BOOK TV Schedule May 21-23

BOOK TV Schedule

Saturday, May 21

8:00 am Scott Sandage, Born Losers: A History of Failure in America

9:00 Wayne Perryman, Unfounded Loyalty: An In-Depth Look Into the Love Affair Between Blacks and Democrats

10:30 Jon Lee Anderson, 2005 Arkansas Lit. Fest: Jon Lee Anderson "The Fall of Baghdad"

12:00 pm Andrew Burstein, Jefferson's Secrets: Death and Desire at Monticello

1:00 Katherine Sibley, Red Spies in America: Stolen Secrets and the Dawn of the Cold War

2:15 Stacey Bredhoff, The Charters of Freedom: A New World Is At Hand

3:00 Jeffrey Sachs, The End of Poverty: Economic Possibilities for Our Time

4:30 Kevin Ring, Scalia Dissents: Writings of the Supreme Court's Wittiest, Most Outspoken Justice

5:15 Paul Woodruff, First Democracy: The Challenge of an Ancient Idea

6:10 Wayne Baker, America's Crisis of Values: Reality and Perception

7:00 Encore Booknotes: Tim Penny & Major Garrett, Common Cents

8:00 General Assignment: Reza Aslan, No god but God: The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam

9:15 General Assignment: Michael Cannon, Jr., Abu Ghraib: Reflections in the Looking Glass

10:30 Public Lives: Carl Sferrazza Anthony, Nellie Taft: The Unconventional First Lady of the Ragtime Era

**********
Sunday, May 22

12:00 am After Words: Michael Eric Dyson interviewed by Debra Dickerson

1:00 Larry Heinemann, Black Virgin Mountain: A Return to Vietnam

2:30 Dava Sobel, Sebastian Junger, Hampton Sides & Melissa Faye Greene, Writing Nonfiction Panel

4:00 Robert Boynton, The New New Journalism

5:15 2005 Virginia Festival of the Book: American Indians in Virginia Panel

6:30 David Harris, Good Cops: The Case for Preventive Policing

8:00 Al J. Venter, Stephen Kinzer, Iran's Nuclear Option: Tehran's Quest for the Atom Bomb

10:00 General Assignment: Jack Welch, Winning

11:00 Queen Noor, Leap of Faith: Memoirs of an Unexpected Life

11:15 John Lukacs, Democracy and Populism: Fear and Hatred

12:20 pm Nancy Conrad & Howard Klausner, Rocketman: Astronaut Pete Conrad's Incredible Ride to the Moon and Beyond

1:00 Tariq Ali, Speaking of Empire and Resistance/Street-Fighting Years: An Autobiography of the Sixties

2:15 Deepak Lal, Robert Kagan, Allan Meltzer, Nicholas Eberstadt, In Praise of Empires: Globalization and the World Order

4:15 Essie Mae Washington-Williams, 2005 Palm Springs Book Fest: Essie Mae Washington-Williams "Dear Senator"

5:00 General Assignment: Mark Levin, Men in Black: How the Supreme Court is Destroying America

6:00 Featured Program: After Words: Ronald Radosh interviewed by Jack Valenti

7:00 General Assignment: Margaret Atwood, Writing with Intent: Essays, Reviews, Personal Prose 1983-2005

7:45 Queen Noor, Leap of Faith: Memoirs of an Unexpected Life

8:00 General Assignment: Jack Welch, Winning

9:00 Featured Program: After Words: Ronald Radosh interviewed by Jack Valenti

10:00 Queen Noor, Leap of Faith: Memoirs of an Unexpected Life

10:15 James Grant, John Adams: Party of One

11:00 Michael Downing, Spring Forward: The Annual Madness of Daylight Saving Time

*********
Monday, May 23

12:00 am Floyd Abrams, Speaking Freely: Trials of the First Amendment

1:00 Ben Wattenberg, Fewer: How the New Demography of Depopulation will Shape Our Future

