Collection: Politics

Saying No to Hate grounds readers contextually in the history of antisemitism in America by emphasizing the legal, political, educational, communal, and other strategies American Jews have used through the centuries to address high-profile threats.

Norman H. Finkelstein shows how antisemitism has long functioned in America in systemic, structural, and interpersonal ways, from missionaries, the KKK, and American Nazis to employment discrimination, social media attacks, and QAnon. He explains how historic antisemitic events such as General Ulysses S. Grant's General Order No. 11 (1862); the Massena, New York blood libel (1928); and the mass shooting at the Tree of Life synagogue (2018) galvanized the Jewish community. Finkelstein shines light on Jews such as Louis Brandeis and Admiral Hyman Rickover who succeeded despite discrimination and on individuals and organizations that have tackled legal and security affairs, from the passage of Maryland's Jew Bill (1826) to groups helping Jewish institutions better protect themselves from active shooter threats.

Far from a victim narrative, Saying No to Hate is as much about Jewish resilience and ingenuity as it is about hatred. Engaging high school students and adults with personal narratives, it prepares each of us to recognize, understand, and confront injustice and hatred today, in the Jewish community and beyond.

Throughout his career, Bob Dylan has always been more than a musician. Whether as an icon of the social movements of the 1960s, a convert to evangelical Christianity publicly wrestling with his faith, or simply a poet of genius, Dylan has occupied a position of moral leadership for more than half a century.

Examining these roles collectively, the award-winning political philosopher Jeffrey Edward Green offers a vision of Dylan as a modern-day prophet, providing an overarching account of the significance of Dylan's political, religious, and ethical ideas. Green suggests Dylan is not a prophet of salvation, but rather a "prophet of diremption." Dylan speaks to the ideals that have animated earlier prophets--social justice, individual freedom, and adherence to God--but breaks from past tradition by testifying to the conflicts between these ideals. By examining Dylan's work across his career, Green shows how the humble folk singer from Minnesota who went on to win the 2016 Nobel Prize in Literature has made novel contributions to the meaning of self-reliance, the quest for rapprochement between the religious and non-religious, and the problem of how ordinary people might operate in a fallen political world.

A memoir of service by the most recent U.S. ambassador to Moscow, John Sullivan, who was on the diplomatic front lines when Putin invaded Ukraine--and who is now presenting the first behind-the-scenes account of how U.S.-Russia relations hit their nadir, and explaining where we can go from here.

For weeks before the invasion of Ukraine, U.S. Ambassador to Russia John Sullivan was warning that it would happen. When troops finally crossed the border, he was woken in the middle of the night by an employee at Embassy Moscow with a prearranged code. The signal was even more bracing than the cold of that February night: it meant that Sullivan needed to collect his bodyguards and get to the embassy as soon as possible. The war had begun, and U.S.-Russia relations would never be the same.

In Midnight in Moscow, Sullivan offers a memoir of his last post, as well as a broader argument about how our relationship with Russia has deteriorated over the past three years and where it's going. His arrival in Moscow coincided almost exactly with a dramatic series of escalations by the Kremlin. He saw firsthand how the Russian leadership repeatedly lied about their intentions to invade Ukraine in the weeks leading up to the attack--while also devoting huge numbers of personnel and vast resources to undermining the U.S. diplomatic presence in Russia. But it was not until Vladimir Putin gave the order to launch a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 25, 2022 that Sullivan had to admit that Russia was not just at war with its neighbor: it was also at war, in a very real sense, with the United States, and with everything that it represents. Russian leaders' treachery and naked hostility, he says, is definitive proof that there can be no negotiation with Putin's regime or with the Russians at large until their government is thoroughly transformed. A unique perspective on a pivotal moment in world history, Midnight in Moscow also draws shocking historical parallels to explain why we need to stand up to Moscow--and how far we should be prepared to go in that confrontation.

