Books to Make You Laugh Cry and Vote Democrat
Looking for books that make you laugh, cry, and inspire you to vote Democrat? This curated reading list features political must-reads like Naomi Klein’s *The Shock Doctrine*, Al Gore’s *The Assault on Reason*, and Thom Hartmann’s *Cracking the Code*. Explore witty, emotional, and thought-provoking books on democracy, politics, and liberal values that fuel hope and civic action. Perfect for Democrats, progressives, and anyone craving smart political books that blend humor with heartfelt insight.
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The Assault on Reason
by Al Gore
Now with a New Preface and Conclusion: “Post-Truth: On Donald Trump and the 2016 Election” “This book shows a fiery, throw-caution-to-the winds Al Gore, who . . . has decided to lay it all on the line with a blistering assessment of the Bush administration and the state of public discourse in America.” —Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times “Gore’s faith in human nature is braver and sharper than (the cynics). . . . This book isn’t about him; it’s about the republic whose freedoms depend on increasing reasoned debate and reducing intimidating noise.” —The Boston Globe What has happened to our country and how can we fix it? We are in the midst of a deepening crisis for our democracy. After the strangest election cycle in modern American history it is important that we address the grave threats to our way of life that were glaringly revealed in this campaign. In The Assault on Reason, Nobel Peace Prize winner and former Vice President Al Gore examines how faith in the power of reason—the idea that citizens can govern themselves through rational debate—is in peril. Our democracy depends on a well-informed citizenry and a two-way conversation about ideas, but our public sphere has been degraded by fake news and the politics of fear, partisanship, and blind faith. Now updated to investigate the rise of Trump and post-truth politics, The Assault on Reason is a call to rebuild the vitality of American democracy by restoring the nation’s information ecosystem so that we can start making good decisions again.
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Cracking the Code
by Thom Hartmann
Millions of working Americans talk, act, and vote as if their economic interests match those of the megawealthy, the multinational corporations, and the politicians who do their bidding. How did this happen? Bestselling author Thom Hartmann says it's because the apologists of the Right have become masters of the subtle and largely subconscious aspects of political communication. It's not an escalation in Iraq, it's a surge; it's not the inheritance tax, it's the death tax; it's not drilling for oil, it's exploring for energy. Conservatives didn't intuit the path to persuasive messaging--they learned these techniques. There is no reason why progressives can't learn them too. In Cracking the Code, Hartmann shows you how. Drawing on his background as a psychotherapist and advertising executive as well as a nationally syndicated Air America radio host, he breaks down the science and technology of effective communication so you can apply it to your own efforts to counter right-wing disinformation. As Hartmann explains, political persuasion is as much about biology as ideology, about knowing how the brain processes information and how that influences the way people perceive messages, make decisions, and form a worldview. Throughout the book, he shows you precisely how to master this technology--how to crack the communications code--providing examples dating from the time of the Founding Fathers to the present day.
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The Shock Doctrine
by Naomi Klein
In this groundbreaking alternative history of the most dominant ideology of our time, Milton Friedman's free-market economic revolution, Naomi Klein challenges the popular myth of this movement's peaceful global victory. From Chile in 1973 to Iraq today, Klein shows how Friedman and his followers have repeatedly harnessed terrible shocks and violence to implement their radical policies. As John Gray wrote in The Guardian, "There are very few books that really help us understand the present. The Shock Doctrine is one of those books."
