193: It Takes a Village by Hillary Rodham Clinton

It Takes a Village, Tenth Anniversary Edition

In this book published in 1996, then First Lady Hillary Clinton lays out her vision for helping the nation's children. Intertwined through the legislative advice are anecdotes from her own childhood and life as a mother as well as inspirational stories of children.

Why this is liberal/progressive: Hillary Rodham Clinton is one of the most influential political liberals of the early 21st century. As First Lady she had the opportunity to pick a signature issue and be heard. Clinton chose children. In this book about how children have been a positive influence on her values, she provides a legislative roadmap to creating a more humane childhood for the kids in the US. While this book is intentionally uncontroversial and bland it does a nice job introducing the liberal argument for expanded healthcare and education for children.

Buy the Kindle version: It Takes a Village

194: All the President's Men by Carl Bernstein & Bob Woodward

All the President's Men

From the Book Description:

"Beginning with the story of a simple burglary at Democratic headquarters and then continuing with headline after headline, Bernstein and Woodward kept the tale of conspiracy and the trail of dirty tricks and dark secrets coming -- delivering the stunning revelations and pieces in the Watergate puzzle that brought about Nixon's scandalous downfall. Their explosive reports won a Pulitzer Prize for The Washington Post and toppled the President. This is their book that changed America."

Why this is progressive/liberal: It's a classic. Everyone interested in US politics should be familiar with this story.

Buy the Kindle version: All the President's Men: 20th Anniversary Ed

195: With Liberty and Justice for Some by Glenn Greenwald

With Liberty and Justice for Some: How the Law Is Used to Destroy Equality and Protect the Powerful

From the Book Description:

"From the nation's beginnings, the law was to be the great equalizer in American life, the guarantor of a common set of rules for all. But over the past four decades, the principle of equality before the law has been effectively abolished. Instead, a two-tiered system of justice ensures that the country's political and financial class is virtually immune from prosecution, licensed to act without restraint, while the politically powerless are imprisoned with greater ease and in greater numbers than in any other country in the world.

"Starting with Watergate, continuing on through the Iran-Contra scandal, and culminating with Obama's shielding of Bush-era officials from prosecution, Glenn Greenwald lays bare the mechanisms that have come to shield the elite from accountability. He shows how the media, both political parties, and the courts have abetted a process that has produced torture, war crimes, domestic spying, and financial fraud."

Why this is liberal/progressive: Greenwald is one of the most consistently thorough and cogent critics of the Obama administration from the progressive side of the political spectrum. Greenwald's commitment to civil liberties and intellectual freedom has proven to be non-partisan. He demonstrates, almost on a daily basis, that when it comes to rolling back our constitutional liberties, Obama is just as bad as, if not worse than, George W. Bush.

Buy the Kindle version: With Liberty and Justice for Some: How the Law Is Used to Destroy Equality and Protect the Powerful

196: The Mendacity of Hope by Roger Hodge

The Mendacity of Hope: Barack Obama and the Betrayal of American Liberalism

From the Book Description:

"Americans on the left find themselves in genuine confusion and dismay about the actions of President Obama’s administration, especially when it comes to the financial crisis. True reform seems stalled. In The Mendacity of Hope, Roger D. Hodge makes the provocative case that, actually, true reform never began. Behind the high of Obama's victory was in fact a business-as-usual corporatist machine, the bloc of coalitions and business interests at the heart of the Democratic party's new power base: investors counting on a return on their investment. And a return they have received. From his close ties to financial firms Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan Chase to his appointments of prominent members of the Democratic Leadership Council to top cabinet positions, Obama proved almost immediately that he was no reformer.

"None of Obama's most important campaign promises—ending the Iraq war, ending torture, closing Guantánamo—have come to pass. He has escalated the conflict in Afghanistan, bailed out Wall Street, and institutionalized the abuses of the Bush regime. A different kind of president could play the forces of corporate interest differently in the service of genuine progressive reform; but the fantasy, the smoke machine, of American power is that a different kind of president is not possible without a different kind of America, Hodge argues. Failing to understand the game, we blame the player—true as far as it goes, which isn't very far at all. A brilliantly crafted call to arms, The Mendacity of Hope offers an essential analysis of the American political system and the powerful players who control our government."

Why this is progressive/liberal: Obama's policy towards progressives seems to be of the who-else-are-they-going-to-vote-for? variety. This book lays out part of the progressive argument against Obama, while Glenn Greenwald does the rest.

Buy the Kindle version: The Mendacity of Hope: Barack Obama and the Betrayal of American Liberalism

197: The Good Fight by Peter Beinart

The Good Fight: Why Liberals---and Only Liberals---Can Win the War on Terror and Make America Great Again (P.S.)

The New Republic editor Peter Beinart lays out the liberal case for war. He uses Cold War liberalism as his guide and advocates a battle on modern-day terrorism similar to the Cold War battles against Stalinist Communism.

Why this is liberal/progressive: Beinart's work makes it onto this list because of his role as editor at the ostensibly liberal The New Republic.

198: Griftopia by Matt Taibbi

Griftopia: A Story of Bankers, Politicians, and the Most Audacious Power Grab in American History

From the Book Description:

"The financial crisis that exploded in 2008 isn't past but prologue. The grifter class—made up of the largest players in the financial industry and the politicians who do their bidding—has been growing in power, and the crisis was only one terrifying manifestation of how they’ve hijacked America’s political and economic life.

"Matt Taibbi has combined deep sources, trailblazing reportage, and provocative analysis to create the most lucid, emotionally galvanizing account yet written of this ongoing American crisis. He offers fresh reporting on the backroom deals of the bailout; tells the story of Goldman Sachs, the 'vampire squid wrapped around the face of humanity'; and uncovers the hidden commodities bubble that transferred billions of dollars to Wall Street while creating food shortages around the world."