2:15 Sam Harris, The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason

3:45 Carl Sferrazza Anthony, Nellie Taft: The Unconventional First Lady of the Ragtime Era

5:15 Alan Wolfe, Return to Greatness: How America Lost Its Sense of Purpose and What It Needs to Do to Recover It

6:30 Sean Naylor, Frederick Kagan, Kalev Sepp, Thomas Donnelly, Not a Good Day to Die: The Untold Story of Operation Anaconda



link to complete schedule . http://www.booktv.org/schedule/

On Saturday, May 21 at 8:00 am

Born Losers: A History of Failure in America

Scott Sandage

Author and history professor Scott Sandage was a guest on the Diane Rehm Show to talk about his new book, "Born Losers: A History of Failure in America." It takes a look at the notion of failure and how it has evolved from simple business losses to a measure of one's self-worth. Mr. Sandage chronicles the history of failure through the real-life experiences of those who never found success.

Author Bio: Scott Sandage is an associate history professor at Carnegie Mellon University in Pennsylvania. "Born Losers" is his first book.

Publisher: Harvard University Press 79 Garden Street Cambridge, MA 02138

On Saturday, May 21 at 10:30 am

2005 Arkansas Lit. Fest: Jon Lee Anderson "The Fall of Baghdad"

Jon Lee Anderson

Jon Lee Anderson covered the war in Iraq as a reporter for The New Yorker. His book, "The Fall of Baghdad" is about the lives of various Iraqis before and after the March 2003 U.S. Invasion. The author writes about civilians who are anti-Saddam Hussein as well as about how Baath Party loyalists are now doing in the post-invasion period in Iraq.

Author Bio: Jon Lee Anderson is the author of "Guerrillas: Journeys in the Insurgent World," "Che Guevara: A Revolutionary Life," "The Lion's Grave: Dispatches from Afghanistan," and with his brother Scott Anderson, "War Zones" and "Inside the League." He is a regular contributor to The New Yorker.

Publisher: Penguin Press 375 Hudson Street New York, NY 10014

On Saturday, May 21 at 1:00 pm

Red Spies in America: Stolen Secrets and the Dawn of the Cold War

Katherine Sibley

Author Katherine Sibley spoke about the history of U.S. - Soviet relations beginning in 1930s when the two countries established diplomatic ties. Her new book, "Red Spies in America: Stolen Secrets and the Dawn of the Cold War" details how the relationship between the countries resulted in sensitive American information in the hands of the Soviets. The author writes that Soviet engineers, technicians, and scientists working in the United States, gained access to valuable information on plants, labs, airports, and aircraft blueprints that they then passed on to the Soviet intelligence. Ms. Sibley also talks about how a foiled atomic espionage plot uncovered in 1943 was the beginning of the deterioration of the Soviet - U.S. relationship.

Author Bio: Katherine Sibley is the author of "The Cold War and Loans and Legitimacy" in addition to "Red Spies in America." She currently chairs the history department at St. Joseph's University.

Publisher: University Press of Kansas 2401 West 15th Street Lawrence, KS 66049

On Saturday, May 21 at 3:00 pm

The End of Poverty: Economic Possibilities for Our Time

Jeffrey Sachs

Watch - http://www.booktv.org/ram/feature/0305/btv032605_4b.ram

From the World Bank in Washington, DC, Jeffrey Sachs talks about how to end poverty around the world by the year 2025. Professor Sachs argues that ending global poverty is a very realistic goal that can be achieved if the U.S. is willing to make it a priority. He criticizes the Bush administration for what he says is a lack of commitment to the cause and argues that free market solutions will not work. He lays out a series of questions that he suggests the executive directors of the World Bank ask Paul Wolfowitz (or any other candidate chosen to head the Bank) before they decide whether to approve his nomination. Professor Sachs answered questions following his remarks. Commentary is provided by Zia Qureshi, senior advisor for global monitoring at the World Bank.

