Civics and citizenship Books

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Book SynopsisAlexandra Hudson, daughter of the Manners Lady, was raised to respect others. But as she grew up, Hudson discovered a difference between politenessa superficial appearance of good mannersand true civility. In this timely book, Hudson sheds light on how civility can help bridge our political divide.From classical philosophers like Epictetus, to great twentieth-century thinkers like Martin Luther King Jr., to her own experience working in the federal government during one of the most politically fraught eras in our nation''s history, Hudson examines how civilitya respect for the personhood and dignity of otherstranscends political disagreements. Respecting someone means valuing them enough to tell them when you think they are wrong.It's easy to look at the divided state of the world and blame our leaders, the media, or our education system. Instead, we should focus on what we can control: ourselves. The Soul of Civility empowers readers to live tolerantly with o

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Book SynopsisAn impassioned, incisive look at the violations of civil liberties in the United States that have accelerated over the past decade—and their direct impact on our lives.How have our rights to privacy and justice been undermined? What exactly have we lost? Pulitzer Prize–winner David K. Shipler searches for the answers to these questions by traveling the midnight streets of dangerous neighborhoods with police, listening to traumatized victims of secret surveillance, and digging into dubious terrorism prosecutions. The law comes to life in these pages, where the compelling stories of individual men and women illuminate the broad array of government’s powers to intrude into personal lives. Examining the historical expansion and contraction of fundamental liberties in America, this is the account of what has been taken—and of how much we stand to regain by protesting the departures from the Bill of Rights. And, in Shipler’s hands, each person&

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Book SynopsisTable of ContentsPreface 1 Background and History Introduction: Civil Liberties in the United States U.S. Founding Documents The Declaration of Independence The Articles of Confederation The U.S. Constitution The Bill of Rights The First Amendment and Freedom of Speech Debating Freedom of Speech Court Rulings on Free Speech Academic Freedom and Campus Free Speech Conclusion Further Reading 2 Problems, Controversies, and Solutions Introduction Campus Climate Regarding Free Speech Civic Engagement Initiatives on Campus Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Initiatives on Campus Challenges of Promoting Free Speech on Campus Controversies Regarding Free Speech on Campus Case Study: Chapman University Controversies Regarding Academic Freedom Solutions/Best Practices for Promoting Free Speech Conclusion Further Reading 3 Perspectives Introduction Campus Free Speech: Keep Your Head Down and Don’t Say a Word? Sentwali Bakari Free Speech and the Value of the Sidewalk Provocateur Kathryn Cavins Tull Promoting a “Statement of Community Values” Eva Chatterjee-Sutton Thoughts from the Front Lines of the Campus Free Speech Struggle Matthew J. Dickinson Is There a Free Speech Crisis? David A. Dulio Student Affairs and the Free Speech Debate on Campus Kevin Kruger Talking Politics: Teaching Democracy by Teaching Political Discussion Elizabeth C. Matto Framing Controversies over Free Speech and Academic Freedom in the University Setting Kenneth R. Mayer and Howard Schweber 4 Profiles Introduction Organizations American Association of University Professors American Civil Liberties Union American College Personnel Association American Council on Education American Political Science Association Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression Heterodox Academy National Association of Scholars National Association of Student Personnel Administrators University of California at Berkeley University of Chicago U.S. Supreme Court People John Dewey Jonathan Haidt Shaun R. Harper Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. Thomas Jefferson Greg Lukianoff James Madison Alexander Meiklejohn John Stuart Mill Mario Savio Further Reading 5 Data and Documents Introduction Data Public Opinion Polling on Campus Free Speech Table 5.1. Rise in Acceptance of Opposing Free Speech on Campus Table 5.2. Is America’s Higher Education System Going in the Right Direction? Table 5.3. Reasons Cited by People Who Believe American Higher Education Is Going in the Wrong Direction U.S. Supreme Court Decisions Pertaining to Free Speech U.S. Supreme Court Cases: Campus Free Speech and Academic Freedom Documents Constitutional Provisions Excerpt from John Stuart Mill, On Liberty, 1859 Excerpt from John Dewey, Democracy and Education, 1916 Alien and Sedition Acts (1798) Espionage and Sedition Acts (1917 and 1918) Schenck v. United States (1919) Sweezy v. New Hampshire (1957) Healy v. James (1972) Senators Stake Out Differing Positions on Hate Speech and Free Speech on Campus Challenging Colleges to Face Racism on Campus 6 Resources Introduction Books Scholarly Journals Other Publications Online Resources 7 Chronology Glossary Index

