What progressive book changes lives?

[ForeverWinter]

I just entered a sure-thing bet with two of my girlfriends. I'm running a marathon in one month and, as part of my training, I've sworn off booze of any kind until the the race is over. (Then I'm having a glass of champagne }( ) My friends are such raging bar flies, they insist there's no way I can last a month without a drink. Wager ensues.
The terms are these:
No trickery... they can't spike something non-alkie that I'm drinking.
If I have even one alcoholic beverage before the race, I lose. I give my two friends a total of six hours of free personal training.
If I abstain completely from alcohol until after the race, they lose. One friend is a fashion queen and sells pharmaceutical beauty products, she's going to give me a pedicure, manicure, and skin care. The other friend voted for Bush. So I got creative. If I win, all she has to do is read one book of my choice WITH AN OPEN MIND.
(Let me just say, I've quit drinking for much longer than a month while training on several occasions. I'm vegetarian, quit illegal drugs cold turkey after college, don't smoke, don't even take over-the-counters. I HAVE THIS IN THE BAG.)

So, what book do I give her? She's basically a good person, just ignorant (sometimes willfully) and stubborn. She's from an old, wealthy, very conservative local family. I feel like she's lived a very sheltered life and accepted what she's been told by those around her. She isn't curious or questioning about politics. Her first husband is Israeli, and her son is a dual citizen, so she's very pro-Israel and feels like Bush is too, but that is NOT a can of worms I want to open. I'd rather expose some more black-and-white type issues like:
Bush destroying our civil liberties and constitutional rights.
His rampant ecomonic irresponsibility.
The immorality and ineffectiveness of the "war on terror". (And how we're NOT "safer".)
The destruction and poisoning of our environment, air, water, and food.
The mishandling and misinformation about 9/11.

This is my chance to change her life. She has a five-year-old, so I think when she becomes informed, she'll respond to some of these issues. I've already been able to open her up to issues like gay rights and the environment, not as much as I'd like to, but she's evolving.
This is SO important to me.

So tell me, what progressive book changes lives?

[patrice]

1. A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn.

I'm not sure you would classify it as Progressive. It is really more of a Classic history as opposed to Conventional history, which is what most of us were taught in schools. It WILL change what you think this country IS AND it IS NOT Revisionist.

[rinsd]

6. Oh please. Zinn's book is agitprop.

Effective? Certainly but still agitprop.

[alfredo]

11. It is history through the eyes of the common man

What history we are taught is the history of the elite. The struggles of the working man, the slave, the native was ignored in my day.

I got punished for writing about the civil rights movement.

[rinsd]

13. It is history thru the eyes of a dedicated revolutionary

"The struggles of the working man, the slave, the native was ignored in my day"

Well I am sorry for your day. I am all of 30 but I studied these subjects in school.

My first year of US history in High School (revolution thru Civil War) had quite a focus slavery, Manifest Destiny and the struggles of the early Republic matching its ideals with reality.

My 2nd year of US history dealt with Civil War to present. We rushed thru post WW2 history but we spent quite a deal of time on the industrial revolution and the robber barons. Then we spend a great deal of time on Teddy Roosevelt and then the GreatDepression/New Deal.
"I got punished for writing about the civil rights movement."

That's a shame. No its a damn shame. One of the paper's I am proudest of was the confrontation in Greensboro between communists and KKK members.

Doesn't change my opinion of Zinn's book though, which is decent read but not reference worthy irregardless of what Matt Damon has to say about it.

[alfredo]

14. I will never forget the teacher ripping it off the wall and

saying "you get a zero for this." What a bitch.

Zinn's book does remind us that our democracy is very fragile, and that the monied interests are as great a threat as any outside force.

[rinsd]

18. That sucks....

Teachers can be petty.

I am fairly sure that a teacher from my high school had a vendetta against me for two reasons. One when I had his class(this is 2nd year US history) I used to bust his balls about getting basic things wrong and being argumentative in general. Two, while on the Close-Up program (whiuch he ran) I got into trouble a couple of times and I also basically called out Chris Cox (who was our rep at the time). During our meeting with the Congressman(after telling us to be absolutely respectful) my teacher decided to be a wiseass and chides me for not asking questions. So I immediatley launch into a monologue about the necessity of the SDI project in lieu of the collpse of the Soviet Union etc. Congressman Cox was no amused.

So I was not allowed on Close-Up the following year.

Also I a definitely sure he ratted out my brother to the admin as a pot smoker.

This from ad ouche with a poodle haircut and 'Dead stickers on his car that he placed there around 85.

[alfredo]

21. I was branded a trouble maker in the first grade and

was treated as a trouble maker for the rest of my school years. They were right, I was a wiseass, a skeptic and hot tempered. It got to the point where the paddlings had no effect. I wouldn't cry. I would either smile or give the teacher a cold stare.

