John Nichols (4)

Ralph Nader (Our Media, Not Theirs, Cutting Corporate Welfare, The Ralph Nader Reader, "Only the Super-Rich Can Save Us!", In Pursuit of Justice, The WTO, Told You So, Censored 2015, Censored 2015, Return to Sender)

Born in Connecticut in 1934, Ralph Nader has spent his lifetime challenging corporations and government agencies to be more accountable to the public. His 1965 book Unsafe at Any Speed permanently altered the course of a reckless U.S. automobile industry and made Nader a household name. His lobbying and writing on the food industry helped to ensure that the food we buy is required to pass strict guidelines before reaching the consumer. One of Nader’s greatest achievements was his successful lobbying for a 1974 amendment to the Freedom of Information Act, which gave increased public access to government documents. Over the years he has co-founded the public interest groups Public Citizen, Critical Mass, Commercial Alert, and the Center for the Study of Responsive Law. His 2000 presidential campaign on the Green Party ticket served to broaden the scope of debate on the nation’s priorities. Named by the Atlantic as one of the hundred most influential figures in American history, Nader continues to be a relentless advocate for grassroots activism and democratic change. He lives in Washington, D.C. (tilføjet fra Random House)… (mere)

Sunday, March 9th at 7pm Fresh from the first $10 billion election campaign, two award-winning authors show how unbridled campaign spending defines our politics and, failing a dramatic intervention, signals the end of our democracy. Blending vivid reporting from the 2012 campaign trail and deep perspective from decades covering American and international media and politics, political journalist John Nichols and media critic Robert W. McChesney explain how US elections are becoming controlled, predictable enterprises that are managed by a new class of consultants who wield millions of dollars and define our politics as never before. As the money gets bigger--especially after the Citizens United ruling--and journalism, a core check and balance on the government, declines, American citizens are in danger of becoming less informed and more open to manipulation. With groundbreaking behind-the-scenes reporting and staggering new research on "the money power," Dollarocracy shows that this new power does not just endanger electoral politics; it is a challenge to the DNA of American democracy itself. Praise for Dollarocracy: "John Nichols and Bob McChesney make a compelling, and terrifying, case that American democracy is becoming American Dollarocracy. Even more compelling, and hopeful, is their case for a radical reform agenda to take power back from the corporations and give it to the people." --Naomi Klein

"This is the black book of politics-as-industry, an encyclopedic account of money's crimes against democracy. The billionaires have hijacked our government, and anyone feeling complacent after the 2012 election should take sober note of Nichols' and McChesney's astonishing finding: It's only going to get worse. Dollarocracy is an impressive achievement." --Thomas Frank

"Dollarocracy gets at what's ailing America better than any other diagnosis I've encountered. Plus it prescribes a cure. What else could a reader--or a citizen--ask? To me, it's the book of the year." --Michael J. Copps, FCC Commisioner, 2001-2011 John Nichols, a pioneering political blogger, has written The Nation's Online Beat since 1999, is their Washington DC correspondent, and is contributing writer for The Progressive and In These Times. He is also the associate editor of the Capital Times, the daily newspaper in Madison, Wisconsin. His articles have appeared in the New York Times, Chicago Tribune and dozens of other newspapers and he is a frequent guest on radio and television programs as a commentator on politics and media issues. Nichols lives in Madison, WI and Washington DC. This event is sponsored by We the People, a film and lecture series comprised of the Congregational Church of Exeter, Christ Church, First Unitarian Universalist Society of Exeter, Phillips Exeter Academy, and Water Street Bookstore. We the People strives to bring to light issues at the intersection of faith and life.

Location: Street: Christ Church Additional: 43 Pine Street City: Exeter, Province: New Hampshire Postal Code: 03833-2456 Country: United States (tilføjet fra IndieBound)… (mere)

Professor Robert McChesney and John Nichols will visit Amherst College to speak on themes related to their most recent work. In their new book Nichols, one of the nation's most prominent political commentators, and McChesney, a preeminent scholar of media issues, show how unbridled campaign spending defines our politics and, failing a dramatic intervention, signals the end of our democracy.

Dollarocracy explains how American democracy is declining as the range of debate is increasingly controlled by big-money campaign contributions, wall-to-wall lobbying and a media that is more inclined to repeat official spin than to dig for the truth.

They will also discuss themes in another of Professor McChesney's recent books, Digital disconnect: How Capitalism is Turning the Internet Against Democracy.

About the speakers-

Robert W. McChesney is Gutsgell Endowed Professor of Communications at the University of Illinois. He is one of the most prolific, widely read, and cited communications scholars in the United States. His work is translated and read in over 30 languages.

John Nichols has written for the New York Times, Chicago Tribune, The Progressive, In These Times, and dozens of other newspapers. He is the Washington correspondent for The Nation and has authored or co-authored over a dozen books. His work also is widely translated. (tilføjet fra IndieBound)… (mere)

Jonathan Kepler wants to climb Spoon Mountain with his grown son and daughter on his sixty-fifth birthday in three weeks. The kids, Ben and Miranda, think he's crazy. For starters, Spoon Mountain is almost the tallest alpine peak in New Mexico. Jonathan's health is terrible. Still reeling from his third, nearly fatal, divorce, he has a rotten heart, serious asthma, and a fed-up girlfriend who is about to drop him like a bad habit. Once a celebrated novelist, Hollywood screenwriter, and environmental activist, Jonathan is now tottering at the ragged end of his career and yearning to make amends to his children for his past sins before it's too late. Years ago, Spoon Mountain was very special to the Kepler family. They once shared halcyon days in the wilderness. Can they go home again? Does Spoon Mountain offer redemption . . . or annihilation? And why is getting there so laden with pratfalls?John Nichols is at his hilarious and poignant best in this rollicking tale of love, anarchy, and the awesome Rocky Mountains. It is drop-dead comedy with an inspiring and beautiful message.

Location: Street: 4022 Rio Grande Blvd NW City: Albuquerque, Province: New Mexico Postal Code: 87107-3157 Country: United States (tilføjet fra IndieBound)… (mere)