21st Century Books - Page 2

The Rise of the Fourth Reich: The Secret Societies That Threaten to Take Over America

Jim Marrs

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 39 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Conspiracies Smorgsboard 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

Jim Marrs' books are always fun to read, and this book is no different, due to the paradigm shift if requires to review past concepts and ideas of history. This is another of his great books involving conspiracies everywhere. Almost every conspiracy ever heard is included and interwoven into a fascinating tapestry of thinking and alterative history -- it is a virtual smorgsboard of conspiracies. If any part of his writing beyond the initial facts is true then everything we have been taught as history is bunk - note much of what is written about has some basis in fact - no matter how flimsy.

At times as you read the book, you get the idea that this could be a screen play for a B-rated, Indiana Jones type movie. Super Nazi science, alien technology, Solomon's treasure and of course the international conspiracy of governing the world are all included and more.

I recommend this book for the sheer fun of encountering another way of thinking historically and as a means to review your understanding of the world. If nothing else it is sheer fun to read for pleasure.

Editorial Review:

New York Times bestselling conspiracy theorist Jim Marrs offers startling new evidence that the Nazis have been secretly planning a return to power---in the United States.

The Looming Tower: Al Qaeda and the Road to 9/11 (Vintage)

Lawrence Wright

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 288 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

An Excellent Primer on Al-Qaeda's Birth and Growth 4 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

The Looming Tower does a superb examination of the 9/11 attacks and their attackers. The author did extensive research for this history of terrorism, describing its morph from anti-Communist/Left-wing agenda (as atheists, the Communists and the Left-Wing were a huge abomination to the militant Muslims) in Afghanistan to the present day. He details how the group led by Osama bin Laden, called Al-Qaeda, was formed in that country along with their ideology blaming America. As a modestly wealthy member of a prominent Saudi construction family, bin Laden lived a Spartan life and created a responsive and insular organization with a strong sense of publicity. The list of terrorist attacks include East Africa embassy attacks, the USS Cole and more. Like war, counterterrorism is not a scientific activity with 100% assurance of results. It's inexact at best and we see that the FBI, CIA and other agencies are pursuing an uneven and cloudy trail. One of the most dangerous aspects of bin Laden's efforts are the seeds that he tossed into the wind to create a considerable, unconnected (and therefore untraceable) waves of terrorist imitators.

Michael Mandaville, Author: "Citizen Soldier Handbook: 101 Ways for Every American to Fight Terrorism"

Editorial Review:

National Book Award Finalist

A Time, Newsweek, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, and New York Times Book Review Best Book of the Year

A gripping narrative that spans five decades, The Looming Tower explains in unprecedented detail the growth of Islamic fundamentalism, the rise of al-Qaeda, and the intelligence failures that culminated in the attacks on the World Trade Center. Lawrence Wright re-creates firsthand the transformation of Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri from incompetent and idealistic soldiers in Afghanistan to leaders of the most successful terrorist group in history. He follows FBI counterterrorism chief John O’Neill as he uncovers the emerging danger from al-Qaeda in the 1990s and struggles to track this new threat. Packed with new information and a deep historical perspective, The Looming Tower is the definitive history of the long road to September 11.

Just How Stupid Are We?: Facing the Truth About the American Voter

Rick Shenkman

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Total reviews: 42 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

Levees break in New Orleans. Iraq descends into chaos. The housing market teeters on the brink of collapse. Americans of all political stripes are heading into the 2008 election with the sense that something has gone terribly wrong with American politics. But what exactly? Democrats blame Republicans and Republicans blame Democrats. Greedy corporate executives, rogue journalists, faulty voting machines, irresponsible defense contractors-we blame them, too. The only thing everyone seems to agree on, in fact, is that the American people are entirely blameless. In Just How Stupid Are We?, best-selling historian and renowned myth-buster Rick Shenkman takes aim at our great national piety: the wisdom of the American people. The hard truth is that American democracy is more direct than ever-but voters are misusing, abusing, and abdicating their political power. Americans are paying less and less attention to politics at a time when they need to pay much more: Television has dumbed politics down to the basest possible level, while the real workings of politics have become vastly more complicated. Shenkman offers concrete proposals for reforming our institutions-the government, the media, civic organizations, political parties-to make them work better for the American people. But first, Shenkman argues, we must reform ourselves.

Descent into Chaos: The United States and the Failure of Nation Building in Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Central Asia

Ahmed Rashid

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 15 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

The #1 New York Times bestselling author provides a shocking analysis of the crisis in Pakistan and the renewed radicalism threatening Afghanistan and the West.

Ahmed Rashid is “Pakistan’s best and bravest reporter” (Christopher Hitchens). His unique knowledge of this vast and complex region allows him a panoramic vision and nuance that no Western writer can emulate.

