The Muslims Are Coming!: Islamophobia, Extremism, and the Domestic War on Terror -

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"A widely researched argument about why the war on terror will have no success unless the West stops blaming Islam and starts locating the roots of political dissent. In fighting the war on terror, Kundnani (Terrorism Studies/John Jay Coll.; The End of Tolerance: Racism in 21st Century Britain, 2007) sees the governments of the U.S. and Britain as employing the same wrongheaded surveillance tactics that were created by the Russians and sharpened by the CIA, then the FBI, in cracking down on dissidents during the Cold War and the civil rights era. The problem, writes the author, is that Muslims have become an "ideal enemy," perceived by mainstream American and British societies as unable to assimilate properly due to the essential flaw in their religion: the inability to separate church and state. Policymakers view extremism as a "perversion of Islam's message," the twisting of what is essentially a benign religion into "an antimodern, totalitarian, political ideology." The truth is that most people are peace-loving and assimilationist, and Muslim communities have become a kind of "Asian model minority." Yet some of the youth, thwarted in their political expression, lash out in extremism--e.g., in the reaction to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and the plight of the Palestinians against Israeli aggression. In the crackdown on anti-extremism, scholars of "radicalization"--i.e., the process by which Muslims move toward terrorism--zero in on a spurious "cultural-psychological predisposition" toward violence and disaffection that offers intelligence and law enforcement agencies a framework to work with but does not address what Kundnani believes is at the root of the unrest: poverty and oppression. His examples of the pernicious reach of many policing tools are useful, such as the Prevent model launched in Britain in 2004, provoking questions about privacy and discrimination. Kundnani frankly and refreshingly moves away from ideological symptoms and toward political causes in tackling extremism."  (Kirkus Reviews)

Inferno: An Anatomy of American Punishment

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"An eye-opening report about how the United States, with just 5 percent of the world's population, holds 25 percent of the world's incarcerated population. Ferguson (Law, Literature and Criticism/Columbia University; Alone in America: The Stories that Really Matter, 2013, etc.) charges that American prisons have "become an evil for all concerned." Federal, state and local governments spend $80 billion per year on a system that provides jobs for one out of nine state employees. In order to promote the system's growth, private prison companies, as well as the unions representing guards, have become a self-serving lobby wielding their clout over political decision-makers. As one example, Louisiana's privatized, for-profit system holds one out of every 86 of the state's citizens: three times more than in Iran, seven times more than in China and 10 times more than in Germany. The numbers jailed and the severity of the sentences-- including life without parole for nonviolent crimes--are no longer comparable to any of the countries that are peers and allies of the U.S. Overcrowding risks unrest, and financial costs have outgrown available revenue. Ultimately, writes Ferguson, U.S. prison policy has reached a breaking point. The author puts much of the blame on the politicians whose legislation brought about this state of affairs, and he calls their political desires "the punitive impulse in American society." He wants to know whether it is reversible, noting that it's "simply a fact that voters promote to high office those politicians who want tougher penalties." Ferguson dates the origins of this current, nearly intractable situation to a knee-jerk response to widespread urban riots 50 years ago. An important wake-up call about an emerging crisis that threatens to become a human rights scandal of global proportions."(Kirkus Reviews)

Windfall: The Booming Business of Global Warming

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"For most of the planet, the specter of global warming is ominous, but as journalist Funk reveals in this startling book, there are those who view the Earth's dangerous meltdown as a golden opportunity. Funk, who for traveled six years studying climate change, saw beyond the ecological disaster, profiling individuals and companies with an ambitious goal of turning a profit from a distressed planet one overwhelmed by carbon emissions at higher concentrations than at any time in the last 800,000 years. In alarming terms, he lists three major categories of global warming that need very little explanation the melt, the drought, and the deluge all of which have nations and citizens jockeying for position to cash in on the world's dwindling resources. Everybody is in the mix, according to Funk, from the Greenland secessionists betting on oil to set them free, Israeli wizards creating snows for barren ski slopes, South Sudanese warlords controlling precious farmland in a deal with fund managers, California firefighters teaming with insurance companies as the last barrier against wildfires, and a Dutch engineering firm's water-management ideas for securing a storm-ravaged New York City. Still, Funk's original, forthright take on the little-discussed profit-taking trend in the climate change sweepstakes is very unsettling."   (Publishers Weekly)

Kicking the Kremlin: Russia's New Dissidents and the Battle to Topple Putin

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"As 2011 came to a close, in what was a watershed moment, 100,000 took to Moscow's freezing streets to protest the election victory of United Russia - Vladimir Putin's party - amid widespread allegations of corruption and vote-rigging. A few months later, Pussy Riot hit headlines around the world when they were arrested following their anti-Putin demonstration in a Russian Orthodox cathedral. The vicious battle for Russia's soul continues to this day.
In the first book to take the reader straight to the beating heart of the opposition movement, journalist and long-time Moscow resident Marc Bennetts introduces a new generation of Russian dissidents, united by their hatred of Putin and his bid to silence all political adversaries. We meet a bustling cast of urban youth working to expose the injustices of the regime and a disjointed bunch of dissenters - from 'It Girl' hipsters to 21st-century socialists. Featuring rare interviews with everyone from Pussy Riot and top protest leaders to Kremlin insiders, Bennetts' compelling narrative is a high-octane account of the politics and subterfuge of modern-day Russia."  (Publisher Description)