Author Bio: Jeffrey Sachs, professor of sustainable development and health policy at Columbia University, is director of the university's Earth Institute. He is also special advisor to UN Secretary General Kofi Annan as head of the UN Millennium Project (www.unmillenniumproject.org).

Publisher: Penguin Press 375 Hudson Street New York, NY 10014

Wittiest? Good Lord! Scariest maybe. Grossest definitely!

On Saturday, May 21 at 4:30 pm

Scalia Dissents: Writings of the Supreme Court's Wittiest, Most Outspoken Justice

Kevin Ring

Kevin Ring's new book chronicles the writings of Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia. In "Scalia Dissents: Writings of the Supreme Court's Wittiest, Most Outspoken Justice," the author presents Justice Scalia's written opinions on issues such as abortion, affirmative action, and religious freedom among others. The book includes actual text of Justice Scalia's written opinions for each particular case.

Author Bio: Kevin Ring was counsel to John Ashcroft during Mr. Ashcroft's term as United States Senator from Missouri. He is currently a practicing lawyer. "Scalia Dissents" is his first book.

Publisher: Regnery Publishing 1 Massachusetts Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20001

On Saturday, May 21 at 5:15 pm

First Democracy: The Challenge of an Ancient Idea

Paul Woodruff

University of Texas history professor Paul Woodruff spoke to an audience at Barnes & Noble Booksellers in Austin, Texas about his new book, "First Democracy: The Challenge of an Ancient Idea." In it, Mr. Woodruff writes about the concept of the ancient Athenian democracy and the ideals around which it based. These include freedom from tyranny, the rule of law, the wisdom of citizens, reason without knowledge, and general education. The author also contends that the American system of democracy is not a strict adherence to the ideals of the Athenian democracy but is a successful representative democracy and a modern adaptation and interpretion of the ancient system.

Author Bio: In addition to "First Democracy," Paul Woodruff is the author of "Reverence: Renewing a Forgotten Virtue." He is currently a professor of ethics and American society in the philosophy department at the University of Texas at Austin.

Publisher: Oxford University Press 198 Madison Avenue New York, NY 1001

On Saturday, May 21 at 6:10 pm

America's Crisis of Values: Reality and Perception

Wayne Baker

Wayne Baker talks about his book, "America's Crisis of Values," at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. The author argues that despite public opinion polls and the beliefs of several politicians, America has not lost its traditional values. Mr. Baker uses data from the World Values Surveys to show that the United States is in good standing in relation to most other countries and societies. After the presentation, the author answers questions from the audience.

Author Bio: Wayne Baker is Professor of Management and Organizations and Professor of Sociology at the University of Michigan, and Faculty Associate at the university's Institute for Social Research.

Publisher: Princeton University Press 41 William Street Princeton, NJ 08540

Has America lost its traditional values? Many politicians and religious leaders believe so, as do the majority of Americans, based on public opinion polls taken over the past several years. But is this crisis of values real?
This book explores the moral terrain of America today, analyzing the widely held perception that the nation is in moral decline. It looks at the question from a variety of angles, examining traditional values, secular values, religious values, family values, economic values, and others. Using unique data from the World Values Surveys, the largest systematic attempt ever made to document attitudes, values, and beliefs around the world, this book systematically evaluates the perceived crisis of values by comparing America's values with those of over 60 other nations.
The results are surprising. The evidence shows overwhelmingly that America has not lost its traditional values, that the nation compares favorably with most other societies, and that the culture war is largely a myth.
The gap between reality and perception does not represent mass ignorance of the facts or an overblown moral panic, Baker contends. Rather, the widespread perception of a crisis of values is a real and legitimate interpretation of life in a society that is in the middle of a fundamental transformation and that contains growing cultural contradictions. Instead of posing a problem, the author argues, this crisis rhetoric serves the valuable social function of reminding us of what it means to be American. As such, it preserves the ideological foundation of the nation.
http://www.worldvaluessurvey.org/library/main_2.html

My Notes –

I found it very interesting…

Research shows we are not losing our values, we test the same now as we did 20-30 years ago.

