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BOOKS
 | The Wrecking Crew: How Conservatives Rule
Political commentator Thomas Frank's new book is a breathtaking history of recent conservative corruption and misrule, including "mass firing of federal prosecutors, bribing of newspaper columnists, pallets of shrink-wrapped cash 'misplaced' in Iraq," and much more. His account of the Bush administration's systematic debauchery of the Labor Department —"the branch of the federal government most hated by organized money"—is worth the price of the book. Available from . |
 | This Land Is Their Land: Reports from a Divided Nation
Maybe you've seen the T-shirt that on one side says, "I used to be disgusted," and on the other, "Now, I'm just amused." You'll be both at once after reading Barbara Ehrenreich's exceptionally witty new book compiling some of her many articles. Her sarcasm is a national treasure. She's "not upset" by the $210 million golden parachute for Home Depot CEO Robert Nardelli. "Maybe he has a dozen high-maintenance ex-trophy wives to support...Or he may have a rare disease that can be held at bay only by daily infusions of minced fresh gorilla liver." An indispensable book at a time when life imitates satire. Available from . |
 | Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance
Rule #1: Books by politicians are nearly always boring, unrevealing, self-promoting, and a waste of your time. Rule #2: "Dreams from My Father" is a glowing exception to Rule #1. This beautifully written memoir is a fine way to learn about Sen. Barack Obama's early personal history, including his experience as a Chicago community organizer in an area devastated by a steel plant closing. In contrast to most politicians, he's candid about his strengths and mistakes—so that even the conservative columnist David Brooks said the book "reveals glimpses of the ability to step outside his own ego and look at reality in uninhibited and honest ways." Available from .™ |
EXHIBITION
 | Jacob Lawrence: The Migration Series
The 20th-century migration of millions of blacks from the South to the North, many of whom swelled the ranks of the Auto Workers, Steelworkers, and other industrial unions, was famously captured by artist Jacob Lawrence. Now, his is on display in Washington, D.C., through Oct. 26 at the Phillips Collection. The powerful, brightly colored, deceptively simple images of train stations, people carrying their life possessions in their luggage, and industrial smokestacks in the background, makes this series a masterpiece. |
WEBSITE
 | demos.org
Don't let the description of Demos as a "think tank" scare you off from visiting its website, . The New York-based nonprofit backs a more equitable economy, an inclusive democracy, a public sector that works for the common good and responsible American engagement in the world. The site offers solid research on a range of issues, including free briefing papers that explain the mortgage crisis ("Beyond the Mortgage Meltdown") and the economic state of young America, along with articles on gas prices and the U.S. education race with China. |
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