Best of
Government

2013

The Liberty Amendments: Restoring the American Republic


Mark R. Levin - 2013
    The result is an ongoing and growing assault on individual liberty, state sovereignty, and the social compact. Levin argues that if we cherish our American heritage, it is time to embrace a constitutional revival. The delegates to the 1787 Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia and the delegates to each state’s ratification convention foresaw a time when—despite their best efforts to forestall it—the Federal government might breach the Constitution’s limits and begin oppressing the people. Agencies such as the IRS and EPA and programs such as Obamacare demonstrate that the Framers’ fear was prescient. Therefore, the Framers provided two methods for amending the Constitution. The second was intended for our current circumstances—empowering the states to bypass Congress and call a convention for the purpose of amending the Constitution. Levin argues that we, the people, can avoid a perilous outcome by seeking recourse, using the method called for in the Constitution itself. The Framers adopted ten constitutional amendments, called the Bill of Rights, that would preserve individual rights and state authority. Levin lays forth eleven specific prescriptions for restoring our founding principles, ones that are consistent with the Framers’ design. His proposals—such as term limits for members of Congress and Supreme Court justices and limits on federal taxing and spending—are pure common sense, ideas shared by many. They draw on the wisdom of the Founding Fathers—including James Madison, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and numerous lesser-known but crucially important men—in their content and in the method for applying them to the current state of the nation. Now is the time for the American people to take the first step toward reclaiming what belongs to them. The task is daunting, but it is imperative if we are to be truly free.

LeaderShift: A Call for Americans to Finally Stand Up and Lead


Orrin Woodward - 2013
    This book, which calls for the top 10 percent of America to step up and take an active role in our government and our businesses, presents a revolutionary approach to lift us out of the economic doldrums and make us fully engaged with the freedoms we take for granted. The storyline focuses on David Mersher, the successful CEO of Indytech who, at the end of his career, is trying to find out why the United States had lost its edge as a world economic power, and what he can do to help the US lift itself out of its financial malaise. Mersher gathers his trusted advisers to see what they can do to rally Americans to lead -- be it economically, financially, or politically. Their conclusions are powerful and unexpected and will generate tremendous debate.

The iCandidate


Mikael Carlson - 2013
    However, when he loses a bet to his over-achieving class of American history students, he finds himself in unfamiliar territory: a candidate running for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.With no money to run a campaign, Michael sets an audacious plan in motion to become the country’s first virtual candidate. With the help of his teenaged students who serve as his campaign staff, he leverages every form of electronic and social media to reach the voters in his district. With the help of a beautiful, but jaded journalist bent on getting revenge against his opponent, the Bennit campaign rises from obscurity to become the epicenter of national attention. As the infatuation with his fledgling campaign captivates the country, he becomes a target for the desperate incumbent fanatical about hanging onto his power at any cost.The iCandidate follows the plight of four people caught in the firestorm of mainstream media, social media, and dirty politics. In the end, the lives of everybody involved will be changed and the political landscape of the country forever altered. For Michael Bennit, his real concern heading into Election Day is whether the lesson he is trying to teach is getting lost in all the drama.

50 Core American Documents: Required Reading for Students, Teachers, and Citizens


Christopher Burkett - 2013
    Many of the documents emphasize America’s uniqueness and contributions to the world, but they also present different views on some of the major issues and disputes in American history and government, especially on the meaning of liberty, the injustice of slavery, and the demands of progress. Taken as such, the documents reveal a kind of political dialogue to readers, an ongoing and profoundly consequential conversation about how Americans have agreed and often disagreed on the meaning of freedom and self-government. 50 Core American Documents invites teachers and citizens alike to join in this American political dialogue.The Ashbrook Center restores and strengthens the capacities of the American people for constitutional self-government. The Center teaches students and teachers across our country why America is exceptional and what America represents in the long history of the world. Ashbrook is the nation’s largest university-based educator in the enduring principles and practice of free government in the United States, offering programs and resources for students, teachers, and citizens.

Target Churchill


Warren Adler - 2013
    Winston Churchill, the cigar-puffing icon of the British fighting spirit embarks on a crusade to lift the veil of secrecy that hangs over Stalin's mission. Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri sets the diplomatic stage upon which the world's political players grapple for supremacy as Churchill delivers his fated Iron Curtain speech on March 5th 1946.Soviet operatives have infiltrated British and American governments at the highest level. As Churchill prepares to launch the Cold War, Stalin unleashes his trained mole, an American Nazi who served in Hitler's SS. His mission: Assassinate Winston Churchill.Churchill travels with a lone bodyguard, W.H. Thompson, a former British police officer who protected Churchill faithfully through the turbulent years of war. Thompson alone senses danger, but will his trained instincts and vigilance be enough to protect the former Prime Minister from a ruthless killer? In this gripping historical thriller, battles are fought not on the beaches, on the landing grounds, in the fields, on the streets or in the hills, but behind closed doors in the shadows of espionage.