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Book SynopsisAs a young, black, MIT-educated social scientist, Marsha Coleman-Adebayo landed her dream job at the EPA, working with Al Gore’s special commission to assist postapartheid South Africa. But when she tried to get the government to investigate allegations that a multinational corporation was responsible for the deaths of hundreds of South Africans mining vanadium—a vital strategic mineral—the agency stonewalled. Coleman-Adebayo blew the whistle.How could she know that the liberal agency would use every racist and sexist trick in their playbook in retaliation? The EPA endangered her family and sacrificed more lives in the vanadium mines of South Africa—but her fight against this injustice also brought about an upwelling of support from others in the federal bureaucracy who were fed up with its crushing repression.Upon prevailing in court, Coleman-Adebayo organized a grassroots struggle to bring protection to all federal employees facing discrimination and retribution from the government. The No FEAR Coalition that she organized waged a two-year-long battle with Congress over the need to protect whistleblowers—culminating in the passage of the first civil rights and whistleblower law of the 21st century. This book is her harrowing and inspiring story.Trade Review"Intensely gripping. . . . Dr. Marsha Coleman-Adebayo's story refuses to leave the reader's memory. She is a cool force of nature whose example teaches how to stand down fear and victoriously stand up for what is right. More will be right when others join her." --Ralph Nader"A remarkable book: absolute must reading for anyone who cares about civil rights, whistleblowers, and justice." --Stephen M. Kohn, executive director, National Whistleblowers Center"A taut legal thriller...Marsha Coleman-Adebayo's memoir No Fear had me hooked from the first lines." -- Essence"Marsha Coleman-Adebayo's account of cowardice and betrayal at the EPA demonstrates that heroines like herself are indeed necessary. . . . The same agency that facilitated the poisoning of miners and their families in South Africa allows its own citizens to sicken and die for the sake of corporate profits. Do not ask for whom the whistle blows--it blows for all of us." --Glen Ford, executive editor, Black Agenda Report"Dr. Coleman-Adebayo presents the public a trenchant critique of how the US government too often not only turns a blind eye, but also enables the worst kinds of human rights practices by its multinational corporations abroad. Her unique insider position and her principled commitment were what made her dangerous to the federal bureaucracy. Thankfully, she did not give up. This book is a must-read if you're concerned with government accountability and want a rare inside look at the toll willful government negligence can take on individuals, families, and communities." --Danielle Brian, president, Project on Government Oversight (POGO)"Marsha's insider's account, told with startling clarity, is a call to action. Her courageous accomplishments, especially with the No FEAR legislation and Coalition, have helped to fortify and protect those who take up that call." --Dr. Willard R. Johnson, MIT professor emeritus of political science"Marsha Coleman-Adebayo clearly and engagingly tells us Americans a truth that we might not want to hear but should." --Dal LaMagna, author of Raising Eyebrows: A Failed Entrepreneur Finally Gets It Right"This is an inspiring and worthwhile trek through one woman's brave battle against a system favoring the powerful." -- Kirkus Reviews

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Book SynopsisUnfinished Agenda offers an inside look at the Black Power Movement that emerged during the Civil Rights Movement of the sixties. A political memoir that teaches grass-roots politics and inspires organizing for real change in the Age of Obama, this book will appeal to readers of black history, Occupy Wall Street organizers, and armchair political advocates. Based on notes, interviews, and articles from the 1950s to present day, Junius Williams's inspiring memoir describes his journey from young black boy facing prejudice in the 1950s segregated South to his climb to community and political power as a black lawyer in the 1970s and 80s in Newark, New Jersey. Accompanied by twenty-two compelling photographs highlighting key life events, Unfinished Agenda chronicles the turbulent times during the Civil Rights Movement and Williams's participation every step of the way including his experiences on the front lines of racial riots in Newark and the historic riot in Montgomery, Alabama with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Williams speaks of his many opportunities and experiences--beginning with his education at Amherst College and Yale Law School, his travel to Uganda and Kenya, and working in Harlem. His passion for fighting racism ultimately led him to many years of service in politics in Newark, New Jersey as a community organizer and leader. Williams advocates for renewed community organizing and voting for a progressive party to carry out the Unfinished Agenda the Black Power Movement outlined in America during the 60s and early 70s for empowerment of the people.