Why this is progressive/liberal: Matt Taibbi won the National Magazine Award in 2008 for his Rolling Stone columns and this book demonstrates the strength of his writing. Writing for RS, Taibbi has the freedom to be as profane and polemic as he wants to be as long as he keeps writing some of the smartest and best researched journalism in the US.

Buy the Kindle version: Griftopia: Bubble Machines, Vampire Squids, and the Long Con That Is Breaking America

199: Third World America by Arianna Huffington

Third World America: How Our Politicians Are Abandoning the Middle Class and Betraying the American Dream

From the Book Description:

"Our industrial base is vanishing, taking with it the kind of jobs that have formed the backbone of our economy for more than a century; our education system is in shambles, making it harder for tomorrow's workforce to acquire the information and training it needs to land good twenty-first century jobs; our infrastructure—our roads, our bridges, our sewage and water, our transportation and electrical systems—is crumbling; our economic system has been reduced to recurring episodes of Corporations Gone Wild; our political system is broken, in thrall to a small financial elite using the power of the checkbook to control both parties.

"And America's middle class, the driver of so much of our economic success and political stability, is rapidly disappearing, forcing us to confront the fear that we are slipping as a nation – that our children and grandchildren will enjoy fewer opportunities and face a lower standard of living than we did.

"It's the dark flipside of the American Dream – an American Nightmare of our own making."

Why this is liberal/progressive: Huffington's ear for liberal populism lead to the remarkable success of the Huffington Post. In this book Huffington describes the bleak future she sees if we continue doing politics-as-usual.

Buy the Kindle version: Third World America: How Our Politicians Are Abandoning the Middle Class and Betraying the American Dream

200: Blinded by the Right by David Brock

Blinded by the Right: The Conscience of an Ex-Conservative

From the Book Description:

"In a powerful and deeply personal memoir in the tradition of Arthur Koestler’s The God That Failed, David Brock, the original right-wing scandal reporter, chronicles his rise to the pinnacle of the conservative movement and his painful break with it.

"David Brock pilloried Anita Hill in a bestseller. His reporting in The American Spectator as part of the infamous 'Arkansas Project' triggered the course of events that led to the historic impeachment trial of President Clinton. Brock was at the center of the right-wing dirty tricks operation of the Gingrich era–and a true believer–until he could no longer deny that the political force he was advancing was built on little more than lies, hate, and hypocrisy.

"In Blinded By the Right, Brock, who came out of the closet at the height of his conservative renown, tells his riveting story from the beginning, giving us the first insider's view of what Hillary Rodham Clinton called 'the vast right-wing conspiracy.' Whether dealing with the right-wing press, the richly endowed think tanks, Republican political operatives, or the Paula Jones case, Brock names names from Clarence Thomas on down, uncovers hidden links, and demonstrates how the Republican Right's zeal for power created the poisonous political climate that culminated in George W. Bush's election."

Why this is progressive/liberal: David Brock's Media Matters for America is one of the most important media watchdogs today. Brock focuses on the distortions and outright lies of the right wing chattering class and counters with facts and evidence to demonstrate the falsehoods.

Buy the Kindle version: Blinded by the Right: The Conscience of an Ex-Conservative

201: Big Lies by Joe Conason

Big Lies : The Right-Wing Propaganda Machine and How It Distorts the Truth

From the Book Description:

In Big Lies, Joe Conason rips through the ten most damaging lies perpetrated by the right wing propaganda machine. This scathing, fact-filled analysis debunks it all:

- The myth that Republicans are fiscal geniuses and champions of free enterprise.
- The right's self-proclaimed monopoly on "family values."
- The conservative smearing of liberals as unpatriotic and anti-American.
- And of course, the "compassionate conservatism" of George W. Bush. (It depends on the meaning of "compassionate.")

Big Lies confronts right-wing slander and bias with a long-awaited, badly-needed counterpunch to the deceptions that have plagued American politics for a generation.

Why this is progressive/liberal: Conason does a tremendous job of fact-checking the right-wing punditocracy. However, ultimately this is a work of its time. It's interesting to see the liberal counter-arguments to the conservative talking points of the day, but it doesn't do much in the way of substantive argument.

202: Blowback by Chalmers Johnson

Blowback: The Costs and Consequences of American Empire by Chalmers Johnson

From the Book Description:

"The term 'blowback,' invented by the CIA, refers to the unintended results of American actions abroad. In this incisive and controversial book, Chalmers Johnson lays out in vivid detail the dangers faced by our overextended empire, which insists on projecting its military power to every corner of the earth and using American capital and markets to force global economic integration on its own terms. From a case of rape by U.S. servicemen in Okinawa to our role in Asia’s financial crisis, from our early support for Saddam Hussein to our conduct in the Balkans, Johnson reveals the ways in which our misguided policies are planting the seeds of future disaster.

"In a new edition that addresses recent international events from September 11 to the war in Iraq, this now classic book remains as prescient and powerful as ever."

Why this is progressive/liberal: Johnson explains why the US can be considered a global empire. After the dissolution of the Soviet Empire the US did not dial back its imperialistic tendencies, but accelerated them. Before 9/11 Chalmers warned that this behavior would have repercussions. He was right.

Buy the Kindle version: Blowback by Chalmers Johnson



Check out Johnson's three follow-up books on US imperialism.

203: What Liberal Media? by Eric Alterman

What Liberal Media? by Eric Alterman

From the Book Description:

The question of whose interests the media protects—and how—has achieved holy-grail-like significance. Is media bias keeping us from getting the whole story? If so, who is at fault? Is it the liberals who are purported to be running the newsrooms, television and radio stations of this country, duping an unsuspecting public into mistaking their party line for news? Or is it the conservatives who have identified media bias as a reliably inflammatory rallying cry around which to consolidate their political base as they cynically "work the refs?" The media has become so pervasive in our lives that regardless of exactly where on the ideological fence you sit, the question of media bias has become all but unavoidable. Most of the criticism (and anger) has so far emanated from the political Right, which has offered us the rather unconvincing argument that a systematic Left bias is destroying the quality of news and debate in our country today. Journalist and historian Eric Alterman begs to differ.