The Doctrine of the Lesser Magistrates: A Proper Resistance to Tyranny and a Repudiation of Unlimited Obedience to Civil Government


Matthew J. Trewhella - 2013
    The rule of law is crumbling. The massive expansion of Federal government power with its destructive laws and policies is of grave concern to many. But what can be done to quell the abuse of power by civil authority? Are unjust or immoral actions by the government simply to be accepted and their lawless commands obeyed? How do we know when the government has acted tyrannically? Which actions constitute proper and legitimate resistance? This book places in your hands a hopeful blueprint for freedom. Appealing to history and the Word of God, Pastor Matthew Trewhella answers these questions and shows how Americans can successfully resist the Federal government's attempts to trample our Constitution, assault our liberty, and impugn the law of God. The doctrine of the lesser magistrates declares that when the superior or higher civil authority makes an unjust/immoral law or decree, the lesser or lower ranking civil authority has both the right and duty to refuse obedience to that superior authority. If necessary, the lower authority may even actively resist the superior authority. Historically, this doctrine was practiced before the time of Christ and Christianity. It was Christian men, however, who formalized and embedded it into their political institutions throughout Western Civilization. The doctrine of the lesser magistrates is a historic tool that provides proven guidelines for proper and legitimate resistance to tyranny, often without causing any major upheaval in society. The doctrine teaches us how to rein in lawless acts by government and restore justice in our nation. "Use this sword against my enemies, if I give righteous commands; but if I give unrighteous commands, use it against me." -Roman Emperor Trajan, speaking to one of his subordinates This is the first book published solely addressing the doctrine of the lesser magistrates in over 400 years. Matthew Trewhella is the pastor of Mercy Seat Christian Church. He is a graduate of Valley Forge Christian College. He and his wife, Clara, have eleven children and nine grandchildren, and reside in the Milwaukee, Wisconsin area. His research and teaching on the lesser magistrate doctrine is reshaping the thinking of Americans. He was instrumental in publishing the Magdeburg Confession in 2012 - the first English translation of the document since it was written in 1550.

We Hold These Truths to Be Self Evident: 12 Natural Laws of Freedom, Progress, and Success


Oliver DeMille - 2013
    Our society is in decline because we are breaking twelve natural laws, and until we change this, the decline will continueno matter what else happens. But we cant sit around waiting for politicians to fix things. We, the ordinary people, have all the power over these twelve laws. Now is the time to get educated and take a stand for freedom!

The Colder War: How the Global Energy Trade Slipped from America's Grasp


Marin Katusa - 2013
    In The Colder War: How the Global Energy Trade Slipped from America's Grasp, energy expert Marin Katusa takes a look at the ways the western world is losing control of the energy market, and what can be done about it.Russia is in the midst of a rapid economic and geopolitical renaissance under the rule of Vladimir Putin, a tenacious KGB officer turned modern-day tsar. Understanding his rise to power provides the keys to understanding the shift in the energy trade from Saudi Arabia to Russia. This powerful new position threatens to unravel the political dominance of the United States once and for all.Discover how political coups, hostile takeovers, and assassinations have brought Russia to the center of the world's energy market Follow Putin's rise to power and how it has led to an upsetting of the global balance of trade Learn how Russia toppled a generation of robber barons and positioned itself as the most powerful force in the energy market Study Putin's long-range plans and their potential impact on the United States and the U.S. dollar If Putin's plans are successful, not only will Russia be able to starve other countries of power, but the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India, and China) will replace the G7 in wealth and clout. The Colder War takes a hard look at what is to come in a new global energy market that is certain to cause unprecedented impact on the U.S. dollar and the American way of life.

Color, Communism and Common Sense


Manning Johnson - 2013
    

Control: Exposing the Truth About Guns


Glenn Beck - 2013
    It is the only time this phrase appears in the Bill of Rights. So why aren’t more people listening? History has proven that guns are essential to self-defense and liberty—but tragedy is a powerful force and has led many to believe that guns are the enemy, that the Second Amendment is outdated, and that more restrictions or outright bans on firearms will somehow solve everything. They are wrong. In Control, Glenn Beck takes on and debunks the common myths and outright lies that are often used to vilify guns and demean their owners: The Second Amendment is ABOUT MUSKETS...GUN CONTROL WORKS in other countries...40 percent of all guns are sold without BACKGROUND CHECKS...More GUNS MEAN more MURDER...Mass shootings are becoming more common...These awful MASSACRES ARE UNIQUE TO AMERICA...No CIVILIAN needs a “weapon of war” like the AR-15...ARMED GUARDS in schools do nothing, just look at Columbine...Stop FEARMONGERING, no one is talking about TAKING YOUR GUNS AWAY. Backed by hundreds of sources, this handbook gives everyone who cares about the Second Amendment the indisputable facts they need to reclaim the debate, defeat the fear, and take back their natural rights.

Lincoln


Tony Kushner - 2013
    Screenwriter Tony Kushner blows the dust off history by investing it with flesh, blood, and churning purpose. . . . A great American movie.” –Peter Travers, Rolling Stone“Lincoln is a rough and noble democratic masterpiece. And the genius of Lincoln, finally, lies in its vision of politics as a noble, sometimes clumsy dialectic of the exalted and the mundane…And Mr. Kushner, whose love of passionate, exhaustive disputation is unmatched in the modern theater, fills nearly every scene with wonderful, maddening talk. Go see this movie.” –A.O. Scott, New York Times“A lyrical, ingeniously structured screenplay. Lincoln is one of the most authentic biographical dramas I’ve ever seen…grand and immersive. It plugs us into the final months of Lincoln’s presidency with a purity that makes us feel transported as if by time machine.” –Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment WeeklyA decade-long collaboration between three-time Academy Award® winner Steven Spielberg and Pulitzer Prize winner Tony Kushner, Lincoln is a revealing drama that focuses on the 16th President’s tumultuous final months in office. Having just won re-election in a country divided, Lincoln pursues a course of action designed to end the war, unite the country and abolish slavery. With the moral courage and fierce determination to succeed, his choices during this critical moment will change the fate of America, and generations, to come. Containing eight pages of color photos from the film and inspired by Doris Kearns Goodwin’s critically acclaimed Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln, Lincoln is now a major motion picture by DreamWorks starring two-time Academy Award® winner Daniel Day-Lewis.Tony Kushner's plays include Angels in America, Parts One and Two; A Bright Room Called Day; Slavs!; Homebody/Kabul; Caroline, or Change, a musical with composer Jeanine Tesori; and The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures. He wrote the screenplays for Mike Nichols's film of Angels in America and for Steven Spielberg's Munich. Kushner is the recipient of a Pultizer Prize, two Tony Awards, three Obie Awards, two Evening Standard Awards, an Olivier Award, an Emmy Award, and two Oscar nominations, among other honors. In 2008 he was the first recipient of the Steinberg Distinguished Playwright Award.

