Politics/Government

The Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights (the first 10 amendments to it). Also included are the Declaration of Independence, the 17 subsequent amendments to the Constitution, and brief biographies of the 55 of the Founding Fathers (those who were delegates from each of the thirteen original states except Rhode Island, which did not send any delegates, to the Constitutional Convention, which was held in Philadelphia in 1787). This historical edition of the Constitutution is a ... more info>>

The year was 1957, the month September, and I had just turned eight years old. Dwight Eisenhower was President, but in my life it was the diminutive, intense Sister Mary Lurana who ruled, at least in the third-grade class where I was held captive. For reasons you will soon understand, my parents had remanded me to the penal institution of St. Brigid's School in Westbury, New York, a cruel and unusual punishment if there ever was one. Already, I had barely survived my first two years at St. Brigi... more info>>

A stunning and revealing examination of oil's indelible impact on the countries that produce it and the people who possess it. Every unhappy oil-producing nation is unhappy in its own way, but all are touched by the "resource curse"--the power of oil to exacerbate existing problems and create new ones. In Crude World, Peter Maass presents a vivid portrait of the troubled world oil has created. He takes us to Saudi Arabia, where officials deflect inquiries about the amount of petroleum remaining ... more info>>

In America's battle against al-Qaeda and their allies, the goal of the Navy SEALs is to be the best guns in the fight--stealthy, effective, professional, and lethal. Here for the first time is a SEAL insider's battle history of these Special Operations warriors in the war on terrorism. "Down range" is what SEALs in Afghanistan and Iraq call their area of operations. In this new mode of warfare, "down range" can refer to anything from tracking roving bands of al-Qaeda on a remote mountain trail i... more info>>

"What if you set off on a vacation trip in search of history--and your destination was the men who had been president?" Asking himself that tantalizing question, bestselling author and award-winning journalist Bob Greene embarked on a long journey across the breadth of the nation, hoping to spend time with Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, George Bush and Ronald Reagan. The result of his odyssey is Fraternity. Rich with the sounds of the presidents? own voices, Fraternity is dramatic, su... more info>>

Cedar Rapids in 1884 was a place where Les Graves had a chance to finally earn the respectability he always wanted and to marry the woman he loved. Then his brother T.Z. came into town, bringing with him trouble with a capital T. It seems that T.Z. and his friend Neely had big plans for the local bank where Graves happened to work. And they were counting on Graves' help to pull off the heist. All Graves got in return for his loyalty was a hard cot in a drafty cell -- until a rivalry betwe... more info>>

The Culture Wars Are Over and the Idiots Have WonA veteran journalist's acidically funny, righteously angry lament about the glorification of ignorance in the United States.In the midst of a career-long quest to separate the smart from the pap, Charles Pierce had a defining moment at the Creation Museum in Kentucky, where he observed a dinosaur. Wearing a saddle.... But worse than this was when the proprietor exclaimed to a cheering crowd, "We are taking the dinosaurs back from the evolutionists... more info>>

In this landmark book, Robert D. Kaplan, veteran correspondent for The Atlantic Monthly and author of Balkan Ghosts, shows how American imperialism and the Global War on Terrorism are implemented on the ground, mission by mission, in the most exotic landscapes around the world. Given unprecedented access, Kaplan takes us from the jungles of the southern Philippines to the glacial dust bowls of Mongolia, from the forts of Afghanistan to the forests of South America--not to mention Iraq--to show u... more info>>

Ronald Reagan, one of America's most beloved presidents, is now gone. But his voice lives on in this stirring and very personal collection of letters written during his presidency to his fellow Americans, showing us a new and surprisingly intimate side of our fortieth president. During even the busiest times in his presidency, Ronald Reagan took time out to respond to dozens of letters each week from the many friends and private citizens who wrote to him about their concerns. These letters, co... more info>>

"You have to speak truth to the people who will dismantle and overthrow and constrain power." --Noam Chomsky In Power and Terror, his first new book following his runaway bestseller 9-11, Chomsky presents his latest thinking on terrorism, U.S. foreign policy, and the meaning and true impact of militarism in the world today, based on a series of talks and conversations in March and May of 2002 in California, Cambridge, Mass., and New York. Beginning with the fundamental principl... more info>>

In Profit Over People Noam Chomsky takes on neoliberalism, the pro-corporate system of economic and political policies presently waging a form of class war worldwide. By examining the contradictions between the democratic and market principles proclaimed by those in power and those actually practiced, Chomsky critiques the tyranny of the few that restricts the public arena and enacts policies that vastly increase private wealth, often with complete disregard for social and ecological... more info>>

Winner of the Spur Award When Stephen Payne rides into Favor to investigate the death of his younger brother, Art, he figures he has his work cut out for him. The rumor spreading through town is that Art robbed a stagecoach and then hanged himself. Art had a history of trouble, so he might have committed the robbery -- but suicide? Stephen has his doubts. Favor is a town on the downside of a small silver boom, a town full of secrets. But Stephen owes it to his kid brother to cut t... more info>>

