| DESCRIPTION |
COVER/PRICE |
1984
by George Orwell
The all-time classic futuristic cautionary tale. Description and presentation
propaganda is particularly fascinating for media scholars. |
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A Moral Vision for America
by Joseph Cardinal Bernardin
Though he died in 1997, Cardinal Bernardin's unique wisdom lives on in this fine
collection of his views on topics such as just war theory and the consistent ethic of
life. |
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A
People's History of the United States
by Howard Zinn
Should be required reading in all high school history classes. Tells the
stories that your average textbook won't tell, such as the socialist movements during the
Depression and US complicity in genocides all over the world. |
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A
Preface to Morals
by Walter Lippmann
Essential reading for anyone pondering the role of religion in modern life.
Lippmann writes non-fiction prose that rolls off the tongue like Neruda's poetry. A
true forgotten masterpiece. |
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The
Archaeology of Knowledge
by Michel Foucault
Arguably the most significant social theorist since WWII, Foucault forces us to
wrestle with the very foundations of meaning, power, and knowledge. Dense reading
but it will change your outlook. |
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Brave
New World
by Aldous Huxley
The inspiration for this web site, Huxley's most
famous work is often and properly contrasted with 1984. Huxley's vision is
more insidious because in it, society is unknowingly active in its own enslavement.
Read both and learn. |
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The
Cultural Contradictions of Capitalism
By Daniel Bell
A nuanced treatise in the style of Lippmann with a more precise critical bent,
Bell's indispensable text is guaranteed to make reader's question how long this system can
continue. |
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Habits of
the Heart
by Robert Bellah
While many of the other books in this list are excellent critiques, this one is a
collection of inquiries AND recommendations for change. The best book I know of on
individualism and community. |
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Living
Buddha, Living Christ
by Thich Nhat Hanh
If you ever had any doubt that all great truths are universal, read this book.
Inspirational Vietnamese monk Hanh presents the myriad of parallel beliefs and
practices of these two great religious founders. |
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Man's
Search For Meaning
by Victor Frankl
Why this book isn't listed with any of Freud's work is a mystery to me. The
first half is a heart-wrenching novel in itself; the story of how Frankl survived Nazi
concentration camp. In the second half he lays out his ingenious idea of
logotherapy. Nothing else like it. |
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Manufacturing
Consent
by Noam Chomsky
THE BIBLE of media activists. There is no better
explanation of who runs the media, for what purpose, and with what results.
Exhaustively researched and historically verified, Chomsky's finest analytical work is
displayed here. |
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Media
Culture
by Douglas Kellner
Again, not just a book of complaints, but some very practical and comprehensible
strategies for action and next steps. Kellner's cultural analysis is second to none
and his intellectual breadth is a model. |
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The
Overspent American
by Juliet Schor
Essential reading for anyone concerned about consumerism and its effects on our
country and our minds. Her chapters on advertising are especially interesting. |
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Pedagogy
of the Oppressed
by Paulo Freire
One of the few books that genuinely changed my life. This book is a how-to
for building a more just society -- from the ground up. Freire's method has transformed
the poorest parts of South America. Flawless. |
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The
Politics of Meaning
by Michael Lerner
Though Lerner has been unfairly dismissed as a guru to the Clintons, this book
stands alone as a progressive manifesto that can actually work. Emphasizes how
economics, governments, and policies are for people, not vice versa. |
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Public
Opinion
by Walter Lippmann
Still required reading for journalism and political science students, Lippmann's
greatest work presents the most lucid and thorough explanation of how citizens interact
with information to create their beliefs. Chapter 1 alone is a dream come true.
Later chapters help build Lippmann's controversial misgivings about democracy.
Nutritious food for thought. |
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Quantum
Theology
by Diarmuid O'Murchu
Little known but wonderful, this unusual book discusses how the revolutionary
discoversies of quantum mechanics may actually buttress the case for a universe of design
and purpose. Terrific explanations of how particle behavior and social behavior obey
the same rules. |
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Selections
From the Prison Notebooks
by Antonio Gramsci
Any book that is endorsed by Todd Gitlin and Rush Limbaugh must be amazing.
Gramsci is one of the most misunderstood thinkers of the 20th Century, but this primary
resource puts him in the proper framework for comprehension. His perspectives on
organic intellectuals and ideology are invaluable. |
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Toxic
Sludge is Good For You
by John Stauber & Sheldon Rampton
If you are in PR or know someone who is, force them to read this book.
Infuriating, nauseating, and action-oriented, it does a clever job dissecting the
corporate propaganda machine that most of take for granted. Great fun. |
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The
Twilight of Common Dreams
by Todd Gitlin
I wish I had written this book. With uncommon courage and piercing scrutiny, Gitlin
puts his laser beam analytical skills to work on the strategies and ideas behind the left
and right movements. His conclusions are as bold as they are on target. |
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