Current Reads

[Madeleine]

What are you reading now (or what have you read recently) that's related to social change, social justice, or activism?

[Aimee]

I recently read "Half the Sky", which I thought was well researched and inspiring. Kristoff and WuDunn travel the world highlighting example of how societies that treat women as second class citizens suffer, and more than a few women who have managed to do good things for their people in spite of this. I agree with a prior GR reviewer that Kristoff and WuDunn fail to include Native women in the US/North America.

[Cierra]

I am currently reading Revolutionary Suicide by Huey P. Newton. I am only 40 or so pages in and he's only talked about his childhood so far, so I haven't gotten to the social change/justice aspect just yet.

[Suzanne]

Hi everyone. I organize a social change themed book club in NYC. We read fiction and non-fiction and our current book is "The Revolution Will Not Be Funded," edited by INCITE! Women of Color Against Violence. Please get in touch with me if you'd be interested in coming to our discussions!

[Suzanne]

Hi everyone. I organize a social change themed book club in NYC. We read fiction and non-fiction and our current book is "The Revolution Will Not Be Funded," edited by INCITE! Women of Color Against Violence. Please get in touch with me if you'd be interested in coming to our discussions!

[Dawn]

Recently I have been reading economic change type books. I would love some suggestion!

[Paul]

I have been reading a lot of simple development economic books, mostly from Sachs, Easterly, Collier. I recommend "The Bottom Billion" from Collier, its a good read.

I'm about to start tackling some of the books on education, technology, and development. This will include "The Unbound Prometheus" from Landes, "The Lever of Riches" from Mokyr, and "Education and State Formation" from Green.

I am interested in why the industrial revolution took place in Britain and why under developed countries fail to grow.

[Jen Chau]

Suzanne, I'm in NYC too and would love to talk with you about participating....or even working together (I have a book club in my organization, Swirl, and I could see potential for collabo if you are interested!)

[Reza]

I don't know if I can post this here, it involves activism as my book is about Iran and the Middle East and addresses the very issues that the world is trying to understand. Here is the latest review which explains it much better than I could:

SPY MEMOIR SPEAKS VOLUMES

DOUBLE AGENT’S TRUE STORY READS LIKE SOMETHING JOHN GRISHAM DREAMED UP

BY NICHOLAS ADDISON THOMAS

FOR THE FREE LANCE-STAR

Sunday, May 2, 2010

APOLITICALLY broken landscape serves as a powerful backdrop in “A Time to Betray,” author Reza Kahlili’s haunting journey through the religious underbelly of a divided and troubled Iran. Equal parts astonishing and disturbing, this perfectly crafted memoir will open your eyes to the heinous past, troubled present and murky future of Iran. The reader can down a dozen Mountain Dews in one sitting, and she still won’t get the same jolt she would from reading this story about the double life of a CIA spy in Iran’s Revolutionary Guards. Kahlili (a pseudonym to protect the author’s identity) was raised in Tehran in the 1960s, where he bided his time playing with best friends, learning about his country’s history and engaging new depths of Islam. When he attends college in California, however, all that changes. The days of structured existence are supplanted by Corvettes, babes in bikinis and raucous music. A new approach to life is established, until Kahlili’s father unexpectedly dies and he returns to Iran. Back on his native soil, Kahlili discovers that the country he loves is torn between adopting a radical or traditional approach to Islam and Iran’s governance structure. He decides to enroll in the Revolutionary Guards, a notorious military unit supporting Ayatollah Khomeini, leader of the 1979 Iranian Revolution . He quickly learns to hate the war, due to the government’s blatant lies and the obscene torture of his countrymen. This compels Kahlili to approach the U.S. and serve as a spy, code name “Wally.” From this point on, he’s a double agent, supplying America with key information and serving in the ranks of a destructive militia. It’s a deadly assignment, but one Kahlili hopes will help change the course of Iran’s destructive path . Tales of anguish, hardship and unfounded persecution abound in this masterful tale, forcing the reader to accept the fact that the news he sees on CNN is barely scratching the surface. Using insider information, Kahlili excels at painting an enthralling portrait of a country impacted by religious and political extremism. What makes “A Time to Betray” so powerful is two fold: First, the story reads like a John Grisham novel. Second, the narrative is refreshingly objective. Throughout his gripping journey, Kahlili ping-pongs between being a devoted son of Iran and a U.S. supporter. The emotion this produces creates an astonishing read that will have you rethinking what you know about the Middle East.