Reproductive rights have been hot-button issues for generations, and recent legal decisions have put these arguments back in the spotlight. Groups such as the National Black Women's Reproductive Justice Agenda and others are leading a movement to protect reproductive rights.

"A holistic vision breathtaking in scope."--Frances Moore Lappé

Distilling a lifetime's insights on the triangle of healing emotional pain, social justice work, and spiritual growth, veteran activist and educator John Bell shares personal stories and reflective practices to help us on our path of personal and collective transformation

Unbroken Wholeness brings an integrated lens of social justice, trauma healing, and spiritual practice to the work we do in the world and the pressing concerns of our times.

Collectively, these writings help us access a view of the world as unbroken, even in the face of obvious suffering and disharmony. With searching questions and easy-to-follow practices, Unbroken Wholeness offers a way for activists to apply mindfulness and insight to bring about healing for seemingly intractable social divisions. "Skillfully handling our emotional pain about the world while cultivating a joyful and kind heart helps us navigate the troubled waters of our life," says John Bell. Continuing the peace work of his teacher, the Vietnamese social activist and Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh, John Bell brings forward the importance of cultivating a practical yet visionary, ennobling view of humankind when engaging in the "mud" of daily difficulties that gives rise to the lotus of an enlightened, compassionate heart.

"Wade Davis is a true wayfinder, and these essays offer new insight into his visionary approach to culture, landscape, and the planet he loves as fiercely as any writer working today."--John Vaillant, author of Fire Weather

A timely and eclectic collection from one of the foremost thinkers of our time, "a powerful, penetrating and immensely knowledgeable writer" (The Guardian).

The essays in this collection came about during the unhurried months when one who had traveled incessantly was obliged to stay still, even as events flared on all sides in a world that never stops moving. Wade Davis brings his unique cultural perspective to such varied topics as the demonization of coca, the sacred plant of the Inca; the Great War and the birth of modernity; the British conquest of Everest; the endless conflict in the Middle East; reaching beyond climate fear and trepidation; on the meaning of the sacred. His essay, "The Unraveling of America," first published in Rolling Stone, attracted five million readers and generated 362 million social media impressions. Media interest in the story was sustained over many weeks, with interview requests coming in from 23 countries.

The anthropological lens, as Davis demonstrates, reveals what lies beneath the surface of things, allowing us to see, and to seek, the wisdom of the middle way, a perspective of promise and hope that all of the essays in this collection aspire to convey.

"Wade Davis has a gift for saying the unsayable. He's a fearless explorer in the intellectual world, as in the physical. His refusal to embrace conventional wisdom on climate change, for example, and instead think through the issue for himself, is a model of independent thinking. Even when I disagree with Wade, as with some of his bleak comments about the United States, I'm grateful for his voice. We usually live on the surface of ideas when we talk about issues such as war and racism; Wade takes us far deeper."--David Ignatius, columnist and associate editor, Washington Post

KAMALA HARRIS

Kamala Harris' life encapsulates a fascinating journey, one that represents the country's growing diversity and multiculturalism, which began in earnest during the 1960s. She was born to a family for whom social justice and engagement with political causes were never seen as fringe issues but rather informed their daily life.

With this upbringing, it's no surprise that Kamala Harris would one day enter politics. While her career is far from over, she has already achieved a great deal, including becoming the first woman to reach the position of Vice President of the United States.

This book covers Kamala's life and career to-date, detailing her childhood, education, career, and political views, as well as discussing what may be in store for her next!

El libro más personal, íntimo y revelador de Jorge Ramos en casi cien columnas y tres puentes.

"Jorge Ramos [...] es una persona íntegra y de esas hay muy pocas en este mundo. A leer estas páginas de su memoria me entero de algunos secretos, me entretengo, me conmuevo y me reencuentro con el amigo de siempre, con el periodista que me pone al día sobre el acontecer y me recuerda los valores morales que suelen perderse en el ruido de la existencia cotidiana." Isabel Allende

Sabías que Jorge Ramos estuvo a punto de ser atleta olímpico, o concertista de guitarra clásica? O que su primer trabajo en Estados Unidos fue de mesero, ganando 15 dólares al día?

