OOP book club
 

I have been kicking around this idea for a few days and wanted to see what everyone thought of it. I thought it would be a great idea to have an OOP book club. I figure there are two ways to implement this.

1) Have one book that all interested parties read and then discuss at various points in the book.

2) Have people of different political stripes form smaller groups and take turns reading literature from their own side.

I think number 1 is probably better for this forum but majority rules apply. Maybe after discussion we can set up a poll and vote if you are serious about participating.

Obviously political, policy, and political history are obvious choices for subject matters. I would recommed we avoid junk of the Franken/Coulter variety and try to hone in on more in depth works but this is certainly open to interpretation. I think it would be a lot of fun and facilitate some great discussions in here. Let me know what you think. Having said all that, starting on Sunday I will be limited in my ability to participate for the next 3 weeks because I will be doing an exercise in Nevada. [img]/images/graemlins/crazy.gif[/img]

Re: OOP book club
 

The best part would be all the contentious arguing about what book to read. [img]/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img]

For the 'liberals' we would have to start with a book they could comprehend, for example: Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Suess. The Conservatives could start with an excellent book by Richard Hofstadter: Anti-intellectualism in American Life. But then there is no common gound for discussion. In other words, the forum continues on like it always has. [img]/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img] [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

To be serious, I suppose this would be an interesting thing to undertake. Perhaps someone could put together a book list and we could all vote on the text to tackle.

-Zeno

Re: OOP book club
 

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The best part would be all the contentious arguing about what book to read.

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I anticipated this part taking the better part of at least a week. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

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To be serious, I suppose this would be an interesting thing to undertake. Perhaps someone could put together a book list and we could all vote on the text to tackle.

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I think it would be fun but the resounding silence thus far leads me to believe that there is no real desire to generate some genuine intellectual discourse. I guess we will just continue on with the standard attempts at one-upsmanship and arguing about silly political political posturing. Perhaps some responses are forthcoming.

Re: OOP book club
 

I like this idea. My only problem is that I am incredibly busy right now and so probably could only participate if the reading were to take place at a fairly leisurely pace.

Staying away from polemical trash is a good idea. Maybe something historical would be a good way to start.

Re: OOP book club
 

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I like this idea. My only problem is that I am incredibly busy right now and so probably could only participate if the reading were to take place at a fairly leisurely pace.

Staying away from polemical trash is a good idea. Maybe something historical would be a good way to start.

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Sam,

Yeah my full intent was to proceed at a fairly leisurely pace. I dont have a lot of time right now myself but I wanted to at least float the idea.

Re: OOP book club
 

I would participate. i suggest that we start with the liberataian party platform. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img] (hack, where have you been...?)


and, as long as we're considering the idea, i have to suggest:

"No-No Boy" by John Okada. It was the very first asian-american novel, about a japanese american youth who had served two years in prison for refusing the draft in world war 2.

It is neither liberal nor conservative, and it's thematic threads deal with issiues as diverse as (dis)enfranchisment, social welfare (or wether to reject welfare), and what it means, at the very core, to be an american. Additionaly, it is extrodianarily well written, and can be read in (it's hard not to read it in) a few hours.

(of course, it's about the japanese american experience and the city of seattle, so i feel a special;= connection to the book, being a japanese from seattle.)


But if that's to on-the-fringe for most participants (and i assume that it is) we could always do 'democracy in america' by DeToqueville.

Or a different letter from the Fedralist each week.

(Sorry, I've been drinking, so i'm gonna waste all of our time by listing a few of my political favs)

Farenheight 451- Ray Bradbury
Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail 1972- Hunter S thompson
The Making of the President 1960- Theodore H White
The Civil War- Shelby Foote
Slaughterhouse Five- Kurt Vonnegut
Julius Ceaser- William Shakespere
etc, etc

happy Mardi Gras!!! [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

Re: OOP book club
 

I'd be up for this.

Re: OOP book club
 

I like number 1.

Re: OOP book club
 

I'd be up for it. I would suggest that a mixture of fiction and non-fiction would be good. Preliminary title suggestions:

Johnny Got His Gun by Trumbo
Invisible Man by Ellison
Savage Inequalities by Kozol

Re: OOP book club
 

I would be up for this.

Re: OOP book club
 

Depending on what books are chosen I might be up for it. It has to be books that are interesting to a non-american audience, and it has to be books that I can get from amazon europe or the like.

Re: OOP book club
 

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Depending on what books are chosen I might be up for it. It has to be books that are interesting to a non-american audience, and it has to be books that I can get from amazon europe or the like.