Our values are a strange combination of Traditional and Self-expressive. This makes us the oddballs of the world. We are slowly becoming odder, moving more to self-expressive.




Link to World Values Survey site - http://www.worldvaluessurvey.com/

Why are we so different? – in other countries, people are born into their countries values, in America, we are people who gathered together because of our shared values.

The conflict created within our society – this internal clash between strong traditional and strong self-expressive values creates a conflict within us and results in Cognitive Dissidence. As we move more towards Self-expression, the more extreme a crisis we envision. This is why the extreme right is becoming more extreme, they are reacting to the paradox, it makes them uncomfortable.

Traditional Values does not equal Conservative Values

Rabid Right latched on to his book, but only for the traditionalist parts – he says, “hold up. You need to read this book with one eye open. The left eye”

Embrace the Paradox

Q & A

Politics is estranged from the electorate – dangerous and it worries him.
“Our citizens are already there, & we are waiting for our leaders to join us”

Why did Kerry lose and Bush win? Kerry promoted the Self-expression angle, Bush promoted the Traditional. Traditional trumped Self-expression (in this attitude of fear and uncertainty) . Media was a large part of this, emphasizing the black/white view of things.

Abortion – when you ask the question : Is abortion murder – 50% say yes, 50% say no. divided along dem/rebub lines, pretty much.
But when you divide the question into sub questions – i.e.…Is Abortion acceptable when the pregnancy is a result of rape, is it acceptable when mother’s life is in danger, is it acceptable when child will be born severely deformed, or when it will create great hardship for family, Is Abortion a matter of personal choice? 80% of Americans answer yes. It’s how you frame the question, and media and politics knows this, uses it.

Seeing a trend towards Post Materialist values, we are becoming more concerned with quality of life than materialistic goals.

Voter numbers are so low because (darn – missed that part) but as we move towards more Self-expression, more people will vote. He sees the numbers rising greatly in next several elections.

Israel is pretty far from us on values map.

What do we do? (as activates, citizens) Find the common ground in our conversations, bridge the divide in our personal contacts with others – we think alike more than we know.

From Greater Democracy website…
http://www.greaterdemocracy.org/archives/000330.html

Wayne Baker, author of the new book America's Crisis of Values, is quoted in a Detroit Free Press article as saying: "I believe that this culture war is a myth in this country... We think we're divided -- and we're really not."It's a question I've been pondering: If the United States is united, if Americans share the same core values of freedom, equality, justice, community, etc., why do we sense that we are deeply divided? Is it possible that the divisions we sense are not the ones we think? Is it possible that we are divided not by our values nor by our religious beliefs nor by our politics? Is it possible that the divisions we see (i.e., pro-choice vs. anti-abortion, fundamentalist vs. mainstream, science vs. religion, conservative vs. progressive, red state vs. blue state) are less divisions than they are symptoms of change?

More at link.

On Saturday, May 21 at 8:00 pm

No god but God: The Origins, Evolution, and Future of Islam

Reza Aslan

Reza Aslan talks about the likelihood of creating an Islamic democracy in the Middle East. Mr. Aslan argues that in the United States both liberals and conservatives incorrectly talk about democracy in the Middle East in terms of secular and non-secular governments. Instead, he says, they should be talking in terms of pluralism. He says that the best democratic model for countries like Iraq and Egypt is Israel, where religion plays a strong but not overwhelming role. The talk was hosted by the World Affairs Council in Washington, DC. Includes Q&A.

Author Bio: Reza Aslan, former assistant professor of Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Iowa, has written for the Nation, USA Today, and U.S. News & World Report.

Publisher: Random House 1745 Broadway, 17-1 New York, NY 10019

On Saturday, May 21 at 9:15 pm

Abu Ghraib: Reflections in the Looking Glass

Michael Cannon, Jr.