What Liberal Media? confronts the question of liberal bias and, in so doing, provides a sharp and utterly convincing assessment of the realities of political bias in the news. In distinct contrast to the conclusions reached by Ann Coulter, Bernard Goldberg, Sean Hannity, and Bill O'Reilly, Alterman finds the media to be, on the whole, far more conservative than liberal, though it is possible to find evidence for both views. The fact that conservatives howl so much louder and more effectively than liberals is one significant reason that big media is always on its guard for "liberal" bias but gives conservative bias a free pass. After reading What Liberal Media? you will understand that the real news story of recent years is not whether this newspaper, or that news anchor, is biased but rather to what extent the entire news industry is organized to communicate conservative views and push our politics to the right—regardless of how "liberal" any given reporter may be.

Why this is progressive/liberal: Eric Alterman does a thorough job of skewering the myth of the liberal media. Commercial media exists to make a profit, which means that it often does not criticize legislation that jeopardizes that profit. The profit motive also means that it's more important to make viewers stay tuned through commercials than it is to provide in-depth, high quality information that may educate citizens. It doesn't matter if TV news personalities vote for Democrats or not.

Buy the Kindle version: What Liberal Media?

204: Red White & Liberal by Alan Colmes

Red, White & Liberal by Alan Colmes

From the Book Description:

As one of the foremost liberal voices in television and talk radio today, Alan Colmes has long been braving the wilds of controversial issues and conservative slander. Already a talk radio star and the only liberal to be heard nationally, Colmes has also taken the television world by storm on Fox News Channel's Hannity & Colmes, and he is famous for his hard-hitting stance on the challenges that Americans face today.

In Red, White & Liberal, Alan Colmes addresses a fundamental question: In this time of uncertainty, how can we protect our freedom without diminishing our liberties, while burnishing our rightful place as the world's beacon of democracy? Colmes urges Americans to see past the tactics of the vocal right and to combat the problems that threaten our liberties, including the government's manipulation of the War on Terror to silence critics and expand its powers to frightening proportions; the lies we've been force-fed about the war in Iraq and the unsettled situation in Afghanistan; the misguided use of religion by the right to justify hatred and prejudice; and the successful conservative smear campaign against the left that has turned liberal into a four-letter word.

In order to preserve our freedoms, Colmes calls America back to its liberal roots. He reminds us that our forefathers spoke out against the status quo and fought for the individual's right to opportunity, privacy, and personal choice; that they prized progress and open-mindedness over divisive party politics; and that they believed the ability to express dissent was crucial to keeping a democracy healthy. Colmes suggests that it is our patriotic duty to voice our concern when we feel that wrongs are being done. From debunking the myth of the liberal media to exposing conservative hypocrisy to showing how Jesus was a liberal and the War on Terror is a failure, Colmes presents the issues with thoughtful, provocative arguments, hard facts and logic, and searing humor. He urges us to extend our hands across party lines to find real solutions, protect our shores, and preserve our freedoms.

Why this is progressive/liberal: Back when Fox News was at least making a pretense of being fair and balanced they paired conservative firebrand Sean Hannity with liberal milquetoast Alan Colmes. Colmes definitely falls into the moderate/liberal camp, and this book trots out a lot of liberal truisms. Not the strongest liberal voice out there, but well-known and one of the few successful liberals in talk radio.

Buy the Kindle version: Red, White & Liberal by Alan Colmes

205: Half the Sky by Nicholas Kristof & Sheryl WuDunn

Half the Sky: Turning Opression Into Opportunity for Women Worldwide by Nicholas D. Kristof & Sheryl WuDunn

From the Book Description:

From two of our most fiercely moral voices, a passionate call to arms against our era’s most pervasive human rights violation: the oppression of women and girls in the developing world.

With Pulitzer Prize winners Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn as our guides, we undertake an odyssey through Africa and Asia to meet the extraordinary women struggling there, among them a Cambodian teenager sold into sex slavery and an Ethiopian woman who suffered devastating injuries in childbirth. Drawing on the breadth of their combined reporting experience, Kristof and WuDunn depict our world with anger, sadness, clarity, and, ultimately, hope.

They show how a little help can transform the lives of women and girls abroad. That Cambodian girl eventually escaped from her brothel and, with assistance from an aid group, built a thriving retail business that supports her family. The Ethiopian woman had her injuries repaired and in time became a surgeon. A Zimbabwean mother of five, counseled to return to school, earned her doctorate and became an expert on AIDS.

Through these stories, Kristof and WuDunn help us see that the key to economic progress lies in unleashing women’s potential. They make clear how so many people have helped to do just that, and how we can each do our part. Throughout much of the world, the greatest unexploited economic resource is the female half of the population. Countries such as China have prospered precisely because they emancipated women and brought them into the formal economy. Unleashing that process globally is not only the right thing to do; it’s also the best strategy for fighting poverty.

Deeply felt, pragmatic, and inspirational, Half the Sky is essential reading for every global citizen.

Why this is progressive/liberal: Kristof and his wife WuDunn won the Pulitzer Prize for their reporting on the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989. Kristof has also won a Pulitzer for his commentaries in the NYT on the plight of Darfur. Kristof works tirelessly to bring attention to human rights violations across the globe.

