social ties so that people feel respected and welcomed is more important than ever . in some senses Thank You For Being Late is an extension of [Friedman's] previous works, woven in with wonderful personal stories (including admirably honest discussions about the nature of being a columnist). What gives Friedman’s book a new twist is his belief that upheaval in 2016 is actually far more dramatic than earlier phases . Friedman also argues that Americans need to discover their sense of 'community,' and uses his home town of Minneapolis to demonstrate this." His main piece of advice for individuals, corporations, and countries is clear: Take a deep breath and adapt. ―David Henkin, The Washington Post "[Friedman's] latest engrossingly descriptive analysis of epic trends and their consequences . Friedman offers tonic suggestions for fostering 'moral innovation' and a commitment to the common good in this detailed and clarion inquiry, which, like washing dirty windows, allows us to see far more clearly what we’ve been looking at all along . "The three-time Pulitzer winner puts his familiar methodology―extensive travel, thorough reporting, interviews with the high-placed movers and shakers, conversations with the lowly moved and shaken―to especially good use here . He prescribes nothing less than a redesign of our workplaces, politics, geopolitics, ethics, and communities .
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"He argues further that the pace of change (speed) as well as the rate of change (exponential) are exceeding in many cases, the capacity of individuals and societies to adapt to change, while politicians--glued to their own narrow ideologies and even narrower political bases--provide only simplistic, quixotic and ultimately futile responses."
"Tom Friedman has always been a reliable reporter of global trends and this book reiterates some of the points made in “That Use To Be Us.“ Average is no longer sufficient, there are a million people on the earth that can do your job and, therefore, success will depend on engaging in e a lifelong learning process. Mr. Friedman suggests an 18 point plan that is a combination of right and left ideas e.g., eliminate the corporate tax which will eliminate corporate tax loopholes and allow corporations to repatriate offshore holdings, revisit Dodd-Frank and Sarbanes-Oxley to facilitate rational risk taking, establish a Regulatory Review Commission to eliminate regulations that are strangling business development- but also, institute a single-payer health care system, expand the Earned Income Tax Credit and expand free trade while providing wage insurance for those people affected by the loss of their jobs. Ultimately, he does not solve the problem posed by John Maynard Keynes in 1928 and reiterated by many recent authors- in a consumer driven economy what do we do when artificial intelligence and robots eliminate so many jobs that people can’t afford to purchase the goods and services produced?"
"The passion Friedman has for this topic of community and his hometown jumps off the page, but he really does a disservice to his readers in the way he finishes this book. How do I think the Machine works today?"
Best Labor & Industrial Relations
The Curies' newly discovered element of radium makes gleaming headlines across the nation as the fresh face of beauty, and wonder drug of the medical community. Written with a sparkling voice and breakneck pace, The Radium Girls fully illuminates the inspiring young women exposed to the "wonder" substance of radium, and their awe-inspiring strength in the face of almost impossible circumstances. " Radium Girls spares us nothing of their suffering; though at times the foreshadowing reads more like a true-crime story, Moore is intent on making the reader viscerally understand the pain in which these young women were living, and through which they had to fight in order to get their problems recognized...The story of real women at the mercy of businesses who see them only as a potential risk to the bottom line is haunting precisely because of how little has changed; the glowing ghosts of the radium girls haunt us still." "This timely book celebrates the strength of a group of women, whose determination to fight improved both labor laws and scientific knowledge of radium poisoning. Written in a highly readable, narrative style, Moore's chronicle of these inspirational women's lives is sure to provoke discussion-and outrage-in book groups." "Moore's well-researched narrative is written with clarity and a sympathetic voice that brings these figures and their struggles to life...a must-read for anyone interested in American and women's history, as well as topics of law, health, and industrial safety." "Like Da a Sobel's The Glass Universe and Margot Lee Shetterly's Hidden Figures, Kate Moore's The Radium Girls tells the story of a cohort of women who made history by entering the workforce at the dawn of a new scientific era. Moore sheds new light on a dark chapter in American labor history; the " Radium Girls ," martyrs to an unholy alliance of commerce and science, live again in her telling" - Megan Marshall, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Margaret Fuller: A New American Life and Elizabeth Bishop: A Miracle for Breakfast.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"In The Radium Girls Kate Moore tells the story of these young women, seemingly so fortunate, who were poisoned by the jobs they felt so lucky to have. After some of the women died and more became ill the companies making large profits on radium rushed to dismiss any hint that the work was unsafe. Eventually publicity stemming from lawsuits filed by some of the victims (using their own scanty resources) focused enough attention on the problem that governments felt compelled to set safety standards and regulations. The safety regulations and restrictions which were finally put into place hardly seem adequate, and the Epilogue and Postscript giving details of the women's later lives, as well as an account of another industry that made careless use of radium as late as the 1970s, are especially harrowing."