The Federal Reserve and the Financial Crisis


Ben S. Bernanke - 2013
    Federal Reserve, gave a series of lectures about the Federal Reserve and the 2008 financial crisis, as part of a course at George Washington University on the role of the Federal Reserve in the economy. In this unusual event, Bernanke revealed important background and insights into the central bank's crucial actions during the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression. Taken directly from these historic talks, The Federal Reserve and the Financial Crisis offers insight into the guiding principles behind the Fed's activities and the lessons to be learned from its handling of recent economic challenges.Bernanke traces the origins of the Federal Reserve, from its inception in 1914 through the Second World War, and he looks at the Fed post-1945, when it began operating independently from other governmental departments such as the Treasury. During this time the Fed grappled with episodes of high inflation, finally tamed by then-chairman Paul Volcker. Bernanke also explores the period under his predecessor, Alan Greenspan, known as the Great Moderation. Bernanke then delves into the Fed's reaction to the recent financial crisis, focusing on the central bank's role as the lender of last resort and discussing efforts that injected liquidity into the banking system. Bernanke points out that monetary policies alone cannot revive the economy, and he describes ongoing structural and regulatory problems that need to be addressed.Providing first-hand knowledge of how problems in the financial system were handled, The Federal Reserve and the Financial Crisis will long be studied by those interested in this critical moment in history.

Extortion: How Politicians Extract Your Money, Buy Votes, and Line Their Own Pockets


Peter Schweizer - 2013
    Best-selling author Peter Schweizer reveals:*Obama’s "Protection Money": How the Obama Administration targeted industries for criminal investigation but chose not to pursue key political donors.*John Boehner’s "Tollbooth": How the Speaker of the House extracts money by soliciting political donations before he will hold crucial votes on the House floor.*The "Slush Fund": How politicians extract "campaign contributions" and then convert them to bankroll lavish lifestyles complete with limos, private jets, golf at five-star resorts, fine wines, and cash for family members.*Capitol Hill’s "Underground Economy": How congressmen use a little-known loophole that allows them to secretly link their votes to cash.Extortion finally makes clear why Congress is so dysfunctional: it’s all about making money, not making law.

The Life and Death of the Spanish Republic: A Witness to the Spanish Civil War


Henry Buckley - 2013
    The copies of the book, stored in a warehouse in London, were destroyed during the Blitz and only a handful of copies of his unique chronicle were saved. Now, 70 years after its first publication, this exceptional eyewitness account of the war is republished with a new introduction by Paul Preston. The Life and Death of the Spanish Republic is a unique account of Spanish politics throughout the entire life of the Second Republic, combining personal recollections of meetings with the great politicians of the day with eyewitness accounts of dramatic events. This important book is one of the most enduring records of the Spanish Republic and the civil war and a monumental testimony to Buckley’s work as a correspondent.

Benghazi: The Definitive Report


Jack Murphy - 2013
    Christopher Stevens and two other Americans when the U.S. State Department and CIA headquarters in Benghazi, Libya, were sieged in a shocking terrorist attack. For the next four months, Webb and his team at SOFREP.com, the world’s premier Special Ops website, embarked on a relentless investigation to understand exactly what happened to their countrymen, as well as the roles played by the Obama administration, State Department, and CIA. Drawing on unmatched sources, they spoke to individuals who would talk to no one else, including fellow Special Operations team members familiar with the African theatre, and to well-placed contacts in the Washington intelligence community. This is their report—an unforgettably gripping minute-by-minute narrative of the events and their aftermath as they really unfolded on that terrible day in Libya.

The American Indian


Rousas John Rushdoony - 2013
    America's churches wholeheartedly supported it, convinced the reservation would be the key to winning souls for Christianity.In 1944 young R. J. Rushdoony arrived at the Duck Valley Indian Reservation in Nevada as a missionary to the Shoshone and the Paiute Indians. For eight years he lived with them, worked with them, ministered to them and listened to their stories. He came to know them intimately, both as individuals and as a people. This is his story, and theirs.It is also the story of an experiment that failed, disastrously-and exercise in statist paternalism and ineffective Christian meddling whose effects ravage the Indians to this day. The reservation system debased the people it was meant to serve, and the churches failed in their mission; until, in the end, the proud and resourceful Indian was transformed into "a defeated man, lacking in character." This is Rushdoony's eyewitness testimony to that failure.Today, as America's leaders expand the welfare state and radically transform the entire nation, we'd do well to reconsider this first experiment in government dependency and a Christianity stripped of God's law-before all of the United States is transformed into a massive reservation on a continental scale. Rushdoony's description of our past is also an indictment of our statist future.