Así veo las cosas reúne los textos más personales y literarios escritos por Jorge Ramos a lo largo de cuatro décadas: desde sus primeros artículos en México sobre desastres naturales o sobre la guerra en Centroamérica, hasta sus reflexiones semanales sobre cuestiones como la familia, la tecnología, el oficio de periodista, el lado humano de sus viajes como reportero, sus queridas mascotas, o incluso temas tan personales como su nariz...

Esta íntima selección de columnas está ligada en el tiempo por tres "puentes" inéditos, que ofrecen al lector una visión sin tapujos de la historia personal de Jorge Ramos, en donde se presenta como nunca antes lo hemos visto, mostrando su lado más vulnerable: como papá, hijo, migrante, y hasta como el guardián de su adorada gatita, Lola.

"A mis 66 años, este libro es una especie de legado. Cuento mi historia a través de las columnas más simbólicas y representativas que he escrito. Aquí te cuento de mi familia: de mis hijos, de mis mejores amigos y de la Jechu (así le decimos a mi mamá); de lo que he aprendido como periodista: las coberturas noticiosas que me han dejado cicatrices, del resentimiento ante los que abusan de su poder; del trauma y las oportunidades de ser inmigrante; de mis guerras (internas y externas), del miedo a morir; de mis grandes pérdidas y hasta mis mayores alegrías. Aquí hay muchas cosas que nunca te conté."

ENGLISH DESCRIPTION

From the most renowned Spanish-speaking news anchor
comes his most personal and intimate book yet. This memoir
is truly a look into Jorge Ramos as he has never been seen
before.

Through this very personal selection of columns spanning from
1982 into the present day, Jorge Ramos offers readers a front-row
seat in his life. Through a chronological account of his beginnings
as a reporter and delving behind-the-scenes of his most
dangerous and controversial journalistic pieces, Ramos also lets
us see his most vulnerable self: as a dad, a son, a migrant, and
the guardian of his faithful cat, Lola.

Taking from previously published columns, this book is a powerful
testament to Jorge Ramos' legacy as a reporter, migrant, and
father.

Liberating meditation practices drawn from Black cultural traditions and Buddhism to bring forth courage, transform grief, defeat injustice, and manifest joy

Many of us have come to think about justice as a "struggle," a cause to fight for in the world. But what if the work of justice begins within? What if there were a way to find joy in the journey toward justice?

With Joyfully Just, Dr. Kamilah Majied offers an inspiring and unique approach to overcoming injustice with joy, courage, and playful curiosity. She shares many of the insights and experiences that gave rise to her leadership as a joyful champion of contemplative approaches to mental health and social justice.

Drawing on timeless wisdom from Buddhism and Black traditions, Majied invites us to play with different ways of being just toward ourselves and all life around us. Here, we discover how to:

- Play with creative and artistic practices to develop critical consciousness and become more mindful, inclusive, and anti-racist
- Explore language as a pathway to liberation and justice
- Unlearn and heal from white supremacy, internalized racism, and other forms of oppression and bias

By engaging with these practices, we are able to access the freedom that comes with tearing off the restrictive habits of privilege and internalized oppression as we allow our bodies, hearts, minds, and souls to be liberated, unafraid, and agentive in the world.

The history of leisure time, from the earliest societies to the work-from-home era

Free time, one of life's most precious things, often feels unfulfilling. But why? And how did leisure activities transition from strolling in the park for hours to "doomscrolling" on social media for thirty minutes?

Today, despite the promise of modern industrialization, many people experience both a scarcity of free time and a disappointment in it. Free Time offers a broad historical explanation of why our affluent society does not afford more time away from work and why that time is often unsatisfying. Gary S. Cross explores the cultural, social, economic, and political history, especially of the past 250 years to understand the roots of our conceptions of free time and its use. By the end of the nineteenth century, a common expectation was that industrial innovations would lead to a progressive reduction of work time and a subsequent rise in free time devoted to self-development and social engagement. However, despite significant changes in the early twentieth century, both goals were frustrated, thus leading to the contemporary dilemma.