I was so PTSD by the time I got to high school I was beyond control. What it came down to, they don't mess with me, there would be no trouble. One teacher did and she ended up getting fired. Still had to go to summer school that year to make up the class. She kicked out most of her students. There were only six left out of 20 or so students. I had a question, she refused to answer it. I then held up my hand and asked if I could go to another teacher and ask her if she could answer the question. My ass was out the door and in the principal'
s office. Only 3 people passed her class that year.

She never taught, she would give us our algebra assignments, no explanations, nothing. What we learned was from the book. That's it. I explained that, and said also that she'd sit on her desk with her legs spread. That was the truth. She'd sit there and read. The vice principal was in the office and I noticed he was trying to look up her skirt. I turned and told him "They're pink." He turned bright red. She got fired for moral issues.

[rinsd]

22. Ugh....sounds like a real nightmare.

Though your line about the underwear was hilarious.

[alfredo]

25. The whole school knew about her. I was surprised

that they hadn't heard up in the office.

[patrice]

33. Okay, I kind of knew I wasn't going to get away with the use of the

word "Classic" in this context. My husband is a Libertarian and a Historian.

So, I'll take the reference to it being Classic back, but let us be sure that our objections (it being "agitprop") aren't mostly founded on the fact that Zinn does not repeat the same tired old lies about what the U.S. is.

[Moochy]

42. I second your nomination for "A People's History" n/t

[Moochy]

41. Agitprop?

Please explain yourself.
Are you implying that it is inaccurate ? That the primary sources he references are false?

Or that his sampling of the writings of the day are some how equated with "agitprop"?

To use Rob Cordry's catch phrase,
"I mean come on!"

[mod mom]

9. My first thought as well. I also recommend Palast's "Best Democracy Money

Can Buy".

[Cerridwen]

43. I'll third the recommendation of "A People's History"

It's nice to see a selection of "People's History" gathered into one book.

[alfredo]

2. I'm a big fan of John Dean's books. The most recent

"Conservatives Without Conscience" has really changed the way I see conservatives. Still his other book "Worse Than Watergate" is a very good read and shows how they have set up a culture of secrecy just like Nixon, but with more damaging effects.

If you want to scare the crap out of her: "Imperial Hubris."

[patrice]

34. I will nominate Dean's book, Conservatives Without Conscience,

for changing my perspective on what "conservatives" are and allowing me (because I can now get a grip on thier liabilities) to give them whatever credit is possible under the circumstances.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

3. Catch-22.

If she's not questioning or curious about politics, Catch-22 should, at least, make her questioning and curious about the forces that run her life.

[Mr Rabble]

4. Ive got a better idea.

Ask her to watch 3 DVDs. It does not have to happen in one day, and it will be less than 6 hours of her time- total. Lots of people are much more likely to connect the dots if they see it on screen.

Why We Fight
Orwell Rolls in his Grave

The Oil Factor or
Hijacking Catastrophe

These will address the real issues, without giving her the chance to space out on a book.

[RethugAssKicker]

8. Don't forget Weapons of Mass Deception

[rinsd]

5. Franken's Lies and the Lying Liars thet Tell them

This is the book that got thru to Howard Stern. Franken basically catalogs and destroys lies told by Republicans an Republican commentators.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0525947647/002-5806515-1567233?v=glance&n=283155

I know someone suggested Howard Zinn but he's so contrarian that I think a Bush voter would reject him out of hand.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

30. Absolutely 100% Agree That This Would Be A Great One For Her.

:thumbsup:

[Warpy]

7. "Lies my Teacher Told Me" James Loewen

I don't know if I'd characterize this as a leftist book, but it is certainly an eye opener. It's also a good read, an easy read that won't bog a lightweight down.

Get it at: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0684818868/104-3908151-2555956?v=glance&n=283155

[dpbrown]

10. 1984

It's the design upon which the entire house of hate cards is built.

[alfredo]

15. "A Handmaiden's Tale."

[Greyhound]

12. All of the above and for the religious crowd...

All of the books by retired Bishop John Shelby Spong.

[mcctatas]

27. I used "Rescuing the Bible from Fundamentalism" for a paper last

semester...I loved it, but "unfortunately" I had it laying out (accidentally on purpose) when my fundie MIL was over...she was completely apoplectic!!! I thought I was going to have to give her CPR if she didn't calm down...then I thought "She wouldn't want me to interfere with whatever is God's plan for her demise"...(she lived) :evilgrin:

[DirtyJersey]

16. some suggestions

Avoid something too topical, i.e. an anti-Bush book, or a Franken book. It's too late for her vote or not vote for him again, so a broader category would be better. I agree with one poster about the Zinn book...it has some holes and I noticed a pro-socialist bent to it. The last thing we need to do is feed the conservative's BS argument that liberalism = socialism. One book that I would suggest is "The Conscience of a Liberal" by the late Sen. Paul Wellstone (D-MN). The only downfall to that book is it that it's somewhat of an autobiography, but it lays out many policy ideas.