The Quadrant War


Ann Denton - 2013
    I didn't want to be here, I withdrew-I spoke to no one . . . except Ryker. My feelings for Ryker are strong. I've tried not to love him-I lose everyone I love. Besides-how could anyone love someone with a secret as strange as mine? The orphanage is not what it seems. We have been raised to fight and die in the Quadrant War. They will be here soon to take us away. Ryker and his group of followers plan to rebel. Maybe-I can help-maybe with the use of my secret ability, Ryker and I can lead our New Freedom Force to fight against the overseer who has brought starvation, death, and destruction to our quadrant. Am I the chosen one-the one destined to bring peace to the quadrants? I don't know. What I do know is that if we don't act now, all hope will be lost . . . not just for us, but also for the quadrant people-my people.

Bending Toward Justice: The Voting Rights Act and the Transformation of American Democracy


Gary May - 2013
    Before long, however, white segregationists across the South counterattacked, driving their black countrymen from the polls through a combination of sheer terror and insidious devices such as complex literacy tests and expensive poll taxes. Most African Americans would remain voiceless for nearly a century more, citizens in name only until the passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act secured their access to the ballot. In Bending Toward Justice, celebrated historian Gary May describes how black voters overcame centuries of bigotry to secure and preserve one of their most important rights as American citizens. The struggle that culminated in the passage of the Voting Rights Act was long and torturous, and only succeeded because of the courageous work of local freedom fighters and national civil rights leaders -- as well as, ironically, the opposition of Southern segregationists and law enforcement officials, who won public sympathy for the voting rights movement by brutally attacking peaceful demonstrators. But while the Voting Rights Act represented an unqualified victory over such forces of hate, May explains that its achievements remain in jeopardy. Many argue that the 2008 election of President Barack Obama rendered the act obsolete, yet recent years have seen renewed efforts to curb voting rights and deny minorities the act's hard-won protections. Legal challenges to key sections of the act may soon lead the Supreme Court to declare those protections unconstitutional. A vivid, fast-paced history of this landmark piece of civil rights legislation, Bending Toward Justice offers a dramatic, timely account of the struggle that finally won African Americans the ballot -- although, as May shows, the fight for voting rights is by no means over.

Worshipping the State: How Liberalism Became Our State Religion


Benjamin Wiker - 2013
    They are right, and it goes even further back than the Obama Administration.In Worshipping the State: How Government is Replacing Religion, Benjamin Wiker argues that it is liberals who seek to establish an official state religion: one of unbelief. Wiker reveals that it was never the intention of the Founders to drive religion out of the public square with the First Amendment, but centuries of secularists and liberals have deliberately misinterpreted the establishment clause to serve their own ends: the de-Christianization of Western civilization.The result, they hope, is government as the new oracle. Personal faith in a deity is replaced with collective dependence on government, and the diversity of religious practices and dogmas is reduced to a uniform ideological agenda. The strategy is two-pronged: drive religion out of the public square through law and by encouraging popular derision of the faithful; then, in religion’s place, erect the Church of the State to fill the human need for a higher power to look up to.But what was done can be undone. Outlining a simple, step-by-step strategy for disestablishing the state church of secularism, Worshiping the State shows the full historical sweep of the war to those on the Christian side of the cultural battle—and as a consequence of this far more complete vantage, how to win it.

The Anonymous Girl


Holy Ghost Writer - 2013
    After a false arrest lands her in the Miami Federal Detention Center, Zaydee refuses to reveal her true identity and receives the moniker "Princess Jane Doe," capturing the attention of a media- and scandal-obsessed nation. Not content just to regain her freedom, Zaydee wants two things: to start anew in a country all her own, and to get revenge on the crooked judge and the bumbling FBI agents who had her incarcerated. Will she win her case and make a daring and unique escape, using her wits, a bevy of devoted fellow inmates, and a little Haitian voodoo? Or has the sparkling and intelligent descendant of the real person who inspired Alexandre Dumas to write "The Count of Monte Cristo" finally been outsmarted? "The Anonymous Girl" mixes techno-thriller with a bit of romance and a lot of fun, leaving readers eager for the next installment in the "Monte Cristo" series from the illusive Holy Ghost Writer.

Case Studies on Diversity and Social Justice Education


Paul C. Gorski - 2013
    Each case, written in a narrative, literary style, presents a complex, yet common, classroom situation in which an inequity or injustice is in play. These cases allow educators to practice the process of considering a range of contextual factors and sociopolitical complexities, checking their own biases, and making immediate- and longer-term decisions affecting their classroom practice.The book begins with a seven-point process for examining case studies. Largely lacking from existing literature, this all-important context guides readers through the process of identifying, examining, reflecting on, and taking concrete steps to resolve challenges related to diversity and equity in schools. The cases themselves then present everyday examples of racism and sexism, homophobia and heterosexism, poverty and classism, language bias and linguicism, and religious-based oppression. They involve classroom issues that are relevant to all grade levels and all content areas, allowing instructors significant flexibility in their use. Although organized topically, the intersection of these issues are stressed throughout all cases, reflecting the more complex and multi-faceted way they play out in real life. All cases conclude with a section of facilitator notes and a series of questions to guide exploration and discussion. Suggested further readings also encourage continued exploration and reflection on relevant topics.

Crony Capitalism in America: 2008-2012


Hunter Lewis - 2013
    When politicians need money, they also know whom to call. The people involved try to keep most of it concealed behind closed doors.This is the system that prevails in Russia after the fall of Communism. But increasingly it is America's system as well.Many people regard Wall Street as the epicenter of American capitalism. In reality it is the epicenter of American crony capitalism. Where Wall Street stops and Washington begins is impossible to say. This situation was not caused, as many suppose, by the Crash of 2008. Rather the Crash was caused by the longstanding Wall Street-Washington partnership. But the problem extends far beyond Wall Street to every corner of America.If we are going to do anything about our present economic problems, and also give the poor a chance at a better life, we will need to eliminate crony capitalism and restore an honest economy.Although full of hair-raising stories, this book is also about solutions. It tells us in clear and simple terms what is wrong and what needs to be done about it.

