New and Notable: Politics

Everyone has their own views when it comes to politics in our nation. That is why there are so many books published that relate to the topic. Take a look at some of our newer titles and see what is going on in the nation and around the world.

(Click on the title to link to library holdings information.)

The devil we know: dealing with the new Iranian superpower By  Robert Baer

Former CIA operative Baer (See No Evil) challenges the conventional wisdom regarding Iran in this timely and provocative analysis, arguing that Iran has already half-won its undeclared 30-year war with the United States and is rapidly becoming a superpower. Baer's assumptions are often questionable most tellingly that Iran is now trustworthy and his conclusions premature: he states unequivocally, for example, that the Iranians have annexed the entire south [of Iraq]. But his brief adds an important perspective to a crucial international debate.

Bob Schieffer's America
By Bob Schieffer

Bob Schieffer's America brings together 168 of his best essays, pieces that cover a broad range: from the hard issues of today to the human stories that show us who we are; from politics and presidents and tragedy to the things that touch us, make us laugh, or reveal the small shifts in our culture that sometimes just creep up on us. Smart, humorous, commonsensical, pitch-perfect" sometimes bitingly critical and plainspoken, other times suffused with wonder or delight"these essays speak to us all.

The duel: Pakistan on the flight path of American power
By Tariq Ali.

Examines the increasing violence and political turmoil affecting Pakistan, the only Islamic state in possession of nuclear weapons and America's closest ally in its battle against terrorism, as well as prospects for peace and stability in the region.

The war within: a secret White House history, 2006-2008
By Bob Woodward.

As violence in Iraq reaches unnerving levels in 2006, a second front in the war rages at the highest levels of the Bush administration. In his fourth book on President George W. Bush, Bob Woodward takes readers deep inside the tensions, secret debates, unofficial backchannels, distrust and determination within the White House, the Pentagon, the State Department, the intelligence agencies and the U.S. military headquarters in Iraq. With unparalleled intimacy and detail, this gripping account of a president at war describes a period of distress and uncertainty within the U.S. government from 2006 through mid-2008.

The way of the world: a story of truth and hope in an age of extremism
By Ron Suskind.

From Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and bestselling author Ron Suskind comes a startling look at how America lost its way and at the nation s struggle, day by day, to reclaim the moral authority upon which its survival depends. From the White House to Downing Street, from the fault-line countries of South Asia to the sands of Guantanamo, Suskind offers an astonishing story that connects world leaders to the forces waging today s shadow wars and to the next generation of global citizens. Tracking down truth and hope within the Beltway and far beyond it, Suskind delivers historic disclosures with this emotionally stirring and strikingly original portrait of the post-9/11 world.

Escondido Public Library.
  Revised: 10/31/08.