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Book SynopsisIncludes the torture photographs in color and the full texts of the secret administration memos on torture and the investigative reports on the abuses at Abu Ghraib. In the spring of 2004, graphic photographs of Iraqi prisoners being tortured by American soldiers in Baghdad''s Abu Ghraib prison flashed around the world, provoking outraged debate. Did they depict the rogue behavior of 'a few bad apples'? Or did they in fact reveal that the US government had decided to use brutal tactics in the 'war on terror'?The images are shocking, but they do not tell the whole story. The abuses at Abu Ghraib were not isolated incidents but the result of a chain of deliberate decisions and failures of command. To understand how 'Hooded Man' and 'Leashed Man' could have happened, Mark Danner turns to the documents that are collected for the first time in this book.These documents include secret government memos, some never before published, that portray a fierce argument within the Bush administration over whether al-Qaeda and Taliban prisoners were protected by the Geneva Conventions and how far the US could go in interrogating them. There are also official reports on abuses at Abu Ghraib by the International Committee of the Red Cross, by US Army investigators, and by an independent panel chaired by former defense secretary James R. Schlesinger. In sifting this evidence, Danner traces the path by which harsh methods of interrogation approved for suspected terrorists in Afghanistan and Guant‡namo 'migrated' to Iraq as resistance to the US occupation grew and US casualties mounted.Yet as Mark Danner writes, the real scandal here is political: it 'is not about revelation or disclosure but about the failure, once wrongdoing is disclosed, of politicians, officials, the press, and, ultimately, citizens to act.' For once we know the story the photos and documents tell, we are left with the questions they pose for our democratic society: Does fighting a 'new kind of war' on terror justify torture? Who will we hold responsible for deciding to pursue such a policy, and what will be the moral and political costs to the country?

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Book SynopsisNational Book Critics Circle Award FinalistCalifornia Book Award Winner"The Crusades of Cesar Chavez is a biography for readers who find real human beings more compelling than icons." --Los Angeles TimesCesar Chavez founded a labor union, launched a movement, and inspired a generation. He rose from migrant worker to icon, becoming one of the great leaders of the twentieth century. Two decades after his death, Chavez remains the most significant Latino figure in U.S. history. Yet his life story has been told only in hagiography--until now. In the first comprehensive biography of Chavez, Miriam Pawel offers a searching yet empathetic portrayal. Chavez emerges here as a visionary whose eyes were fixed on a horizon others often could not even see. He was a brilliant strategist who sometimes stumbled, and a streetwise organizer whose pragmatism was often at odds with his soaring dreams. Drawing on thousands of documents, hundreds of hours of audiotape, and scores of interviews, this superbly written life deepens our understanding of one of Chavez's most salient qualities: his profound humanity. Pawel traces Chavez's rise as he empowered the poor and disenfranchised and led farmworkers to historic victories over the agriculture industry. With compassion and compelling detail, she narrates the equally dramatic later years when Chavez's charismatic leadership devolved into a cult of personality, with heartbreaking consequences for his union. The Crusades of Cesar Chavez reveals how this unlikely American hero ignited one of the great social movements of our time--and left a legacy that resonates today, from California to the White House.

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Book SynopsisA leader in the successful fight for woman suffrage in Texas, Jane Yelvington McCallum (1878–1957) left an absorbing written record of an exceptionally productive life. McCallum was a wife, mother, and clubwoman; unlike most, she was also a suffrage leader, lobbyist, journalist, publicist, Democratic Party worker, and secretary of state.A Texas Suffragist brings to print two of Jane McCallum’s most important unpublished diaries, which cover the period from October 1916 through December 1919. They chronicle the struggle of Texas suffragists to win the vote from the viewpoint of one of the movement’s most active participants, and provide insight into a range of progressive causes—including prohibition, honest government, and the independence and integrity of the University of Texas—that women reformers supported in the World War I era.Editor Janet G. Humphrey has supplemented McCallum’s diaries with a selection of her letters, autobiographical fragments, and sketches that help round out the story of her personal and public life through 1919.

