The New Black: What Has Changed--And What Has Not--With Race in America

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"Positing that the civil rights idea "has begun to unravel, " law professors Mack (Representing the Race) and Charles offer 11 essays from scholars, writers, and cultural critics on "postracialism consequent to Obama's election." Lani Guinier and Gerald Torres propose the fresh concept of "political race, " consisting of "a group of people who ultimately are defined by their politics rather than by their physiognomy, " while Cristina Rodriguez questions the applicability of civil rights principles to immigration reform. Jeannine Bell addresses the "tolerance-violence paradox" as violent racism occurs "in the same space and time as... increases in racial tolerance, " while Angela Onwuachi-Willig discusses the newsworthy arrest of Henry Louis Gates. Glenn Loury argues that "Obama's election has neither fulfilled King's dream nor does it usher in any sort of a new era, " and that "the imperatives of office in the position of the American presidency" take Obama away from the "black prophetic tradition." "Postracial America, " one contributor observes, "is the dream that we would prefer to believe, and the one that many would rather see depicted." Mack and Charles have staged an eminently readable event for wrestling with that idea." (Publishers Weekly)

The Price of Paradise: The Costs of Inequality and a Vision for a More Equitable America

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"Troutt (Law and Justice/Rutgers School of Law, Newark; The Importance of Being Dangerous, 2009, etc.) offers a controversial counter to the claim that social spending is an out-of-control government expense. The author writes that "localism," the autonomous local control of suburban communities, has increased costs of education and policing far beyond affordable levels and reinforced the economics of institutional racism. Troutt asks two important questions: "[W]ho really gets the most government subsidies?" and "[W]hy should I live near poor people?" He develops a convincing case that government subsidies are not just handouts to the poor, but in fact have subsidized middle-class lifestyles as well. Since the 1930s, these have been carried out through specially designed loan packages, tax deductions for mortgages and local property taxes, and the construction of the federal highway system. These subsidies have been under attack since the recent financial crisis. Troutt debunks as mere ideology the contention that suburban neighborhoods, considered to exemplify the American dream, have flourished only due to homeowner and community self-sufficiency and autonomy. He shows how, since the 1970s, Supreme Court decisions favoring local autonomy in zoning, land use and education have undermined the gains made by 1960s civil rights reforms. "By 1980," he writes, "localism had trumped the equality principle to reproduce formal segregation but in a non-racial way. For all its benefits, localism has a fatal flaw, narrow parochialism...its most destructive aspect." The author believes that subsidized suburban communities and poor, inner-city areas both need common interest solutions like those advocated 50 years ago by Martin Luther King Jr.; they should be based on interdependence instead of separation in economic and political relations. "Ultimately, this book is a rejection of our divisive assumptions, an argument about the profound interdependency of our lives," writes the author. A forcefully presented eye-opener sure to provoke controversy as well as interest."  (Kirkus Reviews)

Duty: Memoirs of a Secretary at War

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"Gates was U.S. secretary of defense from 2006-2011, serving in the cabinets of both George W. Bush and Barack Obama two presidents who had little else in common. Gates's confirmation was a repudiation of his predecessor, Donald Rumsfeld, and his initial mission was to reverse a looming defeat in Iraq. As Gates, in this richly textured memoir, tells it, the Department of Defense had "alienated just about everyone in town" and the new secretary "had a lot of fences to mend." This involved overcoming resistance to maintaining the military's "nontraditional capabilities" developed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Meanwhile his efforts on behalf of Gen. David Petraeus and the Iraqi surge only exposed other intractable regional flash points. Gates "did not enjoy being secretary of defense," and his focus shifted from Iraq to Afghanistan, where "the foreign-policy team was splintering"; an agitated Israel; and an ever-difficult Iran. He also faced hot-button domestic issues like Don't Ask, Don't Tell. Gates frequently presents himself as the only adult in the room, but given his accounts of administration "micromanagement and operational meddling," a Congress that "up close... is truly ugly," frequent insider leaks, and a government suffering "paralytic polarization," his call for restoring "civility and mutual respect" is a cry from the heart." (Publishers Weekly)

