内容简介
American politics has been hijacked. Over the past threedecades, a fringe group of economic hucksters has corrupted andperverted our nations policies. With dark, engaging wit, JonathanChait reveals how these canny zealots first took over theRepublican Party and then gamed the political system and the mediaso that once unthinkable policieswithout a shred of academic,expert, or even popular supportnow drive the political agenda,regardless of which party is in power. Why have these ideassucceeded in Washington? How did a clique of extremists gaincontrol of American economic policy and sell short the countrysfuture? And why do their outlandish ideas still determine policydespite repeated electoral setbacks? Chait tells the outrageous andeye-opening story, expertly explaining just how politics andeconomics work in Washington. He has produced a riveting drama ofgreed and deceit that should be read by every concerned citizen,especially in an election year.
A fishing trip marks the end of Jerra and Sean's friendship,although once, when they were younger and more innocent, it wouldhave seemed unbelievable that the bond between them could ever bebroken. But growing up has meant growing apart, the differencesbetween them widening, sharpening their teasing words intosomething crueller and less easy to forgive. 'Both a serialromantic and a truly gifted novelist' - Mariella Frostrup, "Mail onSunday". 'Winton's writing is a heady blend of muscularde*ion, deep sentiment and metaphysics' - "SundayTelegraph".
And so, another Terry Brooks trilogy has come to an end. With Straken, Brooks has now ended his “High Druid of Shannara” series, and he does it on a pretty good note. This has certainly been his strongest series for quite a while now, but even so, the last book has some major faults that keep it from being wonderful. According to his web site, he is writing a "Pre-Shannara" trilogy next, which is supposedly about the fall of the civilization that led to the way the Four Lands are today. It seems different enough, and I hope that it stays that way, as Straken (not to mention this entire series) shows that he really needs a break from it. Maybe completely changing the focus will help. When we last left our heroes, Grianne Ohmsford, the High Druid (or "Ard Rhys") had been captured in the Forbidding (an alternate plane where the druids had imprisoned all of the demons of the world) by a demon with ambitions beyond the Forbidding. In fact, they were plans to destroy it and unleash the imprisoned demonic
When a drunken major ordered Lieutenant John Dunbar to an abandoned army post,the war-weary soldier suddenly found himself alone,beyond the edge of civilization,with only a wolf and some roving Comancher for company. Thievery and survival soon forced Dunbar into the Indian camp,where he began a dangerous adventure theat changed his life forever.Each day in the wilderness,Dunbar became more Indian,learning the ways of a proud and glorious people.But when his past came back to haunt him and he was faced with the greatest decision of his life,Dunbar discovered who the real savages were and where his loyalty lay……
In many ways this is a wonderful novel with interesting, alive, characters. The medical aspects are absorbing and relevant, and the plot, the story, is grandiose, immense, and fascinating. Before you read the book, read the author's acknowledgements at the end. Irving's grandfather was a leading gynecologist, and he had his medical facts checked by experts. (There are other interesting tidbits in the acknowledgements.) John Irving is obviously a master novelist and he has lavished intense energy and creativity on this book. I just cannot help carping a bit. My qualm is that the "political" aspects are all a little too pat and comforting. Among the many characters we have the active, involved, and lively cripple (opps, sorry, I mean "differently abled person"); the abusive husband; the dignified, poor but honest negroes; the lovable orphans; the tough but ultimately gentle and sexually confused lesbian; the sad but dedicated and kindly illegal abortionists; and so on. For anyone other than a devout an