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Book SynopsisEvery major decision governing our diverse, majority-female, and increasingly liberal country bears the stamp of the United States Senate, an institution controlled by people who are almost exclusively white, overwhelmingly male, and disproportionately conservative. Although they do not represent a majority of Americans—and will not for the foreseeable future—today’s Republican senators possess the power to block most legislation. Once known as “the world’s greatest deliberative body,” the Senate has become one of the greatest threats to our democracy. How did this happen? In Kill Switch, Senate insider Adam Jentleson contends that far from reflecting the Framers’ vision, the Senate has been transformed over the decades by a tenacious minority of white conservatives. From John Calhoun in the mid-1800s to Mitch McConnell in the 2010s, their primary weapon has been the filibuster, or the requirement that most legislation secure the support of a supermajority of senators. Yet, as Jentleson reveals, the filibuster was not a feature of the original Senate and, in allowing a determined minority to gridlock the federal government, runs utterly counter to the Framers’ intent. For much of its history, the filibuster was used primarily to prevent civil rights legislation from becoming law. But more recently, Republicans have refined it into a tool for imposing their will on all issues, wielding it to thwart an increasingly progressive American majority represented by Barack Obama’s agenda and appointees. Under Donald Trump, McConnell merged the filibuster with rigid leadership structures initially forged by Lyndon Johnson, in the process surrendering the Senate’s independence and centrality, as infamously shown by its acquiescence in Trump’s impeachment trial. The result is a failed institution and a crippled democracy. Taking us into the Capitol Hill backrooms where the institution’s decline is most evident, Jentleson shows that many of the greatest challenges of our era—partisan polarization, dark money, a media culture built on manufactured outrage—converge within the Senate. Even as he charts the larger forces that have shaped the institution where he served, Jentleson offers incisive portraits of the powerful senators who laid the foundation for the modern Senate, from Calhoun to McConnell to LBJ’s mentor, Richard Russell, to the unapologetic racist Jesse Helms. An essential, revelatory investigation, Kill Switch ultimately makes clear that unless we immediately and drastically reform the Senate’s rules and practices—starting with reforming the filibuster—we face the prospect of permanent minority rule in America.Trade Review"Adam Jentleson’s Kill Switch is the most exquisitely timed book I’ve encountered in years. Jentleson’s explanation of the filibuster’s ignominious roots, and of the mendacious arguments made today by its defenders, is careful and thorough and exacting. Every senator should be forced to read it and then reread it." -- Michael Tomasky - New York Review of Books"[An] excellent, surprising new book . . . Jentleson is knowledgeable and adept, offering an account of increasingly flagrant obstruction that culminates in the age of McConnell." -- Benjamin Wallace-Wells - The New Yorker"An impeccably timed book. . . . In Kill Switch, Jentleson explains how ‘the world’s greatest deliberative body’ has come to carry out its work without much greatness or even deliberation, serving instead as a place where ambitious legislation goes to die. . . . [Jentleson’s] intimacy with the Senate turns out to be his book’s greatest strength. Jentleson understands the inner workings of the institution, down to the most granular details, showing precisely how arcane procedural rules can be leveraged to dramatic effect." -- Jennifer Szalai - New York Times"[L]eading Democrats, including Reid and former president Barack Obama, are pressing for a sweeping rehab of the “home” Biden has found so comfortable. Kill Switch: The Rise of the Modern Senate and the Crippling of American Democracy, a new book by Adam Jentleson, makes for a powerful brief on their behalf… a compelling read." -- Kathy Kiely - Washington Post"[A]n important new book… Adam Jentleson offers a harrowing portrait of how anti-majoritarian dysfunction has paralyzed the U.S. Senate… he writes with an insider’s knowledge… As the Senate has deviated further and further from majoritarian norms, the House and the state legislatures have followed. Among the great merits of Jentleson’s Kill Switch is that it reminds us how recent this trend is." -- David Frum - The Atlantic"[P]erfectly timed… authoritative and well-documented." -- Lloyd Green - The Guardian"[A] powerful historical account." -- Julian Zelizer - CNN.com"[C]harts the rise and repeated mutations of the filibuster… Jentleson assesses the chamber without the institutional nostalgia that tends to infect its alumni. He ably punctures the propaganda its advocates created to defend it (primarily a tool to allow the South from being outnumbered in Congress by the North, first on slavery, and later on civil rights)." -- Jonathan Chait - New York"[A] well-crafted call for reform… lively and effective… enlivened with war stories… Jentleson’s point in retelling the history is to drive a truck through defenders’ two leading talking points. First, the filibuster was never about the principle of unlimited debate. That was always a fig leaf for minority power. Second, its effects are not symmetric; no reason to cool it on reform because the shoe will eventually be on the other foot. Democrats want more from the federal government and need legislation to enact it." -- Daniel Schlozman - n+1"Informative and timely... A startling read that will provoke tough questions about governance, this is highly recommended to all interested in government reform." -- Library Journal, starred review"Engrossing... Jentleson skillfully clarifies many arcane legislative procedures and brings a wide range of historical episodes to vivid life. Readers will be galvanized to make the issue of Senate reform a priority." -- Publishers Weekly, starred review"In Kill Switch, Adam Jentleson has created both an essential portrait of a Senate—and a political system—in crisis, as well as a crystal-clear analysis of how to save it. Combining prodigious research with the experience of serving at the right hand of Harry Reid, this is a necessary book for understanding why the Senate has become the key impediment to governance in America. Every member of the US Senate should read it, and so should the rest of us." -- Ezra Klein, New York Times bestselling author of Why We’re Polarized"Kill Switch is a damning account of how a tool honed to maintain white supremacy has come to cost us all. After reading Jentleson's book, you'll understand why President Obama called the filibuster a Jim Crow relic, and you'll want to join the movement to end it, for the sake of our economy, our democracy, and our planet." -- Heather McGhee, author of The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together"Adam Jentleson is a creature of the Senate and no one understands it better than he does. This iconic American institution has been severely damaged by feckless Republican senators who kowtow to every erratic action of Donald Trump. Jentleson understands restoring the Senate to the Framer’s vision as an exceptionally strong deliberative body is essential to restoring our democracy." -- Harry Reid, former U.S. Senator and Senate Majority Leader"The Senate is now profoundly rigged, with rules that make it easy to pass tax cuts for the rich and to pack the courts for the powerful, but allow the minority party to block bills to assist ordinary families. The Senate is now the graveyard for bills to improve health care, housing, education, worker rights, or to tackle issues like criminal justice, immigration, gun safety, or climate chaos. The biggest culprit of this corrupted, paralyzed Senate is the filibuster, which was born out of the determination of white, wealthy, privileged interests to block civil rights for minority Americans. If you want to understand the Senate’s descent, and its potential path back to relevance, and how vital that path is to restoring a government ‘of, by, and for the people,’ then this book is essential reading." -- Senator Jeff Merkley"[A] must-read." -- Anand Giridharadas, bestselling author of Winners Take All"The Senate is the epicenter of American political dysfunction: the place where ideas with broad support are sent to die while those backed by plutocrats and extremists are set into law. In this analytically rich yet highly readable insider account, Adam Jentleson shows why today’s undemocratic Senate is an affront to the Framers’ vision—and how we can fix it." -- Jacob Hacker, best-selling coauthor of Let Them Eat Tweets and Winner-Take-All Politics"A provocative portrait of a dysfunctional—by design, it seems—U.S. Senate.... The Senate has been in a long state of decline, writes Jentleson, public affairs director at Democracy Forward and former deputy chief of staff to Sen. Harry Reid.... An astute and maddening account of a broken institution and, in turn, a broken democracy." -- Kirkus Reviews

