I need DUers suggestions for Political books and DVD's for

[WiseButAngrySara]

Christmas gifts for family and friends. I would so appreciate your input, and if you could take the time, perhaps post a small commentary explaining why you would suggest it. Thanks in advance!

:kick:

[WiseButAngrySara]

1. EEEEEeeeek! No responses yet, and it's vanishing so I'll

self-:kick:!

[Democrat 4 Ever]

7. Well, I've recommended it before and I'll recommended it again.

"Homegrown Democrat" by Garrison Keillor. Short, easy read that tells in an enjoyable way why this country has so much to thank the Democratic Party for. The Democrats gave this country Social Security for people in their old age. They gave them worker's reform so that no longer do men, women and children toil away for 60 hours a week for slave wages, we have given our parents the knowledge that in their old age they will have the health care they so desperately need, we championed worker's safety, unemployment insurance, job training, the GI Bill so that people will have the opportunity to better their lives and the lives of their children. We pushed through minimum wage requirements, Pell Grants, student loans, food safety, clean air and environmental legislations to give our children and grandchildren an earth that is sustainable to name a few.

The Democratic Party has consistently worked to ensure that all Americans have the opportunity to live their lives with dignity and respect, to guarantee that the blessings of such a bountiful nation are available to all - and not just the rich. The Democratic Party is the party who truly believes the Preamble of the Constitution - that all PEOPLE are created equal - and work to make that dream a promise to all people.

[WiseButAngrySara]

14. Excellent choice! My family and I love Keillor. Thank you for

the suggestion and input.

[B Calm]

2. I just finished John Grisham's first non fiction "The Innocent Man"

I highly recommend it.

[B Calm]

3. Book Description

Book Description
John Grisham’’s first work of nonfiction, an exploration of small town justice gone terribly awry, is his most extraordinary legal thriller yet.

In the major league draft of 1971, the first player chosen from the State of Oklahoma was Ron Williamson. When he signed with the Oakland A’’s, he said goodbye to his hometown of Ada, Oklahoma and left to pursue his dreams of big league glory.

Six years later he was back, his dreams broken by a bad arm and bad habits——drinking, drugs, and women. He began to show signs of mental illness. Unable to keep a job, he moved in with his mother and slept twenty hours a day on her sofa.

In 1982, a 21-year-old cocktail waitress in Ada, Oklahoma named Debra Sue Carter was raped and murdered, and for five years the police could not solve the crime. For reasons that were never clear, they suspected Ron Williamson and his friend Dennis Fritz. The two were finally arrested in 1987 and charged with capital murder.

With no physical evidence, the prosecution’s case was built on junk science and the testimony of jailhouse snitches and convicts. Dennis Fritz was found guilty and given a life sentence. Ron Williamson was sent to death row.

If you believe that in America you are innocent until proven guilty, this book will shock you. If you believe in the death penalty, this book will disturb you. If you believe the criminal justice system is fair, this book will infuriate you.

[WiseButAngrySara]

15. My sister (an attn'y) and mom will love this, as they are huge

Grisham fans! Nonfiction? Was surprised by that, but I bet it's great! Thanks!

[B Calm]

28. It's the top selling book right now. Like your mom and sister I too

love getting lost in a John Grisham novel. My favorite book of his is "The Last Juror" and following that would have to be "The Client"

THE LAST JUROR

In 1970. One of Mississippi’s more colorful
weekly newspapers, The Ford County Times,
went bankrupt. To the surprise and dismay
of many, ownership was assumed by a twenty-
three-year-old college dropout name Willie
Traynor. The future of the paper looked grim
until a young mother was brutally raped and
murdered by a member of the notorious Padgitt
family. Willie Traynor reported all the gruesome
details, and his newspaper began to prosper.

The murderer, Danny Padgitt, was tried before
a packed courthouse in Clanton, Mississippi. The
trial came to a startling and dramatic end when
the defendant threatened revenge against the
jurors if they convicted him. Nevertheless, they
found him guilty, and he was sentenced to life
in prison.

But in Mississippi in 1970, “life” didn’t necessarily
mean “life,” and nine years later Danny Padgitt
managed to get himself paroled. He returned to
Ford County, and the retribution began.

[babylonsister]

4. I hear "An Inconvenient Truth" is a documentary we should all see,

is applicable to everyone, and one that educates.
I got my dad Palast's last book (Armed Madhouse...) this summer (he keeps quoting from it!), and Woodward's State of Denial for X-mas.

[WiseButAngrySara]

16. This is the one that I already intend to buy for all S.O.'s! Thanks! n/t

[Roland99]

5. DVDs: The Road to Guantanamo; An Inconvenient Truth; Why We Fight

Books:

State of Denial: Bush at War, Part III - Bob Woodward
Al Qaeda - Jason Burke
Chain of Command - Seymour Hersh

[WiseButAngrySara]

17. Great! Thanks! ....n/t

[dubykc]

6. I liked FUBAR by Sam Seder and Stephen Sherrill

I thought it gave an interesting political commentary in a humorous sarcastic sort of way.