Michael Cannon, Jr., former brigade chaplain for the 800th MP Brigade in Iraq, talks about the people involved in the Abu Ghraib prison scandal and the media coverage the scandal has received. Mr. Cannon argues that what happened at Abu Ghraib is a reflection of the decline in ethics within American society as a whole. He says that the media has presented a very narrow picture of what happened at the prison and has thus effectively mislead the public into thinking that the problem lies within the military or with President Bush. Mr. Cannon also talks about the recent decision in the Lyndie England trial and the overall war in Iraq. The talk was hosted by the Boiling Springs First Baptist Church in South Carolina. Includes Q&A.

Author Bio: Michael Cannon, Jr. is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church of America and has served in the military for over 20 years. Mr. Cannon served as brigade chaplain for the 800th Military Police Brigade in 2003. Part of the brigade at that time was assigned to guard Iraqi detainees at Abu Ghraib prison.

Publisher: Xulon Press 380 Crown Oak Centre Dr. Longwood, FL 32750

On Sunday, May 22 at 1:00 am

Black Virgin Mountain: A Return to Vietnam

Larry Heinemann

Vietnam veteran Larry Heinemann recounts his 1967 tour of duty and his trip back in 1992 in the new memoir: "Black Virgin Mountain." The author contrasts the harrowing experience of war with the warm and generous people he encountering upon returning to Vietnam. This event is hosted by the National Vietnam Veterans' Art Museum in Chicago.

Author Bio: Larry Heinemann is the author of three novels: "Close Quarters"; "Cooler by the Lake"; and "Paco's Story," winner of the 1987 National Book Award.

Publisher: Doubleday 1745 Broadway New York, NY 10019

On Sunday, May 22 at 4:00 am

The New New Journalism

Robert Boynton

Robert Boynton hosts a panel of journalists to talk about his new book, "The New New Journalism," at Barnes & Noble Booksellers in New York City. William Finnegan, Lawrence Weschler, Ron Rosenbaum, Ted Conover, and Adrian LeBlanc discuss how they get their ideas, how they start the writing process, and their thoughts on the future of literary journalism. Following the presentation, the panelists answer questions from the audience.

Author Bio: Robert Boynton is the director of NYU's magazine journalism program. He has been a contributing writer for The New Yorker and senior editor at Harper's Magazine. Mr. Boynton's work has also been featured in The Atlantic Monthly, The New Republic, and the New York Times Magazine.

Publisher: Vintage Books 1745 Broadway, 20th Floor New York, NY 10019

On Sunday, May 22 at 5:15 am

2005 Virginia Festival of the Book: American Indians in Virginia Panel

From the 11th annual Virginia Festival of the Book in Charlottesville, Virginia, a discussion on American Indians in Virginia. Panelists are Stephen Adkins, Chickahominy tribal chief; Paul Gunn Allen, author of "Pocahontas: Medicine Woman, Spy, Entrepreneur, Diplomat"; Helen Rountree, author of "Pocahontas, Powhatan, Opechancanough: Three Indian Lives Changed by Jamestown"; and Camilla Townsend, author of "Pocahontas and the Powhatan Dilemma." The panel is introduced by David Bearinger and moderated by Suzan Shown Harjo -- both of the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities.

Author Bio: Stephen Adkins is Chief of the Chickahominy Indian tribe. Paula Gunn Allen is professor emerita at UCLA. She has written critical studies, essays, poetry, and a novel. Helen Rountree is an expert on the Algonquian-speaking Indians of the Southeast. She is the author of "Powhatan Foreign Relations" and (with Thomas Davidson) "Eastern Shore Indians of Virgina and Maryland." Camilla Townsend is a history professor at Colgate University.

On Sunday, May 22 at 6:30 am

Good Cops: The Case for Preventive Policing

David Harris

Author and law professor David Harris talks about his book "Good Cops: The Case for Preventive Policing." In it, Mr. Harris calls for an end to racial profiling, calling it an impediment to effective criminal apprehension. He also writes that police need to develop more effective relationships in the communities they patrol, demand accountability within the force, and open themselves up to new ideas and approaches to police work which he believes is a necessity for more effective policing in the 21st century.

