| Who says summer reading has to be mindless? Now that you have a little time, dig into the books you’ve been meaning to read. Like these: Paul
Wellstone: The Life of a Passionate Progressive by Bill Lofy: This
biography of Paul Wellstone tells the inspirational story of one of the
most compelling figures in the history of American politics, chronicling
Wellstone’s life and political career. The book includes an afterword
by Bill Bradley. All Together Now: Common Sense for a Fair Economy by Jared Bernstein: The author, of the Economic Policy Institute, says our society and government have overemphasized individualism and proposes a “common-sense” alternative that includes collective approaches, such as working constructively through government, to solve such major problems as health care and stagnant wages. At 154 pages, this is an easy but important read. A Survival Guide for Working with Bad Bosses: Dealing with Bullies, Idiots, Back-Stabbers, and Other Managers from Hell, by Gini Graham Scott: Gives readers some practical advice to thrive under common bad-boss types, including corporate back-stabbers, know-nothing managers, bad communicators and many more. If you’re having trouble dealing with your boss, this book will be well worth its price in helping you find solutions. Hostile Takeover: How Big Money and Corruption Conquered Our Government—And How We Take It Back by David Sirota. The author, a former congressional staffer, describes the conquest of America’s democratic government by Big Money interests. This book is written for regular Americans who want to know what is happening to their democracy, not for the political elite. The Disposable American: Layoffs and Their Consequences by Louis Uchitelle: An eye-opening account of the devastating impact of layoffs on individuals at all income levels. Uchitelle follows three CEOs of tool manufacturer Stanley Works from 1968 through 2003 and shows how each becomes more willing than his predecessor to lay off workers. Uchitelle makes clear that layoffs are counterproductive and rarely promote efficiency or profitability in the long term. Government, he argues, must encourage companies to restrict layoffs and generate jobs. The Great American Jobs Scam: Corporate Tax Dodging and the Myth of Job Creation by Greg LeRoy: Large corporations often use an empty promise of more jobs to win economic development subsidies. But in reality, companies often fail to create or retain the jobs they promise. In this book, LeRoy exposes the process and how companies get away with paying poverty wages, not providing health care, moving jobs overseas and failing to create any new jobs since pocketing the incentives. He also makes a strong case for accountability. Forgotten Families: Ending the Growing Crisis Confronting Children and Working Parents in the Global Economy by Jody Heymann: Based on more than 1,000 in-depth interviews and survey data from more than 55,000 families on five continents, this book is the first truly global account of how the changing conditions of work threaten children, women, men and the infirm. With rapid globalization, Heymann finds, we can no longer address working and social conditions within our own borders without simultaneously addressing them on a global scale. The Bully of Bentonville: How the High Cost of Wal-Mart’s Everyday Low Prices Is Hurting America by Anthony Bianco: Bianco shows how Wal-Mart’s business policies have driven locally owned stores out of business, depressed retail wages, forced suppliers to move work overseas and cost thousands of jobs throughout the country. His book is based on interviews with Wal-Mart employees, managers, executives, competitors, suppliers, customers and community leaders. The Other Women’s Movement: Workplace Justice and Social Rights in Modern America by Dorothy Sue Cobble: Historian Cobble retrieves the forgotten feminism of working women in the mid-20th century, illuminating the ideas that inspired them and the reforms they secured from employers and the state. They sought to end unfair sex discrimination, to receive fair compensation for their labor and to secure the right to care for their families and communities. American Theocracy: The Peril and Politics of Radical Religion, Oil, and Borrowed Money in the 21st Century by Kevin Phillips: This book takes on three great threats to America’s well-being: our dependence on shrinking oil supplies, radicalized religion and massive domestic and international debt. Phillips draws historical parallels to similar conditions in the past, describes the growing power of the financial services industry and suggests healthier approaches that encourage personal savings and manufacturing. Justice on the Job: Perspectives on the Erosion of Collective Bargaining in the United States edited by Richard N. Block, Sheldon Friedman, Michelle Kaminski and Andy Levin: This collection of articles examines the current state of workers’ freedom to form unions and bargain collectively and the obstacles facing those who seek to organize into unions in the 21st century. The Global Class War: How America’s Bipartisan Elite Lost Our Future—and What It Will Take to Win It Back by Jeff Faux: Co-founder of the Economic Policy Institute, Faux argues that globalization is creating a new elite. The rich and powerful, business and political leaders, who are able to find workers and investment opportunities elsewhere, are abandoning the social contract that until recently had benefited and united the economic interests of all Americans. The Motherhood Manifesto: What America’s Moms Want—and What to Do About It by Joan Blades: Co-founder of MoveOn.org, Blades captures what it means to be a mother in America today through heartfelt stories of mothers struggling to raise a new generation. She also shows the successes of companies and organizations that have discovered the value of family-friendly policies in their workplaces and provides an agenda for empowering mothers at home and in the workplace.
|