Book club: NOMINATIONS CLOSING FRIDAY.

[crispini]

Ok, all, in the other thread, we've been figuring out how to run the book club. So we're going to accept nominations through Friday, then vote for a week. (Um, unless anyone wants to say that's a bad idea? & why? I don't wanna be all dictator-y here.)

IMPORTANT! at this point, we have too many books to put them all on the poll. POLLS ONLY ALLOW TEN CHOICES.

Therefore, the noms who have MORE PEOPLE SECONDING them will be more likely to make the list. So if you want to second somebody's nom, do it now. At this point it's looking like everything with a seconding will be accepted in the poll, but we might have to change that to acccept the one with three and two secondings if that happens.

WOOOO HOOO! We're on target for December I think.... :D


UPDATED NOM LISTS
Tesebria: Truth and Consequences: Seven who would not be silenced, by Greg Mitchell (available used at www.amazon.com, www.powells.com and www.abebooks.com ). Story of 7 whistleblowers - the good, bad and ugly. Just got this book - Studs Terkel gave glowing review.

Tesebria: What's the Matter with Kansas, by Thomas Frank
Because it's new and relevant
**Seconded by Crispini
**Seconded by OrwellWasRight
**Seconded by 48percenter

Tesebria: Charlie Wilsons r, by George Crile
Great book b/c it is funny, however horrifying, and very revealing about how government really (?!) works
**Seconded by crispini

Tesebria: Pakistan: In the Shadow of Jihad and Afghanistan,
by Mary Anne Weaver. Quick read, fascinating insights into both Pakistan and Afghanistan

Tesebria: The Silent Takeover: Global Capitalism and the Death of Democracy, by Noreena Hertz. Another book I just got on the strong recommendation of several friends. "Fast becoming the central text of the antiglobalization movement," according to Christian Science Monitor

mike6640: 'The Blind Watchmaker', by Dawkins
It is a thesis on evolution and the complexity of life, one step at a time. Dawkins does a pretty good job quoting and rebutting the 'creationist' arguments.
**seconded by Tesibria

OMG: Sy Hersh's new book
**seconded by Dem Bones Dem Bones

Dem Bones Dem Bones: Kevin Phillips's "American Dynasty" (about the Bushes)
**seconded by DebJ

Dem Bones Dem Bones: Richard Clark's "Against All Enemies"(about the screw ups, and the right things done by, four different American presidents that led us to our current situation)
**seconded by DebJ

Dem Bones Dem Bones: "Imperial Hubris" by Anonymous (about why the U.S. does not understand Osama bin Laden's motivations and why we will not succeed in establishing democracy in the tribal Islamic society of Afghanistan, or fare much better in Iraq.)
**seconded by DebJ
**Seconded by 48percenter

Dem Bones Dem Bones: "Iron Triangle" is a must read. It's about the Carlyle Group, as I recall.

crispini: George Lakoff's "Don't Think of an Elephant: Know Your Values and Frame the Debate" -- this book is great, very timely and practical. Short, an easy read, and very good if you're wondering about "framing." Howard Dean and John Kerry are both big fans of Lakoff. IMO this should be required reading for every candidate or anyone working on a campaign.
**Seconded by 48percenter

OrwellwasRight: Wealth & Democracy--Phillips

OrwellwasRight: Best Democracy Money Can Buy (Revised Edition)--Palast

OrwellwasRight: Downsizing Democracy--Crenson & Ginsberg

48percenter: Lakoff: Moral Politics

48percenter: Pete Petersen: Running On Empty - How The Democratic and Republican Parties Are Bankrupting Our Future and What Americans Can Do About It

48percenter: Lou Dobbs: Exporting America

48percenter: Metaphors We Live By, Lakoff, 1983

Fleurs du Mal: Freedom Evolves by Daniel Dennet
**seconded by Tangledog

[billyoc]

1. Late nomination ok?

Hegemony or Survival -- Noam Chomsky

An analysis of America's pursuit of total domination and the atastrophic consequences that are sure to follow.

[crispini]

4. Great, on the list! Well, it will be when I repost it.

Get someone to second it, otherwise it'll probably not make this round, since the poll only takes 10 choices.

[billyoc]

5. I appreciate your work, I love reading groups

no matter which book, the whole list is first rate. :hi:

[Tangledog]

2. I second Pete Petersen, Running on Empty

Respectfully submitted,

Tangledog (who is enjoying this dignified and orderly process; would that all discourse be so civil!)

[Eurobabe]

3. go crispini, you rock!

good job organizing. be the king (or queen?) for a day, and I say that because i don't know if you are a guy or gal. :)

[crispini]

7. Aw, thanks. (And I'm a girl.)

I just want people to chat with political books about! :D

[fishnfla]

6. I am interested in playing along

No nominations, will go along with the group. I lost my star until skinner gets my check (test post)

Edit to add: you can post without a star in here, you just cant start threads. Question from the other thread

[HuckleB]

8. I'll offer two nominations:

Confessions of an Economic Hit Man by John Perkins and Resurrecting Empire: Western Footprints and America's Perilous Path in the Middle East by Rashid Khalidi...

In my opinion, Resurrecting Empire, is the most history-based evaluation of administration policy around. It definitely should have gotten better coverage, and bigger sales. Much of what Khalidi informs us, remains outside the debate today, though the content is absolutely necessary to the debate.

Confessions is simply something that doesn't come along very often. This book should be required reading for every American. Period. Anyone who even begins to wonder why we are in Iraq, why we ousted Allende, why we foment uprisings against Chavez, and on and on and on can no longer wonder, once they have read this book. It's a first-hand account that leaves no question behind.

Just my two books and two cents.

[Dirty Hippie]

9. Will we know which book was chosen tomorrow?

I am OK with any choice.

(Also posting to see if my star shows up!)

[crispini]

10. No, the plan is to have a poll tomorrow

and let that run for awhile. (A week?)

IMO "Kansas" is the top fave, though, and likely to win.... :)

[Fleurs du Mal]

13. Frank'll be a good starter

but we need another as well. This should be a lot of fun.

[crispini]

11. NOMINATIONS WILL CLOSE TODAY AT MIDNIGHT C.S.T.

Which is perfectly arbitrary, I realize, but we have to cut them off somewhere.... and CST is in the middle. Well, sort of in the middle anyway. :)

[AP]

12. I strongly suggest taking a break from focusing on war and bush and that

people pick a book that looks at the bigger picture -- something about economic justice, perhaps or about neoliberalism.

I nominate: Twilight of Equality by Lisa Duggan.

[DemBones DemBones]

14. Good idea, AP. Widen our focus. nt

[rocktop15]

15. I pick Whats the matter with Kansas

BTW I am about done reading Noam Chomsky's new book "Hegemony or Survival" and it is excellent.

[crispini]

16. You need to go vote

in this thread if you haven't already...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=209x307