Other books that might interest you

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  The Watchers - The Rise of...

  Shane Harris

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  Our surveillance state was born in the brain of Admiral John Poindexter in 1983. Poindexter, President Ronald Reagan's national security adviser, realized that the United States might have prevented the terrorist massacre of 241 Marines in Beirut if only intelligence agencies had been able to analyze in real time data they had on the attackers. Poindexter poured government know-how and funds into his dream—a system that would sift reams of data for signs of terrorist activity. Decades later, that elusive dream still captivates Washington. After the 2001 attacks, Poindexter returned to government with a controversial program, called Total Information Awareness, to detect the next attack. Today it is a secretly funded operation that can gather personal information on every American and millions of others worldwide.  
   
  But Poindexter's dream has also become America's nightmare. Despite billions of dollars spent on this digital quest since the Reagan era, we still can't discern future threats in the vast data cloud that surrounds us all. But the government can now spy on its citizens with an ease that was impossible—and illegal—just a few years ago. Drawing on unprecedented access to the people who pioneered this high-tech spycraft, Shane Harris shows how it has shifted from the province of right-wing technocrats to a cornerstone of the Obama administration's war on terror.  
   
  Harris puts us behind the scenes and in front of the screens where twenty-first-century spycraft was born. We witness Poindexter quietly working from the private sector to get government to buy in to his programs in the early nineties. We see an army major agonize as he carries out an order to delete the vast database he's gathered on possible terror cells—and on thousands of innocent Americans—months before 9/11. We follow General Mike Hayden as he persuades the Bush administration to secretly monitor Americans based on a flawed interpretation of the law. After Congress publicly bans the Total Information Awareness program in 2003, we watch as it is covertly shifted to a "black op," which protects it from public scrutiny. When the next crisis comes, our government will inevitably crack down on civil liberties, but it will be no better able to identify new dangers. This is the outcome of a dream first hatched almost three decades ago, and The Watchers is an engrossing, unnerving wake-up call.

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  The Romans and Their World - A...

  Brian Campbell

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  A concise and accessible account of one of the largest, longest-lasting, and most influential empires in world history, ancient Rome.    This one-volume history of the Roman world begins with the early years of the republic and carries the story nearly a thousand years forward to 476, when Romulus Augustus, the last Western Roman emperor, was deposed. Brian Campbell, respected scholar and teacher, presents a fascinating and wide-ranging introduction to Rome, drawing on an array of ancient sources and covering topics of interest to readers with little prior background in Roman history as well as those already familiar with the great civilization.   Campbell explores several themes, including the fall of the republic, the impact of colorful and diverse emperors on imperial politics, the administrative structure of empire, and the Roman army and how warfare affected the Roman world. He also surveys cultural and social life, including religion and the rise of Christianity. Generously enhanced with maps and illustrations, this book is a rich and inspiring account of a mighty civilization and the citizens who made it so.  “A lucid survey of Roman history.” —Adam Kirsch, New Yorker  “One of the great joys of Campbell’s unfailingly readable account is the readiness with which it returns to the Roman record, drawing on ancient sources to give a lively and immediate feel for Roman life and culture.” —Michael Kerrigan, Scotsman  “[Campbell] masterfully discusses military affairs (as expected from this scholar) . . . Excellent translations of ancient sources enliven the text. . . . Rare will be the scholar who also does not learn from Campbell.” —P.B. Harvey Jr., Choice

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  Carrying My Father's Torch -...

  Gail Weiss Gaspar

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  Finding your place in a family tree that has only one branch, the other shorn by the Holocaust, is a tricky business. Gail Weiss Gaspar grew up believing that her worth was tied to busyness and productivity, with achievement and education prized above all other accomplishments. Keenly aware that her beloved father survived Auschwitz and the brutal environment of the Mauthausen labor camp, she silenced her suffering because nothing could match what he endured. 
  Gail’s family had secrets, as all families do. It became her job to be the family’s secret keeper. It wasn’t until her 63-year-old father stood on stage at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum and told his story that Gail understood that her voice mattered, too. This moving memoir honors the past while unshackling from it and highlights a generational journey through loss with tenderness and love. 
  If you have ever said to yourself, “How could I possibly break free from my family’s past?” this book is for you. When you read Carrying my Father’s Torch, you will be inspired to consider how your family legacy has impacted your life, find the courage to overcome your legacy wound and become the hero of your own story.