Nicholas Addison Thomas is a freelance writer in Fredericksburg.

A TIME TO BETRAY By Reza Kahlili

http://atimetobetray.com/praise-and-r...

[Marvin]

I originally joined this group ages ago because of my interest in mental illness issues and this is mental health awareness week. I'm both a writer and now a publisher and I'm starting to focus the books I bring out towards mental illness issues. The first book I published (which I wrote) was Schizophrenia Medicine's Mystery Society's Shame which has had some very good reviews.

I publish the mysteries of a psychiatrist, David Laing Dawson, who is actually a very good writer and his books have been translated into seven languages. His latest mystery deals with four men who have murdered and who share a room in a locked forensic psychiatry ward.

My current book is the memoir by a mother, Susan Inman, called After Her Brain Broke: Helping My Daughter Recover Her Sanity. The book is getting considerable media attention and some very good reviews.

In the Fall, I will be bringing out the memoir of a women with schizophrenia discussing her experiences with that disease

For anyone interested, my website is http://www.bridgeross.com

[Dawn]

Paul wrote: "I have been reading a lot of simple development economic books, mostly from Sachs, Easterly, Collier. I recommend "The Bottom Billion" from Collier, its a good read.

I'm about to start tackling s..."

Thanks Paul I will look into The bottom Billion. I am reading which is good in theory, I think he may have a bit of an ax to grind. I also just started which so far feels more like a timeline of events not the reason behind the events.

[Paul]

Dawn: Have you got a chance to read Freefall: America, Free Markets, and the Sinking of the World Economy? I was thinking of reading it.

I haven't had time to get into the books on the current crisis. Is there one or two in particular anyone would recommend to start?

[Dawn]

Paul: I actually am wait listed for that one at the library. I just started reading books about the crisis so my to be read pile is growing. I really want to read 13 Bankers, the Murder of Lehmen Brothers and the Greatest Trade Ever.

So far I like Meltdown the best. I think it was well written and I think he did a good job explaining Keynesian policies (historically and now), explains the bailout and the problems with it, her also does a great job evaluating the housing crisis and talks about government problems with both sides liberal and conservative.

However for more background I would recommend Kevin Phillips Bad Money.

[Tamara]

Hey I am very interested in the current state of affairs in our world and what we can do to change it, I am currently reading The Watchman's Rattle, It's a great insight on our patterns and how we can break them to create a better world for our children http://www.rebeccacosta.com/book I highly recommend it!

[Rhonda]

Fabulous book with great illustrations. You can win a copy at New York Journal of Books. Enter here to win:
http://nyjournalofbooks.com/giveaways...

Kenk: A Graphic Portrait is an utterly captivating, highly readable, and slightly unsettling comic book. Or is it a piece of graphic long-form journalism? Or perhaps a static, stylized arrangement of documentary footage? Even a kaleidoscopic collage of multimedia, peppered with interview transcription and narrative commentary?

Kenk: A Graphic Portrait is a remarkable volume that is simultaneously all of these. It recounts the events leading to the arrest and conviction of “the world’s most prolific bicycle thief,” as Igor Kenk has been described by the New York Times and the Guardian.

[Marvin]

Book Give-a-way of What A Life Can Be: One Therapist's Take on Schizo-Affective Disorder available on Goodreads. The book has been described as inspiring, powerful and as a totally new perspective on mental illness. What a Life Can Be: One Therapist's Take on Schizo-Affective Disorder.

[Bryn]

The Art of Not Being Governed: An Anarchist History of Upland Southeast Asia. Anyone else read this? It's gone straight onto my VIB list - Very Important Books.