Joined: Mon Oct 18, 2004 1:46 pm Posts: 90 Location: Chicago
Looking at what's on my bookshelf, and thinking back to what I've read over the last few years, I'm wondering what should be next on my list. Here are what I think are some of the best things (non-fiction, current events/sociology/history) I've read recently.
In no particular order:
Howard Zinn - People's History of the US
Ralph Nader- Crashing the Party
Eric Schlosser - Fast Food Nation
Jacob Riis - How the Other Half Lives
Katherine Newman - No Shame in My Game
Jonathan Kozol - Savage Inequalities, and Rachel & her Children
Alex Kotlowitz - There Are No Children Here
David Halberstam - The Fifties
One that I'm planning to add, once I get done with Fast Food Nation, is "In Sam We Trust", about Wal-Mart's attempt to conquer the world. What else should I check out?
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 12:35 am Posts: 1311 Location: Lexington
Jerrold M. Post - "Leaders and Followers in a Dangerous World: The Psychology of Political Behavior"
Will Cuppy - "The Decline and Fall of Practically Everybody"
Mark Twain - "On the Damned Human Race"
John S. Mill - "On Liberty"
Robert G. McCloskey - "The American Supreme Court"
_________________
punkdavid wrote:
Make sure to bring a bottle of vitriol. And wear a condom so you don't insinuate her.
Lies My Teacher Told Me : Everything Your American History Textbook Got Wrong
by James W. Loewen
I'm reading this now and it is really good. Here's what Howard Zinn had to say about it:
"Every teacher, every student of history, every citizen should read this book. It is both a refreshing antidote to what has passed as history in our educational system and a one volume education in itself."
_________________ "The smart way to keep people passive and obedient is to strictly limit the spectrum of acceptable opinion, but allow very lively debate within that spectrum." -Noam Chomsky
Post subject: Re: Must-reads for an informed citizen
Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2005 11:33 am
The Decider
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 1:38 am Posts: 5575 Location: Sydney, NSW
Green Habit wrote:
cantseemtoplaceit wrote:
Howard Zinn - People's History of the US
This one's next on my list.
Have you read "You Can't Be Neutral On A Moving Train"?
I'd read that first if you haven't.
Also... make sure you get the newer version of People's History which includes new chapters on the Clinton years and the 2000 election.
_________________
Jammer91 wrote:
If Soundgarden is perfectly fine with playing together with Tad Doyle on vocals, why the fuck is he wasting his life promoting the single worst album of all time? Holy shit, he has to be the stupidest motherfucker on earth.
Post subject: Re: Must-reads for an informed citizen
Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2005 11:55 am
The Decider
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 1:38 am Posts: 5575 Location: Sydney, NSW
Green Habit wrote:
shades-are-raised wrote:
Have you read "You Can't Be Neutral On A Moving Train"?
I'd read that first if you haven't.
I don't own that one, so no.
Ooh... well... you might just about get away with reading them in the other order.... just about
_________________
Jammer91 wrote:
If Soundgarden is perfectly fine with playing together with Tad Doyle on vocals, why the fuck is he wasting his life promoting the single worst album of all time? Holy shit, he has to be the stupidest motherfucker on earth.
Joined: Mon Oct 18, 2004 1:46 pm Posts: 90 Location: Chicago
I read that one (Nickel & Dimed) over Christmas - and I think No Shame in My Game, which is about basically the same thing, does a much better job. Ehrenreich didn't really try hard enough to live like the people she encountered - and every time the situation got difficult, she gave up. When she's writing about other people, she generally did a good job, but when it's about her own fictionally poor situation, she could've done a lot better.
[quote="JaneNY"]Alfie Kohn is great! I've read several of his. Great website too.
I'd add Nickel and Dimed in America - Barbara Erenreich.[/quote
Post subject: Re: Must-reads for an informed citizen
Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2005 3:27 pm
Force of Nature
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 5:57 pm Posts: 941 Location: Buffalo
cantseemtoplaceit wrote:
David Halberstam - The Fifties
This is definately a great book I'd recommend...
Someone mentioned The American Supreme Court by McCloskey which is great too...gives a good understanding of the distinct eras of the court.
The Bretheren (Woodward & Armstrong) is another good book on the Court...albiet a much lighter read.
The Elusive Quest for Growth (Easterly), Making Democracy Work (Putnam), Election Engineering (Norris), and The Ethnic Effect (Birnir) are all fairly insightful books on Comparative Politics that I'd recommend.
_________________ So we finish the 18th...And I say, 'Hey, Lama, how about a little something ,you know, for the effort.' And he says...when you die, on your deathbed, you will receive total consciousness.'
Joined: Mon Nov 22, 2004 6:40 pm Posts: 746 Location: Tampa
Boston's Gun Bible - Boston T. Party
Seemingly on the verge of paranoia, but it does have a lot of thought-provoking issues inside. Of course if you're not down on the 2nd Amendment then it's probably not for you.
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