Political books - which ones are a must read?

[skygazer]

I've read a lot of political books but thought it would be neat to get a list of the essential ones from people here. If they were all in one thread like this, it would give us a great reading list. I'll start with the one I've been reading of late which is excellent.

"Crusade - Chronicles of an Unjust War" by James Carroll. Carroll was a columnist for the Boston Globe and this is a collection of his columns starting right after 9/11 and up to March of this year. He is an eloquent writer and wrote almost exclusively about issues regarding the Bush administration's actions and decisions after 9/11. He had a very clear vision of what was going on and it's very powerful to read these essays in chronological order and see how all these things came to pass.

This is a selection from the American Empire Project which also published "The Sorrows of Empire" by Chalmers Johnson, which I read and is also excellent.

[midnight armadillo]

1. Who Will Tell the People

by William Greider.

Do not read if you have heart trouble.

[wryter2000]

2. Paul Krugman

The Great Unravelling

[aldian159]

3. Franken's book

Lies and the lying liars who tell them. Great for several dozen laughs.

[BurtWorm]

4. The Clash of Fundamentalisms by Tariq Ali

http://www.versobooks.com/books/ab/a-titles/ali_t_fundamentalisms.shtml


In this timely and important book, Tariq Ali puts the events of September 11 into sweeping historical perspective. As we have come to expect from him, he is lucid, eloquent, literary, and painfully honest, as he dissects both Islamic and Western fundamentalism.

The aerial attacks on the Pentagon and the World Trade Centre, a global spectacle of unprecedented dimensions, generated an enormous volume of commentary. The inviolability of the American mainland, breached for the first time since 1812, led to extravagant proclamations by the pundits. It was a new world-historical turning point. The 21st century, once greeted triumphally as marking the dawn of a worldwide neoliberal civilization, suddenly became menaced. The choice presented from the White House and its supporters was to stand shoulder-to-shoulder against terrorism or be damned.

Tariq Ali challenges these assumptions, arguing instead that what we have experienced is the return of History in a horrific form, with religious symbols playing a part on both sides: 'Allah's revenge,' 'God is on Our Side' and 'God Bless America.'

The visible violence of September 11 was the response to the invisible violence that has been inflicted on countries like Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Palestine and Chechnya. Some of this has been the direct responsibility of the United States and Russia.

In this wide-ranging book that provides an explanation for both the rise of Islamic fundamentalism and new forms of Western colonialism, Tariq Ali argues that many of the values proclaimed by the Enlightenment retain their relevance, while portrayals of the American Empire as a new emancipatory project are misguided.

[deadmessengers]

5. "Big Lies" by Joe Conason

also, read "The Prince" by Nicolo Machiavelli to see the Karl Rove playbook.

[Cyndee_Lou_Who]

6. ALL of Franken's books

And Michael Moore's. I also highly recommend watching Outfoxed and Hunting of the President. I never fully understood Al Franken's TOTAL obession with Clinton until I saw Hunting of the President. Who on EARTH would come out of that kind of a witch-hunt without some dirt?? Not me! And I'd be lucky if all they found was an inappropriate sexual decision!! EEEK!

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

7. "Catch-22", "War and Peace", and "I Will Bear Witness".

None of which are exactly "political" books, but are far more informative on the reality and results of politics than any purely political book I've ever read - and, I've read plenty.

Politics is merely a picture of the morality of people, or of a people. The justifications that politicians make for violence and slaughter are endless. To fight against that is a question of individual morality.

It's a simple question that we all should answer: "Am I my brothers keeper?"

It is my belief, that how you answer that question will decide your politics. The rest is mechanics and a helluva lot of bullshit.

[GOPNotForMe]

8. "Blinded by the Right" is great

Because it's totally gossipy. If you want to read about Laura Ingraham on the floor of a bathroom at a club ODing on ecstacy, read it!

[booley]

9. I have a few

The two at the top of my list are

Moral Politics by Lakoff
and
What's the Matter with Kansas

Both help you to understand some of why progressive ideas get resistence by blue coller cons and how Progressives lost a lot of the political ground. The Moral Politics is especially good at geting into the heads of cons to understand how they can vote against thier best interests and apparent religouse beliefs.