His book Taliban first introduced American readers to the brutal regime that hijacked Afghanistan and harbored the terrorist group responsible for the 9/11 attacks. Now, Rashid examines the region and the corridors of power in Washington and Europe to see how the promised nation building in these countries has pro-gressed. His conclusions are devastating: An unstable and nuclear-armed Pakistan, a renewed al’ Qaeda profiting from a booming opium trade, and a Taliban resurgence and reconquest. While Iraq continues to attract most of American media and military might, Rashid argues that Pakistan and Afghanistan are where the conflict will finally be played out and that these failing states pose a graver threat to global security than the Middle East.

Benazir Bhutto’s assassination and the crisis in Pakistan are only the beginning. Rashid assesses what her death means for the region and the future. Rashid has unparalleled access to the figures in this global drama, and provides up-to-the-minute analysis better than anyone else. Descent Into Chaos will do for Central Asia what Thomas Rick’s Fiasco did for Iraq — offer a blistering critique of the Bush administration and an impassioned call to correct our failed strategy in the region.

Outrage: How Illegal Immigration, the United Nations, Congressional Ripoffs, Student Loan Overcharges, Tobacco Companies, Trade Protection, and Drug Companies Are Ripping Us Off . . . and

Dick Morris, Eileen Mcgann

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Total reviews: 79 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

Dick Morris and Eileen McGann are outrage—and you should be, too!

• Half of all illegal immigrants came into this country legally—and we have no way of knowing they're still here!
• Congressmen are putting their wives on their campaign payrolls!
• The UN is a cover for massive corruption!
• Drug companies pay off doctors to write scrips—whether we need them or not!
• Teachers unions block the firing of bad teachers—and battle against higher education standards!
• Katrina victims are being stiffed by their insurance companies!
• Special interests cost our consumers $45 billion through trade quotas that save only a handful of jobs!

Unaware of these abuses? It's not surprising since the mainstream media don't talk about them. Too many powerful people are working very hard to cover them up. But in Outrage, New York Times bestselling authors Dick Morris and Eileen McGann give you the cold, hard facts you won't read about anywhere else—and offer tough, common-sense proposals on how to fight the special interests of the left and right . . . so we can start making these outrageous inequities things of the past!

The Bush Tragedy

Jacob Weisberg

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Total reviews: 59 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

This is the book that cracks the code of the Bush presidency. Unstintingly yet compassionately, and with no political ax to grind, Slate editor in chief Jacob Weisberg methodically and objectively examines the family and circle of advisers who played crucial parts in George W. Bush’s historic downfall.

In this revealing and defining portrait, Weisberg uncovers the “black box” from the crash of the Bush presidency. Using in-depth research, revealing analysis, and keen psychological acuity, Weisberg explores the whole Bush story. Distilling all that has been previously written about Bush into a defining portrait, he illuminates the fateful choices and key decisions that led George W., and thereby the country, into its current predicament. Weisberg gives the tragedy a historical and literary frame, comparing Bush not just to previous American leaders, but also to Shakespeare’s Prince Hal, who rises from ne’er-do-well youth to become the warrior king Henry V.

Here is the bitter and fascinating truth of the early years of the Bush dynasty, with never-before-revealed information about the conflict between the two patriarchs on George W.’s father’s side of the family–the one an upright pillar of the community, the other a rowdy playboy–and how that schism would later shape and twist the younger George Bush; his father, a hero of war, business, and Republican politics whose accomplishments George W. would attempt to copy and whose absences he would resent; his mother, Barbara, who suffered from insecurity, depression, and deep dissatisfaction with her role as housewife; and his younger brother Jeb, seen by his parents as steadier, stronger, and the son most likely to succeed.

Weisberg also anatomizes the replacement family Bush surrounded himself with in Washington, a group he thought could help him correct the mistakes he felt had destroyed his father’s presidency: Karl Rove, who led Bush astray by pursuing his own historical ambitions and transforming the president into a deeply polarizing figure; Dick Cheney, whose obsessive quest to restore presidential power and protect the country after 9/11 caused Bush and America to lose the world’s respect; and, finally, Donald Rumsfeld and Condoleezza Rice, who encouraged Bush’s foreign policy illusions and abetted his flight from reality.

Delving as no other biography has into Bush’s religious beliefs–which are presented as at once opportunistic and sincere–The Bush Tragedy is an essential work that is sure to become a standard reference for any future assessment. It is the most balanced and compelling account of a sitting president ever written.


From the Hardcover edition.

Amish Grace: How Forgiveness Transcended Tragedy

Kraybill, Donald B., Nolt, Steven M., Weaver-Zercher, David L.

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Total reviews: 41 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Moving "Grace 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

This book is a moving portrait of the tragic shootings of Amish school children in Nickel Mines, PA. Above all, however, it an insightful view of Amish culture and faith, especially with regard to forgiveness. The book's spare and elegant prose was perfectly suited to the subject. I bought 2 additional copies as gifts for friends.