[dubykc]

8. I also like Static by Amy Goodman

and Bushworld by Maureen Dowd

[WiseButAngrySara]

18. My parents love both authors. Thanks for the suggestion! ....n/t

[tenshi816]

26. I really like FUBAR too.

Informative and funny.

[Va Lefty]

9. DVDs: One Brief Shining Moment

The Forgotten Summer of George McGovern. An excellent account of McGovern's nomination run in '72. Lots of good interviews with Dick Gregory, Gary Hart, Gore Vidal and McGovern himself.

[WiseButAngrySara]

19. My parents would love this. ....n/t

[1932]

10. Joe Stiglitz has a new book out about globalization.

He's a really fantastic voice for anti-economic imperialists and he's a more interesting progressive economist than Krugman (because he has a broader range of knowlege about politics and economics, I believe).

I think everyone should read Richard Parker's biography of John Kenneth Galbraith. It's a history of American politics and the economy that is unbelievably interesting. It lays down a foundation that I think can only make people think in progressive terms.

[WiseButAngrySara]

20. Interesting re: Galbraith's autobio. I'll have to read this; you've

piqued my curiosity....

Edited for spelling. (sounded like a 'freeper'! Curiousity....)

[1932]

23. ...it's the best political biography I've ever read

and its contemporary relevance is striking.

[applegrove]

30. I read it too. Very good. A good overview of history of the 20th Century since

he was involved in so much.

[lectrobyte]

11. I've seen these two DVDs recently, and would recommend them:

The Corporation -- good look at how corporations are controlling things and the problem of corporate "personhood"

Why We Fight -- run up to the Iraq War, and the reasons for the invasion

[H2O Man]

12. Here are four:

{1} House of War, by James Carroll: It is an interesting study of the Pentagon as the bee hive that controls the USA/world. Carroll's father was a high-ranking intelligence officer; he grew up to be anti-war in the Vietnam era. He tried the priesthood, but failed. He is a talented writer, though his bitterness shows through despite his best attempts to blame others for his personal conflicts.

{2} Hubris, by Isikoff & Corn: Good book that details the Plame scandal and other cheesey Bush-Cheney activities. Good for moderates as well as progressives.

{3} State of Denial, by Bob Woodward: Bob may be a weasal, but this book still has some important information about personality conflicts within the administration.

{4} Wake-Up Call, by Kristen Breitweister: A haunting tale by one of the people who serve as a conscience for this country.

Note: I could list another dozen or more fairly new books. If you have any specific areas that might be of interest, or any particular books, let me know. I'll do my best.

[WiseButAngrySara]

21. Thanks! I actually had a running list (over the past year or so)

of all books read and recommended by you and other DUers! And I can't find it, now that I need it with limited time to shop. State of Denial is one that you've recc'ed in the past, and several others did also in the upstream thread. Hubris sounds like a good choice for my Dad, who has followed the Plame scandal avidly.

[H2O Man]

24. I have found DU

to be a great place for recommended readings.

Two others that have been reprinted recently are:

{1} The Final Days, by Woodward & Bernstein: This is not as popular as "All the President's Men," but it is a very important book. The two go together perfectly. (Also, the DVD "All the President's Men" is great.)

{2} The Senate Watergate Report, by the Ervin Committee: This is an outstanding book. And it is a blast to read.

Those who enjoy looking at the Middle East from the viewpoint of a top CIA intelligence analyst should love these two:

{A} Through Our Enemies' Eyes (Revised), by Michael Scheuer; and
{B} Imperial Hubris, also by Mr. Scheuer.
These are the two best books for studying the conflict between the "West" and radical Islam.

Another fun read is:

The Broken Branch, by Tom Mann and Norm Ornstein: A fair and balanced look at what is wrong with the Congress in recent times, including ideas on how to repair the damage.

[WiseButAngrySara]

32. Thanks for more suggestions! You're slowly filling up my

lost list...

Re: "I have found DU to be a great place for recommended readings." So have I! DU is a great place for everything!

[noise]

13. Very interesting book

Conservatives Without Conscience by John Dean.

Good study on authoritarianism. Helps one understand the dynamics between the Republican leadership and their base.

[WiseButAngrySara]

22. I've heard him discuss this book. He is brilliant, IMHO. ....n/t

[tenshi816]

25. A question first -

Are your friends and relatives Democrats or Republicans?

[WiseButAngrySara]

31. Mostly Dems, and they are the ones I'll be buying books/DVD's

for; their respective spouses can suffer in silence!

[terrya]

27. Frank Rich's superb book "The Greatest Story Ever Sold"

A must read, IMO. Will make a great Christmas gift.

http://www.amazon.com/Greatest-Story-Ever-Sold-Decline/dp/159420098X

[applegrove]

29. 'Assassin's Gate' for anyone interested in what went wrong in Iraq and

what it was like to be an Iraqi for the first two years of war.

'End of Poverty' for anyone interested in social justice.