Activism Books

This is a "must" book for anyone seriously interested in the events in Greece during and after WW-II. The author was part (and eventually the head) of the British mission with the Greek guerillas so he was an intimate observer of what was happening. I lived in Greece during these awful years and in spite of my young age (I was 15 at the end of the period described in the book) I have a lot of recollections (when people shoot at each other in the streets in your town you take an early interest in politics). I found the book quite impartial and comprehensive. (I am sure that parts of it will infuriate the right and other parts will infuriate the left.) The author correctly points out that the Greek civil war was primarily an internal affair and external influences (by the communist countries in favor of the left and the US and Britain in favor of the right) were not as big as each side claim about the other. His closing statement is that (to the Soviets) "The rank and file of the KKE, and in particular its leaders, were expendable. Without a trace of compunction, Stalin let them go to their doom." Elsewhere (p. 233) he points out (correctly in my opinion) that "The rebels failed because the mass of the Greek people was against them." The internal nature of the conflict (with outsiders providing material support but not manpower except in one brief phase) is a fact that was forgotten when the Greek civil war was used as a paradigm to justify the US participation in the war in Vietnam.

The book describes at length the inconsistent behavior of the communist leadership but it does not mention what, in my opinion, was the main reason for that behavior. During the German occupation many people joined the communist led resistance to fight the Germans. Many of them were also not happy with the Greek government that was in power before WW-II. The communist leadership mistaken thought that these people would also be in favor of a socialist state. As the communist leadership pressed harder more and more people turned against it. Therefore the large support they had during WW-II eventually evaporated. The true attitudes of the Greek people are described very well in the book "Eleni" by Nicholas Gage. Readers who are not familiar with modern Greek history may also find "Eleni" easier to read. Personally I believe the two books complement each other very well.

I found Tax Back America an extremely entertaining and informative read. When I embarked on reading a book of this genre I was concerned about the dryness of the subject. When I found myself 60 pages in without setting the book down I knew it was time to reflect on the concepts which Mitch Roth had so fluidly laid out. Not only were there many proposed ideas to reshape our legacy concept of taxation. In addition that legacy was clearly outlined in an extremely entertaining fashion. Taxation is used in order to promote behavior, and the behavior posited by this book may surely change our direction and enhance the lives of our children. A worthy read.

I liked this book because it is a useful academic work that is (surprise) entertaining to read. The author has a knack for presenting complicated concepts in an accessible and often humorous way, then backs up her points so they are meaningful to educators. Reed's research is thorough and appropriately exhaustive: just a few paragraphs in it's clear that she knows what she's talking about. Yet the reason I remained engaged in the book is that the author doesn't lose sight of her audience. Reed's observations are practical, significant, and in many ways a relief for anyone who has felt frustrated or ineffective trying to create change as an educator or administrator. This book helped me understand the role we all play in the complex nature of the educational process. It left me feeling empowered and inspired.

Claire Wolfe's Think Free To Live Free: A Political Burnout's Guide To Life, Activism And Everything should be read cover to cover by anyone who has every dedicated themselves to a political, social, or philanthropic cause -- most especially the controversial ones! A life-long activist, Claire Wolfe effectively focuses on the fatigue factors that create the phenomena of "burnout" and how to resuscitate passion and altruism out of the ashes of disillusion and cynicism. Think Free To Live Free should be in every public library and NGO reference collection in the country!

As every American learns in elementary school, after having been rescued from slavery by the Union Army during the Civil War, Black people waited nearly a decade before starting to fight for their civil rights under the leadership of Martin Luther King Jr.

This book of 16 outstanding essays goes a long way towards correcting this horrendous error in our national "remembering," demonstrating that Blacks began their struggle for freedom and human dignity the moment the first slaves arrived here in bondage.

Some authors deal specifically with the process of creating (and sanitizing) collective memory, our experience of the past (memory) vs how we organize it (history.) For example, the mere title of Peter Wood's "Slave Labor Camps in Early America" puts a new spin on our romanticised image of the genteel Plantation. Scott Sandage's "A Marble House Divided" explores the political life of the Lincoln Memorial as a "memory site." Other essays focus a critical lens on specific episodes, such as the rise of Black radicalism in the South immediately following the Civil War, the voter registration movement in Florida 1919-1920, or intellectual pan-African feminism embodied by the first and second wives of Marcus Garvey.

