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Books

Ayatollah D'SouzaAyatollah D'Souza

By Katha Pollitt, The Nation. January 24, 2007.
Media and Technology: The right-winger's latest book has "The Vagina Monologues" and single moms bearing the brunt for 9/11.

The Zionist Dream is Becoming a NightmareThe Zionist Dream is Becoming a Nightmare

By Jerome Slater, Tikkun. January 24, 2007.
Media and Technology: A new book by a prominent Israel journalist chronicles the deterioration of the Israeli state since 2003.

My Beef With VegetarianismMy Beef With Vegetarianism

By Daniel Lazare, The Nation. January 22, 2007.
Is it defeatist to stick to a diet of tofu and sprouts? A new book covers four centuries of arguments for vegetarianism, from good health to fascist politics.

Does Media Reform Have a Chance in the Digital Age?Does Media Reform Have a Chance in the Digital Age?

By Don Hazen, AlterNet. January 11, 2007.
On the eve of the Media Reform Conference in Memphis, a new book by Jeffrey Chester documents the corporate media's behind-the-scenes efforts to transform our online media system into a powerful marketing machine. Media reformers and elected officials, please pay attention.

What Al Gore Hasn't Told You About Global WarmingWhat Al Gore Hasn't Told You About Global Warming

By David Morris, AlterNet. January 9, 2007.
Environment: George Monbiot's new book Heat picks up where Al Gore left off on global warming, offering real solutions without sugar-coating the large personal sacrifices they will require.

The Next Stage of CapitalismThe Next Stage of Capitalism

By David Morris, AlterNet. January 5, 2007.
In his new book Capitalism 3.0, Peter Barnes writes that the costs of our current capitalist system are clear: inequality, stressful lives and a dwindling financial safety net. But how do we revise such a complex system?

The Top Ten Most Popular Book Reviews  for 2006The Top Ten Most Popular Book Reviews for 2006

AlterNet. December 30, 2006.
One of the finest and most demanding forms of writing, here are the most popular book reviews from the year.

Jimmy Carter Speaks A Simple Truth About Palestinian ApartheidJimmy Carter Speaks A Simple Truth About Palestinian Apartheid

By Chris Hedges, The Nation. December 23, 2006.
There's nothing outrageous or bigoted about Jimmy Carter's book arguing that Palestinians are victims of apartheid, as critics are claiming. If anything, Carter mutes his case.

Sex Workers' Lit Ruined My Sex LifeSex Workers' Lit Ruined My Sex Life

By Anneli Rufus, AlterNet. December 16, 2006.
Sex and Relationships: A host of new books by authors who entered the sex trade and wrote about it make you not want to have intercourse again, ever, with anyone.

Suburbia: Running on Empty?Suburbia: Running on Empty?

By James Howard Kunstler, Salgamundi. December 14, 2006.
Environment: Robert Bruegmann argues in his new book that urban sprawl will continue because people like it, but reviewer James Howard Kunstler counters that the petro-dependent suburban era is just about finished.

Feminist Rebel Reveals Past of IncestFeminist Rebel Reveals Past of Incest

By Ruth Rosen, AlterNet. December 13, 2006.
Bettina Aptheker's memoir shows how she broke free from her father, the most famous Marxist historian in the United States -- and the man who molested her.

The Consequences of Damming Rivers in the Developing WorldThe Consequences of Damming Rivers in the Developing World

By Bill McKibben, OnEarth Magazine. December 8, 2006.
Environment: A review of author Jacques Leslie's new book, which lays bare the high environmental and social price that people in the developing world often pay for damming their rivers.

New Book Chronicles Japan's Spiritual CrisisNew Book Chronicles Japan's Spiritual Crisis

By Michael Sandlin, PopMatters. December 6, 2006.
Journalist Michael Zielenziger dove into the despair of Japan's youth, including modern-day hermits and suicide groups, to write "Shutting Out the Sun" about the country's "lost generation."

The Perfect Thing: How the iPod Shuffles Commerce, Culture, and CoolnessThe Perfect Thing: How the iPod Shuffles Commerce, Culture, and Coolness

By Joab Jackson, AlterNet. December 4, 2006.
Author Steve Levy explains the upsides and downsides of living with an iPod.

As Pensions and Health Care Benefits Shrink, Life Gets RiskierAs Pensions and Health Care Benefits Shrink, Life Gets Riskier

By David Moberg, In These Times. December 1, 2006.
As employers and governments cut back on pensions and health insurance, the burden of taking care of ourselves increasingly rests on our own shoulders.

Is Overachieving Bad for Girls?Is Overachieving Bad for Girls?

By Courtney E. Martin, AlterNet. November 16, 2006.
A new book praises hyper-achieving 'alpha girls.' But their behavior may be symptomatic of a larger trend in outwardly high-achieving and inwardly self-hating young women.

So You Think You Want to Impeach?So You Think You Want to Impeach?

By Tim Dickinson, Mother Jones. November 15, 2006.
There's little doubt that, both legally and morally, George W. Bush and Dick Cheney have earned an early retirement. But impeachment isn't a practical option.

Political Firebrands From Decades Past Still Burn HotPolitical Firebrands From Decades Past Still Burn Hot

By Anneli Rufus, AlterNet. November 11, 2006.
From Gore Vidal to former Black Panther Flores Forbes, we rely on our golden-age dissidents to write the most stinging critiques of American society.

How Close to Catastrophe?How Close to Catastrophe?

By Bill McKibben, The New York Review of Books and TomDispatch. November 4, 2006.
Environment: Several new books explore technological innovations and the need for radical lifestyle overhaul in the race against time to save the planet.