"This is one these books that will stay with you long after you finished reading it."
"One of the best books I have read in a long time!"
"The job paid above average wages to women, and even when it was realized that coworkers were developing horrible health problems, some women continued to work because their families needed money the job provided."
"I just got through reading Radium Girls based the the true story of the girls and women employed to paint watch dials in the early twentieth century with an exciting and new product, radium. Every girl wanted in on the work as it was good pay and radium was said to be good for your health."
"The effect of radiation is horrific, the agonies they and their families suffered horrific, the determination to obtain compensation and acknowledgement and the battles they fought for their loved ones, peers, and for justice makes this book one of the most moving and tremendous books I have ever read."
Best Political Freedom
Her home on the border with China gave her some exposure to the world beyond the confines of the Hermit Kingdom and, as the famine of the 1990s struck, she began to wonder, question and to realise that she had been brainwashed her entire life. ‘Hyeonseo Lee brought the human consequences of global inaction on North Korea to the world's doorstep … Against all odds she escaped, survived, and had the courage to speak out’ Samantha Power, U.S. representative to the U.N. Recently graduated from Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, she has become a regular speaker on the international stage fostering human rights and awareness of the plight of North Koreans.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Being so close to the border they could also get Chinese cell phone service and calls could be made to North Korea using Chinese cells. She withstood an interrogation by the Chinese police and was able to convince them she was Chinese due to her ability to speak Mandarin and her mastery of Chinese Characters, which she attributes to her father pushing her to study while she was in school. She has dangerous interactions with gangs, which she survives, was assaulted badly by an unknown assailant with a 1 liter beer bottle, an incident that did put her in the hospital and other adventures. They chose Laos, a backwater whose insufferable bureaucracy and corrupt civil service made things hard."
"The book is divided into parts, describing the author's life in North Korea, then her life in China (an entire decade), escape to South Korea, and finally, the ordeal of getting her mother and brother out of North Korea. In China, she makes a life and barely avoids deportation, being captured by human traffickers, and an arranged marriage to a complete zero."
"Few people that live outside North Korea (myself included) can fully understand the brutal horror that is a daily reality for the average people who are enslaved there."
"As tensions between the U.S. and North Korea escalate, I cannot fathom a more pertinent story to inform the rest of the world of the plight of North Koreans...in their own country as well as much of Asia, and the rest of the world really. And no, it was not lost on me that this brave young woman and her family could not just stop to take a breather while living this gut-wrenching saga. You are an extraordinary young woman, daughter, sister, and world citizen with a voice for oppressed persons the world over."
Best Political Intelligence
When George Washington beat a hasty retreat from New York City in August 1776, many thought the American Revolution might soon be over. — BRAD MELTZER , bestselling author of The Fifth Assassin and host of Decoded. “A fascinating read, highlighting some of our nation's unknown heroes."
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"The reason I give it only a three star review is that is not exactly a scholarly work (no footnotes, for example) so I was left with a sense of wondering about the veracity of everything in the book. George Washington's Secret Six is not a book espousing a political agenda of some sort, as these reviewers would have one believe."
"This book should be mandatory reading in American history classes in every high school in the Nation."
"There's a lot of information in this book, so thank goodness it's an easy read. This is a book that is every bit about the brave unsung heroes of the revolution and what they endured and braved to accomplish the impossible. Great insight into the debacle of Nathan Hale and Benedict Arnold as well."
"However, I believe I was most taken back by the bravery these spy's had to possess in order to take on this risky communication after young Nathan Hale was executed. Again the author explained to the reader that even though these individuals have never really been celebrated as to their contributions for our country, he did explain how their covert spy methods they employed are actually still taught to this day at CIA training classes."
"The book is really written like a story and is easy to read and engage with."
"It's stories like this that history classes should have more of."
"Without an intimate understanding of the revolutionary war, this book falls a little flat."
"Good to read about heroes of the American Revolution that are not in any school history books."
Best Propaganda & Political Psychology
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
Find Best Price at Amazon"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."
Best Colonialism & Post-Colonialism
Common Sense cites the evils of monarchy, accuses the British government of inflicting economic and social injustices upon the colonies, and points to the absurdity of an island attempting to rule a continent.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Wonderful example of a work written by, at the time, a relatively unknown person, which caught the imagination of people and leaders and acted as one of the more important catalysts of independence."
"Got the kindle version as resource for the kids to have as ready access for history/social studies in school."