Made me think of my commitment to anything 5 out of 5 stars.
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The mix of Amish background and history with the present gave me a much better understanding of the Amish,why they believe, and who they are.
I wish I could have a commitment and devotion as strong as theirs. This book not only shows their strengths, but also their weaknesses, and how they cope with both. Anyone whether religious,or a non-believer should read this book so they can strengthen their own personal beliefs.

Highly recommend for everyone interested in improving their own life.

EJ

Editorial Review:

The Amish communitys radical act of forgiveness in response to the horrific shooting of ten schoolgirls in October 2006 stunned the world. This book offers insight into how the Amish faith inspires compassion rather than vengeance.

America Speaks: The Historic 2008 Election with DVD

USA Today, ABC News, Foreword by Charles Gibson, Preface by Ken Paulson

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Editorial Review:

Triumph Books has joined forces with ABC News and USA TODAY to create a commemorative volume that will be on the wish list of every voter -- America Speaks, a comprehensive, up-to-the-minute wrap-up of the historic 2008 presidential election. Packed with gorgeous color photographs and buoyed by the insightful journalism of two of the world's news giants, this must-have book will examine every aspect of the riveting campaign. Readers will also travel through "50 States in 50 Days" on the historic joint ABC News/USA TODAY tour of the nation, which captures the voices of the voters as they weigh the merits of the candidates and the challenges being faced by the nation.

In addition to Gibson's foreword and Paulson's preface, a special introductory section will feature essays by some of ABC's most popular journalists reflecting on their campaign experiences, including:

Robin Roberts, anchor, Good Morning America
Cynthia McFadden, anchor, Nightline
Jake Tapper, chief political correspondent, ABC News
Ron Claiborne, anchor, Good Morning America Weekend
David Muir, anchor, World News Weekend
Dan Harris, anchor, World News Weekend
Kate Snow, anchor, Good Morning America Weekend

America Speaks also includes a companion DVD introduced by Charles Gibson of ABC News that provides a summary of the very best of "50 States in 50 Days.".

State of Denial: Bush At War, Part III

Bob Woodward

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Total reviews: 315 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

THE DETAILED, INSIDE STORY OF A WAR-TORN WHITE HOUSE

Bob Woodward examines how the Bush administration avoided telling the truth about Iraq to the public, to the Congress, and often to themselves in State of Denial. Woodward's third book on President Bush is a sweeping narrative from the first days George W. Bush thought seriously about running for president, through the recruitment of his national security team, the war in Afghanistan, the invasion and occupation of Iraq, and the struggle for political survival in the second term.

State of Denial answers the core questions: What happened after the invasion of Iraq? Why? How does Bush make decisions and manage the war that he chose to define his presidency? And, is there an achievable plan for victory? After more than three decades of reporting on national security decision making, including his two #1 national bestsellers on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, Bush at War and Plan of Attack, Woodward provides the fullest account, and explanation, of the road Bush, Cheney, Rumsfeld, Rice and the White House staff have walked.

The Assault on Reason (Thorndike Press Large Print Basic Series)

Albert Gore

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Total reviews: 341 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

a well written book on the state of american democracy 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

It's hard to be objective about this book. Those who give it high
marks no doubt betray their political leanings. Regardless, I do think
that Gore put together a straightforward thesis, and defended it
very well: The basis of democracy in America is an informed and
rational body of voters. Through skillful and deliberate machinations on many different
levels - primarily by relying on one-way media which limit the political
discourse, and evoking primal responses through a variety of
scare tactics - the typical voter no longer reasons, but is being
manipulated by the political machinery. While the Bush administration and its pals in
Congress are singled out as consummate practitioners of such politics,
I think they simply represent the pinnacle of this hypocrisy.

I do believe that Gore got many things right here. Although he bases a few arguments
on recent research in neuroscience which may not have the wide ranging implications
suggested, he reasons well.

Although he reserves the harshest criticism for the current (Bush) administration,
I think this is a clear indictment of the modern political process in the US. As such,
it must also perhaps be read as an apology for Gore's own role in this process.
I do not think this was lost on him, and therefore makes it harder to think of the
book as the writings of a sore loser.

Editorial Review:

A #1 New York Times bestseller: A visionary analysis of the degradation of our public sphere and its consequences for our democracy

Nobel Peace Prize winner, bestselling author, activist, and political icon, Al Gore has become one of the most respected and influential public intellectuals in America today. The Assault on Reason takes an unprecedented look at how faith in the power of reason—the idea that citizens can govern themselves through rational debate—is now under assault. The marketplace of ideas, once open to everyone through the printed word, has been corrupted by the politics of fear, secrecy, cronyism, and blind faith. By leading us to an understanding of what we can do to restore the rule of reason, Gore has written a farsighted and powerful manifesto for clear thinking.