Books We Recommend
These are books that
either (or both) Ed or Lynn have read
recently. We recommend them and when
possible we've added our own commentary on why
we feel they are an important
read.
American Dreamer by John C. Culver and John Hyde
With American Dreamer, John C. Culver and John Hyde at last do justice to this infinitely complicated and controversial American. We are given Wallace the agriculturist of international reknown, Wallace the prolific author, Wallace the groundbreaking economist, and finally Wallace the businessman whose company (eventually worth billions) paved the way for a worldwide agricultural revolution. But Culver and Hyde do more than investigate the complex personality of their subject. They bring to life with novelistic intensity the pivotal era in which Wallace lived. (from book jacket)
As Sick As It Gets by Rudolph Mueller M.D.
In a wrenching expose', Dr. Mueller documents that the present system is awash in bureaucratic irresponsibility and human suffering, and is unresponsive to the needs of millions of Americans. Using poignant stories of patients from his practice, he puts an intensely human face on those outside the system who must cope with disease, sickness and injury. (from book jacket)
Gag Rule by Lewis Lapham
Never before, Lapham argues, have voices of protest been so locked out of the mainstream conversation, so marginalized and muted by a government that recklessly disregards civil liberties, and by an ever more concentrated and profit-driven media in which the safe and salable sweep all uncomfortable truths from view...Gag Rule is a rousing and necessary call to action in defense of one of our most important liberties, the right to raise our voices and have those voices heard. (from the back of the book)
"As expected with Lapham, this book cuts to the chase. While there is an obvious bias towards Democratic (the party) politics, he's as critical of weak and concessionary decisions by Democrats as he is of the Republicans and the media. But the underlying value of this book, to me, was his call to action -- we must use our voices to take back our country." (Lynn Heuss)
How the Irish Saved Civilization by Thomas Cahill
In this delightful and illuminating look into a crucial but little-known "hinge" of history, Thomas Cahill takes us to the "island of saints and scholars," the Ireland of St. Patrick and the Book of Kells. Here, far from the barbarian despoliation of the continent, monks and scribes laboriously, lovingly, even playfully preserved the west's written treasury. With the return of stability in Europe, these Irish scholars were instrumental in spreading learning. Thus the Irish not only were conservators of civilization, but became shapers of the medieval mind, putting their unique stamp on western culture. (from book jacket)
Last of the Donkey Pilgrims by Kevin O'Hara
Kevin O'Hara was a former soldier, unable to let go of his memories of the horrors of war despite being newly married to a beautiful woman. His pain threatened to destroy not only his own happiness but any chance of a happy future with his wife.
In desperation, Kevin traveled to Ireland, the land of his parents' people, and in those impossibly green fields, under open skies, Kevin began to see the possibilities of joy. Then he learned of the age-old method of traveling by donkey cart, something disappearing as modern life crowded in.
This appealed deeply to Kevin. So, with a shaggy brown donkey as his companion, he set off on an 1,800-mile trek around the whole of Ireland. Along his way, Kevin would meet some incredible characters, experience the Irish in all their glory...and find himself. (from the back of the book)
Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan
Ultimately, this is a book as much about visionary solutions as it is about problems, and Pllan contends that, when it comes to food, doing the right thing often turns out to be the tastiest thing an eater can do. Beautifully written and thrillingly argues, The Omnivor's Dilemma promises to change the way we think about the politics and pleasure of eating. For anyone who reads it, dinner will never again look, or taste, quite the same. (from the book jacket)
Postville by Stephen G. Bloom
In 1987, a group of ultra-Orthodox Jews opened a kosher slaughterhouse just outside Postville, Iowa (pop. 1,465), both reviving and dividing the town. The quiet, restrained Iowans were aghast at the Hasidic Jews who ignored the unwritten laws of Iowa behavior, and the Lubavitchers could not compromise with the world of Postville. Ten years later, the town engineered a vote on what everyone agreed was a referendum: should these Jews stay?