Also Good but a bit obviouse
Shrub and Bushwhacked by Molly Ivans
Stupid White Men by Moore
Lies and the Lying Liers Who Tell Them by Franken
Blinded by the Right by brock

But I think the best "political books" are the ones that give you research material:

Everday Activism by Stevenson and Cogan (a handbook on how ot organize and do activism)
The Best Democracy Money can Buy by Palest (I don't think I need to explain why this book is INVALUABLE )
Perfect Enemies by John Gallagher and chris Bull (details the fight/history between gay rights and the religous right)
And the Censored Series from Project censored (good for seeing how the media gets manipulated to ignore important stories by our supposed "Liberal" media)

I have more but

[NYCGirl]

10. And here's a strictly prejudiced choice (and it's good, too):

[nostamj]

11. WORSE THAN WATERGATE - John Dean

LOSING AMERICA - Robert Byrd
AMERICAN DYNASTY - Kevin Phillips
THE CLINTON WARS - Sidney Blumenthal

other favs have already been listed.

[realFedUp]

12. Charlie Wilson's War, George Crile

Explains to real Americans the origins of bin Laden,
Al Queda, CIA, Pakistan, Soviet downfall....

[Spider Jerusalem]

13. "Fear And Loathing On The Campaign Trail '72"

by Hunter S Thompson.

Still the best book ever written about the inner workings of a major political campaign, and one anyone with a real interest in American politics should read.

[T Wolf]

14. In the belief that people read books that support

what they already believe (we all have little Georgie in us), I think that the "serious" tomes are too serious and primarily preach to the faithful. And the humerous ones (Franken, Moore, etc. are only a little better in terms of being enjoyable. Only rarely will you be able to give one to an enemy and get them to change their mind.

So, a "must read" means, to me, one that I have enjoyed the most.

I would have to nominate Jon Stewart's "America the Book."

It does not wear you down with too much dry information, though it is packed with as much information as any textbook (but that is what it is, sort of).

You don't get depressed reading how much the Bush* cabal has destroyed.

You don't get furious and want to go out and punch the next repuke you see in the nose.

What you do get is the message in a way that provokes out-loud laughter. The people on the train have been hearing me laugh for over a week now. When someone looks at me with a question on their face, I just show them the cover (that big flag is great) and they understand.

[sweetheart]

15. "Sorrows of Empire" by Chalmers Johnson - just 1 book

This one is the best, if you only read 1, IMO.

It is comprehensive, totally cuts to the chase, and exposes the
root problem.

If you read more:
"The world we're in"
by will hutton (editor of observer (UK guardian))

"The iron heel" by Jack London

"Propaganda and the Public mind" Choamsky

"the social contract" by jean jaques rousseau

"the communist mannifesto" by karl marx

"Philosophy of mathematics" by James Robert Brown

"Simulacra and Simulation" by Jean Baudrillard

[ThomWV]

16. Richard Clarke's Book

The best of the current batch if you ask me. I think what suprised me more than anything else about it was not so much the factual content but how very well written it is. It reads like a very good and interesting novel. Compelling, I recommend it.

Thom

[TBreeze]

36. against all enemies?

I had it reserved at the library, I just got the notice in the mail Monday that it was in. Today when I went to get it, someone had taken the request off of my card and the book wasn't there. I guess it could very well be some kind of computer glitch, but it makes me wonder. I have it reserved again, but probably won't get it for another 3-6 weeks.

[Kipepeo]

17. Don't Think of An Elephant

"Don't Think of an Elephant: Know Your Values and Frame the Debate--The Essential Guide for Progressives" by George Lakoff

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1931498717/qid=1098894834/sr=8-1/ref=pd_csp_1/002-6304714-2684807?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

This is the best political book I've read all year and it's a quick read. A great breakdown of how the Repukes frame their positions and how to frame ours so that we aren't playing into their hand. Interesting if you've ever wondered how on earth someone could hold the seemingly contradictory positions Repugs hold.

[Tsiyu]

18. Lots of them!

The 9/11 Commission Report

Cruel and Unusual

Bush Vs. the Environment

I'm currently working on: Thomas Paine ( great autobiography) with "Gang of Five" and Nichols' "Dick: The Man Who is President" on deck.

One of my alltime favorites is "A Government As Good As Its People" by Jimmy Carter. Lots of speeches, etc from his earlier political days with insight on the Democratic mindset.

[Cyndee_Lou_Who]

19. My Pet Goat

... oh wait, I was thinking of something else.

[alfredo]

20. Imperial Hubris. It goes to the heart of bush's claim of winning

the war on terrorism. It will scare the shit out of you.

[MsLeopard]

21. Pigs at the Trough....

....by Arianna Huffington - great read.

Also, Running on Empty, by Peter G. Peterson.