The Atlas of Economic Complexity - Mapping Paths to Prosperity


Ricardo Hausmann - 2013
    

The Secret Behind Communism


David Duke - 2013
    

Unthinkable: The Shocking Scandal of Britain's Trafficked Children


Kris Hollington - 2013
    Yet many childcare experts reckon these crimes are just the tip of an iceberg of wide scale exploitation occurring across the country. The Deputy Children's Commissioner Sue Berelowitz said in June 2012 that there 'isn't a town, village or hamlet in which children are not being sexually exploited'. As this book goes to press, a gang of men similar to those convicted in Rochdale stands trial for similar crimes in Oxford. What is happening in Britain that means young vulnerable girls can be exploited in this way? Award-winning journalist Kris Hollington tells the inside story of some of the most shocking and heartbreaking crimes of recent years, focusing on the Rochdale case but also analysing recent cases in the London area that have echoes of the brutality of organised slavery. His findings expose how the British justice system is failing to protect children in the 21st century. It is a scandal that cannot be ignored.

The Classical Liberal Constitution: The Uncertain Quest for Limited Government


Richard A. Epstein - 2013
    Richard Epstein laments this complacency which, he believes, explains America's current economic malaise and political gridlock. Steering clear of well-worn debates between defenders of originalism and proponents of a living Constitution, Epstein employs close textual reading, historical analysis, and political and economic theory to urge a return to the classical liberal theory of governance that animated the framers' original text, and to the limited government this theory supports.

Christianity and Capitalism


Rousas John Rushdoony - 2013
    Capital, in the form of individual and family property, is protected in Scripture and is necessary for liberty.

Branding Terror: The Logotypes and Iconography of Insurgent Groups and Terrorist Organizations


Artur Beifuss - 2013
    The branding they employ may contain complex systems of meaning and emotion; it conveys the group's beliefs and capabilities. Branding Terror is the first comprehensive survey of the visual identity of the world’s major terrorist organizations, from al-Qaeda and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine to the Tamil Tigers. Each of the 60-plus entries contains a concise description of the group’s ideology, leadership, and modus operandi, and a brief timeline of events. The group’s branding — the symbolism, colors, and typography of its logo and flag — is then analyzed in detail. Branding Terror does not seek to make any political statements; rather, it offers insight into an understudied area of counter-intelligence, and provides an original and provocative source of inspiration for graphic designers.

Lesterland: The Corruption of Congress and How to End It


Lawrence Lessig - 2013
    In Le$terland: The Corruption of Congress and How To End It, Harvard law professor Lawrence Lessig takes on the deep flaws in our campaign finance system and lays out a plan for fixing it. Lessig describes a place called Lesterland, a fictional land with a population of 311 million people of whom the 144,000, or 0.05 percent, named Lester are the people really in charge. It’s the United States, of course, and Lesters are the people who fund the election. Lessig notes that just 132 Americans gave 60 percent of the SuperPAC money spent in the election cycle. It’s these few, he says, who are our Lesters, and our dependence on them is perverting the democracy of the country. After all, if candidates have to spend 30 to 70 percent of their time trying to raise funds to get back to Congress, which they do, might that not affect their principles, their beliefs, their ideals, and what they’re prepared to fight for on behalf of the people? It's time to change the system. Here's how.

The Hidden History of the JFK Assassination


Lamar Waldron - 2013
    For the first time, this concise and compelling book pierces the veil of secrecy to fully document the small, tightly-held conspiracy that killed President John F. Kennedy. It explains why he was murdered, and how it was done in a way that forced many records to remain secret for almost fifty years.The Hidden History of JFK’s Assassination draws on exclusive interviews with more than two dozen associates of John and Robert Kennedy, in addition to former FBI, Secret Service, military intelligence, and Congressional personnel, who provided critical first-hand information. The book also uses government files—including the detailed FBI confession of notorious Mafia godfather Carlos Marcello—to simply and clearly reveal exactly who killed JFK. Using information never published before, the book uses Marcello’s own words to his closest associates to describe the plot. His confession is also backed up by a wealth of independent documentation.This book builds on the work of the last Congressional committee to investigate JFK’s murder, which concluded that JFK ‘was probably assassinated as a result of a conspiracy,” and that godfathers [“Santo] Trafficante [and Carlos] Marcello had the motive, means, and opportunity to assassinate President Kennedy.” However, it also draws on exclusive files and information not available to Congress, that have only emerged in recent years, to fully explain for the first time how Marcello and Trafficante committed—and got away with—the crime of the 20th century.Some of the book’s revelations will be dramatized in the upcoming Warner Brothers film Legacy of Secrecy, produced by and starring Leonardo DiCaprio, which also stars Robert De Niro as Carlos Marcello.The Hidden History of JFK’s Assassination is the definitive account of the crime and the secrecy which has surrounded it.