Russians: The People Behind the Power

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"Former NPR Moscow correspondent Feifer (The Great Gamble: The Soviet War in Afghanistan, 2009) returns with an analysis of the Russian character derived from his family history and many years of research and travels. In a volume that's very current--the author delivers commentary on both Pussy Riot and Edward Snowden--Feifer presents a series of topics that, combined, paint a stark and only mildly hopeful portrait of Russia. Poverty, drinking, cold and punishment--these are among his principal subjects. Throughout, the author uses a variety of techniques: memoir, interviews with significant Russians and others in the region, summaries of key historical events, and anecdotes about and documents from family and friends (his father is also a writer about the region). Feifer is resolutely anti-Putin, condemning him continually for returning the country to some of its nastier ways after the fall of the Soviet Union and the elevation of hopes in the West. (He writes that Putin's abilities are "feeble at best.") In the opening chapter on poverty, the author offers some grim evidence about living conditions in the country: inefficient health care (HIV-AIDS is a major problem), racist hate crimes, the breakdown of infrastructure and corruption everywhere. Conversely, he follows with a chapter about the vast wealth in the country, mostly from energy; the author (and others) recognizes that Russia's dependence on energy income presents a long-term problem. The Russian fondness for vodka, writes the author, may be a cliche, but it's one based on oceans of evidence. Feifer chides the Russian government for doing little about the problem, and he writes about Russian families, the roles of women, the attitudes toward gays and other minorities, racism and anti-Semitism. He highlights the cronyism and the pervasive corruption, and he warns Western countries not to have any "illusions about what kind of country they are dealing with." Dark but skillfully painted pictures at an exhibition." (Kirkus Reviews)

Bitcoin Explained: Today's Complete Guide to Tomorrow's Currency

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"Everyone's Been Asking - What is Bitcoin? Learn the Ins and Outs of Bitcoin, the elusive new currency, including Bitcoin Mining, how to buy, sell and invest, and how you can achieve long term profits! Bitcoin has been brooding within the tech community over the last few years. However, within the past few months, Bitcoin has exploded into the mainstream and is being covered in every notable new source with commentary almost everyday. What is this mysterious currency? Most people (even those doing the reporting) understand very little about this internet phenomenon. Bitcoin is a decentralized "crypto-currency" that puts the power in the hands of the people and takes it away from the banks and government. Learn the ins and outs of Bitcoin. This book, Bitcoin Exposed, will teach you how to quickly get set-up with a Bitcoin account and reap all the rewards of this online currency. Bitcoin Exposed will teach you how to: Quickly get set-up with a Bitcoin wallet Buy goods over the internet with the click of a mouse Transfer money to friends Make completely anonymous transactions Bitcoin Mining and how to become a "Bitcoin Miner" Profit with Bitcoins and investing secrets Our BONUS Insight: An in-depth analysis of the current problems and potential pitfalls of Bitcoin, as well as the exponential profits early investors may reap from acquiring Bitcoins now. Note from Authors - Mark Solomon & Daniel Forrester ""Bitcoin is not just a way for hackers to buy obscure products on the internet. It has evolved into a robust, versatile online currency that anyone can use to buy products, trade, or increase their business's sales potential. Reap the benefits of becoming an expert on this new currency with this new tell-all book"""  (Publisher Description)

The Outrage Industry: Political Opinion Media and the New Incivility ( Studies in Postwar American Political Development )

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"The United States has a long history of controversial political commentary, but recent years have seen a new genre of opinion characterized by outrageous innuendo and misrepresentation. Berry and Sobieraj (political science & sociology, respectively, Tufts Univ.), using a variety of well-documented qualitative and quantitative methods to conduct their research, chronicle the variety and types of outrageous commentary found across the political spectrum, from conservative to liberal. The authors draw on a variety of examples, including Rush Limbaugh's attack on Georgetown University law student Sandra Fluke for advocating for health insurance coverage for contraceptives and Keith Olbermann's belaboring of Michelle Bachman's misstatement about sharing a hometown with John Wayne, in order to illustrate the hyperpartisan nature of some commentary. The growth in outrage-based opinion is attributed to decreasing regulation, new media outlets and formats, changes in popular culture, and the fear of engaging in political conversation in social settings. While the authors are careful not to imply a causal relationship, they link changes in commentary to the growing polarization of Congress and the incivility in politics. VERDICT Scholars in the fields of communication, political science, and sociology will welcome this detailed examination of the changes in public political discourse.-"  (Library Journal)