Books to Bridge the Political Divide
Explore these insightful reads that offer a liberal perspective on politics, perfect for conservatives looking to understand the nuances of liberal thought. Each book is a gateway to deeper discussions about civil rights and contemporary issues like BLM. Start your family book club with these thought-provoking selections and foster meaningful conversations.
Nixonland
899 pages
This book does a great job of contextualizing the civil rights movement, making it a must-read for anyone interested in understanding that era.
When Affirmative Action Was White: An Untold History of Racial Inequality in Twentieth-Century America
253 pages
Katznelson's work sheds light on the historical roots of affirmative action and its implications, making it essential for understanding contemporary discussions on race and policy.
American Babylon
406 pages
Self's analysis of urban politics and race relations in the 20th century offers a compelling narrative that is essential for understanding contemporary American society.
Impossible Subjects
400 pages
Ngai's examination of immigration policy and its effects on identity and citizenship is both timely and thought-provoking, making it a significant read for those interested in immigration issues.
Southern Horrors
344 pages
Feimster's exploration of racial violence in the South provides a crucial understanding of the historical context of racism, making it an important read for anyone studying American history.
Invisible Hands
386 pages
This book uncovers the hidden forces behind the rise of the conservative movement, providing a fascinating perspective on American political history.
The End Of Reform
386 pages
Brinkley's exploration of the political landscape during the New Deal era offers valuable insights into the complexities of reform and its lasting impact on American politics.
Death in the Haymarket
400 pages
This book provides a deep understanding of the labor movement and its historical context, making it a must-read for anyone interested in the evolution of workers' rights.
Local People
564 pages
Ditmer's account of the civil rights movement in Mississippi is a powerful testament to grassroots activism and its impact on social change, making it a vital read for history enthusiasts.
Between the World and Me
163 pages
This book is a profound exploration of the Black experience in America, touching on universal themes of identity and belonging that resonate with everyone.
The Color of Law: A Forgotten History of How Our Government Segregated America
243 pages
This book provides a deep dive into the practice of red-lining and its historical roots, making it essential for understanding structural racism, generational poverty, and economic disparity.
SAPIENS - Eine kurze Geschichte der Menschheit
533 pages
This book is great for anyone looking to appreciate science and facts, especially for those who may hold conservative beliefs.
The New Jim Crow
338 pages
This book is packed with facts and provides a deep understanding of systemic issues, making it a must-read for those seeking a factual perspective.
Slavery By Another Name
497 pages
This book should be required reading for anyone wanting to understand American history and the roots of the current protest movement, especially in the context of BLM. It challenges the notion that slavery is a distant past issue and provides crucial insights into the ongoing struggles for civil rights.
The Righteous Mind
471 pages
This book is fascinating as it delves into the psychology behind why good people can have such differing views on politics and religion.
Nickel and Dimed
256 pages
The New York Times bestselling work of undercover reportage from our sharpest and most original social critic, with a new foreword by Matthew Desmond, author of Evicted Millions of Americans work full time, year round, for poverty-level wages. In 1998, Barbara Ehrenreich decided to join them. She was inspired in part by the rhetoric surrounding welfare reform, which promised that a job—any job—can be the ticket to a better life. But how does anyone survive, let alone prosper, on $6 an hour? To find out, Ehrenreich left her home, took the cheapest lodgings she could find, and accepted whatever jobs she was offered. Moving from Florida to Maine to Minnesota, she worked as a waitress, a hotel maid, a cleaning woman, a nursing-home aide, and a Wal-Mart sales clerk. She lived in trailer parks and crumbling residential motels. Very quickly, she discovered that no job is truly "unskilled," that even the lowliest occupations require exhausting mental and muscular effort. She also learned that one job is not enough; you need at least two if you int to live indoors. Nickel and Dimed reveals low-rent America in all its tenacity, anxiety, and surprising generosity—a land of Big Boxes, fast food, and a thousand desperate stratagems for survival. Read it for the smoldering clarity of Ehrenreich's perspective and for a rare view of how "prosperity" looks from the bottom. And now, in a new foreword, Matthew Desmond, author of Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City, explains why, twenty years on in America, Nickel and Dimed is more relevant than ever.
The Righteous Mind
450 pages
This book offers a fascinating exploration of the moral psychology behind political beliefs, helping readers understand the complexities of both liberal and conservative perspectives.
A People's History of the United States
675 pages
THE CLASSIC NATIONAL BESTSELLER "A wonderful, splendid book—a book that should be read by every American, student or otherwise, who wants to understand his country, its true history, and its hope for the future." –Howard Fast Historian Howard Zinn’s A People’s History of the United States chronicles American history from the bottom up, throwing out the official narrative taught in schools—with its emphasis on great men in high places—to focus on the street, the home, and the workplace. Known for its lively, clear prose as well as its scholarly research, it is the only volume to tell America's story from the point of view of—and in the words of—America's women, factory workers, African-Americans, Native Americans, the working poor, and immigrant laborers. As Zinn shows, many of our country's greatest battles—the fights for a fair wage, an eight-hour workday, child-labor laws, health and safety standards, universal suffrage, women's rights, racial equality—were carried out at the grassroots level, against bloody resistance. Covering Christopher Columbus's arrival through President Clinton's first term, A People's History of the United States features insightful analysis of the most important events in our history. This edition also includes an introduction by Anthony Arnove, who wrote, directed, and produced The People Speak with Zinn and who coauthored, with Zinn, Voices of a People’s History of the United States.
A Thousand Splendid Suns
380 pages
Reading 'A Thousand Splendid Suns' certainly broadened my understanding of humanity and empathy towards different cultures.
So You Want to Talk About Race
222 pages
This book is a great starting point for understanding race and racism, making it accessible for beginners.
How to Be an Antiracist
401 pages
While this book is insightful, it's more suited for those who already have some background knowledge on the topic.
Strangers in Their Own Land
305 pages
This book offers a fascinating perspective from a liberal sociologist exploring the conservative mindset in Louisiana, making it a compelling read for anyone interested in understanding different political views.
What's the Matter with Kansas?
340 pages
This book offers a compelling critique of conservatism while effectively presenting the case for liberal policies, making it a thought-provoking read for anyone interested in political dynamics.
Just Mercy
354 pages
Stevenson's book provides an in-depth look at how America neglects those it deems unworthy, particularly in the prison system, offering a broader perspective beyond just racial issues.
From the War on Poverty to the War on Crime
460 pages
This book explains the ties between over-incarceration and the drug war, complementing the arguments made in Just Mercy about the need for reform in the justice system.
$2.00 a Day
239 pages
This book provides a critical look at the welfare reforms under Reagan and Clinton, revealing how these changes created significant gaps in the social safety net, often driven by political compromise and misleading public relations.