Complete Works of Samuel Johnson


Samuel Johnson - 2013
    Johnson made a lasting contribution to English literature as a poet, essayist, moralist, literary critic, biographer and lexicographer. This comprehensive eBook presents the complete works of Samuel Johnson, with numerous illustrations, informative introductions and the usual Delphi bonus material. (Version 1)* Beautifully illustrated with images relating to Johnson's life and works* Concise introductions to the major works* ALL the essays, articles, pamphlets, biographies and critical works* Rare works often missed out of collections* Includes the posthumous collection PRAYERS AND MEDITATIONS, appearing here for the first time in digital print* Includes a generous selection of entries for the original 1755 Dictionary, with many definitions for all letters of the alphabet, as well as the original plan and preface* Images of how the books were first printed, giving your eReader a taste of the original texts* Excellent formatting of the texts* Special chronological and alphabetical contents tables for the poetry* Easily locate the poems you want to read* Special criticism section, with essays evaluating Johnson’s contribution to literature* Features four biographies – immerse yourself in Johnson's world!* Includes the complete edition of Boswell’s seminal biography, as well as a useful abridged version* Scholarly ordering of texts into chronological order and literary genresCONTENTS:The Essays and PamphletsA VOYAGE TO ABYSSINIAMARMOR NORFOLCIENSEA COMPLEAT VINDICATION OF THE LICENSERS OF THE STAGETHE PLAN OF A DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGETHE RAMBLERTHE ADVENTURERTHE IDLERTHE FALSE ALARMTHOUGHTS ON THE LATE TRANSACTIONS RESPECTING FALKLAND’S ISLANDSTHE PATRIOTTAXATION NO TYRANNYA JOURNEY TO THE WESTERN ISLANDS OF SCOTLANDDEBATES IN PARLIAMENTA CONVERSATION BETWEEN HIS MOST SACRED MAJESTY GEORGE III AND SAMUEL JOHNSON LIDMISCELLANEOUS PAMPHLETS, REVIEWS AND ESSAYSPRAYERS AND MEDITATIONSThe NovellaTHE PRINCE OF ABISSINIA: A TALEThe DictionaryPREFACE TO A DICTIONARY OF THE ENGLISH LANGUAGESELECTED DICTIONARY ENTRIESThe BiographiesAN ACCOUNT OF THE LIFE OF MR RICHARD SAVAGETHE LIVES OF THE MOST EMINENT ENGLISH POETSTHE LIVES OF EMINENT MENThe Literary CriticismMISCELLANEOUS OBSERVATIONS ON THE TRAGEDY OF MACBETHPROPOSALS FOR PRINTING THE DRAMATICK WORKS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEAREPREFACE TO THE PLAYS OF WILLIAM SHAKESPEARENOTES TO SHAKESPEARE’S PLAYSGENERAL OBSERVATIONS ON THE PLAYS OF SHAKESPEAREThe PlayIRENEThe PoemsLIST OF POEMS IN CHRONOLOGICAL ORDERLIST OF POEMS IN ALPHABETICAL ORDERThe CriticismDR. JOHNSON AND HIS CIRCLE by John BaileySAMUEL JOHNSON by Richard Claverhouse JebbSAMUEL JOHNSON by Leslie StephenSTUDIES OF A BIOGRAPHER by Leslie StephenA POETICAL REVIEW OF THE LITERARY AND MORAL CHARACTER OF JOHNSON by John CourtenaySAMUEL JOHNSON by Nathaniel HawthorneSAMUEL JOHNSON by C. E. VaughanANECDOTES OF THE LATE SAMUEL JOHNSON, LL.D. by Hester Lynch PiozziTHE REAL DR. JOHNSON by G. K. ChestertonA REMINISCENCE OF DR. SAMUEL JOHNSON by H. P. LovecraftThe BiographiesTHE LIFE OF SAMUEL JOHNSON LL.D.

The Constitution: Understanding America's Founding Document (Values and Capitalism)


Michael S. Greve - 2013
    

Trancer


Darryl Sollerh - 2013
    But as the mission grows ever more precarious, their young spy grows increasingly confused and disturbed by his memory lapses and shifting loyalties, driving him on a hellbent search to discover who he truly is, even as he tries to protect a precarious new love.

The Bill of Rights Primer: A Citizen's Guidebook to the American Bill of Rights


Akhil Reed Amar - 2013
    Who doesn’t know about the First Amendment’s freedom of religion or Second Amendment’s right to bear arms? In this pocket-sized volume, Akhil Reed Amar and Les Adams offer a wealth of knowledge about the Bill of Rights that goes beyond a basic understanding.The Bill of Rights Primer is an authoritative guide to all American freedoms. Uncluttered and well-organized, this text is perfect for those who want to study up on the Bill of Rights without needing a law degree to do so.This elementary guidebook presents a short historical survey of the people, events, decrees, legislation, writings, and cultural milestones, in England and the American colonies, that influenced the Founding Fathers as they drafted the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights. With helpful comments and fun facts in the margins, the book will provide a deeper understanding of the Bill of Rights, exhibiting that it is not a stagnant document but one with an evolving meaning shaped by historical events, such as the American Civil War and Reconstruction.The authors have provided a glossary to aid in understanding, as well as three reference sections for those willing to continue on in their pursuit for knowledge.

Foundations of Economic Prosperity


Daniel W. Drezner - 2013
    Professor Drezner takes you behind the headlines and into the debates to dispel common myths about prosperity and get at deeper truths. By taking a broad view of economics that includes psychology, sociology, political science, and history, his lectures lead you to fundamental insights about how the modern world works and a deeper understanding of the functioning of the U.S., European, Chinese, and other major economies, as well as an appreciation for the special problems faced by underdeveloped nations. You'll examine dozens of case histories that illustrate what works and doesn't work in the drive to increase economic growth. You'll also learn about intriguing examples of prosperity won or lost, including the Dutch tulip mania in 1637, the era of globalization that started in the 1850s and lasting through World War I, and Ukraine's economic missteps after the breakup of the Soviet Union. As a start on your own road to greater prosperity, take this step to invest in an unparalleled explanation of the prerequisites to achieve it.

