DC Confidential | Inside the Five Tricks of Washington by David Schoenbrod exposes politicians’ deceptions and how it can be stopped. The book exposes the sleights of hand used by DC lawmakers. Once they are brought to light, we can stop the tricks, fix our broken government, and make Washington work for us once again.
Trespassing Across America | One Man’s Epic, Never-Done-Before (and Sort of Illegal) Hike Across the Heartland by Ken Ilgunas follows the authors cross country journey along the proposed Keystone XL pipeline all on foot. Both a travel memoir and a reflection on climate change, the book is filled with colorful characters, harrowing physical trials, and strange encounters with the weather, terrain, and animals of America’s plains.
The Weapon Wizards | How Israel Became a High-Tech Military Superpower by Yaakov Katz and Amir Bohbot explores the strategies that Israel has implemented to become a fierce current day military power. From drones to satellites, missile defense systems to cyber warfare, Israel is leading the world when it comes to new technology being deployed on the modern battlefield.
No Wall Too High | One Man’s Daring Escape from Mao’s Darkest Prison by Xu Hongci recounts the authors incredible journey escaping a Chinese labor camp. Hongci was unjustly imprisoned after the spring of 1957, and despite the horrific conditions and terrible odds, he was determined to escape. He failed three times before finally succeeding in 1972.
The Killing Wind | A Chinese County’s Descent into Madness during the Cultural Revolution by Tan Hecheng investigates the Daoxian massacre during China’s Cultural Revolution. The book is a poignant meditation on memory, moral culpability, and the failure of the Chinese government to come to terms with the crimes of the Maoist era.
A Time of Scandal | Charles R. Forbes, Warren G. Harding, and the Making of the Veterans Bureau by Rosemary Stevens re-examines the scandal-plagues Harding administration during the creation of the Veterans Bureau. She explores how Forbes’s rise and fall in Washington illuminates President Harding’s efforts to bring business efficiency to government.
Tibet in Agony | Lhasa 1959 by Jianglin Li looks back on the Chinese governments militaristic repression of a popular uprising in Tibet’s capital. Sifting facts from the distortions of propaganda and partisan politics, the author reconstructs a chronology of events that lays to rest lingering questions about what happened in those fate-filled days and why.
Speaking Freely | My Life in Publishing and Human Rights by Robert L. Bernstein is the author’s memoir of his fascinating career in publishing, as well as his active roll in the Human Rights movement. In a book sure to be savored by anyone who has worked in the publishing industry, fought for human rights, or wondered how Theodor Geisel became Dr. Seuss, Speaking Freely beautifully captures a bygone era in the book industry and the first crucial years of a worldwide movement to protect free speech and challenge tyranny around the globe.
The Most Wanted Man in China | My Journey from Scientist to Enemy of the State by Fang Lizhi is a brilliant memoir of a Chinese astrophysicist who challenged the authority of Communist China. His story, told with vivid detail and disarming humor, is a testament to the importance of remaining true to one’s principles in an unprincipled time and place.
The Next America | Boomers, Millennials, and the Looming Generational Showdown by Paul Taylor looks into the future dynamics of America’s generational society. Huge generation gaps have opened up in our political and social values, our economic well-being, our family structure, our gender norms, our religious affiliation, and our technology use.
