Could you recommend some "required" Dem reading for me?

I grew up in an ultra conservative household, and my reading material was severely restricted growing up. Do you know of any books that I need to read that I may have missed during my sheltered teenage years? I missed out on many learning opportunities, and I want to make it up by reading informative and thought provoking books that would have been banned by my parents. Anyone have a book that they feel strongly about, that helped you shape your political ideals? As a Dem, are there any books that I should be "required" to read? Thank you in advance.



edited for grammar

Just kidding.

But I think one of the most important books ever written is Howard Zinn's "A peoples History of the United States, 1492-present" It gives great insight to the history you were never taught in high school.

Bob Graham's "Intelligence Matters" is good. Paul Krugmans, "The Great Reckoning. "Blinded by the Right" by David Brock.

I'm currently reading James Bamford's "Body of Secrets". It's fascinating, if you want to see how intelligence is really used in this country. And it's all from declassified NSA documents. And there's "A Candle in the Dark" by Carl Sagan.

I appreciate you taking the time to help me.

offered some good suggestions, especially with the Graham and Krugman books. (I'm writing down the titles of the other ones Doc P.).

With current events, and Krugmans is a collection of his NYT columns.

And I thought "The Price of Loyalty" was a little too gossipy as was "Against All Enemies".

I really like Krugman. I promise to stay away from Kitty Kelly tell alls, no matter how interesting they may look.

The Clash of Fundamentalisms by Tariq Ali

These are not exactly Democratic books, as they're by a Canadian and a Pakistan-born Briton. But they're both eye-opening.

Books by Americans worth reading: George Lakoff's little book (whose name escapes me, something about not thinking of elephants) is great, so is Tom Frank's What's the Matter with Kansas, and Nickel and Dimed by Barbara Ehrenreich.

And I look around my collection and try to remember what I've donated.

"The Clinton Wars" By Sidney Blumenthal was also good.

The Hunting of the President is also good on that subject (if anyone can stomach it).

I find them to be interesting and thought-provoking while not heavy-duty.

They do shoot down an awful lot of conservative BS in their books.

Both are great political movies, although you didn't ask about movies specifically.

Thank you for helping me with my list.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/081664179X/qid=1133478675/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl14/002-4792140-8101660?n=507846&s=books&v=glance

Just picked it up in a bookstore today.

:thumbsup:

You can read some very good essays by Scott Bidstrup, political, religious, and historical at: www.bidstrup.com/ He especially appears to be very well read on historical aspects.

The book that changed my political view forever from Republican to progressive was the Kerner Report issued in 1968 or so, the year after the race riots in Detroit, Newark, and other cities. Being a rural Nebraska kid, I had no idea of how unjust the economics in America were.

Anything by William Greider. He has a page with articles he's published at the website of The Nation magazine. It's pretty heavy stuff, but he's grat at analyzing the Big Picture in terms of how the economy affects the real world.

by Howard Zinn.

Anything by Howard Zinn, Noam Chomsky and Chalmers Johnson.

God's Politics: Why the Right Gets it Wrong and the Left Doesn't Get It.

Garrison Keillor. Just a nice, easy "touch-up" to the roots on why people are Democrats. I think most Democrats are so use to being vilified just for the label of "Democratic" or "Liberal" or "Progressive" we easily forget all of the wonderful things we have done for this country. "Homegrown Democrat" is a nice refresher course from all of the MSM BS.

and brilliantly

That one is a must read. Also, try to find James Carville's "Had Enough? A Handbook For Fighting Back".

"Lying Liars" was the very first political book I read. By the time I got to the Jesus comic I knew it was a favorite. And might I suggest Gore Vidal's "Imperial America : Reflections on the United States of Amnesia" Good stuff.

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

A Demon Haunted World, Science as a Candle in the Dark - Carl Sagan
What's the Matter in Kansas - Thomas Franks
1984 - George Orwell

On the lighter side ...

Anything by Jim Hightower ...
America, the Book by John Stewart and the Daily Show crew

Truman by David McCullough

Bush's Brain By Moore

Worse Than Watergate: The Secret Presidency of George W. Bush by J. Dean

House of Bush, House of Saud: The Secret Relationship Between the
World's Two Most Powerful Dynasties By Unger

Confessions of an Economic Hit Man By John Perkins

The Exception to the Rulers: Exposing Oily Politicians, War Profiteers, and the Media that Love Them by Amy Goodman

Imperial America : Reflections on the United States of Amnesia by Gore Vidal

Who Let the Dogs In? : A Personal History of America's Most Incredible Political Animals
by Molly Ivins

Big Lies : The Right-Wing Propaganda Machine and How It Distorts the Truth
by Joe Conason


Blinded by the Right : The Conscience of an Ex-Conservative
by David Brock

What Liberal Media? The Truth About Bias and the News
by Eric Alterman

The Raw Deal : How the Bush Republicans Plan to Destroy Social Security and the Legacy of the New Deal
by Joe Conason

Robert Parry

"It Can't Happen Here", Sinclair Lewis.