"It uses God's biblical views of what a human king will do with the people, a view of a utopian kingdom, and concludes with the British monarchy of the time of Thomas Paine."
"Open the book to any point and start reading....you will learn something from just 1 page."
"I love this series of books, and seeing what was actually written by the actual Founders that people mention helps to cut through the bogus to get to the Truth."
"Every one should have to read this treatise on why our country wanted freedom from the British, if they haven't already."
"All-time classic."
"Wonderful insight into the mindset and thinking of the Founding Fathers."
Best Political Commentary & Opinion
The liberal media machine did everything they could to keep this book out of your hands. ''Fat people will hate this book.''.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"As an information professional I have always been very interested in intellectual freedom issues and am a card carrying member of the Freedom to Read Foundation so as soon as my industry colleagues began to tell me how dangerous Dangerous would be, I knew I had to read it as soon as possible. I emailed my old Intellectual Freedom & Censorship professor from grad school about the cancellation and her response was that Milo already had a platform so it's not the same type of insidious censorship. It is important to be mindful that censorship can come from both the political right and the political left. It seemed a bit ironic to me that all these alleged advocates of free speech were refusing to get a book called Dangerous because it would be too dangerous for people to read. Milo was more invigorating to read than Trump, probably because he is by trade a professional word slinging journalist. I'm not saying I agree with literally all the things Milo Yiannopoulos says or stands for but that doesn't matter. Dangerous is a decent book and censorship is dangerous."
"I pre-ordered the book out of curiosity, there was so much controversy when Simon and Schuster cancelled the book deal."
"As a gay man who has seen not just the gay rights movement but the entire progressive movement hijacked by Marxist regressives, Milo is and has always been a breath of fresh air. Milo comes back from a takedown that would have left most people in hiding."
"You don't have to like who he is, you might not like the way he looks or speaks or expresses his thoughts, but what he stands for is EVERYTHING that we are slowly losing as the media outlets take control of manipulating everything we see and hear."
"Milo is absolutely correct in the following excerpt from "Dangerous". "In short, I’m the Left’s worst nightmare: a living, breathing refutation of identity politics, and proof that free speech and the truth wrapped in a good joke will always be more persuasive and more powerful than identity politics.""
"It is extraordinarily funny, and gets the modern conservative viewpoint across in a way that stereotypical stuffy conservatives can only imagine. While I have tried my best to encourage free-thinking in her impressionable young mind, the mindset in her public school has her believing all sorts of PC based nonsense. I asked for specific examples, but they have thus far been unable or unwilling to give examples."
Best Political Corruption & Misconduct
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
Find Best Price at Amazon"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."
Best Politics of Privacy & Surveillance
Seasoned CBS reporter and author of The Smear , Sharyl Attkisson reveals how she has been electronically surveilled while digging deep into the Obama Administration and its scandals, and offers an incisive critique of her industry and the shrinking role of investigative journalism in today’s media. Stonewalled is the story of how her news reports were met with a barrage of PR warfare tactics, including online criticism, as well as emails and phone calls up the network chain of command in an effort to intimidate and discourage the next story. Through more than thirty years as an award-winning investigative reporter, Sharyl Attkisson fought tirelessly to uncover wrongdoing by those in power, whether major corporations, government officials, or presidential administrations of both parties. But when she started looking into stories involving the Obama administration’s mistakes and misjudgments in a series of high-profile cases—stories few in mainstream journalism would touch—she was confronted with the administration’s use of hardball tactics to discourage, block, and actively suppress her investigative work. Most disturbing of all, Attkisson reveals that as she broke news on Fast and Furious and Benghazi, her computers and phone lines were hacked and bugged by an unrevealed but tremendously sophisticated party.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"While discussions continued and the media largely sided with Obama, CBS "sat on" video evidence (shot on the same day), proving that he did not call or consider the Benghazi attacks terrorism. Ms Attkissen poses the key question: "- How did the White House know CBS wouldn't use the part of the 60 Minutes Obama interview that disproved the president's debate claim?" In addition to numerous interesting stories about perceived bias at CBS, another continuing theme of the book is that the Obama administration is very reluctant, and often won't provide even trivial information to reporters.- Does the government serve the public, or do the citizens serve the government?"
"Unlike just about everyone else in major network media, she understands the critical importance of an independent press in fostering freedom in a republic."
"Great detail on the dispiccable actions of public officials to deny the public the right to know about their terrible deeds and inactions."
"If your oblivious , to life read this, if your not and need affirmation to start making a difference...read this book!"
"Reads like a spy thriller, except that it's freaking real life."
"Amazing story of how Attkisson was under surveillance."