A thought provoking and much needed collection.

Winner of the RESILIENT RESISTANCE:THE MYERS OUTSTANDING AWARDS 2003!

Kevin K. Kumashiro, director of the Center for
Anti-Oppressive Education, El Cerrito, CA.,

Kumashiro is first and foremost an educator. He is committed to
empowering educators to deal with anti-oppressive techniques and strategies in the everyday classroom situation. In Troubling Education he highlights the negotiations necessary to introduce sensitive subjects.

Kumashiro interviews activists and makes us question ourselves and the role we play in contributing to social problems and bringing about social change.

The book was easy to read and hard to put down. I hope he writes more on the subject!!!

The Truth
By Mike Palecek
(Writers Publishing Cooperative 223pp)

Against the backdrop of history, we have the story of a small-town mailman - whose son is one of the U.S. casualties during the Occupation of Iraq - and his almost inevitable realization of the cruel, deceptive and cynical context within which many sons and daughters continue to sacrifice their lives..

Mike Palecek's latest book `The Truth' is a vital book on a vital subject: Democracy (of any definition) is threatened in the United States more than any time in her history - not only by the erosive events enacted by the Bush Administration (and the events are many, both in domestic and foreign affairs), but also by the inertia in response, or non-response, by a truly frightening number of the American public.

The book is organized with even-numbered pages carrying quotes of significance to the point of the lockdown of America (from Goebbels, from Goering, from Ari Fleischer, - but also the wonderful and inspiring words of such human beings as St. Augustine, as Thomas Jefferson, as well as writers and thinkers and journalists ranging from Helen Thomas to William Shakespeare..) and the odd-numbered pages relate the story of Pete Penny. Either the quotes alone or the story would be fully satisfying, but together they serve in creating an acute tension of the individual life in historical context. This same tension is further played out in the very very funny sections that run throughout an otherwise almost Kafkaesque unraveling of the life of one man. The extremely comic attend the tragic of both the story and history's narrative - just as the ludicrousness of an absurd `President' underline the daily horror: The horror of the Administration's avarice and lies in a bloodshed which shows no signs of abating; the mockery and indifference to much that the American people have valued; the ravaging of any American dream.

It is without hesitation that I urge everyone to read this book: For those who are lost in the chaotic events of our times, it is illuminating; for those who are familiar with the aspects that Mike describes, his lucidity and fine perceptions further organize our thinking.

`"I found out the truth, man, but it's better to stay stupid, go to ball games, smoke cigarettes and fish from the shore. Figuring it out's not the hard part. It's what are you gonna do, now, man? That's when it gets tough. What you gonna do now?"'

- Sheila Conroy

International Progressive Publications Network
www.ippn.ws

Amazing quality. It is just as if it was brand new!

Violence has been a central political issue in many Middle Eastern countries during the past two decades, either episodically (Syria, Iran), or continually (Turkey, Egypt, Algeria, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Israel/Palestine). This groundbreaking new study sheds light on the dynamics of this phenomenon by going beyond factors usually cited as the root causes-economy, religion, and culture-and investigating the political structure that actually triggers this violence. Violence, at least during the initial stages, seems to be a rational instrument for changing contested power relations. As these movements weaken in their later stages, they very often give birth to fragmented and privatized forms of violence-warlords are one example-and in some situations to its metamorphosis into nihilistic, sacrificial, and/or messianic forms. This book explores the ways in which the criminalization of political, ethnic, and sectarian identities has contributed to the formation of a "tragic mind" that perceives violence as the surest provider of justice and hope. Only this in-depth research that combines the cognitive, social, and religious sciences, as well as different problematiques such as the emergence of new religiosity, can allow us to understand the logic behind those attacks and the self-sacrificing forms of violence.


About Hamit Bozarslan:
Hamit Bozarslan, Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales, Paris, is the author of several books, including La question kurde: Etats et Minorities au Moyen-Orient.

For more information on the author and other titles see:

www.clivebloom.com