[welshTerrier2]

17. The Sorrows of Empire by Chalmers Johnson

if i could only pick one book, this would be it ...

here's what a review on Amazon had to say:

essential truths rather than pablum and propaganda

Essential truths are discomforting but critically important while there may still be time to save the United States from its worst enemies - antidemocratic ruling cliques that are part of the military industrial-complex (now oil and communications industries included) at its worst. This is not the pabulum and propaganda of most of the press and right wing think tanks or corporate media but rather a tough minded well documented and truly scary reality that most would prefer to ignore -- at their own risk. The American Empire of Bases, hidden expenses and private corporate military contracts, together with a plethora of lies make for mass hallucination that has but an inkling of truth. One chapter could stand on its own as a great description of recent economic and military history "What Happened to Globalization?". The chapter also effectively highlights how mythological is the "free market capitalism" that is ideology and far from reality. It is clear that the problem is not new - but also that is far worse than ever with the megalomaniac boy emperor and his irresponsible quest that is destroying everything from the Constitution to the economy. The practical first step - not mentioned directly by Johnson - is to get Bush out of office and work for major restoration of the promise of America for the people and the world rather than a few oil and war profiteers. Wake up! Pray there is still time to restore our country! Johnson does not say it in so many words but it becomes clear that no one has done more to make enemies and reduce our security than this President and his administration. After reading this one is not likely to be a total 'sucker' like Goering's public that could be manipulated by freaking people out about their enemies abroad and calling anyone who disagrees unpatriotic or traitorous.

[Sparkly]

19. "Blinded by the Right" or "Lies and the Lying Liars who Tell Them" nt

[FtWayneBlue]

20. How about an easy read,

"Addicted to War."

[Mz Pip]

23. My Declaration of Independence

by Jim Jeffords. It's not too long but it is still a thoughtful book. I think hearing the truth from someone who once shared a similar political background is much harder to dismiss than reading something by someone you never would agree with no matter what.

Either that or John Dean's new book Conservatives Without Conscience.

Mz Pip
:dem:

[misternormal]

24. How about a copy of the Constitution of the United States?? n/t

[PaDem]

26. Robert Reich's "Reason"

It's an excellent introduction to liberalism and why it makes the most sense. A perfect primer, not too wordy.

[MrCoffee]

35. This was the first book I thought of, too.

[Dinger]

28. Conscience Of A Liberal By Paul Wellstone

The first hard cover liberal book I ever got. That one really got me going. Zinn's book is awesome too.

[Hippo_Tron]

46. I was going to suggest the same thing

The only problem is that if you're trying to convert someone, it's drastically outdated. As powerful as it is, it only depicts America's shortcomings during the Clinton administration. Can you imagine what a similar Wellstone book would've been like if it had been written about 2001-Present?

[porphyrian]

29. There's Nothing in the Middle of the Road But Yellow Stripes...

...and Dead Armadillos: A Work of Political Subversion by Jim Hightower. It's an older book, but it's still pertinent, and it's a good read.

[Hamlette]

31. Assassin's Gate or Fiasco on the Iraq war

both books show how Bush/Rummy/Cheney ignored the advise of experts on getting into Iraq and, especially Rummy, running the war.

Neither book is by a raving liberal but both are a tad long.

I also recommend All the Shah's Men about how the US (GOPS) overthrew the democratically elected government of Iran and put in the Shah...which has led to many of the problems we have now. I remember shaking my head the last third of the book. Sad and clearly for oil. Truman refused to do it, as soon as Eisenhower was elected, we destabilized the country. All because Iran wanted 50% of the profit from oil taken from its country and wanted to audit the books of the English oil company.

[aaronbees]

32. "Nickel and Dimed"

by Barbara Ehrenreich.

[Protagoras]

36. Sorrows of Empire or Confessions of an Economic Hitman

both really bring the message home.

But if you can get someone to actually read those you could also do a great deal of good by having them read Zinn (despite comments above), Franken's Liars, or my personal favorite BIG LIES by Joe Conason.

[patrice]

37. War is a Force that Gives Us Meaning by Christopher Hedges

I haven't read it yet, but it is next on my stack here.

Again I don't know if you'd call it "Progressive" or not. More on this later after I read it.

[EFerrari]

38. What about, just an essay? "Self Reliance" -- Emerson

"My life is for itself and not for spectacle."

I think I actually stopped breathing for a moment when I read that sentence.

So, maybe just that sentence. lol

:)

[libnnc]

39. "Blinded by the Right" by David Brock

In it he tells all the GOP's dirty little secrets. He was a part of the vast right wing conspriacy to crucify the Clintons. He has since changed his way of thinking (and come out as a gay man). He founded Media Matters for America--a watch dog think tank dedicated to exposing right wing, corporate media bias. His book really opened my eyes to the fact that there is no "liberal media"--there never was one.

[opihimoimoi]

40. JANUS, Arthur Koestler

Describes our brain and why we think the way we do...Level 3 shit but its worth it. Enables one to understand a whole lot why we Humans are at the brink of disaster unless we make a shift....in collective thinking..

He is a rare genious...

[Nikia]

44. The Lorax by Dr. Seuss

I know this is not what you probably had in mind, but it made quite a lasting impression on me when I was quite young.

[patrice]

45. Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman