Other books that might interest you

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  Sustaining the League of Women...

  Maria Hoyt Cashin

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  A look at the decline of civic engagement, and how nonpartisan organizations like the League of Women Voters can help save and promote democracy. 
   
  Throughout our history, civic associations have enabled democracy through citizen training, education, and responsible advocacy. But Americans have increasingly withdrawn from such civic activity, and most associations that remain lack public accountability, local presence, and active membership.  
   
  In the absence of other engagement vehicles, a fundamental requirement for viable American democratic culture is lacking. To consider whether democracy and associations can still be positively linked, Maria Hoyt Cashin considers lessons drawn from the League of Women Voters. Worldwide, few associations have shown the durability, success, or democratic impact of the League over its long history. Yet its numbers are gradually declining. Forecasting the League’s uncertain future, Cashin suggests it may be time to give such civic associations a public boost.  
   
  “Deftly combining contemporary political theory with empirical analysis, Cashin’s work reminds us that good models of democratic association, such as the League of Women Voters, can reconnect our practices and our principles.” —Emily Howden Hoechst, Adjunct Professor, Department of Government, Georgetown University  
   
  “Cashin makes excellent use of both theory and practice to argue persuasively that civic associations are necessary if democracy is to thrive.” —Thomas M. Kerch, Adjunct Professor, Department of Government and Graduate Liberal Studies Program, Georgetown University  
   
  “A welcome story and needed message. Molly Cashin reminds us nonpartisan civic activism is still possible. Numbers count, but so do values, and the League is a sterling example.” —Charles Yonkers, Adjunct Professor, Graduate Liberal Studies Program, Georgetown University

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  We Rise - The Earth Guardians...

  Xiuhtezcatl Martinez, Justin...

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  Sixteen-year-old climate activist Xiuhtezcatl Martinez and his group the Earth Guardians believe that choices made now will have a lasting impact on the world of tomorrow, and they want to ensure a positive, just, and sustainable future. Beginning with their empowering story, We Rise explores many aspects of effective activism and provides step-by-step information on how to start and join solution-oriented movements. With conversations between Xiuhtezcatl and well-known activists, revolutionaries, and celebrities, practical advice for living a more sustainable lifestyle, and ideas and tools for building resilient communities, We Rise is an action guide for how to face the biggest problems of today. If you are interested in creating real and tangible change, We Rise will give you the inspiration and information you need to do your part in making the world a better place.

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  Law and the Public Sphere in...

  Jean Godefroy Bidima

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  A pioneering collection of essays that casts “an invigorating light on law, politics, public language and social practice in modern Africa” (Africa). 
   
  Jean Godefroy Bidima’s La Palabre examines the traditional African institution of palaver as a way to create dialogue and open exchange in an effort to resolve conflict and promote democracy. In the wake of South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation Commissions and the gacaca courts in Rwanda, Bidima offers a compelling model of how to develop an African public space where dialogue can combat misunderstanding. This volume, which includes other essays on legal processes, cultural diversity, memory, and the internet in Africa, offers English-speaking readers the opportunity to become acquainted with a highly original and important postcolonial thinker. 
   
  “Bidima has done a very important work here which deserves the critical attention of philosophers, political theorists, legal scholars as well the general public.” —Journal of Modern African Studies 
   
  “Opens promising vistas for legal and political discourse. Its multidisciplinary orientation and the erudition of the author make for a text that has crossover appeal.” —Olúfémi Táíwò, Cornell University 
   
  “Presents a valuable philosophical argument that will most certainly be of interest to those working on the topics of postconflict justice, peacebuilding, and democratization in Africa.” —African Conflict and Peacebuilding Review

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  Zero To One by Peter Thiel;...