Award-winning journalist Stephen G. Bloom expertly documents the conflict and gains new perspective on the troubles haunting many American communities today. (from the back of the book)
Ripples from the Zambezi by Ernesto Sirolli
In the same way that you can't lead a horse to water, you can't force economic development on people who don't want to be 'developed' according to someone else's ideas. This realization was the genesis for Ernesto Sirolli's unique approach to local economic development that he calls Enterprise Facilitation. Ripples from the Zambezi leads the reader through the fascinating story of development failures and successes that led eventually to this technique that has been successful in over 250 communities in four countries. Inspiring, amusing, and easy to read, Ripples from the Zambezi will appeal to a wide range of people interested in a new and successful approach to revitalizing our communities. (from the back of the book)
Saving Graces by Elizabeth Edwards
She charmed America with her smart, likable, down-to-earth personality as she campaigned for her husband, then vice presidential candidate John Edwards. She inspired millions as she valiantly fought advanced breast cancer after being diagnosed only days before the 2004 election. She touched hundreds of similarly grieving families when her own sod, Wade, died tragically at age sixteen in 1996. Now she shares her experiences in Saving Graces, an incandescent memoir of Edwards's trials, tragedies, and triumphs, and of how various communities celebrated her joys and lent her steady strength and quiet hope in darker times. (jacket cover)
"Mrs. Edwards is an amazing woman. After reading her book and then meeting them, it's impossible not to recognize that she and Senator Edwards are the "real thing" as a couple. I'm not easily impressed by titles or celebrity status and Mrs. Edwards gains my respect not because of either but because of her constant and consistent courage in the face of adversity and challenges most of us will never face. The work she and her husband have already done for the common good give me great cause for optimism in the hope that he becomes our next president." Lynn Heuss
The Conscience of a Liberal by Senator Paul Wellstone
"The Conscience of a Liberal combines biography and legislative history with 'a call for an active citizen politics that could restore democracy and build a progressive politics.' Insisting that effective activism must include good ideas and policy, grassroots organizing, and electoral politics. Wellstone describes his astonishing 1990 election and his 1996 reelection in the face of a highly negative campaign that consistently portrayed him as 'embarrassingly liberal.' "
The End of Nature by Bill McKibben
First published in 1989 and since translated into twenty languages, The End of Nature has changed the way many people view the planet. In an impassioned plea for radical and life-renewing change, Bill McKibben argues that the survival of the globe is dependent on a fundamental philosophical shift in the way we relate to nature. McKibben writes of Earth's environmental cataclysm, addressing such core issues as the greenhouse effect, acid rain, and the depletion of the ozone layer. More than simply a handbook for survival or a doomsday catalog of scientific predictions, this soulful lament is required reading for nature enthusiasts, activists, and concerned citizens. (from the back of the book)
The Essential Writings of Mahatma Gandhi edited by Raghavan Iyer
This balanced selection of Gandhi's writings, taken from his letters, articles, and books, represents the complete cross-section of his thought, from his early years as a young barrister freshly called to the bar in London, to his final days as sage and counsel to newly independent India. The selection not only reveals the growth of his ideas but also their essential internal integrity and consistency. Similarly, it well illustrates the full facets of his personality: both acerbic and melancholic, gentle and forcefully intellectual, humorous and intensely demanding of his followers. Most of all, what is revealed is the deep humanity of the man and his rich vein of genuine spirituality. (from the back of the book)
The Life and Death of Mahatma Gandhi by Robert Payne
This is the heroic story of the man whose non-violent movement transformed his native India both spiritually and politically as it impelled the nation along the road to independence. With consummate skill, in a narration that never flags in vividness and drama, Robert Payne recreates Mahatma Gandhi both as a spiritual and historical force and as a living personality. (from book jacket)
Vows and Observances by M.K. Gandhi
Vows and Observances presents the heart of Mahatma Gandhi's teachings on the practices of daily living. It is drawn from four works written for residents of his religious community. It addresses fundamental issues of life and society from the perspective of a man whose ideas are based not only on study and meditation, but also on decades of experimentation in community living. His writings on truth, love, work, poverty and service offer startling and powerful insights. (from the back of the book)
American Dreamer by John C. Culver and John Hyde
With American Dreamer, John C. Culver and John Hyde at last do justice to this infinitely complicated and controversial American. We are given Wallace the agriculturist of international reknown, Wallace the prolific author, Wallace the groundbreaking economist, and finally Wallace the businessman whose company (eventually worth billions) paved the way for a worldwide agricultural revolution. But Culver and Hyde do more than investigate the complex personality of their subject. They bring to life with novelistic intensity the pivotal era in which Wallace lived. (from book jacket)
As Sick As It Gets by Rudolph Mueller M.D.