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Given the nature of the beast here, I would imagine a lot of the titles are going to be USA-centric to some degree or another. That being said, I also recognize that you might have some trouble obtaining the books in your country. I am sure someone here, myself included, would be willing to work out an agreement to help you get the selected titles.

Re: OOP book club
 

Yes, I'm sure it can be arranged if this thing gets going.

USA-centric is ok for me, at least if it's about foreign relations and the like, USA internal affairs is not so interesting, at least not for more than a cursory read.

Re: OOP book club
 

I think reading fiction for a politics forum is kind of pointless. Anyway, my suggestion is "The Best and the Brightest" by David Halberstam.

Re: OOP book club
 

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I'd be up for it. I would suggest that a mixture of fiction and non-fiction would be good. Preliminary title suggestions:

Johnny Got His Gun by Trumbo
Invisible Man by Ellison
Savage Inequalities by Kozol

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Since it appears that we have a quorum, shall we move onto the issue of 1) how to run it per my two suggestions in the first post and 2) put together a title list.

1. I think option 1 (one book at a time for everyone) would be the best.
2. If people are going to recommend titles, I recommend they provide a succinct summary of the book, and why it would be interesting to the readers of this forum.

Gentlemen (and any lady lurkers), I await your suggestions.

BOOK NOMINATIONS
 

Option 1 is clearly the better option --- 1 book at a time for everyone.


Book Nominations

Johnny Got His Gun - by Dalton Trumbo. Story about a WWI soldier who lost his limbs and more to the war. Well written --- very quick read. Can spur discussion on some of the costs of war. Trumbo was blacklisted during the McCarthy era. My favorite book of all time. Amazon Listing

Invisible Man - Ellison's classic started its life as a short story then bloomed into a full novel. Summary (from an Amazon review): The nameless narrator of the novel describes growing up in a black community in the South, attending a Negro college from which he is expelled, moving to New York and becoming the chief spokesman of the Harlem branch of "the Brotherhood", and retreating amid violence and confusion to the basement lair of the Invisible Man he imagines himself to be. Amazon Listing

Savage Inequalities - Jonathan Kozol. Compares "rich" school districts in several states to their "poor" neighbors. VERY powerful book (my favorite non-fiction) --- after reading it you feel like you need to do something, but aren't necessarily let to what that something is. Amazon Listing

Re: OOP book club
 

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I think reading fiction for a politics forum is kind of pointless

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Why is that? Fiction can teach as much about politics as non-fiction.

I remember in one of my undergrad classes there was a class in which we basically read a bunch of political fiction. Each class was a discussion of a new book. All in all, it was a 28 book class --- TOTAL overkill, but still a great class where I learned a lot.

Re: BOOK NOMINATIONS
 

I have never read the book Johnny got his gun, but I loved the movie. The Metallica song about the story "Fade to Black" is also awesome. lol. The riffs from that song were one of the first things I learned on the guitar.

I would second this nomination.

Re: OOP book club
 

Slim,
I would be interested in reading what you guys have to about the books you read.

Re: OOP book club
 

I don't agree with your first sentence, but I love your suggestion in your second. Read it many years ago, a great, great book. Would love to take another look at it, lo these many years later.

Re: OOP book club
 

Gents,

I head off tomorrow for three weeks to train another carrier air wing how to enforce US hegemony and advance US imperialistic policy. Therefore I will have limited time to dedicate to getting this project going. Please continue to post your suggestions for the reading list. I will compile a poll when I return and we shall go from there.

Re: BOOK NOMINATIONS
 

What is the status of the book club Vulture?

There is a new book about China's emergence as an economic power called China Inc. I have only read one review (NYT) which was kind of non-commital, but this seems like a topic in which many people here of all political persuasions would be interested.

Re: OOP book club
 

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I'd be up for this

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if nicky's game, i'm game

Re: BOOK NOMINATIONS
 

that would be an excellent topic to learn about, sam. i second your nomination

Re: OOP book club
 

I'm currently reading "Why Globalisation Works" by Martin Wolf (Economics Editor at the Financial Times, former World Bank guy). General defence of capitalism, free trade, globalisation etc, with also some criticism of Western governments (mainly on farming subsidies and immigration). I've hit a bit of dry statistical patch with it but mainly it's very interesting. I think it would be a good choice because it's a book largely from the other side of the fence that I and many of us are on, but a quality one, and also has some scope for provoking debate from the right as well. So I'd suggest it as one of our choices.

I also plan on reading Globalised Islam by Oliver Roy which is supposed to be very good, and suggest it too.