Buy the Kindle version: Half the Sky

206: The Lies of George W. Bush by David Corn

The Lies of George W. Bush: Mastering the Politics of Deception by David Corn

From the Book Description:

All American presidents have lied, but George W. Bush has relentlessly abused the truth. In this scathing indictment of the president and his inner circle, David Corn, the Washington editor of The Nation, reveals and examines the deceptions at the heart of the Bush presidency. In a stunning work of journalism, he details and substantiates the many times the Bush administration has knowingly and intentionally misled the American public to advance its own interests and agenda, including:

* Brazenly mischaracterizing intelligence and resorting to deceptive arguments to whip up public support for war with Iraq
* Misrepresenting the provisions and effects of the president’s supersized tax cuts
* Offering misleading explanations— instead of telling the full truth — about the 9/11 attacks
* Lying about connections to corporate crooks
* Presenting deceptive and disingenuous claims to sell controversial policies on the environment, stem cell research, missile defense, Social Security, white-collar crime, abortion, energy, and other crucial issues
* Running a truth-defying, down-and-dirty campaign during the 2000 presidential contest and recount drama

The Lies of George W. Bush is not a partisan whine—it is instead a carefully constructed, fact-based account that clearly denotes how Bush has relied on deception—from the campaign trail to the Oval Office—to win political and policy battles. With wit and style, Corn explains how Bush has managed to get away with it and explores the dangerous consequences of such presidential deceit in a perilous age.

Why this is progressive/liberal: Formerly a Washington DC editor for The Nation, and currently Washington Bureau Chief for Mother Jones, David Corn has been one of the most important progressive journalists for the past twenty years. This analysis of the political career of George W. Bush is the best sort of political journalism; short on opinion, long on facts.

Buy the Kindle version: The Lies of George W. Bush: Mastering the Politics of Deception by David Corn

207: Chain of Command by Seymour Hersh

Chain of Command: The Road from 9/11 to Abu Ghraib by Seymour Hersh

From the Book Description:

Since September 11, 2001, Seymour M. Hersh has riveted readers -- and outraged the Bush Administration -- with his stories in The New Yorker, including his breakthrough pieces on the Abu Ghraib prison scandal. Now, in Chain of Command, he brings together this reporting, along with new revelations, to answer the critical question of the last three years: how did America get from the clear morning when hijackers crashed airplanes into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon to a divisive and dirty war in Iraq?

Hersh established himself at the forefront of investigative journalism thirty-five years ago when he broke the news of the massacre at My Lai, Vietnam, for which he won a Pulitzer Prize. Ever since, he's challenged America's power elite by publishing the stories that others can't, or won't, tell. In exposés on subjects ranging from Saudi corruption to nuclear black marketeers and -- months ahead of other journalists -- the White House's false claims about weapons of mass destruction, Hersh has cemented his reputation as the indispensable reporter of our time.

In Chain of Command, Hersh takes an unflinching look behind the public story of President Bush's "war on terror" and into the lies and obsessions that led America into Iraq. He reveals the connections between early missteps in the hunt for Al Qaeda and disasters on the ground in Iraq. The book includes a new account of Hersh's pursuit of the Abu Ghraib story and of where, he believes, responsibility for the scandal ultimately lies. Hersh draws on sources at the highest levels of the American government and intelligence community, in foreign capitals, and on the battlefield for an unparalleled view of a crucial chapter in America's recent history. With an introduction by The New Yorker's editor, David Remnick, Chain of Command is a devastating portrait of an Administration blinded by ideology and of a President whose decisions have made the world a more dangerous place.

Why this is progressive/liberal: Hersh is one of the best investigative journalists alive today. Hersh broke the story of Abu Ghraib and the US torture of prisoners there.

Buy the Kindle version: Chain of Command by Seymour Hersh

208: Takeover: The Return of the Imperial Presidency and the Subversion of American Democracy by Charlie Savage

Takeover: The Return of the Imperial Presidency and the Subversion of American Democracy by Charlie Savage

From the Book Description:

"Praised everywhere as a stunning work of reportage, TAKEOVER lays bare a hidden agenda, three decades in the making, to allow the White House to wield enormous powers, unchecked by Congres or the courts--an agenda that links warrantless wiretapping and Bush's judicial nominees, torture and Cheney's energy task force, the faith-based initiative and the imprisonment of citizens without trial. TAKEOVER tells the story of how a group of true believers, led by Cheney, set out to establish near-monarchical executive powers that, in the words of one conservative critic, "will lie around like a loaded weapon"for any future president."

Why this is progressive/liberal: Charlie Savage won a 2007 Pulitzer Prize for his investigative reporting on presidential signing statements. This book is a result of that investigation. Just because Bush is no longer president doesn't mean the danger has passed. Incrementally, with every administration, the office of the President gains more extra-legal power. Progressives would like to see the powers allotted the president dialed back, regardless of the party affiliation.

Buy the Kindle version: Takeover by Charlie Savage

209: Breaking the Sound Barrier by Amy Goodman

Breaking the Sound Barrier by Amy Goodman

From the Book Description:

"Amy Goodman, award-winning host of the daily internationally broadcast radio and television program Democracy Now!, breaks through the corporate media's lies, sound bites, and silence in this wide-ranging new collection of articles. In place of the usual suspects—the "experts" who, in Goodman's words, "know so little about so much, explain the world to us, and get it so wrong"—this accessible, lively collection allows the voices the corporate media exclude and ignore to be heard loud and clear. From community organizers in New Orleans, to the courageous American soldiers who've said "No" to Washington's wars, to the victims of torture and police violence, we are given the extraordinary opportunity to hear ordinary people standing up and speaking out. Written with all of the fierce intelligence and passion for truth that millions have come to expect from Amy Goodman's reportage, Breaking the Sound Barrier proves the power that independent journalism can play in the struggle for a better world, one in which ordinary citizens are the true experts of their own lives and communities."

Why this is progressive/liberal: For the past fifteen years Amy Goodman has been one of the nation's highest profile progressive journalists as the host of Democracy Now! widely syndicated on Public Radio stations. In the decade before that she was a top-notch investigative journalist and news director at Pacifica Radio.

Buy the Kindle version: Breaking the Sound Barrier

210: Bill Moyers Journal: The Conversation Continues by Bill Moyers

Bill Moyers Journal: The Conversation Continues by Bill Moyers

From the Book Description:

One of the highest-rated public affairs programs on public television, Bill Moyers Journal drew up to two million weekly viewers from 2007 to 2010. Through incisive, morally engaging conversations with some of the leading political figures, writers, activists, poets, and scholars at work today, the Journal captured the essence of the past three pivotal years in American life and politics, including the final act of the Bush Administration and the early years of Obama.