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Book SynopsisA New York Times Book Review New and Noteworthy Book This collection of 19 essays on democracy, equal justice, and citizenship “exhorts Americans to love the nation they have by becoming the nation they want” (The Washington Post). What does it mean to be an engaged American in today’s divided political landscape, and how do we restore hope in our country? In a collection of “civic sermons” delivered at gatherings around the nation, popular advocate for active citizenship Eric Liu takes on these thorny questions and provides inspiration and solace in a time of anger, fear, and dismay over the state of the Union. Here are 19 stirring explorations of current and timeless topics about democracy, liberty, equal justice, and powerful citizenship. This book will energize you to get involved, in ways both large and small, to help rebuild a country that you’re proud to call home. Become America will challenge you to rehumanize our politics and rekindle a spirit of love in civic life.Trade Review“Eric Liu writes with deep patriotism and bracing candor about history and our own hearts. This powerful book will remind Americans how to live like citizens capable of keeping a republic. It’s a very needed book for our times and an inspirational one as well.” —Walter Isaacson, author of Steve Jobs“[This] collection is like a penetrating time-lapse movie of the American mind...[Liu's] great contribution is to show how to mix conviction on racial matters with humility and gentleness. Moreover, he is always pushing toward an American creed that moves beyond both the white monoculture and the fracturing multiculturalism. He is always pushing toward a national story large enough to contain all the hybrid voices.”—David Brooks, The New York Times“The conceptually most important part of Liu’s new book [Become America] is its forthright argument that active citizenship should be a civic religion...Many of the sermons [within] address specifics of how to convert a hazy concern about civic engagement to feasible to-do goals for the next day or week or year.”—The Atlantic“This inspirational guide will speak to readers looking for encouragement and a path to meaningful civic engagement.” —Publishers Weekly“With great generosity and hope, Become America calls forward our history to point to our expansive potential as civic beings. This is a work of tremendous grace, love, and reach as it crosses boundaries to illuminate our shared humanity.”—Claudia Rankine, author of Citizen: An American Lyric“Eric Liu has a rare gift for decoding the texts and subtexts of our politics and history. Become America is a wise, deep, and beautifully written look at the American civic soul.” —Henry Louis Gates Jr., Harvard professor and host of Finding Your Roots on PBS “This collection of essays exhorts Americans to love the nation they have by becoming the nation they want.”—The Washington Post“There is a fundamental decency at the core of the sermons, an impulse to call us to our best selves, both individually and collectively.”—Los Angeles Review of Books“[T]here has been, across the country, a disinvestment in civic education, which is why [Eric] Liu started Citizen University, a program that travels the country teaching people of all ages the lost art of civics.” —CBS Sunday Morning