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  Summary and Analysis of...

  Books Worthy

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  So much to read, so little time? This brief overview of Alexander Hamilton tells you what you need to know—before or after you read Ron Chernow’s book. Crafted and edited with care, Worth Books set the standard for quality and give you the tools you need to be a well-informed reader.   This short summary and analysis of Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow includes:  Historical contextChapter-by-chapter summariesDetailed timeline of key eventsImportant quotesFascinating triviaGlossary of termsSupporting material to enhance your understanding of the original work  About Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow:   Ron Chernow’s New York Times–bestselling biography of Alexander Hamilton sets the record straight on the often-misunderstood founding father. Beginning with a thoroughly researched investigation of Hamilton’s controversial origins, the book takes an immersive look at the man who authored the Federalist Papers, fought in the Revolutionary War, crafted the nation’s financial system, and served as George Washington’s right-hand man before being killed in an infamous duel with Aaron Burr.   More than a portrait of one man, Alexander Hamilton is the story of America’s birth—and the inspiration for Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Pulitzer Prize–winning Broadway musical.   The summary and analysis in this ebook are intended to complement your reading experience and bring you closer to a great work of nonfiction.  

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  Reforming Criminal Justice - A...

  Matthew T. Martens

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  Noted Attorney and Seminary Graduate Matthew T. Martens Answers the Question: Does the Design and Operation of the American Criminal Justice System Reflect Christian Love of Neighbor? 
  Jesus told his followers that the entirety of the Old Testament's law is encapsulated in the commands to love God and to love their neighbors as themselves. In Reforming Criminal Justice: A Christian Proposal, Matthew T. Martens argues that love of neighbor must be the animating force for true reformation of the criminal justice system, obligating us to seek the best for both the criminally victimized and the criminally accused. 
  Using his theological training Martens reveals how Scripture provides several guideposts (accuracy, due process, accountability, impartiality, and proportionality) for loving our neighbors as it relates to criminal justice. Then, drawing on his near quarter century practicing criminal law, he examines how America's justice system falls short of the biblical standard. By understanding how our current system operates and considering how love of neighbor relates to issues of crime and justice, we will be better equipped to seek true Christian reform of the justice system.
  
  - A Biblical Perspective on Criminal Justice: Offers a biblical framework for thinking about the concept of justice for both the victim and the perpetrator
  - Examines the History of the American Criminal Justice System: Surveys the evolution of the criminal justice system in the United States with a focus on its misuse from the time of the Civil War to the civil rights movement
  - Assesses the Criminal Justice System: Examines the operation of the American justice system today, including plea bargains, assistance of counsel, the death penalty, and more
  - Foreword by Derwin L. Gray: Pastor of Transformation Church in Indian Land, South Carolina, and the author of How to Heal Our Racial Divide and Building a Multiethnic Church

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  The Return of the Gods -...

  Erich von Däniken

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  Never afraid to put forward controversial theories if justified by the data, Erich von Däniken here examines the huge amount of accumulated evidence that points to Earth having been subject to countless visits from extraterrestrials for many years. The dawn of a new century, the building of a new space station, and triumphs in the exploration of space have brought greater interest than ever in the possibility of extraterrestrial life. UFO sightings and alleged abductions continue to make headlines across the world, and in America the National Space Administration has an official program to search for and monitor signs of life beyond our solar system. The possibility of visitors from other galaxies has never been stronger. 
   
  The culmination of long-term research, The Return of the Gods argues that we are very much in the minds and eyes of other cosmic life forms and that, as a result, many of the dramatic historical events and remarkable teachings of religious texts should be reinterpreted—even the idea of Judgment Day itself!

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