Now, Bill Moyers Journal: The Conversation Continues brings this groundbreaking work to the page. From Michael Pollan, David Simon, and Jane Goodall to John Grisham, Karen Armstrong, and Barbara Ehrenreich, Bill Moyers Journal: The Conversation Continues introduces the ideas that matter today—on subjects as diverse as the politics of food, race in the age of Obama, aging in America, the power of poetry, wars in the Middle East and Afghanistan, the conflict over gay marriage, and the fate of the American newspaper.

With extensive new commentary from Bill Moyers—in the tradition of his national bestsellers A World of Ideas and Healing and the Mind—here is an unparalleled guide to the debates, the cultural currents, and above all the fascinating people who have so powerfully shaped the world we live in.

Why this is progressive/liberal: Bill Moyers has been one of the most thoughtful and consistently progressive voices in American journalism since he left his stint as LBJ's press secretary in 1967.

Buy the Kindle version: Bill Moyers Journal: The Conversation Continues

211: Swim against the Current: Even a Dead Fish Can Go With the Flow by Jim Hightower

Swim Against the Current: Even a Dead Fish Can Go with the Flow by Jim Hightower

From the Book Description:

"America's most irascible and hilarious curmudgeon turns a kind and benevolent eye toward brave, hardy, and hardworking souls around the country who have found ways to break free from corporate tentacles; redefine success in business, politics, and life in general; and blaze new pathways toward a richer and happier way of life, from the farmers' cooperative that said 'NO!' to Wal-Mart and thrived to the economists who got into the coffee business by accident and turned the entire industry on its ear."

Why this is progressive/liberal: Jim Hightower is a self-described populist. He's managed to carve out a long career as a political writer and commentator, with his own syndicated column and radio show. During the 1980s Hightower was an elected official in Texas, eventually losing to upstart Republican Rick Perry.

Buy the Kindle version: Swim Against the Current: Even a Dead Fish Can Go with the Flow

212: Molly Ivins Can't Say That, Can She? by Molly Ivins

Molly Ivins Can't Say That, Can She? by Molly Ivins

From the book description:

Whether she's writing about redneck politics in her native Texas or the discreet charms of Bushwazee, Molly Ivins in never less than devastatingly honest—and hilarious. Our toughest, funniest, and savviest columnist delivers the goods on:

-Texas politics: "Well, our attorney general is under indictment. He ran as 'the people's lawyer'; now we call him 'the people's felon.'"

-The flag burning debate: "Bush's last birthday cake was in the form of the American flag, and he ate it—stars, stripes, and all. Think about where that flag wound up—I call that desecration."

-Beign a woman in Texas: "There are several strains of Texas culture: They are all rotten for women... One not infrequently sees cars or trucks sporting the bumper sticker "Have fun—beat the hell out of someone you love."

Why this is progressive/liberal: This book is way out of date, but I've included it anyway because I deeply love Molly Ivins. Ivins had a gift for revealing the stupidity of politicians, and an even more special gift for helping us laugh at their audacity and transparent self-interest. Ivins died of breast cancer in 2007 and I still miss her.

Buy the Kindle version: Molly Ivins Can't Say That, Can She?

December is Journalist and Politician Month

Most (but not all) books by politicians and journalists on political matters are shallow and one-sided. For the most part I've avoided ideology-affirming books for works of relative substance.

Notice, for example, that I haven't included any books by Michael Moore (or Sean Hannity during Conservative Month). While I may share much of Moore's political outlook, I think his books are more likely to reinforce the ideas of those who already agree with what he has to say than they are to persuade his ideological opponents of their errors. There is little attempt to make a substantive argument.

Not all books by journalists and politicians fall into this category, however, so I'm dedicating this month to works by politicians and journalists that help explain the progressive side of life.

Participating in National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) during November threw my posting schedule for a loop, but I should be back on track by Monday, December 5.

213: Juxtapoz

Juxtapoz

From the magazine description:

"Juxtapoz magazine presents a gallery of underground artists who influence much of the fashion, graphics, and new art we see today. Full color layouts featuring painters, sculptors, cartoonists and photographers are featured along with interviews, rare portfolios, sketches and reviews."

Why this is progressive/liberal: While not all artists are progressive in their politics, art, especially the genre-busting kind of art championed by Juxtapoz, is progressive. Any art that inspires you to think differently about the world is art that makes you think. And thinking is one of the values most cherished by progressives.

214: Mother Jones

Mother Jones

From the magazine description:

"Mother Jones provides investigative reports, national and international news, and perspectives on politics, culture and current controversies. In addition, it reports on the environment, family, national politics, individual liberties, personal choice and corporate and government power. Mother Jones challenges conventional wisdom, exposes abuses of power, helps redefine stubborn problems and offers fresh solutions."

Why this is progressive/liberal: Launched in 1976 Mother Jones has consistently provided high quality journalism. Nominated for 23 National Magazine Awards Mother Jones has won six times, including for General Excellence in 2001, 2008, and 2010.

215: The Progressive

Progressive

From the magazine description:

"Committed to the publication of articles and editorials that promote peaceful solutions to international disputes, the attainment of economic justice, and the protection of individual rights."

Why this is progressive/liberal: For over a century The Progressive has stood for progressive values and opposed military intervention. Founded by progressive giant Senator Robert La Follette The Progressive magazine continues to be an important outlet for progressive voices today.



You can visit their website here.

216: Rolling Stone

Rolling Stone (1-year auto-renewal)

From the magazine description:

"This magazine is edited for young adults who have a special interest in popular culture. Its regular features include state-of-the-art audio and electronics columns, record reviews, reader correspondence, interviews and photojournalism features."