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Book SynopsisA fresh argument for rioting and looting as our most powerful tools for dismantling white supremacy. Looting -- a crowd of people publicly, openly, and directly seizing goods -- is one of the more extreme actions that can take place in the midst of social unrest. Even self-identified radicals distance themselves from looters, fearing that violent tactics reflect badly on the broader movement.But Vicky Osterweil argues that stealing goods and destroying property are direct, pragmatic strategies of wealth redistribution and improving life for the working class -- not to mention the brazen messages these methods send to the police and the state. All our beliefs about the innate righteousness of property and ownership, Osterweil explains, are built on the history of anti-Black, anti-Indigenous oppression.From slave revolts to labor strikes to the modern-day movements for climate change, Black lives, and police abolition, Osterweil makes a convincing case for rioting and looting as weapons that bludgeon the status quo while uplifting the poor and marginalized. In Defense of Looting is a history of violent protest sparking social change, a compelling reframing of revolutionary activism, and a practical vision for a dramatically restructured society.

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Book SynopsisPolitical theorist Michael Walzer''s classic guide is a perfect introduction to social activism, including what-to-do advice for deciding which issues to take on, organizing, fundraising, and providing effective leadershipPolitical Action is a how-to book for activists that was written at one of the darkest moments of the Nixon administration and remains no less timely and intelligent and useful today. Michael Walzer draws on his extensive engagement in the civil rights and antiwar movements of the 1960s to lay out the practical steps necessary to keep movement politics alive both in victory and in defeat. What do people need to do when out of outrage or fear of looming disaster they come together to demand change? Should they focus on one or several issues? Should they form coalitions? What can and can’t be accomplished through electoral politics? How can movements operate democratically? What is effective leadership? Walzer addresses such questions with clarity, concision, wisdom, and wit in a book that everywhere insists not only on the centrality of movement politics to the health of democratic societies but on the deep satisfaction that is to be found there. Political Action is both an indispensable resource for activists and a lasting and inspiring summons to arms.

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Book SynopsisThroughout human history, great and free nations have been built on noble dreams. Recently, in some once promising nations, dreams of betterment and possibility, have been effectively compromised. The current political landscape, featuring cold partisan interest, calculated distraction, divisive fear mongering, negativity, and voter disillusionment, has enabled a perfect storm of toxic dysfunction. To make matters worse, personal integrity and accountability have become almost non-existent in political leaders. In such an environment, dreams of social, economic and ecological justice can easily be thwarted. Progress can become much more selective, favouring power and privilege. This handbook integrates critical thinking and media literacy to refocus democratic dreams on more constructive collective pursuits, to re-energize dreamers, and to help hold elected leaders more accountable for their actions and omissions. It is important to speak truth to power, and justice to privilege, in order to empower dreamers