Gun Control


Aaron B. Powell - 2013
    PowellIn this dialogue, a father discusses with his sons the issue of gun control, and the resulting impact that the infringement on America’s Second Amendment has on society.

Voluntary


Aaron B. Powell - 2013
    Human beings have pushed Mother Earth to her breaking point—mass wildlife extinctions, global warming, widespread resource shortages, over population—and the Department of Homeland Security is offering stimulus packages to the children of American citizens who volunteer to be euthanized. This short story about a chance encounter between two volunteers serves as a warning to a self-destructing human race. Voluntary is a tale of sacrifice, passion, and emotion between complete strangers who realize that time is of little importance to their feelings for each other in an inevitably dying world.

Abe Lincoln: Public Enemy No. 1


Bill Walker - 2013
    Instead of killing Lincoln, the bullet puts the president into a coma for sixty-eight years, his body remaining limber and ageless. When he awakens in 1933, Abe Lincoln is a man out of time, a revered icon...and a political pariah. FDR and J. Edgar Hoover not only do not want him around, they want him to retire. But their plan to be rid of him backfires and Lincoln is on the run, a fugitive from justice. Determined to reach Chicago and retrieve the small fortune left in trust for him by his long-dead son, Lincoln discovers that Hoover has confiscated all his money, leaving him destitute. With Bureau of Investigation agent Melvin Purvis in hot pursuit, Lincoln finds his way to a hobo camp where he befriends a young runaway, who agrees to accompany the former president back to Washington. There Lincoln hopes that Hannah Wheelhouse, the Chicken Man’s granddaughter, can help him find the peace he longs for. Then fate deals Lincoln another strange hand when he and the boy end up as hostages to infamous bank robber John Dillinger. Instead of leaving them by the side of the road after the robbery, Dillinger takes a liking to Lincoln and invites him to join the gang, promising him he’ll get all his money back. Will Lincoln survive long enough to recapture his fortune and get away, or will he be hunted down in a manner unbefitting a martyred President? In this inventive and entertaining novel, history gets a work-out, the action is flat-out, and almost everyone gets rubbed-out!

Still Dreaming: My Journey from the Barrio to Capitol Hill


Luis Gutiérrez - 2013
    For much of his early life, he seemed like the last person who would rise to national prominence. Yet his tremendous will and resilience shaped his varied experiences—from picking coffee beans to driving a cab—into one of the most surprising careers in American politics. He campaigned for Chicago’s first black mayor, Harold Washington. Someone threw a Molotov cocktail through the window of his house, and he only grew more committed to reform. Tested in the crucible of the notoriously tough Chicago city council, he earned the nickname "El Gallito": the little fighting rooster.Gutierrez was one of the first Latino public figures to support gay rights; he led the fight to cut Congressional paychecks, hashed out legislation with both Ted Kennedy and John McCain, and fought with Newt Gingrich and George W. Bush. Despite his strong support for Barack Obama in two elections, he has twice been arrested while protesting for immigrants in front of the Obama White House. From recollections of his failures as a teenage activist to his crackling observations of the nautical décor in Kennedy’s office and the white-gloved waiters of the Speaker’s dining room, Gutierrez is as endearing to the reader as he is sometimes maddening to his colleagues, inspiring us all to stand up for our rights and for those of others.

The Constitution: A Collection of Historically Important Communications of the United States of America


Dalmatian Press - 2013
    Contains:Constitution of the United StatesDeclaration of IndependenceTreaty of Paris (1783)The Gettysburg AddressThe Star-Spangled BannerPledge of AllegianceI Have a Dream

To Keep or Not to Keep: Why Christians Should Not Give up Their Guns


Timothy Baldwin - 2013
    To Keep or Not to Keep: Why Christians Should Not Give Up Their Guns (paperback, 172 pages) aims to equip every Bible believing Christian in America with the scriptural tools and knowledge needed to make wise decisions about the defense of their family. Relying on an exhaustive study of the Holy Scriptures, renowned pastor, Dr. Chuck Baldwin, and his constitutional-attorney son, Timothy Baldwin, delve deeply into both the Old and New Testament in search of the true teaching of Scripture regarding the right to keep and bear arms. Many books deal with this subject from a constitutional perspective, but there is no book in modern times that has dealt with this vital subject from a strictly Biblical perspective. This book does just that on this vitally important subject. The following questions and many others are answered in this timely and thought-provoking book. Is the right to keep and bear arms a divine right? Should Christians surrender their firearms if the law requires them to do so? Does the New Testament require Christians to always be non-violent? Did the fact that Jesus and the apostles not rise up with arms against tyrannical government mean that Christians today should never do so? Were America's Founding Fathers right or wrong when they rebelled with arms against the British Crown? At a time when many in government are attempting to pass laws which call for the American people to surrender their firearms, many Christians are rightly searching for a Biblical answer. This book is designed to help Christians and non-Christians alike come to a clear understanding of what the Bible teaches.

New Year Traditions Around the World


Ann Malaspina - 2013
    Explores global traditions surrounding the arrival of a new year, including food, parties, finding good luck, and making resolutions.