Cross touches on leisure of all kinds, from peasant festivals and aristocratic pleasure gardens to amusement parks, movie theaters and organized sports to internet surfing, and even the use of alcohol and drugs. This wide-ranging cultural and social history explores the industrial-era origins of our modern obsession with work and productivity, but also the historical efforts to liberate time from work and cultivate free time for culture. Insightful and informative, this book is sure to help you make sense of your own relationship to free time.

Horrific scenes of anti-Jewish violence in Europe filled the newsreels in American theaters in the 1930s and 1940s.

What could be done to make sure it didn't happen in America? One Jewish organization hit upon a remarkable idea--to enlist some of America's most beloved cartoonists to wage a war on bigotry.

Cartoonists Against Racism uncovers the secret campaign to create anti-racist comics and cartoons to flood America's newspapers, classrooms, and union halls. Meet the artists and the work that was their ammunition in the battle for America's soul.

The book showcases impactful anti-racism artwork from the era's preeminent cartoonists, including multiple Pulitzer Prize winners Bill Mauldin and Vaughn Shoemaker; New Yorker cartoonists Carl Rose, Mischa Richter, and Frank Hanley; famed antiwar cartoonist Robert Osborn; Dave Berg of Mad magazine; renowned sports cartoonist Willard Mullin; noted labor cartoonist Bernard Seaman; comics artist Mac Raboy (Flash Gordon, Captain Marvel Jr.); and Eric Godal, who escaped from Nazi Germany and became a leading cartoonist in the American press and acclaimed artist Dick Dorgan.

This cat-and-mouse story of a vast FBI sting operation reveals​ how the criminal underworld has become a globalized economy in its own right--one that can't be policed without crossing complicated ethical boundaries.

Beginning in 2018, a powerful app for secure communications, called Anom, began to take root among drug dealers and other criminals. It had extraordinary safeguards to keep out prying eyes--the power to quickly wipe data, voice-masking technology, and more. It was better than other apps popular among organized crime syndicates, except for one thing: it was secretly run by law enforcement.

Over the next few years, the FBI, along with law enforcement partners in Australia and parts of Europe, got a front row seat to the global criminal underworld. They watched drug deals and hits being planned in real time, making arrests where they could without blowing their cover. For a period of years, some one hundred thousand criminals worldwide, including members of South American drug cartels, the Calabrian mafia, and the Chinese Triad, did their business in full view of the officers they were trying to evade. It was a sprawling global economy as efficient and interconnected as the legal one.

But a surveillance operation like this couldn't last. It was too dangerous, too ethically fraught, too large. And it all ended in spectacular fashion.

Dark Wire is more than the story of this enormous sting operation--it shows the fundamental problems of policing in such a vast and high-speed economy. This is a caper for our modern world, where everyone is connected and no one is completely free.

The go-to book on immigration: fact-based, comprehensive, and nonpartisan.

Immigration is one of the most controversial topics in the United States and everywhere else. Pundits, politicians, and the public usually depict immigrants as either villains or victims. The villain narrative is that immigrants pose a threat--to our economy because they steal our jobs; our way of life because they change our culture; and to our safety and laws because of their criminality. The victim argument tells us that immigrants are needy outsiders--the poor, huddled masses whom we must help at our own cost if necessary. But the data clearly debunks both narratives. From jobs, investment, and innovation to cultural vitality and national security, more immigration has an overwhelmingly positive impact on everything that makes a society successful.