In a wrenching expose', Dr. Mueller documents that the present system is awash in bureaucratic irresponsibility and human suffering, and is unresponsive to the needs of millions of Americans. Using poignant stories of patients from his practice, he puts an intensely human face on those outside the system who must cope with disease, sickness and injury. (from book jacket)
Gag Rule by Lewis Lapham
Never before, Lapham argues, have voices of protest been so locked out of the mainstream conversation, so marginalized and muted by a government that recklessly disregards civil liberties, and by an ever more concentrated and profit-driven media in which the safe and salable sweep all uncomfortable truths from view...Gag Rule is a rousing and necessary call to action in defense of one of our most important liberties, the right to raise our voices and have those voices heard. (from the back of the book)
"As expected with Lapham, this book cuts to the chase. While there is an obvious bias towards Democratic (the party) politics, he's as critical of weak and concessionary decisions by Democrats as he is of the Republicans and the media. But the underlying value of this book, to me, was his call to action -- we must use our voices to take back our country." (Lynn Heuss)
How the Irish Saved Civilization by Thomas Cahill
In this delightful and illuminating look into a crucial but little-known "hinge" of history, Thomas Cahill takes us to the "island of saints and scholars," the Ireland of St. Patrick and the Book of Kells. Here, far from the barbarian despoliation of the continent, monks and scribes laboriously, lovingly, even playfully preserved the west's written treasury. With the return of stability in Europe, these Irish scholars were instrumental in spreading learning. Thus the Irish not only were conservators of civilization, but became shapers of the medieval mind, putting their unique stamp on western culture. (from book jacket)
Last of the Donkey Pilgrims by Kevin O'Hara
Kevin O'Hara was a former soldier, unable to let go of his memories of the horrors of war despite being newly married to a beautiful woman. His pain threatened to destroy not only his own happiness but any chance of a happy future with his wife.
In desperation, Kevin traveled to Ireland, the land of his parents' people, and in those impossibly green fields, under open skies, Kevin began to see the possibilities of joy. Then he learned of the age-old method of traveling by donkey cart, something disappearing as modern life crowded in.
This appealed deeply to Kevin. So, with a shaggy brown donkey as his companion, he set off on an 1,800-mile trek around the whole of Ireland. Along his way, Kevin would meet some incredible characters, experience the Irish in all their glory...and find himself. (from the back of the book)
Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan
Ultimately, this is a book as much about visionary solutions as it is about problems, and Pllan contends that, when it comes to food, doing the right thing often turns out to be the tastiest thing an eater can do. Beautifully written and thrillingly argues, The Omnivor's Dilemma promises to change the way we think about the politics and pleasure of eating. For anyone who reads it, dinner will never again look, or taste, quite the same. (from the book jacket)
Postville by Stephen G. Bloom
In 1987, a group of ultra-Orthodox Jews opened a kosher slaughterhouse just outside Postville, Iowa (pop. 1,465), both reviving and dividing the town. The quiet, restrained Iowans were aghast at the Hasidic Jews who ignored the unwritten laws of Iowa behavior, and the Lubavitchers could not compromise with the world of Postville. Ten years later, the town engineered a vote on what everyone agreed was a referendum: should these Jews stay?