Author Bio: David Harris is the author of "Profiles in Justice" in additon to "Good Cops." He previously served as a senior justice fellow at the Open Society Institute of New York and is currently a law professor at the University of Toledo College of Law.

Publisher: New Press 38 Greene Street New York, NY 10013

On Sunday, May 22 at 8:00 am

Iran's Nuclear Option: Tehran's Quest for the Atom Bomb

Al J. Venter, Stephen Kinzer

Al Venter is the author of "Iran's Nuclear Option: Tehran's Quest for the Atom Bomb" and was a guest on WGN Radio's Extension 720 with Milt Rosenberg to talk about the book. In it, Mr. Venter writes that Iran has been trying to develop nuclear weapons for nearly twenty years and has more recently begun producing weapons-grade uranium. The book also argues that the Western world had a heads up as to Iran's nuclear pursuit at least eight years ago. To discuss the book, Mr. Venter is joined by Stephen Kinzer, author of "All the Shah's Men: An American Coup and the Roots of Middle East Terror" and Guity Nashat, editor of "Women in Iran From 1800 to the Islamic Republic."

Author Bio: Al Venter has authored twenty books including "The Chopper Boys" and "The Iraqi War Debrief: Why Saddam Hussein Was Toppled." He has covered the Middle East for over twenty-five years for Jane's International Defense Review and Jane's Terrorism and Security Monitor.

Publisher: Casemate 2114 Darby Road, 2nd Floor Havertown, PA 19083

On Sunday, May 22 at 11:15 am

Democracy and Populism: Fear and Hatred

John Lukacs

Watch - http://www.booktv.org/ram/feature/0405/btv041005_4d.ram

Historian John Lukacs writes about the current state of American democracy in "Democracy and Populism: Fear and Hatred." In it, Mr. Lukacs warns that the American democratic system has become vulnerable to demagoguery because of what he calls the state of our current populism. The author writes that this devolution is evident in such things as popular sentiment being the new substitute for what was once public opinion - and propaganda and infotainment over knowledge and history.

Author Bio: John Lukacs has authored more than twenty books, including "Five Days in London, May 1940" and "The New Republic." He was the chair of the history department at Chestnut Hill College from 1947 - 1994. He has served as a visiting professor at Johns Hopkins, Columbia, Princeton, and at the University of Budapest in his native Hungary.

Publisher: Yale University Press P.O. Box 209040 New Haven, CT 06520

On Sunday, May 22 at 1:00 pm

Speaking of Empire and Resistance/Street-Fighting Years: An Autobiography of the Sixties

Tariq Ali

Tariq Ali talks about the war in Iraq and the media coverage the country has received over the past year. He also discusses the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the rise of religious fundamentalism, the new Pope, and the Vietnam War (which he writes about in his autobiography "Street-Fighting Years"). The talk was hosted by Cody's Books in Berkeley, California. Includes Q&A.

Author Bio: Tariq Ali has been a leading anti-war activist in England since the 1960's. He is the author of numerous historical fiction and non-fiction books, including "The Clash of Fundamentalisms: Crusades, Jihads and Modernity," "Bush in Babylon: The Recolonization of Iraq," and the forthcoming novel, "A Sultan in Palermo."

Publisher: New Press 38 Greene Street New York, NY 10013 Verso 180 Varick Street New York, NY 10014

On Sunday, May 22 at 2:15 pm

In Praise of Empires: Globalization and the World Order

Deepak Lal, Robert Kagan, Allan Meltzer, Nicholas Eberstadt

Economist Deepak Lal urges the United States to flex its imperial power. In his new book, "In Praise of Empires," he argues that if the U.S. doesn't begin to recognize its power, that power will eventually shift to another emerging state such as China or India. The author is joined by panelists Robert Kagan of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and Allan Meltzer, a Visiting Scholar at the American Enterprise Institute in Washington, DC.