In The Truth About Immigration, Wharton professor Zeke Hernandez draws from nearly 20 years of research to answer all the big questions about immigration. He combines moving personal stories with rigorous research to offer an accessible, apolitical, and evidence-based look at how newcomers affect our local communities and our nation. You'll learn about the overlooked impact of immigrants on investment and job creation; realize how much we take for granted the novel technologies, products, and businesses newcomers create; get the facts straight about perennial concerns like jobs, crime, and undocumented immigrants; and gain new perspectives on misunderstood issues such as the border, taxes, and assimilation.

Most books making a case for immigration tell you that immigration is good for immigrants. This book is all about how newcomers benefit you, your community, and your country. Skeptics fear that newcomers compete economically with locals because of their similarities and fail to socially assimilate because of their differences. You'll see that it's exactly the opposite: newcomers bring enduring economic benefits because of their differences and contribute positively to society because of their similarities. Destined to become the go-to book on one of the most important issues of our time, this book turns fear into hope by proving a simple truth: immigrants are essential for economically prosperous and socially vibrant nations.

How the subtle but significant consequences of a hotter planet have already begun--from lower test scores to higher crime rates--and how we might tackle them today

It's hard not to feel anxious about the problem of climate change, especially if we think of it as an impending planetary catastrophe. In Slow Burn, R. Jisung Park encourages us to view climate change through a different lens: one that focuses less on the possibility of mass climate extinction in a theoretical future, and more on the everyday implications of climate change here and now.

Drawing on a wealth of new data and cutting-edge economics, Park shows how climate change headlines often miss some of the most important costs. When wildfires blaze, what happens to people downwind of the smoke? When natural disasters destroy buildings and bridges, what happens to educational outcomes? Park explains how climate change operates as the silent accumulation of a thousand tiny conflagrations: imperceptibly elevated health risks spread across billions of people; pennies off the dollar of productivity; fewer opportunities for upward mobility.

By investigating how the physical phenomenon of climate change interacts with social and economic institutions, Park illustrates how climate change already affects everyone, and may act as an amplifier of inequality. Wealthier households and corporations may adapt quickly, but, without targeted interventions, less advantaged communities may not.

Viewing climate change as a slow and unequal burn comes with an important silver lining. It puts dollars and cents behind the case for aggressive emissions cuts and helps identify concrete steps that can be taken to better manage its adverse effects. We can begin to overcome our climate anxiety, Park shows us, when we begin to tackle these problems locally.

A fierce and galvanizing reminder that resistance is everywhere in the fight for abortion and reproductive justice in the United States.

Fighting Mad is a book about what "reproductive justice" means and what it looks like to fight for it. Editors Krystale E. Littlejohn and Rickie Solinger bring together many of the strongest, most resistant voices in the country to describe the impacts of the Supreme Court's Dobbs decision on abortion access and care.

The essayists and change agents gathered in Fighting Mad represent a remarkable breadth of expertise: activists and artists, academics and abortion storytellers, health care professionals and legislators, clinic directors and lawyers, and so many more. They discuss abortion restrictions and strategies to provide care, the impacts of criminalization, efforts to protect the targeted, shortcomings of the past, and visions for the next generation. Fighting Mad captures for the social and historical record the vigorous resistance happening in the early post-Roe moment to show that there are millions on the ground fighting to secure a better future.

In the early years of COVID-19, Americans witnessed the intersection of a global pandemic, an economic collapse, and civil unrest that galvanized the country and the world and ushered in an era of unprecedented disruption. Three years later, we can begin to reflect on the experience of the pandemic and ask ourselves how the lessons of that experience can inform a healthier present and future.

The Turning Point: Reflections on a Pandemic examines the first years of COVID-19 through the lens of population health, revealing a critical turning point in our engagement with key public health issues. Through a series of short, provocative essays, the authors leverage their experience as prominent public health leaders to untangle the social, economic, environmental, and political forces at work in our response to the pandemic. Combining cutting-edge data with philosophical insights, these bold and revelatory essays encourage us to broaden and sharpen our vision of health and renegotiate policies that can allow health to flourish in extraordinary-and ordinary-times.