Why this is progressive/liberal: I don't think Rolling Stone has been particularly liberal for the past 30+ years. The exception, and the reason it gets mentioned here, is the work of Matt Taibbi. His work since 2008 on the economic meltdown is essential reading.

217: The Nation

The Nation

From the magazine description:

Founded in 1865, The Nation is America's oldest weekly magazine, the flagship of the Left, and now the country's most widely read journal of opinion. Published to inform the national debate on critical issues of the day, The Nation seeks to enlighten and empower a community of concerned citizens and influential readers.

The Nation has long served as an early-warning system, exposing prejudice, discrimination, and abuse of power through investigative reporting, analysis, commentary, and cultural reviews. Proudly independent of political parties and corporate interests, The Nation exposes, in print and online, issues often ignored by the mainstream media.

Championing civil liberties, human rights, economic justice, and peace, The Nation challenges the status quo, encourages dissent, and presents ideas from a variety of voices, always seeking a more tolerant and just future.

Why this is progressive/liberal: Founded by abolitionists this is the longest-running liberal magazine in the United States.

218: Adbusters

Wonder where the Occupy movement came from? Look no further than Adbusters, a countercultural critique of capitalism.

Adbusters is a not for profit organization. Our magazine is entirely ad free.

Our mission is to cut through the fog of mental pollution, changing the way information flows in our society. With incisive philosophical thrusts, activist commentaries and visual mindbombs from around the world, we want to enlighten you, enrage you and enlist you in creating a new future. We hope Adbusters is a kick in the head, a life changing epiphany and a compelling call to arms.

Why this is progressive/liberal: Adbusters was instrumental in launching the Occupy Wall Street campaign. Plus, Kalle Lasn's book is mandatory reading for progressives across the globe.

Culture Jam: How to Reverse America's Suicidal Consumer Binge--And Why We Must

Magazine Week

Since a good progressive library includes magazines as well as books, movies, websites, etc. the last week of November is officially magazine week.

Erratic Posting

An uptick in the demands of work and working on a book for National Novel Writing Month have made the daily posts sporadic. My apologies.

However, given that daily posts have not been appearing daily, I'm just going to post the rest of November tonight, and get back to the daily schedule in December.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! And thank you for following along.

219: The Jefferson Bible, Smithsonian Edition: The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth

The Jefferson Bible, Smithsonian Edition: The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth

From the book description:

The Jefferson Bible, or The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth as it is formally titled, was Thomas Jefferson's effort to extract what he considered the pertinent doctrine of Jesus by removing sections of the New Testament containing supernatural aspects as well as perceived misinterpretations he believed had been added by the Four Evangelists. Using a razor, Jefferson cut and arranged selected verses from the books of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John in chronological order, mingling excerpts from one text to those of another in order to create a single narrative. After completion of The Life and Morals, about 1820, Jefferson shared it with a number of friends, but he never allowed it to be published during his lifetime. The most complete form Jefferson produced was inherited by his grandson, Thomas Jefferson Randolph, and was published in 1895 by the National Museum in Washington. Once published in black-and-white facsimile by the Government Printing Office in 1900 as a gift for new members of Congress, the Jefferson Bible has never before been published in color in its complete form. The Jefferson Bible, Smithsonian Edition is an exact facsimile reproduction based on the original copy in the Smithsonian collections. The Jefferson Bible, Smithsonian Edition is as beautiful an object as was so painstakingly crafted by Thomas Jefferson himself.

Why this is progressive/liberal: Thomas Jefferson was one of the first, and certainly one of the most prominent, progressives in the early US. The Declaration of Independence is one of the foundational texts for progressives. Jefferson's determination to keep church and state separate, and his devotion to higher education also place him firmly in the upper echelon of progressive heroes.

Buy the Kindle version: The Jefferson Bible or, The Life and Morals of Jesus of Nazareth (mobi) (Little Books of Wisdom)

220: Steal This Book by Abbie Hoffman

Steal This Book

From the book description:

"A driving force behind the social revolution of the 1960s and 1970s, Hoffman inspired a generation to challenge the status quo. Meant as a practical guide for the aspiring hippie, Steal This Book captures Hoffman's puckish tone and became a cult classic with over 200,000 copies sold. Outrageously illustrated by R. Crumb, it nevertheless conveys a serious message to all would-be revolutionaries: You don't have to take it anymore. 'All Power to the Imagination was his credo. Abbie was the best.' — Studs Terkel"

Why this is progressive/liberal: Abbie Hoffman is an icon of the progressive movement. A founder of the Yippies and one of the Chicago Seven, Hoffman's ability to introduce humor and theatricality to protests helped distinguish the protests of the New Left from their forebears. Hoffman suffered from bipolar disorder and finally succumbed to depression in 1989 at the age of 52. His prankster spirit lives on in social justice protests to this day.

In Steal This Book he lays out a way to live for free. Sadly, the book is almost wholly out-of-date, but worth reading for its spirit of finding a way to live outside the system.

221: The Book of Mr. Natural by R. Crumb

The Book of Mr. Natural

From the book description:

"This collection features over 120 pages of vintage Crumb comics starring the white-bearded, diminutive sage-cum-charlatan, ranging from charming, free-wheeling early '70s stories to the disturbing, controversial '90s stories (as seen in the Crumb movie), including the entire 40-page "Mr. Natural and Devil Girl" epic. Crumb's Mr. Natural is probably the most famous underground character of all (topping even Fritz the Cat and the Freak Brothers), recognizable even to "civilians." Don't miss this opportunity to snatch up this jam-packed collection of comics from one of the all-time masters! 112 pages of black-and-white comics."

Why this is progressive/liberal: R. Crumb's celebration of sex and drugs, and his portrayal of his acid-drenched life in San Francisco in the 1960s makes this the essential record of the hippie era. That Crumb was able to take comics and turn them into a uniquely American art form, makes his work worth reading. If you're not familiar with the work of R. Crumb you're missing out. There are lots of places to start and this volume is one of them.

