Book Reviews - Current AffairsThe Thirteen American Arguments: Enduring Debates that Define and Inspire Our CountryReviewed by Kim Eisler A writer and pundit takes an insightful and enjoyable look at the timeless issues that shape American politics. more Mrs. Goose Goes to Washington: Nursery Rhymes for the Political BarnyardReviewed by Whitney Spivey A witty book of nursery rhymes for the inside-the-Beltway set. more Taste: Acquiring What Money Can’t BuyReviewed by Ruth Samuelson This book by an etiquette expert and former Jackie Kennedy aide has a lot of experience behind it but not enough of a point. more Commander in Chief: How Truman, Johnson, and Bush Turned a Presidential Power Into a Threat to America’s FutureReviewed by Lauren Masterson A well-researched and opinionated book that looks at three presidents and the effects of their decisions on the country and the world. more Unhooked: How Young Women Pursue Sex, Delay Love, and Lose at BothA Washington Post reporter elicits honest answers from young women about the emotional effects of “hooking up.” more Imperial Life in the Emerald City: Inside Iraq’s Green ZoneReviewed by Kim Eisler Rajiv Chandrasekaran—the Washington Post's former Baghdad bureau chief—cuts through levels of bureaucracy, painting in bright colors how Iraq got so complicated and messed up. more The Republican War on ScienceReviewed by Chris Wilson A “shamelessly partisan” look at Republican attempts to smear scientists and their research. more Night Draws Near: Iraq's People in the Shadow of America's WarReviewed by Garrett M. Graff “A complex, sympathetic, and dark portrait of a people we still understand all too poorly.” more The Way Home: A German Childhood, an American LifeReviewed by Carolyn Murphy
A memoir by a former senator’s wife—“a tribute to the power of memory to heal.”
God's Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn't Get ItReviewed by Jason M. Breslow “For Democrats seeking ways to apply religion to their platform, a worthwhile read. It offers lessons for the religious right as well.” more Children at WarReviewed by Mayank S. Bubna An account of child exploitation that's “more than an interesting read--it's an invaluable resource for the long term.” more The Working Poor: Invisible in AmericaReviewed by Rob Blair A book about the intersection of employment and poverty that “should have special resonance for Washingtonians.” more How Israel Lost: The Four QuestionsReviewed by Kim Eisler “Tackles issues large and small, going to the foundation of Zionism. . . . Cramer will be pilloried by American Jews for this account of how a country founded with the best intentions went wrong.” more The Naked Crowd: Reclaiming Security and Freedom in an Anxious AgeReviewed by William O'Sullivan “A readable examination of technologies that may help create a safer citizenry—but that may not.” more Slate’s Field Guide to the Candidates 2004Reviewed by Rob Blair “A valuable resource for the indecisive.” more Men in Black Dresses: A Quest for the Future Among Wisdom Makers of the Middle EastReviewed by Allison Melia “A refreshing look at religion in a part of the world often generalized as violent and fanatical.” more From Bush to Bush: The Lazlo Toth LettersReviewed by Rob Blair “Hilarious” letters from Novello’s alter ego to the president and others—and the sometimes dead-serious replies. more Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the RightReviewed by Rob Blair “Franken the comedian is fantastic. Masquerading as a policy wonk, however, he’s an embarrassment.” more Suburban Sahibs: Three Immigrant Families and Their Passage From India to AmericaReviewed by Nandita Khanna
“Eloquently captures the essence of the immigrant experience.”
Dispatches From the Culture Wars: How the Left Lost Teen SpiritReviewed by Nandita Khanna This critique of the Democratic party “is proof that fighters still exist and aren’t afraid to speak their minds.” more Politicians, Partisans, and Parasites: My Adventures in Cable NewsReviewed by Rob Blair
“I wanted to hate it. And I did . . . . But I’m going to read the book again.”
Imperial America: The Bush Assault on the World OrderReviewed by Rob Blair
“Newhouse’s voice—logical, reflective, moderate—is worth hearing.”
Frontier Justice: Weapons of Mass Destruction and the Bushwhacking of AmericaReviewed by Rob Blair
“Indispensible to any thorough understanding of the war with Iraq.”
No Uncertain Terms: More Writing From the Popular "On Language" Column in The New York Times MagazineReviewed by Eleanor Stables
“Safire’s detail can become dense. . . . He’s at his best when having fun.”
Bayou Farewell: The Rich Life and Tragic Death of Louisiana's Cajun CoastReviewed by Cristy Lytal A wake-up call about a vanishing landscape: “Conveys a powerful sense of place . . . sobering.” more Ambling Into History: The Unlikely Odyssey of George W. BushReviewed by William O'Sullivan
“Sharp and entertaining narrative.”
War Without End: Cultural Conflict and the Struggle for America's Political FutureReviewed by Jeff Deck
“Even the least politically savvy reader can glean a lot.”
The War Against Boys: How Misguided Feminism Is Harming Our Young MenReviewed by Brooke Lea Foster
Controversial feminist offers “good party-conversation material, but little more.”
Political FictionsReviewed by Daniel Richards
Essays that “work better as individual pieces than as a book.”
The Partly Cloudy PatriotReviewed by William O'Sullivan
Humorist doesn’t shrink from topics—“she’s too fearless . . . and too smart.”
The Girls in the Van: Covering HillaryReviewed by William O'Sullivan
“Hilarious, knowing, and lively look at Hillary Clinton’s Senate campaign.”
Casino Moscow: A Tale of Greed and Adventure on Capitalism's Wildest FrontierReviewed by Ivan Weiss
“Vivid picture of what life was like” before Russia’s financial crash.
Speaking of Hillary: A Reader's Guide to the Most Controversial Woman in AmericaReviewed by William O'Sullivan
“Unusual addition to the glut of Clinton-related books.”
Slander: Liberal Lies About the American RightReviewed by Laura Thomas
Conservative author has “habit of subverting herself with brash or childish comments.”
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