Chris Christie: The Inside Story of His Rise to Power

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"New Jersey Governor Chris Christie has become a national Republican Party figure, famous for his blunt public statements, his willingness to confront powerful special interests, and his determination to change the ingrown, corrupt, backroom political culture of New Jersey. In just two years as governor, Christie has moved aggressively to reduce the state's ballooning deficit, rein in lucrative entitlements for teacher, police, fire, and public employee unions, cut out-of-control government spending, and create jobs by reducing counterproductive business regulations. But beneath Christie's combative public persona is an intensely loyal family man, whose deep roots in New Jersey shape his core values. Written by "New York Times "bestselling author Bob Ingle and fellow journalist Michael Symons, who have covered the governor's political career for more than a decade, "Chris Christie "offers the first inside portrait of this fascinating man.
Drawing on interviews with Christie himself, his wife, Mary Pat, his brother, Todd, his father, Bill, his uncle Joe, and many longtime supporters as well as political opponents, Ingle and Symons trace Christie's life. He grew up in New Jersey, surrounded by a big, roiling Italian-American family where his mother, Sondra, and grandmother Anne were powerful influences. Surprisingly, his political career nearly ended after a bruising loss in a local county campaign, but was revived when Christie was appointed United States Attorney for New Jersey. He soon became a feared prosecutor, and culminated an impressive string of successful cases with a multi-year investigation that resulted in the arrests of more than forty people, in one of the state's most notorious examples of political corruption.
Despite calls to run for president, Christie reiterated his commitment to reforming New Jersey. "Chris Christie: The Inside Story of His Rise to Power" goes behind the scenes to reveal his family life, his public life, and what the future might hold."  (Publisher Description)

The Demographic Cliff: How to Survive and Prosper During the Great Deflation of 2014-2019

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"Talk about timing the market: Demographer Dent (The Great Depression Ahead: How to Prosper in the Crash Following the Greatest Boom in History, 2009, etc.) studies generational trends that suggest hard times are in store, particularly for younger people entering the workforce. Though the economy seems to be recovering, writes the author, this is a result of "endless government stimulus" that must come to an end. With the retirement of the baby boomer generation and the subsequent restrictions imposed on the economy by the fact that fewer workers will be replacing them, consumer spending will decline, since those workers will likely have less money to spend even as the boomers are in the "downward phase" in their own purchasing patterns. The "echo boomers," whose births are spread out from 1976 to 2007, will eventually replace the baby boomers, and they're significantly more numerous. Meanwhile, the Gen Xers--less than half the echo boomers' number--are going to have to pull a lot of weight. The near-term result? A "coma economy" such as Japan's. The good news, if it is in fact good news, is that China is not likely to overwhelm the West economically, since its demographic future is even more dire. The bad news for nativists is that in order to re-emerge economically, the United States will have to see a population growth to 420 million by 2060, and much of that will have to come from immigration, which is likely instead to slow in the coming "winter season." Dent closes by examining the place of social entitlements in a newly austere economic landscape; refreshingly, he urges that "there should be "a government-driven one-payer system for the most basic health care services for all," adding that the free market system is intended to benefit everyone, "not just the strongest." Provocative reading: a bad-case, if not worst-case, scenario that portends tough times ahead. Let's hope Dent is erring on the side of pessimism."  (Kirkus Reviews)

Angry White Men: American Masculinity at the End of an Era

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"A study of what Kimmel (Sociology and Gender Studies/Stony Brook Univ.; Guyland: The Perilous World Where Boys Become Men, 2008, etc.) calls "aggrieved entitlement" and how it leads to the angry rhetoric and violence endemic to the United States today. The author is no stranger to thinking and writing about men in their cultural climate; in his latest book, he turns his gaze to the pervasive anger specifically white men experience. White men, he claims, have held the upper hand for so long that equalizing the playing field results in explosive rage over their situation rather than the quieter despair, anxiety and frustration that other men feel. "Theirs is the anger of the entitled: we are entitled to those jobs, those positions of unchallenged dominance," writes Kimmel. "And when we are told we are not going to get them, we get angry." From there, the author moves through manifestations of this rage, such as domestic violence, mass murder and involvement in white-supremacy activities. Kimmel's writing is open and engaging, reminiscent of a conversation with friends in a bar. This makes some of the disturbing content easier to digest and his arguments palatable even to those inclined to disagree with him. Though he admits his left-leaning bias, he writes, "I try to look into the hearts and minds of the American men with whom I most disagree politically....I do so not with contempt or pity, but with empathy and compassion." For the most part, the author succeeds, but he does himself a disservice by alienating readers, with an overwhelmingly liberal introduction and first chapter, who might otherwise see merit in his conclusion that these "angry white men have some justified grievances--even though they often aim their arrows at the wrong targets." Another worthwhile examination of important issues affecting men and, by extension, everyone else, from an author known for his insight into the subject."  (Kirkus Reviews)

Inequality for All (DVD)

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" A passionate argument on behalf of the middle class, INEQUALITY FOR ALL features Robert Reich--professor, best-selling author, and Clinton cabinet member--as he demonstrates how the widening income gap has a devastating impact on the American economy. The film is an intimate portrait of a man who's overcome a great deal of personal adversity and whose lifelong goal remains protecting those who are unable to protect themselves. Through his singular perspective, Reich explains how the massive consolidation of wealth by a precious few threatens the viability of the American workforce and the foundation of democracy itself. In this INCONVENIENT TRUTH for the economy, Reich uses humor and a wide array of facts to explain how the issue of economic inequality affects each and every one of us."  (Publisher Description)