222: American Splendor and More American Splendor: The Life and Times of Harvey Pekar

American Splendor and More American Splendor: The Life and Times of Harvey Pekar

From the book description:

"American Splendor is the world's first literary comic book. Cleveland native Harvey Pekar is a true American original. A V.A. hospital file clerk and comic book writer, Harvey chronicles the ordinary and mundane in stories both funny and touching. His dead-on eye for the frustrations and minutiae of the workaday world mix in a delicate balance with his insight into personal relationships. Pekar has been compared to Dreiser, Dostoevsky, and Lenny Bruce. But he is truly more than all of them—he is himself."

Why this is progressive/liberal: Harvey Pekar's appearances on David Letterman, where he openly criticized the network, demonstrate his progressive sensibilities. While an iconoclastic and independent thinker, Pekar's willingness to place art before wealth places him squarely in the progressive camp.

223: The Book of the SubGenius : The Sacred Teachings of J.R. 'Bob' Dobbs

The Book of the SubGenius : The Sacred Teachings of J.R. 'Bob' Dobbs

From the book description:

"Sometimes a book goes too far. Sometimes is... now. First, there was The Gilgamesh. Then... the Bhagavad-Gita Then... the Torah, the New Testament, the Koran Then... the Book of Mormon, Dianetics, I'm OK You're OK. And now...The Book of the Subgenius (How to Prosper in the Coming Weird Times)."

Why this is progressive/liberal: From Voltaire to Richard Dawkins liberals and progressives have been critical of religion. The Book of the SubGenius unflinchingly embraces everything weird and odd about faith and mixes it together with abundant dollops of absurdity and surrealism. More than a parody, it's a way of life. Praise Bob.

Buy the Kindle version: Book of the Subgenius



Books in a similar vein:

224: Optimism One: The Emerging Radicalism by F. M. Esfandiary

Optimism One: The Emerging Radicalism

The son of an Iranian diplomat F. M. Esfandiary also worked as a diplomat, was an Olympic basketball player, and a novelist. In the early 1970s he laid out a truly remarkable philosophical vision rooted in extreme optimism. Esfandiary yearned to break the shackles of tradition with the possibilities of a techno-utopia. Esfandiary's work was a significant influence on the modern transhumanist movement.

Why this is progressive/liberal: Breaking with tradition and optimistically embracing the future are liberal traits, but very few are willing to go as far as Esfandiary. Read this with his book Up-Wingers: A Futurist Manifesto.

225: Info-Psychology: A Manual for the Use of the Human Nervous System According to the Instructions of the Manufacturers, and a Navigational Guide for Piloting the Evolution of the Human Individual by Timothy Leary

Info-Psychology: A Manual for the Use of the Human Nervous System According to the Instructions of the Manufacturers, and a Navigational Guide for Piloting the Evolution of the Human Individual

Richard Nixon called him "the most dangerous man in America." But the revolution Leary fought was for the liberty to control one's own brain. Written while he was serving a life sentence Info-Psychology (originally titled Exo-Psychology) introduces readers to his 8-Circuit Model of Consciousness. While not the most reliable of research scientists or theorists, Leary's far-reaching ideas are unlike anything else you've ever read.

Why this is progressive/liberal: Leary is a progressive icon. From the moment he first tried hallucinogens he fought for their acceptance in the US. A lot of liberals and progressives still hate Leary for various perceived transgressions, but such a dynamic larger-than-life figure won't be along again for generations. Nobody thinks like Leary.



Read this with his two other futurist masterworks--Neuropolitics: The Sociobiology of Human Metamorphosis & The Intelligence Agents (Future History)

226: Race Matters by Cornel West

Race Matters

From the book description:

"First published in 1993 on the one-year anniversary of the L.A. riots, Race Matters has since become an American classic. Beacon Press is proud to present this hardcover edition with a new introduction by Cornel West. The issues that it addresses are as controversial and urgent as before, and West's insights remain fresh, exciting, and timely. Now more than ever, Race Matters is a book for all Americans—one that will help us build a genuine multiracial democracy."

Why this is progressive/liberal: This brilliant book by Cornel West reveals how how race matters continue to haunt the United States.



For a companion work check out: Democracy Matters: Winning the Fight Against Imperialism

227: Anti-Intellectualism in American Life by Richard Hofstadter

Anti-Intellectualism in American Life

Hofstadter's brilliant historical analysis shows that anti-intellectualism has a long rich tradition in US politics.

Why this is progressive/liberal: This book is as relevant today as it was when it was published in 1963. If you've ever wondered why a non-trivial portion of the US embraces politicians like Sarah Palin who wear their ignorance as a badge of pride, and why so many people reject the science of climate change to go with their gut feelings on the topic, then read this book to better understand the historical culture that nurtures such attitudes.

228: Silent Spring by Rachel Carson

Silent Spring

From the Book Description:

"Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring was first published in three serialized excerpts in the New Yorker in June of 1962. The book appeared in September of that year and the outcry that followed its publication forced the banning of DDT and spurred revolutionary changes in the laws affecting our air, land, and water. Carson's passionate concern for the future of our planet reverberated powerfully throughout the world, and her eloquent book was instrumental in launching the environmental movement. It is without question one of the landmark books of the twentieth century."

Why this is progressive/liberal: One of the earliest works on the substantial dangers of pollution. Still one of the best.

Buy the Kindle version: Silent Spring

229: The Idea of Justice by Amartya Sen

The Idea of Justice

Book description:

Social justice: an ideal, forever beyond our grasp; or one of many practical possibilities? More than a matter of intellectual discourse, the idea of justice plays a real role in how—and how well—people live. And in this book the distinguished scholar Amartya Sen offers a powerful critique of the theory of social justice that, in its grip on social and political thinking, has long left practical realities far behind.