Not the President's Men: Frank Rich and I.F. Stone's Fight Against PropagandaNot the President's Men: Frank Rich and I.F. Stone's Fight Against Propaganda

By John Powers, The Nation. October 28, 2006.
Media and Technology: A review of Frank Rich's The Greatest Story Ever Sold and two books on I.F. Stone show how media politics have become about repeating the same few things until they seem inevitable, especially if they aren't true.

Bush's Petro-Cartel Almost Has Iraq's OilBush's Petro-Cartel Almost Has Iraq's Oil

By Joshua Holland, AlterNet. October 16, 2006.
World: Even as Iraq verges on splintering into a sectarian civil war, four big oil companies are on the verge of locking up its massive, profitable reserves, known to everyone in the petroleum industry as "the prize."

Kill the Messenger: The Tragic Life of Gary WebbKill the Messenger: The Tragic Life of Gary Webb

By Doug Ireland, In These Times. October 13, 2006.
Media and Technology: Gary Webb, the legendary journalist who scooped the big papers and found himself punished for it, teaches the lesson that it's often dangerous to speak truth to power.

We Don't All Have to Be WorkaholicsWe Don't All Have to Be Workaholics

By Anneli Rufus, AlterNet. October 13, 2006.
Corporate Accountability and WorkPlace: In such troubled times, shouldn't those of us who can choose our work choose a job that, at worst, doesn't harm anyone and, at best, makes the world a better place?

Racist Screed Is Flying Off the ShelvesRacist Screed Is Flying Off the Shelves

By Alexander Zaitchik, SPLC Intelligence Report. October 9, 2006.
Media and Technology: Pat Buchanan's latest book is a white nationalist rant -- but that hasn't stopped it from climbing the best-seller charts.

Will They Ever Stop 'Hijacking' Jesus?Will They Ever Stop 'Hijacking' Jesus?

By Charles Demers, The Tyee. October 7, 2006.
Media and Technology: A new book argues the right distorts Christianity. But who doesn't?

Justice for A Genocide, in Book FormJustice for A Genocide, in Book Form

By John Dolan, The eXile. September 30, 2006.
Media and Technology: A decade after the 'lessons learned' of World War II, British colonizers slaughtered at least 300,000 in Kenya. Only now has the first serious history been published detailing the crimes.

Enough With the 'One God' Stuff

By James Foley, AlterNet. September 23, 2006.
In the world today, one ancient religious ideology, monotheism, stands out as especially dangerous, repressive and loony.

A Sort of Homecoming

By Hazel Rowley, The Nation. September 18, 2006.
At least 12 million people from Africa were loaded into slave ships and transported to the Americas. How do people of African descent see their relationship to their ancestral home?

Business is Boomin' for Dead PeopleBusiness is Boomin' for Dead People

By Mikita Brottman, PopMatters. September 18, 2006.
Media and Technology: In the macabre but oddly mundane business of funeral services, Americans are reinventing the rites of dying.

Why Do We Love Being Shocked and Disgusted?

By Anneli Rufus, AlterNet. September 15, 2006.
Media and Technology: The appetite for blood porn, zombie flicks and sicko sideshows in America is endless. Is capitalism to blame, or is it a natural extension of a free society?

Tavis Smiley: America's Next Media MogulTavis Smiley: America's Next Media Mogul

By Amy Alexander, The Nation. September 7, 2006.
Media and Technology: Tavis Smiley has a bestselling book, a popular website and successful talk shows. What's next for this "modern-day cross between Marcus Garvey and Martin Luther King Jr."?

In Love With OurselvesIn Love With Ourselves

By Silja J.A. Talvi, In These Times. August 15, 2006.
Media and Technology: American culture is full of narcissists of all shapes and stripes -- George W. Bush, Rush Limbaugh, Paris Hilton and any number of other public figures leap to mind.

There's No Such Thing As Eco-TourismThere's No Such Thing As Eco-Tourism

By Anneli Rufus, AlterNet. August 14, 2006.
Tourism in the post-9/11, post-colonial era remains a minefield of moral issues -- and living as a sin-free travel writer is damn near impossible.

Not Your Grandfather's History BookNot Your Grandfather's History Book

By ZP Heller, AlterNet. August 1, 2006.
A new anthology of fiction lampoons our country's most iconic moments, and reveals the truth about our current political climate.

America's 100 Years of Overthrow

By Robert Sherrill, Texas Observer. July 25, 2006.
ForeignPolicy: The US is addicted to overthrowing foreign governments -- 14 in the past century -- from Cuba to Chile to Iran.

What to Read While the Cradle of Civilization BurnsWhat to Read While the Cradle of Civilization Burns

By Deborah Campbell, The Tyee. July 22, 2006.
World: Books that will give you the history and context of the Middle East that the media refuses to provide.

George Lakoff's Freedom Frame

By Glenn W. Smith, AlterNet. July 18, 2006.
The author of 'Moral Politics' says the battle to define freedom is being fought by warriors with radically different world views.

True Tales of Modern-Day SlavesTrue Tales of Modern-Day Slaves

By Anneli Rufus, AlterNet. July 11, 2006.
Despite the Civil War, slavery hasn't gone away. Three writers consider what life is like for the more than 27 million people on Earth who don't even own themselves.

Yay, Yay for USA!

By John Dolan, The eXile. July 5, 2006.
Yale professor John Lewis Gaddis engages in a torrent of patriotic self-congratulation in his new book about the Cold War.

Overthrow, Over and Over

By Laura S. Washington, In These Times. June 27, 2006.
Media and Technology: An unnerving new book takes a close look at America's long, dark history of imperialism.