Author Bio: Deepak Lal is James S. Coleman Professor of International Development Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles and Professor Emeritus of Political Economy, University College of London. He is also co-director of the Trade and Development Unit at the Institute of Economic Affairs, London.

Publisher: Palgrave Macmillan 175 Fifth Avenue, Suite 1503 New York, NY 10010

On Sunday, May 22 at 5:00 pm

Men in Black: How the Supreme Court is Destroying America

Mark Levin

Mark Levin talks about his new book, "Men in Black," at the Heritage Foundation in Washington, DC. Mr. Levin discusses the American judicial system and argues that the Supreme Court ignores the Constitution, and endorses terrorist's rights and importing foreign law. The author answers questions from the audience after the discussion.

Author Bio: Mark Levin is the president of the Landmark Legal Foundation, a contributing editor for National Review Online, and host of a talk radio program on WABC in New York. Mr. Levin served as a top advisor to members of President Ronal Reagan's Cabinet.

Publisher: Regnery Publishing 1 Massachusetts Avenue, NW Washington, DC 20001

After Words

On Sunday, May 22 at 6:00 pm and at 9:00 pm

After Words: Ronald Radosh interviewed by Jack Valenti

This week on After Words our guest is Ron Radosh. He discusses his book, “Red Star Over Hollywood: The Film Colony’s Long Romance with the Left.” The book argues that Soviet Communists made the American film industry a prime target for infiltration in the late 1920’s. He is interviewed by Jack Valenti former President and CEO of the Motion Picture Association of America.

Author Bio: Ronald Radosh was the first writer to establish the guilt of Julius Rosenberg in his book, "The Rosenberg File." He is also the author of "Commies: A Journey Through the Old Left, the New Left and the Leftover Left." He lives in Brookeville, Maryland, with his wife and co-author, Allis Radosh. Jack Valenti is the former President and Chief Executive officer of the Motion Picture Association of America. He served in the Army Air Corps in World War II, graduated from the University of Houston, and received an M.B.A. from Harvard University. After founding the advertising and political consulting agency Weekley and Valenti, he became a special assistant to President Lyndon B. Johnson following John F. Kennedy’s assassination. In 1966, he resigned that post to head the MPAA, an organization representing the American motion picture, home video, and television industries. He is the author of four books, including his most recent—“Speak up with Confidence.”

On Monday, May 23 at 12:00 am

Speaking Freely: Trials of the First Amendment

Floyd Abrams

Attorney Floyd Abrams recounts his career as a First Amendment lawyer in "Speaking Freely." It's an examines of eight of the most important cases of his career, including the defense of the Washington Post printing the Pentagon Papers and the Brooklyn Museum's right to exhibit controversial art without government regulation. During the presentation, Mr. Abrams answers questions regarding his current work defending the right of journalists Judith Miller and Matthew Cooper to protect their sources. This event was hosted by Politics and Prose Bookstore in Washington, DC.

Author Bio: Floyd Abrams is a senior partner at the Cahill Gordon & Reindel law firm in New York City. He is also the William J. Brennan Visiting Professor at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

Publisher: Viking 375 Hudson Street New York, NY 10014

On Monday, May 23 at 1:00 am

Fewer: How the New Demography of Depopulation will Shape Our Future

Ben Wattenberg

Ben Wattenberg discusses low birth and fertility rates in his new book, "Fewer," at the University of Maryland in College Park. The author outlines reasons for worldwide population decline and the effect this will have on the world economy and demographic trends. Mr. Wattenberg answers questions from the audience following his discussion.

Author Bio: Ben Wattenberg is the author of "Values Matter Most," "The Real Majority," "The Birth Dearth," and "The Good News Is the Bad News is Wrong." He moderates PBS's discussion program Think Tank with Ben Wattenberg. Mr. Wattenberg is a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute.