The transcendental theory of justice, the subject of Sen’s analysis, flourished in the Enlightenment and has proponents among some of the most distinguished philosophers of our day; it is concerned with identifying perfectly just social arrangements, defining the nature of the perfectly just society. The approach Sen favors, on the other hand, focuses on the comparative judgments of what is “more” or “less” just, and on the comparative merits of the different societies that actually emerge from certain institutions and social interactions.

At the heart of Sen’s argument is a respect for reasoned differences in our understanding of what a “just society” really is. People of different persuasions—for example, utilitarians, economic egalitarians, labor right theorists, no­-nonsense libertarians—might each reasonably see a clear and straightforward resolution to questions of justice; and yet, these clear and straightforward resolutions would be completely different. In light of this, Sen argues for a comparative perspective on justice that can guide us in the choice between alternatives that we inevitably face.

Why this is progressive/liberal: If you think justice should be more than some aspirational Platonic ideal, then this book is for you. Sen argues that justice must also include reducing injustice and advancing justice in places it doesn't exist. Essential reading for the modern progressive.

Buy the Kindle version: The Idea of Justice

230: A Theory of Justice: Original Edition by John Rawls

A Theory of Justice: Original Edition

Book description:

"Though the revised edition of "A Theory of Justice," published in 1999, is the definitive statement of Rawls's view, so much of the extensive literature on Rawls's theory refers to the first edition. This reissue makes the first edition once again available for scholars and serious students of Rawls's work."

Why this is progressive/liberal: One of the most substantial works on liberal thought available.

Buy the Kindle version: A Theory of Justice: Original Edition



If you only read one book by Rawls, however, read Justice as Fairness: A Restatement.

231: What Are Intellectuals Good For? -- (with a Foreword by Scott McLemee) by George Scialabba

What Are Intellectuals Good For? -- (with a Foreword by Scott McLemee)

Book description:

"What Are Intellectuals Good For? contains searching appraisals of a large gallery of twentieth-century intellectuals, including Randolph Bourne, Dwight Macdonald, Lionel Trilling, Irving Howe, Isaiah Berlin, William F. Buckley Jr., Allan Bloom, Richard Rorty, Stanley Fish, Christopher Lasch, Edward Said, Ellen Willis, and Christopher Hitchens. It also includes two wide-ranging general essays on intellectuals and politics and concludes with a speculative essay on the moral and political consequences of our species cyber-evolution. George Scialabba, a book columnist for the Boston Globe and frequent contributor to the Boston Review, Dissent, the American Prospect, and the Nation, is admired by a small circle of discerning readers. What Are Intellectuals Good For?, his second essay collection, brings his eloquent and modest (Christopher Hitchens) voice to a larger audience. Mark Oppenheimer, a columnist for the Huffington Post, included Scialabba s first collection, Divided Mind (2006), in a list of Great Books the Pulitzers Missed. Scott McLemee, the popular Intellectual Affairs columnist of InsideHigherEd, profiled him at length and has contributed a foreword."

Why this is progressive/liberal: Scialabba is a good, old-fashioned thinker. And in this collection of essays he thinks about what it means to be an intellectual and what it means to be a man of the left. Worthwhile for anyone who enjoys careful thought.

232: Like a Hurricane: The Indian Movement from Alcatraz to Wounded Knee by Paul Chaat Smith and Robert Warrior

Like a Hurricane: The Indian Movement from Alcatraz to Wounded Knee

Book description:

"For a brief but brilliant season beginning in the late 1960s, American Indians seized national attention in a series of radical acts of resistance. Like a Hurricane is a gripping account of the dramatic, breathtaking events of this tumultuous period. Drawing on a wealth of archival materials, interviews, and the authors' own experiences of these events, Like a Hurricane offers a rare, unflinchingly honest assessment of the period's successes and failures."

Why this is progressive/liberal: Progressives are often not so progressive on Indian rights. For example, I've never known an Indian that referred to him or herself as a Native American. We've taken hundreds of nations and lumped them all together. This is akin to asserting that a citizen of Mexico, a citizen of the United States, and a citizen of Canada are all roughly the same because they're "Americans." Or, North Americans if you want to be more specific. This history of the American Indian protest movement in the early 1970s is a must read for anyone interested in Indian civil rights.

233: William Beveridge: A Biography by Jose Harris

William Beveridge: A Biography

Book description -

This new edition of Harris's biography of William Beveridge draws upon extensive new archive material about his private and public career. It expands the account given in the first edition of the origins and reception of the Beveridge Plan, and shows how the tortuous character of Beveridge's personal and emotional history helped to shape his contribution to twentieth-century social reform.

Why this is progressive/liberal: Lord William Beveridge was the primary architect of the British welfare state. He chaired the committee that produced the deeply influential Beveridge Report, which identified five "Giant Evils" in society: squalor, ignorance, want, idleness and disease. A well-functioning state should do something to address these evils. If you want to know the logic behind welfare and social security this obscure book will help.



Mr. Social Security: The Life of Wilbur J. Cohen by Edward Berkowitz is a terrific companion piece and looks at the man who helped create Social Security policy it the United States.

234: A History of the Cuban Revolution by Aviva Chomsky

A History of the Cuban Revolution (Viewpoints / Puntos de Vista)

From the book description:

A History of the Cuban Revolution presents a concise socio-historical account of the Cuban Revolution of 1959, an event that continues to spark debate 50 years later.

Balances a comprehensive overview of the political and economic events of the revolution with a look at the revolution’s social impact

Provides a lively, on-the-ground look at the lives of ordinary people

Features both U.S. and Cuban perspectives to provide a complete and well-rounded look at the revolution and its repercussions

Encourages students to understand history through the viewpoint of individuals living it

Why this is progressive/liberal: It's almost impossible to get an unbiased analysis of the Cuban Revolution. Aviva Chomsky's history is probably the closest you can come.

Buy the Kindle version: A History of the Cuban Revolution (Viewpoints / Puntos de Vista)