[ComerPerro]

22. "What's the Matter With Kansas" - Thomas Frank

Why do lower and middle class people in the midwest continually and eagerly vote Republican, despite their best interests.

[OneTwentyoNine]

23. Because their gun nuts or Bible thumpers....

They want their guns and babies saved--although the never adopt any of those children. They'll live in their crappy little shacks with hardly two nickles to rub together and vote Republican until their last breath.

David

[Vickers]

24. Don't forget fiction: The Manchurian Candidate, All The King's Men

:)

[madfloridian]

25. Howard Dean's book, an analysis of the Democratic Party......

its successes and failings. Also a look at how we got where we are today. "You Have the Power"

Easy reading and very inspirational.

[devilgrrl]

26. Banana Republicans

Banana Republicans: How the Right Wing Is Turning America Into a One-Party State by Sheldon Rampton and John Stauber

http://www.powells.com/cgi-bin/imageDB.cgi?isbn=1585423424

Publisher Comments:
Banana Republicans reveals how the national GOP maintains its hold on power through the systematic menipulation of the electoral system, the courts, the media, and the lobbying establishment. The book examines:

* The legacy of the Florida ballot scandal, and how it has played out in the recall movement in California — and other states, where recall efforts are under way — and in the redistricting controversy in Texas.
* How a GOP echo chamber systematically spreads its views through conservative media giants — e.g., Clear Channel, Fox — and highly placed columnists, journalists, and opinion makers.
* How the Bush administration is loading the federal courts with a generation of demagegues, and smearing the names of legislators who attempt to stand in its way.
* How House majority Leader Tom Delay has strong-armed traditional lobbying firms into exclusively hiring Republicans, so that even K Street is political, rather than merely opportunistic.
* How the GOP has equated dissent with treason — e.g., Defense Secretary Donald Rumseld accusing war critics of abetting terrorism.
* How the Bush administration uses its power to punish dissent, such as the leaking of a CIA agent's name ot the press, and unprecedented lawsuits against activist organizations such as Greenpeace.

Review:
"No more bed-time stories...these guys are here to wake you up." Greg Palast, author of The Best Democracy Money Can Buy

Synopsis:
Rampton contends that the national GOP maintains its hold on power through the systematic manipulation of the electoral system, the courts, the media, and the lobbying establishment.


http://www.powells.com/cgi-bin/biblio?inkey=2-1585423424-1

[CAcyclist]

35. 2nd vote for Banana Republicans

Also Bush Dynasty,
Jim Hightower's new book,
War Is A Force That Gives Us Meaning

[seemunkee]

27. Rogue Nation by Clyde Prestowitz

Good look at foreign policy and how we got to where we are now

[seasat]

28. The Best Democracy Money Can Buy

by Greg Palaast.

It contains a lot of red meat facts on the Right Wing. It's very good material if you are getting into a debate with a Repug.

[one_true_leroy]

29. People's History of the US

Then Lies, Liars...

[vinnievin777]

30. I am kind of prejudice

But as I requested before-- if your library doesn't have my book The Religion of Bush (Cross-dressing as a patriotic man of god) please request it--- it's my underground book that has made some waves.

Thank you,

Vinnie Vin
http://www.vinnievin.com

[hyphenate]

31. There are so many now

"Fortunate Son" by J. Hatfield

This is the one that was almost censored, and all about the exploits of a young Georgie Porgie. Of course the Bush people tried their damnedest to discredit Hatfield, and they largely succeeded.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/1887128840/qid=1098899720/sr=8-1/ref=pd_csp_1/103-4504589-6497458?v=glance&s=books&n=507846



The Betrayal of America by Vincent Bugliosi

Bugliosi was known for his book on the Charles Manson crowd, and this book is all about the Supreme Court ruling that gave us the idiot at the helm.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-url/index%3Dblended%26field-keywords%3Dvincent%252520bugliosi%26store-name%3Dall-product-search/103-4504589-6497458



Any of Noam Chomsky's books

[ThomCat]

32. Anything by Howard Zinn or Noam Chomsky

[lectrobyte]

33. 1984. It's all you need to know for figuring out the last 4 years.

[The Great Deceiver]

34. Rise and Fall of the third Reich

by William Shrier. Especially timely right now.

[PSU84]

37. "It Can't Happen Here"

by Sinclair Lewis (1935) About a Fascist takeover of the United States.

[skygazer]

38. We're getting a great list

Keep 'em coming. There are some excellent books listed so far. I've read many - there are many I haven't.