The father of modern community organization, Saul Alinsky taught a generation of activists and politicians how to effectively construct social change. In Rules for Radicals, Alinsky writes with passion and intelligence, carefully outlining the difference between being a realistic radical and being a rhetorical one. Indispensable since its first publication in 1971, this book continues to inform and inspire all those who believe that political engagement is the key to maintaining America's democr... more info>>

In America's new war, the first guns in the fight are special operations forces, including the Navy SEALs, specially trained warriors who operate with precision, swiftness, and lethal force. In the constantly shifting war on terror, SEAL units?small in number, flexible, stealthy, and ef?cient?are more vital than ever to America's security as they take the battle to an elusive enemy around the globe.But how are Navy SEALs made? Dick Couch, author of the acclaimed Warrior Elite, follows SEALs on t... more info>>

The first time I heard it, I laughed. Oh, come on, I thought. He didn't just say that. We were at a restaurant in southern Ohio, where a hundred or so Democrats and a handful of young campaign workers had gathered to hear my husband, Sherrod Brown, announce for the seventh time in two days why he was running for the United States Senate. The party chairman of the county stood up at the lectern and in a loud, booming voice, introduced "Congressman Sherrod Brown--and his lovely wife." By Week 40 o... more info>>

A Graphic Retelling Of The Most Historic Election Of Our Time.... Beyond the pandering focus groups, the billion-dollar fund-raising machinery, and the relentless myopia of the 24-hour news cycle, it was clear that something deep in the American psyche was stirring as the rumblings of the 2008 election first began. 08' follows the epic 2008 presidential campaign and its dramatic cast of characters: the inevitable former first lady with a terrible plan to win, the freshman African-American Senato... more info>>

A veritable "Globalization for Dummies," 10 Reasons to Abolish the IMF & World Bank lays bare the most common myths of globalization in a clear and understandable way. Looking with hope to grassroots movement-building on a global scale, Kevin Danaher presents ten arguments for abolishing the IMF and World Bank and replacing them with democratic institutions that would make the global economy more accountable to an informed and active citizenry. Conceived as an effort to educate th... more info>>

Here are 22 of the world's tiniest nations, many full of whacky surprises: one nation's army consists of a marching band and a few cars; another nation consists largely of bird poop; and a third of these midgets is basically a shopping mall. Don't miss the fun. Entertaining and informative nonfiction for today's reader on the go.

In 31 Days, acclaimed historian Barry Werth takes readers inside the White House during the tumultuous days of August 1974, following Richard Nixon's resignation and the swearing-in of America's "accidental president," Gerald Ford. The Watergate scandal had torn the country apart. In a dramatic, day-by-day account of the new administration's inner workings, Werth shows how Ford, caught between political expedience, the country's demands for justice, and his own moral compass, struggled valiantly... more info>>

In 31 Days, Barry Werth takes readers inside the White House during the tumultuous days following Nixon's resignation and the swearing-in of America's "accidental president," Gerald Ford. The congressional hearings, Nixon's increasing paranoia, and, finally, the devastating revelations of the White House tapes had torn the country apart. Within the White House and the Republican Party, Nixon's resignation produced new fissures and battle lines--and new opportunities for political advancement. Fo... more info>>

�Andrew Krepinevich is one of the most insightful voices we now have on national security issues. You can read this book�or we can go on learning the hard way.� �Thomas E. Ricks, military correspondent, Washington Post, and author of Fiasco: The American Military Adventure in Iraq �This insightful and provocative book must be read by our nation's leaders, and those who are charged with protecting us now and into the next decade.� �Bing West, author of The Strongest Tribe and No Tru... more info>>

In 9-11 Noam Chomsky dissects the root causes of the September 11th catastrophe, the historical precedents for it, and the possible outcomes as the United States responds with its "new war on terrorism." For Chomsky, the atrocities of 9-11 are something quite new in world affairs, marking the first time since 1812 that the U.S. mainland was attacked (an important distinction from Pearl Harbor, which was U.S. territory, but effectively a colony). As Chomsky writes, in the past half century partic... more info>>

It was July 26, 2002. Ten months had barely passed since the horrifying 9-11 attack on the United States. The country was on terrorist watch. A no-fly zone had been established around the nation's capitol. Radar at several Washington-area airports scanned the skies for any threat of attack. This was not a good time for an unidentified flying object to approach the capitol. Suddenly, an hour after midnight, fighter jets were scrambled when radar picked up a UFO twenty miles from the nation's capi... more info>>

For decades, fixing the United States’ broken immigration system has been one of the most urgent challenges facing our country, and time and time again, politicians have passed the buck. With anti-immigrant sentiment rising around the country, as evidenced by the passage of a controversial new law in Arizona, it is now more important than ever to remember the role immigrants play in enriching our economy and culture, and to find a way to incorporate the millions of productive, law-abiding ... more info>>

He's been imprisoned, shot at, denounced, shunned, and banned, yet Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams remains resolute in his belief that peace is the only viable option for the Irish people. Adams led the oldest revolutionary movement in Ireland on an extraordinary journey from armed insurrection to active participation in government. Now he tells the story of the tumultuous series of events that led to the historic Good Friday Agreement as only he can: with a tireless crusader's conviction and an... more info>>