Tag Archives: Politics-CivicInterest

Recarving Rushmore

Posted on June 24, 2015 by smellincoffee

Recarving Rushmore: Ranking the Presidents on Peace, Prosperity, and Liberty© 2009 Ivan Eland527 pages Presidential rankings tend to favor  those who were most active, reigning during a crisis or creating expansive new programs that alter the nation’s fortunes.  What of … Continue reading →

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The Terrorist Next Door

Posted on June 20, 2015 by smellincoffee

The Terrorist Next Door: The Militia Movement and the Radical Right © 2004 Daniel Levitas544 pages How does the grandson of Jewish immigrants become a leading voice in anti-Semitic movements? The Terrorist Next Door reviews domestic militancy in the United … Continue reading →

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Rise of the Warrior Cop

Posted on May 30, 2015 by smellincoffee

Rise of the Warrior Cop: the Militarization of America’s Police Forces © 2013 Radney Balko 400 pages A man’s home is his castle…but now the cops have bettering rams.. Among the sins of George the III, according to the Declaration … Continue reading →

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Harvest of Rage

Posted on May 28, 2015 by smellincoffee

Harvest of Rage: Why Oklahoma City is Only the Beginning© 1997 Joel Dyer307 pages In the spring of 1996, the peace of Oklahoma City was shattered when a truck bomb ignited outside a federal office.  Nearly two hundred people were … Continue reading →

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The Fiery Cross

Posted on May 26, 2015 by smellincoffee

The Fiery Cross: The Ku Klux Klan in America© 1998 Wyn Craig Wade528 pages Living in the country as I did,  the bus ride to school always lasted over an hour, and in elementary school I remember being utterly petrified … Continue reading →

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The Wars of the Roses

Posted on May 25, 2015 by smellincoffee

The Wars of the Roses© 1996 Alison Weir496 pages The wars of the roses sounds like a gardening contest run amok, but no genteel horticulturists were involved.  The strange appellation refers to a series of dynastic crises in 15th century … Continue reading →

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The Copperhead

Posted on May 5, 2015 by smellincoffee

The Copperhead© 1893 Harold Frederic108 pages War can destroy a city without the first shell falling on it. Such was nearly the fate of Four Corners, New York, a small farming community in its upper reaches. Far removed from the … Continue reading →

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Selma 1965

Posted on March 18, 2015 by smellincoffee

Selma 1965: the March that Changed the South© 1974, 1985, 2015 Chuck Fager257 pages (2nd edition), Last weekend, my hometown suddenly became host to two presidents, a hundred members of Congress, and enough people to see it swell over ten times … Continue reading →

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The Iron Web

Posted on March 14, 2015 by smellincoffee

The Iron Web© 2009 Larken Rose363 pages         All Jessica wanted to do to celebrate her 19th birthday was go camping and test out her skills navigating with a GPS. At no point during the celebration did … Continue reading →

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I Am Malala

Posted on February 17, 2015 by smellincoffee

I Am Malala: How One Girl Stood Up for Education and Changed the World© 2014 Malala Yousafzai240 pages      In 2012, Islamic fundamentalists shot a girl in the face for refusing to be cowed by their forceful attempt to impose … Continue reading →

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