Category: Politics

  THE KILLER COLLECTIVE By Barry Eisler “In this crackling-good thriller from bestseller Eisler, Seattle PD sex crimes detective Livia Lone, assassin John Rain, and former Marine sniper Dox form a testy alliance to combat a vile conspiracy involving corrupt and toxic government agencies.”...

Title: Breaking In: The Rise of Sonia Sotomayor and the Politics of Justice Author: Joan Biskupic Summary/Review: The most interesting thing about this book is the direction the author chose in describing the selection and Senate approval of Justice Sotomayor. She describes in wonderful...

Title: Island Beneath the Sea Author:  Isabel Allende Publisher: Harper, April 2010 Summary: Island Beneath the Sea follows a young woman named Zarité thrown into slavery in 18th century Haiti. Known by most as Tété, she is chosen to become housekeeper for Toulouse Valmorain, an unpredictable...

Title: When Skateboards Will Be Free: A Memoir of a Political Childhood Author: Said Sayrafiezadeh Summary: In his debut memoir, Sayrafiezadeh describes his childhood in the Socialist Workers Party. Even after her husband leaves her to foment revolution in his native Iran, Said’s mom,...

Title: The Dark Side: The Inside Story of How the War on Terror Turned Into a War on American Ideals Author: Jane Mayer Publisher: Doubleday, July 2008 Summary: In The Dark Side, Jane Mayer, a staff writer for the New Yorker, documents some of...

Title: America, America Author:  Ethan Canin Summary: Ethan Canin has always been a wonderful writer, but this is his best book yet.  In fact, it’s one of the best books I’ve read – period.  Several reviewers have deemed it a “great American novel,” not...

Title: The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court Author: Jeffrey Toobin Summary: Best-selling author Jeffrey Toobin takes the reader into the chambers of the Supreme Court to reveal the character and thinking of the nine people who decide the law of...

Title: A People’s History of American Empire: A Graphic Adaptation Author: Howard Zinn, with Paul Buhle, and illustrations by Mike Konopacki Summary: It is hard to believe that the groundbreaking A People’s History of the United States is almost 30 years old! Historian Howard Zinn’s classic ‘history from the...

Title:  America’s Hidden History Author:  Kenneth C. Davis Summary:   In his new book, Kenneth Davis has highlighted 6 episodes in American history that have been somewhat overlooked but were very important in the development of our nation. All 6 episodes took place before 1790....

Title: Imperial Life in the Emerald City: Inside Iraq’s Green Zone Author: Rajiv Chandrasekaran Summary: A shocking account of life in Baghdad’s Green Zone, a walled-off enclave of posh villas and sparkling swimming pools that was the headquarters for the American occupation of Iraq....