Other credit-happy theocracies, like Inquisition Spain, went bankrupt, collapsed under their own weight, disappeared from...
A dazzling treatise on the collapse of Republican virtues under the fundamentalists and plutocrats united in the perfect storm of Bushism.
Phillips (American Dynasty, 2004, etc.), the apostate former Republican strategist, once coined the term “Sun Belt” and envisioned the Southernization of American politics. He is now in the unhappy position of bearing witness to the birth of a Texas-fried, small-tent politics that blends religious orthodoxy and unwavering uncertainty in presidential infallibility with an economics predicated on indebtedness and extraction. The red state/blue state schism marks several old divides, he holds, one between “a preference for conspicuous consumption over energy efficiency and conservation,” one between secularism and theocracy. Why would a good American encourage the latter? Well, a certain school holds that the Second Coming will not be triggered until theocratic rule is established in this most divinely favored of countries, after which, presumably, it will be up to the damned to sort through the ugly business of paying the debts and filling the tanks. Many of these divides are very old, Phillips observes, between “greater New England and the South”—save the polar reversal of the South now being Republican, the Northeast Democratic. As to the manifold manifestations of theocracy, few are subtle: Consider the Schiavo case, and unprecedented federal meddling in science education (with the executive’s expressing a clear preference for so-called “intelligent design”), and the endless effort to undo various civil liberties. And the financialization of America? Again, writes Phillips, it’s not subtle: “Never before have political leaders urged . . . large-scale indebtedness on American consumers to rally the economy,” to say nothing of an economy based on servicing debt rather than making anything useful—and, of course, on ever-scarcer oil.
Other credit-happy theocracies, like Inquisition Spain, went bankrupt, collapsed under their own weight, disappeared from influence and view. Phillips’s historical essay/polemic is provocative, though plenty of folks in Houston—to say nothing of Washington—won’t like it at all.Pub Date: March 21, 2006
ISBN: 0-670-03486-X
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2006
An inspiring story of a unique town.
In her debut, a New York Times sportswriter explores why a small town in Vermont has become the “perfect incubator for developing the ideal Olympic athlete.”
Norwich has the distinction of being a town in which “one out of every 322 residents is an Olympian.” Crouse examines the story behind this remarkable record of athletic excellence, beginning with a profile of sisters Sunny and Betsy Snite. In the 1950s, their relentlessly competitive father pushed both girls to become ski champions. His “parent-driven medal-or-bust model” drove a permanent wedge between the sisters, made them unhappy, and kept both isolated from members of the Norwich community. The author then examines how more contemporary Norwich families have helped nurture well-adjusted champions. Nonjudgmental parental support allowed Mike Holland and Jeff Hastings to pursue their quirky, sometimes-dangerous passion of ski jumping in the 1970s and ’80s. An emphasis on becoming a well-rounded athlete able to play soccer and run track helped mogul skier Hannah Kearney keep a hypercompetitive drive in check while laying the foundation for the medals she won in 2010 and 2014. Growing up without expectations that he would ever be an athlete, Andrew Wheating was able to find a joy in running that led him to become a member of the U.S. Olympic track and field team in 2008 and 2012. Loving parents and a supportive community helped Winter X Games snowboard champion and Olympic team prospect Kevin Pearce move beyond the traumatic brain injury that ended his career. Crouse’s common-sense findings—that Norwich parents “praise effort, not results” and give their children “ownership of their lives”—all within a tightly knit community that values healthy living—are refreshing. Her book is a reminder that in an age that stresses winning at all costs, the true champions of the Olympic world are those who transition into lives as happy and productive adults.
An inspiring story of a unique town.Pub Date: Jan. 23, 2018
ISBN: 978-1-5011-1989-7
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: Oct. 22, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2017
Part political essay, part open love letter to little girls growing up afraid to claim their identities, this fresh memoir...
The founder of Muslimgirl.com writes a searing memoir of her young life as a Muslim-American girl growing up in an era of Islamophobia.
Beginning with a wise warning about the dangers of using a “single story” to define a minority group, Al-Khatahtbeh takes readers on a memorable journey chronicling her development from childhood to womanhood. Al-Khatahtbeh was 9 years old when the twin towers fell. Both the national tragedy and the backlash against Muslims deeply affected her developing sense of identity. Growing up in New Jersey, spending her 13th year in her father’s native Jordan, donning the hijab upon returning to the United States, and post-college work experiences with media outlets culminated in her full-time focus on the necessary work of highlighting Muslim women’s voices. The development of her brainchild, the collaborative blog and media outlet muslimgirl.com, takes center stage in the second half of the book. Her work has inspired many, and now the story of how she arrived at it can inspire as well. The occasional lack of narrative flow barely detracts from the vital message this book brings to the national conversation. Al-Khatahtbeh’s perspective details the impact of our political climate on the identities of our youth and demonstrates the need for outlets like the one she founded.
Part political essay, part open love letter to little girls growing up afraid to claim their identities, this fresh memoir is an important read for Americans of all backgrounds.Pub Date: Oct. 18, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-5011-5950-3
Page Count: 144
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: June 18, 2017
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