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Book SynopsisIncluding material and photographs not included in most of the 100 other books about the champion, Ishmael Reed's The Complete Muhammad Ali is more than just a biography - it is a fascinating portrait of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st. An honest, balanced portrayal of Ali, the book includes voices that have been omitted from other books. It charts Ali's evolution from Black Nationalism to a universalism, but does not discount the Nation of Islam and Black Nationalism's important influence on his intellectual development. Filipino American author Emil Guillermo speaks about how The Thrilla In Manila brought the Philippines into the 20th century. Fans of Muhammad Ali, boxing fans, and those interested in modern African American history and the Nation of Islam will be fascinated by this biography by an accomplished American author.Trade ReviewIn The Complete Muhammad Ali, Ishmael Reed reveals fresh information and dozens of new ideas about a subject whose meaning has become increasingly difficult to tap. This book is definitely worth your time." —Michael Ezra, author, Muhammad Ali: The Making of an Icon"The pre-eminent African American novelist, essayist, and poet Ishmael Reed's latest book, The Complete Muhammad Ali, stands as one of Reed's most important projects to date . . . if you want to engage with the spirit of the man [Ali] in his time, and get punched by the prose of one of our greatest living writers, The Complete Muhammad Ali is the book for you." —Brian Flota, thehairsplitter.com"This expansive masterpiece . . . There are so many new revelations about Elijah Muhammad, Muhammad Ali, the Nation of Islam, and Black Nationalism to praise The Complete Muhammad Ali about. Suffice it to say that Reed's book is a masterful contribution to our understanding and appreciation of the legacy of Muhammad Ali, Elijah Muhammad, the Nation of Islam, Black Nationalism, and what it means to be a black athlete or sports person in America." —Pierre-Damien Mvuyekure, Professor, Department of Languages and Literature, Northern Iowa University; counterpunch.org

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Book SynopsisIn the fall of 2011, a small protest camp in downtown Manhattan exploded into a global uprising, sparked in part by the violent overreactions of the police. An unofficial record of this movement, Occupy! combines adrenalin-fueled first-hand accounts of the early days and weeks of Occupy Wall Street with contentious debates and thoughtful reflections, featuring the editors and writers of the celebrated n+1, as well as some of the world's leading radical thinkers, such as Slavoj Zizek, Angela Davis, and Rebecca Solnit.The book conveys the intense excitement of those present at the birth of a counterculture, while providing the movement with a serious platform for debating goals, demands, and tactics. Articles address the history of the "horizontalist" structure at OWS; how to keep a live-in going when there is a giant mountain of laundry building up; how very rich the very rich have become; the messages and meaning of the "We are the 99%" tumblr website; occupations in Oakland, Boston, Atlanta, and elsewhere; what happens next; and much more.Trade ReviewOccupy! abounds with insights on how the occupiers have dealt with internal challenges to their experiment in direct democracy. -- Andrew Ross * Guardian *Both analytical and full of vivid experience ... These blog-style pieces are interspersed with more substantive writings, which are the true strength of the collection ... but most interesting are those by lesser-known writers who bring us vivid historical analyses of various aspects of the occupations. -- Michael Sayeau * Observer *Unlike most quickie publications, the book is gorgeous, a testament to beautiful book design ... the essays are thoughtful pieces of first-person reportage. [A] clear-eyed and sober examination of the dream world that we created this fall, along with a few brief, tentative explorations of what it will become in the future. It's also an excellent proof-of-concept for speedily published book-length journalism that does work blogs and newspapers simply can't do. This is not some dashed-off smear of a money-making scheme; I recommend it heartily. -- Paul Constant * The Stranger *A heart warming anthology of the voices involved in this surprising grass roots movement. -- Robert Birnbaum * Our Man in Boston *Occupy!, an anthology from the occasional Occupy Gazette published by n+1, includes ... a lovely piece on the difficulties of organising an occupation's laundry, which works as a handy metaphor for some of the movement's larger challenges. * The Economist *

