A cleareyed diagnosis of America’s central political problems that lacks specific remedies.
A debut book provides a plan to overcome rampant partisanship and political gridlock in the United States.
As the recent presidential election showed, the U.S. citizenry remains historically pessimistic about national politics and hungry for radical reform. The economy chronically underperforms, disenfranchising a once secure middle class; stalemates perennially stymie Congress; and ideological polarization narrows public discourse. In his work, Reynolds asserts that this impasse is mostly the result of widespread political dysfunction, the solution of which is a matter of huge urgency: “The challenge of deadlocked partisan politics is an existential threat to our nation, and will lead to national decline if we cannot rectify it successfully.” In response to this crisis, the author recommends three major sets of reform. First, he proposes a constitutional amendment that would end the era of anonymous and unlimited political donations, which keeps public discussions captured in a web of hyper-partisan special interests. Next, he argues for an electoral reform act that would, among other things, halt the politically motivated gerrymandering of congressional districts, limit senatorial filibusters, and impose mandatory voting. Finally, the author backs the creation of bipartisan commissions to streamline the policymaking process, infusing government bureaucracy with greater efficiency. Each of these suggestions is built around two fundamental tenets: the Power Principle promotes the constitutionally mandated aggrandizement of national authority over time consistent with an efficient and adaptable government that represents the popular will. The Pragmatic Efficiency Principle demands that a real investment be made to effect such an increase in national control with the aim of generating equal economic opportunity and political representation for all. Reynolds’ discussion is sober and ideologically unencumbered—his call for a collective rejuvenation of bipartisanship admirably practices what he preaches. (Political polarization ultimately paralyzes “the nation’s ability to adapt to events at home and abroad, much less lead them,” he notes.) In addition, despite a general tone of exigency, this is a fundamentally optimistic book that avoids the shrill alarmism of so many prophets of inevitable decline. But the principles the author presents are quite vague, so much so that it’s not always entirely clear how the two are fully distinct. Furthermore, most of the actions he advocates cover familiar ground, and he never articulates a precise political route to their enactment.
A cleareyed diagnosis of America’s central political problems that lacks specific remedies.Pub Date: N/A
ISBN: N/A
Page Count: -
Publisher: Dog Ear Publisher
Review Posted Online: Aug. 27, 2017
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
Dogged original research and superb narrative skills come together in this gripping account of pitiless evil.
Greed, depravity, and serial murder in 1920s Oklahoma.
During that time, enrolled members of the Osage Indian nation were among the wealthiest people per capita in the world. The rich oil fields beneath their reservation brought millions of dollars into the tribe annually, distributed to tribal members holding "headrights" that could not be bought or sold but only inherited. This vast wealth attracted the attention of unscrupulous whites who found ways to divert it to themselves by marrying Osage women or by having Osage declared legally incompetent so the whites could fleece them through the administration of their estates. For some, however, these deceptive tactics were not enough, and a plague of violent death—by shooting, poison, orchestrated automobile accident, and bombing—began to decimate the Osage in what they came to call the "Reign of Terror." Corrupt and incompetent law enforcement and judicial systems ensured that the perpetrators were never found or punished until the young J. Edgar Hoover saw cracking these cases as a means of burnishing the reputation of the newly professionalized FBI. Bestselling New Yorkerstaff writer Grann (The Devil and Sherlock Holmes: Tales of Murder, Madness, and Obsession, 2010, etc.) follows Special Agent Tom White and his assistants as they track the killers of one extended Osage family through a closed local culture of greed, bigotry, and lies in pursuit of protection for the survivors and justice for the dead. But he doesn't stop there; relying almost entirely on primary and unpublished sources, the author goes on to expose a web of conspiracy and corruption that extended far wider than even the FBI ever suspected. This page-turner surges forward with the pacing of a true-crime thriller, elevated by Grann's crisp and evocative prose and enhanced by dozens of period photographs.
Dogged original research and superb narrative skills come together in this gripping account of pitiless evil.Pub Date: April 18, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-385-53424-6
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Doubleday
Review Posted Online: Feb. 1, 2017
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2017
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
BOOK TO SCREEN
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.
A compendium of charts, time lines, lists and illustrations to accompany study of the Bible.
This visually appealing resource provides a wide array of illustrative and textually concise references, beginning with three sets of charts covering the Bible as a whole, the Old Testament and the New Testament. These charts cover such topics as biblical weights and measures, feasts and holidays and the 12 disciples. Most of the charts use a variety of illustrative techniques to convey lessons and provide visual interest. A worthwhile example is “How We Got the Bible,” which provides a time line of translation history, comparisons of canons among faiths and portraits of important figures in biblical translation, such as Jerome and John Wycliffe. The book then presents a section of maps, followed by diagrams to conceptualize such structures as Noah’s Ark and Solomon’s Temple. Finally, a section on Christianity, cults and other religions describes key aspects of history and doctrine for certain Christian sects and other faith traditions. Overall, the authors take a traditionalist, conservative approach. For instance, they list Moses as the author of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Hebrew Bible) without making mention of claims to the contrary. When comparing various Christian sects and world religions, the emphasis is on doctrine and orthodox theology. Some chapters, however, may not completely align with the needs of Catholic and Orthodox churches. But the authors’ leanings are muted enough and do not detract from the work’s usefulness. As a resource, it’s well organized, inviting and visually stimulating. Even the most seasoned reader will learn something while browsing.
Worthwhile reference stuffed with facts and illustrations.Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2005
ISBN: 978-1-5963-6022-8
Page Count: -
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: May 23, 2010
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
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