The Conscience of a Young Conservative


Matt Palumbo - 2013
    The Conscience of a Young Conservative is a research heavy book divided into five chapters (and drawing on over 900 footnotes) dealing with gun politics, health care reform, economic policy, economic myths, and "intellectuals and capitalism." The first chapter begins with a historical analysis of the Second Amendment by looking into the writings of the Founding Fathers and various Supreme Court decisions. The other parts of the chapter analyze the follies of pro-gun control arguments. Chapter two begins with a critique of the supposed superiority of socialized medicine by analyzing statistics regarding lifespan, infant mortality, hospital wait times, medical technology, and cancer survival rates. Near the middle of the chapter, current problems with the American system are recognized, and the end of the chapter focuses on health care reform by offering creative market-based solutions. Chapter three discusses the proper role of government in the economy by looking at issues relating to economic freedom, education, taxation, income inequality, regulation, and spending. The chapter ends with a plan to balance the federal budget. Chapter four aims to dispel common economic myths that often go unchallenged. Among the myths debunked are the alleged gap in male and female pay, the supposed decline in wages since the 1970s, various claims concerning unions, the declining state of the middle class, and stimulus spending. Chapter five critiques the criticisms of capitalism as articulated by today's intellectuals. Among those critiqued are Naomi Klein, Elizabeth Warren, Nick Hanauer, Paul Krugman, and Richard Wilkinson.

Data Stewardship


David Plotkin - 2013
    "Data Stewardship "explains everything you need to know to successfully implement the stewardship portion of data governance, including how to organize, train, and work with data stewards, get high-quality business definitions and other metadata, and perform the day-to-day tasks using a minimum of the steward s time and effort. David Plotkin has loaded this book with practical advice on stewardship so you can get right to work, have early successes, and measure and communicate those successes, gaining more support for this critical effort. Provides clear and concise practical advice on implementing and running data stewardship, including guidelines on how to organize based on company structure, business functions, and data ownershipShows how to gain support for your stewardship effort, maintain that support over the long-term, and measure the success of the data stewardship effort and report back to managementIncludes detailed lists of responsibilities for each type of data steward and strategies to help the Data Governance Program Office work effectively with the data stewards"

The Peril and Promise of Christian Liberty: Richard Hooker, the Puritans, and Protestant Political Theology


W. Bradford Littlejohn - 2013
    Bradford Littlejohn addresses that question as he unpacks the magisterial political-theological work of Richard Hooker, a leading figure in the sixteenth-century English Reformation. Littlejohn shows how Martin Luther and other Reformers considered Christian liberty to be compatible with considerable civil authority over the church, but he also analyzes the ambiguities and tensions of that relationship and how it helped provoke the Puritan movement. The heart of the book examines how, according to Richard Hooker, certain forms of Puritan legalism posed a much greater threat to Christian liberty than did meddling monarchs. In expounding Hooker's remarkable attempt to offer a balanced synthesis of liberty and authority in church, state, and conscience, Littlejohn draws out pertinent implications for Christian liberty and politics today.

Broken City: Politics In An Age of Paralysis (Updated Edition)


The Boston Globe - 2013
    At a time when partisan politics has led to government gridlock, The Boston Globe's ambitious series, "Broken City," explained how we got here and what needs to be done to repair the damage.

Our Last Option


Andrew Marin - 2013
    The battle for ethics, policy, and who gets to dictate cultural normalcy produces the fertile ground for the culture wars that this recent generation has only ever known. Yet this polarizing disintegration of peaceful and productive engagement no longer has to be viewed as "normal."Our Last Option sets a path forward for a new generation of people tired of the broken system handed to them; providing answers to the problems that are tearing Western societies apart. This short ebook will explore a new model of civic engagement, Composite Engagement Model (CEM), articulating the merits of its four key principles as this generation's most effective model of building bridges between opposing worldviews. CEM has been tested since the year 2010 through Andrew's work with the United Nations, as well as over the past decade through his internationally recognized peace-building organization, The Marin Foundation. Now for the first time CEM will be explored academically.Our Last Option will hold its readers accountable to live within a different standard of cultural, political, and religious engagement—one that begins to shift the dynamics of the tired systems that caused these culture wars in the first place.

Benjamin Franklin from A to Z


Laura Crawford - 2013
    From A is for American hero, to K is for kite experiment, to U is for United States Constitution, this book contains both written explanations and beautiful illustrations expounding on each letter.

Mastering Council Meetings: A Guidebook for Elected Officials and Local Governments


Ann G. MacFarlane - 2013
    Key rules for discussion and debate are assembled into one easy-reference list; motions are clarified with diagrams for quick understanding.Gritty examples of real-life meetings that did not go according to plan demonstrate how to respond to the unexpected, and how to establish systems and procedures to prevent disorder. The book provides specific phrases and language to use to keep things on track when folks are rude, crude or confused.Mastering Council Meetings extracts the essence of Robert's Rules of Order Newly Revised, 11th edition, and explains the basics in clear, practical language. As a bonus, the book's glossary provides easy-to-understand definitions of commonly used terms and the jargon of parliamentary procedure and Robert's Rules of Order. This unique, user-friendly book can be read through quickly and easily, and will remain an invaluable reference for effective, productive meetings.

The Concealment of the State


Jason Royce Lindsey - 2013
    At the same time, states strive to retain their sovereignty while claiming to be part of a global system. This dichotomy reveals a dominant contemporary ideology: the concealment of the state.This accessible book draws upon the anarchist criticism of the state to show the ideological and functional logic behind such concealment. It explains how states hide their ability to act by separating politics into a deep and shallow state, where political actors in the shallow state are free from policy formulation and implementation, which rests with the deep state. For example, American politicians deny global warming as the Pentagon plans to open new Arctic sea routes. Such transfer of policy to a less visible state is demonstrated through concrete international policy examples, including environmental regulations, budget recommendations, workplace safety, scientific investment, transportation planning, and education. The anarchist tradition shows how this concealment can be exposed so that popular political activity can challenge it more effectively.