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Book SynopsisA handbook for anyone who wants to learn about how to be active in local, state, and federal government, The Citizen Lobbyist shows how to have a voice in creating public policy. More citizen involvement is needed in our government processes to ensure the voices of the people are heard over the money of paid lobbyists, unions, and coalitions, both in Washington, DC, and in state capitals across the country. All too often, public officials seem removed from the people who hired them to be their representatives and fail to work on their behalf. This book gives a step-by-step plan on how to lobby elected officials about the issues you care about, offers information on how to plan a lobbying meeting for individuals and groups, and provides sample lobbying worksheets and resources to assist with finding legislative information and history. It is your go-to reference for being a grassroots activist and citizen lobbyist.Trade Review"Offers sound advice for presenting an issue to a government official. Legislative life would have been much easier the past 40 years had I been lobbied as Ms. Knief outlines." Pete Stark, U.S. Congressman, 1973--2013"It truly is a handbook for action to provide quick reference and a concise primer to get YOU involved in your government." Military Association of Atheists & Freethinkers (militaryatheists.org)

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Book SynopsisDie Frage, ob, wann und wie die internationale Gemeinschaft auf Verletzungen humanitärer Normen und damit verbundene humanitäre Krisen reagieren soll, gehört zweifellos zu den vieldiskutierten Themen auf der Agenda der heutigen internationalen Politik. Allerdings tauchte diese Problematik nicht erst am Ende des 20. und zu Beginn des 21. Jahrhunderts plötzlich aus dem Nichts auf, sondern bereits im Verlauf des "langen 19. Jahrhunderts" setzte man sich kontrovers mit dieser Problematik auseinander. Anhand ausgewählter Fallbeispiele wie dem Kampf gegen den Sklavenhandel (18071890), den Militärinterventionen der europäischen Großmächte zur humanitären Nothilfe für christliche Minderheiten im Osmanischen Reich (18271878) oder dem Eingreifen der Vereinigten Staaten in den kubanischen Unabhängigkeitskrieg (1898) untersucht Fabian Klose die militärische Praktik und die völkerrechtlichen Debatten zum Schutz humanitärer Normen gewaltsam einzugreifen. Insgesamt etablierte sich in dieser Epoche die Idee der humanitären Intervention als ein anerkanntes Instrumentarium in der internationalen Politik. Eine zentrale Schlüsselrolle bei der Entstehung eines neuen humanitären Interventionsverständnisses übernahm der bewaffnete internationale Kampf gegen den Sklavenhandel als Urtyp der humanitären Intervention. Als Folge kam es zur Ausbildung völkerrechtlicher Leitlinien, die als Begründung für das militärische Eingreifen in verschiedenen Krisenregionen dieser Welt dienten. Das "lange 19. Jahrhundert" kann demnach als das genuine "Jahrhundert der humanitären Intervention" charakterisiert werden, in dem es zu einer signifikanten Verzahnung von militärischem Interventionismus unter dem Banner der Humanität mit kolonialen und imperialen Projekten kam.

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Book SynopsisMenschenrechte bilden die Grundlage von Gerechtigkeit, doch sie geraten zunehmend unter Druck. Im Spannungsfeld zwischen dem universalen Anspruch der Menschenrechte, der Partikularität menschlichen Lebens und den Herausforderungen der Weltwirtschaft ergeben sich bisher ungelöste Fragen. Der Arbeitsweise von Ingeborg G. Gabriel folgend, werden in diesem Band aktuelle Herausforderungen analysiert und mögliche Zukunftsperspektiven aus unterschiedlichen Disziplinen beleuchtet. Religionen aus einer Innen- und Außenperspektive kommt dabei eine zentrale Rolle zu, dialogfördernd zu wirken und für Lösungen zu sensibilisieren. Im Hinblick auf eine neue Ordnung unserer Weltwirtschaft werden praktische Wege für eine Revision der Hausregeln aufgezeigt. So ist der Band eine Einladung zum interdisziplinären, interreligiösen und ökumenischen Weiterdenken, um die Welt gemeinsam zu einem gerechteren und friedlicheren Ort zu machen. Human rights as the basis of justice are under increasing pressure. In the background, there are still unsolved questions about the relationship between the universal claim to human rights and the particularity of human life, but also the challenges of the global economy. Following the research approach by Ingeborg G. Gabriel, current challenges are analyzed and possible future perspectives from different disciplines are examined. Religions from an internal and external perspective play the central role in promoting dialogues. With regard to a new order of our world economy, the volume shows practical ways for a revision of the house rules. The book is an invitation to interdisciplinary, interreligious and ecumenical thinking, in order to make the world together a more just and peaceful place.

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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Book Synopsis

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