Award-winning journalist Stephen G. Bloom expertly documents the conflict and gains new perspective on the troubles haunting many American communities today. (from the back of the book)
Ripples from the Zambezi by Ernesto Sirolli
In the same way that you can't lead a horse to water, you can't force economic development on people who don't want to be 'developed' according to someone else's ideas. This realization was the genesis for Ernesto Sirolli's unique approach to local economic development that he calls Enterprise Facilitation. Ripples from the Zambezi leads the reader through the fascinating story of development failures and successes that led eventually to this technique that has been successful in over 250 communities in four countries. Inspiring, amusing, and easy to read, Ripples from the Zambezi will appeal to a wide range of people interested in a new and successful approach to revitalizing our communities. (from the back of the book)
Saving Graces by Elizabeth Edwards
She charmed America with her smart, likable, down-to-earth personality as she campaigned for her husband, then vice presidential candidate John Edwards. She inspired millions as she valiantly fought advanced breast cancer after being diagnosed only days before the 2004 election. She touched hundreds of similarly grieving families when her own sod, Wade, died tragically at age sixteen in 1996. Now she shares her experiences in Saving Graces, an incandescent memoir of Edwards's trials, tragedies, and triumphs, and of how various communities celebrated her joys and lent her steady strength and quiet hope in darker times. (jacket cover)
"Mrs. Edwards is an amazing woman. After reading her book and then meeting them, it's impossible not to recognize that she and Senator Edwards are the "real thing" as a couple. I'm not easily impressed by titles or celebrity status and Mrs. Edwards gains my respect not because of either but because of her constant and consistent courage in the face of adversity and challenges most of us will never face. The work she and her husband have already done for the common good give me great cause for optimism in the hope that he becomes our next president." Lynn Heuss
The Conscience of a Liberal by Senator Paul Wellstone
"The Conscience of a Liberal combines biography and legislative history with 'a call for an active citizen politics that could restore democracy and build a progressive politics.' Insisting that effective activism must include good ideas and policy, grassroots organizing, and electoral politics. Wellstone describes his astonishing 1990 election and his 1996 reelection in the face of a highly negative campaign that consistently portrayed him as 'embarrassingly liberal.' "
The End of Nature by Bill McKibben
First published in 1989 and since translated into twenty languages, The End of Nature has changed the way many people view the planet. In an impassioned plea for radical and life-renewing change, Bill McKibben argues that the survival of the globe is dependent on a fundamental philosophical shift in the way we relate to nature. McKibben writes of Earth's environmental cataclysm, addressing such core issues as the greenhouse effect, acid rain, and the depletion of the ozone layer. More than simply a handbook for survival or a doomsday catalog of scientific predictions, this soulful lament is required reading for nature enthusiasts, activists, and concerned citizens. (from the back of the book)
The Essential Writings of Mahatma Gandhi edited by Raghavan Iyer
This balanced selection of Gandhi's writings, taken from his letters, articles, and books, represents the complete cross-section of his thought, from his early years as a young barrister freshly called to the bar in London, to his final days as sage and counsel to newly independent India. The selection not only reveals the growth of his ideas but also their essential internal integrity and consistency. Similarly, it well illustrates the full facets of his personality: both acerbic and melancholic, gentle and forcefully intellectual, humorous and intensely demanding of his followers. Most of all, what is revealed is the deep humanity of the man and his rich vein of genuine spirituality. (from the back of the book)
The Life and Death of Mahatma Gandhi by Robert Payne
This is the heroic story of the man whose non-violent movement transformed his native India both spiritually and politically as it impelled the nation along the road to independence. With consummate skill, in a narration that never flags in vividness and drama, Robert Payne recreates Mahatma Gandhi both as a spiritual and historical force and as a living personality. (from book jacket)
Vows and Observances by M.K. Gandhi
Vows and Observances presents the heart of Mahatma Gandhi's teachings on the practices of daily living. It is drawn from four works written for residents of his religious community. It addresses fundamental issues of life and society from the perspective of a man whose ideas are based not only on study and meditation, but also on decades of experimentation in community living. His writings on truth, love, work, poverty and service offer startling and powerful insights. (from the back of the book)