  FlashBooks, Dean Bokhari

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  Book Summary of "Zero to One" by Peter Thiel; Blake MastersZero To One: Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Futureby Peter Thiel; Blake MastersABOUT THIS AUDIOBOOK SUMMARY:The book, "Zero to One" was inspired by a collection of lectures delivered by Peter Thiel during his teaching years at Stanford. Along with co-author (and former student) Blake Masters — Thiel has put together a hard-hitting set of standards for entrepreneurs, startups, and thought-leaders to carefully consider when building the “next big thing” of the future.Quite frankly, certain sections of the book are so ridiculously well put together that one just sits there and thinks after reading them. Chapter after chapter, Thiel gives example after example of how to successfully build the future.But Why Listen To Thiel? Well, Peter Thiel has played a role in partnering with, inspiring and/or investing in some of the most successful tech entrepreneurs in the United States (and probably the world) including:Elon Musk – who founded SpaceX and co-founded Tesla Motors;Reid Hoffman – who co-founded LinkedIn;Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim – who together founded YouTube;Jeremy Stoppelman and Russel Simmons – who founded Yelp;David Sacks – who co-founded Yammer; andHimself, Peter Thiel – who founded PayPal and Palantir.Oh, and by the way — all of the above named companies are worth at least $1 billion each. That’s a serious chunk of change. Reading Zero To One is sort of like taking a peek into the mind of one of the most successful multi-billionaire investors alive today… In these FlashNotes, we’ll get into the top 10-12 key take-aways from the book, including:- The “DOs and DON’Ts” of startups- What to focus on when building a startup- Insights on building a billion dollar startup that stands the test of time- And much, much more...

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  Covenant of Liberty - The...

  Michael Patrick Leahy

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  Today's Tea Party activists are motivated by the same ideological desires as our nation's Founding Fathers, argues Michael Patrick Leahy in this illuminating work of political history.Today's political class—in both parties and at all levels of government—shows a blatant disregard for both the letter and spirit of the U.S. Constitution. More and more Americans are fed up, and from this sweeping sense of discontent and anger the Tea Party movement has emerged, revitalizing the spirit of constitutionalist activism in the conservative world.According to author and Tea Party activist Michael Patrick Leahy, a similar lack of accountability ignited our nation's Founding Fathers, and they were motivated by the same ideological desires: to constitutionally limit government, ensure fiscal responsibility, and defend individual liberty. These imperatives were at the heart of what he calls a "covenant of liberty," which undergirds our written Constitution. Leahy traces these ideas to the libertarian traditions of the English Civil War. He explains why they were on the minds of Americans at the birth of the republic, and how they passed down largely intact from generation to generation, were broken by a corrupted political class, and have been rediscovered by the modern Tea Party movement.According to Leahy, the American constitutional covenant consists of four unwritten promises that most citizens continue to regard as crucial to our government's legitimacy. The story of how this covenant evolved and how its fundamental promises were broken forms the core of this unique and original work of political history.As Leahy shows, the first promise—to abide by the written words of the Constitution—was broken before the ink was dry on the nation's founding documents. The second—to refrain from interfering in private economic matters—was broken by the Republican Party in the 1860s. The third—to honor the customs, traditions, and principles that made up the "fiscal constitution"—was broken by Herbert Hoover 143 years after the establishment of our republic, a sad rupture conducted on an even grander scale by his successors, beginning with Franklin Roosevelt and continuing through the administration of Barack Obama.The breaking of these promises greatly accelerated the natural tendency of governments to centralize and consolidate power at the expense of individual liberty. Had not the fourth and final promise—that members of the legislative branch would exercise thoughtful deliberation while giving respectful consideration to the views of their constituents—been broken in such a disdainful and audacious manner in early 2009, the grassroots activists who came to make up the Tea Party would never have been impelled to take action.Drawing on his personal experience as the organizer of the online conservative community that launched the Tea Party movement in February 2009, Leahy documents how the timeless principles of American constitutionalism have been used to grow one of the most active and influential movements in American history.

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  Soul of a Democrat - The Seven...

  Thomas B. Reston

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  This program includes an introduction read by Thomas B. Reston. 
  In this timely audiobook, Thomas B. Reston delivers a concise history of the Democratic party and the founding myths and principles it has abandoned over time, thus losing its working class base—and its soul. 
  The 2016 election resulted in the Democratic Party ceding control of every branch of government to the GOP. The talking heads have offered countless explanations and excuses for this upset, but Thomas B. Reston illuminates the true cause: the party has lost its soul. 
  The Democratic Party has abandoned any unifying ideological message in favor of policy-oriented goals. Instead of creating platforms that appeal to Americans as a whole, candidates campaign by targeting blocks of voters, changing their talking points to better fit each audience. The Democrats need a coherent, consistent set of ideas if they want to remain competitive on the national stage. The good news is, they already have one. 
  In Soul of a Democrat, listeners take a journey through the history of the Democratic Party, learning of the successes and failures of its greatest figures, from Thomas Jefferson to Harry Truman. These great men knew that a successful political party needs solid ideological roots, a relatable message, and solidarity in its ranks.  
  This audiobook shows modern Democrats how to learn from the past, craft a new approach to politics, and once again become the party of the people.

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