Inequality in America: Race, Poverty, and Fulfilling Democracy's Promise

Stephen Maynard Caliendo (Get this book)
Despite our nation's founding on the ideals of equality, the wealth gap in the U.S. is widening at an alarming rate. Political science scholar Caliendo takes a historical and contemporary look at race and economic inequality in the U.S., drawing on research in a wide range of areas, including economics, education, sociology, psychology, criminal justice, and medicine. He explores the assumptions that are widely held about poverty in the U.S.that it is primarily due to character flaws, that government assistance mostly goes to minorities, and that poverty is urban-centered. Caliendo focuses on the politics behind poverty, the notions that separate liberals and conservatives on issues of privilege, meritocracy, individualism, and economic redistribution. This is a well-researched and insightful perspective on economic inequality and its conflict with American ideals.--Booklist

No Place to Hide: Edward Snowden, the NSA, and the U.S. Surveillance State

Glenn Greenwald (Get this book)
National Security Agency's vast warrantless surveillance operations last year after receiving top-secret documents from NSA contractor Snowden, who is briefly profiled here. Greenwald's breathless narrative is itself a spy story, complete with encrypted messages, cloak-and-dagger in Hong Kong, a possible CIA break-in at his house, the detainment of his partner on trumped-up terrorism suspicions, and furious wrangles with the mainstream press, which he denounces for its chumminess with officialdom. Greenwald's great reporting highlights the collusion of government, corporations, and media to undermine notions of privacy and democratic participation. --Publisher's Weekly