Publisher: Ivan R. Dee 1332 N. Halsted Street Chicago, IL 60622

On Monday, May 23 at 2:15 am

The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason

Sam Harris

Sam Harris talks about his book, "The End of Faith," at the University Synagogue in Irvine, California. Mr. Harris argues that religion plays a major role in the increasingly dangerous world we find ourselves in today. He criticizes the influence of religion in both the United States and across the Muslim world and says that for peace to exist, reason must replace faith as the driving force in society. Mr. Harris takes questions from the audience following his remarks.

Author Bio: Sam Harris is currently completing a doctorate in neuroscience. "The End of Faith" is his first book.

Publisher: W.W. Norton & Company 500 Fifth Avenue New York, NY 10110

On Monday, May 23 at 5:15 am

Return to Greatness: How America Lost Its Sense of Purpose and What It Needs to Do to Recover It

Alan Wolfe

Author and political science professor Alan Wolfe writes that America's focus on morality and purity has caused it to lose sight of what he calls a grander vision. Mr. Wolfe says that the idea of a long-term vision for America is a concept shared by Alexander Hamilton, FDR, and Abraham Lincoln. The author says that both liberal and conservative leadership are guilty of retarding America's potential for national strength and unity, by focusing instead on divisive political issues causing internal strife.

Author Bio: Alan Wolfe is the author of "The Transformation of American Religion" and "One Nation, After All" among others. He is currently a political science professor and director of the Boisi Center for Religion and American Public Life at Boston College.

Publisher: Princeton University Press 41 William Street Princeton, NJ 08540

It's kinda fun, in a CPAN Geek kind of way! :)

Did you learn anything? :think:

A lot of interesting stuff there.

Have you noticed how much work Viva_La_Revolution puts into the CSPAN posts, especially for the Book TV posts?

hmmmmmm???????

7:00 Encore Booknotes: Tim Penny & Major Garrett, Common Cents (1995)
4/18/95

Tim Penny (D) was Minnesota Rep. From 1983-1984 – when asked why he left Washington he said he thought 12 years was enough, public office should not be a career.

Major Garrett is a national correspondent for The Washington Times and a frequent commentator on politics for National Public Radio's All Things Considered and other television and radio shows.


some great ideas – Congress should end the yearly session by July 1st (like they used to) there is a lot of time wasted on rhetoric and posturing. If legislators had a firm deadline, more actual work would get done. Spoke about lifting the ban that Senators and Reps. cannot have other job during their public service. He says Washington is so removed from the people because they no longer go back to their constituents and work in the community during the recess. If they had to that, they would be much more in touch with the voters real concerns.

Other points –

Need to get past all the Nonsense in Congress

Wrote book to give citizens and inside window on how congress works, so we can change it for the better.

Hypocrisy Culture on the Hill disgusted him the most – “rules don’t apply to those on Capitol hill” He (Penny) opted out of the Pension plan, because it was so lucrative, far higher that even CEO’s were getting (this was in 80’s – 90’s) and was horribly extravagant compared to what voters get. He tried to submit a bill that would put a freeze on salary increases for Reps, and the other Reps. had a fit – “get your hand out of my pocket”


Co-authored another book in 2000

“The Fifteen Biggest Lies in Politics”
Synopsis – from > http://print.google.com/print?id=Ob1Uhe9yc1QC&lpg=1&dq=major+garrett&prev=http://www.google.com/search%3Fhl%3Den%26lr%3D%26q%3Dmajor%2Bgarrett%26btnG%3DSearch&sig=FjV34klktWy4RVapNKq3zWLdeX0

In the world of politics, it’s hard to separate the truth from the lies. In this strongly argued but nonpartisan book, Major Garrett and Timothy J. Penny draw on their combined decades of experience watching government work to illuminate the deceptions and delusions to which we a citizens are subjected every election season. Here are some of the lies:
Tax Cuts are Good
Social Security Is a Sacred Government Trust
Medicare Works
Money Buys Elections
Republicans Believe in Smaller Government
Democrats Are Compassionate