I really feel that this could be one of the most important elections of our generation. I would like to make an informed decision on election day that is not based purely on emotion. I went to the bookstore the other day and nearly everything is either from the far-right or the far-left. Aren’t there any books that just state the facts and then let us decide for ourselves? Is it impossible to sell a book that is not chock full of political rhetoric and bias? Where else can I look to get objective information?
I did find one that sounded interesting “Run the other way: Fixing the 2-party system…”. Did not purchase it though. I know there are a lot of politically savvy posters on this forum. Any recommendations you can provide would be greatly appreciated.
“Aren’t there any books that just state the facts and then let us decide for ourselves?”
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Oh. My. God. That’s funny!
Sorry. Seriously, I went through exactly what you are going through a few months ago, and I had no luck at all. I was looking for a book that listed the various political parties, their philosophies, etc. I was hoping to better understand what the Dems, Reps, and even Socialists are all about and the direction they want the world to go. All I found was Ann Coulter and Michael Moore.
If you do find anything, please post it. I’d love to have a look myself.
If you like magazines, I’ll give a big thumbs up to The Economist. They’ll tell you up front they’ve got a rather libertarian bias for business issues, and are good about cutting through the hype and hyperbole and getting to the facts on poliical, social, and economic issues. Lots of clear and concise articles, and easy to follow graphs and charts.
It’s not a cheap magazine, and they even hit you pretty hard for an annual subscription. But I never get the sense that they’re blurring the line between editorial content and advertising like so many other magazines are doing these days.
I recommend a book called “Bureaucracy: What Government Agencies Do and Why They Do It” by James Q. Wilson. I read it when I took a course at George Mason University. It is NOT a book about political parties, but it will probably make you question why we have concentrated so much power and put so much faith in non-elected government officials and the organizations they work in. I took the class before 9/11, but reading back through the book in light of later events made me realize that something like 9/11 was essentially a fait accompli at some point. There is a chapter entitled “Turf.” Need I say more?
Of course if you REALLY want to understand how government bureaucracies work, I recommend a “Dilbert” anthology.
Aren’t ‘biased’ and ‘political’ almost one in the same?
For non biased books you will have to check out the history section. Unfortunately, all that stuff is more than 50 years old.
In any case. We’re not machines. We all have some kind of axe to grind, and some different perspective. I don’t think we have any hope of getting away from it.
The best you will do is to understand where the author is coming from, read critically, and take it for what it’s worth.
Of course, you’re going to have to consider the source in whatever you read. I’d go for some books from each side. Though I’d avoid the over-the-top political figures. Moore, Coulter, et al are out the window.
I have Bob Woodward’s latest book on my short list. I’m intrigued by a book that Dems use to slam the pres, and the White House says is a must read to support their position.
So… before anyone rips me a new one, hear me out. On the topic of war, Iraq, terrorism, and Afganistan, I highly recommend Richard Clarke’s book “Against All Enemies”. Unfortunately this book has been positioned in the press to be an all out Bush bashing. It’s true that there is some of that, but there’s also gripes about Clinton and other administrations. The thing that is most intriguing about this book is that it offers a well thought out approach to the war on terror as well as a good history of US involvement in the Middle East. There is also very interesting insight into the details of policy decisions re the war on terrorism. It’s not just a critique, it also offers a road map.
Clarke is accused of being arrorgant, which he is, and it comes across in parts of the book. If you look past that though, he does have some very good points to make. He was in the government for 30 years, served in 4 administrations (right and left) and is an interesting voice to hear. IMO.
Some say he’s disgruntled. Maybe so. I don’t really care, the important points he makes are interesting (haven’t really been refuted) and worth considering. It seems like those saying he’s disgruntled argue that an angry person can’t have anything of value to say.
I’ve found that many people enjoy bashing this book without reading it. I have yet to come across someone who has actually read it that says it wasn’t worth their time. If you read it I think you will find that, like most people, he has both good things and bad things to say about those he worked for and with.
Sorry to bump this one up, guys, but it took me a while to come up with something.
Hollidan, FIRST make sure your critical thinking skills are up to snuff. ( I’m sure yours are, but good God, so many people seem incapable of thinking critically these days. Real Big Problem.)
Second, forget about any of the current crop of “political” books. All of them.
Finally, read the documents the Founding Fathers wrote. The Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the Federalist Papers, etc.
Then decide which candidate’s platform best merges with the values that America is supposed to be based on.
"…read the documents the Founding Fathers wrote. The Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the Federalist Papers, etc. Then decide which candidate’s platform best merges with the values that America is supposed to be based on. "
Excellent suggestion. Too many politicians on both sides of the aisles are nothing but “policy wonks”–too few deep or bold thinkers; too many people who can’t see the forest for the trees.
Try “Democracy in America” by Alexis De Tocqueville. Great political read and should be required reading in high school.
Someone else suggested the a James Q. Wilson book, they are good civics books, not biased at all, which is why they are used so frequently in colleges.
If you are looking for objective information of current topics, call your Representative and see if they can get you CRS or Congressional Research Service reports on the issues that interest you. They are excellent publications.
My day job is that of political scientist. (Just got a job teaching at the University of Georgia) I study political psychology and behavior.
Perhaps the best nonpartisan, unbiased source of information to help one make an informed electoral choice (in the U.S.) is put out by an organization called ‘Project Vote Smart.’ This information can be viewed at www.vote-smart.org.
In my European history class in high school, we had to do a major “thesis” paper during the course of the year. Our teacher would not let any of us use a topic subject after the beginning of the Second World War because such events were too recent and bound to be influenced by the prejudices of the writers, whether intended or unintended. He believed this was the case even with those trying to write history.
Now, when it comes to political books in a presidential year, there is even less objectivity. A fair number are timed to promote the campaign of a particular candidate. Even when not, a book that takes a particular stance about current events, whether it be liberal or conservative, has a built in audience that will be excited to buy it. It’s much harder to write a book that will generate as much in sales without having such a slant. Authors, and certainly book publishers, are in it for the money after all.
I would endorse reading the broader class of founding documents, and you might even want to throw in some Plato or Aristotle to get an even broader perspective. Now, you are going to have trouble doing this before the election, but it’s only one election.
Finally, read the documents the Founding Fathers wrote. The Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, the Federalist Papers, etc.
I don’t mean anything by this, simply out of curiosity; have you read any of those? What percentage of Americans do you think have?
I’d bet it’s less than 1% and I think that’s being generous…
Yes, I have actually read those. I have no idea what percentage of Americans have read them, but agree that the number is probably small. Large problem.
I’ll second the recommendation for the Economist. They are on the radical right in the matter of laissez-faire capitalism, which gives them a bit of a blind spot on Bush, but that tends to appear only in the editorials. The actual reporting is fact-based (shock!). Similarly, the Wall Street Journal usually has good reporters, though the editorial page is full of revolutionary right-wing twaddle.
I can’t think of any books to recommend, since my bias will show. I would only note that the difference between let us say Al Franken and Rush Limbaugh is that Franken’s book is fact-based…
I think I just peed my pants a bit from laughing so hard.
Michael Moore’s book is the same sort of tripe that I have read on the right from Michael Savage, Rush, and Coulter. But it is true - Franken’s “Lying Liars” book is much more factual. Can you point out anything in it that is a lie or serious distortion?